What do you think?
Rate this book
Almost Life
Not yet published
Expected 24 Mar 26Two young women meet in Paris in this decades-spanning tour de force about the enduring power of young love and the poignant heartbreak of missed chances—perfect for fans of One Day and Normal People.
Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her PhD at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman. The moment the two women meet, the spark is undeniable, but their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make…
Erica and Laure’s love story spans decades, marriage, children, secret trysts, and the agonizing changes—both personal and political—that might mean they can be together, after all. But when life brings them within touching distance again, will they be brave enough to seize a future together?
Beautifully capturing young love and all its complexities, Almost Life is a story of longing for the paths not taken, and the almost lives we live.
Erica and Laure meet on the steps of the Sacré-Coeur in Paris, 1978. Erica is a student, relishing her first summer abroad before beginning university at home in England. Laure is studying for her PhD at the Sorbonne, drinking and smoking far too much, and sleeping with a married woman. The moment the two women meet, the spark is undeniable, but their encounter turns into far more than a summer of love. It is the beginning of a relationship that will define their lives and every decision they have yet to make…
Erica and Laure’s love story spans decades, marriage, children, secret trysts, and the agonizing changes—both personal and political—that might mean they can be together, after all. But when life brings them within touching distance again, will they be brave enough to seize a future together?
Beautifully capturing young love and all its complexities, Almost Life is a story of longing for the paths not taken, and the almost lives we live.
384 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 12, 2026
42 people are currently reading
11923 people want to read
About the author
Kiran Millwood Hargrave
38 books2,648 followersKiran Millwood Hargrave is an award-winning writer whose work has been translated into over 30 languages and optioned for stage and screen. Almost Life, her third novel for adults, will be published by Picador (UK) and Summit (US) in March 2026.
Her debut adult novel The Mercies debuted at number one of the The Times bestseller list, was a top-ten Sunday Times bestseller, and was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and the Richard and Judy Summer Reads. It was a finalist for the prestigious Prix Femina in France, won a Betty Trask Award, and was called 'unquestionably the book of the 2018 London Book Fair' by The Bookseller. The Dance Tree was shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award and picked for the BBC Two Between Two Covers Book Club, as well as Florence + the Machine's Between Two Books Book Club.
Between them, her children's books have won numerous awards including the Wainwright Prize, Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Historical Association Young Quills Award, and the Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year. They have been shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize, the Barnes and Noble Award, Jhalak Prize, the Little Rebels Prize, the Branford Boase Award, the Blue Peter Best Story Award, Costa Children's Book Prize, Foyles' Children's Book of the Year, and thrice-longlisted for the Carnegie Award.
Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband, the artist Tom de Freston, their daughter, cats, and usually a litter of foster kittens.
Her debut adult novel The Mercies debuted at number one of the The Times bestseller list, was a top-ten Sunday Times bestseller, and was selected for the BBC Radio 2 Book Club and the Richard and Judy Summer Reads. It was a finalist for the prestigious Prix Femina in France, won a Betty Trask Award, and was called 'unquestionably the book of the 2018 London Book Fair' by The Bookseller. The Dance Tree was shortlisted for the HWA Gold Crown Award and picked for the BBC Two Between Two Covers Book Club, as well as Florence + the Machine's Between Two Books Book Club.
Between them, her children's books have won numerous awards including the Wainwright Prize, Children's Book of the Year at the British Book Awards, the Waterstones Children's Book Prize, the Historical Association Young Quills Award, and the Blackwell's Children's Book of the Year. They have been shortlisted for the Kirkus Prize, the Barnes and Noble Award, Jhalak Prize, the Little Rebels Prize, the Branford Boase Award, the Blue Peter Best Story Award, Costa Children's Book Prize, Foyles' Children's Book of the Year, and thrice-longlisted for the Carnegie Award.
Kiran lives in Oxford with her husband, the artist Tom de Freston, their daughter, cats, and usually a litter of foster kittens.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews
December 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 stars)
Gosh, I don’t even fully know how to begin to describe how I feel about this book.
It’s an understatement to say that it rocked me to my core (& made me cry countless times) honestly, because this book and the whole story somehow managed to make me completely forget that I was reading about fictional characters and not something that happened in real life.
First of all, I want to say that this book shines through the way the story is told, the writing magnificent and the storytelling just as much. I could really connect to all of the characters, our mains Erica and Laure, and all the side characters like Michel, Laure’s friends or even Erica’s husband. The story is told through both, Laure’s and Erica’s POV and not gonna lie, it has been such a gift! Especially because I had my moments where I disliked Erica quite a bit and just longed to see Laure’s side and then when it happened, I felt myself fully enyoing the moments we got to see.
Since we’re already speaking about the characters, I want to dive a bit deeper into that.
First, Erica. We start off with her in her young adult years just before she enters university, and folllow her till she is in her middle age. I liked her character at the beginning, due to her being around the same stage of life as I am now, I felt like I could easily connect to her, however, as the story progressed I felt like she didn’t have quite the character growth I wished her or even expected her to have. Which, on one hand, added to the complexity of the characters as well as the realness but on the other hand, left me increasingly frustrated at times.
Then, we had Laure. Dear god, I adored her right from the beginning and let me tell you, I cried so many times reading her side of the story. I think she seemed quite arrogant at the beginning but then just had such an excellent character development and growth which just wowed me away! I kept thinming about her and Erica’s love story over the days that I read the book and found myself so immersed in her chapters and opinions in the story. I also adored her relationship with her friends, especially Michel (gosh, I adored him sooo much), but also all the others. It was so nice to see how thesy grew and struggled too and how we got glimpses of what happened to them over the years. Though, I still wish we could’ve gotten even more detail especially when the time jumps appeared in the story.
