Little Vanities by Sarah Gilmartin

 An intense psychological study of relationships, this tells the story of four friends who have known each other since university days. Dylan, an ex-footballer, struggling with long Covid, harbours a secret attraction to Stevie, his friend Ben’s rather wild girlfriend, even though he is married to uptight Rachel and has a daughter. Rachel is trying to get pregnant. When Ben obtains a prime role in Harold Pinter’s play Betrayal, the old jealousies and rivalries come to the fore, transforming each of the characters. This may sound unsubtle, but the play is used in a very clever way.

I was sorry to finish this - it was such a clever portrayal of long friendships, long relationships and hidden feelings. The university days seemed more vivid than the present but I think that the author may have intended this to show the disillusionment and regrets of the characters. Dublin is almost like a fifth character in the book - it really made me want to revisit the city! I’ll read Sarah Gilmartin’s other novels now.

This is beside the point but my ankle injury made me feel sympathetic to Ben, who has a far worse one than mine!

I received this free ebook from Edelweiss.plus in return for an honest review.