People in Love

What if you’d made a different decision? What if you’d received a message correctly? What if it’s not too late? This story ponders all of the above and I loved it. Bren and Nora were best friends with the feeling they would be more eventually, but then Bren left England without Nora and they haven’t seen each other in 12 years, though they keep in touch sporadically via email. Then it’s the night of Nora’s engagement party, and Bren unexpectedly turns up on her doorstep. His return makes Nora reconsider the life she’s living, and forces both of them to examine the events that happened 12 years ago and grapple with their emotions and their relationship with each other and their families. I loved Claire’s debut and this was another excellent read. I’m not usually one for books written without punctuation, but there’s something about Claire’s writing that makes it so easy to get lost in (in a good way!). This is for you if you like feeling nostalgic and wondering what could have been. Highly recommend!

This book was just pure perfection - from beginning to end. I was gripped by the characters, their complexities and their mistakes, their miscommunications and their what-ifs? I was gripped too with the writing that was beautifully crafted and yet felt so real. Overall I was gripped with the issue these characters faced - how to face the present when they haven't yet faced their past, how to right their wrongs, and how to know whether they are making the wrong decision. If you like Normal People, the Midnight Library, or One Day, you won't be able to put this novel down and like me will sacrifice precious sleep to see how it ends.