Besides, the pacing of the story was great. As I mentioned the storytelling was phenomenal and this is surely a book which I will buy as a copy for my bookshelf and to re-read in a few months when it’s officially published. I really highly recommend!!
Thank you to Netgallay and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchnage for a honest review.
Gosh, I don’t even fully know how to begin to describe how I feel about this book.
It’s an understatement to say that it rocked me to my core (& made me cry countless times) honestly, because this book and the whole story somehow managed to make me completely forget that I was reading about fictional characters and not something that happened in real life.
First of all, I want to say that this book shines through the way the story is told, the writing magnificent and the storytelling just as much. I could really connect to all of the characters, our mains Erica and Laure, and all the side characters like Michel, Laure’s friends or even Erica’s husband. The story is told through both, Laure’s and Erica’s POV and not gonna lie, it has been such a gift! Especially because I had my moments where I disliked Erica quite a bit and just longed to see Laure’s side and then when it happened, I felt myself fully enyoing the moments we got to see.
Since we’re already speaking about the characters, I want to dive a bit deeper into that.
First, Erica. We start off with her in her young adult years just before she enters university, and folllow her till she is in her middle age. I liked her character at the beginning, due to her being around the same stage of life as I am now, I felt like I could easily connect to her, however, as the story progressed I felt like she didn’t have quite the character growth I wished her or even expected her to have. Which, on one hand, added to the complexity of the characters as well as the realness but on the other hand, left me increasingly frustrated at times.
Then, we had Laure. Dear god, I adored her right from the beginning and let me tell you, I cried so many times reading her side of the story. I think she seemed quite arrogant at the beginning but then just had such an excellent character development and growth which just wowed me away! I kept thinming about her and Erica’s love story over the days that I read the book and found myself so immersed in her chapters and opinions in the story. I also adored her relationship with her friends, especially Michel (gosh, I adored him sooo much), but also all the others. It was so nice to see how thesy grew and struggled too and how we got glimpses of what happened to them over the years. Though, I still wish we could’ve gotten even more detail especially when the time jumps appeared in the story.
Besides, the pacing of the story was great. As I mentioned the storytelling was phenomenal and this is surely a book which I will buy as a copy for my bookshelf and to re-read in a few months when it’s officially published. I really highly recommend!!
Thank you to Netgallay and Pan Macmillan for providing me with a free copy of the book in exchnage for a honest review.
August 19, 2025
Unbelievable. It's 2am and my face is wet with tears having been unable to put this down until I finished it. I think it's safe to say that this book really spoke to me.
For me, Almost Life was a perfect blend of A Little Life, One Day, Past Lives, Saltwater: aching, passionate, beautiful, crafted, it follows the interwoven lives of two women who meet on the steps of Sacré-Cœur in Summer 1978. What could be, what is, how long something can last, what makes something work - these are the central questions of Almost Life and captivated me wholly. Sapphic romance doesn't do this book justice: I found the depiction of Laure and Erica's connection through the years to be so beautiful and nuanced, so real, that on multiple occasions I reread whole sections so I could relive the scene and experience the emotions afresh. Alongside this, the story had dynamism and social commentary and humour and sex and depth and pace and I just never wanted it to end but couldn't rest until it did (which, on reflection, sort of parallels the plot).
big, big yes for me.
For me, Almost Life was a perfect blend of A Little Life, One Day, Past Lives, Saltwater: aching, passionate, beautiful, crafted, it follows the interwoven lives of two women who meet on the steps of Sacré-Cœur in Summer 1978. What could be, what is, how long something can last, what makes something work - these are the central questions of Almost Life and captivated me wholly. Sapphic romance doesn't do this book justice: I found the depiction of Laure and Erica's connection through the years to be so beautiful and nuanced, so real, that on multiple occasions I reread whole sections so I could relive the scene and experience the emotions afresh. Alongside this, the story had dynamism and social commentary and humour and sex and depth and pace and I just never wanted it to end but couldn't rest until it did (which, on reflection, sort of parallels the plot).
big, big yes for me.
February 13, 2026
Sometimes when you read an ARC, you get this feeling of overwhelming excitement, knowing something great awaits the reading community and once it is out into the world, it is guaranteed to become a star. Almost Life is one of those books.
Spanning decades from the late 1970s to early 2010s, Almost Life follows the intertwined lives of two women who meet on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur on a stifling hot summer day. What ensues is an honest and messy exploration of love, life, identity, motherhood, and grief. It is a dance between two souls that will define not only their lives, but those around them.
Against the political and social backdrop of the 1970s/80s, we see Laure and Erica evolve from Montmartre to Norfolk and everywhere in between. I love the vivid descriptions of locations and depiction of art in this novel, grounding and guiding readers from one moment in time to the next. The secondary characters further enrich this journey.
Yes, this is a sapphic love story. It is also complex and heartbreaking and frustrating and everything in between.
a favourite 2026 release.
out on March 24th. Thank you to summit books and simon & schuster canada.
Spanning decades from the late 1970s to early 2010s, Almost Life follows the intertwined lives of two women who meet on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur on a stifling hot summer day. What ensues is an honest and messy exploration of love, life, identity, motherhood, and grief. It is a dance between two souls that will define not only their lives, but those around them.
Against the political and social backdrop of the 1970s/80s, we see Laure and Erica evolve from Montmartre to Norfolk and everywhere in between. I love the vivid descriptions of locations and depiction of art in this novel, grounding and guiding readers from one moment in time to the next. The secondary characters further enrich this journey.
Yes, this is a sapphic love story. It is also complex and heartbreaking and frustrating and everything in between.
a favourite 2026 release.
out on March 24th. Thank you to summit books and simon & schuster canada.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4.5 stars. Finally able to write this now that I'm not crying! Sometimes you come across books with titles that don’t quite make sense in the context of the book. Almost Life is not one of those books. A story of two women who love each other throughout their lives, circling the other. Almost, but never truly succeeding in making a life together.
