This was a compelling read that kept me curious throughout - "What did Zara do that caused the fallout", and I couldn't wait to get the answers.

The book kept a good momentum, with revelations and realisations. Some of the characters aren't so likeable, and some of the friends don't seem like amazing friends either (nor do they put much trust in their own circle).

Overall, this was a good and riveting read, but one that left me with a few more questions than answers, like how could anyone not see gaps in Zara's stories, and where did Andy come from?

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

'The Fall-Out' is an entertaining read focused around a group of friends. As one of their friends rejoins the group, truths emerge that have been buried for years. Can the group survive the reveals?
I thought this was very entertaining, I liked the group of friends and reading about their dynamic. It was interesting to see the change as Zara re-enters their lives. It is a cliche but the characters really do go on a journey in this book. The plot is emotional and funny and proved to be a very entertaining read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for an advance copy.

Thank you Net Galley, and the publisher, for allowing me to read this ARC. Below is my honest review.
Sophie Ranald writes relatable stories that will have you laughing, and sometimes crying. She has a nack for writing likeable characters and intriguing stories that'll pull you in from the beginning. The Fallout is no different with its friendships, relationships, and drama. The story follows a group of friends who all get together for the passing of one of their friends. When someone arrives unexpectedly at the funeral, everyone seems to become uncomfortable. Everything is turned upside down, and secrets unfold.
You get glimpses from the past that'll really bring the storyline together. Though The Fallout was more drama than romcom, I still found myself reading it in one sitting. I couldn't look up from it. This review will also be posted to Goodreads.

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

The Fall-Out is a love story, but not a traditional romcom love story. It is about friendships, the love for your friends, and learning to love yourself again.

Brief synopsis: After the unfortunate (and too early) loss of a close friend, a group of longtime friends who call themselves the Girlfriends Club are rocked by the return of Zara. Once a member of their friend group, she returns for the funeral and turns everyone and everything “tits up”.

Full disclosure, I was not aware before starting The Fall-Out that it is a part of a series. I have not read the other books in the series which covers this friend group. Some background context may have been lost due to that, but I still think this book stands up on its own.

The Fall-Out is told through the POV of Naomi in real time and in key flashback moments. I’m not going to sugar coat it. I didn’t really care for Naomi most of the book. She was full of complaints and excuses. In the end, I feel like she had some character growth, but I just wasn’t vibing with her most of the time. I did 100% relate to her exhaustion over being a mother. She takes on a lot of the physical and emotional load for the family in caring for the twins while her husband works long hours, travels for work, and is inexplicably gone constantly for “meetings” and “the gym”. Knowing all she does, she still feels guilty for wanting some time to herself or something that is hers, like a job.

The plot was decently paced. We get a slow build of information by switching between the present and flashbacks. I felt on edge the entire book. What is real and what is their perception of what was real? A lot of assumptions are made and that plays into the toxic emotional manipulation at play.

I really think this plot could have played better as a thriller novel. It was intense, emotional, and heartbreaking. In addition, there are some moral questions posed. Is what occurred in the past between the characters acceptable or not? The question isn’t answered and is left up to the reader to decide.

I was not expecting to take the journey that I did when I sat down to read The Fall-Out. But I am still glad that I took the journey.

The Fall-Out by Sophie Ranald is a story about Naomi and her friends Rowan, Kate, Abbie, otherwise known as 'The Girlfriends Club'. Zara, their previous friend, makes a reappearance in their life bringing drama and reaping havoc. To top it off, Naomi's husband previously dated Zara- will their friendships, and her marriage, survive this trial thrown in their way?

Sophie Ranald is.a talented author- she brings vivid detail to her books and 'The Fall-Out' is no exception. I thought that the characters were painted in a way that I could picture them in my own life and imagine them being real people. The dialog was great and really sucked me into it. The painting of the antagonist was especially good- we all know someone who displays similar characteristics and it was a different take on the book.

I'll be honest, at about 2/3 of the way in I had no idea how if Sophie Ranald was going to be able to end this book on a good note. But she wrapped it all up nicely, and I didn't end this book angry which was what I was afraid of halfway through. There were a few minor plot details that I thought could have been improved upon, but it didn't ruin the book for me and was still a great read.

