I enjoyed this book from start to finish and always felt the need to read 'just one more chapter', which of course never actually meant one!
The perils of social media and Instagram influencers are highlighted in this engrossing story. The storyline was strong and highlights what goes on in the world of an influencer.
Very well written novel., would recommend.

That was a very interesting read into the world of social media influencing and the potential dangers it can pose to you and your family, if you're not careful! Whilst this was a work of fiction, I wouldn't be surprised if it happened in real life.

I didn't really like, Emmy, the instamum/social media influencer in this story, more so after the way she treated her best friend! Without giving too much away, it was appalling! At some points I had to wonder if she cared more about her Insta followers, then she did her own family.

I found myself feeling sorry for Dan, although admittedly they did decide to get into the whole social media influencer thing together. I can't imagine it being much fun being dragged from a photoshoot, to a party, to other similar events, especially with a couple of kids in tow.

The third narrator, was someone who blamed Emmy for the death of her daughter and grand daughter. Initially she didn't seem too harmless despite her obsession with Emmy and her family, but as you went further in the book, she started becoming more menacing and you started worrying for Emmy and her family.

It was a very good read, with plenty of twists and turns. It definitely made me want to keep reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Ellery Lloyd for the chance to read this book.

This book was a contemporary thriller set in the world of social media and 'online influencers'. The book reveals some uncomfortable truths about the world of Instagram and how dangerous it can be when followers are hanging on your every word. I enjoyed this book. It was a fast paced thriller, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing even to the last sentence.

A slightly creepy account of how a social influencer named Emmy lives - through Instagram and social media as #mamabare. She shares everything about her life with husband Dan, 4year old Coco and baby Bear - but is it too much?
Written from the viewpoint of Emmy, Dan and an unknown person with some motive for revenge, at first the book gives you the positives of being an influencer..
But this way of life is forced and can cause hatred by some - which is what happened.
I struggled to finish this as I grew tired of the characters, and what Emmy does to her ‘best friend’ polly is unforgivable.
If you follow the lives of influencers then read this. Well written but not great.

This is a cautionary tale for today's social media devotees – I've heard of Influencers but not really understood what, exactly, they do, so I had to Google it. I'm not much wiser now but it seems to me they live totally artificial lives and are willing to do just about anything to achieve fame without any talent or skill.

Emmy and Dan live with their children, Coco and Bear, in suburban London. Dan is struggling to write a second novel, eight years after his first one hot the bookshelves. Emmy, ex-fashionista is an “influencer” on Instagram. Her whole life, and that of her family, are laid bare on the pages of Instagram and she apparently makes quite a nice living off it. That is until one day when she sends an audition tape to the BBC which isn't entirely authentic – then the proverbial you-know-what hits the fan.

Told in alternating chapters from Emmy's and Dan's points of view, the novel is sprinkled with occasional musings from an unseen stalker who has revenge on her mind and is hell bent on destroying Emmy's life.

Whilst reasonably well written this is so long and drawn out, presumably to build tension, but only succeeded in becoming tedious. It's well up to the 80% mark on my kindle version before anything really happens, and Emmy is such a ghastly character I couldn't help wishing her ill-will myself. Dan is a man who seems happy enough to be swept along because he enjoys the lifestyle without having to put too much effort in.

A deckchair or rainy afternoon novel for those who want a quick, light read which can be picked up and put down without losing the plot.

Emmy is an influencer on social media telling all about her family life to her followers. Not all of it is true as her husband Dan knows but she is making money from it.
Neither of these main characters are likeable and I just felt sorry for their children.
Couldn’t get into this book at all.
2 Stars.
Thanks to Netgalley for allowing me to read this book in return for a fair review.

Emmy Jackson is best known as parenting influencer @mamabare. Her social media feed is full of honest advice and musings she has learnt from raising her two children, Coco and Bear. Her husband Dan is a struggling writer, who knows Emmy has a habit of skewing the truth, and presenting a wildly different reality to her adoring fans. One woman knows only too well the damage that can do, and vows to teach Emmy a lesson she’ll never forget.

