Lauren Farnsworth’s The Lonely Hearts Trivia Night just hit differently. Seeing the cover and reading the synopsis, I was expecting a fluffy and funny book about pub quiz nights. Instead, I read this book that just knew my sensitive spots, but didn’t hit any of them too hard. This book gave my all the feels, and I Loved it.
I loved reading about how a group of strangers, some stranger than others, responded to Donna’s ad which appealed for quiz team members for a new squad to compete in her local pub. In today’s world, that doesn’t strike me as sad nor strange, as we also search for our partners online and everywhere else, and that’s far more intimate than answering odd questions for an hour or so once a week in a pub.
As we get to know the characters, we see that each one had different reasons for seeking new friends and the Red Hot Quizzy Peppers quiz team’s acceptance. Each character needed growth that such an experience would bring, as well as the unguarded, and often unsolicited, opinions of friends who grow close enough to become like family, over the course of months and years.
This book made me feel empathy for each of the characters, and the character development wasn’t ever “too much”. Even when involving discussions of mental illness and the fear that such topics can dredge up within a person, Farnsworth approached it with authenticity, sensitivity, and maintained the dignity of the character. The characters remained human. They didn’t magically heal or change over night. That restraint was appreciated.
This book was subtle, but absolutely amazing.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for this fantastic audio ARC!!