This is one of those books that I've struggled to review. The author writes really well and I could picture all the scenes in my head. Paul and Kate were well-developed characters and the book detailed their lives from the beginning of their friendship at aged eight right up to present day where they are about to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. The story flows, the writing is flawless, but it just felt flat. I kept reading, waiting for something to happen, a twist, some excitement, something, but it never came. It was only at the very end 97% that everything fell into place and the whole memoir style story fell into place.

The story beings in the present with Paul and Kate taking their two children away on holidays and then jumps between the present and the past detailing Kate's life, the ups and downs, her grief, her schooling, absent parents, college life, and on to her working career. Throughout it all, Paul is her ever-present best friend and when they make a pact to marry at thirty if they are both still single, it happens. From reading the description for this book I was expecting so much more. More drama, action, emotional impact, but for me, this didn't happen. The real emotion in this story didn't come out until the very end and it was beautifully done.

It's hard to review this book because there was really nothing wrong with it. It was a good story, exceptional writing, and I think it just wasn't for me. Overall, I have to give it 3 /12 stars because I read it all and I imagined every single detail. I was pulled into the story and lived Kate's life with her as she remembered all the details. It just didn't have the impact I expected.

I am afraid this book was just not for me . I struggled to finish it. It was a good story in parts but just did not flow in my opinion. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the chance to review it.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is the story of childhood friends Kate and Paul who have been in each others lives since they were kids, complete polar opposites but yet there was that something that has always bonded them. They have grown up together and experienced so much, first as friends and then as a couple, but yet do they both really know everything about one another.

The story is narrated from the point of view of Kate in the present day as their 10th wedding anniversary approaches interspersed with flashbacks to different dates in the past, giving us an insight as to how their lives have evolved since they were kids to the present day. How they have been able to make the transition from being best friends, following up on their pact to get married if both still single at thirty, into maintaining a relationship once the dynamics have been changed. Although I did enjoy this format which allows us to really explore their relationship over the years, I would have liked to maybe have heard from Paul's viewpoint at times too to get to see both sides of the story.

I've only read one of Holly Seddon's books before, her debut Try Not to Breathe although I do have a copy of Don't Close Your Eyes that I've bought but not found the time to read yet, but it was clear from the start that this book was completely different in style to her previous two. Whereas the previous two books were more in the psychological thriller vein this one definitely had a more contemporary feel to it, it's a novel that delves deep into the heart of a friendship/relationship and the commitments they have made.

The only downside of reading this book for me was the pacing, it was very much a slow burner, a bit too slow at times for my liking as I was waiting impatiently for the big 'secret' to be revealed and discover the consequences and how it would affect them as a couple. But on the flipside it was also more of an emotional read than I was at first expecting which caught me off guard as I wasn't expecting to go through so many emotions whilst reading. So I look forward to hearing what the author has in store for us next, another contemporary or back to a psychological thriller, only time will tell.

I enjoyed the writing style of this book and the way the current story unfolded with the backstory interspersed.

You cared about the characters and wanted what was best for them but it was unclear what this might end up being.

I won’t spoil the ending but it made me smile

This is a gentle read about childhood friends who go on to marry, have children and become a family. It's quite lovely to enjoy a slower-paced read!

Kate and Paul are from entirely different walks of life but neither of them fit in with what's socially acceptable at their different schools and don't form lasting friendships with their peers. Thrown together more and more, they become firm friends. We find out about their childhood years and what shaped them into the adults they become by chapters from the eighties onwards and at the same time following their current day lives.

A perfectly lovely read. It's not earth-shattering, but more the kind of life which most of us live. Family, school, college, uni, careers, marriage kids. Nothing untowards, but it is their story and it's told well. It took me a little time to get into it - I think I was expecting something 'big' to happen, but it's not that kind of book. It's a refreshing read, genuinely enjoyable and quite soothing. It is hard to see where this one is going, but when I reached the final page, I realised how much I had relished a different kind of read. Action seekers may struggle with this one, but those who enjoy a softer kind of novel will appreciate it all the more. This is an unpredictable book, but nonetheless satisfying for that. For me, it's definitely worthy of four stars.

My thanks to publishers Corvus / Atlantic Books for approving my request via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

If you made a pact as a teenager with your best friend, would you follow through with it years later?

Let’s face it, most of us have either been there, or know someone else who has. Making a pact with your best childhood/teenage friend of the opposite sex, that if you don’t find the “one” by a certain age, then you’ll say “I do” to each other.

It’s part of growing up isn’t it. Even if you don’t mean a word if it.

Meet Kate and Paul.

They have been best friends since they were eight years old. Although from very different backgrounds, they friendship is an unbreakable bond...

One drunken teenage night they make a pact. If neither is married by the time they turn thirty, then they should marry each other. And they do mean it.

