People in Love: The unforgettable new novel by the author of word-of-mouth hit Talking at Night

One frosty day in February, on a bench by the river, Nora’s partner Robin proposes unexpectedly. They’d always agreed they didn’t need a wedding, but after a decade of in-jokes, dancing in the kitchen and sharing toast in bed, Nora says yes. Why wouldn’t she?

The answer lands on the night of their engagement party, when Bren turns up on her doorstep.

Growing up, Bren and Nora were the kind of best friends that everyone thought would end up together. But when a sudden heartbreak turned their lives upside down, Bren left, Nora stayed, and the silent longing between them remained unspoken.

Now, after twelve years apart, their tentative yet undeniable spark reignites, forcing Nora to wonder what might have been – and, as her wedding day draws closer, whether she can accept never knowing the answer.

For what does it mean, to be a person in love?

Tender and compelling, People in Love is a story about what-ifs and maybes, and the moments of misunderstanding that can shape our lives. It’s a book about living one life while musing on another, exploring how our choices shape our relationships and inform our regrets, and revealing, in the end, that the real love story is not always the one you'd expect.

PRAISE FOR TALKING AT NIGHT

‘A beautifully observed, tender love story with characters you really care about . . . a bit like Normal People. I devoured it’ JOJO MOYES

‘Stunning, tender and true’ GOOD HOUSEKEEPING

‘Deeply romantic . . . Reminded me of just how all-consuming first love can be’ LAURA BARNETT

‘A passionate, page-turning debut’ DAILY MAIL

‘Beautiful and very cleverly written’ FEARNE COTTON

‘Quietly devastating, entirely beautiful, bruising and hopeful. In a world of compromise, Claire Daverley has created a perfect thing CHRIS WHITAKER

‘The story of Will and Rosie is a classic love story in every sense, and yet, in Claire Daverley's hands, it felt entirely new’ MARY BETH KEANE

‘This isn't just escapism, it is also full of heartbreak and human failings and mistakes. I loved it’ KATE SAWYER

‘Talking at Night should be on everyone's must-read list' CARLEY FORTUNE

‘I was rapt’ ANN NAPOLITANO

‘So gorgeously harrowing and romantic’ CATHERINE NEWMAN

‘A delicious treat. Prepare yourself to sink into this one, to be torn between reading fast and slow’ LOTTIE HAZELL