I loved the characters here. Erica is relatable, messy, and at times unlikeable. Laure is just as relatable, critical, and tragic. Even the side characters were lovely, Michel especially dear god.
The writing of this book was so immersive that decisions felt like I was on the receiving end of them. I experienced so many emotions during this book, including: crying three separate times. It was painful, the way in which things never worked for Erica and Laure. Seeing the effect of marrying Ant and becoming a mother on Erica was especially difficult for me.
The author did an amazing job writing this, I cannot stress that enough. But god was this painful to read. Absolutely devastating. This book will undoubtably stay in my mind for the next few weeks and I will be unable to escape it. Most definitely will be purchasing a copy when it is released.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing the e-ARC for honest review.
I loved the characters here. Erica is relatable, messy, and at times unlikeable. Laure is just as relatable, critical, and tragic. Even the side characters were lovely, Michel especially dear god.
The writing of this book was so immersive that decisions felt like I was on the receiving end of them. I experienced so many emotions during this book, including: crying three separate times. It was painful, the way in which things never worked for Erica and Laure. Seeing the effect of marrying Ant and becoming a mother on Erica was especially difficult for me.
The author did an amazing job writing this, I cannot stress that enough. But god was this painful to read. Absolutely devastating. This book will undoubtably stay in my mind for the next few weeks and I will be unable to escape it. Most definitely will be purchasing a copy when it is released.
Many thanks to NetGalley and to the publisher for providing the e-ARC for honest review.
January 25, 2026
Almost Life by Kiran Millwood Hargrave has left me utterly speechless. Words can't even begin to describe how this book made me feel, but I will try (with tears still rolling down my face)
This god damn book tore me in half, and I haven't gone a day without thinking of it since. The two main characters, Erica and Laure, feel so palpable I genuinely felt as if I was walking among them.
Set in the late 70s, the story follows Erica, freshly eighteen, fleeing Norfolk for a dreamlike summer in Paris. When she meets Laure on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, she isn't prepared for how irrevocably her life is about to change.
Laure is a philosophy student who is unapologetically Parisian, dominant, and who's living in a way that both fascinates and unsettles Erica. Erica on the other hand, is young, inexperienced, and riddled with insecurities and a shame she doesn't yet understand. The way these two orbit each other is SO consuming.
The novel unfolds chronologically throughout the years, expanding beyond Erica and Laure to the people who shape their lives. Each character feels so rich and distinct, identifiable from one another in a way that made me come to love them all in their own light. The writing is so descriptve and immersive, and while I myself have never visited Paris, I felt like I was right there experiencing it for myself.
So much thought and love has been poured onto these pages. So much reflection, doubt, and humanness. The way Kiran explores sexuality, addiction, sobriety, and the AIDS epidemic is handled with such care. It feels so unapologetically intimate and raw.
I find myself gravitating back to this book constantly, replaying moments and characters in my mind. Almost Life is a profoundly multifaceted exploration of desire, identity, love, and becoming. I plan to reread this ASAP!!
Thank you so very much to Macmillan Aus for the ARC.
This god damn book tore me in half, and I haven't gone a day without thinking of it since. The two main characters, Erica and Laure, feel so palpable I genuinely felt as if I was walking among them.
Set in the late 70s, the story follows Erica, freshly eighteen, fleeing Norfolk for a dreamlike summer in Paris. When she meets Laure on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, she isn't prepared for how irrevocably her life is about to change.
Laure is a philosophy student who is unapologetically Parisian, dominant, and who's living in a way that both fascinates and unsettles Erica. Erica on the other hand, is young, inexperienced, and riddled with insecurities and a shame she doesn't yet understand. The way these two orbit each other is SO consuming.
The novel unfolds chronologically throughout the years, expanding beyond Erica and Laure to the people who shape their lives. Each character feels so rich and distinct, identifiable from one another in a way that made me come to love them all in their own light. The writing is so descriptve and immersive, and while I myself have never visited Paris, I felt like I was right there experiencing it for myself.
So much thought and love has been poured onto these pages. So much reflection, doubt, and humanness. The way Kiran explores sexuality, addiction, sobriety, and the AIDS epidemic is handled with such care. It feels so unapologetically intimate and raw.
I find myself gravitating back to this book constantly, replaying moments and characters in my mind. Almost Life is a profoundly multifaceted exploration of desire, identity, love, and becoming. I plan to reread this ASAP!!
Thank you so very much to Macmillan Aus for the ARC.
November 9, 2025
Almost Life is a novel about the lives two women did and could've led, as their love story never quite goes the right way. Erica is eighteen and in Paris for the summer before starting university, where she meets Laure by the Sacré-Cœur, a doctoral student at the Sorbonne. They are drawn to one another and fall in love, but the summer cannot last forever, and each choice they make changes their lives in different ways.
Told both from Erica and Laure's perspectives, this novel spans through their lives, using time jumps to show the impact of what happens in each section. Some moments were particularly powerful, like the depiction of a character with AIDS and his friends' support, and Laure's reflections on not having children, and the book delves deep into the idea of lives not lived, though at times this imagining feels a bit overdone, wallowing in miscommunications. I really liked some of the characterisation, for example Laure and Michel's friendship, and how the book explores the messiness of human connection. However, it did feel like any love that Erica or Laure felt other than for each other was stated by them a lot, but not really shown in any depth, even though these relationships were meant to be very important to the plot and their own relationship with each other.
This is a sad, queer 'what if?' type novel that hinges a lot around miscommunications and missed chances, exploring how sometimes romantic relationships never seem to get the right opportunity. Occasionally the conceit of everything being 'almost' was a bit wearing for me, but generally it is an emotional novel that feels like a successor to the gay novels mentioned in the book itself.
