Thank you to #NetGalley and #Transworld Digital for my copy of Private Lives by Emily Edwards.
This is one heck of a read. No one knows what goes on behind their neighbours doors, everyone has their own little world to worry about.
But when something happens people rush to take sides, to gossip, to decry, to forget that it could be them.
A very powerful novel. A very emotive subject, that was very hard to read in parts.

Private Lives is a 4.5⭐️ rounded down to 4⭐️.
Seb is finally head teacher of his secondary school, this is something he’s longed for from being young. He has a perfect job, perfect house and perfect family but not for long. Seb does something that results in everything he took for granted being taken away from him and once the opinionated parents find out half a story his life comes crashing down, labelled with horrific names that isn’t him at all. Will his family stick by him or will they turn against him like his childhood friend without all the knowledge?
This was a really good read about modern day marriage and lives and the hardships we all face while no one else has a clue, but are willing to cast assumptions that make matters worse. The characters were really well developed and made the book move forwards at a good pace. The intricacies of several couples lives and how intertwined they were and as a result suffered the hardest damage was well written. The storyline was varied and interesting. This is the second book I’ve read by this author and again doesn’t disappoint and will be another winner.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Private Lives by Emily Edwards is a striking exploration of modern domesticity and the fragile nature of privacy. This is a novel that not only tells an engrossing story but also invites readers into a labyrinth of contemporary dilemmas . The narrative centres on Seb, the local headmaster with a façade of perfection, and the ripple effects caused by a hidden liaison that propels the entire community into a maelstrom of suspicion and scandal. The way the author interweaves the intimate struggles of her characters with the larger societal commentary is both compelling and thought-provoking and I loved it!

The author expertly balances intimate character studies with broader themes of fidelity, trust, and the invasive nature of modern media. Despite its weighty subject matter, the story remains engaging and fast-paced, revealing the messy reality of private lives in a public world., this was on-the-edge-of-your-seat reading.

The story itself is brilliantly supported by layered characters whose flaws mirror the unvarnished chaos of modern life. The intimate, small-town backdrop intensifies these human dramas—where secrets are rare, one misstep can lead to swift, harsh repercussions..

For readers who crave narratives that challenge conventional assumptions while still delivering gripping storytelling, "Private Lives" stands out as a thought-provoking and engrossing read and easily rivals the author's debut novel, raising the high bar she set with her keen observations and nuanced character studies..

One of my favourite reads of 2025.

This didn’t have a good flow for me, the characters felt too flat, the intrigue was missing - the tone towards the end of the book trying to balance manipulation and sexual emancipation felt weak.

A brilliant story following the lives of Abi and her children when she moves to a village called Waverly and works as a waitress in a local restaurant hoping for a new start. All is going well until she meets Rosie and her husband Seb and Anna and Eddy one night at a party and Abi recognises Seb and that is when the story gets provoking and interesting as truths are slowly voiced.
Loved the characters all with their own secrets which makes you engrossed in the story to the end.
Would highly recommend.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Superb! Could not put it down but then didn’t want to finish it! True to life characters, all people of today’s world; emotional, histrionic, vain glorious, hypocritical, anxious, two faced and all wonderfully human! Take two couples, good friends and close neighbours, Seb and Rosie and Eddy and Anna then add ex prostitute Abi into the mix, stir with great satisfaction, bake in a hot gossip environment for a couple of days and the outcome is definitely not to everyone’s taste! Absolutely loved it!

This is an intriguing read.
A book about hopes, dreams, relationships and expectations.
Social Media seems to have robbed everyone of a private life, and we live under constant scrutiny. Many people aspire to be how people are perceived online, but where is the truth here? People post what they want to be seen, instead of what's really happening, and I personally blame this on the rise of body dysmorphia, and eating disorders.
Similarly with relationships. Nobody knows what goes on in a marriage or behind closed doors, so they imagine and try to copy. Then someone makes a bad judgement and secrets start to come out. Everyone has skeletons in the cupboard, and once they are revealed, chaos ensues. Until we realise that a lot of the hurt and disappointment is linked to our own expectations.
What happens next is purely up to each person, and true personalities are revealed.
This book had me on the edge of my seat once I had sifted through all the characters, and I'd like to thank the author and publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

At first I thought this book was going to be anti men in general but how wrong I was!

Ms Edwards writes beautifully with the main plot featuring two married couples living in a small Sussex village. Seb is married to Rosie and their good friends are Eddy and Anna. Plenty of school gate gossip and tennis for the boys sets the scene for such events as Eddy’s indiscretion with a one-night affair, and Seb's apparent sexless marriage.

