Julie Mayhew racks up the tension in this novel which lays bare the dynamics and complications of relationships between friends, partners and children. The main character Liv is delighted to meet two new friends after struggling for years to fit in. A fourth woman joins their circle which quickly expands to include partners and children. There is pressure to keep up with lifestyles and aspirations, particularly when one of them loves organising and manipulating the others. Some of them choose not to recognise the frictions that eventually build up to a grand finale. This is one of those books that is difficult to put down.

A very easy book to get into and it did have a good pace. The characters were interesting and had aspects that anyone could relate to, although as the story went on it did seem to get just a little out of hand. The interaction between the friends that started off so well did get to the point where you wanted to bang heads together just to make them see some sense. Overall I did enjoy the book and wanted to get to the end just to see how things played out.

Ever had a new friend join your friendship group and slowly push you out without you realising until it’s too late? This book breathes fire into a situation like this. It was such an uncomfortable read yet I couldn’t put it down.

Liv always struggled to make friends, so when she did, she was determined not to lose them. Enter Ange, who slowly changes the dynamics of the group, intent on pushing Liv out.

I could easily relate to this storyline and I was desperate to see Ange get her comeuppance.

At the beginning of the book you don’t see that anything is wrong. They just seem like a close group of friends, enjoying a well earned holiday. However, with each passing day, you realise how manipulative and controlling Ange is of every situation. Holidays with friends can be tense enough, but this book takes it to a whole new level.

I was swept up in the storyline from the first page and I had to keep reading. I actually felt like I had a ringside seat to their holiday of a lifetime which quickly turned into Liv’s worst nightmare.

A fantastic psychological thriller that makes you reassess the people you call friends.

I really enjoyed this story and even though it was a bit of a slow burn, it was one that kept me captivated throughout.
It's the kind of book that is hard to put down.
If you're looking for a beach or holiday read, the setting alone would make it one of these for me.
I don't want to say too much but all the toxic behaviour had me hooked.
I completely understand why it was compared to the work of Liane Moriarty and Louise Candlish. And if you're a fan of either of these authors, I would definitely recommend giving this a read.
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really really enjoyed this. Felt it was a really original storyline. It touches on insecurities that most mums probably have and looks at the issues of female friendships and how these can be toxic. Really enjoyed it and kept me hooked to the end.

If you’ve ever been on holiday wi the a large group or family you know there are always under currents and threads that you are careful not to pull. I enjoyed it and although it turns a bit towards the middle and becomes a different book altogether

Full review to come on Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for a review copy.

Although she has published at least one previous thriller plus other works, Julie Mayhew was a new name in this genre to me, and I picked Little Nothings up with interest. It is the story of four young mums, Beth, Binnie, Liv and Ange, who travel to a luxury Greek resort with their families for what they hope will be three weeks in paradise. As anybody who has ever been part of a large multi-family group knows, such holidays can be anything other than idyllic, but for these four literary protagonists, things soon turn very sinister…. Thoroughly enjoyable and well-written, I recommend this fast-paced thriller to anyone who has, at some stage in their life, had to make the sobering discovery that a friendship has turned stale or even toxic. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for the free ARC I received in return for this honest, unbiased review.

Liv has always felt herself to be an outsider. From early childhood she has been unable to make friends so when she bonds with Beth and Binnie at a music session for babies (which was brilliantly described) she is ecstatic. The three of them do everything together but then Ange comes into their lives and Liv begins to feel like an outsider once more. It doesn't help that Beth and Binnie follow whatever Ange does so that when Ange moves house, they move too, when Ange sends her boys to private school, they too send their children there. All this just increases Liv's sense of isolation. Their shenanigans are keeping up with the Joneses in extremis. When the four families go on a three week luxury holiday to Corfu - one which Liv and her husband Pete cannot afford - the tensions just rise and rise,

I think we've all known an Ange. The queen bee around whom the workers flutter. Ange is expert at manipulating people, passing on little bits of misinformation which unsettle everyone and make relationships which were once sound, toxic. I thought Mayhew did a brilliant job of describing both Ange and her actions and she is a very well observed character. Liv and Clara (a woman they meet on holiday) are also well drawn but honestly I couldn't differentiate between Beth and Binnie and the four men were pretty bland. But for me the main problem was the denouement. I just didn't believe it and it sort of spoiled the book for me. Up until the end I was loving it in spite of the wooden men and the indistinguishable Bs.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Thankyou for giving me the chance to read in advance. A slow burn but one that you don’t lose interest in. Definitely would recommend

What starts out as a story of friendship and inclusion takes a sinister turn in this belting book! Set in a family holiday resort for the wealthier family, I was able to visualise the paradise what is Corfu. This was made easier by my bias towards the island!
This isn’t the longest book but it is well worth a read!

