The Messy Lives of Book People

Very well written novel about writing and writers who aspire to write well.Lovable main characters and suspenseful plot with a few twists.Thoroughly enjoyable.

Received on time and in good condition. Unfortunately, the cover page was narrower than the actual book - these books should be sent back to the printer rather than the customer.

I think that most avid readers harbour the desire to write a book. The challenge Liv faces trying to fulfill the requirements she suddenly faces makes for an interesting read. I enjoyed the book and have already ordered more by Ms Patrick.

Good fun, but you need to suspend your disbelief if you happen to be a writer.Liv Green, a mother of two children, is working as a maid to help pay the bills. When she is hired as a house-cleaner by reclusive best-selling author Essie Sterling, she comes a little closer to her daydreams. A tentative friendship starts up between Liv and Essie, but when Essie dies suddenly without finishing her work in progress, Liv is tapped to complete the book, without any background or, indeed, investigation by the publisher.She steps in and does her best, which is surprisingly good. The book is published, Essie has done her good deed, and all is well.This is an enjoyable piece of fantasy, with interesting characters and a fun plot line. I did have some problems with the flow of the story. For someone who is inexperienced, Liv manages to do a very good job writing the rest of the story and tightening things up - not an easy thing to do for an inexperienced writer who has no access to any other writers or, indeed, anyone who had any dealings with Essie Sterling, the original writer.This would translate well into a TV movie - there is plenty of scope for interesting situations and the reaction of the main character. It is all good fun, but I found myself shaking my head as I read the book.. The situations are enjoyable and you find yourself liking :Liv. But speaking as a writer, myself, it took a lot of intellectual gyrations to make myself accept the way that Liv was able to step in and finish an incomplete novel by a top author without any problems or, indeed, any guidance from experienced writers.I have another of Ms. Patrick's books that I will be reading.

This novel is a love letter to bookish people and a celebration of bookishness. I loved the fantastic twist and was glad that it had such a satisfying ending.