Told both from Erica and Laure's perspectives, this novel spans through their lives, using time jumps to show the impact of what happens in each section. Some moments were particularly powerful, like the depiction of a character with AIDS and his friends' support, and Laure's reflections on not having children, and the book delves deep into the idea of lives not lived, though at times this imagining feels a bit overdone, wallowing in miscommunications. I really liked some of the characterisation, for example Laure and Michel's friendship, and how the book explores the messiness of human connection. However, it did feel like any love that Erica or Laure felt other than for each other was stated by them a lot, but not really shown in any depth, even though these relationships were meant to be very important to the plot and their own relationship with each other.
This is a sad, queer 'what if?' type novel that hinges a lot around miscommunications and missed chances, exploring how sometimes romantic relationships never seem to get the right opportunity. Occasionally the conceit of everything being 'almost' was a bit wearing for me, but generally it is an emotional novel that feels like a successor to the gay novels mentioned in the book itself.
January 29, 2026
I'm calling it right now that 2026 is going to be full of bangers; I've already read three in pre-pub and this one is leading the charge. Queer Paris! Intellectuals! Love and heartbreak and yearning!
This is an epic love story between two women spanning decades and continents. You'll fall in love with Laure and you'll fall in love with Paris, and you'll sympathize with Erica even though she will aggravate you to no end. This story hit me in all the feels and I never wanted it to end.
If you liked Heart the Lover, add this one to your TBR.
This is an epic love story between two women spanning decades and continents. You'll fall in love with Laure and you'll fall in love with Paris, and you'll sympathize with Erica even though she will aggravate you to no end. This story hit me in all the feels and I never wanted it to end.
If you liked Heart the Lover, add this one to your TBR.
December 28, 2025
Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review! This book was excellent. The writing, the story, the characters; all of it was brilliant. I absolutely adored Laure and her character development. I would do anything to protect Erica. Books like this remind me of why I love reading and why stories like this are so important.
Almost Life follows Erica and Laure and spans many decades, first loves, heartbreaks, marriages, affairs, life, and death. There’s a lot of beautiful imagery about art and paintings that envelope the story in such a meaningful way. The primary setting of Paris leaves such a lovely landscape for Erica and Laure throughout the years, especially with its politics. I would go more into the story itself, but I think it can be summed up with those sentences above. I don’t want to spoil anything.
The yearning in this book was top tier! I fully believe that queer romance like this is just so beautiful and important to read. It has the historical fictional aspects since it begins in the 70s, and all of the political undertones throughout the novel, from class to sex, felt so necessary to tell this story. I will never stop reading and recommending queer fiction because when things feel fraught, it’s books like this that remind me of how beautiful and tender these relationships can be.
And all my love for Michel! He was the backbone of this story. I can’t wait for this book to be published so readers can fall in love with Michel and keep spreading his story specifically.
I’m sorry this review is sort of disjointed. I am looking forward to pub day because I need a physical copy of it. I want to annotate it and bring it everywhere.
Almost Life follows Erica and Laure and spans many decades, first loves, heartbreaks, marriages, affairs, life, and death. There’s a lot of beautiful imagery about art and paintings that envelope the story in such a meaningful way. The primary setting of Paris leaves such a lovely landscape for Erica and Laure throughout the years, especially with its politics. I would go more into the story itself, but I think it can be summed up with those sentences above. I don’t want to spoil anything.
The yearning in this book was top tier! I fully believe that queer romance like this is just so beautiful and important to read. It has the historical fictional aspects since it begins in the 70s, and all of the political undertones throughout the novel, from class to sex, felt so necessary to tell this story. I will never stop reading and recommending queer fiction because when things feel fraught, it’s books like this that remind me of how beautiful and tender these relationships can be.
And all my love for Michel! He was the backbone of this story. I can’t wait for this book to be published so readers can fall in love with Michel and keep spreading his story specifically.
I’m sorry this review is sort of disjointed. I am looking forward to pub day because I need a physical copy of it. I want to annotate it and bring it everywhere.
September 16, 2025
A powerful, stunning read about love that continues to bloom over the decades even as two people go their own separate ways. We see how they both try to move on and start their own separate lives and how they keep intersecting again every now and then. I loved both Erica and Lauren’s personalities so much in this book. The emotions were so palpable I felt them myself. I was constantly wondering where the next few years would take them, and if my guesses would be right. This is a beautifully written complex and relatable love story and I will certainly read it again and again.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 20, 2025
2,5 stars tbh. I have so many notes. The whole book was giving the author studied abroad in Paris and needed the world to know.
Firstly, Laure fell into such french caricatures at first and then finally had character growth. Erica on the other hand was the opposite! She fell into the typical woman who loses herself in marriage and motherhood trope but not in a well done way. Secondly, the dialogue was infuriating! Poorly done. Why was it mainly in french at first and then, until the end, all in english? Also if you're going to write in french have the decency to check if it's correct... because it wasn't...
This read like a wattpad book especially in certain descriptions. I do enjoy reading a bad book once in a while though! Reminds me how good books are good!
Firstly, Laure fell into such french caricatures at first and then finally had character growth. Erica on the other hand was the opposite! She fell into the typical woman who loses herself in marriage and motherhood trope but not in a well done way. Secondly, the dialogue was infuriating! Poorly done. Why was it mainly in french at first and then, until the end, all in english? Also if you're going to write in french have the decency to check if it's correct... because it wasn't...
This read like a wattpad book especially in certain descriptions. I do enjoy reading a bad book once in a while though! Reminds me how good books are good!
August 1, 2025
Adored this. A heartfelt story set in the 70s up until present day about two women, Erica and Laure, and the paths they could’ve chosen. The writing was immaculate and the characters felt so human - I loved them both in different ways.
