A bit of mess going on. I didn't really find MC endearing so the reading just dragged out and I wasn't fully on board with this one. I love some good self-discovery but Noni just seemed to frustrate me and it was hard to stay in her corner.

I love a book that embraces a woman's right and ability to express herself sexually and this book did just that. Even though Noni isn't really sure of what she wants, she tries to put away the fear and goes out to explore what it is she truly wants and desires. And, of course, she ends up finding the perfect person for her, but he's not interested in just being friends with benefits. This book was so cute, but it was also perfect for any woman who has dimmed her sexual desires to make another person happy. Instead, Noni learns what she wants, what she likes, and she ends up falling in love. I loved this book!

This book was not for me. I was not able to finish it. Not to say others wouldn't enjoy it, but I just couldn't get through it .

It’s been a pleasure, Noni Blake is about a woman who is unhappy with herself and her life and goes on a quest to find herself by various means.
This story was ok but I found it dragged and although the MC was supposed to be “finding herself” it seemed as the storyline progressed it got more chaotic and she was losing herself even more so than before.
One positive that I appreciate is the bisexual representation of the MC which isn’t common in most books.
A side note- I am not a prude by any stretch of the imagination, however there is a lot of gratuitous swearing that I believe did not need to be written for the storyline to work.
I would like the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for my copy of It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake by Claire Christian in exchange for an honest review. It published February 23, 2021.
I’m not quite sure why, but this book just wasn’t for me. Maybe not the right time. I didn’t like Noni, and didn’t feel like she was relatable.

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I liked the bi representation and I thought it was funny but I just couldn’t finish it. Didn’t engage me enough with how the heroine was sleeping around to find herself.

It's been a week or two since I finished this book and I can say for sure that this is another "will forget" kind of book for me unfortunately. It doesn't mean it's a bad book, just an enjoyable and entertaining read in the moment.

Noni Blake is basically going to try to sleep with a lot of people in order to put herself and her desires first after getting out of a long relationship. I can't say I connected too much with the main character and perhaps that's why I ended up just an okay story for me.

(Thank you for letting me read and review an ARC via Netgalley)

loved this! super fab beach read. It was what I needed to just kick back and enjoy a good story. Loved the fat rep and really hope to see more in the future from this author.

This was a DNF for me. I could not get into the storyline and found myself skimming huge chunks of text. I will update my review if I revisit this title in the future.

I can really appreciate what this book did, however I just don’t think it was for me personally. I enjoyed the start of the book but afterwards everything just fell apart.

Noni Blake - her quest to prioritize herself and to do things that make HER feel good. It’s time to start worrying about myself more and stop bending over backwards for other people who don’t reciprocate. If you haven't read this one You really should. It’s such a delight and a totally hilarious way to validate your own needs.
Brilliantly written and just an amazing read.

This was a fun, lighthearted, empowering read! The plot was a little slow-moving for me but I really enjoyed the characters.

Super quirky and steamy! This was a fun read! I loved the sex positivity as well as the body positivity. Noni has has always put everyone else first, but now it’s her turn. She heads to Europe from Australia to live her best life and boy does she! This was so funny, Nonie is an absolute hoot! And boy oh boy can the girl get herself into some awkward situations! Another review said the book reminded them a bit of Sophie Kinsella and I can see that. Nonie is a lovable impetuous relatable character just like most of Sophie‘s characters, however there is a lot more steam in this book, for sure! 🔥

I would recommend this book for fans of Eat, Pray, Love! I loved watching the protagonist discover her voice and learn to put herself and her interests first -- such a feel-good and inspiring story!

I didn't care for this story. I don't like that the main character goes on a "quest" of sleeping with a bunch of people to find herself. That seems so out-dated. I did enjoy reading from a bisexual woman's POV; I don't think this POV is represented enough. This book just wasn't for me.

DNF - did not finish. I did not connect with the writing style/plot and decided to put this one down. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher for the early copy.

CW: anxiety, mention of drug usage, mention of fire, death of acquaintance, cheating, miscarriage, semi-explicit sex scenes


Thank you @netgalley and @ for the #gifted eARC. All opinions are my own.

Noni Blake is an Australian bisexual plus-sized teacher who is on a journey in Europe to find pleasure in life again after recent actions remind her that life is short and she’s not fully enjoying it.

This book had me laughing out loud, cheering for Noni, and even feeling more confident in myself. I saw myself so much within Noni in her thoughts and her actions and needs. She is goofy, smart, and sweet.

My only complaint is that sometimes the emotional aspect wasn’t thoroughly developed. There were a few scenes where it was just the actions being discussed and not a full grasp of the emotions were mentioned. The emotions were usually discussed later when she would be talking about what happened but in the moment it lacked a little.

Despite that, I adored this book and I recommend it as long as the CWs aren’t a problem. There are moments that it does get heavy so please proceed with caution.

This is a super fun read. I really enjoyed this one!

Many thanks to the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

This was a lovely story about a woman trying to find herself and her journey to happiness. I loved the bisexual representation and Noni’s sexual encounters. This is someone who decides to let pleasure lead her life - in all areas of her life, not just sex. Fashion, hair, insecurities over her weight, sex, dating. She wants to live for herself and what makes her happy inside. I loved that message and watching her grow into this stronger more confident woman.

There are a couple of romances in this but the primary one is Noni’s relationship with Beau, a sexy, self-assured, 40-year-old tattoo artist. I loved the chemistry and intimacy they had with one another. But if I’m honest, Beau fell a little flat for me. He was just too perfect. The story is in Noni’s point of view and there were several moments when Noni thinks she doesn’t deserve him. Beau is just a person, and I wanted to see his weaknesses and flaws.

The story did drag on in the beginning. Like many reviewers stated, I also put it down around the 20-30% mark because it felt like the story wasn’t going anywhere. But the more I read, the more I was invested in Noni. Things definitely get more interesting when Beau enters the picture, and the story shifts from a self-love journey story into a romance.

I DNF’ed this book at 67%. I couldn’t connect well with the writing style nor the characters in it. I loved the bi representation but I thought the plot wasn’t what I was looking for. It could’ve been the timing for me as I may pick it up at a later time and try again.