This was my first time reading a book from the author but I am delighted to say I thoroughly enjoyed the story and I look forward to reading more books from the writer in the future

This novel is the perfect balance between scandalous and serious; we have the fun of the situations presented with a lot of depth behind them, which can be a hard thing to write.
Sophie White gives us female characters who are relatable, recognisable and nuanced. I couldn't help but get very invested in each story, regardless of how dissimilar the woman was from me, because they were written with such warmth and genuineness.
A definite recommendation from me.

This was such a cutting look at friendships, at how much of a pedestal social media influencers are put on at times, and also a look at the struggles of first time motherhood (and PPD), bipolar disorder, hoarding, and addiction. At times it's a hard, harrowing read. At other times, it tugs on your heartstrings.

Many of the characters really pissed me off. I absolutely hated Aifric, and also my own namesake in this book wasn't a great friend. In fact, most of the characters in here were truly awful people. Let's not even start on Amanda.

I do wish Lexi, Claire, and Joanna had met each other a little earlier into the book. Their first meeting came a little too late for me, which made the first 40pc of this book rather slow.

My Hot Friend by Sophie White

Lexi is a high flying podcast host with thousands of followers but when her bestie and co-host Amanda decides to take their podcast in a different direction, will it cost them their friendship and ultimately end the success and fame they’ve enjoyed for so long?

Joanne has just had a baby and is in the throes of adjusting to motherhood. She adores her baby and her partner but she just feels frustrated, lonely and disconnected. Being the only one in her friendship group who has had a baby she struggles to keep up with them and their big nights out. Can she maintain the friendship she once had with them?

Claire is feeling totally left out by her friends following a mental health crisis. ‘The Bitch Herd’ WhatsApp group has fallen quiet despite her best attempts to resurrect it and she has a strong feeling she’s been left out of a side group. Why are they leaving her out and what can she do to reconnect with them?

This book is about the complexities of female friendship, it’s both heart aching, warm, funny, raw and vulnerable. Sophie White captures the situations and reactions of these women so accurately that you can’t help but find yourself nodding along. She captures the matrescence period of Joanne so well, that process of transitioning into motherhood that literally rocks you to the core. The feelings of helplessness that Claire experiences are a real reminder that we need to look after each other and check in on our friends. Lexi’s determination to remain true to herself despite the domineering nature of her best friend Amanda also show how as we grow we change and should always remain true to ourselves.

The book gives us a real insight into the life of someone living with Bipolar Disorder, I don’t think I’ve read a book which has captured mental illness so well and if I have, it hasn’t stayed with me like Claire’s storyline has. The incidents in the book felt very real and were hard to forget. I suppose this shows how well Sophie White deals with these topics.

This book really highlights some of the problems with social media and the pressure it puts on people, and how that can affect their mental health. It was clever how we saw the world through Claire’s mental health issues and therefore saw her friends as she saw them rather than the reality. It also highlights how people still don’t know how to respond to or talk about mental health.

Smart and funny, following friendship groups fall in and out with one another as lives change and priorities alter. Some great characters, sharp dialogue and clever moments keep the momentum throughout.

In My Hot Friend by Sophie White we first come across Claire. She is feeling a bit lost, not quite connected to her group of friends.
She notices that the group whatsapp ‘The Bitch Herd’ is distinctly quiet, she realises there must be a side group set up without her.

Lexi is an influencer and has a podcast with her bestie, Amanda. Her career is taking off, she is doing #sponcon to beat the band and has even signed a deal for their podcast with Podify, to take it to the next level. As part of this deal they do a live recording of the podcast in front of a studio audience, Amanda however takes it a step too far and reveals a secret that causes Lexi’s world to crumble.

Joanne has just had a baby, a little boy who she loves more than life itself. She’s bored though and feeling lonely. Her friends are still in their wild era, drugs and alcohol flowing at all times.

The three women’s paths cross and they become firm friends.

This book is truly brilliant. The story deals with so many issues most of which are relevant to me and my life. I didn’t feel like I was in the doldrums reading it though, as it was so cleverly done that I was immediately invested.

Claire’s mental health issues were dealt with so delicately but with a rawness that I felt deep in my core. That particular scene on the plane home from the hen do struck a nerve and was wonderfully written.

I’m lucky enough to own two copies of this. A physical copy that the author kindly signed for me when we met briefly. I also picked up a kindle copy last month to bring away on holidays, I don’t regret a thing!

My Hot Friend is only 99p on kindle today so really no excuse not to pick up a copy.

