The Couples

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What to expect

Three couples, one night. And the life that follows . . .

Eva looked out of the window of the charmingly crumbling guest house and thought she might be sick. She could see Frank lying on the grass in last night's clothes - it wasn't clear whether he was conscious or not. Her husband, Shay, was in bed. She loved him, of course she did, just right now the person she most wanted to see was Connor. She didn't want to think about what had happened to Bea or how Lizzie was feeling . . .

Frank's birthday had given them an excuse for a night away. The three couples, caught between caring for the children and worrying about their parents, were ready to have a good time. The drink flowed, Dublin felt a long way away and when Frank proposed they swap partners for the night, they forgot they were stressed about their finances and exhausted by their responsibilities. In the heat of the moment, it's deliciously reckless, and makes them all feel young again. The women text the man of their choice.

One night. No obligations. No expectations. No falling in love. The only rule? No falling in love.

But life doesn't follow the rules.

(P) 2023 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Critics Review

The Couples deals with relations between a group of middle-class, mid-lifer friends and the long-lasting effects of one ill-judged, hazy incident. It's humorous, deeply emotional and . . . unputdownable.
Sunday Independent Best Novels of 2023
Fresh and stylish . . . a diverting, grown-up story about how the fear of regret and yearning for former selves can make people do rash things, for which there are always consequences
Irish Times
What a devilishly delicious read about six fascinating and flawed people and their imperfect relationships, their vulnerabilities and betrayals. Empathetic, entertaining and enthralling
Liz Nugent
I adored this funny family drama from the first page to the last
Irish Examiner
I loved this Dublin-set love tangle . . . Sympathetic to the strains and temptations of modern marriage, this story also reveals the destructive consequences of selfishness
Daily Mail
A must have for your holiday suitcase
Galway Now
A great concept . . . the perils of having your cake and eating it
Heat, ***** Review
A brilliant novel, perceptive and precise on the intricacies of human relationships, the burdens we place on ourselves and each other, the mad dances we do around love, obligation, impulse and desire. A blockbuster in waiting
Donal Ryan, author of THE QUEEN OF DIRT ISLAND
I adored The Couples! A nuanced and entertaining novel of keenly observed relationships that gripped me from start to finish. Stunning! Lauren Mackenzie is a writer of tremendous talent
Danielle McLaughlin, author of THE ART OF FALLING
A witty, sharply-observed tale of modern relationships. Gorgeously written, Mackenzie's novel is both funny and devastating in turn. A brilliant exploration of love, sex, friendship and ambition in contemporary Ireland
Victoria MacKenzie, author of FOR THY GREAT PAIN HAVE MERCY ON MY LITTLE PAIN
Normal People for married people
Irish Times
Lauren MacKenzie's The Couples is an utterly compulsive read, I couldn't put it down, with characters so authentic they jumped off the page. And how wonderfully refreshing to see older, messy, flawed, complex, sexy, desirable characters in fiction. I adored it
Fíona Scarlett, author of BOYS DON'T CRY
MacKenzie is a beautiful writer, with an astute eye for the relationships, desires and difficulties that make up modern mid-life, told with humour, compassion and flair. The Couples is an engrossing read, with characters that feel completely realised, their messy complicated existence alive on the page
Olivia Fitzsimons, author of THE QUIET WHISPERS NEVER STOP
The Couples is a provocative, layered meditation on the vagaries of modern friendship, studded with gems of insight and beauty. An intriguing, compelling novel
Nuala O’Connor, author of NORA
Dark and sexy . . . a wonderfully nuanced portrait of the realities of adult relationships . . . A delicious debut that leaves you hungry for what Mackenzie will do next.
Business Post

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