"The Codes of Love" by Hannah Persaud is a thought-provoking exploration of sexual obsession and marital infidelity within a seemingly perfect marriage. The story revolves around Ryan and Emily, a couple who, on the surface, appear to have it all, including a set of secret "rules" that they believe have contributed to their happiness.

Persaud delves into the complexities of desire and attraction as the couple is separately drawn to Ada, a free-spirited individual who represents the freedom they both yearn for. The novel skillfully examines the consequences of breaking the established rules and the impact it has on the characters' lives.

The book's exploration of the power of sexual attraction is honest and unflinching, making it a thought-provoking read. The characters are well-developed, and their struggles feel authentic, making it easy to empathize with their predicaments.

While "The Codes of Love" offers a compelling and insightful look at the complexities of contemporary relationships, it falls short of a higher rating due to some pacing issues. The middle of the book can feel slow, and some readers may find the narrative somewhat repetitive.

In conclusion, "The Codes of Love" is a well-written and thought-provoking novel that shines a light on the nuances of desire and infidelity within a marriage. While it may not be an easy or comfortable read, it offers a realistic portrayal of the challenges that can arise when people give in to their desires, and the consequences of breaking the rules they have established.

I tend to avoid book about marriage breakdown/introspection, but this was different. it examined an open marriage, with shocking consequences. Will look our for her next book having read this debut.

I found this book very hard to get in to initially. The themes are very good, the ties between the married couple and Ada are compelling. I found myself surprised at how their stories all intertwined and they hadn’t discovered the secrets earlier.

The storyline with Leo added tension and suspense. His obsessive behaviours and persistence was unnerving and I had thought something much worse than what did happen may unfold (although that might just be my brain whirring from all the thrillers I have read).

My difficulty with this comes with the ending. It felt abrupt and unfinished. I wanted to understand how it ended and how these people resolved this to enable a semblance of normal.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.

The Codes of Love opens with Ryan and Ada in the Welsh countryside, exploring the hills as they dream about their future together, contemplating buying a run down cottage together as their joint sanctuary. It seems we are about to watch the couple fall deeper in love. When Ryan’s wife, Emily, is introduced in chapter two, it’s clear that this story will be much different than the first chapter suggests.

Emily and Ryan have great jobs, a beautiful house, two teenage sons, and an open marriage. It was Emily’s idea that they live polygamously and there are rules that the couple agreed on when they first married. Their unconventional partnership seems to have served them well as many of their friends around them have wed and divorced over the years. Perhaps they are proud that their arrangement has allowed their union to remain so strong. But when Ada comes into their lives and transfixes them both, it is the beginning of the end of Ryan and Emily’s now complicated marriage.

It’s hard to tell that this is Persaud’s debut novel as it is so well done. I’m really impressed by this book and would recommend to anyone wanting to explore work on the topic of marriage, particularly unconventional marriages. There were a lot of thought provoking issues within relationships discussed in this novel which left me thinking about things I had never even contemplated before.

Persaud’s writing is well-paced and her characters are completely fleshed out. I was hooked from the beginning and The Codes of Love was full of intrigue – I couldn’t put this down.

This was an enjoyable read that I found myself well and truly invested in to the very end. The characters are well developed and each have fantastic, detailed personalities,
The storyline is well paced, and has plenty happening throughout to really capture and hold the readers interest.

This is a strange one. For some reason I was expecting this to be a thriller but it really wasn’t. Instead it’s a story about the complexities of an open marriage and it just wasn’t for me. I didn’t like any of the characters and the ending was just boring.

I don’t think I’ve read any book quite like this one. The Codes of Love is a unique story with a very different kind of trope. The story is based around Ryan and his wife Emily and their marriage. Each chapter is named with the rule of an open marriage. Some chapters are long and some are short and snappy. Ryan and Emily have an open marriage and while it was difficult to understand this topic it certainly made for an interesting read. It seemed to me that it was Emily who was in charge of the story and I did feel Ryan was dragged along with her. Neither of the two characters were particularly likeable and I did at times find it hard to connect with them. More characters are introduced and they bring even more tension to the tense storyline. The writing of this book is superb I can’t fault it. Even though I didn’t like the characters that much I wanted to continue reading and seeing how the drama unfolded. It’s definitely a good book and I can’t wait to read more from this author. Can we also take a minute to appreciate the magnificent front cover. Thank you next galley for this fascinating read.

Review also sent to Goodreads, Amazon and Waterstones

Outwardly, Emily and Ryan have the perfect marriage whilst so many of their circle of friends are breaking up.

Emily is now in her early forties with a husband and two teenage sons; her life appears to be working out exactly as she had planned. Her belief in the open relationship she shares with Ryan since they married some years ago is still strong but is it wise to allow herself to get so close to one of her students?

Meanwhile award-winning architect Ryan becomes increasingly absent from the family as he is besotted with colleague Ada and their new property project in Wales under the ever-watchful eyes of the locals.

This is a story of emotions, betrayal, relationships and keeping up appearances. I particularly enjoyed remote location in Wales, getting to know the characters and watching them develop.

The Codes of Love is a wonderfully dark, twisty foray into one couple's open marriage. Trust, betrayal, love, and loneliness, this novel is a tale of modern marriage at its best and worst. Beautifully written, incredibly immersive, I couldn't put it down.

The Codes of Love is a real page-turner, a gripping chart of relationships which I didn't want to put down. The abrupt ending resulted in my thinking it over for a long afterwards - and the loose ends have made me wish for a sequel. I loved the unpredictability of events and not knowing who would end up where.

This book was very thought provoking and I liked the way it was written. The themes explored were universal and easy to relate to.

A novel which takes the reader through the breakdown of an open marriage. Each chapter begins by highlighting a rule within the marriage - which ultimately both characters break.

The characters were hard to empathise with. There feels from the very beginning that there can be no positive outcome or any sense of conclusion within the novel.

A very different but easy read, page turning in parts - 3 stars.
Thanks to NetGalley and Muswell Press for my copy.

Great debut novel! A truly articulate assessment of love, human connection and everything in between. Absorbing novel with such bold observations.
I like the cover too