So Thrilled For You is set over one tense afternoon at a baby shower–turned–surprise gender reveal, told from the POVs of four long-time friends, with police interview transcripts hinting at a disaster by the end. As the prose peels back layers of jealousy, insecurity, and long-held grudges, it becomes clear: no one here is truly likeable—and that’s kind of the point. Holly Bourne digs into the messy reality of adult friendship, where support and resentment often coexist. It’s sharp and uncomfortable in a good way, though some parts start to feel a little repetitive. A twisty, emotional pressure cooker.

Not my most favourite book of the year so far but an interesting take on 4 uni friends and how their different paths in life has affected them all. I wasn’t keen on any of the main characters so it was hard to be engaged throughout.

I found this book so compelling, but the ending left me a bit cold. The premise was so relatable. I loved the blunt look at the choices women face and how no one can really have it all. But I felt like the ending was much too tidy, which made it less relatable. There are a lot of loose ends left unaddressed. I guess the message is supposed to be that friendship can overcome it all, but can it?

Holly Bourne's So Thrilled For You is a compelling exploration of the complexities of female friendships and the societal pressures surrounding motherhood. Set against the backdrop of an intense heatwave and a high-stakes baby shower, the novel brings together four university friends—Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte, and Steffi—whose lives have diverged significantly since their college days.​ The narrative delves deep into each character's psyche, revealing insecurities, jealousy, and unspoken tensions that simmer beneath the surface. The baby shower serves as a catalyst, unearthing long-held resentments and leading to a dramatic climax that leaves the reader questioning the nature of true friendship.​ Bourne's writing is both witty and incisive, capturing the nuances of female relationships with authenticity and empathy. Her portrayal of the struggles associated with motherhood, the choice to remain child-free, and the societal expectations placed on women is both thought-provoking and relatable.​ This novel is a must-read for anyone interested in a realistic portrayal of modern womanhood, complete with its challenges and triumphs. It's a story that will resonate long after the final page is turned.

I have always been Holly Bourne’s biggest fan and this book did not disappoint. This book focuses on motherhood and friendships. I found that this book was such a page turner, I was invested in the story of the friends and really couldn’t put it down.

The book follows four friends from university in their thirties, Steffi - a new book agent living a childfree life, Charlotte - an overly organised teacher trying to conceive, Nicki - a self obsessed pregnant woman and Lauren - a new mum suffering from postpartum depression and PTSD. A gripping story of friends that were once very close but life and circumstances has pushed them apart. I like how the mystery was unravel in a gradual manner (over the duration of day of the baby shower ) that didn't seem rushed and that each persons chapter was interspersed with interrogations by the police. I also liked that the book tackled depression in new mums and, the need for both mental and physical support. Overall, a good mystery with some serious and humorous moments. I would highly recommend.

I received this ebook from NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton in exchange for a free and honest review.

Another great book by Holly Bourne! She absolutely nails the complexities of relationships between women, the book explores how messy, raw, and real they can be, and how these relationships change over time. I also loved how it showed that we’re all just a little too caught up in our own heads to notice what others are really thinking about us. The dynamics between the characters felt so honest and relatable, I completely forgot I was reading at times, it just flowed so well. Loved it.

So Thrilled For You is painfully real in the best way. It dives headfirst into the messy world of female friendships, societal pressure, and the whole exhausting “keeping up” vibe that so many women deal with in their 30s. Bourne nails that inner voice that says, why can’t I just be happy for my friends?—and she does it with her usual blend of honesty, humor, and heart.

The main character, who’s stuck in that awkward space between being genuinely happy for her friend’s success and quietly spiraling, felt so relatable it hurt. It’s cringe-y at times (in a too real way), but also deeply validating. Bourne doesn’t shy away from the ugly feelings we don’t like to admit we have, and I really appreciated that.

Some parts did feel a bit repetitive, and I wished a couple of side characters were fleshed out more, but overall it’s a smart, emotionally raw read that leaves you thinking about the complexity of friendship and self-worth long after you finish.

If you’ve ever smiled through gritted teeth while saying “I’m so happy for you,” this book is for you.

A delayed review unfortunately - my apologies.

Finally here we are:

So Thrilled for You was completely up my street!

A solid 4 stars. Holly Bourne a new mum herself, captures a really blunt raw honestly about female
Friendship with this character led book, each woman is someone to relate to for most women. Tackling serious topics whilst also having comic, memorable lines. The Little Women are all in some ways recognisable… flawed but real, Holly handles discussing tricky topics around motherhood with empathy and understanding which was good to see. Unsure on the ending feeling a bit meh, hence one less star but overall, it’s a relatable read. Thank you to NetGalley and hodder stoughton.

Four best friends meet up for a baby shower on the hottest day of the year, a baby shower that ends in a horrific fire.

