Love by the Book

Jessica George’s debut, Maame, was one of my favorite books of 2023, so I’ve been excited for her follow-up. Her second novel, Love by the Book, is out today, and though it’s different in scope, it’s equally compelling. It focuses on two seemingly opposite women who are both at a crossroads and just need a friend. Remy is an author facing writer’s block as she drafts her second book. Her debut was a big hit and was based on her group of friends, but now that they’ve each left her life somewhat, she’s lonely and at a loss for some inspiration. Then she meets Simone, a closed-off loner coming out of her own family breakup. Simone’s secrets about her side hustle and Remy’s secrets about the new book she’s drafting threaten the tentative friendship developing between these two women.

What I Liked:

• Portrayals of friendship. I almost never read books in which the primary theme is friendship. As Remy mentions early on, it’s true that friendships are so often seen as less important than other relationships, especially romantic ones. And they rarely feature so prominently in fiction. But in Love by the Book, I actually loved seeing Simone and Remy’s friendship blossom, with many of the same beats as in a romance. Theirs is a platonic relationship, but the deep connection is there. Remy’s pre-existing friend group of four, and Simone’s younger sister being her best friend, offer further looks at the kinds of close relationships women can have. (For the record, I’m very much like Simone in that my younger sister is my best friend and I’ve never had many friends overall. But not to Simone’s extreme!)
• Remy is writing “fiction” (term used loosely!) about her real life experiences. To cure herself of writer’s block, Remy turns her real experiences into stories, drawing heavily on what actually happens, but imagining the rest. Throughout the novel, we get to see excerpts of her work in progress, with her stand-in characters simply named after the first initial of whoever they’re inspired by. “R” is getting to know “S” in Remy’s book as much as in her real life with Simone. But Simone may not be happy to have her life exposed like this in the long run…
• Examining sex work. So here’s Simone’s big secret, which we actually learn early on: She’s an escort. She loves her job of teaching little kids at the local primary school, but it doesn’t come with a great salary. So she supplements that with sex work. This is what causes the big rift within her otherwise close-knit family, but Simone is not ashamed of her work. I enjoyed how this book looks at such a taboo choice in work, and at the way Simone and her family must come to terms with this revelation.
• Examining pregnancy and motherhood. This theme surprised me, but I loved the ongoing discussions around having kids. Some women want children, others don’t, and still others are undecided. All choices are completely valid, and I enjoyed seeing how the childless characters were still involved and loving with the characters who do have kids (and with the kids themselves). I have a toddler, and it’s been a rollercoaster two years for me, so it was very validating to see the nuances of various aspects of parenthood here.
• Dissecting how close relationships change with time. Related to the above point about parenthood, but also related to careers, relocation, romantic partnerships, and more: Relationships change with time. Different forces in life can cause relationships to go quiet for a time, or to change how (and how often) people interact. It can be hard, and Remy certainly has a rough time of it when her three best friends suddenly aren’t so present anymore. But I loved seeing her navigate that and learn how to see her friendships in a new way. She also, eventually, learns important skills about being more independent and being prepared to make new friends. Conversely, Simone needs to be slightly less independent, and I loved the ripple effects Remy has on her other relationships.

Audiobook:

Isabel Adomakoh Young does an excellent narration of Love by the Book! Her voice captures the warmth, emotion, and thoughtfulness of the book and its characters, and it was a joy to listen to. I do I wish there had been two different narrators, as it was sometimes hard to separate Remy and Simone’s respective chapters. (Never mind that Remy’s chapters are in the first person and Simone’s are in the third person.) However, once I got used to the different characters, it was easier to keep them separate. This was a really well done audiobook.

Final Thoughts

Love by the Book isn’t the kind of novel I normally gravitate towards, but it fully won me over. I ended up falling in love with each of the characters (including many side characters!), and it was such a rich, contemplative, and sweet read. This is a book that will have wide appeal. I can’t wait for more from Jessica George.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Get the Book

You can buy Love by the Book here – it’s available as a hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.

Love by the Book by Jessica George
Audiobook Narrator	Isabel Adomakoh Young
Audience	Adult
Genre	Contemporary Fiction; Women’s Fiction
Setting	England
Number of Pages	336
Format I Read	Audiobook & Ebook (NetGalley ARCs)
Original Publication Date	April 7, 2026
Publisher	St. Martin’s Press

Official Summary

Friendship is the love story you can count on.

Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.

Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn’t have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.

When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for—if only they can let each other in.

Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life—and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.