What do you think?
Rate this book
Before We Say Goodbye
'Why did she direct me to the only man in the world who can make me feel like this?' The day Maggie Lane dies, she sends her daughter Olivia a letter containing dangerous information: the address of Olivia's first love, Richie Briscoe. Olivia has not seen Richie for over twenty years, not since his desertion of her as a teenager almost destroyed her for good. She cannot understand why her mother's last act should be to stir up old drama like him. Convinced that the note represents an admission of guilt, Olivia sets off for the idyllic seaside village where Richie now lives with his young daughter Wren. Soon she has fallen for him all over again - and found in little Wren the daughter she never had. But there is a problem. For Olivia already has a husband and two sons. And where does this second chance at happiness put them?
416 pages, Paperback
First published August 6, 2009
69 people are currently reading
849 people want to read
About the author
Louise Candlish
39 books2,780 followersHello and welcome to my page... You may already know my domestic noir thrillers or perhaps you're curious and not sure which to try first - either way, you're in the right place!
My latest is OUR HOLIDAY, a Sunday Times bestseller, WHSmith Richard & Judy Book Club pick and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 nominee. It features my favourite ever love-to-hate characters Perry and Charlotte, second home owners in the idyllic English beach resort of Pine Ridge. It's now in development for the screen - I'll share news on that as soon as I can.
Next up is A NEIGHBOUR'S GUIDE TO MURDER, published in July 2025 (UK) and 2026 (US), available to pre-order now.
Last year I celebrated my 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for my 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction. Stay tuned for TV news on that one too - it will be the next of mine to hit our screens!
OUR HOUSE is the one you may know me for as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned my career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.
A bit about me: I live in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with my husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie who is the apple of my eye. Books, TV and long walks are my passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends. Authors I love include Tom Wolfe, Patricia Highsmith, Barbara Vine, Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh. My favourite book is Madame Bovary.
Be the first to hear about new releases and price drops by clicking on the 'Follow' button under my pic or:
X/Twitter: louise_candlish
Instagram: louisecandlish
FB: LouiseCandlishAuthor
My latest is OUR HOLIDAY, a Sunday Times bestseller, WHSmith Richard & Judy Book Club pick and Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2025 nominee. It features my favourite ever love-to-hate characters Perry and Charlotte, second home owners in the idyllic English beach resort of Pine Ridge. It's now in development for the screen - I'll share news on that as soon as I can.
Next up is A NEIGHBOUR'S GUIDE TO MURDER, published in July 2025 (UK) and 2026 (US), available to pre-order now.
Last year I celebrated my 20th anniversary as an author with the news of two prestigious awards for my 90s-set thriller THE ONLY SUSPECT: the Capital Crime Fingerprint Award for Thriller of the Year and the Ned Kelly Award for Best International Crime Fiction. Stay tuned for TV news on that one too - it will be the next of mine to hit our screens!
OUR HOUSE is the one you may know me for as it's now a major four-part ITV drama starring Martin Compston and Tuppence Middleton (watch the full series free on ITVX). This is the novel that turned my career around, winning the 2019 British Book Awards Book of the Year - Crime & Thriller and shortlisted for the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award, the Capital Crime Amazon Publishing Best Crime Novel of the Year Award, and the Audible Sounds of Crime Award. It was also longlisted for the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year Award and the Specsavers National Book Awards. A Waterstones Thriller of the Month, it recently received a Nielsen Bestseller Silver Award for 250,000 copies sold.
A bit about me: I live in a South London neighbourhood not unlike the one in my books, with my husband, daughter and a fox-red Labrador called Bertie who is the apple of my eye. Books, TV and long walks are my passions - and drinking wine in the sun with family and friends. Authors I love include Tom Wolfe, Patricia Highsmith, Barbara Vine, Agatha Christie and Evelyn Waugh. My favourite book is Madame Bovary.
Be the first to hear about new releases and price drops by clicking on the 'Follow' button under my pic or:
X/Twitter: louise_candlish
Instagram: louisecandlish
FB: LouiseCandlishAuthor
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
June 12, 2020
Hmm I'm not really sure how I feel about this book. The plot was an interesting one but I just found the main character, Olivia, so unlikeable that it sorted of ruined the story for me. I get that she's not supposed to be a goody two shoes but she really was such a narcissistic person that it was hard to feel anything for her.
June 6, 2025
*https://www.instagram.com/mrsb_book_r...
