Births, Deaths and Marriages

Paperback Published on: 04/06/2026
Price: £10.99
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Bookseller Reviews

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Births, Deaths and Marriages
A realistic raw and heartfelt reflection of life
Births, Deaths and Marriages is a masterful exploration of friendship, love, and the passage of time. Set over a year, the novel follows six university fri... READ MORE
Anthony at Waterstones Coventry

Synopsis

SIX LIFELONG FRIENDS. ONE UNFORGETTABLE YEAR.

The stunning, relatable novel about deep friendships and second chances from the author of the Sunday Times Number One Bestseller, The Versions of Us.

'Reminded me of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors' GEORGINA MOORE
'This is exactly the book I want to hold me' PANDORA SYKES
'Richly written, so moving.' JENNIE GODFREY
Four Weddings and a Funeral meets One Day...I couldn't put it down.’ 5-star reader review
____

Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas and Indie. Six friends who were inseparable at university, who have all had their secret or not so secret passions for each other, their hopes and fears.

Over the years, they have gone their separate ways. But when an engagement party throws the gang together once more, some passions are reignited, old connections and resentments resurface.

Over the next twelve months, there will, among the friends, be a birth, a marriage, and a death – but whose?

BIRTHS, DEATHS AND MARRIAGES is an era-spanning, globe-trotting novel about a group of friends growing older, the possibility of second chances, about kindness and joy. It’s about births, deaths, marriages... and everything in between.

________

PRAISE for BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES:
‘I loved Births, Deaths and Marriages. Laura’s ability to jump between so many different lives and to keep those strands alive in the reader’s mind reminded me of Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors’ Georgina Moore

''Wonderful...beautifully written, superbly characterized and so truthful' Elizabeth Buchan

'A book to sink into... a nuanced, compelling and comforting read that reminds us about the power, support and importance of found family' Kate Sawyer
'A compelling tale about love and friendship in all its guises. Her exquisite line by line writing and astute character observations held me rapt' Lucy Clarke

READERS LOVE BIRTHS, DEATHS & MARRIAGES:

'An emotional, heartfelt book about the joys and sorrows of life. It is about love in all its forms, the friendships that shape us, and the quiet moments that define who we become.'

'Relatable, funny, moving and hopeful. Births, Deaths and Marriages is a fantastic read that reminded me of Cold Feet and deals with the themes of feeling unsure in your life, grief and moving forward beautifully.'

‘Wow! Just wow! A book for anyone who has loved, for anyone who has experienced the death of a loved one, for anyone who has contemplated or been married, for every parent, indeed, for anyone who has lived.’

‘A hugely enjoyable novel which celebrates the durability of friendships that have weathered the storm of growing up.’

'Reminiscent of Four Weddings and a Funeral, Love Actually, Notting Hill'

'Immersive and thought-provoking . . . captures the nuances of human relationships—the tension, the tenderness, the misunderstandings, and the unbreakable bonds that endure despite time and distance.'

'Highly addictive and incredibly comforting. Exquisite storytelling written in a way that gives you all the feels from incredible sadness to raucous laughter. These are a bunch of friends I won’t forget in a hurry!'

Publisher information

  • Publisher: Transworld Publishers Ltd
  • ISBN: 9781804992746
  • Number of pages: 368
  • Dimensions: 197 x 127 x 25 mm
  • Weight: 250g
  • Languages: English

Customer Reviews

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Births, Deaths and Marriages
A good read
I really enjoyed Laura Barnett's previous books and was keen to read an arc of her latest. The book spans 25 years of the lives of a group of university fr... READ MORE
Raeofthebooks
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Lovely
Relatable, funny, moving and hopeful. Births, Deaths and Marriages is a fantastic read that reminded me of Cold Feet and deals with the themes of feeling u... READ MORE
Emma Renshaw
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Film material?
It took a little patience to remember the dynamics of this group of people who originally met as university students.at the funeral of an acquaintance Pete... READ MORE
Jen1010
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Stunningly astute and relevant
Wow! Just wow! I can’t believe that, when I started this book, I thought, this isn’t for me. It is, of course. It is a book for anyone who has loved, for a... READ MORE
Jakki Moxon
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Touching and Captivating Read
Huge thank you to NetGalley for this wonderful read. I read this as an early release ebook from NetGalley with the promise of my writing my thoughts and r... READ MORE
Shonaigh Mudie
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Despite what I said, give it a chance
Honestly, I couldn’t really get into this. The story follows six university friends—Zoe, Al, Rachel, Rob, Yas, and Indie—over the course of a year, explori... READ MORE
Savannah
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Thoroughly good read
Excellent book covering several decades in the lives of 6 people who meet at university. Their paths cross briefly as part of the university social scene b... READ MORE
Cazb
Births, Deaths and Marriages
ok
I found this book quite slow and for me, it was ok. The backdrop of the story is the lives of a group of university friends who stay in touch throughou... READ MORE
Karen Farrow
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Great story and holiday reading!
Tale of six friends from their time at University thrown together by chance twenty odd years ago through to the present day, based around London and Kent. ... READ MORE
Felicity
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Realistic character-driven story
If a character-driven story set over an intense year sounds like your kind of story then I recommend Births, Deaths and Marriages by Laura Barnett. It tell... READ MORE
Nicola
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Character-driven story about friendship, love and loss
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House UK, Transworld for this ARC. This book is about a group of six friends. Rob, Al, Zoe, Rachel, Yas and Indie meet... READ MORE
Beate251
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Thoroughly enjoyable read
I’m usually a crime or psychological thriller reader but thoroughly enjoyed this step outside my comfort zone into Births, Deaths and Marriages. I didn’t g... READ MORE
Karen Collins
Births, Deaths and Marriages
An enjoyable novel which celebrates the durability of friendships
Laura Barnett writes absorbing, well turned-out fiction, tending towards the commercial end of the scale. Beginning with an engagement and ending with a ma... READ MORE
Susan Osborne
Births, Deaths and Marriages
engaging
A story about a group of friends who initially met at a fellow students wake and ended up sharing student accommodation. We follow their lives and how they... READ MORE
Jenny Dunne
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Relatable premise and something for everyone
The universal themes are attractive and set you up for a promising read. However, I kept veering between genuine curiosity for some characters and storylin... READ MORE
Tina
This reviewer received a free of charge product for review.
Births, Deaths and Marriages
A story of friendship, love and laughter
A story of lifelong friendships made at university. It follows the lives of six individuals as they navigate their way through marriage, divorce and death.... READ MORE
Paula Sterling-stead
Births, Deaths and Marriages
A story of friendship, love and laughter.
A story of lifelong friendships made at university. It follows the lives of six individuals as they navigate their way through marriage, divorce and death.... READ MORE
paula sterling-stead
Births, Deaths and Marriages
A steady read
Written around a group of friends from university, this book explores how dreams and plans can change and going a different direction 20 years down the lin... READ MORE
Lucy C
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Cosy life story of six friends, their loves and their heartaches
Six friends, four women and two men, meet up at university and form a tight knit group, there are liaisons in the group, there are romances and not a littl... READ MORE
TrishAM
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Six friends reunite after 20 years
Six people meet at university - specifically at the funeral for a man/boy who was killed in a car accident just a few weeks into term. They spend the next ... READ MORE
Alison Robinson
Births, Deaths and Marriages
Not for me but I'm sure there's a market out there
We initially meet the six main characters in this book as teenagers at university. Then again 20 years later when Rob becomes engaged. From there over 12 m... READ MORE
Psychoticpat