Main Characters

by Bobby Palmer, Sofia Oxenham (Narrator)

Clara and Seb are about to fall in love.
They don't know it yet.
But everybody else does.

When Clara and Seb meet in a quiet corner of London, it's the start of something. She wants to be a director. He's an actor, unsure what he wants from life.

Their connection is magnetic. Everyone can see that falling in love looks something like this. But when Clara casts Seb in the film that will make her name, what should be the happiest time of their lives ends with a gut-wrenching betrayal.

Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers who see all the sides of Seb and Clara, from their first date to the moment they fell apart.

Everyone has their version of events. But only Clara and Seb can decide how their story ends...

This is a love story, told by everyone but the main characters.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Adult, Contemporary Romance, Book Club

Audible Audio

First published June 30, 2026

About the author

BOBBY PALMER is an author and journalist whose writing has appeared in GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and more. He is co-host of the literary podcast BOOK CHAT with Pandora Sykes.

His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, was an instant Saturday Times bestseller, selling 50,000 copies in its first year of publication. A Prima and Woman & Home 'Best Book of 2022', the novel appeared on BBC Radio 4's Open Book, featured as Guardian 'Audiobook of the Week', and was chosen by Dawn O'Porter as part of her 'Dawn Loves' book club with WHSmith.

Bobby's second novel, SMALL HOURS, published in March 2024. His third, MAIN CHARACTERS, will publish simultaneously in the UK and US in July 2026.

Reviews

[Bailee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was genuinely one of the most unique books I’ve read.
A love story not told by the main characters, but by everyone around them. From the barista, to a jogger running by, to their close friends and family. You get bits and pieces of everyone else’s thoughts, but never the main characters, unless they say it aloud or it’s told through body language. Not just a love story between the two, but also between friends and family.
This was absolutely fantastic. 5 stars.

[lauren ౨ৎ]

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — preread:

im so intrigued by this one!! we get the pov of everyone except the main characters-- like that's so fun and different!! so excited to read this :)


thank you netgalley and Little, Brown, and Company, and Bobby Palmer for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Release date: June 30, 2026!

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got this one on Netgalley, excited by the premise.

It's a smart idea - tell the story of a relationship only through the eyes of those that observe them. Unfortunately for me, the execution wasn't great. To be fair, this is an ambitious format, and I admire the author for thinking of it, and trying their best. But it just doesn't work.

We kick off the story as an artist draws one of the protagonists in the park, then we read from the POV of her boss, then maybe a passer-by on the street, then a flatmate etc etc. The chapters are short, too short perhaps, as we get multiple narrators, swapping every few pages - but we never really get in the heads of the two "main characters", Clara and Seb.

What is the point of reading from the point of view of all these different characters if they all seem to be exactly the same? Whether they're an ex boyfriend or a colleague or a passer-by, they all spoke the same, with no distinct personality of their own. And they ended up just telling us what Seb and Clara were saying / doing, just like an omniscient narrator would do anyway, so the whole concept of the book seemed a bit pointless.

It's well written but with the same cold, distant style of Issac and the Egg. Which worked for that book but this is supposed to be a romance, right? So where's the spark, the fire, the charisma? It was a bit of a slog by the end.

Ultimately, for me, Main Characters didn't deliver on its ambitious premise. A shame.

[My.bookish.diaries · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel so lucky I got to read this early!! 🌤️

A huge thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada & Little, Brown and Company for the gifted copy ❤️✨

5⭐️

What I really loved is the writing style and how the story is structured. It’s technically a love story, but instead of following just the couple, we see them through everyone around them strangers, acquaintances, brief encounters…people who only catch a small piece of their lives. 💚

It honestly makes you think about how many people we pass every day without realizing we’re all little side characters in each other’s lives. I think anyone who reads this book will have the same thought 🔎

No spoilers for the romance itself, but I will say both characters were really well developed and felt layered in a way that went beyond just their relationship. They’re not always likeable, but that actually made them feel more real…

We don’t spend much time inside the main characters heads, which sounds unusual for a love story, but it works here because we experience their timeline through all these outside perspectives instead.

Also loved how certain side characters kept reappearing throughout the book and every time they showed up, we saw them in a different moment of their lives. It made the whole timeline feel beautifully connected.