A glorious, relatable book that covers so much in such a short number of pages and yet everything feels like it was covered perfectly. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book given the themes it was to deal with. The note from the author at the outset is very sensible because I think you do need to be in a particular place, mentally, to enjoy it (I have OCD and don’t think I could have enjoyed it at a time I was struggling). That being said, I think because of that many fiction books shy away from the issues which are very real and very common. The author’s own experiences have obviously informed the plot and the way the characters experience things including mental illness (I gather from the letter at the end of the book which I found very moving) and this brings a genuine-ness to the book that is difficult to get (from my experience of other books dealing with similar issues which I’ve sometimes found either overly glib, unrealistic or just lacking the other brighter moments there are even when suffering. I loved the different relationships in this book (and by this I mean friendships too, not just romantic relationships) and at times I laughed out loud. I’ve hear a lot about the book, all praising it highly, and I’ll now be adding to it, to friends who I know have struggled, to those who know I have and everyone else because there’s a lot to learn from this along with a great plot.

The premise of "My Hot Friend" was very interesting. I expected 3 distinct storylines of 3 very different women, however only the story of Claire felt nuanced, wheres I experienced the remaining two as an afterthought. Motivations and backgrounds of Lexi and Joanne didn't read as clearly. It may be due to editing choices or because of the importance of the topic of bipolar disorder that the author wanted to shine through. If that was the case, I'd consider Lexi's and Joanne's perspectives more of supportive characters, but considering how many pages they inhabited, it clearly wasn't the aim. Especially that only Claire is given a proper diagnosis, wheres the traces of postpartum depression in the character of Joanne and Lexi's traumatic experiences of losing a parent and living with one with alcohol dependency are not really subtle.

i ADORED THIS!!!
The book was actually longer than I anticipated. However, this is absolutely not a bad thing. I didn't feel the almost 500 pages going at all - in fact I could have read even more!
Every main character is an absolute gem and I so enjoyed reading how they realised their current surroundings weren't actually benefitting them. It was glorious to see them extract from the situations they were in to end up happy. This book is a warm hug and it made me want to drink a bottle of wine and facetime my best friends to tell them how much I love them!!!!

My Hot Friend follows the lives of three very different women, Claire, Lexi & Joanne, who are each struggling with the ups & downs of female friendships in their thirties. Claire is struggling as she is lacking the support of her friends from the aptly named WhatsApp group, The Bitch Herd, following a recent mental health crisis. Lexi, whose life is slowly beginning to spiral out of control while so-called ride-or-die friend & podcast co-host Amanda seems oblivious. And finally, Joanne who is struggling with the life changes involved in becoming a new mother & what impact that has on her existing friendships.

The heart of the book is the relatability of its characters & indeed topics. Sophie manages to hold a mirror to female friendships & toxic relationships with astonishing accuracy. Every single reader will feel seen at some point within the pages of this book. And if you’re anything like me, maybe an uncomfortable amount 😂.

Sophie has given the reader a true & honest insight into the reality of the life of someone living with Bipolar Disorder, a mental illness which is still very much cloaked in stigma & silence. Through her depiction of manic episodes & indeed the shattering lows that come after, she left me with an encroaching palpable unease that lingered long after I finished the book.

White also shines a light on the true realities of early motherhood and isn’t afraid to show that it isn’t all cute insta friendly matching outfits and smiles.

Sophie flawlessly manages to create the perfect mix of entertaining yet informative and blends some brutally dark moments with sections which will have you in pain laughing.

Don’t let the cute cover & cheeky title fool you, this isn’t just another throwaway summer read but a beautifully charming, honest, hilarious & insightful look at female friendships, motherhood & mental health.

Read If You Like
☕Relatable characters, insightful honesty & laugh out loud moments

For Fans Of
☕The Aishling series & Louise O’Neill

Favourite Quote
☕“Why are all the sad songs and sad movies about couples breaking up? Friendship breakups were far more painful and complex.”

This was a bit of a slow burn for me - until the three women’s lives became intermingled, I wasn’t really feeling it but once that kicked in, I was fully invested and couldn’t wait to find out what happened. The overarching themes of mental health, the difficult of making and even maintaining friendships in your 30s and the toxicity of social media were handled so well, and those heavy topics were peppered with laugh out loud humour too. And yes, I very much cried at the ending which was just *chef’s kiss*.

Absolutely loved this book so much. It’s a very real thing to write about as it is difficult maintaining woman friendships as you get older as people do change and the dynamics of friendships. And obviously no one tells you how to make friends in your 30s lol it’s difficult and I think Sophie has done a great job writing about this. I will definitely be recommending this book.

Another book that had me rolling my eyes at the start but smiling by the end.

I guess I'm too old for all the "what do people think of me" thoughts that young people have. To be honest I'm not sure I had them when I was young but, unlike our three protagonists - Lexi, Joanne and Claire - I had great friends who never let me down. I was lucky.

