What do you think?
Rate this book
Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 12:17:52
15 copies available
U.S. only
Main Characters
Win a free print copy of this book!
18 days and 12:17:52
15 copies available
U.S. only
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.
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.
Audible Audio
First published June 30, 2026
About the author
Bobby Palmer
3 books316 followersBOBBY PALMER is an author and journalist whose writing has appeared in GQ, Esquire, Men's Health, Cosmopolitan and more. He co-hosted the much-loved literary podcast BOOK CHAT with Pandora Sykes.
His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, sold 50,000 copies in its first year of publication, was a Prima and Woman & Home 'Best Book of 2022', was featured on BBC Radio 4's Open Book and selected as Guardian 'Audiobook of the Week'.
His third book, MAIN CHARACTERS, was a Book of the Month pick in advance of its simultaneous US and UK publication in July 2026. It was featured as a summer pick on NBC's Today Show and on CBS Mornings, and was selected as an Editor's Pick by Amazon.
His debut novel, ISAAC AND THE EGG, sold 50,000 copies in its first year of publication, was a Prima and Woman & Home 'Best Book of 2022', was featured on BBC Radio 4's Open Book and selected as Guardian 'Audiobook of the Week'.
His third book, MAIN CHARACTERS, was a Book of the Month pick in advance of its simultaneous US and UK publication in July 2026. It was featured as a summer pick on NBC's Today Show and on CBS Mornings, and was selected as an Editor's Pick by Amazon.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,593 reviews
August 21, 2026
Favorite book of the year! (so far)
We follow Clara & Seb's love story, but the entire book is told through other perspectives
I genuinely still can't believe how I was able to connect to these characters & their story without ever reading their thoughts. Every POV we got was never repeated - it could be a woman at the table next to them, their father, a person walking by, etc. The author did an incredible job executing this & even though our characters made decisions that were frustrating and hard to root for at times, I still couldn't put this book down. I already want to read it again!
We follow Clara & Seb's love story, but the entire book is told through other perspectives
I genuinely still can't believe how I was able to connect to these characters & their story without ever reading their thoughts. Every POV we got was never repeated - it could be a woman at the table next to them, their father, a person walking by, etc. The author did an incredible job executing this & even though our characters made decisions that were frustrating and hard to root for at times, I still couldn't put this book down. I already want to read it again!
July 17, 2026
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.
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.
July 21, 2026
3.5
I am absolutely obsessed with this concept. The idea of seeing a more well-rounded, whole view on a relationship from the perspective of everyone BUT the main characters is quite honestly a genius idea.
There were so many moments in this book that were absolutely beautiful! I found the differences between the POVs closer to the main characters vs those that were just passers-by were so interesting to read. The closer POVs obviously had more context as they perceived Seb & Clara and took a more active role in their relationship, but the POVs of strangers felt even more blunt and honest in so many ways because they were purely making non-biased assumptions based on these very raw and real moments.
While I absolutely LOVED the way this was written, I unfortunately however could not connect or get behind our main characters and their relationship with one another. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE an imperfect romance with all of it's ugliness and imperfections. But I feel like this one just felt off balance in the sense that we saw too many of the moments that showed how wrong Clara and Seb were for one another. And not enough moments that showed me why they were right for one another. This book felt honest and realistic in the way it was written, but because I was reading with this realistic mindset - I feel like that actually harmed my perception on the main romance because realistically... I just don't think these characters are healthy for one another.
I honestly feel like the love portrayed through friends and family was done a lot better than the romantic love throughout this book!
So while there were bits of absolutely STUNNING writing, and I can see what we were trying to do with this concept - I just couldn't get behind it fully. I wanted to feel SUCKED IN and I just didn't get to that point. I also do think in general, this book could have been trimmed down a bit more in editing and just tightened up.
Would be SO curious to read more stories written this way!
