Yes! Yes! Yes! Bravo to Olive and all her amazing friends, her life and her quirks. Olive, like Eleanor Oliphant,, will remain in our hearts forever. I can’t wait to own a physical copy of this book to reread it many times over. I highly recommend it.

I started this as an ebook and wasn't sure I'd like it. Somehow I just couldn't find the right voice for the MC. Then it popped up on Netgalley as an audio book and I quickly downloaded it and started.

The narrator does a fabulous job. Honestly, for me, it saved the story. She has the perfect breezy tone of Olive but also the frustration when needed. She gave voice to the friends and their own struggles but also the apologies and tip-toeing they do at times with each other. This is the story of 4 women and their friendship - how it changes as they become adults and hit milestones (or don't) at different times. Female friendships can be tough, especially when society and friends have ideas of who we are and what we <i>should</i> be doing. It was great to read Olive's perspective in a story and I found it refreshing to give voice to people who just want to choose their life and how to live it.

I loved this story and I'm really glad I gave it a try.

Every chapter of this book was a delight. Clever, insightful and intimate, Olive tackles a taboo "issue" - the choice to have or not to have children.

I think what made this book so enjoyable for me was the main character, Olive. At 33, she is living a generally happy life, but is made to question her decision not to have children when everyone around her seems to venture towards parenthood. While I'm in my mid-twenties, I found Olive truly relatable, as though she could be my best friend. She is still figuring things out, which is almost universal at this age, but the society makes her feel inadequate because of where she's at and where she's not in her own journey. I could definitely relate to her feelings and frustrations.

But it is also an important discussion of friendship and fertility, which I found very thought-provoking, especially because I feel like (in)fertility isn't discussed in literature and public discourse nearly enough for how prevalent it is.

Finally, I especially enjoyed reading this novel with my new favorite mode of reading - an ebook and an audiobook simultaneously. As far as the latter is concerned, I thought the narration was superbly done with just enough emotion to make it an experience for me. Highly recommended.

*Thank you to the Publisher for a free advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who has straddled the fence regarding motherhood, I was very intrigued by the premise of this book. After much discussion, my husband and I decided the child-free life was for us. We don’t hate children, but we don’t want any of our own. I’ve since joined childfree forums and have read stories about people questioning the decision to be childfree, to the point of being rude. I’ve personally been told “you’ll change your mind, you’re young” more times than I care to count. There’s always this attitude that you don’t actually not want children, you’ll change your mind eventually, it’s just a phase, etc.

So how did Olive do with this subject? Well, it’s not so much a book about a woman’s choice to be childfree as it is what effect that decision has on her life and relationships. **spoilers** By deciding to be childfree she loses her long-term partner because he wants children. I think the portrayal of their breakup was very realistic and loving. They are two people who desperately love one another and know that they have to break up because of this one issue. Neither of them can compromise without risking a life of bitterness and regret. So they choose to break up, heartbreakingly. There’s the “are you sure you won’t change your mind” back and forth a bit, which I feel is also realistic. I wasn’t too excited about him going on to have another baby so soon after their breakup, it feels a bit rushed to me. You’d think that having such a spotlight on that life decision (parenthood), he would’ve been a bit more careful about it. But that’s a negligible complaint.

The other biggest part of the book is her relationship with her friends. They’re a group of four who have been friends forever, who have been through childhood, high school, and college together. One becomes a mother early and becomes a stay-at-home mother of 3 children, but her husband starts cheating. The other focuses on career first and then has a baby but struggles with postpartum depression, and her husband is nowhere to be seen when needed. The third is obsessed with having a baby and undergoing IVF treatments. Then there’s our protagonist, who has decided to buck the trend and go childfree. It’s easy to see how this decision could strain her relationships with her friends.

