I didn’t really intend for this to happen, but Heart the Lover by Lily King was my first book of 2026! This book is a plot-driven piece of popular fiction, so it is not my typical go-to book. However, I read so many rave reviews of it that I decided to add it to my list.

My conclusion is that this is an excellent book for the nostalgic English major. In this book, college feels rich and heady, the best it could be. This book probably gets its best reviews from those nostalgic English majors (and I am one!), who recall college warmly. In the book, characters develop, the plot weaves, and meanings deepen.

Because it is so plot-based, literary prose readers may not be deeply interested in this one, no matter how nostalgic they are for days of yore. However, meanings don’t beat you over the head and conclusions are fairly subtle and I find that all to be very likable. For many, this will be an all-time favorite. At the very least, I think most readers will like the book.