I’m so glad I decided to listen to this book! I always enjoy Emma Gannon’s perspective and research. Olive is an honest and emotional look at the decisions women wrestle with as adults. The characters aren’t as lovable as they are relatable. I guarantee you’ll see a part of yourself in at least one of the four friends. Olive gives a voice to a group of women who are often overlooked— those who are child-free by choice.

This book is for you if you’re:
- Feeling like you’re the only one and having trouble trusting you own life’s timing
- Struggling to come to terms with drifting friendships and navigating being in a different chapter of your life from your friend group
- Dealing with pressures surrounding motherhood
- Into character-driven novels where the focus of the plot is the main character’s flaws or alternating timelines with single narrator

What I didn’t like:
- Parts of the story felt a bit repetitive and unnecessary. There were a few chapters I could have skipped entirely.
- Lack of diversity. This book felt very white and middle class.

Content warnings for mentions of infertility, abortion, miscarriage, death, alcoholism, infidelity, divorce, toxic relationships, eating disorder, and therapy.

I listened to this story, rather than reading it and I really liked the narrator. It is the story of Olive, age 33, who does not want kids and the effect that has on her relationship and her friendships. Listening to the story was at times a little confusing as it is not told chronologically but jumping back and forth, showing more clearly how Olive's friendships have evolved. The story finishes with closure, so I don't expect any kind of sequel.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to listen to this story in return for an honest review.

Olive by Emma Gannon

I liked this book. A relevant female issue novel. Being a CFBC myself.... constantly fielding questions from family, defending my personal decision, and finding myself plagued by self doubt at times. I identified with the character and appreciated the perspective.

Thank you Net Galley for an early audio copy!!

This book was honestly the book I never knew I needed. As someone who doesn't know where she will be in 10 years or whether children will be apart of that, it was honestly a breath of fresh air. 'Olive' shows how people who choose to not have children are treated, but also shows in smaller aspects the struggle of being a parent as well as being someone who struggles with infertility.

I honestly connected with two of the characters, and it was honestly was empowering to read this on International Women's Day. I will definitely pick up another one of Emma Gannon's books ASAP because her writing it absolute perfection!!

Though some people won't agree with this review, because maybe they aren't the targeted audience or won't understand the struggles in this book, I definitely recommend it.

I really wanted to love this book, but I thought it was just okay. It starts off very slow and it wasn't that I really got into it until it was near the ending. The book follows Olive as someone who doesn't want children and her 3 other friends. One who has fertility issues, the other two with children. I know the point of the book is the child free choice aspect, but I almost think it would have been more interesting to read about it from each girls perspective. I love that the book brings to light the choice of having children or not and that not having children is a completely normal choice! I just wish the book was a bit more interesting. Rather than Olive did this and had this experience and it brought up child free feelings here and there and here and there. 2.5 rounded up to a 3.

Olive by Emma Gannon tells the story of Olive as she navigates her decision to be child free by choice while her close friends begin to move on toward marriage and motherhood. I really appreciated the representation in this book for a character who chooses to be childless as this is not something frequently represented in literature. I enjoyed following along as Olive questioned her choices. I also enjoyed that each of Olive's friends had a different struggle represented in the book. A friend who has children but is losing her marriage, a friend who wants children but is having difficulty conceiving, a friend who isn't completely thrilled with her motherhood experience. This book highlights the differences in female experiences. This story is told exclusively through Olive's perspective and inner monologue, and I would have loved to have multiple perspectives to highlight and experience the differences in the struggles of the more central characters.

The audio narration was done by Sian Clifford and was excellent. The emotional content of the story was conveyed in the narration and I am glad that I listened to this one as I feel like it helped me to connect with Olive.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ALC. This did not affect the contents of my review, and all opinions are honest, voluntary, and my own.

In her early thirties, Olive, has a successful career writing for .dot magazine while living in London with her long-term boyfriend, Jacob. Their relationship ends abruptly after a casual conversation turns serious and Olive advises Jacob that she doesn’t want to have children and she doesn’t think she’ll change her mind.

