Main Characters: A Novel

by Bobby Palmer

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.

--

PRAISE FOR BOBBY PALMER

'Unique, tender and funny' Pandora Sykes
'Like nothing I've ever read before' Stylist
'Sublime' Bryony Gordon
'An utter sparkler of a novel' Sunday Independent
'Heart-wrenching yet oddly soothing, this is utterly beautiful' Prima

Genres: Romance, Adult Fiction, Fiction

416 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication 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

[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.

[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

[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.

[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.

[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

[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.

[Abbie Hawkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC read - thank you to the publishers, NetGalley and of course the author for this advanced copy.

This book is everything the synopsis promises to be and more.

I knew from the premiss that I would love it, but it still blew me away. I cried, I laughed, I fell in love with the gorgeous array of wonderful characters. The way of telling the story through the eyes of everyone around them was so clever, I couldn’t help but think about couples I’ve observed and what strangers may have seen of my life.

My husband is from Leicester, so I loved the little nods to a place I’ve come to know well.

For fans of the last five years, heartburn, David Nichols, Sally Rooney… I could go on.

It was beautiful, I want to read it again and again and again. I can’t wait until July so I can recommend it to all of my friends!

[Takealookinsideabook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bobby's books are always written in such a unique and tender way and they always tug at every single one of my heartstrings.

Main Characters was no exception and oh my, what a story! Such a rollercoaster ride about life, the ups, the downs, the bad decisions, the regrets, the love, the loss.

I had to put this book down a few times while reading because I was so overcome with emotion that I couldnt read the words!

I absolutely loved the aspect of this story ever since it was announced! Telling a story about a couple from everyone else's perspective but them is so fascinating and the author has done such a fantastic job too! I was captivated the whole time.

Thank you to the publisher for sending me a proof copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kimberley · Rating 4 out of 5]

a big thank you to netgalley and the author for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

main characters is a love story told through the eyes of everyone (friends, housemates, random people they pass on the street, colleagues etc.) and not the couple themselves. i feel as though i have read so many romances lately that follow the same formula but the concept for this book is unlike anything i’ve read before so i was immediately intrigued.

honestly it took me a little while to get into the story. because of the way this story is structured, in the beginning i was getting confused about who was being referred to sometimes. once i got to about the halfway mark and understood the writing style more, that was no longer an issue.

i found that both characters were well developed, complex and not always likeable. while i really enjoyed the story and thought that writing was stunning, i found myself really just wanting to get into the heads of the main characters. i wasn’t fully invested in their relationship because i didn’t get the main characters’ perspectives or thoughts on things. i still really liked them and their love but just found myself wanting a little bit more.

overall i found their love story to be touching and the concept to be fresh and intriguing. would definitely recommend this one.

[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!!

[Ed Rabinowitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Kathleen Quinlan at Little, Brown and Company for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “Main Characters” is scheduled for release on June 30, 2026.
The promo for this novel states, “This is a love story, told by everyone but the main characters.” And that’s my biggest issue with the story. I’d rather hear from the main characters.
The setting is London. Clara, who wants to be a film director, and Seb, an actor who doesn’t really know what he wants to do, meet. And the attraction is magnetic.
The narrative then follows the couple over the course of a decade or so, but it does so from the perspective of family, friends, or any old person on the street. For example, when Clara and Seb argue over lunch at a restaurant, the entire scene is revealed through the eyes of a woman at an adjacent table. And when they leave, their interaction outside the restaurant comes from the point of view of a male smoke on the street.
It’s an interesting concept, writing from all the various points of view in the couple’s lives, but it left me empty. I want to know more about Clara and Seb, and there’s no way a woman at an adjacent table can offer that. More importantly, that woman’s perspective comes across exactly the same as the smoker on the street. And a section called The New Neighbor seems more about the neighbor than Clara or Seb.
These are two people (Clara and Seb) who have a lot of dynamics going on in their lives, but I found it hard to care about either of them since I never really got a sense of who they are. And because the varying perspectives are never repeated (i.e., we only hear from the woman at the adjacent restaurant table, or the smoker on the street, once), their perceptions become a one-time shot in the dark. With dozens of these perspectives over the course of the novel, they lose their meaning.
Without giving anything away, I would rather have seen the narrative take the approach of a film Clara releases toward the end of the novel, where the two main characters alternate telling their side of the relationship. That would have been infinitely better.
Sorry I can’t be more positive, but just two stars for “Main Characters.” I would much rather have heard directly from those main characters.
And you can read all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) blog site.