I have a list of chapters that I liked:

- The Barista - it was a cute moment
- The Reader - that audition…🔥 the tension
- The Woman in seat 13c - loved the whole chapter
- The Pianist - I loved any chapter that was one or two pages. But this was my fav.. small moments captured.
- The (blank) nurse - reminded me of my moment like this .. tears were shed here 😢
- The Makeup Artist - loved how this chapters different perspectives, the way it was told….
- A Fellow Guest
- Nora , 4
After this chapter I blanked and didn’t note down any more. 👀

Perfect summer read !! ✨☀️💚

[Alannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel offers an original and deeply moving perspective: a love story revealed through the eyes of those who observe it. From best friends to bus passengers to colleagues, each viewpoint adds to the story of the relationship as it happens.
Each character was so well built out, I truly felt like I was in the story. Despite the story being told through secondary perspectives, I felt incredibly connected to the central characters and came to understand them and their motives.
Overall, this is a moving and emotional book that has stayed with me and I loved the concept so much. I’d highly recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book made me feel every possible emotion…and for that, it’s five stars !!!

a love story told through the eyes of everyone except the main characters. from a passenger on the bus and a barista at a café to best friends, family members, and roommates…such a unique concept !!

keep in mind the characters were messy, frustrating, and unlikeable…but they felt so incredibly real. they had me giggling, crying, and wanting to toss the book across the room !!! 😭

that’s what made this story so special to me. fiction gives us the chance to sit with imperfect people and complicated emotions, and this book did that beautifully. i can’t stop thinking about it.

🏙️💺💚🎞️⏳

“There aren't only two sides to every story. There are sides, and there are sides, and there are sides.”

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the most bingeable, unique romance story i’ve ever read!! Told all from POVs of others looking in (for example, a photographer, the downstairs neighbour, etc), you see the art of being perceived.

The fact that this author, a male author writing romance mind you!!!, was able to make me care so deeply for all of these characters despite never being in the POV is insanity to me. I couldn’t put this book down because all i wanted to know was what was coming next. I loved all of the messy drama between friends, family, and love interests, as well as getting snippets of all the other random characters in their POVs. The chapters are also mostly on the shorter side, making it easily bingeable.

I literally can’t deal with the amount of yearning between these two!!! my camera roll is FLOODED with pics i took of quotes because wow.

“Maybe we could be friends.”
“I don’t want to be friends.”

“I love her, ive always loved her”

[Lucy Skeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am SPEECHLESS..!!! Bobby Palmer this is phenomenal. Everyone preorder this now.

Thanks so much to Headline for my proof, my full review will be up on my instagram soon

[cursedb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really curious about this book because the premise immediately caught my attention. Even the title intrigued me, but what interested me the most was the structure. The idea of giving chapters to people who randomly cross paths with the main characters and letting us see brief moments from their perspectives felt fresh and original. I don’t think I’ve come across another book that uses this concept in quite the same way. Unfortunately, the execution didn’t work as well for me. Maybe it’s because I’m generally not a romance reader, but I just couldn’t connect with the main characters. They never felt compelling enough to keep me emotionally invested, which made the book feel like a bit of a struggle to get through. The ending was also fairly predictable, so it didn’t leave much of an impact.
The writing style, however, was the highlight for me. It was engaging and carried the story even when I wasn’t invested in the characters. I just wish the emotional connection had been as strong as the concept itself.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a difficult review to write as I can't explain to you the reason why I almost gave up on this book, as it would be a big spoiler. If you've followed me on socials for a while and have already read this book then you might know me well enough to know what it was that almost made me throw it out the window! However, after having adored Isaac and the Egg and seeing a lot of love for Main Characters on socials, I decided to stick with it and I'm glad I did.

The decision that Clara made that I found fault with is the same issue I have with a lot of books that involve women in Clara's position (cryptic, I know, but I'm trying to avoid the spoiler! Read it and I'm sure you'll see what I mean). However, what happened between Clara and Seb began to very closely reflect a situation I had been in myself and it actually helped me to reflect on decisions made, and to realise that things are not always so straightforward.

As a complete romantic, I'm always up for the all-encompassing, head over heels, "I would die for you" type love story and though it doesn't run particularly smooth for Clara and Seb, their love is what held this book together for me. It's also very cleverly written in how we see Clara and Seb through the eyes of all these minor characters in their lives.

