This is the 3rd book I’ve read by Sophie Ranald and it’s definitely my favourite! I liked how it tied back to Not In A Million Years but it didn’t matter if you had read it or not, the overall context given was enough but you got some extra nuggets of info if you have read it. I think there are 2 other books in this ‘series’ which I will definitely read!

I really liked Naomi, she felt so real and everything she experiences and goes through really made me think. I thought how she navigates trying rediscover who she is was really well done. My heart bled for her at times as she has some rude awakenings with regards to her marriage and fulfilment as a mother and I think Ranald addressed this really well. I loved the chemistry between her and the others and you could so clearly picture them having their monthly The Girlfriend Club catch ups.

I think what really became clear to me when reading this was the playground antics unfortunately never end. The lies, secrets, whispers etc are constant in our lives and it all comes down to how we, and those around us, address them.

So yes definitely a book to add to the list, especially for summer reading. I flew through it and felt that it ended in a way that gave the reader a lot of closure, not just for Naomi but for the other characters as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for my copy of The Fall-Out by Sophie Ranald.
The 5 girlfriends have all grown up with families, carriers and all the baggage that is accumulated over 20 years. Four have kept in close touch but one reappears now. Will this upset the harmony? A great Sunday afternoon read.
Sometimes it's better to leave the past behind.

An engaging read about love, friendships and loyalty. I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the time jumps to build the readers knowledge.

4🌟
Whilst I may not be the same age as those involved in the book, it felt like a very relatable write with the main character questioning her ability to be a mother, a wife and to find some purpose again. It also touches a lot on the theme of friendship, considering how some friendships can be toxic and manipulative and the difference that friends can make in our lives. I took a bit to get into it but once I did I found it was an easy read I wanted to get through, plus I liked the element of flashbacks every other chapter.

The second book I have read by Sophie Ranald and like the first 'The Love Hack' a real feel good book. It makes you want to cry and laugh alternately and in the end demonstrates that relationships don't necessarily work for ever. Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for the chance to ARC this book.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read and review this book. These opinions are completely my own.

A pretty accurate book to represent aging friendships. The WhatsApp conversations are relatable although I have never heard the term semen gutters. It has stuck with me and will likely stay with me until my funeral.

I started the book reluctantly because I usually only ready romance or fantasy, but I was drown to story.

As you read, some chapters return to the past, and others are in current times. I will try my best not to give any spoilers.

At the beginning I feel sorry for the main character for the life she was living and the anguish she was feeling.

When she starts from the old group of friends, one of the characters stands out and everyone has had a friend like that, who seems to have their life together and everything is fine that you wonder if you're feeling jealous or if it's normal. compare so much

As the chapters passed, the writer put a flea behind her ear as to why this specific friend disappeared from the group in the chapters that deal with the present day.

And when she reappears, you wonder how nice that main character really is, but it becomes clear that this friend is annoying.

It's agonizing to read because the character has some very real insecurities and we end up identifying ourselves too much.

The book ends up exploring friendship and how some things can strain bonds that we think are unshakable

I think the book portrays the story of older women and the way they dealt with the situation was extremely immature and shows how they didn't have such a strong bond.

With 79% of the book I was happy that the main character finally took matters into her own hands and denied several situations, finally, she was fighting back, To be honest, I still had my doubts about the main character's husband but the author hasn't addressed this yet and I just want to see if this question will remain open

Those who use Kindle know that if you are at more than 80% and stop and everything is resolved, more drama comes and I couldn't let go of the feeling that the husband has bad fingers just yet. And as expected but really well written we go through what happened and I am extremely pleased with the development of the main character and how she dealt with the situations and in a very real way as well.

This book is really good! Well written and the ending is one that you identify with and that you have been rooting for since the beginning.

This was my second Sophie Ranald book and I must say I quite enjoyed it.

The Fall-Out is part of The Girlfriend's Club series but can also be read as a standalone. I finished the book and ran to Goodreads to add the other books from the series to my TBR.
The Fall-Out was quite different from the book I had previously read by Sophie Ranald (The Love Hack) - this one was very mysterious but still so fun to read!

The story is centred around Naomi and her close friend group.
They met many years ago when they were all watching their respective boyfriends play football. After agreeing that they were better off at the pub having a drink, a friendship was formed.
Years later, after the death of one of the friend group members, their friendship is not quite as solid as it used to be. Something or someone had caused damage along the way.

The story jumps from the present to the past while we get our detective hat on to find out what happened in this friend group to make it fall apart.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for the gifted ARC provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is book 3 of the Grirl's Friends series. I haven´t read the previous two books. I enjoyed reading this book, which is about friendship, marriage, raising children, and entering adulthood. There are some ups and downs in life, and some decisions made earlier in life may prove to be less glamorous than they appear at first sight.

Thank you netgalley and Storm for this arc.

I'm not sure how to feel about this one. It absolutely is not a rom com. Some reviews feel it's more a thriller but it isn't that either.. I'd say it falls in the womens fiction category.

This is the 4th in a series, which I wasn't aware of. The other 3 maybe provided some more background and depth to the womens friendships.

For 4 grown women who have been friends for years to just believe the stories that an estranged friend told them is ridiculous. There should have been grown up conversations and all would have been sorted. The marriage was a disaster from the beginning, who didn't see that one coming. Just surprised he willingly took the kids so often.

I'll round to 3 stars but would go with 2.5, this one just doesn't do it for me.

There are so many emotions in this book that twist your heart. It will make you feel. I could relate to the MC on so many levels. I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a book hangover and be stuck in my head after this one.

#Review: *The Fall Out* - Sophie Ranald
4.3/5✨

I've recently read another book written by Sophie Ranald called 'The Love Hack', which I've enjoyed very much. So, I've been so happy to be able to read another one by the author. Thank you so much Sophie and Storm Publishing for this amazing opportunity, to be part of your ARC Team.

This story evolves around a gang of five girl besties. But mainly, it focuses on Naomi's life, which wasn't what she initially thought it was. There are two one sided time lines: one from the present and one from their beginning of their friendship.

Naomi is happily married to Patrick, with whom she had twins. She always had a thing for him and she eventually had her chance to win his heart. But there were many secrets from the past which threaten their happiness - and it's strongly entangled with one of her best friend, Zara. She was Patrick's former girlfriend and, all I can say, things haven't ended how everyone wanted.

It was a slow adjustment for me in the begining to this story but it really captured my attention with each page I read. Once I've entered this story I was really curious about what happened exactly and how everything will turn out in the end.

I really understood how Naomi felt and it was interesting to follow her story and her friend's also. They have been through many painful times, especially the lost of one of their friends. The drama was even bigger because of Zara, who wasn't at all the person they thought she was. I was a bit shocked about everything she had done, beside the part including Naomi and Patrick.

This book had her mystery, wicked side, but also you can follow the life of some strong women, who are trying to fight for their friendship and for what they want in life.

Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this before release!

I loved getting to know all the characters in the Girlfriends' Club! Initially I had a hard time remembering who everyone was, but everyone felt so fully realized that it became easy to dip right into the story as it unfolded. I did have to google a few Brit words/slang as I went along, but it didn't take away from the experience at all.

I loved loved loved that it was dual timeline. It made the tension from both sides of the line work well together and kept it feeling like it was guiding you somewhere.

I took notes while I was writing and I have perception written in caps and underlined and it's because you can really see how Naomi allows her perception to alter things around her - and sometimes she's not even aware she's doing it. I just felt like that was so real, and I really related to her in that way. I enjoyed watching how she dealt with what she learned and how she navigated all of these things.

It was easy to give this 4⭐!

Exactly what I needed!

I loved the complexity in these characters, not all likeable, not all unlikeable, they all have their moments. This was an easy read that kept you moving with just the right amount of suspense. It also was a fantastic look into the human psyche of belief and trust. There are fun moments, sad moments, and all around it is a well-considered story. Applause to Ranald on this one!

"The Fall-Out" by Sophie Ranald is an engaging and emotional exploration of friendship, secrets, and personal growth. The story centers around Naomi, who seems to have it all—a perfect family and a close-knit group of friends who meet regularly for cocktails. However, the return of Zara, a former member of their group, with a shocking revelation, disrupts Naomi's seemingly perfect life.

The strength of this novel lies in its realistic portrayal of friendship dynamics and the impact of long-buried secrets. Ranald does a commendable job of delving into the complexities of relationships, both marital and platonic. Naomi's journey as she navigates the fallout from Zara's bombshell is compelling, and her character development is well-crafted.

However, the pacing of the story can be uneven at times. While the initial chapters draw you in with a gripping setup, the middle section drags a bit with repetitive introspection and slow-moving plot points. The tension that builds from Zara's secret and its consequences on the group could have been sustained more effectively.

The ensemble cast of friends is diverse and well-drawn, but some characters could have benefited from deeper development. The WhatsApp chat, a significant aspect of the friends' communication, falls silent rather quickly, which seems somewhat abrupt given their long-standing bond.

Despite these shortcomings, "The Fall-Out" offers a heartfelt and relatable narrative. It captures the essence of friendship—the joys, the betrayals, and the reconciliations. Naomi's introspective journey and the ultimate resolution are satisfying, leaving readers with a sense of hope and the importance of facing one's past to build a better future.

Overall, "The Fall-Out" is a decent read for those who enjoy contemporary women's fiction with a focus on friendship and personal growth. While it may not be a standout in the genre, it provides enough emotional depth and relatable moments to make it worth a read.

