I really wanted to like this one because the cover was so relatable. I get that this is kind of a coming of age story, but at 35 still being a pick me girl is just so sad. Edie’s character lacks so much emotional maturity and her relationship with Peter is sooooo inappropriate. And don’t get me started on Peter, keeping Edie in his back pocket as an ego boost. Like I totally get what the author is trying to do but it was painful to swallow. I feel for Edie because I was once just like her. The writing is really good and captivating, and the book really made me feel something. Even if it was aggravation and anger.

Nothing Serious is my first thriller/mystery book in awhile. There were moments in time where I noticed that we weren't going anywhere plot wise, kind of in a circle. The story ends with little to none satisfactory solution which, in my opinion, is needed in a story like this.

Sometimes, we don't get an answer from the people that we want it from the most. Sometimes, it may just be us that cares a little too much.

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of Nothing Serious.

For a title called Nothing Serious, the themes of this book are deadly serious.

TW and CW: eating disorders, alcoholism, domestic abuse, sexual abuse and violence, drug addiction, to name a few.

The main character, Edie Walker, is like so many female protagonists in many books I've been reading, regardless of genre; pathetic, lacks confidence and self esteem and needs a man to feel fulfilled, namely her BFF.

She idolizes and lusts after Peter, a handsome (natch) and wealthy tech bro who made bajillions and just sleeps his way through life.

When a woman Peter is dating is found dead under suspicious circumstances, this sets Edie off on an obsessive quest if Peter is responsible.

But what will she do if he is?

There's nothing darkly comedic or amusing about this narrative; there are so many triggers here even I felt disturbed and it takes a lot to do that.

First, there's nothing redeemable about Edie; she's pathetic, she's a loser, and I couldn't stand her.

She makes the right decision at the end but it's not enough to get me to like her.

I understand the blind eye she turns to Peter is partly based on her abusive father and traumatic upbringing she has refused to acknowledge and face.

Still...I wanted to shake sense into Edie and had to remind myself she was a middle-aged woman, not 22 because her thoughts and actions are incredibly immature.

Second, there's nothing redeemable about Peter; he's a druggie, he treats women like garbage, and is not a good person.

I know we stay friends with certain people for a long time because we're accustomed to them, we're used to them and their quirks and it's hard to find new friends. But Edie's obsession with Peter is something else she needs to examine in relation to her poor relationship with her dad.

Third, my biggest issue with the book is: what's the point?

What's the point of Edie's obsession with Peter and turning a blind eye to his flaws for so many years?

Are we to blame her childhood for that? Once again, someone shirking accountability and responsibility for their mistakes?

What are we supposed to learn from this narrative?

That no one wins and the bad guy gets off scot-free and people like Edie wander around delulu, miserable, and unable to change?

What's the point?

Or maybe there is no point and that's life.

Nothing Serious ended up not entirely being what I expected and I had a hard time figuring out how that detracted from what I liked about it, but what it really came down to was a lot of the plot is actually the main character just being obsessive and indecisive. There isn't really a mystery here, it's more of a suspenseful novel about will she or won't she do the right thing.

Nothing Serious focuses on Edie, a single, 35 year old white woman in San Francisco whose only true friends are Alex, a lesbian woman she met through work, and Peter, her college friend who beat up a man who was raping her. Edie is deeply obsessed with Peter in a way that goes well beyond friendship and the traumatic experience in which she met him. Peter and Edie share significant details about their sex lives (or lack thereof) with each other which contributes to their unhealthy dynamic. After Peter breaks up with his long term girlfriend, he invites Edie to meet a new date of his, a woman named Anaya, who Edie transfers her obsession to. Anaya is reciprocal in their friendship however shockingly, she ends up dead a few days later after a date with Peter. This sends Edie on a spiral of obsession trying to figure out what happened and trying desperately to exonerate Peter.

