I have devoured this book in one sitting. Once I was pulled in, I couldn’t put it down. I was desperate to find out what was going on. Also, I didn’t want this books to end.

Everything about this book has been brilliant. I absolutely loved getting between the covers of this. This was everything I hoped for and so much more. This is a book which should be on everyone’s radar.

I absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

I really enjoyed reading Love & Other Dramas. It follow the lives of three very different women - Tania who is newly divorced, her mother Helen who is recently widowed, and her best friend, Priya, who has nearly lost her job and then her promotion to a newcomer.
The story follows all three women as they begin to move on with their lives, but then a series of secrets from the past threaten to ruin everything, and who knows if their relationship will survive? Collings writes so well about female friendship and familial ties, and the day to day struggles that many women face. I loved this!

Simple and easy to digest read about female friendships! It was well rounded with a great story-line, thoroughly enjoyed this debut and looking forward to no 2!

Nice little read - I particularly enjoyed the exploration of Sri Lanka culture, I think maybe I didn’t enjoy it as much as other people have as it’s about finding love when you’re a bit older, but it was still a charming little story

this is a very wholesome drama following the loves lives and experiences of three women. i liked that we get a queer storyline and one focusing on an older woman. the writing was a bit silly at times, a la sophie kinsella, but enjoyable none the less.

A warm and tender book about female friendships, I loved reading it and would read anything else by the same author.

Brilliant read!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for my review.

Love and Other Dramas was a delightful and engaging read, covering relatable issues in an uplifting way. I can see why the author is being compared to Marian Keyes and I'm looking forward to reading more

A really lovely and insightful read into the lives of women. I loved the story, and found each women's voice equally strong and captivating. I got through it very fast and found myself thinking about it long after I had finished. I whole-heartedly recommend.

I’ve been following Ronali Collings on Twitter for a while and discovering she was writing a book was exciting so I’m immensely thankful to the kindness of Embla Books for approving me on Netgalley to read her debut novel, Love and Other Things.

Best friends, Tania and Priya, have been through everything together since they were 4 years old. From bad haircuts to divorce and everything in between. Always happy to go with the flow, Tania keeps making poor decisions while Priya, constantly facing judgment from family and racism/sexism at work, has become hardened by her experiences. They both think they know everything about each other but neither seems to know that the other is holding back on secrets from the other. Tania’s mum, Helen, who has often been critical of Tania’s life choices is going through her own personal turmoil and realises she has been her own worst critic throughout life.

I normally find it very hard to relate to stories written about Brown British women but Love and Other Things spoke to Some of my experiences but also understanding of what life looks like for many Brown English women. Ronali Collings explores All kinds of female relationships - Family, friendships and romantically within the sphere of British South Asian dynamics. What was particularly remarkable to note is how subtly she interweaves the South Asian culture together with the British culture to form the third culture that many of us will relate to. Both character and plot driven, Tania, Priya and Helen go through their own epiphanies and struggles before emerging as phoenixes reborn from the ashes of destructive patriarchy. Of the three Helen is my favourite because in spite of her foot in mouth with Tania, she continues to look out for her so she’s able to face the truth fully in its face.

The true epitome of what I imagined contemporary fiction to be, Love and Other Things goes beyond looking at experiences of Brown English women in a way that’s reminiscent of Huma Qureshi’s writing. This is one to add to your contemporary fiction reading list.

I recently finished Love & Other Dramas - what a beautifully woven book and a great read! Helen, Priya and Tania are all harbouring secrets from each other as they navigate life. They are trying to be true to themselves within the confines of their societal and Sri Lankan cultural expectations. I particularly liked following Priya’s romantic storyline. Ronali Collings is a fresh new voice in women’s fiction - I look forward to reading her next book. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

It was refreshing to read a book where the main characters wasn’t in their 20’s. This book centres are identity after loss, divorce and finding yourself. Love the Sri Lankan side of this book and would love to read more like this. I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down

Ronali Collins explores themes of identity after loss, divorce and disappointment as we follow three women through a challenging time of life. I enjoyed reading about an older woman allowing herself to have fun and find purpose after the loss of her husband, finding this tread in particular uplifting and optimistic.

This is an endearing novel, centering on 3 female characters, very close to each other, who all know what's best for each other, while frequently failing to see their own shortcomings.

It encompasses the experiences of a close Sri Lankan family living in the UK, trying to fit in without losing their own cultural traditions and identity.