Influencer culture completely fascinates me, so as soon as I read the blurb of this book, I knew I had to read it. I’m a huge fan of multiple-perspective books, so I quickly became absorbed in the storyline. I really loved reading from Emmy and Dan’s different perspectives, particularly in the beginning where Emmy would present one truth, and Dan would tell us the reality! I was less interested in the perspective of the mysterious woman, but appreciated that it did a good job of building tension. There are lots of red herrings throughout, and some of the chapters ended on a cliffhanger, so I was constantly going back for more.

Unfortunately I felt like the motive behind the mystery woman’s revenge campaign was weak, which led to a disappointing and rushed ending... where was the big confrontation?! I’m not a huge fan of when authors leave us to fill in the gaps for ourselves. The book did a good job of highlighting how false social media and influencer culture can be, but if you’re going to build up to an dramatic ending, I need an epic, explosive conclusion!

A book which lifts the lid on social media and the damage it can cause - and tries to show where the truth lies. We all know that people filter their lives on Social media but this books shows the damage it can cause and the lengths someone will go to to get revenge. A good read but slightly worryign in that you can see it happening with people holding SM up as 'this is how you do it'.

In this story we follow Emmy, aka mamabare, an influencer and ‘insta mum’ with a very high number of followers. So high she has an agent and an assistant, to help with maintaining the site, replying to comments, sponsors and events.

From Emmy we hear of what it’s like to be someone like her, how much time it takes and exactly how real any of it really is. The story also focuses on the dangers there are putting yourself out there, on social media, as fully as someone like her does. Her day to day life, her home even her young children, and that, in this case, there is someone out there who doesn’t think she deserves any of the benefits she gets from this lifestyle, in fact doesn’t think she deserves happiness at all!

I enjoyed this book and found it a quick one to read. I liked the way we get to hear from 3 perspectives, including Emmy’s husband and ‘the stalker’. The story involves some very upsetting topics, which I really wasn’t expecting, so some triggers for some here fore sure. Loss of a child, miscarriage and suicide included. It made for a very startling contrast from one chapter to another. I liked the part narrated by the husband and that he struggled with Emmy’s job but at the same time, her success allowed him to carry on with his dream of writing another book. I also found the part which discusses the differences in what audiences want from Instagram in different countries interesting. As I’ve said, I wasn’t expecting the darkness that there was in the thriller element of the book, but found it well written and with a shocking ending.

Altogether a well written, unexpected and interesting read.

CW: child death, miscarriage

An easy-to-read thriller told via two primary perspectives (and a briefer third) - People Like Her offers an unsettling insight into the behind-the-scenes of a popular 'mommy-blogger' instagrammer's (and her has been author husband's) life. Everything looks perfect on the surface, but behind the scenes the cracks are showing more and more by the day - and one person, one follower, is determined to make our mommy-blogger pay for ruining their life.

What I Liked:
- The dual perspective.
- The behind-the-scenes perspective.
- It was a super easy and fast read.
- I honestly love social media being used more and more in horror/thrillers.

What I Didn't Love:
- The pacing felt a bit off - during the middle portion it felt like a whole lotta nothing was happening.
- I didn't much enjoy the inclusion of a third perspective (the follower), although understand why it was included. Those bits were just dull though.
- The WHOLE thing had this mad 'influencers are dumb liars' bitterness to it. Just a very judgemental tone throughout from our author-duo.
- There was definitely too many red herrings thrown in - it didn't lend itself to a twisty vibe, just ended up feeling very up itself.

Overall I'd probably recommend it. It was an easy thriller with a fine conclusion, but it probably won't blow your mind or anything. Another note I'd like to make is that I typically avoid thrillers written by white dudes - and would not have requested this one had I known that Ellery Lloyd is a penname for a husband/wife author team.

Big thanks to NetGalley, the authors, and Mantle Books for the e-ARC. This one's available now!

In this book we follow Emmy, aka mamabare, who is an "insta mum" and a big time social media influencer. She has it all. Or so it seems to all her adoring fans. Her marriage is falling through the cracks, she's losing touch with her childhood best friend and a dangerously obsessive follower doesn't think she deserves any of it.