This book has to be one of the most boring reads in the history. I had to skim through the first 70%, yet somehow managed to finish it. The characters were dull, and there were no moments that tugged my heartstrings, whether happy or sad.

Naomi, the main character was someone who cribbed for every misfortune happening in her life.
The Girlfriends Club, didn't sound and didn't seem like that, we could not see any close friendship, all we got were awkward texts and flashbacks of when they used to be close. They are in their 40' but act like teens.

Naomi and Patch, I felt they had no connection, from the start all we got to read was Naomi's complaint how bad of a husband he was. Patch felt like a ordinary side character who was self centered and did not care about his kids and wife.

The flashbacks were too much for me. The novel starts with all the characters attending a funeral, and Naomi claims how Andy was such an important part of their lives, but we did not get to see that, all we got was small snippets but of all of them together. There were rarely any moments that I liked.

Zara, the supposed OW and the one who created all the trouble, seemed like she had a huge secret she help on, but it was so predictable, I hated the way Zara's character was portrayed, and the comparison Naomi had every now and then with Zara. I seriously felt like I was reading a teen fiction for a moment.

The only think I liked was Naomi taking a stand for herself, wanting to be more than a mother and a wife, she deserved more.

Overall, I didn’t like this book and would not recommend it. I think the writing didn’t work for me at all, I wanted to read about complex yet strong friendships, but got dull moments.

I received a complementary copy of this book through Netgalley and Storm Publishing. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Adult friendships are hard. Much harder than I ever thought they'd be growing up. This book shows you that; and more.

I had the hardest time connecting with any of the women. I'm sure, based on the storyline, I should've felt this or that, but I didn't. Instead, I felt bored and like I'd just wasted my time.

Everyone messes up. Everyone! But this book was just pointless, imo.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Fall Out wasn't my favorite Sophie Ranald book, but it was still pretty good. The beginning of the book was slow and took me a while to get into it but once it got going I found myself wanting to read it more and more.

Five women make up the Girlfriends' Club, but will it end with those same five after a betrayal? Naomi, Kate, Abbie, Rowan & Zara are all very different women who become very good friends. That is until Zara makes the ultimate betrayal that leaves her left out of the monthly Wednesday Girlfriends' Club night out. Zara coming back for a funeral throws a wrench in Naomi's life. Loyalties are questioned and old wounds are opened. Can the women salvage their once unbreakable bonds? Read The Fall Out to find out what seeds Zara plants and the ultimate question of whether or not the Girlfriends' Club will live to see another day.

Thank you to Sophie Ranald, NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of The Fall Out.

If you’re looking for a romance book that goes a little bit deeper than fmc falls in love with mmc and they live happily ever after, this might be the one for you.

Sophie Ranald excels at writing romance novels that showcase the importance of self love and growth. In The Fall-Out Naomi’s life is turned upside down by the return of Zara, the ex-girlfriend of her husband and father of her two children. Will her best friends stay at Naomi’s side or will they believe Zara?

This story felt like a breath of fresh air in the genre. While romance is a big part of the book, it also focuses on platonic love. It shows that friendships can be hard, even when you’re an adult, and that choices you’ve made when you were younger might not align with what you want now. Overall, the book was very relatable and raw.

The writing was mature but also easy to read, and honestly, I thought the ending was perfect. I would really recommend this book to anyone, especially when you want a book that highlights internal struggles and personal growth in a natural way.

A major thanks to Storm Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi believed she had her life perfectly balanced—a wonderful husband, adorable twins, and monthly cocktail catch-ups with her three best friends. However, when Zara, the fifth member of their once inseparable Girlfriends’ Club, reappears with shocking secrets, Naomi's life is thrown into turmoil.

Zara’s revelations send ripples through the group, silencing their previously active WhatsApp chat and leaving Naomi at home instead of out enjoying margaritas with her closest friends. As old wounds resurface and loyalties are tested, Naomi is forced to face the cracks in her marriage and the truths about her past.

It took me a while to get into this book, but I expected it to be good, and it didn't disappoint me. After a long time, I read a book about friendship, how it truly affects our lives. Naomi initially seemed like a fragile character in this book, but it was easy to identify with her. Fragile, insecure, somewhat dissatisfied with her life but feeling she should be grateful for what she currently has. On the other hand, there's Zara, no longer part of the Girlfriends Club, who comes across as narcissistic, self-assured, although she displays it in a very negative way.

What I really liked in the book is how it touches on not-so-perfect marriages. The story jumps between past and present for most of the book, making it much easier to follow the present-day events. I was intrigued throughout the book about what went so wrong between all of them. Naomi's character is well-developed, and the character development is commendable. The book is part of a series, but it can be read as a standalone. I'm definitely interested in the other books and will surely read them; I want to know what happened to the rest of the Girlfriends Club before this book. I recommend this book to everyone; it's not the typical romance I'm used to, but it's definitely worth reading and reflecting on our relationships.