👋Before We Say Goodbye by Louise Candlish is a novel I purchased while on an overseas trip to Europe a couple of years ago. It is a backlist title of popular British author Louise Candlish and was first published in 2009. This book wasn’t quite what I expected from the thriller writer. It was a story of the power of first love, rekindled love, second chances, family estrangement, mistrust and personal life crisis. More on the psychological side than suspense the author of Our House is known for, it still managed to capture me for a full day and evening. I couldn’t stop reading this one until I had got to the bottom of the difficult family dynamics, moral crossroads the main character faced and the consequences of estrangement.
👋Before We Say Goodbye is a story that follows mother of two Olivia, who has struggled to forgive her mother for manipulating the demise of her relationship with her first love Richie. It is a wound that cuts deep, despite the fact that Richie hasn’t been in Olivia’s life for years and Olivia is now married with two sons. When her mother passes away, she leaves Olivia with a parting message, urging her to seek out Richie, leaving Olivia shaken. This unexpected request forces Olivia to confront her painful past and it forces the grieving Olivia to consider if reuniting with Richie is what she always dreamed of.
👋With themes of loss, estrangement, crumbling relationships, family pressures, secrets At its heart, Candlish’s narrative zones in on the moral complexities of her main character’s decision to follow an alternative pathway following the airing of a long buried secret, that could change the course of everyone’s lives. Olivia is an emotionally conflicted woman and we bear witness to a personal life crisis, which has been kick started by the recent loss of her mother, whom she has a strained relationship with. As the narrative unfolds, Candlish weaves a complex tapestry of lies, deceit, indecision, lust, obsession, connection, guilt and the intricate web of family ties.
I found this novel’s strength was the fact that it raised questions about the impact of family secrets and the lasting damage caused by unresolved issues. I found myself at odds with the lead, struggling to understand the ease at which she abandoned her marriage and two boys, for the sake of an old teenage love. On the flip side I did find the scene between Olivia and her old flame Richie engrossing and I almost felt as though they belonged together, It was a tough decision.
\
Louise Candlish’s writing is impactful in this backlist title and the emotional depth of the story, as well as the character lingers long after the final page. Fans of family or relationship dramas with a psychological twist will find much to enjoy here. 4.5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟💫
👋Before We Say Goodbye by Louise Candlish is a novel I purchased while on an overseas trip to Europe a couple of years ago. It is a backlist title of popular British author Louise Candlish and was first published in 2009. This book wasn’t quite what I expected from the thriller writer. It was a story of the power of first love, rekindled love, second chances, family estrangement, mistrust and personal life crisis. More on the psychological side than suspense the author of Our House is known for, it still managed to capture me for a full day and evening. I couldn’t stop reading this one until I had got to the bottom of the difficult family dynamics, moral crossroads the main character faced and the consequences of estrangement.
👋Before We Say Goodbye is a story that follows mother of two Olivia, who has struggled to forgive her mother for manipulating the demise of her relationship with her first love Richie. It is a wound that cuts deep, despite the fact that Richie hasn’t been in Olivia’s life for years and Olivia is now married with two sons. When her mother passes away, she leaves Olivia with a parting message, urging her to seek out Richie, leaving Olivia shaken. This unexpected request forces Olivia to confront her painful past and it forces the grieving Olivia to consider if reuniting with Richie is what she always dreamed of.
👋With themes of loss, estrangement, crumbling relationships, family pressures, secrets At its heart, Candlish’s narrative zones in on the moral complexities of her main character’s decision to follow an alternative pathway following the airing of a long buried secret, that could change the course of everyone’s lives. Olivia is an emotionally conflicted woman and we bear witness to a personal life crisis, which has been kick started by the recent loss of her mother, whom she has a strained relationship with. As the narrative unfolds, Candlish weaves a complex tapestry of lies, deceit, indecision, lust, obsession, connection, guilt and the intricate web of family ties.
I found this novel’s strength was the fact that it raised questions about the impact of family secrets and the lasting damage caused by unresolved issues. I found myself at odds with the lead, struggling to understand the ease at which she abandoned her marriage and two boys, for the sake of an old teenage love. On the flip side I did find the scene between Olivia and her old flame Richie engrossing and I almost felt as though they belonged together, It was a tough decision.
