What do you think?
Rate this book
Us Three
***THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER***'A touching celebration of the beauty and endurance of female friendship. There is nothing mightier. Fact.' DAWN FRENCHThe new novel from Ruth Jones, co-creator of Gavin & Stacey and author of the smash-hit, number one bestselling debut, Never Greener.Friends forever is a difficult promise to keep...Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may.After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship to its core, leaving their future in doubt - there's simply too much to forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once made now seems impossible to keep . . .Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth's name as a screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a funny, moving and uplifting novel about life's complications, the power of friendship and how it defines us all.Prepare to meet characters you'll feel you've known all your life - prepare to meet Us Three.*****Praise for Us 'A warm, smart, uplifting tale of true friendship.' BETH O'LEARY'This novel oozes warmth and honesty. A big-hearted book that provides a cast of characters you'll lose your heart to.' ADELE PARKS'I loved this brilliantly gripping depiction of the complexities of female friendship over the years. Love, betrayal, comedy and loss - Us Three has it all.' FIONA NEILL*****Readers love Us 'I love the way Ruth Jones writes. The relationship between the 3 friends is perfect and a wonderful book to read about friendship''I absolutely loved this so much. There were moments that made me cry and other moments that made me laugh.''Best book of the year so far. To sum it up I'd say "it was bloody lush"'****RUTH'S BRILLIANT NEW NOVEL LOVE UNTOLD IS OUT NOW****
367 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2020
1989 people are currently reading
7603 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Jones
48 books865 followersJones is a Welsh television actress and writer known for her work on shows such as Gavin & Stacey and Stella.
Note: There are multiple writers with this name.
Note: There are multiple writers with this name.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,392 reviews
March 5, 2020
I have enjoyed Ruth Jones work on the television but this is my first venture into her books. I was a little put off by the comment 'Women's Fiction' but needn't of worried because this novel is all about what I love in a book, great characters. This book is all about great characters and their relationships while maturing as adults.
Three childhood friends, Lana, Judith and Catrin, best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may. But their friendship is tested to the limits and their childhood promise seems likely to be broken.
The characters in this book really make it a success and I was totally absorbed in this novel and could have very easily given it a five star rating. I was so enthralled by the authors writing that I have already purchased her other novel 'Never Greener'
For all men who like great characters don't be put off by the phrase 'Women's Fiction' because it is well worth reading. Yes the main characters are women but why restrict the reading to women, a good book is worth reading whatever the gender.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
Three childhood friends, Lana, Judith and Catrin, best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may. But their friendship is tested to the limits and their childhood promise seems likely to be broken.
The characters in this book really make it a success and I was totally absorbed in this novel and could have very easily given it a five star rating. I was so enthralled by the authors writing that I have already purchased her other novel 'Never Greener'
For all men who like great characters don't be put off by the phrase 'Women's Fiction' because it is well worth reading. Yes the main characters are women but why restrict the reading to women, a good book is worth reading whatever the gender.
I would like to thank both Net Galley and Random House for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.
August 24, 2021
This book is advertised as a warm, smart uplifting tale of true friendship. I’m sorry, but although I quite enjoy Ruth Jones’ style of writing, this book wasn’t at all uplifting and certainly wasn’t a tale of true friendship. Although it starts off with a tale of three friends, it soon becomes rather sad and depressing once two of the friends have fallen out. The book spans several decades very quickly and throughout, none of the girls seem happy at all, contending with a toxic mother who tricked some poor soul into a sad, loveless marriage, the sad death of a new-born, a self-absorbed lush, infertility, death of a spouse and the last bit of the story relating to Patricia and Adrian was just odd. I didn’t really find any of the three girls particularly likeable and so I found it difficult to be compassionate for any of them. The only characters I did feel some compassion for were Gareth and Sol. Sorry – this is a bit harsh, but it’s an honest review.
