I picked up this novel because I wanted something quite light as a distraction from current (apocalyptic) events and while all the classic elements of a romantic comedy were there, Gannon’s book actually covers some quite powerful and thought-provoking topics around personal choices on motherhood and friendship. So while I didn’t quite get the escape that I wanted, at least I could be distracted by other people’s worries, and with a well-written and gripping novel. There are a few clunky bits, however, like an “as you know” (a very literal example of the old “as you know, Bob” syndrome) being said to friends in the afterword, giving the reader information that we know the friends already know in an inelegant way. This wasn’t enough to ruin my enjoyment of the book, but it did take my attention away slightly.

Olive ⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

An absolutely charming contemporary read.

This book touches on the subjects of friendship, loss, fertility, marriage and the pressures as women that society can enforce.

Olive is a 33 year old female with a great job, she knows her own mind and knows that she does not and will not want children. This is the cause of her recent break up from her longtime boyfriend. Not having the maternal urge is something others in her life are finding hard to grasp. Bea, Isla and Cec are Olive's closest and longest friends. All battling with their own troubles and turmoil.

Emma Gannon does a fantastic job with the character of Olive. I've never seen a character like Olive before within a book. It was a breath of fresh air. No cliches here.

Motherhood is such a complex subject to approach. With many people having very strong views. Emma Gannon does a remarkable job to tackle it, looking at every aspect of the argument. Why should a woman feel guilt for not wanting a child? But why should a woman for guilt for longing for a child?

A character driven tale about reaching the crossroads in your life 💕

Brb, now going to recommend this to all my gal pals! 📖

Olive lives in London and is a successful writer, and dealing with the heartache of splitting up with her long term boyfriend as he wanted to start a family but she doesn't. Olive's friends are announcing pregnancies, her insta feed is full of "I said yes!" pics and she's asked at every party if she's next. Her best friends are on different paths, but she must figure out her own and if she was right to the end her relationship.

Motherhood, marriage, family, pregnancy.. are different for each person and that's what this book does a brilliant job of highlighting and exploring. I'd recommend it to all my gal pals as it's relatable, fun, whilst also a comforting read when you are at the stage of life of figuring out what we want and how to get there. I loved the angles that each friend brung to the story and seeing how their lives spanned out over time. Finishing this read also makes me want to call all my friends for a check-in and gives a new wave of appreciation for the friends that are doing amazing jobs of being mummas! ❤️

I'd now love a spin off story about Dorothy, Olive's elderly neighbour who calls Olive her friend and has a rich past of fashion designing for the best in the biz!

Thanks to Netgalley for the preview of this book. It was a fantastic read. Olive is such an easy character to care about & identify with. The issues she deals with in this book are so common & rarely dealt with in such a sensitive & realistic manner. I loved it & hope Olive comes back again!

Sometimes, once in a blue moon as if by magic, a book comes along unexpectedly yet exactly when you need it. That was this book for me, I devoured it in a single day during this week. It's simply wonderful. Ol's perspective is one that feels something of a rarity in contemporary literature - a woman in her early 30s who is adamant she doesn't want children. Her friendships with her friends are wonderfully rendered - their love, the highs and the lows of it, are at the forefront. Romantic relationships do inevitably play a part, but they are not the sole focus, which is truly refreshing. The narrative jumps to flashbacks and memories, a fantastic use of form to enhance the potency of the present day proceedings. All in all, this is truly faultless book that will certainly be one of my favourites of the year.

What a cute book! I really enjoyed getting lost in Olive’s world. I think this is even one I might suggest for bookclub - just to re read! I loved the character development and was just a fantastic story!

This was fantastic and super relatable. I was gripped from beginning to end. Again it's the kind of contemporary fiction I love - character driven and about the lives of ordinary people. It centres on Olive, a woman of 33 who does not want kids. She's just broken up with her boyfriend of nine years because he wants a family. Surrounding Olive are her 3 best friends she's known since school - Bea, Isla and Cec. The decisions the women make as they grow up, and the differences between them, make up most of the plot.