Fast forward to the couple’s 10th Wedding Anniversary and you’ll see how serious they are about each other. And how serious life is for grown ups. Love is complex, precarious and precious.

Do they have enough for another 10 years?

Love Will Tear Us Apart is a beautifully written novel about love, loss, betrayal, heartbreak and how suffocating it can be to hide the truth from the one you love.

Beautifully written. Jumps back and forward in time describing Paul and Kate's friendship and relationship. This story shows that there needs to be communication in a relationship. This is a story about love and friendship that is definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This is a story of Kate and Paul who became friends at 8 years old. They were from completely different families living in the same town. Through their childhood and teenage years they were the best of friends. At 15 during a big storm they made a pact that if they were both still single they would marry each other. They drifted apart during university for a few years but rekindled the close friendship in their 20’s when they worked for the same company and decided to carry out the agreement 15 years earlier. While celebrating their 10 year anniversary a discussion takes place after Kate finds a letter she has been holding onto which brings out some secrets one of them have been hiding from the other. I loved this story although a slow start had a beautiful ending so glad I was giving the opportunity to read this.

I wasn't sure about this book when I first began to read it, and I'm still not overly sure whether I actually liked the layout of the story-line. I've read many books that jump from one era to another, that's okay - but this book went in different directions at many times, and a lot of the story was out of sequence (in my opinion). There's one particular part where the main character reflects back at a time in her life when somebody tragically dies, but then the following chapter she meeting that character again and having discussions with her. It just didn't seem to flow that well. The ending was a little sharp and quick. I guess I was expecting a little more of a twist to the tale. It was a book I read in two days over a holiday abroad.

I really enjoyed this book. Kate and Paul have been friends since they were children. They made a pact to get married at 30 if neither of them had already married. This they do. Now with 2 children and on the verge of their 10th anniversary, Kate has found a letter that she thinks will change everything. Told in different time frames to fill in the story of their relationship, this is a great look at love, friendship and family. I recommend this as a good read. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

Have read other books by Holly Seddon and really enjoyed them: This was no exception. A well told story that goes back and forward in time and keeps you hooked. I laughed and cried . A lovely read - highly recommended.

Thanks to Netgalley for this ARC In return for an honest review.

This was a lovely story which really did tug at my emotions and I am not usually that emotional reading this genre of book. We follow Kate and Paul in the present when they are on holiday in the days leading up to their 10th anniversary. We then slip into the past, into two further timelines. One when they were much younger in the early 80s, and one when they were of working age. We see them meet and become friends, close friends, we watch them as they grow up together, as they lose each as they grow older, and as they reconnect and eventually get married. We then see that marriage as it reaches the 10 year mark and how secrets and miscommunication threaten it.
One of the things I really loved about this book was the trip through the 80s. I do love reminiscing about my own childhood and found several things in this book which made me sit back and drift off back down my own memory lane. Although this did connect me to the book, it was also a bit distracting for me but I can hardly fault the author for writing with enough accuracy and poignancy that it affected me in this way. On the whole, it did end up being a positive thing for me.
The way the author handled the triple timeline was also very well done. The time-hops were expertly woven in at exactly the right times to add to the present day narrative rather than being distracting and added enough information and backstory to keep it fresh and moving well.
Obviously this author is better known for her thrillers and, whilst suspenseful, this book is a diversion from that genre. There is an underlying secret that bubbles under the majority of the book but I found that the reveal from that was not really the be all and end all of the book. I guess I would say that for me, the book was all about the journey rather than the destination.
I've already mentioned that I got a bit emotionally involved in this book and that is totally down to the author's great characterisation. I was easily able to connect well with not just Kate and Paul but also their extended family; getting to know all of them pretty well through the book. This meant that I was interested enough to read through the slightly slower parts of the book without ever the need for it to just "get on with itself".
All in all, a rather pleasant change from the more thrilling books I usually read, but no less satisfying than them. My thanks got to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This book gets off to a strong start; the characterisations and descriptions are excellent. It builds to a climax at Kate and Paul's tenth anniversary, the tension builds nicely and I couldn't wait to find out what would happen. Ultimately though, I was disappointed and found the whole premise to be unlikely. However, that hadn't stopped me from enjoying the vast majority of th book, so 4 stars.

****

Having read and enjoyed Holly Seddon's book 'Don't Close Your Eyes', I was keen to read this novel.

The story didn't disappoint. I was expecting a straight forward psychological thriller. However this book is more of an exploration of human relationships.

Having said that, I will still rate it as 4 stars because of the quality of the writing and the writing and the carefully crafted characters.

There are enough twist and turns along the way to keep the reader engaged in the storyline.

I liked the way the different aspects of the story, both past and present were interwoven until the slowly came together.

On balance this was an enjoyable read. I will continue to look out for future books by Holly Seddon.

Again my thanks go to Netgalley and Atlantic Books (Corvus) for a copy in return for this review.