September 4, 2020
Having not read the authors first book I have to admit to suffering for the first 10% of the book from ‘Nessa’s voice’, this means everything and every character in my head was Nessa and I found myself drifting off wondering if Smithy was going to say yes 😃
This was a distraction but not the authors fault and after 10% it disappeared thankfully
The book is about 3 friends and basically charts their 40 or so years of friendship and everything that happens in it, I felt it gained momentum as the book went on but then ( as in many books/tv ) the seeds for the rest of the story had to be set, it’s a book of love, laughs, disasters, recriminations, ‘falling out’s’, birth’s, death’s and marriages and pretty much everything and anything else that can be thrown it’s way
This book grew on me, as did the 3 characters and by the end was fully invested in their life’s and all that was going on ( good, bad and indifferent )
It all finishes happily and we all like that once in a while in a book and so on the whole would say I enjoyed it and am glad gave it the time to grow on me ( and Nessa to disappear )
A book to pick up at night or on the tube or when you have an hour and a book I am sure many people who don’t often read as much as they would like will read because of the author
8/10
4 Stars
This was a distraction but not the authors fault and after 10% it disappeared thankfully
The book is about 3 friends and basically charts their 40 or so years of friendship and everything that happens in it, I felt it gained momentum as the book went on but then ( as in many books/tv ) the seeds for the rest of the story had to be set, it’s a book of love, laughs, disasters, recriminations, ‘falling out’s’, birth’s, death’s and marriages and pretty much everything and anything else that can be thrown it’s way
This book grew on me, as did the 3 characters and by the end was fully invested in their life’s and all that was going on ( good, bad and indifferent )
It all finishes happily and we all like that once in a while in a book and so on the whole would say I enjoyed it and am glad gave it the time to grow on me ( and Nessa to disappear )
A book to pick up at night or on the tube or when you have an hour and a book I am sure many people who don’t often read as much as they would like will read because of the author
8/10
4 Stars
January 19, 2021
More like 2.5 stars but I couldn’t bear to give it a 3. It read like an average soap opera with unimaginative characters and predictable drama. I kept reading expecting a twist or to feel more compassion for the stereotypical characters but they never felt like they grew up.
The friendships seemed like they lost their way very early on and I wondered why they couldn’t just move on - did they not make more friends as they got older? Why hold on to toxic relationships or people??
Spoiler alert - one character’s move to find another by changing universities seemed obsessive not romantic. Thought this might have had a twist but no such luck.
It was an easy and ok read, I just didn’t get much satisfaction from the time I spent on it, I could have easily gone without this book in my life.
The friendships seemed like they lost their way very early on and I wondered why they couldn’t just move on - did they not make more friends as they got older? Why hold on to toxic relationships or people??
Spoiler alert - one character’s move to find another by changing universities seemed obsessive not romantic. Thought this might have had a twist but no such luck.
It was an easy and ok read, I just didn’t get much satisfaction from the time I spent on it, I could have easily gone without this book in my life.
July 13, 2022
*Unpopular view coming up*
I was expecting this book to be funny and uplifting, but I found it to be slow, predictable and boring...
It felt like the author had a (long) tick list of life events that she wanted to cover in the book, and she touched on them all - touched being the key word here; I didn't feel like any of the issues had much depth to them. I took nothing away unfortunately.
I also struggled to believe in the friendships themselves. I think the moral of the story is supposed to be that friends are there for each other through all of the tough times. However, this just isn't true for two of the three main characters 🤷♀️
I was expecting this book to be funny and uplifting, but I found it to be slow, predictable and boring...
It felt like the author had a (long) tick list of life events that she wanted to cover in the book, and she touched on them all - touched being the key word here; I didn't feel like any of the issues had much depth to them. I took nothing away unfortunately.
I also struggled to believe in the friendships themselves. I think the moral of the story is supposed to be that friends are there for each other through all of the tough times. However, this just isn't true for two of the three main characters 🤷♀️
April 19, 2020
Catrin Kelly, Judith Harris and Lana Lloyd, have been best friends since the age of five. Follow these three women from the age of eighteen to their early fifties as their lives and friendships whirl through many ups and downs.