\
Louise Candlish’s writing is impactful in this backlist title and the emotional depth of the story, as well as the character lingers long after the final page. Fans of family or relationship dramas with a psychological twist will find much to enjoy here. 4.5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟💫
July 2, 2022
I thought this was going to be a nice, romantic beach read but I could not be more wrong. It was flat and boring, so it's a surprise I managed to finish it. I didn't like any of the characters except Wren (a child.) I spent most of the book rolling my eyes and sighing with how annoying and selfish Olivia was. We're meant to empathise with her as she's grieving her mother, but why anyone would leave their husband and children to shack up with someone they dated very briefly when they were 16 and clearly wasn't that into them is beyond me. Frustrating, unrealistic, disappointing.
July 2, 2023
I can see by the reviews that I'm not the only one who found Olivia the most irritating, selfish and frankly odd character. Story was ok, but didn't really come to much in the end. Wren, the little girl, was the only person who didn't annoy me.
August 28, 2010
While reading this, I found I became incredibly attached to it. I thought about it a lot when not reading it, and never wanted to put it down, but did so to prevent myself from finishing it too quickly. This is a response I haven't had from a book for what seems like a very long time, and because of it, I'm definitely going to say this book is amazing. Because I certainly thought it was. Definitely going to check out more from Louise Candlish!
November 16, 2009
When Olivia Lane’s mother, Maggie, dies, she leaves Olivia a note which has on it the address of Olivia’s first love, Richie. Olivia hasn’t seen Richie for more than twenty years, after her mother seemingly sabotaged their relationship, so she jumps at the chance to be reunited with him. Olivia flees to Millington and finds she’s still in love with Richie and thinks of his daughter, Wren, as the daughter she never had.Trouble is, Olivia has a family back in London, a husband and two sons. Who will Olivia choose to be with?
My first, and only, Louise Candlish book I’ve read was the outstanding Since I Don’t Have You which ranks high up on my list of best books ever so I was always going to be doubtful about any further books by Louise. I also have another of Louise’s books to read, The Second Husband, but decided to read her newest Before We Say Goodbye as it sounded like a fabulous read.
I thought the book opened perfectly, on the eve of Maggie’s death, and I was quickly dragged into the book. It’s told in three parts – I’m not a fan of books being in parts – but the “parts” don’t jump time too much, if at all. The whole of the first part is told in the first-person perspective by Olivia and the last two parts alternate between first- and third-person, bringing in Olivia’s husband Russell’s perspective, which helps to balance out the book. I enjoyed the added perspective as I didn’t think Olivia was enough of a force to keep the whole book going with just her thoughts.
For me though, the let down of the book were the characters. I didn’t like Olivia at all. I thought she was incredibly selfish especially since she herself grew up with an absent mother, granted her mother, Maggie, was away far longer than Olivia was, but that isn’t the point. Olivia still deserted her two children, Noah and Jamie, even though her mothers’ desertion disgusted her. It made her out to be a bit of a hypocrite. I was surprised at how quick she was to take herself off to Millington in search of Richie. I know a lot happened between them but even so, it was twenty years ago. Unsurprisingly though, both Olivia and Richie still felt the same about each other which was a bit hard to take. For a while Olivia came across very clingy once she met up with Richie again and it drove me insane as I found it difficult to swallow. Surely one of them would have changed in the twenty years they hadn’t seen each other? but no. I can’t say I particularly liked Richie. I don’t really know why, I just couldn’t take to him. For most of the book, my sympathies were with Russell until Jana came into the picture. Then he lost all credibility, too, as far as I was concerned. My favourite character was probably young Wren, Richie’s daughter. It says it all when my favourite character is a child.
One of the highlights of the book were the flashbacks to Olivia and Dean’s childhood. We learn exactly what their mothers abandonment did to them and why they resented her so much. We also learn how Olivia and Richie first fell in love and eventually we also learn how it all went wrong. I thought those chapters really added to the book and I enjoyed them immensely. It took a while to get to the crux of the matter, but it didn’t disappoint. The flashbacks were definitely my favourite part and they helped to mould the story better and added flesh to the whole thing. I have to admit that I didn’t see what Maggie did that was so wrong it warranted so much hate from her children. Yes, she abandoned them which was awful but Olivia made her out to be the anti-christ particularly when it came to Richie. Olivia held one heck of a grudge in regards to what her mother allegedley did to try and end Olivia and Richie’s relationship. Even twenty years later she still didn’t seem to be over it all. I can understand it, because Olivia did go through a lot after Richie left, but it also seemed a bit… I don’t know, childish? I felt that after twenty years she should have moved on. Olivia had a loving husband and two great children but she still wasn’t happy.
