A good story, but the book was much too long. I found myself getting bored with the main characters, and struggled with the second half of the book.

It took me a long time to get properly into this book, yet it kept me reading. It’s a long sweeping story of two women who met in their teens and their lives thereafter - together and apart. I didn’t particularly like either character, and yet there was something appealing and vulnerable about each. Book is perhaps a bit too long, but the pace is not slow, so the length just reflects a full story.
For me it’s a solid 3-3.5 stars out of 5.

A beautifully written second chance romance. This book tracks Em and Gen from teenagers through to their thirties, and handles parenting, careers and failed relationships with a delicate touch. I would recommend this to any romance lovers

I found this book over long. So many misunderstandings between the two main characters seemed rather contrived and unnecessary.

A clever, beautiful, compelling book. I loved the oscillation between past and present, the gradual unravelling of secrets. Each character is finely drawn, including the excruciatingly awful Jack!

I don't know if it's just me but the way it switches from past to present and back made it hard to follow sometimes at the start. 
I loved the chemistry between Emily and Gen and how close their relationship was when they were teens. I especially loved how Gen welcomed Emily's kids into her life like they're her own.
Overall I enjoyed this book alot and I am very grateful for the chance to arc read it!
This is a LGBTQ+ first love - second chance romance.

I didn't know what to expect when requesting Ordinary Love, only that I thoroughly enjoyed Marie Rutkoski's prose in her previous work The Winner's Trilogy. I definitely didn't expect to be so emotionally wrecked by this book to still be thinking about obsessively months later. There is nothing ordinary about this book.


Rutkoski's prose remains just as sharp and evocative as ever. The tenderness woven into each and every word is palpable. The novel explores anxiety, abuse, identity, etc. in a way that never feels over the top and, on multiple occasions, brought me to tears (would recommend checking the trigger warnings.)


This story is one about bravery, sacrifice, and trusting yourself even when it might feel easier not to. I am so excited for this book to be released, and really really hope it receives it's flowers. It is definitely deserving of the highest praise. 5 Stars. 


Thank you to Little, Brown Book Group UK and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

I found this book much more engaging than I anticipated from the first chapter. The story of Emily whose life from the outside looks picture perfect but in reality is characterised by lost love and a controlling husband. The characters are well fleshed out and although you don't always agree with Emily's choices they feel true to the way she is written. My only criticism would be that it is a little long and I found myself speed reading the last quarter. Despite this, I enjoyed it and would recommend. (Copy received from Netgalley in return for an honest review)

Is there such a thing as a love that is 'ordinary'?

In Ohio, in the late 90s, teenagers Emily and Gen fall in love, in a time and place that isn't the most friendly to a young gay couple. Ultimately, it falls apart. Later, when in university, Emily meets Jack - slightly older, from a rich family. They get married and have two children. Gen goes on to become a famous athlete. Their lives diverge and it seems unlikely they will ever meet again. But of course, they do, in the 2010s when Emily is divorcing Jack and Gen is preparing for the next Olympics.

This is a quiet, subtle romance. As with all romances, there are contrivances. There are times when you want to shout at the characters to just communicate. But in the real world, what we don't do can be more important than what we do. What we don't say can take on more significance than what we say. Rutkoski doesn't need to explicitly tell us that Emily and Gen are in love - she demonstrates it in every word. The longing that Emily and Gen have for each other permeates every page of the novel.

As I said in my review of 'Experienced' by Kate Young back in April, I am thrilled to see so many well-written novels about the lesbian experience coming out (pun not intended). I really appreciate that stories about same-sex relationships are no longer seen as niche, and are treated with the same respect as any other love story. I would highly recommend this novel to anyone.

Thank you so much to Little, Brown Book Group UK and Netgalley for the ARC!