Full of longing and heartache, I highly recommend ❤️🩹
Full of longing and heartache, I highly recommend ❤️🩹
October 22, 2025
What happens when the perfect summer romance turns into something richer and stranger and far more complicated? Erica is spending the summer in Paris before going to UEA to study for her degree. Laure is doing a PhD at the Sorbonne. One accidental meeting turns into a summer that changes both women in ways neither could predict. In the years that follow they deal or fail to deal with the fallout of that epic summer, occasionally meeting but always connected. Their futures are shaped by that first, heady love and we watch them both together and apart as they try to come to terms with what they mean to each other. I love a novel that spans lives and this does that excellently well. The peripheral characters are also drawn well and have meat on their bones which gives the whole book a sense of reality and lived history. I loved it.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book.*
I thoroughly enjoyed Kiran Millwood Hargrave's queer adult novel that spans decades. The representation of France, French and Paris in terms of historical accuracy etc. I cannot rate, but I enjoyed the setting. The star-crossed lovers who were doomed to be interrupted by life was well done but I found it a bit sad how it's yet another story about queer love that does not end positively. Good representation of bisexuality even though our main protagonist is quite unlikeable sometimes. Tragic depiction of the AIDS crisis. I enjoyed this book, especially the lavish prose. I was transfixed. A great yet sad read.
I thoroughly enjoyed Kiran Millwood Hargrave's queer adult novel that spans decades. The representation of France, French and Paris in terms of historical accuracy etc. I cannot rate, but I enjoyed the setting. The star-crossed lovers who were doomed to be interrupted by life was well done but I found it a bit sad how it's yet another story about queer love that does not end positively. Good representation of bisexuality even though our main protagonist is quite unlikeable sometimes. Tragic depiction of the AIDS crisis. I enjoyed this book, especially the lavish prose. I was transfixed. A great yet sad read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This story of two women falling in love in 1970s Paris and how their relationship develops over the decades absolutely captured my heart
The Parisian setting was so evocative and vivid, the inherent romance of ther French capital heightening their early romance. Both Laure and Erica though different were each very real and relatable, with their doubts and hopes and fears and their affair is a transformative experience for each of the women.
The path of their relationship and their struggles both as individuals and through their romance were so well written and I felt so invested that when I wasn’t reading I was thinking about the characters. I'm still thinking about them long after I’ve closed the book.
Wonderful supporting cast too bringing cafe culture, alcoholism and the AIDS crisis into the story.
Almost Life is a gorgeously written, emotional and authentic story. Another incredible book from Kiran.
Huge thanks to Pan McMillan and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy
February 3, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Welp, I knew I was going to cry. The publisher literally dared the reader not to cry while reading Almost Life. Going in, I knew I probably would. I’m a sucker for nostalgia and what ifs. I don’t think we think about how different our lives can be with one decision.
I wasn’t sure what I expected out of this story, but I got so much more out of it than I thought, especially with Laure’s story and struggle with alcohol.I loved both Erica and Laure, but found myself more drawn towards Laure throughout the story. Maybe that has to do with us both being lesbians. I often thought of it unfair how Erica could go and have the husband, kids, etc and still want more. To still take from Laure. I have no doubt that she loved Laure, but I can’t help thinking about how it all made Laure feel. To make love with your husband in her ex lover’s bed? To see her with her kids and wanting to have a child that is a blend of her and Erica.
I was screaming at Erica when she was drunk, accusing Laure of cheating in the 80s. The hypocrisy of it, her, cheating on her husband, accusing her lover of doing so. All while Laure’s best friend was dying. But at the same time, I didn’t hate Erica for it. I didn’t even dislike her. I hated some of her actions, sure, but I think the way the author told their love story, their individual stories, made me feel the unconditional love for both of them. I feel as if it is hard for me in real life, to seperate people from their actions. But in Almost Life, it was easy, simple almost. I should probably dive deeper into why that is, but like fiction and this story, I feel like it is better to lose myself in the story.
Perhaps I relate to Laure due to thinking of a single woman throughout the book. Thinking about who my Erica is. Bracing myself for being a friend in her life because I can’t fathom not being in it. Thinking about possibly having to see her with a man and children. Children I will wish were mine and hers. Erica lies to herself at first about who she is, her sexuality. My Erica does the same, but I feel as if she will never accept the truth like Erica did. Perhaps I am making Laure and Erica’s story too much about me, but what is fiction for after all?
I was wondering where they would end up. I hoped they would eventually be together but I knew in my heart they wouldn’t be. Even after the ocean scene, the finality of it, I was okay. But when Erica didn’t go to see Laure after the stroke, after her husband told her to go and that he knew about the affairs, I lost it. I can’t believe that she could be so selfish. Up until then, I understood her choices and decisions. I didn’t like them, but I understood. but she was selfish in not seeing her. Yes, I get not wanting to see her half paralyzed, but I feel as if there were other reasons. It being easier to be with her husband, the reason behind most of her decisions when it all boils down to it. While we get both POVs throughout the story, I started to see this as more of Laure’s story. I don’t know if that’s because she as a character grew more or if it’s because I saw so much of myself in her.
I am not sure how to feel about the death scene, about Erica not finding out about Laure’s death until three years after the fact. I keep thinking that it was true love that Laurie had for Erica, true love that had her thinking of someone who hurt her so much, so many times, but she still forgave her in the end. I can’t help but wonder if Erica’s love for Laure was ever that way or even real. Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe I’ll think differently once some time passes and these emotions aren’t so raw.
I don’t know how to explain what this book did and is doing to me. I feel seen and I feel alone. Because how do you explain to a friend the profound sadness you feel in your chest over a character? How do you explain that you’re scared the same will happen to you?
