Thirst Trap follows three friends. Maggie, Harley, and Róise, who share a crumbling Belfast rental, with one room left empty after their friend’s death. Told through each woman’s POV, the story authentically explores grief, friendship, and the ever-relatable struggle of feeling directionless, all wrapped in a sharp, modern writing style. I laughed, rolled my eyes, felt inspired to start writing on my own, and had a great time reading, at least through the first part. As with any friend group, my attachment to the girls wavered. The highs were incredibly fun, but the lows left me wanting more.

Witty chapter titles, “councel culture”, “m’lady doth protest”, “party politics”, made me wish I was that clever with my writing. The author’s bold, distinct voice shone through (she seems like such a cool gal!).

For me, the themes and pacing weren’t quite enough to keep me fully engaged in the 2nd half, but I imagine that’s very much a me problem.

Packed with laugh-out-loud one-liners and subtle, everyday moments, that shape the women throughout the story, this is a gem I expect to see on many best of ‘25 lists.

A coming-of-age story for the messy late 20s/early 30s.

I feel a bit bad about my 3 star review because ultimately this book was fine. Having read quite a few books that dabble with similar themes of being a bit lost at the end of your 20s, looking around and wondering "is this it?" and evolving relationships/friends & family dynamics, I just felt like this book was just missing a bit of charm? I think it does capture how hard the grieving process can be and how it looks and feels different for everyone but I just never really cared enough for any of the characters.

I am not sure I am the target audience for this book about the friendship of young women but I thoroughly enjoyed it!!

Great characters, great humour and whilst there was not a standard plot, the book didn't need one. It wasn't about the destination but more about the journey

Thank you to Picador for the ARC!

Thirst Trap is a 2025 answer to Dolly Alderton’s Everything I Know About Love.

A humorous, raw take on grief, female friendship and knowing when to move on to the next phase of life.

This character driven story brings us into a Belfast house share, where three women are trying to get on with life after losing their friend - navigating work, partying, and the dreaded turning 30.

The story is told through multiple POVs and is at times tricky to follow.

After recently turning 30 myself, I found parts of it super relatable - such as things like trying to find a hobby as an adult.

The Irish tone of voice is strong, which is great and I can really imagine it landing with Irish readers!

Overall, an enjoyable read as a modern coming-of-age story, navigating female friendship, love and grief.

This is such a bittersweet book. I think the way it handles friendships, grief and romance is incredible, as someone who is also fast approaching 30, this felt very relatable at times. Human emotions are complex and this shows that beautifully.

I really enjoyed this novel about three youngish women in Belfast coming to terms with the death of their flatmate in difficult circumstances and the next chapter of their own lives as they turn 30. Despite the seriousness of the subject matter, there's a good dose of Irish humour to keep the tone a bit lighter and the characters are really well drawn. Highly recommended and thanks to NetGallley and the publisher for the ARC.

This was a really good read. Character driven stories can sometimes be hit and miss but this one really did it, following 3 women navigating life in their late 20s/early 30s.
The writing, their stories, and even some (definitely not all!) of her personal experiences really spoke to me and I was invested in their stories, trauma and ways of trying to cope through life.
Will definitely try more by Gráinne O’Hare.

(Note: I would have loved a pronunciation footnote to Irish names!)

This gave Sally Rooney vibes, but way more messy and wild. There wasn’t much plot, but there were plenty of vibes and I quite enjoyed just following the girls lives. Themes of grief, aging and friendship make this the perfect read for women in their twenties.

I struggled with this book. I found the story line and the theme a challenge. It may be a generational thing, but I could not, in any way, relate to the chaotic lifestyle and personal dynamics. It may also be a book that women can relate to. As an older male, it was not for me.

Thirst Trap follows three friends, Maggie, Harley and Róise who live together in a houseshare. They had another friend, Lydia, who died unexpectedly a year ago. They left her room in the houseshare untouched and need to decide if they can live in the house without Lydia.

I enjoyed this novel for what it was. I loved the irishness of it and how relatable it was. It was very much plotless and just following the girls living their lives. They were all dealing with grief. That said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the casual drug taking in this and that did impact on my personal enjoyment. Overall, I enjoyed this and I think many young women in particular will relate to this and enjoy it.

This book contains so much feeling. I absolutely adored it. If you like books about friendship, relationships and complex human emotions, this is for you. The cherry on the top for me is that it is Irish fic, which has become my favorite genre. I liked all of the three main characters, which is unusual for me, and appreciated their depth and equally complex and realistic storylines. I do wish Róise's struggles were explored in more detail and had more of a resolution. Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed this and think it's an incredible debut. Gráinne O'Hare is one to watch!

The ultimate weird, messy-girl lithic. The final boss of the 'holy shit I'm turning 30 and my life is a mess' comedic novel. I still am unable to tell if this has made me feel better or worse about officially hitting my late 20s.