Overall, this is a realistic, hard fought for and messy love story, beautifully and uniquely written. And though I may have had issue with it at one point, it stands testament to how thought provoking books can be, especially when they run so closely to something that has happened in your own life. For that, Main Characters went from an almost DNF to a five star. So you'll have to read it if you want to know why!

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

3/31. (4.5) genuinely haven’t enjoyed a writing style as much as this in a very long time. This was beautiful, compelling and shocking in all the perfect moments. These characters are flawed no doubt but often times those are the best to read and relate to, which this book took the cake on.


My only nip with it would be how due to each perspective being told as an outside voice, I almost wish it stayed that way always to preserve the voice of the witness and give them more individuality. When being written as an outside perspective but still having internal thoughts of the main characters it blurred them together and diminished the character whose head we were meant to be observing through. I wish for those moments, we just had very sparse chapters (even like a paragraph or two long) of the MCs to add that perspective in.

[~Ria]

I'm so conflicted on what to rate this book..🤧

The concept of watching a two-decade love story unfold entirely through the eyes of strangers and side characters was brilliant. It gives you this profound feeling of being a helpless bystander you are forced to just watch it all play out. You can't interfere, and you can’t prevent the consequences of their actions. It actually made me realize that even when we feel invisible, someone out there is noticing us, interested in our story, and recognizing that we have something special.

Because the story spans twenty years, it’s not a book where you just blindly love the characters; you are meant to hate them a little bit, too. I was so frustrated by the decisions Clara and Seb made, and I hated how they didn't fight for their love. But even when I was furious with them, I couldn’t put it down because I just had to know what life had in store for them..💚

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

NetGalley ARC

Wow. This is an amazing book. Such a lovely surprise. This is the story of a 20 year connection between Clara and Seb but it’s just so much more. Told primarily through the observations and insights of others - some just passersby, some close friends and family - as they watch the moments that the two share over the course of their relationship. It sounds like you would only get a surface understanding of the two as individuals and how they are connected but you get so much depth instead. I felt like I knew them completely.

The writing here is so well done and uniquely portrayed. I could feel everything and the observatory style helped me see the scenes and characters in my mind’s eye even more clearly. I thought about the book when I was away from it and I didn’t want the story to end. It’s a long journey filled with a lot of pain and hurt but also with so much love, hope and growth. I wanted these two to find their way so badly despite everything they did to create obstacles. And the supporting characters just make the story that much better. This is not a romance. It’s a drama that keeps you fully engaged from beginning to end.

Really wonderfully written book that brings a whole spectrum of emotions. The characters are vivid and broken and so real. I will absolutely look for more books by this author and highly recommend this one.

Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts.

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

First, the way I sobbed through the last 20% of this book should be cause for criminal charges.

Main Characters surprised me in the most delightful way. I was expecting one thing, and what I was delivered was so much more than I could have even imagined. I rushed to order this right after I read the last line because I knew I wanted this on my shelf to read over and over again.

First, the structure: I know the way this story is structured is maybe controversial for some, but I thought it was freaking brilliant. We never get closer to the main characters than getting the point of view of their closest friends and family. We also get viewpoints of these two people from all sorts of different places: colleagues, strangers, passersby, etc.

I loved this very much, obviously. I get that now we're distant from the main characters, but I would argue that also the people we love most in life we stand as a witness to their lives, no matter how intimate we are to them, but we still have our own internal monologue, and thoughts, feelings, reactions to the world around us. This is a book for anyone who has ever people-watched, who has ever loved a friend with your whole heart and being, who has ever had family you would lay your life down for-because this story is about those people in your life you're a witness to while honoring your own internal sphere.

There's a point in the book where one of the main characters' sister says something like, she always forgot that there were other people with their own lives going on and that their lives kept going on even when this main character wasn't around. But sometimes the main character forgot that part, expecting her friends and family to just exist in stasis until the next time she needed them. But isn't that the way we sometimes see the people who populate our lives with companionship and love? We're not there for every moment, and it can be easy to forget when you're going through that everyone else is going through it too.

The main characters, Clara and Seb, are the focus of our attention, yes, but each time we shift narrator and perspective, we also get a glimpse of time with those people, "side characters" if you will. But these side characters are the heart of the plot, in my opinion. Even if we just get one brief chapter with them (some do return as narrators), we still get a glimpse of their complicated inner life too. We don't get a ton of time with them, because it isn't about them it's about Seb and Clara...or maybe it's about all of us and the connections we have with others we don't even know about.

