Private Lives is a real page turner. Believable characters and a pacy plot. Themes of marriage, trust, moral choices. Would work well for book group discussions. Recommended

Emily Edwards clearly has a talent for finding a controversial subject to write about. Her first novel, The Herd, tackled immunisation and its impact on a community, and this novel is about infidelity, communication, and whether people in a position of authority can survive a scandal.
Seb has just become headteacher of the high school in the town where he grew up. He’s professionally just where he wants to be, and life seems good. He and his wife have a group of friends, he’s living close to his oldest friend and his godson. He seems to have it all. Seb isn’t happy though, and his relationship with his wife is not happy. When his wife makes friends with a woman newly arrived in their community, Seb’s life implodes in an unexpected way.
It’s hard to write about without spoilers, but this book would make an excellent book group read. Thought provoking and very believable.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Seb and Rosie live in a small town in the south of England. They seem to have it all. Seb is head teacher of the local high school, pinnacle of his career, whilst Rosie takes care of their home and children. They have a social group which I clues Eddie (his best friend from school) and his wife Anna.
Then one day, a new face comes to town and nothing will be the same again. Why is she here? Will she threaten Seb's family?
I loved this story. Anyone who works in a school community knows the rules about behaviour. They also know how the parents' rumour mill works.
Thought provoking, exploring the herd mentality. After all, non of us are perfect!

The Herd’ the authors debut was a favourite read of mine so was keen to see what this next book would offer

Once again we are thrust into a neighbourhood, wealthy, aspiring, showy and all ‘oh so friendly’….until one of their own has a secret he has managed to keep from everyone unexpectedly appears ( no not a secret child ) it’s delicate, seen by some as immoral, not illegal but very high on the ‘tut, how shocking’ scale

As the secret becomes commoner knowledge naturally the knives are out and so called best friends turn their backs and a petition is started to rid the town of him ( makes sense when read it )

It is a fascinating look at how different people react to the exact same situation,
the innocent ( depending on your views ) start to suffer, the visceral hate of some is a shock, the placid care and no nonsense resolution of others a relief

Very much dependant on your standpoint is how this book will affect and polarise you, I liked how all sides were clearly shown, discussed and then we saw how the various decisions made went on to affect those involved

The author writes non judgementally giving everyone a fair ‘airing’ and I loved all aspects of this unshying from reality read

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

Private Lives by Emily Edwards is a beautifully written novel—just as I expected from the author of The Herd. Edwards is a phenomenal writer, and I really enjoyed this book. The story is full of drama and emotion, set against the backdrop of the quiet seaside town of Waverly. It explores what happens when a long-buried secret resurfaces and begins to unravel everything.

We follow Rosie and Seb Kent, a seemingly happy, settled couple. Seb has just achieved his dream of becoming the headteacher at the local school, and life looks perfect. That is, until Abi arrives in town with her two daughters, hoping for a fresh start. But when she crosses paths with Seb, their shared past threatens to destroy everything he’s built. And in a small town, secrets don’t stay hidden for long especially when the entire community starts weighing in.

I was surprised by some of the subject matter, as I hadn’t realised these kinds of situations even occurred. The novel explores complex moral territory in a sensitive and thought-provoking way. I found myself really questioning how I’d react in the same situation. Does one bad choice mean someone deserves to lose everything?

The characters were likeable even Seb, despite his huge mistake. I appreciated how human and flawed they were. One of my favourite lines from the book was:

"Shame loses its power when it's not hidden away, but brought out into the light."

It’s a powerful reminder of the weight secrets carry, and how healing begins with honesty.

This is a book that lingers after the final page. Thoughtful, timely, and very readable I would absolutely recommend it.

Rosie and Seb Kent are a married couple with three children, living in a small town of Waverly. On the surface, their lives appear perfect: he’s recently become a headmaster of the local secondary school, and they enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.

However, underneath, there are cracks. Rosie isn’t sure of her body anymore, especially after bearing three children. Every time Seb moves closer to her and initiates physical contact, she pushes him away.

Abi is a single mum of two daughters who recently moved to the area. She and Rosie become acquainted, with Rosie hoping that it will blossom into a friendship. When Rosie invites Abi to her house, something strange passes between Abi and Seb. It appears that they may know each other from before…

I really enjoyed this tense, community-based drama.

I was appalled at Anna’s actions, who took it upon herself to air Seb’s dirty laundry for everyone to know and judge.

I was desperate to uncover Seb’s secret, and when it became apparent what it was, I was left wondering if a person with great authority is allowed to have a private life. If you’re a person in charge of impressionable and vulnerable young adults (who legally are still children), are the lines blurred, or black and white? Lots of food for thought!

I definitely recommend this book.

Thanks to Transworld Books for the NetGalley widget.

This is an excellent second book from this author and equally as interesting and enjoyable as The Herd. As with the previous novel this would make an excellent book for a group read and discussion and I will definitely be recommending this to friends and fellow readers.

Told from different perspectives this book is set in an English village and starts with introducing the reader to two couples, the men of each couple have been friends since childhood. One of these has become the headteacher at his local school and we see an insight into the issues he is having at home with his wife, which lead him into making a decision he comes to regret. The other couple have had marital problems and the wife starts a chain of events which leads to a landslide in the lives of both families.

Ultimately this book left me wondering what I would do in each of the situations the characters found themselves in and asking why they made those choices. The plot was tense and at times difficult to see where any resolution would come, but the author has successfully brought the conclusion together masterfully. I loved the characters, even the smaller ones had real depth and time spend on their development.

One to be recommended to all.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Awesome book! This tackles parenthood and relationships with real depth and insight. It’s definitely a lesson in waiting before judging people and situations. The characters are all so real and as perfectly flawed as people are. I think this is one of those books where I’m going to miss the characters now that I’ve finished reading. I’ll be on the lookout for more books from this author!

I really enjoyed this authors previous book, so was looking forward to this one. Private Lives is a thoughtful novel which digs into the grey areas of truth, reputation, and the stories we keep hidden. Written with sensitivity and sharp insight and with characters who feel real and morally complex, this is a thought-provoking novel that I recommend for a darker domestic drama.

Emily Edwards delivers another compelling domestic drama in Private Lives, a novel that burrows deep into the tension-filled world of secrets, loyalty, and the delicate boundaries between public image and private truth.

With the tagline, “What happens behind closed doors stays there. Doesn’t it?”, Edwards sets the tone for a story that probes the facades we maintain and the cost of keeping—or exposing—the truth. In the vein of her previous work The Herd, Edwards continues to explore moral gray areas, especially around personal freedom, societal judgment, and the ripple effects of hidden choices.

The novel centers on complex characters whose lives begin to unravel when carefully guarded secrets come to light. Edwards excels at creating emotionally rich, believable characters who make difficult, often uncomfortable decisions. The writing is sharp and observant, with psychological depth and a knack for quiet suspense that builds steadily.

This is another novel from Emily Edwards that will leave you thinking, what would I do?

Seb and Rosie live a happy-ish middle class life in a nice small town. They have three children, Seb has just got the job of his dreams as headteacher of the local school, they have a great group of friends, life is pretty sweet.
Their intimate life isn't everything that Seb wishes it was though, Rosie keeps pushing him away.
A new family move to the town, Abi and her two children. She's a breath of fresh air and seems to settle in well. But as soon as Seb spots Abi, everything changes. The two of them have met before, but not in a situation that anyone can ever know about. But the secret soon seeps out, and rumours spread around the close knit community, rocking everything to its core.

This is a great thought provoking novel which gives every character time to explore what the revelations mean for them and how they are going to live their lives now. I would recommend this and look forward to seeing what moral conundrum Emily Edwards comes up with next!

I loved The Herd so couldn't wait to read Private Lives. I'm glad to say it didn't disappoint. It is an insanely addictive read. I couldn't put it down.

Private Lives by Emily Edwards is a fascinating story about how a public figure is victimised after making a wrong decision in his private life.
Seb is the head teacher of a secondary school in a small and community driven town. He’s proud of where he is. His wife Rosie and Seb have very close friends and neighbours Anna and Eddy (his childhood friend). They are all very close and spend a lot of time together, but someone has a secret….
Abi, arrives in Waverly, looking to make a new start for her and her girls. She is involved in “the secret”.
Seb sees her and everything gets worse for the pair, as the people they trusted to contain their secret, let them down.
This subject matter was intriguing, the reader has a lot to think about, as friendships are strained and the public take sides as their head teacher’s private life becomes their business and his life isn’t his own anymore
Fantastic writing, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book!
Many thanks to Random House Uk for the opportunity to read this arc copy via Netgalley. My opinion is my own.
#Netgalley, #RandomHouseUk, #EmilyEdwardsWrites.

This is one of those novels where you are literally holding your breath and willing characters not to make a decision or comment! You just know someone is about to blow up someone's life and it's going to be awful...
Emily Edwards writes brilliantly about small towns where everyone knows everyone's business. It's fascinating to watch how friendships can collapse under the weight of a secret or confession, and how a whole community can quickly get involved.
The problem within Seb and Rosie's marriage is one that you can easily relate to and it's impossible not to feel sympathy for them and Abi as she inadvertently gets caught up in the spiralling drama. The villains aren't one dimensional either. They make some terrible decisions but you can mostly understand why they do what they do even thought it's ruining people's lives.
Private Lives is a great book that really makes you think and breathe a sigh of relief that it's not you that it's happening to!

Private Lives is a sharp, thought-provoking novel that explores the fine line between public image and personal truth. Emily Edwards delivers a timely and compelling story about two women entangled in a media storm, grappling with ethics, secrets, and the consequences of past decisions. With smart writing, layered characters, and a plot that feels both intimate and socially relevant, this book is a gripping exploration of privacy, power, and the cost of exposure. A must-read for fans of contemporary fiction with a psychological edge.

As per Emily Edwards brilliant debut novel The Herd, this latest book will also have you thinking. Its not such a moral dilemma this time but a "there but for the Grace of God"
Despite having 3 children and little time, Headmaster Seb and wife Rosie seemingly have a steady marriage. Yes, there are a few problems but every long marriage has those, but when Seb recognises Rosie's new friend, and a new mum from school Abi, his stable life explodes.
His personal life suddenly becomes the talk of the town and long standing friendships and his job are at risk.
I really felt for Seb and Rosie, their marriage issues were realistic and probably very common. I think most women of a certain age could empathise with Rosie's feelings.
I didn't particularly like Anna's character but the way she enlisted her friends i could imagine being true in many close knit towns I felt she projected her own experience onto others with telling results.
As with The Herd I feel this novel will give many talking points and discussions in book clubs. There are no easy answers or conclusion to form with the storyline, it's a personal opinion for everyone.
I loved the novel, a real page turner.
I have posted my review on Goodreads, Bookmory, Storygraph, Fable, Waterstones and Amazon

Seb Kent has just achieved his dream of becoming headmaster at his local high school in the seaside town of Waverly, he is happily married to Rosie and they have three children. Their lives are fairly simple, they have good friends, their closest being Eddy and Anna, in fact Eddie and Seb are more like brothers, always there for each other. Rosie has made friends with newcomer, single mother Abi who has recently moved to the town looking for a fresh start with her two children but it soon becomes evident when Rosie introduces Abi to her family and friends, that this isn't the first time she and Seb have met and, in a small town like Waverly, it's not long before tongues start to wag and their past explodes into a huge public scandal with some very dire consequences within the community.

Private Lives is the latest domestic drama by Edwards and, after reading her debut The Herd, I was really looking forward to this one. As before, this new one is a fast paced read which centres on a fairly controversial topic for some but, what should have remained private between Seb and Rosie, was soon leaked out into the community and turned into a witch hunt! I really felt for Rosie and the predicament she was in, an issue that can be common in long term relationships and, even though what Seb did was wrong, it was nobody else's business and certainly didn't warrant the backlash it received. There were some really decent characters in this story including Abi who was just doing what she felt was best for her girls at the time, others I didn't like at all and I certainly wouldn't welcome a friend like Anna! This was an interesting story that I can imagine would raise some split opinions in a book club discussion and, as with The Herd, it was one I couldn't put down.

I'd like to thank Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and Netgalley for inviting me to read this, I will post my review on Goodreads now and Amazon on publication day.

My thanks to Random House UK, Transworld Publishers and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘Private Lives’ written by Emily Edwards in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Seb Kent is the local headmaster and lives with his wife Rosie and their children in the seaside town of Waverly where they socialise with a group of friends. Young single mum Abi moves from London to Waverly hoping for a fresh start and is as intrigued with Rosie as she is with her, but their budding friendship comes to a halt when Abi meets Seb. It’s clear to Rosie that this isn’t the first time they’ve met and that something has happened between them in the past.

‘Private Lives’ is a thought-provoking drama that takes place in a small seaside town where secrets don’t stay hidden for long especially when they’re confided to so-called ‘best friends’, and when they’re spread around the community they threaten to destroy more than just those closely involved. All of the characters were very well-described especially the children of the families who had to grow up quickly. I felt sorry for Seb even though he hadn’t treated Rosie as well as he should have, and Rosie who bore the brunt of the scandal that was erupting around her. The moral from this story is that everyone deserves to make one mistake without them and their family being vilified and Emily Edwards did a good job of allowing this mistake to run its course and lessons learnt. I enjoyed this story that made me stop and think and will look forward to reading more by this author.

A super book with really well drawn characters that draw you in and you don’t know who’s side to take. Exploring the difficulties people can face in relationships and the very quick way we can jump to conclusions the story takes you through the different sides of people’s perspectives. What is right might be another’s wrong and vice versa. Whose side will you choose?

Very twisty and tense, full of secrets. Small town, big drama it was a seriously intense read all the way through.