For all I’ve said about the book, I didn’t hate it. I just wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. It’s hinted that Olivia is having some kind of breakdown, but that never really took off. It was an underlying thing that never really happened. It’s a shame I didn’t find it lived up to expectations. It was a great idea for a plot and it worked in a way, it just wasn’t what I expected and I found the characters incredibly disappointing. One last thing I have to mention is the ending. It seemed like a cop-out – it was too quick. I would recommend this if you liked Louise’s other books but it you’re new to Louise I’d recommed you read Since I Don’t Have You.
My first, and only, Louise Candlish book I’ve read was the outstanding Since I Don’t Have You which ranks high up on my list of best books ever so I was always going to be doubtful about any further books by Louise. I also have another of Louise’s books to read, The Second Husband, but decided to read her newest Before We Say Goodbye as it sounded like a fabulous read.
I thought the book opened perfectly, on the eve of Maggie’s death, and I was quickly dragged into the book. It’s told in three parts – I’m not a fan of books being in parts – but the “parts” don’t jump time too much, if at all. The whole of the first part is told in the first-person perspective by Olivia and the last two parts alternate between first- and third-person, bringing in Olivia’s husband Russell’s perspective, which helps to balance out the book. I enjoyed the added perspective as I didn’t think Olivia was enough of a force to keep the whole book going with just her thoughts.
For me though, the let down of the book were the characters. I didn’t like Olivia at all. I thought she was incredibly selfish especially since she herself grew up with an absent mother, granted her mother, Maggie, was away far longer than Olivia was, but that isn’t the point. Olivia still deserted her two children, Noah and Jamie, even though her mothers’ desertion disgusted her. It made her out to be a bit of a hypocrite. I was surprised at how quick she was to take herself off to Millington in search of Richie. I know a lot happened between them but even so, it was twenty years ago. Unsurprisingly though, both Olivia and Richie still felt the same about each other which was a bit hard to take. For a while Olivia came across very clingy once she met up with Richie again and it drove me insane as I found it difficult to swallow. Surely one of them would have changed in the twenty years they hadn’t seen each other? but no. I can’t say I particularly liked Richie. I don’t really know why, I just couldn’t take to him. For most of the book, my sympathies were with Russell until Jana came into the picture. Then he lost all credibility, too, as far as I was concerned. My favourite character was probably young Wren, Richie’s daughter. It says it all when my favourite character is a child.
One of the highlights of the book were the flashbacks to Olivia and Dean’s childhood. We learn exactly what their mothers abandonment did to them and why they resented her so much. We also learn how Olivia and Richie first fell in love and eventually we also learn how it all went wrong. I thought those chapters really added to the book and I enjoyed them immensely. It took a while to get to the crux of the matter, but it didn’t disappoint. The flashbacks were definitely my favourite part and they helped to mould the story better and added flesh to the whole thing. I have to admit that I didn’t see what Maggie did that was so wrong it warranted so much hate from her children. Yes, she abandoned them which was awful but Olivia made her out to be the anti-christ particularly when it came to Richie. Olivia held one heck of a grudge in regards to what her mother allegedley did to try and end Olivia and Richie’s relationship. Even twenty years later she still didn’t seem to be over it all. I can understand it, because Olivia did go through a lot after Richie left, but it also seemed a bit… I don’t know, childish? I felt that after twenty years she should have moved on. Olivia had a loving husband and two great children but she still wasn’t happy.
For all I’ve said about the book, I didn’t hate it. I just wasn’t a fan of any of the characters. It’s hinted that Olivia is having some kind of breakdown, but that never really took off. It was an underlying thing that never really happened. It’s a shame I didn’t find it lived up to expectations. It was a great idea for a plot and it worked in a way, it just wasn’t what I expected and I found the characters incredibly disappointing. One last thing I have to mention is the ending. It seemed like a cop-out – it was too quick. I would recommend this if you liked Louise’s other books but it you’re new to Louise I’d recommed you read Since I Don’t Have You.
July 23, 2017
Really enjoyed listening to this book.
July 12, 2022
Ok but not a favourite. Unrealistic!
October 30, 2022
I need to sleep on it!
February 12, 2022
Don't you just hate when publishing companies issue older books from an author that's currently high in the charts - and you pick it up thinking its a new book, and find out it really isn't! Well, I read 'Our House' by this author and loved it; so was excited to read another of her books even though the cover blurb clearly described a different type of genre. Then I realise the book is actually from 13y ago. And I'm afraid it shows how much the author developed since then.