I loved it. I sobbed. I would call this literary romance, and it was so so fantastic.

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has become one of my favourite book of the year. I love the uniqueness of the narrative voice. The story is told from the POVs of random people or the entourage of Clara and Seb. It brings something different that I loved. You’d think that because of that, you’d feel distant from the characters, but no. I still felt so connected to their story. At its core, it’s the exploration of growth of two people. But it’s also about love and forgiveness. Clara and Seb are not perfect, which is what makes this story interesting, especially as it’s seen throughout other people’s view. Since it takes place over 20 years, a lot of events happen which kept the book very compelling. There’s love, heartbreak, fear, regret but also joy. All of these emotions were well captured by the author. I might have shed a tear at the end. Clara’s and Seb’s story really touched me.
I think this book will resonate with a lot of people. Readers interested by the concept of sonder will definitely enjoy this. I can’t wait for everyone to read this and I’ll keep recommending this book to everyone I know !


Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an arc of this book. Opinions are my own.

[Alieke · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4,5/5*

We follow Seb and Clara through the eyes of everyone around them; friends, family, colleagues, exes, passers-by, strangers, you name it. You never quite know what the MCs are actually thinking or feeling, because the book describes what others see or overhear them say.

And I loved it.

I hated it when they fought, I loved it when their friends noticed them secretly looking at one another and I loved that as the reader, we both know more and less than the characters themselves.

(spoiler) It has an open ending - but I like to believe that they got their HEA. I'm rooting for them in any case.

[Samantha Gaudious · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4⭐️

This book is SO interesting!!
I love how we get told a love story with the POVS of others and the outside and somehow that comes together in this very real story.

At first I felt like I wasn’t connecting with the main characters and then all of a sudden it just clicked and I was fully invested.

This book experiences some tough, heart wrenching moments but theyre REAL moments, like these things happen everyday. I definitely think this is a great book that definitely keeps you on your toes!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit that I was drawn in by the gimmick of this book. A love story told by everyone around the main characters? Yes, please! The structure reminded me of one of my all time favorite books, The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. I did have some major problems with the book though.


****SPOILERS****


I really didn’t care for the cheating and pregnancy storyline. I especially didn’t like that our female MC made it clear that she didn’t want children, but of course, everything turned out fine after she had her daughter. I could go about what I didn’t like about the pregnancy storyline, but ultimately I still really enjoyed the book.

[Taylor Blackwell · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 🌟! The concept of this is so cool but I just felt SO disconnected from the characters themselves, even though that is the nature of the book. I think I wouldn’t have felt so disconnected if I actually liked our main characters but I didn’t… like either of them very much. I also don’t think I would’ve liked them anymore if I was reading this in their POVs, I think I would’ve like them even less 😬 However, this is the first physical book I’ve read in YEARS after getting my kindle and I forgot how much I enjoyed it! So basically I had fun holding a book and turning the pages but not with the story itself

[Heather Alderman]

I liked the premise of a love story from other people's perspectives, but it made it hard to connect with the main characters. About 150 pages in, I just didn't care what happened to them.

[andshe.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book like no other, a love story told by everyone else just not the main characters. I loved this concept. It was surprising how relatable the characters were and how connected to them I still felt despite their stories being told through the voices of other people.

Clara & Seb are far from perfect and their relationship is in turmoil a lot but this made them so much more relatable. Easy to find common ground with characters that experience similar experiences and struggles that we do in real life. That being said I really really wanted them to work out. Seb broke my heart, I felt like he was such an old soul lost in a big world where he just couldn't find his footing.

Can I just take a minute.. erm Jasper.. where the Heck was Clara when you know [ I can't say I have to keep this spoiler free ] roll on July 2026 when I can find people to talk to about this!!

I have loved Bobby Palmers previous novels and honestly I think this one trumps those. I'll be raving about this from the rooftops. Definitely will be needing a physical copy for my shelves!

Overall a stunning book, full of heartache, growth, friendships, healing, love and so much more. An absolute must read!!

[Poppy Sookunah · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75. I am in two minds about whether the concept was needed, but I enjoyed this love story told from everyone but the main characters’ point of view just the same.

[Steph Brocato · Rating 3 out of 5]

Similar to Talking at Night. I’d hate these characters if I met them in real life.

