Love by the Book

by Jessica George

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.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Books About Books, Friendship, Romance, Audiobook

336 pages, Hardcover

First published April 8, 2026

About the author

Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of Bloomsbury UK. MAAME is her first novel.

Reviews

[emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

when a title is a bookish pun >>>

(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Readers, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the highs and lows of friendship in Love by the Book by Jessica George. This novel explores the challenge of forming those rare, soul-level friendships in adulthood and of nurturing the ones we already hold dear as our lives change. It also offers an ode to feminism and the right of every woman to shape her own body, career, and future without criticism in a world still riddled with double standards.

Jessica George, whose debut Maame I previously reviewed, once again proves herself a master of characters who feel strikingly real. I would call her the queen of chick lit focused on platonic love between women. The spotlight on female friendship makes this story stand apart from the many romantic comedies that dominate the genre. I adore books like Bridget Jones’s Diary and Confessions of a Shopaholic, but Love by the Book earns a special place for celebrating the friends we love every bit as fiercely as partners.

The novel is funny, heartfelt, and at times infuriating in all the best ways. Narration alternates between Remy and Simone, and I admit that going in blind left me briefly confused. Was Simone a character in a book Remy was writing, or someone real? Their eventual “meet-cute” clears the air and the pacing takes off, making the second half nearly impossible to put down.

I highly recommend Love by the Book to readers of women’s fiction who enjoy stories about friendship, empowerment, and the many forms love can take.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing this title for review. All opinions are my own.

[Ceecee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel about female friendship. Meet Remy, Nova, Lin and Melissa who believe they’ll be friends forever and will definitely be able to count on each other. However, circumstances change as they get a bit older and it seems that the fab four are splitting up and moving on. To Remy this feels like a break up. Then there’s Simone, who believes the only people she really needs in her life are her family but a shock for them all leads to them cutting her off. Several chance encounters between Remy and Simone suggest that fate is throwing them together. Will they be able to let each other into their lives?

I’m sure we can all agree that deep friendship is a beautiful thing and especially those that we can really count on and Jessica George really captures this in her latest novel. I love the bond that writer Remy has with her three friends so much so that she even writes a successful book about it. It’s therefore relatable how she struggles when they move on for various reasons.

Remy and Simone are very different personalities, one cool, one warm, one who keeps her own counsel and one who is the opposite, one loner, one more gregarious to whom friends are very important. I do enjoy it that these opposites can find a path to a meaningful friendship. Their characters are well developed and they grow on me as the book progresses.

However, I think that the book goes off at tangents and so becomes disjointed in parts. This also causes the pace to become quite slow which means that it doesn’t resonate as much as it could. In my opinion it’s too long and whilst the author has me intrigued for a lot of the book, my interest wanes.

Overall, Jessica George definitely has talent, her novels are character driven and very good on issues. However, for me this one doesn’t work as well as her previous novel, Maame which I really enjoyed.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to Hodder and Stoughton for the much appreciated early copy in return for an honest review.

[Akankshya · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love story about the joys of platonic friendship: this has the potential to bring back the beloved romcom energy to the movies when it inevitably gets adapted into one.

This book is a hug in the form of words. It's about a friendship meet-cute that slowly turns into a deep friendship between two lonely women in their late 20s. It's hilarious in how it follows the exact beats of a romance (the meet-cute, the alternating chapters, the gestures, the third-act fallout), but for a friend, and even makes fun of itself a little. It ultimately won me over with its vulnerable, emotive depth in its exploration of platonic feelings. It's also commendably nontraditional in certain plot points. That said, it had its issues. The book tries its hand at being metafiction, which is more repetitive than interesting, and the characterizations are somewhat one-dimensional. 3.5 rounded up because I love romcons, and a recommendation to read if you want a cozy read about the deep love between close friends.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin's Press, for a copy of the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Lindsay L · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars.

The value, weight and importance of true female friendship.

Four friends celebrate the immense success of the novel one of them wrote that is loosely based on their friendship group. The publishing world is eager for a follow up novel, but the pressure to meet the same level of success is overwhelming.

