Some books are meant for dipping into and reading gradually so you can absorb the wisdom within those pages, and Natasha Lunn's Conversations on Love is exactly one of these books.

Not only does this book celebrate love in all its different forms but delves into the connections we have with the world around us. Exploring love between partners, friends, family and more, this looks at the complex ways love can move us. Alongside snippets from Natasha's life and love, there are interviews from Dolly Alderton on vulnerability, Lisa Taddeo on the loneliness of loss, Roxane Gay on redefining romance and many more exploring the many layers of love.

Originally many were part of a newsletter with the same name which I have been subscribed to for a while and it's great they are now all contained in one book. Originally, I had an ebook of this from netgalley but went and purchased myself the physical copy so I can dip in and out of it as much as I want.

The contributor list was impressive, for sure, but halfway in the book felt overly repetitive for me to finish (without effort).

Not my usual type of book, this kind of ‘self-help’ compilation, so it was all very new to me.
I don’t regard myself as a cynical person, but so many parts of this book made me roll my eyes. Parts of it did resonate with me, but as I’m in a very different stage of my life, and have experienced a lot more, so much did not.
I did love Greg Wise’s part - it was absolutely spot on!

The concept of this book sounded great and I really appreciated the range of contemporary voices included, Lemn Sissay being a particular highlight. The conversations themselves were the most interesting parts for me, and I found that the least engaging sections were those in which Lunn threads these conversations together. As much as it was interesting to hear about her personal experience, I think my attention still waned a bit in those sections. Overall, Conversations on Love offers an interesting and diverse overview of different topics, but it's format didn't quite have the longevity it needed for me .

I really enjoyed dipping in and out of the various interviews in this book. Some felt more relevant to me than others, but even those that I couldn't necessarily relate to (like on long term marriage for example), I still found really enjoyable to read. Natasha's voice is brilliant and she guides the conversations well, making each interview feel personal and curated. I'd definitely recommend it to my friends!

Conversations on Love is a compiled set of interviews with Alain de Botton, Roxane Gay, Candice Carty-Williams, Dolly Alderton, Emily Nagoski, Diana Evans, Philippa Perry, Lisa Taddeo, Esther Perel, Stephen Grosz and many more. These people represent a wide diversity of relationships and love: friendship, family, childbirth and parenthood, divorce, and loss.

Throughout this book, my thoughts about love, friendship and family have been challenged. The author challenges me to think of a perspective other than the one I've been stagnating in forever. What if being lonely on a Saturday night purely means that I've got my definition of lonely wrong? Why do I not feel lonely on a working day? Why do I detest expressing anger or disappointment to someone who has hurt my feelings? From where did the idealistic thought that love is always roses and no thorns spring into my brain, when all my life I've seen less roses and more thorns everywhere? Have I chosen to be single right now because I want to be independent and work on myself, or because I'm just too scared of giving my heart out to somoene? And if it's the former, why have I not taken active steps to fix myself yet? Have I chosen to gain validation through art instead of searching for someone who can adore me? Do I still feel that I can only be happy when I'm in love? Is it right for me to always blame other people for the person I am today?

This book is filled with nuanced writing about everything that love is. Our subconscious is probably already aware of many of the thoughts expressed in this book. But to see it all written down in one place, is like watching a jigsaw puzzle assemble itself in time lapse. It's a book to be inhaled slowly, and exhaled even slower. Sit with it, for months on end like I have, and ponder.

This book was amazing a great collection of stories from fantastic authors, I enjoyed reading this book thanks.

Some really interesting conversations on not only romantic love but friendships and how we can be better to ourselves. With several well known names and tons of great insight, this is really good read.

This was extremely cute and profound. I read a passage every night before bed, and I loved the variety of insights from writers of different disciplines. I think it would make a lovely present.

Conversations on Love by Natasha Lunn looks at all the different types of love, through interviews with people who have been thinking about that particular type, including female friendship, romantic love, desire to have children, mourning the loss of a loved one.

It is a touching book, full of interesting thoughts and feelings, and throughout it all, Natasha Lunn talks about her own types of love, and her struggles to get pregnant. 

