The End of Romance

“If Grace Paley and Miranda July had a baby, the result would be Lily Meyer’s The End of Romance. Hilarious, off-kilter, sparklingly special, deliciously Jew-ish, and disarmingly deep, this book made me feel 10 percent less dead inside.” —Emma Copley Eisenberg, national bestselling author of Housemate

“The End of Romance [is] a sly subversion and exemplar of the [romance] form…[it’s] about the pursuit of pleasure, and… it’s endearingly sincere and tenderhearted.” –Alexandra Jacobs, New York Times

“A dark valentine of a novel…Meyer conjures a hothouse of academic passion and political tumult in one woman’s quest for self-acceptance.” —TIME Magaine

“Earnest and analytical, interspersed with theory and sex.” —Emma Alpern, Vulture

“A cleverly written modern-day love story that Meyer deftly draws to a satisfying conclusion, inviting readers to revel in Sylvie’s emotions along the way.” —BookPage

“An anti-romantic finds herself at odds with her own beliefs when she falls in love with not one, but two men…A less capable writer would stumble under the weight of the book’s intricate themes, but Meyer’s prose is both graceful and skillful. A charming and complex book full of intellect, humor, and—despite its title—romance.” –Kirkus

“It is one of many delightful ironies in Lily Meyer’s gripping and incisive novel, The End of Romance, that her unforgettable heroine, Sylvie Broder, finds herself constantly untangling herself from love. It is also one of its many pleasures that you root for Sylvie at every turn, from her loveless childhood to her flight from an abusive marriage to a life of passion and intellectual pursuit…Meyer has created a woman I learned from, suffered with and, now that I’ve finished this terrific novel, miss terribly.” –Adam Ross, author of NYTBR Editor’s Choice PLAYWORLD

“Mey­er allows us to expe­ri­ence the lim­its of analy­sis along­side Sylvie her­self. In trac­ing that ten­sion between intel­lect and desire, she offers a sharp med­i­ta­tion on the impulse to the­o­rize our way out of vul­ner­a­bil­i­ty — and on what it takes to rebuild a self after love has gone wrong.” –JBC

“Sylvie Broder is in the midst of a philosophy crisis. What’s a briliant young Ph.D candidate to do when her thesis — that romance must end — turns out to be at odds with her life? Lily Meyer has created a funny, relatable, and empathetic protagonist who combs the literatures of moral and feminist thought—and frequently consults her imaginary turtle friend— to confirm her theory that for a woman to thrive, her private and public lives must be bifurcated. Can the likes of Rich, Hegel, and Foucault help solve Sylvie find clarity? Perhaps not. The End of Romance is a brainy, highly original anti-romance romance that will speak to anyone who has ever wrestled with questions of love.” –Susan Coll, bestselling author of Acceptance

“Meyer so beautifully captures the cumulative effect all of our past relationships (romantic and otherwise) have on us…in The End of Romance she’s crafted an unforgettable cast of characters (including one splendid imaginary turtle). The End of Romance will be an encouraging companion to anyone who’s struggled with the question of how to be true to yourself and how to let love in.” –Katie Yee, author of Maggie

“[S]harp and sexy…This thought-provoking novel pulls off big ideas and steamy romance all at once.” —Publishers Weekly