People Like Her

3.75 stars. This is not the usual genre of books that I read but I was mostly drawn to it because I recently quit Instagram. I quit because it has turned into a toxic wasteland of fake lives and trolls and this book captured it to a 'T'. I actually detested the main characters in the book and was rooting for the antagonist to ruin them.

A fascinating yet very realistic look into being a social media influencer. Loved the look at the various aspects that came alongside--Emmy's "pod" of Instamums, the commentary on how Instamums are different from the US to the UK to Aus, the moments where Coco broke from the mould, and of course the dark side. And it's incredibly creepy to realise that this book was written by a husband-and-wife duo!

Don't mistake this book as fluffy: it gets very gritty at points, and has a constant element of creepy vulnerability running right through it. There's a slight twist to this at the end that might be less of a twist and more of a bow tied neatly around the package to keep the main plot nicely together, though I wished that a subplot had also show more been pulled in. Though I felt at moments that it focused too much on the more dramatic elements and not enough on the more personal elements, like Emmy's backstory, this was an easy read to run through. show less

I hated every single person in this book. But despite that, this book was unputdownable! I defiantly recommend this book to anyone who likes learning about Social Media stars and mystery lovers.

If this is what it is really like to be a big-time 'influencer' (and do we put freebie book reviewers into this category LOL!?), I'm happy that I don't follow anyone big-time!

This book deals with Emmy, the influencer, her author husband, and their two kids. You will find out just what a big-timmer will do to get there, how their family life changes as the BLOG grows, and what it takes to stay there, but you will also find out just what it's like to be hated and have someone plan an act of revenge.

As I said, NONE of the characters are likable ( show more well, maybe baby Bear!), but the story is riveting.

You may have a bit of trouble with the story's rhythm (I'm not sure if that is the correct word?) since interspersed within Emmy and Dan's part is blended the 'bad guys' ramblings.

I really did love this book, even though I couldn't feel anything but loathing for the characters. As I said, I couldn't put this book down.

*ARC supplied by the publisher and author...yes I know -the irony of it all! LOL!!! show less

I was anticipating a lot more from this "thriller." I liked the story-building, the descriptions of the influencing business, and the portrait of the family on the brink but the thriller aspect was buried and partially nonsensical. People Like Her shows the ugly side of what really goes on behind the camera in influencer's life and shows the strains in a couple's relationship as they try to manage two young children, Mamabare's perfect online persona, and her millions of followers. One of their followers seems to be trying to follow a little too closely although her occasional narration doesn't add much to the story other than confusion. The story is told through alternating viewpoints - the wife, husbands, and the creepy stalker lady. show more It had a lot of potential and it wasn't awful - it just wasn't my favorite either. I wanted a little more drama and excitement at the end I suppose. show less

Thank you Goodreads FirstReads for my ARC.

Don’t believe everything you read and/or watch online!

Emmy is an influencer, a British Instamum. Her Instagram, @the_mamabare, has a million-plus followers. Married to Dan, a has-been novelist and mom of Coco(3) and newborn, Bear. As is the case with many influencers/bloggers, her real life(much of it, according to Dan, exaggeration or outright fiction), was fodder for her posts.

Of course, there are risks to exposing one’s personal life online. Most followers interact via likes, comments, and shares. But there are also those who are…pathologically obsessed. Unbeknownst to her, Emmy has one such follower.

And there’s also the detrimental effect on family dynamics and lack of privacy. show more Every special occasion is an opportunity to organize an event. Publicity and spectacle become the priority. Gone are sentimentality and the creation of cherished memories with loved ones. Marital and family conflicts no longer remain behind closed doors.

Despite the risks and personal costs, Dan admits that being an influencer is a 24/7/365 job. Emmy works hard at it and excels at it. And it’s not like he and the kids don’t enjoy the rewards.

This book took me longer than expected to read. I liked it enough to finish. The end was, in a word, …ironic. I feel it could have been shorter. Too wordy for me. The blurb, trendy topic, and alternating perspectives appealed to me. It opened my eyes to the pressures and drawbacks of being a social media influencer. There is a high price to pay for all the perks of free stuff. show less

Title: People Like Her
Author: Ellery Lloyd
Format: eBook
Genre: Suspense

Thanks to Edelweiss for the free eARC in exchange for a honest review!

Quick Take: A successful media influencer's morally questionable relationship with the truth exposes deep psychological cracks in her marriage at the same time her family is targeted by a violently obsessed fan.

Thoughts: I liked the premise of this book and it was a pretty decent book. There were some parts where I almost didn't finish because Emmy did not come off as a likeable character at all but in the end I'm glad I did finish it. I mean she was insufferable and the fact that Dan stuck beside her was amazing.

As someone who uses social media frequently, it still boggles my mind that they are show more people who has made social media their entire personality and their entire life. And this book showed the more tamed side to social media fanatics and influencers. Overall, the book was an okay read. I wish it was a little bit more "thrilling" but it was decent.

Rating: Three out of Five Stars show less

Cute & quirky story, love the way the magical world was embedded into modern day. The complexity of the mystery was also great.

There were a few plot holes that weren't resolved or followed up on so that was a bit disappointing. Some of the ignorance in the town was also a bit over done. Like the sheriffs personality.

The very last twist didn't really make sense, and left me with an ugh feeling, with how divorces work it was really a moot point but seems to now be made into a plot twist.

I would continue in the series & recommend it to cozy readers.