There was a lot that I really enjoyed about this novel, but also several main aspects that didn’t work for me.

I loved the exploration of the intense female friendships in this story. “Love among friends.” I found the themes explored surrounding adult female friendship to be extremely thought-provoking and inspiring. I was nodding along to many realizations that I hadn’t considered before reading this. Can women be platonically “in love” with their female friends? Yes! Female friendships can carry just as much importance as marriage to some women. The value and weight of female friendships is immeasurable. Do all females need this level of female connection? No. Is it a critical part of true life happiness for certain other women? Yes.

The publishing industry and author life are topics that I enjoyed experiencing alongside these characters. The glimpses into the publishing world were interesting. Author life is something many people romanticize about and I thought it was an interesting peek into some of the struggles and complications writers may face.

I also enjoyed the wisdoms from elders scattered throughout this story. They were a great, insightful addition to the narrative. They made lasting impressions on me and had me feeling the emotion of those scenes. One character has a very interesting side hustle which I thought was an intriguing and fun side story.

I had a few large issues that prevented me from fully connecting to this novel. One of my issues is that I found myself confused between what was “real” and what was part of the author character in the story writing her next book. I generally love the “book within a book” trope, but this one could have used a bit more editing to tighten up the narrative switches. The author character uses real life situations to inspire her writing and I got lost in the shuffle between her real life and her imagined story being written. I was able to follow along and eventually sort out the narrative, but it did have me pausing a few times to go back and reread.

Another issue I had was the amount of coincidences. The number of times characters happen to bump into one another was unrealistic and ended up bringing my connection and investment down as it was far too implausible for my liking. These coincidences felt somewhat cheesy and silly, making the book take on more of a cutesy tone.

Overall, this was just an ok read for me. My intense love of her debut novel, Maame, definitely set my expectations very high. (Go get your hands on a copy of that ASAP if you haven’t read it already!) This should be more of a hit for readers who enjoy cute, sweet and charming stories centered around women’s lives and friendships. This reached too far into “cute” territory for my liking.

Audio rating: 4 stars! I enjoyed the audio narration and thought it brought life to the characters and story. I think the audio narrators enhanced my enjoyment.

Thank you to the publisher for my advanced listening copy! This publishes on April 7th.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jessica George has such a subtle way with words. Nothing forceful or obvious about what’s to come next. Love By the Book at its core is about female friendships, loyalty, gracefully aging, and discovering what is important in life.

“We’d laughed so much that day, but I couldn’t tell you what at. Who knew you could take forgettable laughter for granted?”

We meet Remy and her three best friends, as they all embark on separate paths in their lives. Parenthood, careers, making bad relationship decisions- things all women evolve into, or out of.

We meet Simone, elementary school teacher, also an undercover escort who has no qualms about her choices in life.

All at crossroads, we learn how important it is friendships are. I loved the premise, just like I loved George’s first book Maame so much.

I love that this isn’t a romance book. Quite frankly, I’m getting tired of influx of romances, far too predictable with forgettable characters. Love by the Book is quite the opposite.

“Our circumstances have changed drastically but one thing hasn’t: Let’s promise to stay in love with each other.”

While I wished there was more backstory: how did Simone really fall into this line of business, more backstory on Remy’s friends, and while I was never on edge, I couldn’t wait to read what happens next.

Keep them coming Jessica!!

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I shrug. “I might be falling in love. That’s all.”

Simone dabs the corners of her mouth with a napkin. “Remy, I am flattered . . .”

“Prepare to be humbled.” I scoff. “I meant falling in love platonically.”

This is a beautiful and captivating love story that’s an ode to platonic female friendship. The characters are quirky and flawed and good… and grow. I loved it.

“How can you be romantic with someone you aren’t attracted to?”

“Well, think about it—what does it mean to be romantic? To buy flowers; to take someone out to dinner; to commit thoughtful actions and to give thoughtful gifts; to have long, meaningful conversations; to be loyal and devoted? I’ve done all of the above with my friends. In essence, platonic love can be incredibly romantic.”

