In Worst Idea Ever we meet best friends Georgia and Lydia - Georgia is a children’s picture book author and Lydia is desperate to be.

Lydia starts a business selling her illustrations and Georgia wants to be her cheerleader, so sets up a fake Twitter account to pose as an anonymous customer - to give her friend a confidence boost.

BUT Lydia soon starts spilling secrets to her new online friend and Georgia discovers some devastating home truths. It looks at how sometimes our best intentions can be flipped and backfire and how sadly people are not always who you think they are.

I really enjoyed this book - it was very funny, refreshing and a delight to read while making some excellent points about truth and friendship.

An enjoyable, easy and thoughtful novel about friendship and it's multiple layers. The characters were believable and real and I loved the dog Igor.

Have you ever done something you thought was a good idea, or well-meant? Only it turns out it was the opposite was true. Secrets are revealed and loyalties are tested.

I really, really enjoyed this novel. Jane Fallon pretty much specialises in fiction about toxic friendships and, I'll be honest, no author does it better than she does. I've read close to all of her books (bar the odd one or two that I still have on my shelf to read) although it has been a while since I've read one of her novels.

Anyway, this novel tells the story of Georgia and Lydia, two best friends who (unfortunately) both have the same dream: to become published illustrators. Lydia has worked her bum off to get her drawings out there, but it just doesn't happen for her and she ends up stuck in a publishing job that's getting her nowhere career-wise. Whereas Georgia has everything Lydia wants, the husband, the dream job as a kids author, the perfect life. So when Lydia decides to start her own Etsy business selling her illustrations, Georgia does what any best friend would do - and starts a secret Twitter account as 'Patricia' to try and build Lydia up. But the more Lydia confides in 'Patricia', the less Georgia can handle it as it reveals secrets that will impact her life completely.

I thoroughly enjoyed Worst Idea Ever - Georgia narrates the majority of the novel and I loved her narrative, I loved her as a character and, I'll be honest, I don't think she did anything wrong in regards to what she did to help Lydia. It was done with pure intentions rather than condescension and while it was underhand to do it secretly, I could understand why, because Lydia was so bloody sensitive about it all. However things take a turn when Lydia starts confiding in Patricia about Georgia's life and that's when things really start to get interesting.

To be completely honest, Lydia is just the worst. Her envy of her so-called best friend is embarrassing; they may have been best friends once upon a time, but really, Lydia seems to have always been jealous of Georgia, and I just don't understand why she would want to get ahead in her career of becoming a published author/illustrator due to her connection to Georgia rather than her talent. Because even if Georgia had managed to get Lydia in with her publishers, Lydia would then want something else, something more, because it wouldn't be enough and honestly, she needed to grow up.

I flew through this novel and I was always excited to get back to it. I'm now even more excited to go back and read the Jane Fallon novels that I've missed because I've realised just how good a writer she really is.

Georgia and Lydia have been best friends forever, until one day Lydia confides in her new online friend "Patricia" who actually turns out to be Georgia and they begin to have conversations about her which aren't the friendliest. the relationship that was once so close that they. were practically sisters becomes a huge failure.

While the book focuses on friendships, there is a lot of deception, love and jealousy throughout. The characters are very real and relatable and show how easily friendships can change and how fragile they can quickly become. The different relationships are authentic and believable also.

Its fun in paces and has a good ending.

Georgia and her friend Lydia have been close since college but Georgia appears to have everything Lydia craves - a solid marriage, a burgeoning career as a writer/illustrator. Georgia wants to help Lydia so sets up a fake Twitter account to boost her professional social media but when Lydia messages 'Patricia' Georgia gets sucked in to her fake identity and then finds out things she wished she hadn't. However who is 'cat fishing' who?
I love Jane Fallon, she produces a book a year that is a sheer delight to read and I devour them. Weird because I hate 'chick-lit' with a passion but probably because her stories are about people my age and are not overly unrealistic in their assumptions. This is not a book crammed with designer names or impossible existences, the characters have jobs and a realistic lifestyle to match income. The plots are silly but not so silly as to be unbelievable and the comedy is deep and recognisable - I have christened this 'Lit-light', a calorie controlled treat to be enjoyed in moderation!

A funny, easy read which will make you both laugh and cry. A simple lie to save a friends feelings quickly descended into a web of lies and reveals some concerning secrets.