The novel explored the darker sides of the Internet and social media really well, it can be dangerous and addictive and that this 'influencer culture' we now so commonly understand may not be all its cracked up to be. I think this aspect of the book was written really well, it was chilling at times, we really shouldn't believe everything we see online and should also be so careful about what we're sharing of our own lives because there are some dangerous people out there.

I did feel a bit let down by the thrill element of the book, it was easy to guess the ending and there weren't enough twists and turns throughout the book to keep me in suspense and turning the pages. I liked that we got to see from the perspective of Emmy, her husband Dan and also the stalker too which is something you don't see often. Seeing the contrast of their perspectives on the situation and just viewing the situation from their eyes and what their reasonings were made you feel alot more invested. Overall, it was a chilling look into the dark side of the media but I didn't find it very suspenseful.

People Like Her follows the life of Instamum Emmy, her writer husband Dan, their two children Coco and Bear and the dark side of social media. Told from 3 points of view; hers, her husband’s and the person who wants revenge on her, we are constantly wondering what Emmy has done to warrant the hatred that’s coming her way.

If you’re reading this on Instagram, you’re a user of social media and already know about the negative consequences and potential dangers from sharing your whole life with strangers. What you won’t be expecting though, is the huge plot twist that comes at you at the very end

Although I really enjoyed this book and found myself wanting to turn the pages way too quickly, my one gripe is the use of the phrase ‘diverse mums’. While Emmy was listing all the different ways to be a mum, she mentioned, full time mums, career mums, mums who do it all, diverse mums and mums who are also dads. I felt like she covered the different types of mums pretty well so why the need to say diverse mums? While I wait for clarification, I'm giving this book 4 stars but depending on what the meaning behind that phrase is, my rating may go down or stay the same.

I loved this look at the more sinister side of social media and influencers. The book kept me reading, wanting to know what happens next. The intrigue and suspense of who is stalking the family and what might happen is great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pam Macmillan for an advance copy to review.

Sinister. Uncomfortable. Tense.

People Like Her is going to be a big one this year! It’s a conversation starter, for sure!

People Like Her navigates the dark side of social media and the idea of obsession. It is so suspenseful, you’re likely to find yourself on the edge of your seat for this one. There are some really uncomfortable moments in this too, almost every character is unlikable and I didn’t trust any of them!

Overall, this is definitely one to watch this year! If you love a chilling and addictive psychological thriller about the dark side of social media, then I recommend you check this one out!

This is a truly brilliant debut and I will definitely be picking up the next one from Ellery Lloyd.

An intriguing look at the world of influencers and the length they will go to keep their online persona and adulation.

We get three point of views - Emmy, the popular mommy influencer, her long suffering husband Dan, and a mysterious person which by the beginning we know is stalking them and has an axe to grind against them.

None of the characters were likeable, and I wasn’t rooting of them. While I did find the delve into the online Influencer world and social media interesting, I wish there was less of it and more dialogues. Some of the themes explored such as suicide, online bullying, miscarriage, bereavement and death are important to discuss but I felt it was cramming so many serious themes at once that it almost felt sensationalised.

The final chapters felt really unbelievable and rushed. Personally, the ending could have been more fleshed out but I will say this is an okay run of the mill debut, and if you like character driven, social media focused mysteries, this will be the book for you.

Thank you to Pan Macmillian and Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Loved it-and raced through it!

Different & addictive, a debut novel which confronts a very contemporary subject, the lives of Instagram Influencers, and how they affect others.

The glamorous lifestyle, the constant posing, taking of photos, breaking off from a conversation as something more interesting has arrived on the phone, we’ve all witnessed that, or maybe we even do it ourselves?

This page-turning story is strongly plotted and told using 3 different voices, all of which move the story along at a good pace. In spite of her faults, I actually found Emmy an appealing and fascinating character, I was intrigued by her role, even though it also felt uncomfortable.

Emmy’s husband Dan presents a different perspective to their lives and underlying this aspirational lifestyle is the menace and dark tone of the third voice.

It is obvious that something is going to happen, so that Emmy learns a lesson- but what? When that something does happens, it is extremely distressing.

A fascinating story with a strong moral theme of what can happen & how much responsibility influencers do have to society.

