
Member Reviews

Have you ever turned to the Internet for something you were struggling with? I know I have. A recipe? Google! Doubts about a word's spelling? Online dictionaries! A general question about life? Hello, polls!
It is precisely what one of the main characters does in Reasonable People. After her father-in-law changes her daughter’s birthday party theme without telling anyone, she decides enough is enough. You get that much from the blurb. But there is more to it.
Leading to this … let’s call it personal WW3 or incident. Janine and her partner Phil had been hitting a couple of bumps, including being kicked out of the house they rented by the owner; Janine’s ex and the biological father of her daughter. Roy, soon-to-be killed online father-in-law, recently lost his wife, the love of his life. You can quickly pick up from the interactions that all the characters are going through a lot. W all know it can bring out the best and the worst in us!
It was the ordinariness of the sound, rendered extraordinary by the circumstances.
Now the biggest thing I’ve asked online was about having an egg on a pizza. To my knowledge, it has never had any lasting damaging effect. Life had been challenging everyone and the birthday acts as a catalyst.
Reasonable People surprised me with its clever take on the generational gaps and how society the evolution of society’s codes can be hard to navigate. I felt the author chose to make her characters really stand their ground and sometimes (often for you, Janine!) sound unlikeable. Roy, despite his cantankerous side, won my heart as he struggled to understand what went wrong while dealing with his grief and trying to care for his family without appearing vulnerable. His generation did things differently and he doesn’t have the 21st century translator. But he does try.
One character tried my patience. Phil. Janine’s partner. Roy’s son. Caught in the middle of the battle, he was unable to speak up for most of the book, and it irked me so bad!!!! I remember thinking: “Come on, grow a pair” a dozen times. However, it did make me think. From an outsider’s perspective, it was easy for me to say who was right and wrong, and why. But Phil’s position was a tricky one and sometimes staying neutral is harder than picking a side. I still believe we could have avoided a lot of drama if he’d spoken up, but if he had, we wouldn’t be discussing the book!
Janine took her role as a protective mother and ambitious woman very seriously. Too seriously? I sometimes wished she’d take a break from sitting on her high seat to join the real world and stop feeling she had to react to everything. About her decision to air her laundry online… Well, we do live in an era in which we turn to the internet for everything. I understand but disagree. Still, Caroline Hulse cleverly uses the comments section to show Janine’s journey with Roy, and her feelings. I thought it was a really good move and helped me not hate Janine!
Reasonable People intertwines serious matters with light but spot-on writing, making it an easy read while giving you food for thought. It was surprisingly refreshing and really enjoyable. I had fun revisiting what reasonable means! Let’s not fool ourselves, we can all fall into those scenarios in which small issues take massive proportions and end up swallowing us!

Oh this made me proper LOL! I've had a tough time recently and Reasonable People was the perfect read to lose myself in. There were moments of food for thought when it came to the family dynamics and uncertainty surrounding the life of Janine, and how interfering families can be, even if their actions are well meant. I loved the whole premise of the storyline from light hearted to not, especially finding out peoples opinions on Roy's actions. I wouldn't have been impressed either but he did seem like a harmless teddy bear!
Caroline Hulse really does write fun novel which have all elements you could want for your next read. A highly recommended, laugh out loud, relatable read that kept me hooked until the very end.

Am I the villian here...?
After a kids party goes a bit haywire, Janine blames her father in law (Roy), and asks online if she is the villian. Inviting answers from complete strangers on the internet, Janine initially feels some satisfaction when people say she isn't the villian, but soon things get out of hand.
This book had me questioning the main characters throughout, I found myself changing my 'side of the fence' many times between Janine and Roy. Roy was such a lovable character, slightly stuck in his way, but I believed he tried to please people non the less. Janine was fiery, she knew what she wanted, and wasn't afraid to stand her ground. Sometimes I admired her for this, other times I felt she refused to see anyone else's point.
This book was very enjoyable, and had me thinking throughout about how people can be very judgemental, especially of people they've never even met, and even when they don't know the full truth.
A brilliantly wrote book, with some great characters, and a thoroughly enjoyable concept.

