I love all Holly's books and the way she writes so deeply about female friendships (and also motherhood in this novel). So Thrilled For You reads like a thriller which is a new style for the author, but doesn't shy away from what she does best. Some of the chapters were very harrowing and I guess upsetting, but this raw honesty about motherhood is what made the book so great.

Thanks to NetGalley, publishers and author for an ARC of So Thrilled For You.
4.5 stars
I loved this book, the mystery kept me guessing right qquntil the end. There Were two female characters who were intense to the point of manic. This was very well written, but stressed me out at times that I dropped the half star.
Highly recommend

In a world of liars, the honest woman is queen
—
There are pivotal moments in our lives: birthdays, graduation, weddings, gender reveal parties… When four old friends gather for a baby shower-cum-gender reveal party, the lies fall apart and the truth is revealed, until a fateful moment sweeps away everything in catharsis.

They don’t tell you how difficult becoming an adult can be. There’s no manual, no Dummies for adulting. You just get stuck in and do it. And so it is for our four women friends, taking their inevitable paths forward, and finding that things aren’t as advertised. Marriage, pregnancy, commercial success: something has always got to give. Told in alternating POVs interspersed with police interviews, the day in question is a watermark for these friends, to reset relationships that have changed out of all recognition. A Galentine’s book if ever I’ve seen one and told with brio like a mystery, the characters are engaging women doing their best, succeeding at times, failing at others; always striving to satisfy social constructs but in the end giving in to their personal and interpersonal needs.

A satisfying three and a half stars, rounded up to four.

Holly Bourne's story concept was excellent - a way to articulate the complexities and challenges contained in everyone's inner world, and just how much pressure this can put on even your closest friendships...especially when babies are involved! Moving, timely, and laugh-out-loud funny at times. Well worth a read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC. Although I did have to be dragged kicking and screaming out of my latest streak of fantasy books, I can confirm that So Thrilled For You was just as compelling and thrilling as any tale of magic and warfare. One of the things I love about Bourne as an author is how sharp her pen can be. She is spectacular at dissecting social relationships and phenomena and turning them into incredibly compelling and unputdownable reads and So Thrilled For You is no exception. The novel centres around four friends who broadly embody the various models of thirties womanhood that we see in the media. Lauren is a new mother who is struggling more than any of her friends realise, Steffi is an ambitious career woman who is proudly child-free but convinced everyone is secretly judging her for it, Charlotte is desperate for motherhood and is channelling all of her OTT type A energy into throwing the ultimate Pinterest-worthy baby shower for Nicki, who is excited to have her baby but has half an eye looking to the past and the life she gave up to become a mother. This book had me crawling out of my skin with how toe-curlingly and casually cruel that these women could be to each other. The changing perspectives were superbly executed. Every interaction seemed perfectly innocent from the perspective of the person narrating it and was taken achingly personally by the friend who then perceived dozens of implicit slights. As much as each character was fantastically realised, Lauren takes home the prize for most unflinching depiction of motherhood and the postpartum experience that I have read in some time. The scenes from the hospital after she gave birth were so harrowing that I made my husband read them and promise that if we had children that he would never let this happen to me. Overall an excellent, highly readable novel that will keep you guessing and also really has something to say about female friendship and the way that society treats women of childbearing age. Highly recommend for fans of Big Little Lies or book clubs looking for a juicy discussion.

A story about friendship and motherhood, and above all, secrets!

This is a delicious book to read and will not let you go!

Genuinley the greatest book I've read in the last 12 months.

I read a lot of it thinking thank god little of this is my experience of motherhood or friendship but even so there were parts where I thought, yep, been there. Despite it not bing refelctive of my experience it felt so believable and just so raw. It hasgone straight onto my list of books I will always recommend when asked.

This is not my usual type of read at all, so I was unsure going into it. It was a wonderful surprise. The central premise is a group of friends getting together for a baby shower and all of the baggage they bring with them. What it really digs into is the time of life when the prospect of motherhood comes around. Deciding to have a child or not and what it's like when you do. The rejection of not wanting it, the desperation for it, the resentment of it. Probably the best depiction I've read of the subject.

I read So Thrilled For You as a digital book and gave it 3 stars. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the honesty and vulnerability of having and/or looking after children, Holly Bourne does not shy away from some of the more unspoken circumstances/events that happen when you have a child and i personally really appreciated that in this book. The beginning for me was quite slow and boring, I did enjoy the multi POVs and learning about our four main characters and their lives, but the book only really started picking up pace after the 60/70%+ mark for me anyway; so I did enjoy the end more than the beginning and I did feel like the end was slightly rushed. At one point in the book atleast, all of the four FMCs in this book did annoy me sometimes but with this I also liked how it portrays the characters as real people who are all different and don't all get along, making them feel more realistic. Some parts of the book were a bit weird to me or I didn't see how they added any value to the story. Overall, this book was an OK read, I probably won't reread it or buy a physical copy for myself (this is the first book I've read by Holly, so Ill look into their other books as well as I might enjoy them more) , but would recommend to other people, but please make sure to check TWs and CWs before you read them though.

