This was an epitome of a Jane Fallon book. A cheating husband, a neurotic wife, a suspicious friend, lots of intrigue and suspicion. The perfect recipe.
Fallon does betrayal superbly, and this book is full of it. What starts off with a friend innocently trying to boost her best friend’s flailing confidence turns quickly into duplicity and deception. There is quite a lot to untangle once the story gets going as no one knows who is telling the truth or who has your back.
The characters are really well developed; I want to be Georgina’s friend. She seemed so lovely and likeable, that is until she discovers the truth and the claws came out. She didn’t just sit back and let things happen to her; she fought back.
The twist at the end of Part one had been obvious the entire way through, although I hadn’t guessed Lydia’s main motive for what she was doing. Even though it is explained, it was hard to wrap your head around a friend so close to Georgina that she considered her a sister, doing what she was doing.
The off branches of the story, including Anna Marie and Harry, made the story feel well rounded. You were just as invested in them as you were with what happening with Georgia, Lydia and Nick.
I thought this book’s title was brilliant; it really sums up the entire story, Georgina’s idea to help a friend really did turn out to be the Worst Idea Ever!
I did think the story petered out a little bit towards the end, especially once Georgina knows what is going on. It reaches a peak at this point but then fell a little flat with everything, just sort of plodding on. I wanted a few more fireworks as a consequence for all of their actions.
Overall, a brilliant read, well-written, and it really kept me gripped. Once again, and I say this every year, I now have to wait impatiently for a year for Fallon’s next book!

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Another great read from a terrific author. Loved the characters and the storyline, would recommend.

I am big fan of Jane Fallon and this book was just as good as her rest. Liked the fact it’s about two friend a whom have a close relationship but there paths have different courses. A really good read.

Jane Fallon is my go-to author for women’s fiction and this book is absolutely wonderful! An excellent tale of toxic female friendship!

A big thank you to Penguin UK Micheal Joseph and Net galley for this ARC. I fell in love with this story and adore Jane's style of writing.

Jane does it yet again! I literally could not put this book down, page after page of twists, The storyline will keep you gripped until the end.

Jane's books are addictively brilliant. I have loved all the ones I have read and this one is no different.

A perfect escapism read. I loved it. Now I’m awaiting the next book Jane Fallon writes.

I love all Jane Fallon's books, they are so cleverly written, funny but with insights into our behaviour that makes me cringe in recognition too. I loved this book and how a simple, well meaning but impulsive act deteriorates into such a nightmare, wrecking relationships and exposing the underlying drivers of behaviour that we prefer to keep under wraps.

Another wonderfully written Jane Fallon story, I always feel in safe hands!
Lydia and Georgia have been best friends since university, telling each other everything and sharing their lives. But Georgia's life has gone a bit more smoothly and down a traditional path, married with children, nice house, good friends, her art has been turned into a successful children's book series. Lydia's art hasnt been picked up commercially and she's in a job she hates.
Georgia decides to try and encourage Lydia through inventing Patricia, a twitter fan who is very taken by Lydia's art but then some truths about Georgia's cosy homelife are shared in private conversations between Lydia and Patricia, and the cat is out of the bag

A fun read, great for a change from the relentless crime thrillers that Ive been reading- highly recommended like all of Jane's books.

First things first - the title is kind of awful. That aside, though, like all Jane Fallon’s books, I really enjoyed this story, which revolves around forty-something best friends Georgia and Lydia.

Georgia Shepherd is a successful author of children’s picture books featuring Wilbur the shopping-obsessed wallaby (he buys lots of stuff and carries it in the pouch which he mysteriously has despite being a boy), but as popular as Wilbur is, she doesn’t feel the simplistic pictures and stories are really fulfilling her potential. Her friend Lydia Somers, meanwhile, has found her dreams haven’t got off the ground at all - nobody seems remotely interested in her intricate, lovingly crafted illustrations and she’s forced to stick at a job she loathes.

When Georgia, with the best of intentions - if a little ill-advised - sets up a fake social media account with the aim of giving Lydia some encouragement and support with her art, it backfires spectacularly when Georgia finds out more than she bargained for. (It was pretty obvious from early on what was really going on here and I wasn’t sure whether the reader was meant to realise or not - the reveal was kept pretty low key, so maybe.)

Jane Fallon has some great comic observations and I laughed out loud several times, like at this description of Georgia’s mother’s boyfriend, with whom she lives blissfully in Spain and who has “a huge bouffant of white hair, pockets stuffed with cash, an arm full of gold bracelets and a bunch of expat friends who look like a showroom of outdated mahogany furniture” (oh, and he’s possibly a retired bank robber).

The Wilbur the Wallaby stuff is great, too.

Loved Georgia’s friends Harry and Anne Marie, and, of course, Igor the giant dog who Georgia and husband Nick adopt from a rescue centre.

Jane Fallon’s books are always brilliantly escapist reads and this was no exception. I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, though did end up feeling reluctantly sorry for one character, who seemed more sad and confused than anything.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review - as always, it’s much appreciated.

Thank you for my copy of this book to review.

