I was lucky enough to receive an ARC however Zoe told me to hold off and I’m glad I did. So unhinged and at times I was like NO 🫣😬
But I couldn’t put this down.
I buddy read this book with @bookscatsandkatie and we finished this earlier than planned for the simple reason we could not put this down.

Meet Debbie the influencer from Brentwood, Essex who wants to be known, popular and will do anything to feature on social media. She wants an increase of likes and comments and be popular just like her friend Amelia.

When Debbie received a message about being gifted a holiday to Dubai to showcase on Instagram this fancy hotel I don’t think Debbie realise what she was going to be in for. She even invited her friend Amelia who had a bad gut feeling from the get go.

This book is not for the faint hearted. Move over The Only Way is Essex.

This book although fictional gives you an insight into really what could be happening to influencers when they get gifted trips to Dubai or even go missing.

I will forever recommend this book especially if you like horrors.

It dragged me, kicking and screaming, into a world I didn't like ... and left me wanting more!

With the notable exceptions of Formula 1 races, and my weekday morning dose of the iconic quiz show Countdown, I don’t watch a lot of television. There’s a simple reason for this: it’s terrible. And I can pinpoint, to the day, when it died. That day was 18th July 2000, and it marked the first UK airing of a reality show called Big Brother.

What on earth did it say in the synopsis that made Channel 4 want to put it into production, I wonder? “Hey, I’ve got a great idea. Let’s put twelve complete strangers in a house together, give them nothing to do except argue with each other, film them for 24 hours a day and see what happens?” I’d have told them to get lost. And here’s the thing: most other people in the UK did just that. The maximum number of people who tuned in to a single episode was 9 million, which is a little less than half the number who watched the Christmas edition of Coronation Street.

This didn’t matter, though, for one simple reason. Reality shows are cheap to make. You don’t need actors, screenwriters, directors. Just members of the public and cameras. Which is probably why, instead of being confined to the waste bin where it belonged, the ‘show’ was not only allowed to continue but to generate a seemingly endless host of similar spin-offs.

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Mrs Book Nook, regrettably, watches just about all of them and I’ve long since lost track of how many that is. Currently, she seems to be on something called Married at First Sight and before that, it was something called The Traitors. Different shows, but actually, they’re all basically the same. Because it’s only a certain type of person that’s willing to take part in something like that. Someone with either so little intelligence and/or such an enormous ego that they don’t realise, or don’t care that the rest of the world is glorying in their making complete fools of themselves.

I am beginning to get to the point here, which is that it isn’t just television that’s been affected. We have social media now, too, and with that, ‘the influencer’. Someone who is paid, most probably a pittance, by companies to somehow promote their products in photos or videos. it’s hard to believe that it works, because would you choose an item of clothing, or a restaurant, or a holiday resort based on how many photos photo of someone, most likely with fake breasts and without two brain cells to rub together, it had featured in? Nope, nor would I.

And now, I’ve reached the point. So if you’ve just joined me, welcome. I also probably wouldn’t want to be friends with an ‘influencer’ if I happened to meet one in real life. Or read about them in a book. So it says a lot about Zoe Rosi’s writing that her latest novella All Expenses Paid, which is a story that, on the face of it at least, is about two female social media influencers, not only held my interest enough to keep me reading, but compelled me to devour it to the finish.

It had me understanding how what had initially seemed like an easy way of making some money had become an addiction. How their whole lives had begun to depend on how many likes their posts had received on Instagram that day. How it was impossible to enjoy something as simple as an evening meal, because it was more important to take just the right photograph of it. How the offer of – for instance – a free holiday didn’t immediately ring the alarm bells that it might otherwise have done, because it just felt like an extension of how these two young women lived their lives. But also, just how open they have left themselves to abuse.

Because, after the holiday starts, the plot turns. And, wow, does it get dark. I’ll spare any details for fear of spoilers, other than to say that it becomes a story about absolute power corrupting absolutely. And just in case the ending of the main story isn’t enough to leave you reeling, there’s an added twist. The final page made me cringe, and yet I thought I could understand it.

