A Daily Mail books column published Sept. 5, 2025, spotlights three contemporary novels for September: Holly Smale’s I KNOW HOW THIS ENDS, Emily Slapper’s IT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN and Hilary Kingsley’s THE WRONG HUSBAND. The round-up, written by Sara Lawrence, summarizes plot premises, themes and the reviewer’s responses to each title.
Lawrence described Smale’s I KNOW HOW THIS ENDS (Century, £16.99, 416 pages) as a work that blends grief and speculative elements. The novel follows Margot, who, after a cancelled wedding eight months earlier, moves home, leaves her job as a chief meteorologist at the Met Office in Exeter and starts a weather-themed Instagram account. Seeking to prove to friends and family that she has tried dating, Margot sets a goal of 20 dates, but the encounters are poor matches. The twist arrives when Margot begins to see visions of her future self in different situations, visions that subsequently prove true; Lawrence called the book “brilliant on grief and moving on.”
Emily Slapper’s IT MIGHT NEVER HAPPEN (HQ, £16.99, 352 pages) is framed around two characters whose early experiences shape adult relationships. The book follows Noa, who has long been obsessed with finding a soulmate and repeatedly alters herself to fit partners, and Elliot, who works in a call centre, cares for his family and conceals severe depression. The narrative traces their meeting at school and a later re-encounter, exploring childhood trauma, self-worth and heartbreak. Lawrence called the novel “beautifully written” and said it is thought-provoking on how low self-confidence can shape a life.
Hilary Kingsley’s THE WRONG HUSBAND (Wrate’s Publishing, £9.99, 356 pages) moves into mystery and domestic intrigue. The story begins when popular Conservative MP Dietrich Olson is awarded a knighthood, and his wife, Pen, hosts a party to celebrate. Dietrich collapses and dies of an apparent heart attack while preparing to make a speech; at the funeral a woman claims she married Dietrich at university, alleging his marriage to Pen was bigamous. As the resulting media storm unfolds, Pen investigates to learn who her husband really was. Lawrence said the narrative “romps along” and is populated with compelling secondary characters. The review notes that THE WRONG HUSBAND is available now.
Lawrence’s selections highlight recurring contemporary-fiction themes this month: the personal fallout of failed relationships, mental-health struggles and secrets revealed by public scandal. The three novels span different registers—magical realism and grief in Smale’s work, intimate psychological realism in Slapper’s book, and whistle-stop institutional mystery in Kingsley’s tale—offering readers a range of tones and approaches in modern fiction.
Publishers’ details and suggested retail prices were provided in the Daily Mail round-up. The review situates the titles as accessible new releases for readers interested in emotional storylines and plot-driven revelations, with Lawrence noting the particular strengths she saw in each author’s handling of character and theme.