Book review : so thrilled for you by @hollybourneya @netgalley .

DESCRIPTION

Under a sweltering hot summer day, tensions rise - and by the end of the evening, nothing will ever be the same. Someone started a fire at the house - and everyone’s a suspect... Is it Steffi, happily child-free but feeling judged by her friends? Is it Charlotte, desperate to conceive and jealous of those who have? Is it Lauren, who is finding motherhood far, far worse than she imagined? Or is it Nicki herself, who never wanted a baby shower anyway?

First book I have read by this author and it was a rollercoaster of emotions, hormones , jealousy, sadness.
The friendships of these women was so complicated but on the other hand beautiful.
The storyline pulled me in from chapter 2 . I loved all the characters different points of view . The experiences of each of these friends are so diverse . Holly mastered the topic of postnatal depression beautifully as it shows that we can look like we are functioning great but behind it all everything is falling apart.
Some of the friends experiences with motherhood was just so real and painful.
I am definitely going to be reading more if @hollybourneya books as if they are anything like this one I will be in for a rollercoaster of emotions .

Thank yous much @netgalley @hollybourneya for my advanced copy was a pleasure to read.

Absolutely raced through this,;; which was one of the most unflinching, honest looks at motherhood, PPD and friendships in your 30s that I've read. While some elements felt a bit exaggerated, much of what the characters were experiencing felt extremely real and almost relatable too. The four perspectives worked well too, to make each character and their motivations feel real and believable. I didn't love the police extracts quite so much (they felt a bit unreal and fever-dreamy, much like early motherhood I guess). But otherwise I loved this and while I'm not sure I'd recommend it to mums-to-be, I definitely would to those coming out the other side.

4.5, rounded up. Such an excellent and engaging read.A relatable exploration of female friendships and the expectations and supposed life milestones , mixed with a who dunnit - this so cleverly done.

This was such a thought provoking book for me. Although we are faced with a cast of four characters who are flawed in their own way, Holly Bourne has done an ASTONISHING job of making her readers think about the worst of their characters that we each carry.

There is talking behind people's backs, thinking things about our friends we would never say to their faces, selfishness, jealousy and manipulation. It's uncomfortable to read at times because it's meant to be. It's meant to make you question your own behaviours. I found myself getting so angry at these characters at times, wishing I could reach into the pages and grab their shoulders to shake some sense into them. But I also found myself blushing at the moments where I could see myself and my thoughts written on the page.

But the representations of motherhood - from being childfree by choice, to infertility, to pregnancy and finally to motherhood itself - are so viscerally and painfully shared that you just feel like Bourne really get these emotions because she's felt them herself (or has certainly spoken in depth to women who have).

This book really showcases the complexity of female friendships and motherhood. You will get annoyed at the characters but you will also empathise with them. It's very cleverly done and well worth the read.

So Thrilled for You is a raw, thought-provoking exploration of friendship and the different aspects of motherhood.
It’s unflinchingly honest, intertwining the perspectives of the characters, showcasing the dynamics of the group and how each one is struggling on their own and in their own way.

I appreciate the visceral portrayal of PPD (which at one point had me in tears) to the exploration of motherhood, whether that being you’re desperate to have a baby to not wanting one at all.

I enjoyed that it humanises these experiences.
The friendships are flawed and complex, HB is great at writing women who can do and say awful things but fundamentally aren’t awful people.
The multiple perspectives added depth, emphasising how perceptions often differ from reality.


On the other hand, whilst I appreciated the authenticity. Nicki, in particular who was the most selfish and judgmental of the group, never really acknowledged anything she did. Whilst her actions are explained to some extent, she’s absolutely vile to Steffi throughout and for the most part it’s just accepted, which was very frustrating.