In Worst Idea Ever we are introduced to Georgia a successful children's author with a happy marriage and twins who have recently left the nest. Unfortunately Georgia's best friend Lydia isn't doing so well, so Georgia comes up with an innovative and well-meant plan to give her friend a very much needed boost.

Of course, the plan backfires and the fallout doesn't just affect Georgia's and Lydia's friendship but everyone who is close to them.

I was completely engaged in this book as I pondered if you ever really know who your friends are and if jealousy can lead to appalling behaviour, even from someone you have known forever. The social media element to the story intrigued me as we never really know who we are connecting with and lies seem to come easier from the comfort of a keyboard. Finally, the plot brilliantly highlights how a small act of deceit, albeit meant with kindness, can lead to massive repercussions.

The book is as always well written, compelling and totally unique, highly recommended.

Magical book I would recommend to anyone.
Many twists and turns to the plot and the reader is drawn in from the start, real life being put on hold !
A great extremely enjoyable read, with realistic if not extremely likeable characters and a rollercoaster of a plot
Thank you to Netgalley, Penguin- Michael Joseph Ltd and Jane Fallon for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review

Georgia and Lydia are firm best friends until one betrays the other. This is a very cleverly crafted novel about true best friends and how you can easily believe everything that you are told. She’s my best friend she couldn’t possibly tell me a lie - could she. Without giving away details this is a great read. 10/10

I have loved all of Jane's previous books but this one felt like something was missing. It was an ok read but not up to Jane's usual 5* rating

Worst Idea Ever is Jane Fallon's latest novel and centres on the friendship between Georgia Shepherd and Lydia Somers. Lydia starts up an online business as an illustrator that then begins to struggle financially, and Georgia is desperate to help however she can. Knowing that Lydia wouldn't accept handouts or charity even from a long-term best friend, Georgia masquerades as a stranger behind a newly created, Twitter account, calling herself Patricia and offers her friend the support she wishes Lydia would have accepted from her as her BFF.

Patricia and Lydia become close, and Lydia confides in Patricia, telling her secrets that Georgia doesn't even know as her bestie of 20 years+ and this makes her resentful. Georgia realises Lydia keeps many things from her and concludes that she may not know Lydia at all. This sours their friendship and platonic love turns into revenge and an unhealthy obsession. A compulsive and enthralling tale, Jane Fallon's tale is wickedly twisty and believable. From beginning to end it was an exceptional read.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Penguin Books (UK) via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

I'm a big fan of Jane Fallon's books - they're easy to demolish summer reads. Worst Idea Ever was great fun, I wasn't woo'ed by the twist but the second twist hooked me once more - it reminded me of Friends - they don't know that we know that they know.
4 stars.

Best friends Georgia and Lydia are inseparable. Both of them want to illustrate books but only one of them realises her dream as well as a loving husband and children.
When Lydia starts a new business online Georgia tries to help and sets off the catalyst that endangers their friendship.
The saying, " Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive " is very apt for this story. When Georgia hears by subterfuge what Lydia really thinks of her she is drawn into more and more deception.
Jane Fallon never lets me down. Her books really hook you in from the first few pages. Her characters are ordinary people plunged into extraordinary situations. They encourage you to ask the question, what would I do? And my answer is I hope and pray I am never in the same positions of those in her books.
Love, jealousy, deception and retribution, all in one cracking good read. Another winner for Jane Fallon,

Jane Fallon is the Queen of Revenge novels and Worst Idea Ever did not disappoint. This is the story of best friends Georgia and Lydia – “so close” writes Jane Fallon “that they’re practically sisters.”

Georgia wants to help Lydia but knows that she would wound her best friend’s pride and so she hatches a plan, which challenges their friendship, with almost disastrous consequences.

Worst Idea Ever was a lovely read, made more exciting for me as I intentionally avoided reading a synopsis! I give it an easy 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin for letting me review Worst Idea Ever by Jane Fallon.

If you have been friends with someone for a long time, there may well be things that you never talk about. You might not like your best friend's husband, you might be jealous of her success or you might have the kind of relationship where you can talk about anything.
In theory, Georgia and Lydia are BFF's. Nothing could tear them asunder. It soon becomes clear that neither one is being congruent with the other. Resentment and jealousy have poisoned the friendship. Without spoiling the plot, the reader starts to find out what they really think of each other. The consequences of their lack of honesty are massive.
It makes me want to reevaluate my friendships to examine if I am truly being myself!

