I was asked to review by NetGalley, wow what a book!

This book explores what we all struggle as women, mothers we all know those who desparately want motherhood, and those who stuggle with IVF and concieving. Then there are those who dont interesting that we know so many people but it is not really explored in books.

The characters are good and well written and the author is good at describing points of view from women which is really interesting.

Really well written and completed really well

Recommended read due for publication in 2 days time so not long to wait.

So Thrilled for You - Holly Bourne

I came to this book as a big fan of Holly Bourne's YA books but this was her first general fiction book I've read and I loved it!

A group of four friends reunite for a baby shower which ends with a massive fire and police involvement.
Nicki is the mother to be, 8 months pregnant in a heatwave (feel for her there).
Lauren is a new mum to a 9 month old and she is struggling with motherhood and trying to adjust to her new normal without losing herself to being a mum.
Charlotte is the party planner best friend - very type A - who has been struggling with infertility.
Steffi rounds out the group of 4 and she is childfree by choice but seems to have some history with Nicki over the years. She is in the process of launching her literary agency and having a massive week for her business.


So Lauren's story really stood out for me - my baby is the same age but thankfully I've had a much easier time. Lauren is battling Post Partum Depression and PTSD after a traumatic birth and add to that healing from a C-section, a body that is nothing like what you used to have and then dealing with having a Newborn- my heart goes out to this character.
Charlotte was for sure my favourite though, very Type A and trying to put a positive spin on everything while dealing with ridiculous amounts of stress... I love her. Even without a couple mentions to Sex in the City she for sure did remind me of Charlotte from that - unsure if that's on purpose or not 👀
Nicki was my least favourite. She just gave spoilt narcissist vibes and her chapters were my least favourite.
Steffi I woiltn say was like the most forgettable or whatever but out of the four her story didn't interest me as much and I felt she was almost there to give a starting point of drama for the group. I will say I did enjoy the fact that not all the ladies where trying to have babies or already have them as it does give the narrative to a very valid group of women who make this choice.
I enjoyed the story going along and spent a fair chunk of it trying to figure out what happened. It was a slow burner for the drama kicking off for sure but I enjoyed it as it gave me time to get more of an understanding to the characters.

All in I did really enjoy this book!

An easy, thrilling read - we know there has been a massive fire - but how did it happen and who started it? There are four main characters, representing different viewpoints of being female and mid-thirties - babies, no babies but wanting them, no babies and content - and yet they all feel judged. Sadly that is the nature of being human.

I enjoyed the relationship between the women, fluctuating between supportive and undermining, probably what most of us experience in long term friendships!

Nikki, Charlotte, Steffi and Lauren have been friends since University. Now in their 30s, motherhood is changing and challenging the relationship between them all, whether it’s infertility, pregnancy, new baby or the choice to be child free. Long standing differences and resentments all come to a head in one gloriously over the top (and very overheated) baby shower.

What a read! I absolutely tore through this one, with all its ups and downs and so many moments that were completely relatable, from the pain of a very difficult birth experience to the descriptions of life as a student that took me immediately back. The characters all behave terribly in different ways but it was fascinating to see how your perceptions of this changed when you saw it from the inside and their reasons. The writing was fast paced, empathetic and really thought provoking, managing to make the characters hugely irritating at times but still staying likeable. I loved it, and can imagine it's going to start a lot of conversations – a perfect choice for book clubs especially!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

Nicki, Steffi, Lauren and Charlotte have been friends since university. Now in their thirties, their lives have taken them in different directions, but a baby shower Charlotte throws for Nicki brings them back together. During an unbearably hot summer’s day, tensions rise and old wounds are re-opened. By the end of the day, the house has been burnt down in a terrible fire and all four women are suspects.

I like the way this book is written, with police interviews, online articles and comments accompanying the narration told from the perspective of each of the four women. The only real sticking point for me is that I couldn’t really understand why these women were friends, or why anyone in the world would be friends with Nicki. Charlotte, Steffi and Lauren all had flaws but also some redeeming features, whereas Nicki was nothing but selfish and spiteful throughout, to literally everyone. It was weird. However, it does also highlight the importance of being able to speak honestly to your friends and family. The relationships between everyone in this book would have been hugely improved if they could just tell each other the truth.