Emily meets and marries Jack, seemingly the perfect relationship.
But what goes on behind closed doors is anything but perfect, and a relationship from Emily’s past comes back.
Enter Gen: an athlete and ex-girlfriend of Emily’s, from whom she was estranged. .
I won’t give away too much more, except to say that the love is anything but ordinary - think: grand passion and lust - and this novel has a lot of fire in its belly.
Recommended: some strong themes and grand passion.

emily is reunited with her first love and girlfriend gen whilst she marries her husband jack.

the book perfectly showcases an abusive relationship as we look through emily’s relationship with her husband.

as a reader i personally enjoyed the flash backs to the first days of emily and gen’s relationship. they fit into the story perfectly.

the relationship between the two characters is really sweet and heartfelt and you can’t help but feel emotionally connected to each character.

this is the perfect queer second chance at love story

I thought this was a really well written and beautiful book. I loved how the past and the present were weaved together. Some parts are absolutely frustrating (see Jack) but I loved the second chance romance element.

Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski is anything but ordinary. This poignant, evocative story delves into the complexities of love, identity, and personal growth, capturing the delicate balance between the past and the present. The book follows Emily and Gennifer (Gen), two women whose teenage love affair burned bright and fierce, only for their lives to take vastly different paths.

The story opens with Emily spotting Gen at a party twenty years after they first met. This encounter sparks memories of their passionate connection as teenagers, when they believed their love was destined to last forever. At the time, Emily and Gen were inseparable, sharing an electric bond that seemed unbreakable. However, as life moved forward, their relationship fractured, and they drifted apart.

By the present day, Gen has achieved Olympic success, her career as a runner defining her life and identity, while Emily appears to have it all—a luxurious Manhattan townhouse, two young children, and a seemingly perfect husband, Jack. However, Jack’s controlling behaviour has started to unravel their marriage, and Emily has become a shadow of the woman she once was, struggling to rediscover her sense of self.

Despite the distance, both physical and emotional, between them, Emily and Gen are drawn back together. Their reunion is filled with tension and longing, as years of heartbreak, missed opportunities, and misunderstandings resurface. The magnetic attraction between them is undeniable, but it’s unclear whether they can overcome the ghosts of the past and the complications of their present lives. As they grapple with their individual struggles—Emily’s troubled marriage and Gen’s demanding career—Ordinary Love poses the central question: Can these two women finally seize their second chance at love, or will their differences pull them apart once again?

Rutkoski’s writing is nothing short of stunning. She skillfully weaves together the past and the present, exploring the evolution of Emily and Gen’s relationship against the backdrop of their individual growth. Emily’s marriage to Jack highlights the psychological abuse she has endured, providing a stark contrast to Gen’s athletic success and the fame that has come with it. The disparity between their lives underscores just how different the women have become, yet their deep connection remains, transcending time and circumstance.

What makes Ordinary Love so compelling is not just the romance between Emily and Gen, but the way Rutkoski explores themes of self-discovery, power dynamics, and the impact of past trauma on future relationships. Emily’s journey, particularly her struggle to reclaim her sense of self in a controlling marriage, adds a layer of emotional depth that elevates the story beyond a simple love story.

At its heart, Ordinary Love is a story about the complexities of love—how it can shape us, change us, and sometimes pull us apart. Rutkoski beautifully captures the idea that love is not always straightforward, and that the people we love can both help us become our best selves and challenge us to confront the darker parts of our lives.

The narrative alternates between the past and the present, giving readers a glimpse into Emily and Gen’s teenage years, when they were full of hope and possibility, and their present-day struggles as they attempt to navigate their complicated lives. The tension between the two timelines is palpable, and it creates a sense of longing that permeates the book.

Ultimately, Ordinary Love is a deeply moving exploration of the ways in which love endures, even when life takes us in different directions. Rutkoski's writing is lush and evocative, and she crafts a love story that is both heartbreaking and redemptive. It's a powerful reminder that love, while not always easy or without its challenges, is one of the most transformative forces in our lives.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Thank you NetGalley & little brown book group for an arc copy of this book!

This book was phenomenal. It felt so raw and so real. The writing was beautiful and captivating.

The story is about Emily whose first love was a girl but after they break up in collage, she goes on to marry a rich man and has a family with him. But 20 years later, she’s left him and bumps into her first love who’s now an Olympic runner. And while the story focuses on the relationships, to me this story was about Emily and her journey.

The emotionally abusive & controlling relationship was portrayed so well, I felt like I was reliving one of my past relationships. It really makes you understand why Emily kept believing his gaslighting and going back to him.

I really connected to Emily & her journey of discovering herself, of finding her own happiness. She felt like such a realistic character. No matter what she was choosing I was rooting for her.

