Seb has finally achieved his dream job of headmaster at the secondary school he attended himself as a teenager. Married with three young children, he is an important figure in the local community and has a good social life with friends and other couples. All this changes when Abi and her family arrive in town and her unexpected connection to Seb threatens to reveal secrets both would prefer to keep hidden.
Private Lives would be a great book club read because it raises so many interesting topics for discussion. Should someone with a public role be entitled to a private life and what should be their code of conduct? Just because something interests the public (ie gossip and scandal) does that mean exposure is in the public interest? In an era of social media it is so easy for public opinion to be swayed by whoever speaks first or speaks loudest and for Seb and his family, opinions expressed online cause actual harm to real people.
A thought-provoking and well written story.

A brilliant story with so many twists to it and showing the true nature of some gossips and the damage that can be done.

I absolutely loved Emily Edwards debut novel The Herd so was really looking forward to reading Private Lives. The author introduces a different moral dilemma here and I found it to be an insightful and thought provoking read.
Seb and Rosie are best friends with Anna and Eddie and Seb is godfather to their son Blake. They live in a small, close knit community in Sussex where Seb is headmaster of the local secondary school. When Abi, a new parent arrives in town, her past and connection to Seb is soon in danger of being revealed.
The novel started off slowly and it took me a while to get into it and differentiate between the characters but once I did this was a compelling read. It’s an excellent exploration of relationships between friends and partners and how rumours and judgements spread in a small community. I found the moral dilemma fascinating, topical and thought provoking and this is a novel that will stay with me. Highly recommended.
4.5 stars
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this digital ARC.

Fabulous book! As per Emily Edwards’ previous novel about vaccinations, Private Lives throws up more moral dilemmas.
Seb and Rosie have a young family and the sexual side of their relationship has been in the wane.
The mistakes they make are then blown into the community gossip mongers hands and the reactions cause so much harm. The book is told from two perspectives which helps you understand the dilemma from all sides.
It is very ‘of its time’ with the dark side of social media and how we can become obsessed with someone else’s lives rather than not being judgmental. In my youth, it was just being a busybody…..now we can all legitimately become that person by sitting behind a computer. It’s not progress!
It has a satisfying ending and I really enjoyed this book. It’s very relatable and well written. It holds your interest from the first page and makes you question your own reactions to similar situations.
Highly recommended

Secrets never stay secret for long, especially in small communities.

And then secrets become public scandals...

A horrible bunch of spoiled, entitled people - I really didn't warm to any of them, and didn't care about what happened to them

I really enjoyed The Herd so as soon as I saw another Emily Edwards book I was really eager to read this.

To start with I would like to say that the character development was great, I really enjoyed reading from the different characters points of view, the story went in a direction I didn't expect at all and the overall premise was approaching a challenging subject and how it affects the community.
There were parts of the story line I found very unrealistic especially how the fact that best friends turned on each other in what was literally a blink of an eye. Best friends wouldn't behave in this way, acquaintances maybe, work colleagues maybe and if the story centred around people who didn't know each other so well then maybe it would have been more believable. However, I appreciated how the Emily Edwards tried to explain everyone's defence in their part to play in the original situation, Rosie burnout, Sebs search for connection, Anna's childhood trauma etc which was one of the reasons I ended up finishing this.
Overall it seems like this would make a good book club book. You would either love it or hate it. I have to say I think Emily Edwards has an amazing way to convey a story however this story was not for me.
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC.

I wanted to love this book. After The Herd, I was excited for another gripping story. Unfortunately, this one just didn't do it for me. I find affairs a really boring storyline. I'm sure others might enjoy it more but for me the storyline just fell flat. It got more interesting towards the middle of the book, then tapered off again towards the end. I found all of the characters insufferable from start to finish. I didn't connect with them in any way, and I really struggled to like any of them. I feel the story had so much potential to do something different - and in some ways it really did - but in other ways it was an average story about an average experience. It was well written though. It's maybe just not my cup of tea.

