Considering not a huge amount happened in the first half to this book, I really enjoyed People Like Her. Social media is such a huge part of our world today and the book was a fascinating deep dive into the world (and actual reality) of one very popular Insta-mum, Emmy. The characters were all pretty complex and while I didn't really warm to then, I did enjoy reading about their life. I really liked how the chapters alternated between Emmy, Dan and a third mystery character as I felt we got a 360 degree look rather than just one point of view. While the core of the book is pretty superficial, it also deals with some harrowing and heartbreaking subjects. The pace of the book most definitely quickened towards the end but it did feel like it was over too quickly and could have been drawn out to provide more detail. I was intrigued by the ending of the book and will be watching to see what this author brings out next.

Thanks to NetGalley for my ARC read of this book.

Absolutely gripping- I loved this from the start and hope to read much more from Ellery Lloyd. The story stars Instamum Emmy, who is wildly successful at what she does, but is this at the cost of her family and personal relationships? The story moves between Emmy's perspective, her novelist husband Dan, who isnt anywhere as successful as his early career promised, and someone who despises Emmy and everything she stands for, If, like me, you spend a bit too long on social media and admiring other people's lives and homes, this is the story to break the spell. Fantastic characters, great storylines, I loved it! thank you so much to @Netgalley and the publishers for the chance to read it

LOVED it!!

I have already found what will definitely be a favourite book of 2021. Writing about social media and making it a convincing piece of work is surely difficult and Ellery Lloyd duo have certainly pulled it off. Also what a clever play of words on the title! People Like Her.

What to expect?
Emmy is an Insta-mom. She is famous, has a million followers, and a group of Insta-pod friends—fellow influencer mommies. Her husband Dan is a writer and not v keen on the children’s pics being on social media. She has got two kids—Coco and Bear. Someone seems to be obsessed with her life and activities—spelling danger for her life. This reads like a very contemporary Insta novel that morphs into a thriller.

What bothered me:
I’ll say what I didn’t like first because I loved so many things in the book.
- I am trying to be as vague as possible because of spoilers. There's a semi-big climax, but I wasn't sure how believable it is. I liked the way Dan's mind worked in tracking it down. But also there are loopholes (if you've read the book, you know)
- Polly; Emmy's friend who isn't an Insta presence but is an old friend, bridesmaid, supportive person etc was a wonderful character. She had too little space. I really wanted a bit more of Polly. At the end, she was reduced to 'the person who screams at Emmy the bad effects of social media'. I wish she had more purpose.

Things I especially Loved:
- How the two sides of social media were explored. The influencer life vs the fan who might harm the influencer they look up to.
- Also loved how Emmy was passionate about building a business. It was hilarious reading about her meeting an agent and being advised ‘have a breakdown or a baby’ to establish her career. I really liked the non-glamorous side of influencer life. The get-togethers that Dan is tired of, the packages that keep coming, trying hard to be accessible to her followers, answering DMs and always being supportive and helpful.
- Emmy and Dan decide early on that when the kids are big and when they say no, this Insta-family thing has to stop. There's a wonderful scene where Emmy asks Coco to say something at an interview and she doesn't want to. And Emmy goes on to think should she give in to Coco? But also being a parent is about making your child do things they don't want to—eat what they don't want, wear a diaper etc. I loved how Lloyd wrote about dilemmas of a career in the limelight and parenting as a career vs the trials of parenting.
- The agent and the whole business side of influencing. I LOVED this part. The Insta support group of fellow mommies who give each other visibility and grow together, Emmy’s desperation to climb up the ladder and be on TV/talk show etc and how her agent does her best, scheduling posts at least a fortnight in advance, having parties to ‘appeal’ to the audience etc. I also loved how Emmy says she is too tidy that she has to mess up her house a little or not get a new hairstyle to be ‘relatable’ to other moms. Also nice touch with how the party invites are made/given out based on ‘influence’. ALSO Emmy’s agent is literally a genius. She knows how to save her client in every way possible.
- Winter—Emmy's assistant who wants to an Insta star was a nice touch and I enjoyed how her arc turned out.
-The pacing was great. You are in the middle of the problems between Dan and Emmy and at the same time there’s someone WATCHING. Oooof! It tingles.
- The book shows the good side of social media and also the bad side—the trolls, the desperation to make it ‘click’, creepy fans, fake accounts on social media ‘that do not disregard Instagram’s policies and hence can’t be taken down (haven’t we seen that so many times?)
-I love how the book ends. It made me ponder a lot of things. When you say you don’t want your life to be on social media, to another person, does it really really apply to you as well? What if you got the fame? Would you give up fame? Fame is so addictive!

