I really enjoyed this part whodunnit mystery part raw and honest exploration of motherhood.

I loved reading about the lives of Nicki, Steffi, Charlotte and Lauren, they are all such interesting characters. The focus is on motherhood. Lauren is a new mother to 9 months old Woody and is recovering from a traumatic birth and suffering from post natal depression. Her story I think affected me the most, as a mother I feel like a lot of the time you are only a fine line away from becoming Lauren and her after care experience in hospital was very similar to mine (something I work really hard to not feel bitter about and still fail almost 6 years later).

I also had a huge amount of empathy for Charlotte watching her friends get pregnant so easily whilst she was desperate to conceive. I can only imagine how hard that must be.

This book felt so real, raw and honest. You can really tell it's written by a new mother for who the newborn days are still at the forefront of their mind. It was so refreshing to read about these imperfect, flawed women and explore how being in their thirties, marrying and having babies has changed their friendship.

I've previously read one of Holly Bourne's YA books and loved it so I'm pleased to have enjoyed her adult fiction just as much! Will definitely read more from this author.

Wow I was expecting this story to be basic not bash everything that is basic and generic. And for that I applaud Holly Bourne for giving well rounded voices to both sides of the child-free movement. It follows a group of friends who have recently drifted apart as they get together to celebrate a baby shower. How Holly describes Steffi’s child free situation is spot on. It really is hard to date and find a partner who is on the same page. Also I feel the lack of equality concerned with celebrating life events. Those events deemed accepted by society I.e a baby shower or hen do and those events that pale in comparison I.e celebrating the success for a female owned business. Then highlighting the massive gaps in care for women especially post birth; ooooffff that was hard hitting. Whilst I enjoyed the read I’ve rated it 4⭐️, I found the ending a bit unexpected and the epilogue sort of too fluffy for my liking which lost a star. Still I’d recommend it to anyone who like a who done it sort of story with mixed media (police reports, text messages etc)

Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for sending me an advanced reader copy of this book

Completely brilliant! So brutally honest, it’s refreshing. Hilarious, yet also utterly heartbreaking. Holly Bourne, you have left me still chuckling away to myself, yet emotionally wrung out, all at once!

Nicki’s baby shower should be everything she wants, but it’s been organised by her friend Charlotte, who has chosen to gift her own baby shower dreams to Nicki, as she hasn’t been able to conceive herself. To say that Charlotte is a control freak is a huge understatement and the baby shower is nothing like Nicki would have planned for herself. The two women met and became friends at uni, along with Steffi and Lauren. Steffi is a career focused businesswoman who doesn’t want children and Lauren is mum to Woody, a seven month old who doesn’t sleep for more than 40 minutes and cries constantly when he’s awake. Lauren is a shadow of her former self, exhausted and desperate.

This amazing story explores friendships and relationships, new motherhood and the impact of our actions on others. I really appreciated the honest take on pregnancy and motherhood as I have always wondered how anyone can find it as easy as some women seem to claim, because IT IS INCREDIBLY HARD! No, no, whatever you’re now thinking, it’s harder than that!

Within the story of the baby shower, the women are being interviewed by the police after the party, which has ended in disaster. There are also flashbacks to their uni days, which gives an insight into the early basis of their friendships and relationships.

5 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Holly Bourne and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Holly Bourne has a real knack of creating characters that you instantly bond to and she's great at describing emotions and contrasting opinions. I enjoyed the strong female friendship - both good and bad - theme in So Thrilled For You and the story is a bit of a change of style in that it has elements of mystery and crime in it. I think Holly has managed to give a very real portrayal of motherhood , warts and all , and this believable, raw element to the storyline was easy to empathise with.

So Thrilled For You
by Holly Bourne

There's something exhilarating about a story that opens with a house in flames. Taylor Jenkins Reid's "Malibu Rising", Celeste Ng's "Little Fires Everywhere", you just know that there are layers of discoveries to be anticipated and a wild ride ahead, and this is certainly the case here.

Four friends, each with their own complex attitude to motherhood and each with their own secrets to hide.

One is pregnant, her first baby due any day and today is the day of the baby shower that she is, at best, ambivalent about, but the party is being thrown by the friend who struggles with infertility and who may be imposing her own Pinterestable dreams on the occasion. Joining them are the career obsessed friend who has made no secret of the fact that she has no intention of becoming a mother and cannot understand why the whole world, including her best friends, cannot find value in her unselfish selfishness, none more so than the fourth friend who has recently given birth and who is barely holding it together through lack of sleep, loss of identity, inability to keep all the balls in the air and crippling guilt over the equal parts love and resentment she feels towards her baby.

The best thing about this book is the way I can find pieces of myself in each of these women. It makes feel seen on so many levels because I have been each of these women at some stage of my life, and relate viscerally to the conflicts each feel about the others, about how they relate to each other, how they judge each other, how they judge themselves and how they feel judged by each other. Motherhood; it's avoidance, it's achievement, it's reality, is so complicated.

Told through revolving perspectives, this is a completely absorbing story. The author slowly reveals the underlying contradictions that add the spark to the incendiary dynamics that make up this group of lifelong friends. The pace starts well, then gradually picks up heart-thumping acceleration, until someone burns this goddamn house right down.

A well plotted character study that should not be mistaken for a mystery. Would make a great TV mini series.

Publication date: 16th January 2025
Thanks to #NetGalley and #HodderStoughton for providing an eGalley for review purposes

This was a lot more fun than I expected. A baby shower in a heatwave that has gone completely wrong and a police investigation into the events of the day made what was effectively a summary of a 12 hour event into more of a whodunit.

The four women in question - the Little Women - Nikki, Lauren, Steffi and Charlotte, may well be a close fit for the Sex and the City cast (Charlotte especially), but their voices, stories and experiences were clear.

Lauren was a frighteningly honest depiction of the worst experiences of childbirth and being a new parent, all rolled into one individual trauma, that, as a recent parent, was tough and sometimes familiar reading.

It's a story of sisterhood under false pretences, only for the group to finally find their common ground. It's not a rom com, or a thriller, but something more unique that works really well, as well as being four honest approaches to motherhood (or not, as the case may be).

Should come with strong trigger warnings of miscarriage and PTSD, however.

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

So far when reading this book I have enjoyed and most intrigued about the current connections in this group of friends. They are all relatable in their own ways and it is interesting to see them all with different struggles coming together.

Though I was first pulled in by the cover and the blur, I feel like I was expecting something quite different. I was imagining something a little grittier, perhaps in the unhinged woman trope, rather than the comedy and sometimes more ridiculous and over the top moments. Additionally I was surprised from the first page that the fire mentioned in the blurb, resulted in a forest fire. I still am not sure about this featuring, sometimes feeling like it was making light of a more serious situation. However, after thinking about it a little deeper, the effects of the climate crisis are happening in the everyday for so many people, why not mention it as surely it would be effecting characters in a contemporary novel too. I feel like there could be some more delicacy around the topic, but interested to see whether the author has interest in the topic and includes this within other of her novels too.

I'm not mad I picked this up, but didn't feel like to had been marketed to me quite correctly.

4 friends since uni (the little women) come together for one of their baby showers at very different points in their lives. All 4 have plenty going on and not a lot of time to understand the others’ issues. Can years of friendship withstand major life events, hurt feelings and a fire? I really enjoyed this book. It flitted between the current and past perspectives of the four little women and because of this it felt fast paced and always interesting. No struggling to get through chapters, just always learning something new about one of them. I recommend this to anyone who enjoys books on friendships, funny books and for people that don’t mind serious topics about sexuality, pregnancy and infertility. This book covered a lot of serious topics but in a light manor that didn’t take away from the story of friendships.

Maybe because I'm not a mother but it did absolute validate my decision not to have kids lol. It was a nice book about female friendships, hardships of growing up and growing apart and forgiveness. Though it's based around one event the jumping viewpoints are good to see each perspective.

If you love action this probably isn't the book for you but if you prefer to focus on character relationships then this is the one for you.

Lots of excellent lengthy reviews already here for this book which I agree with in the main. I really did enjoy it, although I don’t have children and couldn’t really relate to Steffi, the one who didn’t want any. I liked the format but I felt the question of who was at fault for the fire really got lost amongst all the other drama and angst in the book. I also seem to be the only one who felt confused by the ending, particularly with Charlotte who ended up being my favourite of them all.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the eARC of this book.

Wasn’t expecting to enjoy this book as much as I did but it’s a great read.

The story follows a group of women that connect at university and feel they are friends for life calling themselves “Little women” after the first book they were required to read at uni. Over the years their individual lives and struggles that follow change their characters and views on life. These difference bubble over at a baby shower and tears their friendship to the max.

I enjoyed the style of writing giving me “Big Little Lies” vibes. The story unfolds through different viewpoints of the friends, flitting from the past to the present day. Then throw in police interviews with each member of the group and you are certainly kept interested in the plot.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nikki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university, sharing the highs and lows of love, life, their careers, and everything in between. Nikki's baby shower is the perfect opportunity for them all to get back together - but on a scorching hot day, tensions between the group are building just beneath the surface waiting for a spark to light the fuse for the mother of all explosions...