It's a funny phenomenon when you are reading a book and you don't particularly like the protagonist. I found 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' an interesting mix of frustration and curiosity and this is one case where I think it would be a good idea to have a companion piece written from the second lead character's point of view, Paul.

The author is very good at getting your mind whirring and guessing at the contents of a fateful letter in the opening pages. And that the narrative steers away from the expected and the fantastical as everything comes to light is a plus for me. Although a little unsatisfying at the same time.

Credit must also be given for the rounding out of Kate whose life we follow. I read the acknowledgements and was surprised that her life was a world away from the author's as there were many excellently observed character traits, many unfavourable, peppered throughout the story. Holly Seddon must have spent a lot of time with personalities similar. And they are brought to life, even very peripheral characters.

So why didn't I love this book? In all honesty, I can't put my finger on it. The writing style was modern and honest but I found myself re-reading bits which hadn't gone in smoothly first time. There were aspects I wished were delved into more deeply and then others I could take or leave.

It's a three and a half stars instinctively but I'm falling on the lower side, again taking into consideration other books I've rated four without hesitation. Although I would read another title by Ms Seddon.

This is the story of childhood besties who make a pact that if theyre still single and 30 they'll get married.

It really is a heartwarming book, theres secrets, lies and betrayal. and evidence money doesnt make a difference in the end.. There were some interesting topical story lines. and it switched seamlessly between then and now. Kate and Paul were the leading characters, but I really liked the backstory of Viv and Mick, Pauls parents.

Story of modern love and friendship and how those two things can easily work together, or can they?

Two childhood friends, that mean everything to each other, make a vow to get married if they are still single at age of 30. Sounds like something you could do? Yes, I guess, I could. I know better than anyone that we go through many low stages in our lives and sometimes we lose hope, so yes, it’s definitely very believable.

We follow two timelines, one of Kate and Paul being children and becoming adults, making and losing friends, dealing with grief, just like anyone else does. They become a strong unit and spend most of the time in each others company. They are completely comfortable and happy around each other. The second timeline follows married life of Kate and Paul, leading up to their 10 year anniversary. Here we find out that Kate is hiding a letter that will decide their future. Big secret hidden away from her for years is about to come out. Kate and Paul are like any other parents dealing with regular parenting issues and raising their two kids, we can feel there is tension and maybe their love is not as strong as it used to be, if it was a real love to start with…

The story was enjoyable but very slow pacing for me. The only ‘exciting’ part was waiting to find out what the letter held but finding out felt slightly anti-climatic to be fair. I struggled through out the book with its gloomy feel and just general unhappiness and sadness. Maybe that’s what it was meant to feel like but for me it was quite hard to keep reading, I wanted to see just a bit of laugh and happy moments. However last few chapters really picked it up for me and enjoyed revelations between Kate and Paul and even made me a bit teary.

The book was very well written and although it didn’t work for me, it can certainly work for someone who could relate to the story better. If you enjoy reading about people’s relationships and overcoming hurdles in their life in their search for happiness, I’m sure you will enjoy this book.

Paul and Kate are very close friends as children and make a vow that if they are both still single when they reach thirty, they will marry each other.
The book goes between the week of their tenth wedding anniversary and their past as children and when they worked together.
You really get to know both characters and really want it to work between them.
During their holiday Kate is desparately trying to hide a letter but she knows she needs to discuss it with Paul.
We don’t find out what this says until right at the end so I found myself racing through the book to find out what it says.
This a story of friendship, love and honesty and I really enjoyed it.
Thanks to Corvus and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

What drew me to this book was that the whole story surrounds the pact that two friends made to each other as teenagers - to marry each other, if they don't find love before age thirty. Strangely, I made this exact pact with a friend many years ago, I may have even kept the promise but... ah, I digress... I also happened to enjoy reading Seddon's other books. I don't usually get along with emotional books based on love and relationships but she is an exception to the rule. I am yet to discover why! I guess it doesn't matter as long as you read what you love.

LOVE WILL TEAR US APART is a novel that stresses the importance of communication between lovers/spouses. Seddon writes with such emotion that at the end of the book I was actually misty eyed. Let me tell you, that does not happen with me whilst reading. Sometimes with movies but rarely with books. This is testament to the authors prowess!

The writing is accessible and makes for an easy, fast read, the characters were well developed and realistic, and it is told from different perspectives which means you understand the reasons for certain decisions that were made.

It is clear Seddon is adept at skirting round the periphery of a selection of diverse genres, and could write titles in any of these veins in the future. I look forward to a new surprise the next time I see another one her releases.

I would like to thank Holly Seddon, Atlantic Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful love story. Kate and Paul were childhood friends, a friendship that continued as they grew older. In some ways, both are outsiders, which is partly why they are drawn to each other.
This is a sensitively written tale, full of flawed and believable characters.
I loved it.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.