FROM THE COVER📖
CantBeArsed8: Am I the villain for being furious my partner's father changed my daughter's pirate party into a princess party?
After a kid's party faux-pas, mother Janine anonymously vents about her father-in-law's behaviour on internet forum Am I The Villain Here? When the community is invited to take sides the post goes viral, with mild-mannered Roy ending up in the national newspapers and sparking protests at his local library. REASONABLE PEOPLE explores how judging others reveals our deepest, most unreasonable selves -
REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Told in the 3rd POV we the fall out of what can happen when generations clash and social media takes over.
I enjoyed this book it did make me think how I would react in the situation and reflect on the dynamics between the generations in my own family. The author makes some good points with regards to how much we have actually haven’t moved on that much in terms on gender roles.
The plot was good and flowed well, however I felt it lacked the depth needed to really hammer the points the author was trying to make, they were too hidden within the somewhat poor comedy and characters that were annoying and muddled in their development and personality. I know nothing is ever black and white so there need to be some nuance in the characters views and outlooks but found that nuance wasn’t so subtle.There were also some strange bits I found really didn’t add to the story or the point the author was making( the godson with the porn for example)
Overall this book made me think but I was confused to as what it was trying to be, because of that I found it hard to really engage with. That being said it would make a great book club pick it will spark debates for sure.

One small house. Too many people. All trying to do the best for the ones they love ... but getting it wrong in the process. A really enjoyable read which has your sympathies zipping back and forth throughout

Janine and her parent Phil move in with his dad Roy and bring Janine’s daughter Katie too.
Janine has lost her job, not with her child’s farther (Marky) and doesn’t like the way Roy focuses on using feminine works and themes with Katie such as pretty.
Janine posts online about him changing Katie pirate party to a princess one - much to Katie’s upset and it blows up to the point of naming and shaming poor Roy.
I found this book easy to read but wanted more from the story line. I also found Janine extremely annoying and the wrong side of feminism. And I felt extremely sad for Roy throughout this book.

I really enjoyed this book, the perfect balance of a light read that makes you think. Truly enjoyable and I cannot wait to read more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book.

Am I being the villain here…..??
When a child’s party goes horrible wrong. Janine posts about her Father in Law’s faux pas for the world to judge….
Will you be Team Janine or Team Roy?
This book, hits the nail on the head with how one post on social media made in haste can have consequences
It is so well written, the characters have so many flaws which makes is believable, it hits real life on the head and how things are in perceived on the internet.
I was unable to put this down. I LOVED this book! Read in 2 days. As I couldn’t put it down

I really enjoyed this book, not something I would normally pick up but the synopsis had me intrigued so I decided to go for it.
This novel follows Janine, our main character, who is a little bit down on her luck after losing her job and having to move in with her father in law. Janine's daughter, Katie, has an upcoming birthday and asks her mum for a pirate party and when she allows her father in law to take over the planning of it, she (and Katie) are both horrified to find out that Roy had changed the pirate party into a princess party.
Trying to get a sense of unity and compassion for her upset, Janine turns to the internet and asks a well-known website 'Am I The Villain?' for being angry at Roy's behaviour.
What happens next when the internet mob become heavily involved in this argument, both on-line and offline, is hilarious.
Like I say, I really enjoyed this novel. Whilst it was really funny and the dialogue was sharp, it was incredibly relatable and I definitely saw both sides of the argument. I am sure many will disagree and will choose sides and I think this will be one of those novels which will be well debated.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orion publishing group for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis
Reasonable People" follows Janine, a mother who anonymously shares her frustrations about her father-in-law's behavior on an online forum. The post goes viral, leading to unexpected consequences for Roy, the father-in-law, and sparking protests at his local library, ultimately exploring the complex nature of human judgment and our hidden, unreasonable selves with Hulse's characteristic warmth and humor.
Thoughts
I was thoroughly captivated by this book and found its exploration of the internet's power and the inherent fear it instills in elderly individuals to be truly remarkable. The author skillfully conveyed these themes, keeping me engrossed from start to finish. The pacing was impeccable, with snappy and concise chapters that maintained a gripping momentum throughout.
The main character was deliberately crafted to be unlikeable, which is something I usually appreciate. However, I found myself grappling with my personal connection to her. While I admire an unlikeable character when their motivations are clear, I must admit that this protagonist's principles repulsed me to the point where it was challenging to empathize with her. Around 80 percent into the story, I had hoped for significant character growth, and although there were moments that hinted at it, I felt that the ending tied everything up a bit too neatly, leaving me somewhat unsatisfied.
Despite my reservations about the conclusion, I must acknowledge that this book was an interesting and thoroughly entertaining read