I truly wanted to like this book. The characters were hard to like. Edie, the main character, was a bit of an emotional person. Which normally, I would have compassion for. She never triggered that for me. As well as her obsession with her male BFF, who in my opinion is a complete jerk. Their relationship was one sided in my opinion. I actually liked her best friend Alex the most. The tech world and being set in San Frauwas enjoyable too. The book had an interesting premise but never drew me in. I would like to thank NetGalley and William Marrow Publishing for this advance read.

This book was much heavier than I expected, packed with sharp observations about being single in your mid-thirties, feeling left behind, and questioning your own self-worth.

Edie Walker’s life is stuck in a loop. She has the same job, same tiny apartment, and same unrequited feelings for her best friend, Peter. When he finally breaks up with his long-term girlfriend, she thinks this might be her chance. Instead, Peter starts dating Anaya.

Then, Anaya turns up dead right after a date with Peter, and everything spirals.

Edie’s journey was frustrating at times, but watching her slowly wake up to her own patterns and start to change was deeply satisfying. Her friendship with Peter was one of those dynamics where you just want to shake the main character and tell her to open her eyes.

It’s a short read but full of tension, introspection, and some genuinely gut-punching moments.

Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for the free ARC!

Nothing Serious was not at all what I expected! The characters are deeply flawed and complicated. I enjoyed seeing Edie’s growth throughout the book.

Nothing Serious is a strong debut novel by Emily J. Smith. The story features Edie, a 35-year old tech engineer living in San Francisco, who feels stuck in her personal and professional life. She is in love with Peter, her multi-millionaire college best friend. Edie is thrilled when Peter and his long term girlfriend break up, hoping that Peter will discover how toxic the dating-app culture is and want to date her. But Peter immediately finds a date with Anaya, a talented and beautiful feminist writer, and Edie is smitten. When Anaya is found dead shortly after a date with Peter, Edie becomes increasingly obsessed with what happened to her.
There’s a sense of anxiety and foreboding throughout the story. Edie makes increasingly terrible decisions: making friends with the lead detective and the victim’s sister, lying to Peter, neglecting her family and her job. It is difficult to find Edie sympathetic, and I had trouble relating to her. And Peter is simply toxic. The author does not shy away from themes of feminism, toxic masculinity, women in tech, alcoholism/drug abuse, sexual abuse and suicidal ideation. The writing style is blunt and honest, reminiscent of Rufi Thorpe. Readers interested in a sharp character based novel focused on feminism will enjoy this. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley for the early arc of Nothing Serious by Emily J Smith. This book was really good. Im glad I got to read it and would highly recommend this one. I rated this 4.5 stars.

This book starts off strong, drawing you into Edie’s obsessions. But halfway through, she became annoying, and the plot felt predictable. The crime aspect lacked excitement, focusing more on facts and mental illness, which is important but didn’t hold my attention. There’s no real character development, and while the characters are distinct, I didn’t like any of them. Still, it’s a fast-paced read with relatable moments.

An absolute delight! I loved not only the pacing of the story, but the telling of it as well. From start to end, I was given an adventure!

I had a hard time getting into this book. It might be the mood I am currently experiencing. I may try this book again at a later date. But for now I had a hard time connecting with some of the characters and the plot.

Edie has always looked up to her best friend Peter, despite the huge disparity in their life styles and wealth. Edie is stuck in an okay job, single, and living in a small studio. When Peter is implicated in the death of a feminist writer, Edie becomes obsessed with the case.

This is a very character based story where the meat lies within the relationship between Edie and Peter. It’s an odd friendship and you really want Edie to wake up the entire time. Peter is a really unlikable character; representing toxic masculinity in today’s world. I did like the end and how Edie’s parents’ relationship tied in.

“We like to chalk things up to chance. But most things, if you dig deep enough, aren’t chance. Not really.”

Nothing Serious comes out 2/18.

Edie Walker's life didn't turn out the way she would have hoped. Edie is a software engineer with an MBA and is coding for a lifeless app in San Francisco. She is beginning to stress out about being on the wrong side of thirty with no long term partner and also having to care for her mother.

Her toxic relationship with her long term male bestie, Peter Masterson, is weird. She is pining for him. He is an affluent tech bro that does what he wants at any given time. Yet, Eddie feels loyal and tethered to him despite his moral ambiguities. When Peter's current situationship turns up dead from a drug overdose, Eddie begins a dangerous search for what happened in the hopes of exonerating Peter.

Nothing Serious is a darkly comical look at women in STEM, online dating culture and braven confidence of powerful men. None of the characters are entirely likeable, but it's a fun ride regardless. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow for the advance copy. Nothing Serious debuts February 18, 2025.

