
Bitter Sweet
A Novel
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Narrated by:
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Rosie Sheehy
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By:
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Hattie Williams
About this listen
A young book publicist finds herself in an all-consuming workplace affair with her literary idol in this “very impressive debut” (Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark).
“Beautifully crafted, with aftershocks of conscience that will leave you processing for hours with others who’ve read it.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name
Sometimes the things you love most are the very things that can tear you apart.
Charlie is twenty-three, single and the new publicity assistant at London’s preeminent independent book publishing house. Richard Aveling is fifty-six, married and the author who has defined his generation.
Charlie has long idolized the charming, illustrious writer, who also represents a link to her late mother who loved his work. But as they embark on an illicit and all-consuming affair, Charlie is forced to hide the relationship from everyone she cares about.
Too soon, she can’t imagine her life without Richard, and too late, she understands that losing him will unravel more than just their relationship—it might also unravel her.
Tender and poignant, Bitter Sweet is an intimate exploration of power, of vulnerability, of what it means to love another person and what it means to love yourself.
©2025 Hattie Williams (P)2025 Random House AudioCritic reviews
“The power dynamic between artist and consumer of art blurs in this unsettling account of a young publicist who meets her idol—a much older author. The lines of consent, control, and even reality shift. Like our main character we know this can’t end well—but we also can’t pull away from the impending implosion. This is beautifully crafted, with aftershocks of conscience that will leave you processing for hours with others who’ve read it.”—Jodi Picoult, #1 New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name
“Bitter Sweet is a quietly devastating debut about desire, grief, and power imbalance.”—Bustle
“Beautifully written with compassion, hope, and heart . . . Bitter Sweet is a timeless tragedy, a story of the intricacies and illusions of true love, equality, and the heartbreaking disparity between what is shown to us and what we choose to see. It’s a very impressive debut.”—Chris Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author of All the Colors of the Dark
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