A great story about how a little white lie, told in all innocence, can cause your whole life to implode.

Full of yummy mummies and ptfa zealots with WhatsApp messages between the various groups this book could be really irritating but is actual a compelling read. With backstories of loss and post natal depression The Fallout is an over dramatised version of life many mums of young children will recognise.

Enjoyed the style of writing and the tension built up throughout. Didn’t trust either of the narrators. Liked how the truth developed

A good read perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies: exploring the friendships and betrayals of friendship, motherhood and marriage in the 21st century, where what's app is the primary mode of conversation and everyone is jealous of the Instagram-ready lives of others. A little slow in places but a very entertaining read

This book was full of gossip, secrets and lies and made for a really good read. I loved the way the author captured the gossiping and backstabbing of the school Mums over the whatsapp groups. The power struggles over the Christmas Fair was especially entertaining!
The main story was a little slow in places, but I liked that all the secrets and mysterious behaviour of some of the characters was all explained before the end. It would have really annoyed me if they weren't!
Thankyou to netgalley and the published for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book is set in West London with best friends, Liza and Sarah. Their lives should be perfect but still waters run deep. Old friend Ella is back in their lives, she seems perfect but Sarah knows she is hiding something. A great read for anyone who has ever felt the pull of the PTA and the school gate gossips.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK for my copy of this book. This was a very cleverly written book. The main characters definitely led me to draw incorrect conclusions at times, and the plot twists and ending were excellent. Very thought-provoking as lots of issues are raised in this book - the difficulties of modern parenting, bereavement, post natal depression, the complexities of marriage and friendship.... All in all I enjoyed this book.

The Fallout is Ms Thornton's third thriller and I was in two minds whether to read this one but I was fond of her last novel, Your Guilty Secret. It explores the question of whether it is ever acceptable to lie to keep a secret from your best friend in order to save your friendship. Sarah and Liza are bosom buddies and are having a cheeky coffee at the local community centre when Liza asks Sarah to check if her son Jack is okay; he is outside making the most of the play equipment. However, soon she completely forgets about seeing if he is alright outside when a mother she hasn't seen in an age appears at the centre and they get on talking; she only very quickly looks to see he is still safe and having fun. Jack then has a terrible accident which leaves him in a serious condition but the other parent ends up telling Liza that Sarah had looked to ensure everything was good. Sarah daresn't tell her anything different and so she goes along with it.

This is a straightforward, gripping read which explores the insidious nature of small-town gossip, rumours and how secrets and lies can destroy a friendship when they inevitably come out. Some of the plot is a little far-fetched so if you prefer believability over everything else this may not be for you; set this qualm aside and just go with the flow and you are treated to an insightful exploration of human relationships and the tendency for the truth to always be revealed in the end. It's a compulsive and easy read which moves at a decent pace and looks at whether lying in a particular situation can ever be defended e.g. where you know it will hurt someone. This is probably more appropriately described as women's fiction but there a few surprises along the way and it held my interest well once I got into it. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

I love this from start to finish

. This is the story of those around Jack a small 5 year old boy who has a bad accident & what follows is the story of the lives of his Mum Lizza,, her best friend Sarah and Ella. Well I will let you work out who Ella is it takes a while but the truth will out.

Sarah is so obsessed with Ella who did a disappearing act about 5 years ago but now has appeared back on the scene. They all met at pre birthing classes where Sarah & Lizza's friendship began and has grown & grown. Kate who isn't really bothered "(is she brothered") so is irritated with Sarah's obsession.
In real life everyone has things they want to keep private, secrets we rather weren't know just some are bigger than others. Plus something's that are disasters to one may be nothing to another, well these are all carrying whopper secrets and secrets can make us all do strange things at times, and this is no exception. As Sarah live unravels others carry on around them and I think Rebecca has written à incredible novel were real life is echoed in the way people react they live & I'm glad my issues aren't the same. But as a man they are less likely to be similar as I have never given birth ( I know a shocker isn't it).

So my opinion is you should definitely get this book don't question it as it would be a shame to miss this matter peace that's in my view and when you read it in sure you will agree.

