The story is told from three perspectives; a husband, a wife, and a friend. Ultimately, it's a gripping, insular drama that takes place over the course of a single day.

If you can't use punctuation, then I cannot finish your book. This was a struggle, not only from that lack of punctuation but also from the characters lack of depth.
This was not the book for me and I did not finish it.

The Three of Us by Ore Agbaje-Williams started off strong, very strong! I felt like I was chatting with a friend. The main character, never named, and her best friend, Temi are very interesting characters and I was intrigued right away. In the beginning I was sure the book was leading to a big blow-up of some kind between the three characters and I was interested in what was going to "happen". If nothing else, I thought it would lead to an interesting story and insight about female relationships and assumed it would not end well for these two friends. But there's really no plot. The story kept taking long, drawn out tangents into the back story. Some of which was interesting and added to the character and story development but most of it was a slog to get through. I kept wanting it to move the plot along in some way, something to hold my interest to see how the book ends. I thought I was getting there with the end scene but even that was a let down. It appears the author was trying to set an ominous scene with Temi clearly not giving up on her friend and lets the reader imagine how it ends - or if it ever ends for any of them. I felt that was a big let down. This books appears like it was a short story that should have been edited and added on to to create a fully fleshed-out storyline. It did not hit that for me.

This book did not provide much for me, in terms of insight or entertainment value. I found each of the three characters to be incredibly lacking, as a friend, husband or wife. They were selfish, weak and manipulative. I kept waiting for the wife to stand up for herself but she was the most pathetic of the three. I know I don’t need to like the characters in a book to enjoy it but this was a chore to finish, the ending was really not an ending and the dialogue was hard to follow.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really struggled with this one based on a few elements. First, I did not like the lack of quotation marks. I was not always sure who was speaking nor if it was something said aloud or an internal monologue. Second, I found the characters wildly unlikable and one dimensional. Although I understand the point of the characters lack of communication, it did not stop me from feeling frustrated with their actions (or inaction in some cases). This was just not for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the digital ARC.

I enjoyed this book very much. It is three characters and their relationships to each other. We have two women who have been friends for a very long time. One is a highly successful single woman, the other has married to the dismay of her friend. She though they would enjoy the carefree single life together. The third character is the husband who has to compete with his wife’s friend for her affection. The story takes place in one day with flashbacks explaining the relationships. At the end, you wonder who will one…the girl friend or the husband.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for this advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was not my book. I really struggled with the story, mostly the stylistic choices the author made. There is quite a bit of dialogue in the story, but none of it is in quotations which makes it difficult to determine who is talking. At first I thought maybe it was an uncorrected proof, but then I realized, it was an intentional choice on the authors part. While the story itself had some interest factor for me, I found my self struggling to figure out what was going on, and rereading several passages over and over. I do think for he right audience, this will be a great book, that just wasn't me.

Was excited for this one based on the premise but unfortunately just could not get into it. Thought it was slow and choppy - had to DNF

The Three of Us follows an unnamed woman and her relationships with her unnamed husband and her best friend, Temi. It particularly focuses on the reasons Temi and the husband hate each other, and how the wife is always torn between the two of them. It is divided into three parts, each told from the perspective of one of the characters, and in each part the narrator explains the way they perceive the relationship between themself and the two other main characters. Most of the book takes place in the characters’ thoughts and memories, but the main plot takes place in one day and ends with a big fight between the three characters.

I always say that books don’t make me laugh. I also say I don’t enjoy books that are meant to be funny. I always think they’re cheesy. But this book made me laugh out loud. I know it’s not everyone’s style of humor, but I loved it. I wish I knew how to label different styles of humor (I don’t even know if they’re called “styles of humor”) so I could provide a good description of what I’m talking about, but my point is that I thought this was hilarious. And a lot of people will disagree with that.

I enjoy books that have unlikeable main characters, and to call these characters unlikeable is an understatement. I like when the majority of a book takes place in the characters’ memories and imaginations, and that was the case here. I like when books are just slightly absurd, and I found that in this book as well. It’s a short book. I love short books. For the majority of the time I spend reading The Three of Us I felt like it had been written just for me.

