I was super excited for this book. Unfortunately the characters felt two dimensional and the plot felt like there was no destination.

I enjoy reading books about people with different life circumstances, and this book was no different. I liked seeing what life is like for this particular sex worker. However, I was a bit frustrated with the whole missing boyfriend storyline. Maybe I wasn't in the right headspace, because this is usually right up my alley. Not sure it will find its intended audience though...the cover looks more erotic, while the book is actually more literary than expected.

Wow, something about this book scratched an itch for me. I adored every second of Baby/Ruthie’s inner monologue and memory flashbacks.

Ruthie’s life is a bit of a mess aside from her engrossing love for her ex-boyfriend who randomly goes missing. She’s not sure who she is or what she wants aside from love and purpose, and losing the one person who’s been there for her in her later years of life causes her to spiral. As she’s trying to adjust, she meets a newbie stripper nobody likes, becomes a dominatrix, and goes a little crazy trying to find life’s meaning. Is life worth living without being loved? At what point does companionship truly make you feel less alone?

From the fun and bubbly descriptions of the strippers at the strip club she dances at, to reminiscing the bleak and dark days of her childhood with her mom, the narration had me entranced. Ruthie is such a complex and authentic character, and you can’t help but root for her to make it in the end.

This book is gritty, introspective, and just a good time. I loved it, and look forward to picking up a physical copy.

Ruth (Baby) is a stripper living with her drug dealer ex, Dino, in San Francisco. After Dino disappears, Ruth finds herself in a tailspin and attempts to figure out her life while searching the city for Dino. She meets a number of interesting folks along the way that leave a lasting impact on her. I highly recommend this one for fans of compelling, unreliable narrators and books that are left open to interpretation. Softcore is a bold, surreal story that tackles identity, the depths of loneliness, and the need for human connection in a whole new light.

I loved reading this. To enjoy it, I think you need to view it as a slice-of-life novel about a sex worker, instead of a thriller like I had expected it would be based on the description. As a lover of fragrance, I especially appreciated Newell's luscious descriptions of the perfume Soft Core, as well as the scents of every room and person the protagonist encounters.

gorgeous, moving, fast-paced, thought-provoking, deep yet deliciously readable. A real litfic dream.

Our protagonist, Ruth, or also known as Baby is living with her ex-boyfriend Dino all while figuring out life working as a sex worker. When her ex-Dino disappears, nothing makes sense, and Ruth goes from stripping to working in a BDM dungeon. I loved the messiness of this story and all the fascinating people that surround Baby on her journey! I would recommend this book 100% because it beat my expectations and along the journey you will find yourself in some version of Ruth/Baby

Ruth—aka Baby Blue—drifts through San Francisco’s underbelly, stripping for crypto bros, working odd gigs at a BDSM dungeon, and spiraling after her ex vanishes. Her search is a hazy fever dream of late-night dives, strange encounters, and existential crises; it’s messy, darkly funny, and tender.

Newell’s writing is sharp, surreal, and wildly entertaining. If you love stories about women's rights and maybeee women's wrongs, Soft Core delivers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC!

I love that this book is written by a professional dominatrix and reads kind of like a memoir. Ruth, aka Baby, is a stripper who has lost someone she loves dearly and finds herself searching for him while dealing with interesting characters at the strip club and BDSM dungeon she works at. All characters are unhinged which I enjoyed (who doesn’t love a little crazy), and Baby herself is questionable as you never really know if what she is seeing and hearing is real or not (her ex is everywhere apparently). I’m here for the female empowerment and women + men embracing their sexuality.

thank you to netgalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the ARC! ✨

From beginning to end I was 10000% locked in. This book is a solid treat for EVERYBODY. Grab your popcorn, a blanket, and something to drink then get comfortable because eyou're not gonna want to move.

In Soft Core, we are introduced to Ruth, who lives in a crumbling Victorian with her ex-boyfriend, Dino, in San Francisco. Ruth has recently begun working as a dancer at a strip club, where she calls herself Baby Blue and spend her nights seducing patrons from all walks of life. But then Dino, who Ruth is still very much emotionally attached to, disappears, leaving Ruth feeling adrift. She finds her way into San Francisco’s seedy sadomasochistic underbelly, reflecting on her life and forging some surprising relationships along the way.

The description of Soft Core makes it sound like Ruth is on an epic quest to find Dino, but that’s not really the case. Instead the novel, much like Ruth herself, is a bit aimless. It reads like a series of scenes rather than a book with a firm beginning, middle, and end. We are simply in Ruth’s head for this phase of her life, experiencing what she experiences; that’s the whole book. And I’m not necessarily saying that’s a bad thing. This is a deeply felt character study, incredibly intimate in its telling, that is both insightful and subversive. Brittany Newell is a phenomenal writer and a daring one, walking just the right side of a line between edgy and sensationalistic. Soft Core offers an unflinching look at the adult entertainment industry, with a seductive, fever-dream-like feeling to the prose. It really embraces its seedier qualities, while also offering a sensitive and complex portrayal of a sex worker. I was captivated by it all the way through, although I’m still not quite sure how I feel about the ending.

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the complimentary reading opportunity.

The prose absolutely crackles in this one--it's casually, flippantly pyrotechnic. I both enjoyed and admired this book quite a bit. I'm not sure that it totally follows through on all the pieces tosses up in the air, but I'm personally more interested in a book that confidently expresses a mood than one that perfectly sticks all of its landings, plot-wise. I loved spending time in this world.

3.5 ⭐️. what an insightful exploration into the world of smex work. ruthie/ baby/ miss sunday was such a complex, complicated character that I couldn't help but root for.

ty to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the advance reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five enthusiastic stars! This book was the wildest, most fun, most interesting ride! I had a blast reading this but was also genuinely impressed by the quality of the writing. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and couldn’t put it down. I found myself distressed when it was over because I just wanted to learn more about this motley crew of characters.

For anyone who loves a quirky literary fiction novel with strong found family vibes, this is for you.

Soft Core was one of those books where I really got sucked into the main character’s life and felt like I knew them. Newell has a great way of writing her characters in such a lovely way where I didn’t just want to know about this lives because it was interesting, but because I genuinely cared. I loved the confusing turns the story took at the end of the book as well and think that added to my rating for it. Thank you to the publisher for the arc copy.

Nop. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone with this book but I clearly made the wrong choice. This book wasn't for me at all.

The writing style was weird, the plot completely off and I just did not care for it.

I strongly disliked the characters.

I have absolutely nothing good to say about it.

Sorry.

Soft Core is sharply witty at some points and quietly heartbreaking at others. Ruth is a likeable character made all the more relatable by her flaws, and by the end of the story she feels like an old friend. Literary fiction fans will not want to miss this one! Full review at BookBrowse: https://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm/book_number/4947/soft-core

Soft Core is very much a no-plot-just-vibes kind of book, which worked for me at times but lost my interest along the way. The writing is strong, and there are definitely some interesting moments, but I found myself wanting more character development—especially when it came to Dino (still not entirely sure what his role was supposed to be). The main character being a stripper added some intrigue, but overall, I was hoping for a bit more depth. Not a bad read, just not totally satisfying.

Having not read this author before, I can say the writing ws esily the best prt and their talent is present throughout.

The story itself was muddled and made for a different audience than myself.

The mystery aspect was tepid
The prurient acts deliberately shocking and did not move the plot along.

Again, I applaud the effort and recognize it just wasn't for me.

I was expecting more of a focus on the mystery of Dino, however it felt more like reading diary entries from Ruthie on her day to day life.