I've given a measly 2* on the rating, as although I did read through to the end, it was through sheer perseverance and lots of eye-rolling at the main character Olivia and the rationalisation for her actions of the summer. What a horribly selfish self-centred non-self-aware character she was. I really didn't buy the PTSD (or whatever) she was going through after the death of her clearly-marginalised mother (also a horrible character). Richie was a bolted-together character of nightmare-teen becoming god-like adult/father. OK, Wren was cute. The storyline was written with empathy for the main character - when none of her actions (to me) seemed plausible or defensible.
Quite disappointing, and won't return to any of the earlier publications for this author. And will now be sure to check publication dates on all books for newly-popular authors before purchasing!
I've given a measly 2* on the rating, as although I did read through to the end, it was through sheer perseverance and lots of eye-rolling at the main character Olivia and the rationalisation for her actions of the summer. What a horribly selfish self-centred non-self-aware character she was. I really didn't buy the PTSD (or whatever) she was going through after the death of her clearly-marginalised mother (also a horrible character). Richie was a bolted-together character of nightmare-teen becoming god-like adult/father. OK, Wren was cute. The storyline was written with empathy for the main character - when none of her actions (to me) seemed plausible or defensible.
Quite disappointing, and won't return to any of the earlier publications for this author. And will now be sure to check publication dates on all books for newly-popular authors before purchasing!
August 8, 2022
The only reason why I'm not giving this one a one star is because even though I speed read the second half, I did read it to the end. I suppose I was expecting something to happen, but nothing happened. Woman leaves her family, husband, children and all, for no apparent reason , fools around with ex boyfriend, goes back to her husband. Not sure why she does all this (bored?)... apparently it's unfinished business or something. It's a romance novel of worst quality, reads like someone wrote it in about 2 days. I read Louse Candlish novels before for my book club, and they weren't too bad, but this is it, I think I'm done with this author. Sure, you don't read this book expecting a literary masterpiece but it should not be this bad either. It is utterly boring, totally predictable, all of the characters are completely unbelievable, they would never exist in the real world. These things would NEVER happen. Even though there isn't much sex in the book, characters feel like they would be in porn somehow... it's just a very boring and bizarre book in an uninteresting way. Totally hated it... what a waste of time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2022
Sometimes, you might think the past is what you want to go back to but, it is not always what is actually needed.
Even though love remains shock and the need to accept the past may make you behave in ways that are unlike who you usually are. Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend.
Even though love remains shock and the need to accept the past may make you behave in ways that are unlike who you usually are. Really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend.
March 18, 2011
I picked this book up in the gift shop of the hospital I work in. There was not a lot to choose from, and I chose it based entirely on the spine...right away I knew it was a British publication. Had I been at Chapters with the thousands of books to choose from, I can't say I would have grabbed this one, but I am glad I found it, and I will definitely buy the other books this this author has written.
This story disturbed me. As a mother, I can not wrap my head around leaving my children to go in search of my first love. I had a hard time with that aspect of Olivia, who herself was abandoned by her own mother more than once. And yet, I found myself hoping she and Richie would be together.
This story is well written and emotionally driven.
This story disturbed me. As a mother, I can not wrap my head around leaving my children to go in search of my first love. I had a hard time with that aspect of Olivia, who herself was abandoned by her own mother more than once. And yet, I found myself hoping she and Richie would be together.
This story is well written and emotionally driven.
August 20, 2022
I found this book a real drag. Nothing really happened and none of the characters were likeable. Not even one. How is that possible? To not create one character that is a decent person? I read the other passenger by this author and really enjoyed it. This one has put me off tho. It really was tosh.
November 24, 2021
I struggled to read more than a few chapters at a time. Not a horrible read but not very interesting.
June 25, 2025
Having read the heights I had expected it to be a great book but was very disappointed. Halfway through I contemplated giving up as wasn’t sure where it was going. It did eventually improve but overall I was disappointed with this book and wouldn’t recommend it to friends.
August 18, 2014
This is an excellent read as we follow a woman and her relationship with her mother who has recently died. This forces her to question everything, as she has to make a choice between the family she has and what might have been. It is superbly crafted and deals with some difficult life choices. Louise Candlish manages to portray depression without writing a depressive novel- very cleverly done!
