“Gripping...penetrates the secret hopes and passionate inner lives of ordinary working people. The characters provoke so much empathy, readers may have trouble remembering that they’re fictional.” — Booklist
“Small Pleasures is an almost flawlessly written tale of genuine, grown-up romantic anguish. Written in prose that is clipped as closely as suburban hedges, this is a book about seemingly mild people concealing turbulent feelings.” — Johanna Thomas-Corr, Sunday Times
“I've had about five people recommend this to me, which is quite rare... It's a novel about the last throw of the dice, the last chance perhaps of finding a life of happiness when you’ve had a struggle. The writing is beautiful. This is also the first novel Chambers has written for 10 years, which I find really inspiring—she’s come back with this absolute humdinger. It’s just so nice to read a book by someone who’s so confident with their talent.” — Jessie Burton, bestselling author of The Miniaturist
“Small Pleasures is a tender and heart-rending tale that will draw you in from the first page and keep you gripped until the very end. Exquisitely compelling!” — Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things
“Part mystery, part love story, part reflection on changing attitudes to sexuality in post-war Britain, Small Pleasures is a disarmingly gentle read that quietly builds to a devastating conclusion.” — The Scotsman
"With wit and dry humor...quietly affecting in unexpected ways. Chambers' language is beautiful, achieving what only the most skilled writers can: big pleasure wrought from small details." — New York Times
“A very fine book... It's witty and sharp and reads like something by Barbara Pym or Anita Brookner, without ever feeling like a pastiche."
— David Nicholls, bestselling author of One Day
"An irresistible novel—wry, perceptive and quietly devastating." — Hephzibah Anderson, Mail on Sunday
“A brilliant book… A love story between people who are not usually the leading players in love story… I found it incredibly absorbing." — Kathleen MacMahon, The Irish Times