I've really enjoyed Holly Seddon's previous novels - which were more traditional thriller types than this one - but I was intrigued by the premise of keeping a promise to get married if you're still single at 30.

The story is told in present time when Kate and Paul are on holiday, about to celebrate their 10th anniversary but Kate has a secret that could blow their world apart. And then in flashbacks, not all in chronological order, we see all the events from when they meet aged 11 that have brought them to this point and what the secret is.

I enjoyed this novel and the dual timeline narrative - and I particularly liked the character of Kate. However as I'm quite a big thriller fan I was a little disappointed with the ending - but that's just personal taste and no reflection on the story or Seddon's skill as a writer. I really enjoyed reading this and would describe it as a good, engrossing novel, perfect for your summer holiday!

Thanks to Net Galley and Atlantic Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Kate and Paul have been friends since they were eight, neither of them had other friends at school, even when they moved on to colleges and university their friendship remained strong. Kate spent a lot of time at Pauls’s home, her own parents were distant and left Kate with the housekeeper mostly. Paul’s parents were always there for Kate especially when her mother died and again some years later when her father passed away.
Over their long friendship neither of them had any serious significant others. They made a pact that if they were still single when the reached 30 they would marry each other.
Kate’s career has taken off in advertising, she has her own flat and is living the highlife. Paul has been struggling so Kate helps him find a job at her firm and shares her home with him. Kate’s seems to have everything, but it all falls apart very quickly, their roles are then reversed - Paul is now supporting Kate and as she struggles to get back on her feet Paul proposes and they decide to honour the promise they made each other.
The book moves between their past friendship and their current marriage where they are approaching their ten year anniversary and have two children - how do they both really feel? It seems they have both been keeping a lot of emotions and secrets hidden from one another, as the anniversary dinner approaches they are both questioning the choices they made and the reasons behind those choices.
A good read. 3.5 stars

A sophisticated, graceful and poignant exploration of love in all its many forms. Holly Seddon’s newest novel, Love Will Tear Us Apart, unfurls slowly, like a rose
in the springtime, and is utterly, bewitchingly beautiful.

This is a complete divergence from Seddon’s previous novels, which were twisty, psychological thrillers, but I think that only entrenches Seddon as a talented, diverse author perfectly able to keep track with the literary crowd. This is not a fast-paced, suspense story, but is an intricate exploration of two characters who get married on the premise of a friendship, and discover how to make their relationship work.

The story centres on best friends Kate and Paul, who, as children, make the age-old vow to marry each other if they haven’t found love by thirty. When thirty ticks by, they tie the knot, but now, on their tenth wedding anniversary, Kate begins to question that choice, exploring the meaning of modern love and friendship.

Beautifully structured, perfectly plotted, and with Seddon’s distinctive knack for intimately knowing her characters, the story flows between flashbacks of Kate and Paul’s past, and their present, celebrating their tenth wedding anniversary in Cornwall with their two children. Suffused with heartache, love and emotion, this novel will force you to ask yourself, what is it that makes a marriage work?

Thank you so much to Netgalley for letting me read Love Will Tear Us Apart by Holly Seddon in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Holly Sneddon book but I will certainly read more. Paul and Kate have been married for almost 10 years, and have 2 adored children. They were childhood friends, best friends, who had a pact about getting married when they were 30, if neither had met 'the one'. Paul had come from a loving family, Kate from a wealthy family, but missing the love she craved. Could this relationship really work? There is also a letter which Kate is keeping secret, and a surprise in the end. I loved it and had to read on to the end as quickly as possible!

Katie and Paul lifelong friends, now Husband and wife just about to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. Katie hints at a letter which she has found building up all week to reveal, in this time she goes back and towards in time. I found the big reveal a bit disappointing and the book dragged a bit. I just wanted to finish it as was expecting something big

A really interesting read and very different from the author's previous books. It tells the story of Kate and Paul who have been friends since primary school. Katie's parents are quite well off and she attends a private school. However neither of her parents seem very interested in her. She spends much of her time at Paul's house and is very close to his mother. They decide that, if neither of them is married when they reach 30, then they will marry each other. The story is told in three timelines but is easy to follow and is a very enjoyable read. Thanks to Net Galley and the author for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book.

Another fantastic book by Holly Seddon. She really is on a roll! I've loved every book by her so far, and Love Will Tear Us Apart is no exception. A brilliantly written story which delves into the various forms love can take, and how very important friendship is, how it can provide the most stable of bases for a relationship to grow from.

Kate is real, fallible, and gripping. Her life and outlook are fascinating, and she's truly realistic. Seddon's characters are usually fantastic, so this isn't a surprise! Another fab reading experience.

I loved this book - I was worried it was going to be a predictable romantic story but it wasn't that at all. There are three timelines running through it and whilst I found Kate to be unlikable at times, I though Paul was lovely. The ending was unexpected and beautifully written. Highly recommended.

