Sophie Kinsella has always had a way with story telling. She has always made me laugh out loud as I read her books. She has always been a favorite author of mine.
What Does It Feel Like is incredibly written. Kinsella brings her reader into her own life as she tells this story. Knowing her diagnosis and now reading her own words as she spins the story about Eve, just invokes so many feelings. I'm thankful that she has wanted to tell her story this way. She brings emotion and at the same time lets the reader understand what she is going through in her own words.

In What Does It Feel Like?, Sophie Kinsella delivers her most personal and powerful novel yet—a tender, deeply human story of love, memory, and resilience in the face of a life-altering diagnosis. Through the voice of Eve, a successful author recovering from brain surgery, Kinsella captures the fragility of life and the beauty of everyday moments with humor, honesty, and grace. Told in poignant vignettes, the book balances heartbreak and hope with Kinsella’s signature wit. It's a raw, moving tribute to the strength of family, the healing power of love, and the importance of holding on to joy—even in the darkest times. A short but unforgettable read.

This is a very unique project. I am not an established fan of Sophie Kinsella, but I know of her. I think this is a very important piece of literature, but I'll be interested to see what percentage of Sophie's fanbase picks this up. I'm not sure if they'll realize this is a different kind of book to Sophie's ususal.

Prepare for a serious emotional journey with Sophie Kinsella's What Does It Feel Like? Inspired by her own recent cancer diagnosis, this isn't your typical Kinsella novel. It's a deeply personal, incredibly moving novella that's going to make you cry, but in the best possible way. The story follows Eve, a novelist who wakes up in the hospital only to discover she has a brain tumor, grappling with memory loss and the huge challenge of explaining it all to her kids. It's an honest, tender look at facing a life-altering illness.
Even with such a tough subject, Kinsella's signature warmth and wit shine through. She tackles the impossible questions and huge life shifts that come with a health crisis, always finding a glimmer of light even in the darkest moments. The raw honesty of Eve's journey is what really hits home, showcasing incredible resilience, the unbreakable bond of family, and the quiet beauty of everyday life. Seriously, grab some tissues. You'll definitely shed some tears, but you'll also reflect on what truly matters and walk away with huge respect for both Eve's strength and Sophie Kinsella's courage.

I am a huge Sophie Kinsella fan and reading this book was so meaningful to me. I always love Sophie’s books and found this one to be just the right amount of heartfelt and humorous.

This is different that the books I usually read by Sophie Kinsella, but still worth reading.

This is a short book about Eve, a woman who has just had a large tumor removed from her brain. She has to learn how to walk, talk, and live again while navigating her life as a mother and wife. A deeply personal story for Kinsella, you can feel the emotion in every stage of Eve's journey.

4⭐️ no spice
WOW! this 144 page fictional (yet partly nonfiction) memoir/short story about an author and mother navigating a terminal illness was so moving for such a short novel! I finished this in just over 1 hour. This author is very talented to fit many months of story into such a short read.
Wholesome, raw, and fresh.

content: chronic illness, terminal illness, cancer.

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

I've always been a fan of Sophie Kinsella's works. This novella is labeled fiction but mostly an autobiographical work of Sophie's own experience with cancer. From her point of view we learn the realistic struggles and affects on loved ones. It was incredibly gripping. I was able to complete it within an hour and did not want to put it down. It made me appreciate Sophie Kinsella and her talent even more than I already did!

Very powerful, really makes you think about what is important. Thank you to Sophie Kinsella for letting us into her experiences and life.

Sophie Kinsella latest novella was so sad, but so inspirational to read. The book is about her own real life journey with brain cancer and how she dealt with it. She did change the parts that she couldn't remember due to short term memory loss and changed names to portect people. It was a quick, short read, but so worth it!

This was beautifully written but really heavy! It took a long time for me to read because of that. I would only reccomend this for people who are okay with hard subjects in women's fiction.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. What Does it Feel Like is a departure from Kinsella's other books, but this story is so touching and real. Eve's responses are true and show the ups and downs of dealing with this disease. One of my friends is also going through this and her blogs remind me of this book. Some funny, some sad, all a journey with no spoilers.

This short novel was a well written and powerful story of the impact of illness on a writer and her family. It is difficult to be anything but grateful to the author for sharing this autobiographical telling of her own life experience. At the end, the author does share her life experience and motivation for creating and sharing this novel.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella is a short, heartfelt story about a woman who starts asking people a simple but powerful question: “What does it feel like?” As she listens to the honest, sometimes surprising answers from strangers and loved ones, she begins to see the world—and herself—differently. The story is warm, reflective, and quietly moving, reminding us how important it is to really understand and connect with others. It’s a gentle nudge to slow down, be curious, and care a little more. A quick but meaningful read that leaves you thinking long after it’s over. Highly recommend!

I had no idea that this was a novella, but I’m glad it was. Because I don’t think my heart could have taken a full length novel.
There is an authors note at the end and I didn’t know Sophie herself went through some of the same health problems as Eve. It made the book all that more relatable.

This "novel" by Sophia Kinsella was short and sweet and truly packed an emotional punch. Living with a parent who was diagnosed with stage 3 inoperable cancer, this book hit home for me personally, but I would recommend this short read to anyone. Cancer is a journey that nobody prepares for but Sophie Kinsella showed how supportive communities surrounding the sick person really do provide great comfort and care and reason for fighting on.

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors. From her Becky Bloomwood Shopaholic series to her stand-alone novels, her books always allow me to escape reality, smile, root for the heroine, and cheer when there is a happy ending, even if the resolution is not as anticipated. When I heard she was seriously ill with a devastating diagnosis, my heart broke a little. As we are of similar ages with families in comparable stages of life, I cannot imagine what she is facing. I am in awe that she sat down to invite her fans in and let us know.

"What Does It Feel Like?" by Sophie Kinsella is a poignant and deeply moving book that, while fictional, draws heavily from the author's own experiences. It's a story that explores life in the face of a serious illness, and it does so with a remarkable blend of honesty, vulnerability, and even humor at times.

The book centers on Eve, a successful novelist whose life is irrevocably changed by a devastating diagnosis. As Eve navigates the challenges of her new reality, Kinsella delves into the complex emotions and practical difficulties that accompany such a journey. There's a rawness to the narrative, a sense of unfiltered truth, that resonates deeply.

What makes this book so powerful is Kinsella's ability to balance the nature of the subject matter with moments of lightness and even wit. She doesn't shy away from the difficult questions and painful realities, but she also finds room for hope and love, reminding the reader to appreciate the small joys that still exist even in the darkest times. The book is ultimately a celebration of life, a reminder of what truly matters: connection, family, and the courage to face each day with as much strength and grace as possible.

"What Does It Feel Like?" is not always an easy read, and certainly lacks her usual happy ending with complete resolution, but it's an important one. It's a book that will stay with you long after you've finished it, prompting reflection on the fragility of life and the enduring power of the human spirit. It is, in short, a testament to the resilience of the human heart.

Keeping the author in my thoughts and prayers.

Thank you to Net Galley for an ARC of the novel. I am happy to share an honest review.

What Does it Feel Like was both beautiful and heartbreaking. This short story (audiobook is less than 2 hours) brings out the raw journey of Eve who is diagnosed with a stage 4 Glioblastoma. Each chapter goes through Eve's difficult recovery and the effect her diagnosis has on herself and her family.
After reading the author's notes, I found that this was almost an autobiography of Sophie Kinsella's journey into her own cancer diagnosis and her personal journey shows in this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the opportunity to review What Does it Feel Like? All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Semi autobiographical book from Sophie Kineslla told in vignettes about brain cancer experiences. ARC from NetGalley.

What Does It Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella follows Eve, a successful writer attending the movie premier of one of her novels. Everything is going great for her, but the next thing she knows, she is waking up in a hospital bed, groggy, disoriented and not sure what has happened. We, along with Eve, learn that she has advanced brain cancer and has underwent an operation to try to remove it. We follow Eve as she tries to relearn how to walk, talk, and remember the things she loves in life, like family game night and holding her husband's hand.

Sophia Kinsella knows how to write a heart wrenching short story. This novel was inspiring as she Eve and her family never lost her hope or positive outlook on life, despite facing one of the toughest types of cancer out there. She ties in humor in with cancer to bring light to a dark situation. This short story was so touching, especially after learning that the author wrote about her experiences.

The only disappointing fact about this book is that it was not longer. I would have loved to read more about Eve's career, the diagnosis and all between the jump we encountered early on.

I would highly recommend this to just about anyone. It was very quick to read and addictive.