Book Review: Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things by Jessica Seaborn

About the Book:

Charlie, a prime-time radio producer in her early thirties, has always had a big group of friends – until she left her husband, and they all sided with him. Now she finds herself floundering in a sea of awkward run-ins and silent group chats. When her best friend Genevieve starts moving on with her life, too, Charlie realises how few significant people she has around her, and what a lonely place that can be.

Dreading the prospect of returning to her childhood home for the anniversary of her father’s death, she busies herself by seeking new friendships – book clubs, pub crawls, team sports, the works. But Charlie’s determination to surround herself with unfamiliar people forces her to confront her insecurities. What kind of life does she want? And who does she really want to spend it with?

For fans of Dolly Alderton and Zoë Foster Blake, Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate the Same Things is a bitingly witty yet moving take on the struggles of maintaining relationships and creating new ones as an adult – a story that ultimately celebrates the importance and complexities of best friends.

Published by Penguin Books Australia

Released 5 August 2025

My Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this second novel by Jessica Seaborn, Isn’t It Nice We Both Hate The Same Things – also, what a title! I think this one might not be what many people are expecting it to be. There’s no romance – winning! – nor is it overly funny. Rather, it’s just entirely real, and I loved it all the more for that.

“In the middle of the conversation, I realised that being an adult is just saying ‘after this week things will slow down a bit’ until we all die.”

I would call this a crossroads story, in that it’s character driven, and the main character driving it is at a crossroads. Six months after a marriage break-up, she’s also finding the other parts of her life are being turned inside out: her career, her friendships, and her family relationships. All of which causes her to have a reckoning of sorts.

Reading this novel was a bit like hanging out with a good friend. I felt invested in Charlie’s life for the duration, enjoyed her witty banter with her co-workers, was outraged on her behalf at the shoddy way she was dropped by her ex-husband’s friends, and felt the deep sadness along with her over the widening rift with her sister and the acceptance of her best friend moving interstate.

I enjoyed the overall story arc and would recommend this one as the ultimate comfort read. It has all the feels and hits the right notes at the right time, all the way through.

Thanks to the publisher for the copy.