People in Love

by Claire Daverley

One bright blue day, on a bench by the river, Nora’s partner Robin proposes.

It is unexpected; they’d always agreed that they didn’t need a wedding. But after a decade of in-jokes, dancing in the low-lit kitchen and sharing morning toast in bed, Nora says yes. Why wouldn’t she?

The answer lands on the night of their engagement party, when Bren turns up on her doorstep.

Growing up, Bren and Nora were the sort of best friends who everyone swore would end up together. But when a sudden heartbreak turned their lives upside down, Bren left, Nora stayed, and the silent longing between them remained unspoken.

Now, he’s back, and their tentative yet undeniable spark reignites, forcing Nora to ask herself:

How can you know your heart, if it feels like it’s split in two?

Tender and compelling, People in Love is a story about what-ifs and maybes, and the moments of misunderstanding that can shape our lives. It’s a book about living one life while musing on another, exploring how our choices shape our relationships and inform our regrets, and revealing, in the end, that the real love story is not always the one you'd expect.

Genres: Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Second Chance, Literary Fiction, Adult

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 4, 2026

About the author

After graduating with a degree in Fine Art from the University of Oxford, Claire Daverley began a career in publishing, writing about books by day but penning her own by night (or rather, very early in the morning). She currently lives in Scotland with her husband and spaniel. Talking at Night is her debut novel, and has been sold in twenty-four territories to date.

Reviews

[pinky]

WE HAVE A TITLE WE HAVE A DATE FINALLY

[suzannah ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

claire daverley is going on my very small list of auto buy authors!!!!!!!!

[Lucy Skeet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t mind me whilst I just stare at the wall for the foreseeable…..

She’s done it again folks.


Thanks so much to Michael Joseph for my copy. Review will be coming soon on insta

[Cassie Steward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece from Claire Daverley. I loved Talking at night SO much that I was almost nervous to read this. But, she’s done it again. What a beautiful book.

[daisy]

rtc !!!

[ree]

haven't updated in a while but a title!!!!! and the description sounds so good!!! Claire i love you <3

YESSSSSSS NEW CLAIRE DAVERLEY BOOK (.... in a years time) .. absolutely begging for an arc in advance pls Claire i'm your biggest fan (literally on my profile) <333

inserting my review of the brilliant Talking at Night here
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Iman · Rating 5 out of 5]

God did I love this book. It really reminded me of Past Lives, which I loved! And also thought the writing was so beautiful. The use of no quotation marks really worked here, I thought it helped with the flow of the tension and chemistry between all the characters and adds to that natural feeling. Definitely a wow book, felt like my heart was ripped out. So many tears! Amazing!!!

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review :)

[Abby Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5, rounded up

[mahru ◍ ⁺ .]

eeeek i cannot wait for this stop

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Talking at Night' was my favourite read of 2023. It fixed itself onto my heart and refused to let go, with me quoting it as my soul book. So, as soon as a proof copy of 'People in Love' found its way into my hands (eternally grateful to Claire Daverley for making this happen) I started reading it almost instantly.

'People in Love' is a careful but tender look at "the one that got away" and that "what if" which always lingers from your past. It asks the question of whether it's possible to have a "right person, wrong time". It forces us to examine the answer to whether a "what if" person can change course over life and circumstance.

As with 'Talking at Night', the writing is exquisite. It feels stripped back. Bare, but charged with emotion. Intoxicating.

The way Claire Daverley writes is so relatable to me. Each sentence feels as if its talking directly to my soul.

The references to things from my own past adds to the connection, from simple things like when Bren and his mum watch 'Wild' (although its not stated, its obvious it was 'Wild') and Bren remembering Nora's love of scented pens (so nostalgic!), to the more philosophical musings of Bren reflecting on when Nora mentioned the fig tree annotation from 'The Bell Jar', and his sentiments perfectly mirroring my own.

This book is gorgeous! I cannot wait to thrust it into people's hands with the tag-line "you won't regret it".

[Rebecca Newlands · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to LOVE this as Talking at Night is so beautiful, but I found it a bit clunky to read. I felt like there were too many coincidences and the miscommunication theme between Nora and Bren became a bit repetitive after a while. I read it really quickly, definitely a page-turner which was good as I needed something easy. It just didn’t live up to my expectations though sadly.