I absolutely loved this novel! The theme of motherhood and the different ways that women approach it are explored through the four main characters. All of the characters had elements that I could relate to, whether they had children or wanted them, or focusing on their career, which I think made this book really work. You can see that there is no simple "one size fits all" approach, even if you want children desperately it doesn't mean you will get pregnant, or you have a much wanted child and then feel that you've made a terrible mistake.

The portrayal of Lauren's postnatal depression felt really authentic and I was so tense reading her chapters! Her experience of birth and new motherhood were so far away from the dream that is sold on social media and Pinterest and I really felt for her. I could then totally understand her feelings and motivations for acting the way she did at the baby shower (without giving too much away!).

Nikki was the most complex and layered character. She's a bit of a Queen Bee and manipulates others to get what she wants, or to get herself out of trouble. I really enjoyed reading the chapters from her perspective.

The setting of the baby shower in Nikki's parents enormous glass house in the countryside and it being the hottest day of the year was a great backdrop. The creeping tension and sense of irritability rose with the mercury, you could practically feel the stifling air when reading. I liked the way the chapters start with the transcript of the police interviews following the fire as they try to get to the truth of how the blaze started and who is responsible, with the actual events then revealed by the characters. It had a wonderful soap opera/thriller feel. I can see this being adapted for a Netflix series and being totally bingeworthy!

A great read and a real page turner.

Recommend to readers who enjoyed the vibes of Big Little Lies, Expectation by Anna Hope, or Blue Sisters by Coco Mellor.

Not many people are destined to tell stories, but Holly Bourne definitely is.

Already wildly in love with her YA works and other contemporary fiction works, I was over the moon to receive this early copy of So Thrilled For You.

I know Holly Bourne's voice in heartbreaking YA stories and compelling contemporary stories about womanhood, but the mystery thriller of this book was new to me and let me tell you: it. did. not. disappoint.

This was perfectly done. Even attempting to write 4 different perspectives would send me into an actual coma, but she did it. Never was there one second where I was confused or lost. I was always hooked and engaged with our main characters Nicki, Lauren, Steffi and Charlotte. I WANTED to get to know them. Love them. Despise them. Empathize with them. These characters rammed their claws into my mind and never let go.

The mystery was a real page turner for me and kept me on my seat for the whole duration of the story, but what this book really focuses on is - emotions and personal beliefs. As messy and complex as they are. As a 20-something year old childless millennial, I do know very little about what it means to be a mother, but Bourne did an amazing job portraying the different iterations of motherhood and shared a piece of her own experience as a new mother with all of us clueless chickens.


This book definitely holds a special place in my heart - no - my soul and I would recommend it to everyone so very much. Usually I would say, that you might enjoy it if you've read genre XYZ but no, you will enjoy it no matter what. Trust me on this one.

This is a brilliant novel from Holly Bourne. What can possibly go wrong at a simple baby shower? Well it's far from a simple affair for a start! Friendships are tested and the truth begins to reveal itself!
Absolutely brilliant.

So Thrilled for You is about a baby shower which goes wrong, focusing on the intensity of female friendship and how toxic it can be. Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi have been friends since university, but the different directions their lives have taken them in is causing friction within the group. While Nicki is excitedly expecting her first child, Lauren is struggling to cope with being a new mother, Charlotte is desperately trying to conceive, and Steffi very publicly doesn’t want children and is tired of people judging her about it.

I loved how this examined what it’s like to have friends in your thirties, when life choices diverge and you have less time to spend together. This was interwoven with an unflinching look at motherhood, exploring topics such as infertility, early motherhood and pregnancy, against the backdrop of a baby shower where emotions are heightened. Each of the four friends had a very different view on motherhood at the start of the novel, which escalated as the novel progressed.

Things got tense very quickly, with engaging characters and storylines driving the narrative forward. Nicki’s story was my favourite, but every character was so compelling that I couldn’t put this down!

An insightful page-turner examining motherhood and friendship, which I loved from start to finish. Thank you to @hodderbooks for this gifted copy 😊

I was asked to review by NetGalley, wow what a book!

This book explores what we all struggle as women, mothers we all know those who desparately want motherhood, and those who stuggle with IVF and concieving. Then there are those who dont interesting that we know so many people but it is not really explored in books.

The characters are good and well written and the author is good at describing points of view from women which is really interesting.

