I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

At first I thought what on Earth am I reading but after getting to the end of this and reading the authors note I was shocked.

This deals with devastating news but also adds a bit of humor through it all. This is a short story (very short) but you get a glimpse into a family dealing with a medical crisis and how one copes through it all. Family support and love are keys to heartache and struggles.

Sophie Kinsella is synonymous with fun, frills, chick lit and humor. I have been a fan of her Shopaholic series and standalone novels for umpteen years. Her email newsletters are cheerful. Her stories are lighthearted yet with substance. So to read and review What Does It Feel Like? is a bit different.

This new novel is about a renowned author facing a devastating diagnosis. While it is fiction, it is Sophie Kinsella's most autobiographical work to date. This is true chick lit; heartbreakingly personal in less than 150 pages. Eve's story is her story and reminds me of my story.

Eve is a successful novelist that who wakes up in a hospital bed with no recollection of how she got there. Her husband explains that she had brain surgery to remove a large, malignant tumor. As Eve learns to walk, talk and write again, she recalls what is most important to her in brief anecdotes that will make you laugh, cry and reflect.

What Does It Feel Like? is a story of courage, strength, grief and a celebration of life. I am thankful for Sophie Kinsella's transparency. I hope it was just as therapeutic writing her story as it was for me to read it. She is a forever fave!

I recommend this new release to other Sophie Kinsella fans, those with a chronic illness and their loved ones. It may help you better understand their point of view or find comfort in knowing you are not alone. It's the book you didn't know you needed to read.

Happy Early Pub Day, Sophie Kinsella! What Does It Feel Like? will be available Tuesday, October 8.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

This book may be the definition of bravery, strength and love. I was unaware that Kinsella was ill - and that this book was written to help her process and grieve. She managed to write with humor, poise and a strength that I am truly in awe of. The book moves quickly and despite the difficult topics, is uplifting, happy and wonderful. She writes each chapter to help walk through the process of answering the most impossible of questions relating to sickness, grief and celebration. It is both uplifting and heartbreaking and just incredibly well done. Be prepared to laugh and cry as we follow Eve through her life as a successful author to how she should walk through during and after her diagnosis.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

Aspiring novelists are encouraged to "write about what they know." While Sophie Kinsella is the author of over thirty books, with What Does It Feel Like she has written about what she unfortunately knows very well. Like her character Eve, Miss Kinsella was diagnosed with stage four glioblastoma, an almost always incurable form of brain cancer. What Does It Feels Like is a poignantly painful account of Eve's journey through diagnosis, treatment, and recovery, all while knowing there is staggeringly high probability the cancer will return even with aggressive intervention. Eve has a devoted husband and five young children (as does Sophie Kinsella), and a successful career as a writer. Everything is going great until Eve wakes up in the hospital with no memory of how she got there, or even rudimentary details such as the day of the week. What Does It Feel Like is a mere 144 pages, but it packs emotion in every page. Eve's recovery is detailed-she has to learn basic skills like eating, walking, and living with the short term memory loss that often accompanies brain surgery. Anyone dealing with a terminal diagnosis in private is very brave, but it is absolutely heroic for Miss Kinsella to share her story in What Does It Feel Like. For Eve and Sophie the future is uncertain as only 25 percent of glioblastoma patients survive more than one year. But both have an abundance of hope and courage in the face of this terrible disease. While a happy ending is not guaranteed for either, we can all pray that in five years Sophie will be alive and well, and can update us on Eve in a sequel that tells us What It Feels Like To Beat The Odds.

This review will be shared on Instagram Oct. 8th, 2024 when it is published and a link will be posted here. My review is already posted on Goodreads.

This book was so impactful for only being less than 150 pages. As a principle, I always admire writers who can write a really well written plot and characters in so few pages. This was no exception. Kinsella did such an incredible job through all of Eve's pain. As I was reading, I had the feeling that it seemed almost too real and once I got to the author's note I realized why. To write something akin to your own experiences made me really come to love Kinsella in many ways (this is my first book of hers!). It had the threaded throughout light humor even in the face of uncertainty. I cried at several points and overall I really just can't say anything more but I loved it.

What a gift!

An easy 5 stars!

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE
SOPHIE KINSELLA
October 8/24

When I started reading this book I thought it would be another cheery Sophie book, but my daughter told me it was based on Sophie’s life and what she and her family were going through and continue to every day.

It was an eye opener for me as I thought she must have such a great life what with several NYT Bestsellers, movies, etc. Just goes to show life can change in an instant.

Different read, but excellent story. Thank you Sophie ( Madeleine) for telling your story.