Overall, ate this up and Holly Bourne is a must-read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.
5/5 ⭐

I've never read anything by Holly Bourne but like the sound of the story and thought I'd give it a go. I really enjoyed it up until about 80%. Although none of the characters are particularly likeable their individual stories were interesting. 4 friends from uni (the little women) gather at Nikki's baby shower. Organised by Charlotte, who sounds like complete nightmare (everything has to be perfect!!!!) Lauren who has 9 month old son and has barely sleep a wink in that time and Steffi who is child free and focused on the best day of her life as her publishing company takes off. All very nice. But boy are these people toxic. They are all so self obsessed that they can't see outside of their own little bubble.
The last 20% was just a manic rant which left me unable to sleep, as my heart was thumping away Iin distress! I get it. Our lives are messy even scary at times but this was a story about women and motherhood and I found the lack of sisterhood a bit troubling. I am a mother and found my first baby very hard. An emergency c section and a baby who wouldn't sleep. All very real. But this book would make any would be Mum scared silly! Also the police investigation was silly and didn't ring true. Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an advance copy in return for an honest review.

lets start with saying ... I COULDN'T STOP READING THIS.

This gave me a lot of feelings, that I didn't expect to feel when following four friends navigating motherhood in there 30s but I honestly think that I found something in each of the characters that I could relate too. Only reason its getting a four star and not a 5 is because the ending was a little bit of a let down for me but other than that, loved this one and will definitely be talking about it nearer to release date!

‘They talk so much about weaponised incompetence in men, but I swear weaponised incontinence is the bigger feminist issue’

I am a fan of Holly Bourne, so was very happy to read the advanced copy of this book.

It comprises of the ‘Little Women’, a circle of friends who have been navigating life together since University. Each are living their own lives, and are at different stages of their lives.

The four come together to celebrate the imminent birth of Nicki’s baby at her baby shower. The day is meticulously planned by Charlotte, whose desire for a baby is palpable. Exhausted new mother Lauren picks up Steffi and they arrive at the party together along with Lauren’s son Woody.

Although they are best friends, there is underlying animosity, jealousy and misunderstanding which starts to ignite.

I loved the brutal truth of struggling as a new mother, a taboo subject that is exposed and navigated so well in this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to all women, whether they are mothers or not.

As ever with Holly Bourne books, So Thrilled For You was an incredibly fun and relatable read!

4.5 stars.

The whodunit element was such a pleasant surprise, it gave the story such great momentum! Every new reveal of the women's backstories felt like a ache - they've all been holding grudges for sooooo long it was tantalising! My only wish is that there has been one dynamic between the four of them where they didn't secretly hate each other, as it was ever so slightly exhausting to jump from one disingenuous relationship to the next. I loved Steffi most of all and couldn't wrap my head around her friends not understanding that her personal choices weren't a slight at them, but I'm sure everyone will identify with one of these characters more than the other - it's very Sex and the City in that way!

So Thrilled For You by Holly Bourne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My first Holly Bourne novel was definitely worth the read. Following a group of women in their early thirties, all at different stages of their life. The novel effortlessly jumps from past to present, giving readers a backstory of their friendship, while slowly uncovering the timeline of a present crime.

The first half reads as a fun and compelling crime novel, shown through different formats and lenses, such as interview transcripts, news articles and comments written by online users, as well as different POVs from the main characters. I think this could make it into a brilliant audiobook (think audiobook of Big Little Lies). As the story progresses, it shifts from the crime to a stress-induced baby shower, focusing on the characters, escalating their disagreements, built-up resentments and their experience and expectations of what motherhood is like. Hence, the culprit reveal is a bit underwhelming.

Bourne depicts great characterisation of women who, for different reasons, want and don’t want to be mothers, have been traumatised by birth or are awaiting the big day. Nikki, Steffi, Lauren and Charlotte are four unique yet relatable women, representing four different perspectives. As the story progresses, we gain understanding of their behaviour and what’s really hiding behind it. The most harrowing read for me were definitely the perspectives of Lauren and Charlotte - one clearly suffering from postnatal depression and the other one willing to do anything to have a child after rounds of unsuccessful IVF.

Overall, this was a quick but not an easy read, pointing out the expectations, challenges and sacrifices women have to take when considering and experiencing motherhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for my copy.

Holly Bourne is one of those authors who I will actively keep an eye out for new books and will always read straight away, and this latest offering didn't disappoint. In fact, So Thrilled for You might just be my new favourite Bourne book.

