Births, Deaths and Marriages

by Laura Barnett

Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not so secret passions for each other, their own hopes and fears.

Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. Rob is a history teacher, with a string of broken relationships behind him. Yas is a surgeon and very much her own woman. Indie is married and a successful coffee entrepreneur. Rachel is a stay at home mum with two children. Al, widowed young, is about to take over his father's funeral business.

When Rob's engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface. Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose?

Set over one year and told from multiple perspectives, BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES is an era-spanning, globe-trotting novel about love, friendship, and how to stay at least relatively sane in an ever crazier world. It’s about a group of friends growing older, a pair of sometime lovers finding their way back to each other, about kindness and joy. It’s about births, deaths, marriages, and everything in between.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Novels, Friendship, Chick Lit

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 12, 2025

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Reviews

[Evie Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully written, I’m just not sure I ‘got’ it? It just felt like a never ending account of these 6 characters lives with no real climax or arc… there were some poignant moments and I really connected with the characters, I just don’t think it was gripping at all. Also is it just me that hates reading about the pandemic, even if it is relevant to some plot points I just don’t like it in my books!!! Sorryyyyy

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the title, Birth, Deaths & Marriages, you might get the idea that this book may be a little like the film Four Weddings and a Funeral and it kind of is, but it also put me in mind of Love, Actually. I think the book would make a brilliant film too! Like these films, the book focusses on a group of uni friends, and catches up with them twenty years after graduating when they are invited to one of the group’s engagement party.

I loved getting to know the six main characters. There’s midwife Zoe, who used to be married to Rob, the character about to be married again. Indie runs a successful coffee company called Mama Bean which is kind of ironic as she absolutely definitely doesn’t want kids. Yas is a surgeon and she has two very significant and unexpected events to deal with. Al works with his father in the family undertakers firm and is a widower. And finally there’s Rachel, a stay at home mum to two lively young boys who is permanently exhausted and wondering if she’s a bad mother.

Over the course of an eventful year we follow the six characters through all the messiness of life. Laura Barnett lets her story unfold through the perspectives of all of her characters in turn and manages to juggle the characters brilliantly. I admit that at the beginning I wasn’t sure I’d manage to remember who was who but I needed have worried as the author’s writing quickly made each character feel distinct. The friends haven’t always been close over the years since they left uni but were always in touch even if just through emails or texts. This particular year, so much happens that they grow close once more.

As with everyone’s lives, the friends experience births, deaths and marriages whether within the group or with close family or other friends. Two are very directly involved with beginnings and endings of life with Zoe being a midwife and Al being an undertaker. I loved these particular lines the author uses to express life: “Kindness, and selfishness, and beneath it all, love, that low rising fundamental chord. Births, deaths and marriages. The ordinary beauty of this turning world.” I think this sums up the book: the ordinariness that we all experience but so important on an individual level.

Births, Deaths and Marriages is a novel which celebrates friendship, particularly long lasting friendships. There is something special about friends you have known a long time, people who know you inside out and people you can really be yourself with. I think many readers will relate to these characters and recognise something of themselves and their own relationships within the characters. Births, Deaths and Marriages is a wonderful book about friendships, second chances and being true to yourself though all the ups and downs of life.

[herdarklibrary · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love stories about groups. Whether that’s groups of people who have never met but are somehow connnected, groups of people who have been pushed together or in the case of this book a group of friends from university who will always stay connected through shared experiences and history.

This was fun and somewhat cosy! I could easily see the book being a movie or tv show. The vibes gave me a similar feeling to when I watch Bridget Jones’ Diary for some reason, not fully similar but just the feeling of life with messy characters. I’ve not seen four weddings and a funeral but have seen people compare the two and the little I know about the movie, I can definitely imagine it.

I love that it was character driven, they’re my favourite kind of books. Having a story centre around 6 people can be tricky to navigate but I thought it worked quite well. I like some characters a lot more than others but that’s bound to happen with such a big group.

My biggest problem was the pacing, it took me a long time to get into a good place and when I did it was quite slow in parts. I was hoping I could move past it but unfortunately the slowness stayed quite awhile.

The title really does sum this book up, a nice little fun read!

3.5/5⭐️

Release Date: June 2025

[ Thankyou @doubledayukbooks for sending me an advanced copy to read ]

[janine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first book I've read in a looooong time that wasn't heavily plot driven, and what a refreshing, easy, cosy read it was.

Six university friends, after many years, come together again to celebrate the engagement of Rob and Ges. Not having all been together as a six for a long time, the6 all finally reconnect as well as new connections being made, between those that hadn't always been as close.

I'll admit it took me a while to get agrip of who was who, who was married to who, who had been married to who ... but once I got that all figured out, I couldn't put it down.

It reminded me an awful lot of a modern day Four Weddings and a Funeral, which was rather apt at the end!

