Emily, a woman in an abusive marriage, leaves her husband and reconnects with her first love. Through the book, she reflects on how she's gotten to where she is and what she should do next.

The writing is compelling, and there's a good level of tension throughout as you root for Emily to make the right choices for herself. I also appreciated the perspective on abuse and how, even if it's primarily emotional, it can diminish and isolate a person.

I did feel like several of the side characters could have been more fleshed-out - there's a very tight focus on Emily's relationships to her husband and Gen, her re-found first love, with much less time given to others who have a place in her life. I also thought the end was a bit dismissive of how her divorce would turn out, especially given that her husband was still making threats about custody - it was an important character moment for her to be firm with her ex that their marriage was over and that she wanted custody, but it also didn't feel like the end of the story.

This is definitely the more literary side of the romance genre - very little happens outright, but there's a lot of reflection and small signs of changes in the characters. Good for people who want a slower-paced, more introspective queer romance.

I received an eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A quick relationship that ended with a quick marriage by Emily, a girl of little means to a son, Jack, from a wealthy family. They had 2 children, Stella and Connor. But as the relationship developed over the years it became obvious that Jack is a control freak and a bully. Emily become estranged from her girlfriends by Jack not allowing her to meet up with them. Eventually Emily does leave Jack and gets back in touch with her very helpful and supportive girlfriends. But she ends up going back to Jack as he promises that things will be different, but they aren't and eventually Emily leaves Jack again and learns to stand up to him and pushes through with a divorce. Emily also gets back with her good friend Gen and realises her feelings for Gen, which complicates things for the divorce but they stand up to Jack.
Gen's story is that she is a elite athlete, qualifying for the Olympics, but her Grandmother is unwell and when Gen finds out, returns home and misses the Olympics which is not good for her career. But there is a future after the anger of her fellow team mates subsides with time.
Some interesting twists and turns with some sad moments but eventually a happier outcome .

This is an honest,, tender and nostalgic account of a love affair that spans decades between Emily, a high achiever who lands a very rich but controlling husband, and Gen, whose route out of their small-town home is through becoming a successful Olympic athlete. Class, money, sexuality and courage mix up to create a very readable and enjoyable story about love and connection.

Emily and Gen's relationship connects and disconnects them over time, but in the end having the courage to stay true to each other and to their deepest beliefs is at the heart of this book, as we wait to see if love will conquer all when the world has other ideas.

Ordinary Love was a deeply moving, slow burn story about Emily, who is leaving her partner and reconnecting with her first love. Rutkoski’s portrayal of Jack, Emily’s manipulative partner, was so strikingly authentic that my heart was thumping while reading. Emily and Gen’s love story was rich with chemistry, although the frequent miscommunications were frustrating. The supporting characters were well fleshed out and added depth to the story. The writing was compelling and easy to read and I look forward to picking up another book by Rutkoski.

Sensational! This will be one of my favourites this year.

When Emily catches sight of Gennifer (Gen) Hall at a party, she is transported back to the moment they fell in love as teenagers, back when she thought it would be forever.
But twenty years later, Gen is an olympic runner and Emily is married with a husband and two young children, living a wealthy life. Now, with Emily's marriage unravelling, they are drawn back together. Will they finally get their forever?

Yes, as the synopsis indicates, it is a story of potential second chances, love, family and relationships. It was emotional and bitter sweet in places but as I have said with many novels lately, it was filled with hope and joy and a novel that inspires you. I am so thankful I could read this early. 4.5*

I loved how this book explored difficult topics like regret, identity, and the complexities of relationships in a beautiful and well-rounded way. The idea of missed chances and misunderstandings made the journey feel raw and deeply relatable.

Marie Rutkoski’s Ordinary Love is anything but ordinary. It’s tender, brutally honest, and gorgeously written.
This isn’t a book that shouts. It doesn’t need to. It whispers quietly in your heart and stays there long after the last page.

This isn’t a big, plot-heavy book. It’s for the lovers of reflection and feeling. If you’ve ever lived through a moment that made you see yourself differently, this one is for you.
I read this slowly, taking in every perfectly written line.
This book is full of complex relationships and it stirs so many emotions. I loved the female characters in this book and I’ll carry them with me for a while.

A beautiful sapphic litfic romance.
I picked this up because I loved the author's YA fantasy books years ago. This book is very different, but her writing remains beautiful. Not many people can write such different things so well.

The main character, Emily, is in an abusive marriage that's falling apart. The novel alternates between the story of her leaving her husband and and flashbacks, primarily to her teenage romance with Gen, who she runs into again briefly after her separation.

Rutkoski does an incredible job showing the insidiousness and subtlety abuse can take, how someone may get stuck in such a situation, and how hard it can be to leave. It's not perfect, but it's sensitive, hopeful, and real. My only real criticism is that it was at times a bit too slow for my tastes. Overall, an excellent start to my pride month reading, if I may say so myself.