This is a lovely book, and one that covers so much more than you think it's going to.

 Conversations on Love  was published on 15th July 2021, and is available from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and  Bookshop.org .

You can follow Natasha Lunn on  Instagram  and  Twitter .

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Penguin .

I loved the premise of this book and I thought it flowed really well. Although I am not at the same life stage as the author, there were several parts which really resonated with me.

Oh this was just beautiful! The choice of contributors, the sensitivity that all of their stories are treated with, the many varying definitions of love that were included - I could find nothing to fault. As a long time reader of the Conversations On Love newsletter, this was a long anticipated treat, which didn't disappoint at all.

This book was a joy from beginning to end. Of course, there is a lot within these pages that is not particularly happy, especially some of the conversations that centre on the loss of some of the most significant losses that people had faced, but it was a book that I know I will think about for years to come, and didn't know that I needed to read.

Lunn creates a fascinating dialogue about love, using events from her own life and experiences, and detailing conversations with a wide range of people about love they have experienced and what it means for them. She discusses family, friends, romantic love, parenthood and so much more. I found some of the conversations particularly moving, especially Lemn Sissay, Roxane Gay, Gary Younge and Esther Perel. I laughed, I cried and I reflected on some of my own relationships while reading this book - it really has something for everyone and will speak to people at from all walks of life at various points in their life.

This is a gorgeous collection and the insight from so many people with such different takes on something as universal and complex as love makes for a truly beautiful read. 4.5/5. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

Such a gorgeous collection of essays on all types of love - it was gentle without being overly romanticising and ultimately, a really comforting read.

A great collection of conversations on all types of love. Natasha interviews a wide range of contemporary voices and they offer discussion on everything from platonic love, familial love, motherhood and grief. It is jam-packed full of wisdom!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC.

A very down to earth exploration of love in all forms and the expectations we have of it, ourselves and others in relation to it. There is also an underlying theme of grief running through a lot of the chapters as this is so closely related to love.

I think this book will touch and help many people at tricky times in their lives.

I was given a copy of Conversations on Love by NetGalley and the publishers in return for an unbiased review.

Part memoir and personal quest, part reflections on love drawn from interviews with many people who could be considered to have expertise in one or more aspects of love, this is an intriguing reflection on all types of love, opening it up beyond the meet-cute romantic myths to explore love in all its many forms.
I found myself thinking of friends, relatives and colleagues who might get some interesting insights from this book. Most of all, I wondered if it would have helped me to have read it 30 years ago - but then, I wouldn't have benefited from all the 'creative failures'!

The author explores love in all it’s guises- from romance to friendship and families. The book takes the form of a number of interviews with people in a variety of situations.

I was particularly engaged with the chapter regarding the unconditional love we have for a child. Coupled with the stories shared about miscarriage, I felt very blessed in having wonderful journey.

It was interesting to read Melanie’s thoughts on being a paraplegic following a riding accident. Especially how people feel awkward hugging someone in a wheelchair.

Thanks indeed to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really enjoyed reading this book, and have recommended already to others.I found myself nodding along, and feeling like someone was saying things I didn’t know how to put into words.

I went into Conversations on love thinking it would be an anthology of essays from various writers, edited together by Natasha Lunn. However, what we actually get is a deeply personal account from Natasha herself on what love means to her, how we find it, how we sustain it and how we survive loosing it. Throughout her own musings, Lunn includes actual conversations she has had with people discussing love in all its forms.

I thought the form this book takes was so brilliant. It is unique and such a readable, fluid way to hear from such an array of different voices. Each conversation was so interesting, hearing from so many writers I’ve read from already or who are on my radar. The tenderness and candour within these pages only speaks for Lunn’s relationship with all of these people.

I especially connected with the conversations around parental love and long term love as I am in a 10+ year relationship and a new mum, but I honestly feel there is relatable content in here for everyone. I was highlighting quotes and reading out passages to my husband every few pages.

A very worthwhile read, one I would definitely revisit and maybe even gift to loved ones.