Month: March 2026

Book Review: People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon

Posted on by Libby Price

I’ve enjoyed previous non fiction by Bryony Gordon, so was delighted to be granted an advance review copy of her foray into fiction. Subsequently I saw it all over my social media – with Bryony sending copies to seemingly every person I follow on Instagram!

Here’s the blurb:

“Olivia Greenwood has been trying very hard to please people for a very long time.
But today is going to change Olivia in a big way. A soul-crushing career disappointment, a fiery young woman with a chip on her shoulder and a cigarette in her hand, and one single blue hallucinogenic gummy all lead to a raucous night out and one hell of a hangover. And when Olivia wakes up the next morning, it seems she’s unable to please anyone but HERSELF.
So who actually is Olivia Greenwood, when she’s not trying to be what everyone else wants her to be?”

I could immediately identify with Olivia – being a similar age and similarly a people pleaser!! Her night out and encounter with a younger colleague, Rose, along with booze and a gummy – transforms Olivia’s attitude. I have to say (and perhaps this is because I am so stuck firm as a people pleaser) – I found her to be a little bit unlikeable and unpleasant in some ways when she had this epiphany – although appreciate that may have been to move the story along.

Olivia is very much sandwich generation – brought up in the 90s being told women could ‘have it all’ – but still juggling childcare and older parents (one of whom is living in her garden shed!) You also learn about a horrible misogynistic experience Olivia had early in her career – with which I could completely empathise. Young women today just wouldn’t put up with it – but I remember being groped by a partner of the accountancy firm I worked for and asked if all of the women in the Birmingham office were as sexy as me! At the time I just removed his hand from down my dress and laughed it off, as it was just considered ‘normal’ (although some years later, the aforementioned partner was personally fined £250k and banned from being an accountant for 3 years, which did prompt a wry smile……)

Some of the storyline did make me appreciate how much my own husband and children do around the house as a matter of course – although I completely recognise this is not the norm for many!

Overall I enjoyed the book and Olivia’s story arc – and agree that people, and women of a certain age in particular, should be able to stick up for themselves and not be perpetual people pleasers – but I also think it’s easier said than done! Maybe Rose’s gummies should be on prescription with HRT?!

Also loved the Erling Haaland cameo!

Many thanks to Net Galley and the publisher for my advance review copy – the book is published next month if you fancy pre ordering.

Book Review: The Sisterhood Rules by Kathy Lette

Posted on by Libby Price

“The Sisterhood Rules:

1. Never let a man come between you
2. Share all your secrets
3. Live life to the fullest – girls just wanna have fun

For twin sisters Isabel and Verity, the sisterhood rules were shattered when Verity had an affair with Izzy’s husband. Unforgivable, right? Devastated by her sister’s betrayal, Izzy casts Verity into social Siberia.
But when their mother goes missing, Verity and Izzy are forced to come together again to find her. And then the estranged sisters’ problems only get bigger. Their mother has a new younger lover and where there’s a will… he’d clearly like to be in it.
Can they stop their mother making a dreadful mistake? And in doing so find a way to bury the pain of the past?
Full of laugh-out-loud humour and devastating pathos, Kathy Lette’s brilliant new novel takes us on a roller-coaster ride which proves that from pain comes healing, from honesty comes forgiveness, and that nothing is more important than your sisters.”

I’ve always enjoyed books by Kathy Lette. They are fast paced and wise cracking and a definite #womanpower genre. So when I saw she had a new book out this year, I was delighted to be granted an advance review copy by Net Galley.

The book follows the story of estranged sisters Izzy and Verity as they try and track down their missing mother, Nicole. The women all work in music in some way, shape or form – which was interestingly explored. There are also geographical location switches – whilst all now live in London (having relocated from Australia when the twins were little) the book takes us to European mountains and Derry for different chunks of the storyline.

There is also a wide variety of supporting cast – from Johnny (Izzy’s husband that Verity stole), Chrissie (Izzy and Johnny’s teenage daughter), Gawain (Nicole’s new alpine horn playing toy boy), Fiachra (Izzy’s guitar student) and Melissa (Nicole’s long suffering manager) who all interweave in the storyline. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Izzy and Chrissie – having kids of a similar age!

As expected – the book is full of puns, one liners, caustic asides that you would expect from a Kathy Lette book – and if that’s what you want, then it’s perfect – but it can get a bit exhausting. I felt reading this was like spending time with someone who has ADHD – you need to have a lie down in a dark room to decompress afterwards!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publishers for my ARC – I thought from Net Galley it was out in June, but I’m now thinking that might only be in certain geographical areas – as it appears to be out in the UK already!

Book Review: The Shock Of The Light by Lori Inglis Hall

Posted on by Libby Price

“Cambridge, 1942
Twins Tessa and Theo had always shared everything – until the summer Tessa spent studying in France. She hasn’t been the same since. But before Theo can find out why, he is recruited by the RAF and disappears into the skies.
Determined to carve her own path, Tessa joins the clandestine Special Operations Executive, slipping into the shadows of occupied France. It will be dangerous work, but France is the home of her greatest love – and her darkest secret. Tessa has many reasons for wanting to return.
Two years later, only one of them comes home.”

I don’t often read historical fiction, and so I’m not sure how I ended up with an advance review copy of this debut novel – but I’m so pleased I did, I couldn’t put it down!

The book is the story of twins Tessa and Theo who have grown up in Cambridge with a French Mum and English Dad. Theo signs up to join the war effort in the RAF as a pilot – and Tessa is very cross that she, as a female, can’t do similar. She is initially working in an administrative role – but is then recruited by the Special Operations Executive to be sent to France to work with the resistance there. Being bilingual – and very feisty – she is ideal for the role.

The story follows her experiences in France as the first section – and it’s really interesting and evocative – I really enjoyed this.

Theo ends up injured – both physically and mentally – and returns to Cambridge as the war is coming to a close. He is devastated that he doesn’t know what has happened to Tessa. His life after the war is tough – in many different ways – and he never makes peace with the ‘not knowing’.

Much later – when Theo is an old man – he is approached by a PHD student, Edie, who is researching the SOE – and in particular the female operatives and specifically Tessa. Between them, and with a cross generational friendship developing, Theo and Edie work out what happened to Tessa both during the war, and back in 1938 when she studied at the Sorbonne for a year. I have to say I was expecting a twist of fate and far fetched ending that – thankfully I suppose – didn’t come!

I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and I’m glad I took a punt on a book I wouldn’t normally read – and I feel more educated about the SOE and World War II. I also now know how to say my Grandson’s name in French – he’s also a Theo!!

A big thank you to Net Galley and Harper Collins for my ARC in exchange for an honest review.