Joanne is a new mother struggling to balance caring for baby Ted and getting her boyfriend, Bert, to do his bit at home as well as at work. Lexi is a podcaster (is that a word?) who is thrown off into the deep end by some "content" she'd had no idea about. (This "content" seemed obvious to me but it doesn't make it less of a devastating moment for Lexi). Last we have Claire whose friends (and the WhatsApp name for the group - Bitch Herd - should tip you off to their true nature) seem to be pulling away after an incident the year before which we don't learn the true nature of until the last third of the book.

All these women struggle with their own mental health but it is Claire's that is the most precarious. As her friendship with her best friend, Aifric, seems to hang by a thread she begins to take more and more on herself to repair the damage and hopefully to prove to the Bitch Herd that she is worthy.

This book has a serious message at its heart and one that we often don't see until it is too late - everyone's good mental health is important.

As I said I rolled my eyes because if someone is rude/mean/dismissive of me now I'd not sound a whole lot of time wondering how I could make them like me. This may come with age or simply good mental health. I don't know. Sophie White has experienced the devastating effects of bad mental health and it shows in the writing.

All in all a good book and one I think that would be as entertaining as it is informative, which is a tricky balance to get right. Sophie White manages it I'd definitely recommend this one.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Adored this book and LOVED the characters, it was a quick easy read that i had to read in one sitting! Loved every second.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a woman in her thirties, left behind by her old group, must be in want of a new friend: at least according to Sophie White’s My Hot Friend, which is about three women navigating friendship and its complexities in the wake of the pandemic and the digital age.

All three characters find themselves out of step with their lifelong friends and their romantic partners: Lexi’s successful podcast is shared with her best friend and boyfriend who don’t have her best interests at heart; Joanne’s friends and partner don’t understand how hard it is being a new mum; and Claire’s friends are icing her out just as her parents’ marriage is imploding.

I enjoyed how White interrogates the nuances of female friendship, giving it the same focus and attention we would expect her to show towards the romantic partners in the novel, and there is plenty for readers interested in influencer culture to like, but the strongest part of the books are concerned with mental illness, shame and loneliness.

White’s ability to build and diffuse tension really show her powers as a comedic author, with the weight of her expert handling of darker issues behind her.

White's five novels have been commercial fiction, largely about women’s lives and contemporary culture, whereas her other titles, Corpsing, Where I End and her memoir/cookbook Recipes for a Nervous Breakdown draw on her darker interests.

However, those divisions aren’t quite as black and white as they may seem. You would be forgiven for thinking that this is a light and easy read, judging by the funky cover and tongue-in-cheek title. White’s writing style here is direct and slang-heavy, sometimes overly so, and the novel takes a while to get going.

Yet, as the book goes on she really warms up and the slight uneasiness the reader feels turns to full scale dread for the characters, as White returns to some of her frequent themes: mental illness, body horror, disconnect between internet and reality.

The most striking scenes in My Hot Friend, and where White’s gifts really have a chance to shine, are written about a character undergoing a psychotic episode and the immediate aftermath. White’s description of “the uncanny doll’s house reality”, where people move mechanically, is chilling, and I found I was unable to tear myself away.

She puts the other characters and reader in the affected person’s shoes and asks them to consider what it must be like “to have your mind turn on you like that”. She also, importantly, through the sensible advise of another character, offers a roadmap as to how to support (and more importantly, how not to support) a friend through a mental health breakdown.


The novel is also very much of its time, in the same way that Filter This, Unfiltered and The Snag List show contemporary, image and influencer obsessed culture is now, grounded in the current economic climate. Being a full time “internet celebrity” is positioned as a goal in each of these books, and the novels show how influencers can circumvent traditional means for gaining wealth when they are shut out of those areas – other pathways for success are blocked, so they must find alternatives means.

The housing crisis is very apparent in My Hot Friend; Claire’s parents are stuck in the same house because they can’t afford to separate, which is played for laughs in the book but is a grim reality for many people.

Lexi’s ability to buy a house in Dublin in is only plausible because of a huge deal with a major platform, meaning that she is trapped in a harmful industry until she can gain enough stability to be free from the anxiety of renting. White effectively highlights the precariousness of making a living out of influencer culture—and the other consequences for this type of job on work-life-balance, self-worth and relationships.


It is refreshing that the book isn’t particularly concerned with romantic love – though there are some nice moments later in the book with a blossoming romance – but it takes friendships very seriously, and gives them the same weight that commercial fiction and society give romantic relationships. The beginning of fissures in a strong friendship and working partnership necessitates couples therapy for Lexi and Amanda, and as that breaks down, language of romantic breakup is used.