Many thanks to Little, Brown Book Group for letting me read an eARC of this through Netgalley!

I loved this book, there ate two stories being told about Emily, one with her husband and two children, where her life seems perfect,but is it? She doesn’t seem to smile a lot. The second story is Emily’s past relationship as a teenager with her girlfriend Gen,
Emily’s life with her husband is full of tension, she is constantly trying to please him and avoid his anger, he is manipulative and controlling. Emily hasn’t worked during their marriage as he likes her to be the perfect housewife, he controls all their finances. It is a huge step for Emily to leave her husband but she finds the courage, this is not the first time she has left him but with the help and encouragement of her friends she is determined to start afresh.
Emily finds herself thinking of Gen often, they were young teenagers who fell in love ,from different backgrounds and then heading to different colleges which led to them falling apart.
When their paths do cross again Emily feels the pull towards Gen strong as before, They try to navigate a tentative friendship, which becomes more, once again though they face challenges and choices.
The story is told beautifully, I was rooting for Gen and Emily to find their way back to one another amidst pain, heartache, abuse, anxiety, sacrifice, bravery, friendships, hope and love.
This is my first book by this author, will definitely be reading more.
Many thanks to Net Galley and Little Brown Book Group UK for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review

Emily is living a seemingly perfect life, with a rich husband and two children. Before she met him she had been in love with Gennifer Hall, now an Olympic athlete. When Emily’s marriage ends, and she and Gen meet again, will they get their chance at love?
Rutkoski is an excellent writer. I think her depiction of Emily’s marriage to Jack, which is abusive, and shows how he charms her and drives her friends away, is really convincing. Her love for Gen and the challenges it raises within her own family, and for Gen’s public image are heartbreakingly portrayed. Love through friendships is depicted in a beautiful way, showing another facet of this ordinary love Emily seeks.
The perfect read for Pride month, but also a lovely depiction of what it means to find the right person and how messy and complicated life can be.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Ordinary Love is a story of a first love between school friends Emily and Gen who form a deep bond. Emily helps to nurture Gen’s dream of getting a Sports Scholarship, while Emily herself pushes herself to get accepted into Harvard. The way their friendship deepens and becomes something much more is exquisitely told. As is often the case with young love the couple’s relationship does not go the distance because of a lack of communication and misunderstanding.
Emily marries Jack, an older wealthy man who pursues her when she is at college and overwhelms her with his romantic gestures. Emily graduates with a Classics degree but gives everything up to be a wife to Jack. Their son, Connor arrives shortly after the marriage followed later by a daughter, Stella.
However, Jack is extremely possessive of Emily and although there are good times in the marriage and Emily appears to have it all, behind closed doors, Jack is emotionally abusive. Emily feels trapped but having no independent means or a career and being cut off from friends and family what is she to do? The final straw is an incident between Jack and Connor which makes Emily realise that she must leave the marriage. A quote from the book sums up Emily’s feelings about motherhood and is really powerful. “Nothing changed the essential fact of her motherhood. It didn’t matter how old her children grew up. She would always carry them inside her, the joy of them a brutal tragedy: their devotion,their rejection, their need, their indifference. Their inevitable departure. What else in life do you love without reason or limit, only to surrender it. What else, except life itself.” This is why Emily had to leave Jack.
Of course, Emily has no means of her own and has to rely on a friend to help provide her with a home for her and the children. Jack thinks that it’s inevitable that Emily will eventually have to return.
And then she meets Gen at a benefit dinner. Gen, now a world famous Olympic athlete and celebrity. Will this be a second chance for them or has too much happened in their lives since their split?
This story is told with such poignancy as Emily and Gen, at first wary because of their past, tentatively reconnect. Both Emily and Gen have other people in their lives who form part of this enthralling story. Gen’s grandmother who brought her up after her mother’s death is a great character. Emily’s mother has been out of her life for many years because of their strained relationship but in the end Emily realises that she is still her mother. She understood her relationship with Gen and is unconditionally there for her when she needs her.
I came so close to giving this book 5 stars because of the quality of writing but I felt let down that the book ended quite abruptly without an answer as to what happened in the divorce proceedings. An epilogue moving forward in time would have been a good way to end the story in my opinion. Thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown Book Group for an advanced reading copy of this book in return for an honest review.

This is a breathtaking queer romance that explores themes of class, ambition, and bisexuality. The story follows Emily, who appears to have a perfect life with a townhouse on Manhattan's Upper East Side, two healthy children, and a doting husband. However, beneath the surface, Emily's marriage is troubled, her relationship with her parents is strained, and she is haunted by a heartbreak from her past. When Emily unexpectedly reunites with her high school best friend, Gen Hall, at a cocktail party, old feelings resurface. Gen, now a prominent Olympic athlete, and Emily cautiously navigate their magnetic attraction and shared history. As they confront their past mistakes and the powerful love they discovered in their youth, Emily must decide whether to risk her family and privacy for a second chance at love.

