Steven Rowley

A poignant, highly original novel about an author whose relationship with his very famous book editor will change him forever... ‘Told with warmth and humour – the story of a mother-son reconciliation, facilitated by a most unlikely fairy godmother...delightful’ Chloe Benjamin, author of The Immortalists

The Editor

Cindy Lieberman

3.7 A man in his early 30s has his first novel accepted for publication. This is the journey he takes with his wise (and famous) editor to find the heart of his story and the ending he needs to come to terms with, as his “fictionalized” mother figures prominently in his novel. If you liked Lily and the Octopus you will like this. The audiobook is read by the same actor.

Ana Couto

This one was interesting! I much preferred the first half of THE EDITOR, which focuses more on James's relationship with Jackie as well as his relationship with his mother. The book lost my interest a bit when James began his journey to discover his true birth father (personally I just wasn't really interested in this aspect of the storyline, and I think James's story was already interesting enough without adding this curveball). I also really liked reading about the publishing industry and New York City in the 1990s -- the author did a great job at setting the atmosphere! Nonetheless, while THE EDITOR is momentarily enjoyable, I do think it's somewhat of a forgettable read. 

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Lindsey Barnett

From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus comes a novel about a struggling writer who gets his big break, with a little help from the most famous woman in America. After years of trying to make it as a writer in 1990s New York City, James Smale finally sells his novel to an editor at a major publishing house: none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie--or Mrs. Onassis, as she's known in the office--has fallen in love with James's candidly autobiographical novel, one that exposes his own dysfunctional family. But when the book's forthcoming publication threatens to unravel already fragile relationships, both within his family and with his partner, James finds that he can't bring himself to finish the manuscript. Jackie and James develop an unexpected friendship, and she pushes him to write an authentic ending, encouraging him to head home to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother. Then a long-held family secret is revealed, and he realizes his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page... From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus comes a funny, poignant, and highly original novel about an author whose relationship with his very famous book editor will change him forever--both as a writer and as a son.

Jackie Cunningham

"From the bestselling author of Lily and the Octopus comes a funny, poignant, and highly original novel about an author whose relationship with his very famous book editor will change him forever--both as a writer and a son. After years of struggling as a writer in 1990s New York City, James Smale finally gets his big break when his novel sells to an editor at a major publishing house: none other than Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Jackie, or Mrs. Onassis as she's known in the office, has fallen in love with James's candidly autobiographical novel, one that exposes his own dysfunctional family. But when the book's forthcoming publication threatens to unravel already fragile relationships, both within his family and with his partner, James finds that he can't bring himself to finish the manuscript. Jackie and James develop an unexpected friendship, and she pushes him to write an authentic ending, encouraging him to head home to confront the truth about his relationship with his mother. But when a long-held family secret is revealed, he realizes his editor may have had a larger plan that goes beyond the page... With lovable characters and the same intimate prose that readers loved in Steven Rowley's debut novel, Lily and the Octopus, The Editor is a poignant, insightful novel of young men and their mothers, authors and their editors, and the minefields of speaking the truth about those we love"--

The Editor

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