3.5 stars


This book did something I didnt think possible...it made me sympathetic towards influencers as a whole,and even instamums that seemingly sell their kids privacy to the highest bidder.
It's definitely made me look at the whole thing differently.

Engaging thriller,that slowly reveals the who,why and what.
Interesting,yet not entirely likeable characters,and a race to the end to see if it ends well or not.

I'll be looking out for more from this author.

I loved this book! Could not put it down!!!!! Emmy is a social media daring....sharing her life with her Instagram followers.....where there are fans there are also trolls and there is an evil one lurking.....such a fab book told from the view of Emmy, her husband and the troll!

I was absorbed in this book straight from the beginning. The central character is a social media influencer and the book explores how sharing details of her life impacts on her family and ultimately the risk it brings.

I did find parts of the book relatable and actually quite difficult to read for certain chapters - a thriller that hit home and which served as a reminder to be careful about sharing too much online!

I recommend this book to anyone looking for an absorbing read.

Book released on 21 January. I received an advance copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a great read that kept me on my toes for the past 24 hours (even less!). I could not put the book down. The characters (all with different voices and all very engaging and likeable), the premise, the story and its quick pace - all of this kept me hooked!

"People Like Her" shows the other side of Insta-fame, it's darkest corners and all the hard work that goes into social media (the book also works as some sort of warning!). It also talks honestly about the darker days of motherhood.

The ending was a little rushed and I almost felt like it would benefit from the darker ending. And as soon as I thought that, the authors (and I applaud them!) gave us yet another twist.

Enjoyed and would recommend.

People Like Her delves deeply into the world of social media and influencer fame, and the darker side of that lifestyle.
From the start I found the characters to be well written and engaging. While the story moved at a quick pace and kept me wanting more.
One thing I loved was that it wasn't predictable, which just kept me even more engaged.
The only reason this isn't getting a five, is that I felt the ending was a little rushed.
Overall, though, this was a great read.

The premise of this book is intriguing - Emmy is an Instamum (a social media influencer who posts content about motherhood on Instagram), with a three year old daughter and a newborn son. Her husband is a writer but his debut novel was a success ten years ago, and he hasn't published anything since. As a result, Emmy is the main breadwinner.

The book is told from three perspectives - Emmy, Dan and a third unknown narrator who is obsessed with Emmy. She blames Emmy for something that happened to her own daughter, who was a fan of Emmy.

As weird things start happening to Emmy and her family - a break in, her child going missing in a shopping centre, and then someone creating a social media role play account which uses stolen pictures of her daughter Coco (something I had never heard of but basically involves someone using other people's pictures to create fake fictional lives and stories of their own) Dan becomes increasingly uneasy with the career his wife is pursuing.

Dan and Emmy as narrators are often contradictory and you're not sure exactly of the other's true personality, as each narrator represents situations with slightly different outlooks. I liked being kept guessing as to the identity and motives of the third narrator.

I found the final section to be a little far fetched but that is often the case in this thriller/domestic psychological genre so you just need to suspend disbelief.

While Dan and Emmy are strong characters I felt that the supporting characters could have been better developed as they felt a little flat and I couldn't 'see' them as real people the way I could picture Dan and Emmy.

Its a fast paced read with easy language so is perfect for fans of a good mystery that keeps you guessing.

An impressive debut that I did enjoy but I think the next novel should be one to watch as the partnership between this husband and wife duo develops and becomes more sophisticated.

Note: contains topics that may be upsetting - miscarriage, abortion and suicide.

Thanks to Pan Macmillan (Mantle) and Netgallley for the eARC of this novel. I expect it will do very well when it is released in January!

Wow! This book is one of the best psychological thrillers I’ve read for a while. It is a seriously accomplished debut novel. It has everything a psychological thriller needs, it is clever, edgy, and fast paced. It also very well written, very current and definitely relatable, And best of all for a psychological thriller just when you think you know what’s going on there is a perfectly timed twist.

A well-written and engaging book about the inner life of social media influencers. I really liked that Emmy's choice of career was presented without judgement, even though I never really did like her, or her husband Dan. Given the ending, I can well imagine that that's what the author intended, but if Emmy or Dan had been the sort of people one could root for, this might have been a 5-star review.

And even though I really liked the book, the storytelling, the writing, I found the plot unconvincing. I'm not sure it's possible to have the kind of life Emmy did with a two-week old baby and another three-year old. (Why would you call your child "Bear"?! Another nitpick: I didn't know three-year-olds could read!)

(Review copy from NetGalley)

Absolutely gripping!

I loved the premise of this book from the start and it did not disappoint.

The story stars "Instamum" Emmy, who is wildly successful at what she does, but it's arguable whether this at the cost of her family and personal relationships. The story moves between Emmy's perspective, her novelist husband Dan, who isn't anywhere as successful as his early career promised, and someone who despises Emmy and everything she stands for.

Incredibly fast paced with twists and turns galore! Perfect reading for our modern social media consumed lives in lockdown!

If, like me, you spend a bit too long on social media and get FOMO or that sense of dissatisfaction when looking at other people's lives and homes, this is the story is definitely one for you. Fantastic characters, great storylines, I loved it!

‘It’s not that people should be more cynical of social media or influencers, it’s that they are cynical in such naïve ways.’
A searing takedown of the ‘mummy blogger,’ this book moves beyond straightforward criticism of a picture-perfect façade: in this book, Emmy actually has a marvellous life with two charming kiddos, a (mostly) supportive husband and a spotless house, but she carefully constructs chaos to create a relatable Insta-personality. In this way she has built a million-follower empire and exciting things loom on the horizon. But somebody isn’t buying it; somebody is very pissed off, and is watching Emmy’s every move.
Eviserating, witty, and compulsive, this book is an absolute wicked joy. The story is told from multiple perspectives – mummy blogger Emmy, whose ‘mamabare’ persona makes the reader cringe but never quite manage to hate her completely; her long-suffering husband Dan who, even as he explores his discomfort with his wife’s duplicitous social media presence, is painfully aware of his own career shortcomings; and a mysterious onlooker, whose motives for wishing them harm unfold in a gradual and intriguing manner. As dark events unfold and conclude, it is a testament to the writing that the reader is not quite sure whether the villain, has in this case, gotten away with it.

People Like Her is definitely the must-read novel of 2021. Wow! The story hits on social media in such a real and powerful way. The main character Emmy is a Mum social media influencer who used to be a fashion magazine writer. Dan is her unhappy husband who is just trying to write his second book. And the third perspective is a mysterious follower after revenge. The characters are all very unlikable. The plot is all-consuming. I dare you to be able to put this one down. I truly cannot recommend this novel enough. Be sure to check out People Like Her immediately!

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!