[Lucy Sweeney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer
☀️☀️☀️⛅

Thank you to Hachette and Netgalley for this ARC copy!

This ambitious romance book takes a love story spanning decades and tells it through the eyes of everyone else BUT the two love interests.

I think it's an admirable task to set yourself as a writer, and the concept itself had so much potential, but I ultimately think there were a few things that let it down:

1) Palmer's writing style never varied between POVs, of which there were dozens. If the plan was to explore characters through observation, there needed to be discrepancies, unreliable narrators, and unique voices amongst the throng of characters. The fact that everyone seemed to reflect similarly, and viewed their relationship similarly, defeated the purpose of the concept in my mind.

2) Certain narrative beats leaned too heavily into melodrama that felt out of place for me when I'm already degrees removed from the heart of the story. If one or two of those had been left out, or written subtly to avoid the big reveal, I believe that the repetition of the back-and-forth relationship wouldn't have come across as so formulaic.

3) The pacing was difficult for me. These quick chapters actually had the opposite effect, slowing down the pacing and making it a struggle to keep connected with Clara and Seb. Already viewing them from afar made them feel a bit cliche and unattainable, but that factor exacerbated the issue.

This isn't a bad book. I liked many of the characters and thought there was great exploration of identity, communication, career vs family, and more. But if the big selling points - the structure, and the romance itself - fall short, these can only boost the book so much.


'You want to be famous?'
'I want to make people happy,' she says. 'Or sad. Angry. Elated. The emotion doesn't matter, really. If you make people anything, you've made something that matters.' A pause. 'Isn't that what it's all about?' she says. 'Making something great?'
Seb considers this carefully. 'I think life is about more than making great things.'

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the ARC!!

I really wanted to love this book. Seb & Clara’s love story was great. But the outsider perspectives made the story feel disjointed and impersonal. The concept is cool but I think if it was written from their own perspectives it would’ve been better.

Main characters is written from the perspective of various observers instead of the protagonists. I was really intrigued by this concept. It’s a cool idea in theory but in practice it falls flat. The chapters are each from the lens of a different person observing the couple through their relationship. I.E. Someone sitting near them at a restaurant or bar, jogging past in the park, neighbors, and friends (Some just for a brief moment & others for longer ). I thought the chapters from the perspective of their close friends were better than the ones of complete strangers & passersby. Each chapter is quite short showing snippets of their relationship. Which again, sounds cool in theory. But it lacks any depth or emotion that you usually get from the protagonists perspective and inner monologue. It’s written quite matter of factly which left me wanting more. I got frustrated with each chapter going into the observers background story. The observers don’t repeat and it started to feel irrelevant. There are far too many descriptions of what everyone is wearing.
“He’s tall, wearing a black T-shirt.”
“in black jeans and a black T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up.”
“a tall man wearing a black denim jacket”
etc. etc. etc.
It was repetitive and each time I started getting interested the story the observer would change and the whole description / introduction to the observer & main characters would repeat all over again... When they finally got back into the meat & potatoes of Seb & Clara's story I loved it! I just wish there was less fluff about the observer and more about the main characters.

[Nicola Mackenzie-Smaller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every year I try to start my reading off with something I know I’m going to like, so picked this from the list of things NetGalley has kindly sent me, as I am a massive fan of Bobby Palmer’s previous books and was confident I’d enjoy this.
What can I say? I am a bit panicked I might have read my favourite book of the year on day one. Talk about setting the bar high. This is a love story about our two main characters; an actor, Seb, and a director, Cara, told though the eyes of many others. Sometimes this is people who know them, sometimes people who see them in restaurants or on holiday, and one time even a nosy person reading their text messages on a bus. It’s a high concept strategy, which really works in the context of unfolding like a film told from multiple camera perspectives, but you also get to know Cara, Seb, and their friends and family from all the different angles.
It reminded me very much of One Day, in the way we see Cara and Seb’s story evolve and in the waiting for them to see what you can as the reader. I mean this as high praise because I absolutely love David Nicholls.
I read this in one massive binge and it made me cry, more than once, which is no mean feat. It also made me want to cheer, and sometimes made me laugh out loud. Despite the multiple perspectives I didn’t find this confusing. In fact there were certain characters I waited to see reemerge within the story to catch up with them over the years. Seb’s friends and Cara’s neighbour Maisie, in particular were always welcome.
I honestly can’t praise this highly enough. I’m going to be pressing everyone to get a copy when it’s published and I’ll definitely be buying a hard copy of this and reading it again.
Thanks to NetGalley and to the publishers for making the start of my reading year so enjoyable.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