I am absolutely obsessed with this concept. The idea of seeing a more well-rounded, whole view on a relationship from the perspective of everyone BUT the main characters is quite honestly a genius idea.
There were so many moments in this book that were absolutely beautiful! I found the differences between the POVs closer to the main characters vs those that were just passers-by were so interesting to read. The closer POVs obviously had more context as they perceived Seb & Clara and took a more active role in their relationship, but the POVs of strangers felt even more blunt and honest in so many ways because they were purely making non-biased assumptions based on these very raw and real moments.
While I absolutely LOVED the way this was written, I unfortunately however could not connect or get behind our main characters and their relationship with one another. Don't get me wrong - I LOVE an imperfect romance with all of it's ugliness and imperfections. But I feel like this one just felt off balance in the sense that we saw too many of the moments that showed how wrong Clara and Seb were for one another. And not enough moments that showed me why they were right for one another. This book felt honest and realistic in the way it was written, but because I was reading with this realistic mindset - I feel like that actually harmed my perception on the main romance because realistically... I just don't think these characters are healthy for one another.
I honestly feel like the love portrayed through friends and family was done a lot better than the romantic love throughout this book!
So while there were bits of absolutely STUNNING writing, and I can see what we were trying to do with this concept - I just couldn't get behind it fully. I wanted to feel SUCKED IN and I just didn't get to that point. I also do think in general, this book could have been trimmed down a bit more in editing and just tightened up.
Would be SO curious to read more stories written this way!
August 6, 2026
one of my favorite books of the year I think
November 13, 2025
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.
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.
Want to Read
June 22, 2026°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ — 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!
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!
July 25, 2026
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 !! ✨☀️💚
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 !! ✨☀️💚
August 14, 2026
i love when a book reminds you of why you love reading. easy five star.
August 19, 2026
debating between 2 or 3 stars…
What an interesting concept this was.
What if a romance novel between two people is told not on their perspective but the perspective of other people. People that are close to them, people they have briefly interacted. Hell even people they never even talked to and just a simply bystander, who got to watch pieces of their story, hear moments of their conversations then draw their own conclusion.
People like their friends, their family, their siblings, the barista, the real estate agent, the landlady, the porter, etc etc.
I thought at first this would get clunky and I might have some continuity issue but strangely the concept worked for me. What didn’t work for me I guess is Seb (MMC) as is my every fuckin problem in a romance book — the man itself 😭
Seb is a runner. Clara (FMC) is the chaser. That’s their dynamic. Plain and simple.
Something goes wrong? He will get scared and run. Something will inevitably go wrong? He runs.
He’s indecisive AF and I’m not only saying this when he’s on his 20s. As the story progresses we get to see him on his 40s and this grown man still runs whenever the world doesn’t revolve around him anymore. And yes of course we can all rationalize this and say he’s been through. His sister died young, he is lost in life and career, he’s been juggling between being a musician, a model and an actor because that’s how indecisive he is.
But what made me dislike him so much? The way he pressured…let me emphasize it PRESSURED Clara to get pregnant.
It’s like he only sees her as an incubator. I wanted to believe he loves her and at first I can see that but when Clara keeps on expressing her desire to focus on her growing successful career as a director and she is not sure she wants to have kids…or ever and feels like it’s the only thing her partner wants and she’s only doing this because she’s scared she will lose him.
Clara is a career woman through and through. And I mean look at what she says:
So, I seriously can’t blame her for what she did in the last part of Part 1.
You know me, I always support women’s wrong 🤷♀️ and I did support her and Seb learned this in a semi-public way so I get why he up and ran but in my soul, he deserved it 🩷
5 years past. Clara continued to be with Jacob (OM) this thing they had was toxic and pure of angry sex and insulting motivations, but along the way Clara….
sigh
But then the 3rd act break up where Seb fucking ran again leaving Clara and Nora behind. He is already 40 fucking years old. This man hadn’t grown a bit. It was so frustrating that I tuned out and just wanted this book to end. 🙄
Safety:
OW: During the separation, we got the POV of someone he had sex with. Then after that, he got a gf when he and Clara met again after 5yrs.
