Cover Image: Worst Idea Ever

Worst Idea Ever

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Another wonderful book by Jane, telling best friends Lydia and Georgia's story. Lots of twists and turns although I wasn't particularly fond of the title.

Was this review helpful?

I love Jane Fallon. Her books are always exactly what you want them to be - funny, clever, and thoroughly entertaining. And Worst Idea Ever is exactly that. The introduction sets everything up perfectly, and you get to know and feel attached to Georgia and her family really quickly. And it goes along seeming like a nice little comedy, one of those books that is pleasant enough but a bit forgettable. Then there's a twist, and suddenly everything is turned on its head and it is completely gripping, drawing you in and not letting you go until the very end. I won't say more for fear of spoilers, but safe to say if you're a fan of Jane Fallon you will definitely not be disappointed. And if you're not a fan yet (why not?!), then you'll love it just as much, if not more, as you get to experience her trademark wit, humour, and fantastic writing for the first time.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read which I would definitely recommend.

Disclaimer - I was fortunate enough to be provided with an advance reading copy of this book by NetGalley. This has not affected my review in any way, and all opinions are my own.

Was this review helpful?

Oh my, this book, it definitely touches many levels of emotions, situations, envy, family, careers, I read it and got the feeling of finding your way and keep those close to you throughout life.
It was a real page turner and I connected with the characters well. I felt like I was reading a true life story and I could also empathise in so many ways.

Was this review helpful?

would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this intriguing book

wow this story touches so many levels...jealousy, envy, families, careers, but on the whole its about finding your way through life and keeping to you close the right people

georgia and lydia have been friends since school, but only one of them is a published author and the other one is a wannabee and this leads finally to a betrayal

i found this book very enjoyable to read and kept me glued right to the very end, through the highs and lows of life, but i found this story could very well be true not just of authors but in everyday life where someone will get to a level that someone else wants, but the human side of this story made it compelling reading

i wanted to know what was going to happen to all the characters in this book and i wasnt disappointed, a brilliant read

cant wait for the next book from this author

Was this review helpful?

My favourite thing about Jane Fallon books are that she takes something so simple and turns it into a roller-coaster read.

We all support our friends when they venture into an online crafty business and Georgia is not different with she supports her friend Lydia with her illustration pieces, but she does it anonymously, she doesn't want Lydia to think it's 'pity support'... So Patricia is born!

Georgia's good idea ends up causing her more damage than she could have ever imagined.

This was a great read, Georgia is far too nice, Lydia definitely didn't deserve her friendship.

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

Was this review helpful?

“Worst Idea Ever” is the story of Georgia, a successful children’s author and illustrator and her best friend, Lydia who aspires to write and illustrate a book but is stuck in a job she hates. They have been friends since the age of 19 and whilst Georgia has married Nick and has two grown up children, Lydia remains resolutely single.
In order to cheer up her friend, Georgia invents a fake Twitter name and admires Lydia’s artwork incognito hoping to inspire Lydia and help her to sell her work. However when Lydia starts to reveal some shocking information to her new internet buddy,Georgia learns some difficult things about her own life and she is not sure what to do.
This is a light read on the subject of friendship and betrayal and whilst the first half was entertaining, I did want to shake Georgia at one point when she gets so obsessed with finding out what Lydia knows. No one that “eavesdrops” ever hears something good and this is certainly the case for Georgia.
Lydia suddenly morphs from a fun best friend to something completely different and it was almost difficult to believe that this could really happen.
All in all this was an enjoyable read which I whizzed through in a couple of days. Georgia and Lydia were interesting characters but the men in the story were rather boring! Nick and neighbour, Harry, really didn’t have much going for them.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for my arc in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Worst Idea Ever is a book I couldn’t put down and was excited to get stuck into this as I’ve read all of Jane Fallons previous books and knew it would be a fab read.
Georgia is a published author who illustrates her own books for children about a wallaby! Georgia has a lovely house, a supportive husband, Nick and two beautiful teenage children that are at university. Georgia also has a best friend, Lydia. They have been best friends for years and make contact every day. Lydia though is the opposite of Georgia is trying to get her children’s book published to no avail, she has a dull job, no partner, no children. Georgia knows she is successful and does feel guilty about it around Lydia so to boost Lydia up Georgia invents Patricia who follows Lydia on Twitter and gushes about her work until Lydia lets slip a secret that blows Georgia’s world apart.
This was the best book I’ve read this year, I did think it would be as I love Jane’s writing style with the ability to make her characters seem so life like and the way her books seem to scheme and twist so well.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Another superbly dark look at friendship and betrayal. I love the sharply observed humour and the credibility, one of the best writers in this genre.
Best friends since they were 19; Georgia and Lydia and like sisters, you'd think that would be a good thing. But resentment and insecurities cause cracks in the foundations of their friendship. Bitterness and down right bitchy behaviour, coupled with utter selfishness make this a highly entertaining and guilty read. I loved it.

