Not the book for me, I stopped reading at 30%. I hated the characters and didn’t like the author’s chaotic writing style. I’m sure others will love this one it just wasn’t for me.

Julie Mayhew’s new novel Little Nothings is said to take place over one fateful vacation among friends in the Greek Isles. I love books with focused plots set in exciting locales, so going into this book, I was all in. However, I could tell within the first couple of pages that this book was not going to be for me. There was nothing at the start of Little Nothings to grab my attention or set the tone of the story. Instead, we are thrust right in the midst of the main character, Liv’s travel plans as she heads to the Greek Isles. As a reader, I felt like I was given too many characters and too much information to track within the first couple of pages, and unfortunately, the book continued in this manner, never really capturing my attention or interest.

Another major downfall of Little Nothings is the writing style. This book is all over the place, traveling back and forth in time with no indication of when events are taking place. Readers have to work hard just to follow the plot, which is not something that I am personally a fan of - I want to settle into my books and enjoy them, not feel as if I have to keep copious notes just to avoid being confused.

If you are a fan of the Real Housewives series and don’t mind the issues I previously pointed out, then you may enjoy this novel, as it has a catty, gossipy, frivolous vibe. More of a toxic female friendship book than a suspense novel, Little Nothings will appeal to fans of Big Little Lies and Such a Quiet Place.

That feeling when an ARC completely exceeds all your expectations! This book was SO GOOD - filled with many of the tropes and components I love: feminine rage, woman vs. woman drama, perfect pacing and reveals, all set on a beautiful island vacation.

It focuses on Liv, our main character, a thirty-something wife and mom to a young girl. Since she was a kid, she's never been part of a friend group, never had sleepovers, never felt that feeling of having inside jokes and belonging. She thinks that this is how it'll always be - she just can't make friends and is destined to be on her own. But one day, she joins a Mommy & Me class and instantly becomes friends with two other moms, Beth and Binnie. They bond over a weird class instructor, then start to grab coffee together, which turns into drinks, dinner parties, book clubs, and the three of them becoming inseparable. Beth and Binnie even throw Liv and her husband Pete a little wedding celebration that becomes the glue cementing their best friendship.

But one day, Beth brings one of her coworkers along for drinks. Angela Addison, or Ange, is a fellow real estate viewing agent, and Beth vows that the girls will love her. At first, they do - she is funny, charming, and sophisticated, providing all the right connections, resources, and planning to make her insertion into the group seamless and worthwhile. Slowly but surely, though, Liv begins to notice that some things are off with Ange. In fact, Liv notices that Ange is wheedling her way into the group and pushing Liv out at the same time. Liv and her husband face financial difficulties, unlike the rest of the group, and Ange insists on bringing their girls dinners from casual affairs on each others' living room floors to fancy restaurants on the high street. They all get manicures together as a required part of their bonding, which Liv increasingly can't afford. Liv knows that Ange is planning events and hang-outs with Beth and Binnie and excluding her - but Beth and Binnie hardly even notice.

The book takes place at the culmination of the unspoken tensions between Ange and Liv, on an all-out Greek island vacation that Ange planned for all of their families. Everything starts normally, but through flashbacks and memories, you slowly learn about Ange's insidious plotting and perfectly horrible slights towards Liv. Mayhew executes these so well - they're little things that can go unnoticed by the others, but not by Liv: she knows the feeling of being left out intimately, and you can see Ange's cunning seeping through all of her actions.

The pacing, reveals, and rising tension in this book are simply flawless. I hate using this word, but as soon as you're in the thick of learning about the dynamics in the friend group, it's simply unputdownable. I was about 15% in when I last picked it up, and I didn't put it down again until I was done at 1 AM last night. There's something about a woman vs. woman, friend group thriller that's absolutely enthralling to me, and Mayhew nails it. The characters are perfectly developed, the plot is simple yet so intricate, and the rising drama between Liv and Ange is captivating. You can't wait to see who comes out on top and how it all unfolds.

Thank you to Bloomsbury US for the ARC via Netgalley!

