Milly and Pip meet in 1970s London and are tied together over the years as friends, as lovers, as antagonists as their paths cross again and again in different circumstances. The book explores so many themes with a succinct grace, from adoption to alcohol addiction to homelessness, family and more.

The story crosses a lot of years, but it focuses on touching details in various scenes as you encounter Milly , Pip and the people around them. It is a book full of humanity and understanding, compassion dripping from the pages as the characters and their families seek to forgive and be forgiven for their pasts and to free themselves of a better future. It is a lovely absorbing read as you really care for the people in the book and the ending is just perfect.

Main characters Pip and Milly were generally distinct with their own hopes and heartaches. There are some fun side characters, from Trisha to Mrs Oak to Tina, they all came to life with just a few lines. This is where I saw Dwyer Hickey's writing at its best. These moments showed a lightness of touch and a wry humour.

Overall however, I felt I had to work hard to get though the text despite the story beats having potential. I struggled with compelling moments repeatedly occurring off page, leaving me with what I can best describe as a catalogue of events.

Several sections seemed to rely on telling rather than showing. For example, when we meet Mrs Oak, she monologues to Milly about her initial reaction to Milly's situation before going on to explain how she changed her mind. Would that we could see that character development play out on the page.

It was often tricky to discern who was the subject of a sentence or section. You may be surprised by how many people feature in this quote "...Then he walks out of the room. She clings to him, weeping as he walks her back across the road..." I can appreciate that this gripe may be at least in part because of the formatting of the eARC.

There were some moments that hit. The mounting fear and horror in light a disaster; the communities erased by city 'development'. But in more than 500 pages, these moments were not enough for me.

If I didn't feel compelled to complete the book before reviewing, I probably would have left the book unfinished.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Christine Dwyer Hickey’s Our London Lives is a sprawling yet intimate tale of two Irish outsiders, Milly and Pip, navigating love, loss, and identity across four decades in London. Beginning in 1979, Milly, a teenage runaway, finds refuge in a Farringdon pub, where she meets Pip, a promising boxer battling alcoholism. Their lives intertwine sporadically, marked by missed chances and unspoken longing, against a vividly rendered backdrop of a changing city. Hickey’s prose is elegant and poignant, capturing London’s vibrancy and grit with a keen eye for detail. While the novel’s emotional depth and character complexity shine, its leisurely pace and occasional reliance on familiar tropes may not suit all readers. Still, it’s a tender, affecting portrait of resilience and the enduring pull of connection.

Christine Dwyer Hickey is gifted with the ability to make characters come alive and attract empathy, and Our London Lives displays her gifts to the fullest.

The novel follows the varying fortunes of zip and Milly from 1970s to the present.

It is beautifullly written and I would recommend it wholeheartedly.

If you love London and recent history this book is for you.
Two young people Milly and Pip, come from Ireland separately, both fleeing an unhappy past and the consequences of it.
Milly manages to get a job in a bar helping out Trish till l the Landlady Mrs. Oak returns. When Mrs Oak an attractive widow returns and keeps Milly on, Mrs Oak is fair but very particular in the appearance and running of the pub. the pub is frequented by girls from the local sewing factory and the local boxing club. One of the boxers is Pip, Milly is initially attracted to him but he is always with different women.
The story switches to a different time, Pip is out of rehab and going to stay with his brother Dom, he also attends A.A. meetings, it takes him a while to settle down with Dom, who although he has a large house is short of money, Pip finds a solution and the two of them get along.
Milly stays at pub and meets various men, meeting up with Pip one day, they are still attracted to one another although both with other people.
Milly marries Matthew a property developer who is trying to buy the pub where Milly used to work. During the recession, Matthew owes money and disappears, Milly is left without a home or money, she moves in with Mrs Oak in the boarded up pub.
Pip must confront his past when his Father dies.
Throughout the book facts are gradually revealed about the protagonists, still left guessing at the end.
With a background of prejudice against the Irish, recession, sexual abuse, poverty and of course London, this book is fascinating.
Thank you Christine, NetGalley and Atlantic for this ARC

It’s such a wonderful book. Fresh, clever, thoughtful and moving all at the same time. Vivid characters and a wonderful turn of phrase give it real life. I loved it.

I have to say that this was one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The story was both heartwarming and deeply moving. It had me going through the mill with my emotions that’s for sure. It’s one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading it.

A bleak love story set in 1970s London. Beautifully written and highly evocative of the era, but quite heavy going at times.

This was a wonderful and fully engrossing book examining the Irish experience in London through many decades and trials and tribulations of life. At the heart of it was a love story, however the additional characters and players in this book made it a truly enjoyable read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this ARC.

Spans four decades of two Irish immigrants, Milly and Pip, in London. The other main character in the book is London. From 1979 to 2017,, London changes as much as Milly and Pip.

An excellent read. some have compared it to Sally Rooney - luckily, for me, I did not see the similarity.

Thanks To NetGalley for the ARC.

Spanning a period of forty years, this sweeping novel looks at the experiences of the Irish diaspora in London. It's a worthy novel interspersed with interesting vignettes, however I found the writing heavy in places.

The Irish have a long association with London, particularly with moving there for a short time while they get settled into a career or just to experience big city life before returning to our more modest metropolis.
For some it’s a rite of passage, to pop over the pond for a summer, or a year or two, to broaden horizons and get some experiences. For others though, they go there and never return, finding a life, friends and eventually family. Our London Lives follows Milly, as she falls into a job in a popular pub after all but fleeing the shores of Ireland and Pip, a customer and boxer of Irish extraction.
It’s Christmastime 1979, and Milly has been left to look after the establishment over the days its closed, while manager Trish accompanies a gentleman friend to the countryside. The bar’s owner is a presence in abstract form; she is always about to return from where she has been, but Milly has yet to actually encounter her.
Trish’s confidence in her young colleague to manage things in the short, fallow period while she is away encourages Milly to make herself at home more than she has in the few months she’s been there, working behind the bar and living in accommodation over it.
Trying on a fur coat owned by the mysterious landlady Mrs Oak, trying it on as if trying for size a different life, Milly acknowledges her secret, the one she brought with her from home. The new year is around the corner, a brand-new decade, the one in which her real life will begin.
Fast forward to 2017 and Pip has just left rehab. He is to make his way to his successful younger brother’s home, the latest in a long number of stints over the years. As he traverses London, sober and reflective, he remembers times before, shameful memories that have become faded recollections of mistakes that can never be fixed.
Following Milly as she makes her way through life in the 80s, 90s and beyond and Pip, years later, as he reflects on what could have been while giving a good stab at modern living, Our London Lives is an exquisitely vibrant story of two intertwined lives at different points in time.
Milly slowly grows to assert herself in 1989, while Pip’s reflections extend to the immigrant’s experience, one that looms large when he experiences, first hand if from a distance, one of the great tragedies of 21st century London. In 1999 Milly’s life has changed again, but Pip still looms brightly on her mind. They are connected, always, as the story tells us in a gently meandering non-chronology.
Christine Dwyer Hickey applies her remarkable powers of observation and empathy to her characters’ stories, rendering them wholly believable; sympathetic yes, but also not without their flaws. By taking place in separate eras we get a chance to see Pip and Millie from all sides; past, present, future as well as from their own perspectives and that of each other.
While Milly’s story spans a number of decades, Pips covers around twelve months technically, but really covers his whole 60 or so years as his memories wander to pivotal moments. This change of pace works by acknowledging the nature of memory and recollection, of how reflection can be healing but also galling, facing up to acts and actions inflicted on the person as a whole, with the benefit of and sometimes disadvantage of hindsight.
While Our London Lives is a wholly original tale that examines two interlinking lives, in parts I was reminded of, of all things, David Nicholls’ One Day. Milly and Pip are nothing like One Day’s Emma or Dex, but their love story spans thwarted romance followed by deep friendship as well, and the depiction of this type of singular, close connection is wonderfully realised in both stories.
Dwyer-Hickey is an author whose strikingly evocative prose and capability in rendering characters totally alive catches my breath. I loved Our London Lives, for its unsentimental yet warm story of these two people have lived their lives, or stood still while life happened to them. It depicts the most mundane, and with it beautifully, messily real aspects of humanity, warts, heartbreak, love, loss and all.

This is a poignant, dual-timeline narrative that follows the journeys of two deeply complex characters: Millie, a young woman who leaves Ireland for England at eighteen, escaping a past that is slowly revealed as the story progresses, and Pip, a recovering alcoholic battling demons from his own tragic history. Both their stories intertwine in surprising ways, drawing readers into a tale rich with emotion and personal discovery.

This is very much a character-driven novel, and while the pacing can feel leisurely at times due to its length, the emotional depth keeps you invested. The first half of the book pulled me in with its intrigue, as I became attached to these deeply human and flawed individuals.

The prose is undeniably beautiful, but the book sometimes lingers on descriptions and moments that don’t necessarily drive the plot forward. There are sections that feel padded with unnecessary detail, which may cause some readers to feel the story drags at points.

Despite this, the characters, including the supporting cast, are incredibly well-crafted. They leap off the page and are memorable in their own right, each playing a vital role in enriching Millie and Pip’s worlds. The relationships explored, particularly those with family and friends, add an important layer of realism, giving the story heart and weight.

Millie’s arc, in particular, sheds light on the darker aspects of history, especially the mistreatment of women, which was both eye-opening and heartbreaking. Pip’s story, though tragic, feels like a slow-burning mystery, and when his past finally comes to light, it packs a powerful emotional punch. The way both characters' struggles are unveiled leaves a lasting impression, making this a book I won’t soon forget.

