I find this book difficult to review. It wasn't quite what I was expecting from the blurb.
On the one hand I read it pretty quickly but I'm not overly sure how much I liked it.

It was less a thriller and more a psychological drama, I found it very interesting to see the effects of such a toxic friendship on people and how it feeds into all aspects of their lives. I couldn't get on board with Liv, I just couldn't find anything relatable to her, she seemed quite a timid shy woman to begin with but the more the toxicity from Ange was highlighted the less I actually liked Liv and her reactions to the behaviour.

The story was a slow burner giving depth and detail to the characters, and it switched between past and present throughout. I found this particularly difficult to keep up with but I think that was because I had been reading an un edited proof where all the sections were merged together. I assume when it goes to being published it will be a bit more obvious when the timeline shifts in the story.

I read it quickly as I wanted to know what was going to happen at the end but it was not quite what I was expecting and again made me like Liv even less. I was left a little confused and underwhelmed.

There were some good parts, I enjoyed watching the toxicity of the friendship group unravel and see how easy it is to be sucked into a life you are not prepared for. I liked Liv and Petes relationship it was very truthful and it was clear why they were beginning to fall apart. Their conclusion was very satisfying.

Overall there were some good threads within the story but unfortunately the ending left me a little underwhelmed.

The first 75% was really a slow burn psychological drama rather than a thriller, but I was so intrigued. A fascinating character study that concentrates on a warped and toxic friendship group with so much pettiness, passive aggression, and downright meanness. It really was quite deliciously awful.

The latter 25% picked up the pace and became more like the thriller that was promised but unfortunately falling short of the tension that had been built. The plot felt like it was beginning to spiral out of control, to then abruptly stop with an underwhelming, and ultimately unsatisfying ending.

Overall entertaining but a little disappointing.

A story of claustrophobic friendships and staying true to yourself. Liv has never really felt part of a friendship group growing up and has resigned herself to being an outsider- so when she meets Binnie & Beth at a baby group, she can't believe her luck. The three of them become tightknit, with regular dinners and playdates; their partners all get on too. As the children start to grow up, the women get jobs which is where Binnie meets Angie, who quickly becomes the 4th part of the group. Things start to change with Angie around, she is fun and alluring, and the four families decide to book a luxury summer holiday together.
Whilst in Greece, it is clear to Liv that Angie is pulling the strings for the group, calling the shots and making sure things are going the way that she wants, Liv is starting to feel left out again, can she pull it back to how it used to be?

The book was well written and engaging, I wasnt sure where the story was going to go and was keen to find out more. I would have been interested in seeing the same scene from different viewpoints too, as i am sure Beth, Binnie and Angie would all have had their own perspectives.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Well…what can I say about this book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Liv’s journey of friendship and revenge. It was a completely different genre than I usually read and I’m so glad I read it.

I both loved and hated the characters and was enthralled by the story.

I enjoyed the way some of the characters grew, some remaining more two dimensional.

A definite recommendation from me if you want something slightly dark, with a different edge to it.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Wow – what a read!

Liv was never one of the ‘in’ crowd; in fact she spent most of her life as a loner never quite managing to make friends. However, once she finds herself a mum, she meets Beth and Binnie. Together the three of them face motherhood and everything else life throws at them together, both on their own and with their partners. Life is good until, that is, along comes Angie; ambitious and wealthy, she soon aspires to make the others want bigger and better, all culminating in one very expensive holiday in the sun. Liv and her husband don’t have the same disposable income as the others and she soon begins to resent Angie’s influence. Once they are on their Greek island, she begins to understand just how far Angie will go to be top dog.

This is a carefully spun tale taking the reader from the holiday to recap past events among this group and explaining the dynamics. I had no sooner began reading than I was totally engrossed in their lives, and found it very hard to lay this one aside. A gripping story with twists and turns that I didn’t see coming and events which took my breath away! Compelling, and definitely one I heartily recommend. No doubt about it, for me this one commands a full house of stars.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

This book was definitely an easy read - and a great choice for a holiday novel - but the story was implausible and besides the annoying main characters, the 'extras' were all completely interchangeable and just padded out the cast. Beth and Binnie were important characters but were completely indistinguishable in terms of their characters, while the husbands and children served no real purpose, and again were completely two-dimensional.
I didn't find Liv to be a convincing character and her motivations weren't believable.
Despite the criticisms, it is an easy, fun read and is worth taking on holiday!