The mix of characters was perfectly written, as were the complete mix of personalities and relationships. I loved just how real it all felt, so easily relatable, and each character was such a strong representation that anybody reading this book will find a connection somewhere!

A tale of friendship through the years, all of life's intricate weavings of love, life, death, and everything in between. The good. The bad. The ugly.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK, Transworld Publishers for the ARC.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately this book just wasn't for me. I loved the premise, but the execution fell short for me and I just couldn't get into it or care about the characters.

6 friends meet at a funeral at University of one of the boys there, and then go to the pub together and become friends. When they meet up years later at the engagement of one of the men, their lives have changed. With the different points of view you find out what is happening in their worlds, and what each thinks of the others.

A clever idea, but just wasn't for me. I was debating between 2 and 3 stars as I would have given it 2.5.

[Verity · Rating 3 out of 5]

** Finally getting through some books I abandoned last year **

I’d actually give this a 2.5 but Goodreads hates nuance.

I was hoping for an updated but nonetheless similar read to Zadie Smith’s NW, where differences in class and economic privilege heighten after a group of friends graduate, and the tensions created in the wake of this relationship breakdown are explored.

Unfortunately, such hopes were dashed a few chapters in. Characters were not particularly memorable, the lack of plot (which I usually like!! the kerrygold on toast and big cup of tea kind of books!!) left me feeling strung along, and - most disappointingly - genuinely interesting dynamics were gestured towards but not paid attention to. I simply couldn’t care less about the relationship between the two central characters. It verged, at times, on boring.

I hate to write so scathingly, as there were moments where the writer’s prose was thoughtfully crafted. Perhaps, such talent could be put to better use?

[Ciara Steele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't feel much happened in the book. Too many characters to develop fully.

[Fran McBookface · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one

A story of 6 university friends across the years which perfectly captures the ups and downs and glorious messiness of life.

An easy and entertaining read that I hoovered up in a couple of sittings

Perfect holiday reading

[Georgina · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great cosy read - Four Weddings and a Funeral meets One Day meets White Heat (the TV series).

Six university friends, present day and flash backs through their intertwined history. I love how the book wasn't predictable (I audibly gasped at some points), had a diverse range of characters with great depth and realistic storylines.

In particular Al was my favourite - what a guy ❤️.

A must read for 2025, I couldn't put it down and finished it within one evening!

[Megan Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this, Barnett has written a book focusing on a group of university friends. We meet them years later, during an eventful year, where all of their lives change.
Barnett has done a fantastic job with the characters, the sense of a longstanding friendship is very present and they were all very likeable and relatable.
The plot is good, slow in paces but there was always something to keep my interest. The events are relatively simple, Barnett captures everyday life but the characters are so likeable that the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
This was a truly enjoyable read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK for an advance copy.

[Ruby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beautiful exploration of a friendship group, glued together by time and loyalty. As always, I love a London-based novel, and this was fab. Time passed in a flowing way through the chapters, and I enjoyed the easy swapping between each characters’ experiences and stories. I always love a story which weaves complicated people together, and finds a messy, yet neat, way to pin it all together. Some very sad moments, and some really uplifting ones. Smashing! If you haven’t read Laura’s ‘Versions of Us’, you really should.

[Claire Grove · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to be honest, I really wasn’t sure about this book at the start. There were so many characters - 6 university friends obviously, but then you had their partners, children, parents etc - and I was struggling to figure out who was who and what they did etc etc. However, I persevered and am glad I did. The book got better as it went along and I got far more invested in them all. Some twists and turns along the way, but overall, a good ending with things neatly wrapped up (as I like!).

[Mollie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved The Versions of Us but this was disappointing for me. I just didn’t care about most of the characters and didn’t feel like there was any heart at the centre of this story, I wasn’t convinced they actually liked each other that much. I didn’t care for Indie, Rachel, obviously not Rob and Gabe is INSUFFERABLE. I felt like we never really got under the surface of the characters, they stayed a bit 2D and I didn’t feel much for any of them. Still an easy read but it fell short

[Dieuwke · Rating 4 out of 5]

They meet at uni, at a funeral of someone they all know. Serendipity, or life.
Over the decades they keep in touch, through ups and downs and some plot twists. Al works in the funeral business, Zoe is a midwife, though those are not the only births and deaths, again: life.

I loved how we got to experience these different people, grow (or refuse to grow) up with them, it felt so organically real. Yes, such is life, yes, this is what could happen, yes people do this, think this, say this, feel this all the time.

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about a group of friends and their lives and I found it very gripping!

Births, Deaths & Marriages follows six university friends who have re connected decades later. We have multiple povs and we see all sorts of deceit and drama unfold over the course of a year.