It’s unconventional in that it’s a love story about friends, and it also explores how society treats, makes assumptions about and misunderstands women who choose to live their personal and sexual lives outside of the narrowly proscribed norm.

”Whether it’s how visible we make our nipples, who we invite into our vagina, or whether we fill or don’t fill our uterus, the female anatomy will always be up for discussion.”

Thanks to NetGalley for an opportunity to read this advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 ⭐️

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have a sweet spot for Jessica George and the way she writes about relationships that touch my soul.

Remy has just wrote a bestseller. Her inspiration and support are her best friends. Life has a way of shaking things up when Remy lost her inspiration as her group of friends slowly dispersed and publishers are pushing for a follow up. She’s floundering.

Simone seems to have it all with a secure job as a kindergarten teacher and her family as her support. It’s also nice to have a little supplemental income to boost her lifestyle. However, the revelation of that supplemental income has Simone isolated from her family. Her family is all she has because Simone doesn’t have any social contacts. She’s floundering.

A series of unexpected encounters at a bookstore, a budding friendship begins. Simone opens up to Remy and Remy puts her trust in Simone. They have secrets weighing them down, but confiding in each other is like a comforting balm and forgiveness. A beautiful and heartwarming story of the power in women’s relationships. Each of these characters are carefully crafted and their dilemmas seem too big until they confide in each other and ease out on the other side.

It slowed down a bit in the middle, but it’s certainly not a deterrent. Highly recommend for fans of women’s fiction.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for early access.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh! So there are things that I really love about Jessica George’s Love by the Book, and other things that don’t work as well for me.

Remi is an author that has unknowingly relied on her deep friendship with Lin, Melissa and Nova to serve as the grounding point of her life, and as her friends find themselves other things that take precedence, she begins to feel adrift, setting up her pursuit of a friendship with Simone.

Simone is in many regards the exact opposite of Remi. She is very closed off and perfectly content not to have close friendships because she had such a great relationship with her sister Jenni. But when her family finds out that she’s been working as an escort their connection is severed, leaving Simone to experience loneliness, not just being alone.

The pair don’t really meet until almost a quarter of the way through the book. This does allow you to see what leads into them taking steps towards building a friendship, but it feels too late into the book for me; up until that point it feels very disjointed.

I like the fact that the two women are very different in personality, because it shows that a relationship can work even if the number of things people have in common is limited.

But it also feels like their storylines are running parallel to each other in many ways, where you see most of the other things going on in their lives, until their relationship gradually becomes more and more what the chapters are about.

And, while it does tie in to events that happen towards the end of the book, I don’t love the chapters that Remi writes as a fictional story somewhat based on her burgeoning friendship with Simone. It’s close enough to the actual story but not the same that it got confusing to me at times whether Remi was writing something real life adjacent or if George had not addressed something in the real life storylines.

What I really loved about this book was its exploration of a woman’s right to make choices about her body, whether or not women want to become mothers, and that platonic relationships that are rooted in friendship have just as valuable a place in a person’s life as romantic or familial ones do. Friendsgiving is now a thing, and deservedly so, amiright?

In addressing motherhood, George not only delves into whether or not women want to take on that role, but also raises the important questions of how that choice can impact the friendships they have, and that for women who don’t want to be mothers, things they consider major achievements or accomplishments in their personal or professional lives tend to get overlooked as not being as important as raising a child. As demonstrated in the book, this is a hairy issue, but George does a great job of showing perspectives from both sides.

This story can feel disjointed at times, but it has some really powerful messages that are presented from a very open-minded perspective that make it worth reading. Plus it will remind you of just how powerful your friendships are, and how to treat them with care as they evolve over time.

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book and its exploration of the intensity of female friendships and if it is possible to sustain these friendships over time. I believe it certainly is, but takes commitment and effort the same as any relationship worth preserving. Further, discussions about motherhood, expectations that women should have children, being alone, defying societal pressure to conform to ideas of what a woman is were all thought provoking as well.