That’s why I’m sad to say that I thought the ending was very disappointing. The entire time the story progresses it feels like it’s going to end with something explosive. It feels like it will end with an event that completely uproots the characters’ lives. It doesn’t. The story felt like it led to nowhere and ended suddenly. I would have given this an easy 5 star rating if I didn’t think the ending was so weak. But I was still able to give it a 4 star rating because I had fun during most of the time I spent reading it. I never wanted to put it down. The only reason I didn’t read it in one sitting is that my body vetoed my decision to stay up late reading and forced me to go to sleep.

I can already predict the most common complaints that people will have about this book: “The characters are unlikable and frustrating.” “There was no character development.” “There is no plot.” “There are no quotation marks.” “It feels like a fever dream, or like a never ending run on sentence.”
Those are all true. But they’re all things that I really liked. If you hate any of those things you will not like The Three of Us. But if all of that sounds good to you you should read this book!

Thanks to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC and the opportunity to read and review this title.

The Three of Us is a story filled with tension told over the course of one day from the perspectives of three different people. A husband, his wife, and her best friend. The ending...I was hoping for a twist, but I was nowhere near in my predictions.

I received this book as an ARC and this is my review. This is the quirkiest story I have read lately. The entire book consists of a husband, his wife and her friend. The relationship is not working. There is much talk but little action. I expected a burst of violence or even a huge shouting match. The story just plays until it ends.

I was lucky enough to win an e-ARC of at THE THREE OF US by Ore Agbaje-Williams through a Shelf Awareness giveaway. Thanks for the early look, and have a safe and happy weekend!

Short novel about marriage and the old adage, "Two's company, threes a crowd". This book is set in a one day period and reads a bit like a stage play with three characters; husband, wife and friend, Temi. Temi and the wife have been friends since school and they are devoted to each other even though Temi and the husband don't like each other. Temi enjoys traveling, culture and freedom and she does not think her friend possibly be happy in her marriage. Does she really feel this way or is she jealous? The husband feels like Temi interferes in his marriage and doesn't understand why his wife seems to take the friends side;

There were no likable characters here and although the subject matter was interesting, the story didn't go far enough to be a satisfying read. The wife veered between being too submissive to seeming like she is choosing her friend over her husband. All three characters came from Nigerian families and all were expected to have a certain amount of success. The wife has never been able to stand up for herself and her friend thinks the husband is controlling. It is difficult to take a side here and perhaps that is the intent. We hear about the same day from each person and it gets a bit tedious hearing the same events three times. There is also too much mention of wine, drinking wine, opening wine, pouring wine. I did like the symbolism in the choices presented to the wife between the conventional marriage with the husband in charge, the free wheeling feminist centered life Temi represents, and perhaps a third way of being that the wife has not yet found. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this ARC in exchange for a review.

I really enjoyed reading this and loved the structure of reading each part of the story from different POVS. However, I do wish it was a little more sinister, like I wish Temi had a more active hand in the couple's dissatisfaction rather than simply being a voyeur. But in any case it was fast paced and I found it hard to put down. I want to read more from this author.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Interesting read, I enjoyed myself.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for and Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to recieve it as an Arc based on some of the reviews, but It just wasnt for me. I could not get into the story. I tried 3 different times to read it but had to DNf each time about 10% into the book.

Thank you NetGalley for the advanced read. I'm glad this was not a long book, cause it was definitely not to my liking. It's hard to be married and have a best friend who thinks no one should get married, especially if it ruins your childhood plans with each other. And your husband and best friend hate each other.

Thank you to Penguin Group Putnam and NetGalley for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this book was just not for me. I tried to give it a second chance, but just could not finish it. After being 20% in, I could not get interested in it at all. The dialog was choppy, and it was very slow.

Was hoping for a funny story line but just did not vibe with the story, characters or writing style. The writing at times was chopping and hard to follow. I was reading it as if I was listening to someone talk to me in person of the events that happened.

Dynamic and creative storytelling of a non traditional marriage. There are three main characters and the author only choose to charge one name. This format was a little confusing at first but allows the reader to relate to the characters actions and insert any name that may be applicable. Although there is no resolution at the end, the ending is open to interpretation and the tension throughout the story will keep you wanting to read more!