Louis/Louise has a very thought-provoking theme with two parallel lives and as always Julie Cohen is a master at characterisation. However I found the book (read on an ereader) difficult to follow, mainly because it is split into three - Lou as Louis, Lou as Louise and Louis/Louise as well as jumping time frames. It is brave to attempt a Sliding Doors narrative and the stories of Louis and Louise are moving and tug at the heart strings. But for me the narrative just doesn't flow well.

I can see themes in Louis/Louise appealing to readers of Kate Atkinson and David Nichols but this isn't my favourite Julie Cohen book. That accolade belongs to Together, one of the best books I read last year. Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the opportunity to read and review Louis/Louise.

3.5 stars

Julie Cohen's writing is utterly wonderful. From the opening pages I was struck by her way with words and the way she approached this idea of following one person's life and exploring the differences that might occur if they were born male or female.

It's a fairly simple concept, and yet could have been misrepresented so easily. Julie Cohen manages to delve into this topic exquisitely and with sensitivity. Louis/Louise has the same best friends, the same love interests, and the same ambitions and the book really focuses on how society imposes it's ideas of gender on a person, rather than a person's soul being in some way changed just because of their gender.

Lou's life story is for the most part a sad one, full of secrets and hurt which at points left me heartbroken and in tears. The emotion within the writing was so rich and believable it was impossible not to get swept up in it. I was so invested in Lou's story that I found myself reaching to read more at any small given opportunity, even if I only had time for a page.

Louis & Louise is a masterpiece with an important message that will leave you pondering gender long after you finish reading about Lou's life.

Unfortunately I found that this book neither gelled nor flowed well for me.
The idea behind the story is good however I felt it just didn’t deliver.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review

I think this is a case of right book, wrong time. The writing is fab, the premise is very interesting, but it just didn’t suit me at the moment. I wanted to love this one, but sadly I didn’t gel with it.

I’ve tried really hard to like this book. I love the idea of it, the tracking of lives that are parallel, the ups, downs and twists and turns, the “coulda woulda shoulda” aspect of it. And I read it all the way through to the end. But, for me, it just didn’t gel, it felt slightly off Centre all the way through. I had really high hopes but I would call this book ok and worth reading but not amazing

What if your life was exactly the same - the same house, parents, friends, hair colour, likes and dislikes - only you had been born the opposite sex? That's the intriguing premise behind Julie Cohen's latest novel.

When Irving falls in love with Peggy, former Miss Western Maine, and marries her one whirlwind courtship and unexpected pregnancy later their small town lives seem set in stone. Peggy becomes a mother and housewife, only higher up Casablanca's social echelons now she's married to the son of the local mill owner, not merely the daughter of workers in the mill, and Irving puts his dreams of travel aside. They have one child, Lou, a gangling redhead who spends an idyllic childhood hanging out with the twin children of Peggy's best friend. And then on graduation night something happens that sends Lou fleeing from Casablanca, not to return until Peggy's illness twelve years later.

But what happens that graduation night, what has happened to Lou in the intervening years, to Irving and Peggy the twins, the mill and the whole town of Casablanca depends on whether we follow the story of Louis, only son of Irving and Peggy, or Louise, their daughter. Part it's a Wonderful Life, part Sliding Doors, this paean to small town Americana and its declining industry and purpose is a love letter to the Maine of the author's childhood, and an exploration at how social expectations of gender can define and unknowingly push us down paths. A beautifully haunting story.

3.5 stars


This is a really clever idea for a book.
Take the same parents,the same house,the same town,the same friends ... then tell the story from the point of view of male... and female.
So much of the story was the same,and so much was different... strains from each characters story weaving into the other.
Some Good,likeable characters,enough family drama to keep the story moving along and a few heart warming moments.
I can't really complain about this book EXCEPT,I didn't feel myself reaching for it keen to see how it went.

I've read over 100 books this year and this is without a doubt my favorite. It was beautifully written and was such a unique story, i adored the dual take on Lou and how it showed that gender is far more influencing on a social level than a physiological one. Julie handled difficult subjects so respectfully and with true delicacy. Her stunning writing made me cry and just like with The Fall i know i'm going to be thinking about this story for months after finishing it.

Really enjoyed this book totally different & original very refreshing. I would recommend this to anyone thanks for the preview.

Really interesting and thought provoking. I thought the author handled the dual narrative exceptionally well and I ended up believing equally in both characters which was key to making the book work.

So good. Such an original premise and a fascinating and clever look through the eyes of female and male protagonist who are one and the same bar an e and the small matter of their sex. Complex yet easy to read, this is my favourite Julie Cohen novel to date. Have recommended it to many people already!