Worst Idea Ever taps into a genre of womens fiction that I particularly enjoy: the moral dilemma. It's great to turn the pages while asking yourself "what would I do in this situation?" and that's exactly what you get with Worst Idea Ever. There's not MASSES at stake for the protagonist, but that makes the book an easy, enjoyable read with good characters and an intriguing premise.

A wickedly insightful story of relationships, repercussions and revenge. The story is aptly named.

Georgia tries to help her friend's business and morale by engaging her on social media using a pseudo profile. The subsequent message conversations have surprising results and lead to an intriguing tale of betrayal, lies and secrets.

The characters are relatable, and the relationship dynamics authentic in this tale woven with humour and poignancy. Readers familiar with the author will expect the unexpected. Knowing this and the many plot twists keep you turning the pages.

I received a copy of this book from Penguin Books UK - Michael Joseph via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

I am a big fan of Jane’s books and she is one of the authors who cheers me up when I hear news of a new book coming out. I find Jane’s books really well thought out and easy to get into and Worst Idea Ever is no exception to this. Georgia and Lydia are best friends and go way way back. Although they work in similar areas, Georgia’s career has really taken off whereas Lydia is equally, if not more, talented but just never seems to catch a lucky break. She has a job that she hates and despite trying to sell her art online, it hasn’t really caught on. Georgia and Lydia’s personal lives are also quite different. Georgia is married to Nick and they have grown up children who are now off to university. Lydia doesn’t want to settle until she meets the one who ticks every box. She dates with ease but potential partners never seem to last long. She is comfortable with her choices but Georgia really wishes that she would meet someone to sweep her off her feet and that her luck would change professionally. Georgia decides to give Lydia a little boost by creating a twitter profile and using this to comment upon and ‘like’ Lydia’s art but very quickly she turns into a new friend for Lydia and starts to be taken into her confidence. What could possibly go wrong…

I found this to be an engrossing read – I quite liked both main characters when first getting to know them. I really felt for them both – it must be difficult to see your friend have all the successes you would love to have for yourself yet because they are your friend you also feel delighted and proud on their behalf. Although you could see how bad an idea it was to create the fake profile, you could equally see the genuine wishes to be helpful and supportive behind it. I suppose in a similar position I might be tempted to do the same although I don’t know that I would have taken the conversation further but then once you start chatting and learn something that you shouldn’t then I can see how it might be almost impossible to extract yourself from the situation – human nature being what it is, the desire to find out more must be overwhelming!

It was very easy to feel invested in both Lydia’s and Georgia’s lives and hard to put the book down! The idea of knowing something about a loved one because of impersonating a different person and thinking about how you would deal with having this information was a really great idea for a story. Initially we see things from Georgia’s perspective but alter get an insight into Lydia’s views and see things through her eyes. I love how Jane writes and has you thinking one thing and then all of a sudden things change and are not what you thought at all. I am being deliberately obtuse as I don’t wish to give away key plot points as not only is it annoying, but it also might spoil the story for you which is absolutely not what I want to do!

If you want a book that takes you on a rollercoaster of emotion and keeps your attention from page one then this is the book for you. Friendship – the good, the bad and the ugly – brilliantly written and sharply observed. Another great book from Jane!

I managed to get all the way through this book but didn't really enjoy it to be honest.
For a start, I found both Georgia and Lydia - the main characters - unlikeable. I won't spoil the plot by revealing why Lydia is unlikeable but Georgia basically kicks off the whole plot by lying to her friend, albeit with good intentions, then when things are obviously going wrong as a result of this, she continues to lie. She also breaks confidences from another friendship with another woman. Personally, I wouldn't want to be friends with either of them.
These two women - one is resentful of the other's success and then when Lydia does have a chance of success herself, but it doesn't go quite as well as she wishes, Georgia is quite clearly relieved. So competitive with each other.
Secondly, I spotted the "twist" as soon as it happened so it wasn't much of a twist at all.
Finally, it's totally unbelievable. I have a friend who writes and illustrates picture books - as Georgia does - and she's very aware of language. I don't believe Georgia wouldn't spot the idiosyncracies in her own use of language - she would know that these would give her away. I don't believe Nick would just forgive Georgia for not trusting him and come back so easily. If Lydia wants to write books herself so badly and her work is so instantly appealing, she'd have found herself an agent long before.