She and her three best friends from university are moving in different directions. Olive doesn’t want children; Bea married her university boyfriend and has had her three children early; Cecily, a lawyer, is about to give birth to her first child, and Isla, who has suffered from Endometriosis all her life, is undergoing IVF to become pregnant. One of the ideas Gannon explores in her novel relates to the challenges relationships face when friends stop having so many things in common.

By shining a light on the sometimes uncomfortable realities of being “child-free by choice” (CFBC), motherhood and infertility, Gannon exposes them and gives us the opportunity to discuss them with each other. There is no right or wrong way and there are many ways to live a fulfilled life.

With wit and insight, heart and humour, “Olive” will reassure young and older women who are child-free by choice that they are not alone. As Marion Keyes writes: “It’ll give a voice to countless women”. “Olive” is a beautifully written and brave book.

Actress Sian Clifford, the audiobook’s narrator, reads perfectly, her voice matching the voice one might expect Olive to have. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook version.

A huge thank you to @NetGalley and @AndrewsMcMeel for an audiobook review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Opting to be 'child free by choice' (CFBC in the book) is a big, bold topic to tackle. Gannon tries to cover all bases by using four friends, each of whom has a different angle on the subject. Unfortunately, I felt that none of these characters were particularly relatable or even likeable, especially the titular Olive. They were all whiny, privileged and rich. Olive also has the easiest job in journalism and somehow ends up promoted despite spending months working on only one story and spending most of her time at the office nursing a hangover.

The audio book was well narrated but there were times when the dialogue jarred with clichés, passive sexism and ridiculous nicknames. The worst part was *spoiler alert* when Olive ended up with a guy who... has kids. Is that the best we can all hope for, shoehorning in a bit of 'maternal instinct' at the end. Cringeworthy stuff.

I have never given a bad review before but I have to be honest, this is probably the most disappointing book I've read/listened to in a long time.

I received a free ARC audio book from NetGalley in return for an honest review. Thank you.

Enjoyed the general conversation about women that choose not to have children. It’s sadly still looked down upon, so books that talk about it in this way are always going to be appreciated by me.

I found Olive to be a bit frustrating and annoying at times. I suppose she was written quite realistically with a bunch of flaws, but also a lot of good qualities. Plus she grew to be a better person throughout the book.

I would have liked for there to be a bit more of a definite plot, but it wasn’t a huge problem for me. I was just left thinking, where’s this going? quite a few times.

I can imagine that a lot of people will love this book

This book fell flat for me to the point that I did not finish it. While the main character felt realistic, her focus on her own issues seemed to make her oblivious to the needs of others around her even as she proclaimed they were her dearest friends. I'm not sure if I would have preferred reading this over listening, but I found the narrator's different voices hard to distinguish contributing to the feeling that everyone outside of Olive was underdeveloped.

Honestly, maybe if I had pushed through to the end I would have seen more development and it would have grown on me. After attempting to pick back up with listening multiple times only to become frustrated and abandon this book, I decided that perhaps it's just not the book for me right now.

This is the perfect book for anyone feeling behind their friends in life, especially for those in their mid 20s and up, and I cannot recommend it enough. Everyone has been there and everyone has felt overwhelmed with social “milestones” and life choices. More specifically, there is a certain taboo that comes with choosing to not have children.

(potential spoilers ahead)

OLIVE focuses a lot on the main protagonist’s decision to be child-free. OLIVE is the perfect balance of quirky, imperfect characters, and real-life. This book is not only based on Olive’s journey to come to peace with her decision to remain child-free, but explores common topics re: societal norms.

I think one of my favourite parts of OLIVE was Gannon’s portrayal of the intricacies of friendships that Olive and her three best friends face as they choose different paths in life and try to find the balance between their friends, families, careers, and relationships. Regardless of your choices in life, I think this book does a great job at sharing sides of the story we do not always get to hear, such as choosing to remain child-free in life.

I loved how this book shared the real-life feelings someone experiences when trying to navigate their life choices with what “they should do”. Gannon’s writing left me feeling frustrated and sad along with the four main characters as she explores themes of marriage, infertility, careers, friendships, and relationships.

