An interesting exploration of character, gender and destiny: it's fascinating to see the subtle differences and similarities between the stories of Louis and Louise. I had been worried that the novel's subject of two main characters of different genders might seem repetitive or preachy, but neither was the case and the book was an easy read from start to finish, with nice focus on friendship, love, and what's meant to be.

Initially I found this story confusing, with different generations ,story lines and the same characters in both story line strands, but soon I became engrossed and found that I had to keep reading to see where the story was taking me.
Peggy and Irving Alder give birth to a baby girl, Louise, in one story and to a boy, Louis, in another. These stories run in parallel until graduation when both Louis and Louise leave home. Returning some 13 years later to care for their dying mother we gradually learn the stories why they left.
I loved the way the twins Allie and Benny developed during the two stories and how they played pivotal roles in the lives of both Louis and Louise. Without giving too much away, the endings were very cleverly crafted with some closure without being too sentimental.
it was refreshing and exciting to read and become engrossed in, something unusual and very well written.

I really struggled with this book. I was looking forward to reading it, particularly as it was a Richard and Judy recommended read, but, gosh i found it to be hard work!

It’s written from two perspectives and I liked that, it’s just that the writing style wasn’t for me and at no time did I feel engaged with any of the characters.
The Sliding Doors concept is a clever one and it’s not a bad read, just, not for me.

I wish the author every success and am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

Such a clever book. I really enjoyed the idea of how gender and stereotypes can change the way we act, are perceived and treated and this story cleverly follows the story of Lou in both genders born to the same family. I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

A sliding doors sort of story, in which we follow a child born once as Louis, and then in a parallel life as Louise (ie it's nothing to do with incorrect gender assignment or intersex or trans issues). Some elements of 'Lou's' life remain the same whichever one is living it - their parents, the town they are born in, specific events. But a number of other things change, due only to Louis/Louise's gender.

I will admit to some scepticism about this book - I thought 'interesting premise, but the author's unlikely to pull it off'. However, it worked for me. I enjoyed the different Lous' stories.

You could argue that there was more room in the book to explore difference because of gender - essentially the differences here were a birth in one and death in the other - a failing industry in one and a more successful one in the other. Perhaps the author could've looked at the smaller ways we are judged for our gender and the way our parents' expectations change. But that would be a different book, wouldn't it?

The two intertwined stories still shed light on one another and the two Lous were similar enough to feel accurate as more-or-less the same person in two universes. I personally felt more drawn to Louise's story, but I was happy to have the chance to read Louis' too.

Thanks to Net Galley and Orion Publishing Group for an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Louis and Louise are one person, the story tells their two different but obviously similar lives. Same parents, same small town, same small town politics, both like to write and the same best friend, twins Allie and Benny.
Two different lives but only because of gender. I like both Louis and Louise, parts of their story entangle together Louise is a single mum and teacher, Louis is a divorced writer. They have returned to Casablanca as their mother Peggy is dying from breSt cancer.
Cleverly written and family life keeps the story moving along. 3.5 stars

ONE LIFE. LIVED TWICE.

Louis and Louise are the same person born in two different lives. They are separated only by the sex announced by the doctor and a final 'e'.

They have the same best friends, the same red hair, the same dream of being a writer. They both suffer one catastrophic night, with life-changing consequences.

Thirteen years later, they are both coming home.

Here we have a boy and a girl born on the same day to the same parents to two different realities. We then follow the ways that their different lives could have evolved. It all sounds very confusing but the book has been structured very well.

Louis & Louise are an only child. Louise is an unmarried, single mum and teacher, Louis a successful writer and is divorced from his wife. Both do not visit their home town of Casablanca often due to reasons which are revealed as the stories unfold. However, both are now visiting Casablanca because their mother Peggy is dying of breast cancer.

An interesting, thought provoking and original read which is creatively written. Highly enjoyable!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for an advance copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Having read and thoroughly enjoyed previous books by Julie Cohen I was really looking forward to reading this book.
This book follows Louis/Louise/Lou's lives, male and female versions of the same person. It is an exploration of how gender differences impact on our lives and expectations from other people.
It takes a bit of time to get used to the different Lou's but eventually the book starts to flow, so please persevere with it if you find it confusing to begin with.
Overall I found that although I didn't love it, it was a likeable read.
3.5 stars

I love the idea behind this book - I think that it is really important to highlight the continuing differences in the way that gender impacts on life experiences. However this book felt like it was preaching to me a bit. Which by the very fact I was interested in reading the book means I probably was already aware of these differences. 

The sliding doors feel to the book did make me forget which event happened to which gendered protagonist. Which was a bit of a pain to be honest. Comparing the similarities and differences could have been really interesting but the differences were so huge that it just didn't feel believable. I genuinely believe that the hinge point of the story, where their lives diverged most significantly, should have been similar for both male and female protagonist. I understand why the author made that choice.

I read to the end which means that the book is around a 5/10. As two individual stories they were both interesting and entertaining however as two parts of the same story I feel they lacked cohesion, which is possibly why interludes (they felt like voiceovers) were included. 

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review (through netgalley).