A rollercoaster of a read, the gossiping women on WhatsApp, the chat at the school gates, the lie that changed a good friendship, this book has a lot in it.
I thought it was a bit tedious in some places but the storyline was basically good, it goes to show how easy it is to miss read other people's lives and situations, and to think the best or worst of people without knowing the real story and the guilt of living with not telling the truth can eat you up.
Thank you netgalley and Harpercollins.

The world of yummy mummies, who are so wrapped up in themselves, I think I struggled to like any of the female characters in this book. I didn’t feel anything relate able with them and maybe that’s a good thing. I don’t think as readers we were meant to like them or at least I hope not. For me the only situation this reminded me of was picking up my children from the school playgrounds at the end of the day or dropping them off, as there was always that clique group which if on their own would speak but if together nothing.

This group of women start off all pregnant at the same time and have a WhatsApp chat group, but a couple of them have a second chat where they moaned about the others. I am so pleased I wasn’t expecting my children during this time of social media frenzy.

Jump ahead a few years a new sports centre has opened, where children have play areas, as well as being able to attend tennis lessons or various activities. As can the mothers, there are areas where they can drop their children whilst they doing exercise classes keeping them looking trim and perfect.

Sarah and Liza are in the cafe whilst Jack Liza’s son is playing on an outdoor play area, Sarah goes to get them coffee’s and assures Liza she will check on Jack whilst getting drinks. She does see Jack climbing quite close to the edge of a climbing frame, she should warn him to get down, but, she spots Ella another mother who had left their group and hasn’t been seen around much, Ella is a stunning woman, Sarah has always been fascinated with her and wanted to befriend her, she forgets about Jack and is engaged in conversation with Ella. Both women go to Liza, when a commotion starts outside. Jack has had an accident.

Sarah now feels guilty for not telling Jack to get down, she drags Ella into it saying that she was supposed to check on Jack but had been distracted by her. Ella tells her to tell Liza she checked on Jack and dismisses the incident. Sarah is wracked with guilt over not telling her friend the total truth. But can she trust Ella?

Liza’s husband Gavin is a control freak, he has split from his wife but is still living in the marital home to watch his wife, but why? When he learns of Jacks accident he goes mad, blaming Liza and Sarah and the Centre who he claims he will sue.

The story is interspersed with WhatsApp messages, extracts from newspaper articles from witnesses of the accident, which reveals the strain and tension that these yummy mummies are under.

The rest of the story is told through the points of view of Sara and Liza, what secrets does Liza have? There has to be something for her husband to act as he does.

Despite not liking the characters I had to read on, some of the topics covered were very well done, post natal depression, the loss of a child, being a mum in general, which is one of the toughest jobs, there is no guidebook, and every child is different, so you may get on fine with child number one, but child number two comes along a totally different personality. The characters are well drawn and are real in the world as we live right now, but I still didn’t find I didn’t like them. Gavin should have been kicked to the kerb.

I wouldn’t say it was a favourite book but I was intrigued enough to continue reading to find out what secrets these ladies had. Not something I would normally read, because it’s basically bitchy women with secrets. I am sure there will be lots of readers possibly younger mums who will absolutely love this.

I would like to thank #netgalley and #HarperCollins for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair and unbiased review.
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Thank you NetGalley for this advanced copy. The description of this book really drew me in, but it did not produce. Their seemed to be too much drama and gossip via WhatsApp which was off putting to me. I gave up before i reached the end.

My thanks to NetGalley and publisher HarperCollins UK for the ARC.
I'm really not sure about this book To me, overall it's a cautionary tale of a gossipy and back-stabbing WhatsApp group formed, at first, between a group of young women expecting their first babies at about the same time, five years previously. From there it splinters into several spin-off private groups. The last thing you want to say to someone in such a group is "you mustn't tell anyone"!! let alone send a nasty message to the wrong person!
Along with these group messages we have the main two friends, Liza and Sarah. Their conversations take us towards their secrets and inability to recognise post natal depression. Sarah is suffering badly and whilst at their new leisure complex Liza's five year old son suffers a heavy fall requiring months of care. Sarah blames herself for not checking on him properly and becomes obsessed with making things right with her friend, whilst not admitting to her omission.
Then the story continues with Sarah almost physically, but certainly mentally, beating herself up within her guilt.
Will the truth come out and will their friendship survive the fallout?

