5⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advanced copy of What Does Ir Feel Like?

Eve is a writer and she is really struggling with her current novel. She decides to take a break and she goes shopping and finds an amazing dress and she gets the idea to write about what she would want to read. Her next novel is a huge success and she gets to wear her amazing dress on the red carpet for the movie premiere of her book with her husband and five children. Then one day she wakes up in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Then her husband tells her the devastating news-she has brain cancer and it is incurable.

This book was very well done. It tells the story of going through cancer and what it actually feels like. The good and the bad and it does it beautifully.

I was so sad to learn of Sophie Kinsella's devastating diagnosis, which I had not heard about until I read this book.

Ms. Kinsella writes the story of "Eve", a novelist who is diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. This book is noted to be semi-autographical and therefore Eve represents Ms. Kinsella. She writes of how she was out shopping on just a normal day and suddenly she wakes up in a hospital and is told she has had brain surgery. Eve remembers none of this, and the book traces how she learns to walk, talk and write again.

This book is such a heartbreaking read because you know that Ms. Kinsella is talk about herself. She tells of breaking the news of her diagnosis to her children. She tells of how she feels during certain treatments, and how some days are better than others. I laughed and cried while devouring this very special read.

I hope the best for Ms. Kinsella and pray that she is able to beat the odds and live a long happy life and write many more beautiful books.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of this beautiful novella. The author has said that this book is as close to an autobiography as she’s come in her history as an author. The retelling of Eves brain cancer feels hyper-realistic (and it clearly is) as we experience the brief moments of clarity in a regularly confusing world. Even as she starts to heal and get stronger, there are still blank spots among the many light moments in this book. I think her point is to remind us to live in that light as much as we can, even when the dark threatens to overwhelm us. This was a short and sweet novel that I read in a day, desperate to find out what happened to Eve. It is not entirely depressing but it is also not entirely cheerful either, and such is life, right?

Eve has it all. Her latest novel has been turned into a major movie. But she doesn't remember anything after the big premiere. She wakes up in the hospital and has been told that she had brain surgery. The rest of the story has Eve navigating her troubles and hardships, having to learn how to walk, talk, write, and remember.
The beginning reads like Shopaholic and you get why when you read the author's note, which I don't normally do but highly recommend in this case. This was fast paced - too fast maybe? Since it's a novella, where wasn't much choice, but it did make it feel somewhat disconnected. I loved Nick's patience and compassion. Check the content warnings, because it's not a light and easy read (although it's not completely depressing either).
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This short, sweet book is is of an autobiographical nature for the author. Although all the names are fictional it is about her life after her cancer diagnosis, surgery and rehab. She had to learn to walk again after she had surgery to remove a large, malignant brain tumor. I love that she has kept her sense of humor through it all. Thanks to @NetGalley for the ARC of this book. It was very enlightening.

Eve is an author who after changing the focus of her latest book becomes even more successful after it is made into a movie. She has everything she wants ... a loving husband, five children and a career. Then one day she wakes up in the hospital and has no idea why. It has been discovered that she had a brain tumor and it was removed. She has a long healing process and has to learn to walk again, can't remember things or conversations that happened yesterday and the survival rate is on average 12 months (hopefully longer). She's lucky that she has a supporting and loving family to help her get well.

It wasn't until I had finished this book that I discovered that "Eve" is actually the author, who was diagnosed in 2022 with a brain tumor and these are the things she has been living through since then. I liked the writing style and it's broken up in story form, emails, texts, etc. I wish the author all the best in her recovery.

This book really shook me. Sophie Kinsella has been my long time favorite and to know that she underwent this medical trauma was, well heartbreaking.

Written beautifully as a fictional tale of her hurdles, manifested in her heroine Eve, this book was sad, but knowing that there is a happy ending made it bearable.

#netgalley #WhatDoesItFeelLike

What Does it Feel Like? is a memoir book written by Sophie Kinsella. Told through the writings of Eve, it starts off with Eve trying to decide on a story to write. She decides to write a story about writing a story. Eve wakes up in the hospital after a surgery to remove a brain tumor. This is a beautifully written book documenting the trials of healing from a surgery and going through therapy. Eve is stuck in a groundhog day situation where she relearns her diagnosis daily from her husband. The struggles that Eve and her family go through shows an accurate representation of the situation. This is on the shorter side and I flew through the book needing to know what happens to Eve (Sophie).

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for an ARC of What Does it Feel Like? by Sophie Kinsella for an honest review.

How do you even rate this? I had no idea of what Sophie Kinsella was going through, so I thought I was just reading another of her yearly releases. I was looking forward to it, especially after The Burnout, a favorite for me.

So you're not me: this is a short story about a writer who has finally built a beautiful family with a loving husband, and found success. Until one day, she wakes up in the hospital after a surgery to remove a mass in her brain of which she can't remember anything. She's so weak, she can hardly hold memories for a while as her body recovers.

