“With friends like these, who needs enemies?

Liv Travers never knew real friendship until she met fellow mums Beth and Binnie. The three women become inseparable as they muddle through early parenthood together.

Then along comes Ange. Ambitious, wealthy and somehow able to do it all.

Under Ange’s guiding presence, the group finds new vigour and fresh aspirations – bigger houses, better schools, dinners at exclusive restaurants. But Liv can’t keep up and is increasingly edged out.

When the four families take a three-week trip to a luxurious holiday resort, Liv seizes the opportunity to reclaim her place at the heart of the group, only to discover the true, devastating cost of a friendship with Ange.

Set over the course of a single, life-changing trip to a Greek island paradise, Little Nothings is a sly, suspenseful novel about female bonds turned toxic, and the desperate ends one woman will go to keep her friends close – and her enemy closer.”

Hello and welcome to damppebbles. Today I am delighted to share my review of Little Nothings by Julie Mayhew. Little Nothings is published by Raven Books today (that’s Thursday 12th May 2022) and is available in hardcover and digital formats. I chose to read and review a free ARC of Little Nothings but that has in no way influenced my review. My grateful thanks to the team at Raven Books for sending me a proof copy.

Let’s face it, with us all being stuck at home for the past two years the thought of going overseas for a few days, soaking up the sun and drinking cocktails by the pool probably appeals a lot more than it has before. It certainly does to me anyway! So when I first laid eyes on this book, the cover alone called my name. Look how glorious it is! I then checked out the blurb and knew I HAD to read this book. A toxic friendship set against the stunning backdrop of Corfu? Yes please!

Liv Travers has always struggled to make friends. Even at school she was often the one left out. Going into adulthood, nothing changed. The concept of making friends just alluded Liv. That was until she met Binnie and Beth at a baby group. Suddenly something clicked and the three women became as thick as thieves. And Liv finally understood what she had been missing all these years. And then along came Ange. Confident, more than competent, excelling at everything and the new focal point of the group. And for Liv, something changed. So when Ange suggests the four families head to an exclusive resort in Corfu for three weeks, they can’t say no. But the trip is far from paradise for Liv, and the true cost of being friends with Ange soon becomes devastatingly clear…

Little Nothings is a divine tale of female friendships gone horribly wrong and oh my gosh, it blew me away. I loved every single second, every single word of this book from its agonising start to its jaw-dropping conclusion. Although her neediness did often make me cringe a little, I adored Liv. There was just something about her that I, and perhaps I shouldn’t admit to this, understood? She’s such a well-written character. So much so she felt very real to me. The other characters in the book are also excellent. The mere mention of Ange’s name made my blood pressure rise. There was a wonderful sense of uncomfortable apprehension as I waited to see what awful slight, what dastardly lengths she had gone to to put Liv well and truly in her place. Stunning!

I was fully immersed in the story from the moment I picked up the book and met Liv. As the story progresses the reader gets to discover more about Liv and Pete’s history and what they’ve both had to face over the preceding months. Why this holiday has become such a big event for them, why they’ve pushed so hard to get to Corfu when really they should be over a thousand miles away at home, and how what they were expecting, what was promised, was a big, fat, ugly lie. All of those little nothings, all of those hurtful comments which were covered up and brushed aside with a smile, all of the times things have gone wrong. Well, they all add up.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I ADORED Little Nothings and I know it will feature in my top books of the year list in December. Everything worked for me. The characters stood tall from the page and I don’t think I’ll forget any of them in a hurry. The pace of the book made sure that I was turning the pages late into the night – way past my bedtime. The setting was perfect and the descriptions were beautifully vivid enabling me to picture the scene with ease. I loved everything about this book. Every last little detail. Highly recommended.

I chose to read and review a free ARC of Little Nothings. The above review is my own unbiased opinion.

Little Nothings by Julie Mayhew was published in the UK by Raven Books on 12th May 2022 and is available in hardcover and digital formats (please note, the following links are affiliate links which means I receive a small percentage of the purchase price at no extra cost to you): | amazon.co.uk | Waterstones | Foyles | Book Depository | bookshop.org | Goodreads | damppebbles bookshop.org shop |

Julie Mayhew is a journalist who became an actress (because she wanted more creative ways to tell stories), who became a scriptwriter (because she couldn’t find enough brilliant roles for women).

She is an award-winning novelist, an award-nominated radio dramatist and has written short stories and stage plays to critical acclaim. As a participant in the BFI Network x BAFTA Crew programme, Julie now also writes and directs for the screen.

Born and raised in Peterborough, home is now Hertfordshire. She is mum to two boys. Her best friend is a border terrier called Connie.