Births, Deaths and Marriages

by Laura Barnett, Unknown Author

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

Paperback

First published June 12, 2025

About the author

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

Reviews

[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 ]

[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

[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.

[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.

[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

[Nina · 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!).

[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.

[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)

[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

[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 🤍

[Iona-Morag · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately it just didn’t work for me. The premise had potential—old university friends reconnecting over a year of major life events—but I found it hard to connect with the characters and struggled with the pacing. The narrative jumped between perspectives in a way that felt disjointed, and I nearly DNF’d a few times. It felt like it was trying to say something profound about friendship and adulthood, but never quite got there for me.

[Babs · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was really slow going. There’s nothing offensive about it but the storyline was tedious and the book never really found any pace. The author also uses far far too many side bars in parentheses (like this) and subclasses - which are just as annoying - which slows down the writing.

This is my second book by this author and my second 2 star rating. I don’t think I’ll be trying any more.

[Kristin Gleeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House UK for the review copy of this novel. This is billed as a Four Weddings & a Funeral for the new generation and I can understand that label, but in some ways I think it does it a disservice. The novel has a real depth of understanding of the wreck that we can all be in our late thirties trying to assess the choices of the past and how to move forward into our next decade and beyond. The story is structured in a manner that reflects in some ways how fragmented and panicked our thoughts can be by where we are at that time and possibly wondering how we got there. The structure isn’t straightforward; it reflects and reverts to the past and is shared by six viewpoints that at times are very brief before they shift again. But it’s beautifully done. It’s a fine crafting that slowly becomes apparent as the story unfolds and as you come to understand the flaws and merits of each character.

Six people, who at university had been a group of good friends, four of whom shared a house together, are now at different kinds of cross roads in their lives and are drawn together by one of them hosting an engagement party to celebrate his nuptials to an older man. One of the group, Yas, a brilliant, sharp tongued consultant surgeon from a working class background has reached her goal that she’s worked hard to achieve, but now she finds she’s pregnant from a one night stand. She’s never really thought she would have children or marry, but suddenly she finds herself in turmoil. Zoe, a divorcee and midwife, is facing her son Gabe leaving the home to attend university and for the first time since her surprise pregnancy in university she will be on her own. Handsome teacher Rob, the ex husband and father to Gabe is engaged to an older man who adores him and yet Rob is panicking, just as he’d done so many other times in his life. Indie, a coffee entrepreneur is considering taking her business, Mother Bean, to the next level in America, is stunned when her husband of ten years declares that he wants children, something she’s said from the beginning was something she would never consider. And Rachel, a wife and mother to two boys under five is feels likes she’s drowning under the weight of motherhood and her husband’s failing business. Al, a partner in his father’s funeral business, is waiting for his father to retire and his chance to implement his vision of the business though his personal life is halted by his grief from his wife who’d died suddenly ten years before. All six of them meet up at this engagement party, the former tangled crushes and relationships still hanging on in various ways, and find that this meeting acts as a catalyst in different ways to make decisions and understand how their life has progressed. In the months following the party the shift is cataclysmic, cathartic or moves them beyond the point they all felt stuck in before the party.

Cleverly crafted and filled with deep rich characters this is a story that will resonate for many who have experienced those feelings in their thirties or any time of life. At the very least it’s a story about our deep selves that can be doubt filled and questioning no matter what time of life we’re in. Very good read.

[Papergirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I launch into my review, I would like to express my warm gratitude to Laura Barnett, Random House UK, Transworld Publishers, and Netgalley for the Advanced Digital Reader Copy of Births, Deaths, and Marriages. For anyone with their eye on this novel, here is my personal review of the book to help you decide whether you are interested or not. All opinions offered are my own.


The book tells the story of six friends that are brought together as college students by the death of a peer. Although some may have crossed paths since the start of term, none of them had really noticed the other until they came to commemorate the young life that had recently been lost. What follows is a story of strong bonds despite the different directions life leads each of them in or the physical distance between them.

When I started reading this book, I was immediately reminded of Four Weddings and a Funeral and One Day. The former, because of the number of events that occurred, what occurred at the events, and the same level of drama and subtle humor. The latter is because of the way the friends pretty much part ways post studies but yet, when they meet at these key events that they each have, it’s like yesterday. They pick up from where they left off. It also contains the same degree of tragedy amongst all the chaos, the laughs, and the drama.

Each of the friends is distinct. They have their own voice and mannerisms, which are so different, yet as a group, they work. I love that at some point they have all fancied, slept with, or married each other, and that, ultimately, it hasn’t come between them all. Their friendships are the most important thing, and they are there for each other when it really matters.

I found the story to be heart-warming and beautifully written. It was easy to get swept up in and root for each of them, even if they weren’t necessarily doing the right thing. Everyone was likeable, warts and all, which can be hard to achieve, especially when there are some ill-advised actions.