I will never forget this book. I will never forget Laure, Erica, or Michel. I am not sure if I will be able to reread this, but I will buy the physical book. This will be in my top five of books I’ve read.
In the words of Laure, “There is little to say because sometimes words are so small.”
Welp, I knew I was going to cry. The publisher literally dared the reader not to cry while reading Almost Life. Going in, I knew I probably would. I’m a sucker for nostalgia and what ifs. I don’t think we think about how different our lives can be with one decision.
I wasn’t sure what I expected out of this story, but I got so much more out of it than I thought, especially with Laure’s story and struggle with alcohol.I loved both Erica and Laure, but found myself more drawn towards Laure throughout the story. Maybe that has to do with us both being lesbians. I often thought of it unfair how Erica could go and have the husband, kids, etc and still want more. To still take from Laure. I have no doubt that she loved Laure, but I can’t help thinking about how it all made Laure feel. To make love with your husband in her ex lover’s bed? To see her with her kids and wanting to have a child that is a blend of her and Erica.
I was screaming at Erica when she was drunk, accusing Laure of cheating in the 80s. The hypocrisy of it, her, cheating on her husband, accusing her lover of doing so. All while Laure’s best friend was dying. But at the same time, I didn’t hate Erica for it. I didn’t even dislike her. I hated some of her actions, sure, but I think the way the author told their love story, their individual stories, made me feel the unconditional love for both of them. I feel as if it is hard for me in real life, to seperate people from their actions. But in Almost Life, it was easy, simple almost. I should probably dive deeper into why that is, but like fiction and this story, I feel like it is better to lose myself in the story.
Perhaps I relate to Laure due to thinking of a single woman throughout the book. Thinking about who my Erica is. Bracing myself for being a friend in her life because I can’t fathom not being in it. Thinking about possibly having to see her with a man and children. Children I will wish were mine and hers. Erica lies to herself at first about who she is, her sexuality. My Erica does the same, but I feel as if she will never accept the truth like Erica did. Perhaps I am making Laure and Erica’s story too much about me, but what is fiction for after all?
I was wondering where they would end up. I hoped they would eventually be together but I knew in my heart they wouldn’t be. Even after the ocean scene, the finality of it, I was okay. But when Erica didn’t go to see Laure after the stroke, after her husband told her to go and that he knew about the affairs, I lost it. I can’t believe that she could be so selfish. Up until then, I understood her choices and decisions. I didn’t like them, but I understood. but she was selfish in not seeing her. Yes, I get not wanting to see her half paralyzed, but I feel as if there were other reasons. It being easier to be with her husband, the reason behind most of her decisions when it all boils down to it. While we get both POVs throughout the story, I started to see this as more of Laure’s story. I don’t know if that’s because she as a character grew more or if it’s because I saw so much of myself in her.
I am not sure how to feel about the death scene, about Erica not finding out about Laure’s death until three years after the fact. I keep thinking that it was true love that Laurie had for Erica, true love that had her thinking of someone who hurt her so much, so many times, but she still forgave her in the end. I can’t help but wonder if Erica’s love for Laure was ever that way or even real. Maybe that’s unfair. Maybe I’ll think differently once some time passes and these emotions aren’t so raw.
I don’t know how to explain what this book did and is doing to me. I feel seen and I feel alone. Because how do you explain to a friend the profound sadness you feel in your chest over a character? How do you explain that you’re scared the same will happen to you?
I will never forget this book. I will never forget Laure, Erica, or Michel. I am not sure if I will be able to reread this, but I will buy the physical book. This will be in my top five of books I’ve read.
In the words of Laure, “There is little to say because sometimes words are so small.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Pan Macmillan for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
I’ve just put this book down and all I can say is wow.
I’m not sure if anyone remembers the scene in Rick and Morty where Morty plays that video game of a simulation of a regular human life, then when he finishes and gets pulled out he’s so disoriented and probably traumatised that he struggles to remember who he is?
Well that’s me right now.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, from first love to figuring out your path in life to toxic relationships to complicated middle age to heartbreak and the ending leaving me buried in so many feelings.
Amazing characters and beautiful settings, sweeping emotional stories and it all just feels so grounded and real.
I think about 25% of the way through I said to a friend that this book was “clearly very well written and thoughtful, but I don’t think it’s for me” and while I still agree with that to some extent, I also think I needed to read the whole thing to truly understand it. It’s like One Day with lesbians. Rip my heart out and make me care about these people, rinse and repeat. Holy crap.
If you want a book you can sink into, cry along with, and lose yourself in (while picking up a smidge of French), this is the book for you.
Wow.
I’ve just put this book down and all I can say is wow.
I’m not sure if anyone remembers the scene in Rick and Morty where Morty plays that video game of a simulation of a regular human life, then when he finishes and gets pulled out he’s so disoriented and probably traumatised that he struggles to remember who he is?
Well that’s me right now.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, from first love to figuring out your path in life to toxic relationships to complicated middle age to heartbreak and the ending leaving me buried in so many feelings.
Amazing characters and beautiful settings, sweeping emotional stories and it all just feels so grounded and real.
I think about 25% of the way through I said to a friend that this book was “clearly very well written and thoughtful, but I don’t think it’s for me” and while I still agree with that to some extent, I also think I needed to read the whole thing to truly understand it. It’s like One Day with lesbians. Rip my heart out and make me care about these people, rinse and repeat. Holy crap.
If you want a book you can sink into, cry along with, and lose yourself in (while picking up a smidge of French), this is the book for you.
Wow.
November 19, 2025
Never in my life have I cried this much at a piece of media or writing or music than I did the last hour reading this book.