If there’s one book you read next year, it should be this one, I’m so glad I decided to pick this up as my last read of 2024.

I chose to read this because I liked the cover and was intrigued as to what amounted to ordinary love. Perhaps the author was trying to normalise this relationship, referred to as queer, in the context of someone who has had a gay relationship, but then followed convention to a heterosexual marriage. That the marriage turns sour because of the controlling and emotionally abusive husband is key to why her thoughts turn back to her earlier love. The lack of proper communication in the love story is why everything keeps getting set back, which is disappointing to say the least. There are quite important issues here, obviously the social and familial objections to gay love are there, but not as many as I would have expected at an earlier time. The usual bad press of promiscuity when her former girlfriend becomes famous is there, but Emily is a wife and mother and we understand her fierce protection of her kids. She slowly finds her independent spirit, and inevitably will become a successful author, which is becoming quite a cliche in these rites of passage novels.
I can’t say that I was that interested in the outcome, which was always headed in the right direction, and held little surprises.

'Ordinary Love' is one of my favourite books this year. Rutkoski has written a beautiful love story about how no matter the direction life takes us, you'll always find the people you're supposed to.
Emily and Gennifer have an instant connection when they meet as teens, but as with first love, life gets in their way and it isn't until twenty years later that the two women reconnect. Once again life just seems to keep trying to pull them apart but the magnetism between Emily and Gen is just too undeniable.
I loved the strength that both women present with but also the fragile vulnerabilities that they trust one another with. Their pain stems from so much heartache so when they are together that trust in fate becomes infallible. I truly invested in their story and loved the brutal honesty that comes with Emily as the primary protagonist, she is flawed but she is also a mother and a woman and the balancing act is written beautifully,
This wasn't a story that I expected to adore so much but it became one that I couldn't stop thinking about once I finished, truly a celebration of LGBTQ+ love that I strongly recommend.

I really enjoyed this book. Emily and Gen had a passionate relationship when they were teenagers, but they broke up when they both went to university. Now, 20 years later Gen is an Olympic runner and Emily is married to Jack and has 2 children. However, the marriage is becoming very difficult owing to Jack's controlling behaviour. So when Emily and Gen meet again they are still drawn to each other. This is the story of their relationship. I recommend this book as a very good read. Thanks to Netgalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

A lovely story, of heartbreak, reconnection with an old friend and self belief. Nice, easy to read tale.

I was swept away on a beautiful journey of love and resilience reading Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski.

Small town girl Emily falls in love with Gen in high school only for them to be separated by their respective differing paths in life. While Gen is a superstar athlete, Emily is a true scholar who enters Harvard university. Ultimately, their relationship does not survive the distance and divergence of their lives.

Emily then meets and marries Jack, a hedge fund manager who comes from Old Money. But however idyllic she convinces herself her relationship with Jack is, it is quite clear that the marriage is not a healthy one to be in.

Emily eventually finds the courage to leave her marriage, allowing her to re-connect with her first love Gen, who has constantly been on her mind all these years.

Rutkoski’s writing is just sublime and so lyrical, I found myself highlighting so many passages for future reference. She expertly characterises the truly insidious nature of psychological manipulation and abuse in a relationship. Emily’s feelings of her toxic relationship became my feelings, so atmospheric and though-provoking.

The sapphic romance aspect of the novel is not only tender but also expertly highlights the experiences of queer people everywhere, making the book a truly eye-opening experience.

I believe this is Rutkoski’s first foray into literary fiction, and she really hit it out of the ballpark.

Beautiful story about friendship, queerness, toxic relationships and what it means to be in love – it was, in my opinion, not just an Ordinary Love but a transcendent love.

Thanks to Litte Brown Book Group, Virago and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thankyou NetGalley & little brown book group for this arc copy this is my first ever queer/sapphic representative book and i absolutely loved it, this book gave me a turmoil of emotions as I cheered on the main characters having a second chance, the heartbreaking stories they both went through in their own life & together. I absolutely loved the depiction of the all the characters expect a couple but I’m not saying any spoilers and how they they linked well with the history. This book will definitely be my book of 2025 and I can’t wait o read it again. This book had so much beautiful depth with a beautiful ending i 100% recommend