Really well written and completed really well

Recommended read due for publication in 2 days time so not long to wait.

So Thrilled for You - Holly Bourne

I came to this book as a big fan of Holly Bourne's YA books but this was her first general fiction book I've read and I loved it!

A group of four friends reunite for a baby shower which ends with a massive fire and police involvement.
Nicki is the mother to be, 8 months pregnant in a heatwave (feel for her there).
Lauren is a new mum to a 9 month old and she is struggling with motherhood and trying to adjust to her new normal without losing herself to being a mum.
Charlotte is the party planner best friend - very type A - who has been struggling with infertility.
Steffi rounds out the group of 4 and she is childfree by choice but seems to have some history with Nicki over the years. She is in the process of launching her literary agency and having a massive week for her business.


So Lauren's story really stood out for me - my baby is the same age but thankfully I've had a much easier time. Lauren is battling Post Partum Depression and PTSD after a traumatic birth and add to that healing from a C-section, a body that is nothing like what you used to have and then dealing with having a Newborn- my heart goes out to this character.
Charlotte was for sure my favourite though, very Type A and trying to put a positive spin on everything while dealing with ridiculous amounts of stress... I love her. Even without a couple mentions to Sex in the City she for sure did remind me of Charlotte from that - unsure if that's on purpose or not 👀
Nicki was my least favourite. She just gave spoilt narcissist vibes and her chapters were my least favourite.
Steffi I woiltn say was like the most forgettable or whatever but out of the four her story didn't interest me as much and I felt she was almost there to give a starting point of drama for the group. I will say I did enjoy the fact that not all the ladies where trying to have babies or already have them as it does give the narrative to a very valid group of women who make this choice.
I enjoyed the story going along and spent a fair chunk of it trying to figure out what happened. It was a slow burner for the drama kicking off for sure but I enjoyed it as it gave me time to get more of an understanding to the characters.

All in I did really enjoy this book!

An easy, thrilling read - we know there has been a massive fire - but how did it happen and who started it? There are four main characters, representing different viewpoints of being female and mid-thirties - babies, no babies but wanting them, no babies and content - and yet they all feel judged. Sadly that is the nature of being human.

I enjoyed the relationship between the women, fluctuating between supportive and undermining, probably what most of us experience in long term friendships!

Nikki, Charlotte, Steffi and Lauren have been friends since University. Now in their 30s, motherhood is changing and challenging the relationship between them all, whether it’s infertility, pregnancy, new baby or the choice to be child free. Long standing differences and resentments all come to a head in one gloriously over the top (and very overheated) baby shower.

What a read! I absolutely tore through this one, with all its ups and downs and so many moments that were completely relatable, from the pain of a very difficult birth experience to the descriptions of life as a student that took me immediately back. The characters all behave terribly in different ways but it was fascinating to see how your perceptions of this changed when you saw it from the inside and their reasons. The writing was fast paced, empathetic and really thought provoking, managing to make the characters hugely irritating at times but still staying likeable. I loved it, and can imagine it's going to start a lot of conversations – a perfect choice for book clubs especially!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Nicki, Steffi, Lauren and Charlotte have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, their lives have taken them in different directions, but a baby shower Charlotte throws for Nicki brings them back together. During an unbearably hot summer’s day, tensions rise and old wounds are re-opened. By the end of the day, the house has been burnt down in a terrible fire and all four women are suspects.

I like the way this book is written, with police interviews, online articles and comments accompanying the narration told from the perspective of each of the four women. The only real sticking point for me is that I couldn’t really understand why these women were friends, or why anyone in the world would be friends with Nicki. Charlotte, Steffi and Lauren all had flaws but also some redeeming features, whereas Nicki was nothing but selfish and spiteful throughout, to literally everyone. It was weird. However, it does also highlight the importance of being able to speak honestly to your friends and family. The relationships between everyone in this book would have been hugely improved if they could just tell each other the truth.

This book gives a very honest and eye-opening perspective on motherhood, with each character having a very different outlook on the subject: Nicki, who is expecting a baby imminently and desperate for the birth, because surely nothing can be worse than pregnancy? Lauren, who is suffering from severe sleep deprivation with her 9-month-old and questioning her decision to become a mother. Charlotte, who is desperate to have a baby but has had years of difficulty conceiving. And Steffi, who doesn’t want a baby and feels judged by everyone else for this choice. It’s interesting and refreshing to see these perspectives, but I do think this book is lacking a more positive view. Reading this has definitely exacerbated some of my own doubts about parenthood, and it would have been nice to have at least one positive viewpoint to balance against all the negative.