What Does It Feel Like? is a series of fictional, semi-autobiographical vignettes from novelist Sophie Kinsella. In this new book, Sophie explores her cancer diagnosis with honesty, humor, and positivity.

Protagonist Eve Monroe is a novelist who has achieved commercial success. She walked a red carpet and watched her beloved book become a film. When Eve receives a diagnosis of glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer, she faces fear head on with the love of her family and friends. Eve faces challenges as she faces surgery and relearns how to walk, speak, and draw. Through each challenge, Eve exudes hope and patience.

Kinsella approaches the character of Eve with warmth, honesty, and unflinching bravery. Eve has many qualities that readers have come to know and love in Kinsella. Her warm sense of humor and penchant for looking on the bright side were imbued in each vignette. She doesn’t shy away from challenges she’s faced, like memory loss and relearning how to walk. However, her message is one of hope. Eve’s sweet moments playing Scrabble with her family and joking with her husband were heartfelt.

Kinsella added an author’s note at the end about her cancer diagnosis and reasons for writing What Does It Feel Like? As a fan of Kinsella, I could not be more in awe of her courage and determination. While this book is arranged differently from previous novels, Kinsella’s spirit and quirky humor is present throughout. This is one book Kinsella fans won’t want to miss.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Dial Press for an ARC. All opinions are my own.

3 ⭐️
A super quick novella with a raw look at a life-altering battle with cancer, touching on the difficulties through brain cancer, surgery and recovery.

❤️‍🩹 It didn’t really get deep enough under the surface for me to connect with the MC on an emotional level (like I was part of the story, or felt a deep connection with her), but I was able to connect from the emotional and sympathetic perspective of having many friends and family having gone through these struggles.

I can’t say I would appreciate this book as much if this wasn’t such a personal story for Sophie. Otherwise, I would have enjoyed a longer book with more depth so I could really connect with the MC for such a tender topic.

Thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing, and Sophie Kinsella for providing me with a complimentary ARC to review!

I’d like to extend my heartfelt thanks to NetGalley, Sophie Kinsella, and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC of What Does it Feel Like? in exchange for my honest opinion. As a longtime fan of Kinsella, I was excited to dive into this book, though I didn’t realize it would be a short story or novella format.

Despite its brevity, Kinsella delivers a poignant tale of self-discovery in the face of adversity, exploring the emotional journey of Eve as she navigates her battle with brain cancer. What struck me most was Eve’s resilience; she maintains a remarkable spirit throughout her ordeal, openly processing her feelings with her family. Her ability to find light amidst darkness is both inspiring and relatable.

The narrative builds beautifully, leading to a powerful conclusion that reveals the deeper reasons behind Eve’s story. It’s a heart-wrenching moment that leaves you feeling both shattered and uplifted. Kinsella’s gift for weaving humor and poignancy together shines through, making this a beautiful and impactful read.

Overall, What Does it Feel Like? is a testament to Kinsella’s storytelling prowess. It’s a short yet profoundly moving exploration of love and the strength of the human spirit. Highly recommended!

Sophie Kinsella has been an author I have read for 15+ years since I was a teenager. She is an author I always read when a new book comes out, so I of course had to read this one. This short story was both beautiful, inspiring, and sad all at the same time. This felt like an authentic and raw telling of the author’s life these past 2 years in short captivating chapters. The ending is inspiring and honest, and so I will hope to read another book by her in the future.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random Houses, Sophie Kinsella, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this novel in exchange for an honest review.

Maybe I have been living under a rock, but is this novella seriously how I am finding out Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed with brain cancer? Took me a long time to process this news.

While What Does It Feel Like? is technically fiction, Sophie does share that is the most realistic story that she has ever shared - an author grappling with her diagnosis, learning how to move forward with her life and career, and writing about what she knows. There is so much real, raw emotion packed into just a short little read.

If you are a lover of the Confessions of a Shopaholic series, looking for something short and sweet, or simply just looking for a good cry, this is exactly the book for you. I could not put it down because of the intense emotions, but it was also uplifting despite being heartbreaking at the same time?

Wishing nothing but the best for Sophie, and hopefully we will be reading more from her for years to come, but I cannot imagine the bravery it took to write something so close to home.

It feels like Sophie Kinsella raised me. I devoured her books from the time I was a teenager and still have through various seasons of my life. She is one of the first “auto-buy” authors I ever had. Her work is joyful, fun and always a delight to read. When I learned about her cancer diagnosis I was heartbroken. It does not seem fair that such a brilliant author who gives the world so much enjoyment should be afflicted with something so horrible. I feel grateful for this glimpse into what she has been going through the past few years. It was a beautiful peek inside her life as she deals with this unimaginable situation.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are mine alone.

I've been reading Sophie Kinsella's books since I was in high school and I'm now a thirty-something mother. Her chick-lit books were always so witty, had great dialogue, and were just plain fun to read. Reading her new novella about the fictionalized real journey of her diagnosis of brain cancer was so hard to read. As a woman who has given me countless belly laughs and smiles on my face to be facing such a difficult battle was hard to think about however What Does It Feel Like? Shows what a strong person Kinsella is to face this journey with her positivity and optimism and to share it with readers who have grown up with her is such an amazing gift to her readers. To show people that no matter what happens in life the foundation of your family and the small things that bring you joy are what is truly the most important.

A popular novelist struggles with cancer cancer after seeming suddenly she wakes in a hospital bed.

This is a whole lot more meaningful when you get to the end and read the author’s note. It brings an unexpected impact to the story one just read. This is a very fast and short read, and the writing in the BOTM edition is large. Don’t be misled though, it’s still a strongly emotional story. I liked that we had one perspective and it clearly showed the disorientation, grief, and confusion that the main character went through.

“Five children. Five bundles of love. And five bundles of grief.”

What Does It Feel Like comes out 10/8.

I enjoyed the first part of this book but once the brain surgery happened it was very uncomfortable to read.
I appreciate trying to look at it in a light hearted way but I can’t imagine the heaviness that she and her spouse had to carry.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read the arc.

If the Queen of Happy Endings, Sophie Kinsella writes it, you better believe I’m reading it! Over 20 years of loving her books, and the passion and love haven’t fizzled. So reading What Does It Feel Like, her most personal work yet, was definitely bitter sweet!

The format of this story is different to Sophie’s previous works but the heart of it is the same! This was a short, quick read (I finished it in one sitting) but it packed an emotional punch. Eve is a mom of 5, happily married and with a successful writing career. And then a shocking diagnosis and a brain surgery turn her and her family’s life upside down.

I had no idea about Sophie’s diagnosis and reading about it through Eve’s journey made me so sad. But through a series of vignettes sketching out a number of vulnerable, hard but also sweet moments, the overall sense of this novella is hopefulness.

If you are a fan of Sophie Kinsella or are just looking for a fast but emotional read, you will want to read this one! And if you are a BOTM member this one is an add on this month!!!

A huge thank you to The Dial Press, Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for my ARC in exchange for an honest review! And to Sophie Kinsella, thank you for sharing your story with us! 😭

Fans who have been reading (devouring) Sophie Kinsella’s books for the last 20-plus years can truly appreciate this heartfelt, semi-autobiographical novella about her cancer diagnosis and treatment. It’s like nothing I’ve ever read before, but also it’s just what you would expect from Kinsella. She’s such a treasure, and the fact that she is here to tell her tale is absolutely remarkable.

Thanks to NetGalley for the early copy!

This is a life-affirming book, but also one that is deeply emotional and resonant. A somewhat fictionalized account of the author's own experiences over the last couple of years post cancer diagnosis, it hits on a lot of the hardest and most feared aspects of this experience, but with an ending that was as hopeful as it could be. I'm wishing Sophie Kinsella the absolute best, and the same to any other readers who are currently living this.

I didn't know that this book is an actual story about the author and her battle with a malignant brain tumor. She has so many feelings and struggles with her diagnoses. The story is about her with the main character named Eve, the successful writer. This book will keep the attention of the reader and can be read in one sitting.

At the end, you might be sobbing!

Emotional, Real, and Heart Breaking!

3.5 stars!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy! This book will be released 10/8/24

What Does It Feel Like is an autobiographical novel told from the perspective of survivor Eve. Eve is a writer, and is known for her storytelling ability. She is beloved by all, and watches her community rally around her following a diagnosis of brain cancer. When she wakes up in the hospital with no memory of why she is there, and finds her life forever changed. A tumor in her brain, though successfully removed by masterful surgeons, is only the beginning of Eve's journey to recovery.
The lingering effects of the tumor's invasion into her mind, and the damage sustained during surgery, lead Eve down a path of recovery to relearn even the most basic tasks. The reader is granted access through these memories (or lack of) of Eve as she grapples with complex emotions and unwavering optimism.

This novel is vulnerable and inspiring. The author puts her own truth out on display for the reader, no holds barred.
A short, but unforgettable novella, What Does It Feel Like will not disappoint.