People Pleaser by Bryony Gordon

We have all found ourselves putting others before ourselves, in a desperate attempt to please, to keep the peace, to make others happy, so the premise of this book really appealed to me. Bryony Gordon wasn’t a name I knew before, but she’s definitely one I’ll be looking out for.

Olivia has spent her life pleasing others. It was so bad as a child that her appendix ruptured at school because she didn’t want to make a fuss. Her mother sees her as a difficulty and pours all her attention into her younger sister, and even at work Olivia finds herself pandering to a boss she hates while ignoring the misogynistic male journalists around her. When she’s passed over for the promotion she was promised and instead handed a nonsense new role she doesn’t want, she ends up in the pub to ‘celebrate’ with the colleague who got the job. There she meets Rose, and after a night involving cigarettes, a lot of alcohol and a blue gummy, Olivia suddenly starts speaking her truths — with surprising results.

I really enjoyed following Olivia as she finally starts putting herself first. Watching her push back, find her voice and realise she deserves more was both funny and unexpectedly moving. It’s a sharp, honest look at people‑pleasing and the toll it takes, and Bryony Gordon tells it with such warmth and humour that I’ll definitely be reading more of her work.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/8496462030