Us Three is the second novel by Ruth Jones. This story appears under the genre of “Women’s Fiction” BUT do NOT let this label put you off. I am a fan of the Crime/Mystery/Thrillers genre of novels and I thought Us Three was simply BRILLIANT. Yes, it is a book out of my normal reading genre but the quality of Ruth’s writing is superb.
Catrin, Judith and Lana grew up in the fictional small town of Coed Celyn, somewhere in south Wales. Ruth Jones is famous for writing the hugely successful British television situation comedy Gavin & Stacey. Reading the dialogue between her characters in Us Three, it is impossible for the reader not to take on the accents and voices from the television programme. The humour expressed between her characters is similar to that which viewers enjoyed with Gavin & Stacey. For example…
Judith nearly spat out her ginger beer laughing, though Lana was not amused. ‘He was just being deliberately difficult. And we had sex and it was rubbish. Like Chinese takeaway. Y’know, good in the moment, but ultimately unfulfilling.’
… I found the dialogue between her characters simply a joy to read. I liked how Ruth highlighted the difference between Cardiff and Valley accents. This is something we poke fun at every week at our Llantrisant depot.
The short chapters are written from each character’s point of view. This makes this novel ideal for brief reading snatches. Character development is wonderful, the content is so rich that you quickly believe these characters are real people. Ruth pitches the dynamics between these three women really well. Having been married to a Welsh girl for the past 28 years and privy to regular telephone conversations as Gail drones on via speakerphone with her friends from school - I know the conversations that Catrin, Judith and Lana share are realistic.
I really enjoyed reading Us Three and what’s not to like? I found this book highly entertaining, funny and light reading. I think it will make an excellent holiday read that should appeal to both genders. It has high quality writing that is easy to understand, follow and roll along with. There are no dull or repetitive bits in this novel. There is no padding within this story to bulk it out, just comedy drama gold. I could not help but wish each girl well as she made her way through the challenges thrown her way.
I found Us Three a delightful and refreshing read. I loved how it featured the Welsh culture with the attitudes and dialogue so true to life. Had Ruth featured a real small town in south Wales rather than the fictional Coed Celyn, I feel it would become a tourist attraction just like Barry Island has become following the success of Gavin & Stacey. Still, Ruth does mention Cardiff quite a bit in Us Three and we have plenty of hotels here to welcome tourists to our fine and historic city. Just don’t think that Bessemer Place is off Bessemer Road! Instead walk along to Leckwith Road, pop into the Asda and you will overhear women talk just like in Us Three. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Us Three and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Well done Ruth, you are a Welsh legend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Bantam Press for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
Us Three is the second novel by Ruth Jones. This story appears under the genre of “Women’s Fiction” BUT do NOT let this label put you off. I am a fan of the Crime/Mystery/Thrillers genre of novels and I thought Us Three was simply BRILLIANT. Yes, it is a book out of my normal reading genre but the quality of Ruth’s writing is superb.
Catrin, Judith and Lana grew up in the fictional small town of Coed Celyn, somewhere in south Wales. Ruth Jones is famous for writing the hugely successful British television situation comedy Gavin & Stacey. Reading the dialogue between her characters in Us Three, it is impossible for the reader not to take on the accents and voices from the television programme. The humour expressed between her characters is similar to that which viewers enjoyed with Gavin & Stacey. For example…
Judith nearly spat out her ginger beer laughing, though Lana was not amused. ‘He was just being deliberately difficult. And we had sex and it was rubbish. Like Chinese takeaway. Y’know, good in the moment, but ultimately unfulfilling.’
… I found the dialogue between her characters simply a joy to read. I liked how Ruth highlighted the difference between Cardiff and Valley accents. This is something we poke fun at every week at our Llantrisant depot.
The short chapters are written from each character’s point of view. This makes this novel ideal for brief reading snatches. Character development is wonderful, the content is so rich that you quickly believe these characters are real people. Ruth pitches the dynamics between these three women really well. Having been married to a Welsh girl for the past 28 years and privy to regular telephone conversations as Gail drones on via speakerphone with her friends from school - I know the conversations that Catrin, Judith and Lana share are realistic.
