I really wanted to love this book and in some parts I definitely did, but overall I feel I struggled to connect to the characters and they lacked depth. I also found some of the dialogue quite basic.

That being said I loved the idea of this book and the growth that the main character willow goes on, having to rediscover her identity and build a new life outside of being in a relationship. I feel the message the book was trying to convey is really important and relevant in today’s society.

3.75 stars

I received an ARC of this book on NetGalley in exchange for a review. Thank you!

This book follows Willow, a recently dumped and unemployed millennial who is recruited by a flashy magazine editor to interview Naz, a gen-z influencer promoting single life. I loved the exploration of female friendships in this book - from the developing friendship between Willow and Naz to Willow’s close childhood friends - and also the way the book challenged conventional romantic relationships, with many of the female characters in situations that break the norm of monogamous heterosexual relationships. It was really refreshing to read a book about characters who are happily single and are fulfilled by other aspects of their life.

I did struggle to get into the book at the beginning. Willow starts off as a rather insufferable character who thinks the world revolves around her, but the journey she goes on throughout the story makes her gain a lot more empathy for other people, and I ended up really rooting for her by the end. You can also really tell that this book was written by a millennial who doesn’t really understand gen-z - I promise we’re not all as detached from reality as Naz and her friends! Overall, though, this was a fun and heartwarming read that I would definitely recommend!

My review has already been posted to StoryGraph, and will also be posted to Instagram on April 17th.

Book Review: Table for One by Emma Gannon

Emma Gannon’s Table for One is a reflective and, at times, painfully accurate portrayal of heartbreak, self-discovery, and the societal expectations placed on women, particularly millennials. The novel follows Willow, a woman who believed she had her life mapped out—until it all falls apart, leaving her to navigate the wreckage of a decade-long relationship.

At its core, the book captures the raw emotions of grief, confusion, and frustration that come with losing not just a partner, but a version of yourself that was built around them. Willow’s struggle to reclaim her identity is something many readers, especially those in their twenties and thirties, will find deeply relatable. The dynamic between her and her best friend Pen is another highlight—Gannon accurately portrays the imbalance that often exists in friendships when one person prioritizes romance over platonic relationships, only to feel abandoned when the roles are reversed.

That said, Table for One isn’t without its flaws. While it starts strong, the second half loses momentum, weighed down by unnecessary filler and predictable plot points. The book leans heavily on clichés, and while the overarching message of self-love and independence is important, it could have been delivered with more nuance.

One of the most frustrating aspects of the novel is how Dom ‘dumps’ Willow, revealing just how much of a side character she was in both their relationship and the business they built together. He never truly appreciated her contributions, and the fact that she never insisted on being recognized as a co-founder was infuriating—I wanted to scream at her for not fighting for what she deserved. But as the story unfolds, it becomes clear that this is who Willow is: a naive woman who put her life on hold for a man who kept making empty promises about their future.

We later learn that Willow had a promising career in writing and journalism, one she sacrificed for Dom’s ambitions. He repeatedly postponed marriage and family plans, always prioritizing work. Then, just as the business takes off, he blindsides her by announcing he’s moving to America alone, effectively ending their relationship. It was a gut punch to read. Adding insult to injury, Dom and his co-founders sell the company for a multi-million-pound deal—while Willow gets nothing. What a bummer.

I also have a love-hate relationship with the novel’s cultural references, settings, and overall pacing. While the seaside location and descriptions add atmosphere, there’s an overwhelming amount of “brand” dumping that sometimes makes the story feel less immersive and more like a millennial checklist.

Overall, Table for One is enjoyable but not great. It effectively explores modern womanhood, influencer culture, and the importance of choosing yourself, but it doesn’t break new ground. If you’re in the mood to be reminded that women deserve more than wasting their energy on undeserving men, this might be worth a read—just don’t expect it to reinvent the genre.

Rating: ★★★★☆ (3.5/5)

Thank you to HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the ARC.

Willow is in a happy, settled relationship. Her long term boyfriend won't commit to a wedding but that's a matter of time. Or is it? They live and work together having set up a company during lockdown. Only after the relationship ends does Willow realise how much she's been stifled and with the help of her friends works on her relationship with herself. A story of discovery. #netgalley #tableforone

I utterly devoured this in a day because I just felt so connected to Willow, her friends and her lovely Aunt Carla.
It is less of a heartbreak novel and more of how we can so easily drift into our 30s and lose ourselves in various ways, be it in relationships, careers, addiction, and that still as young adults we make mistakes trying to build our best lives along the way.
It is warm, funny, relatable, intelligent and unashamedly feminist in bringing together so many experiences into one lovely, messy collection of characters.
A brilliant read with an devastating but uplifting quality.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for this ARC.
This is a lovely feel good book, it started off well but the ending was a little bit of a let down.
Easy read for when you want to read something and not particularly concentrate.

I absolutely loved this! I thought it was funny and heartwarming but also at times kind of heartbreaking too. I think this would be a perfect holiday read and will definitely be recommending this to everyone!

I wasn’t sure when I first started reading this book if I was going to enjoy it. I ended up really liking it. The beginning was rough when you could clearly see Willow deserved so much more than Dom was giving her. She was in a selfish one sided relationship. When she talked about wanting to marry him I just wanted to yell at the book “RUN.” When Willows life turns upside down and she ends up interviewing a woman Naz that embraces the single life and feels like women shouldn’t have to be in a relationship to thrive. Willow learns so much about herself and reconnects with her friends on a different level.

