The Messy Lives of Book People Review – Book Lovers, Secrets, and Second Chances
📚 Book Spotlight: The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick
Genre: Contemporary Fiction • Bookish Fiction • Mystery • Uplifting
Format: Audiobook
Series: Standalone
Year Published: 2022
Page Count: 352
Rating: ☕☕☕ (3 Coffees!)
☕ Coffee Pairing
Perfect Sip: A lukewarm vanilla latte
Why it Works: Cozy and comforting with bookish vibes—but maybe not your strongest brew. It’ll do the job, just not one you’ll be raving about long after the last sip.
About the Book
When a reclusive bestselling author dies unexpectedly, her housecleaner—an aspiring writer herself—is left with an unbelievable opportunity: finish the author’s final manuscript. The Messy Lives of Book People is a charming and heartfelt story about second chances, hidden stories, and the quiet power of believing in yourself. If you love books about books, ordinary women doing extraordinary things, and a touch of mystery woven into everyday life, this one’s for you.
My Thoughts
⚠️ Spoiler Warning
This isn’t your typical whodunit—there’s no crime to solve, just the quiet unraveling of someone’s past. Liv is on a mission to understand the woman she worked for, and to explain how that unfolds, I’ll need to reveal a few key details. Consider this your gentle warning to pause here if you’d rather discover those secrets yourself!
This book was a solid read overall. While I found a few flaws along the way, it genuinely warmed my heart by the end.
Let’s start with what worked: I loved that Liv was portrayed as an ordinary woman living an ordinary life. She’s a cleaner, an almost empty-nester, and navigating a rough season in her marriage. As a mom and wife, she was incredibly relatable. She had set aside her dream of becoming a writer—not with bitterness, but with quiet acceptance. It wasn’t until her longtime employer (and favorite author), Essie, passed away and left her the opportunity to ghostwrite her final novel that Liv began to reconsider what she wanted for herself. As the story progressed, I loved watching Liv grow bolder and more confident—channeling the heroine she’d spent years reading about.
“He’d probably ruffle my hair and say, There’s no point guessing how a story will end, sweet pea. Keep turning the page until you reach the next chapter.’ Carol nodded firmly. ‘He always said it to his students. Worrying never changes anything.”
-Phaedra patrick, The Messy lives of book people
That said, I did have a few issues with how Liv’s boldness played out. I understand that Essie’s last wish was for her death to be kept a secret, which forced Liv to lie to nearly everyone—including her husband. While the secrecy served the plot, it understandably created tension and trust issues in their marriage. Another detail that didn’t sit well with me: Liv began wearing Essie’s clothes. With the raise and expense account she was given, it seemed like a missed opportunity for Liv to step into her own identity, rather than literally stepping into someone else’s. I also found Liv and Essie’s relationship a little hard to connect with. For a bond that was central to the plot, we never really got to see their dynamic before Essie’s death—it made their connection feel distant at times, more told than shown. And as Liv dug deeper into Essie’s past, she nearly crossed a line in her marriage. While her husband wasn’t exactly Husband of the Year, he didn’t deserve to be forgotten. Thankfully, the story reins her in just in time, and I appreciated that she and her husband began rebuilding their relationship in the end.
The twist near the end was beautifully executed. I won’t spoil it, but let’s just say it took me on a bit of an emotional roller coaster—in the best way.
In the end, this book is a celebration of second chances, identity, and finding your voice—sometimes in the most unexpected places. It wasn’t a perfect read, but it had heart, humor, and just enough bookish magic to make me glad I stuck around until the final chapter.
My Final Thoughts
The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick is a quiet, bookish story about second chances, self-discovery, and the courage to chase long-forgotten dreams. I appreciated Liv’s relatable journey from cleaner to ghostwriter, and the book’s themes of identity and reinvention really resonated with me. However, I did find some aspects of the story a bit lacking—especially the distant feeling of Liv and Essie’s relationship, which we’re told is meaningful but rarely shown on the page. Still, despite a few missteps in character choices and emotional depth, the novel delivers a gentle reminder that it’s never too late to rewrite your own story.