My only real problem with All Expenses Paid is how I feel about it in comparison to Zoe’s last novella, Courier. Much as I felt I’d begun to understand the two main characters from All Expenses Paid, Debbie and Amelia, I didn’t feel as though as I was living their lives, in the way that I did with Bob from Courier. Perhaps, with my attitude to reality TV and social media influencing, this was just too much to expect, but I’d still have liked Zoe to have tried. I’d have liked the book to be longer, and to have delved into their backgrounds a bit more. To have shown me, rather than told me, what made them follow their – for want of a better phrase – career paths.

Other than that, just be aware that, as the blurb says, this is not a book for the faint-hearted and the trigger warnings are well and truly justified. Personally, though, I’m just glad that I’m not an influencer of any kind, because it means that nobody tells me what to say. I can just give my honest opinion, which is that All Expenses Paid is sort of horrifically, terrifyingly fantastic.

My thanks to the author and to Netgalley for the digital ARC of this book, which was published in the UK on 3rd March 2025. I will publish my review on Goodreads, Amazon and my social media pages.

I really enjoyed this! It's a quick and easy read that's unique and well written. I was immersed in the story and couldn't put it down. If you're looking for a fast paced quick read, I would recommend this! Special Thank You to Zoe Rosi, Lighthouse Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

All Expenses Paid by Zoe Rosi is a dark look at influencer culture.

Influencers. We all know them, some want to be them, and others will do anything to chase that dopamine high when a post gets likes and comments. Debbie wants her following to grow and is sick of posting basic posts... new nails, pictures of food etc. So when she is approached by a luxury hotel in the Middle East offering up an all expenses paid trip to the resort, she eagerly accepts. She also gets to invite fellow influencer and colleague Amelia to go with her. The resort is absolutely stunning, but when the owner asks the ladies to join him at his desert property, things take a dark twist into the seedier side of influencer culture.

At a little more than a hundred pages this book is intense! It is dark, ominous, and disturbing but highly entertaining and a great look at just what some people will do for fame and fortune. I highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley, Zoe Rosi and Lighthouse Books for this ARC. Publication date was March 3rd 2025.

Rounding up because I wanted to like this one so much more than I did- and honestly, if it was longer I probably would have!! The way this story highlights the darker sides of influencer culture and aggressive, wealthy men was exactly what I was hoping for, but I feel like I just came away wanting more.

Influencers Debbie and Amelia have decent followings from their lives around Essex, but when given an opportunity to go to the Middle East on a free trip, the girls can't say no at the chance. When things take a darker turn, their lives will never be the same. However, this was mostly skirted around so I don't entirely know how changed they are other than what we were told, rather than shown. If you're a reader flirting with darker books, this could be a good ease into those waters!

I also want to just flag there were a couple places where character names changed mid-paragraph, where Nigel became Alan (and then went back to Nigel?) and Svetlana became Sasha (not her nickname from any other conversations). Hopefully its not too late for these edits.

Thank you so much to Zoe Rosi, Lighthouse Books, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

This was an interesting read with a dark twist surrounding influencers. However, the dialogue for the first half was really awkward? It felt more like a YA book, which wasn't really suitable for something of this tone. There wasn't much happening either until the dark twist. I understand the idea behind dark influencer-esque hotels and such. It's closer to reality - sextortion and degradation. Not my favorite read.

📚: All Expenses Paid by Zoe Rosi
⭐️: 3.5/5 (rounding up on #goodreads)

Being an influencer isn’t always easy. Just ask Debbie. While her fellow influencer peers are asked to be on yachts, she finds herself posting the mundane every day - manicures, restaurant visits, etc.

Then she gets an invitation — the invitation — she’s been waiting for. All expenses paid to stay at a glamorous hotel for 5 days. Pools and spas and shopping — and she can bring her fellow influencer friend Amelia. While it seems out of the blue to get such an invitation, it’s flattering, and what could go wrong? (A lot, obviously.)

Darker than expected, this quick novella packs a punch which scenes that made my stomach roll. While disturbing, this is one of the better influencer trope plot lines I’ve read. Not quite a solid four star rating though with a bit of a rushed (but jarring) ending due to the reads’ overall length and some confusing narration at times between characters.

Thanks to Lighthouse Books via @netgalley for the digital ARC in exchange for a review. All Expenses Paid is out on March 3rd!

I love how Zoe captures darkness. This covers exploitation, abuse and all things twisted in a delusional world of weird games played by those (men) who like to control and abuse those weaker than themselves by offering huge sums of money to do degrading things. But are the girls really the weak ones? Like Debbie, it was the appeal of money that made her agree to such things, but lost herself on the way. Being damaged already, and then some more - is really a price worth winning ?

Well written and truly reflects how far some influencers will go to earn likes and money

Trigger warnings for All Expenses Paid include: physical abuse, degrading, drugging and trauma.
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This novella follows Debbie, an influencer who's social platform isn't performing quite as well as she'd like it to be, and her bank account isn't doing so well either.
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So when someone reaches out to invite her to attend an all-inclusive, all-expenses paid trip to a luxury resort, of course she takes the opportunity.
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She starts feeling nervous after she accepts, but keeps going because why wouldn't she? I can't really go into much more detail for fear of spoiling the whole plot. Suffice it to say, things aren't quite as they seem, and things can be too good to be true.
•
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an ARC copy of this book.

I received this book through NetGalley to read as an ARC. When Zoe Rosi is publishing a new book, I have to be involved. I loved the concept of this book - influencer girls chasing likes, approval and affirmation even in the midst of potentially fatal circumstances. I really liked Debbie’s character and felt as though I was rooting for her throughout the story which I don’t often find in a novella. I think this book packs a punch for only being 114 pages and definitely left me thinking about ‘why?’ humans behave the way they do. For me personally, there could have been a little bit more gore. I felt as though the book was leading up to this very intense, graphic scene which I didn’t feel I ever got, but other people might find that this is the perfect level of psychological torture for them. 4 star read for me!

The concept of this book drew me in but in the end it didn't pay off for me. Men being horrific and abusing young beautiful women isn't really a storyline I need anymore at this point and there were were some negative/derogatory statements about sex workers that gave me the ick.

The parts about social media and how she was still posting and the desire to get likes through all of it was the most compelling part to me, even terrified, even traumatized, still chasing the likes and recognition from strangers.

Thanks NetGalley for the copy!

When Zoe coined this as her darkest book yet I knew I had to read it, then as soon as she posted it was on NetGalley off I went to request it! Thankfully it was approved and here we are… this book really delves into the influencer side of social media, the dependency on approval from strangers on the internet and the darker side and the desperation! At first I wasn’t really sure where it was going and took a bit to get into but once we were in, the level of depravity and degradation was quite shocking although it could’ve been more, I wanted more, which probably says more about me 🫣 quick read although tough in parts, probably not for the faint hearted, would’ve enjoyed more of a shock factor hence the rating!

I was so excited to get an ARC of this book! Zoe Rosi, being one of my favorite authors, cannot come up with a book that I won't automatically read.
I finished this one in a couple of hours, and only wish there was one thing different - that it was longer!
I love the commentary on social media influencers, how their psyche can get distorted in the pursuit of the dopamine hit from likes and followers. The creepy vibes were on point and that ending was something else. I felt disgusted and fascinated at the same time. Highly recommend!

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Let me begin by warning you – if you have read Monica Arya’s Favorite Girl and thought it was extremely too much, this book will be extremely too much for you too. And for those who loved Favorite Girl – don’t walk. Run. RUN to pre-order this book. And then, cancel all your plans for March 3. Because that is the day this book is being published and that is the day you will be spending reading it. And you might want to book a therapy session for March 4 – or maybe not. Who knows.
The book starts out cute. The book starts out adorable even. There are witty and hilarious references to all things Instagram, to all things influencer, to all things fake, and all things imposter. Seriously hilarious. You might be laughing your head off and be confused. Why? Why did this random person on Instagram compare this book to the most horrible chick-lit thriller ever written?
And once it gets bad, it gets bad. Real bad. I could talk about it a lot, and I have so many opinions about it, but I don’t think I want to spoil it. Trust me, it might need some trigger warnings. Let’s see if those get added and if they take up a whole page, or maybe they take up even more than just one page.

Debbie is an influencer striving to grow her following and profile. When she is approached by a luxury hotel from the Middle East offering her an all expenses paid trip, she jumps at the chance, inviting fellow influencer and colleague Amelia along for the trip. At first the resort seems like a dream, but when owner Yusef asks the young women to join him at his other property, a sprawling mansion deep in the desert, things quickly start to devolve, leading Amelia and Debbie fearing for their safety.

