Introduction
Published in June 2026, People in Love is Claire Daverley’s second novel, and is just as beloved as her debut ー Talking at Night. It centers around the complexities of true love and how loss can shape your life.
A Summary
Nora never wanted to get married. She is in her 30’s, and with her long term boyfriend, Robin, and couldn’t be happier. So when Robin unexpectedly proposes to her near the river, she is shocked into a yes. She loves him, and with more thought, she’s excited at the chance to be a wife.
That is until Bren turns up out of the blue on the night of their engagement party. Bren and Nora’s friendship is packed with complexities, memories of childhood and unresolved emotions. As Nora struggles to figure out what she wants, secrets unfold that reshape the things she knows to be true.
Writing Style
The writing style is very similar to the writing of Sally Rooney, or Daverley’s first novel of Talking at Night, but it does feel more mature than that novel though the lack of speech marks does still occur. This book has 3 POVs, targeting the 3 main characters of this novel
My Thoughts
I don’t think I can fully describe how much I loved this book, for all its little intricacies and storytelling quirks. That doesn’t mean I think this book is for everyone though, as the way it is told is very particular. There’s no speech marks to break up the page, the chapters are long and there is a prose filled with unfinished sentences that you fill in. But it’s beautiful. It’s raw and heartbreaking. The characters feel so real, and all of their POVs added something new to the story. I also loved that Robin’s POV was entirely in bold text. In my opinion, it shows he is separate from the others. He may be an important part of the story, but he does not have the same context as Nora and Bren do. He cannot comprehend all of those childhood memories they shared, and the deep grief they experienced.
I also loved the ending more than anything. The nuances of love, and how you can have trouble figuring out what you want, but ultimately deciding that the love of the past won’t keep you stable in the present. I have never read a book that made me feel like this.
I do love the discussions of mental health in this novel as well. It shows the gritty truth, that some traumas take a long time to mend and some may haunt you forever but you can learn to accept it.
I know this review may be shorter than some of my other reviews, but that is because I adored every single thing about this novel.
Trigger Warnings
Please note this is a non-comprehensive list and there may be triggers in this book not explicitly stated here.
- Parental Death
Recommendation
I can’t recommend this enough! This is a book that creates a deep hole inside of your chest and forces you to unpack your own history as it tells its own story.
