I have to say I didn’t really gel with this novel. I’m not sure if it was the content or the writing style but it just wasn’t for me. Thank you to NetGalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author for the chance to review.

I'm not sure that I completely empathised with any of the four main characters, and there were times when all of them irritated me a little (though perhaps they were meant to) but I did really like the different perspectives around this one event and the idea that four friends can have such different reasons for wanting or not wanting to be at the same baby shower.

I was definitely not the favoured age audience for this one as it clearly will appear to young mums much more. However I didn’t hate it and I did certainly get the heatwave vibe. It just seemed to go on and on about the same thing so I’m only giving it three stars but it is one I will recommend.

My daughter has read some of this YA authors previous works so I was really interested to read this, Holly Bournes first adult novel. Set at a baby shower, it’s funny but also so believable. The impact of motherhood on friendships is explored so well, it pulled me in hook, line and sinker. Brilliant read.

A group of university friends are bought together again for a baby shower for one of the girls.
It all starts of perfectly but it ends with a massive fire
The girls have stayed in touch following uni, but understandably are not as close as they used to be. Charlotte has arranged the perfect baby shower for Nicky which is going to be held in Nicky's parents house which is a very modern- almost completely made of glass - house out in the sticks during a heatwave.
Charlotte is desperate for a child and has been through IVF a few times (all unsuccessful) and is throwing her all in to this shower for one of her very best friends.
Lauren is a new mum with a son who just won't sleep and Steffi is living her best, single life with no interest in having children and has just launched her own publishing company.

As the baby shower continues, we see the different relationships that all of the women have with each other and the reason behind any friction, both real and perceived.
Each of these women are at a different part of their journey and every single one of them is written so well. I can identify with most of them in different ways - and that's not entirely comfortable - and I can understand all of the different points of view.

This is a very well written book that doesn't shy away from some of the ugly, rarely discussed "secrets" of motherhood and female friendships.

My most anticipated book of January and man did it deliver! Holly Bourne writes female characters to perfection; the four main characters of this novel are as real as it gets. Their imperfections were what really made this whole story so good. Plus, the mystery was intriguing and despite having four points of view, every voice was easily distinguishable from the rest.

Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi are friends from Uni days.
They are all in their thirties now and life is changing for them all. Nicki is now pregnant and Charlotte is organising a baby shower for her and a reunion for them all.
Its a very hot day and someone starts a fire with devastating consequences.
Who did it and why?

It took me a little time to really get into the writing style and the back and forth of the book. Because there are so many characters I occasionally lost track of who was where and who was being talked to or about. It’s also slightly given me pause on becoming a mother with some really devastating discussions about motherhood and what that means for the mother, not just the baby.

A group of friends, seemingly still friends through history rather than shared interests pouring themselves into an unwanted celebration for the main ringleader of the group. This wasn't a book that I particularly enjoyed reading, it felt a bit too obvious and a bit too chick-lit that said however the relationships and inter personal aspects I think felt obvious because they were so accurately portrayed rather than as a negative to the author.
I would recommend this to a lot of people who I'm sure will love it, it just isn't my preferred type of book

This book tells the story of Charlotte, Nicki, Steffi and Lauren, aka The Little Women, who have been friends since university. Fast forward to now and Nicki is expecting her first child so they reunite at her baby shower. The book begins at the end of Nicki’s baby shower where things haven’t quite gone to plan and disaster has struck. As it progresses, we see the background to how the day ended in that way, and are introduced to the secrets that the women have been keeping over the years.

The events of the day and flashbacks to their earlier years show the reality of how female friendship aren’t always plain sailing, despite how they look on the surface. The book also addresses struggles that can sometimes be experienced when becoming a mother. Even knowing very little about motherhood, it was a difficult read in parts and in my opinion, was very eye opening.

I did think this book was a little slow starting for me and took me a while to get into it, however after about 40% of the way through I was very invested and couldn’t wait to read on. The only downside I found to the book, which is definitely personal preference, is that the chapters were longer than I would usually like as I feel this makes me less inclined to keep reading.

Overall I thought this was a very good read and I will definitely be reading more of Holly Bourne’s books. Thank you NetGalley for my ARC.

Absolutely brilliant! Four best friends from university, all at different stages in their lives - one with a year old baby, one heavily pregnant, one desperate for a baby and one still playing the field, are all at the baby shower when disaster strikes and a fire destroys the host’s house. This book is about the lead up to the fire, with snippets of the police investigation into how it started.
As someone who struggled with early motherhood, I could really identify with Lauren, who has had no more than 3 hours sleep a night for a year and is finding motherhood relentless, yet feels unable to tell her dearest friends at the risk of sounding ungrateful. However, I found all of the ladies relatable to and felt I really got to know them through the time the author spent on each one.
I really loved this book and would recommend it to anyone who has been a mum or is yearning to be one. Highly recommended.

