Rating: 3.00 (1 ratings)
First published 2026
Laura Miller sits across from Edmund Putnam in their usual spot at a weathered pub beside the Thames. For years these evenings have sustained them both. They trade stories from their offices, revisit old teenage obsessions, and pick apart the world's failures over pints. But Edmund has grown distant. His father's death weighs on him. Worse, his beloved magazine now answers to Simon Halfpenny, a new editor who insists everyone call him Shove. Edmund sinks deeper into gloom while Laura wrestles with her own troubles. Her mother remains as difficult as ever. Her past refuses to stay buried. London surrounds her with beauty that feels cold and unreachable. Each day brings fresh uncertainty. Still, Laura refuses to let Edmund disappear into his despair. She must find a way to pull him back from the edge. Riley captures the weight of friendship when one person must carry both hearts forward.
Genres: literary-fiction, friendship, contemporary, family-drama
Vibes: atmospheric, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-study, found-family
Setting: London, Thames
Period: contemporary
211 pages · Hardcover · Picador
Content warnings: depression