I really enjoyed reading Us Three and what’s not to like? I found this book highly entertaining, funny and light reading. I think it will make an excellent holiday read that should appeal to both genders. It has high quality writing that is easy to understand, follow and roll along with. There are no dull or repetitive bits in this novel. There is no padding within this story to bulk it out, just comedy drama gold. I could not help but wish each girl well as she made her way through the challenges thrown her way.
I found Us Three a delightful and refreshing read. I loved how it featured the Welsh culture with the attitudes and dialogue so true to life. Had Ruth featured a real small town in south Wales rather than the fictional Coed Celyn, I feel it would become a tourist attraction just like Barry Island has become following the success of Gavin & Stacey. Still, Ruth does mention Cardiff quite a bit in Us Three and we have plenty of hotels here to welcome tourists to our fine and historic city. Just don’t think that Bessemer Place is off Bessemer Road! Instead walk along to Leckwith Road, pop into the Asda and you will overhear women talk just like in Us Three. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Us Three and it gets the top score of 5 stars from me. Well done Ruth, you are a Welsh legend.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author and the publisher Random House UK/Transworld Publishers/Bantam Press for giving me a copy of this book on the understanding that I provide an honest review.
September 7, 2022
*Friendship*
**4.5 Stars**
Three young girls Catrin, Judith and Lana form a instant bond from primary school and swear an oath on a curly wurly wrapper. They pledge to always be there for each other come what may.
As time goes by can they keep this oath. Fast forward to their late teens they head off to island hop around Greece, this is their last time together before embarking on 3 different universities .
One of them meets the person who will eventually be the love of their life, one finds out shocking revelations about her Greek stepfather and one is the party animal who is living it up.
Something huge happens that challenges their relationship, will they ever get back on course or will the gap between two of them become too wide.
I love most of the characters even the hateful ones who all seem to come alive on the page. As the three age the dynamics of the group change and I just love how Ruth Jones navigates all the challenges…. Ruth Jones’s narration really adds to the book
**4.5 Stars**
Three young girls Catrin, Judith and Lana form a instant bond from primary school and swear an oath on a curly wurly wrapper. They pledge to always be there for each other come what may.
As time goes by can they keep this oath. Fast forward to their late teens they head off to island hop around Greece, this is their last time together before embarking on 3 different universities .
One of them meets the person who will eventually be the love of their life, one finds out shocking revelations about her Greek stepfather and one is the party animal who is living it up.
Something huge happens that challenges their relationship, will they ever get back on course or will the gap between two of them become too wide.
I love most of the characters even the hateful ones who all seem to come alive on the page. As the three age the dynamics of the group change and I just love how Ruth Jones navigates all the challenges…. Ruth Jones’s narration really adds to the book
April 18, 2020
Story with a Big Heart- following the ups and downs of life of three friends. Not a particularly good writing style and not a genre I really enjoy on the whole. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
January 31, 2024
I really enjoyed this light read. The characters are well developed and interesting stories of three women, Catrin, Lana, and Judith, at various stages of their lives, their loves, and falling outs. Each relatively short chapter is based on one viewpoint and their friendships. You can't help but fall in love with them all. A warm, uplifting, smart, big-hearted book. Love betrayal and loss wonderfully written.
September 24, 2020
I loved this very emotional book by Ruth Jones. It was funny and sweet and at times it made my eyes fill up. I loved the characters and the way the three girls dealt with the ups and downs I their lives, the arguments between them and then the making up. Very real life. It made a lovely change from the crime novels I’ve been reading lately. Highly recommend.
Read
February 3, 2022Nach ca. 150 Seiten habe ich das Buch abgebrochen. Man merkt schnell, dass jede der Freundinnen ihre eigenen Probleme hat, was die Neugier für much als Leser zwar aufflammen ließ, letztlich fühlten sich die Dialoge und Interaktionen der Charaktere aber so oberflächlich an, dass mich ehrlich gesagt gar nicht interessiert wie es sich weiter entwickeln wird, da ich auch nicht das Gefühl habe, dass wir im weiteren Verlauf tiefer eintauchen werden...