Remy is an author and had just published a book based on her three best friends. She herself feels no need for romantic connections and would rather deeply focus her energy on her friends. I just found her ideas of how to be a friend a bit smothering and although she, at the time, had much free time to devote to her friends, she seemed blind that her 3 Best Friends did not. To her that meant she did not have friends. That sort of friendship, I would find overwhelming. Much of this was due to the time period in the women’s lives. As the women were moving from young adults and into a more mature time of their life, relationships, motherhood, and/or career building changed the dynamic.

Remy then finds a new friend Simone, who is 25 and unapologetic of herself. She is a grade school teacher and an escort. Remy and Simone definitely have different personalities, but overtime it somehow works. It is a testament to the skill of Jessica George’s writing that I was able to be somewhat invested in this relationship. The book goes on too long with alternating chapters of Remy and Simone and the most mundane things they did for the day, such as several pages about getting a sandwich for lunch.

I do not think being a prostitute was portrayed realistically. Simone loves romantic comedies and she must have watched Pretty Women one too many times, as she says she does this work since she loves sex and money. Ok, with the money part, no need to justify how you want extra. However, I found it very hard to imagine that all these men were so nice, respectful, and satisfied her needs. It is her job to change herself to only meet their expectations. The danger of doing this was not explored. Men treating her as property and certainly some would certainly be demanding and insensitive to her. Some just unattractive, sloppy, and/or too old for her to possibly enjoy her date. It’s actually portrayed as a way for her to meet someone for a relationship. So, that was hard to get past. I did appreciate that some repercussions Simone faced, she advocated that both herself and the man should face punishment.

So, yes I did get some value out of this book. I wanted all the women featured to keep their friendships and support each other achieving goals that were important to them. The writing was well done, but I just never felt that invested in these characters.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin for a copy of this book.

[Cassie · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Well, think about it—what does it mean to be romantic? To buy flowers; to take someone out to dinner; to commit thoughtful actions and to give thoughtful gifts; to have long, meaningful conversations; to be loyal and devoted? I’ve done all of the above with my friends. In essence, platonic love can be incredibly romantic.”

Jessica George’s debut, Maame, was one of my favorite reads of 2023, so my expectations for Love by the Book were in the stratosphere. George’s second novel is a love story, but the romance in its pages isn’t the kind you’d expect: The focus is on platonic love between female friends - which, for many women, is no less valuable or worthwhile than romantic love, and sometimes even more important.

When Simone and Remy literally bump into each other in a bookstore (a platonic meet-cute!), it isn’t friendship at first sight. Remy is lonely and mourning the loss of her core four-woman friend group, whose lives have taken them in vastly different directions. And Simone thinks she doesn’t need friends at all; she’s a primary teacher with a lucrative side hustle, and she doesn’t have time for a social life. But they just might be exactly what the other needs.

I think most women have experienced what it feels like to grow apart from a friend you thought would be in your life forever. It’s a bittersweet feeling at best, gut-wrenching at worst, but also a completely normal thing that happens. Lives and paths diverge for many reasons, and you either make the effort to maintain certain friendships - or you don’t. Either that friend still fits with a newer version of you - or they don’t. Love by the Book explores the vast spectrum of female friendship in thoughtful, moving ways - how our friendships can morph, fade, and flourish at certain pivotal points in our lives: when we prioritize romantic relationships or careers, when we have children, when we move to a new place. It’s about letting go with grace, nurturing existing connections, and the joy of forging new, unexpected ones.

There’s something so gentle about Jessica George’s writing. Love by the Book is incredibly heartfelt and tenderly conveyed; it feels like a warm, enveloping hug even as it explores complex issues like pregnancy, romantic relationships, family drama, motherhood, career struggles, and forgiveness. The pace drags a bit in the middle, which lessened the emotional impact for me somewhat, but the book still succeeds on the strength of its characters. Simone and Remy are such gorgeous, genuine protagonists, and their interactions come across as so authentic.

In the end, Love by the Book is a story about evolution: how we evolve individually and in our friendships throughout our lives, and how the women we choose to surround ourselves with play a giant role in who we are and who we become. It didn’t hit me quite the way Maame did, but it’s still such a valuable, insightful, important book. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the complimentary reading opportunity.