Marie Rutkoski's "Ordinary Love" is a beautifully written and emotionally charged novel that captivates from start to finish. The characters are richly developed, and their journey is both poignant and relatable. Rutkoski's prose is elegant and evocative, making the reader feel deeply connected to Emily and Gen's story. The exploration of complex relationships and the courage to pursue love despite fear and uncertainty is truly inspiring. This novel is a must-read for anyone who enjoys heartfelt and thought-provoking romance. 🌟✨

This is a moving love story and an uplifting tale of escaping a dangerous marriage. I can't remember the last time I was so invested in a wife escaping her husband - maybe not since 'Liars' last year, and that's high praise. I found the love story moving and convincing, and for a book in which not a lot happens, I was gripped the whole way through. My only gripe is with the ending, which I found really quick and, as the marriage ended, quite unsatisfying. If that had been more developed, it would have been an easy five stars from me.

A romance read that’s so much more . This is such a beautiful novel which tells the story of a newly separated mother trying to heal from an abusive marriage but then using flashbacks we have a poignant coming of age story .
The romance isn’t fluffy at all and it’s definitely more of a ‘ literary romance’ with a lot of themes explored such as race, queerness, family relations and abuse . It feels raw in some places yet a bit sexy and hot in others ! It’s the perfect holiday read and it’s left me wanting more!

A story with true depth of emotions and a timespan to allow the characters to respond to those opportunities lost along the way.
The characters are appealing, and you are happy to spend time with them as they work their way through life. The difficult choices provided by the possibility of a second chance are explored well.
An engaging read with a satisfying conclusion.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this book.

Really enjoyed this one. Good characters, great story line and a real page turner. It was an emotional read, full of feeling.

this was such a powerful book. i love books that span time. how we come to really learn about people. from the moment you meet these two character you are drawn in. the plot points throughout the book and the feelings they bought were just 10 out of 10. i could feel myself getting all sorts of emotions. all of them powerful. not all good and not all bad. and i just felt, i felt so much for our two characters. both in equal measure had me mesmerised by their tale of who they were and who they became and just how they fit together and got to where they are now. both past and present telling had me hooked in fast.
the telling of abuse was just superb. that level of constant unease, fear, uncertainty you go through. you never know whats coming or whats right. and turns out you should know that nothing you do is right. from one moment or time to the next the tables are turned on you. so you live in that constant fight flight fawn mode. and i felt that. and it hit hard and true.
i wanted to scoop Emily up. and i wanted more and more to shout from the rooftops just what we NEED to make ourselves aware of in this horrifying topic. watching her be isolated and filled with such untrust of herself was so hard but a perfect depiction of it. watching her trying to predict and do the next right thing was awful. but so dam true.
and then you have the love story. of our two who met as girl and then were pulled apart by that usual suspect of communication misfiring.
but this is so easily the case for so many thing in relationships. time and time again we see it, do it ourselves. and it so easy from the outside to want to shake the people its happening to. but on the inside living it as our two woman were, well you can see how it all unfolded so easily as it did.
i was aching for these two to be ok. they did belong, i truly felt that. and that made the stroy and any outcome all the more compelling.
just wow what a book. just blooming wow.

Perfectly acceptable romance but the sheer saintliness of the lovers was slightly too saccharine for my taste.
I’d have liked a bit more bite or edge and the ending felt overly sentimental.

Absolutely adored this one. Wonderful lyrical prose, captures Gen and Emily's attraction, whilst dealing with how Emily can escape the abusive marriage.

👭 REVIEW 👭

Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: 12th June 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thanks @netgalley and @littlebrownbookgroup_uk for the e-ARC!

📝 - Emily has, by all appearances, a beautiful life: a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, two healthy children, and a husband who showers her with attention. But the truth is more complicated. As Emily’s marriage begins to crumble, she finds her first love from high school unexpectedly back in her life. But Gen is now a prominent Olympic athlete with sponsorship deals and a string of high-profile ex-girlfriends. Their reunion is anything but simple, as Emily navigates separation from her husband, and Gen is in the midst of training for the Olympics. Can they forgive each other for mistakes they made in their youth? Can Emily risk her children, her privacy, and the fragile peace she has found with her family just to be with a woman she loved long ago?

💭 - I sometimes find it hard to separate out my level of enjoyment for a book and a rating of how good the book is. I did enjoy this one - it was frustrating watching Emily struggle through these decisions but I felt a lot of sympathy for her. I don’t think the writing is outstanding, there were some random metaphors and symbolism that felt unnecessary, but I do think the difficulties of a queer relationship, especially during high school, were shown well. The characters and their responses were also very realistic and consistent throughout in terms of their personalities, and the arcs didn’t feel sudden or overly tropey, which are usually off putting for me. Overall, a good but not brilliant read.

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