DNF 32%

I really wanted to love this book! A 30-something, plus size, bisexual, female lead sounded AMAZING. But the writing style and pacing was so frenetic that I felt like I couldn't connect with the story.

We get a ridiculous amount of info about Noni's sexual history in the first few chapters and then some very awkward sexual encounters that don't lend anything to moving the plot forward. I felt like I was wading through every day of Noni's life crises, waiting for the story to begin.

I finally gave up.

I received a gifted copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A pleasure read! Noni leaves a bad breakup and a job behind in Australia in pursuit of whatever she can say yes to in Europe, including maybe checking off some people from her list of missed hookups. This would be a great gift for a friend (or yourself) who has put herself last for too long. Very sex positive, bi friendly, and overall joyful even through some hard situations.

Thank you, NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this book.

Rating: 2.5 stars

I had such high hopes for this novel, it was definitely one of my most anticipated of the year. A story about a bisexual woman in her 30s, struggling with which direction her life is taking, it sounded exactly like my sort of read.

I was enjoying this at the start, but the more I read the more I disliked everything, the last 20% especially was all over the place and by that point I just wanted it to end.

I definitely understand why people love this one, unfortunately it just wasn’t for me.

Ok I loved this one you guys! I didn’t expect it to be so inspirational and uplifting, but it was really wonderful. How often do we, as adults do things just for the simple pleasure of it? Not often I’m afraid, and following along with Noni as she embarks on a pleasure quest was such a damn delight. It was a unique way for her to start a path of self discovery and I was rooting for her so hard!

Noni was such a complex and well crafted character, she was very honest and vulnerable throughout the book as she faced her own insecurities. There was so much body positivity and sex positivity and I am SO here for that. It was refreshing to read about a strong woman going after what she wanted and to put her own needs and wants first. I adored my time with Noni and was sad to say goodbye. Read this is you want to feel empowered and hopeful, it was sexy, funny and utterly charming.

I never read from Clare Christian before so I was totally ready to dive in. It was a bit different writing style that I expected but it was also refreshing though. Let me explain. The beginning of It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake starts off with a bang. Not a literal one but more of a restart for Noni Blake. She has always been willing to please others in her relationship, romantic or not. Lately, she has been neglecting herself. That stops now when she takes a long hard look at herself. She needs to do more for her than anyone else. Self-care is always important. It's time for Noni Blake to start doing so. It's going to be a wild ride.

It’s Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake - Claire Christian

Wow this was such a pleasant surprise! I got the e-arc of this from Netgalley, and was enjoying so I decided to buy a physical copy when it came out to finish reading it. This is a story about Noni Blake who goes on a 6 month trip in Europe to find herself and find pleasure. This book really focuses on Noni, but there’s also a romance in here that I adored. Noni is attracted to both men and women, and she’s plus sized. I enjoyed the rep in this book! The love interest Beau has a 16 year old son named Zeppelin, and I loved their relationship. Noni goes on a retreat with her friend and meets a boudoir photographer who she ends up working with. There was just so much about this book that I enjoyed. It doesn’t read like a traditional romance but I still think the romance was a big part of the story. I definitely recommend this and I’m glad I own a copy of it!

It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake was just such a joy to read. Noni Blake is here, she's queer, she's loud, and she's not really proud yet, but she's getting there. Noni's journey of self discovery, of learning to own her emotions and who she is, was beautiful and so authentic. She's been so bereft since the dissolution of her marriage that she's not paid attention to that fact she's unhappy, that she's been unhappy. Happiness is not as easy as love though, it's not as easy as following a list you make, it's not checking boxes, and Noni's figuring that out. She's doing the what ifs, quite literally, and making up some more along the way. What ensues is a hilarious, sometimes serious, adventure in sexuality, happiness, grief, and love. I read It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake in one sitting and if I could read it for the first time again I would, I just loved it so much.

I am of the perspective that her queerness was not looked over, rather Claire Christian writes it matter of fact. You know, the way we should treat it, rather than as some big difference. Why yes, I am queer in case you were wondering, and I do think I should just be treated equally and reading a book where the MC is treated that way was so nice. I am also of the belief that owning our sexuality is our business and what we do with it is personal and not up for discussion, so good for Noni for doing what she wanted sexually. It wouldn't be what I do, but I sure loved reading about it and the power it gave her. Oh, you don't think sleeping around should give people power? Good thing it isn't up to you. It helped things click for her and it made her face good and bad parts of her life, her choices, her thoughts. I was ALL ABOUT IT.

Noni Blake is the kind of character you grow to love, just like she grows to love herself. What is once embarrassingly awkward and painful self-criticism turns to embracing that awkwardness and learning to cheer for oneself. She finds joy in making choices for herself, in putting herself first, and in learning how saying yes, and sometimes no, are the key to happiness even if it doesn't make others happy. It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake is a satisfying, profound read about self love and empowerment and I cannot recommend it enough.

I really enjoyed this book. There are not enough romance novels with normal bodied heroines and Claire Christian nailed this one. I recommend it!

It isn't often that I find a book lives up to the hype and buzz because I get my hopes up time and again. But this book didn't disappoint! Noni's journey and the work she did on herself along the way were funny, heart breaking, and empowering all at once. Great characters!

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. Noni Blake is just out of a long term relationship. She takes her half from the sell of their flat and decides to leave Austrilia to tour Europe. From day one, she eats and does whatever gives her pleasure. This is a good story of finding out what makes you happy and not out to please any one else. I loved the ending too. I didn't care for all the steamy scenes...but loved the story behind the book. #itsbeenapleasurenoniblake #clairechristian #feb2021

Noni Blake always puts herself last. She got out of an almost decade long relationship and hasn't felt happy for a long time. She broke the sex drought with a firefighter, but she dies shortly after their hookup. Noni feels like she's been wasting her life and decides to do something about it. She booked a six-month long trip to Europe in search of pleasure. Instead of a bucket list, she comes up with a F***-List.

Noni finds herself in some...questionable situations when it comes to sex. Some great, some...not so much. But she's promised herself she'd be daring and live life a little recklessly while she's there. After all, she's on a pleasure quest. Noni finds a sexy, tattooed "Viking," named Beau. They hit it off, but she knows they have an expiration date.

Through this journey, she finds herself again. She figures out her worth and that her happiness matters. I could relate to Noni so much and loved the character development.

This book brought me so much joy. During the first 20% I was nervous that I was not going to love it, but after that point I flew through the rest.

It gives very Eat Pray Love vibes, going on an adventure to find yourself. But this hits different, with a queer plus size woman in her 30s trying to find pleasure in her life. This book made me feel like I need to start really choosing myself and doing what I love and want over everything else.

Beau is the ultimate man and his entire family was such a pleasure to read about. Noni is probably the best main character from a contemporary that I’ve read in a long time.

5/5 stars!! Amazing Read!

This is definitely not the romance I was expecting. It was messier than need be and there was no real deep love story.

4 to 4.5 stars!

*TW: IVF, miscarriage, infidelity


Noni was everything to me! MY HEART

The writing in this book was *chef’s kiss* and the story this author told was just superb. I’ve never been so invested in a character’s life before and rooted for them the entire way full-heartedly.

While some scenes I just wasn’t the biggest fan of, I reveled in the romantic plotline we eventually stumble onto (my GOD, was it my favorite romantic plotline everrrr) and Noni’s quest for pleasure gave *me* pleasure!

There’s actually a lot to unpack and get into with this book, but I’ll just leave it at this: you’ll want to pick this one up and love Noni for yourself.

After the sudden death of a former lover, Noni takes a sabbatical to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Her goal is to follow where pleasure takes her—but she doesn't expect to fall in love. When it comes time to return home, which path will she choose?

This book is about shedding external expectations and living for what brings you joy. It's largely a sexual journey, but not an erotic one. Many of the sexually explicit scenes are more cerebral (and even humorous) than titillating. The humor often tends toward the crude and scatalogical.

I enjoyed the characters and the emotion. It's a fun and uplifting book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

It’s Been A Pleasure Noni Blake by Claire is a beautifully written book by Claire Christian. This book was not only interesting but also inspiring. Noni Blake has just ended a decade long relationship and decides to finally put herself first. She takes a leave from work and travels through Europe being spontaneous and adventurous. Noni dates a few men and women here and there and ends up in plenty of uncomfortable and awkward situations along the way.

This book is a feel good novel that is hilarious and would be perfect for anyone who is in a little bit of a rut and needs some inspiration to do something they love. Noni is such a lovable character and puts into perspective how important it is to put what you love first in life. Get that hair cut you’ve always wanted, go on that trip you’ve always set your mind to, take that job even though it seems risky. I highly recommend this book and wish I could read more about Noni and her (mis)adventures.

Thank you to Net Galley, Mira and Claire Christian for this ARC. It was a true work of art that I will be reading again!

I LOVED this book! It had me swooning and laughing out loud. Noni is in her thirties and has done all the ‘right’ things...so why isn’t she happy? While this is a romance, it is more of a book about self-discovery. I like that this shows it’s never too late to follow your passions. Noni’s character was super relatable. I liked her friendship with Lindell and that aspect of found family. The romance with Beau was HOT and so sweet. I’m off to go find my Viking now lol. TW: depression, anxiety, loss of a child, fat shaming, grief.

What a fantastic book about finding yourself and your pleasures. The synopsis was a bit misleading but the book is about Noni Blake who is fresh-ish out of a long term relationship and writes a list of people who she should’ve slept with and wants to find them and sleep with them - especially her “one” Molly. Although this book started off a bit slow, I loved this book for many reasons. Firstly, she’s from Australia (my people), secondly she’s not a stereotypical heroine. She’s weird and wonderful and curvy and full of insecurities and doubts. I love her and I fully belly laughed when we got our first glimpse into the title being used in the book. It was a true pleasure reading this book and I am so grateful to Harlequin and Netgalley for giving me the chance to read this.

It's a Pleasure, Noni Blake was such a wonderful story! We follow Noni, a 30-something bisexual woman, as she embarks on a journey to put herself first and find pleasure in her life. She flies to Europe to see if she can rekindle old flames and have some new flings. We laugh with Noni as she gets herself into some incredibly awkward situations and cry with her as she recounts the losses in her life and struggles to love herself. Noni is messy, real, and lovable and it was such a joy to root for her to find love. The beginning was a bit slow, but a little before the halfway point I could not put this book down. This story was part open door romance but also had a big focus on Noni's individual growth, which I really appreciated. I am so glad I read this and I highly recommend!

Content warnings: miscarriage, infertility, grief

Thank you so much @_Mira_Books_ & @NetGalley for giving me this eARC in exchange for my honest and unbiased review (Release Date | 23 February 2021)

SYNOPSIS | Noni has just come out of a decade long relationship & she decides that she needs to start prioritizing herself so she embarks on a 6 month long pleasure-seeking quest where she basically seeks out things (or people) in life that bring her pleasure.

WHAT I LIKED:
- Noni was an absolute precious bean of a character and I wish her all the happiness & pleasure in the world
- the queer representation felt so refreshingly organic
- the sexy scenes were very enjoyable (of which there were many)
- loved the core message of self care, self worth and finding your place in the world (no matter how old you are)

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:
- I wasn't prepared & would have appreciated a TW for miscarriage