Just finished Lauren Groff's Brawler and will need some time to recover.

My goodness. I haven't read a short story collection in ages and being new to her work, thought I'd give this a go. Completely captivating. I finished it in two days and felt a lot of feelings.

Beautifully written stories about love and loss, but what stood out to me was that so many characters made bad choices yet Groff made those decisions feel honest and true to the moment. That, coupled with her ability to create a tangible setting (descriptions of temperature, heat, lighting all flow magnificently), made for a powerful reading experience.

A heartbreaker, but an exquisite one. I need to seek out more short story collections, but might need a bit of a breather before reading more of her emotionally intense work.