Charlotte who is struggling with infertility has organised the shower for Nicki who is hating being the centre of attention, especially considering one of the guests Charlotte invited for her... Lauren has already had her baby and is secretly struggling following a traumatic birth and Steffi is happily child free by choice and her career is taking off. Everyone has their secrets and tensions are simmering.

I really enjoyed the writing style of this and the way everything was revealed slowly but it frustrated me that these women have been best friends since university yet they don't talk properly about anything. The characters were really well developed but I did want more from the ending.

Sharp, honest, and painfully relatable—Holly Bourne does it again! FIVE big fat ⭐s

So Thrilled for You follows four university friends—Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte, and Steffi—who reunite at a baby shower during a sweltering heatwave. What starts as a celebration quickly becomes a pressure cooker for long-simmering tensions, buried resentments, and the complexities of female friendship. As the day unfolds, the cracks in their seemingly polished lives begin to show, forcing them to confront uncomfortable truths about themselves and each other.

This is my first 5-star read of the year, which is no surprise because I love @hollybourneya’s writing. She has a way of making me feel so seen. Some passages just hit differently—so sharp, so true, so brutally accurate that I found myself nodding along while reading. I remember feeling the same way with Girl Friends, and So Thrilled for You had that same impact.

Bourne writes about everyday sexism in a way that’s so painfully accurate, you don’t even realise how ingrained it is until she spells it out—and honestly, sometimes that can be quite triggering! But this book is more than just a feminist gut-punch. It’s funny, scathing, and filled with vibrant, flawed, and deeply real characters.

It’s an exploration of the knotty dynamics of female friendship, the societal pressures around motherhood, and the unspoken resentment that can creep into relationships as life moves on.

I got so angry while reading—at men, at the expectations placed on women, and yes, even at the friends themselves! But that’s what makes this book so brilliant. Each woman presents a different perspective, and it serves as a much-needed reminder to think beyond our own situations, stop making comparisons, and actually show up for each other.

So readable, so thought-provoking—this was a cathartic read, and I loved it. Highly recommend!

PS: I read two Goodreads reviews that really stuck out for me about this book: “So good I forgot I was reading”, and “A morality tale about the consequences of bitching about people at the same party as you”...spot on 😂

As a woman who has chosen to be child free, I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book. However, I would 100% recommend. It gave insightful Perspectives into the experiences of so many women and challenged my thinking about my own attitudes.

A great page turner, focusing on a group of friends navigating a pivotal moment in their lives. The backdrop of a heatwave add a nice element to the tension which builds and builds.

I thoroughly enjoyed this read - themes of friendship, womanhood and motherhood will always be favourites of mine!

I also didn’t anticipate how funny this book was going to be. I’m certain this book will do so well (I’ve already seen it front and centre in many popular bookstores - and for good reason).

I’ll be keeping an eye out for any future books by Holly Bourne!

This book gave me ANXIETY beyond belief. Claustrophobic and sweaty, and maddening, but equally brilliant. I found the description of the realtionships between the girls and their families/partners/babies incredibly realistic. A very modern book which I recommmend for millenial women.

A great page turner. The story follows a group of friends that have been friends since college. Now they're going off and starting families of their own (or not) and new tensions and old resentments surface at a baby shower.

Meet Nicki, Lauren, Steffi and Charlotte affectionately known as The Little Women, four best friends since they met in university. Now in their 30s oh how life has changed babies, pregnancies, infertility, voluntary childlessness. They meet on a scorching summer day to celebrate Nicki's pending arrival however all is not as it seems, the baby shower ends in a fire possibly deliberate. So we go back through the events through the day and the last 10 plus years to see what has led to this. Some really serious issues are dealt with in this book so definitely take a look at trigger warnings. However Holly Bourne has dealt with them amazingly and even made me laugh throughout. Cool Mum being the most relateable character I've ever read 🤣 First book from this authour but won't be my last. Thank you to netgalley & hodder books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars
Having read a few of Holly Bourne's YA books, I was really intrigued by how she would handle women's fiction and this feels so apt for where I am (and I can imagine so many other women will be) in my life right now.
It feels really honest and definitely has an introspective feel to it, which I liked. But it was also funny, while being more nuanced at times, giving it a good mix of the two and keeping me reading along.
This is the kind of story that I'll be recommending to everyone else at the same point in life as me and the characters.
And I definitely can't wait to see what Holly does next, after reading this.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read all of Holly Bournes books and always enjoy them.

I loved this cover and thought it was different from her previous books.

This is about 4 university friends reuniting for a baby shower.

this is about friendships and how things change.

Was a good read

A harrowing and hard-hitting novel that details some extremes of motherhood that need to be written about!

I am so glad that this book has been written. The different types of mothers that the author portrays are so important for a woman to recognise and normalise. Obviously this plot is fiction and an extreme case, but it's important nonetheless.