Oh the irony of giving this book a star rating! I thought that was a great look into cancel culture and also misogyny in the way men treat women. I loved the setting but of Edinburgh and thought the characterisation was very interesting. I also really enjoyed the subtle ways in which anxiety was built throughout the story. All in all, this is a good literary fiction book and I think people will love it.

Alex is a theatre reviewer who has made his name with pithy comments. At the Edinburgh Festival he posts a scathing review of a one-woman show but that same night he has a one night stand with the performer which ends badly the next morning when she sees the review. Now the tables are turned on Alex as she rewrites her show to be about him and toxic masculinity in general. Now Alex’s privileged world is collapsing. Meanwhile his colleague is struggling with motherhood and her commitment to her partner.
The first third of this book is absolutely brilliant, the concept is great and played incredibly well. However, for me, the story starts to lose its head of steam and gets a little bogged down as the story diversifies and becomes a little too complex. It is a great read but could possibly have been edited to make it sharper.

One star or five? We are told that nothing else matters.
Anyway, four from me. Literary fiction is not normally my thing, but I found more of a decent plot in this than in other books of this ilk.
Decent characterisation, a good narrator, in but not in the action, and a good, if predictable, setting. A good idea in this horrid world of cancel culture, and yes, it does seem a bit weird to be reviewing this.

This is one to read during the Edinburgh festival and would be ideal for a book club. Drama critic Alex likes to write excoriating reviews, often handing out one star reviews which can be devastating to the recipients. He does this to Hayley but worse, he then picks her up for a one night stand without admitting what he's done. But Hayley has her revenge. She changes her show and makes it all about him. Soon he is no longer the feted critic but a man doomed to notoriety as more and more women come forward to tell their stories.

i loved this story. It is so nuanced because it is not just a tale of revenge but is about power relationships, the ethics of criticism and relationships between men and women. Hayley's revenge is so perfect and will soothe every person who has ever suffered at the hands of a critic whether they are professional critics or the trolls who like to give one star to books on Amazon. Recommended.

It my usual choice for a read but I thoroughly enjoyed this new novel from Charlotte Runcie. Observations on male mysogony make this a very relevant piece of writing. This book however goes much further and investigates the effect it has on the male involved and those around him.

Bring the House Down is a clever examination of review culture and privilege that shows how one moment in time can spiral out of control. It feels almost wrong to be writing a review of this book because it really made me think about the power a review can have over art.

Rather than taking a side, Charlotte Runcie chose to follow Sophie, a colleague of the man under scrutiny. I thought this was the perfect lens through which to view the story, as it meant that I could make up my own mind about what was happening. Unfortunately, I didn't particularly like Sophie's character. Perhaps she was meant to be unlikable, but I found myself frustrated by her actions and apathy. For another reader, this may be a strong point of the book! It certainly made me feel a lot of emotions.

Overall, the story was engagingly written and fast-paced. It captured the feeling of a vibrant festival well, as well as the believable response of the public to perceived injustice.

Wow, what a wonderful read! I ate this up. It was so well written and i found myself hooked right away. I loved the exploration of power and the aftermath of being cancelled. Alex was a very conflicting character for me, on the one hand I hated him but eventually found myself sympathising for him which I didn’t see myself doing. I have to admit, I didn’t really care for Sophie’s story. Overall, a brilliant read. Sitting on a 4.25/4.5 rating rounded up

Well I better be careful with my review. I may end up being a feature in the author's next book.

Fortunately, there is a lot to like. The characters, plot and location all had plenty to offer.

This is a book about "people". it provides a close insight into relationships, friendships and employment. There is a strong thread on honesty and truth when viewed through societal values.

The plot was particularly creative and I loved the location as a Scot.

I did feel an ever growing feeling of sadness on behalf of almost all of the characters. Well except Arlo - he seemed happy enough.

Alex is a theatre critic with a stellar reputation and a savage tongue. At the Edinburgh fringe he reviews a show he hates but doesn’t let it stop him sleeping with its star. When she finds out what he has done, she turns the tables and rewrites the show as an expose of his actions. It is a sensation and soon Alwlex’s world comes crashing down. Told by his colleague, Sophie, this is a clever, provocative exploration of cancel culture.

Is revenge a dish best served cold? Absolutely not! Dish it out while it’s piping hot, but make sure it doesn’t backfire!

This was like a soap-opera on stage, with a different episode every night as slammed Hayley picks reviewer Alex’s life to shreds and all of the women he has wronged share their stories. I could completely understand Hayley’s wrath and it was interesting to find out more about Alex, his upbringing and what made him the man he is today.

I didn’t really connect with Sophie, the narrator of the story, aside from her interviewing Hayley, she didn’t add much for me. A fun and thought provoking read.

⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Charlotte Runcie and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book.

