Table for One is the story of Willow a 30 something woman who finds herself starting from scratch after her 10-year relationship with Dom ends. Willow has to rediscover who she is without her relationship. At a time when her friends lives feel settled, Willow is forced to re-examine her identity and her future.

At times it feels relatable and joyful and heartwarming. Willow is surrounded by a loving mother-figure Carla, who acts as the anchor in her life an a group of friends she has known since forever. Sometimes the friendships feel surface-like and the depth is given by her closest friend, Pen. Pen has often felt like the third wheel and finally has a chance at happiness at a time when her friend's world comes crashing down. There are flashbacks from the past are littered through the book. I'm not a massive fan of flashbacks in books as I find them distracting.

I liked the ending and that Willow's story didn't end with her back in the arms of her ex-partner. Sometimes not giving the reader what they want, pays off. Give it a go.

First prize for the greatest cover of all time, unfortunately there is no beautiful lil long boi greyhound in the book which was massively disappointing because the cover was the main reason I wanted to read this...

... Anyway, Table for One is a super accessible, easy read with a large cast of women, all about independence, relationships of all kinds, old and new friendships, family, and the online world.

Our protagonist's aunty/mother adjacent, Carla, was my favourite character, she was absolutely fab and was the best element of the story for me. Unfortunately I found Willow, the protagonist, incredibly self absorbed and narcissistic but she was oblivious to this. She had an incredible talent of making everything about her and he inner thoughts felt very repetitive. While this kinda spoiled my enjoyment of the book overall, I enjoyed the last quarter much more. Perhaps if the story had initially progressed a little faster and some of the themes taken further and developed more I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I'd recommend Table for One for when you just want an easy read that's fun, but still has some interesting themes to get stuck into.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read this a couple of weeks early and I hate not being able to give an amazing review but I think it's more of a me problem that I didn't love this one (2.5 starts rounded up).

What a heart-warming funny book! Gannon has written such an intricately woven story of love, loss and self-discovery. The cover is gorgeous and absolutely an example where you can judge the book by the cover! I really enjoyed the layout of the story and how we learn details of the past which helped to create the unravelling present story at the same time. Oh and the character of Aunt Clara! Such a wonderful woman and she really made the book for me!

Emma Gannon has published a number of books, mainly non-fiction and she writes well on the digital world and contemporary working practices.

However, she has turned her attentions to fiction and those who enjoy her other writing should proceed with caution. Her first novel Olive was one of the worst novels I have read, no exaggeration, and whilst Table for One is better I cannot help feel that its presence in the world adds little to the literary landscape.

It is unexceptional, solipsistic and plodding. If this is the world of young women now, I’m pleased I’m approaching my 51st birthday. As with so many of novels these days it is very heavy on the tell, too light on the show. It is full, so very, very full, of irrelevant detail: “We loved what they had done with it. It had grey stone herringbone bricks, a gorgeous navy-coloured kitchen, a garden big enough to have friends round for a barbecue, two spacious bedrooms and two good-sized bathrooms.”

It's as if an estate agent’s blurb and an Instagram page have had a child.

Or this: “... is framed by a beautiful pair of doors made of wrought iron and stained glass…designed for big parties, conferences and corporate events.”

Dear lord. And don’t get me started on the endless descriptions of people’s clothes which add nothing except even more extraneous words.

Perhaps a move away from the first-person would have helped here, by helping to nip the soul-crushing interiority in the bud. An exterior view of the main character may have highlighted for the author the kind of person she was asking readers to invest their time in. If this is supposed to be some kind of feminist treatise for the 21st century, it’s as if women throwing themselves under race horses never happened.

Willow is in a comfortable relationship that makes her feel safe. When that safety is destroyed and she has to start again, Willow must find the confidence to trust herself and build a new life.

I loved this book. Emma is really gifted at writing the subtle complications of a life where the characters are not just out and out baddies or goodies, but real, fleshed out people with a full range of personality traits that make them properly human. That's what allows you as the reader to fall in love with them. I loved that Willow was so much more than a wronged woman who takes a predictable path back to being happy again. I loved that the characters were allowed to be messy and ragged and that you could so easily imagine their stories spooling on beyond the last page. I loved that Emma explored the big human emotions of love and grief and happiness beyond the cliches into friendships and non-traditional family set ups. I absolutely loved how easily I could imagine each of the characters having their own novel because it was such a brilliantly balanced ensemble piece. I read this in a single day and was sad when it was finished.