Then Abi moves into the village, working in a new restaurant (excellent location for a sub plot). She has a 'colourful' past (no spoilers) but is connected to Seb the local head teacher. Anna becomes the village moral spokesperson regarding Seb and the community takes sides with a parental petition against him and a pupil petition supporting him. All done on line, of course!

The book covers many facets of human behaviour. It has a satisfying ending, the characters are well drawn and all in all I really enjoyed it. Maybe a bit of humour next time please?

Thanks to Net Galley and Random House UK, Transworld for the chance to read and review.

I loved the herd and I loved this one. The scene is set by two couples who are close friends….lives entwined…..then a revelation and then the choice of what to do with that. I love how the author creates such vivid characters and real situations and makes you think about different decisions and actions. Excellent book I loved !

Private lives by Emuly Edwards is set in a 'perfect English town where Rosie, her husband Seb and their 3 children live. A scandal with Rosie and Seb at the center reveals maybe the town isn't as perfect as first thought. What follows shows how toxic small towns can be.

This is a well written novel with believable characters who feel real. Parts of it infuriated me but I feel like that might have been the authors intention.

If you are looking for a book with an interesting plot and is easy to read then I highly recommend this one.

This was another thought provoking novel by Ms Edwards, and told in a well balanced way. I found the moral questions posed interesting and well expressed and the claustrophobia of a small community highlighted by the believable characters. I look forward to reading more by this author.
Thank you to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.

I loved every minute reading this book. Everyone has secrets and everyone has regrets about things that they would rather have not done. I liked how this book shows how easy it is for some to judge others and why we shouldn't.
As a therapist, having worked with sex workers in the past, I liked the way it shed a light on why people sometimes get led in this direction and how the judgement of others can affect their self worth and also their families. A great summer read. Highly recommended.

This book is well written. I was expecting more of a thriller aspects to it rather than a large focus on the domestic. Not my kind of book unfortunately.

Read in a sitting. Found my adrenalin rushing the more I read, and the more angry I got with the awful (but brilliantly written) small town small minded women of Waverly.

Private Lives demonstrates just how difficult it is in this day and age to have any kind of private life The main characters are friends who live in a small town. Their lives are thrown into confusion when it is revealed that Seb the local Secondary School Headteacher has paid an escort for sex twice. Everyone has a say about this on social media which gets out of proportion and threatens his job, his marriage and his friendships. Things become more complicated when the now 'retired' escort moves to the same town. Although her identity is not known.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought the storyline was plausible and the characters realistic. It never ceases to amaze me how vitriolic people can be on social media with little or no knowledge. I enjoyed the authors previous book and have no hesitation in recommending this one as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advance copy. All opinions are my own.

Smart, witty and deeply submersed in the reality of life Private Lives is akin to Big Little Lies. A must read for the summer.

A very interesting read, covering many of the present day issues experienced in living in a small community. There is no privacy anymore and many of the residents of the small town all feel entitled air their opinions whether accurate or not. The fact I was getting angry at many of the characters shows to me how realistic this novel felt.

Another great book by Emily Edward’s, If you enjoyed The Herd you will also like this one exploring the issues around infidelity.

There’s quite a few characters in this read and for a little while I struggled to remember whom was whom but as I got more into the book this struggle abated.

Overall a really good thought provoking read.

Private Lives - Emily Edwards

It’s difficult to go into too much detail without giving away too many spoilers but ‘Private Lives’ will definitely leave you questioning fidelity, marriage & forgiveness…

Can a pillar of the community’s life (Seb, Head Master) ever be private & therefore be forgiven for over stepping the mark and committing a mistake within their private life? Mob mentality and prejudiced views are explored within this engaging read.

The strong characters Edward’s has created make this story compelling, suspenseful and wishing you to delve further into their ‘Private Lives’

This is the second Emily Edward’s novel I have read so I’m intrigued to see what she writes next. I personally preferred The Herd, which I believe was more thought provoking and will stay in my mind for longer, as it tackled the controversial subject of childhood immunisations & anti-vaxers.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing and Transworld for this advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

This author is brilliant at writing in a way that really made me stop and think about what I was reading, questioning what I’d do in that situation. The story tackles many big issues such as sex work, infidelity and people’s right to have a private life. This was a brilliant read full of floored, but brilliant characters.