If I could give six stars, I would. This book had me hooked from the start. The three dimensional characters are totally believable - in fact I think I know a couple, at least. The storyline is well thought out and the writing is engaging and slick. Never did I feel the drag that you sometimes get in other books, particularly in the middle. It’s the kind of book that makes you miss appointments, stay up later than you intended and then rave to your friends about. Looking out for more from Catriona Stewart

Liked it . Due to health issues cannot not but will write a proper review at a later time
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was 100% a cover pick for me. Without reading even a word of the synopsis, I was drawn in by the bright colours like a little kid and the style of the cover spoke to me. Thankfully, it was a good choice and I ended up enjoying the story.

My favourite thing about this plot was the exploration of how toxic the world of really TV and "influencers" is. Of course this is a work of fiction and I imagine slightly exaggerated in places, but I'm sure some of the scenes (especially those on LoveShack) would feel frighteningly real to anyone who has experienced that world. The mystery itself wasn't that much of a mystery to me and I had more than strong suspicions about who had killed Maggie from very early on. The play out of that was quite slow and I think that the pacing could have been tweaked a little to create more tension.

I trusted absolutely nobody in this. book. The characters were unreliable at best and downright shady at worst. They all had their own drama and in some cases their messiness made me really dislike them. To be honest, I don't think I actually liked any of them (maybe Emma at a push) but I was quite happy to dislike this dysfunctional and unadjusted bunch.

This book was a good time and although the pace was a bit slow, I got through it quite quickly. It was a stark reminder that we live in a world where fake is normal, social personas aren't real and the term reality TV is astoundingly ironic. Don't be influenced people...but also, I recommend this book.

I requested this because I am definitely a people pleaser. The title shouted at me, and i just had to read it. I had a great time with it and thought it was such a fun read. I loved the mystery of the book and also how it looks at the darker side of fame.

I fell asleep reading this book multiple nights in a row, not because it was boring, far from it. I couldn't put it down! It is weird to say that it was fun? Because it was super fun and intriguing. I loved the multiple perspectives and seeing the behind the scenes of a Love Island type show. Also lowkey proud of myself for sussing out who the murderer was.

Reads really fast and if I hadn't been travelling, could've easily binged this in one sitting, it was that gripping. Highly recommend.

People Pleaser by Catriona Stewart is a gripping, emotional and twisty reality TV thriller that will deliver chills behind the glamorous life of reality stars.
This book is told in present from Emma's perspective and in past from Maggie's perspective. This gives us a chance to unfold the story slowly, learn about the characters and the motivation behind their actions.
Exciting start, drags you in straight away. Now you just must know what happened, who did it, and who is lying?
We are learning about the harsh truth behind the golden scenes. We believe what they make us believe without knowing how much pain and heartbreak are happening in real life. People will do crazy things for fame and money! I liked the representation of social media and the life of influencers, I think it is relevant in this generation.

Maggie is taking part in the reality TV show LoveShack and ends up winning the show and marrying Theo, one of America’s most eligible bachelors. Their life is picture perfect. Their TikTok account is blooming, money keeps coming, and everyone looks incredibly happy and satisfied...
Three years later...
After Maggie's murder, Emma can't accept that her sister's case is closed after only 3 months without finding the guilty one. She is dedicated to finding who kiIIed her sister. This journey opens a Pandora's box of secrets and lies, and soon Emma realises that she doesn't know her sister at all.

It was so interesting to follow Maggy and her experience through a reality TV show and the aftermath.
It was so interesting to discover the harsh reality that no one wants to show.
It was so sad to discover how much broken life hides behind the glamorous lifestyle.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House UK, Cornerstone | Penguin, for this copy.

Ah this one was a little difficult to get into for me. I stuck around to get introduced to all the characters. And started in on Megan's reality TV parts but I just couldn't get into it.

The characters were just a little too flat for me. I'm sure it'll be a people pleaser for many, not my cup of tea.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75

The way I binged this book, my god! I was obsessed!! If you love a Love Island-esque reality show with a dark twist, this one’s for you. When Kansas sweetheart Maggie Lathrop wins America’s biggest dating show, her life looks picture-perfect: a hot husband, a mansion in LA, and a glittering social circle. But when she’s found murdered in a desolate warehouse, the façade starts to crack, and her sister Emma is left to uncover the chilling truth behind the cameras.

I loved how the story flipped between different characters’ POVs and actual “episodes” from the show. It added so much depth and suspense, revealing what was really happening behind the scenes. I flew through the pages I literally couldn’t put it down.

Beautiful, glamorous, and deadly this is reality TV like you’ve never seen before.

Thank you so much @penguinrandomhouse and @netgalley for the advance reader e-copy!

Murder, influencers and a recovering addict ✔️

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this as it’s pitched as Love Island X The White Lotus and I’ve not seen either 🤣

The book opens with Maggie getting killed. The problem was, I had no connection to her so I wasn’t really bothered.

The book splits between chapters from Maggie’s point of view during filming Loveshack and the present day from her friend’s pov.

You get to learn more about Maggie throughout the book and although you gain that connection, a lot of it was negative. Her character didn’t have much depth. It did the opposite of making me care about her murder.

The book showed influencers & tv personality in a poor light, which kind of agreed with my pre-judgement 😆 I can’t say I really liked many of the characters in this book.

I really enjoyed Theo’s storyline. I thought it was well integrated with the story and threw suspicion and guilt on him. It was realistic.

I loved Emma & Liz’s relationship. As the sister to Maggie, Emma was struggling with her death and Liz was there for her even though many in that situation would not be so kind. Their friendship was sincere.

Amanda was probably my most likeable character in terms of reading her story. The difficulties she went through were highlighted and i felt her pain.