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

Willow, is a thirty-something-year-old woman who has everything worked out (well at least to society’s standards). She has the partner, the career and the house. However, when her boyfriend unexpectedly dumps her, Willow lands on a trajectory with no clear direction. What makes it harder is all her friends’ lives appear to be moving forward, while Willow finds herself moving in the opposite direction.

We follow Willow as she navigates her heartbreak- and, more importantly, rekindles a very important relationship – the one with herself.

Table For One is the perfect book for anyone in their thirties who is feeling like they should have it all figured out but don’t. It’s a heartfelt and relatable reminder that it’s okay to hit pause, to slow down, and to get back to the things you enjoy. Emma Gannon writes with warmth, but also humour, making even the heavier moments feel light and comforting.

Themes explored in the book include the impact of social media, and the fact that sometimes people are hiding behind a curated narrative, the power and complexities of female friendships, relationships and the pressures placed particularly on millennial women to follow a timeline.

From a personal perspective I did struggle a little to connect with some of the anti-relationship sentiments (maybe that’s because I’m a married millennial lol). However, the overall message- that self-love and remaining true to your identities and values, as well as the fact you don’t need to have it all figured out or stick to an imaginary timeline - really resonated.

I have read Emma Gannon’s previous fiction book, “Olive” and the premise of this one really sounded right up my street as a committed single woman.

At the start of the book Willow is in a relationship with Dom. I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that doesn’t last considering that’s the whole point of the book. There were several red flags for me in Dom’s behaviour, which I kind of think more could have been made of without taking too much away from the main plot.

I really enjoyed Gannon’s writing style. It made for a very easy read and I stormed through this in a few days as I was really engrossed. Willow’s friendship group was fab and at times reminded me of my own besties, although it seemed like Gannon was maybe a little too keen to ensure that each of the women in the group had a slightly different relationship status in order to cover all the bases.

I liked that Gannon touched on social media and how you only really see what someone wants you to see. It’s a very carefully curated look at someone’s life that is designed to feel as though they are being completely open and honest with their audience. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of feeling like you really know someone just because you follow them on social media.

Gannon makes some good points and the character of Naz is fully flying the flag for the joys of single life but it’s easy to forget there are downsides too.

Willow’s Aunt, Carla, I think was my favourite character. She had such a fabulous outlook on life and I think we could all stand to be a bit more Carla.

Overall, an interesting look at single life and how our relationship status can come to define us.

As a newbie to Emma Gannon’s writing, I had no idea what to expect.

What ensued, was a novel celebrating women and positivity. Even though the book had probably more that it’s fair share of heartbreak, for Willow and those close to her, Gannon still finds a way to surprise and uplift.

I found the tension Willow faced throughout to be difficult at times to read, but this is more of a credit to the writing than a criticism. It really showed that life can have its ups and downs but still be something worthwhile no matter what you face.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would like to thank the author, the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was a wonderful love letter to women everywhere.

Table For One was my first introduction to Emma Gannon's writing but it definitely won't be the last book of hers that I read.

It's a story about romantic love, self love, familial love, friendship love. It was uplifting, it was heart breaking, it was wonderful.

We follow Willow, a 30something woman who has it all until, one day, she doesn't. Her journey to return to her roots and rediscover what she truly values is one that will stay with me for a while!

After her long relationship ends, Willow is forced to reclaim her sense of identity and discover who she is (and was) without Dom.

I found Willow incredibly frustrating, I get that not all characters need to be likeable but I really was rolling my eyes at certain points. By the end i’d learnt to love her and definitely appreciated her character development but i’m not sure this book was for me.

Readers who love zeitgeisty millennial writers will love this, but I think it was slightly too on the nose millennial for me.

★★★☆☆ (3.5/5)

Willow, the main character, thought she had her life sorted. Long-term boyfriend, shared business, dreams of marriage and babies. Then—bam—he ends things and leaves her with nothing. No boyfriend. No company. No clue what to do next.

This book isn’t a romance, so if you’re expecting a swoony rebound love story, skip it. But if you're looking for a story about a woman in her 30s figuring out who she is after losing everything? This one hits home.