November 10, 2021
This book has a nice cover, title and synopsis but it is super super boring. I only enjoyed reading the 1st chapter and it goes downhill from here. I turned to the last chapter but it is equally boring. Not going to waste my time reading such a badly written book. I don't know where the storyline is leading to. And the characters.... equally boring. I couldn't finish it. Gave up half way. Very frustrating reading a book like this.
September 4, 2014
This story had me "hooked" from the beginning, but I kept searching my mind for a reason why Olivia's whole world was about her own pleasure, and her family was not important anymore. Then I figured it out - Olivia was having a FEMALE MIDLIFE CRISIS!
January 3, 2023
It took me a while to get into this but once I did, I enjoyed it. Very different from the psychological thrillers Louise usually writes but I did enjoy it.
Olivia and Dean's mum has always been a missing factor in their lives. She disappeared without a moment's notice often as they were growing up, leaving their dad to bring them up. They seperated eventually when Maggie, their mum, went off with Warren from America. Eventually, her mum and Warren came to the UK for a time, and Warren's son Richie hung around with Olivia and Dean back then while he was over in the UK.
Skip to the present day, Olivia is now married with 2 children to Russell, and has been for 18 years. Maggie is dying and it's clear she is trying to apologise to Olivia on her deathbed, but Olivia doesn't let her speak. After Maggie dies, Olivia receives a letter through the post, posted by Lindy, her mother's carer/close friend. Inside is only a name and address for Richie...in Dorset. Not America as Olivia thought he had been all these years. She realises her mother is trying to tell her to go and find Richie. The family are waiting for the will to be read, but their mother stipulated that the will cannot be read until 6 weeks after her death, so Olivia assumes she is giving her time to go find Richie. So that is what she does, she ups and leaves her family. Telling Russell she wants to go away on her own for the weekend to have some space after her mother's death, Russell accepts thinking the break would do her good.
Only when she gets to Millington, Dorset and finds Richie.... it becomes obvious to Olivia that she can't go home yet. She has to find out what could have been, and why Richie left her in despair all those years ago. When a weekend becomes a week, and a week turns into two, has she turned into her mother after all? Abandoning her children and husband to be with another man?
It wasn't fantastic and far from the stories she usually writes but I did enjoy it.
Olivia and Dean's mum has always been a missing factor in their lives. She disappeared without a moment's notice often as they were growing up, leaving their dad to bring them up. They seperated eventually when Maggie, their mum, went off with Warren from America. Eventually, her mum and Warren came to the UK for a time, and Warren's son Richie hung around with Olivia and Dean back then while he was over in the UK.
Skip to the present day, Olivia is now married with 2 children to Russell, and has been for 18 years. Maggie is dying and it's clear she is trying to apologise to Olivia on her deathbed, but Olivia doesn't let her speak. After Maggie dies, Olivia receives a letter through the post, posted by Lindy, her mother's carer/close friend. Inside is only a name and address for Richie...in Dorset. Not America as Olivia thought he had been all these years. She realises her mother is trying to tell her to go and find Richie. The family are waiting for the will to be read, but their mother stipulated that the will cannot be read until 6 weeks after her death, so Olivia assumes she is giving her time to go find Richie. So that is what she does, she ups and leaves her family. Telling Russell she wants to go away on her own for the weekend to have some space after her mother's death, Russell accepts thinking the break would do her good.
Only when she gets to Millington, Dorset and finds Richie.... it becomes obvious to Olivia that she can't go home yet. She has to find out what could have been, and why Richie left her in despair all those years ago. When a weekend becomes a week, and a week turns into two, has she turned into her mother after all? Abandoning her children and husband to be with another man?
It wasn't fantastic and far from the stories she usually writes but I did enjoy it.
February 7, 2023
I'm not a massive fan of romance novels at the best of times to be entirely fair, but this really dragged. I kept waiting for something to happen (other than the odd abandonment) but... nope.
The main character, Olivia, is absolutely awful in a deranged kind of way, and that made this a hard read. It's not really normal to abandon your entire life, husband and two children and just decide to go and live in the countryside with someone you dated at 16(?!) without talking to anyone in your life about it, and it's weird that both Olivia and her husband seem to think it is considering these are our two view points.
Then there's the husband. "There was no way he was spending fifteen quid on bangers and mash" - aside from the fact that's a fairly normal price for London, how is this man worried about £15 when he's the sole breadwinner for a family of 4 (and has been for over a decade), he's a homeowner, and he sends both of his children to a private school? Make it make sense.
