Goodnight, beautiful (by Dorothy Koomson)

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In re-reading my novels by Dorothy Koomson, I wondered if I should skip ‘Goodnight, beautiful’. I first read it in October 2014 and didn’t remember anything about it; but glancing at my rating on LibraryThing, I’d given it fewer stars than any of the other books by this author. And a comment saying I wished I hadn’t read the blurb on the back of the book, as it had too many spoilers.

I decided to reread it anyway, and am very glad that I did. I didn’t look at the back of the book this time; I don’t know if the blurb changed in subsequent reprints of this book, but in my view it gives away far too much of the plot. I had to figure it out this time, and it did feel a bit confusing at first.

The story is told by two different women, Nova and Stephanie. Nova is married to George, and Stephanie is married to Mal. The main connection is that Nova and Mal grew up together, almost like brother and sister, and were extremely close friends. They both insist that this friendship never turned into a romantic relationship. 

Throughout the book is an ongoing, poignant thread featuring seven-year-old Leo, who is Nova’s son. We meet him - sort of - in the first chapter, and through the book there are a handful of pages in italics, as if written by Leo at different ages. Indeed, the timeline flips to and fro in ways that are somewhat confusing at first. But in the present of the story, Leo is in hospital. He’s in a coma following an operation, hooked up to a lot of different devices. Nova and George take it in turns to spend time with him. 

Nova comes from a warm, loving family. Her parents are still alive, and she has an outspoken younger sister who adores her. They all stick together and care deeply for each other. It can be cloying, but Nova appreciates it on the whole. Her parents live close to Mal’s mother, Meredith, who was widowed some years earlier. Meredith has a problem with depression, and Mal rushes to her side, dropping everything, if he’s needed.

I liked Nova. She makes some difficult decisions in the course of the book, and has some major disappointments. But she’s a hard worker, and something of a visionary; even somewhat psychic at times. She makes friends easily and has a lot of support, although, unlike her sister, she tends to keep a few secrets. And there are many secrets that unfold over the course of the book. I guessed some of them - I don’t know if my subconscious memory somehow recalled them, or whether the author intended the reader to know some of what was going on before the characters did. 

I liked Mal, too, though his growing up wasn’t so easy. His father was in prison for his early childhood, and his mother subject to terrible depressions. He had to grow up too fast, and perhaps relied too much on Nova as the recipient of his worries, and a general comforter. 

George is also a likeable person, though he’s a bit shadowy. Nova doesn’t really know what he does as a career, and they have a lot of arguments. 

And then there’s Stephanie. Apparently I didn’t like her at all the first time I read this book. But I felt a lot of sympathy for her this time. She had a difficult time as a child, including some traumatic experiences as a teenager, though we don’t learn any details until almost the end of the book. She loves Mal very much, but can’t believe he would choose her; no matter how much he reassures her, she’s jealous of Nova.

The book moves forward and backwards in time, seamlessly, switching viewpoints without any indication of whose perspective we’re going to read, or what year. But although I did find this somewhat muddling at first, it soon fell into place in my mind; the current situation with Leo in hospital runs through the whole book, and we’re gradually filled in on his life, and the situations with both the main women. 

I thought it very well written, cleverly plotted so that revelations happen gradually, mostly in the form of conversations. I don’t think the characters were quite three dimensional, but as this is plot-driven as much as character-driven, it doesn’t really matter. And towards the end there are some very poignant scenes where I felt quite teary. 

There are a couple of epilogue sections, which I appreciated; not everyone likes lots of ends to be tied up, but they give some closure to the novel, and encouragement for the future.

So I would recommend this, now, to anyone who likes women’s fiction with some depth, and who doesn't mind a very emotional conclusion. But don’t read the blurb on the back of the book until you’ve read the story!

Review copyright 2026 Sue's Book Reviews