I found it interesting that a husband and wife team wrote the novel -I assume they respectively wrote the male & female stories- certainly both voices felt very natural & authentic.

People Like Her is a début contemporary novel set in the world of social media and online influencers. The story follows the life of Emmy Jackson who is powerful in the social media world due to the daily increasing popularity of her online unfiltered views on modern motherhood. Former fashion editor Emmy has a million+ Instagram followers and with her @Mamabare account is Britain’s most famous, honest 'instamum'. But not everyone is being taken in by the social media queen. Her own husband and struggling novelist, for one, and another mysterious figure who wants to see Emmy brought down.

Written by writing partnership team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos, under the name of Ellery Lloyd I am very pleased to have read this novel. Its main theme is very much in touch with present-day society and preoccupations.

With a consistent voice throughout, I didn’t feel an imbalance in the narration and I appreciated the honest, no-holds-barred approach to the social media world. The novel cleverly exposes the downside of a very influential part of current life and the actions of the lead protagonist definitely provided something to chew on. Narrated from three viewpoints, the reader hears from Emmy, along with her husband and a third narrator who is out for revenge. I was knee-deep in all of the action as well as attempting to untangle the spider's web of threads surrounding the mystery. With its very modern plot focus, red herrings, plot twists, exploration of morality and solid themes regarding online safety and privacy I found People Like Her an enthralling, slightly menacing, sometimes dark, rather disturbing and occasionally amusing read. Leaning towards the psychological thriller genre I confidently recommend People Like Her.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Pan Macmillan via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.

"People Like Her" by Ellery Lloyd (a pseudonym of writing couple Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos), is a sinister and gripping exploration of social media and its influence on people and their lives. None of the characters are likeable, but they all ring very true.

Mamabare aka Emmy Jackson, is an Instamum, an influencer that tells it like it is - motherhood is tough and messy but with her mama friends she is willing to “grin and bare it.” She is funny and most importantly, she is relatable - she's been through all this and she is sharing unfiltered and honest snippets of her life as a mama of two with her huge following... But the reality is different - her house is far from messy, with a cleaner coming twice a week, her daughter is in full time nursery, with no sleep problems in sight, and overall - a rather glamorous life. Her husband Dan, who is a writer, knows that she works really hard but also becomes more and more uneasy with the lies and deceptions she has built her career on.

I must confess that I found Emily insufferable in times - however I think she is a perfect portrait of a typical instamum influencer - and I was grinning trying to work out who she and her instafriends were inspired by! But in the end, her character is also a reminder that social media can be very misleading, and we should not always believe all that we see. However, her ruthlessness and the way in which she treated her best friend did not make me warm to her. Dan is possibly the more likeable character, until the end of the book, where his actions convinced me that he is also enchanted by the glamour of insta life and its perks.

The third narrator of the story is a mysterious stalker, who we learn more about as their obsession becomes more and more sinister and threatening. I loved this steady build-up of pressure and the sense of danger in the story and the tone of uneasiness this particular part of the book created - knowing that Emily and her family are visible to all people and therefore vulnerable.
The ending was very satisfying, in tone with the story and left me happy that my following on social media is miniscule!

I read this book in just two days and really enjoyed it. At first the appeal is that the central character, Emmy, appears to be a person you just love to hate. She has built a massive following on Instagram based on lies and the creation of a fake life, portraying herself as a 'normal' mama who is tired and stressed all the time when the reality is actually quite different.

The book is great at conjuring up this character and making her very believable. At times, the depths she will go to in order to boost her own career and profile are shocking. Yet there are also times when you glimpse that there is also a bit more to her, and you can even identify with her at times, making the story all the more relatable.

Her husband, Dan, was the character I identified more with however, He is increasingly concerned about the impact of Emmy's online life on their family and especially their two children.

It's clear from the start that someone has it in for Emmy, although it takes time for the reader to find out why. And for all her fans, Emmy clearly also has plenty of enemies.

The plot has plenty of unexpected twists and turns. I especially liked the creepy ending. It's impressive that a book with so few characters in it can make such an impact. It's a well-written book and a real page-turner, and also a fascinating look at how social media can distort our lives.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the unique and current storyline about how social media effects our lives. Look forward to reading more by this author