I found this book to be a charming and enjoyable palate cleanser, perfect for a relaxing day at the beach or a cozy evening at home. The characters are relatable, and I couldn’t help but root for them as their friendship blossomed. The exploration of Ginny’s desires and anxieties, especially regarding motherhood, resonated with me and added depth to the narrative.

However, I understand why some readers may have found it lacking. Ginny can be hard to like at times, and the story’s focus on her inner monologue occasionally overshadowed Cassie’s character. I wished for more balance between the two, as Cassie had so much potential that felt underexplored.

While I appreciated the humor and serious themes woven throughout, the pacing faltered in the middle, and the sheer number of supporting characters made it tough to keep track of everyone. Some plot points could have been resolved with a simple conversation, which felt frustrating at times.

Overall, Ginny and Cassie has its highs and lows, but the friendship at its core is a heartwarming element that shines through. It’s a fun read, even if it didn’t fully meet my expectations in certain areas.

I was thinking that I would enjoy this as much as I did but I read at the perfect time now that I am in my 30s and can relate!

If you need a lighter book to breeze through as a palate cleanser - look no further. This one was such an unexpected delight from a new to me author. The characters are charming and relatable and you can't help but fall for them as you turn the pages. This is the perfect one to take to the beach or curl up on the couch with on a rainy day!

Ginny Taylor is in her mid-thirties and discovers that her boyfriend Jack has been sleeping with her boss, effectively making her single and unemployed.

Cassie Frost is a former TV star who lives in Ginny's building and goes on "I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!" as sort of a comeback but she isn't well received by the public.

After learning that Ginny worked in PR, Cassie wants her to help reinstate her as a national treasure and the two strike up an unlikely friendship.

I've seen the "losing job and boyfriend at the same time" plot done time and time again so I anticipated this to not be very exciting. What Nicola Gill does well is develop characters. Ginny keeps seeing her friends getting engaged and having babies, whilst she is searching for a decent job in her field whilst waiting tables to get by, and trying to find a man who wants what she wants in life.

Cassie was my favourite though. Her personality was so believable and her depression story was written very well.

A bit cutesy towards the end but enjoyable!

DNF 57%
I gave up.
And you might wonder why? I see many people raving about this but I just did not enjoy this one. Ginny was hard to like, Cassie was so and so. I had hoped for a light comedy or “chick-flick” type of book, but it was so much sadness and frustration in the book for both characters. Plus Ginny`s inner monologue did not help me liking her. I wish we maybe got a bit more of Cassie and not constant Ginny, or so it felt like. This book just was not for me.

2. stars.

I really enjoyed this book and the exploration into friendships, whether of equal age or from different decades such as between our two main characters. I particularly loved how they brought out the best in each other.

The touching on depression was really appreciated, being a sufferer myself. It was handled well, delicately and true. There was definitely no stigma attached to it, which I find there sometimes is with other books I have read. The gradual "recovery" and relapse were very well handled.

I definitely would read more this author, I enjoyed the writing style and flew through the book within a day.

A brilliant read, with fantastic characters each with their own story. Really enjoyed this. Will definitely read more from this author

I was fortunate to receive a copy of this ARC from @@avonbooksuk and NetGalley. I really regret not reading it last year because I think it would have been a great comfort during the pandemic/lockdown/furlough.

I felt the themes of the book – infidelity, loneliness, depression/suicide - were handled sensitively and maturely. There were also a lot of laugh out loud moments for me in the book. Ginny reminded me in some way of a modern-day Bridget Jones (this is absolutely a compliment to the author!) and being the same age as her, I could relate to a lot of what she said and thought.

The theme of the book also reminded me of The Lido by Libby Page and to some extent, The Switch by Beth O’Leary, so if you enjoyed those then I think you’ll like this.
My favourite quote:
“Bosses should be made to wear bells round their necks so you can hear them coming at all times. Like cats." 😂 x

I’m not sure how to sum up my feelings for this book. I absolutely loved some parts of it and thoroughly enjoyed the friendship of Ginny and Cassie. I laughed out loud from the outset and found the authors exploration of a 34 year old refreshing. It was great to see the wanting of a child discussed in detail with worries a lot of women may face as the ‘biological clock’ ticks. At 32 it hit a little nerve inside me.

Although I loved so many things, I also disliked some parts. I would have liked more of Cassie and Ginny, less Jack and more explanation of how they got back together. Started well - ended well but lost its way in the middle.

This book was such a fun read! It made me laugh until tears were coming out. I loved the characters in this book. I also loved the friendship they had. This was such a fun book. I highly recommend checking it out!

I was not a fan of this book it was very hard for me to finish it. Several times I had to stop and come back to it.

This was such a fun book to read. Enjoyed it a lot.

Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for a review.

This is such a heartwarming book with a good sense of humour within it.
This book will make you laugh and make you cry in equal measures.
A great read

Didn't review in time for release, premise sounds really good will be picking up a physical copy and come back to review soon.

Thank you to Avon, Netgalley and Nicola Gill for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was hooked on this story right from the get-go. Literally paragraphs in and I had a hard time putting it down! I thoroughly enjoyed this cast of characters! From the eccentric and over the top, to the cheating and lying, you can find a little bit of everything in here! I love stories of unlikely friends, and seeing how things blossom and grow between them! I think the friendship between Ginny and Cassie is my favourite relationship in this book and I love both of them!

There are some very very real aspects to this story and it gets pretty heavy at times. I think that the author did a great job portraying the life of an actress after she has fallen from grace, discusses mental health issues, and also deals with the ticking time bomb of wanting to have children in your mid 30s!

If you are a fan of British stories and love a finding your way plot, give this one a shot!

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. An interesting novel by a new author in my personal reading-sphere! I am sure others would enjoy it too. Good character portrayls, descriptive setting and gripping plot.

This one was fun. We primarily follow Ginny as she is struggling to find her footing after finding her boyfriend in bed with her boss. Talk about a hostile work environment! Ginny is a little lost after leaving her job (and cheating ex-boyfriend), and then she meets Cassie. Cassie is wild – and the complete opposite of Ginny.

Watching their friendship grow was a fun journey. Cassie encourages Ginny to step outside her comfort zone while Ginny provides a bit of realism to Cassie’s lifestyle. In the beginning, Cassie tries to persuade Ginny to become her publicist, but their relationship really grows from there.

As I was reading, I found myself getting really frustrated with Ginny. She seemed to continually be making all the worst decisions possible and wasn’t really trying to make any sort of positive difference in her on life. I just wanted to shake her a lil bit and tell her to get it together. But then about halfway through, the story completely flips, in more ways than one.

All in all, an entertaining – if not frustrating at times – read that deals with some very real issues and shows the true power and value of friendship.

I really liked this book i enjoyed the storyline and liked the characters especially cassie this book covers mental health and was very well written enjoyed getting to know the characters this book covers love life and friendship.

Utterly charming. A recommended first purchase for fiction collections where women's fiction is popular.

While there were several great things that I liked about this book, like the friendship between two very different women and the normalized discussions about very serious topics, there were also a few things that just missed the mark. There were a lot of characters and I just kept getting them all mixed together, especially the sisters of Ginny and Cassie. Their story lines are just way too similar. I really just wanted to know more about everyone and have more time to really get to know each character. And part of the conflict in this book could have been solved by literally having one conversation. There were plenty of funny moments but also several that just dragged on. Overall, I just really wanted more from this book.