I struggled with this book. I found the story line and the theme a challenge. It may be a generational thing, but I could not, in any way, relate to the chaotic lifestyle and personal dynamics. It may also be a book that women can relate to. As an older male, it was not for me.

Thirst Trap follows three friends, Maggie, Harley and Róise who live together in a houseshare. They had another friend, Lydia, who died unexpectedly a year ago. They left her room in the houseshare untouched and need to decide if they can live in the house without Lydia.

I enjoyed this novel for what it was. I loved the irishness of it and how relatable it was. It was very much plotless and just following the girls living their lives. They were all dealing with grief. That said, I wasn’t a huge fan of the casual drug taking in this and that did impact on my personal enjoyment. Overall, I enjoyed this and I think many young women in particular will relate to this and enjoy it.

This book contains so much feeling. I absolutely adored it. If you like books about friendship, relationships and complex human emotions, this is for you. The cherry on the top for me is that it is Irish fic, which has become my favorite genre. I liked all of the three main characters, which is unusual for me, and appreciated their depth and equally complex and realistic storylines. I do wish Róise's struggles were explored in more detail and had more of a resolution. Overall though I thoroughly enjoyed this and think it's an incredible debut. Gráinne O'Hare is one to watch!

The ultimate weird, messy-girl lithic. The final boss of the 'holy shit I'm turning 30 and my life is a mess' comedic novel. I still am unable to tell if this has made me feel better or worse about officially hitting my late 20s.

Particularly towards the end as things go absolutely (and excuse my French) tits up, I was laughing out loud constantly. O'Hare's characters were absolutely hilarious, finding humour through the messiness. All three of the main characters were incredibly well fleshed out, jumping off the page. The dialogue was quippy and clever and endlessly entertaining.

I would 100% recommend this book to anyone feeling a little lost in their late twenties/early thirties - it's either going to make you feel terrible or intensely relieved.

Rating: 7 out of 10

With this eye-catching cover, Gráinne O'Hare's debut novel is a tender story of friendship and grief. It was a real slow-burner and I found myself pausing often while reading it. The writing made the characters quite real, describing the everyday life, their thoughts and feelings. All three characters try to deal with grief, the messiness of late twenties, while also struggling with "having to grow up" as they approach 30. At times I felt amused, at times sad and emotional, at times I even felt bored while reading this book, but I am still glad I read it, because it was something a bit different from the plot-driven books that I often read.

📖 Synopsis: Harley, Maggie and Róise are turning 30. The girls live in a shared crumbling house in Belfast and face friendship and relationship struggles as they try to navigate the challenging times that are the late twenties, as well as the grief caused by the unexpected death of their friend Lydia.

Thirst Trap will be published on 12 June 2025. Thanks to Pan Macmillan and @netgalley for providing me with the e-book in exchange of my honest review.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗽 sees three friends, 𝘏𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘦𝘺, 𝘙ó𝘪𝘴𝘦 & 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘨𝘪𝘦, living in Belfast, as they each turn 30 and navigate life after the sudden death of their friend, as well as exploring the party/work life balance.

The book isn’t very plot driven, the three main characters, although quickly approaching the big 3-0, don’t seem quite ready to grow up yet. Each of the women encounter challenges and set-backs throughout their journey, and indulge in self-destructing behaviour.

I can relate to the characters in the sense of being (𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘺 𝘰𝘧) 30, and still not entirely certain on the direction that my life is headed.

As someone from the north of Ireland, I found that the dialogue of the book was easy for me to read and understand, as there were many local references and dialects used within the writing.

I previously mentioned that the story isn’t very plot orientated, which I did struggle with. There are a few jaw-dropping moments and shocking revelations, but I just needed a little more ✨pizzazz✨

𝚂𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙶𝚛á𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚎 𝙾’𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚎, 𝙿𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚛/𝙿𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚌𝙼𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚊𝚗 & 𝙽𝚎𝚝𝙶𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚢 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚕𝚢 𝚊𝚌𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜/𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚌𝚘𝚙𝚢.

I came for the cover and stayed for the book— I really enjoyed reading it. Thank you so much for giving me this digital galley!

Fantastic representation of friendship in your twenties..the parties, the fights, the alcohol.
Well written and great (true to life) dialogues, and the Belfast setting comes to life.

One of my favourite categories of books is millennial women growing up with roommates. So i was always going to love this. I loved the dynamic between the girls, and it was beautifully written how they were individually dealing with the loss.