White raises the question a few times of why we tolerate the same bad behaviour from friends that would raise serious red flags with a romantic partner. Why do we not simply cut out someone exhibiting toxic behaviour, and once there has been a resolution, why do we decide or not decide to give them a second chance as we do with a relationship or marriage? And why do we not allow that these kind of breakups are “painful and complex” too? The power plays and jealousy at work in each of the friendship groups are particularly striking, though at some points feel overdone, and I would have preferred fewer mediations on this to really drive the point home.

To that end, while I really enjoyed Joanne’s character, a no nonsense new mother, I didn’t feel that her point of view chapters were as necessary to move the plot forward. Through those chapters we get astute insights about the conflicts in relationships between new parents, but it slowed down the pace of the book considerably.

In My Hot Friend her humorous appearances through Claire or Lexi’s eyes made her my favourite character, but her point of view chapters felt like a separate, though still enjoyable book about the frustrations of new motherhood.

It took me a while to get stuck into My Hot Friend, but once I reached the halfway point I found myself picking it up and stealing a few moments to read another chapter here and there. I always enjoy the ideas in White’s books, but my personal preference is for the writing style she uses in her darker books.

However, I know that a lot of readers will find exactly what they are looking for in this new novel: similar themes to what they’ve enjoyed in her novels in the past, the same immediate, chatty speaking voice they will recognise from White’s podcast, and a book that will hold their interest for close to 500 pages, which is no small achievement.

I really admire White’s ability to write across very different genres, and how she can use the language and structure of those varied genres to speak to what are sometimes quite similar ideas; influencer culture, mental illness, relationships, and the body – and allow us to access her way of seeing the same world through different portals.

My Hot Friend by Sophie White

Thank you to @netgalleyuk @hachetteireland & @sophiewhitewhoop for the digital ARC of this book in return for an honest review.

This is my first book I've read by Sophie White and it will definitely not be my last. I have Where I End on tbr pile quite a while, the reason I haven't read it yet is out of fear 😂

I just want to commend Sophie on her very realistic portrayal of serious mental health problems.

Meet Lexi she is part of the most sucessful podcast duo My Hot Friend. Her co host & best friend Amanda has a fly away mouth that might just cost them their podcast and their friendship.
Then there is Joanne she has just had a new baby and even the sound of her partner breathing is making her want to kill him 😂 Her friends arent settled down and just don't get the change in her lifestyle.
And finally Claire she seems to be ghosted by her group of school friends (who are infact her only friends), the whatsapp chat has ran cold and a reply is accidentally posted into the group that was meant for their sidegroup without her.
Then fate brings all three of these girls together and what forms is an unlikely friendship, that will have you howling with laughter but keep the tissues handy too.

5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The book was released this week and is available to purchase instore and online now.

My Hot Friend by Sophie White.

If you have been reading my reviews for a while you will know I love Sophie White's writing, she makes me laugh, she always impresses me with her ability to write across genres and I love the characters she creates, she writes Irish women with such gorgeous accuracy , I can always recognise a part of her characters personality from someone I know. My Hot Friend is her latest book, published today and it is overflowing with all the things I love and have come to expect from Sophie White's books.

Three very different women find themselves in need of new friends. Lexi hosts a successful podcast with her oldest friend but their fame is threatening their friendship. Joanne has just had a baby, the first of her friends to do so and her life is suddenly very different to that of her friends. Claire has had the same group of friends for years but their whatsapp group is gone very quiet and she knows they talk without her and she's feeling lonely and excluded. Fate brings these women together as they try to manage the complexities of finding and maintaining friendships in your thirties and how hard it can be.

This was a joy. Entertaining, poignant, wise and funny; contemporary fiction at its sharpest and so gut punchingly relatable . Anyone who has felt lonely while have having a group of friends will relate, anybody who has struggled to share space with the partner they love after having a baby will relate, anyone who feels all their friends have moved on will relate, I actually can't think of anybody who won't find find something to relate to in this book. There is also razor sharp social commentary about podcasting/ influencing interlaced throughout the narrative and the book continues in this vein until the final quarter. At which point this book is elevated from a funny and a relatable read to a much more important read as we learn more about Claire and witness her mental health degenerating. The writing in the closing chapters is beautiful and informative and makes something that is usually ignored in this type of book relatable and understandable and I thought it was generous of the author to include and explore. The final chapters made my heart sore and soar and this was an immensely satisfying read. I loved these characters and I loved this book. I hope it finds itself into my people's hands this year, we all need My Hot Friend in our lives in 2023.

Not my usual type of read. Took me a little while to get into the story and follow each characters life. Once I got into it I loved it. A tale of friendship and how it can help heal. Big discussions on mental health and mental illness towards the end and really highlighting that with love and support you can get through it!