This book gives a very honest and eye-opening perspective on motherhood, with each character having a very different outlook on the subject: Nicki, who is expecting a baby imminently and desperate for the birth, because surely nothing can be worse than pregnancy? Lauren, who is suffering from severe sleep deprivation with her 9-month-old and questioning her decision to become a mother. Charlotte, who is desperate to have a baby but has had years of difficulty conceiving. And Steffi, who doesn’t want a baby and feels judged by everyone else for this choice. It’s interesting and refreshing to see these perspectives, but I do think this book is lacking a more positive view. Reading this has definitely exacerbated some of my own doubts about parenthood, and it would have been nice to have at least one positive viewpoint to balance against all the negative.

I was really excited to get my hands on this novel, the premise is fantastic and I've been meaning to read Holly Bourne's work for a while.

So Thrilled For You follows four friends attending a baby shower. Its clear the group have unresolved tensions arising from them being at different stages of their lives and not communicating at all. These conflicts are common for women in late 20s/30s and the dynamics are an interesting topic to explore.

Where So Thrilled For You fell flat for me was that the characters were one dimensional and didn't feel 'real'. The story felt quite obvious too. That said, it was an easy read that I'm sure will find its audience.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an eARC.

Having delved into many of Holly Bourne’s works aimed at young adults, I was eagerly anticipating her latest release, which caters to a more mature audience. I’m delighted to say that ‘Thrilled for You’ was entertaining, addictive and absorbing!

The novel intricately weaves a rich tapestry of themes including friendship, love, parenthood, loss, and grief. Each element is thoughtfully portrayed, providing a deeply resonant experience. At the core of the story is a diverse group of women, each contributing their unique perspectives and experiences that feel both authentic and relatable. Readers will find fragments of their own lives reflected in these characters, which enhances the emotional engagement throughout the narrative. The inclusion of literary references enriches the text, adding an extra layer of depth that literature lovers will appreciate.

The storytelling is masterfully executed through multiple points of view. This style, combined with a dual timeline that incorporates a live criminal investigation, propels the narrative forward and keeps readers on the edge of their seats. The back-and-forth chronology invites us to piece together the puzzle alongside the characters, resulting in an emotional rollercoaster that is both compelling and gripping.

Given its vivid characters and dramatic arcs, I can easily envision this novel translating beautifully to the screen. Additionally, the book concludes with thought-provoking discussion questions that would be fantastic for book clubs, fostering meaningful conversations and insights among readers.

However, I must admit that the conclusion left me feeling somewhat deflated, though I recognize this may simply stem from my personal preferences regarding resolutions. Despite this minor letdown, it certainly hasn’t dissuaded me from seeking out more of Holly Bourne’s works in the future. Her ability to explore complex emotions and diverse experiences will undoubtedly keep me coming back for more.

A really good book.
First book I have read by Holly Bourne & will certainly read more!
Thanks for the opportunity to read & review it.

This books was so beyond what I thought. A friendship and meet up for a birth shower? Perhaps a few domestic drama genre themes? Yes I suppose so. But it was so much more. I've recently learnt a whole lot more about motherhood or lack of it. About being a mum and not. And this book has it all about grief and loss and trying to be who you dreamt of but things not turning out that way. All things mother and woman and friendship. And this book has it all. And more. And it's so honest and so raw.
It's got all the thing I wanted from the blurb still though. A different set of characters with flaws who I can relate and emphasise with every step of the way. And could see how these friends were dealing with so much in their own lives. To bring all that together and put your own sh* aside can sometimes be hard. There is compromise jn relationships. Sometimes your needed more than you need people. But... the scales can quickly swing the other way..and that is friendship,love,support. Real.
This book showed all this.

The Little Women have been friends since they met at university. By each other’s sides through thick and thin but now life seems to be testing their friendship. Now they are preparing for Nicki’s baby shower which will bring them back together. Except they are all preoccupied with their own lives, and maybe the baby shower will show them just how far apart they have grown?
Nicki is due to give birth - husband Matt is helping her best friend give her the baby shower of dreams, but Nicki is hot, she is huge and she is scared of what’s to come.
Charlotte is dealing with her own fertility journey and wants to give Nicki all the things she could possibly dream of.
Steffi doesn’t want children and is on the cusp of a career breakthrough.
Lauren has a nine month old baby - but is a baby shower the best place for honest stories of childbirth and the reality of sleep deprivation?

