Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski

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The details…

  • Title: Ordinary Love 
  • Author: Marie Rutkoski 
  • Publisher: Knopf Books
  • Publication date: June 10, 2025
  • ISBN-13: 978-0593803264
  • Available formats: ebook, hardcover, audiobook 
  • Print Length: 368 pages
  • Audio: narrated by RebeccaLowman; 12 hours, 44 minutes; Random House Audio 
  • Genre: contemporary fiction and romance
  • Themes: women loving women, sapphic romance, relationships, friendships, marriage, divorce, husbands, trauma, emotional abuse, loss, grief, healthy relationships, motherhood, parenting, children, mother-daughter relationships, love, childhood, identity, commitment, falling in love, first love, reconnecting 
  • Tropes: second-chance romance 

The blurb from the publisher…

A binge-worthy, irresistible novel of class, ambition, and love, Ordinary Love is the breathtaking story of a woman risking everything for a second chance at the one who got away.

Emily has, by all appearances, a perfect life: a townhouse on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, two healthy children, and a husband who showers her with attention. But the truth is more complicated: Emily’s marriage is in trouble, her relationship with her parents is fraught, and she is still nursing a heartbreak from long ago. When Emily runs into her high school girlfriend at a cocktail party, that heartbreak comes roaring back. But Gen Hall is no longer the lanky, hungry kid with holes in her shoes who Emily loved in her youth. Instead, Gen is now a famous Olympic athlete with sponsorship deals and a string of high-profile ex-girlfriends.

Emily and Gen circle one another cautiously, drawn together by a magnetic attraction and scarred by their shared history. Once upon a time, Gen knew everything about Emily. And yet, she still abandoned her. Can Emily trust Gen again? Can they forgive each other for the mistakes they made in their past? Should Emily risk her children, her privacy, and the fragile peace she has found to be with a woman she loved long ago?

A sweeping romance, Ordinary Love is the beautiful, wrenching, completely seductive story of two people trying to forge a path toward hope, bound by a love they discovered when they were too young to understand its power.

“A brilliant examination of queerness, friendship, motherhood, longing and ambition. It’s funny and moving and sexy. Above all, it’s a stunning love story.”—J. Courtney Sullivan, bestselling author of The Cliffs

My thoughts…

Readers will find Ordinary Love by Marie Rutkoski appealing because it weaves together raw vulnerability, second-chance romance, and the complexities of identity, especially queerness, ambition, and motherhood, in a way that feels both honest and deeply human. Readers are drawn to Emily and Gen’s relationship because their emotional scars and longing are portrayed with nuance and care, making them relatable. Many people know what it is like to wonder about a “what if” from their past or to wrestle with the sacrifices and compromises of adulthood, and Rutkoski weaves this into the storytelling beautifully.

The characters’ vulnerability, including Emily’s tangled feelings for Gen, her struggles with marriage and motherhood, and Gen’s own insecurities despite her outward success, invites readers to empathize with their fears and hopes. Emily and Gen’s willingness to risk pain in search of a more authentic life is written with true sincerity. This kind of candor about panic, desire, regret, and the longing for connection makes the story more than memorable. Rutkoski’s honest and tender depiction of imperfect people craving love, understanding and happiness—along with the ordinary yet profound risks they take to pursue it—really hits the mark.

Rutkoski uses flashbacks throughout the story, and this is highly effective given the emotional complexity and themes of longing, regret, and transformation. By weaving past and present together, readers gain a deeper understanding of Emily’s motivations, wounds, and growth. Her choices in the present are illuminated by her formative relationships and experiences. This technique not only enriches the character development but also lets readers see how Emily’s identity evolves over time. Each flashback serves as a reminder of how her past shapes her present decisions, creating a tapestry of moments that reveal the weight of her experiences. As she faces her current challenges, her past shows just how deeply her emotions run. Most importantly though, the flashbacks work to deepen Emily’s character arc, immersing readers in the intensity of her youthful love for Gen while also showing the bittersweet realities of her adulthood. This dual perspective ultimately heightens the novel’s emotional impact and makes it a more engaging and compelling story.

Rutkoski’s true strength lies in her ability to draw readers into Emily’s internal struggles, including her doubts, guilt, and gradual realization of her marriage’s true nature. She does this without resorting to simplistic resolutions. Instead, she highlights Emily’s ongoing process of healing and rediscovery. By contrasting Emily’s troubled, emotionally abusive marriage with her supportive reconnection to Gen and her college friends, the novel shows the difference between abuse and healthy love and what a genuine relationship should offer. This approach resonates deeply with readers, making the portrayal both compassionate and powerful.

It should be noted that Rutkoski’s depiction of abuse in Emily and Jack’s marriage is marked by sensitivity, nuance, and emotional honesty. Rather than sensationalizing the abuse, Rutkoski portrays it as subtle and insidious. Jack’s control and emotional manipulation gradually erode Emily’s self-worth, reflecting the complex reality of many emotionally abusive relationships. The narrative explores the challenges survivors face in recognizing abuse and making the painful decision to leave, especially when complicated by financial dependence, motherhood, and lingering hope for change.

Final remarks…

Ordinary Love stands out for its emotionally resonant, character-driven narrative, evocative writing style, and compassionate portrayal of both trauma and hope. Readers find its exploration of second-chance love and personal rediscovery powerful and unforgettable. Rutkoski avoids romantic clichés by allowing pain, uncertainty, and hope to coexist, creating a story that feels emotionally real and profound. By focusing on vulnerability and showing how it shapes choices, relationships, and healing, Rutkoski transforms Ordinary Love from a simple romance into a moving and realistic story about survival, self-discovery, and true connection. Bottom line: this is solid storytelling, and I give it two thumbs up!

Strengths…

  • Authentic, flawed characters
  • Relatable emotional arcs
  • Sensitive treatment of abuse
  • Tender, realistic sapphic romance
  • Compassionately written second-chance 

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A bit about the author…

Marie is the New York Times-bestselling author of several books for children, young adults, and adults. She holds degrees from the University of Iowa and Harvard University, and is a professor at Brooklyn College, where she teaches Shakespeare, Renaissance literature, children’s literature, and fiction writing. She lives in Brooklyn with her family. To learn more about Marie, check out her website. 


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