[KiKi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a feeling book is going to be very well received next year. Not only did this book shove me out of a two month reading slump, it came at an intriguing time in my life. The story went beyond the basic tenants of female friendship and explored how love and feelings (despite how we frame it) shape how we communicate with each other. Remy & Simone were two engaging characters that met at an awkward stage at both their lives and I loved that Remy's initial friend group was still an impactful part of the overall story. When I think about it, every character in this book was well fleshed out. The dialogue was chef's kiss and packed an emotional punch to the concept of friendship, love and womanhood.

[Morayo · Rating 5 out of 5]

May this kind of love find me and stay with me. May I also be willing to give and accept this love when it does.

If anyone asks you, this is my new favourite book. A 6 star if you will.
My deepest thoughts about this book are in my journal app because they are so personal to me and I need to stop oversharing on the internet.
This book found me at the right time.

I loved Maame so much when I read it and when I saw Jessica George was releasing a new book, I preordered on Audible. In SA, we get UK release dates and for the first time in forever, we get the books first. Also the cover is so pretty. I was sold.

I knew I would love this book.
I started and stopped a few times because I was so scared of how much I would see some of myself and situations I’ve been in reflected in the book. I can’t explain it but I feel as though Jessica writes for the girls. I am the girls.

I plan on getting the actual paperback once the one independent bookstore has it in stock. Will also be getting Maame because I read on Libby but I want to look at it and annotate.
There were so many parts in this book where I teared up a little because wow… what a concept friendship is

I feel like there will be times where I’ll come back to this review to add stuff.

[Jo Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved loved loved!

I’ve been delaying this arc a little bit because romance really isn’t my top pick, so I was delighted to discover the unconventional element of the novel and the fact that it centres around friendship, for me personally my friendships truly have been my big love stories, friendship breakups far more painful than any other kind, so it was an absolute pleasure to see/hear it celebrated in all it’s complexity’s.

Jessica George is a new to me author and before I’d even finished this title I’d headed straight to audible ti wish list her debut. I loved her style I adored the characters and I really didn’t want to leave them behind.

The book covers a lot of fairly deep topics, but oddly it arrived as a friend, ready to rationally discuss them and damn well support you through them.

A special book.

Isabel Adomakoh-Young’s narration was perfect!

All the stars 🌟
#Jorecommends

Huge thanks to Hodder & Stoughton Audio via NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ALC 🎧

[Kenzie | kenzienoelle.reads]

I was so excited about this book. A story about female friendship by the author of MAAME (a book I adored!)

Unfortunately, I had to DNF at the 33% mark. I thought about DNFing earlier but I really wanted to give it a fair shot since I had been highly anticipating it.

I really loved following Remy as an author with a successful first novel but struggling to write a second one. But I thought that the interspersed chapters from said book were very redundant. I also think her journey as a single woman whose closest friendships have shifted is one we don’t see often enough and I hope to see more of those stories in the future.

There were a lot of topics and storylines in this book that are things that I just don’t want to read about. (I’ve removed the spoiler section of my NetGalley review here but feel free to DM me if you want specifics.)

In a story like this I have to want to root for the main characters and there were too many choices being made that I wasn’t a fan of and I knew this wasn’t a book for me.

Thank you St. Martins and Netgalley for the egalley!!

[Nikki Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly captures the importance of and value in women friendships.

I was nervous because I DNF-ed George's first novel. But these characters and their struggles were relatable as they try to hold on to connection and move on with their lives at the same time.

And of course, I loved the writing layer of Remy's second novel as part of the storyline. I will always be a sucker for a good writing process.

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

“That’s friendship… accepting no one is perfect and valuing what they can provide over what they can’t.”

**thank you to the publishers at Hodder & Stoughton for this proof copy 📚🤍

One of my most anticipated 2026 releases!!!
Maame (Jessica’s first novel) was a 6⭐️ read for me, so my expectations were extremely high… and while I liked and enjoyed this, I didn’t love it.