I was immediately drawn to this book by the eye catching cover and the description. We follow three friends Harley, Maggie and Róise as they all struggling to deal with the grief of losing their housemate and friend Lydia.

The story is told in multiple POV through each of the women. We learn how they are all dealing with their own struggles along with their grief. Each character has their own flaws and it shows how everything is not all perfect all of the time.

I loved how honest and real it all felt. I really liked the authors writing style. I enjoyed the humour throughout the book too.

Thirst Trap follows three friends on the edge of their late twenties, Maggie, Harley, and Róise, trying to navigate grief, loss, anger and love. They struggle to cope with the passing of their friend and housemate Lydia. One is clinging to her chaotic early twenties full of drugs and drinking, another one develops an eating disorder while the third one struggles with attaching herself to unpromising romantic connections. The impending move from their house (which is practically on the verge of crumbling down) marks the end of an era and potentially the end of their friendship.


The novel is told from three different perspectives and O’Hare skillfully described their present state whilst also exploring their past and the trajectory of their friendships. The portrayal of the women and their friendship is very realistic - there are no heroes and villains, just women standing at the precipice of a new life stage, aware that the shared living accommodation has allowed them to be stuck in the past.

I found Thirst Trap to be a very realistic portrayal of navigating grief, romantic relationships and the mess life throws at you. Its depiction of big life decisions, stress and fear of change is something anyone in their late twenties can relate to.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan/Picador for my copy.

Gráinne O’Hare’s debut sees three close friends, on the cusp of thirty, living in the house they shared with a fourth whose death in a car accident devastated them, complicated by the betrayal that preceded it.
Despite the grief at the heart of this late coming-of-age novel, O’Hare’s narrative is full of an affectionate humour for these three young woman already stuck in the life they were living as students before Lydia’s death. A year later, each of them is dealing – or failing to deal – with the aftermath in their own, self-destructive way: Harley lurches from bed to bed, fuelled by a cocktail of drink and drugs; Róise seethes in her room, writing off a promising new relationship as just sex while Maggie still jumps to the tune of an old student lover who persistently refers to her as a ‘friend’. O’Hare neatly takes her characters from the birthday of her novel’s opening chapter to another in a satisfying wrap-up at the novel’s end. Her book deals well with the overwhelming grief at the sudden loss of a friend at a young age, resisting the maudlin, while engaging sympathy for her characters.

Well I absolutely adored this book. Three Irish friends on the cusp of turning 30, we learn all about their messy lives in such a heartwarming way. I rooted for every one of the characters, but had a particular soft spot for Roise. The writing is perfect and so so funny. I’m gutted that the book ended and I won’t get the chance to follow these characters further. A big hearty recommendation for this fab book.

Thank you to Picador for the access to an ARC of this book. I was really excited to read Thirst Trap and it did not disappoint.

This book has so much heart, integrity and personality. I think there are aspects that will be very relatable to many women in their 30’s. The pacing was brilliant and I absolutely loved the understated way in which the story was told. It felt true to life, without melodramatics but with all the messy confusion that being a human brings.

One thing I absolutely want to highlight: there were some absolutely stunning lines in there. Little nuggets of philosophy and heartfelt observations. These never felt clunky, out of places or forced and it’s a testament to the quality of the writing throughout the book.

I absolutely fell in love with Róise and thought she was so three dimensional and well developed. I feel more of this development could have happened with Harley and Maggie though, as it took a fair whack of the book to untangle which was which.

Altogether, this is a title I really recommend and o can see it making big waves on social media. It’s reminiscent of Blue Sisters, but grittier, working class and more relatable. Really well done!

Thirst Trap by Gráinne O'Hare is a poignant, bittersweet, and often painfully relatable exploration of friendship, grief, and the tumultuous years of one's twenties. The novel centres on three women—Maggie, Harley, and Róise—who share a crumbling houseshare in Belfast, a place where their shared memories of laughter, heartache, and growth are interwoven. What should have been the best years of their lives are now tinged with loss, emotional turmoil, and unspoken grief, as they grapple with the tragic death of their friend Lydia.

The dynamic between the three women is at the heart of the story. As they navigate the aftermath of Lydia’s death and the unresolved tensions from their last fight with her, the narrative delves into how friendships are tested in the face of tragedy. The ghost of Lydia looms large in their lives, not only through the untouched remnants of her room but through the lingering impact she had on each of them. O'Hare masterfully captures the complexity of grief, the way it can both tear people apart and bring them together in unexpected ways.

