Love by the Book
The stunning new book club novel about the power of female friendship
Published on 12. February 2026
Book
Hardback
432 pages
978-1-5293-9562-4 (ISBN)
Description
Praise for Jessica George
'An incredibly exciting new talent' Beth O'Leary
'Lively, funny, poignant' Bonnie Garmus
'Utterly Charming' Celeste Ng
This isn't a romance. But it is about love.
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her - until the day that they're not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting - and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn't need friends. The only people she needs are her family - but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is.
When the pair meet in a bookshop, they don't immediately click. But as life keeps throwing them together, they realise that they might just have bumped into exactly what they need... if they can only be brave enough to let each other in.
Readers LOVE Love by the Book:
????? 'I loved every moment of this tender tribute to love and friendship'
????? 'Heartfelt, humorous and quietly powerful'
????? 'One of the most authentic books I've read in a long time'
????? 'Beautifully told'
????? 'Jessica, you are incredible!'
'An incredibly exciting new talent' Beth O'Leary
'Lively, funny, poignant' Bonnie Garmus
'Utterly Charming' Celeste Ng
This isn't a romance. But it is about love.
Remy is lucky. Her three best friends have always been there for her - until the day that they're not. One of them is moving to New York. One of them is pregnant. And one is busy with her (awful) boyfriend. Suddenly, their foursome is splitting - and it feels like a break-up.
Simone doesn't need friends. The only people she needs are her family - but when they cut her off, she realises how alone she is.
When the pair meet in a bookshop, they don't immediately click. But as life keeps throwing them together, they realise that they might just have bumped into exactly what they need... if they can only be brave enough to let each other in.
Readers LOVE Love by the Book:
????? 'I loved every moment of this tender tribute to love and friendship'
????? 'Heartfelt, humorous and quietly powerful'
????? 'One of the most authentic books I've read in a long time'
????? 'Beautifully told'
????? 'Jessica, you are incredible!'
Reviews / Votes
Praise for LOVE BY THE BOOK: As enveloping, soul-filling and moreish as an evening with a friend * Emma Knight, bestselling author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus * A captivating and emotionally rich novel exploring sisterhood, friendship, love and betrayal. I was gripped from the outset. * Fiona Williams, author of The House of Broken Bricks * A rom com for platonic friendship. * Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake * Love by the Book goes deeper than just celebrating friendship - it delves into the challenge of navigating its inevitable shifts as we grow older. * Mikki Brammer, USA Today bestselling author of The Collected Regrets of Clover * I found myself rooting for Remy and Simone as I would any couple falling in love. * Emma Cowing, author of The Show Woman * George infuses whimsy and heart into her incredible tale despite touches on weighty topics and pressures placed on the book's leading ladies. * Diane Brown, author of Black Candle Women * PRAISE FOR MY NAME IS MAAME: Lively, funny, poignant * Bonnie Garmus, author of international bestseller, Lessons in Chemistry * Utterly Charming * Celeste Ng, New York Times bestselling author of Little Fires Everywhere * One of the must-reads of the year * Sunday Times * Tender and compelling from the word go * Stylist * George illustrates the complexities of navigating two cultures and rising from the pressure of other people's expectations beautifully. This is a clever and deeply moving debut * Booklist * A rom com for platonic friendship * Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake * I found myself rooting for Remy and Simone as I would any couple falling in love * Emma Cowing, author of The Show Woman * A captivating and emotionally rich novel exploring sisterhood, friendship, love and betrayal. I was gripped from the outset * Fiona Williams, author of The House of Broken Bricks * As enveloping, soul-filling and moreish as an evening with a friend * Emma Knight, bestselling author of The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus *More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Product notice
Trade binding
Dimensions
Height: 193 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 29 mm
Weight
308 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5293-9562-4 (9781529395624)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jessica George
Love by the Book
The stunning new book club novel about the power of female friendship
E-Book
02/2026
Hodder & Stoughton
€7.99
Available for download
Person
Jessica George was born and raised in London to Ghanaian parents and studied English Literature at the University of Sheffield. After working at a literary agency and a theatre, she landed a job in the editorial department of a publishing house. She now lives in North London with an incontrovertible sweet tooth and the knowledge that she can consume half a cake by herself if left to her own devices.