As there are adult themes, such as promiscuity, I would recommend this book for readers over the age of 16. It is for people that love a good romance, and books that are down-to-earth, i.e., do not require absurd storylines and fantastical events to maintain interest. Appreciative readers will be fans of Nicholas Sparks and similar authors who thrive on presenting a little nostalgia. All in all, this book was a 4 out of 5 for me. I really loved it, occasionally I had to back track and apply more attention, (but that’s probably down to me). It’s definitely worth a read. I can’t imagine anyone would be disappointed.

[Werechasingourtales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary:
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. 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?

Review:
I've read a few reviews from other readers and feel they've been entirely unfair!
This is a very British book - reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill... if you picture a older Hugh Grant movie, this is very much the same vibe.
There were many complicated feelings, with a very intertwined history so it did take me a little while to figure out which character had a relationship with which other characters in their university days and how they had ended up in the present.
Each personality is captured really well. It's interesting to see how each character grows - and those falling back into old habits. There is certainly a character for everyone to relate to, encouraging you to reflect on your own journey through adulthood.
The events of the book take place over the span of a year, and each event feels natural and expected (in a good way!). There are at a period in their lives when you would anticipate weddings, births, funerals, children heading off to university or starting school.
As is expected, there are a great deal of references to loss and grief which may hit too close to home for some, but I feel these are done in a very thoughtful way. It's also set in the present day so there are also references to COVID and the lockdown experience in the UK from the perspectives of a teacher, a midwife, surgeon, funeral director and small business owners (all areas which were greatly affected by this both during and after the lockdown).
Overall, I liked it. I would recommend it to friends or family, but perhaps only those who would enjoy that Hugh Grant style of romantic comedy. The British humour is very light and would probably go unnoticed by some, too.
I would rate it at 3.5 but have rounded up to 4 stars.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Six people meet at university - specifically at the funeral for a man/boy who was killed in a car accident just a few weeks into term. They spend the next few years inseparable, several of them share a house, and as is perhaps inevitable with young people away from home, there is a lot of secret hooking up, being in love with someone who's in love with someone else, etc, etc.

Fast forward twenty years. Zoe and Rob got pregnant while still at university, got married but subsequently divorced when their son Gabe was five years old. Rancour over, Rob is soon to be married for a second time to a wealthy architect, Rob is a teacher and Zoe is a midwife in Herne Bay, Kent.

Yas, the working class girl with a single mother is now an NHS surgeon.

Al, who was in love with Zoe at university was married, but his wife Estelle died, following which he gave up his job and started working at the family undertakers in Beckenham, Kent.

Indie, who was in love with Al at university, has created a successful coffee business, she is married to Xavier (not one of the university six), who was a successful chef until COVID, when his restaurant went bust.

Finally Rachel, who is married with two small boys. Her husband Mark runs a successful gym business.

Over the past twenty years the tight knit group have drifted apart, particularly after Estelle's funeral, but the invite to Rob's engagement party brings them all back together. In a year there will be a baby, a wedding, a death, a divorce, and other upheavals.

This is described as Four Weddings and a Funeral meets One Day and I can sort of see why, it's also a lot like Cold Feet. After a rocky start, the introductory chapter was quite turgid and I didn't have a clue about anyone, this quickly became a great read - I think it would be even better as a film or a TV series. Laura Barnett did a good job of keeping the characters separate (after the first chapter) which is not easy to do when there is a main cast of six plus spouses/children to remember.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book where the title reflects it being about university friends who meet at the funeral of a mutual acquaintance (death) and watch each other go through marriages, some divorces and then also births of their children. Each character had their own interesting story with happier and sadder moments. Al being in love with Zoe but being rejected for their other friend the charismatic Rob. Al then falls in love with a woman later on but she dies soon after their marriage in a horse accident. But he then has a second chance at love with Zoe. Zoe has a tough time being a single parent after Rob leaves her early on after they’d had a son Gabe when young. She is midwife. Rob is an uncommitted impulsive attractive man who is a teacher and engaged to a man Gesaldo but is about to fall off wedding when he has heart attack and dies. Indie is ambitious career woman who creates coffee company and is married to a chef but they’ve become unhappy. Yas works in medicine and is independent woman afraid of commitment after her father left her when younger. Rachel is mother of two boys with husband who loses business and their house after a bad business deal.


The book looks at how deaths, marriages and birth shape people. The death of Rob effects all the characters in different ways, and death of Al’s wife leaves him very lost and lonely, death of Yas’s father who she reunites with gives her a feeling of closure and a chance to strike up friendship with half sister. The book shows the messiness of life and how complicated people are and their baggage they carry later on in life. It’s a satisfying ending with all characters (except for Rob) being honest with their desires (Al wanting to propose to Zoe, indie leaving husband and starting out in USA, Yas ready to accept love in Tim and get married to him after their unplanned pregnancy from one night stand and Rachel has had confrontation with husband after months of suppressing emotions about his secret business loss and they’re forced to live in van but they also love living in road and adventure of travel.)