Though I enjoyed the story overall and found the subject matter interesting, it took much too long to finish. I did not have any solid connection to the characters, so I had a difficult time mustering up any empathy for them. For the most part, they all come across as very self-centered and selfish, rather than embracing their life choices and being the supportive “best” friends that the reader is led to believe they are.

The decision to have children or not is a very personal choice and, for some, they are not given a choice, as one of the characters is dealing with infertility issues. Olive decides she does not want to have children but her three best friends, Bea, Cecily, and Isla all do, so it feels quite uneven as the lives of Olive’s best friends seem to take off in a different direction, which leaves Olive isolated. After she and her long-term boyfriend end their relationship, Olive does not feel she can talk to her friends about it because the break-up was because Olive chooses child-free and Jacob wants to start a family.

The issue of whether to have children or not causes walls to go up between Olive and her friends as they all stand firm on their beliefs and choices, rightly so, but somehow a line has been drawn and there is an unspoken expectation that sides must be chosen. Most of the story centers around each character defending their choice and the resulting conflict and strain it brings into these friendships.

My Final Verdict: Life is not always a picnic, being an adult is not all it is cracked up to be and interpersonal relationships are a lot of work. I recommend this story to readers who enjoy stories that have realistic issues and conflict that the characters must face. Sometimes life is messy, sometimes it is amazing, and this story was a good reminder that nothing in life worth having ever comes easy.

The narrator made this story come to life in a way that I don't believe reading would have done. The book is a chic lit story of 4 friends who bonded in college classes or before and stayed friends into their adulthood although not without difficulty or effort. It is interesting as it brings to light how difficult it is for females to maintain friendships as they go into adulthood if they don't follow the same paths. While it is great for some to choose motherhood and family life it is equally great to choose not to follow that path. The book does bring to light the disparity of acceptance that society has for those women who opt not to have children, but I also felt the book glossed over that choice as well by giving the main character teen step-children as if she couldn't be complete without them. It also delved into the mental health of motherhood or wanted, but unsuccessful motherhood and the struggles that come with those issues. However, once again it glossed over those as well. While it was an entertaining listen, I almost the author would have chosen one issue to fully explore and left the others as side stories rather than making them all side stories without fully developing any one. The closest main plot being the childless choice, but again I felt it was glossed over in order to not become too controversial. I'd listen to more from this author and will definitely look for more from this narrator.

This is my first encounter with a book discussing CFBC (which is a topic I'm a bit interested in). The main character in this novel is child-free by choice, which troubles her relationship with her friends and her partner. I liked a lot of things about Olive; however, it took me a lot of time to finish because I find it hard to bear how dramatic the four friends are. They felt unreal to me and very immature. I find this kind of friendship and attachment toxic and unhealthy. I liked how each one of them led a different life, but in the end all of them did not realize the maturity needed to go through life. The writer tried to make up for this unnecessary drama in the end, but it felt rushed and unconvincing.
The best thing about this novel is the introduction of Marcus and his family. I loved how the writer used "self-obsessed" to describe Olive in the eye of other people, and "unapologetically you" in Marcus's eyes. I loved how she find the warmth of a family without having to change her mind. Though this might not be the case in real life!

I received this audiobook from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Olive is the story of a young university graduate, trying to find her place in the world along with her college roommates. Though they were close in school, navigating adulthood with different ideals is trying for their friendship.

I really enjoyed this book! I love how it focused on the idea of family and what that can look like for different people. The choice to remain childfree can still be seen in a negative manner. I feel like the author tackles this very relevant issue with care.

I definitely recommend this audiobook!

Olive by Emma Gannon
Narrated by Sian Clifford
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Audio
Genre: General Fiction (Adult) | Women's Fiction
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Olive by Emma Gannon is a standalone novel that examines the life-changing choices that women face regarding love, friendship and motherhood.

As a woman who postponed motherhood and finding a partner until my mid-thirties only to have motherhood removed from my realm of possibilities as I found the person I would marry, this book was difficult to listen to.

This book was funny and the author broached these difficult topics well.

I'm so grateful to Emma Gannon, Andrews McMeel Audio, and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this ARC audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Emily Gannon did it again! I really enjoy her writing and this one was GOOOOOD! I do perfer her last book SABOTAGE more but this one was still pretty good!

This was a fun listen. I liked the characters and the relationships between them. I don't personally resonate with Olive, but I think a lot of people will and this story might mean a lot to them.

I want to start this out by saying that I really, really liked this book. As a woman who has been struggling with her sexuality for years, I’ve definitely thought about whether I want to have biological children. I am asexual and I don’t want to bring kids into the current world we live in. Plus, it doesn’t really appeal to me. I like children, for the most part. I just don’t want to have any myself.

Which brings me to our main character, Olive. Olive recently has broken up with her longtime boyfriend because he wanted kids and she didn’t. She’s surrounded by women who already have families, are pregnant, or trying to become pregnant. All she wants to hear is validation from someone saying that it’s okay that she doesn’t want children! But instead she’s hit with the “it’s a phase” and “you’ll want them eventually” talks. At one point, she is bluntly told that her feelings are not as important as someone who doesn’t want children, because there are women who are struggling to conceive.

There were a lot of characters who put her down and told her she would reconsider, but there were also characters who felt the same way.

Olive is a charming coming of age story for a 26 year old. Suffice it to say, not everyone finishes having their big revelatory moment when they're a teenager, nor do they wait until their mid life crisis. No, most of us are figuring ourselves out as we go along. Olive is the perfect look at four women's not so perfect lives and how they learn to grow up and grow together through their late 20s and early 30s.
Olive doesn't want to have children, but it seems like everyone around her does. She's feeling left out and isolated. She is wondering about missing out on having her own children, as people around her continue to tell her she doesn't know what she's talking about and that she'll change her mind. She decides to take on a journalistic work assignment to uncover why millennials are choosing not to have kids, but it hits a little too close to home. She meets with a holistic fertility expert and a group called Child Free By Choice, and neither of those feel like perfect fits either.
This is also a story about mental health. Olive doesn't realize how depressed she is until she's on the other side of it, but she has people in her life that care about her and reach out. Her other friends go through their own mental health crises, and even new acquaintances bring into play their own mental illness.
This book does not have a lot of action, and there aren't any big solutions that come up. However, the pacing of listening to this book on audio was delightful, and I found myself continuing to go back to it for the feeling of exploring emotions with close friends. Olive is comforting. These friends are able to work together and help each other despite their vastly different circumstances and perspectives. They are able to resolve their conflicts after they've been jerks to each other. They always have each other's backs. This is what makes Olive soothing. And important. Female friendships that feel genuine.

Here's a book I started being very excited about and ended slightly disappointed.

Sian Clifford did an amazing job narrating this one. All of the different accents, her cadence and pacing were fantastic. I had a little bit of trouble getting into the story at first as I started with a physical copy of the book, but once I started with the audio I was hooked. After that, I continued to alternate between the two.

This book follows the main character Olive and her friends as they move through their late 20s and into their thirties. We watch as they try to maintain their friendships while all being at very different stages in their lives. While all of her friends are at various stages of trying to conceive or being pregnant, Olive becomes more and more convinced she doesn't want children.

This is the first book I've read where a woman is child-free by choice. I found it made for a very interesting read. Throughout the novel, Gannon is constantly highlighting problematic conditioning in society that assumes (cis) women all want to be mothers. There are a few scenes in there that I think went over the top. But overall, I think it does a good job at highlighting the difference in treatment (cis) women who are child-free by choice may encounter, especially by people they are very close to.

Initially, I couldn't stand Olive. She seemed so immature and self-centred but as she developed she grew on me. And this is why I ended up being disappointed. The conclusion of her story felt like a cop-out. I don't want to ruin anything so I'll leave it at that. If you've read this one let me know what you thought about the end of her story.