[beks · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.25 stars ★]

Thank you to Carmella at Headline Books for sending me a proof copy 💌

As soon as I found out that this story was told through the POVs of everyone except the main characters, I was immediately intrigued. It’s such a unique concept that I’d never come across before and I’m glad to say that it completely worked for me!

Were Seb and Clara incredibly frustrating? Hell yes. Did I want to jump into the book and shake them both until they came to their senses? Also yes. But I honestly think that’s exactly the point…

We’re always outsiders looking into people’s lives, including their relationships, and this book captures that perfectly. We never truly know what's going on behind closed doors - we only ever see snippets of people's lives and can choose to form our own opinions from there. I loved how the story explored what a relationship can look like through everyone else’s eyes, rather than the couple’s own.

Another thing I really appreciated was how flawed every character was. Nobody was perfect and I think that’s what made the story feel so real. It also serves as a reminder of how important communication is, how easy it is to bottle up your feelings and how one decision can completely change the course of your life.

I also found it interesting that the book explored what happens when two people aren't on the same page about having children. It's such an important conversation to have before deciding to build a life together and I liked that the story didn't shy away from showing the consequences of avoiding it.

I really enjoyed following Seb and Clara through different stages of their lives. Watching their priorities, relationships and perspectives change over the years added so much to the story. However, they definitely still had moments where they drove me up the wall 😭 I really did wish that they would just sit down and talk to each other instead of running away whenever things became difficult. Then again, I suppose that’s part of growing up too. Life isn't always straightforward and the author did a great job of showing how messy adulthood can become when you have so much on your plate.

I also absolutely loved the subtle “it’s always been you” trope woven throughout the story. Despite all those years apart, the misunderstandings and endless arguments, it was obvious they could never truly let each other go. Seeing them eventually find their way back to one another was so cute! 🥹 I also think Seb’s relationship with Nora (Clara’s daughter) made those moments even more emotional. Every interaction between them was a reminder of the life he and Clara could have shared 💔

Naturally, a small part of me was definitely still itching for a few POV chapters from both Seb and Clara because I was dying to know what was going on inside their heads! Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the way their story was written and I’d definitely recommend everyone to pick this one up 🫶🏾

[Mia Melanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book as my June book of the month because I thought “what a cool concept for a book”, but specifically when it’s applied to a romance book. The book follows our 2 main characters but not through either of their perspectives. Getting to see a love story unfold but told entirely through the perspectives of the people around them, their friends, family, strangers, it was so cool to read. It was a slow read for me at first but whenever a book does any type of third person writing my brain likes to take its time adjusting lol. I’m so glad I kept going. It’s not a typical love story but it feels realistic and I fell in love with so many characters because I got a glimpse into their lives too. I think the coolest part of the book for me though was getting characters perspectives that you never get in books or even in your day to day lives. You’re getting the perspective of a random lady on the same vacation or a stranger sitting on the subway with them and somehow it just works so well. You never get the main characters perspectives but you don’t need to, you fall in love with them through everyone else’s eyes. I think it’s also a good reminder that even in our own lives it’s not just about us. Every action we take and every interaction we have with another person shapes us and our lives but it shapes them too and I think that’s a really beautiful thing that we tend to forget when we’re so focused on ourselves.

[Kim Quain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved, Loved, Loved this book. The telling of this love story through the eyes of everyone except the main characters is so unique and really worked well. I really liked the short chapters I will admit at the beginning of each chapter I got confused for a brief second because of the new POV but by the end I was either smiling, laughing, crying and even gasping. Always feeling something

[Libbianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Such a cool concept. I was worried it would feel like you didn’t actually know the characters, but it never did. You knew them well even when you hated the choices they were making.
This was definitely concept led for me, I just didn’t love it?

[Tessa Aldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

[Zo · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow, I loved this much more than i anticipated I would!! To me, this felt like “daisy jones and the six” meets “conversations with friends.” I grew so attached to the story, the characters, and the uniqueness of the storytelling. (and appreciate the great execution/writing!) Definitely one of my favorites of the year! and i got to read this pre-release due to book of the month (thanks auntie em) which made me feel cool lol🙂‍↕️

[Rebecca]

Cute premise but the book never really goes anywhere. Reading the story of the romance second hand did not make me invested. I gave up at page 104.