A clever and witty novel which deals with honest versus truthful reviews. Does one give the artist the benefit of doubt by producing a bland and generic review or tell the truth and suffer the consequences. That is the dilemma for Alex who is renowned for doing the latter and lives to see the backlash.

Told from the perspective of Sophie Rigden, a young mum and journalist as she navigates her way through grief and parenthood: ultimately, she provides the support for Alex

Sophie and Alex Lyons, the son of a brilliant actress, have been dispatched to review the Edinburgh Arts Festival. On the first night the colleagues go out to critique individual acts. Alex watches a one woman show delivered by Hayley, a young passionate woman concerned about climate change. Alex however is having none of it and immediately submits a scathing review before even exiting the building.

Later that night he meets Hayley in the bar and the two go back to his flat. Only she is unaware of who he is. In the morning, she reads what has been written and realises that the writer is the Alex she has just slept with. Her revenge becomes the focus of the novel as she exposes him and his past endeavours. Alex becomes the one who is in the spotlight, and he must review himself.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC for the opportunity to read this.

Bring The House Down follows two reviewers from London, Sophie and Alex, sent to cover the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Told from Sophie’s perspective, events are set in motion when Alex’s one star review of a show results in him becoming the subject of a new show, drawing attention to him for all the wrong reasons. As Alex’s life and past indiscretions are laid bare for the world to see, Sophie is left conflicted between the man that is being depicted and the one she is living with.

A quick-paced and somewhat farcical book. I loved Charlotte Runcie’s description of Edinburgh as a city, and the atmosphere of the festival itself made me want to visit… maybe not as a reviewer though. I think Sophie’s relatable ‘girl-next-door’ character worked really well against Alex’s boarding-school caddish persona. I definitely shared Sophie’s feeling of conflict, as Alex’s character switches between arrogant misogyny and vulnerability as the story builds. I enjoyed the themes and think it would be a great Summer read for stagey types whose interest will be piqued by a narrative about the creative industries.

Alex Lyons is a theatre critic and his reviews are seen as make or break from five starts to one star for a national newspaper. The novel is set in Edinburgh at the Fringe festival and captures the madness of Edinburgh during August with people trying to find the best shows, the thirst for a good review from all artists and the viciousness of a bad review. It is both philosophical and nuanced as Alex Lyons’s personal life collides with his professional life and remember an art critic is not a journalist… An excellent read with authentic characters. Heaven forbid a one-star review for this- it’s definitely five stars.

This book follows the story of two reviewers - Sophie and Alex - who are sent up to Edinburgh to write reviews for a national newspaper. Alex is known as a harsh theatre critic with a reputation, who takes pride in only giving one or 5 stars reviews. He views anything in-between as a fudge! Sophie, on the other hand is relatively new to reviewing art and exhibitions and, as yet, not really recognised. Indeed she has a secondary role with the paper as their obituary writer!
So two very different characters sharing a flat for 3 weeks. What could possibly go wrong? As it turns out just about everything. One -star Alex makes the colossal mistake of sleeping with Hayley [ the star of her one-woman show] without telling her that the very next day his scathing review is to receive prominent coverage in the paper. Understandably Hayley is incandescent when she discovers this and plans immediate revenge. By the next evening's performance her show has changed into a brutal expose `of Alex and his morals. Furthermore over its three week run it gains a huge following with terrible consequences for Alex.
Meanwhile, back at the flat, Sophie has to balance her own reviewing work with trying to get Alex to recognise the error of his ways. She is appalled at what he did but strangely feels the need to somehow support him. This is dangerous territory for an married woman who feels unnoticed and unvalued both by her husband and her newspaper.
So, all the ingredients are present for a fast-moving, colourful and original story. And that is exactly what Charlotte Runcie delivers. By additionally using this plot as the medium to question the role of a reviewer, the justified level of any revenge meted out and the integrity of journalism she seamlessly adds another dimension to an excellent storyline.
Original plot, well-paced, fluently written and filled with utterly believable characters this novel certainly merits the 4 stars awarded.

A hugely powerful book which looks at influence and power from different angles. Set during the Edinburgh Festival, culture critic Alex Lyons and his colleague Sophie, the narrator, are busily reviewing shows. Alex, noted for his brutal reviews, awards 1 star and gives an excoriating review of a one-woman event. He then goes to a bar, sees the performer, Hayley, and they end up sleeping together, although she doesn't know who he is. The fallout, with Hayley changing the name of her show to "The Alex Lyons Experience," and getting other women to relate stories of how coldly Alex treated them, is the main theme of the book. But there are numerous other talking points. The nature of journalism in these times of influencers and social media commentators. "Nepo babies" (Alex is the son of a famous actress). The role of a critic. The life of a career woman (Sophie) who feels torn by having a child, and resentful of her husband. Thoroughly enjoyed this insightful, biting read. It would be an excellent book for a book club.

