Heart the Lover
By Lily King
Grove Press, September 30, 2025, 256 pp.
The Short of It:
Lovely and poignant.
In the fall of her senior year of college, a young woman meets two star students from her 17th-Century Lit class: Sam and Yash. Best friends living off campus in the elegant house of a professor on sabbatical, the boys invite her into their intoxicating world of academic fervor, rapid-fire banter and raucous card games.
This is the type of story you tuck in with as it gently unfolds in beautiful little bits. I LOVED this story.
The narrator of the story is young Jordan. Not her real name, more on this later. She meets these two amazing men, both best friends to each other. Has a romantic relationship with one, and then the other, a deeper more personal friendship but is it really something more?
These three romp around the university, talking literature and live in the fancy house of a professor on sabbatical. None seem particularly well-to-do but they have plans to be successful. Where they end up? Not all that important to them.
These characters share their innermost thoughts in a quiet contemplative way. The tone that King sets up is very similar in feel to the movie The Big Chill. Close friends, lovers, intimate secrets. The plot follows them into adulthood. They are presented with challenges and doubts which threaten to break them apart. Jordan’s true identity is not immediately revealed until she figures out who she really is.
Lily King, well done. Highly recommend.
Comes out September 30, 2025.
Source: Review copy sent to me by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
Sounds good, I may get a copy when it’s available.
Guess I’m not getting a copy, it has aspects that I don’t read.
Oh. Poop. It was so good.
I really enjoyed Writers & Lovers, and can’t wait to read this new one. Glad to know you enjoyed it so well, Ti.
Yes. It really stuck with me. She writes so well.
Ok. Adding this one to the TBR list! It sounds really good.
It really was good. I wanted it to be longer, honestly. Didn’t want it to end.
You LOVED it? I’m off to request it!
Yep. I loved it. She writes so well. I didn’t want it to end.
I just finished a reread of Writers & Lovers and cannot wait to read this one. Glad to know you loved it!
Yes, Writers was good as well. She just knows how to write so well.
Oh man you already got to this novel?! You little sneaker. Actually I’m glad you read it early so we know what to expect. I liked two of King’s other novels …. so I’m hoping to like this new one. Seems like a tangled love triangle story, right?
Yep. A love triangle but so respectfully done. Friendships run deep.
This isn’t something I would normally want to read, but your review has me contemplating.
I just added this to my TBR today. Loved your review.
It’s just so good.