Bitter Sweet Audiobook By Hattie Williams cover art

Bitter Sweet

A Novel

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Bitter Sweet

By: Hattie Williams
Narrated by: Rosie Sheehy
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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. Coming of Age Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction

Critic 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

“Nuanced . . . Readers will be moved.”—Publishers Weekly

“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

“Bitter Sweet is raw and beautiful and true. Hattie Williams writes so honestly on love and loss that it hurts. This book will make you ache for your twenties and make you equally glad you survived them.”—Abigail Dean, New York Times bestselling author of Girl A

“Wondrous . . . This instant classic of a debut—as innocent and enthralling as first love; as wise and (yes) bittersweet as the hangover—recalls the likes of Caitlin Moran and Curtis Sittenfeld, but Hattie’s voice is all her own: honest, winning, breakable. What a defiant novel—you’ll devour and savor it at once, impossibly, and turn the final page having made a friend for life.”—A. J. Finn, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Woman in the Window

“Williams’s writing on early-twenties friendships and their enmeshed intensity was so convincing. I enjoyed it so much.”—Marian Keyes

“Nuanced . . . Readers will be moved.”—Publishers Weekly
Relatable Storyline • Emotional Journey • Superb Narration • Cathartic Experience • Beautiful Storytelling

Highly rated for:

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I finished Bitter Sweet last night and… I couldn’t sleep for hours. This book absolutely wrecked me—in the best, most cathartic, heart-squeezing kind of way.

I’ll be honest, it was hard to get into at first. Not because it’s slow or badly written—quite the opposite. It’s just so emotionally raw and triggering. It touches everything: grief, depression, panic attacks, anxious attachment, toxic relationship cycles, manipulation, power imbalances, sexual assault, that deep ache for male validation… all of it. It’s suffocating at times. But also so painfully real.

I haven’t been through anything exactly like what Charlie experienced, but I saw myself in her. The obsession. The emotional highs and lows. The way you keep trying to be “enough” for someone who makes you feel small. It hit hard.

But what I loved most about the book was where it went. The found family. The solid, life-saving friendships. The tiny steps toward healing. Therapy, resilience, softness after the storm. It doesn’t promise a perfect ending—but it shows you that healing is possible. Slowly. Messily. But truly.

I really believe that most things are solvable—with time, a strong support system, and good professional help. But the truth is, you have to want to do the work. You have to choose to show up for yourself. And this book captures that so beautifully.

I also think—honestly—you need people. Friends, family, the ones who love you enough to stand at the edge of your dark place and say, “I’m not leaving without you.” I’m really grateful I have that kind of support system. I was in that dark place for months, and I know I wouldn’t have made it out without the patience and love of my family. They pulled me through. And I’ll never stop being thankful for that.

Bitter Sweet doesn’t give easy answers—but it makes you feel everything. And somehow, in the middle of all that pain, it gives you just enough hope to believe in finding your way back.

Crazy relatable

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The narrator is great. each word is clearly articulated. The story is almost old fashioned - many women in Charlie’s situation would have exploited it. It seemed autobiographical in the details. I loved it for the strong, empowered female characters.

Wonderful Story of Trauma and Recovery

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Why is the narrator whispering?? I can’t hear her and it’s so distracting. I keep getting bored and zoning out

Story is fine, awful narrator

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I loved this read. The characters, the plot, the narrator were all great. Unusual storyline and I couldn’t guess the ending.

Excellent!

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I loved this story and the journey I went on with Charlie! I took a star off for performance because sometimes the narrator was so raspy I kept having to rewind.

Totally immersive, uncomfortable and addictive

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