“Nothing Serious” is a fast-paced book about a woman living in San Francisco, working in tech, who becomes all-consumed when a woman her male best friend is dating suddenly dies. She has a history of being obsessed with court cases she’s either orbiting or directly involved in, and the plot of this novel is no different. I enjoyed this! There wasn’t anything about it that particularly stands out to me, but I do think the author has some very insightful things to say about personhood, grief, and what we owe to one another.

This is a well-written book, smart and evocative about its deeply flawed main character and its depiction of tech in San Francisco. But it was absolutely not for me. I’m from the “snap out of it” school of therapy, so I quickly lost patience with Edie’s pathetic 15-year crush on the obviously creepy tech bro Peter. Although Edie’s quest to find out what really happened is a much-needed journey of personal growth, it’s just so frustratingly slow that I often gritted my teeth as I read and had to put the book aside often. It also has such a heavy tone that I can’t figure out who thought it was a good idea to call it Nothing Serious.

"Nothing Serious" follows 35 year old Edie Walker who feels stuck in all aspects of her life. When her best friend, Peter, breaks up with his long time partner, she finally feels like she has a chance to act upon her feelings for him. That is until he starts going out on dates and meets Anaya, an accomplished writer and everything Edie isn't. Edie in turn meets Anaya and develops an obsession with her and shortly after meeting, news breaks that Anaya has died and Peter is the prime suspect.

At first I found the narrative voice to be fine and thought that I could settle into it the more time passed. The writing is straight forward and introspective... But eventually being inside Edie's head becomes frustrating because she can be so judgemental past a fault. She goes from being confident in her judgement, to self depricating and pathetic. She does redeem herself in the end by doing the right thing but it came so late, literally pages before the story ended, so we don't really get to see the mc in her growth.

I thought the book brought up some interesting discussion like women working in male dominated spaces and the privilege afforded to men in general and what they can get away with with the right connections and money. But thats really it...? It sort makes me question who this book is really for.

I feel that stories like these do have a place though but I don't think this one was executed in the best way. Especially since this book is also tagged as humor & satire. I didn't see it. I also didn't find it to be much of a mystery or thriller either.

Overall the "Nothing Serious" was middle of the road. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it but it wasn't a total waste of time.

Unfortunately this book was a DNF for me at about 42%. I was SUPER excited for this book, especially because it comes from WilliamMorrow (one of my favorite publishers) and was giving me similarity vibes to Margo's Got Money Troubles, which was one of my favorite books of last year. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me. The main character I just could not connect to and made me very frustrated, which made it really difficult to get into this book.

Nothing Serious is about Edie, who is struggling with her career and love life in her 30s. Her best friend Peter, who she has been in love with for almost a decade, just broke up with his long term girlfriend, and Edie is hoping she can use this opportunity to slide her way into his heart. However, Peter immediately goes on a date with another woman Anya, who is the complete opposite of Edie and the picture perfect match for Peter. After one date though, Anya is found dead in her apartment and everything in Edie's life spirals.

Edie as a main character was very complex and obsessive and I'm sure as the book went on she probably would have had more growth and development. I just could not connect or enjoy her character at all, she really frustrated me and came off as immature. I enjoyed her overthinking and puzzle solving personality, which went well with the plot of the book. But even her and Peter together just did not feel compatible in any way and they both annoyed me as characters as times.

Thanks to William Morrow for the free book!!

I had SUCH a blast with Nothing Serious. This is the type of book that reiterates why I love to read. It was transportive, relatable, riveting, endearing. I loved it.

Edie has been in love with Peter, with her long time best friend, for years but doesn’t have the stomach to tell him. Though she is often frustrated by Peter’s immaturity and actions toward women she’s dating she still has intense reverence and a longing to settle down with him. When woman he recently dated turns up dead the night after they were together, will Edie trust her friendship or will her conscience be her guide?

This book was not for me. I found it rather plodding and slow. While it was billed as a thriller it has none of the elements of one. Two stars for this skippable, below average story.

I received this advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review and feedback.

Edie Walker is an 35 year woman living in San Francisco who’s stuck in a mundane routine. She should be in the prime of her life, instead she feels like the good times are stuck in the rearview. Her only bright spot is her best friend, Peter. They’ve been friends since college but opposite of her post college life, his future has been nothing but bright. He is handsome, rich and extremely successful. When Peter breaks up with his long time girlfriend, Edie hopes this means she will have her chance. Instead, Peter decides to live bachelor life to the max, hook up after hook up. One of those hook ups, Anaya, was someone who Edie connected with on a deep level. Anaya is beautiful, smart, strong willed and Edie can’t help but become a little infatuated herself. When Anaya is found dead in her apartment, Edie is left questioning everything she thinks she knows. She makes it her mission to get to the bottom of what really happened, one way or another.

This read more as a drama with a little bit of mystery sprinkled in. While I enjoyed the plot of the book, it deals with a lot of heavy topics and issues that many people struggle with. I struggled to connect with the FMC but I am happy with the growth her made by the end of the book.

Nothing Serious is an interesting, thoughtful book with many big ideas layer into it. Edie is in her mid-thirties and doesn't exactly love her tech job, but she does love her long time best friend Peter. But he doesn't seem to actually deserve her love and admiration. Edie's feelings seem to border on obsession but also display that all too common dynamic when a friendship is unbalanced and one person is blindly loyal.

Peter begins dating Anaya who Edie meets once but she's greatly affected by it and Anaya's writing. But then Anaya dies. After Peter has been to her place. And done drugs with her. Edie finds herself drawn into the investigation as a way of processing what's happened and out of confusion for how Peter might be involved.

It's very clear to the reader that what first drew Edie to Peter, is no longer there and he's not the knight in shining armor of their college days.

The books touches on power dynamics, how men are excused any bad behavior and how women bend themselves to make others want them. It was a very interesting read, at times a bit dark and depressing but enjoyable.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Nothing Serious by Emily J. Smith is a third person-POV mystery set in LA in 2017. Edie is a business major and working in the tech industry after leaving her work at a non-profit for domestic abuse survivors. After years of being obsessed with her best friend and crush, Peter, she has given up hope of getting his attention. Until he breaks up with his long-term girlfriend and starts casually dating. But the blinders start to come off when one of Peter’s dates winds up dead and he was with her the night before.

A lot of the dialogue and internal monologue that will be familiar to readers in feminist circles. There’s discussions about men in their mid-thirties dating women in their early twenties, the power dynamics and how they’re connected to gender in STEM industries, does violent porn impact what we want in real life, etc. Edie isn’t really saying or thinking anything new, but for readers who are not in feminist communities actively discussing these things, there could be new information and food for thought. We always need books meeting people where they are at and to present them with topics that are actively being and have been discussed.

I wanted to shake Edie every time she made excuses for Peter and said that he was actually a good guy and is a feminist and no, he’s totally not like those other guys around her because he respects her. No, he doesn’t. But, Edie, ultimately, had to learn that for herself and to finally stop viewing him as a potential partner when all he did was lead her on to make him feel good about himself. I think most of us have had that friend who is a bit too into someone that we know is bad news so being in the head of said friend is frustrating but also puts you in their shoes.

What I really liked was Edie’s complex feelings towards her possible Bisexuality. She’s had inklings that she might be Queer but she’s afraid to explore that in part due to compulsory heterosexuality and also because, if she can’t make it work with a woman, then all her failed relationships with men means that she’s the problem. As a Bi myself who has had conversations with other Bis who had to unlearn comphet before truly embracing our Queer awakenings, I didn’t necessarily relate to Edie’s experiences, but I understood where she was coming from and why she was afraid.

Content warning for mentions of domestic violence and depictions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to fans of works exploring Millennial feminist talking points, readers looking for a character having a complex Queer awakening, and those looking for a mystery following characters with an obsessive one-sided crush

2.5 Stars

This is an interesting concept in a book, the main character is in her early 40s, is single, in love with her best friend, and hates everything about her life. Her best friend broke up with his girlfriend of 7 years because he didn't want to settle down. He immediately starts dating and meets Anaya, a 40-something feminist writer and women's study professor. He brings Edie in to meet Anaya and they click, then Edie obsesses over Anaya and then one day Anaya is found no longer alive. The rest of the book revolves around Edie's spirals of self-discovery and her quest to uncover what happened to Anaya. I have to admit, I didn't resonate with a single character in the book. Everyone is manipulative, self-centered, and quite unlikable. The narrative explores the perception of drug use in San Francisco, delves into the dark web, and highlights Edie's disdain for her job. Edie's obsession with a woman she met only once escalates to the point where she stalks Anaya's sister and the police officer assigned to her case, as well as visiting Anaya's workplace. It becomes evident that Edie is infatuated with Anaya but insists she doesn’t like women due to a mental block, leading her to believe that without love from women, she is destined to be alone. Meanwhile, her best friend lacks any redeeming qualities, only having helped her once in college and being attractive. The portrayal of the 40-something characters comes across more like that of college students rather than mature adults facing midlife. Although there are some great literary moments and the writing itself is decent, the story is convoluted and seems to strive too hard to be a feminist novel, ultimately missing the mark.