The beauty of Thirst Trap lies in its emotional depth and its authenticity. O'Hare’s writing is sharp, witty, and occasionally heartbreakingly tender. One moment, you’ll find yourself laughing out loud at the girls’ antics, only to be struck by the next moment's gut-wrenching sadness. It’s a novel that makes you feel seen—particularly if you’ve ever experienced the fragile and raw nature of friendship in your twenties, a time of immense personal change, reckless decisions, and the growing awareness of how precious life and relationships truly are.

Maggie, Harley, and Róise are each wonderfully crafted, fully realised characters. They are imperfect, flawed, and entirely human. Their pain, joy, and emotional struggles are presented in such a way that they feel like real friends, someone you could easily recognise in your own life. Lydia, though she no longer physically exists in the story, is ever-present—her absence shaping the actions and emotions of the other women in ways both heartbreaking and beautiful. Her legacy as a friend, the unresolved fight, and her tragic end serve as a powerful backdrop to the central theme of growth, acceptance, and the complicated nature of grief.

What makes Thirst Trap stand out is O'Hare’s ability to balance the humour and the sorrow. The humour comes naturally, from the camaraderie and banter among the women, and it’s often a welcome reprieve from the darker moments. Yet, it never feels forced or out of place, as the underlying sadness is always there, gently simmering just beneath the surface. It’s this delicate dance between light and dark that gives the story its heartbeat, making it not only emotionally moving but also unexpectedly uplifting in its portrayal of friendship and resilience.

This novel is one that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading. Maggie, Harley, and Róise feel like friends you’ve known your whole life, and their story is one of growth, learning to let go, and ultimately finding peace in the messiness of life and loss. Thirst Trap is an exploration of the friendships that define us, the ones that hold us together when everything else seems to fall apart.

For anyone who has navigated the ups and downs of friendship, especially in the pivotal years of their twenties, Thirst Trap offers a heartfelt and cathartic read that will leave you reflecting on the bonds that shape your own life. O'Hare’s novel is a true testament to the beauty, complexity, and power of lasting friendships.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

A lot of heartfelt moments in this book - it starts by implying they're just three messy girls going to nightclubs for longer than they should, but the grief they share brings a lot of poignancy. Really, it's about tragedy and growing up.

Funny, compelling and hopeful. I really enjoyed this story of three girls navigating the getting-back-to-normal stage of grief, over a year after their friend has died. The friendships described were believable, and the growth of the characters realistically stop-and-start. I enjoyed the author's criticism of books where the ending of stories like this are too satisfying and perfect, and thought the ends left lose were just enough to make it realistic without being frustrating. I would happily read something else by this author.

I loved this so much. Such a wonderful story about friendship and dealing with grief. It felt very honest and I really liked the different POVs of each characters life and how we learned about Lydia through them. Really enjoyed reading this, it made me smile, laugh and cry!

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

A true reflection of managing womanhood, friendship and grief whilst fast approaching the big 30. O’Hare captures the experience of those struggling with the in between of ‘living your best life’ and adulthood, whilst managing the chaos of everyday life.

Harley, Róise and Maggie live in a rundown house in South Belfast, living life day-by-day without any true direction. Written from the perspective of all three girls, fans of Sally Rooney and dry humour will enjoy this one.

Drinking, drugs, sex and a house that’s falling apart. The writing provides a very real experience of those in their late 20’s, as the group struggles to adapt to managing their friendship after the unexpected loss of their friend Lydia. The topic of grief is heavy throughout, highlighting the different experiences of each friend, post-Lydia.

Thirst Trap isn’t plot heavy, but it is real. It provides emotion and that brilliant Irish humour. It was refreshing to have a multiple POV of a group of friends that aren’t all straight. Maggie brings another layer to the story as she navigates being gay in a town where she knows every face that appears on her dating app.

It's worth mentioning that you should check for trigger warnings before diving into this one. Drug abuse, death, eating disorders and the difficulty of abortions in Ireland are topics that are done well, but in a way that has you feeling for each character.

Releasing in June 2025, this is one to add to your TBR.

Thank you NetGalley, Pan Macmillan and Picador for the arc in exchange for the honest review.

Thirst Trap is your typical slice-of-life story which follows three girls living around the one-year anniversary of their friend's death. They have to come to terms with the fact that they weren't on the best of terms with their friend and learn to live with any guilt they feel about the situation.

I don't typically love slice-of-life stories, but this one kept me interested straight away, albeit it dragged slightly closer to the end it got, but that is all, really. I enjoyed each girl's story throughout the book, and how they intertwined with one another.