And finally, the love interest that's so amazing a woman could just abandon her entire life and family for him! Except he's not amazing, he's bland af. I couldn't tell you a single thing about his character, except that he has an American accent and used to look vaguely surfer-y. Interests, hobbies, motivations, passions...? Nahhh. Oh and he's another one aboard the delusional train. "It made perferct sense that he should not trust with his child a woman who was so singularly failing to care for her own...[three lines later] 'yes if you really think you'd like to'". Yes random woman who I don't really know, had a brief fling with as a teenager that I barely remember and am still vaguely cagey with, please look after my one and only child for an entire week. Sure?!
He's also not that in to Olivia, is (rightly) weirded out that she's just turned up and keeps awkwardly hoping she'll leave. He doesn't place the same importance on their childhood romance either, which makes the whole thing even more strange.
spoiler:
Anyway, it wasn't awful, it's well written and I can see others enjoying it. Just not me on this occasion.
The main character, Olivia, is absolutely awful in a deranged kind of way, and that made this a hard read. It's not really normal to abandon your entire life, husband and two children and just decide to go and live in the countryside with someone you dated at 16(?!) without talking to anyone in your life about it, and it's weird that both Olivia and her husband seem to think it is considering these are our two view points.
Then there's the husband. "There was no way he was spending fifteen quid on bangers and mash" - aside from the fact that's a fairly normal price for London, how is this man worried about £15 when he's the sole breadwinner for a family of 4 (and has been for over a decade), he's a homeowner, and he sends both of his children to a private school? Make it make sense.
And finally, the love interest that's so amazing a woman could just abandon her entire life and family for him! Except he's not amazing, he's bland af. I couldn't tell you a single thing about his character, except that he has an American accent and used to look vaguely surfer-y. Interests, hobbies, motivations, passions...? Nahhh. Oh and he's another one aboard the delusional train. "It made perferct sense that he should not trust with his child a woman who was so singularly failing to care for her own...[three lines later] 'yes if you really think you'd like to'". Yes random woman who I don't really know, had a brief fling with as a teenager that I barely remember and am still vaguely cagey with, please look after my one and only child for an entire week. Sure?!
He's also not that in to Olivia, is (rightly) weirded out that she's just turned up and keeps awkwardly hoping she'll leave. He doesn't place the same importance on their childhood romance either, which makes the whole thing even more strange.
spoiler:
Anyway, it wasn't awful, it's well written and I can see others enjoying it. Just not me on this occasion.
June 20, 2020
I really liked this book. I liked that the author dared to tackle a taboo subject - that mothers are not biologically wired to unconditionally love their children and always to put the children's interests first; that sometimes parents don't have that much in common with their children or feel particularly bonded to them. A friend of mine with such a family ( he is the adult son) says of his nuclear family "We are just individuals who happen to be linked by blood". Mothers are too often expected to put everyone else's interested before their own, but why? Is it really an unquestionable moral imperative? Or is it just something our society has created, as somebody in the family has to do it, and why not the woman, as she's expected to do the lion(ness)'s share of family upkeep anyway?
I think she could have stayed with Richie. However for the plot it was better that she went back to Russell. But the ending was a bit of a cop-out, as another reviewer has suggested. I was hoping for Jana's friends to avenge her by hurting Russell, even an accidental-on-purpose murder. Then there would be nothing stopping her taking her sons and going back to Richie. But would Richie take them all on?...
I think she could have stayed with Richie. However for the plot it was better that she went back to Russell. But the ending was a bit of a cop-out, as another reviewer has suggested. I was hoping for Jana's friends to avenge her by hurting Russell, even an accidental-on-purpose murder. Then there would be nothing stopping her taking her sons and going back to Richie. But would Richie take them all on?...
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 18, 2023
Maybe I'm being harsh here, but I enjoyed almost nothing about this book. I'll admit from the outset that I only read a third of it fully, before checking reviews because of how much I was struggling with it. With other reviews confirming my thoughts, I skimmed the rest with very little interest. The characters were selfish, hypocritical, and unlikable, resulting in me caring very little what happened between them. I felt sorry for all of the children in the book. I liked some of the descriptive details and flashbacks, but they got old pretty fast. I would've been more interested in a story solely about the main character Olivia's difficult relationship with her mother throughout her life and leading up to her mother's death.
