Births, deaths and marriages follows six university friends who reunite in their forties- It’s a read about friendship, love, and life in general.
It’s not a fast-paced story so isn’t really one I’d recommend for those who enjoy lots of action or twists and turns in their reads however, If books about friendships and real-life moments are your go to reads, then this one is right up your street.

Written around a group of friends from university, this book explores how dreams and plans can change and going a different direction 20 years down the line… For me this book just dragged on a little bit too much, I warmed to one character - Zoe but even then she wasn’t setting the world alight,

This is a steady read, don’t expect any deep storylines or twist and turns.

This was a gorgeous read- a millennial ‘four weddings’ with a wonderful, realistic cast of characters. Beautifully written and paced.

Huge thank you to NetGalley for this wonderful read. I read this as an early release ebook from NetGalley with the promise of my writing my thoughts and review of the book. I was very excited to read this one. I adored the author's previous novel called The Greatest Hits, the author's writing stood out so much in that. I am keen to read her others as they very much appeal to me.

Great cover appeal on the book first off, it would attract my attention in a bookstore/website. Before reading, I took in the blurb and felt a little early trepidation due to the book following six friends. I felt it might be quite difficult to follow six different characters' stories and their relationships, lives and so on. However, this was not at all a problem. I managed to follow and keep track of everyone!

Friendship and life are at the very heart of this novel. Though the main body of the story is set over the span of a year, as you read you really get to know each character. You follow a group of friends, who originally met at university. They were initially brought together in sad circumstances, these circumstances cemented their friendship and are part of the reason that they remain as close as years pass. Flashbacks are used to reveal older memories, background, characters stories and more. Each character is so different and at different life stages. It is therefore highly relatable.

Highly character driven, it is a great book to get lost in and there is more than enough to digest too. It is laced with humour and poignancy. I think that if you have enjoyed reading David Nicholls, Dolly Alderton and/or Owen Nicholls you will really enjoy this. Nostalgically British and comforting, I highly recommend it. Great writing.

A cautionary story about relationships. Nothing is straightforward. An authentic and compelling read on an emotional rollercoaster.

This story focuses on 6 friends who initially met at University, and this is where the journey starts, before moving to the present day (around 20 years later).

It then revolves around the friends and their various struggles, the ups and down that they encounter across the period of 12 months, around their various relationships, health issues, friendship and also some rekindling feelings that they thought were long buried. During this period there is a birth, a death and a marriage - but who's?

I don't usually struggle getting through a book, but with this one I did.

I requested this book, as I liked the sound of the premise and it was something a bit different to what I usually read. In my opinion though I found it a bit clunky and not very easy to follow. Also didn't enjoy the various POV's throughout each Chapter - it was just too much for me.

Also I like a book that takes you away from real life for awhile, but for me it gave me too many reminders of real life events, so didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would.

Didn't enjoy how it ended. For me there still felt like there were a few loose ends that needed to be addressed, which was disappointing.

A soothing read!
This is a book to lose yourself in on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
The plot revolves around six people who were inseparable at university and now find themselves navigating towards middle age in the wake (no pun intended) of births, deaths, marriages and divorces—with more joy and sorrow to follow.
If you love David Nicholls and relationship dramas like "This Is Us" or films like "Little White Lies" (Les Petits Mouchoirs), this is the novel for you. It's warm-hearted, focusing on relationship dynamics, life's routines and occasionally touching on big subjects, such as attitudes to death and dying.
Whilst it features an ensemble cast of characters, two stand out as the emotional backbone: Al, a widower now working as a funeral director at his about-to-retire father's business; and Zoe, a divorced single mother who works in end-of-life care.
The other characters are vital in their own right, and their stories no less fascinating, but Al and Zoe are weaving around each other, rekindling their university friendship and exploring new possibilities.

I loved this. The story of six university friends reunited that covers everything in its title, It's also the name of a group formed by one character who is a funeral director and that's perhaps the only part of the narrative that was slightly opaque. The rest of it is perfectly characterised and presents universal situations and experiences that we can all relate to.

Lovely read following the lives of 6 friends who met at a funeral as students. Now, as adults births, weddings, deaths and everything else life can throw are documented over 4 parts - like 4 seasons.
A read which I found hard to put down.
Highly recommend

This very much follows the format of four weddings and a funeral, with as the title suggests a huge focus on the cycle of life. A group of friends form a strong connection at university, with confusing romantic entanglements. Then they seem to go their separate ways, some keeping in touch, others not. So far this is fairly run of the mill. To add to the theme, two of the women are working for the NHS, a midwife and a surgeon, and one as a funeral director. Separations, marriage unhappy or otherwise, bereavements- it’s all part of life’s big plan, and this is panning out to be quite predictable. Having said that it did keep me reading, and I felt invested in at least one or two of their lives, which have a habit(like the film 4weddings) of getting back together at life and death moments. There are some interesting stories, and on the whole it kept me involved, and I liked the writing which was clear and free of pretension.

Summary:
Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not so secret passions for each other, their own hopes and fears.

Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. When Rob's engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface. Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose?