All throughout this book I was waiting for something shocking or some kind of surprise reveal to happen and it never does, which makes the plot drag. Much of the plot focuses on feminist topics such as how women are treated in the workforce, women being gaslit by men, women experiencing abuse and rape, and even how many women may need to freeze their eggs. I found the exploration of these topics to be interesting and I like authors that take on issues such as male supremacy and rape culture. What detracted from this was Edie's behavior although perhaps the point the book was making is that men can act in truly off putting ways and get away with it whereas women cannot.

This is not at all a classic whodunit kind of book, however it is absolutely worth considering, particularly for folks interested in feminism.

Many thanks to William Morrow and to NetGalley for this ARC to review. This review is my honest opinion.

I was hooked from the beginning! I was so frustrated by the relationship of the main character and her best friend. Ughh. Peter is the worst! I didn’t really connect with Edie in any way but I was impressed with her character development as the story unfolded. Her friend Alex was cool.

The story overall moved at a good pace and I enjoyed reading it even when it was frustrating.

The boom started off strong but kind of lost momentum in the middle. After Anayas death. I certainly can’t believe a 35 year old women wanted to act undercover with a detective on the case and not be aware that he knew exactly who she was. Same for the Leah situation.

I loved the growth of the main character throughout this book. It has some sensitive themes that may be triggering for others, so definitely something to check if you have some triggers. The characters are well written and have a lot of depth. This book has a lot of modern references, women in tech and feminist/girl power vibes - I loved it all. Very easy, quick and unique book to read.

Wow what a convoluted book that had me constantly second guessing who to trust and who was genuine. Like all things in life, there is no straight forward answer to your solutions. As much as there can be to love about someone that has long been in your life, it doesn’t excuse their arrogant, and something selfish, behavior. I greatly appreciated the mental health conversations that were brought up in this book. The characters in this novel were so complex, you see the good and the bad, which can often be frustrating because it creates a love/hate relationship. I loved having the perspective of an older adult trying to find their place and routine. I may not have been the biggest fan of the main character, however I saw myself in her overthinking and puzzle-solving phases. I think this book really keeps you on top of your toes, guessing what the main character will do next, especially with all that collapses around her.

I liked the idea of this one, a woman obsessed with a male friend, who she hopes for more from and then obsessed with a new woman he starts dating who then is murdered. It was a fast read for the most part, there were times that it dragged and parts predictable but also some parts that weren't quite believable to me, but that is a bias of mine so might not affect others. so a mixed bag for me. 3.5 rounded up

This was definitely a different type of book than I am used to. It was a quick and very relatable read.

Well, this book was easy and quick to read, so that's good.
On the other hand, the main protagonist annoyed me so much that thank God this was a short book.
Personally, it wasn't easy for me to root for her. For a 36-year old person she certainly needs more growing up.
I'll say that probably I'm not the right audience for this book, so I won't put blames.
I'm sure this book has its audience.
Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for providing me with a free eARC of this novel.

The main character is a very relatable girl who has been pining for her best male friend forever. When he breaks up with his longtime girlfriend, she hopes he will fall for her romantically. I was hooked right away! Things get twisty after that and we learn a lot about the relationships. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Edie was a character I think some can relate to. I often find myself rooting for women in every book, so this one made that easy. Throughout the book you watch her change and grow into different opinions. I was kinda shocked with who she ended up falling for but that seems to be the way it goes in real life too.

Overall, I really enjoy this book. It was a quick read, and I was invested the whole time. I thought the ending was kind of predictable, but it was still good. I would recommend this.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this ARC.

This book starts off strong. The author is able to get you invested in Edie and her obsessions with other characters in the book. I lost interest halfway through because Edie became very annoying and the plot was predictable. I expected more thrill when it came to the crime that happens in the book, but it seemed like the author just started relaying facts we already knew and trying really hard to make note of mental illness related to it, which is great having that representation, but I personally had a hard time staying focused, especially when I felt like a lot didn't even connect when it came down to what actually happened. I do appreciate that the characters have in-depth differences to them, although I did not like anyone in this book. This was a fast-paced read and has a lot of experiences readers can relate to. 

Thanks for the ARC from Netgelly. I was excited to read this 😁

This was a great book! I think the main character was kind of annoying, she was pretty obsessive and kept annoying me, but the rest of the book was decent! I had mixed feelings at the end of the book, but it did evoke emotion from me.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

When I finished this book, I told my husband that I'm not sure if I liked it or hated it. For that reason alone, I'm giving 4 stars. While Edie is an awesome character (female in a tech world like I was), her decisions and obsession with Peter and Anaya was just off the wall. There were times that I had hopes for her but then she would make another bizarre decision. There aren't many books that puzzle me like this one, so I would recommend reading it for anyone looking for a crazy ride into Edie's world.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC.

Edie (FMC) was truly hard for me to like or connect to. She gave me crazy vibes, and even her friends called her creepy for her stalking/obsessive ways. That should've been my red flags, but I kept pushing through in hopes she'd have some character development and become more likable. She didn't, for me at least. Some bits felt too predictable while other bits felt too unrealistic/unbelievable. The premise seemed grand, but this just wasn't all that great for me. While these are my opinions, alone I still suggest you give it a go to try it out for yourself as well have different taste.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and William Morrow to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

This book is thought provoking and left me reeling. I found many of Edie's choices to be unbearable. Her obsessesive personality could be off putting. However, I do think the author did an excellent job weaving in trauma and how that manifests in our decision making. The gray areas in Edie's life, her past traumas, and Anaya's death all come together to show how complex her world is. I was proud of the decisions Edie came to by the conclusion of the book.

I am giving it 3.5 stars rounded up. Edie was far from my favorite protagonist, but I can appreciate how her flaws humanized her. Thank you to Emily J. Smith, William Morrow, and Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.

This was a crazy story and worked with what I was looking for from the description. The overall feel worked with what I was hoping for and had that suspenseful atmosphere that I was hoping for. It worked with the genres perfectly and thought Emily J. Smith did a great job in writing this.

Edie is a 35-year-old woman living an unfulfilling life in San Francisco. She is active on the dating apps but finds that men her age are only interested in fleeting hookups. She is grimly aware that this is not an option for her. Although unwilling to jump into a relationship, she has begun to consider that if she ever wants children, she needs to think about her options. The main stumbling block in her romantic life is that she is hopelessly in love with her old college friend Peter. Peter helped her out of a dangerous situation when they were students and has been her loyal friend ever since. Unfortunately, Peter only sees her as a friend. Edie has watched as Peter has gone through several long-term relationships. Since the last one ended, however, he has embarked on a series of dates with attractive women, many of them quite a bit younger. Edie is devastated and perplexed that he doesn't seem to consider her as a romantic partner, but she's thrilled to spend time with him and bask in his attention. One of his latest dates is the beautiful professor Anaya. During his date with her, he calls Edie to join them (as you do, on a date that's seemingly going well). Much to her surprise, Edie and Anaya hit it off, having similar experiences as driven, intelligent women who don't get the recognition or success they deserve. Edie reads all of Anaya's published works on the topics of women and their problems in society. When Anaya is found dead after a date with Peter, Edie is more devastated than he is. She becomes obsessed with finding out all she can about Anaya's life and death, to the point of inserting herself into the police investigation and even befriending the dead woman's sister. She can't believe Peter, her loyal friend, could have had anything to do with the death, but if he didn't, how and why did Anaya die?

Even though Edie could be exhausting at times, I really enjoyed her struggles with her relationship with Peter. She goes from adoration and a refusal to see his faults to acceptance that he might not be the man she believed him to be. There were many interesting insights, between Anaya's writings and Edie's own experiences, of the difficulties that women face in a man's world, and, at times, how little they are in control of their own lives.