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King
King is a sexy, honest and poignant story about a woman in search of who she really is.
Jess doesn’t just perform as Elvis, she becomes him. On and off stage, her lips curl and her hips twitch, and everyone she encounters falls under her spell. But back home her marriage and motherhood don’t fulfil her as much as they once did.
When her wife asks her to make some difficult choices, Jess is forced to discover who she truly is and what she really wants. It’s only when she makes a pilgrimage to Memphis that she can start to answer the biggest questions of all. Is she a wife, a mother, a lover or the king of rock and roll?
Jess doesn’t just perform as Elvis, she becomes him. On and off stage, her lips curl and her hips twitch, and everyone she encounters falls under her spell. But back home her marriage and motherhood don’t fulfil her as much as they once did.
When her wife asks her to make some difficult choices, Jess is forced to discover who she truly is and what she really wants. It’s only when she makes a pilgrimage to Memphis that she can start to answer the biggest questions of all. Is she a wife, a mother, a lover or the king of rock and roll?
306 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2024
2 people are currently reading
16 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 10, 2024
I don’t think I have wanted to yell at a fictional character and shake them so much as Jess, which means that Chloe did a great job in writing this book. I think everyone has been in a place that they didn’t know what they were doing or what was next or even how to figure it out so this is very relatable. I think keeping the focus to Jess through out was really good for the book as well.
May 21, 2024
Thank you Netgalley and Hatchling Press for a ARC copy of this book. This was a honest review.
Content Warning: Cheating in a relationship, sexism
It's one of those stories I'll always remember. Jess is a complex and dynamic character who impersonates Elvis. She is also queer. It hooked me right away because this story was so different in a good way. Her connection to Elvis through her dad was something I could relate to, which was heartwarming. Her ups and downs along the way. Finding yourself again was the theme of this story. Additionally, it lets you see how normal it is to re-discover yourself. While it was another dynamic she had to deal with, I wasn't a fan of the cheating relationship. Despite the fact that Jess did discover she had other skills in life, I felt the story was too long.
Content Warning: Cheating in a relationship, sexism
It's one of those stories I'll always remember. Jess is a complex and dynamic character who impersonates Elvis. She is also queer. It hooked me right away because this story was so different in a good way. Her connection to Elvis through her dad was something I could relate to, which was heartwarming. Her ups and downs along the way. Finding yourself again was the theme of this story. Additionally, it lets you see how normal it is to re-discover yourself. While it was another dynamic she had to deal with, I wasn't a fan of the cheating relationship. Despite the fact that Jess did discover she had other skills in life, I felt the story was too long.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2024
Fair's fair. I'm biased.
May 15, 2024
Fowler did a superb job at weaving together the complexities of love, attraction, commitment, family and of course, Elvis…Her empathy for Jess’s dilemma, and brilliantly researched story of performance and fandom, you are taken on a journey to the stage and beyond. Having a leading gay character, the story does not shy away from the normality of domestic life - the LGBTQI+ community needs more cool literature like King - you can almost touch the quiff and the excitement as she performs. A superb novel which will be enjoyed by many.
May 13, 2024
There are many things I love about this novel. One is the way that Chloe writes about relationships, with all their complexities, so beautifully. I also love the subject matter - the descriptions of Jess performing are so mesmerising you feel as though you're in the audience. The pace of this novel is perfect too. Not many novels make you want to read through without stopping - but King did. I was immersed from the first page. Thoroughly recommend as a brilliant summer read.
May 10, 2024
Un-put-downable and lingered with me long after finishing it.
The author weaves a wonderfully empathetic portrayal of the lead character - you find yourself urging them to make the decisions you would: delighted when they go the way you would, frustrated when they don’t.
A great blend of the study of comfort and tedium of domestic affairs, with wonderful episodes of escape, both home and abroad.
The author weaves a wonderfully empathetic portrayal of the lead character - you find yourself urging them to make the decisions you would: delighted when they go the way you would, frustrated when they don’t.
A great blend of the study of comfort and tedium of domestic affairs, with wonderful episodes of escape, both home and abroad.
May 31, 2024
King is an impressive novel from Chloë Fowler. The ‘king’ of the title is, of course, Elvis Presley, whose face in close-up and youth adorns the front cover.
Jess is a queer Elvis impersonator. A lesbian with a wife, child, and a desire to perform and to be adored.
King starts at the Edinburgh Fringe, where Jess has sell-out shows as she slowly dresses as Elvis through her act.
When her family faces a crisis, will she make the right decisions in life? Fowler brings the close-knit world of the Fringe, a busy London, and even the nightlife in Memphis to life.