**end spoilers**

I think her friend group could’ve done with better communication. It seems they all got wrapped up in their own struggles, which are all very valid and important. But these are supposed to be lifelong best friends and they just start shutting each other out. But that’s the thing isn’t it? It’s so easy to just curl up within ourselves and pull away from those we love because we don’t want to bother them.

There were some things I didn’t like, actions the characters took. Like one friend says she’s sorry for not being there more, but then just leaves. Olive invites her friend over to stay but then never sees her. The two mothers sort of gang up on the other two. Truly, how Cec thought it was okay to ask Isla to come decorate for a baby shower is beyond me.

I’m also not fond of the ending, honestly. (spoilers again, sorry!). The whole thing for Olive is that she doesn’t want to be a mother. Not ever. Not to anyone, not a stepmother, doesn’t want to adopt. No kids. Yet the first guy she meets and has a connection with has kids. So what does she do? Well, become a stepmother, obviously. Which seems like such a cop-out of an ending. So you’re telling me, the whole time she’s trying to convince everyone that she won’t change her mind and then she does just that? It kind of felt like a slap in the face to childfree people. Like see, you *will* change your mind, you just need to find the right man. I thought for a minute Olive wouldn’t take on the stepmom kind of role, but would just be an aloof presence in the children’s lives. But no, she becomes a best friend, a confidante, and has a great moment of clarity when she realizes how much she loves the girls. It disappointed me, truly.

TL;DR: a decent book regarding the decision to be childfree and how it can affect your relationships with others as they navigate motherhood, though the ending doesn’t seem to quite fit with the rest of the book.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book and give my feedback. Thanks for this opportunity!

Olive is very close to her best friends, but when they start to marry and have kids, she feels less connected to them. What's more, she's decided she has no desire to have children of her own one day. She's absolutely sure of it. Fast paced and moving, I would recommend Gannon's debut novel to all my friends.

I found Olive's perspective refreshing - especially when it came to her views on having children. I enjoyed the book, overall, found it to be an easy, quick read, but I would have also appreciated a further insight to her friend group and their thoughts. A great addition to woman's focused literature.

The story touches upon a very contemporary yet sensitive topic. Women have various points of view when it comes to becoming a mother. Some believe that it's the most important part of their lives and motherhood gives them a purpose more than anything else. Some believe that they can be mothers without giving birth to child and help the kids who were unfortunate to lose mothers/parents early in life. Some prefer to never have kids. Just like in every situation, it's perfectly normal to have multiple ways to look at an issue; however, society is little less forgiving and much more strict when it comes to motherhood.

Four friends are standing on different sides of this very delicate balance where they are trying to make their voices heard without crashing the others' views. Olive does not want to have a child and now she is trying to figure out if her decision holds true or if it becomes something else as life throws different people and circumstances at her life. This is probably a story of many 30 somethings as they try to figure out what they want from life.

Although I felt that I may have been a bit younger than this book’s intended audience, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was extremely interesting to read a book that deals with the different stages that people are at during their twenties and thirties: some married and having babies; some finishing University; some still just trying to figure it all out. This book really delved into these different stages that people reach, or perhaps don’t, throughout their lives.

It did an excellent job in challenging the stereotypical view that all women must want to have children and that this is the ultimate goal in life, looking at a wide range of possibilities for a fulfilled life. Each of the main four girls felt truly human, with a number of flaws and struggles they were trying to cover up in their lives and act as if everything was perfect. This book was raw with emotion and heartbreak on a number of different levels, from breakups to infertility issues, that really made you feel for everyone involved.

This book was an easy read, and I found myself rooting for Olive in her search for happiness. Although I did find that around halfway through the book I was getting bored as it felt as if Olive and her friends were having the same conversations over and over again, without any resolutions.

There were also moments throughout the book where things were mentioned, such as a moment where one of Olive’s friends reminds her of a time she agreed to be a surrogate for her, and then never discussed again despite seeming to be important things worth discussing. It made me wonder why these things were even included in the story when they were barely looked at for more than a one page conversation and then quickly forgotten.

Despite this, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and would be interested in picking up future books by her!

I was intrigued concept of this book, but found it a lot heavier than I expected. I couldn’t connect with Olive and I just couldn’t gain interest in the story. It tried to cover some important topics, but just fell short for me in the execution. I had high hopes for this book but just felt really disappointed. This was a DNF for me after giving 50% a good shot.

Thank you to Netgalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Emma Gannon for this e-copy. While I was intrigued by the premise I was unable to connect with the book as I found that I didn't like the main character, not in an unreliable narrator type of way but just that I thought she was one dimensional. This was a DNF for me.

Olive was a complete miss for me. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters and as I plodded through the reading, I just could not gain any interest in the story or the plot. I'm sure it will resonate with some readers, but this novel was just not my cup of tea.

As soon as I saw the subject matter of this book (the decision to be 'child-free by choice'), it instantly became a MUST READ for me.

I read the first half of this book in a day! It's so easy to get into and I was quickly sucked into Olive's storyline and character. I've never experienced such familiarity to a fictional character before. Olive was just so incredibly relatable in everything she did, thought and said.
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I felt absolutely SEEN by this book because I am basically Olive but aged 32 not 33 - surrounded by friends getting engaged, married, pregnant or having recently given birth. I always knew I never wanted kids, it wasn't even a conscious decision process to be honest, I just always knew I didn't. Yet everyone I spoke to (when younger) seemed to be adamant I would change my mind... 🤔
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Have I changed my mind by age 32? Absolutely not! I like my independence, spending money on myself, peace and quiet and a good night's sleep! I can also barely look after myself sometimes, let alone another human!
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Thank you @emmagannonuk for writing such a brilliant book about a somewhat 'taboo' topic. This is such an important read for those of us who feel we are the "weird ones" for not wanting to have children. You are not weird and you are not alone, even though it so often feels that way!

I liked this book and the light way it talked about a very serious and often heavy topic! It felt like the book equivalent of a Sunday afternoon movie and that was exactly what I needed.

Olive follows the story of a woman in her early 30s who does not want to have kids. The whole book revolves around that topic and the impact of this decision in her relationship with herself, her boyfriend and her 3 best friends. We get to have a glimpse at the very different lives of 4 women who are very close friends but seem to be living distinct phases of their lives or have very different views of what they want their future to look like .

I’ve seen a lot of reviewers state that they found Olive very selfish and self-absorbed, but I disagree – in my opinion, Olive never came across as disrespectful of her friend’s choices, while the opposite happened often and she was way more patient with then than I would have been. I believe the author was able to create a flawed but realistic character who perfectly encompasses the way a lot of women feel about motherhood, as well as the ridiculous comments they constantly must deal with. It also talks about how difficult these comments are for couples dealing with fertility issues, which is not only very important but also often forgotten when this topic is discussed.

I think some topics and secondary characters could have been explored a little more in-depth but all in all it was a very pleasant read.

The first thing that attracted me to this book was its title, My name is Olivia, and here is a book about an Olivia, I had to jump on it.
I'm glad I did.
The book Olive although named after the major character isn't just a book about one woman, it is a book about choices and staying true to yourself and your choice despite societal pressure.
It is a book about friendship, love, family, and motherhood.

I personally think motherhood is damn difficult and definitely not for everyone.
The idea that a mother should be perfect and have everything under control is another scam, sometimes they get tired of putting everyone else first.

I would recommend this book because it is a jolly good read, raises a lot of questions about friendship and motherhood, it's the ideal 21st-century read.

I am so glad this reading experience is over!!

BLURB:
OLIVE is many things.

Independent.
Adrift.
Anxious.
Loyal.
Kind.
She knows her own mind.