August 22, 2024
Spoilers Ahead��-LOVE Louise Candlish so was very excited to read this book. I noticed a lot of reviews didn’t like it because they didn’t like Olivia—but that is what this author does best, writes main characters that are horribly flawed. But this book was difficult to read because Olivia faced no obstacles. Everything works out and she gets everything she needs while leaving hurt in her wake. I expected some sort of twist at the end, which is the only reason I forced myself to finish it. But nope. Just a boring and predictable result. I would even have given it an extra star had she made a different decision in the end (either stay at the seaside or be alone). And the weird side plot about her husband and the babysitter? It was the worst book I read in a few years.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 12, 2025
A well-written, well-plotted novel with actually complex characters. Sometimes we do things that aren't right and sometimes you may become what you despise...
This book is rather hard to talk about without giving too much away but what I can say is it was really quite enjoyable. It pulled me in and kept me hooked from the first words. Louise Candlish writes beautifully and really knows how to make characters come alive on the page. She also understands that just because it's a main character, doesn't mean they have to be a pleasant person. People have layers and grow. The character of Maggie, main character's mom, was such an interesting persona, you really wanted to know what drove her to act the way she did.
Recommend!
This book is rather hard to talk about without giving too much away but what I can say is it was really quite enjoyable. It pulled me in and kept me hooked from the first words. Louise Candlish writes beautifully and really knows how to make characters come alive on the page. She also understands that just because it's a main character, doesn't mean they have to be a pleasant person. People have layers and grow. The character of Maggie, main character's mom, was such an interesting persona, you really wanted to know what drove her to act the way she did.
Recommend!
April 23, 2023
I’m not sure how I feel on this one - I was expecting a thriller, as the previous one our house I really enjoyed. The constant switching between past and present made it sometimes difficult to understand which part of the story the reader was at. I feel the story actually had no real substance?
Olivia was an unlikeable character, Russell even more so and well her mother Maggie, just was not something I could comprehend as a mother, she’s awful, selfish and incapable of loving her own children, she’s wishes for everything she does not have.
I feel bad for giving this a 2 star review but probably my worst read of 2023, without giving too many spoilers, I can’t really say anymore.
Olivia was an unlikeable character, Russell even more so and well her mother Maggie, just was not something I could comprehend as a mother, she’s awful, selfish and incapable of loving her own children, she’s wishes for everything she does not have.
I feel bad for giving this a 2 star review but probably my worst read of 2023, without giving too many spoilers, I can’t really say anymore.
March 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this book. After being blown away by Our House, and arguably even better The Other Passenger, I was keen to read more. I found this book thought- provoking, with interesting characters and enough to keep me reading as I wanted to know what happened in the end. Olivia was a really frustrating character, one I wanted to shake. How she could do what she did is unimaginable as a mother. I’m really struggling to understand why so many others disliked this book. Awful characters make a book so much more interesting! Also, why did everyone hate Russel? He hadn’t done anything wrong poor bloke! Very much enjoyed, would recommend.
June 29, 2025
I liked this but so disliked the main character, who actually made me really angry. She hates her mother her entire life, even after the woman is dead, for how she has behaved and how selfish she is, and then does exactly what her mother did to her own children. I was willing her nice husband to leave her by the end. I tried to justify her behaviour in part (as do the writer and the other characters in the novel) by the emotions resulting from the grieving process, but it doesn’t really work here. If the point of literature or art generally is to provoke a reaction, then this is a successful novel, and I did want to find out what all the characters would do ultimately.
July 26, 2023
Olivia had a difficult relationship with her mother when she was growing up. Her mum would take off and disappear for lengths of time, one time turning up with another man and his teenage son Richie. Olivia and Richie had a brief relationship but then he returned to America to live with his mum.
Years later when Olivia’s mum dies she leaves Olivia an address for Richie who now lives in the UK. Olivia is now married to Russell and they have two teenage boys. She now has the decision to go and see Ritchie or leave the past in the past.
Years later when Olivia’s mum dies she leaves Olivia an address for Richie who now lives in the UK. Olivia is now married to Russell and they have two teenage boys. She now has the decision to go and see Ritchie or leave the past in the past.
October 4, 2022
I absolutely loved Our House (read it, then watch it), but this book was not what I'd expect from Louise Candlish. It seemed to me like a book about a grown up woman who really needs to grow up and how she runs away from her family to trace something that really doesn't seem that something to begin with (a summer teenage romance). Didn't find it exciting enough to keep me entertained, I kinda struggled to finish it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews