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Is This Love?
'This is a book about the untidy, complicated underbelly of love and love's end. Funny and true, wise and utterly authentic, you will recognise yourself over and over. I loved it.' Kit de Waal
Did you mean to marry me?
Did you understand the vows that we took?
J's wife has left, and J is trying to understand why. How could someone you loved so much, who claimed to love you once, just walk away? How could they send divorce papers accusing you of terrible things, when all you've ever done is tried to make them happy?
Narrated by J in the days, weeks and months after the marriage collapses, and interspersed with the departed wife's diary entries, Is This Love? is an addictive, deeply unsettling, and provocative novel of deception and betrayal, and passion turned to pain. As the story unfolds, and each character's version of events undermines the other, all our assumptions about victimhood, agency, love and control are challenged - for we never know J's gender. If we did, would it change our minds about who was telling the truth?
Did you mean to marry me?
Did you understand the vows that we took?
J's wife has left, and J is trying to understand why. How could someone you loved so much, who claimed to love you once, just walk away? How could they send divorce papers accusing you of terrible things, when all you've ever done is tried to make them happy?
Narrated by J in the days, weeks and months after the marriage collapses, and interspersed with the departed wife's diary entries, Is This Love? is an addictive, deeply unsettling, and provocative novel of deception and betrayal, and passion turned to pain. As the story unfolds, and each character's version of events undermines the other, all our assumptions about victimhood, agency, love and control are challenged - for we never know J's gender. If we did, would it change our minds about who was telling the truth?
224 pages, Hardcover
Published August 4, 2022
15 people are currently reading
577 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
June 21, 2022
This is one of those reviews which is difficult to write. This book was just so uncomfortable to read throughout that I don't really know where to begin. To be clear, that's not a criticism of the book/writing, if anything it is testament to it.
Here we have a marriage breakdown between J and their wife. I use the term 'their' as we are never presented with J's gender. Does this change the story or how we read it? Does it change who we believe? Honestly, yeah it probably does.
The fallout of a marriage (or any relationship) is, often , not pretty. Both sides present a narrative and the truth is usually somewhere in between. But how far in between is subjective and here we are taken along the line from one end of the spectrum to the other before finally landing wherever we, as a reader, chose to land.
There are a number of triggers in this book for domestic abuse/violence, gaslighting etc. however from whom to whom we never really know. This is because the author expertly presents both sides throughout the novel and we never quite understand what actually went on. I know what I think, but will it be what you think? Probably not......
An excellent debut novel from a new author who I am keen to see develop.
Massive thanks to Netgalley, the author and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Serpent's Tail for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
Here we have a marriage breakdown between J and their wife. I use the term 'their' as we are never presented with J's gender. Does this change the story or how we read it? Does it change who we believe? Honestly, yeah it probably does.
The fallout of a marriage (or any relationship) is, often , not pretty. Both sides present a narrative and the truth is usually somewhere in between. But how far in between is subjective and here we are taken along the line from one end of the spectrum to the other before finally landing wherever we, as a reader, chose to land.
There are a number of triggers in this book for domestic abuse/violence, gaslighting etc. however from whom to whom we never really know. This is because the author expertly presents both sides throughout the novel and we never quite understand what actually went on. I know what I think, but will it be what you think? Probably not......
An excellent debut novel from a new author who I am keen to see develop.
Massive thanks to Netgalley, the author and Serpent's Tail / Viper / Profile Books, Serpent's Tail for an ARC in exchange for an honest review
August 17, 2022
Sadly, Is This Love? was a DNF for me. I promise you, I gave it a good try. I got to 41% before I stopped. The premise was good. The opposing views of what it is like to go through a break up and the different ways that each person in a couple perceives the events of their relationship. However, both characters were unlikeable, they had no redeeming features, they both seemed to be unreliable narrators and I just didn’t root for either of them.
I can deal with a slow story if I like the characters. Equally I can deal with characters who aren’t very nice if the story is good but for me Is This Love? failed on both.
Is This Love? by CE Riley is available now.
I can deal with a slow story if I like the characters. Equally I can deal with characters who aren’t very nice if the story is good but for me Is This Love? failed on both.
Is This Love? by CE Riley is available now.
August 4, 2022
This was a very emotional and at times difficult read. We hear the story as told mostly by J with some emails and diary entries from J’s wife.
As I was reading I wasn’t sure who I believed, I changed my mind a number of times. I started off thinking that J was a man then I changed my mind and then again!
I buddy read this and we discussed how we don’t know J’s gender and how when you are aware of a persons gender you make different assumptions.
We came to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter what J’s gender may be. In any relationship there are two people and no one person can be blamed here. There is usually more than two sides to a story. Are we being told the complete truth?
This was a great debut, very cleverly written.
Thank you to @serpentstail for inviting me on the #isthislovebuddyread and for the gifted copy for the book.
As I was reading I wasn’t sure who I believed, I changed my mind a number of times. I started off thinking that J was a man then I changed my mind and then again!
I buddy read this and we discussed how we don’t know J’s gender and how when you are aware of a persons gender you make different assumptions.
We came to the conclusion that it doesn’t matter what J’s gender may be. In any relationship there are two people and no one person can be blamed here. There is usually more than two sides to a story. Are we being told the complete truth?
This was a great debut, very cleverly written.
Thank you to @serpentstail for inviting me on the #isthislovebuddyread and for the gifted copy for the book.
February 21, 2025
A cautionary tale that is as sharp as the pieces of a broken mirror. These words cut deep, and you don’t know who to believe.
Fantastic, fantastic book. My eyeballs couldn’t read any faster. I finished it within a day.
Fantastic, fantastic book. My eyeballs couldn’t read any faster. I finished it within a day.
April 18, 2023
Originally this felt unrateable, not because it's bad - it's actually quite good - but I often find it hard to rate books that feel heavy. Feels too reductive. That being said, I've always rated based on pure vibes and by the end it felt like a 4 star book.
I've never read anything like this - its a very experimental short novel, narrated in second person about the very fucked up, messy breakdown of a marriage. One member of the couple is a woman, and the gender of the other person, who happens to be the main narrator, is purposefully left ambiguous, forcing the reader to question how societal gender norms can affect our perception or expectations of toxicity.
Very interesting and well written. Would recommend especially if you like unreliable narrators.
I've never read anything like this - its a very experimental short novel, narrated in second person about the very fucked up, messy breakdown of a marriage. One member of the couple is a woman, and the gender of the other person, who happens to be the main narrator, is purposefully left ambiguous, forcing the reader to question how societal gender norms can affect our perception or expectations of toxicity.
Very interesting and well written. Would recommend especially if you like unreliable narrators.
April 22, 2025
I usually love an unreliable narrator, but this wasn’t the one
very hard to decide who was right, but ig the point is that they both were n they both weren’t,, fun to think about the gender that we assign to J impacts the view of the events
also fun to reflect on how our personal circumstances impact the way that we view the media that we consume and how this is absolutely NOT the book that I should be reading rn
very hard to decide who was right, but ig the point is that they both were n they both weren’t,, fun to think about the gender that we assign to J impacts the view of the events
also fun to reflect on how our personal circumstances impact the way that we view the media that we consume and how this is absolutely NOT the book that I should be reading rn
July 2, 2023
3 / 5 stars
March 5, 2024
3.5. Far from perfect, but we love an unreliable narrator.
April 13, 2025
of course the book to get me out of my slump is about lesbian divorce
Read
February 8, 2025dnf
no no no, it’s not horrible really, but it feels like i’m watching two primary school pupils go at it during playtime.
no no no, it’s not horrible really, but it feels like i’m watching two primary school pupils go at it during playtime.
August 4, 2022
Within 2 chapters I find myself putting the book down and wanting to copy Joey from Friends and put the book in the freezer..... I probably would if it wasnt on my kindle. I'm afraid this is "did not finish" for me. I may come back to it at a later day but it just completely wound me up and I found myself rolling my eyes at J's wife several times. The fact it elicited such strong emotions shows that its clearly very well written hence the 3 stars.I'm afraid I cant give much more of a review as I stopped reading half way through Chapter 2.
February 19, 2024
I’m both fascinated and kind of appalled by this book… it tells a very clear tale of an abusive relationship but tries to pretend that it’s a “both sides” issue… interesting way to start my year in books…
August 20, 2022
Novel set in HACKNEY
YOU TUBE REVIEW: https://youtu.be/qEVtDDgXfrI
4.5*
This novel isn’t really one for location enthusiasts but is a book that has a well worn premise with a very different and credible slant. It is about a couple breaking up – told through the eyes of one partner and largely through solicitors’ letters and correspondence. The whole unhappy scenario feels like a vortex, as it draws the reader into the enmeshed couple’s 6 years together (2 married) and the subsequent relationship breakdown.
It packs a punch with its unusual approach. We don’t know too much about the couple, whether even they are same-sex or heterosexual. What we do know is the ‘truth’, for what it is worth, can be manipulated and weaponised. Sometimes, as the book opens, it is not altogether clear from which partner’s perspective the story is being told – is it J’s perspective, or is it J’s partner’s slant? This just highlights the convoluted nature of an adult intimate relationship. It is never totally black and white. It then settles into a rhythm and underlines the split agendas each partner has. It also highlights the invidious nature of a couple relationship where power is out of kilter.
One partner cites how the other has demonstrated behaviour which is coercively controlling and gives examples. We learn much about the partner who has initiated the separation through solicitor’s letters, diary entries, letters and e mails. We hear about J’s responses and feelings to what is going on and it feels quite personal because J addresses her ex partner as ‘you’, which is a nifty device to pull the reader on side.
As an outsider, how can one judge? Yet there is a profound and consistent narrative of one partner being described as more powerful. Abusive behaviour is described in detail and lodged as the basis for the split. The other partner minimises, blames the other person, shows aggression towards inanimate things (walls/household items), which is an acknowledged example of domestic abuse and violence, and ultimately a grab for the throat is acknowledged by both parties – although the severity of the move is disputed. You know what? When I worked as a couple therapist, if there was an indication of throttling, however minimal, it was at that point that red flag of critical domestic abuse was raised. It is very easy to kill another human being by applying pressure in certain areas at the throat. Remember, 2 women per week (and it is mainly women) die at the hands of an abuser in the UK.
Then one partner demonstrates growing vengeance, acting out grievances to punish, followed up by repeated calls to family members and friends to elicit a response from the ex.
When you put together all the indicators, this is truly a catalogue of abusive behaviour. It is interesting, however, to observe the manipulation going on, and certainly the reader is not immune, being pulled this way and that. But that is what abuse is, it sows the seed of doubt, it reforms truth, it is sly and above all it is powerful…..
“Love is never controlling” says one partner; but I beg to differ – it certainly can be! The novel is astutely written, incredibly readable and very thought provoking.
YOU TUBE REVIEW: https://youtu.be/qEVtDDgXfrI
4.5*
This novel isn’t really one for location enthusiasts but is a book that has a well worn premise with a very different and credible slant. It is about a couple breaking up – told through the eyes of one partner and largely through solicitors’ letters and correspondence. The whole unhappy scenario feels like a vortex, as it draws the reader into the enmeshed couple’s 6 years together (2 married) and the subsequent relationship breakdown.
It packs a punch with its unusual approach. We don’t know too much about the couple, whether even they are same-sex or heterosexual. What we do know is the ‘truth’, for what it is worth, can be manipulated and weaponised. Sometimes, as the book opens, it is not altogether clear from which partner’s perspective the story is being told – is it J’s perspective, or is it J’s partner’s slant? This just highlights the convoluted nature of an adult intimate relationship. It is never totally black and white. It then settles into a rhythm and underlines the split agendas each partner has. It also highlights the invidious nature of a couple relationship where power is out of kilter.
One partner cites how the other has demonstrated behaviour which is coercively controlling and gives examples. We learn much about the partner who has initiated the separation through solicitor’s letters, diary entries, letters and e mails. We hear about J’s responses and feelings to what is going on and it feels quite personal because J addresses her ex partner as ‘you’, which is a nifty device to pull the reader on side.
As an outsider, how can one judge? Yet there is a profound and consistent narrative of one partner being described as more powerful. Abusive behaviour is described in detail and lodged as the basis for the split. The other partner minimises, blames the other person, shows aggression towards inanimate things (walls/household items), which is an acknowledged example of domestic abuse and violence, and ultimately a grab for the throat is acknowledged by both parties – although the severity of the move is disputed. You know what? When I worked as a couple therapist, if there was an indication of throttling, however minimal, it was at that point that red flag of critical domestic abuse was raised. It is very easy to kill another human being by applying pressure in certain areas at the throat. Remember, 2 women per week (and it is mainly women) die at the hands of an abuser in the UK.
Then one partner demonstrates growing vengeance, acting out grievances to punish, followed up by repeated calls to family members and friends to elicit a response from the ex.
When you put together all the indicators, this is truly a catalogue of abusive behaviour. It is interesting, however, to observe the manipulation going on, and certainly the reader is not immune, being pulled this way and that. But that is what abuse is, it sows the seed of doubt, it reforms truth, it is sly and above all it is powerful…..
“Love is never controlling” says one partner; but I beg to differ – it certainly can be! The novel is astutely written, incredibly readable and very thought provoking.
August 17, 2022
Written in a style that is most unusual, and that I believe is described as first person (referral), this is a book that totally consumed me. I read it in a couple of sittings in one day. It is engrossing, and lyrical, it is brutal and sometimes violent, but it truly is an outstanding read. One that I will think of and ponder for a long time.
I am a fan of the unreliable narrator and Riley takes hers to the extreme. J is the first narrator, talking to their wife. The woman that they love and adore, that they married and hoped to spend the rest of their life with, and also the woman who has just broken them by telling them that they want a divorce. It is emotionally challenging as we are privy to J's innermost thoughts, to their total and utter confusion and later to their bitterness and anger.
J describes in detail how they met and fell in love with their wife. The whirlwind romance, the almost immediate sharing of a home, the quest to find the perfect house, the toil and hard work whilst J took time out of work to create the dream home that their wife desired. The wife is described as somewhat forgetful, scatty almost, not really responsible, but still adored by J, who would do anything to make her happy.
And then, we read the court papers prepared by J's wife. We read what she has accused J of, her accounts of controlling behaviour, physical abuse, gaslighting, and we realise just how one story can have more than one perspective.
The reader feels almost voyeuristic at times. It can be uncomfortable to read J's painful account, the soul searching, the utter despair, the descent into behaviours that seem out of character, but are justified by the pain that J is experiencing.
The fact that we never know J's gender is a triumphant twist to this finely detailed story of a marriage and how it has broken beyond repair. Whilst reading, I imagined J as both male and female, and it's easy to form opinions entirely on the basis of gender. This probably proves that no matter how inclusive and non judgemental we are in our lives, there is a deep, hidden bias within us all.
For me, the ending was one that I welcomed, it was the outcome that I hoped for, but I do wonder if that had been different if the wife had narrated the story, aiming it at J?
Clever, utterly compelling and beautifully structured. A book to discuss and one that I recommend.
I am a fan of the unreliable narrator and Riley takes hers to the extreme. J is the first narrator, talking to their wife. The woman that they love and adore, that they married and hoped to spend the rest of their life with, and also the woman who has just broken them by telling them that they want a divorce. It is emotionally challenging as we are privy to J's innermost thoughts, to their total and utter confusion and later to their bitterness and anger.
J describes in detail how they met and fell in love with their wife. The whirlwind romance, the almost immediate sharing of a home, the quest to find the perfect house, the toil and hard work whilst J took time out of work to create the dream home that their wife desired. The wife is described as somewhat forgetful, scatty almost, not really responsible, but still adored by J, who would do anything to make her happy.
And then, we read the court papers prepared by J's wife. We read what she has accused J of, her accounts of controlling behaviour, physical abuse, gaslighting, and we realise just how one story can have more than one perspective.
The reader feels almost voyeuristic at times. It can be uncomfortable to read J's painful account, the soul searching, the utter despair, the descent into behaviours that seem out of character, but are justified by the pain that J is experiencing.
The fact that we never know J's gender is a triumphant twist to this finely detailed story of a marriage and how it has broken beyond repair. Whilst reading, I imagined J as both male and female, and it's easy to form opinions entirely on the basis of gender. This probably proves that no matter how inclusive and non judgemental we are in our lives, there is a deep, hidden bias within us all.
For me, the ending was one that I welcomed, it was the outcome that I hoped for, but I do wonder if that had been different if the wife had narrated the story, aiming it at J?
Clever, utterly compelling and beautifully structured. A book to discuss and one that I recommend.
August 3, 2022
"I'm divorcing you.", You said.
You just told J you're divorcing them. There isn't going to be a conversation about it. J can't figure out why, how someone could love them yesterday and resent them today. J doesn't understand why you're saying all these awful things about, throwing evil accusations, and why you're acting like a stranger when all they wanted was to love you.
But as your marriage falls apart, you both tell a story - could they both be true? Or does the truth depend on what you want it to be?
"You've done a tremendous job of labelling me as a monster. I half believed it myself now."
This is a story about love, but it's not a love story. It's a story about the complexity of relationships, about the dangers of idolisation and desperation. It tries to shine a light on the grey and unspoken homes that are filled with abuse and terror that they can't even see.
Told from J's point of view as the chaos unfolds, and interspersed with their wifes diary entries and letters, we hear very two different tales of a marriage and it's death. J takes us back to the beginning, to the first kiss, to obsession and love and lust, to a relationship that explodes and burns out without them noticing.
The story moves freely, like a conversation - J addresses the reader as though they are speaking directly to their wife, seducing us, pulling us closer and willing us to be a part of their story, to take a side. Although the prose was long and dense in parts, there was an intrigue, an uncomfortable curiosity that keeps you reading.
It's impossible not to find yourself in the pages, and you might be surprised to find yourself in both characters at times despite them being on opposite sides of a war. The thing is, J is unnamed, ungendered and unidentified. J is nothing less or more than we perceive them to be, what we believe them to be. You are forced to think - if you knew them, who would you believe? Would it change your mind if you knew more, if you knew their names, genders or identities?
Both characters are flawed, toxic and problematic - but who is really the victim? And who is blurring the truth?
"Maybe, just maybe, you would keep it and remember me and , in time, remember what you did and what really transpired between us."
You just told J you're divorcing them. There isn't going to be a conversation about it. J can't figure out why, how someone could love them yesterday and resent them today. J doesn't understand why you're saying all these awful things about, throwing evil accusations, and why you're acting like a stranger when all they wanted was to love you.
But as your marriage falls apart, you both tell a story - could they both be true? Or does the truth depend on what you want it to be?
"You've done a tremendous job of labelling me as a monster. I half believed it myself now."
This is a story about love, but it's not a love story. It's a story about the complexity of relationships, about the dangers of idolisation and desperation. It tries to shine a light on the grey and unspoken homes that are filled with abuse and terror that they can't even see.
Told from J's point of view as the chaos unfolds, and interspersed with their wifes diary entries and letters, we hear very two different tales of a marriage and it's death. J takes us back to the beginning, to the first kiss, to obsession and love and lust, to a relationship that explodes and burns out without them noticing.
The story moves freely, like a conversation - J addresses the reader as though they are speaking directly to their wife, seducing us, pulling us closer and willing us to be a part of their story, to take a side. Although the prose was long and dense in parts, there was an intrigue, an uncomfortable curiosity that keeps you reading.
It's impossible not to find yourself in the pages, and you might be surprised to find yourself in both characters at times despite them being on opposite sides of a war. The thing is, J is unnamed, ungendered and unidentified. J is nothing less or more than we perceive them to be, what we believe them to be. You are forced to think - if you knew them, who would you believe? Would it change your mind if you knew more, if you knew their names, genders or identities?
Both characters are flawed, toxic and problematic - but who is really the victim? And who is blurring the truth?
"Maybe, just maybe, you would keep it and remember me and , in time, remember what you did and what really transpired between us."
August 20, 2022
‘𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙚? 𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙤𝙠? 𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚? 𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙬.’
I’d seen this one on booksta and I was so excited when I got accepted for an ARC of it. I went in without reading too much about it and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect - but it blew me away.
It’s really hard to review this one because, due to the content, you can’t exactly say you enjoyed it. But I was totally captivated by the writing, it sucked me right in and had me feeling everything. It was very raw and real and every emotion was poured into the writing. I think at times all of this made for an uncomfortable read - like you were witnessing something that you weren’t meant to. But this just highlights how well written it was.
I loved the anonymity surrounding it all, never really knowing who J is for a starter, not even their gender is disclosed - really clever and such a different way of seeing the story. Then you have the fact that we’re told two different sides to a story, neither of them being the same. So are we to believe that the wife is a manipulative, greedy wench or that in fact, J is an abusive and controlling partner. It’s so hard to gauge with it being told from J’s POV with the additional letters/diary entries/etc told from the wife’s POV along the way - it really did make you question things.
I found this a really clever and well written story. Leaving you in constant doubt whilst feeling all the pain and anger coming through. It is more of a slow burn, character driven story, which I’m not usually a fan of, but this format made it work beautifully! The unreliable narrators and never really knowing who or what is the truth keeps you hooked throughout - even though I still need to know the truth!! As they say, there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.
~
Thank you to @netgalley @ceriley7 & @serpentstail for this ARC ❤️
~
#IsThisLove #NetGalley #ARCReview #CERiley #DebutNovel
I’d seen this one on booksta and I was so excited when I got accepted for an ARC of it. I went in without reading too much about it and wasn’t entirely sure what to expect - but it blew me away.
It’s really hard to review this one because, due to the content, you can’t exactly say you enjoyed it. But I was totally captivated by the writing, it sucked me right in and had me feeling everything. It was very raw and real and every emotion was poured into the writing. I think at times all of this made for an uncomfortable read - like you were witnessing something that you weren’t meant to. But this just highlights how well written it was.
I loved the anonymity surrounding it all, never really knowing who J is for a starter, not even their gender is disclosed - really clever and such a different way of seeing the story. Then you have the fact that we’re told two different sides to a story, neither of them being the same. So are we to believe that the wife is a manipulative, greedy wench or that in fact, J is an abusive and controlling partner. It’s so hard to gauge with it being told from J’s POV with the additional letters/diary entries/etc told from the wife’s POV along the way - it really did make you question things.
I found this a really clever and well written story. Leaving you in constant doubt whilst feeling all the pain and anger coming through. It is more of a slow burn, character driven story, which I’m not usually a fan of, but this format made it work beautifully! The unreliable narrators and never really knowing who or what is the truth keeps you hooked throughout - even though I still need to know the truth!! As they say, there are two sides to every story and the truth usually lies somewhere in the middle.
~
Thank you to @netgalley @ceriley7 & @serpentstail for this ARC ❤️
~
#IsThisLove #NetGalley #ARCReview #CERiley #DebutNovel
May 20, 2023
Wow. I don’t know how to explain how I have felt with this book! I don’t even know how to write a review on this one.
It’s such a painful thing to read but you just can’t stop reading it because you want to know what’s going to happen next. It’s crazy how you get to be with someone for years, marry them, do everything with them, then suddenly, everything is gone and broken.
I guess we can’t and don’t really know the person no matter how much time we spend together. We won’t really know what they are feeling or thinking about, if they are just pretending or feeling genuine towards you. You just have to put a big amount of trust on them and love them for as long as you can and as much as you can. 😭
It’s crazy how messy and painful love and marriage can be. How the simple arguments and petty fights can turn into something abusive and bad; and how the impact of it is different with everybody.
I do not know what to believe and whose side to take in the story. These two people have been hurt and abused in their own terms. There are always two sides and more in every story. In the end, I think I am taking J’s side. ❤️🩹
Also, the narrator, J, has no gender and I think it really affects how we look at him/her in the story since it’s mostly common that men are the abusive ones in the relationship but of course, it can be vice versa. It’s up to the reader what to think of it. The story is also bias and gives out details from the wife’s diary and letters from the lawyers.
It was painful and I had to keep stopping because I couldn’t take it. Please beware of the trigger warnings before picking up this book. ⛔️
The writer was very good in making me feel all the emotions. The sadness, hurt, loneliness, and the grief of losing someone. 💔🥲 It’s sad to think about marriage falling apart but also, this happens in real life and we just have to accept that some people are not meant to be with us forever. ❤️🩹
I will be giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s such a painful thing to read but you just can’t stop reading it because you want to know what’s going to happen next. It’s crazy how you get to be with someone for years, marry them, do everything with them, then suddenly, everything is gone and broken.
I guess we can’t and don’t really know the person no matter how much time we spend together. We won’t really know what they are feeling or thinking about, if they are just pretending or feeling genuine towards you. You just have to put a big amount of trust on them and love them for as long as you can and as much as you can. 😭
It’s crazy how messy and painful love and marriage can be. How the simple arguments and petty fights can turn into something abusive and bad; and how the impact of it is different with everybody.
I do not know what to believe and whose side to take in the story. These two people have been hurt and abused in their own terms. There are always two sides and more in every story. In the end, I think I am taking J’s side. ❤️🩹
Also, the narrator, J, has no gender and I think it really affects how we look at him/her in the story since it’s mostly common that men are the abusive ones in the relationship but of course, it can be vice versa. It’s up to the reader what to think of it. The story is also bias and gives out details from the wife’s diary and letters from the lawyers.
It was painful and I had to keep stopping because I couldn’t take it. Please beware of the trigger warnings before picking up this book. ⛔️
The writer was very good in making me feel all the emotions. The sadness, hurt, loneliness, and the grief of losing someone. 💔🥲 It’s sad to think about marriage falling apart but also, this happens in real life and we just have to accept that some people are not meant to be with us forever. ❤️🩹
I will be giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 2, 2022
This is a story that shows that love is complicated, love is messy, the people involved are human and unhappy and unwanted situations will bring out the worst in people. This is even more the case when a loving caring relationship ends.
J’s wife tells J that she wants a divorce. The story is narrated by J where we get an account of J’s side of the story and what transpires over the course of months following this announcement. What at first seems like J is totally blindsided and upset by J’s wife to leave J, the narrative quickly shifts to become filled with anger and a sense of betrayal masking the pain and vulnerability that J is feeling. Interspersed with this narrative are solicitor letters, court documents and diary excerpts from J’s wife that reveal disturbing and dark reasons for J’s wife leaving J, inciting abusive and controlling behaviour.
Who’s story do you believe? There are always two sides to a story which both reflect their realities but it makes it difficult to fully rely on J’s narration of events when official documents and past diary entries contradict J.
Another interesting facet to the story is that J’s gender is not revealed. I mistakenly assumed at the outset that J is a man which did make J’s wife’s account of physical and emotional abuse and control more compelling as we typically hear about domestic abuse against women. Upon realising J may not be a man, I did see both sides of the story more neutrally and questioning J’s wife’s story at times too.
This is a dark, disturbing (yet at times quite funny) and sad read. It’s also very relatable as many readers will have experienced endings to relationships and gone through similar emotions and behaviours that are out of character. I definitely identified myself in many parts of this story.
J’s wife tells J that she wants a divorce. The story is narrated by J where we get an account of J’s side of the story and what transpires over the course of months following this announcement. What at first seems like J is totally blindsided and upset by J’s wife to leave J, the narrative quickly shifts to become filled with anger and a sense of betrayal masking the pain and vulnerability that J is feeling. Interspersed with this narrative are solicitor letters, court documents and diary excerpts from J’s wife that reveal disturbing and dark reasons for J’s wife leaving J, inciting abusive and controlling behaviour.
Who’s story do you believe? There are always two sides to a story which both reflect their realities but it makes it difficult to fully rely on J’s narration of events when official documents and past diary entries contradict J.
Another interesting facet to the story is that J’s gender is not revealed. I mistakenly assumed at the outset that J is a man which did make J’s wife’s account of physical and emotional abuse and control more compelling as we typically hear about domestic abuse against women. Upon realising J may not be a man, I did see both sides of the story more neutrally and questioning J’s wife’s story at times too.
This is a dark, disturbing (yet at times quite funny) and sad read. It’s also very relatable as many readers will have experienced endings to relationships and gone through similar emotions and behaviours that are out of character. I definitely identified myself in many parts of this story.
September 23, 2022
Do you love me? Did you ever mean to marry me? Is This Love? tells the story of a marriage broken and J’s story as they navigate the pieces. It also tells the story of J’s now-absent wife, through her diary entries. It is a story of betrayal and of passion, of deception. Of the stories we tell when people are looking. And the truths we find when they aren’t.
Now this is a good book. I am a big fan of an unreliable narrator and this novel absolutely sets up the both frustrating and fantastically tense challenge of having two seemingly unreliable narrators. Who do we believe? It reminded me of something my husband always said about ‘three truths’ – how in any conflict there are 3 truths: my truth, your truth and, somewhere in the middle usually, The Truth. I can’t help but think that is the point of this novel. We can’t ever know The Truth. And so in any story we hear, whether from friends or enemies, there will always be a layer of subjectivity we apply, a set of assumptions we make based on gender or past behaviours, or based on our own experiences.
With the story told by both J and their wife through different voices, I oscillated between who’s story I believed at any time. This made for an intriguing read, as I tried to navigate my own feelings towards the two characters, who actually I turned out not liking very much at all!
I’d have liked a bit more variety in the plot beyond their marriage and its dissolution, something to break up the focus, or perhaps further complicate the narratives, but this novel definitely achieves what I think it sets out to in challenging the preconceived ideas we have of right and wrong, victim and perpetrator.
Books in Steel City x
*Thanks Serpent’s Tail and Netgalley for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review!
Now this is a good book. I am a big fan of an unreliable narrator and this novel absolutely sets up the both frustrating and fantastically tense challenge of having two seemingly unreliable narrators. Who do we believe? It reminded me of something my husband always said about ‘three truths’ – how in any conflict there are 3 truths: my truth, your truth and, somewhere in the middle usually, The Truth. I can’t help but think that is the point of this novel. We can’t ever know The Truth. And so in any story we hear, whether from friends or enemies, there will always be a layer of subjectivity we apply, a set of assumptions we make based on gender or past behaviours, or based on our own experiences.
With the story told by both J and their wife through different voices, I oscillated between who’s story I believed at any time. This made for an intriguing read, as I tried to navigate my own feelings towards the two characters, who actually I turned out not liking very much at all!
I’d have liked a bit more variety in the plot beyond their marriage and its dissolution, something to break up the focus, or perhaps further complicate the narratives, but this novel definitely achieves what I think it sets out to in challenging the preconceived ideas we have of right and wrong, victim and perpetrator.
Books in Steel City x
*Thanks Serpent’s Tail and Netgalley for gifting me this copy in exchange for an honest review!
June 25, 2023
"𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩, 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺?"
•
This was a heartbreaking short story of the unravelling of a marriage that perhaps never should have happened in the first place. It starts with J, our unreliable narrator, on the day their wife has declared a divorce; this then leads down an unsettling path of strong accusations between the former couple. As we are never told J's gender, it makes us think about whether we'd change our minds on whose versions of events is the truth.
•
First of all, I have to praise Riley's writing; the entire book was thought-provoking and so interesting to read, I feel this was only made possible by the clever writing style. Every chapter is narrated in second person which made me connect even more to the story and to the two main characters; the last few lines of the epilogue was a perfect end to the type of story this was.
•
The idea of constantly leaving the gender of J unknown is genius and not something I've ever seen in a story before; this was an amazing way of getting us to question the ways in which we're quick to judge a person's story based on gender norms. The realism of this book is something else I loved while reading this— as painful as it was to witness the messy breakup and the events after, nothing about it felt fake or outrageous, to the point that by the end I had felt as if I knew the characters in person and I felt genuinely sad for both of them.
•
Overall, this was a cleverly written portrayal of a broken down marriage that leaves us questioning our own opinions and thoughts. With just 215 pages, this is perfect for anyone searching for a fast paced but ultimately tragic read.
~ Thank you to Tandem Collective, the publisher & author for sending this free ARC ~
•
This was a heartbreaking short story of the unravelling of a marriage that perhaps never should have happened in the first place. It starts with J, our unreliable narrator, on the day their wife has declared a divorce; this then leads down an unsettling path of strong accusations between the former couple. As we are never told J's gender, it makes us think about whether we'd change our minds on whose versions of events is the truth.
•
First of all, I have to praise Riley's writing; the entire book was thought-provoking and so interesting to read, I feel this was only made possible by the clever writing style. Every chapter is narrated in second person which made me connect even more to the story and to the two main characters; the last few lines of the epilogue was a perfect end to the type of story this was.
•
The idea of constantly leaving the gender of J unknown is genius and not something I've ever seen in a story before; this was an amazing way of getting us to question the ways in which we're quick to judge a person's story based on gender norms. The realism of this book is something else I loved while reading this— as painful as it was to witness the messy breakup and the events after, nothing about it felt fake or outrageous, to the point that by the end I had felt as if I knew the characters in person and I felt genuinely sad for both of them.
•
Overall, this was a cleverly written portrayal of a broken down marriage that leaves us questioning our own opinions and thoughts. With just 215 pages, this is perfect for anyone searching for a fast paced but ultimately tragic read.
~ Thank you to Tandem Collective, the publisher & author for sending this free ARC ~
June 9, 2023
Book 📚:Is This Love?
Author: C. E. Riley
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Is This Love?" by C. E. Riley was a difficult read for me, I just could not engage. This took me over a month to finish. It is a novel about a marriage that falls apart and comes to an end, the relationship breakdown, the separation and the divorce process. A heavy read but very well written. Engrossing, lyrical, brutal and sometimes violent, but it truly is an outstanding book. I am keen to read more from this author.
A well-structured, thought provoking account of a marriage unravelling. It makes you think about what happens when the love ends in a marriage and it breaks down, how do we heal from this, where do the pieces fall, who takes responsibility for the pain caused.
The author does an excellent job of portraying the emotions of the characters, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. The book is an emotional journey that takes the reader through the ups and downs of the relationship between the main characters. The plot of the book is well-paced and the author keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. The book is filled with twists and turns, with a poignant ending.
A gripping magical realism giving you a moment of reflection. I do recommend it, as it gives you an inside of both perspectives, but be prepared it is not everyone’s cup of tea. The book is well-written and will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading it🤔♥️🫶🏼
Author: C. E. Riley
Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Is This Love?" by C. E. Riley was a difficult read for me, I just could not engage. This took me over a month to finish. It is a novel about a marriage that falls apart and comes to an end, the relationship breakdown, the separation and the divorce process. A heavy read but very well written. Engrossing, lyrical, brutal and sometimes violent, but it truly is an outstanding book. I am keen to read more from this author.
A well-structured, thought provoking account of a marriage unravelling. It makes you think about what happens when the love ends in a marriage and it breaks down, how do we heal from this, where do the pieces fall, who takes responsibility for the pain caused.
The author does an excellent job of portraying the emotions of the characters, making the reader feel like they are part of the story. The book is an emotional journey that takes the reader through the ups and downs of the relationship between the main characters. The plot of the book is well-paced and the author keeps the reader engaged throughout the story. The book is filled with twists and turns, with a poignant ending.
A gripping magical realism giving you a moment of reflection. I do recommend it, as it gives you an inside of both perspectives, but be prepared it is not everyone’s cup of tea. The book is well-written and will leave you thinking about it long after you've finished reading it🤔♥️🫶🏼
August 8, 2022
‘is this love?’ opens at the end of a marriage and then dissects where the relationship went wrong and who is ‘at fault’. it’s a really difficult read, particularly if you are triggered by any domestic abuse (*or claims/descriptions of). however, still a very rewarding read and I definitely enjoyed it!
interestingly, the book is written narrated by J, and then via the wife’s legal emails and some diary entries. I love it when a book adds some kind of unique element to the reading experience, like text messages, emails etc. this particularly made the story feel even more destructive and unsettling.
one thing I really left wondering was what is the truth? and does the truth matter? when two people both feel abused in some soft of way, both experiences are valid in the sense that the emotions each are experiencing are real, whether what really happened or was imagined was truth. personally this felt a little hard to read at times and I wish I did learn what actually happened but that’s definitely not the case of this novel, so it’s better to go into this book knowing that the prose will be biased.
this was a really well built novel, raw, unputdownable and honest. it really hit me in all the right places and captivated me with its very true feelings on hurtful relationships.
it also made me never want to be in a relationship ever again, but we move 💔
interestingly, the book is written narrated by J, and then via the wife’s legal emails and some diary entries. I love it when a book adds some kind of unique element to the reading experience, like text messages, emails etc. this particularly made the story feel even more destructive and unsettling.
one thing I really left wondering was what is the truth? and does the truth matter? when two people both feel abused in some soft of way, both experiences are valid in the sense that the emotions each are experiencing are real, whether what really happened or was imagined was truth. personally this felt a little hard to read at times and I wish I did learn what actually happened but that’s definitely not the case of this novel, so it’s better to go into this book knowing that the prose will be biased.
this was a really well built novel, raw, unputdownable and honest. it really hit me in all the right places and captivated me with its very true feelings on hurtful relationships.
it also made me never want to be in a relationship ever again, but we move 💔
August 3, 2022
What a powerful, uncomfortable and unnerving story of a couple’s divorce. I say couple as we never know their names as they’re just referred to as J and their wife, again I felt this was really interesting and left it open for people to relate to.
The book is written in the second person and looks at the fallout of a marriage exploring a number of triggers including domestic violence, gaslighting and mental abuse.
There’s a sense of drama throughout the story and I was constantly questioning who was right and who was wrong, who was manipulating who- causing me to question my own reaction to some of the things I’ve read.
This book reminds me of that quote “there’s three sides to every story my side, your side and the truth”.
An excellent but not an easy read.
Thanks you @netgalley and @serpentstail for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
The book is written in the second person and looks at the fallout of a marriage exploring a number of triggers including domestic violence, gaslighting and mental abuse.
There’s a sense of drama throughout the story and I was constantly questioning who was right and who was wrong, who was manipulating who- causing me to question my own reaction to some of the things I’ve read.
This book reminds me of that quote “there’s three sides to every story my side, your side and the truth”.
An excellent but not an easy read.
Thanks you @netgalley and @serpentstail for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 1, 2022
Is This Love? by C E Riley is a story of a marriage which ends in divorce, not unusual in these days but you never know the name of the other partner or whether J. is male or female. The relationship ends abruptly according to the wife. The marriage break up is mainly detailed by J. who is totally lost and confused by what has happened. Especially when there is a court order talking of their physical and mental abuse towards the wife, which J says never happened.
