Jane Fallon (1) (1960–)

Iris' life is in the doldrums, she has a mundane job, a flat that she has to share with an annoying woman and the early promise of a happy marriage and a baby is gone. She blames everything on Maddy, the woman her husband claimed ot have left her form. Maddy is all over social media, promoting happy family values with her adorable children and husband. Iris decides that it's time she got revenge on Maddy but is this really what she wants?
I love a Jane Fallon novel for my summer read and, initially, I thought I was going to be disappointed! The first third of the book focuses on Iris and, to be honest, she's not the most sympathetic protagonist that Fallon has come up with. However then the book hits its stride and takes flight. As ever it's a witty story, just this side of believable, and redemptive in the end. Just a summer joy!… (mere)

Are we all guilty of Over Sharing in this modern age of social media. Is everybody simply faking it?

On the face of it Iris has a good life. She has a nice flat and a good job. But underneath she is still not over the end of her marriage to Tom, and with it her chance to be a mother. She blames Maddy, the woman Tom left her for and so when she sees Maddy has become an influencer on social media along with her husband Lee and their twins, Iris is incensed. Where is Tom and how dare Maddy be living this wonderful life when Iris is not? She decides to find out what might be hiding behind Maddy's perfect façade.

I always enjoy Jane Fallon's books and Over Sharing is no exception. She writes engagingly and realistically about women in their 40s and the issues they face. This book is about friendships, about having to move on with your life when you don't have the life you want and your friends do. There's no doubt Iris is bitter about her situation and it leads her to do things that seem irrational but deep down are the result of her unhappiness.

I enjoyed Iris's progression through the story and I found the conclusion particularly satisfying. Fallon puts her characters through the mill but they come out the other side much stronger and she portrays them sympathetically and with understanding. There's a lot of female empowerment in this book. I really enjoyed the changes Iris made to her life and despite the fact that some of the things she does are not very nice, I still liked her and was really hoping things would work out for her.

The underlying message is don't necessarily believe all you see on social media. It's so easy for people to show the world an image of themselves that just isn't real. Over Sharing is relevant, current, incisive and witty. I found it an extremely readable story of revenge and recovery.… (mere)