I know I feel things deeply but damn, like having to stop reading because I couldn’t breathe type of crying. Maybe it won’t hit with everyone, in fact, I think it definitely won’t - some people will find these main characters so unlikeable and their lives frustrating and pretentious and they won’t connect at all - but half of the moments in this book hit so close to home, both in an emotional way and actually physically close to homes I’ve lived in, in places I’ve known and loved and hated and grown in, and half of it touched on a history I feel so desperately devastated by that I can barely handle thinking about it. I’d like to write more of a proper review but I don’t know if I have the words (that’s a lie I just, unsurprisingly, probably have too many).
Kiran Millwood Hargrave you never cease to amaze me and make me feel like I’m drowning at the same time.
A wary thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
I know I feel things deeply but damn, like having to stop reading because I couldn’t breathe type of crying. Maybe it won’t hit with everyone, in fact, I think it definitely won’t - some people will find these main characters so unlikeable and their lives frustrating and pretentious and they won’t connect at all - but half of the moments in this book hit so close to home, both in an emotional way and actually physically close to homes I’ve lived in, in places I’ve known and loved and hated and grown in, and half of it touched on a history I feel so desperately devastated by that I can barely handle thinking about it. I’d like to write more of a proper review but I don’t know if I have the words (that’s a lie I just, unsurprisingly, probably have too many).
Kiran Millwood Hargrave you never cease to amaze me and make me feel like I’m drowning at the same time.
A wary thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.
December 10, 2025
This is a love story between Erica, an English tourist, and Laure who is supremely French. It begins when the two meet on the steps of the Sacre Coeur in Paris. Over decades they lose and find each other, they fall in love with other people, they experience loss and joy and keep finding their way back to each other. Erica is bisexual, and so this is also a novel about incompleteness, the inability to get everything you need from a single relationship.
All of this sits against a stunning portrait of the gay community in Paris that begins in an 80s counter-cultural explosion of art and poetry and dancing, and finishes in 2013, when gay marriage is finally legalised. It’s gorgeous and tender and completely tore my heart apart.
All of this sits against a stunning portrait of the gay community in Paris that begins in an 80s counter-cultural explosion of art and poetry and dancing, and finishes in 2013, when gay marriage is finally legalised. It’s gorgeous and tender and completely tore my heart apart.
January 25, 2026
This book made me tear up when I finished. What a truly beautiful piece of literature.
Set in the 1970’s this book follows Laure and Erica who meet when Erica is on a solo trip to Paris the year before she begins university, Laure is doing her masters at the Sorbonne and the moment they meet they feel an instant connection and this relationship though at first starts out as a summer fling deepens into a love that will come to span decades. Told in chronological order from that first meeting all the way through marriages and children, this novel is a beautiful study of love and life.
Laure and Errica were some of the most entertaining frustrating characters to read about. They were written in such a realistic and nuanced way that you couldn't help but fall in love with them. Their relationship with each other was so beautifully written that you wanted the best for them at all times. What made this book so well done in my opinion was the focus on the other relationships in their lives as well, their friendships were written with just as much depth and care as the romantic relationship and that made for an even better reading experience.
I also really loved the way that art was so present in here, what it meant to be an artist and who gets to be one and just the way that art was discussed in here gave me a deep appreciation for art that honestly I didn't really think much about.
Also the prose was so beautiful and the descriptions of not only Paris but Norfolk made me feel like I was there with the characters. I have never been to Paris or any of the museums mentioned in here but the way that the author wrote about it made me feel like I was there.
This was just truly a masterpiece and I can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out because I know I’m going to be rereading it.
Many many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!
Set in the 1970’s this book follows Laure and Erica who meet when Erica is on a solo trip to Paris the year before she begins university, Laure is doing her masters at the Sorbonne and the moment they meet they feel an instant connection and this relationship though at first starts out as a summer fling deepens into a love that will come to span decades. Told in chronological order from that first meeting all the way through marriages and children, this novel is a beautiful study of love and life.
Laure and Errica were some of the most entertaining frustrating characters to read about. They were written in such a realistic and nuanced way that you couldn't help but fall in love with them. Their relationship with each other was so beautifully written that you wanted the best for them at all times. What made this book so well done in my opinion was the focus on the other relationships in their lives as well, their friendships were written with just as much depth and care as the romantic relationship and that made for an even better reading experience.
I also really loved the way that art was so present in here, what it meant to be an artist and who gets to be one and just the way that art was discussed in here gave me a deep appreciation for art that honestly I didn't really think much about.
Also the prose was so beautiful and the descriptions of not only Paris but Norfolk made me feel like I was there with the characters. I have never been to Paris or any of the museums mentioned in here but the way that the author wrote about it made me feel like I was there.
This was just truly a masterpiece and I can’t wait to get a physical copy when it comes out because I know I’m going to be rereading it.
Many many thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC!
December 7, 2025
god this book was incredible!!!! It completely broke my heart and I was so invested in these characters. The main characters are so different and they change in such unexpected ways. The side characters had my heart too and were all so well developed with their own stories.
The love story felt realistic because they’re both imperfect people who are still learning about life and about themselves and who aren’t completely able to share their love as two women in the 70s.
It really felt like these characters and their story was real. I loved this!
Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me this book!
The love story felt realistic because they’re both imperfect people who are still learning about life and about themselves and who aren’t completely able to share their love as two women in the 70s.
It really felt like these characters and their story was real. I loved this!
Thank you Simon & Schuster for sending me this book!
Read
January 14, 2026Kiran is one of my favourite authors and I will read anything she writes. For some reason I didn't find the characters likeable but what I loved about the book was the portrayal of relationships and their nuances. The portrayal of people and how complicated we are. How things aren't always black and white. How you could easily spend half of your life missing something you only had briefly, imagining what life would have been like if you made different choices. Not being able to let go of the idea of someone, of what could've been.
It is a beautifully written, heartbreaking book. Kiran has a way with words and I will always admire her for that.