Kate and Paul have been friends since their childhood, although they are from very different backgrounds. Kate lives in a huge house and her parents are wealthy but busy with their own very diverse lives. They have staff to help with the humdrum of everyday life and with taking care of Kate, whereas Paul’s home is modest but his family are loving and nurturing. Paul’s mother and Kate become very close and their house becomes her safe haven. Originally drawn together by their awkwardness and social isolation their friendship bloomed and their similarities became more apparent and bound them tightly together in an endearing friendship which survives primary school, high school, university and life ever after, with only very few hiccups. Paul is her loyal protector through some tense and troublesome times. He has secretly been in love with her whilst she has got on with her life; he never judges, reprimands or accuses, he has been encouraging, supportive and has swept up her messes left behind in her wild, euphoric wake. He’s seen her at her very best and also at her very worst. He has only ever shown her understanding and cared about her.
When they were teenagers they had made a promise that if they were still single when they turned thirty they would marry each other, but Kate is absolutely shocked to the core when one evening he nervously gets down on one knee and asks her to marry him. She agrees and they are married in a small, tasteful ceremony and so begin their lives as a married couple.
This novel tells their story up to their 10 year wedding anniversary, once called the ‘tin anniversary’ but in modern times known as the ‘diamond jewellery anniversary’. It is not told chronologically but moves backward and forwards as memories and reminiscences move their story onwards. It’s a story of friendship, love, rejection, insecurities, the fickleness of youth and the utter misery and destruction that can be caused by keeping secrets. My favourite character was Paul because he was steadfast, unselfish and totally committed to Kate. I thought Kate was a little ditsy and sometimes self obsessed, although she also did try to be the wife she knew Paul deserved.
Although I quite enjoyed reading ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’ and it is very well written, I was frustrated by the slow pace of the story and especially the teasing ‘letter’ being introduced, often mentioned but never explained until the very end of the book. I read on out of curiosity because I was unsure of the direction the novel would take. My favourite part of the novel was where Paul and Kate’s friendship begins, flourishes and grows from infancy into such a strong bond. I didn’t like the ending at all. I received a complimentary copy of this novel from publisher Corvus through my membership of NetGalley. These are my own honest and well considered opinions that are uninfluenced by any other reviews or publicity.

Thank you for providing me with a copy of this book to read. I didn't enjoy this as much as the author's first book, but it was a good story about love and relationships.

Another thought provoking book from Holly, they just keep getting better! I loved how the book changed timelines, it made the story more interesting. Very slightly disappointed with the secret reveal but overall a very good and recommended read. With thanks to the publisher, to be reviewed on Amazon on release.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Holly Seddon's previous two books I thought this would be in a similar vein. I was around 40% into the book before realising it wasn't a thriller! The book is well written but the story is a little bland. Childhood best friends make a pact to marry each other if they're not married by 30 and the book jumps between them as children and then ten years after marriage. I think my expectations were maybe a little too high based on previous books by the author. It was an enjoyable read but not one of her best.

Review: This is a lovely story.

A couple who are childhood friends marry at 30 and have a family. Live seems perfect. However they have secrets that could tear them apart. 

Full of many emotions I loved it.

Brilliant book. Highly recommended. Loved it. Five stars

Many thanks to Netgalley and Holly Seddon for the copy of this book. I agreed to give my unbiased opinion voluntarily.

A very easy to read, enjoyable and engaging book. It’s totally different from Holly Seddon’s other books but still great.

Holly Seddon is going from strength to strength. I loved her previous books but Love Will Tear Us Apart (nice to see the song-title-as-book-title tradition continuing and a great one to choose, though a Smiths title would also have been fitting) feels like a new departure.

It’s a book about love in its many forms - the story of Kate and Paul and their history together and apart, as children and as adults, but also their relationships with others around them. The characterisation is a huge strength with complex, believable characters, particularly Kate, Paul, and Paul’s parents Viv and Mick. I found it to be a beautifully structured, compelling and at times emotional read which unfolds satisfyingly and ends with a genuine sense of resolution.

Highly recommended. Many thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

We've all done it. When your so young that you can't possibly fathom what your life will look like 20 years from now, you feel safe in making a promise with a friend that you don't think could ever come around needing to be kept. But what if it does? Do you keep your word? Hope they've forgotten? Can something done out of keeping ones word ever really work out? How big does a secret have to be to dismantle everything you thought you knew of a life long friend? Love Will Tear Us Apart asks all these questions and then some. I recommend reading this book to find the answers! Thanks to Netgalley for giving me the chance to preview this book!

Paula and Kate have been friends since they were very young and then one day they made a promise to each other’s. Now ten years later, married to each other with two children Kate has found something out from their past that could potentially ruin everything between them.

This is a lovely easy read which is told in a time frame about Kate and Pauls lives in both present and past times, however it is easy to follow. It is set from the 80’s onwards and I loved the way all the bands and trends at that time were weaved into the story.

I absolutely loved both Paul and Kate, they were very likeable and could easily have been myself or any of my friends in that era. I enjoyed reading about their lives, feeling both happiness and sadness as I kept reading about them. Now the book has finished I will miss them.
Many thanks to a Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is a moving story about friendship, loyalty, motherhood and love. It illustrates how easily we can be misled when we can't communicate with each other for whatever reason.

Kate and Paul have been friends since they were children and one day make a promise to each other. Ten years into their marriage Kate is about to reveal a secret to Paul. that she fears will pull them apart. Holly Seddon writes with understanding of the human condition and I enjoyed her portrayals of Kate, Paul and Paul's parents particularly. I would have liked a better knowledge of Kate's mother and father. The reason I give the book 4* is that I found the reveal of the secret rather weak but fans of Holly Seddon's writing will not be disappointed. Thanks to NetGalley and Corvus/Atlantic Books for the opportunity to read and review this book.

A really lovely story about marriage and relationships. A plot twist is teased throughout and whilst I was disappointed with the final reveal I did still enjoy the book overall.

I’ve read a couple of books by Holly Seddon now and will be sure to look out for more in the future.

4 Stars.

Thanks to NetGalley, Holly Seddon and Atlantic Books Corvus for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.