Particularly towards the end as things go absolutely (and excuse my French) tits up, I was laughing out loud constantly. O'Hare's characters were absolutely hilarious, finding humour through the messiness. All three of the main characters were incredibly well fleshed out, jumping off the page. The dialogue was quippy and clever and endlessly entertaining.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone feeling a little lost in their late twenties/early thirties - it's either going to make you feel terrible or intensely relieved.

Rating: 7 out of 10

With this eye-catching cover, Gráinne O'Hare's debut novel is a tender story of friendship and grief. It was a real slow-burner and I found myself pausing often while reading it. The writing made the characters quite real, describing the everyday life, their thoughts and feelings. All three characters try to deal with grief, the messiness of late twenties, while also struggling with "having to grow up" as they approach 30. At times I felt amused, at times sad and emotional, at times I even felt bored while reading this book, but I am still glad I read it, because it was something a bit different from the plot-driven books that I often read.

📖 Synopsis: Harley, Maggie and Róise are turning 30. The girls live in a shared crumbling house in Belfast and face friendship and relationship struggles as they try to navigate the challenging times that are the late twenties, as well as the grief caused by the unexpected death of their friend Lydia.

Thirst Trap will be published on 12 June 2025. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and @netgalley for providing me with the e-book in exchange of my honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 sees three friends, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘙ó𝘪𝘴𝘦 & 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘦, living in Belfast, as they each turn 30 and navigate life after the sudden death of their friend, as well as exploring the party/work life balance.

The book isn’t very plot driven, the three main characters, although quickly approaching the big 3-0, don’t seem quite ready to grow up yet. Each of the women encounter challenges and set-backs throughout their journey, and indulge in self-destructing behaviour.

I can relate to the characters in the sense of being (𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧) 30, and still not entirely certain on the direction that my life is headed.

As someone from the north of Ireland, I found that the dialogue of the book was easy for me to read and understand, as there were many local references and dialects used within the writing.

I previously mentioned that the story isn’t very plot orientated, which I did struggle with. There are a few jaw-dropping moments and shocking revelations, but I just needed a little more ✨pizzazz✨

𝚂𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙶𝚛á𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙾’𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚎, 𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛/𝙿𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗 & 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜/𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢.

I came for the cover and stayed for the book— I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much for giving me this digital galley!

Fantastic representation of friendship in your twenties..the parties, the fights, the alcohol.
Well written and great (true to life) dialogues, and the Belfast setting comes to life.

One of my favourite categories of books is millennial women growing up with roommates. So i was always going to love this. I loved the dynamic between the girls, and it was beautifully written how they were individually dealing with the loss.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the eye catching cover and the description. We follow three friends Harley, Maggie and Róise as they all struggling to deal with the grief of losing their housemate and friend Lydia.

The story is told in multiple POV through each of the women. We learn how they are all dealing with their own struggles along with their grief. Each character has their own flaws and it shows how everything is not all perfect all of the time.

I loved how honest and real it all felt. I really liked the authors writing style. I enjoyed the humour throughout the book too.

Thirst Trap follows three friends on the edge of their late twenties, Maggie, Harley, and Róise, trying to navigate grief, loss, anger and love. They struggle to cope with the passing of their friend and housemate Lydia. One is clinging to her chaotic early twenties full of drugs and drinking, another one develops an eating disorder while the third one struggles with attaching herself to unpromising romantic connections. The impending move from their house (which is practically on the verge of crumbling down) marks the end of an era and potentially the end of their friendship.


The novel is told from three different perspectives and O’Hare skillfully described their present state whilst also exploring their past and the trajectory of their friendships. The portrayal of the women and their friendship is very realistic - there are no heroes and villains, just women standing at the precipice of a new life stage, aware that the shared living accommodation has allowed them to be stuck in the past.

I found Thirst Trap to be a very realistic portrayal of navigating grief, romantic relationships and the mess life throws at you. Its depiction of big life decisions, stress and fear of change is something anyone in their late twenties can relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Picador for my copy.

Gráinne O’Hare’s debut sees three close friends, on the cusp of thirty, living in the house they shared with a fourth whose death in a car accident devastated them, complicated by the betrayal that preceded it.
Despite the grief at the heart of this late coming-of-age novel, O’Hare’s narrative is full of an affectionate humour for these three young woman already stuck in the life they were living as students before Lydia’s death. A year later, each of them is dealing – or failing to deal – with the aftermath in their own, self-destructive way: Harley lurches from bed to bed, fuelled by a cocktail of drink and drugs; Róise seethes in her room, writing off a promising new relationship as just sex while Maggie still jumps to the tune of an old student lover who persistently refers to her as a ‘friend’. O’Hare neatly takes her characters from the birthday of her novel’s opening chapter to another in a satisfying wrap-up at the novel’s end. Her book deals well with the overwhelming grief at the sudden loss of a friend at a young age, resisting the maudlin, while engaging sympathy for her characters.