The People’s Republic of Love, by Heather Child
Source: ebook ARC from SRL Publishing
Published: 31st March 2026
In a brand new country, ruled by the most famous of its citizens, visibility is all that matters. But if Tamsin doesn’t act quickly, neither she nor her best friend Charlotte will ever be seen again.
Tamsin, a reclusive engineer, is the only viewer who can see where Charlotte’s ‘hot new reality show’ is heading – the finale will be the end of her.
To get near the film set, Tamsin’s only option is to put her shyness aside and build herself a sensational backstory, a springboard of lies that will propel her all the way to the infamous People’s Republic of Love.
But she does not understand how this country works, with its intoxicating blend of power and popularity. The Republic will give you everything you’ve ever wanted… if you hand over your whole self in return.
Now I’ve been a fan of Heather Child’s books for a long time. I loved Everything About You, and The Undoing of Arlo Knott. So it was with no small amount of excitement that I saw that she had a new book coming out, and having squeaked excitedly about it, was offered an ebook to review by the publisher.
Naturally I jumped at the chance to get my grubby bookblogger paws on a copy of the intriguingly-titled The People’s Republic of Love.
In this hyper-connected world of ‘influencers’ (gah, I hate that term), what would happen if they all took off and set up their own country on a tropical island (where else?), where entry requirements included follower count or reach?
Charlotte is invited to take part in a reality show – think of a combination of Big Brother, with devious tasks thrown in. People play to win, but the challenges are getting oddly personal to Charlotte, and old fears seem to play an increasingly large part. Charlotte’s friend Tamsin is watching, but can see that her friend is struggling, so has to engineer a way into The People’s Republic of Love to try and save her. Who is tormenting Charlotte, and why? And what can Tamsin do about it?
It’s a chilling view into a world that’s all too close to what we see now, where influencers vie for views, and some will do anything to get them. It’s also an indictment of greed and a cracking page-turner of a thriller. Loved it.
The People’s Republic of Love by Heather Child is published by SRL Publishing in March 2026. Many thanks to the publisher for the ebook copy for review.
You can get a copy of The People’s Republic of Love from the publisher here.