Little Nothings is about a woman who has struggled to make friends all the way through her life.
After finally meeting Beth & Binnie in her adult life she starts to realise what it means to have true friendship.
Along comes Ange who worms her way in to the group & suddenly the dynamics change.
Liv finds herself always playing catch up & is unable to afford all the things that Ange proposes the group do.
Things turn nasty when the whole group with family in tow go on holiday to Corfu for a three week break.
Things turn sour & the atmosphere turns bitchy & toxic.
There are a lot of flashbacks that happen without warning so you really need to pay attention as can be confusing.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending but overall quite a good read.

Liv always had friendship problems as a child, so she is delighted to make 2 real friends at a mother and baby group. The dynamics change when one of them invites Ange into the group, who they all hero worship and aim to do anything for her approval. Fast forward to Liv and Pete having marital and financial problems and the friends, partners and children all going on a 3 week holiday together, obviously all done to Ange’s specifications. What could possibly go wrong?
I loved this book. The little nothings, or slights, that Ange does to Liv throughout the book would sound like Liv was paranoid, or pathetic if she brought them up, particularly as the others were so enthralled by Ange. However, we all reach a point when enough is enough, and I really enjoyed the plotting involved in Ange’s downfall. Highly recommended.

If you love a female-led thriller centred around conflicting relationships with the possibility of a murder during a drama-filled getaway to a luxury resort, then Little Nothings is a book for you. As long as you don't mind anything being very plausible, that is.

I read Little Nothings in one sitting and was really intrigued by what was going on. It took a while for me to understand where the story was going, but I soon enjoyed the petty melodrama that took over.

Fortunately, I was in a slightly more welcoming mood than normal for a bitchy nonsensical thriller as this is usually a book that I would have given up with early on. But there were enough good qualities to keep me reading. As a debut, Mayhew showcases some great qualities in her writing and storytelling. I got a vivid picture of each character and I felt engaged throughout.

But the characters are all really annoying, their arguments are immature, and the ending is absolutely ridiculous. Sometimes I don't mind an ending that is so out-there that it makes you laugh at its absurdity. And it could have been so much worse. Mayhew did keep me interested and I was entertained for the most part. But for me, the ending was... let's just say, not the one.

If you're looking for a quick, entertaining read and don't mind a very over-the-top ending that has absolutely no authenticity, then give this one a go! I will definitely be reading whatever Mayhew writes next, but I don't think I will be so forgiving a second time if it heads in the same direction.

I did enjoy this book about how female friendships can turn toxic. I don't think I would class it as a thriller though.

I enjoyed the style of writing and could easily imagine myself on the Greek Island of Corfu, watching the drama play out. This would make the perfect beach read. I had to keep on reading to find out what happened at the end. I was waiting for that killer twist that makes a good thriller, however I was left wanting.

The story is peppered with flashbacks which gave necessary background to the story. But there was no warning of them; no separation in paragraph or font to suggest that the story had switched to the past. I found this jarring and confusing at times.

I also did not like that some of the characters names did not have capital letters, ange for example and some other characters beginning with A. I hope this will be corrected in the published version.

Overall this was an OK read but not one I would recommend to Thriller fans.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Liv has always had trouble making friends, even as a child, so when she meets Binnie and Beth at a baby group she finally gets the friendships she craves. That is until one of the girls brings another “friend” into the group, and the dynamics inevitably change. The four “friends” and their families fly off to Corfu for what should be a dream holiday, but the womens friendships are complicated and toxic.
I love Greece and I love thrillers, so this book was set to be a winner for me…sadly it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. I thank the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Liv, her three friends and their respective families head off to sun soaked Corfu for a three week holiday. It was always just Liv, Binnie and Beth but then Ange was introduced into the group and Liv starts to feel pushed out. Little Nothings is a tale of bitchy women, drama and toxicity. I enjoyed the majority of the book but felt the ending somewhat of a let down. Thank you to NetGalley, Bloomsbury Publishing and the author for the chance to review.

