What a brilliant concept for a novel. A love story written from the point of view of the people Seb and Clara meet. Be it a nosy passenger reading their texts on a train or their nearest and dearest, their story unfolds over many years.

As a reader you never hear directly from the main characters, unless it is coversations retold by others.

As leads, Clara and Seb are as equally frustrating as they are loveable. Often I want to shout at characters for decisions they make but here, their friends and family did it for me. The different perspectives told their story in so much detail and it was so cleverly executed.

It was so easy to give 5 stars to and another contender for my read of the year.

ARC read - thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and of course the author for this advanced copy.

This book is everything the synopsis promises to be and more.

I knew from the premiss that I would love it, but it still blew me away. I cried, I laughed, I fell in love with the gorgeous array of wonderful characters. The way of telling the story through the eyes of everyone around them was so clever, I couldn’t help but think about couples I’ve observed and what strangers may have seen of my life.

My husband is from Leicester, so I loved the little nods to a place I’ve come to know well.

For fans of the last five years, heartburn, David Nichols, Sally Rooney… I could go on.

It was beautiful, I want to read it again and again and again. I can’t wait until July so I can recommend it to all of my friends!

I love reading books about the entrainment industry especially from those who want to find their was and are bright eyed and determined. I was so curious to read about these two and the betrayal that broke them apart and if they would find there way back to one another! So good

A book like no other, a love story told by everyone else just not the main characters. I loved this concept. It was surprising how relatable the characters were and how connected to them I still felt despite their stories being told through the voices of other people.

Clara & Seb are far from perfect and their relationship is in turmoil a lot but this made them so much more relatable. Easy to find common ground with characters that experience similar experiences and struggles that we do in real life. That being said I really really wanted them to work out. Seb broke my heart, I felt like he was such an old soul lost in a big world where he just couldn't find his footing.

Can I just take a minute.. erm Jasper.. where the Heck was Clara when you know [ I can't say I have to keep this spoiler free ] roll on July 2026 when I can find people to talk to about this!!

I have loved Bobby Palmers previous novels and honestly I think this one trumps those. I'll be raving about this from the rooftops. Definitely will be needing a physical copy for my shelves!

Overall a stunning book, full of heartache, growth, friendships, healing, love and so much more. An absolute must read!!