I would’ve loved it if the ending bits were more stretched out. So many things came to a halt, subplots started moving quickly towards the end. But really, I am not even complaining because the book was v enjoyable. 100% recommending People like her for everyone. I really enjoyed it. And I hope to see more of Ellery Llyod—they sure know how to write a good story.

I've read too many of this type of thriller recently, ones that promise everything in soundbites and the blurb on the cover, but don't live up to the hype. To be honest, I was getting a little bored with the type and fully expected this to be the same as all the others.

It isn't.

This is gripping, and original, and a really good read.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this psychological thriller about mummy bloggers—it works perfectly on both levels, gripping, disturbing and suspenseful while also acerbic and authentic-feeling on Instagram influencers. The phrase "Potemkin parties" has really stuck with me. While reading on holiday, the ending to the second-last chapter actually made me jump up out of my sun lounger. Definitely worth reading.

A cautionary tale for our times perhaps?

A brilliantly told story of modern manners which could not have been told as little as 10 to 15 years ago, when the social media influencer" was born.

I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel by Ellery Lloyd (husband-and-wife writing team Collette Lyons and Paul Vlitos.)

I liked the occasional misdirect that the author gave us and enjoyed the slow pace at which the reason for the villain's behaviour was revealed; my only tiny criticism was the hurriedness of the final section. But the last line was quite masterful.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Amazing debut!

I found the premise interesting and unique. And once I started reading it I was hooked.

The plot is well written and it is so current. The main character Emmy, who is an influencer, and her husband, Dan, a novelist are both unlikable in a good way. It aptly covers the benefits and dangers of social media.

It actually got me thinking about the lifestyle of the various social influencers that exist. What seems like a simple job actually requires quite a lot of planning and detailing. And also, sometimes the trolls that they face are quite scary.

This book has a slight dark side in the form of the follower who is in search of revenge, which made it even more enjoyable, along with all the twists and the chilling conclusion.

Overall, an engaging read!

Thank You to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for this ARC!

Brilliant! A parable for our times.
Admittedly the protagonist Emmy wasn’t inherently likeable but she was funny, in the same way that I’m not likeable but I am funny (I think)

Can’t believe this a debut book. It’s phenomenally good.
Read it, savour it and enjoy it but do be careful about what you post on social media for this was full of salutary lessons.
Emmy is an influencer on Instagram, part. Of the whole mum tribe.
Her husband Dan is a novelist, and not a very good one at that.
Oh gosh thank you Netgalley #PeopleLikeHer #Netgalley

I wasn't sure about this at first as I am not an instagram person, but I was soon completely hooked! This was really well written, brilliantly plotted and came with a good old twist. Misery for the instagram generation!

Oh my goodness, what a book this turned out to be. I don’t suppose I’ve ever really given much thought to what exactly being a successful ‘influencer’ involves and if it’s anything like Ellery Lloyd portrays here then good luck to them all. None of the main characters are particularly likeable but that didn’t seem to matter as I was drawn in more with each turn of the page. This is one of those books that you really want friends to read so you can discuss it with them. I think this will appeal equally to fans and critics of social media and expect it to be a great success.

Wow, what a book! I had heard amazing things about this book from social media so I knew that I was sure to love it and was very excited to be approved by Netgalley.

Thank you so much for allowing me the chance to get an ARC of this book. It was fantastic and certainly lived up the the hype!

Oh wow! What a ride that was! Initially I thought this would be some fairly light-hearted chick lit type of a read, with a look at the dangers of social media, and it delivered those things and more! It became an intense thriller, a who-dunnit and why-dunnit with more than one deliciously wicked mystery to solve. The characters are written in a way that makes them so relatable and real, and each has a totally specific voice, thanks to the husband and wife writing team taking a part each. This book had me laughing and nodding along to some very relatable um moments and recognising myself and others in the way social media is portrayed. It also had me in tears, and gasping in absolute horror. This was an absolute page turner with an ending you won't see coming!

This is a clever, at times funny, dark and very strong debut psychological thriller from a husband and wife writing team that I can’t wait to read more of. Written from 3 alternating perspectives: Emmy, the self-absorbed ex-fashion magazine writer now turned famous Mum with her Instagram influencer persona; Dan, her increasingly dissatisfied husband struggling to write his second novel (read house-husband); and the revenge-fueled stalker.

Very early on Dan says that his wife isn’t a liar she just does bullshit well and that is exactly what it takes to bring in a million followers, sponsorship deals and free gifts. Normally in the social media world, people are desperate to make their lives look better and more exciting than they really are, but Emmy understands that those desperate struggling mothers out there don’t want to see her ‘perfect’ life, so she does the opposite. Everything in her life she sees through the lens of “How would this look on Insta?” This is not only a great page turner as the reader gradually discovers the stalker’s story, but a real insight into the dangers of today’s social media obsession and the pressures being a famous internet influencer place on a family that is always in the spotlight.

