Main Characters
On sale
2nd July 2026
Price: £20
Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told by friends, flatmates, exes and strangers – everybody but the main characters.
‘I laughed, I teared up, I couldn’t put it down. This is a love story like no other’
‘This book gave me genuine joy and broke my heart’
‘For fans of Heartburn, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney’
‘A beautifully written, emotionally rich story that surprised me in the best way’
‘These characters live in your head long after you’ve closed the book’
‘Recommended for people watchers’
‘Fresh and original – but somehow timeless’ CLAIRE DAVERLEY
‘An epic, heart-wrenching love story’ KATE SAWYER
‘Destined to be on everyone’s sun loungers this summer’ STYLIST
‘Moving, funny, wise and beautifully written’ JOANNA CANNON
—
Clara and Seb are about to fall in love. They don’t know it yet. But everybody else does.
When Clara and Seb meet in a quiet corner of London, it’s the start of something. She wants to be a director. He’s an actor, unsure what he wants from life.
Their connection is magnetic. Everyone can see that falling in love looks something like this. But when Clara casts Seb in the film that will make her name, what should be the happiest time of their lives ends with a gut-wrenching betrayal.
Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers who see all the sides of Seb and Clara, from their first date to the moment they fell apart.
Everyone has their version of events. But only Clara and Seb can decide how their story ends…
Main Characters is the highly anticipated novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families and life-changing connections.
‘Just gorgeous’ ABIGAIL DEAN
‘A portrayal of London that feels like a Richard Curtis movie’ GEORGINA MOORE
‘For anyone who’s ever sat opposite a mysterious stranger on a train and wondered what’s really going on behind those eyes’ JUSTIN MYERS
‘Bobby Palmer has the rare talent of making us fall in love’ SETH INSUA
‘I laughed, I teared up, I couldn’t put it down. This is a love story like no other’
‘This book gave me genuine joy and broke my heart’
‘For fans of Heartburn, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney’
‘A beautifully written, emotionally rich story that surprised me in the best way’
‘These characters live in your head long after you’ve closed the book’
‘Recommended for people watchers’
‘Fresh and original – but somehow timeless’ CLAIRE DAVERLEY
‘An epic, heart-wrenching love story’ KATE SAWYER
‘Destined to be on everyone’s sun loungers this summer’ STYLIST
‘Moving, funny, wise and beautifully written’ JOANNA CANNON
—
Clara and Seb are about to fall in love. They don’t know it yet. But everybody else does.
When Clara and Seb meet in a quiet corner of London, it’s the start of something. She wants to be a director. He’s an actor, unsure what he wants from life.
Their connection is magnetic. Everyone can see that falling in love looks something like this. But when Clara casts Seb in the film that will make her name, what should be the happiest time of their lives ends with a gut-wrenching betrayal.
Some love stories are bigger than just two people. This one is told through the eyes of friends, flatmates, exes and strangers who see all the sides of Seb and Clara, from their first date to the moment they fell apart.
Everyone has their version of events. But only Clara and Seb can decide how their story ends…
Main Characters is the highly anticipated novel about love, friendship, dysfunctional families and life-changing connections.
‘Just gorgeous’ ABIGAIL DEAN
‘A portrayal of London that feels like a Richard Curtis movie’ GEORGINA MOORE
‘For anyone who’s ever sat opposite a mysterious stranger on a train and wondered what’s really going on behind those eyes’ JUSTIN MYERS
‘Bobby Palmer has the rare talent of making us fall in love’ SETH INSUA
Reviews
An epic on-again, off-again romance . . . with small, perceptive insights into a vast cast of characters and the way lives collide and divert. I wept
Gorgeous, clever, utterly addictive. A fresh take on the British romcom
Innovative and clever but with all the humour, character detail and heart-wrenching emotional moments we have come to expect from Bobby Palmer's writing. Wonderful
Irresistible and immaculately executed
A clever concept . . . an epic love story
A moving novel that tells the story of aspiring director Clara and actor Seb from the perspectives of friends, colleagues and strangers
A love story shaped by competing memories . . . brilliant and unique
A unique and deeply moving novel
Ambitious and big-hearted . . . The perfect, immersive read
An enjoyable twist on a love story, Main Characters is an easy, funny and fresh sun-lounger read
An all-encompassing love story . . . Moved me to tears more than once
Cinematic and swoon-worthy (but not without its gut punches)... such a fresh and original take on the telling of a love story − but somehow timeless
Clara and Seb's lives intertwine [and] unravel with shifting loyalties, misread moments and heartbreak
Destined to be on everyone's sun loungers this summer
Entirely fresh and unexpected . . . with the feel of a classic love story
Every perspective is gripping, immediate, and utterly alive, forging a surprising and intense intimacy with Seb and Clara, even as we only meet them refracted through others' eyes. Bobby Palmer has the rare talent of making us fall in love
If you love clever literary fiction, you will love this novel. If you love immersive commercial fiction, you will love this novel. If you love rom coms and a portrayal of London that feels like a Richard Curtis movie, you will love this novel
Moving, funny, wise and beautifully written . . I love the idea of people's lives crossing over, the impressions we get from what we see and hear. If you love a smart, poignant, funny, gripping book, you will love this. I cannot recommend it enough
One for those who loved One Day
Our book of the summer. A real treat of a read
The perfect book for anyone who's ever sat opposite a mysterious stranger on a train and wondered what's really going on behind those eyes. A charming, romantic meditation on the chaos of falling in (and out of) love
This unique story charts a new relationship from the point of view of everyone but the couple themselves
We've never read a love story quite like this ─ unputdownable