Highly recommend this book. If you like your characters complex and messy. Holly Bourne really has a knack for putting into words what a lot of women are thinking.

Bourne’s ability to balance the drama with sharp humour and heart is astounding. She doesn’t shy away from tough topics, but she also gives space for the women’s love, loyalty, and raw humanity to shine through. If you’re looking for a gripping, thought-provoking read that tackles big questions while delivering delicious suspense, So Thrilled For You deserves a spot on your shelf.

Holly Bourne has blown me away again. Her books are always so insightful and thought provoking for me & this was no exception! Such a deep dive into motherhood & female friendships.

The cast of characters was perfect. It was so intriguing seeing their different point of views. They were fully fleshed out people with flaws and it all felt very human.

I struggled to put it down!

Highly recommend to all ladies even if you don't plan on becoming a mother.

Such a good book centring on four depictions of relationships with motherhood, coupled with distinct and realistic characters. Together these provide a strong foundation to play out themes of love in all its guises, friendship and loss.

This was a really good read. My first read of Holly's and not my last! With a good narrative and characters were written with such depth abd empathy. A good 5 star read!
Thank to @Netgalley and @Hodderbooks and @Hodderpublicity

First and foremost, if you are pregnant do not read this book! The potential horrors of pregnancy, birth and the expected rituals such as baby showers are presented in the most honest and unforgiving way - it gave me flashbacks and my kids are in their late teens!
The book is based round the day of Nikki’s baby shower , which is rapidly descending into the day from hell - boiling hot and micromanaged to the nth degree by her perfectionist friend Charlotte, who is desperate to have a baby herself. The other two women from their close friendship group are also attending - Lauren, who is the grip of severe postnatal depression following a harrowing birth, and Steffi who is wrapped up in a huge success for her fledgling business.
The women have drifted apart in recent times and soon undisclosed issues come to light. As tragedy hits they start to remember what brought them together in the first place - are they ready to forgive and forget?
I absolutely adore this book and couldn’t put it down. Holly Bourne is a brilliant storyteller and she gets the characters of the women just right, identifiable and believable. It’s a great story and there are plenty of moments that you are desperate to find out what happened next. Just fantastic.

Loved this immersive and often extremely dark story about four women in their thirties navigating friendship, old arguments and some elements of motherhood. Should be required reading for anyone in that age group.

So Thrilled For You sounded like an interesting, entertaining read to get me out of a slump, though structurally and thematically like some other books I'd read before. What I got, instead, was the first book in a long time where I couldn't stop thinking about the characters. I shut myself away from everyone in the house and devoured most of this in a single day, sometimes having to stop because I felt so uncomfortable and nervous, though not in the way I might have expected.

The book is set at a baby shower and is narrated by a group of friends who are drifting apart and increasingly at cross purposes, and everyone feels judged for and even insecure about the path they have taken. Structurally, it is somewhat familiar to Big Little Lies or the Perfect Couple, especially when a Reese Witherspoon type with a similar productmpany is mentioned (which maybe is there to manifest a similar adaptation of this book, or so I can only wish).

The framing device of the women being questioned about a crime that went down (arson at a baby shower, just like that real life story of a fire at a gender reveal party gone wrong), does help it to be paved nicely and keeps the mystery/thriller feeling going nicely, but that idea of the book being a whodunnit feels in itself like decoration on a much more interesting and uncomfortable story.

It's worth saying found depictions of post partum depression, as well as the rage at the helpless situation the medical community and wider society lead them in, very difficult yet moving. There are also very affecting elements to do with infertility and adultery that some readers may find hard to read.

A baby shower that culminates in a wildfire. Who, or what, is responsible? Will one of the women attending the baby shower be charged with arson?
From start to finish this was one of those books that felt divisive. You’ll fall into the camp of one of the women, but it’s so hard to say which one.
Lauren, Sheffield, Nicki and Charlotte have been friends since university. They’ve shared so many moments but as they move into their thirties it’s the issue of motherhood that proves to be a tricky one for them to navigate. Nicki is about to give birth and her over-achiever friend Charlotte - though desperate for a baby of her own - is organising it. Everything is mapped out with military precision and each of the women has their own reason for dreading the event.
The actual party felt like it dragged rather. There’s only so much joy to be had out of reading about the countless animal-festooned baby outfits someone can open. Far more fun was reading about the background of the assembled party guests and trying to work out which of them might have been responsible for the awful outcome of the party.
Perpetuating the motherhood myth may well be the way life continues. When it goes wrong or when you acknowledge many of the awful moments involved, nobody in their right mind would sign up for it. There were more than one or two knowing nods as I read about Lauren’s experience, and it really did make me laugh out loud at some moments.
Thanks to NetGalley for giving me the chance to read and review this before publication.