Rose Quartz 👀 IYKYK

I wasn’t amazed by the reveal of the murderer. It was very unexpected which can be a great twist, but there were no clues whatsoever! It felt rushed and had there been more hints i could have really rated it.

3.5⭐️

I enjoyed this book. Light fun reading. The story moved at a great pace and even though a bit predictable, very enjoyable and I can't wait to read more from this author

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy of this e-arc!

This book was interesting enough to hold my attention while I was reading but I didn’t immediately want to keep picking it up!

Overall it was a good read

Excellent, well written debut with a fast pace. I enjoyed the mix of mystery and commentary on the (lack of) 'reality' in reality tv and social media. Chapters alternated focus giving a good insight into the main female characters. Can't say any of them were especially likeable but they seemed pretty real, and as self obsessed as would be expected. I sped through this book and I will definitely be picking up Catriona Stewart's next book.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #PeoplePleaser

This book is Love Island meets true crime which is the ideal intersection of my interests so I loved it.

People Pleaser is the story of Maggie, a wealthy, uber popular influencer who rose to fame on a reality dating show a few years ago. She won the show alongside Theo and the pair are now married and living the dream, until Maggie is found dead.

The book follows Emma, who is Maggie’s sister as she desperately searches for answers alongside her best friend and flatmate Jill and Jill’s boss Amanda.

The narrative also features flashbacks of Maggie’s time on the reality show that shot her to fame. Slowly the pieces of the story come together and we found out what really happened to Maggie, and why.

This was a fun, fast paced read that I raced through. It seems quite light hearted and frothy (despite the subject matter) but really it was a sharp look at influencer culture and how reality shows can destroy people’s lives. As someone who personally works in the media industry I recognised a lot of what goes on and it made it really interesting read on top of a pacy whodunnit.

I found the story line quite interesting, plot wise, I found it quite predictable.

After her sister's, Maggie, murder, Emma can't move on, this only gets worse when after only 3 months, the police considers the case cold. With the help of her roommate and her boss, the girls start digging to discover what the police might have missed, which was a lot!

Even though Emma and Maggie were very close, it turns out that Maggie hid a lot of her life from Emma. Being an influencer, with most of her life in display, Maggie's life was basically fake, and her sister had no idea.

I liked the representation of social media and "influencers", I think is quite relevant in this day and age. The deals made for "fame and fortune" seemed to me very close to reality.

The chatacters themselves were quite shallow, not much development or depth in their actions, some weirds actions and reactions, but some bits were entertaining enough that the story carried forward.

Honestly, the most interesting bits were Maggie's perspective and timeline, in the past, her experience through a reality tv and the aftermath. And she's the epitome of what some fame and money can do to your morals. I'm not team "murderer" but have to say I sympathise with their feelings, even though another course of action would have been more suitable (like disclosing the info online!).

Overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

People Pleaser is written from the perspective of three women—Emma, Jill, and Amanda—follows them as they investigate the unsolved murder of Emma’s sister, Maggie, a dating show star and influencer. The story is a wild mix of dark comedy and suspense, whilst shining a light on what might happen behind the scenes in staging a reality show. If you’re into Love Island with a side of murder mystery, this one’s for you!

I was one of ten people chosen to receive the travelling ARC of People Pleaser! Before me it was Loz’s turn and we got to meet up at Bay Tales for a snap with the book!

When I had the book it came with me on a camping trip to the Lake District and after my time was up it was on its way to Keira.

People Pleaser is the debut murder mystery thriller from Catriona Stewart. Described as Love Island meets White Locus. Emma is devastated after the murder of her reality TV star-turned-influencer sister, Maggie. With no leads, it is written off as a cold-case just three and a half months into the investigation. Together with her housemate, Jill, and Jill’s TV boss Amanda – the three launch their own investigation into Maggie’s death.

The book fluctuates between passages from the three – mixed in with a timeline of events from Maggie’s point of view as she appeared on Loveshack, the reality show she starred in.

This was a compelling story that will make you think about true crime and influencer culture. “HBO is already slated to make a documentary about the murder, even though we know almost nothing about its circumstances. It will continue to be fictionalized and retold in TV shows and movies.”

Thank you to Catriona for sending me me the travelling ARC. I also received a digital copy via NetGalley.

Wow this was a page turner, I wasn't expecting it to be quite as gripping and dark but I loved every second of this, the world of reality TV and fame - I would recommend this if you like a good gripping dark read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆ (4/5)
Empowering, relatable, and refreshingly blunt. Catriona Stewart addresses the inner people pleaser with warmth and practical strategies for reclaiming boundaries. A great resource for readers looking to untangle emotional habits and step into healthier self-worth.

This was such a fun page turning thriller that I just couldn’t get enough of. I read half of it in one sitting and the rest the next day. I do love a look at the dark side of celebrity and this one was so juicy..and a murder!

Now I am. It a big reality TV fan but this book was so addictive. I can see the appeal of these kinds of shows but I just don’t watch them. It was fun to have a behind the scenes look at adapting TV show and how it changed the lives of its contestants. All the make up and fake news, I was there for it. The murder mystery was fun and twisty and I certainly did not pick whodunnit. Not all the characters were likeable and that makes it even more fun to read.

This was a great debut and I can’t wait to see what comes next for this author. Thanks so much to Random House UK, Cornerstone on NetGalley for my early copy to read. Publishes on May 22nd.

It took me a while to get into this book, and to keep up with the amount of different characters at the beginning. Definitely a slow burn with the last quarter of the book picking up the pace (for me). It did keep me on my toes, especially trying to figure out the killer so I appreciated the depth and having to think through who it might have been. Not sure the title matches the story aside from one line about the murder victim.

Overall I did enjoy it.


Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC :)