This is a heartbreaking and deeply personal departure from her usual lighthearted rom-coms. In this autobiographical novel, Kinsella opens up about her struggles with a neurological disorder that has shaped her life in ways she never imagined. The book is raw, emotional, and beautifully written, offering an intimate look at her journey through fear, resilience, and self-acceptance.

This book was truly a gift and I thank Sophie Kinsella for sharing this personal story with the world.

Slightly different from her other novels, this shorter book took a more serious approach. But I loved it all the same. I highly recommend.

I truly loved this novella by Sophie Kinsella. What made this book so special to me, a life long Sophie Kinsella fan, was that while it was in Mrs. Kinsella’s style of writing, I got a glimpse at her life behind the pen, and everything that she has endured the past few years. The sprinkles of humor throughout the serious topic of the book made this one of my favorite books by the author.

Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Sophie Kinsella always makes me cry, but this made me SOB. Wow. A beautiful, honest, humourous but definitely sad semi-autobiographical story about the author's experience with brain cancer. As I type this, I'm tearing up. I hope her and her family are doing well.

I've already recommended it a bunch, so, 5 stars.

Eve is a novelist. She wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of why she is there. Her husband explains she had an operation to remove the malignant tumor that is on her brain.

Eve must learn to walk, talk, and write again. She begins to figure out what is important.

I was anticipating a light read, but this is heavy and emotional.

I was not expecting this from Sophie Kinsella. I had heard that you needed tissues when reading this book but didn’t appreciate it was going to be ties so closely to her own story. Hold your loved ones close and never take even one day for granted. A great book about love, family and how a positive outlook goes a long way.

I received a copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors for decades ever since the days of confessions of a shopaholic. Her latest novel does not disappoint and I recommended to any of her fans, enjoyable and emotional!

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella is a beautifully written, emotionally rich story that perfectly blends humor, heart, and a touch of whimsy. Known for her ability to create relatable characters with depth and warmth, Kinsella delivers a narrative that explores love, self-discovery, and the messy beauty of human emotions.

What makes this novel truly special is how it mirrors Kinsella’s own life and personal journey with illness, adding a deeper layer of authenticity and vulnerability to the story. The emotional moments feel raw and genuine, making the characters' struggles and triumphs even more impactful.

The dialogue sparkles with her signature wit, and the balance of light-hearted charm and heartfelt depth creates a reading experience that lingers long after the final page.

5 stars — a deeply personal, uplifting read that blends classic Kinsella charm with raw honesty. It’s a story that will make you laugh, reflect, and feel every emotion in between.

Unlike Kinsella’s other novels this one is heavy and for good reason. A raw and emotional story of Evie, an author who gets a devastating diagnosis. Kinsella has basically fictionalized her own emotional story having been diagnosed with the same condition as Evie and undergone almost all the same experiences as Evie. Somehow she manages to make you feel so much emotion in this short novel. She even gets you to laugh a little despite the heavy topic. I’m so happy to hear Kinsella will just keep going because I’m here to read whatever she writes in the normal plus period of her life.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of What Does it Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella!

Beautiful and poignant well written new book from Sophia Kinsella. It is a work fiction, but Kinsella herself said that it is her most autobiographical work to date. Therefore, before you decide to read What Does It Feel Like?, please know that it is about a terminal illness stemming from a brain tumor. Despite the theme there is a lot of humor mixed in with the sadness.

This was so very sad. I am a long time fan of Sophie Kinsella and this made my heart break for her. I wish her and her family all the best and thank her for sharing her story.

This was so heartbreakingly beautiful and sad. I was left sobbing and left feeling so empty.

It’s so hard to rate a book that happens to be so much of the life of the author.

This book will make you hold those close to you even closer. It was very moving. Especially knowing how this book was based on the author's personal experience with brain cancer. I loved how it was mainly told from her perspective and how she dealt with it all. It had some humerous aspects too, so it wasn't all serious. That she was able to write this after all she's been through is amazing and inspiring.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for this eARC.

What Does It Feel Like? is a devastating romantic comedy. Based on the author's experience with a brain tumor, this tells the ups and downs of being diagnosed with a terminal illness and how the support and love of those around you shape your healing process. It was moving and heart-wrenching.

Absolutely heartbreaking yet somehow optimistic, this story that is very reflective of the life of the author is definitely one to read. I have enjoyed Kinsella’s books in the past, and this short story certainly contains her normal wit and banter. Most importantly, however, it is filled with her story of having a brain cancer that required surgery and a long rehabilitation time. I found myself crying along with the story, but left smiling through the tears. Highly recommend to anyone who is affected by cancer, or who is going through something dreadfully “unlucky” but who is looking for a bit of levity. My favorite part of the story was the “normal plus” ideation, and it is one that I’m going to instill into my own life.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced reading copy of this book. All opinions within this review are my own.

I love Sophie Kinsella’s writing style. She is one of those authors that I turn to when I need something fun to read. When I saw that she had written a novel about her struggle with a brain tumor, I wasn’t sure if I could make it through. I lost my own mother from brain cancer and it remains a hard topic for me. I can say that I am so grateful for her honesty. I know this was a fictionalized view of her journey but it was still very authentic and real. The emotional journey was worth the read.

Ugh. Just ugh. It’s so sad knowing this is based on Sophie’s own experience right now yet I feel so so grateful to have a sneak peek into her world. Forever grateful that Sophie shared this with us.

While this book is fiction, it is based on Sophie Kinsella's experiences and I believe it's practically a memoir. It's a very short novella and in many ways I wanted more, but for the most part, I feel like it is probably the perfect length, especially for where Sophie Kinsella is right now.

I've been following Kinsella since her Shopaholic days and I've always marveled by how she seems to have grown so much as a writer. I had no idea she was going through, not just cancer, but glioblastoma, which is an extremely aggressive and often deadly form of brain tumor. I feel like What Does It Feel Like was probably mainly a therapeutic experience for Kinsella to write.

But it also seems to be her way of telling us what she's going through and to bring awareness for what life with glioblastoma is like. Though I did know some details about the illness, I was extremely struck by the main character's experience with memory and her husband having to constantly break the news of her diagnosis for her.

This short book can likely be read in just an hour or two and should definitely be read by anyone who is a fan of Kinsella's writing.

Sophie Kinsella takes a bold and deeply personal turn in What Does It Feel Like?, crafting a novel that is both heartbreakingly raw and beautifully life-affirming. Unlike her signature rom-coms, this book delves into the deeply intimate and fragile moments of life, offering readers an unfiltered look at illness, memory, and the quiet beauty of everyday love.

Eve, a successful novelist, wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there, only to be told by her devoted husband that she has undergone surgery to remove a malignant brain tumor. As she struggles to regain her sense of self—learning to walk, talk, and write again—she also grapples with how to explain her illness to her children, what her diagnosis means for her future, and how to hold onto the love and moments that truly matter.

The book is structured in brief, poignant anecdotes, each one carrying a weight of emotion and reflection that resonates deeply. Kinsella’s prose is simple yet powerful, making each scene feel intimate and real. Her signature humor shines through even in the darkest moments, making this novel both tear-jerking and uplifting in equal measure.

This is not just a story about illness; it’s a celebration of life, love, and the connections that sustain us. It’s a book that will break your heart and put it back together again, reminding us all to cherish the small, seemingly mundane moments that truly make life meaningful.

For fans of deeply emotional and reflective narratives like When Breath Becomes Air and Still Alice, What Does It Feel Like? is a must-read. It’s a book that lingers in your thoughts long after you turn the final page, leaving you with a profound appreciation for the resilience of the human spirit.