Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski packs an extraordinary punch in its story of second chances.

I picked up this book because I loved the Forgotten Gods series by the same author. While different in genre, I trusted that I would enjoy Rutkoski’s writing anyway and I was proven right.

Emily’s story was simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming. She’s been treated unfairly for so long that it takes a tremendous amount of effort and trial and error to successfully stand up for herself and her children. Her path to healing and independence isn’t simple and straightforward, especially with classism at play. There are moments where you wish that she’d make a different decision, but at the same time, you could always understand where she was coming from and empathize with her situation. She’s imperfect and human, and her character growth reflects that. It felt more honest because of it. Her second chance at life is much-deserved, inspiring and hopeful.

Emily and Gen’s relationship, whether it was flashbacks from the past or moments from the present, was one of my favorite parts of the book. I was rooting for their love story from the beginning. It was satisfying to watch them get a second chance at love, and to see them gain strength from each other and unconditionally support each other during hard and complex life events. In contrast with Emily and her husband, Emily and Gen’s love isn't extravagant, but more heartfelt and real because of it. Getting to have an ordinary love is beautiful enough.

I also have to shout out Gen’s friends. They were all so great and I loved reading about them.

Readers who enjoyed Yerba Buena by Nina LaCour will also enjoy this book.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. 4.25/5 stars.

a second-chance literary romance about two girls who fall in love in high school only to fall apart in college, and the love that lingers. this was beautiful & had so many poetic zingers, but it dragged towards the end. they so clearly belonged to one another, it didn’t make sense to me why they would ever have to stay apart (especially given the way the author solved the major monetary conflict). still worth a read—it comes out in june!

I really enjoyed Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski. The story of Emily reconnecting with her high school love, Gen, is both emotional and beautifully written. Rutkoski’s prose pulled me in, and I felt completely invested in Emily’s journey as she dealt with heartbreak, complicated family dynamics, and second chances.

The romance was intense and well done, and I loved the flashbacks that showed how deep their connection ran. While the pacing felt a bit rushed at times with so many heavy events, the emotional depth kept me hooked. This is a compelling, beautifully written queer romance about love, loss, and rediscovery. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to anyone who enjoys second-chance stories!

struggled with the writing a little bit in this one. i felt like every sentence had to mean something and it made everything mean nothing. i loved the story at plain face but it was simply not good and not bad.

TW: homophobia, death, domestic violence, gaslighting, emotional abuse.

Thank you to Knopf, Pantheon, and Vintage and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book! Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski is beautifully written. The protagonist, Emily, is a dynamic and fully realized character, and I found myself deeply invested in her journey. Her experience with emotional abuse and gaslighting in her marriage created a palpable tension throughout the book.

My only complaint is the pacing. There were too many heavy, traumatic events (see: trigger warnings), and it felt like I was being hit with one thing after another without enough space to fully explore each issue.

I did appreciate the flashbacks, Emily’s relationship with Gen, and her friendships, though I wished we saw more of them towards the end. Overall, it was an enjoyable read and first book of 2025 for me!

This book was beautifully written. The writing is elegant and the prose bring me right into the story and bring the characters to life. I found that Rutkoski created such an emotional story that was crafted to make readers feel for and with the characters from the first page. It was a beautiful coming of age story about love and finding yourself

Marie Rutkoski’s *Ordinary Love* is a compelling exploration of class, ambition, and the tangled complexities of identity and desire. The novel follows Emily, a woman seemingly ensconced in the gilded perfection of Manhattan’s Upper East Side, but whose life is anything but serene. Her chance encounter with Gen Hall, her first love and now a glamorous Olympic athlete, throws her carefully curated existence into upheaval. Rutkoski masterfully captures the tension between Emily’s yearning for what was and the precariousness of what could be, crafting a story as magnetic and unpredictable as the romance at its core.

What makes *Ordinary Love* so captivating is Rutkoski’s distinctive narrative style, perfectly encapsulated by a line from the book itself: “Unusual. Voice-y. Less like a plot, and more like a memoir.” The writing is both intimate and introspective, drawing readers deep into Emily’s psyche as she grapples with the emotional weight of her past and the seductive pull of her former lover. Rutkoski eschews a traditional linear plot in favor of a more fragmented, memory-laden approach, making the story feel as though Emily is confiding her innermost thoughts directly to the reader. This unique voice gives the novel its sharp, compelling edge, blurring the boundaries between fiction and personal revelation.

At its heart, *Ordinary Love* is a profoundly human story about second chances and the courage it takes to embrace them. Through Emily and Gen’s fraught yet passionate reconnection, Rutkoski delves into the messy, painful, and ultimately transformative process of healing old wounds and reclaiming lost love. The novel’s rich emotional landscape and bold narrative voice ensure it lingers in the reader’s mind long after the final page. Both a sweeping romance and a raw, honest examination of personal growth, *Ordinary Love* is as unforgettable as it is beautifully written.

I enjoyed reading this title so much. I thought it was authentic and well-written. The characters were interesting and developed. I had a hard time putting this one down. I hope it becomes a book for clubs to discuss! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

This had very compelling and complex characters. I love a second chance romance and this was pretty well done. The writing felt a bit over the top at times,but was mostly okay.

May I please have five minutes with Jack? What a colossal pri…er jerk. Manipulative is a gross understatement. Gen and Emily were wonderful together. There were some lovely love scenes between them. I only wish the author told us the result of the divorce. Nicely done by the author..

Gorgeous, moving, haunting. I devoured this like I do all of Rutkoski's books. Emily and Gen were compelling and nuanced characters, and I loved the development of a second chance at queer love.

Honestly, this was just alright. I was expecting something to sweep me off my feet, as the synopsis promises, but it didn't. I found this to be a very average novel, with (mostly) serviceable writing and characters. Oftentimes the writing felt contrived, like it was trying to be deep but missed the mark. But as a whole this novel was just fine.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

I LOVED this book! It was a bit slow in the beginning but then boom I was hooked!! I finished it in one sitting! My first by this author but will not be my last!!

This is the best book I have read in months and I’m so sad it’s over! Emily and Gen’s relationship felt so real and both characters were so vividly depicted. I felt like my heart was in my mouth every time Jack appeared, and I both understood Emily’s attraction to him and feared for her. I loved all of the little details too - Emily’s writing, Gen’s running career. I wish I could live in this book for just a little longer.

3.5 stars, rounded up. Upmarket second-chance romance. Not bad at all, and there were some lovely sentences and moments between Emily and Gen. The book just appeals to the primal-brain the way romances do (Who hasn't wanted to be the "exception" to the person whose constructed rules around romance?) I appreciated the complexity of characterization, especially of Jack, though the storyline was a bit indulgent and verged many times onto cheesy, and the plot points weren't particularly realistic. (I think this comes somewhat from the book's genre issue: for a romance it's fine, but for a book that felt like it was marketing itself as literary, I felt a bit tricked by how much of a conventional romance this was!) The "I don't need your money, i'll get a job! I'll become a published writer!" move was particularly unrealistic.

That said, this was a page turner and I enjoyed inhabiting its world. I'm also a sucker for stories about two people who have loved each other for a very long time, and across long periods of separation. Of course I finished it.