BIG thanks to Netgalley, Storm Publishing, and Sophie Ranald for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Naomi thought she had it all figured out: a gorgeous husband, adorable twins and a monthly cocktail catch-up with her three best friends. But when Zara, the fifth member of their once inseparable Girlfriends’ Club, resurfaces with a bombshell secret, Naomi's carefully balanced life is turned upside down.

As Zara’s revelations send shockwaves through the group, the once lively WhatsApp chat falls silent and Naomi finds herself sitting at home instead of sipping margaritas with the women who know her best. As old wounds are opened and loyalties are questioned, Naomi must confront the cracks in her marriage and the truth about her past.

This was an interesting book. It was about friendship, marriage, and how life can be upside-down crazy sometimes. I really enjoyed the friendship aspect of this book. I love to read about strong friendships. All relationships have their ups and downs, but it's about how we deal with them that matters. Excellent read!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced digital reader's copy (ARC) in exchange for an honest review!

This book had me really confused. I didn't like a lot of the characters and I didn't agree with their decisions or actions.

It was a story filled with lies, lies and more lies. Friends who were questionable and the main character Naomi made some bad decisions.

And Patch, he didn't come across too great, I personally didn't see the attraction with the way he behaved.

A good book, but frustrating.

Sophie Ranald has done it again.
The Fall-Out is a book that asks the question: What cracks are in your relationships and friendships?
Well, for Naomi and her core group of friends, the small cracks are split open by a confession.
The "Girlfriends Club" is a tight knit group of four (formerly five) women. The four have remained close throughout their adult lives sans Zara- one estranged member.
When Zara returns with some juicy secrets, it becomes a catalyze for a full spin out for Naomi, the Girlsfriends Club and her marriage.

Fast paced and full of emotions, this book it more than a palate cleanser, it's an emotional rollercoaster of lies, secrets, death and loss of the physical and mental presences in our lives. Each character (and their attached flaws) are well developed and while some aren't exactly loveable, they are so emotional and raw that you will relate to each at some point.

Thank you to NetGalley and Storm Publishing for the change to read and review prior to the 7/20/2024 publish date.

I had no idea this book was part of a series from the initial blurb so read it as a standalone novel, which worked fine, but maybe the initial getting to know all of the characters and personalities would have had more context to go on if I had read the other books first.
This is quite an intense book that covers a group of friends over many years of highs and lows. I personally found the friendship dynamics in the group so fascinating and true to life, there's drama, heartbreak and revenge.
Naomi's own struggles with motherhood and losing her identity was written really well, that change over time in her relationship with Patch and priorities etc was a compelling story arc.
This wasn't the light-hearted romcom I mistakenly thought it was but I enjoyed it.

I did enjoy this book but didn’t feel desperate to pick it up. Naomi is a woman who feels she has everything she ever wanted until an ex-friend appears and turns her life upside down! Rowan, Kate and Abbie are mentioned throughout but felt I didn’t know much about them. Zara is the kind of woman everyone had had to deal with at some point in their life! This book will show you that trust and honesty is so important in both relationships and friendships. Also, it shows you that a lie has the potential to ruin everything!

A dual-timeline novel about friendship among 5 women and how it can change over two decades (for better and for worse). I couldn’t put this one down and devoured it in a day!! I read this as a stand-alone, not realizing it’s the fourth in a series, but don’t feel like I missed a beat. I want to go back and read the others!

**Thanks to Storm Publishing and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

This book could not have been more relatable as you follow Naomi’s journey as she navigates adult female relationships, parenthood, keeping secrets, and overall life. Throughout the book you get flashbacks that lead up to the Fall-Out. I had a hard time putting this book down. I needed to know what exactly happened to get this group of friends where they are in the present of the novel.

Read this if you like:
* Dynamic relationships
* Flashbacks
* Short Chapters.

Thank you to Storm Publishing for the ARC.
#arcreader #arcreview #bookstagram

This was a really great read and I loved the complex and dynamic characters. I went into this thinking it would be a classic rom com, but it had a lot of heart and emotional pull and really did a good job of showing the aftermath of how a relationship rebuilds after trauma. I was slightly disappointed with how Naomi’s friends were rather easily manipulated by Zara, but on the flip side I was glad they eventually figured it out and that Zara realized her behavior was inappropriate and got the help she needed to work on her behavior. Would highly recommend if you enjoy romance with equal parts humor and emotional depth.