I finished So Thrilled for You by @hollybourneya last week and really enjoyed it, though I would say that it needs trigger warmers for infertility, baby loss and post-natal depression so if those are topics that are sensitive, this might not be the best book for you to read. It’s sort-of a whodunnit but without a murder being committed, set around a baby shower for a group of friends who call themselves the ‘Little Women’. However times change and so do friendships and this event will test the best of them. I must admit I’m not sure I could be friends with all of them myself after reading this!!! Thank you to @netgalley for the proof copy.

I enjoyed So Thrilled For You. It was a journey into friendship and motherhood , and touched on the topics which aren’t always freely talked about.
I look forward to reading Holly Bourne’s other books.

I absolutely ADORED this book! I felt it spoke to me on so many levels - between complex friendships, “interesting” mother/daughter dynamics plus motherhood itself, I honestly felt seen at times.

Holly Bourne’s writing is searingly honest, witty and emotionally provocative. As much as I tore through this novel because I was enjoying it so much, I did not want it to end.

An absolutely stellar depiction of what it is to be a woman.

Absolutely loved this book! From page one I was hooked and couldn’t wait to pick the book back up.

I can’t wait for more from this author!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was a bit hesitant going into this book, as I have had mixed results with Holly Bourne before and I wasn't certain there was anything left to be said about the horrors of motherhood in fiction.

Well, I was proven wrong. It is not so much that this book has something new and profound to say about pregnancy or friendship or motherhood, but the way I genuinely began to feel for every single one of these women. Every single one of them was messy and selfish and complex and at times a terrible friend. And yet I could not find any true fault in their behavior. It is so refreshing to see grace given to women who are trying their best not just by the narrative, but by each other.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read about complex female friendship.

So Thrilled For You captures the complexities of female friendship and womanhood so incredibly well. University friends Nicki, Charlotte, Lauren and Steffi are now in their thirties and firmly in different stages of life. Their genuine friendship has become quasi-performative and beneath these performances, jealousy, resentment, insecurity, sadness and uncertainty simmer. This novel is unashamedly honest and raw, delving into the socially unspoken aspects of motherhood, infertility, and the stigma childfree women face. This was my first time reading a Holly Bourne novel and I loved the knife-sharp wit and distinct narrative voice of each character.

So Thrilled For you is a hard hitting tale of otherhood and toxic friendships. A baby shower is due to take place on the hottest day of the year but doesn't go to plan. The four friends who gather together are Nikki, the expectant mother; perfectionist Charlotte who battles with IVF and who organises the baby shower as if it was her own; Steffi, who feels as if she is given no credit as she has no children; Lauren who has suffered a traumatic birth and finds early motherhood very difficult. All the characters and their viewpoints are well drawn and believable. Although some of the topics are dark, this is a very good read. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this book.

So thrilled for you by Holly Bourne

In this fast paced novel four friends from University reunite for a baby shower. They all have things going on in their lives and when they come together and group dynamics creep back in there are fireworks. There are some hard hitting topics in this book (miscarriage, fertility issues and postnatal depression) which I felt were dealt with well. I loved the exploration of friendship and different views on and experiences of motherhood within the group. The writing was gripping and funny at times. I recommend this book but definitely be aware of the trigger warnings. I haven't read any of Holly Bourne's other books but will be looking them up.

Thank you to the author, publisher and @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

So thrilled for you is out now

This was a great girly story with some hard hitting truths included. It keeps you turning the pages as you can’t wait to find out what happens. My first book of the year(2025) and I really enjoyed it.

I’ve read previous books from Holly Bourne and really enjoyed them, so I was extremely excited when I was able to read this one.
This one, I found a lot more hard hitting than her other books, the topics discussed are sensitive and upsetting, no matter which way you look at it.
The way the author has written it though is thoughtful, touching, impactful and engaging. She manages to weave a bit of humour and light-heartedness into what could be a sombre tale, she makes it real.
The story talks about, amongst other things, problems and experience with miscarriage, issues conceiving a child, and (the part I related to the most), post natal depression.
The characters have depth, empathy, and strength and fit perfectly with the topics of the novel itself.
If you can read these topics. I’d highly recommend this book.

Genuinely one of the best books I have read in a long time. This is in no way an easy read - there are topics of miscarriage, trouble conceiving, post natal depression and others - but it is highly impactful and meaningful and will make the reader think. Moments of humour tangle well with utter shock, beautiful imagery and characters you will genuinely care about. Bourne is forever an author whose books I will prioritise reading, and this novel encapsulates why.

Pure brilliance.