Was this review helpful?

This book follows Georgia, a happily married successful illustrator and her best friend, single and not successful, Lydia. Georgia attempts to cheer up her friend by creating Patricia, a fake Twitter persona who showers Lydia with praise. They then begin chatting online and Lydia soon drops a bombshell.... a
I chose this as I am a big Jane Fallon fan-her characters are always relatable and her books are hard to put down, but this story was a bit too predictable.

An enjoyable escapist read perfect for summer!
Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I really enjoyed this book and it was a joy to read, I loved the relationship Georgia and Nick had together and with their teenage children. However things start to sour as we find out the flaws in their relationship. It was very interesting reading the messages between Lydia and Patricia with Georgia reeling as she finds out what is going on. However, I found the reasons behind the betrayal that was going on to be a bit unbelievable and ultimately quite sad I guess. Would someone really go to these lengths? But all in all I really enjoyed it and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next.

Was this review helpful?

I’ve been reading Jane's books since her first book and I can honestly say there’s never been one that I haven’t loved. I’m hooked from the first page and Worst Idea Ever was no exception!
This is an easy read story of friendships, jealousy and revenge with lots of twists and turns and colourful characters at every step. One of those books you just can’t put down! Highly recommended.

Was this review helpful?

Georgia and Lydia have been best friends for over 20 years since meeting at age 19. So close they are like sisters but there’s something slowly coming between them. Georgia is a successful author and Lydia can’t get a book deal. When Georgia creates a fake account to try and help Lydia it snowballs into madness and things will start to change.
I love Jane’s books and this was a brilliant read. Emotional, funny and a little bit dark. Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

I feel so lucky to read an advance copy of Worst Idea Ever- Full of twists and turns. Friendship, relationship breakdowns, jealousy and deceit and so much more - I didn't want it to end. You never know who you can trust!

Jane is fabulous at breaking down relationships picking at the good and the bad and making you think

Was this review helpful?

Another great read from Jane Fallon.
Lydia and George are best friends so close they consider their relationship comparable to being sisters. That is until deceit and jealousy rears it’s ugly head.
Jane Fallon writes about the intricacies of relationships in an effortless way , and leaves the reader wanting more.
The writing is easy to read and I read it in one sitting, the characters are genuine if not always affable. The narrative is full of betrayal, suspicion and twists keeping the readers interest.

A great ,enjoyable and solid read .Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Michael Joseph UK.

Was this review helpful?

Georgia and Lydia are both illustrators except that Georgia has a book deal, and Lydia is working in a job she hates in publishing striving to become successful. When Lydia starts an online business that struggles, Georgia wants to help her - but she also understands Lydia's not the kind to accept a handout.

Setting up a fake Twitter account, Georgia hopes to give her friend a confidence boost by posing as a potential customer. When Lydia starts confiding in her new internet buddy “Patricia” Georgia discovers she doesn't know her friend quite as well as she thought and although she knows that she should reveal her identity she is drawn in by the secrets that Lydia is revealing…secrets that could end both their friendship and Georgia’s marriage.

AMAZING! I can’t tell you how much I adored this book and I want all my friends to read it so we can talk about it! It is my favourite book of the year so far. Jane Fallon never disappoints her readers with her true to life writing style – it’s like you’re having coffee with a friend and she is telling you this wonderful story about colleagues at work. It’s a very personal style of writing, and makes you feel included in the plot rather than just observing it. – you’re in the living room with the characters, not looking in through the window.

As for those characters, I couldn’t stand Lydia right from the start, initially I wanted to, but she just seemed consumed with jealously for her friend, so I was glad that Georgia had a bit of fire in her belly and didn’t take any of it lying down and stood up for herself. I’d love to go for a girl’s night out with Georgia and Anna Marie (the friend who lives down the road!)
I also didn’t see the twist coming at the end of part one, which was a lovely surprise.

