If He Had Been With Me by Laura Nowlin is a tender, heartrending young adult novel that explores the delicate boundary between friendship and love. The story centers on Autumn and Finny, childhood best friends who have drifted apart by the time they reach high school but remain linked by shared history and unspoken feelings. Through Autumn’s introspective narrative, Nowlin creates an intimate portrayal of the complexities of adolescent relationships and unrequited love.

The novel’s strength lies in its raw, poignant storytelling. Autumn is introspective and at times painfully aware of her feelings for Finny, who is charismatic yet complicated in ways that are slowly revealed. The way Nowlin develops their dynamic—touching, awkward, and laced with nostalgia—creates a narrative that resonates with the universality of “what-if” scenarios that many readers experience. Nowlin’s writing style is poetic and reflective, using small moments and gestures to emphasize the intensity of Autumn’s emotions, which makes the story all the more immersive.

As the story progresses, the tension builds, weaving a narrative that is both beautiful and bittersweet. Nowlin includes powerful themes of first love, self-discovery, and loss. Without spoiling the ending, it’s a conclusion that leaves a lasting impact, driving home the novel’s exploration of fate and missed chances. Many readers are drawn to If He Had Been With Me not only for its emotional depth but also for the way it examines the quiet moments of teenage life that often go unrecognized.

If He Had Been With Me is a book for anyone who has ever pondered the possibilities of a different outcome, who has experienced heartbreak, or who simply appreciates a story that feels real and raw. It’s a coming-of-age story that will likely resonate with young adult readers and adults alike who remember the intensity of first love and the pain of loss.

Richard Osman started out his career as a TV producer before finding himself in front of the camera on Pointless. He was a natural. Apparently, even Her Majesty the Queen is a fan! In the past decade, he has rarely been off our screens since. Judging by the success of his debut novel The Thursday Murder Club, he won’t be disappearing from bookshelves any time soon either.

The countryside murder mystery has been a British institution for decades – from Agatha Christie to Midsummer Murders. However, Osman has managed to find a clever spin on the genre by giving centre stage to a plucky gang of Septuagenarians and Octogenarians living in a retirement community. The eponymous Thursday Murder Club – Elizabeth, Joyce, Ron, and Ibrahim – are called into action when the murders they love investigating start happening closer to home.

Along the way, they meet Detectives Donna and Chris, who begin working alongside the club – though often begrudgingly as the OAPs often take matters into their own hands.

Osman weaves in plenty of gentle humour and plot twists along the way, as well as a red herring or two. It turns out that Coopers Chase retirement village is hiding plenty of secrets behind its seemingly innocent exterior. 

Perhaps the greatest achievement of the novel is the fact that all of the elderly characters are shown to be clever, resourceful, and ultimately useful – something that is often sadly forgotten in our society.

While the book is highly enjoyable, it isn’t a perfect debut. The plot zips along at a nice pace, but it starts to become a little convoluted in the final pages as Osman tries to wrap up all his story lines at once. Despite this, if you are a murder mystery lover or even just a fan of Osman himself, there is plenty to love here.

With over a million copies already sold, the incredible popularity of The Thursday Murder Club means that this is likely to be a long-running series. We may even see the crime-fighting pensioners on the big screen as the film rights have been bought by none other than Steven Spielberg.

The paperback edition is due on May 13, but if you can’t wait until then, you can get the original hardback here.

If you have a special occasion coming up, why not give one of our surprise books?