A friendly reminder that it’s not okay to judge people on their choice to have or not have children. You never know what people are going through with fertility, health, and personal choices.

content warning: infertility

What can I say about Olive? As the character, I loved her. She knew what she wanted and she wasn't afraid to express it, albeit respectfully. As to the audiobook, I thoroughly enjoyed listening it. The topic was close to my heart (Olive choosing not to have children) and when I was in my late twenties, early thirties, was also asked 'why not?' and told 'you'll change your mind' etc. All the while this book also dealt with friendship, motherhood and the pain of not being able to conceive and wanting a baby so much. I like that the chapters jumped from past to present, thus relating her story as she evolved. It was a great listen and the narrator was fabulous! I really recommend this audiobook 😊

Thanks to the publisher, the author, and NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook to review.

*Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced audio copy for review*

Olive by Emma Gannon was a great book. It’s told from Olive’s perspective and she’s a 30 something who doesn’t want to have kids. She’s just broken up with her boyfriend and feels like she can’t tell her close friends. Her inner circle are each married and either started families or trying to.

I appreciated that the author peeked into the lives of varying degrees of motherhood and their ups and downs. It wasn’t in depth, but it wasn’t just purely focused on anti-baby either.

Thank you NetGalley for this ALC. A stunning novel about a woman struggling with societal pressures to be a mom when she just doesn’t want to. Through the book, we follow a group of friends that each has a very different experience with being a mother. I loved how the author looped in the main character’s career as part of the story - she did research and wrote articles about the topic of not wanting children. There were some very sweet quotes and some laugh out loud one-liners too. Being a woman is hard, and quite often we are faced with societal pressure to do something because “that’s what everyone else does”. It was refreshing to hear a perspective that was different, and empowering. It takes some educating, but the friends come around.

Firstly, I want to thank NetGalley and the publishers for letting me listen to the audiobook.
Olive is in her early thirties, has a job that she loves and three best friends. Her life seems to be great, almost perfect, until she realises that everything around her is making her feel like she is “different”. She, unlike her friends, doesn’t want a big house filled with toddlers. She likes her city life, in the chaotic London, going out at night and getting home drunk.
Olive portrays a type of girl that is very often brought into question.
I really appreciate the story, it has been a surprising read, though sometimes a bit sad.
I am 22 years old so I do not feel this pressure right now, but I hope to create my own family one day. It is always very interesting to find out other point of views, as we all have different opinions about this topic. Probably in the future I’ll find myself wondering if I shall have kids or not… who knows!

Also, when I saw that the narrator was Sian Clifford (Claire in “Fleabag”), I couldn’t lose the opportunity to listen to it. She is perfect! How she makes you feel all her emotions, make you understand her thoughts. I am wondering if she identifies in Olive, in some ways.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the audiobook in exchange for honest review.
I was really excited to read this book after reading the blurb. When I actually started going through the story, it felt like reading someone's personl diary. Olive a thirty something woman who's child free by choice kept on rambling throughout the book.
The good thing was that the narrator's voice was soothing.
The book just didn’t tickle my fancy.

Whilst I don’t think I was the target audience for this book, I did enjoy the listen and story told. The narrator is very authentic, and I felt like I was listening to a friend gossip at some points. The topics covered throughout aren’t seen very commonly, and I felt Gannon covered them very well. There are a few trigger warnings, and there was one minor storyline that I have personally experienced and don’t think it was discussed fairly, but it didn’t tarnish my opinion of the book.
I look forward to see what Emma Gannon releases next.

What a lovely book. I really enjoyed listening to Olive's story. As a young woman, it is incredibly relatable- especially in terms of relationships and growing up. I recommend for those who love realistic stories!