Little Nothings is when small slights turn into larger issues.

Liv, her husband and daughter, plus three other families, are excited to commence their three-week vacation in Greece. Dubbed the “Liv and Pete Comeback Tour” by their friend Ange, the couple hopes this holiday will be the reset they desperately want.

Despite Ange being the newest friend to the group, she has become the ring leader, with everyone doing the most to please her. Initially, Liv was able to ignore the polite little jabs that Ange threw at her, but slowly they have become more difficult to brush off.

Liv wants her friend group to return to simpler times before they all met Ange. The only problem is that everyone is still under Ange’s thrall. Liv has never had close friends before, so she’s hesitant to let these ones go.

I don’t think I would label this as a thriller. It’s more of a domestic drama with a few thriller elements near the end. The timeline alternates between the past and present.

I nearly DNF’d this multiple times. There are a lot of characters, and most of them are unlikeable. The women come across as entitled, judgemental, and the queens of petty. And most of the men are classic dudebros. Ange and Liv were the most well-developed characters. The rest were rather bland.

I am glad that I finished it because the ending picked up and was quite thrilling.

I recommend if you enjoy slowly paced domestic dramas with some suspense.

Thank you to Raven Books for providing an arc via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

https://booksandwheels.com

Thank you NetGalley and Bloomsbury USA Raven Books for an early copy of Little Nothings. Weird, the writing, the trying to figure out what the main character was thinking, Clara coming into the picture. Just a weird type of vibe book BUT I did want to find out what happened. I think most of us women can relate how hard women friendships are when you realize they are not really your friends. That’s basically what I got from this novel.

This book just wasn’t it for me. The blurb sounded really good. It seems like a hit or miss for a lot of people. I just felt like it was dragged out. I wish the author the best of luck :)

After reading the synopsis and obsessing over the cover for Little Nothings, I knew hitting the request button was a "need" to read and not just a "want" . I had to have this book! It sounded so juicy and dramatic that my fingers instantly crossed.

All of the build up and anticipation led to exceeding my already high standard.

I am a little embarrassed to admit that this was my first time hearing about Julie Mayhew BUT after I concluded Little Nothings, I immediately went to amazon and downloaded one of her previous books, The Big Lie, and I am super excited to start it!

The first half of this book is fast paced and character driven. The complexity of the relationships all of these women have with others plus each other was intense and SO dramatic (LOVED IT!!) .

As I was reading I could picture these women in my head and it reminded me of the reality series The Real Housewives of New Jersey (I am also from NJ so I loved this connection!)

There is plenty of suspense to keep you on your toes and has many twists you will not see coming.

I thoroughly enjoyed Little Nothings and I believe you will too!

Yep. My kind of book. Previously skipped it but went back and read it again and was surprised. Totally into the gossip scene. Loved the dark humor. Thanks netgalley for the copy!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book, unfortunately, it wasn't for me. I wish the author a successful publication.

I was intrigued by the overall premise of this and was excited to receive the arc. I devoured the first 75% or so. I liked the character-driven plot and the intricacies of the relationships explored. The dual time periods worked well in creating a plethora of suspense. I did find the writing to be a bit choppy at times, though, and the transitions between time periods were awful. It just went from one sentence to the next with no indication of a change beforehand, which was jarring and confusing. The chapters were also super long and contained multiple time periods. It would’ve worked better had there been more chapters and clearer transitions. I realize that this was an arc so maybe the actual book will be better. I also wasn’t totally thrilled with the ending. I felt like it was a little underwhelming and didn’t have much of a wow factor that would’ve made it a 5 star book. Still, a worthwhile, interesting and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this domestic drama. Great characters! It hooked me from the beginning and didn’t let go. So well written.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book

This book was archived before I could review and am a little confused because the release date hasn't come out yet. Sorry I couldn't review in time.

This one was tough for me. Initially, I was hooked and hopeful that the plot would continue to evolve and that I would find at least one character to grow attached to. Unfortunately that was not the case. The plotline seemed to drag on without much action for the majority of the book. The relationships among the friend group were awkward and didn't translate well overall. I do however love the cover art - it's really beautifully done. Looking forward to reading something else by the author so as to hopefully have a better experience.