August 25, 2020
Oh my goodness this felt like the good old days or early Marian Keyes, Lisa Jewell and Sophie Kinsella and this novel evoked the same feelings in me as those early novels did. I loved this book so much more than I was expecting and I can feel it with me even now.
I really enjoyed getting to meet Catrin, Lana and Judith and I just adored their friendship, was jealous of it even. To have a friendship like their is really special and we do follow them right from the beginning from their wild 18 year old trip to Greece before they all went their separate ways after a-levels. Lana reminded me so much of a Marilyn Monroe type, trying to better herself through the entertainment industry and having a turbulent time doing to. Judith is the person that nothing seems to go right for and Catrin is the steadying force on them both. I loved these women and feel as if I know them having spent the last 300+ pages with them.
This story definitely has its ups and downs. I really enjoyed the adventures these women have but its when they get home and have to face real life that really tests them. This book covers literally everything life can throw at a person and there is a care warning here for infertility and baby loss. I loved the side players in their story and they all contributed to each characters plot line. I also really liked the fact that we get to revisit these women over many many years right up to current day and the epilogue and the prologue really add something to the story and are parts, I admit, that I reread.
I loved this book, it is such a great follow up to Never Greener because I loved this even more. Highly recommend.
I really enjoyed getting to meet Catrin, Lana and Judith and I just adored their friendship, was jealous of it even. To have a friendship like their is really special and we do follow them right from the beginning from their wild 18 year old trip to Greece before they all went their separate ways after a-levels. Lana reminded me so much of a Marilyn Monroe type, trying to better herself through the entertainment industry and having a turbulent time doing to. Judith is the person that nothing seems to go right for and Catrin is the steadying force on them both. I loved these women and feel as if I know them having spent the last 300+ pages with them.
This story definitely has its ups and downs. I really enjoyed the adventures these women have but its when they get home and have to face real life that really tests them. This book covers literally everything life can throw at a person and there is a care warning here for infertility and baby loss. I loved the side players in their story and they all contributed to each characters plot line. I also really liked the fact that we get to revisit these women over many many years right up to current day and the epilogue and the prologue really add something to the story and are parts, I admit, that I reread.
I loved this book, it is such a great follow up to Never Greener because I loved this even more. Highly recommend.
March 23, 2022
I think I need to stop trusting goodreads ratings.
There's no real plot, all the characters are flat and unlikeable, so are the relationships. The friendship between the three mains isn't believable and I actually do not have a clue why they haven't been able to move on from each other for 30 years when half the time it seems they barely like one another.
Also, one of the main relationships moves so fast that it's creepy and a huge red flag and nobody in this book even points it out? This dude knew the girl for like two hours and gave up a spot at Cambridge for her, applied to her college, like one week later called her the love of his life and within a few months proposed and all the characters were just like...okay with that?
There's no real plot, all the characters are flat and unlikeable, so are the relationships. The friendship between the three mains isn't believable and I actually do not have a clue why they haven't been able to move on from each other for 30 years when half the time it seems they barely like one another.
Also, one of the main relationships moves so fast that it's creepy and a huge red flag and nobody in this book even points it out? This dude knew the girl for like two hours and gave up a spot at Cambridge for her, applied to her college, like one week later called her the love of his life and within a few months proposed and all the characters were just like...okay with that?
September 4, 2020
Three and a half stars.
Lana, Judith and Catrin have been best friends since infants school. With all their lives ahead of them they spend the summer of their A levels travelling the Greek Islands and yet some decisions they make on this fateful holiday will shape their lives for years to come.
Spanning decades we see how these three women negotiate life, love, divorce, betrayal and the changing face of friendship. As a fifty-something woman myself I could relate to Lana, Judith and Catrin, their hopes and dreams, their dream holiday and the minutiae of everyday life. None of them has a perfect life, none of them has the life they envisaged for themselves and their friendship is stretched mighty thin at times.
Filled with a multitude of believable characters this novel effortlessly spans the decades, filled with tragedy and humour, love and loss. I couldn't put it down and had to read the last bit with my Kindle plugged into my laptop because I'd drained the battery.
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
Lana, Judith and Catrin have been best friends since infants school. With all their lives ahead of them they spend the summer of their A levels travelling the Greek Islands and yet some decisions they make on this fateful holiday will shape their lives for years to come.
Spanning decades we see how these three women negotiate life, love, divorce, betrayal and the changing face of friendship. As a fifty-something woman myself I could relate to Lana, Judith and Catrin, their hopes and dreams, their dream holiday and the minutiae of everyday life. None of them has a perfect life, none of them has the life they envisaged for themselves and their friendship is stretched mighty thin at times.
Filled with a multitude of believable characters this novel effortlessly spans the decades, filled with tragedy and humour, love and loss. I couldn't put it down and had to read the last bit with my Kindle plugged into my laptop because I'd drained the battery.
I received a free copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Bumped for release.
June 24, 2023
«ما سه تا»، داستان سه تا زنه که از پنج سالگی با هم دوستن و سفرشون به یونان در سن ۱۸ سالگی و دقیقاً قبل از ورودشون به دانشگاههای مختلف و خوندن رشتههای مختلف، زندگیشون رو بیشتر از اونی که فکرشو میکردن تغییر میده. ماجراهای سفر به یونان شاید به نظر عادی بیاد؛ مخصوصاً برای جوانهایی به اون سن و سال، ولی تمامشون مقدمهی ماجراهای دیگه ای هستن که حتی روی روابط این سه نفر با همدیگه تأثیر میذاره.
داستان -در کمال تعجب- برخلاف سایر داستانهایی در این سبک دیالوگ باسمهای و صحنههای کلیشهای نداره؛ حتی حذف یکی از شخصیتهای نسبتاً اصلی داستان که ممکنه به نظر بیمنطق بیاد یه جور plot twist غیرمنتظره و جالبه.
این اولین داستانی از ادبیات ولز بود که میخوندم و سراسر توی یکی از شهرهای کوچیک این کشور کوچولو اتفاق میافتاد. قبلاً از توی سریالا با این کشور آشنا بودم و با خوندن این کتاب مهرش بیشتر به دلم افتاد.
پ.ن: نمیدونم این کتاب به فارسی ترجمه شده یا نه.
پ.ن۲: به نظرم اگه فصل آخر کتاب که مربوط به ۴۲ سال قبل از حوادث کتاب بود، وجود نداشت به جایی برنمیخورد.
داستان -در کمال تعجب- برخلاف سایر داستانهایی در این سبک دیالوگ باسمهای و صحنههای کلیشهای نداره؛ حتی حذف یکی از شخصیتهای نسبتاً اصلی داستان که ممکنه به نظر بیمنطق بیاد یه جور plot twist غیرمنتظره و جالبه.
این اولین داستانی از ادبیات ولز بود که میخوندم و سراسر توی یکی از شهرهای کوچیک این کشور کوچولو اتفاق میافتاد. قبلاً از توی سریالا با این کشور آشنا بودم و با خوندن این کتاب مهرش بیشتر به دلم افتاد.
پ.ن: نمیدونم این کتاب به فارسی ترجمه شده یا نه.
پ.ن۲: به نظرم اگه فصل آخر کتاب که مربوط به ۴۲ سال قبل از حوادث کتاب بود، وجود نداشت به جایی برنمیخورد.
July 21, 2024
4.5⭐️. I loved this book - really good storyline and well written characters. It follows 3 friends over 30 years and I just wanted to keep reading to find out what happened next 😊
February 27, 2020
This was such a comfortable book. After a couple of chapters the characters really seemed to come alive and I was engrossed.
Lana, Judith and Catrin have been best friends and inseparable since they first met at primary school. Following on from their A Levels they have the trip of a lifetime island hopping around Greece.
However, when they return to Wales, they have to grow up and then something happens that shakes this friendship to the core. Can they forgive and forget or are some thing simply too big to move beyond.
I found the characters to be so real and liked how there wasn't just one voice telling the story. We met many characters and jumping between these characters and the years, I felt that the characters were more realistic.