Review:
I've read a few reviews from other readers and feel they've been entirely unfair!
This is a very British book - reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill... if you picture a older Hugh Grant movie, this is very much the same vibe.
There were many complicated feelings, with a very intertwined history so it did take me a little while to figure out which character had a relationship with which other characters in their university days and how they had ended up in the present.
Each personality is captured really well. It's interesting to see how each character grows - and those falling back into old habits. There is certainly a character for everyone to relate to, encouraging you to reflect on your own journey through adulthood.
The events of the book take place over the span of a year, and each event feels natural and expected (in a good way!). There are at a period in their lives when you would anticipate weddings, births, funerals, children heading off to university or starting school.
As is expected, there are a great deal of references to loss and grief which may hit too close to home for some, but I feel these are done in a very thoughtful way. It's also set in the present day so there are also references to COVID and the lockdown experience in the UK from the perspectives of a teacher, a midwife, surgeon, funeral director and small business owners (all areas which were greatly affected by this both during and after the lockdown).
Overall, I liked it. I would recommend it to friends or family, but perhaps only those who would enjoy that Hugh Grant style of romantic comedy. The British humour is very light and would probably go unnoticed by some, too.
I would rate it at 3.5 but have rounded up to 4 stars.

Very pleased with this read. Some great characters. Would definitely recommend to other readers. Will look out for more from this author

I enjoyed Births, Deaths and Marriages, but I have to admit—it felt a little overcrowded. The story follows six university friends, now in their forties, as they navigate the next big milestones in life.

With so many perspectives, it sometimes felt like too much. The constant POV shifts made it hard to stay fully invested in any one character’s journey. To be honest, at least two of them could have been cut without changing the core of the story. Instead of deepening the emotional weight, the sheer number of voices diluted it, making it harder to connect with any one arc in a meaningful way.

Plus, while the characters are realistic, I just didn’t find most of them particularly likable. Some had their moments, but overall, I struggled to root for them.

That said, the book still has a lot of strengths—it’s an honest look at aging friendships, past regrets, and the unpredictability of life. If you enjoy ensemble casts and reflective storytelling, it’s worth a read. But for me, fewer characters and a little more warmth would have made it even better.

What a fantastic book by Laura Barnett.....I absolutely loved it.

It follows the intertwined stories of 6 fiends who all met at university.
They are brought together by a wedding which is being organised. As they come together, they remember old memories while making some new ones. Their stories start to intertwine again as they decide to keep contact and move forward, remaining friends.
But have they changed or are they still dealing with the same old problems. Broken marriages...and new ones, deaths and births through some real challenges at the group. Have they become older and wiser to deal with them or are they fundamentally the same as they were when they were together all those years ago?

Definitely a thought provoking book about the choices we make.

Of friendship, love, and the ever-changing nature of relationships. Following six university friends—Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas, and Indie—over a year, the book captures the complexities of growing older, rekindling old connections, and navigating the unpredictability of life.

When Rob’s engagement party reunites the group, old emotions surface. Passions reignite, long-held resentments re-emerge, and life-altering events unfold. Over the next twelve months, there will be a birth, a marriage, and a death, but the question remains—whose? Through multiple perspectives, Barnett expertly weaves a story that is as much about the small, everyday moments as it is about the big milestones that shape us.

One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its characterisation. Each of the six friends is drawn with such authenticity that their struggles, desires, and choices feel instantly relatable. From Rob, the history teacher with a trail of failed relationships, to Yas, the fiercely independent surgeon, and Al, the widower stepping into his father’s funeral business, every character is distinct and memorable. Their differing personalities and experiences create a dynamic, engaging read that will resonate with anyone who has ever navigated the complexities of friendship over time.

Barnett’s writing is immersive and thought-provoking, effortlessly shifting between past and present, between nostalgia and the realities of adulthood. She captures the nuances of human relationships—the tension, the tenderness, the misunderstandings, and the unbreakable bonds that endure despite time and distance.

Births, Deaths and Marriages is an emotional, heartfelt book about the joys and sorrows of life. It is about love in all its forms, the friendships that shape us, and the quiet moments that define who we become. With its richly drawn characters and relatable themes, this book is a must-read for anyone who enjoys thoughtful, character-driven fiction.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Whilst I did enjoy this, it too me a bit too long to get into it and for a while I was very confused with the different perspectives. I would have found it useful to have the character names under each chapter title as sometimes it wasn’t clear right away whose POV we’d moved to.

Sadly it's a no from me as I found this book overly complex with too many characters.

I kept with it hoping that it would become easier to follow but unfortunately this did not happen

The book spans 25 years of the lives of a group of university friends as they experience births, marriages, deaths and everything in-between. On the whole I found the book enjoyable and some of the characters, in particular Zoe and Al, really drew me in. At times I wished there were slightly few main characters in order to focus the book a little more but that is a small gripe.

I wasn’t sure about this to begin with partly because of the number of characters, most of which were not particularly pleasant at the beginning but as I read on they became more relatable and I found myself warming to them. The book starts with the six main characters at university to give the reader a bit of background but then moves on to the present were they have all got on with their lives. Zoe, who married Rob but is now divorced, is a midwife and has a son. Al has been married and is widowed and is about to take over his father’s funeral business. Indie runs a coffee business and is married to Xavi but has reached a crossroads in her marriage as he has decided he would like children while she is focused on running and expanding her business. Yas is a surgeon and has been seeing a married man. Her mother has also been ill with cancer so she is juggling her life with various problems. Rachel is a stay at home mum who is struggling looking after small children while her husband is about to drop a bombshell on their lives. They have all been out of touch to some extent until Rob sends them all an invite to his engagement party. Each of the six of them have their own set of problems and to some extent are facing a crossroads in their lives. The characters were well developed as the story progresses and although all very different with different lives they still manage to support one another. I have not read any other books by this author but this book held by interest and will look out for other books by her. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me an ARC of this book.

I found following the storyline very difficult due to the number of characters and the way it jumped around. I really had to make myself read it.