I have read all of Jane Fallow’s books and have loved every one of them so far. This latest one was just as good, if not better.

As ever, easy to read, funny, loveable characters...well most of them anyway. I can’t imagine you're meant to warm to people like Lydia! I especially loved Igor!

I have always recommended Jane’s books and will continue to do so with this latest one. I’m already looking forward to the next book.

I love Jane Fallon and am always keen to read her new stuff. I really liked the premise of this novel, two close friends whose lives have taken different paths, much to the disappointment of one of the parties.
It's a really good story of friendship and how you change as you grow older and this means friendships have to adapt or else they fail. I have to say this was one of my favourite Jane Fallon books and I raced through it at speed as I was totally invested in the characters and wanted to find out what happened. Loved it!

Brilliant read as ever from Jane Fallon, it’s definitely one you want to race through in one sitting.

Fantastic premise, it gripped me from the start. At times I felt myself holding my breath as the story unfolded.

I don’t want to summarise the book as I don’t want to give any spoilers but I would definitely recommend. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Having read and enjoyed this author’s previous books, I was looking forward to this one and it's the best one yet.

Georgia and Lydia are best friends. When Georgia decides to help Lydia with her online business it backfires speculatively when she discovers something she’d rather not know. As she tries to get to the bottom of what is truth and what is lies, Georgia is left wondering, what the hell is happening?

What a fantastic book. Great storyline, great characters. I loved it.

Best friends tell each other everything.

Or do they?

Georgia and Lydia are so close they're practically sisters.

So when Lydia starts an online business that struggles, Georgia wants to help her - but she also understands Lydia's not the kind to accept a handout.

Setting up a fake Twitter account, Georgia hopes to give her friend some anonymous moral support by posing as a potential customer.

But then Lydia starts confiding in her new internet buddy and Georgia discovers she doesn't know her quite as well as she thought.

Georgia knows she should reveal herself, but she's fascinated by this insight into her friend's true feelings.

Especially when Lydia starts talking about her.

Until Lydia reveals a secret that could not only end their friendship but also blow up Georgia's marriage.

Georgia's in too deep.

But what can she save?

Her marriage, her friendship - or just herself?

Firstly thanks to Penguin Michael Joseph UK and Netgalley for an early review copy of this book in return for an honest review.

WOW what a book! I loved it! On the face of it Lydia and Georgia appear to be best pals with nothing able to come between them. However once Georgia pretends to be Patricia, a customer interested in Lydia's artwork the trouble starts.

I found this story so interesting and absolutely compelling. I love Fallon's writing style and you're never in any doubt as to which character's side of the story we are reading. I also really admire her way of writing the story in 2 first person narratives. It must be so difficult to write a story from two opposing viewpoints and it's a skill I find hugely entertaining.

I'm finding it difficult to review without giving away any spoilers so here it is in a nutshell - fantastically written, treat yourself to it and lose yourself to Georgia and Lydia's lives for an afternoon!

An excellent 5 star read that I would highly recommend.

Another awesome read from one of my favourite authors. Was really sad to have finished it today...but already looking forward to the next one!!
Lies and deceit complicate matters and comeback to bite you when you least expect them to. Georgia tries to give her best friend Lydia a boost.....what starts out with the best intentions begins a chain of deceit that swiftly unravels friendships and relationships and damages some beyond repair. Really well written, an absolute corker of a read. Highly recommend.

Jane is back again writing a fantastic story of stories. Georgia and Lydia are best friends, they grew up together and very close. When Lydia's online business is struggling, Georgia sees an opportunity to help her best mate out and sets up a fake account encouraging Lydia to keep going, it doesn't go the way Georgia had planned and Lydia starts to open up to Patricia ( the name Georgia has given herself) about her. Disaster? or will Georgia discover more than she has bargained for? Lydia has a secret that threatens to ruin everyone's life. I liked Georgia, I could see myself in her trying to help her friend out, only trying to do good but not I think in the right way. Lydia I didn't warm to at all, I thought she might have a hidden agenda, I wonder if Jane the author wanted the reader to dislike her? I thought it was a refreshing and original plot and Jane has certainly pulled it out of the bag with this story.

I’ve loved all of Jane Fallon’s books and this one is another brilliant read.
Her writing style is unique as it’s easy and engaging. I enjoyed the story and the various twists throughout.
I’d definitely recommend it.

I have loved all the books that Jane Fallon had written & this was no exception. Highly recommended by me.

Wow I loved this book! I have been having a hard time reading recently just with everything that's going on (second lockdown etc...) but I raced through this. I loved the main character and her family, I loved the couple friends Anne Marie and Harry and boy did I HATE Lydia. As a children's bookseller it was also so cool to read about a picture book author/illustrator and a children's book award ceremony, it was just something I've not read in fiction before and I liked it.
Its also very funny and heartfelt. Maybe its just the way I'm feeling just now but maybe not, it was just so good to read a good, funny book with believable characters I was rooting for. Maybe I just need to read more of this kind of thing. Starting with the rest of Jane Fallon's books.

I very much enjoyed this book. It has a good story and excellent main characters. I would definately recommend this book.