A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

1/5 - Not for me.

It's always difficult to leave a negative review, but I have to be honest. I did not enjoy this book and I found Olive, the titular character of the book and the only perspective we really have any access to, absolutely insufferable. Her friends were only marginally better, with the exception of Bea (I would have enjoyed the book infinitely more if it had been written from her perspective).

Olive is in her thirties and is coming to the realization that she may never want kids. This launches a journey of self discovery, which sounds interesting enough. However, her "self" is about all she discovers. In this introspective journey, she barrels through everything and everyone else with little regard for their feelings - from getting drunk and raging against her friend at her baby shower to visiting an exclusive fertility expert just for a quick chat rather than referring her best friend who has been suffering with infertility for years. Olive complains constantly that her friends do not have enough time for her, only to ignore their experiences and to minimize them, and then to abandon them when things are difficult in their lives. The world revolves around Olive - even when someone else is going through a difficult time, Olive will often comment on how nice it is to be needed. I felt like screaming: "It's not ALL about YOU, OLIVE!" multiple times throughout the book.

The message being conveyed in this story is an important one - women experience different lives. Not everyone will settle down with a perfect husband and a family. And that's fine. But the way this message is relayed is through Olive's internal monologue. Which was centered exclusively on Olive. And how Olive figured into everybody else's life, which was filtered through a singular lens of Olive, Olive, Olive, Olive. Olive. We didn't really get much insight about the pain Isla was experiencing with IVF, or Cecily's anxieties over being a new mother, or Bea's heartbreak with her husband's infidelity. We barely met Jacob, and Markus's tragic loss of his wife, as well as his children's coping with this loss, were entirely glossed over. There was a sassy gay best friend, whose one personality trait was getting laid over the weekend and bringing Olive booze. There was a fabulous elderly neighbor, whom Olive mistook for a social pariah because she couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Dorothy's life. None of these characters really got much exploration though, because in the end it was all about Olive.

By the end of the book, Olive improves, but only marginally. Quite frankly, there are books you read and think - "wow, I wish I were a part of this friend group." By the end of this book, I was glad not to be a part of this one. I'm not sure I could handle the narcissism and anxiety. Perhaps this book would appeal to some people - it's introspective enough and can be funny in parts. But the overwhelming focus on Olive was too much for me.

I'm desperate to read (listen to) this book and review it here on NetGalley, GoodReads and my blog, but unfortunately NetGalley will not give access to their audiobook App in Switzerland, so I cannot download it. THis is very disappointing.
I am forced to give a star rating despite being unable to review it. I will go with 4 stars because from what I know about this book so far, I am sure I will really like it.

This is the first novel I have read/listen to by Emma Gannon and she is a very good writer and I would gladly buy her books in the future.

However..... I hated Olive. She is not my type of person. (this has nothing to do with the fact she doesn't want children, I 100% love people who don't want children) but I 100% can't stand rude obnoxious people and that's how Olive came across to me. I hated her. In real life I wouldn't d want to be at a party with her.

So as far as the author goes 5 stars for her writing but 3 stars for this book

I did not connect with this book. It was too slow paced and boring for me. I feel like it was trying to be edgy, but being child-free is not as controversial as this book made it out to be.

Olive unflinchingly tackles a very difficult topic: the decision to have (or not to have) children.

In Olive, Emma Gannon has created a very relatable character. A woman who is very sure she knows her own mind, except for when she's not so sure, and also when she's pretty unsure, and especially when she has no idea. Like all of us at some point, Olive struggles mightily with a big decision.

Add in to the mix Olive's dearest lifelong friends, who all have struggles and strong opinions of their own, and you may just feel that the author has been spying on you and your besties as you debate the paths your lives have taken.

Superbly written throughout, with realism to spare, Olive pulls no punches. The narration sparkles as well, adding to the excellence of the finished product. Definitely worth the read.

I am probably the exact person this book was written for. I saw many reviews about women who chose not to have children already reviewing this book. However, as someone who is still very much undecided but leaning towards no, I felt and understood Olive's internal struggles. It holds an important lesson and conversation about how society treats women who don't want children, even if Olives experience is not what everyone experiences.