Despite my issues with the ending, I still really enjoyed this book for the type of story and perspective it told.

I enjoyed listening to the lovely, British-toned voice of Sian Clifford as she narrated the story of Olive. With her clipped vowels, and tony modulation, it was easy to pay attention to the story – and even learn some new slang words and UK-ish phrases!

Olive is a contemporary-style story about the issues we face in a modern society. Our heroine, namely Olive, feels she’s floundering as an adult, as she seems to be growing apart from her formerly closer-than-sisters group of college gal-friends. And she doesn’t find herself wanting the things that every other woman approaching the age of 30 seems to want, namely to be a mother. She struggles with wondering if there is something inherently wrong with her and gropes about to find her own way and to be wholly okay with that.

Contemporary tales focusing on 21st Century issues, and the interpersonal problems of the characters, aren’t usually of interest to me. Yet, Clifford’s narration made the book so enjoyable. And I’m glad I listened to it, as I do think there are valuable take-aways from this book: How to be yourself, navigating changed friendships, the importance of honesty, and working hard to keep those you love in your life.

Olive was released March 9, 2021 by Andrews McMeel Audio (https://www.andrewsmcmeel.com/audiobooks-on-the-rise/) and is also available in paperback from Andrews McMeel Publishing (https://publishing.andrewsmcmeel.com/).

A big thank you to Emma Gannon (https://www.emmagannon.co.uk/novelist), Andrews McMeel Audio, and NetGalley (https://www.netgalley.com/) for providing a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.

Drop me a Comment below and let me know what you thought of this review, and/or the story of Olive – I’d love to hear your thoughts!

#Olive
#EmmaGannon
#SianClifford
#AndrewMcMeelAudio
#NetGalley

Our main protagonist Olive, is coming to term with the fact she doesn’t want children and we follow her journey to self-discovery. It was interesting to see how much stigma women face when they decide not to have children and how friendships change and evolve when one starts a family. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but found a lot of the situations and dialogues Olive and her friends have, were a little cliche and I struggled to form any kind of attachment to any of the characters. I think, although the characters were in their 30s like me, this book was not intended for me, but for those of us that are maybe thinking of not having children.

I so badly wanted to love this book. It sounded like everything I want in a story.

But I had a few issues with it. First, the plot felt all over the place. I normally enjoy vignette-style stories or ones that sort of show you glimpses into the character's life. But it didn't work for me in this book. The chapters felt a bit disjointed or we'd skip to a different day randomly when I was not expecting it. It felt a little jarring.

Also, the characters did not feel real at all. They felt like exaggerated stereotypes, even down to the dialogue, which felt stiff.

I really liked reading about Olive and her job, but the writing just didn't work for me in this one.

I really enjoyed this book and this is a plot that I had never come across before. I think this book does justice to feminism. This book covered all kinds of women: the ones having 1 baby, the ones having 6 babies, the ones having a baby with a cheating partner, the one who can’t have any and ofcourse our lead character- the one who wants to be child-free.
It was a quick and fun read and tbh there were some parts that triggered me a little bit but hey, that’s ok because women actually face some of those. I loved how friendship was made so important in this book and it also gave a message of making amendments and standing for your own self and not depending on others. Being stubborn was very normal in this book which I felt was pretty good but somewhat I felt that the main character, Olive, was given a much more importance than she deserved. Overall I really enjoyed reading and listening to the book.

🫒 Olive by Emma Gannon 🫒

This was a very fun and interesting story. It’s very compelling with great characters.

We follow Olive (hence the title) as she discovers herself and what the true meaning of her life is. It’s a great coming of age and very impactful. She was so fun to follow along and I had a blast with her.

This story is so unique and like nothing I’ve read before. It’s really intriguing from the beginning. I also really like the author’s writing style. I think she did a fantastic job getting the plot across. I’m definitely a fan of this author’s work.