We follow Remy, who’s feeling lost in life. Her tight-knit friendship group have all gone down different paths, leaving her lonely and unsure of her purpose, while also struggling to write her second novel.
She meets Simone, a local primary school teacher (with a secret side job 🤭) who’s had a major fallout with her family - especially her sister, her former best friend. - so she’s also feeling lost and closed off.

As a teacher myself, I loved the school scenes with Simone!
I loved the exploration of friendship and its complexities, especially being in your late 20s when everyone is in different life seasons. Could completely relate as I’m going through this atm.
Alongside, the general feelings of not knowing what you want/what’s going on when everyone around you is doing such different things. The conversations around changing priorities, motherhood, and children were handled brilliantly.

It did take me a while to get my head around the characters and relationships, there were a lot of names floating around. Simone can initially come across as abrupt and standoffish and her very different personality to Remy’s took some warming up to.
At times the pacing dipped in the middle and went off on tangents before picking up again in the final pages. For me, it was also way too long, there’s a lot going on, which sometimes made it feel dragged and slightly disjointed.
I just wanted more from it overall😔

If you like character driven books and topics of female friendships then you will absolutely loveeeee this!!!

Themes: female friendships, relationships, purpose, family, sex work, children, motherhood.

**available to pre order nowww (out in Feb!)

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about love might not be the kind you expect. It explores how love and connection can exist in platonic friendships just as deeply as in romance.

It’s a story many twenty-somethings will relate to: navigating hard decisions, loneliness, and ever-changing friendships. At times I wondered if it was trying to take on too much, but it manages to stay thoughtful and grounded while keeping a manageable length.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

[Brynn | readyourworriesaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Jessica George’s debut, MAAME, so I was thrilled to see that she would be releasing her sophomore novel this year 🙌

Jessica has such a talent for writing dynamic female friendships that captivate readers’ attention.

LOVE BY THE BOOK is an emotionally layered and rich story. Remy and Simone were complex characters with stories that fully drew me in. They both had intriguing perspectives and voices!

🎧 I highly recommend listening to the audiobook. It was SO wonderful and engaging. I believe this was the first audiobook I’ve listened to that was narrated by Isabel Adomakoh Young, and I can’t wait to listen to more 👏

I loved the “book within a book” aspect and how George intentionally unraveled the details about Remy’s and Simone’s lives.

This book deserves all of the early praise it’s receiving, and I can’t wait to see more people fall in love with it when it releases on April 7th! 📆

[Tasha]

Looking forward to reading this book. Thank you for the arc!

[Cindy (leavemetomybooks)]

* thanks to St Martin’s Press for the NetGalley review copy (pub date: April 7, 2026)

I don’t know if this is a true DNF (@48%) or an “I’ll come back to it at some point” DNF, but the glacial pace wasn’t holding my attention, so I was only reading a few pages at a time and couldn’t get into the flow of the story. Maybe it’s a vacation book?

Anyway - Maame was one of my favorite books the year it came out and I would definitely read another book by George, but this was not my favorite.

[duhhkneess · Rating 5 out of 5]

“i find that without my friends, i forget who i am sometimes. […] you all were a constant reminder of my identity.”

this book. this fucking book. yet again, a jessica george novel finds me at exactly the right time

my gosh i love this book so much i’ll think about the characters forever

i’ll be gushing about how much i love her on thursday, i’m EXCITED EEKKKKK

[MackGetsLit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio narration: 5 stars, SO SO SO well done!

I love books about female friendships, and this did not disappoint. First of all, George’s premise for this book of a writer who is in a weird place professionally and personally after her hit debut novel about her group of core girlfriends was so creative. I loved that this was not just another “here is a group of friends and this is their story” type of book. Here she deconstructs that and gives the reader a fresh perspective. Evolving relationships as you age and grow in different directions is so relatable for so many people, and then to also add in the character of Simone who is someone new Remy meets and grows to love in a platonic way. Personally, I think platonic friendships are some of the most beautiful things we as humans can have. I think they exist not just between women though, and I also value my friendships with men. George also tackles motherhood and what it means to all women, those who are mothers, don’t want to be mothers, can’t be mothers in such a great way throughout the book. Her characters challenge social norms and push back on what each individual feels is their right decision regarding motherhood, and also how that impacts their friendships as they age. There are so many parts of this book that make you have these introspective moments about your own life and relationships though. All while having several funny moments with the unhinged main female character and how at times, she is so delusional I laughed out loud listening at several lines. I would highly recommend this to be a book club book if only for the phenomenal discussion points I think would come from it.