I liked it, but didn’t love it. The first half had me fully invested—Willow’s heartbreak felt so raw and real. But the second half dragged a bit, like it didn’t quite know where to go. Also, Willow could be a bit whiny at times (I wanted to shake her and say, “Girl, get it together!”), but I still rooted for her.

That said, the friendships in this book were the real highlight. Her friends and aunt Carla? Absolute gems. No drama, just pure support. We love to see it.

Worth reading if you’re in the mood for a self-love story with zero romance and lots of honest reflection. Just don’t go in expecting fireworks—this one’s more of a slow, steady glow.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for providing me with a digital review copy of this book.
#TableforOne #Netgalley

Table for One follows Willow, a woman in her 30s who seemingly has it all; the perfect home, the perfect boyfriend, the perfect job — until everything unravels.

Unexpectedly forced to rebuild her life, Willow embarks on a journey of self-discovery, learning what it means to be a single, independent woman in her 30s. Along the way, she is supported by her incredible aunt Carla and a wonderful group of friends.

Willow also seizes an exciting job opportunity that reignites her passion for journalism. As she writes an article about a fascinating individual, a trendy Gen Z influencer, she unexpectedly forms a deep friendship with the person she’s profiling. The life lessons and mantras she learns from this connection play a pivotal role in her personal growth and her journey towards self-empowerment.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Table for One and am so grateful to both Emma Gannon and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC.

________

As I approach 30, I found myself deeply resonating with Willow’s journey. Like many young women, I’m still navigating the path to self-discovery, figuring out who I am and who I want to become, all while managing the challenges life throws at me. This book captured that feeling perfectly.

I felt a strong connection to Willow and genuinely rooted for her throughout her journey. It was as if she was a close friend of mine, and I was her personal cheerleader and hype girl, cheering her on every step of the way.

Emma Gannon is a new author to me (𝘢 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!), and I absolutely adored her writing style. Her storytelling kept me engaged from start to finish, and I couldn’t put this book down.

This was an enjoyable read as we follow a character who thought life was going perfectly, and how she deals with it when it all goes pear shaped!

Willow is the woman at the heart of the story - she's loved up with Dom, watching his new business, of which she was part of, grow - and we get the past and present timelines so we can watch where it all went wrong and how she has to start living life for herself. It really captures that feeling of how putting your life on hold for someone else means you lose the essence of yourself, and it's not easy to get back.

It also captures life moves on a different paces for friends, so you often find yourself at different stages which makes things difficult to keep those friendships alive. Willow is set a writing job to follow the 'single movement' which is capturing the younger generation and she starts to see how living life for yourself makes you realise what works for you, and what you want out of life.

It's a story that centres on the positivity we all need in our life and to follow our own dreams and not those of someone else.

So much happens and there is nearly an infinite amount to unpack so let's get started!

I wouldn't say this book was full of crazy plot twists but it did have a couple of surprises here and there and some things that felt inevitable life moments definitely did occur. At about 13% in, I genuinely thought this book was just going to follow a classic FMC in her mid-twenties in a slightly dissatisfying long term relationship...but I was wrong! Whilst Gannon excelled at covering the classic slump and stagnation that is only known to long term relationships, this book was so much more than that.

This is definitely a book about loss but it also says a heaping amount about friendship. The power of friendship and it's ability to drag us out of our darkest and most depressing moments. But also the complications that can come with friendships when they interact with our work life and how some friendships can fade before they come back into full view.

Florence and Bill were written really well, they weren't main or even side characters in the plot but they were the classic jarring in-laws. It added a nice touch and made the whole plot feel more realistic because of how real they felt. I adored Carla, such an angel, she was a sensational character and added so much warm and comfort to the story. Also loved all of Willow's friends, even Pen, they not only the voice of reason but sometimes felt like the antithesis of where Willow was in life which made for a nice contrast. Speaking of Pen, I did find her really funny and observant, like when Dom is taking Willow to see Planet of the Apes and Pen retorts 'ha, it must be true love then. That is not your cup of tea' - brilliant!

So many quarter life crisis moments that were absolutely dowsed with wit and light heartedness. One of my favourite moments in the entire book is when Willow is stressing about being older than Jesus was when he died and still somewhat less productive and Carla's response is 'sweetheart, I don't think you need to be as productive as Jesus. He fed five thousand. You don't need to do that' - so funny, I love Carla.