Because it was an audiobook, I did have trouble following along at times. There were some moments where I was confused because I wasn’t understanding it well enough. I definitely think I sped through it too quickly.

Overall, this was a quick little read. I think it was great. It’s not very memorable and I’m sure I’ll forget the plot line of it. I would still recommend giving it a try.

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* Firstly i was drawn to this book bc my grandmothers name was olive lmao and though im younger than olive, this was a really great book as im childfree as well and i really liked how this book was kinda centered around that and others choices

If you're a regular visitor to the Bookbugworld, you know my review style. My reviews basically focus on narrative, plot, characters and conflicts. Rarely comes a book that surpasses these basic story structure elements and still manage to touch your heart. Olive by Emma Gannon might be a 3/5 for me, if I rate it based on my usual criteria. Somehow, I can't bring myself to be objective about it.


This isn't a book that has the three act structure or any other plot building device. Olive is basically a thirty two year old woman's thoughts while she navigates through the idea of being child free. For someone, who doesn't want kids, Olive is surrounded by situations that reminds her of a woman's role as expected by the society. It is hard for many people to understand that fulfillment is subjective. Olive's experiences and fears felt a lot more personal to me - as a woman who is kind of in a similar crossroads in life.


Yes, there were questionable things in the book that didn't make sense to me. Why does Olive maintain friendships that is essentially not healthy for her and basically force herself in their life? Why is she quick to judge women who are mothers by choice? Yes, there are fundamental differences between how I think and the main character. But her trials and tribulations made me feel seen for the first time. The topic is not something we see very often in women's fiction. Which is why I was drawn to it in the first place.


In conclusion, I must say this book is not for everyone. It is for niche readers like myself and even then, keep an open mind while reading. I am a single woman in my thirties who does not want to follow the heteronormative route of settling down and following my biological clock. There is nothing wrong with those things, but I don't want that. Not in the pace, that is expected of me. To live by this choice is not easy, however.  
It is for people like these, that I would suggest reading Olive. Particularly, if you're questioning yourself about your maternal instincts - especially the lack of it - then give this book a try.

Olive by Emma Gannon

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“You must remember that no decision is ever really the wrong decision. Because it's the decision you made at the time. Respect your past self and her choices.”

🫒 I finally got round to listening to an audiobook last week and I loved it - Olive was narrated beautifully by Sian Clifford. Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins for this gifted copy of the audiobook. 🫒

This book tells the story of Olive, a very successful 30 something year old woman living in London. Olive is fiercely independent, wracked with anxiety and full of kindness. She knows her own mind but she’s not quite sure wether to trust it, watching all of her friends marrying and having babies should make her feel broody, right!? Except that it doesn’t. It turns out that actually Olive doesn’t want to be a mother - much to the confusion of her closest friends - Cecily, Bea and Isla, her long term boyfriend, Jacob and her own distant mother. Olive’s life may look a little different to the one people imagined for her but that’s okay, isn’t it?

This book is an excellently told story of womanhood; it’s so real, funny and warm. It covers sensitive subjects expertly and feels so inclusive. I absolutely loved Olive’s character and found myself rooting for her throughout - the ending was just perfect.

Although unable to relate totally to one individual character I found myself relating to all of the women in such different ways but also as a group; the way in which their friendship developed over the years really resonated with me. It’s such an honest and moving portrayal of the ups and downs of close adult friendships.

“Whilst so many of my friends were paying extortionate amounts to increase their fertility and chances of pregnancy, I was swatting away my partner’s penis like an annoying fly.”

An interesting enough book... But I think I personally read it at the wrong time and that is why I did not engage much. I did not relate with the character at all although I did understand what she believed and where she was coming from.
Overall, a lackluster read for me.

I was really excited to read this book as I thought it would offer a fresh, feminist perspective. Although I initially related to Olive as I am currently child-free and a lot of my friends are pregnant, as the plot progressed, her attitude became more negative and self-involved. I really wanted to love this book but the characters and plot just didn't appeal to me.