Perfect for fans of Insecure by Issa Rae, Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton, My Friends by Fredrik Backman, and You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi ( for the messy girls).

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars. I found this to be such an endearing tale about the power of female friendship in all its complex, and fragile facets. The story follows Remy, an author, with a tight-knit circle of friends that she wrote her first book about. Her friends are now headed in all different directions, leaving Remy feeling alone and abandoned. Thank goodness for Simone, whom Remy finds a new friend in, although Simone is a bit guarded, and harbors a secret about her side hustle. They are unimaginably so different from the other, but do click, and have become each other’s biggest supporter. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow from initial loneliness into what the author shows as a “platonic love”.. which is a term I never heard of before reading this. Well now I know and fully appreciate its use! I liked how this wasn’t what I was expecting as a friendship tale, but instead, had substance. I also found the characters to be quite relatable. As you grow older, life happens, daily responsibilities take center stage. Connecting to those you care for becomes secondary. It’s also about the ability to move forward, being open to new opportunities and friendships. This really makes you think. 🎧 Pub. 4/7/26

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advance listening copy. All opinions are my own.

[Satara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Charnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of our greatest loves are our friendships and I love that the author created this beautiful story based on that.

[Merisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Jessica George and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced listening copy in exchange for an honest review.

“Many of us learn as children that friendship should never be seen as just as important as family ties. However, friendship is the place in which a great majority of us have our first glimpse of redemptive love and caring community" — bell hooks

Synopsis: Remy is in love with her friends in the most platonic way, even going so far as to write a book about them that eventually becomes a best seller. But as life goes, those friends that she held close to her in proximity now start to feel distant as their lives begin to take shape—marriage, pregnancy, career, and toxic relationships take Melissa, Lin, and Nova away from Remy, leaving her feeling deeply alone and vulnerable until she meets the heavily guarded Simone. Simone is a kindergarten teacher, estranged from her own family, and like Remy, is harboring her own secret. When the two collide in a bookstore, their lives become intwined and the friendship that neither expected blossoms into a beautiful relationship.

To say that I loved this story is an understatement. This is Jessica George’s sophomore novel, and it is an incredible read. I couldn’t help but think about hooks’ all about love while I read as I think this is such an incredible nod to the ideas of platonic love in friendships that hooks speaks about. Like Remy, I have sometimes felt that loneliness as I watch my close friends move on in life, and like Simone, I have had some estrangement from my family. But this book shows that despite all of that, the people you need the most will be there, and that sometimes friendship love is deeper, stronger, more intimate than romantic love.

If you like deeply emotional stories that center female friendships, this is the book for you.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first ever 5 star review for a romance. Seems fitting as this is a romance between female friends. Loved the characters, the story line and the relationships between the women. I won the audio book from Story Graph and enjoyed the narrator too! Loved loved loved this book.

[Kiersten Krog · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Love by the Book by Jessica George! It’s a joyful, heartfelt celebration of the beauty and power of female friendship that completely swept me away. As a follow-up to her wonderful debut Maame (which I also adored), this novel feels both comforting and excitingly fresh, brimming with wisdom, warmth, and deeply well-developed characters. I found myself instantly attached to Remy and Simone and honestly just wanted to be best friends with them, rooting for them through every page. George has such a gift for capturing emotional nuance and connection, making this story feel unique, refreshing, and utterly captivating. Overall, it’s a beautiful, feel-good read that stayed with me long after I finished. I can’t recommend highly enough!

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenally written. I loved all of the characters - they were fun, funny, raw, honest and wholly themselves. I truly felt like I knew them. I loved this idea of a platonic lifelines between two women. Simone and Remy blended so well together - I loved their friendship. I adored the author’s writing style!