I loved this book! The writing was lovely and Willow's story was just wonderful, despite the difficulties she finds herself dealing with. Loved it!

I enjoyed this book, a total page turner even if I wanted at times to shake Willow who couldn't see all the red flags about her partner. Willow is living with her long term partner in a great little house in Brockley in London. Her partner is super busy promoting their business and trying to get a deal in New York signed off. Their business wins an award but Willow isn't named as a founding member or photographed for the press. Her partner then blindsides her by telling her he isn't coming back and they need to sell their house. Willow finds that rather than a founding partner she was legally merely a junior employee and one whom the company do not wish to keep. Willow tries to reconnect with her best friends whom she has neglected for years and also retreats to her beloved aunt's house on the coast to figure out what to do next. Very enjoyable, if a bit predictable.

In your 30s and don’t have your life together? Me too, and neither does Willow. Table for one by Emma Gannon tells the story of Willow, she has the man, the job, the house, and in the time it takes to sit down at a restaurant loses it all. This is a beautifully written journey of perseverance, growth, and self love and no matter what stage you are at in your own life I think you will find something that resonates. There is a gorgeous chapter inside a butterfly house that felt like future you was wrapping their arms around you holding you safe. If you are looking for a Millenial version of Eat, Pray, Love then I’ve found it.

I really enjoyed ‘Olive’ by Emma Gannon but ‘Table for One’ blew away my expectations. I had been in a bit of a reading slump lately but I could not put this book down. Gannon has a beautiful way of constructing characters that we see ourselves and loved ones reflected in.
Willow’s story was instantly engaging, she is the friend who seemingly has it all until she doesn’t. Her entire life is pulled from under her feet; career, partner, even friends all shift from their axis and she is left to begin again. There is a beauty in the way ‘Table for One’ isn’t a linear story of someone starting again because Willow’s journey and resilience ebbs and flows as we all do in real life. Her relationships are flawed and even her closest friendships flex as each of them shifts into new stages of life.
I loved the contrast of her new friendship with Naz and the reflection that even the most self assured woman can change and evolve in the way she chooses to live. The entire novel felt like an ode to the power of female friendship and reinvention. Loved this book so much and will be recommending it to everyone I know- just stunning.

I've read this in a day which is something I have not done with a book for a very long time.

I enjoyed Olive but this book is so much better. Chapter 16 with the butterfly man will sit with me for a long time. Emma has managed to capture so much in this book and it really is one which can be read by all generations.

A beautiful book about friendship, relationships, growing older/up and the importance of being you.

Willow is living the perfect life, her boyfriend Dom is going to propose any time now. Their business is winning awards and going great guns…
As her life unravels she gets entangled in the life of single influencer Naz.

A good Sunday afternoon read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the copy to review.

This book took me a while to get into. But overall, I did enjoy it. I found the main character very relatable. I really loved the authors writing style and I would definitely pick up another book by her.

I did enjoy the story overall, but there was just something missing for me.

I loved the synopsis and cover of this book, and I'm glad Netgalley approved me for the ARC. Thanks so much!

I rated this book a 3 star. It was a quick read and offered a few life lessons - perfect for a cosy afternoon in!

When Willow has everything most adults dream of, the last thing she expects is what turns her life upside down. All of a sudden she's relying on the support of others and learning how to navigate her new situation.

On the one hand, this story is about friendship and women learning to love themselves, BUT I feel like it could have been more about that. More powerful, more 'you go girl', rather than 'your ex is an awful person and you've got to get away from him'.

I enjoyed most of the book, but there were parts that dragged a little and I skipped paragraphs to get through. A nice read overall, but could have been executed a little differently.

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

This one took me a little bit to get into, and I was hoping it would get me out of my slump

I really resonated with the themes of trying to figure out who you are, while I’m still a few years off thirty, I can relate to Willow’s moment of moving back in with family at an adult age and going through the journey of self discovery with love, friendships and navigating loss

Big thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collin’s for the ARC 💌

I really liked this and I think Emma Gannon may become an auto buy for me. She writes with such relatability and honesty that's impossible to not connect to her characters in some way. Relationships in your twenties between friends are so diverse and so all over the place and this book sums up that there is not one right way of doing life.

LOOOOVED ITTTT!!! I knew I'd be obsessed but omg I loved it sooo much! Emma never fails! Truly amazing!

This was an uplifting and heartwarming book about one woman’s journey in discovering and loving herself.

At the start of the book, Willow is in a long term relationship, working with her partner on their “joint” business, a venture which feels very much more like his thing than hers. After a few red flag moments, he ends up leaving her and heading off to NYC to develop the business further. Left in the wake of that devastation, Willow has no choice but to pick herself up and move forward, one step at a time. As she does so, she realises that there is much that she has been neglecting - in her relationships with her friends and in her relationship with herself. It’s a joy to watch her reconnect with herself, in particular, but also with her friends and her aunt who raised her.

At first, I really wasn’t sure about this book. I almost DNF’d it at an early stage as I found our central characters really irritating. I’m glad I stayed with it though as the message in the book was really uplifting and I ended up really enjoying this one.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK for the ARC of this title.