All-in-all a remarkable read – I want to scream about this book from the roof tops!!

Was this review helpful?

This has an interesting premise and is a very easy read but I wanted (and was expecting) more. I enjoyed the first part but once the characters work out what's going on, the story peters out a bit and just sort of plods on to a fairly tame conclusion. Surely after such jealousy and betrayal there would have been more fireworks, even revenge perhaps, something anyway? That said it was a enjoyable read but very much a nice read rather than a must read.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This book is centred around Georgia and Lydia, who have been best friends for years. Georgia is a children’s author, and Lydia has a regular day job but wants to become a children’s author. Lydia’s illustrations are brilliant but she has no one to celebrate them in the wider world. Georgia sets up a fake Twitter account in the name of Patricia, and starts to like everything Lydia posts to give her best friend the confidence boost she needs. Lydia then befriends Patricia and starts to confide in her secrets that she knows, about Georgia. This turns Georgia’s life upside down when she can’t get the full details, and she starts accusing everyone, making everything worse. Including her relationship with her wider circle of friends, and Nick, her husbands work friends.

I adored this book. I’ve read everything from this author and they always have me laughing from the comedy aspect of the books. I also enjoy the way the stories are written, and these situations could definitely happen in real life, which makes the stories much more relatable. I really liked the characters in this book, especially Georgia, who comes across like many women, with many insecurities and worries. But I also see many women in the character of Lydia, who Instagram the hell out of their life. The book really drives home the cost of making one decision to help another, and the impact it has on not just one life, but all those closely surrounding you. The writing was flawless, and made this such an enjoyable read. It was funny, but had eye watering moments in it, and it made you really feel for the characters and the positions they’re in. A brilliant book from a brilliant author.

Was this review helpful?

Georgia and Lydia are so close, they're practically sisters. So when Lydia starts an online business that struggles, Georgia wants to help her - but Lydia's not the kind to accept a handout. Setting up a fake Twitter account, Georgia hopes to give her friend some anonymous moral support by posing as a potential customer. But then Lydia starts confiding in her new internet buddy and Georgia discovers she doesn't know her quite as well as she thought. Georgia knows she should reveal the truth - especially when Lydia starts talking about her - but she just can't help herself. Until Lydia reveals a secret that could not only end their friendship, but also blow-up Georgia's marriage.

This has a great premise and it is well executed and makes for an entertaining, gripping read. First, we get to learn about Georgia and Lydia and their shared backstory, then comes the really great idea, that might not be that great! Is this obvious? Well yes it is and I saw the "twist" coming a mile away, but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading this and as I have already said, I found this to be a gripping read. Whilst the plot may not have been the most surprising, I really enjoyed seeing how Fallon got there, plus I really did like the premise so I was invested from the beginning. The plot is entertaining, gripping and packed with deceit, what more could you want.

Georgia is a great character and I loved getting to know and following her as she goes on a journey, I hate to say that word but she really does go on a journey as the book progresses. Seeing how Georgia interacts with those around her was very interesting too. Lydia is a good character but is not as well developed and I thought there were some missing pieces to her, maybe that was intentional though. Altogether, Fallon's characters only added to my enjoyment.

'Worst Idea Ever' is another terrific read from Fallon and I was immersed in the plot and characters. I highly recommend this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for an advance copy.

Was this review helpful?

Do you remember your mum telling you that eavesdroppers never here good about themselves.
Well Georgia is about to find out how true this is. In this story for the modern age when Twitter is the new way to eavesdrop.
Georgia means well when she sets up a fake profile to support a friend. Little does she know what she’s started.
I picked this book up yesterday morning and finished in the early hours of this morning. I could not put it done.
#Worst Idea Ever #Jane Fallon #Netgalley

Was this review helpful?

Jane Fallon does it again!
For fans of Jane Fallon, this does not disappoint. If new to her, this would be an excellent introduction.
A story of suspense, trust, friendship, loyalty and deceit.
An innocent catfishing incident (no spoilers this is super early on- and yes apparently they can be innocent) unravels chaos, deceit and despair within Georgia's life.
A cheating husband, loyal best friend, surrounding friends, embarrassing moments all lead to uncover the twists and turns throughout this book.
A perfect amount of everything lead to an exhilarating showdown. Fallon at her finest.
Loved it,

Was this review helpful?