Thank you Atria Books, #partner, for the finished copy of Ralph’s Party in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: January 6, 2026 (reprint–originally released in 1999)
Summary:
Discover the debut novel of the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell in which the residents of an apartment building confront one another’s attractions, distrust, secrets, and lies. Perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton and Jojo Moyes.
Meet the residents of 31 Almanac Ralph and Smith are flatmates and best mates. Nothing can come between them…until the gorgeous Jemima moves in. They’re both falling for her, but which one of them does Jem want?
Upstairs, Karl and Siobhan are happily unmarried and have been for fifteen years, until Cheri, in the flat above, fixes her sights on Karl. But why should a little problem like his girlfriend get in her way?
Sooner or later it’s all going to come to a head and what better place for tears and laughter, break ups and make ups than Ralph’s party?
My thoughts:
I have long been a fan of Lisa Jewell’s psychological thrillers but when given a chance to read her debut novel, of course I said yes. Did it matter that it was a romcom…no. It’s Lisa Jewell. I love her writing, I love her witt and little-known fact about me — back in the day I actually read romcoms all the time!
This was quite a fun, enjoyable read that was full of drama and actually went a little deeper than I was expecting. The characters might not all be likeable but I loved seeing them figuring out life, messy relationships, betrayal & even grief. While this is a slower read than I am used to, I did like how Jewell weaves all the characters’ lives together. Having them all connected through a multi-unit house was a clever move. It is the type of read that hooks you with the drama and whether you like the characters or not, you definitely find yourself invested in the drama!
There is actually a sequel to this book called After the Party and of course I now feel compelled to read it. Partly because it’s by Lisa Jewell and partly because I’m curious to know what happens next! I don’t know if this book will also be reprinted, but I will definitely be searching out a copy either way.
Books in this series:
- Ralph’s Party
- After the Party
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