I also was really impressed with the attention to detail in the book. Elaine's email signature including '*excuse typos, sent from iPhone, or I might have had some WINE*' absolutely screamed corporate middle class/aged business lady and I think Gannon's attention to these minor details made all her characters so distinctive from each other and also feel remarkably human.

The flashbacks (then vs now) were a great way of illustrating Dom and Willow's relationship and the changes in their dynamic without having to start the plot from the beginning of their romance but it also allowed more time for the plot to shift from being just about them as a couple since so much ground was covered fairly early on in the book.

I don't want to talk about the tragedies that occur in this book because they were genuinely so sad. 'Ten years obliterated in a ten-minute conversation' broke my heart and might be one of the most accurate and equally devastating things I've read in a while. Why did I feel like my own heart was breaking whilst I was reading this? Gannon captures heartbreak achingly well and does not skimp on any of the details or nostalgia or just general pain that accompanies such a devastating event. 'Holding a relationship worth of rubbish in my arms, wondering if my life will always look like this' felt like the perfect sentence to summarise how breakups actually feel. I love that Gannon doesn't feel the need to make Willow's thoughts feel grandiose and overly dramatic. A lot of the simplicity and nuance that she captures makes the whole breakup feel so overwhelming. Every nuance made the breakup feel almost like Willow was real - once again Gannon deserves her flowers on the details. My favourite little detail was Willow's list of breakup admin and one of the things being 'bin two together railcard' - this is so specific and a minor aspect of a relationship but ahhhh, it hurts just thinking about it.

There is a fairly balanced view of the breakup in the sense that we also get to see the effort-filled and hopeful beginnings of the relationship and the parts before the monotony and dissatisfaction sets in. I think having the balance makes it all that more devastating because it gives such a well rounded view of the relationship and who Willow and Dom were then and no longer are now.

While I'd say this book is on the lighter side of general fiction, it doesn't feel depressing or gloomy at all, there is definitely a depth and grittiness that comes out as we progress in the plot. True colours are revealed and the messy parts of life do come out when certain things unravel. Dom coming back into Willow's life (or trying to) shows how nothing is ever clear cut no matter the intentions and all the cracks with Naz start to show. There was also a point where I was pretty convinced Willow would throw Naz under the bus which led the plot into a more darker area of betrayal (momentarily).

There were some bits which I wasn't super keen on. Firstly, some of the descriptions did feel like they bordered on lazy - Alice as being described as making 'sure our recycling was put in a separate bin, etc' felt like it could've been phrased in a more creative way. Also some of the flashbacks felt unnecessary as the plot progressed. Initially, it felt like a clever tool for narrating Dom and Willow's love story but there were some childhood ones where I'd read it and think 'okay, that's nice...and?' Also the Celine Dion concert felt super unrealistic. I'm no superfan but she hasn't toured in ages and I get this is hard to choose an artist that is culturally relevant to mention in a book that is also well known but it just interrupted the integrity and realness of the plot - even going to Disneyland Paris would've been better. Also it's mentioned that Carla has dogs, but I feel like they only came on the scene properly in the last 20% of the book. I speak on behalf of all dog lovers when I say that my rating would go up if they were mentioned more (just saying).

A remarkably wholesome and moving coming of age book that shows us just how loss, friendship and surprisingly social media can make it's appearance in adulthood.

This was a really feel-good read. It’s a love letter to doing your own thing, female friendships and found families. I found the protagonist a bit annoying at the start but I really liked the journey she went on through the book and how she ended up a more well-rounded, balanced person. It captures the “what now?” after a long term relationship ends and how you’re forced to change your view of the future. A poignant but fun book.

A book about relationship, ambition, work. I enjoyed the way this book is written to be relatable to millenials. It is a book about love and loss and loneliness. (The in-laws don't give me very good vibes tbh)

Willow’s life turns upside down when her long term partner decides to end their relationship and she finds herself on her own, with no home or job. She embarks on a journey of self discovery, alongside her adoring Aunt Carla and her small group of friends. I love a story about female friendships and this book has its share of the up and downs, dramas and humour which makes it feel realistic. An unlikely new friendship with an influencer called Naz sets the tone for Willow’s reinvention. I really enjoyed this story and would definitely seek out more books from this author,

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.