After reading Emily’s debut novel The Herd in 2022, I have been patiently waiting (very patiently) for the next book, so when I saw this land in my TBR it went straight to the top.

There’s always that small niggling doubt, when you’ve loved a debut novel so much, whether the next book will love up to the hype, but ...wow! This was so worth waiting for.

I haven’t read such a thought provoking plot in quite a while. As a wife and mum, so much of the tale hit home and made me question ‘what if?’ and the whole book provided so much scope for discussion among other readers in my family and bookish friends.

The story is set in a small town of Waverley, in the South of England, that seems to give off more of a village life feel. The upper class couples, ladies who brunch, tennis clubs, etc.

Right at the beginning, you are introduced to the ‘couples’ that need to be known, the group that everyone wants to be connected to. But not everyone is quite how they present themselves.

Seb is the local head teacher, a job he has coveted for many years and absolutely loves. To the outside world, happily married to Rosie, but behind closed doors, things aren’t quite as perfect as they seem.

When a newcomer arrives, Seb’s past is brought right, slap bang into the future, and very quickly, his life starts to unravel around him.

Whilst the characters weren’t all that likeable, they were so strongly executed you could, from the very beginning, not only visualise them but feel the emotions they gave off and the atmosphere they created.

The pacing was absolutely perfect. It had a constant build up of tension that never petered out and had me turning the pages with no thought of what was going on around me.

The themes this book covered were not only gripping but interesting to explore and really got me thinking about subjects I’d never considered before.

I won’t go into any details of the plot as it will be a massive spoiler for anybody, but for anyone wanting to get lost in a book for a while, this is the one for you!

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.

Thanks to Emily and NetGalley for allowing me to read Private Lives before publication date.
Having read The Herd, I was looking forward to reading Emily’s latest book and it did not disappoint.
IMHO, it should be on every book club list of TBRs as it provides so much scope for discussion.

Set in a small town in the south of England, the reader is introduced to the various couples who comprise the social circle. Some have grown up together, others met because of their spouse and many are the yummy mummies who met at the school gates.

Each tries to set themselves above the others, whether it is their professional status or wealth, they are the group that everyone wants to be a member of.

When single mother Abi arrives to work as the manager at the new restaurant being opened by one couple in the group, there will be shocks which will reverberate beyond the inner circle.

The characters that Emily has created are not all that they initially appear to be and their façade will soon crumble, exposing their true personalities.

Put yourself in each of their shoes while you consider their attitude and whether people in positions of influence are allowed to have private lives, which may be morally suspect but not illegal.

Great book. Was up all night reading it. I loved the characters & the storyline. I totally recommend reading this book straight away. It's a read in one sitting book. Definitely 5 stars

I did end up liking this book but there were things, especially on that put me off. To me, it was obvious what the secret between Seb and Abi was and I thought Edwards took too long before revealing it. To my surprise, there was a further twist which I did not see coming and this was salacious and intriguing. From here, the book was a lot more like 'The Herd', it presented different viewpoints and was a thought provoking read. Sadly for me, I was already bored from the slow start and this did not save it.
On the positive side, the characters are good and I enjoyed the different viewpoints that Edwards presented.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

Full of smug, arrogant people who judge anyone who doesn't fit their idea of "right" and they are characterized perfectly! The story opens a window onto bigotry and the way public figures such as teachers are expected to have no private life at all.
A great story, well written and full of people to scream at!

This is the perfect summer beach read.
It's full of sanctimonious small-minded people convinced that they're in the right whilst gleefully ruining the lives of others.
When Abi moves her children to Waverley (think Lewes in East Sussex), she accidentally stirs up a hornet's nest of conflict.
Abi doesn't 'belong' in Waverley because she's not from a smug affluent family. She's a single mum. Soon, she finds herself being blamed for the trespasses of others.
This is the equivalent of the tv programme that causes you to shout at the telly. It's so good.

After reading Emily’s decisive debut The Herd, I couldn’t wait to read her new novel. And Emily has done it again!

A story about a small village, a new arrival and shattered lives….this story asks a number of moral questions without passing judgement.

Seb is husband to Rosie, a loving father and son and headteacher of the local high school. His life is just where he would like it to be….until Abi moves to the village and secrets are spilled and judged.

Highly recommend. You will not be disappointed.

Thank you Emily and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review.

ooo this book is a goodie. you will want others to read it just so you can debate from it. which is why im finding it tricky to review it. because i dont want to give the spoilers away. but also know for me,reviews are great because its like a semi discussion hearing what others thought!
but i do think it would be better for this one if you come to it fresh.
but we do have two people who come face to face and clearly have known each other before. one is now in a position of power. one has come to the area for a new start. but what is the past? is it going to cause problems? clearly its not something either want to come out. so this begs so many more talking points. but then if it comes out what consequences is there or should there be. and if its doesnt or if it comes out in chines whispers somehow can that become an even bigger problem with even bigger fallout zones?
this is a really really fab read. i was gripped and hooked and had to stop several times so i could think though my own arguements. back and forth as you do in your own moral and questionable headspace, ha! but i love a read like that.
and also then coming to the reviews later and seeing if others agree is part of that so sorry i wont be giving too much of that away. but youll love it. so do read it.

If you are a lover of a good domestic thriller like me, you are going to love this page-turner! Don’t be fooled by the small town premise, there is some real danger lurking beneath…

I really enjoyed this book. Rosie and Seb live in the sleepy seaside town of Waverly, where Seb has achieved his lifelong ambition of becoming the head teacher of the local comprehensive school. Abi, a young single parent has moved to the town to work in a new restaurant and make a better life for her kids. When she and Seb come face to face it is clear they have met before and both do not want the reason to become public. This is a story of how gossip can escalate and change the lives of the people involved forever.
Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

‘Private Lives’ by Emily Edwards is a rich and thought-provoking morality tale set in a once-peaceful seaside town. The story explores a community centered around Waverley High School, where Seb has recently become Headmaster… While the novel starts with a civilised dinner party attended by Seb and his wife Rosie, civility begins to erode almost immediately, and soon sparks of conflict turn into flames that might destroy marriages, careers and lives…

The pacing of this novel is skilful and perfect, with characters who feel three dimensional and steadily growing tension across the pages. Like in her previous novel ‘The Herd’, Edwards manages to ease the reader into a position of judgment and certainty before turning the tables and proving that issues are rarely black and white.

The themes explored in this book are interesting, and I appreciate the voices it lends to members of an often vilified community. I admired one of the characters immensely, and found that my views of others evolved chapter-by-chapter.

This gets a highly recommended 4.5 stars from me! If you enjoyed ‘The Herd’ or Edel Coffey’s ‘Breaking Point’, you’ll be addicted to this one!

I received an advance Digital Review Copy of this book from the publisher Random House UK, Transworld via NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Having thoroughly enjoyed ‘The Herd’ I was very excited to read this second novel by Emily Edwards. It did not disappoint - a character driven tale of lives imploding due to other people’s attitudes and actions. It was fascinating to watch it all unfold and to see the effects on the characters of their actions. I really enjoyed it.

Set in the small seaside town of Waverly, the story follows the lives of The Kent's, Seb, Rose and their children whose world is closely intertwined with Seb’s old school friend Eddy, his wife Anna, and their children. Seb, now the headmaster of the local secondary school, enjoys a respected position in the community until the arrival of Abi and her two children from London.

Abi's unexpected connection to Seb threatens to bring hidden pasts into the light, turning private matters into public scandals and sending shockwaves through their tight-knit community.

What I enjoyed most about this book was how well the characters were written, flaws and all. The author doesn’t shy away from the complexities of human nature, and crafts a thought provoking narrative that explores the dangers of prejudiced views and mob mentality, showing how quickly public opinion can shift and escalate.

It's an engaging read, one for your TBR list.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for the ARC