This was a very enticing story and told in a very clever way. I was originally worried in the beginning that I'd struggle to keep track with so many characters but I didn't find this an issue at all.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a proof copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh. Gorgeous. Just gorgeous. The perfect holiday read, even if a little triggering at times - but what better time to resonate with a book than on holiday, with the ability to think and reflect and ponder. Good character development, good plot, good writing. Great book.

[Annelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cozy, nice and easy pace. Not that deep.
3.5 stars

[Claudia Baum · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful and wise book. The characters stories are all so compelling, you don't want the book to end! I found that some characters' narratives were more convincing than others, and felt more fleshed out than others. Overall I found that the pacing of the book was very consistent throughout in a way that not all books are. Left a very satisfying conclusion for the reader!

[Caroline Warren · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF, too many flat characters with dull predictable storyline.

[Bridget Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ definitely more character-driven than plot

[Rebecca Jayasinghe · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this a while ago but honestly can’t now remember what it was about. Just a meander through some people’s lives I think. Fine but just fine.

[Jacaranda21 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listen to on audio. Loved it. Great characters. Real life, with relatable situations, relationships. Definitely will recommend to my uni friends (30+ yrs on)

[Aimee Packwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I probably would have enjoyed this had it been half the length, not much happened, so felt a little slow, some beautiful writing, but characters were not super original, and for so little plot I would have liked a bit more depth or originality to them.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

If a character-driven story set over an intense year sounds like your kind of story then I recommend Births, Deaths and Marriages by Laura Barnett. It tells of six friends who met at university and have stayed friends ever since, through the many trials and tribulations that adult life can bring. By the end of the year there will have been one birth, one death and one marriage but who each of these life events will affect can only be ascertained by the reader following their trajectories throughout the year in question.

I liked all the characters and their intermingled lives (some of them are not just friends, or have been more to each other in the past) and the fact that despite all that they have been through they've remained friends for twenty years. I particularly liked midwife Zoe and undertaker Al, but this is one of those rare books where every character is pretty likeable. I think the author did a great job with them all.

This novel felt realistic with lives that are messy and joyful and often hard to cope with. I enjoyed being along for the journey.

[Alli Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book follows six friends from university whose remain interconnected by underlying secrets and passions. It’s quite the slow burn and a little disjointed in places, however an interesting read. The characters are all interesting and relatable and the storyline believable. If you want plot twists this isn’t the book for you but if you enjoy strong characterisation and realism you’ll love it!
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC

[Lotte]

Beetje vreemd, dit boek. Ik was invested in de personages maar haalde ze soms ook door elkaar omdat ze nét niet lekker onderscheidend van elkaar waren. Ik wilde de hele tijd wel weten hoe het verhaal verder ging maar miste ook een echte twist, het kabbelde een beetje. Heb me vermaakt maar ga het ook niet heel lang onthouden, denk ik. Vreemd!

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six friends - Rob, Yas, Indie, Rachel, Zoe and Al - and their spouses, children, intertwining stories and messy relationships make up this book. I found it so easy to read and enjoy, following the ups and downs over the years. All the characters are simple with their quirks, some I loved, some I enjoyed disliking (Mark).

It was a bit One Day-esqe with the back stories and reconnection element within the group. A great summer read, easy to dip in and out of during busy days.

[Shannon Mountford · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a book about messy, intertwined friendships, so I was really hoping to enjoy this - but I found it surprisingly hard to get through, and I’m honestly sad about that!!

The story centers on a group of 6 friends, but in reality, you’re juggling 6 plus their spouses (both alive and deceased), exes, children, colleagues, parents, siblings, pets… it’s a lot. It’s not hard to follow exactly, but being dropped into their lives midstream and expected to absorb all their shared history at once and simultaneously trying to keep up with the current affairs, felt overwhelming.

I also found the ending a bit rushed and flat, especially considering everything these characters had been through. After such a dense web of relationships and events, I was hoping for a more satisfying payoff.

[emily (bookish_addiction_) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House UK, and Laura Barnett for the advanced copy of Births, Deaths and Marriages in exchange for an honest review.

The biggest letdown for me was that the book was just boring. I didn't connect with any of the characters and just really did not care about any of the plotlines. I think it was well-written, but I feel as though it was meant to come across more poignant than it did. Whatever message there was supposed to be fell flat, and everything felt very surface-level.

I've seen a decent amount of positive reviews, so it is likely this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Births, Deaths and Marriages publishes 12 June 2025.

[Spacey Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love books about friendship groups and how they grow together. This book covers nearly every probable thing that could happen to a group of people in a story that follows this group from university then fast forwarding around 15-20 years.

I thought this book had an interesting concept and drive but lacked the execution that I wanted completely. It took me a while to get into and I found the pacing a little poor. However, I think this book is a great read if you like a slice of life in a realistic portrait.

Thank you Doubleday Books U.K. for the free copy 🤍