There is something about the lives of Milly and Pip that left me feeling I couldn’t stop reading about their lives. Both have sought refuge in London for different reasons and their paths keep crossing but it feels like the stars are determined they will not meet at the optimum moment for both of them.
The pitch of the writing drew me through the story. It was a surprise to see it was almost 500 pages. A lovely read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6739916630

A very good, emotional book, driven by the two very human, very likeable main characters (and the third character is really London itself - as someone who used to live near Smithfields I very much enjoyed the portrait of the area changing over time; although not sure it would draw in people who don't know it well quite so much).

Minor downsides are the length and the relentlessness of the bad things that happen - although perhaps the point of the book is that you can draw strength and happiness from unexpected places, and from yourself, even when staring down the barrel. I also struggled occasionally with the chopping and changing between time periods - although perhaps this would have been easier to deal with if reading a hard copy book where it was easier to flick back and forth to check the year!

In any event, thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the ARC, I would read more from her if the chance arose.

I LOVED this book so much. Really enjoyed the detailed descriptions and feel of a London long since lost, and felt a lot of empathy for the characters. I think Christine Dwyer Hickey captures perfectly the émigré's feeling of otherness, and never quite belonging. Just a perfect read for me. Highly recommended.

There's no denying that Our London Lives is well written. I enjoyed the writing style; it flows very smoothly, almost seductively. Several scenes are vivid and atmospheric, others less so. Unfortunately, while I was deeply engrossed in some parts of the book, other sections dragged and I got quite bored. While it's promoted as a love story, I failed to grasp the great love between Milly and Pip. If it were TV, I'd be thinking there's no chemistry between them -- I don't know how this would translate to the written word, but somehow I'm not feeling it!

I felt the relationship between Pip and his brother Dominic, and that between Milly and the pub landlady, actually felt more vivid to me than the bond between the two protagonists.

My thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing an ARC. All my reviews are 100% honest and unbiased, regardless of how I acquire the book.

Our London Lives is a story of two Irish immigrants whose paths first cross in a pub in 1970’s London. Milly newly arrived and pregnant, though not yet showing, takes an immediate shine to Pip, a boxer from the club opposite the pub in which she now works. It appears that Pip is not available as he is with another girl, but from here the story unfolds as the author paints a beautiful picture of London and the intertwined and complicated lives of both of these intriguing and well rounded characters.
This was a book that I very much enjoyed reading and highly recommend.

With thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an advance review copy.

This book spans a period of around 40 years and ostensibly tells the story of two young Irish Londoners. Molly is a pregnant 18-year-old seeking refuge in the anonymity of a big city; Pip, now in his 20s, has lived there since childhood with his father and brother, and is an amateur boxer of some promise, showing signs of being about to become an alcoholic. Over the next four decades their paths cross and diverge as Pip hits rock bottom, does a spell in prison and dries out, and Milly continues to work in the pub where she first got a job, gives her child up for adoption, marries and gets on with her life. Around them is a constellation of characters including Milly's co-workers at the pub, the pub landlady, Pip's brother, his boxing mentors, and his ex wife.

This is a rich canvas of a novel which manages to keep us interested in the lives of its characters over a long period of time. To me though, it was first and foremost the story of 40 years in the life of the city of London itself. I don't have much of a visual imagination but I could see the locations, the run-down streets around Notting Hill and Westbourne Grove which like the characters became ever more invisible as developers moved in during the boom of the early 2000s then went bust, abandoning gentrification projects and hiding entire streets behind hoarding, with no thought for the lives they had displaced and disrupted. The Grenfell tower fire is a pivotal moment in the story of the city and for Pip, while snippets of TS Elliot's The Waste Land provide background commentary.

This is a love story, but not one as simple as boy meets girl and happy ever after. It's a complex, nuanced rich sweep carried off with sympathy and a keen eye for observation. And a shot at redemption, as all good novels should promise. Recommended.

Oh my goodness what a book this one is going to take me a while to digest before I can write the review

This novel is the story of two people meeting in a London pub and what happens to them over the years
This is a very British book very well anchored in London. It’s nice to read about ordinary British people. As of the books I’ve read about London recently have focused on gang related violence this book looks at normal people and their struggles with life one young girl who travels from Ireland and knowingly pregnant and has to give up the baby the other when she meets him is a young man boxing. The book deals with the ordinary I’ve life poverty and alcoholism. Some of the subjects dealt with the novel are quite weighty but the author managers to treat them with subtlety and poise
The story is set over a number of decades and I particularly enjoyed the way that it showed how central London has changedover time
The author has a clear flowing writing style, the novel was a joy to read.
The author has great skill in the way that she describes personal characteristics and the way that her characters developed over time these are real people you really feel you understand them and the way that they behave
I very much enjoyed reading this book. It might not have been a book that I would pick up on a bookstore but I’m very glad I found it on NetGalley UK.
I read an early copy on NetGalley UK in return for a review the kids published on the 5th of September 2024 by Atlantic books
This will appear on Goodreads, NetGalley UK and my book blog bionicsarahsbooks.wordpress.com. After publication it will also appear on Amazon UK.