It is a beautifully written, heartbreaking book. Kiran has a way with words and I will always admire her for that.
September 18, 2025
What a love, and what lifetimes! I didn’t cry when I finished this book, but I came close. In the day and change it took to read this, I felt like I had come to know Laure and Erica (and all of their friends and loved ones) like I know the people in my life.
Almost Life is exactly what it says on the tin. Laure, a French reprobate, and Erica, a British student on holiday, meet on the steps of the Sacre Coeur and spend the rest of their lives entwined, in love and friendship and loss. This isn’t a novel about a summer romance so much as it’s one about the lives you almost live, come close to, and then run from. Sometimes out of fear, justified or not, and sometimes because your loves can pull you in many different directions.
Sometimes I think that calling novels “tender” is getting a little too in vogue, but this one deserves it. The nuances and desires of these characters drive them, and they feel real. They remind me of people I know. Their hurt feels like mine, and so does their love. Kiran Millwood Hargrave fills the world of this book with incredible light. The prose is tight. The pacing is wonderful—even through time skips, necessary for the decades this book covers, I never got lost or wondered what happened.
This was the perfect thing to cap off my summer reading. As I read through the seasons of their lives, I felt an incredible longing to be with my friends and loved ones. And what better endorsement for a book than that?
Recommended for: bisexuals, anyone who remembers their first love, people who want to read a version of A Little Life that isn’t torture porn.
Thanks to S&S/Summit Books for this ARC!
Almost Life is exactly what it says on the tin. Laure, a French reprobate, and Erica, a British student on holiday, meet on the steps of the Sacre Coeur and spend the rest of their lives entwined, in love and friendship and loss. This isn’t a novel about a summer romance so much as it’s one about the lives you almost live, come close to, and then run from. Sometimes out of fear, justified or not, and sometimes because your loves can pull you in many different directions.
Sometimes I think that calling novels “tender” is getting a little too in vogue, but this one deserves it. The nuances and desires of these characters drive them, and they feel real. They remind me of people I know. Their hurt feels like mine, and so does their love. Kiran Millwood Hargrave fills the world of this book with incredible light. The prose is tight. The pacing is wonderful—even through time skips, necessary for the decades this book covers, I never got lost or wondered what happened.
This was the perfect thing to cap off my summer reading. As I read through the seasons of their lives, I felt an incredible longing to be with my friends and loved ones. And what better endorsement for a book than that?
Recommended for: bisexuals, anyone who remembers their first love, people who want to read a version of A Little Life that isn’t torture porn.
Thanks to S&S/Summit Books for this ARC!
November 23, 2025
4.5* (Proof copy)
This was incredible! Reminded me of all the other bittersweet soul connection love stories in media that I so dearly love (Normal People, One Day, Past Lives, La La Land, etc.), which is one of my favourite story types overall. The writing style completely absorbed me and I had no idea what page I was on for the majority of the reading process. It was gorgeous!! The only thing I disliked was the very end, I think there were other options for that, but okay. Overall definitely one of the favs of the year!
This was incredible! Reminded me of all the other bittersweet soul connection love stories in media that I so dearly love (Normal People, One Day, Past Lives, La La Land, etc.), which is one of my favourite story types overall. The writing style completely absorbed me and I had no idea what page I was on for the majority of the reading process. It was gorgeous!! The only thing I disliked was the very end, I think there were other options for that, but okay. Overall definitely one of the favs of the year!
October 15, 2025
What a treat to read this before it’s out! It took me a while to get into and I really disliked Laure in the beginning but that’s the gift of longer books - it allows you to grow with the characters. By the end I shed a little tear - a beautiful queer tale
Review of advance copy
The characters, Paris and the writing were all perfect. I laid in the fetal position and sobbed for a while when I was done.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A love spanning decades, from the steps of The Sacre Coeur to the beaches of Norfolk. Erica and Laure's love story is tender, raw and real. Its beautifully written, the settings fit the story. I really enjoyed it
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
5
setting: France and UK
rep: lesbian protagonist, bisexual protagonist
don't come to me for deep thoughts or analysis. just believe that this is a beautiful poetic painful book. I loved it. I hated it. it hurt but it's so stunningly written. these characters feel so real damn.
setting: France and UK
rep: lesbian protagonist, bisexual protagonist
don't come to me for deep thoughts or analysis. just believe that this is a beautiful poetic painful book. I loved it. I hated it. it hurt but it's so stunningly written. these characters feel so real damn.
October 9, 2025
Ok this one fucked me up. I felt both Laure and Erica’s characters viscerally. This story spans 30 years and is both happy and sad; beautiful and messy. Some bits were a little too close to home for me. This is the kind of book that I will continue to think about daily.
Although I received an ARC from NetGalley, I loved it so much I will be purchasing this when it is released.
Although I received an ARC from NetGalley, I loved it so much I will be purchasing this when it is released.
October 24, 2025
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this novel!
Oh my god, I genuinely could not put this book down. It really feels like you're experiencing life through the character's eyes and it all felt so vivid that I just HAD to know what happened next. Sad, wistful sapphic pining with plenty of angst. I mean how much more could you want from a book? Can't recommend enough!
Oh my god, I genuinely could not put this book down. It really feels like you're experiencing life through the character's eyes and it all felt so vivid that I just HAD to know what happened next. Sad, wistful sapphic pining with plenty of angst. I mean how much more could you want from a book? Can't recommend enough!
October 5, 2025
'Almost Life' filled my heart to overflowing - all four ventricles bursting with love, loss, hope, longing - all of the emotions. The story of Laure and Erica filled my heart completely, a story of love like no other love story I've read before.
'Almost Life' could win, should win, must win every accolade, indeed every literary prize going. Superb.
'Almost Life' could win, should win, must win every accolade, indeed every literary prize going. Superb.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 121 reviews