Not really my cup of tea I'm afraid, it felt just too long-drawn-out and self-pitying. Just my opinion.

Sarah and Liza are friends who met and bonded through a local NCT group, being a support network for each other through those first fraught months and years of parenthood.
They look out for one another and have been there for each other through thick and thin.
Then something happens, injuring one of their children, and a web of lies, guilt and secrecy is woven.
An interesting format, and I especially liked the WhatsApp chats that were interspersed between chapters, as an extremely relevant addition to the book, seeing as a huge percentage of the population uses it as a means of communication.
Some interesting twists were revealed as the conclusion was reached.
Well, it was definitely a compelling read, seeing as I finished it in a day!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new author for me so was excited to try this new book!
Unfortunately I found it a little slow initially and felt that it was rather drawn out in places! However it does cover many relevant topical issues such as female friendships and loyalties, post natal depression, marital disharmony and school playground hierarchy! The use of wots app groups illustrate how beneficial or destructive they can also be in this age of modern communications!
This book covers the secrets we keep, the reasons we keep them and the effect this can have, this is mainly played out in playground politics and wots app chatter! A read that is engaging but didn’t really draw me in!
Thank you net galley for this early read.

I'm really not sure what I made of this book. On the one hand, it had an interesting premise and I found the unusual format intriguing (it uses Whatsapp style group chats to drive the story on). However, I felt that it waffled on a bit too much and ultimately the story seemed quite far fetched. I also couldn't take to any of the characters - I don't need characters to be likeable necessarily, but I do expect to at least be interested in them and what they do next. Not my favourite.

I use WhatsApp and love the ease of communication with it especially the way I can be in different groups so saving time but it really does nothing for me as the dialogue of a book. Even if I ignore that I also couldn’t relate to any of the characters and the whole thing seemed drawn out and not interesting.

Wow, this book is a real rollercoaster! It has many themes too, including parenting, friendship, relationships and maturity.

Told from the perspectives of the two main characters, Sarah and Liza, the book starts with WhatsApp chat conversations. But a trip to the local health and fitness club leads the story in a different direction. It's at this point that the 'what would you do' questions start for the reader, and also when another pivotal character, the mysterious Ella Bradby, comes into play.

The story certainly does not play out in the way that you would anticipate or expect, and you're taken on a massive emotional journey, particularly if you are a parent yourself. Covering many familiar parenting topics, you'll find yourself swinging between anger, sympathy and betrayal. I was shouting at certain people in my head at times!

All of this comes together to make The Fallout a must-read. It's not your typical 'mummy' novel and contains elements of other genres that will please a wide audience. It'll definitely make you double-check your WhatsApp messages!

I struggled with this book. It seemed really drawn out and almost ridiculous in places. I found it hard to get into and I couldn’t take to any of the characters.
The plot was a little flimsy I thought and Sarah and Ella's reaction and the subsequent drama that unfolded just seemed a complete over reaction. It didn’t live up to expectations I’m afraid,

Again, this is not my usual genre of novel. Essentially this is a book about motherhood and the world of bitchiness/gossip that sometimes comes with being a parent.

As a mum, I related to both of these characters. Liza and Sarah are both written as real life, believable people who are not superhuman. To that, even the “perfect” mum ends up having secrets that are not so perfect.

The fact that all characters and the world they live in was so close to home made my cringe, laugh and cry. There is some real world heavy hitting content that is so often parts of motherhood that are not spoken about. The parts about child loss and post natal depression were quite intense, and it may be a hard read for someone who has recently experienced either, but for other it is a well written insight into that heartbreak.

The author has a way of making you feel everything the characters are feeling, and more than once I had to stop reading because I wanted Sarah to stop making such bad decisions.

For a story that is basically a “will she, won’t she” the author gave the characters involved so much depth and the storyline became so complex that it kept me hooked.

I felt sad for the way the book ended but I was so invested in the characters that I am glad the author closed the book off in that way.

I loved this book and would definitely read something else by this author.

I really enjoyed The Fallout. It’s one of those books that you start reading and it draws you in. I loved the premise and the characters. Really well written and a joy to read.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Collins and the author for the chance to review.