[T'Jae Freeman]

when i say i am SO ready for this ahhhhh!! we finally have a date <3

[Amber Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably more of a 3.5 but I’m feeling generous!

[Emily]

3.25

[Chloë Sint · Rating 4 out of 5]

Would give 4.5 stars if I could! I liked it a lot and like Clare’s writing but it didn’t hit the same as Talking at Night and took a while to get into. I’m surprised looking at my dates how long it’s taken me to read it, but it did feel slow going compared to Talking at Night.

[Bojana's Library ❤]

DNF, so I won't rate this...

Honestly, I know it's not finished-finished, but the novel is so confusingly written, my brain just can't compute.

[Lauren Steele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've never cried so many different forms of tears reading a book. Absolutely stunning

[Gabriella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Penguin UK and NetGalley for sending me the ARC of this book!

I loved the writing when I first read Talking at Night, and People in Love shares the same sort of style. It feels like a stream of consciousness, and an insight into the characters’ innermost thoughts. I was particularly drawn to the relationship between the parents, learning more about Josie’s condition and her marriage, and seeing Bren’s growth by the end. I liked the ending she chose to give Nora, Bren and Robin, and I think it was the right ending for all of them given how the story panned out.

[mia ᥫ᭡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving this a 5 star already because i just KNOW i will love it. Remember when i said Talking at Night was my soul book? Well i have a feeling Claire will outdo herself. I cannot wait till i have this book in my hands (i have to wait until 2026???)

[Olive]

waiting VERY patiently for this book 🤗

[Rachel ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

After enjoying Talking At Night last year I was really looking forward to Claire’s newest release, People in Love.

𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘢’𝘴 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘴. 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘺𝘦𝘴. 𝘉𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱. 𝘎𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱, 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬 𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘱𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵. 𝘕𝘰𝘸, 𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴, 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘕𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢����𝘵, 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘸𝘰?

If you love a romance with complex themes, exploring the what-ifs and maybes, how our choices shape our relationships and inform our regrets and that the real love story is not always the one you’d expect then I think you’d like this!

This was an enjoyable read from Claire. She knows how to write her characters and make them feel so real - I closed the book feeling like I could bump into Nora and Bren on the street.

The plot was done well, I questioned myself throughout on how I thought the story would end for Nora, Bren and Robin, recognising early on that it was unlikely to follow a traditional path! The additional storylines with the Mums - Freya and Josie was a really interesting addition with twists I didn’t see coming.

I love how Robin’s POV was added into the story, I thought he was a wonderful character (although slightly naive at times!), I loved his thoughtfulness, his tidbits and his notebook! He was definitely my favourite character.

The story really ramped up from the 60% mark and I flew through the final pages as I was so intrigued as to how everything would resolve - particularly with one character after a certain event!

I will say I did struggle with the lack of speech marks (it feels like a Sally Rooney novel), so it took me until about the 30% mark to get used to the writing and to start to get invested in the story. I know this is a personal preference thing, but perhaps one to note before reading.

Talking At Night is still the standout read for me, but People in Love was enjoyable and I’m looking forward to seeing what Claire writes next.

Thank you NetGalley, Claire Daverley and Michael Joseph for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest review - People in Love publishes June 4th.

[Karola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eine zauberhafte Liebesgeschichte voller Tiefe und Wahrheit
Das Cover zeigt drei schlanke Personen in offener Hügellandschaft, farblich in zarte frühlingshafte Farben getaucht, auf des Innere des Romans gut hinweisend. In dieser Liebesgeschichte voller Tiefe, Sehnsüchte und mitmenschlicher Wahrheiten geht es vor allem um die Dynamik zwischen den Hauptfiguren Nora Harper, ihrer Jugendliebe Brennie Fergs und ihrem Verlobten, dem Fotografen Robin. Bren, ihr scheinbar bindungsgestörter, rothaariger Jugendfreund, taucht nach 12 Jahren Outdoor-Erfahrungen fernab unerwartet auf ihrer Verlobungsparty auf, immer noch gemartert durch Schuldgefühle gegenüber seinem plötzlich verstorbenen, geliebten Vater und vereinsamt wegen seiner psychisch erkrankten, weisen Mutter Josie. Neben diesem komplexen Charakter erscheint der nette Kerl Robin, ihr großmütiger, verständnisvoller und gütiger Verlobter, wie ein geduldiger, liebevoller, kreativer Mensch ohne gequälte Seele. Dazwischen windet sich nun die sympathische, warmherzige Nora mit all ihren Grübeleien und emotionalen Unsicherheiten. Ihre Wut richtet sie vor allem gegen ihre Mutter Freya mit deren Hang zum alternativen Lebensstil. Die Unfähigkeit, schwierige Situationen wie z.B. Tod und Trauer auszuhalten, wird breit thematisiert. Diese Figuren wirken authentisch, ihre Handlungen sind glaubhaft in atmosphärischem Schreibstil beschrieben. Die Zwischentöne der Liebe, die leisen Töne wie Blickwechsel oder gestenartige Andeutungen treffen die Komplexität ihrer tiefen Gefühle zueinander mit den richtigen Worten, voller Klarheit und tiefer Wahrheit.
Eine aufwühlende und zugleich zärtliche Geschichte, die bis zum Ende mit unserer Sehnsucht nach dem Happy End spielt.