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me access to this book!

I really enjoyed this book. Liv grew up finding it difficult to make friends, but as the mother of a new baby she meets and bonds with Beth and Binnie, and they become inseparable as they navigate parenthood together. Then Ange becomes part of their group. She changes the dynamic and Liv starts to feel sidelined. The story is set during a 3 week holiday in Corfu, Where Liv decides to deal with Ange once and for all. This is a real page turner which kept me engrossed to the end. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
Copied to Goodreads.

This was a slow burn for me, but by the end I really enjoyed it. It is well written, thoughtful with just enough tension to keep the pages turning. It shifts from genre to genre, so it was hard to get a firm grasp on what to expect, but for me that was a bonus. I would recommend.

The longing to be likes and not without friends is in all of us. Liv is particularly needy and a ripe victim for Ange.
If o ly, Liv later realises, if only she and her friends were free to revert to their original selves without the malign puppeteer driving g all their lives.
But at what stage do victim and prey reverse?
How much h will you sell out one friends in order to impress another?
What happens to husband and children during an attempt to impress?
And fi ally, are there worse things you can be than friendless?
It's easy to slip into what appears to be light hearted chicken lit only to find hidden depths.
Fascinating and refreshingly unpredictable

A great story showing how easily influenced people can be and how adaptable their personality can become to fit in.

When I started this book I struggled to understand what was happening as it jumped back from present to past quite a lot without any notification. Other books I have read normally state past or present at the top of the chapter, however there wasn't a very good chapter layout. The book however when you got used to the backwards and forwards parts was really enjoyable. I loved the way the characters are picked apart bit by bit and you get to see Angies true colours. It was easy to read but predictable in a lot of places. A thriller based on female friendships and trying to impress each other.

Liv is she the outsider, the woman with no true sisterhood of friends or is she a fierce woman who walks through life to the beat of her own drum? She never had true friendship until she met Beth and Binnie, everything seemed right in the world for Liv. That is until Ange was brought into the fold.

Set against the stunning backdrop of Greece, the bonds between the four women start to loosen and crumble. We are given the chance to witness how this relationship becomes toxic and leaves Liv on the point of no return.

Little Nothings is the story of how one woman can bring the happiness of others to an almighty halt controlling every minute detail of their lives. It explores how relationships can slowly become toxic and the pressure we put ourselves under to keep up with everyone else.

Little Nothings is full of suspense it will literally keep you wanting more and unable to put it down.

A novel which tries very hard to be in the vain of a Liane Moriarty’s but falls short at every corner. The setting is interesting at first with a whiff of competitive suburbia atmosphere, alas it soon becomes quite childish and almost uncomfortable in its lack of credible plot. I imagine it can be a decent beach read but definitely not for psychological thrillers aficionados who will find it quite dull.

What a read to start the year with! I devoured this in just a few days - not the easiest thing to do when you have just had eye surgery but I did not want to put it down!

The characters are all really well written and the plot well observed - how our need for friendship and the 'perfect life' can become an obsession to the point of bang toxic. The relationships and interactions between the women are so realistic and I wasn't sure who to trust and where my sympathies lay at times.

Julie Mayhew was compared to Liane Moriarty in the blurb which was one thing that attracted me to this book, and this comparison is entirety justified. I loved her writing style, which left me relating to the women and their relationships, but with a really dark and chilling undercurrent that stays with you long after you finish reading. I will definitely be looking out for more from her in the future. Compulsive reading, you won't want to put it down!

Just wow. Gripping, beautifully written. One of those books where you feel compelled to race to the finish to learn what happens while at the same time not wanting the story to end! Julie Mayhew has an excellent skill in portraying the toxicity that can grow in friendship circles. A wonderful story teller. I would definitely read more by this author.