OM: Clara has been with Jacob, the one she cheated Seb with. He is her ex and in the past she keeps going back to him in a toxic cycle. After she got pregnant, there’s no one because of course 🥱
What an interesting concept this was.
What if a romance novel between two people is told not on their perspective but the perspective of other people. People that are close to them, people they have briefly interacted. Hell even people they never even talked to and just a simply bystander, who got to watch pieces of their story, hear moments of their conversations then draw their own conclusion.
People like their friends, their family, their siblings, the barista, the real estate agent, the landlady, the porter, etc etc.
I thought at first this would get clunky and I might have some continuity issue but strangely the concept worked for me. What didn’t work for me I guess is Seb (MMC) as is my every fuckin problem in a romance book — the man itself 😭
Seb is a runner. Clara (FMC) is the chaser. That’s their dynamic. Plain and simple.
Something goes wrong? He will get scared and run. Something will inevitably go wrong? He runs.
He’s indecisive AF and I’m not only saying this when he’s on his 20s. As the story progresses we get to see him on his 40s and this grown man still runs whenever the world doesn’t revolve around him anymore. And yes of course we can all rationalize this and say he’s been through. His sister died young, he is lost in life and career, he’s been juggling between being a musician, a model and an actor because that’s how indecisive he is.
But what made me dislike him so much? The way he pressured…let me emphasize it PRESSURED Clara to get pregnant.
It’s like he only sees her as an incubator. I wanted to believe he loves her and at first I can see that but when Clara keeps on expressing her desire to focus on her growing successful career as a director and she is not sure she wants to have kids…or ever and feels like it’s the only thing her partner wants and she’s only doing this because she’s scared she will lose him.
Clara is a career woman through and through. And I mean look at what she says:
She bristles when he(Seb) tests the water, asks what names she likes, wonders if she’d ever raise kids in London. Skirts around the actual question, the big question he doesn’t want to ask, because he doesn’t want to hear the answer.
She knows that Seb wants a girl. That he’d call her Eleanora, if he had one.
And she knows that she’s a monster, because she does not want the same thing. When they had their first fight about it, Clara was angry because she could tell that Seb assumed she’d change her mind eventually. They’ve fought about it again since.
There are babies everywhere. She’s drowning in babies. So how could there not be something wrong with her, some crucial part of her missing, when people say, you next, and all she wants to say is, not me, not ever.
So, I seriously can’t blame her for what she did in the last part of Part 1.
You know me, I always support women’s wrong 🤷♀️ and I did support her and Seb learned this in a semi-public way so I get why he up and ran but in my soul, he deserved it 🩷
5 years past. Clara continued to be with Jacob (OM) this thing they had was toxic and pure of angry sex and insulting motivations, but along the way Clara….
sigh
But then the 3rd act break up where Seb fucking ran again leaving Clara and Nora behind. He is already 40 fucking years old. This man hadn’t grown a bit. It was so frustrating that I tuned out and just wanted this book to end. 🙄
Safety:
OW: During the separation, we got the POV of someone he had sex with. Then after that, he got a gf when he and Clara met again after 5yrs.
OM: Clara has been with Jacob, the one she cheated Seb with. He is her ex and in the past she keeps going back to him in a toxic cycle. After she got pregnant, there’s no one because of course 🥱
August 25, 2026
‘Why did you come tonight, Seb?’
‘I wanted to see if you still leave me a ticket.’
‘I always leave you a ticket.’
This is for the people who love people-watching, who love creating stories or imagining interpretations in their heads based on a single interaction, a fleeting glance at a stranger, a small gesture, or a text message they happen to catch from the person sitting next to them on public transportation. Because, really, this book embodies something so deeply human in all of us. It is in our nature to look, to wonder, to perceive other people’s lives and relationships, and to fill in the blanks based on what we can see from the outside. A love story told by everyone BUT the main characters is already such an interesting and unique concept and it was somehow executed so well that I was completely invested to these characters, even as a bystander. This book is such a breath of fresh air and definitely one of my top reads of the year!
What you initially need to know about the premise of this book is that Clara and Seb are the main characters, but we never get their POV. Their decade spanning relationship is told entirely through the people around them.. friends, family, exes, acquaintances, coworkers, and even complete strangers. And it surprisingly felt more intimate and real than if their story had been told from their own, biased perspectives. I love the idea of everyone around them having their own version of Clara and Seb. Just like everyone is bound to have their own interpretation of who we are. But the real question is: which is your true self? The one you see? Or the one other people see?
I just also always loved stories when two people are clearly meant to be, where loving each other was never the problem, but something SO MUCH more. Where these two people just cant get it right. Sometimes it’s about ambition, career, self worth, and the different things two people want from life. Will love be enough when life throws past trauma, grief, hopes and dreams into a relationship? Everything is so complex, and you see the struggles from both sides. It makes you question.. Is she really wrong for asking this of him? Is he unfair for asking this of her? Why didn’t he realize he needed to grow up when they were still together?
This is messy. Frustrating. A beautiful chaos, if you will. Heartbreaking. Full of missed chances, unsent emails, deleted voicemails, and all the things left unsaid. Clara and Seb are both deeply flawed, which only makes them feel more human and relatable. Because aren’t we all just flawed people, constantly making mistakes and creating problems for ourselves? There were so many crazy, genius ways the book indicated the passage of time, too. I truly felt like I grew up alongside them!!!
It’s a ‘showing rather than telling’ kind of storytelling, which I LOVE. It’s in the way that we, as bystanders, notice the looks, the body language, the tension, and the way they orbit each other. I always enjoy this part of reading when I’m the one who gets to pick up on things, to interpret the unsaid words between the glances and gestures. There are so many conversations left unfinished that it’s all up for the reader’s interpretation. If that’s your vibe when reading, then this will hit all the right spots for you!
But more than the love story, this book also explored grief, growing up, ambition, identity and the ways people leave a mark on someone’s life. It showed such strong, beautiful friendships and familial relationships that will either gut you or warm your heart! I loved how these relationships felt just as important as the central love story. There were so many little moments of connection, loss, forgiveness, and love that caught me completely off guard. I could cry just thinking about some of them still.
fav quotes♥︎
—‘Not everyone can make great things,’ he says. ‘But I’ve been trying to tell myself that not everyone needs to. That I’ll be happy if I can just be a part of it. Other people can write the music. I just want to listen.’
—‘The worst thing isn’t that Clara wants to ask him to stay. It’s that Seb wants her to ask, too.’
—‘If anything goes wrong, you’re still the first person I want to tell,’ she says. ‘That’s weird, isn’t it?’
‘It’s not weird,’ Seb says. ‘You ruined my life, and the only person I want to talk to about it is you.’
—‘..But what comes quite close is knowing that the pair of you have the same thing we had, and watching you throw it all away.’ ‘Not even the same thing. A bigger thing. Everyone wants the love you two have. The kind of love you see in movies. Our love was quiet. Yours is too loud to ignore.’
—‘How did you find that person?’ the journalist asks.
Clara’s eyes are bright. ‘I guess someone else had to see her first.’
—‘There are people in your life who are just always there, so you never think too hard about them. You don’t need to. I guess you’d only realise how much they meant to you if they were gone.’
‘I wanted to see if you still leave me a ticket.’
‘I always leave you a ticket.’