I don’t think this book was what I was expecting but I found myself so immersed in the characters and their lives - I found myself able to understand and empathise each of them. Which is really rare. I liked them all for their own personalities. It’s nostalgic, relatable, funny & very sad.
This book also features one of the most honest and raw depictions of childbirth, birth trauma and new motherhood I’ve ever read. All the bits we aren’t supposed to talk about, the things that you don’t read about in a novel. I found it quite emotional to read having gone through something similar.

A really great book.

Thanks to my teenage daughter, I had already read and enjoyed a few of Holly's YA books. This book, written for adults, is in a different league though. It recounts the story of a baby shower that goes very wrong. Told alternately through the perspectives of the four main characters, I loved the way it was possible to simultaneously empathise with and dislike each of them. I had the most empathy for Lauren and thought her character was very relatable. There is so much unspoken truth about motherhood in this book, things that most mothers do not dare to say out loud, but need to be said.
Dark, gripping and so well written, this is an astoundingly brilliant read.
With grateful thanks to Hodder & Stoughton, Holly Bourne and NetGalley for my advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a brilliant read, I could not put it down!

The story centers around a group of women in their 30s who have been friends since University. They are getting together for a baby shower that ends in disaster. The story flicks between each friend and also delves into there past.

I really resonated with the characters, being a similar age and currently experiencing one of the characters issues. I enjoyed this one a lot.

Skimmed the last third of this… just wanted it to end.
It’s well written and intriguing but it’s mostly women being horrible. To each other. About each other. To their partners.

Yes, it makes some important points, most notably that having a baby is hard and post-natal depression is a serious matter. That being pregnant can be hard. That not being able to get pregnant is hard. That not wanting to be pregnant can be hard. But basically most of that is hard because these women judge each other and are horrid to each other.

I only persevered to see what happened.

Holly Bourne has a knack for creating instantly believable characters and I was able to keep each of the women straight in my head immediately, no small feat when reading an ensemble story like this one. There's a streak of humour through the book and I loved the twist however I felt the overall story was a little light to be considered truly crime fiction.

Holly Bourne's latest novel, So Thrilled for You is a great thriller to kick off 2025.

Centred around a baby shower set during a suffocating heatwave, four friends who met at university are coming together but not everything seems to be as you would expect. Cupcakes and presents are the last things on anyones minds.

From the start we know that there's a fire at the baby shower with the fantastic first line, 'The flames take the vulva pinata immediately,' and from there the reader delves into the lives of each of the four friends - Nicki, Lauren, Charlotte and Steffi from the present and the past when they were at university. This intense, thrilling novel not only looks at the secrets we hide to appear perfect but also looks at motherhood and complex friendships from all angles.

Holly Bourne peels back the layers that make each of the friends to show the reader that what we see on the surface, and how they are viewed by their friends is definitely not how their lives are.

Twists and turns are aplenty, and I had a few late nights as I could not put down the book!

A great read, and thank you Netgalley for the ebook version of this book!

I wasn’t sure what I would make of this book as I am totally the wrong age group for it. However, I could not put it down. There is a “who done it” side to it with questions from the police but the book is mainly about the relationship between the “little women” who have been friends since college. Their characters are very well depicted. The story takes place at a very much “over the top” baby shower during a heatwave. It is so easy to give spoilers to this story including commenting on the note at the end of the book from the author and so I will just say thank you Netgalley for giving me the chance to read and review this book.

I don’t think I was expecting what I ended up reading. This was a very raw and deep look into motherhood and the choices each of the characters made in regards to it. Very well written and a heart-felt read

There were so many relatable moments here but also moments that shocked and surprised me, very compelling read overall.

This book was a very raw read exploring the differing perspectives and experiences of women around having and wearing children. Cleverly written, it is centred around a friendship group, The Little Women and significant, confronting events at Nicki's baby shower. Thanks to netgalley for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Although this was a harrowing read, I think it’s such a needed one. Holly Bourne ruthlessly and beautifully describes what it means to be a woman - whether a mother or not - in a patriarchal society that cages us all. A must read.