This is the story of two married couples and an affair.
The Paper Lovers by Gerard Woodward opens with a man who suddenly develops a crush on one of his wife's friends. As his affections deepen, he becomes aware that she too has feelings for him. Soon they transgress. But what does this mean? Is it love? Will they be caught?
The second part of the story is about the crisis of identity that comes with betrayal. If you are no longer faithful to yourself, to your spouse or to your God, who are you now? If you have been deceived, diminished, your world destroyed without your knowledge, who are you now? And in each case: how might you live on, who might you become?