I loved that the book portrayed so many aspects of motherhood (and not wanting to be a mother). Bea had a family young, and has 3 kids. Isla has endometriosis (always good to have rep) and is struggling to have a child. Cec has a newborn and is struggling with being off work with a less than hands on husband. All the of the women have different circumstances which makes Olive's relationships with her friends a really interesting and emotional read.

Motherhood is such a difficult topic to tackle, and I appreciate Emma Gannon putting wanting to be child free at the centre of her book. Everyone says I'll change my mind about kids, just like they do to Olive throughout the book. I mean, I might? I'm 25. But what if I don't? I am touched by Olive. Yes she's a little inconsiderate of her friends, and honestly it was difficult to read the interactions between Olive and Isla, given one doesn't want kids and one can't have kids. But I also totally get where Olive is coming from. The only way I would improve it would be to have more diversity in the central characters.

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC. This is a great book and I'll definitely be getting a hard copy when it comes out later this year.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a character that has resonated with me quite as much as Olive. Like me, Olive is in her early 30s and pretty sure she doesn’t want children. This is a funny, realistic story that explores a topic I haven’t really read about before, what it’s like navigating life as a woman who is child free by choice. We meet Olive’s lifelong friends who are all having, or trying to have, families and we see how choosing a child free life can sometimes put strain on friendships and relationships. I loved this book and really enjoyed the style of writing. I thought the quotes and tweets interspersed throughout a great addition too.

I’m looking forward to reading more from Emma Gannon in the future.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. There is a lot of potential for a wonderful novel here, loads of interesting ideas, and it's written in a very accessible way. Personally, though, I found it hard to believe in any of the four main characters: to me, they all seemed incredibly self-centred and one-dimensional. It felt very young. I also don't know if the manuscript is pre-copyedit, but there were lots of clunky and confusing transition moments. I really don't like to leave negative reviews and I am sure lots of people will love this book, but it wasn't for me, personally.

Olive is at a crossroads in life. The crossroads being her partner of nearly a decade wants kids, and she doesn't.
Olive is a book about motherhood and guilt, and that's why I ended up loving it. Guilt of not wanting to be a mother, being a good enough one, being a wife as well as a mither, guilt over not being able to have children, of choosing to let someone go so they can have what they want without you. The positive comments, the notes of changing minds, the pressure to have kids, have it all, succeed at work, live life.

As a recent mum, phew, a lot of it caught me off guard. There's an almost ingrained guilt to pregnancy and motherhood, and a guilt about not having children, and here it was shown across a wide range of brilliant characters, all dealing with their own twist on the idea.

A really good book. I've not read anything that so candidly shows the many stories of women's relationships with the idea of being a mum and does so without judgement. Heartfelt and brilliant, devoid of cliche.

** spoiler alert ** I found Olive,and each of her friends incredibly relatable.
A group of friends that you'd want to be part of.
Refreshing to read of a woman who chooses not to have children,without the cliched ending of finding the right man and changing her mind.
There was humour and warmth in this book.
Definitely being bought for a few friends

Olive is about to turn 33 and she’s just split from her boyfriend of nine years because he’s ready for kids but that’s not something she wants for herself. Her best friends Bea, Cecily and Isla are all having their own struggles relating to motherhood and family. They’ve been friends since they were little but now seem to be drifting apart. Olive is trying to rediscover herself outside of her relationship and is looking for people to finally accept that she doesn’t want children and that’s ok.
This was a really heartwarming read, at times it was tense and there was a lot of friendship group drama. Ultimately this was a story of acceptance, for all the girls in the group. I appreciated that each woman was dealing with a different problem relating to motherhood, the author really tried to represent different groups in society. Olive doesn’t want children, Bea married her university boyfriend and has 3 kids, Cecily is a career driven lawyer who’s preparing to have her first child and Isla has Endometriosis, she’s currently undergoing IVF to fulfil her dreams of being a mother. I thought the themes this novel explores were tackled well and though the characters were flawed it just made them more human.
I really enjoyed this book and it’s one I’ll definitely be purchasing when it’s released.