I generally love books set in cities I love, this time Edinburgh. I found it hard to get involved with the characters. There was a predictability from the start.

I think the author has a great future, look forward to reading more.

Thank you Netgalley for tge opportunity to read a book by a new author.

*Bring the House Down* by Charlotte Runcie is a brilliantly inventive and poignant novel that explores the intersection of art, identity, and the complexities of family dynamics. Runcie's sharp prose and thoughtful narrative create a compelling and heartfelt story that lingers long after the final page.

interesting story about a writer and the play that he see and gives a bad review and then she ends up doing a play on his life and all the ways that he wronged women. Great story

I believe it was Virginia Woolf that said people read fiction like they’re listening to gossip. This book was the perfect example of that. It was an absolutely addicting read, especially as someone with experience in both theatre and journalism (I do see the irony in reviewing a book about the ethics of criticism by the way). The characters were written with nuance, and remained three-dimensional throughout, even as they were doing and saying terrible things. There was also a healthy dose of satire, which kept things from feeling too heavy. As I was reading I thought it was a solid four star read, but the ending really elevated the stakes and brought this to five stars for me.

I loved this book! During the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, a critic goes to see a one-woman show. He hates it and writes a blistering one-star review. He then goes to a bar where he meets the woman from the show. He doesn't say who he is and they sleep together. She awakens in his apartment and sees the review. And away, we go.

Perfect comic premise executed with precision by Charlotte Runcie. Well-drawn character, a great setting with the Edinburgh Festival. I really enjoyed it quite a bit. The perfect funny MeToo novel.

I received a free e-galley of the novel from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Bring the House Down was a fun, thought-provoking read. Hayley Sinclair debuted her one-woman show at the British Fringe theatre festival. Alex Lyons was the assigned critic. Later that night, Hayley and Alex end up in bed together. But Hayley doesn't know that Alex has eviscerated her show with a one-star review until the next morning, when she's waking up in his apartment and sees the review in the paper.

Hayley decides to turn the scathing review into an opportunity: that night, she renames her show to The Alex Lyons Experience. Hayley gets on stage and asks the audience, can you believe what he did? The show explodes in popularity. After all, most of us have been victim to something absurd. And if you look at the wealthy, privileged, white male - which Alex is - he's often in the perpetrator role.

The story is told from the perspective of Alex's coworker, roommate, and fellow critic, Sophie. Sophie's feelings about Alex vacillate: empathy, disgust, sadness, appeal.

Overall, I thought this was a unique story and an enjoyable read. It's always fun when a plot feels totally new. At times, I couldn't decided if I liked or disliked the characters, but it didn't get in the way of the story for me. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I want to thank knoph Doubleday Group and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bring the House Down by author Charlotte Runcie. This is the British authors first novel and uses the Edinburgh Festival and her experience there. as an arts journalist.
Alex and Sophie are sent by their newspaper to cover the Festival. They share a flat.
Alex gives a one star “tedious and derivative” review to Hayley’s one woman show! All hell breaks loose the next morning when she comes out of his bedroom in the flat and discovers Alex and the review in the paper!
Ms Runcie’s characters are flawed and create tough situations.
Bring the House Down publishes 07/28/2025.

Junior culture writer Sophie finds herself at the Edinburgh Fringe accompanied by Alex Lyons, the iconic, cynical, and some may say, cruel arts critic for an extended reporting gig. Alex writes a biting, one-star review of a one-woman show, the star of which unknowingly sleeps with him, and chaos ensues...

The best parts of this book are the start and end—it really felt like the plot was driving forward in those portions and exciting stuff was happening! At the top, I was very engaged in the exposition and set up of Alex's treacherous act. The finale was unexpectedly fiery and brought the book to a satisfying close. The midsection of Bring the House Down, however, felt meandering and long, much of it revolving around the hole Alex continually digs himself deeper into, and the tremendous self doubt that our narrator Sophie possesses. She is not a particularly decisive individual, which at times became a bit dull, and Alex's judgment progressively worsens in his handling of the scandal (repetitive).

I did appreciate at the end, the proprietor of the show Hayley, acknowledges that her spectacle has become deeply exhausting and consuming. To me, this reflects the reality of vengeance in the age of the internet, which, while cathartic, also has the capacity to drain and fatigue the individuals at the center of it.

this was a weird strange book. I am not sure if it just went over my head, or if the book was just not making sense. I am not sure. I think it was too much of a creative writing assignment, so it was hard for me to enjoy


Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

I simply could not put this down. The character Alex was a trainwreck I couldn't look away from. Hayley was enigmatic and intriguing. The narrator, Alex's colleague Sophie, was sharp and funny. I was moved more often than I expected to be. This is a novel about misogyny, art, criticism, grief and motherhood. Runcie explores all that and more, and she does it really well.

BRING THE HOUSE DOWN is an incisive read perfect for fans of satirical literary fiction and/or fiction that is not afraid to explore social commentary. Alex and Haley are great characters but we get to know them through a third party, Sophie. This was an interesting choice on the author's part. I missed getting to read the direct points of view of Alex and Haley. However, Sophie grew on me after a time. The novel is smart and interesting especially as it tackles the issue of identity. Both Alex and Haley are damaged people who are (mostly) trying to make good decisions. Their struggles seem both realistic and relatable. The pacing is pretty slow so that is my one complaint; this could have been shorter and tighter.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-galley; all opinions in my review are 100% my own.

