Never Greener by Ruth Jones is an easy to read book that follows the intricacies of the love and affairs of its main characters. It really makes you think about the characters’ life choices. Here’s my book review of Never Greener by Ruth Jones.
Overview of Never Greener by Ruth Jones
Never Greener is an easy to read book, perfect for a long haul flight. It follows the intricate relationships of Kate and Callum, and follows their lives from a passionate affair when they were young, to the time they meet again 17 years later. My book review of Never Greener by Ruth Jones won’t give many spoilers, so you can still enjoy this book for yourself.
Kate and Callum first meet when they work together at a pub. At the time, Kate is a young aspiring actress. And Callum is married with young children. They start a passionate affair, but when Callum’s wife Belinda finds out, Callum chooses to stay with his wife rather than Kate.
17 years later
Much of the novel is set 17 years later. Kate is a successful famous actress, and is married to Matt and has a 5 year old daughter. Callum and Belinda are still together, after Belinda finally forgave Callum, and their children are nearly grown up now.
Kate and Callum meet again by chance, when Kate visits the school where Callum teaches. They’re faced with a choice. Should they walk away from each other, and preserve the lives they’ve both built and re-built over the last 17 years? Or should they meet again, and rekindle the passionate affair that so abruptly ended 17 years ago?
This book is gripping as we follow Kate and Callum’s choices, and also learn more about their past relationship. The book changes between telling the present story, and flashbacks to the past. So the picture is slowly built of what Kate and Callum had, and what they could have. But, as the title suggests, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. And sometimes, it’s best to leave things in the past.
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What I liked about this book
I found this book really easy to read. It’s perfect for a long haul flight, because you can read big chunks in one go without getting tired or bored. I could easily read over 100 pages without glancing up from the book. It was really addictive, and I wanted to know what was going to happen next in Kate and Callum’s lives.
I found both Kate and Callum interesting characters, and enjoyed the sections of the book from each of their viewpoints. For me, that’s really important for a book that tells a story from different sides – it’s so important to be equally invested in each character. And I was invested in both characters in this book. At times, I didn’t like Kate and Callum, and didn’t like their choices or morals, but I was still eager to read more and find out more about what was happening.
This book’s author is also a writer on the popular UK TV show called Gavin and Stacey. I enjoy this TV show and the subtle comedy. And I felt like this book did have a similar feel. There were funny moments, and the characters were really realistic and well-developed, like the characters in the TV show.
What I wasn’t so sure about
If I was being critical, I could say that this was a long book that felt like not too much happened. It was easy to read and I found it enjoyable. But in many ways, not a huge amount happens. It’s mostly just Kate and Callum having steamy sex scenes, and then talking to their friends to try to work out their feelings. It’s enjoyable, but it’s maybe not the book for you if you want lots of fast-paced, unexpected plot.
There was a scene towards the end that I really didn’t like. Spoiler alert – this will give away some of the plot! Towards the end of the book, when Kate’s ex-husband Matt is getting over Kate leaving him, Matt has sex with Chloe at his work. But he knows that Chloe has a boyfriend. I really didn’t like this scene, because Matt was just recovering from discovering his wife had had an affair. But then he chooses to sleep with someone who is in a relationship, so he facilitates Chloe having an affair. I guess it’s a small detail in the book. But I felt like Matt wouldn’t have done that with Chloe, knowing how it would hurt her boyfriend, as he was currently going through exactly that.
Would I recommend Never Greener by Ruth Jones
I’d definitely recommend Never Greener by Ruth Jones. It’s an easy to read book with likeable characters. You can read big chunks in one go, so it’s perfect for a long haul flight.