The Weight of Living
The Weight of Living is a story about love, loss, and the small acts of courage that carry us through life’s hardest moments. It follows characters who are imperfect, trying their best, and learning what it means to trust, to forgive, and to hope again.
I wrote this book for readers who laugh through heartbreak, care deeply for the people in their lives, and believe in the quiet strength of kindness. It’s a story about finding connection even when life feels overwhelming, and about the courage it takes to open your heart.
Whether you’re looking for a story to comfort you, make you smile, or remind you that you’re not alone in feeling deeply, I hope The Weight of Living feels like a friend on the page.
What’s it about?
Tilly’s marriage is over, her self-worth in ruins, and the only place she has left to go is the home of her childhood nemesis.
As the infuriating older brother of her best friend, Connor Wilson has always known how to get under Tilly’s skin. But as her daily struggles with anxiety, body image, and the crushing weight of not feeling enough continue to consume her, he starts to become the one person who makes her feel seen.
As barbed insults give way to late-night conversations, Tilly begins to wonder if healing might look a lot like him.
But old wounds don’t vanish overnight, and as Tilly soon discovers, loving someone else means first learning to love yourself.
The story behind the story
I’ve always struggled with body image. As a 35-year-old mum of two who isn’t particularly thin, I often found it hard to identify with the heroines in romance novels — the women who seem effortlessly perfect, glamorous, or untroubled. I wanted to write a story where the main character feels real, relatable, and human, someone readers could truly see themselves in.
Alongside that, I’ve faced my own battles with mental health, including depression and anxiety. Expressing how I felt and understanding the swirl of thoughts in my head was often difficult. At times, I felt like no one could truly understand me.
Writing The Weight of Living became my way to change that. I gave my main character similar struggles, hopes, and insecurities, not only so I could better understand and express my own experiences, but also to create a story where others going through the same things might feel seen, understood, and less alone.
In the end, this book is as much about connection and empathy as it is about romance — about finding comfort in knowing that your feelings matter, your struggles are valid, and your story is worth telling.
Tropes
Slow-burn romance | He falls first | Friends to lovers | Relatable heroine | Second chance love | Comfort romance
Trigger warnings
Disordered eating | Body image issues and self hatred | Emotional and verbal abuse within a relationship | Coercive control | Anxiety and panic responses | Suicidal ideation
Quotes from the book
“I’ve spent my whole life searching for peace. Turns out, it feels a lot like coming home.”
“I waited for you. I waited for eighteen months. And I will wait for another eighteen months if you still need time, but I’m really hoping you invited me here today because you’re ready to start our lives together.”
“You make me feel safe.”
“Because you’re it for me, Matilda Simmons. Always.”
“Not because I thought marriage would make us stronger, but as a reminder that we’re a partnership, a team, and neither of us ever has to face anything alone again.”