"Bring the House Down" by Charlotte Runcie is a sharp and incisive novel that explores themes of identity, relationships, social dynamics, and judgments.

The story is narrated by Sophie, who shifts between being a critic and an obituary writer. She discusses her own struggles with relationships and career while also delving into the larger narrative of her colleague. Alex, a theater “nepo baby” and notoriously harsh critic, is attending the Edinburgh Fringe Festival with Sophie.

After watching a one-woman show by Haley, Alex pens a scathing one-star review, then sleeps with her before the review is published. What ensues can be described as a very public act of revenge directed at Alex. Haley invites others to share their stories about him and how women have been mistreated.

This novel is a wild ride—fun, witty, and thought-provoking. Initially, this aspect of revenge is deeply satisfying to readers. Much like what we see on social media, there’s a sense of justice that can feel rewarding.

However, mob mentality and group dynamics can turn ugly, leading to snap judgments that are made without understanding the full context or both sides of the story. It gets uncomfortable and raises some ethical questions. We witness Sophie grappling with her own relationship issues and realize that no one is perfect. It also addresses the challenges of criticism and prompts readers to reflect on accountability, schadenfreude, and cancel culture.

I recommend this novel, especially to fans of RF Kuang's "Yellowface," as both works offer insightful commentary on art, writing, and the complexities of social media dynamics, from sensationalism to bullying. Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for providing this ARC.

(4.5 rounded down) What a fun, page-turning, (intentionally) cringe-inducing ride this was. A theater critic, Alex, knowingly sleeps with a woman, Hayley, whose one woman show he just panned. Once she finds out, she revamps her show to be a takedown of Alex, focusing on his privileged upbringing and general terribleness. His career and life blow up, but he’s in no way sorry. The author makes the extremely interesting decision to tell this story from the perspective of a third party - Sophie, a coworker of Alex’s. We’re never in the heads of either Hayley or Alex but are instead with Sophie, which I found effective. This remove from the two main characters allows the reader to be presented with two sides of a story told by neither side, but is Sophie actually without judgment or partiality? The book doesn’t offer easy answers about art, feminism, and misogyny, but it probes these subjects in an interesting, exploratory way. I had such a good time with this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

One of the most interesting things about Bring the House Down, for me, was that it seems to be based on author Charlotte Runcie’s own experience in ‘having the tables turned’ when she wrote a bad review about a comedian who then spent the rest of their Edinburgh Fringe Festival appearances eviscerating her onstage. She used that experience as basis for the story but through a lens that delighted and had me going down twisty paths in my own mind - a young female performer, Hayley, does the same but with a critic who gave her a one star review and proceeded to sleep with her without disclosing that. Hayley turns her revamped show, The Alex Lyons Experience, into a critique on misogyny and at one point says something that will stay with me - we identify bad behavior of some men and talk about it in the press, maybe they lose their jobs past that, but we then move on. Why not park on it and reflect back all the people these men hurt publicly and in such a way where they can’t escape their wrongdoings and the general public has more than one impersonal story to see the effects as well?

This book goes deeper than that and also explores many things from personal fulfilment and happiness to the lies we tell ourselves and the perspective we have on our own actions vs others. There are a lot of thought provoking ideas at play and I enjoyed the paths I went down as they were introduced, with Sophie, Alex’s colleague, the facilitator for many of them. Very much a serious read in fun wrapping, you will most definitely have some strong opinions about a good many things at the end.

This was a really fresh look at feminism and misogyny, as well as interpersonal relationships among people who are damaged but are trying their best. I was wholly entertained the entire time and thought the writing was zippy and smart. Easy recommendation for readers who like contemporary fiction with a bit of feminism tossed in.

This is such a unique premise and raised a lot questions art and who gets to be the arbiter of talent and good taste. I enjoyed the "there's two sides to every story" nature of this novel as readers get an interesting glimpse into Alex's mind and rationale as well as Hayley's. Sophie's love for her son was palpable and I liked how she kept an open mind in her job and her personal life.

Set against the vibrant chaos of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this novel tells a story that is as biting as the reviews Alex Lyons pens—unflinching, unapologetic, and uncomfortably honest.

Alex is a fascinating protagonist, as magnetic as he is infuriating. His unyielding commitment to brutal honesty and his lack of remorse make him a character readers will love to hate—or perhaps hate to love. Hayley Sinclair, his unwitting one-night stand and artistic nemesis, is equally compelling. Her transformation from struggling actress to internet sensation, fueled by anger and creativity, is both satisfying and cathartic.

The novel delves into the complexities of perception and bias through Sophie, Alex's colleague and confidante. Alex’s downfall is as much a reckoning for him as it is a lens through which Sophie—and the readers—are forced to confront uncomfortable truths about ambition, morality, and the public appetite for spectacle.

The writing crackles with wit and sharp insight, perfectly capturing the high-stakes world of theater and criticism. While the characters’ flaws are glaring, they are also achingly human, making their conflicts both riveting and relatable.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.