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brief synopsis: Olive and her three best mates have always been there for each other, but these days Olive feels like an odd one out. As Bee, Cess, and Isla have all been focused on starting families, Olive is wrestling with whether she even wants to have children. Throughout the book we follow Olive as she tries to sort out who she is, and what she wants. There were so many things I loved about this book, but a few really stand out:

The Friendships: I love reading about a tight-knit group of friends, and these four did not disappoint. The women in the book all take different approaches to life, relationships, and motherhood, and each is going through a critical period in their lives. The stress of the decisions that weigh heavily on them, and the changes that seems to be happening constantly, put stress on their friendship and they have fights. But, and this is the crazy thing, those fights ARE NOT THE END OF THE WORLD. At the end of the day, their relationship is more important, bigger than one bad moment, and I loved that. It was so refreshing to read a realistic portrayal of female friendships where real women have real problems and deal with them in real ways.

Child-free rep: I think Olive’s inner struggles are very real, and a lot of women can relate. On the other hand, a lot of women who are child free might feel differently. What I appreciate about this book is it never claims to represent the views/desires of all child free women. It’s just Olive’s story, and what she goes through.

People with jobs! I’m a sucker for a character who is exceptional at their job, and Olive does not disappoint. She not only has talent at her job as a journalist, she shows good judgement. Every time I thought she was going to make a Bridget Jones-esque work faux pas or violate her professional ethics...she instead just went about her job like a grown up and eventually gets promoted for her skill and competency. You love to see it! There were some references to “showing up late and no one noticing” but we don’t actually see that behavior. Typically she’s working late at home doing research for stories, staying late, and hating the weekends because she prefers a productive workday.

Overall, this was a wonderful quick read, light but thoughtful, and I highly recommend it. The audio book is also a gem.

Olive is many things, but a mother is not one of them. When her friends all come down with baby fever, Olive feels pressured to live up to the expectation that women are put on this earth to mother. Olive wants to advance her career, to drink herself into a stupor when she feels like it, travel, and spend her money however she sees fit. Olive does not want to be a mother; truly has no urge to bring another human into the world. But how will this impact her relationships? And what if she changes her mind (also, why does everyone assume she will)? A sentimental story about navigating the transition into adulthood and all of the stereotypes and expectations that come with it.

I had no idea how much I needed this. I have been reading a lot of very heavy books lately and I chose this for something a bit more lighthearted. It ended up being so much more than that. As a woman who has never wanted children (and is consistently told that I will change my mind), I could relate to this so much. In all honesty, I didn't even like to be around other kids when I was one so I certainly never had the desire to welcome a child into my life. I am judged for this constantly. I am told at work that my "needs are different because I don't have a family" and "now just imagine if you had to go home and care for a family after work." I am not an orphan, I have family. It just doesn't look the way YOU think it should.

"Do we not care about women with no maternal feelings in society? Must we change them, or disregard them?" I can tell you from my experience, the answer to all of these is yes. If you do not have or want children, you are treated as less-than. 'My body, my choice', as it seems, only matters in regards to basic birth control conversations and not long-term life choices. Child-free by choice (CFBC) is considered to be selfish, and maybe it is, but it is still a choice that any individual has the right to make.

To have a character who had the same experience was incredible. Honestly, it was just want I needed right now. But what I enjoyed most was the variety of perspectives. Bea & Cecily's adventures into motherhood, and most importantly, Isla's struggle with infertility. I feel like up until recently, this was something that was so rarely talked about and I think it is an important discussion to bright to the forefront. The struggles between Olive & Isla were heart wrenching. They both felt so strongly about wanting/not wanting children and still wanting the best for their friend who felt the exact opposite. I know exactly how Olive felt when she was trying to explain to Isla that just because she doesn't want children doesn't mean that she doesn't want Isla to have them.

Bottom line: What I think everyone should take away from this book is that we are all different. We have different ideas of what our lives should look like. We have different experiences, perspectives, hopes and dreams. None of them are wrong, they are just different, and that's ok.

The only negative, from my perspective, was that I sometimes found it difficult to follow. I wish it would have flowed chronologically, instead of jumping around haphazardly. I may feel differently when I purchase and read a physical copy (yes, I liked it THAT much), but from an audiobook perspective...it was a bit challenging.