[faria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfectly real and authentic story that had me absolutely enraptured from the beginning.

I absolutely adored the characters in this book, they just felt so real and authentic and I felt like I could really imagine them living their day to day lives and understand their thoughts and feelings. Nora and Robin have just got engaged and Nora sends out engagement party invites to her friends with an e-vite to her childhood best friend Bren who’s currently in New Zealand. Come their engagement party, there’s a knock on the door.. it’s Bren.

I loved the flow of this book. The depth of the relationship between Nora and Bren being laid out over the chapters, how they grew up inseparable and codependent and how they were thrown apart by life’s circumstances. The impact his sudden reappearance has on her life and how it throws her seemingly perfectly curated life off balance. The truly human feelings and thoughts that you would expect to come along with this fierce disturbance.

The way Robin’s story is blended in throughout the story is so perfect. You might go into the first few chapters with a slight feeling of preferring the book to end one way or another but you quickly realise that it’s not that kind of book. It’s not a book where you necessarily route for a certain character or a certain ending. It’s a book where you come to know and understand the characters individually and hope for the best for them.

It’s a book that I won’t forget for a long time

[Kristin Gleeson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Michael Joseph and Netgalley for a review copy of this book. I was such a fan of Daverley’s prior novel, Talking at Night and looked forward to her next offering, People in Love. In this gem of a book Daverely’s distinctive style and voice are present with the same consistency and potency as her first one. Relationships on many levels are explored in all their messy glory, with the lost love as the relationship in the forefront.

After years of living together Robin and Nora get engaged and Nora sends out e-vites to everyone, adding her childhood friend from next door and her former ‘person’ Bren at the last minute. He’s in New Zealand continuing his wandering gypsy like existence he’s pursued since she last saw him ten years previously. She’s therefore shocked to find him showing up at her door on the day of the party. What has lain dormant all these years for her, Bren, his mother and hers surges to the forefront in Bren’s impulsive action -- the person who knew her better than anyone.

The ‘what if’s’ are explored in various subtle ways and the relationships and understandings and misunderstandings are revealed slowly as Daverley shows the reader what it is to be human and experiencing different kinds of love. Poignant, realistic and at times tender, it’s a beautifully crafted novel, easily taking its rightful place beside her first remarkable novel.

[Kimberley · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am quite conflicted on this book. There were parts I liked, and parts I disliked.

The first thing I noticed was the writing style. The author doesn't use quotation marks. Maybe it is like Sally Rooney, but I can't compare, since I haven't read any Rooney books. It took some getting used to, but the writing style was pleasant.

Honestly, not much happened in like the first 60% of the book. I was doubting if I should DNF it... I just didn’t care about the characters.

This is what the blurb says:
But when a sudden heartbreak turned their lives upside down, Bren left, Nora stayed, and the silent longing between them remained unspoken.
Now, he’s back, and their tentative yet undeniable spark reignites, forcing Nora to ask
How can you know your heart, if it feels like it’s split in two?

I hoped to see flashbacks to their childhood, to their feelings towards each other. So I was dissapointed that we didn't see that. Also, the 'heart split in two', to be really honest, I just did not like Bren😬 I did not understand the feelings Nora had for him.

Then at around 2/3 the book got interesting. There was much happening, which I liked. Also the theme of grief was very well done. There was even a part which touched me. That a book can do that to me, is quite something!

So I liked the second part way better. But then at the end something happened... and I really disliked it. I can't say anything about it, since it is a huge spoiler, but I don't know. It made me mad. Which can also be seen as a good thing, since that does mean I care about the characters.