Promoted as being in a similar vein to Liane Moriarty's novels, Julie Mayhew's escapist psychological drama is a blend of a light and deliciously dark focus on women and their friendships, warped and toxic, with its underlying currents of spitefulness and meanness, and its heavy dollops of passive aggressiveness, cutting thrusts and machinations. Set on the apparently picture perfect Mediterranean holiday Island of Corfu, it is simultaneously a fun and entertaining well written book that goes back and forth in time. Liv Thomas is married to Pete and has a young daughter, she's a woman who has experienced a lifetime of loneliness and not fitting in with others, so when she forges a close tight knit friendship with 2 other mothers in similar circumstances, Binnie and Beth, whom she meets in a kid's play group, she is over the moon.

There are wonderful times with the friends and their families, their children, the establishment of their everyday routines of chats and gossip, dinners together, sharing advice and tips, and their common in jokes and humour. However, all this is threatened with the entry of Ange into their friendship circle as she shakes up the group dynamics with a move towards a more exclusive and expensive lifestyle that is beyond Liv and her family's financial constraints. Liv once again starts to feel like an outsider, she cannot afford to keep up, and is she imagining Ange's antipathy towards her? It all becomes more twisted, fraught and suspenseful when all the families go on what is meant to be a fun 3 week holiday to Corfu that is far beyond Liv's means, in her efforts to save the friendships that mean so much. Where will it all end?

This is a great summer read, loaded with its vibrant drama, an engaging compulsive character driven novel on the complexities of belonging and identity, which documents Liv's journey when it comes to friends. I found myself turning the pages as fast as I could, getting caught up in all the intrigue and games, all the 'little nothings', wanting to know what will happen with the friends, a real 'nest of vipers'. Many thanks to the publisher for an ARC.

I'm sorry to say I didn't finish this novel. I found nothing in the first 100 pages to engage or interest me. Apologies, I hate to not finish an ARC

This was everything you need for a thriller and crime story. It is not as black and white as you first think and like most typical thrillers, is full of twists. This is a first for me by the author and one I enjoyed and would read more of their work. The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop. Thank you very much to the author, publisher and Netgalley for this ARC.

3.5/5.

This was a good story, I was intrigued as to what was gonna happen and I'm glad I picked it up! Want to read more from this author

This was an intriguing read, although I'm still trying to parse how much I actually enjoyed it. It focuses on the relationships between several friends and how quickly it all goes downhill when someone feels rejected.

Taken to the extreme, it is an interesting look at the layers of reliance and desperation our main character Liv goes through. When she feels replaced by newcomer Ange, she knows she has to find a way back in. A path that leads to many twists and turns as the two duke it out.

All of that said, it did lost me for the last section when it all got a little far fetched. But for fans of books like Big Little Lies, there's a lot to enjoy here.

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley or an ARC of this book.

I really enjoyed this novel and read it over just a few days - the toxicity that it describes is I think a theme so many people can relate to, with the subtle digs and competitive elements a constant threat in some friendship groups - frenemies is the word I think! Ange really is a delightfully awful person to read about, and I had a clear mental image of her all the way through. The way she undermines and threatens the quieter and less confident Liv is fascinating, but also the way in which Binnie and Beth react, or don't react kept me gripped. I couldn't help but be drawn to Clara too, and pictured her rather like Elizabeth Debicki's character in the Night Manager TV drama. The exotic location really helped me get into the book, and although the ending did feel somewhat implausible, it was still a good read.

Liv had always found it difficult to make friends but then she meets Beth and Binnie . They are all coping with young babies and soon become inseparable.
Then along comes Ange!
Ange encourages them all to live the life of luxury even though Liv can't afford it and soon feels she is being deliberately left out.
Then Ange arranges for them all to go on holiday together and Liv soon finds out the truth about Ange and will their lives ever be the same again?

Mean Girls set on a greek island

You will not want to be friends with any of these people

It might even put you off holidays with friends

Watch out for snakes in Corfu or anywhere else comes to that!