I like the narrator of this book a lot. She has a wonderful voice, and I can't imagine that I would have finished it if I weren't listening to this audiobook, so I appreciate her adding voice to the characters and bringing Olive to life.

This isn't a 5 star read for me because of the side characters and relationships between them. There isn't a whole lot of plot to the book, so the characters really matter. I also I could have done without the flashbacks, I don't know that they were necessary. This is probably a book that will only hit home for a particular set of people, and that's okay. I definitely enjoyed it.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read this early!

For fans of Dolly Alderton and Josie Silver, this story will resonate with every millennial women.
For the first half, I was worried this book would be a little one note. Olive is heartbroken and struggling with the realization that she wants to be child-free. However, by the end of the story, I realized the primary theme of the story is the power of female friendships. I felt so warmly for Olive and her group of friend, as well as the circle of charming characters in Olive’s life. I absolutely adored the narration by the amazing Sian Clifford, and I hope to listen to more stories in her voice in the future. I felt like the story was perfect for the audio format.
4 stars.

I almost didn't request this book as it had such wide ranging reviews, and quite a low average, however I think now after reading the book and the reviews that may have more to to with the subject matter than the actual book itself.

I may be a bit biased in my love for this book being in a similar position, 31 and having made the choice that I don't want kids and never will. The majority of female leads in books either have children, want children or eventually end up wanting or having them. It was so refreshing to see Olive portrayed as a normal functioning adult who has made this choice and is happy with this right until the end.

I also thought it was great how Emma worked through the guilt and struggle that some women have with making that decision. As is stated in the book women who choose to be child free are often labeled selfish, self-centered and told repeatedly "you'll change your mind" or "you'll regret it someday".

This book isn't perfect, certain aspects of some of the characters are very annoying and grating, however it is a great read and an important one. It highlights societies obsession with women's bodies and their capability to reproduce. While highlighting quite heavy topics, the book holds on to a somewhat light atmosphere.

Hopefully even for those who didn't connect with the book it opens their minds to the concept of child free by choice and will allow a more open and fluid attitude towards it in the future.

I listened to this as an audiobook and absolutely adored the narrator, Sian Clifford was perfect for this and seamlessly moved from character to character. Slight changes in atmosphere were conveyed brilliantly throughout and it was probably one of the best one person narrations with multiple characters I've listened to,

I had a really hard time with this book. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and was generally very underwhelmed. I did however love the narrator. I think it this had been a physical copy of the book, it would have been a DNF for me, but the narrator saved it.

I tried to like this book but had to DNF. I have no problem with people choosing to not have children. I know childless by choice people and like them. I did not like Olive or her friends. I don’t need to like the characters that I read about in books but I just couldn’t force myself to finish.

I gave the book 3 stars because I loved the narrator!

Review date: February 5, 2021
Expected US Release Date: March 9 , 2021
*Thanks to the author, Harper Collins & NetGalley for the advance audiobook copy

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.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an audio arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Olive by Emma Gannon was an interesting read. It explores the different choices (and non-choices) life can throw our way in terms of motherhood.

Olive, Bea, Isla and Cecily have been friends forever, but their friendships are changing and struggling. Bea is a happy Mum of three in an unhappy marriage. Cecily is a new Mum struggling with all the postpartum emotions. Isla has health issues that are leading her down the IVF path. And Olive? She has broken up with her partner of 9 years as she becomes more and more aware that she doesn’t want children, so is CFBC (Child Free By Choice.)

Although I didn’t really feel a connection to any of the characters, I think this is an important book to have out there. As a Mum of three, and I was quite a young Mum, I hadn’t really thought about people not wanting kids. Life is, and should be, all about our choices no matter what they are. There is no right formula to life. We just need to do what is right for us.

Overall this was an enjoyable read. The narration was good. A solid 3 stars. The reason it’s not higher is due to Olive’s romantic choice later in the book. I felt that person was the wrong fit for how the rest of the book had been.