This was a fantastic read with humour, love and relatability. It shows how sometimes the one we need to connect with is ourselves.

Having enjoyed Emma Gannon’s previous book Olive (which frighteningly was almost 5 years ago!) I request an advance review copy of her book ‘Table for One’ from Net Galley. Here’s the blurb:

“Willow has everything worked out.
*The steady partner
*The successful career
*The grown-up house
Until she doesn’t – and she’s cast adrift on the sea of heartbreak, grieving a future with no clear path.
With her life transformed beyond recognition, and her friends busy ‘moving forwards’, Willow has never felt more alone.
But she’s in good company.
And when inspiration arrives from an unlikely source, she rekindles the relationship she longs for – but has long neglected… The one with herself…“

At the start of the book Willow is living and working with her boyfriend Dom. I have to say he comes across as a complete dick from very early on – and Willow being dumped by him should (and eventually is) the making of her.

Willow doesn’t really seem to have a depth of friendships with people – even though she’s been friends with them a long time (weirdly I remember this from Olive too – which makes me wonder if the author has been burnt by ‘friends’ in the past?)

Then Willow is given a writing assignment by a previous employer – to write about her seemingly ‘smug married’ life (she has neglected to mention she’s single again) compared to Naz, an influencer who’s USP is that she’s happily single by choice. Willow and Naz do get to know each other – and Willow is let behind the social media curtain that Naz lives through.

The one constant in Willow’s life is her Aunt Carla, who has been a mother figure to her for a very long time. Their relationship was really lovely – and I think Carla was my favourite character in the whole book.

Overall the book shows that Willow needs to be happy and content in herself, not just with the expected accoutrements of a 30 something life. I though the ending was really clever – as if Willow was sitting down to write this exact book!

I enjoyed this – and thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC.

"So, Willow, if you are ever struggling, just think of the caterpillar. The struggle might be hard and painful, but you will come out the other side stronger, with better vision and with beautiful thick wings, I promise you."

Following writer Willow in her mid-thirties after her boyfriend and business partner of ten years leaves her. She relies on her beloved auntie Cara (who brought her up with her mum absent) and best friends Pen, Lola and Alice, but their lives are going in different directions. New friend, singleton influencer Naz, appears to be at a similar stage in life, but appearances can be deceptive.

As with the author's debut novel, Olive, the focus is on engaging, female characters and their friendships, exploring societal expectations of women. The reader is drawn into Willow's world at a time of turmoil and change and we wish her well, want her to thrive. There's drama, secrets, humour and poignant moments in this love letter to women finding their own, independent way supported by other women.

I enjoyed this so much! It was refreshing and uplifting. A story about Willow whose life unexpectedly turns upside down and her journey of self discovery and rebuilding herself. This book explores themes of societal norms and the ‘expectations’ of women. I found this so genuine and relatable. If you love a character focused read, this is one for your 2025 reading pile

I absolutely devoured this book! A relatable story of a woman whose life suddenly is turned upside down and she has no idea what her future looks like anymore! Emma is a loveable FMC who has strong morals, integrity and is someone I’d want to be friends with. Emma meets Naz, a 20 something influencer, whose entire brand is about loving being single. Emma learns so much about herself from Naz, while also recognising that not everything is what it seems and life isn’t a one size fits all. This book is uplifting, inspiring although emotional at times. I loved this and can’t wait to read more of Emma’s books!

Willow and her partner Dom have it made; the business they started is flying, they have moved to a new home, the next step is surely marriage and children. But slowly it dawns on Willow that Dom is moving on without her, that he has plans for the business that don't involve her and that their perfect relationship is starting to crumble.

Faced with having to make a new start, she's offered a writing post in an 'opposites attract' style. She, seemingly happily settled, is going to shadow influencer, Naz the poster girl of singledom. The two of them couldn't be more different, but slowly Willow sees what is lying ahead for her if she embraces her single life.

For me, the strongest character was Willow's aunty Carla, who has been Willow's rock through her life. Her life on the Sussex coast seemed idyllic, surrounded by friends and going to the sea every day. I would read more about her any day.

Its an easy holiday read which I enjoyed, and read fairly quickly.

I loved this book! I really enjoyed Emma's previous book The Success Myth so was looking forward to reading her fiction esp when I found out what this book was about. Very refreshing and relatable.

Emma Gannon is a new writer to me but I gobbled up this first novel in less than 2 days.
It flashes back and forwards in the life of Willow, who has been unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend and co-founder of their business. Adrift in the sea of singleton life with everyone else around her coupled up, she seeks refuge in her first career love: journalism.

As the story goes back and forth from the present to the past Gannon skilfully uncovers layers of Willow’s character and backstory. It was a quick read for me as I was drawn in to the story and wanted to discover how long Willow’s new found singleness would actually last. I enjoyed her journey of self-discovery and particularly the life-affirming relationship she had with her aunt Carla.

Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for an early release copy in exchange for an honest review.

If you enjoyed I’m a fan by Sheena Patel or Ghosts by Dolly Alderton, this one is for you.

So I really wanted to love this book. The premise had me intrigued and after hearing someone I follow’s review I was intrigued and wanted to read it immediately! So thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this e-Arc.

I was initially hooked at the start of the book, wanting to see how our main character’s life changes from being in a decade-long relationship to coming to terms with the single life and their own company.

However, there are just a few things I can’t get past which is why I have unfortunately decided to DNF this book.

1. Our main character, Willow, is so irritating. I understand she’s feeling a massive loss after her breakup with her long-term partner, Dom, but I can’t deal with the wallowing and self-pity. The way Dom handled things was terrible, to put it simply. But how can she not see how much she lost herself during the relationship? How little he cared for her? Willow had no backbone and just accepted everything. I think even if she had a tiny bit more fight in her, this would have been a better read for me.
2. Her friend’s babying her through the break up. I understand wanting to be there for her and trying to pull her back out of her breakup blues, but it turned into a pity party. So much so that they kept exciting news from her so she wouldn’t feel bad. But surely, for a book about friendship, they should all be supportive no matter the circumstance?
3. The constant name drops. Brands, singers, tube lines, you name it. Every few sentences there was a name/brand mention and I don’t think it was needed and I’m not sure the point of it. It’s bugged me and took me out of the story every time.

I realise I’ve gone on a bit of a rant here, so here’s some positives.

1. The characterisation. Each character was so distinct and I read and felt every emotion they were feeling, even when it switched up in a sentence.
2. The direction it went. I loved seeing Willow’s passion for the article she was writing and I think that was a great plot point.

I think this book would be wonderful for a lot readers, it just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

This book had a lot of potential and while I enjoyed the story and the direction it was taking, I found the writing and execution a bit lacking. Judging from the plot, I thought the book would be about our MC finding agency after her breakup, but it isn't until the very end that she decides anything for herself.

In that sense, I didn't see much character development, and throughout most of the book, it felt like the plot was moving for her - e.g. she incidentally comes across a writing opportunity, she randomly bumps into an influencer she's meant to interview, her friends initiate all their conversations - and it left me feeling really frustrated with her. At the same time, I also felt like the story tried to do too much, from overcoming a breakup, to challenging social views of marriage, to the authenticity of online personalities, and grieving a parent... it just felt a bit messy. There were also a lot of unnecessary side descriptions that came out of nowhere, e.g. tangents about some friend's random cousin or a restaurant cashier, that just left me confused.

Again, I definitely feel like there was a lot of potential with this book and it was good enough that I didn't want to DNF it, but unfortunately not something I really enjoyed.

Another hit from Emma Gannon! Table for One is a beautifully written, thoughtful story about what happens when the life you planned suddenly shifts. It’s about fresh starts, finding your way, and — most of all — the power of friendship and learning to enjoy your own company. Heartfelt, honest, and quietly inspiring! Just what I needed to read!

This is a perfect read for appreciating what you have, and for looking forward to new parts of your life. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone!

It follows Willow through one of the most turbulent periods of her life, and how she deals with the aftermath. I loved the interactions between Willow and Naz and how their opinions on each other and the ‘right’ way to live life changed as the story progressed. I found this part of the story really interesting, as most people will firmly agree with one girl or the other, but their budding friendship allowed us to see that both their opinions are right. Willow’s character development was excellent and felt realistic, especially with the flashbacks giving her more depth.

This book is full of sadness, joy and hope and I loved it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

I found this highly engaging, the writing style had me enraptured. Irreverent and commentary but not too heavy handed or nihilistic. I enjoyed this.

I began reading this book realising that it probably wasn't primarily for my generation (65).

I found the first section of the book quite compelling and page turning even though we were obviously in a "having it all" trope. From there on I found it rather a cliche. Longstanding group of friends moving through their thirties with the incipient baby time bomb, breakups, marriages. Throw in a return to journalism abandoned many years before and a family crisis and we have the crucible Willow, our protagonist has to transit in order to understand herself and re-build.

I was constantly wondering about this group of friends and however long their friendships, how little they understood one another. I also wondered if the feminism of my younger days has been completely packed away.

So, not really the book for me but nonetheless probably an easy, compelling.
read for younger women.

With thanks to #NetGalley and #HarperCollinsUK for the opportunity to read and review

Table for One is the story of Willow a 30 something woman who finds herself starting from scratch after her 10-year relationship with Dom ends. Willow has to rediscover who she is without her relationship. At a time when her friends lives feel settled, Willow is forced to re-examine her identity and her future.

At times it feels relatable and joyful and heartwarming. Willow is surrounded by a loving mother-figure Carla, who acts as the anchor in her life an a group of friends she has known since forever. Sometimes the friendships feel surface-like and the depth is given by her closest friend, Pen. Pen has often felt like the third wheel and finally has a chance at happiness at a time when her friend's world comes crashing down. There are flashbacks from the past are littered through the book. I'm not a massive fan of flashbacks in books as I find them distracting.

I liked the ending and that Willow's story didn't end with her back in the arms of her ex-partner. Sometimes not giving the reader what they want, pays off. Give it a go.

First prize for the greatest cover of all time, unfortunately there is no beautiful lil long boi greyhound in the book which was massively disappointing because the cover was the main reason I wanted to read this...

... Anyway, Table for One is a super accessible, easy read with a large cast of women, all about independence, relationships of all kinds, old and new friendships, family, and the online world.

Our protagonist's aunty/mother adjacent, Carla, was my favourite character, she was absolutely fab and was the best element of the story for me. Unfortunately I found Willow, the protagonist, incredibly self absorbed and narcissistic but she was oblivious to this. She had an incredible talent of making everything about her and he inner thoughts felt very repetitive. While this kinda spoiled my enjoyment of the book overall, I enjoyed the last quarter much more. Perhaps if the story had initially progressed a little faster and some of the themes taken further and developed more I would have enjoyed it a lot more.

I'd recommend Table for One for when you just want an easy read that's fun, but still has some interesting themes to get stuck into.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read this a couple of weeks early and I hate not being able to give an amazing review but I think it's more of a me problem that I didn't love this one (2.5 starts rounded up).

What a heart-warming funny book! Gannon has written such an intricately woven story of love, loss and self-discovery. The cover is gorgeous and absolutely an example where you can judge the book by the cover! I really enjoyed the layout of the story and how we learn details of the past which helped to create the unravelling present story at the same time. Oh and the character of Aunt Clara! Such a wonderful woman and she really made the book for me!

Emma Gannon has published a number of books, mainly non-fiction and she writes well on the digital world and contemporary working practices.

However, she has turned her attentions to fiction and those who enjoy her other writing should proceed with caution. Her first novel Olive was one of the worst novels I have read, no exaggeration, and whilst Table for One is better I cannot help feel that its presence in the world adds little to the literary landscape.

It is unexceptional, solipsistic and plodding. If this is the world of young women now, I’m pleased I’m approaching my 51st birthday. As with so many of novels these days it is very heavy on the tell, too light on the show. It is full, so very, very full, of irrelevant detail: “We loved what they had done with it. It had grey stone herringbone bricks, a gorgeous navy-coloured kitchen, a garden big enough to have friends round for a barbecue, two spacious bedrooms and two good-sized bathrooms.”

It's as if an estate agent’s blurb and an Instagram page have had a child.

Or this: “... is framed by a beautiful pair of doors made of wrought iron and stained glass…designed for big parties, conferences and corporate events.”

Dear lord. And don’t get me started on the endless descriptions of people’s clothes which add nothing except even more extraneous words.

Perhaps a move away from the first-person would have helped here, by helping to nip the soul-crushing interiority in the bud. An exterior view of the main character may have highlighted for the author the kind of person she was asking readers to invest their time in. If this is supposed to be some kind of feminist treatise for the 21st century, it’s as if women throwing themselves under race horses never happened.

Willow is in a comfortable relationship that makes her feel safe. When that safety is destroyed and she has to start again, Willow must find the confidence to trust herself and build a new life.

I loved this book. Emma is really gifted at writing the subtle complications of a life where the characters are not just out and out baddies or goodies, but real, fleshed out people with a full range of personality traits that make them properly human. That's what allows you as the reader to fall in love with them. I loved that Willow was so much more than a wronged woman who takes a predictable path back to being happy again. I loved that the characters were allowed to be messy and ragged and that you could so easily imagine their stories spooling on beyond the last page. I loved that Emma explored the big human emotions of love and grief and happiness beyond the cliches into friendships and non-traditional family set ups. I absolutely loved how easily I could imagine each of the characters having their own novel because it was such a brilliantly balanced ensemble piece. I read this in a single day and was sad when it was finished.

Overall, Table for One is enjoyable but not great. It effectively explores modern womanhood, influencer culture, and the importance of choosing yourself, but it doesn’t break new ground. If you’re in the mood to be reminded that women deserve more than wasting their energy on undeserving men, this might be worth a read—just don’t expect it to reinvent the genre