The storyline isn’t an easy read and the two main characters are not easy characters to emphasise with. As a reader I found the story very sad and moving at times but then it it isn’t that unusual for one side in a divorce case to embellish circumstances to enable themselves to receive the most sympathy and the bigger slice of the financial pot of money and goods.
Recommended
The storyline isn’t an easy read and the two main characters are not easy characters to emphasise with. As a reader I found the story very sad and moving at times but then it it isn’t that unusual for one side in a divorce case to embellish circumstances to enable themselves to receive the most sympathy and the bigger slice of the financial pot of money and goods.
Recommended
November 21, 2022
Over clever stylistic approach creates tedium
This story of a relationship breakdown really got broken by authorial decision to be a bit too clever.
Told from both sides of the divide. The reader is potentially presented with two unreliable narrators, whose gender is also disguised by an initial. J and J. I felt, from the start, that the author intended to unsettle by not revealing gender, and possibly play with the reader’s sense of who to believe and who not.
The problem was, that the author’s mind games felt far more present than the sort of mindgames relationship breakdowns can lead to, played by both partners in the fallout.
I never really cared about either character and I’m afraid I read this with increasingly mounting irritation, muttering ‘get on with it’
This was a fairly short book, feeling like it was limping along like a much longer one
This story of a relationship breakdown really got broken by authorial decision to be a bit too clever.
Told from both sides of the divide. The reader is potentially presented with two unreliable narrators, whose gender is also disguised by an initial. J and J. I felt, from the start, that the author intended to unsettle by not revealing gender, and possibly play with the reader’s sense of who to believe and who not.
The problem was, that the author’s mind games felt far more present than the sort of mindgames relationship breakdowns can lead to, played by both partners in the fallout.
I never really cared about either character and I’m afraid I read this with increasingly mounting irritation, muttering ‘get on with it’
This was a fairly short book, feeling like it was limping along like a much longer one
June 27, 2023
Is this literature? To be fair, the author says that ‘I wrote this book for me. It didn’t occur to me, for some time, that anyone else would read it. ‘. To be very unfair, though, this potentially useful pointer is included in the acknowledgments, on the last page of the book.
And the book feels like a memo to self, rather than a work of fiction. The breakdown of the marriage is depressing, as one would expect. But the contours of the downfall in their tawdry detail , are so familiar that one is tempted to wonder if all unhappy families (or couples) are unhappy in exactly the same way.
It kept my attention, but not my engagement. There is an attempt to introduce some ambiguity and mystery by not gendering the main narrator, which can make one question some assumptions about toxicity, but which ends up being but a minorly interesting angle.
And the book feels like a memo to self, rather than a work of fiction. The breakdown of the marriage is depressing, as one would expect. But the contours of the downfall in their tawdry detail , are so familiar that one is tempted to wonder if all unhappy families (or couples) are unhappy in exactly the same way.
It kept my attention, but not my engagement. There is an attempt to introduce some ambiguity and mystery by not gendering the main narrator, which can make one question some assumptions about toxicity, but which ends up being but a minorly interesting angle.
July 16, 2025
Man this book kind of stinks (sorry author). I gave up reading it about halfway through and skipped to the end and gave up trying to read the last page. I started reading this (found in a charity shop) as I wanted an insight into divorce, but this book just not well written. It was just statement after statement of he said this then I said that etc. One chapter was literally a report from a divorce lawyer that was literally the most boring thing I think I have ever read (sorry author). I ended up liking a hot total of none of the characters, and because I didn't care about anyone I didn't exactly care about the conclusion of the story. I don't think I am going to find myself in a heterosexual couple going through a divorce anytime soon so I'm not too worried that I took nothing away from this book.
June 8, 2023
Fancied something different to my normal read so decided to give this one a go as it was less than 300 pages.
I was a bit sceptical after reading the reviews. I wish I’d listened to the ones that weren’t keen.
It has been a chore for me to read this book and I’ve only finished as quick as I have because I’ve wanted to get it finished.
I decided to continue reading and not give up as I wanted to find out who J was.
The story is told from J and his wife’s side. Both tell a different story to their relationship.
I did like the idea of the story however it dragged on a bit for me with no real answers at the end.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this one, just a shame it wasn’t for me.
I was a bit sceptical after reading the reviews. I wish I’d listened to the ones that weren’t keen.
It has been a chore for me to read this book and I’ve only finished as quick as I have because I’ve wanted to get it finished.
I decided to continue reading and not give up as I wanted to find out who J was.
The story is told from J and his wife’s side. Both tell a different story to their relationship.
I did like the idea of the story however it dragged on a bit for me with no real answers at the end.
Thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to read this one, just a shame it wasn’t for me.
August 2, 2022
I struggled a little with this book although I did manage to read to the end. The two sides of the end of a marriage was an interesting concept but given the unreliable accounts from both parties it felt a little confusing and unsettling. Another thing that added to the confusion was that the two main characters were not named but were spoken of as only I, you or J. I didn't have an issue with them not having names but when reading large amounts of text the letters I and J were not dissimilar and I often had to double check who was being discussed. I even changed the font on my Kindle to see if it made it any clearer..
August 16, 2022
Ok so this started super strong. It’s a story of a divorce case told from two different perspectives, both are unreliable narrators and it leaves you as the reader in the middle and flip flopping back and forth with who you believe is the abuser and the abused. However, when I realised the chapters were basically just going to be rehashing the same stories repeatedly it started to get a little stale. I also really didn’t like the way the blurb tried to force the idea of ‘ooh is it a man or a woman? You don’t know and that’s what makes it impactful’. Let the reader discover that and make their own mind up on if that affected their perspective.
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