I will be telling everyone about this book
Lana, Judith and Catrin have been best friends and inseparable since they first met at primary school. Following on from their A Levels they have the trip of a lifetime island hopping around Greece.
However, when they return to Wales, they have to grow up and then something happens that shakes this friendship to the core. Can they forgive and forget or are some thing simply too big to move beyond.
I found the characters to be so real and liked how there wasn't just one voice telling the story. We met many characters and jumping between these characters and the years, I felt that the characters were more realistic.
I will be telling everyone about this book
April 5, 2025
I had to persevere with this as it was a Book Club book. Overall, a pretty underwhelming read. It took me a while to distinguish between the three main characters and, once I had, I found them to be pretty boring and one-dimensional. I found it unrealistic that they would have continued their friendship and I also got tired of each major event (weddings-christenings-anniversary parties) being hijacked for overly-dramatic fights, show-downs and emergencies. There was definitely a ‘made for TV’ feel about the characters’ interactions. I’ve never watched ‘Gavin and Stacy’ but wonder whether the author’s renowned writing talents lay in script-writing rather than the realm of fiction books.
January 30, 2021
To begin with I was really enjoying this book until about halfway through. Implying a fight between 2 of the girls caused one of them to lose a baby, then later saying it didn’t. Referring to Georgias still birth as a miscarriage seemed really offensive and uneducated to me. Catrin expecting Judith to just get over what had happened...when her child died?! Honestly I just didn’t get it. Usually love Ruth Jones but found a real lack of sensitivity around baby loss in this book and didn’t enjoy it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 30, 2020
Amazing read. I could not put this book down. Following these three ladies through life was addictive. Immersive from the start, emotive throughout and just throughly readable. This is such an easy book to read with laughs and a few tears along the way. Highly recommended.
Thank you Netgalley
Thank you Netgalley
May 23, 2025
I was really excited to read a Ruth Jones book as I loved her in Gavin and Stacey. I probably expected this book to be pretty humorous but unfortunately it was neither funny or emotional. The chapters were too short and I never really got invested with the 3 characters. I was pretty glad to finish the book as I got really bored towards the end. I didn't care if the friends ever talked to each other again or even died. Sorry Ruth 😕
December 30, 2021
I loved all the characters in the book and the layout of how it was written was very well thought out. Friendship always prevails.
January 8, 2022
Loved everything about this book ❤️
September 1, 2025
A light hearted easy read following 3 friends through their lives. It was funny with some sad bit thrown in but another book to remind you about the importance of female friendship for getting you through❤️
April 18, 2020
I have heard good things about Ruth Jones through her TV work and her previous novel Never Greener, so I was curious to see how Us Three pans out.
Eight-year-old Welsh girls and best friends Lana, Judith and Catrin swear an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they will be best friends forever. But when the girls turn nineteen in the summer of their A-levels they go on a Greek holiday their bond is broken.
The story continues through to their 50’s of their friendships, partners, romances, death and the ups and downs of their lives. Not always turning out how they envisioned when they were younger.
I thank NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld publishers for a copy of Us Three by Ruth Jones. This was an enjoyable read about three friends and their bond with each other. The story had great characters and quite realistic. But for me I was expecting a bit more. I know how funny Ruth Jones is in Gavin and Stacey and I thought that it would reflect in this book, but I didn’t find this funny and too be honest I found the end of this book quite depressing. It didn’t have the light-heartedness that I was expecting 3.5 stars from me.
Eight-year-old Welsh girls and best friends Lana, Judith and Catrin swear an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they will be best friends forever. But when the girls turn nineteen in the summer of their A-levels they go on a Greek holiday their bond is broken.
The story continues through to their 50’s of their friendships, partners, romances, death and the ups and downs of their lives. Not always turning out how they envisioned when they were younger.
I thank NetGalley and Random House UK Transworld publishers for a copy of Us Three by Ruth Jones. This was an enjoyable read about three friends and their bond with each other. The story had great characters and quite realistic. But for me I was expecting a bit more. I know how funny Ruth Jones is in Gavin and Stacey and I thought that it would reflect in this book, but I didn’t find this funny and too be honest I found the end of this book quite depressing. It didn’t have the light-heartedness that I was expecting 3.5 stars from me.