All Expenses paid is different than other books that I’ve read featuring influencer protagonists. While other stories come from the influencer angle with more of an upbeat, pop-culture candy type of vibe, this book is much more dark and foreboding. The first half is mostly an exploration of Debbie’s life and constant struggle to keep her account gaining maximum likes, only delving into the trip and darker moments events after the 50% mark. While I enjoyed the plot, I wasn’t completely enamored of the events or the first half, wanting more about Debbie’s relationship and also from Amelia’s perspective. Three stars.

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

heavy stuff. this was hard to put down even though it got very dark in the last half. it was enjoyable - for lack of a better word - but it started to do more telling than showing of what was going on, and it could have benefited from being drawn out more. it definitely had me invested though. and it did a much better job at discussing influencer culture/social media than a lot of other media manages to, so major points for that.

"Man's mind, stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension."

Zoe Rosi's new thriller novella is about the dark side of being an influencer. Debbie and Amelia are invited on an exclusive, all-expenses paid trip to a far-flung luxury resort, something that feels too good to be true. With luxuries dripping at every corner the due soon realise this trip is more than what it seems. At an isolated mansion in the middle of the desert, the girls are offered the chance to take part in a sinister game. And as the real entertainment kicks off, they’re forced to ask themselves: just how far are they willing to go for money?

This story is one that is weirdly familiar in what we see speculated on social media. Events are held to promote luxuries of all kinds, accumulating likes and follows that have their own weird thrill for many influencers. By adding a dark and disturbing twist, this novella begs the question of how far one would go for the lifestyle they have become accustomed to.

Here we see Debbie enjoying the thrills that come with being an influencer but under the eye of competition she wants to beat the others that are on top of their game. When she is invited to this mysterious party, she leaves feeling violated as though its taken away more from her than she could have ever thought, altering her life forever.

This read like a thriller film, although some parts were obvious, seeing as its a novella it still manages to pack many surprises making this a disturbing but entertaining read.

4.25 rounded down to 4 stars.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for an advanced copy of All Expenses Paid in exchange for an honest review.

This little novella packs quite a punch for less than 100 pages. It was definitely a fantastic exploration of how addicting social media can be, how it can impact a person's self-esteem, and how easily one can be lured into compromising situations. I also liked the pop culture references to the absolute insanity of everything happening around the P Diddy and Epstein cases, how people will do anything for wealth, and that the wealthy can do anything because they have so much money. It is extremely relevant to events happening around the world today, as we see how money can even lead to control of an entire government, without any repercussions. And for being so short, it was actually quite an impactful character study about why someone might be drawn into such situations, and why they can't easily get out, if they even wanted to.

I would have loved to see this be a little bit longer, because it would be fascinating to see more of the inner workings of this luxury hotel, and more into the lives of the men who frequent it. It has me wondering just how many influential men with power have connections to this dark world, much like what we are learning from the real-world events that inspired this novella.

Overall, this was an insightful, quick little dark read that I really enjoyed!

I love stories that dive into the world of influencers, reality TV, and over-the-top media culture—especially when they push the absurdity to the max. All Expenses Paid follows two influencers who jump at the chance for a free luxury trip to a lavish Middle Eastern hotel, only to realize they’re in way over their heads. It’s like Dubai yacht girls meets a toned-down Saw, forcing them to question just how much their dignity is worth.

The premise had so much potential, but the execution fell short for me. The novella was written in a stream-of-consciousness style with scattered, brief POV shifts that felt random. Instead of building tension and immersing readers in the setting, the story relied heavily on telling rather than showing. With so much crammed into such a short book, the characters, action, and world-building never fully came to life. I kept wishing the story had been expanded and pushed to its full, wild potential.

That said, I still found it gripping—I couldn’t put it down! It explores themes that aspiring influencers should definitely take note of, and the author did a great job of making me feel the characters’ emotions, especially in the more intense moments. While it didn’t completely hit the mark for me, I’d be interested in reading more from this author in the future.

I literally couldn’t put this book down! I had an idea from the start what this would be about, just from things I have heard, but the book was so good! It should be read by anyone wanting to be an “influencer” so they can be cautious. The author had a great way of making me feel all of the emotions the characters were feeling in this book, it did get deep at times. I will definitely be reading more from the author.