Book Review: Time Together by Luke Horton
Trying to avoid the loneliness that’s come in the wake of his mother’s recent passing, Phil has invited a bunch of old friends to stay with him on the coast. Tomorrow, Bella and Tim will arrive with their two kids, one on the brink of puberty; and the next day, Jo and Lucas will come too, with their little one. Then there’s Annie, who will be by herself. Maybe this is a mistake. Maybe it’s just what they all need.
The story of a beach holiday told by four different people, Time Together is a novel about different kinds of love, different kinds of loneliness, and the way spending time together can bring out the best and worst in each other.
Released March 2025
My Thoughts:Time Together by Luke Horton is the perfect holiday read. A group of old friends, now in their forties, congregate in a beach house with their children and partners, along with their affection for each other, guilt at not keeping in touch more, and, as the story progresses, their underlying resentments.
Phil, the host, is grieving from the recent loss of his mother. Along with Annie, who is getting over a toxic relationship break-up, they make up the singletons of the group. Jo is married to a man 13 years younger than her and has a precocious four year old daughter, supposedly ‘gifted’, but possibly just undisciplined and indulged in the way only children with older parents can sometimes be. Bella is married to Tim and brings with her two children, a very cruisy and normal boy around seven, and a pre-pubescent horror of a girl who is 12.
As these friends catch up, the dynamics shift like sand and moods are mercurial. This is a character driven novel about friendship and families. It’s unflinchingly honest about relationships and friendships, parenting, and about the way we feel about ourselves as we age.
Bella was a difficult character. The others navigated around her moods and tantrums. Her daughter’s behaviour towards her exacerbated her own bad behaviour, like the two were caught in a toxic war that was only going to get worse as the years went on. I personally didn’t like Bella at all, I could see the many ways in which she felt entitled about her own suffering, like she was the first person to ever feel isolated and depressed as a mother. I feel as though her daughter Millie was going to grow up exactly the same. Angry about her life choices and determined to make sure everyone knew about it. I despise people like that.
‘I forgot, a bit…how intense she can be.’
‘I love her though.’
‘Of course. I seem to remember all that being more fun. Now it feels exhausting.’
‘She’s a lot.’
I really enjoyed this novel, reading the bulk of it in a day. It was an easy read to get lost in, making no demands of the reader, yet being incredibly insightful about long-term friendships and ageing. Recommended reading for those who like their fiction to be relatable.
Thanks to Scribe for the review copy.