A challenging premise for anyone who was told “People are too busy thinking about themselves to think about you.” In Palmer's world, characters consistently stop and stare when Seb or Clara enter a room. 
I loved the idea of seeing a relationship from the POV of the people that made up their orbit. Unfortunately, those POVs all had the same tone and were universally flattering. Nearly every secondary character is in awe of Seb and Clara’s beauty, intensity, and love, to the point of hiding in shadows to eavesdrop or silently weeping at nearby tables, overwhelmed by their private conversations. While the number of supporting characters isn’t unusually large, they’re intentionally left undeveloped, making it difficult to keep track of names. Without distinction, the other female characters blur together.
I was worried that Clara's magnetism was manic pixie dream girl territory. Thankfully her shine dulls as the book continues and we are exposed to her flaws and mis-steps. I'll continue thinking about Clara long after finishing the book. Additionally, Seb and Nimesh's friendship is beautiful, though likely codependent. I wish I read more books where deep and enduring male friendships are represented.
The short chapters made it easy to pick up and put down, but it's not a propulsive read. But I don't think it was trying to be.The suggested comp title of Normal People wasn't a great fit for me. It felt most like the Before movie trilogy with Hawke and Delphy. Rich in imagery, a female lead you can't help rooting for, and a love that lasts across circumstances. 
"Our whole lives have an audience, but everyone sees everyone differently. Which is your true self? The one you see, or the one other people see?"

Thanks to netgalley for the e-arc.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐ - Have you ever cried in public over a book? Specifically on a crowded bus that's taking your family from the airport to your vacation? And not just a few tears down your cheek but big, loud sobs that make your husband concerned for your welfare? Well, if you want to keep it that way, do not make this your next beach read. 

What I loved: I didn't know if I would love or hate a story told from a different POV every chapter, but turns out it's an incredible plot device if done right. I think it speaks to the author's talent that I can feel so deeply for these characters without ever being inside their heads to know what they are feeling. And speaking of characters - I think he does a great job of building the two main ones as well as their surrounding cast -- even if they make frustratingly poor decisions that make you want to wring their necks. 

What could have been better: He did this a little bit, but I think it could have been amped up a little more. I felt like each POV could have been more distinct - with varied ways of talking and thinking, differences in tone and texture. 

Also, I am not sure the actual love story in this story is worth idolizing and maybe that's the point? It seemed that some of the supporting cast had better, more enviable love stories. 

Finally, I actually think that an epilogue with the main characters' POV would have been the perfect conclusion but maybe not. 

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

[Georgina Power · Rating 3 out of 5]

*ARC Gifted by Netgalley*

"Some love stories are bigger than just two people.”

That line really sums up what this book is trying to do, and honestly, it’s such a great idea. I loved the concept of telling a love story through the people around the couple rather than from the couple themselves, and I really respect the author for trying something a bit different.

For me though, it didn’t quite hit the way I hoped it would. There are so many characters, and while that’s kind of the point, it meant most of them felt quite surface-level. I struggled to keep track of everyone, and I never really felt deeply connected to any of them.

Because the story is told entirely from the outside, Seb and Clara didn’t really feel like main characters to me, even though it’s their relationship at the centre of everything. As a result, the romance felt a bit distant. I wanted more emotional depth and more time actually with them, rather than just hearing about them through other people.

That said, I didn’t dislike this book. I appreciate what the author was trying to do, and I can absolutely see why it’s been such a hit with so many readers. The writing style and structure just weren’t really for me, which made this one feel more okay than unforgettable.

Overall, it’s a book I’m glad I read. A brilliant concept, clearly written with a lot of thought behind it — just not a favourite romance for me, even though I didn’t completely dislike it either.

[mars · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 i guess. i'm so mad at how divided i feel

such a great start and what an interesting writing premise that was genuinely intriguing. i was into this for a good 50% and then...... well. that damn plot happened. god it pissed me off so much that it just made it such a struggle to get through the rest. spoilers ahead you've been warned

sure, be 'realistic', be mean to your characters, whatever, but everything about the clara pregnancy storyline was YUCKY. i don't care. you have clearly laid out to me that she does not want to be a mom, you have made this a break up-able offense to a couple ten years into their relationship, and you're telling me as soon as she cheats on said partner (also yucky as fuck like sure women's wrongs but come on) SHE GETS PREGNANT? and what, she can't abort it because it's covid???? literally laughable and awful. not a good look for a male writer, it really gave me the ick. and it wasn't redeemed by clara still being able to have somewhat of a career and her man at the end, it doesn't work like that #to me because it's so clear you did not respect her as a character/person

dating for 10 years then taking another 10 to get back together is crazy like he wanted the normal people love rosie nachos so bad. and it fell flat because you couldn't think of a better plot line than "use woman's body despite her clearly laid out wishes and ruin her entire life" boring sloppy lazy!!!