And it’s ok that she’s still figuring it all out, navigating her world without a compass. But life comes with expectations, there are choices to be made and – sometimes – stereotypes to fulfil. So when her best friends’ lives branch away towards marriage and motherhood, leaving the path they’ve always followed together, she starts to question her choices – because life according to Olive looks a little bit different

The book promises so much but sadly didn't deliver for me. Approaching the themes in this book should be commendable, but it honestly deserves better craft.

There was absolutely no overarching story and no credible characters.

I thought Olive was really hard to relate to (and not just because i am a mother of 2). I found her entitled, obnoxious and quite unlikeable. Her behaviour was mostly irritating, I found myself wanting to shake her and telling her to grow up.

The female friendships the book portrays weren't relatable at all. Olive feels frustrated that her friends are no longer as accessible as they once were and fears being left behind while her friends move through life settling down into relationships, having families. Isn't this just life!? I found her attitude really brattish!

Maybe this is a generational thing, I feel like millennial podcasts will be raving about this one but for me it was dull as dishwater.

Its only January I know, but i predict this will be the worst book I read all year!

I was originally drawn to "Olive" because it was the first time that I could picture myself really connecting with a main character. Similar to Olive I do not want children, and can empathize with the struggles she faces throughout the book. The concept/theme of motherhood in most contemporary fiction novels revolves around wanting children and the struggles that can come along with that. I enjoyed that "Olive" wasn't blind to these issues and explored them through the character Isla. Gannon does a wonderful job of touching on so many various stages throughout one's life (birth, death, divorce, middle age, motherhood), which helps reiterate the thesis of the novel that life is going to play out differently for everyone and that's okay!

With that said, I did have some overall issues with Olive. The four main group of girlfriends, while facing their own struggles, all felt too similar. None of their personalities stood out all that much, and that goes for Olive too. Secondly, the plot felt far too disjointed. Both the breakup with her long time boyfriend and the introduction of a new romance could have been explored in way more depth. The book starts off with her breakup with Jacob, and I would have appreciated seeing more about how it reached the breaking point. I just do not find it plausible that throughout their entire 9 year relationship having (or not having kids) was never brought up.

So was the book for me? In some ways yes, and in other ways no. For other readers like myself who share Olive's views on not wanting children, I think it's a good book to pick up. Otherwise I do think you'll have trouble fullly engaging with this novel. I would love to see Gannon really hone in on character development, because the main characters in "Olive" definitely the potential to leave a lasting impression.

This book was not my favorite. 😬. While the concept was great and seemed like it would be super relatable and a deep introspective look, I found that Olive was kind of a miserable character. I didn’t really connect with any of the women in the book, and was left feeling slightly disappointed.

One of the best people I've 'met' in a book.
The tale of four women whose lives have always followed the same path, the trials and tribulations of adulthood until the taboo subject arises, Olive does not want to have children.
Olive, our protagonist is a thirty something women who is independent, loyal, kind and a little anxious. Olive knows her own mind and struggles when those closest to her try to tell her something different.
This book is about the struggles of parenthood and fertility but also relationships. This is the part I loved. The relationship between Olive, Isla, Bea and Cecily is something many women dream about and the strong female bond resonated with me on so many levels.
I really cannot find the words to express how much I enjoyed this book. The characters were all so real and Olive so refreshing.
Having your best life after your 30... that's something to shout about.

*ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was quite disappointed by this book.
On the one hand, I really enjoyed the premise but I did not connect with any of the characters.

Oh my god. This is like a Bible for normalizing childless women. This is for every woman who has decided they don’t want to have children in their life, and also for women who either have children or want children and struggle to understand what it’s like for women who don’t want children. As someone who does not want children, this read was so empowering and made me laugh, cry and all things in between as I began to feel like I belong somehow to this imaginary flock of women.

I really really appreciated that it gave perspective from every end of the spectrum to those who do not want children to women who want children but cannot, to women who have children. Of course all shared with varying degrees and reasons behind their decisions.

I LOVED everything about this read and honestly can’t stop gushing about it. I definitely think it wouldn’t be for everyone, but for me it was everything.