In reviewing Bring The House Down, I find myself facing the same dilemma that is debated in the very pages of this book: how does one fairly and meaningfully rate a work of art? As Alex says in the novel, “readers get bored of too many raves, and nobody ever wants to read a three-star fence-sitter’.

But honestly, three stars is objectively good. Three stars signal an enjoyable, absorbing, ultimately worthwhile read. It’s not a cop-out, or a non-committal shrug — it’s the baseline of ‘a good book’. If every book got five stars, then what do we reserve for the ones that truly move us, shift our thinking, or stay with us long after we’d turned the last page? For me, five stars does not mean universal appeal; it is about personal impact. So no, I don’t give five stars lightly.

This novel tackles important themes like cancel culture, nepotism, the responsibility of critics, and the abuse of power. It poses complex questions without providing concrete answers: is it better for a critic to be brutally honest, or to spare the feelings of creators? Is a critic’s allegiance to their readers or to the artists? Does Alex really deserve the extent of the punishment he suffers? Where is the line between accountability and destruction? Runcie doesn’t simplify or moralise.
We see the dangers of cancel culture, as people rush to join the takedown campaign which targets Alex. He’s an arrogant arsehole, sure — but is he really the monster they make him out to be? Runcie never fully redeems or condemns him, and I think that’s intentional — and effective. It leaves space for the reader to tread the grey areas, just as the characters do.

So in the spirit of honest criticism, I give Bring The House Down a solid, enthusiastic three stars — a sharp, highly relevant, thought-provoking read.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for the ARC.

Charlotte Runcie has written a whip-smart, funny and relatable novel set against the backdrop of the Edinburgh Fringe and taking in issues such as #metoo, reviews, maternity and art. It is the type of novel perfect for book clubs and discussions, and I fully expect it to appear on a number of best of lists at the end of the year. Sharp.and challenging at times, Bring the House Down certainly does that!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC.

FIVE STAR REVIEW.
Bring the House Down had me completely hooked from the start.
The characters, storyline and the setting at the amazing Edinburgh Festival Fringe, if you have never been then I would urge you to go.
The main POV'S are Alex a theatre critic who doesn't hold back with his comments and is harsh, brutal and more the likely one star reviews.
Sophie on the other hand is an art reviewer at the same paper, she has a complete different approach and more sympathetic ear.

Alex and Sophie are attending the three week Edinburgh Festival Fringe each having to watch review and publish throughout their time there.
But when Alex goes to a one woman standup written by Haley Sinclair he certainly doesn't hold back with his criticism of the show and letting the readers know to avoid it at all costs with a one star review.
After the show Alex bumps into Haley at a bar and they hit it off but Haley has absolutely no idea who Alex really is and that he has just more than likely killed off her career before it's even started.
After a one night stand together Haley discovers who Alex really is and completely turns her show around to the Alex Lyons experience and it's a huge hi, and goes viral.

This book is very much #metoo and deals with some unsettling accounts but it also contains a some fantastic lighthearted humour.

Well this was a surprise, females complaining about the way they have been treated and men complaining how rubbish everything is.
It isn't the message from the book that counts, it's the way that it is put over, and that is first class, and considered from all angles.
There is some humour in the book, but generally as it covers very serious issues it is deep and hard-hitting.
Not everything in the book is spot on, but it is a very good attempt at covering subjects that are usually avoided by authors.
Some of the passages will stay with me for a very long time.
My thanks to the author for the hours of enjoyment that the book has brought me, I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was entertaining and I think it would be great for book club discussions. It struck me as ironic that I would have to give a numbered star review to a book that seems to be calling into question the value of such a simplistic reviewing system. There's something so flattening and final about assigning a numerical value to what is a very subjective and personal experience—some people give five stars because they had fun and not because it's a 'good' book, while others give five stars for intellectual reasons even if they didn't enjoy a moment of it.

Do reviewers have a responsibility to protect the feelings of the creators involved (writers, directors, actors, performers, etc), or is their sole responsibility to the audience? Do critics have a license to be as curatorial (i.e., nitpicky) as they want, or do they owe it to the human being before them to be 'fair', whatever that even means? I see this being discussed in online book spaces all the time, especially after an author crashes out over a negative review and goes on a career-killing tirade, but a part of me has always wondered if ordinary consumers are so comfortable with publicly tearing a piece of work apart because they think that putting it in text somehow absolves them of their needless keyboard cruelty.

Critic Alex Lyons finds his life turned completely upside-down after a one-night stand with an actress (Hayley) whose career he effectively nipped in the bud that very same night. She only finds out the next morning, after his scathing one-star review has been printed for all the world to see. Instead of slinking away, Hayley creates a new show out of this experience, catapulting herself to fame while simultaneously airing out all of Alex's past misdeeds for public condemnation. Pulled into his orbit is Sophie, who's struggling with new motherhood, grief, a failing marriage, and career stagnation.