She imagines situations, people, and feelings. Creates a whole world in stage and screen worlds where the King is viewed through a queer prism and the eyes of the woman who mimics his quiff and wears replicas of his bejewelled rings.
Seen wholly through Jess’s eyes, other characters do take a back seat but they feel ring through several intimate conversations in person or detached ones across screens.
Sarah, her businesslike wife who wants Jess to MC a work event but can’t be wholly proud of her. Tiff, a journalist who offers an open door. Jak, a non-binary director who offers an escape.
And two sets of people who love Elvis, one at a British ‘Elvis Con’ in Birmingham, one in a bar Jess finds when she’s walking in Memphis. Which group will embrace her and let her find her path in life, signposted by the King himself?
I really enjoyed this book. It captures the loneliness of life away from home for a performer, and tips a hat to the reality of a domestic life that may be right for one but not another.
It demonstrates an understanding of emotional and physical imtimacy without taking that aspect too far, and in Jess’s Elvis imitation, recognises that he has a legacy that reaches into the depths of many varied lives.
This novel may appeal to open-minded Elvis fans as well as those who appreciate good fiction in the LGBTQ+ space.
Jess is a queer Elvis impersonator. A lesbian with a wife, child, and a desire to perform and to be adored.
King starts at the Edinburgh Fringe, where Jess has sell-out shows as she slowly dresses as Elvis through her act.
When her family faces a crisis, will she make the right decisions in life? Fowler brings the close-knit world of the Fringe, a busy London, and even the nightlife in Memphis to life.
She imagines situations, people, and feelings. Creates a whole world in stage and screen worlds where the King is viewed through a queer prism and the eyes of the woman who mimics his quiff and wears replicas of his bejewelled rings.
Seen wholly through Jess’s eyes, other characters do take a back seat but they feel ring through several intimate conversations in person or detached ones across screens.
Sarah, her businesslike wife who wants Jess to MC a work event but can’t be wholly proud of her. Tiff, a journalist who offers an open door. Jak, a non-binary director who offers an escape.
And two sets of people who love Elvis, one at a British ‘Elvis Con’ in Birmingham, one in a bar Jess finds when she’s walking in Memphis. Which group will embrace her and let her find her path in life, signposted by the King himself?
I really enjoyed this book. It captures the loneliness of life away from home for a performer, and tips a hat to the reality of a domestic life that may be right for one but not another.
It demonstrates an understanding of emotional and physical imtimacy without taking that aspect too far, and in Jess’s Elvis imitation, recognises that he has a legacy that reaches into the depths of many varied lives.
This novel may appeal to open-minded Elvis fans as well as those who appreciate good fiction in the LGBTQ+ space.
July 18, 2024
King is the story of Jess, an Elvis impersonator, wife, and mother. As a stay-at-home parent, Jess has foregone her hopes of a career in performance to raise her daughter while her wife Sarah’s continues to work. An opportunity rises and she finds herself touring Edinburgh doing what she loves best. Jess’s absence, combined with Sarah’s disinterest in Jess’s career, causes them to drift slowly apart. Jess comes to the realisation that she is not happy, but is uncertain why. A family tragedy causes her to re-evaluate her life. While Sarah is pressing her to have another baby, Jess, out of frustration agrees. But the road to pregnancy with all its ups and downs serves to push a greater divide between the two. When Jess’s big break comes and she realises she is not getting the support she needs from Sarah, she sets on a quest to find herself and identify what she really wants out of life.
Jess’s introspection throughout the book is written with such sensitivity and insight. The author has creatively tapped into her core being and takes the reader on a journey of exploration through all the emotions befitting the circumstances. As a reader, I felt Jess’s pain and sense of loss. I understood her confusion. And finally, when decisions were made, I felt her relief. Such great writing and insight for a debut novel.
Jess’s introspection throughout the book is written with such sensitivity and insight. The author has creatively tapped into her core being and takes the reader on a journey of exploration through all the emotions befitting the circumstances. As a reader, I felt Jess’s pain and sense of loss. I understood her confusion. And finally, when decisions were made, I felt her relief. Such great writing and insight for a debut novel.
July 19, 2024
This fascinating book, “King” by Chloë Fowler, provides us with a study of the many and varied ways in which people show their appreciation of Elvis and his music. There is a memorable description of the closed world of the ElvisCon: Europe’s largest ETA Championship and its fans. There are graphic descriptions of a quartet of Elvis fans, Don, Aaron, Lips and Bobby, in Memphis who come to the rescue of Jess whose story this is.
Jess is an Elvis impersonator, appearing regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The buzz of being on stage, the consummate skill Jess brings to her rôle, her commitment are vividly portrayed. But Jess has another rôle as the stay-at-home wife and mother, the kept woman. Jess’s wife is a successful and powerful career woman, a wife and mother too, but someone who depends on a well-ordered home to return to in the evenings. And Jess’s wife would like to have a second child.
The novel explores the dichotomy between Jess’s two rôles, further complicated by the death of her father whose love and belief in Jess have driven her acting career and Jess’s attraction to Tiff, a journalist sent to interview her in Edinburgh. “King” is a sensitive and thoughtful exploration of a woman questioning her own identity.
Jess is an Elvis impersonator, appearing regularly at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The buzz of being on stage, the consummate skill Jess brings to her rôle, her commitment are vividly portrayed. But Jess has another rôle as the stay-at-home wife and mother, the kept woman. Jess’s wife is a successful and powerful career woman, a wife and mother too, but someone who depends on a well-ordered home to return to in the evenings. And Jess’s wife would like to have a second child.
The novel explores the dichotomy between Jess’s two rôles, further complicated by the death of her father whose love and belief in Jess have driven her acting career and Jess’s attraction to Tiff, a journalist sent to interview her in Edinburgh. “King” is a sensitive and thoughtful exploration of a woman questioning her own identity.
October 18, 2024
I just finished this. I know it rook me a while. I'm not a quick reader, and this book was a struggle at times.
I saw this on Netgalley, it was available for free reading with no approval needed, I was drawn to the cover first, and I mean, anything that deals with historical and music icons will get me. So it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.
Turns out it was a lot more complex than a girl who performs as Elvis. It deals with the life of the King and how it all gets lost in the fame. It deals with queerness, with the world of Drag and performing. With identity and life crisis, With loss and rebirth.
It is a mammoth of a book. It is special and unique as far as my reading experience goes. This ARC needs formatting and editing, but it is definitely well researched and written.
It is emotional and thought provking.
It is definitely worth a read, if you are in any of the worlds it delves in or if you have an open and curious mind.
I'm glad I did it.
I saw this on Netgalley, it was available for free reading with no approval needed, I was drawn to the cover first, and I mean, anything that deals with historical and music icons will get me. So it was a bit of a no-brainer for me.
Turns out it was a lot more complex than a girl who performs as Elvis. It deals with the life of the King and how it all gets lost in the fame. It deals with queerness, with the world of Drag and performing. With identity and life crisis, With loss and rebirth.
It is a mammoth of a book. It is special and unique as far as my reading experience goes. This ARC needs formatting and editing, but it is definitely well researched and written.
It is emotional and thought provking.
It is definitely worth a read, if you are in any of the worlds it delves in or if you have an open and curious mind.
I'm glad I did it.
June 17, 2024
King is a sexy honest, and touching story about Jess, who is an Elvis impersonator on a quest to find her true self. Though she mesmerises audiences on stage. Her personal life leaves her feeling unfulfilled.
Her wife presents her with a difficult choice.
So Jess heads to Memphis to figure out if she's a wife a mother a lover or is she the king of rock and roll.
Fowler does an amazing job blending themes of love, attraction, commitment, family, and Elvis. Her heartfelt portrayal of Jess’s struggles, along with a well-researched look into the world of performance and fandom, invites readers on a journey both on and off the stage. With a strong gay lead character, the story gives a real glimpse into everyday life, offering much-needed representation for the LGBTQI+ community. "King" is a fantastic novel that many will love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchling Press.
Her wife presents her with a difficult choice.
So Jess heads to Memphis to figure out if she's a wife a mother a lover or is she the king of rock and roll.
Fowler does an amazing job blending themes of love, attraction, commitment, family, and Elvis. Her heartfelt portrayal of Jess’s struggles, along with a well-researched look into the world of performance and fandom, invites readers on a journey both on and off the stage. With a strong gay lead character, the story gives a real glimpse into everyday life, offering much-needed representation for the LGBTQI+ community. "King" is a fantastic novel that many will love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hatchling Press.
June 13, 2024
A really enjoyable read. Jess, and other characters were really vivid and relatable, a very human story with some wonderful places as the backdrop. Also the sense of place was wonderful as we visited London, Edinburgh, Brighton, a film set, an Elvis convention and Memphis. I loved how richly these places and people came to life. Highly recommend.
May 21, 2024
This was a story about trying to find yourself again while trying not to hurt or upset everyone around you. Also it lets you see how normal it is to rediscover yourself and grow into a new you. I did want to climb through the book and shake Jess at times but it was her journey.
June 23, 2024
Beautifully told story with characters who felt so real. I almost wished Jess was my friend so I could chat with her and help her figure out what it was she really wanted. So many funny, painful, harsh and tender moments brought to life through wonderful writing. Definitely would recommend.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews