I really enjoyed this book, it tells the story of someone who has issues with herself thinking that she is unlovable and a failure and her life is starting to unravel. Drinking too much, living with her parents, no boyfriend. A chance encounter she meets a new man who makes her change her life for the better and then disappears from her life and breaks her heart. She then decides to carry on with improving her life and setting right some wrongs.

Would love a follow up.

You can’t help but worry when you pick up a book and take an instant dislike to the protagonist. Will I finish this book? Can I tolerate such a character? Is this just going to make me angry? Thankfully, for me, this became a hate-to-love relationship that made me ever so grateful for persevering.

So, what made me dislike Effie so much, so quickly? Well, it’s her attitude! She is so negative, so despondent and so miserable, that it took every ounce of my own energy to not meet on her this pessimistic level. Yet, through this mist of misery there is an undeniable crudeness and sarcasm. Effie knows that she is a miserable cow, she knows that she hasn’t made much of her life, and is completely aware that she pushes everyone away from herself. And it was this quality that made me start to really like Effie. She is honest, she is humorously sarcastic and I liked her internal monologue. I could relate to her feelings of self-doubt and as a result, wanted to see her get out of the depressing, cyclical rut that she was stuck in.

Poor Effie! She doesn’t realise how good she has things until they start to crumble away. Her relationship with Theo and the subsequent ‘To Do’ list reminded me very much of Jojo Moyes and 'Me Before You'. This was a feeling that stayed with me throughout the story, even though it wasn’t the same, and I think this is why I fell in love with the plot. Theo comes across as Effie’s hero but his secret sends things crashing down, just as Effie is starting to trust herself. Her downfall is tragic and I could not predict how she would turn herself around.

I loved watching Effie’s journey and was delighted in the eventual parallels that are revealed between her and Theo. It was lovely to see Effie realise she isn’t so worthless and to watch her learn to love herself. Those feelings of low self-esteem made her such a believable character that I don’t think any reader would struggle to understand her feelings.

Although I may have conflicted with Effie to begin with, I fell in love with this story – a bit like Effie’s journey herself. Her struggles and pains felt real and I was rooting for her to succeed. This is a powerful story that isn’t just about love and relationships, but acceptance: acceptance for who you are and believing in yourself. I am excited by this debut novel from Sunderland and can’t wait to see what comes next.

With thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked Very Nearly Normal. It had a unique feel to it. The storyline felt a bit different from anything else I've read and kept my interest. The main character, Effie, is struggling at "adulting." She hasn't quite found her way in life. At least she doesn't think she has. The sad thing is that she may just be too busy comparing herself to others and not allowing herself time to appreciate what she has achieved because it doesn't match up to what she "perceives" others are accomplishing. Regardless, Effie isn't happy with her life. Because of this, one of Effie's best friends is wine. At least until she meets Theo. He is able to bring her out of her shell and help her find a craving for life that she hasn't experiences in a long while. Of course, Effie is waiting for things to fail. She's sure it's too good to be true. What would someone like Theo see in her?

Very Nearly Normal was heartwarming and heartbreaking all rolled together. It was wonderful to see the evolution of Effie and Theo's relationship. It was even more rewarding to see how Effie grows, personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Never have I ever felt so emotion for a book, by far the best book I have read in years!! Eiffe a young woman who wasnt popular at school or anyone's number one choice feels she has been given the wrong card in life until one day a date that starts as a distarer turns into something more. I really felt for every character in this book, I've cried, laughed throughout this book. Wonderfully written!! A true gem of a read. 10 stars if that was possible.

Nearly Very Normal tells the love story of Theo and Effie. Effie, an unhappy, frustrated and angry, 28 years old single woman (Well, she has several reasons to be unhappy and frustrated) who works in a bookshop. Then she meets Theo ___a handsome, witty, calm, wise ___basically a too-good-too-be-true man (I don't mind too good to be true hero in a love story). They meet in a very unexpected situation and after that, Effie's life changes. But what about Theo. He looks happy and content but seems to be keeping secrets.

I really liked this book. It's uplifting, romantic, funny, and sad, at times. I immediately felt the connection with the characters. The Theo-Effie boning is endearing, their conversations so interesting.

I liked the writing style. The author has managed to build the suspense in the second half, however, it meanders, sometimes, and I got a little impatient. Also, I didn't like the cover. It's too uninteresting for this story.

Overall, an entertaining and engrossing read. Somtimes, Theo reminded me of Will Traynor (Me Before You). I feel it's one of the best things I can say about a fictional male character. Do read if you enjoy reading a love story.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Effie is not this years IT gir, nor is she the IT girl of any earlier or future year and she has spent each of those years bemoaning her lot in life in comparison to that of her friends. Obviously such comparisons have always been on the debit side of her accounting column. We open as she is preparing herself for a last chance in the relationship department and a date arranged via an online site. When it goes disastrously as everything she touches is fated to go a twist in the tale brings a new potential love into her life.

Of course nothing is straightforward and much of it is not helped by Effie's relationship with her other love of alcohol. Yet we do see Effie and Theo's relationship develop through some rater cute goal chasing only for it all to come crashing down as the tale takes a darker twist. Pulling herself proverbial socks up Effie manages to create a less awful place in life only for the unfinished past to come haunting.

This is a reasonably well written novel which follows the propensity of romance novels to have an on again / off again relationship. My main problem with it was I couldn't really like the central character of Effie. I generally just wanted to shake her or her slap her face. I found that i was way past 50% through the book before i had any real desire to see what the end might bring.

Romance is not my first love and I am sure many will enjoy it. For me it just failed to light a spark and I have found it difficult to rate for these reasons. I probably would have given it a 2.5 if that option had been open as it is better than just OK so I have decided on 3 stars in the end

Wow what a book. I absolutely loved it. It had everything you could want in a story and more. I was gripped from the first page. The emotion was up there with the best I’ve read in a long time. It made you really get to know the characters and feel what they were going through. The romance was lovely too. I do love it when there is a will, they won’t they plot. I also loved the twist. It come out of nowhere which was great.

All the characters were so heart-warming. I really enjoyed getting to know all of them. My favourite had to be Effie. Just a normal woman struggling with her mental health. Living with her parents, drinking wine every night for comfort. Apart from her job which she loves, working in a book shop. She really needed something to change.
Fate then brings Theo into her life. Could he be her chance at happiness? Or is the secret he is hiding too big.

Completely heart-breaking this is a must read. I loved the message from this book ‘keep going, even when you feel like its all too much. You really do not know, what’s around the corner’. Make a list of your dreams, wishes too! Because who doesn’t like ticking things off.

Effie, a 28-year-old, with no dreams to speak of, living with her parents and drowning her miseries in wine meets Theo, an optimistic and persistent man who encourages Effie to stop throwing herself pity-parties and make some serious amends to her otherwise solitary, depressing life style. But Theo's optimism comes from a position of grief and loss that has taken a toll on him, his only ray of sunshine being our beloved, Effie.

I never realized I would end up liking Effie. She is cranky and complains non-stop. She uses all her resistance to push Theo away. This story isn't the most original, but there is something about their personalities that makes you want to read on. Countless times I have wished for a Theo of my own to save me from certain miseries and Effie's transformation from a crybaby to a woman in control of her life is inspirational .

Effie and Theo complement each other as their personalities are extremely opposite. Through a whirlwind of making each other's lives better, they give you a reason to sob through a lot of their story, feeling their emotions as yours. Sunderland's writing is engaging and has a way to such you right into the plot. The other characters around Effie such as Arthur, Toby and Joy are a sight to behold , making them all make a space in our minds with their distinct personalities.

Effie and Theo give us a story to remember, and a message along with it and that it is important to accept people with all their flaws and be patient because you never know what someone is going through. Also, move you ass and get shit done, for the love of God.

I really felt like I went on a journey with this one! Although I liked the start, I struggled with main character Effie, until two things finally clicked. 1) Why must all female characters be likeable? It's rarely listed as a problem when men are not likeable. This led to thought 2) Effie, like so many of us, has more than enough reason to be the way she is. She's been made 'unlikeable' by circumstance, how she is responded to that has been to retreat into herself and become hostile to the world. As the book goes on it become nigh-on impossible not to understand, sympathise and even empathise. Theo comes into Effie's life and dazzles, persevering past her hostility, reluctance and self doubt. He's a great character, a properly charming male supporting character. But this is the Effie story and though it took some time, I grew to really, deeply care for her.
I binged the book in a day, desperate to find out what happened to Effie. At times I laughed at and with her, sometimes both. Other times I cringed and even reprimanded her. But I always rooted for her and loved her.
And, if I'm honest, she's taught me a lot about myself and how I compare myself negatively with others. Effie, my fellow pale read head with sturdy thighs, thank you for seeing that liking, and maybe even loving myself, could be possible.

Sorry but my dislike of Effie stopped me from really enjoying this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Very Nearly Normal is such a nice story and one that gripped my attention until the end. It gave me serious Me Before You vibes but is its own unique story that I really enjoyed. Effie is the main character who is very relatable in many ways. She finds herself still living with her parents, she manages to get herself a job as a bookseller but it pays minimum wage, she's an aspiring writer but has a finished book which she is struggling to get a publisher for, she's also heavily reliant on alcohol because she's simply very unhappy with her situation and her life.

Things change when Effie meets Theo who literally goes out of his way to get Effie's attention but at first she's too unhappy and insecure to accept it. Theo decides that Effie needs a bucket list to work through or she'll never leave this seemingly permanent slump she's in. Unfortunately, whilst Effie has her own crap she is dealing with Theo also has his own issues which he doesn't disclose until much later for fear of losing her. In the meantime, Theo decides to end the relationship and this naturally sends Effie back into the self-destructive stupor she had previously been in. What's refreshing here is that Effie gives herself time to feel sad but then realises that she has the power to make *herself* happy rather than wait for a man.

Very Nearly Normal is Effie's self-discovery story which I think can give you ideas for how you can improve your life if you want to. It also really made me miss my days as a bookseller.

A massive thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Sunderland and Avon Books UK for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, I found the beginning quite difficult to cope with as the main protagonist is very difficult to like (if you don’t like yourself how will others rings very true here) but I enjoyed the character development.

Thanks for letting me review this book.

"my biggest failure had been refusing to be happy." That pretty much sums up what's going on with Effy and Theo.

Lovely story about making positive changes in your life. Being stuck at home during COVID 19, it was a wonderful motivation to make changes in your life so you too can stop refusing to be happy.

This would be an excellent summer read!!

I received an ARC for my review

A Story of Finding Love.. And Along The Way, The Pathway to Love Yourself 💘

Meet Effie, 'Matilda Effie Heaton', although an adult, still seems to find socializing with others difficult as it was in school, always in the shadows trying to fit in. Effie desperately wants to be a writer, she's very blunt at times, doesn't hold back on her opinions. Went on a disastrous date, where everything changed without her yet realizing...

Then there's Theo, seems a very confident young man, great personality. Theo has a secret he's keeping which he reluctant to share, or let it reflect in his actions.

They meet by chance, but will Effie let Theo into her life, she's been let down before. Will he love her for the true Effie?

I was undecided about this book initially, couldn't work out if it was for me. Very nearly Normal has elements I'm sure most of us could relate to, in one way or another. At times it's sad, makes you chuckle and makes you smile. If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book too.

Great read.

You’ll know that I am a sucker for a cute quirky rom-com and I knew that this debut would satisfy that craving perfectly. So I was delighted when I was accepted for a copy on NetGalley.

Just like her initials, Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton’s life has been a bit meh. It seems that everyone she grew up with has happy, successful lives and she is still single, living with her parents in Birmingham and has a string of rejection letters for her novel. The one speck of light is her job at the bookshop owned by her dear friend and boss Arthur, who is in love with his accountant but won’t admit it. When another Tinder date ends badly, Effie meets Theo, a pretty blond boy with a dark secret. Little does she know, Effie is about to be dealt a whole new hand.

‘How could such big dreams amount to so little?’

I have to start by saying that Effie is me. She speaks, feels and thinks exactly like I do and so of course, I was heavily invested in her from page one. I am also a woman in her late twenties who still lives with her parents and dreams of becoming a writer. I also get sad scrolling through social media and seeing all of the promotion and engagement announcements. I also often drink too much and hate myself. However, I’ve been lucky enough to have had quite a lot of therapy over the years and Effie definitely hasn’t. Essentially, Effie is what I would have become without therapy and if I hadn’t eventually learned to (mostly) love myself. Effie’s depression isn’t ever explicitly said or diagnosed but the hopelessness, the irritability and the dark thoughts all definitely point to her having it. I noticed it very quickly and from then on, I just wanted her to conquer it.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I am not a Theo fan. When she first met him, he gave off major fuckboy vibes and he actually reminded me of one I used to date (maybe that’s the reason I took a dislike!). He seemed a bit arrogant and sure that Effie would be interested in him. I’m much more attracted to the shy, awkward type but apparently Effie has different taste! I loved her initial resistance to him though because had she fallen for his beautiful face at first sight, I’d have immediately lost all faith in her.

However, it’s easy to see how Effie eventually melted. He does genuinely care about her and wants to show her that the world is so much more than what’s going on inside her head. My feelings for Theo actually changed with hers and I began to warm to him towards the middle of the book, which is down to expert writing and character development skills. I’ll admit that even by the end, I still wasn’t head over heels in love with him but I knew so much more about him and his reality, so I could extend a huge amount of sympathy and understanding his way. That doesn’t stop me from secretly wishing that the ending had been different!

Hannah Sunderland perfectly nails what it’s like to live with your parents, as you’re approaching 30. This is a new commonplace phenomenon that many contemporary writers haven’t had to write about before but Very Nearly Normal offers a masterclass in how to do it. The dynamics between Effie and her mother are very similar to those of my own mother-daughter relationship. I know that my mum would prefer not to have another grown woman living in her house and we do argue about almost everything. Effie and her mother’s relationship offers a realistic portrait of how hard it actually is to be an adult and yet still be trapped in this weird overgrown teenager phase, due to a lack of finances. It sometimes feels like older generations think that millennials who live at home have it easy because they assume we are still essentially ‘looked after’ like children and it’s those people who need to take this accurate portrayal in.

I was audibly cheering for Effie by the end of the book because she has come so far in her own self-love journey. If I’m honest, I would have loved to have left her as a single free woman whose ordeals shaped her to be able to focus on herself. In some ways, it did end like that. She emerged a sassy, independent success and totally different to the girl she was at the start but I guess I just wanted a little bit more for her on a personal level. I wasn’t wholly dissatisfied with the ending because it is very cute and ties up the loose ends but it just wasn’t what I selfishly really wanted!

Very Nearly Normal will take you through all the feels. It’s hilarious sometimes, heartbreaking at other times and there are even moments of frustration and anxiety. It has a bittersweetness to it that is reminiscent of a cosy Richard Curtis film and I’d love to see it adapted as such. It has been said that it’s for fans of Gail Honeyman but I actually found it much lighter than Eleanor Oliphant. I’d say it’s for fans of Beth O’Leary and Jojo Moyes, who are looking for a cute, uplifting, romantic new voice.

Very Nearly Normal follows the story of Effie Heaton, a young woman who is completely unhappy with how her life has panned out; she lives at home with her parents, is completely unlucky in love, drinks too much and works a low-paying job at a bookshop. She is incredibly insecure, especially as her passion for writing has got her nowhere, and those around her appear to have wealth, success, and solid relationships. However, the bad luck that Effie has endured throughout her life seems to shift upon meeting Theo, who pushes her to rid of her grudges and jealousy, to try new things, and to live her life to the fullest; however, Theo has a hidden secret, which will change the course of their love story entirely.

When I started this book, I thought that it would be an easy, light-hearted romcom with lots of clichés, but it proved to be so much more than that; I felt so many different emotions, at times feeling happy and laughing at the blunders and awkward situations that Effie finds herself in, to feeling angry, sad and frustrated at other parts, that I will not go into detail about because of spoilers! I felt so heavily invested in the lives of the characters, and there were many aspects of Effie’s character that I found to be very relatable. Sunderland does an amazing job at exploring a huge variety of themes, from love, forgiveness, self-acceptance and jealousy, and what it actually means to be normal; the story follows the journey of two realistic, but nonetheless broken individuals, and delves into how things are not always how they seem to be on the surface, whether it be Theo’s secret, or the apparent success of Effie’s childhood friend Kate. One of my favourite things about Very Nearly Normal was the character development; Effie and Theo are both flawed and complex characters, though they were incredibly realistic, and I really warmed to both of them. I also enjoyed the characters that were not central to the main plot, especially Effie’s cat, Elliot!

Overall, this book was definitely not what I excepted; though it has many conventions of a classic romcom novel, it avoids being cliché, and leaves you guessing and engrossed until the very final pages. Sunderland delivers a really important and powerful underlying message of self-acceptance and to live life to the fullest, whilst keeping you entertained the whole way through. This is the perfect read for these strange times, and I could not recommend it enough.

I started this book two nights ago. Last night I was at 20% and thought I'd read a little before I went to sleep...I ended up staying awake, finishing the book whilst sobbing.
I adored this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it wasn't predictable! It didn't fall down the trap that so many books fall into. The characters were beautiful, so unbelievably relatable and their backstory's made perfect sense.
For anyone that was a fan of "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes - this is definitely for you!
Gorgeous book, 5* Rating.

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland is a modern love story that tackles some of the issues facing the over 25s in the 21st century. Matilda Effie Heaton (MEH) aka Effie is the heroine who is leading a very unhappy life living at home and not progressing in her career as a writer. Effie works in a bookshop, compares herself unfavourably to her best (?) friend and drinks way too much to the dismay of her parents. After a disastrous Tindr date Effie meets Theo and slowly but surely he breaks down Effie's many barriers. There are some beautifully written scenes between these two. There is also humour, pathos and a sense of awakening. But the path of true love doesn't always run smoothly and so is the case here. Effie finds herself and her creative self is reawakened. Be prepared Effie drinks a lot and cries a lot but eventually life comes good for her. For me the theme I took from this book is if you try to be someone other than your true self it is so easy to get lost and sometimes to stay lost but you can also rescue yourself too. A love story to remember. I really liked it. #FindYourSeahorse #Netgalley

This book was a complete emotional rollercoaster!

Effie is literally down in the dumps, she can't catch a break. Her former best friend got promoted and engaged, her tinder date thinks she's someone else and she's still living at home. That is until she meets Theo, this complete stranger who comes into her life and changes everything. He gives her hope and goals. He believes in her however he has his own secrets.

I will admit it took me a very long time to get into this book, I almost DNF however the need to find out what Theos secret was strong haha! I couldn't connect with the characters, I thought Effie was extremely selfish and rude. She is constantly angry and I genuinely don't know why Theo put up with her rudeness. Theo is sweet, fun, and charming you can't help but love him! He really helps Effie with her goals and also with her dependence on alcohol.
There are a lot of hard topics within this book such as suicide and depression. Some parts were extremely hard to read. In saying this the writer did write these parts with empathy and care.

This book is very well written, as I previously stated the main reason that I continued reading this book was to uncover Theo's secret. (no spoilers here) haha!

I enjoyed the mysterious aspect of this book, however, this book was not for me.

Effie is nearing 30 and feels like she has nothing to show for her life. An aspiring writer that is sick of being rejected, stuck in a house with her parents, crumbling under her mother’s expectations and jealous of her friends. Effie has had enough after a particularly disastrous date but her luck turns when she meets Theo. As Theo tries to show her the positives in life it’s up to Effie to become the woman she wants to be.
I was so surprised by this book, I thought it was going to be a light-hearted romance but it’s not at all, it’s a much more emotional read than that. There were passages in the novel where Effie talks about how everyone is alive to make a contribution but she hasn’t anything to give and these sections were so beautifully written and heartbreakingly relatable. This is a novel about Effie being alive but not living and Theo helping her to live life to the fullest.
Effie is not for everyone - she is deeply pessimistic and pushes people away again and again. I think some people might not be able to connect with her because of her attitude but I really related to her and I felt nothing but sympathy for her as she lashed out at her loved ones.
Although there were sections of this book were hard to read because they were so emotional, this book was a reminder that life is never easy, it’s not always fair but we’ve got to play the hand we’re dealt and make the most of it. I was really touched by this story and Effie will stay with me for a while yet.
(I will place content warnings for suicidal thoughts, self harm and alcoholism in case that’s something that could affect you.)