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main Characters is an original novel, told from many perspectives but following the same couple over years of their lives. Watched by friends, commuters, colleagues, baristas and more, Clara and Seb experience life and love in London. She wants to make films, he doesn't really know what he wants. All he cares about is music and his loveable dog, Jasper, and Clara. They have the kind of loud love that their friends say is “like in the movies.” They can stay up all night talking to each other, even though Seb doesn’t really talk to anyone. They make each other happy, they help each other be better, until they don’t.

There’s a sense of impending implosion throughout the novel, which glued me to the story but also made me want to close the book to avoid the pain, because it hurt. Somehow, Palmer manages to build so much emotion around two characters, despite us never getting inside their heads. You have to trust the author and his host of viewpoints to guide you through their story. The world in which our main characters belong, friends, family, careers, continues around them - and yet Clara and Seb are a constant, like waves kissing the shore, always coming back to one another.

The best book I’ve read in a long time, so clever and unique. It made me smile, it made me cry. It made me realise why I love love stories.

Trigger warning: pet loss and loss of a friend/grief.

Thank you to Headline and NetGalley for the eARC.

[mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was immediately captivated by the premise of the book - a story told by everyone except for the main characters? How would the author pull this unique angle off?
The book covers a substantially long period of time - over 10 years - in the intertwining lives of Clara and Seb (and all the side characters that we visit along the way) and is split into two sections.
I found the second half of the book to be a little more elevated and captivating than the first half, which felt more surface-level, setting the groundwork for the rest of the book. The "side-characters" telling the story felt a bit similar too eachother (partially due to the third person narration) and more just there for the sake of telling the story i.e. seeing Seb/Clara and noting their observations.
The second half, however, was where I felt the story truly began to take hold. I really enjoyed the increased focus on already established characters, including their friends and family as well as the interesting experimentation with the layout of words. It was also where the romance felt the most intriguing and exciting to me.
Main Characters is a story of chances, romance and how love is seen through the people around you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Hachette for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Part 1: 3 stars
Part 2: 4 stars
Overall: 3.75 stars

[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.

[Andie Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley - I loved the idea, but I do think the observations are taken too far in an attempt to bring in Seb and Clara’s internal monologues. Mainly though I couldn’t get past the lead actress references in the rom coms near the start being wrong - it wasn’t Minnie Driver!

Edit (and I’ve now listed this as a spoiler so don’t continue unless you want to): I very much disliked the perception forced in the book that the infertility issues experienced were Clara’s (when clearly, it wasn’t). There was no reference to whether Seb’s fertility was the issue - 48% of fertility problems are related to men. Why was that glossed over? It then created this perception that Seb was blaming her for everything, when actually, it was likely him? Would this have changed the outcome and the characters perspectives? Surely yes. This bothered me more than the Minnie Driver thing (which is quite an effort, actually).

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m so glad that I accepted the publisher’s invitation to read this book. I haven’t been so unexpectedly blown away since reading Mayluna. This story could be considered a rom-com, but the story had substance and it didn’t take on the typical trajectory of a rom-com (more plot twists, which I appreciated!); and it was told solely from the point of few of other people in the book, some complete strangers who observed the couple. I wasn’t sure how this unique narration would play it out, but it worked very well for me! Not only did I enjoy the main relationship story, but the character development and friendships within the story were also strong. I especially enjoyed the friendship between Seb and Nimesh. What a way to start off 2026, already the one to measure up to for my book of the year spot! 9.75/10.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Teagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW -

This is a love story told by everyone witnessing the story - from people on the street, friends, work colleagues - but not the main characters. I was extremely fascinated by the premise having read a book with a similar premise years ago.

Initially, I felt connected to the characters and was excited to see their budding love grow through the lens of others! I could feel the flirtation and connection bubbling. I was excited by it and whilst reading I had the thought that I needed to be more present and aware of my surrounding (see also: people watch more!!)

However, as we progressed I felt less and less connected to the characters, or that connection simply didn’t grow, to the point I stopped caring for and about them.

What I did really like about this book was limited mentions of specific years but mentions of pop culture and world events that placed you in time!

Thank you to netgalley and all for the ARC!

[Mitsy_Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story told not from the main characters’ POVs but from other people’s is an original idea. It felt so fresh at first, and I loved it, but it became a little frustrating towards the end. Now I feel like that this is not the most efficient or effective way to tell a story about someone’s life.

I know David Nicholls has used strangers’ POVs in his books before, but only partially and sparingly, which made those chapters shine and feel meaningful. In this book, however, the main characters’ POVs are completely absent. So when their lives became very complicated later on, I felt too distant from them to sufficiently feel what they were going through to give this book a top rating.

It is certainly a unique book, and it gave me an interesting reading experience. I loved the author’s writing style, which reminded me a little of Sally Rooney. I’m very glad I read it, and I’d give it 4 🌟.

[vibe narrator · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!! This one is going to be big. Thanks so much to Hachette for the early access.

Where to start. This is a beautiful love story, first and foremost - the love story of Seb and Clara, told through the eyes of strangers, acquaintances, and people who love them. It is also completely human, realistic, devastating, uplifting, complex and sweeping in its scope in a way that calls to mind One Day or Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow.

I thought the characters were beautifully developed, and I loved the raw honesty of the author’s portrayal of deeper themes like betrayal, motherhood, ambition, and grief. I liked the device of telling the story through short chapter POVs of everyone but the ‘main characters’, although I did occasionally find myself pulled out of the story wondering how the chapter’s narrator had such insight into Seb and Clara’s thoughts and feelings.

Overall, highly recommended.

[Marcia Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of Main Characters by Bobby Palmer immediately drew me in—a love story told by everyone except the two people at its center. At first, I worried it might become a DNF; the characters were introduced at a frenetic pace, and I felt as though I needed a cheat sheet to keep track of the relationships. As the pace settled, however, I found myself increasingly invested.

The protagonists are both broken in different ways. She is determined to rebuild herself and pursue her dreams; he is uncertain, searching, and unsure he will ever feel whole again. Their chemistry is electric. They fall hard and begin building a life together.

As the years pass, friends, passersby, and casual eavesdroppers narrate the vignettes that make up their story, adding texture and context—albeit from an outsider’s perspective. As Clara and Seb come together and drift apart, I couldn’t help but think they might have benefited from that same vantage point. But real life rarely offers such clarity.

The novel ends without truly ending, which feels fitting. Some stories continue long after the reader turns the final page.
Thank you to NetGalley for the advance copy.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer immediately caught my attention because of its unique premise: a love story told through the perspectives of the people surrounding the couple, rather than the couple themselves. It’s such an intriguing idea, and one I hadn’t really encountered before.

I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t completely sold. Early on, I found myself thinking it was just fine—a lighthearted love story with a clever twist. But I’m so glad I stuck with it, because as the story unfolded, it truly came into its own.

What I initially underestimated was the depth. This book is so much more than it first appears. The characters are incredibly lifelike and layered, and the way their stories intersect around the central relationship feels both intimate and real. By the end, I was completely invested—this book gave me genuine joy and broke my heart in equal measure.

A beautifully written, emotionally rich story that surprised me in the best way. I really, really enjoyed this one.

Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline for the ARC

[Ruks B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant concept - to see the main characters in a love story from the eyes of bystanders. It made for some funny moments, including a barista observing a meet-cute and nosy people on a bus reading texts over one of our protagonist's shoulders, but while a great concept, it also made for choppy reading at the start of the novel. With quickly changing perspectives and not enough time with our main characters initially, it took longer for me to warm to them. Warm to them I did though, in the end - all of the messiness, the complexities of being human and loving people in spite of their flaws. I might have shed a tear. Recommended for people watchers. For full immersion in the story, it's better read without interruptions.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for a chance to read and review this ambitious and ultimately satisfying book.

[Kimberley Leader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers. This is such an interesting and unique concept for a love story. I absolutely loved the writing style of this book and the changes of POV throughout which made sense. I really enjoyed how past chapter characters made multiple appearances throughout the book. I really love the friendships in this book - Nimesh, if you know you know.

I found this to be a very realistic and emotional love story. The fact we had no chapters from the POV of the main characters is so different to any love story I’ve read before. I didn’t think that it prevented the reader from being able to feel Clara and Sebs feelings for each other. This story will be staying with me for a while.

Thank you to NetGalley and Headline Books for providing me an ARC to give this review.