Firstly, this title is so good, such a play on words for the social media topic this book covers

have to say, none of the characters in this book were very likeable, Emmy was someone caught up in social media and believed her own hype, to the point where her best friend was side lined and even her husband had play the social media game.

This book definitely makes you think about the influence social media has on us and how it can affect people.

Despite not being a fan of Emmy (don't think I'd have been one of her followers), she didn't deserve what she was put through towards the end of the book.

This book also highlights the trolls and how easy it is to transfer feelings of anger or grief onto a face behind the screen.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book which was extremely dark in places and tough to digest!

Thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book, this is my honest opinion.

Is it possible to be totally consumed by a book? I think so! People Like Her had me initially smiling and nodding. And then it hit me in my gut with its ending. Ahhh!

The book is about this very social media friendly family - in particular the mother who is an 'Instamum'.
In typical social media fashion she shares her life and that of her family via beautifully lit photos and cute captions.

However, somethings aren't as good as they seem. Followers too get it wrong. Lies are spun in the name of content. That's when things go terribly awry.

I totally could understand the viewpoints of the social media friendly couple.

The story has stayed with me, and will be hard to forget. Some great lessons for are oversharing internet world!

This zeitgeist book takes a good look at the conflicting world of Instagram Influencers. The successful ones are gifted items and experiences beyond our wildest dreams, launch collaborations with big brands, see their autobiography on the best sellers list and even make the move to television presenting. However, should their followers turn against them, then it's death by social media.

Have you ever looked at the 'Mama' type of Instagram account and scoffed that you could easily do the same thing, it's just that you can't be bothered. How difficult could it really be? After all, it's 'just' posting pictures of peonies and children with facepaint.

Maybe you think that the time of the parent influencer is over and that there will be a reckoning for the way that their children are a commodity to be offered up as a way of gaining more company gifts.

Or perhaps you are a young mother yourself, feeling isolated and unsure of what you are doing, but knowing that there are other women out there experiencing the same emotions and you can connect with then through a simple app.

Whatever your feelings are about the influencer phenomenon, this book takes a look at it all, weaving all these thoughts into a story about an ambitious mother, a bereaved Grandmother, social media, envy, grief and revenge. It is not only thoroughly entertaining but it also made me think about the Instagram culture in ways that hadn't previously occurred to me.

It's a great read and I look forward to seeing what the author releases next.

My thanks go to the publishers and Net Galley for the advanced copy in return for an honest review

This book is excellent. In a thoroughly oversubscribed genre (twisty contemporary domestic thriller) its stands out by being very truly good and enlightening, in. the way that Gone Girl was when it first published, but all the subsequent bestsellers (Girl on a Train etc etc) have never managed. In fact those perfectly adequate but unremarkable bestsellers thoroughly put me off the whole tired genre. But People like Her - following wholly realistic, disarmingly real but slightly repugnant instamum Emmy and her sidelined husband Dan - offers insight, twists and a thrilling conclusion. Really hope it gets the recognition and success it deserves,

This book was not like any other book I’ve read.

When I started reading I had no idea how dark and twisty it was going to get.

I really enjoyed the 3 different POV’s and also the character development. It was very well written and made for an easy read.

This book seemed real and authentic and made me laugh at times 🤍

I would highly recommend this book.

Thank you to #netgalley and #panmamillan for ARC

A creepy and unsettling window into the social media era!

Emmy aka Mamabare the influencer appears to have it all; the perfect relationship with Dan, two adorable #InstaKids Coco and Bear, a social media following of adorning fans and sponsorship deals aplenty. But behind the scenes, life isn't all yay days and mama wins - her perfected online persona isn't all it's cracked up to be, even if it is mostly fictional. But the fans (and haters) watch her every move, some a little closer than others...

This book had me gripped from start to finish. The character development was excellent, with even some of the intentionally unlikeable characters still getting my sympathy which doesn't often happen! Written from 3 different character POV's the narrative never gets boring, the tension continues to steadily build and the twists force you not to want to put this book down! Even though there was one clear main narrative, I loved the fact that there were also almost smaller semi side stories that either interlinked or provided backstory for some of the character development - such as Polly and Winter. Ellery Lloyd is clearly a very talented writer and I'll definitely be checking out more from them in the future.

Now brb while I go and delete all of my social media profiles...!

Thanks to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for my advanced reader copy! 💕

An original book centered around an influencer who documents her life as a parent and wife, and how this is used to exploit her by various people. The main characters are well formed and the author does a great job of crafting Emmy's internet persona and her real life one. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC, I look forward to seeing more from this author.