this book didn't have the prose to be a literary novel you know what i mean? something about her is a tale of two women and their stories as their lives intertwine and they grow closer and closer. aisling is a first year fresh out into the world without her controlling family, and after a breakup with her ex girlfriend she is ready for a brand new start. maya is a second year returning after finally getting together with her childhood best friend now turned boyfriend, someone she's pined after for years. the women meet and their lives become interconnected with each other's for better or for worse.

while fun to read, this story just left me wanting more... maybe it's just me but i believe there should have been more passion, more lust, more love-- simply more emotion. this was an enjoyable story but it didn't feel as messy or as dramatic as i was expecting it to be. we discuss many topics that warrant emotions care when discussing them but it felt very surface-level. i think i was expecting a fucked up codependent relationship between these two women when simply they're navigating life and love and loss and what that means for them, truly it's probably a me issue! overall. this was a nice book and i loved loved aisling's character so much. the ending being ambiguous was nice i liked that and i think if you're just hitting college or entering a new path unknown to you, this book about self discovery will be a great read!

thanks to penguin group putnum and netgalley for the arc!

This was a tough read. The love story was overshowed by all painful drama for drama's sake. Taylor really put the work in to keep me until the end. Still uad a plasant experience once it was all over.

Thank you to PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons, and NetGalley for providing an eARC for a honest review.

Yall I tried. I tried so hard. I struggled to get through this story and I truly never fell in love with anyone in it. As a queer woman who struggles with a homophobic mother, I felt I could have truly connected with Aisling if she was written with any depth or actual truth. Everything felt very surface and oh ill just keep all this to myself, which is fine and people do that everyday. But we also don't write books about their lives because they refuse to tell their stories. It also felt like the author has no personal experiences and just googled "how does a queer woman with a homophobic mother act."

This held such potential and I just couldn't connect with it at all. I hate writing this because I never want to discourage anyone away from a book their interested in, but I also want people to have a decent grasp on how the book sat with me. This one just wasn't for me and that's OK. You can't win them all! ❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I received an advanced review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you to NetGalley, Clementine Taylor, and Penguin Group Putnam. ❤️

I really enjoyed Maya and Aisling. I enjoyed reading them fall in love and the way that it was handled in the story with the characters surrounding them. What I didn’t love was that things seemed to stay a bit surface level in this novel. We were dealing with major themes of trauma, abuse, and alcoholism but only from a distance. Which I think I would have been okay with had we seen our characters deciding to go to therapy or working together to heal but that just doesn’t happen.

They just got stuck in this trap, which I know is true to how many people deal with trauma but Maya and Aisling’s love story just felt like such high stakes that I was confident the entire time that they would work it out. Which is why the ending feels so entirely out of character to me.

I think misunderstanding tropes/people not wanting to burden people with their feelings storylines can be executed well, I jus didn’t like how this one was handled.

Honestly I think this would have been a four star read if it hadn’t been for the ending.

This was... underwhelming. While I found both Orla and Maya likable enough, the whole story just lacked depth. We always skirted just along the surface, and while we were told there was so much more and given hints that it existed, we never quite went there. Because of that, it felt hard to connect with these characters in any meaningful way, and this book read as somewhat elementary.

Also, because deeper issues like abuse and trauma, family dynamics, etc. were merely hinted at and sort of dropped in in small doses, their inclusion sometimes felt somewhat flippant, as if it was added in to bring dimension to the characters by their mere mention. Like, there are these very major, important things that inform both protagonists' character, but we're just gonna kinda say they're a thing and not explore them. Just trust us, they're there! I wasn't really down with that.

The ending came out of nowhere, as well. It was not only unrealistic based on what we did know about the characters, but the fallout (or should I say lack thereof) was also like, ???? The stakes felt so low that they were on the ground when the entire book up to that point tried to make us believe they were extremely high.

I dunno, it sadly just felt a bit blah and I really wish that wasn't the case!

That being said, many thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. I'm always here for all things gay.

Aisling is about to start her first year at the University of Edinburgh, and she’s happy to escape her religious family and ex-girlfriend. Maya is returning for her second year, and even though her boyfriend is her best friend since childhood, something is nagging at her that it isn’t right. Aisling and Maya meet one night at Poetry Society (such a lesbian thing lol) and there’s an electric feeling between them. The two feel a connection and they spend the year figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and how to deal with their very different families.

Aisling’s mom is a total homophobic b-word, leaving emotional and actual physical scars on her daughter. So if that’s triggering for you, here’s your warning. Surprisingly there wasn’t any raunchy sex scenes, just a lot of cuddling and kissing and hand holding and assumptions of sex. I wish there were more coming-of-age LGBTQ books like this when I was younger!

