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Love by the Book
- Author Jessica George
- Narrator Isabel Adomakoh Young
- Publisher Hodder & Stoughton
- Publish Date 12 February 2026
- Run Time 12 hours and 4 minutes
- Format Audio
- Genre Contemporary lifestyle fiction, Narrative theme: Love and relationships.
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Listen to a sample
What to expect
Two women. A chance meeting.
Friendship is the love story you can count on.
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her - until the day that they're not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting - and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn't need friends. The only people she needs are her family - but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is.
When Simone and Remy meet in a bookshop, they don't immediately click. But as life keeps throwing them together, they realise that they might just have bumped into exactly what they need...if they can only be brave enough to let each other in.
This isn't a romance. But it is about love.
Friendship is the love story you can count on.
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her - until the day that they're not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting - and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn't need friends. The only people she needs are her family - but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is.
When Simone and Remy meet in a bookshop, they don't immediately click. But as life keeps throwing them together, they realise that they might just have bumped into exactly what they need...if they can only be brave enough to let each other in.
This isn't a romance. But it is about love.
Critics Review
PRAISE FOR MAAME:
One of the must-reads of the year
Tender and compelling from the word go, Maame is one of the year's most anticipated books . . . Very funny and utterly readable, this is one for your reading lists
Jessica George's Maame has a warmer, frothier take on family matters. The book follows 20-something British Ghanaian Maddie, who has spent years as a carer for her father and the breadwinner for her family, as she breaks free of doing what's expected of her
A poignant and heart-warming coming of age story
A must-read for 2023
This sparkling and poignant coming-of-age novel is going to be
A funny coming-of-age novel. When Maddie Wright is presented with the opportunity to leave her traditional Ghanaian home to become the type of woman she has always dreamt of being, she leaps into her new life. However, tragedy then strikes, leaving Maddie forced to consider what she's sacrificing
Maame will have you laughing, crying, and rooting for the protagonist the whole way
George's novel is a deeply moving one, packed with heart and sparkling prose
Moving, funny, poignant and completely unforgettable, you'll love this beautiful coming of age tale about a young woman on a journey to discover the real her'
George has fashioned an appealing hero here: You can't help but root for Maddie's emancipation. Funny, awkward, and sometimes painful, her blossoming is a real delight to witness. A fresh, often funny, always poignant take on the coming-of-age novel
George illustrates the complexities of navigating two cultures and rising from the pressure of other people's expectations beautifully. This is a clever and deeply moving debut
A pitch-perfect debut...The work's ample magnetism resides in the savvy portrayal of Maddie as a complicated, sharp, and vulnerable person who is trying to figure out adulthood. Readers will revel in this
An exciting and emotionally charged debut... Every word is a gem. You will fall in love with Maddie's character as she sets out to find her way in the world via nightmare bosses, passive-aggressive flatmates, questionable men and online dating. A really heart-warming tale of redemption and self-discovery
It's impossible not to champion Maddie from the start of this fantastic debut... A truly remarkable debut. Powerful, poignant and downright heart-breaking in parts
Jessica George's first novel is a compassionate portrait of a young woman caught between cultures, and a moving look at how grief can undo you. Maddie is a charming mix of innocence and world-weariness; you end up rooting for her to find her place in the world
An accomplished debut from a talented writer
Warm and heartfelt, this tender coming-of-age novel will have you rooting for her through it all
This coming-of-age story is witty, poignant and inspiring
Pick of the Week: We root for her through triumphs and tears in this funny tale
A moving, funny story about finally finding out where you truly belong
The hot debut
A resonant and engaging debut from Jessica George, we absolutely loved Maddie's mature voice as she deals with challenges at this potent time in her life
A coming of age tale with a perfectly imperfect protagonist, Maame holds a mirror up to the lives of Black British women anxiously treading the tightrope of our twenties, with little to lean on and much to learn
Irresistibly charming, this story of a later bloomer shows us that we all find our stride in life when we are meant to, even if it's not when the rest of the world expects us to. Maame left me with a huge smile and a full heart!
This book will make you laugh and cry but you'll be rooting for Maame all the way
Praise for LOVE BY THE BOOK:
A captivating and emotionally rich novel exploring sisterhood, friendship, love and betrayal. I was gripped from the outset.
As ever, Jessica George's astute eye and wry wit make for a refreshing read that's equally as thought-provoking as it is entertaining. Love by the Book goes deeper than just celebrating friendship-it delves into the challenge of navigating its inevitable shifts as we grow older. An endearing story that's bound to resonate.
Love by the Book reads like a rom com for platonic friendship. After Maame, Jessica George brings us another fresh look at young women's lives. Love by the Book offers a charming and nuanced take on contemporary friendships, putting the spotlight on the value of different kinds of love in people's lives. A celebration of women's friendships and families, in various configurations.
Friendships are often the central relationships of our lives; why are they usually treated as storyline B in novels? Not in this transporting new novel by Jessica George. As enveloping, soul-filling and moreish as an evening with a friend, Love by the Book challenges us to take a closer look at adult friendship and platonic love. As is true with the best friend-dates, I couldn't wait for evening to come so I could hang out with Remy and Simone (and especially with Remy's mom). This novel might just inspire you to put yourself out there and ask a new friend out to dinner.
A sparkling triumph, Love by the Book is the love story I didn't know I needed. Once again, Jessica George delights readers with her charming and unique knack for unfolding a story. As witnesses to the evolution of long-held friendships and the blossoming of new ones, we're left rooting for her funny, fabulous characters while falling in love with them ourselves. George infuses whimsy and heart into her incredible tale despite touches on weighty topics and pressures placed on the book's leading ladies.
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