A fascinating idea, and one that explores timeless messages.
A child is born, and the parents make decisions about name, clothing, ways to behave and what to do. How different are these choices depending on the gender of the child?
The idea that - even without being conscious of it - our ideas about gender are fairly rigid and that society’s expectations influence us enormously is certainly an intriguing concept to explore at this time.
Initially this was hard to get into.
The narrative focuses on a central story - that of a child born to a mill owner in Maine, part of a wealthy family background, and their friendship with local twins, Benny and Allie. In one narrative the child is born Louise; in the other, Louis. In each narrative the story is slightly altered, but focuses on the significance of the relationship with the twins and a key act.
I don’t want to reveal specific details, as this unravelling is so key to the story. Slow, certainly, and yet there’s a lot happening.
This might not be to everyone’s taste, but it was absorbing and I am hugely grateful to Netgalley for allowing me to read it prior to publication. I can already think of a number of people to recommend this to.

The idea behind Louis and Louise is (fairly) simple but brilliant: what if a baby was born, but two different realities told that baby's story, one where the baby was a boy - Louis - and one where the baby was a girl - Louise (but often also shortened to Louis). How would their lifes be different just because of their gender, because of an 'e' added or missing from the end of their name? This book explores that in a fantastic, fascinating way.

The story itself is in some ways a slow burner. Everyday, fairly normal aspects of both their lives are told as they grow up and become adults, and enter into relationships, but the fact that the reader gets to explore the two different gendered lives is, to me, fascinating. I love the little nuances that mark the way a woman's life could be different to a man's, even with the same parents and upbringing. I don't want to give too much away but there were certain parts which really highlighted that, and made for brilliant reading.

This book really made me think, and I loved the story it weaved. There were some emotional parts and it definitely left me with a sense of poignancy, but I hugely enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone.

An interesting idea. The book itself is two stories in one portraying how the life of one person brought up with the same family, friends and small town environment might be different depending upon their gender at birth. It takes sometime to get your head around whose tale you are reading at each point but the author does her best to set it out for you and you do get used to it. The book made me think but early on it is obvious that external circumstances eg relationships of those around, make such big differences to how your life proceeds, that this in the end is not just a comparison between the life of a female and a male but a novel way to tell two stories for us readers in one book. Neither character was a winner for me but try it for yourself.

I absolutely loved Together and was nervous that Louis & Louise might not live up to my expectations. The idea is a very ambitious one that made me anxious just thinking about it. But Julie Cohen has absolutely pulled it off. The book is atmospheric, gentle and sensitive, but with some shocking dark secrets revealed. I really liked the characters of both Louis and Louise, and I appreciated their similarities and differences. Their friends and family were beautifully portrayed, along with the Maine town of Casablanca. (Which I don't think exists, but I am sure it is based on somewhere real, as I felt like I was actually there.) While the book raises issues about how we raise our boys and out girls, and the way that society defines gender, that is not the overwhelming message of the book. It is there along with the themes of friendship, family, love, loss and place. I recommend it to you all and will be buying this for my friends. I wonder how quickly Julie Cohen can write her next book?
#Louis&Louise
Thank you to #NetGalley for the early read. Christmas certainly came early this year.

I thought that this was an intruiging idea and it was well-written, but it did not fulfill its promise. It was a little confusing when it switched from Louis to Lou to Lousie - you tend to ignore the chapter headings, and the switches interrupted the narrative. Neither Louis nor Louise were particularly engaging characters and I lost interest in their stories near the end. The theme was stronger than the characters. An OK light read.

I really thought that this book will help people with gender identity but all it did was confuse the reader.
Two people whom are the same but grow up with different gender and ideals, the book was very confusing from the start and didn't get any better.
The only positive is that I finished the book.
There is so many typos and spelling mistakes that I'm surprised that the publishers allowed it to get to this stage,hopefully they can fix this before publication day.

This book intrigued me. I did enjoy it although at times the splits between the narratives didn’t immediately make themselves clear as to whose paragraph you were reading (Louise/Louis/Both) so found myself going back and re-reading once I’d realised I’d been reading it in the wrong body. It was a good book though

Really enjoyed this book, a really interesting and unique premise. I was very excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint!

Louis/Louise has a very thought-provoking theme with two parallel lives and as always Julie Cohen is a master at characterisation. However I found the book (read on an ereader) difficult to follow, mainly because it is split into three - Lou as Louis, Lou as Louise and Louis/Louise as well as jumping time frames. It is brave to attempt a Sliding Doors narrative and the stories of Louis and Louise are moving and tug at the heart strings. But for me the narrative just doesn't flow well.

I can see themes in Louis/Louise appealing to readers of Kate Atkinson and David Nichols but this isn't my favourite Julie Cohen book. That accolade belongs to Together, one of the best books I read last year. Thanks to NetGalley and Orion for the opportunity to read and review Louis/Louise.

3.5 stars

Julie Cohen's writing is utterly wonderful. From the opening pages I was struck by her way with words and the way she approached this idea of following one person's life and exploring the differences that might occur if they were born male or female.

It's a fairly simple concept, and yet could have been misrepresented so easily. Julie Cohen manages to delve into this topic exquisitely and with sensitivity. Louis/Louise has the same best friends, the same love interests, and the same ambitions and the book really focuses on how society imposes it's ideas of gender on a person, rather than a person's soul being in some way changed just because of their gender.

Lou's life story is for the most part a sad one, full of secrets and hurt which at points left me heartbroken and in tears. The emotion within the writing was so rich and believable it was impossible not to get swept up in it. I was so invested in Lou's story that I found myself reaching to read more at any small given opportunity, even if I only had time for a page.

Louis & Louise is a masterpiece with an important message that will leave you pondering gender long after you finish reading about Lou's life.

Unfortunately I found that this book neither gelled nor flowed well for me.
The idea behind the story is good however I felt it just didn’t deliver.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased review