A story inspired by a concept from quantum physics? Well, yes. Put simply (thank you, Wikipedia), quantum entanglement is the idea that entangled particles remain connected and that actions performed on one affect the other even when separated by great distances. It’s what Albert Einstein dubbed ‘spooky action at a distance’. Katy Mahood uses this concept as the inspiration for the story of two couples whose life journeys overlap, mirror and just occasionally come into brief contact with each other. Following the chance presence of Stella and Charlie, two complete strangers, at one momentous event, it’s a story of repeated ‘almost encounters’ that may be no more than a fleeting glance or a glimpse from a park bench. Ships passing unnoticed in the night, as it were.

The reader witnesses the ups and downs of their lives as both couples experience joy and loss, love and betrayal, and struggle with mental and physical illness, alcoholism and unfulfilled dreams. The author recently spoke in an interview for The Daily Mail about how her own husband’s illness became the motivation to write the book.

I’ve loved being entangled in the lives of these two couples for the past few days and seeing how, if at all, their stories might converge. It's an emotional journey that is beautifully described and feels absolutely true to life and authentic.

This us a compelling,beautifully told tale of interweaving family fortunes. The characters are well drawn and instantly believable. This does not have the attraction of a murder or a mystery. It doesn't need it. The story has its own ability to fascinate the reader. The context of entanglement is used very convincingly as is the reference to Physics. All in all, a great achievement.

This book tells the story of two couples Stella and John and Beth and Charlie as they make their way through their lives. It delves into the highs and lows of relationships. What I liked most about this book was Mahood's description of everything. She is definitely a writer to watch with interest.

I absolutely loved this book.I was unsure when I first started it as it took a while to get used to the way the stories of the different characters combine ,as they move in and out of each other's lives without ever knowing each other,but once I got used to that,I came to appreciate the beautiful quality of the writing ,the sensitive way the author dealt with the characters and the way they faced the many challenges life threw at them.There are some incredibly moving parts and each character is drawn with great sympathy and care.
It is a beautiful book,highly recommended.I hope Katy Mahood writes more!

This story absolutely blew me away. I felt myself experience a range of emotions from laughter and happiness at the characters' high points to surprise and sadness - many tears were shed in the reading of this novel, but I loved every moment!

The characters (two couples: Stella and John, and Charlie and Beth) completely drew me in; I felt like I knew them so well by the end of the book. It begins in 1977, and I loved reading about life in London (one of my favourite cities!) during that time and in the 30 years after that is covered by the novel. There's something about following the same characters over a long length of time - observing through the pages the key points in their adult life - which makes the reader (or me, anyway!) feel so much more invested. That's not to say I particularly liked all of the characters in this book, I just found them incredibly interesting in their own ways, and wanted to read more about them.

The plot is unique in the way that it combines the theory of quantum physics (this idea that particles which became connected can remain so, even when far apart from eachother - this is coming from someone with no scientific understanding, but it's all presented in a way that makes sense in the pages of Entanglement) with completely everyday, identifiable life events: relationships, careers, having kids, dealing with loss and grief... many things that will, unfortunately, affect many of us at some point in our lives, and therefore is so relatable. The lives of the characters  overlap in various ways and at many points over the years thereafter - someone will glimpse someone else for just a second, and at other times their connections become more fixed.

I loved reading about the 'near misses' some of the characters have with almost meeting, and the possibilities that this brings. Katy Mahood's beautiful writing meant this novel was, for me, just perfect.

Entanglement is a bitter sweet story of two couples as they journey through life with everything that life throws at them ! The story begins in the 1970's and spans over 30 years .It tells the story of the lives of Stella and John and Charlie and Beth and their entanglement.This is not the usual type of book I usually read but it is so beautifully written I was drawn in right from the start and I absolutely loved it .This is one of those stories that stay with you long afterwards .

Warmhearted and involving story around the lives and loves of two couples. The darkness of love is beautifully displayed alongside the brightness of first love, lust and maternal love. This is a book I will remember with characters that I already miss.

Some paths cross but never collide...

It’s only now that I’ve finished reading this that I see just how perfect the cover is. The story begins in 1977 and charts 30 years in the lives of Stella, John and Charlie and their entanglement. There’s a line about someone with a 2p ready ‘for when the pips went’ and for some reason this was the image that made me feel nostalgic for the 70s. There is a quality to the writing that reminded me (in a good way) of a set text in school, possibly triggered by my nostalgia. I loved reading this and I’m going to miss the characters now that I’ve finished it. I highly recommend it and hope to read more by Katy Mahood in the future

Entanglement is the story of two couples, John and Stella, and Beth and Charlie who don't know each other but whose lives are inextricably linked. It leads us through their highs and lows from the 1970's through to the present day.

It's fair to say not a huge amount happens in this book. It's about normal life, decisions and consequences, good and bad. But its never boring. For me it grabbed me and held me hostage for two hours while I devoured every page because from the very first page I really cared for the characters despite (or maybe because) of their flaws, especially for some odd reason Charlie, I really wanted things to work out for him and had to remind myself he's a fictional character! This would be an accomplished work for a seasoned author so for it to be a debut is just fantastic.

This is a STUNNING debut novel which brilliantly weaves connections, relationships and fate into two linked narratives. So clever and a joy to read. Recommend!

This is the story of two couples, and their families, Stella and John and Beth and Charlie, whose lives collide at various points without them knowing. The theory of quantum particles is a clever thread which holds the stories together. The characters are engaging and the whole thing is very cleverly plotted. The final couple of chapters bring the threads together in a very satisfying way. This is beautifully written and I could not fault it.

Entanglement is a beautiful debut novel, written with a real lightness of touch that effortlessly brings out the connections and overlaps in the lives of four individuals from the 1970s onwards. Quantum theory may appear off-putting but it contributes by way of a theme rather than a requirement to understand the science in detail. At times moving, at times shocking, the narrative covers major events in the lives of the characters as well as reflecting the challenges of parenthood, illness and maintaining love through the years. I loved this and raced through.

Really enjoyed this story. It is beautifully written with believable characters and a style of pointing out important details of life/living that many authors miss. Its the story of two couples and how their lives develop and overlap....how we cross paths with folk without realising. The author cleverly uses a theory from Quantum Physics to show the entanglement of lives. its amusing; its sad; but above all its an excellent debut book.

It’s not often that a book can link science terminology and literature and do it successfully. This is a beautiful story about the lives of two couples told over 30 years. Stella and John, Beth and Charlie – four people whose lives are interconnected and examined in minute detail, encompassing tragedy, love, recriminations and lost pathways.
At the heart of the book the premise is “when two particles become entangled they remain connected even when they are far away”.
This story will strike a chord in everyone’s heart.