Bourne captured the toxicity of female friendship perfectly, alongside motherhood and fertility journeys. I think my only grumble would be the clichéd depiction of the child-free woman being a 'Samantha' - a fabulous, stylish, career-woman; it feels like writers can't possibly understand a child-free life without having to fill the 'gap' with something else that's 'big and meaningful', when some of us are happy just living a quiet life with a mundane job and a cat!

I think I have loved every single word that Holly Bourne has ever written. I’m certainly not in her demographic but her characters are so beautifully written than you feel you know each and every one.

A group of girls meet at University and become firm friends- even naming their group Little Women but as they move on with life, tensions appear as they start to make choices about how they live their own lives. Do they want to marry, have children, have an amazing career? Or are they each facing their own individual problems? Splits are forming within the group and a baby shower is the perfect reason to get them all together again…

I loved this book and where I used to thrust her YA books into the hands of the teenagers I work with, I’ll now be gifting them to the twenty and thirty somethings I know.

I mainly enjoyed this book, however the format made it really difficult for me to read which resulted in it not being as enjoyable. I believe this is due to it being a preview which meant it was difficult to tell when the book changed perspective, and the interview scenarios were all muddled up too.

I loved this book - and I was hoping for nothing less, as Holly Bourne is one of my favourite authors. A baby shower that goes horribly wrong, with a great set of characters, all imperfect in their own ways, and with different experiences of motherhood. A really well-written account of what life can be like for women in their thirties. Would highly recommend.

I absolutely adored this novel. It's witty, tense, and often deeply moving. So Thrilled for You charts the friendship of four women throughout one incredibly stressful day: a baby shower. Each woman has a different relationship to motherhood (there's the pregnant friend, the friend who's postpartum depression is destroying her, the friend who never wants children, and the friend who desperately wants children but can't conceive). Yet the women are so much more than mothers or mothers-to-be, as their friendship is tested and explored through flashbacks to the past. Each character is so vivid and real that I felt like I really knew them. I couldn't put this down. Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy! I'll be recommending it to everyone.

Holly Bourne's latest is another juicy page turner about a group of women who've 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.

Bourne is great at writing contemporaries about women and complex relationships, yet this is the first that reads a bit like a thriller. The story moves between police interview transcripts in the present and the build-up to the fire that ended the baby shower from hell. It was great (and unusual) to see a book successfully juggle four different perspectives.

It's a very compelling story, mostly because the characters are so well-drawn. Nicki, Lauren, Steffi and Charlotte are each easy to sympathise with when you're reading their POV, but it is also easy to see how you could resent them when seen from another's perspective. Bourne's characterization was so strong you could appreciate it from all sides. This is true of Charlotte, especially, who I felt sorry for at the same time as I felt sorry for all those having to deal with her.

I wasn't at all surprised to learn Bourne is a new mum herself as she so perfectly describes the horror and anxiety so many new mothers deal with, including breastfeeding nightmares, useless husbands and the feeling that your whole life and identity has been taken from you.

Alongside this, she also portrays the heartache of being unable to get pregnant and the frustrations of being a woman who doesn't want kids. She handles all these perspectives with empathy and respect.

I was excited to see how it would all play out, though I'm not totally convinced by the last chapter.

This book surprised me. It gave a raw, unfiltered view of four women at different stages in their lives: the new mother, the expecting parent, the career driven single girl and a girl battling infertility and how this impacts their relationship with one another over the course of a day. I would highly recommend it

ANOTHER great hit by Holly Bourne! I enjoyed this one so much and found its topic so interesting and relevant. I found myself intrigued by the ending, wasn't expecting it and it was very important to me to find compassion and understanding for each one of the characters, even though I didn't agree with some of their decissions. Also, loved Charlotte to the core!

This book starts with an incident at a baby shower and the police interviewing the main four friends there, we then go back to the day each time someone is interviewed getting to know their lives and personalities, each one carrying lies from their friends putting on a pretense that all is okay but as the day goes on the cracks start to show.
As to how the fire started it's the only negative I had about the book as was too unrealistic and left me a bit disappointed.