Little Nothings-great book by Julie Mayhew!

Adult friendships are the best. You know when you have that true friend connection. And when your spouses are friends too? Even better!

Liv has finally found friends-real, true friends in Beth and Binnie. They've even extablished a history, funny inside jokes, a friend routine of dinners together, kids similar ages. Everything great friendships need, they have.

Then, Ang becomes part of the mix. Ang with her money, Ang with her great house, Ang trying to fit in using Liv, Beth, and Binnie's inside jokes. But, it's ok! She's a part of their group now. She's still finding her way to fit in.

But Liv realizes that sometimes Ang's remarks ar a bit cutting or not funny. But, it's still ok! Ang has offered to help Liv and her husband out of a tough situation. Liv should be grateful. But, then...Ang makes the tough situation even harder. But, Liv has no choice but to go along with it.

When the group is all on vacation together, with husbands and kids, too. Liv begins to see Ang's true self even more. Is she the only one who can see it?

"Page turning and frustratingly good!
I wanted to jump into the pages to help Liv!"
-Books and Pens on Green Gables

I was giving this book to read and review.

This was a really enjoyable read. The plot explores female friendships and the imbalance that arises when a toxic member joins the established female group. It is a gripping suspenseful read and the ending was unexpected and shocking, yet satisfying in a grim way. Reading this felt somewhat like watching an impending car crash but not being able to turn away. You have to ride it to the end and, you must see what happens. . It was a thrilling read.

Didn’t really enjoy this one. The main character, Liv, is desperate and whiny. She has been a friendless outsider, so she is thrilled when she becomes friends with two other moms. However, the group dynamic is destroyed when a fourth woman joins the group and completely takes over and turns them to expensive outings culminating in a three week trip to Italy with their respective families. Liv is in debt but is so desperate to keep her place in the group that she goes along. Her desperation was uncomfortable and hard to understand in a grown woman who should be more devoted to her husband and child, instead of succumbing to peer pressure like she’s a 14 year old.

Liv has never had female friends. Which is why she is so happy to become close with Beth and Binnie. When their three-some is disturbed by newcomer, Ange, Liv is certain she’s trying to edge her out of the group. As the families all take a trip to the Greek isles, tensions come to a head.

When I read the synopsis I knew I’d love this story. It took some time to get used to. There was some jumping back and forth with no warning, which was really odd. I’m hoping that it is an editing issue that will be fixed in the final version. Once I got used to that, the story began to flow. It’s one of those stories where as a reader you are conflicted with who did root for. It was a dark, twisted, but darn entertaining read.

“I didn’t like who I was when I was with these women. But who would I be without them? I’d be alone - that was the only certainty.”

Little Nothings comes out 6/21

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review and opinion. I absolutely loved it! This book has all the makings of a great book - island get away, growing tension, strong characters, and an ending that you won't guess!

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This had potential to be so good but i had a hard time getting into it. The beginning, first few pages and the plot seemed so interesting, but then i just got lost. I was so lost and I was still lost at the end. I'm not sure if it was the formatting of the book or what it was, but it did not meet my expectations. Maybe I'll try again when the physical book comes out!

You meet 4 women, Liv, Beth, Binnie and ange, from a small town in England who go on a three week holiday to the Greek island. The story goes back a forth between present and past told only by Liv, on how her life was hard and how she had no friends growing up and thinking it was her fault till she met Beth and Binnie in a mommy and me class. The girls were instant best friends for years till Ange came along and to Liv she was stealing her friends, or was it all in her mind? Or was she?

In the Greek island where they are all on holiday Liv meets Clara and she sees that Ange is a two faced person and she needs to end win back her friends and it will do what ever it takes to do so? Even possibly murder.

This story started out good but then got ridiculous and childish. Liv should have just open her mouth and talked to her friends instead of just walking on eggshells and going along with her own thoughts. Kind of got a mean girl vibe thought this book. The first 60% of this book was good then struggled to finish it.