July 10, 2025
I loved this book! You really get to know and connect with the 3 main characters as they navigate their own friendships and events throughout their lives.
Some of the story lines are relatable, others not so much, but I can't help how the writing and the book made me feel while reading it. The same way I felt while reading Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy - each time I picked it up it felt like returning to old friends with a nice sense of warmth and familiarity.
I really enjoyed Ruth Jones' writing style and I'm looking forward to exploring more of her novels!
Some of the story lines are relatable, others not so much, but I can't help how the writing and the book made me feel while reading it. The same way I felt while reading Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy - each time I picked it up it felt like returning to old friends with a nice sense of warmth and familiarity.
I really enjoyed Ruth Jones' writing style and I'm looking forward to exploring more of her novels!
December 22, 2020
Sorry, I'm definitely in the minority here. I cannot imagine being friends with any of these unlikeable characters. Despite dealing with realistic situations, the novel has a constant feeling of being unrealistic, clichéd, and boring. So not my cup of tea, but books like these rarely are.
December 1, 2020
The second novel from the writer and star of Gavin & Stacey and Fat Friends explores the glue that binds women in lifelong friendship.
Lana, Judith and Catrin live in a small Welsh town and they are the best of friends. When they were eight years old, they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would remain friends for life.
Ten years later, they are about to celebrate the end of their A-levels and the beginning of adulthood with a trip around the Greek islands. They are as different as “chalk, cheese and chocolate”, with different backgrounds and ambitions, but they are bound together by loyalty and friendship.
However, their Greek holiday changes their lives in ways they could never have foreseen. Judith investigates her father’s Cypriot family history and uncovers disturbing truths, while a local man breaks Catrin’s heart – but she hasn’t heard the last of him.
After the holiday, the women all take different paths in life, and we follow them for three decades as they settle down and start families, with Catrin always the glue that binds the trio together.
Ruth Jones tells her well-crafted characters’ experiences, both hilarious and heartbreaking, with compassion and sensitivity, making for a warm and witty story of enduring friendship.
Lana, Judith and Catrin live in a small Welsh town and they are the best of friends. When they were eight years old, they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would remain friends for life.
Ten years later, they are about to celebrate the end of their A-levels and the beginning of adulthood with a trip around the Greek islands. They are as different as “chalk, cheese and chocolate”, with different backgrounds and ambitions, but they are bound together by loyalty and friendship.
However, their Greek holiday changes their lives in ways they could never have foreseen. Judith investigates her father’s Cypriot family history and uncovers disturbing truths, while a local man breaks Catrin’s heart – but she hasn’t heard the last of him.
After the holiday, the women all take different paths in life, and we follow them for three decades as they settle down and start families, with Catrin always the glue that binds the trio together.
Ruth Jones tells her well-crafted characters’ experiences, both hilarious and heartbreaking, with compassion and sensitivity, making for a warm and witty story of enduring friendship.
April 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this book, perhaps more than I thought I would.
I found the characters likeable and real, and their friendship over the years was played out well.
I read along whilst listening to the audiobook and I can highly recommend it. The author does a great narration and really lifted the story with her great voice. I read this in two sittings and am looking forward to reading her other books.
I found the characters likeable and real, and their friendship over the years was played out well.
I read along whilst listening to the audiobook and I can highly recommend it. The author does a great narration and really lifted the story with her great voice. I read this in two sittings and am looking forward to reading her other books.
April 15, 2025
2.5*
I wanted to love this, but I just didn't. It was just ok.
It had some laugh out loud lines, some truly sad parts, but then some traumatic parts which just weren't dealt with sensitively and just seemed to be swept under the rug.
The supporting characters seemed to be better developed than the main three.
Just a bit lacking really.
I wanted to love this, but I just didn't. It was just ok.
It had some laugh out loud lines, some truly sad parts, but then some traumatic parts which just weren't dealt with sensitively and just seemed to be swept under the rug.
The supporting characters seemed to be better developed than the main three.
Just a bit lacking really.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,392 reviews