So as you can see, I am very conflicted. I disliked the first 60%, liked the second part (and it was even touching), did not like a specific thing at the end, but I did start to care for the characters, and just disliked Bren. So a 3 star seems right.

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

And if anyone knows how to rip my heart out and put it all back together again in less than 400 pages, it’s Claire Daverley…

Claire Daverley’s debut novel ‘Talking at Night’ is easily one of my favourite novels, and so this book had big boots to fill…

I needn’t have worried, as once again I was captivated from the very beginning.

This is a tender and heartwarming, sometimes heart-wrenching, story about love. About what could have been, what should have been and what is. It’s beautiful and all consuming from the very beginning.

You fall in love with Nora and Bren, and you can’t help but root for them both individually. Their stories so intertwined yet pulled apart due to tragedy and misunderstandings. It’s a story of love and wishing you could have done things differently.

People in Love is a novel I cannot recommend enough. Perfect for fans of Sally Rooney, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Coco Mellors. It will leave you with your heart on your sleeve and tear tracks down your cheeks.

[jay ☆౨ৎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daverley’s strength is in creating character. Nora, Bren and Robin were each so vivid on the page. Nora and Bren have a history, and Robin bisects that, creating a messy and complicated, but real, unravelling of relationship and feeling. To quote the book itself: "Two halves, to make up a heart. Two people, taking up hers.” The inclusion of the parents amplified the title, 'People in Love', as we became acquainted with several love stories over the duration of the story. There was also a Big Event I saw coming a mile off and still really pulled on my heartstrings, but the conclusion was raw and ultimately satisfying. I liked Nora, liked Bren, but I have to say, Robin was my favourite character by far.

Perhaps not as sweeping as 'Talking at Night', and a little lacking in the writing style department for me. I thought there were quite a few repetitive conversations/scenes. But worth the read nonetheless.

Thank you kindly to the publisher for the ARC!

[Aki Lunn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Daverley writes characters very well but I felt the plotting here relied slightly too much on coincidence and set-pieces.
I adored Talking at Night, partly because its subject matter felt close to home. People in Love is less personally relatable for me, which might explain some of the distance I felt. Overall though, the twists were often foreseeable and the necessarily tight cast felt slightly too isolated from the rest of the world for me to really believe in.
Daverley’s writing is good, and I’ll certainly keep up with whatever she does next, but this felt more ‘Beautiful World’ than ‘Intermezzo’! People in Love doesn’t reach the heights of Talking at Night for me, and I get what she was going for with the ending but I finished the book feeling unsatisfied. A couple of characters (Robin and Freya) felt underdeveloped/unrounded, and generally I would have liked to have seen Daverley take the handbrake off and trust the main characters to _feel_ more. The protagonsists’ emotional toils felt largely plot-driven in a way that shielded and overshadowed the endogenous spinning out / free-fall, the describing of which is where I think Daverley is at her best.
A decent follow-up novel but I’m sure better than this is to come.

(Tnx to friends at PRH for AR etc etc)

[Gail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Our lives are largely based around what if's. How many times have I watched a film or read a book, and the main protagonists are skirting an issue? Just get on with it, I plead. But in reality, I can think of plenty of instances in my own life where I didn't rush in with the truth. Sometimes it was to avoid hurting someone's feelings.
This is my preamble to People in Love.
Norah and her long-time boyfriend Robin have a good life. Then her best friend from school, Bren, reappears after globe trotting for 12 years. It seems he wants to pick up from where they left off, yet where they left off is elusive. We can't get a firm handle on it. Is Bren going to stay around long enough, or will he disappear again?
At times I wanted to scream at Bren and Norah, and also at the two mothers, but Daverley's hypnotic prose had captivated me. I felt as if I were a part of their lives.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Claire Daverley's first novel, so when I saw that her second book was available to request via NetGalley, I hit that button so fast!

I loved the sound of the premise, but "People in Love" is so much more than just a love story - it's a beautiful meditation on love, friendship, grief, and family, with wonderfully developed characters I will be thinking about for a long time. The same as with the first novel, I felt like the characters were people I really knew, and I hated leaving them behind once the book had finished.

I think it's safe to say that Claire Daverley is now firmly on my list of favourite authors, and I can't wait to read whatever she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher, who granted me a free ARC copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.