"Something About Her" had some solid ideas and interesting characters, but it didn't quite hook me. Aisling, an Irish Catholic girl facing abuse from her alcoholic mother, seeks solace by enrolling in college in Edinburgh. There, she meets Maya, an artist who catches her attention. The narrative explores self-discovery and love as Maya enters her second year at the University of Edinburgh, secure in her studies and embarking on a new relationship. At the same time, Aisling grapples with her past, struggling to find her place on campus. The novel focuses on sexuality and acceptance during young adulthood. The ending left me unsatisfied, but despite some writing issues and repetitiveness between chapters, it was an enjoyable reading experience.

Something About Her by Clementine Taylor is a slim novel that covers a lot in a small number of pages. Set in Aisling's first year at Edinburgh University (which is Maya's second year) we cover the women meeting each other, falling in love, sorting out their at-home relationships, and ultimately coming together. However, there's a melancholy cast over the entire affair, and from the jump the reader is left waiting for the other shoe to drop. Eventually it does, and the ending is both haunting and ambiguous.

I am glad I read this one, and I think it's a gripping look at how family trauma can affect one's whole life. I did think the ending was a bit of a cop out. 3.5 stars rounded up. Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

2.5 stars rounded up. I struggled with this one. I revisited some of my DNF’s to try to get my Netgalley ratio up and I should have listened to my gut instinct on this one. It had some good things going for it, an interesting premise and characters, but I felt like it could have used more editing to get the character development right.

“Something About Her” is the story of Aisling, an Irish Catholic girl who’s the target of intense physical abuse from her controlling, alcoholic mother, who resents her for her openness with her sexuality. Aisling goes to college in Edinburgh, hoping to escape her painful family history and start afresh, to study literature, and meets Maya, a bubbly, hard partying artist who captures her attention.

In this dual POV lesbian awakening arc, Maya, who comes from a loving family background with a tight friend group, starts off college with the perfect boyfriend, her childhood crush - or so she thought, before she starts pining for the mysterious sad girl in poetry society.

I think this book was uncertain what genre it wanted to be. It didn’t have enough interiority to fall under literary fiction. Aisling moves to Edinburgh and instantly becomes this well-adjusted person who doesn’t struggle with her sexuality despite the abuse at home or the trauma from said abuse. It had all the beats of a romance but the ending between Maya and Aisling was not a very satisfying resolution.

That puts it more into women’s fiction, I guess. Inevitable, given Aisling’s past, but the beats of their relationship felt rushed and awkward. So much time was spent on sapphic pining and young love that the third act breakup felt like the author couldn’t decide on how to end the story.

Most troubling of all were the descriptions of trauma, mental health and abuse. Not because that stuff is troubling on its own sake but the depictions of it felt inauthentic, like someone doing their research instead of really feeling it. The mother was so over the top she was like the stereotype of an abuser. And I didn’t care for the metaphor of insects for Maya’s anxiety, it was depicted more as self loathing, which was never really explored satisfactorily.

I also struggled with the spare writing style and some of the word choice used. This felt like one of those writers who tries to avoid the use of “said” as a dialogue tag but goes over the top with the muttering and sighing instead.

The premise was fascinating and I loved the characters of Maya and Aisling, but I felt like this was one of those “summer love trapped in amber” sorts of stories that needed a little more direction.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A heartfelt, emotional story of finding yourself and falling in love! Maya is beginning her second year at the University of Edinburgh, feeling secure in her place at school, and starting a new relationship with her childhood friend. Aisling is a first-year student, relieved to have some distance from her abusive family, but still struggling to figure out exactly where she belongs on campus. When Maya and Aisling cross paths at a Poetry Society meeting, everything begins to change.

Both women were such well-developed characters, with distinct voices—I was invested in them from the very start, and enjoyed reading about their individual journeys, along with their relationship. Their story was beautifully told—I liked the writing style a lot. However (spoiler alert), I didn't enjoy the ending. I understand that it didn't necessarily have to be a happy ending, since I don't think a "happily-ever-after" would have been entirely true to the story, either, but I wish there were more of a resolution for the characters, and that things had ended less abruptly. Otherwise, I enjoyed this one, and look forward to seeing what Clementine Taylor writes next! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I really liked this book! There is something very eye-opening and painful to read about how religious parents can treat their queer child and how that impacts the entirety of their relationship. I love the creation of found family in queer stories because it is so vital to the victims survival. Overall it was lovely, I enjoyed the little intricacies of stanzas from poems between the main characters.

A heartwarming story of healing, growing pains, finding yourself, and love.

I loved this book so much more than I thought I would. I was surprised by the depth of the storyline, and how I felt quickly connected to the main characters. The realness that was depicted in this stories' relationships and life situations was so refreshing to read.

Plot- 4/5🔆
Romance- 2/5🌶️

There does need to be a trigger warning for child abuse, both depicted and assumed.

Maya and Aisling were both nice characters to follow along with. I absolutely loved Aisling's story though, and found her to be so relatable. I was rooting for her happiness the entire time. There are several other sweet characters you meet while spending time with Maya and Aisling. The ending caught me by surprise but in a good way. No one likes a predictable end. 😌

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

thanks to NetGalley for the eARC

⭐️=2.25? | 😘=4.75 | 🤬=4.5 | ⚔️=5 | 17/18+

summary: story of two girls finding each other and falling for each other and falling apart and there's like early 2010s homophobia and child abuse and stuff

thoughts: it is not necessary to describe every single scene with all five senses in excruciating detail!! not necessary. this was fine... I guess? but I didn’t enjoy it?? like the only reason I finished it was because it was super short and fast-paced so I could stand it. kind of a disappointing moment for the sapphic girlies all around imo??

Thank you to Netgalley and Putnam for the opportunity to read this book before publication in exchange for an honest review.

I thought this was a beautiful story with interesting characters, and it dealt with extremely traumatic and tender themes gently and with compassion.

Unfortunately the writing style was not something I found engaging. There was utility in the amount of detail, but it rarely felt artful. After the first part, the extraneous stream of consciousness writing style grated on me. There was little discernible difference in voice between two vastly different narrator characters. It gave me the impression that a very young person had written it.

Because of the basic writing style, there wasn’t a great build up of tension for the main characters, Aisling and Maya, and that made the romance feel a little flat for me, although a few of the love scenes were sexy in a non-graphic way.

There were a few things that I think could use a re-work. The insect as anxiety metaphor was mostly just icky to me and referred to repeatedly. There were also numerous instances of the use of “muttering” where it didn’t seem like the correct word - mumble seemed like a better choice.

The ending was incredibly abrupt with no resolution. It felt very unsatisfying to not know how it ended, or even why it ended there.

The story has so much potential but I believe it would benefit greatly from major editing and punch up of the dialogue. Or possibly change the format to be a diary. It just didn’t work for me as written.

Something About Her is heartfelt and raw in the way that your emotions feel as you are figuring it all out. Maya and Aisling are both described by the other as gorgeous and confident, but in their own chapters, grapple with self-doubt and uncertainty. Think: Normal People, but queer coming-of-age. As an American reader, I loved the Irish names: Aisling, Niamh, Siobhan, and so many more. Just a small touch that made it feel like I was transported to another place. I don’t know if I loved the ending as much as I loved the journey of getting there, but the journey was certainly worth it.

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for a free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I really wanted to love this one, the characters and story felt so real to me! I loved Maya and Aisling, and the queer sally rooney vibes of it all. Unfortunately, the writing fell flat to me and the plot ended up relying a bit on tropes in a way I didn’t love. But it was still good.

Aisling and Maya are a gutting portrayal of exploring and accepting your sexuality as young adults. They challenge their own fears, guilt, and family dynamics as they journey to become their true selves. Their story explores what it means to face the truth of both self and the circumstances you came from and how sometimes the very thing you try to escape will catch up to you if you refuse to face it. Other themes: chosen family, acceptance, familial abuse.

DNF this at 47% because nothing really happened, I thought maybe something might so I stuck with it, but here we are.

The writing style is simple and easy to follow, very pretty at times. The story starts out strong laying out a lot of trauma for the one of the main characters Aisling, but then she goes to college and she seems just fine.
(CW alcoholic parent, violently abusive parent, homophobia) We see her adjusting fine and pursuing relationships, I figured some part of the book would deal with her healing process, but the first half she's mostly focused on the other MC Maya.

Maya is carefree and fun. She has wonderful parents, friends, and relationships, but she's secretly pining for Aisling.

Halfway in, the story doesn't progress much further than that. Maybe I'll pick it up again in the future. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin Group for the ARC!

Something About Her ripped my heart open. This book felt as if I was reading someone diary. Even at moments it felt like reading my own journal. The story was absolutely wonderful and heartbreaking. I felt Aisling and Maya’s pain so deep in my heart it will hurt me for days to come. Both Aisling and Maya felt so real and relatable I found myself in both of them I really understood them. I read the book in only a few hours but I have a feeling it will stick with my for so much longer than that. Thank you netgalley for the ARC.

I just want to say that I absolutely loved this book; it was so hard for me to put down! I really enjoyed the way in which the characters were written. As well as the differences in their self-discovery journeys. I like that Aisling showcased the the emotional, physical, and mental struggles of having unsupportive (and abusive) parents. In addition to that, I like that Maya showed the process of working through some of the ideas of compulsory heteronormativity; I think this is something that is not shown in a lot of LGBTQ+ books. The ending took me by absolute surprise, I was not expecting the plot twist what so ever lol!

Also, I did notice there was a typo at the top of page 172. In the version I received, it said “… ne around him” I think it maybe was supposed to say be around him.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the book, I’m very grateful!