Because I'm lazy and unorganised I went into this book without reading the synopsis and expecting a romance/rom-com.
Imagine my surprise when the book starts out with married couple Naomi & Patch going to a funeral...

The Fall-Out wasn't what I expected in the best possible way.

I loved Namoi and her character development through this book! I also like that the characters mostly act their age and not like 13 year olds in the body of 40 year olds!
The only negative for me was how easily the members of the Girlfriends Club let themselves be manipulated. One would think after 1.5 decades of friendship the foundation would be more solid/ there would be more trust, openness and communication...

When old betrayals resurface, can this group of friends survive the fallout?

Another solid read from Sophie Ranald, the Fall Out is about marriage, friendships, and what happens when those bonds are tested. Three and a half stars!

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Storm Publishing for the ARC of this book! The Fall-Out is unlike any other book I’ve read, completely one of a kind and unique. The friendships and relationships in this book seemed pretty toxic and hard to follow at times, and it felt like this book didn’t have much of a plot. Overall though, I did enjoy the idea of this book, as well as how things wrapped up, but just had a difficult time with staying engaged and interested.

I really enjoyed the Fall Out by Sophie Ranald. I didn’t realize that this was a part of a series as this was my first book by this author but I was still able to understand all the different aspects of the book. Something I really enjoyed about this book was how fast-paced and hooked I was. I finished it in 2 days and it was such a good palette cleanser after the emotional books I’ve been reading. This books was about navigating friendships and relationships. One of the characters caused so many twists and turns which kept me wanting to read. I really enjoyed and would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Net Galley and Storm Publishing for the eARC!!

I struggled with this book and didn't really get to grips or engage with th4e main character, it may have been better had i read the previous books but at the time I didn't realise it was part of a series, I do wish Netgalley would say where it is in a series so we could get the full picture.

I didn't finish this book as I just couldn't relate, sorry.

This book is all about love, love of your partner, love of your friends and love of yourself.

Naomi, Abbie, Kate and Rowan have been friends for years, known as the "Girlfriends Club." There is also the elusive, Zara who has been gone for years and turns up at the funeral of a mutual friend.

When Zara shows up the girls friendships turn upside and no longer become as close as they were.

This book was a little slow to get into and I honestly did understand the first few chapters of the book. I enjoyed seeing Naomi and Patch's relationship evolve and get to where it ended up. This book really shows the powerful story of how your relationships shape who you are.

Thank you NetGalley and Storm Publishing for this ARC of The Fall-Out by Sophie Ranald

The Fall-Out tells the story of Naomi as she goes through a rough patch with her husband and her best friends after a secret involving someone in their past was revealed.

At first, Naomi seemed like such an insecure person who’s not acting their age. I mean, your ex-best friend dated your now husband like 16 years ago, you are now married with kids, why do you still feel like Zara is out to get you? Well, by the way Zara’s revelation turned the entire Girlfriend’s Club against each other, that just might be the case.

The plot twists–Patch’s confirmation, Zara’s lies and her plans, the camera–it all fell flat for me. I suspected from the start what this “betrayal” would be, but I still expected more. For a bunch of people who are well into adulthood, Kate, Rowan, Abbie, and Naomi couldn't've just called each other and asked for confirmation? I realize that our friends might not be perfect, I get miscommunication, silent treatments and not confronting each other in girl friendships when you’re younger, but in your 40s? At some point I started thinking maybe this friendship is not as strong as the author makes it out to be.

For a character whose death is a major plot point in the book, I really didn’t see that much of Andy. All we know of him is that he was a drug addict whose death deeply affects the Girlfriend’s Club. Outside of his addiction, other than someone who is only mentioned to be blunt and revel in parties, who is Andy? There was no moment that showed his closeness to the friend group. Naomi said he was kind deep down, but we didn’t get any particular moments showing that. I didn’t know him well enough, so I really couldn’t care about him throughout the book.

After years of being married and a mother, Naomi’s ending felt necessary. I’m glad she finally decided to put herself first for once. I do dislike the hint of romance for Patch in the ending. It was unnecessary and didn't feel like it makes sense especially after Naomi repetitively pointed out how bad of a partner he is. Overall, it was a decent read and I enjoyed myself.

Thank you to NetGalley, Storm Publishing and Sophie Ranald for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.