The characters are believable and easy to visualise from Ronali's descriptions, and each chapter centers on a different main character (of the 3) making it feel full of action and urgency. Food is a main theme, as a means of comfort and keeping the family together. Relationships and their failings is another main theme, and the plot comes together very pleasingly, if slightly predictably.

It is modern style women's fiction, but written with enough class to not fall into the "Chick Lit" category.
It was an enjoyable holiday read.

Love & Other Dramas follow the lives of three different women. Tania is newly divorced, her mother Helen is recently widowed, and her best friend, Priya, nearly lost her job and then lost her promotion to a newcomer. Tania struggles to move on from her husband, Helen finds it hard when faced with a new lover, and Priya can’t seem to get her mind off her lost promotion. As all three ladies begin to move on, a series of secrets from the past threaten to bring them back to their knees, and who knows if their relationship will survive?

Having found this by accident after perusing the Netgalley discover page, I am glad to have found this book. It was a fun and refreshing story that was also quick to absorb and enjoy. Three distinct voices and intertwining tales about the relationship of these three women, not only with others but also with themselves. They are all dealing with their own issues, having to fight against expectations and learning how to trust in their own instinct. Tania is divorced and finds herself returning to her ex-husband as she struggles to go back to the life she had before marriage. Her mother, Helen, comes to terms with the fact her husband was not the man everyone thought he was and finds difficulty in her new relationship. Priya should hate the women who snatched her promotion from right under her, but she can’t help but be captivated by her instead.

Love & Other Dramas is a fun and witty debut, a tale of women dealing with life in a realistic and healthy way. There’s something to love in each of their journeys, all dealing with romantic, familial and platonic love. Collings explores each of their lives in thrilling detail, cultivating their stories and weaving together three distinct stories that still come together into one solid story about starting over and second chances that shouldn’t be missed.

A quick and easy read that I found myself picking up after a long day to unwind. The characters are beautifully written and I came to love them within the first few pages and was rooting for them all the way to the end. At times I wanted to stop reading because I just wanted the experience to go on for longer.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A charming story about women dealing with real problems, very convincingly written. Great book and a lovely, witty writing style that i found easy to read.

This was a funny easy girlie read with a story of friendships , family and ultimately love woven through.
I really enjoyed this read and got to really know and love the characters. We meet Tania who has recently split from her husband however is still messily sleeping with him. She starts working again at a law firm after years out raising children and feels old and out of her depth. Then there is Priya who has been best friends with Tania since they were 4, who is going through a bad patch and has missed out on a big promotion at work to an American called Bianca who she should hate right? Well she is in for a big shock! Lastly Tania's mum Helen who is recently widowed and learning to try and live her life again, however we find out her husband wasn't all he seemed is she ready to let go and move on and is she going about it the right way? Three very different women but I loved how they all flowed together and felt just the right combination.

If you are looking for a good read choose this - I will be recommending this to others too,

Women's fiction with Sri Lankan protagonists? I am 100% in the target demographic for this book. It's always nice to see people who look like me in a popular book.
The story follows the lives of Tania, her mother Helen and Tania's best friend, Priya as they learn to love and discover their sexualities later in life.
Tania is recently divorced and finding her feet again. She's even gone back to work. But she can't just slip back into the life she gave up when she got married and had kids. The world has changed and she feel old and out of place in it. Until she rediscovers her passion for dancing.
Helen is widowed and she's blossoming.
Priya is in her forties, long divorced and generally a hot mess. She's always been ambitious and she's just been passed over for a promotion that she knew she deserved.
The women each try to find their own way in this changed world. I enjoyed reading about the ups and downs of trying to get back into work, or learning to love again when you're older. I also enjoyed the dynamics between the generations - especially the way the roles reversed between mother and daughter.
The descriptions of the food made me so hungry!
I look forward to reading more from this author.
I received an advance review copy through Netgalley. This is my honest review.

This is an amazing book, a beautiful story about relationships (mothers and daughters) love and finding your true self, about learning to follow your own heart, your instincts and fighting against expectations, whether cultural, religious or even from your own. This multi-generational story looks at love in all it’s aspects from romantic love to family, friends I loved the fact as the women grew, they realised their strength and the confidence they held within abd were able to be the women they wanted and were meant to be. And that ending, fabulous and I loved how Collins weaved the stories together. A beautiful, inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable book, one I highly recommend