This is for the people who love people-watching, who love creating stories or imagining interpretations in their heads based on a single interaction, a fleeting glance at a stranger, a small gesture, or a text message they happen to catch from the person sitting next to them on public transportation. Because, really, this book embodies something so deeply human in all of us. It is in our nature to look, to wonder, to perceive other people’s lives and relationships, and to fill in the blanks based on what we can see from the outside. A love story told by everyone BUT the main characters is already such an interesting and unique concept and it was somehow executed so well that I was completely invested to these characters, even as a bystander. This book is such a breath of fresh air and definitely one of my top reads of the year!
What you initially need to know about the premise of this book is that Clara and Seb are the main characters, but we never get their POV. Their decade spanning relationship is told entirely through the people around them.. friends, family, exes, acquaintances, coworkers, and even complete strangers. And it surprisingly felt more intimate and real than if their story had been told from their own, biased perspectives. I love the idea of everyone around them having their own version of Clara and Seb. Just like everyone is bound to have their own interpretation of who we are. But the real question is: which is your true self? The one you see? Or the one other people see?
I just also always loved stories when two people are clearly meant to be, where loving each other was never the problem, but something SO MUCH more. Where these two people just cant get it right. Sometimes it’s about ambition, career, self worth, and the different things two people want from life. Will love be enough when life throws past trauma, grief, hopes and dreams into a relationship? Everything is so complex, and you see the struggles from both sides. It makes you question.. Is she really wrong for asking this of him? Is he unfair for asking this of her? Why didn’t he realize he needed to grow up when they were still together?
This is messy. Frustrating. A beautiful chaos, if you will. Heartbreaking. Full of missed chances, unsent emails, deleted voicemails, and all the things left unsaid. Clara and Seb are both deeply flawed, which only makes them feel more human and relatable. Because aren’t we all just flawed people, constantly making mistakes and creating problems for ourselves? There were so many crazy, genius ways the book indicated the passage of time, too. I truly felt like I grew up alongside them!!!
It’s a ‘showing rather than telling’ kind of storytelling, which I LOVE. It’s in the way that we, as bystanders, notice the looks, the body language, the tension, and the way they orbit each other. I always enjoy this part of reading when I’m the one who gets to pick up on things, to interpret the unsaid words between the glances and gestures. There are so many conversations left unfinished that it’s all up for the reader’s interpretation. If that’s your vibe when reading, then this will hit all the right spots for you!
But more than the love story, this book also explored grief, growing up, ambition, identity and the ways people leave a mark on someone’s life. It showed such strong, beautiful friendships and familial relationships that will either gut you or warm your heart! I loved how these relationships felt just as important as the central love story. There were so many little moments of connection, loss, forgiveness, and love that caught me completely off guard. I could cry just thinking about some of them still.
fav quotes♥︎
—‘Not everyone can make great things,’ he says. ‘But I’ve been trying to tell myself that not everyone needs to. That I’ll be happy if I can just be a part of it. Other people can write the music. I just want to listen.’
—‘The worst thing isn’t that Clara wants to ask him to stay. It’s that Seb wants her to ask, too.’
—‘If anything goes wrong, you’re still the first person I want to tell,’ she says. ‘That’s weird, isn’t it?’
‘It’s not weird,’ Seb says. ‘You ruined my life, and the only person I want to talk to about it is you.’
—‘..But what comes quite close is knowing that the pair of you have the same thing we had, and watching you throw it all away.’ ‘Not even the same thing. A bigger thing. Everyone wants the love you two have. The kind of love you see in movies. Our love was quiet. Yours is too loud to ignore.’
—‘How did you find that person?’ the journalist asks.
Clara’s eyes are bright. ‘I guess someone else had to see her first.’
—‘There are people in your life who are just always there, so you never think too hard about them. You don’t need to. I guess you’d only realise how much they meant to you if they were gone.’
July 17, 2026
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.”
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.”
July 19, 2026
Cool concept terrible execution. Clara and Seb could’ve avoided all of this by having idk open and clear communication on the first date I wasn’t rooting for them at all I was hoping they actually never got together and suffered in the ‘what if’ misery for karma. They weren’t compatible and I hated them as characters. Seb basically only wanted Clara to have a family with and then Clara says hey I don’t want kids ever I want to have a banging career and then has a kid with her ex. If I had a pov in this book it would be two eye blinks and keep moving forward with my day. The chemistry was not even in the goddamn room. Clara should get back with the ex Jake
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2025
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
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
July 30, 2026
easily one of my favorite reads of the year!! unique set up for a romance and VERY WELL executed
July 21, 2026
3.5 ⭐️’s! I was so invested in this book and concept but may this love never find me 😟🏃🏻♀️
this whole romance is told through the eyes of everyone EXCEPT the main characters. the woman sitting next to them on a bus, a waiter at a restaurant overhearing their argument, even their friends and I LOVED that. my only downfall with that was that it was hard to fully feel like the characters were in love or meant to be because we never actually hear it from them.
this book also takes place over like 25+ years and it’s definitely HUGE on miscommunication because how have they still not worked it out 25 years in 😭 I don’t necessarily think these characters are soulmates and would work out but the concept definitely saved it
this whole romance is told through the eyes of everyone EXCEPT the main characters. the woman sitting next to them on a bus, a waiter at a restaurant overhearing their argument, even their friends and I LOVED that. my only downfall with that was that it was hard to fully feel like the characters were in love or meant to be because we never actually hear it from them.
this book also takes place over like 25+ years and it’s definitely HUGE on miscommunication because how have they still not worked it out 25 years in 😭 I don’t necessarily think these characters are soulmates and would work out but the concept definitely saved it
August 18, 2026
Truly one of the most unique books I’ve ever read, simply because the entire story is told from everyone’s POV EXCEPT the main characters. And somehow, it WORKS so well.
I read this book while on the best trip of my life, and somehow it melted into the experience. Like, when I think about this book, I remember this amazing trip, and when I think about my trip, I think about this amazing book. I know that sounds cheesy, but I genuinely love when books become attached to a specific moment in your life like that.
I LOVED the way this story was written, and I loved this love story. Their problems felt so real, everything was messy, complicated, and far from perfect. And I especially loved seeing the woman be the workaholic one, putting her career first, while the man is the one who doesn’t necessarily have a work-related passion. We don’t always get to see that dynamic...
I just LOVE a messy, long-term love story. Give me years of history, complicated feelings, bad decisions, timing issues, and two people who just can’t seem to stay away from each other and I’m SOLD.
And obviously… a hot Italian and a blonde muse??? Say LESS.
I read this book while on the best trip of my life, and somehow it melted into the experience. Like, when I think about this book, I remember this amazing trip, and when I think about my trip, I think about this amazing book. I know that sounds cheesy, but I genuinely love when books become attached to a specific moment in your life like that.
I LOVED the way this story was written, and I loved this love story. Their problems felt so real, everything was messy, complicated, and far from perfect. And I especially loved seeing the woman be the workaholic one, putting her career first, while the man is the one who doesn’t necessarily have a work-related passion. We don’t always get to see that dynamic...
I just LOVE a messy, long-term love story. Give me years of history, complicated feelings, bad decisions, timing issues, and two people who just can’t seem to stay away from each other and I’m SOLD.
And obviously… a hot Italian and a blonde muse??? Say LESS.
July 11, 2026
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”
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”
January 16, 2026
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
Thanks so much to Headline for my proof, my full review will be up on my instagram soon
July 1, 2026
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.
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.
July 6, 2026
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!
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!
July 21, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review. This book exceeded my expectations and i’ve never read anything quite like it. The premise was so original and unique and I wasn’t sure how the author would be able to pull it off. Writing romance book from the pov of everyone but the main characters requires a lot of talent for the story to work. This was executed perfectly and i never felt like I was missing anything by not reading about the characters for their povs. The beginning was kind of slow but after the first 20 percent I was hooked. I really recommend this to anyone who likes romance novels.
July 24, 2026
such a captivating and gripping way to tell a love story, one of my favorite romances of the year by far!! i loved the writing, the storytelling, and the characters. this was perfect to me
August 11, 2026
well that made my heart hurt
June 22, 2026
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.
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.
January 4, 2026
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.
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.
August 25, 2026
4.75⭐️ god this was good! Such a unique storytelling and writing style.
Sad... but absolutely brilliant. I'm not sure what kind of crack B. Palmer put in these pages, but I couldn't put it down, and it felt like watching a movie. A very emotional, very messy, addictive movie!!
I will say, if you liked Magnolia Parks, Say You'll Remember Me, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Normal People/One Day, chances are you will love this one, too!!
Trigger warnings:
death, grief, loss
pet euthanasia
mild triggers:
abuse?(from a side character)
Breakup
Sad... but absolutely brilliant. I'm not sure what kind of crack B. Palmer put in these pages, but I couldn't put it down, and it felt like watching a movie. A very emotional, very messy, addictive movie!!
I will say, if you liked Magnolia Parks, Say You'll Remember Me, Daisy Jones and the Six, and Normal People/One Day, chances are you will love this one, too!!
Trigger warnings:
death, grief, loss
pet euthanasia
mild triggers:
abuse?(from a side character)
Breakup
July 30, 2026
When did I become a masochist and start really truly loving messy, heart-wrenching stories? Because it's a recent development.
I knew I'd love Main Characters just because the premise is freaking awesome: telling a love story through everyone else's eyes but the main characters'.
It was pure chaos, but God, I loved it. And even though the plot didn't hit all the right spots, its uniqueness made it a fiver for me.
♪ Good Reason by Gracie Abrams
I knew I'd love Main Characters just because the premise is freaking awesome: telling a love story through everyone else's eyes but the main characters'.
It was pure chaos, but God, I loved it. And even though the plot didn't hit all the right spots, its uniqueness made it a fiver for me.
♪ Good Reason by Gracie Abrams
Read
July 12, 2026I'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..💚
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..💚
July 14, 2026
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
August 4, 2026
a história do casal principal em si não me agarrou da maneira que eu queria que me tivesse agarrado, achei que existiram demasiadas voltas e eventos desnecessários (que me estragaram um bocado a experiência de leitura), para além de que eles não eram de todo saudáveis um para o outro
senti que a história podia ter acabado a 70% do livro e sinceramente não me convenceu imenso, as minhas 4 estrelas vão maioritariamente para a forma como o livro está escrito (acho que foi isso que acabou por me conquistar mais no livro), do ponto de vista de imensa gente à volta do casal principal e não só, até de pessoas que estavam só a passar na rua, achei um conceito super interessante e gostei mesmo muito disso !!!
- no entanto, não foi de todo uma má leitura e a história em si é bastante ok, só acho que estava à espera de uma história um bocadinho diferente (não sei bem?), sinto que esperava mais profundidade e desenvolvimento das personagens, o que ao mesmo tempo é difícil de se conseguir não tendo a história escrita do ponto de vista das próprias personagens e estando apenas a contá-la do ponto de vista de pessoas exteriores
senti que a história podia ter acabado a 70% do livro e sinceramente não me convenceu imenso, as minhas 4 estrelas vão maioritariamente para a forma como o livro está escrito (acho que foi isso que acabou por me conquistar mais no livro), do ponto de vista de imensa gente à volta do casal principal e não só, até de pessoas que estavam só a passar na rua, achei um conceito super interessante e gostei mesmo muito disso !!!
- no entanto, não foi de todo uma má leitura e a história em si é bastante ok, só acho que estava à espera de uma história um bocadinho diferente (não sei bem?), sinto que esperava mais profundidade e desenvolvimento das personagens, o que ao mesmo tempo é difícil de se conseguir não tendo a história escrita do ponto de vista das próprias personagens e estando apenas a contá-la do ponto de vista de pessoas exteriores
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,593 reviews