Am I the villian here...?

After a kids party goes a bit haywire, Janine blames her father in law (Roy), and asks online if she is the villian. Inviting answers from complete strangers on the internet, Janine initially feels some satisfaction when people say she isn't the villian, but soon things get out of hand.

This book had me questioning the main characters throughout, I found myself changing my 'side of the fence' many times between Janine and Roy. Roy was such a lovable character, slightly stuck in his way, but I believed he tried to please people non the less. Janine was fiery, she knew what she wanted, and wasn't afraid to stand her ground. Sometimes I admired her for this, other times I felt she refused to see anyone else's point.

This book was very enjoyable, and had me thinking throughout about how people can be very judgemental, especially of people they've never even met, and even when they don't know the full truth.

A brilliantly wrote book, with some great characters, and a thoroughly enjoyable concept.

FROM THE COVER📖

CantBeArsed8: Am I the villain for being furious my partner's father changed my daughter's pirate party into a princess party?

After a kid's party faux-pas, mother Janine anonymously vents about her father-in-law's behaviour on internet forum Am I The Villain Here? When the community is invited to take sides the post goes viral, with mild-mannered Roy ending up in the national newspapers and sparking protests at his local library. REASONABLE PEOPLE explores how judging others reveals our deepest, most unreasonable selves -

REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️


Told in the 3rd POV we the fall out of what can happen when generations clash and social media takes over.
I enjoyed this book it did make me think how I would react in the situation and reflect on the dynamics between the generations in my own family. The author makes some good points with regards to how much we have actually haven’t moved on that much in terms on gender roles.

The plot was good and flowed well, however I felt it lacked the depth needed to really hammer the points the author was trying to make, they were too hidden within the somewhat poor comedy and characters that were annoying and muddled in their development and personality. I know nothing is ever black and white so there need to be some nuance in the characters views and outlooks but found that nuance wasn’t so subtle.There were also some strange bits I found really didn’t add to the story or the point the author was making( the godson with the porn for example)

Overall this book made me think but I was confused to as what it was trying to be, because of that I found it hard to really engage with. That being said it would make a great book club pick it will spark debates for sure.

One small house. Too many people. All trying to do the best for the ones they love ... but getting it wrong in the process. A really enjoyable read which has your sympathies zipping back and forth throughout

Janine and her parent Phil move in with his dad Roy and bring Janine’s daughter Katie too.

Janine has lost her job, not with her child’s farther (Marky) and doesn’t like the way Roy focuses on using feminine works and themes with Katie such as pretty.

Janine posts online about him changing Katie pirate party to a princess one - much to Katie’s upset and it blows up to the point of naming and shaming poor Roy.

I found this book easy to read but wanted more from the story line. I also found Janine extremely annoying and the wrong side of feminism. And I felt extremely sad for Roy throughout this book.

I really enjoyed this book, the perfect balance of a light read that makes you think. Truly enjoyable and I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Am I being the villain here…..??

When a child’s party goes horrible wrong. Janine posts about her Father in Law’s faux pas for the world to judge….

Will you be Team Janine or Team Roy?

This book, hits the nail on the head with how one post on social media made in haste can have consequences

It is so well written, the characters have so many flaws which makes is believable, it hits real life on the head and how things are in perceived on the internet.

I was unable to put this down. I LOVED this book! Read in 2 days. As I couldn’t put it down

I really enjoyed this book, not something I would normally pick up but the synopsis had me intrigued so I decided to go for it.

This novel follows Janine, our main character, who is a little bit down on her luck after losing her job and having to move in with her father in law. Janine's daughter, Katie, has an upcoming birthday and asks her mum for a pirate party and when she allows her father in law to take over the planning of it, she (and Katie) are both horrified to find out that Roy had changed the pirate party into a princess party.

Trying to get a sense of unity and compassion for her upset, Janine turns to the internet and asks a well-known website 'Am I The Villain?' for being angry at Roy's behaviour.

What happens next when the internet mob become heavily involved in this argument, both on-line and offline, is hilarious.

Like I say, I really enjoyed this novel. Whilst it was really funny and the dialogue was sharp, it was incredibly relatable and I definitely saw both sides of the argument. I am sure many will disagree and will choose sides and I think this will be one of those novels which will be well debated.

Thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis
Reasonable People" follows Janine, a mother who anonymously shares her frustrations about her father-in-law's behavior on an online forum. The post goes viral, leading to unexpected consequences for Roy, the father-in-law, and sparking protests at his local library, ultimately exploring the complex nature of human judgment and our hidden, unreasonable selves with Hulse's characteristic warmth and humor.

Thoughts
I was thoroughly captivated by this book and found its exploration of the internet's power and the inherent fear it instills in elderly individuals to be truly remarkable. The author skillfully conveyed these themes, keeping me engrossed from start to finish. The pacing was impeccable, with snappy and concise chapters that maintained a gripping momentum throughout.

The main character was deliberately crafted to be unlikeable, which is something I usually appreciate. However, I found myself grappling with my personal connection to her. While I admire an unlikeable character when their motivations are clear, I must admit that this protagonist's principles repulsed me to the point where it was challenging to empathize with her. Around 80 percent into the story, I had hoped for significant character growth, and although there were moments that hinted at it, I felt that the ending tied everything up a bit too neatly, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied.

Despite my reservations about the conclusion, I must acknowledge that this book was an interesting and thoroughly entertaining read