And yes, this is inspired on the author's own experience with a few changes even though I had no idea until I reached a point in the book I couldn't ignore how real all the descriptions seemed.

Kinsella is still alive, we know the ending, but I still couldn't stop hurting from the pages. Of course, as this is fiction, we do get an ending, and it's flawless. This isn't a story about tragedy.

Still, keep in mind all the context in case it can be a trigger for you. Otherwise, I recommend it to everyone.



Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.

What Does It Feel Like is a touching, heartfelt novel about Eve, a novelist recovering from brain tumor surgery. As she relearns to walk, talk, and write, Eve reflects on the importance of life’s small moments—family, love, and simple joys. Told through short, poignant anecdotes, Sophie Kinsella blends humor and heartbreak in a way that makes this novel both deeply moving and uplifting. It’s a beautiful celebration of life and resilience, sure to stay with readers long after the final page.

I did not put this book down until I finished it. I sobbed, I laughed, and I sobbed again. So many amazing feelings for so few pages. I feel so frustrated for Eve as she’s working on her memory. It’s written so well, the reader is learning so much with Eve and routing for her the whole way! I will be telling everyone who is a Sophie fan ( and even those who don’t know they’re fans yet) that this is a must read!!

Wow. What a story. I devoured it in one sitting. So many emotions packed into such a small book! This novella is the story of the author’s life told through fictional characters. I really liked that it was written this way. As heartbreaking as the story is, there is also that much hope in it too! I will forever be a Sophie Kinsella fan!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader copy.

This is a raw and honest story. The main character is an author who has a lovely life and feels quite lucky. Then she wakes after having surgery with no memory of how it happened. As she learns to walk and how to live with a terminal diagnosis, her outlook remains focused on the positive. This book will break your heart yet leave you hopeful.

Sometimes going in blind to a book only because you know the author or you like the cover leads to big surprises. For example, you might have no clue you’re about to read a novella or that it’s about cancer or that it’s mostly a true story about the author. I knew none of these things and was expecting a novel typical of Sophie Kinsella with lots of humor and a happy ending. Of course if you’re reading this review to find out if the book is worth reading you’ll know all these things going in. This was definitely not what I was expecting, but I’m glad I got to read it. It’s honest and real, and it’s written in a unique way with different types of writing like emails, articles, interviews, musings, etc to make it very different than a typical piece like this. I don’t have any first hand experience with this type of cancer, but I imagine it would be really comforting to read this if you or a loved one were going through something similar. It’s a quick hour-long read that makes you feel grateful and gives you perspective, and I think everyone could use some of that from time to time. I’m so sad to hear that this is based on Sophie’s real life, and I’m hopeful she’ll experience her own happy ending, however that looks for her. 🩷
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this book in exchange for an honest review.

This fictional novella is semi-autobiographical, as the writer has actually gone through the same health crisis as the main character. The story is at times funny, scary, sad, terrifying and inspirational. There is a lot of love and bravery in these pages. My heart goes out to the Author and her family.

I received an ARC for free and gave my honest opinion voluntarily.
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Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Eve is shocked to learn she has a brain tumor. She is scared. Her husband has not left her side. This book grapples with the different emotions that people go through when they get cancer and learning what's important in one's life.

"What Does It Feel Like?" is a fictionalized autobiography containing glimpses of the before and afters of Sophie Kinsella's diagnosis of brain cancer. I had no idea she was going through this prior to reading this novella. The book and chapters are short, but they pack a powerful punch of the realities Sophie has faced/continues to face.

I received an ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have enjoyed many of Sophie Kinsella‘s books, especially the shopaholic series, and went into this new book expecting the same. However, this book is very different from all her other ones. While it is fiction, Kinsella does say that it is somewhat autobiographical in nature and that’s what makes it not only different but heartbreaking. While it is a tragic story about Kinsella’s own experience with cancer, it has a positive, hopeful outcome.

There is no doubt that what Kinsella faced is a frightening experience that must have truly been extremely difficult for her to put down on paper yet she does it so confidently with her usual wit. She has courage and determination well beyond any human alive and is worthy of deep admiration.

I can only wish Kinsella, her husband and their five children the very best and hope she stays healthy and happy. I recommend this book for its realistic and raw portrayal of undergoing a diagnosis of brain cancer.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

What Does It Feel Like
BY Sophie Kinsella
What Does It Feel Like Could Be Accurately Re Named "Read Your Absolute Worst Nightmare, Ugly Cry Then Pee Yourself Laughing And RePeat". But That Would Be A Tad Long For A Snappy Book BY The Ever Talented Kinsella, While "What. Does It Feel like" Is A work Of Fiction The True Raw
Emotions Of The Author Poor Through Every Page
Of The Book. The Message Is Sobering Yet A
Harrowing Tale Of Pushing Back At Adversity with
All You Have.
It's Going To Make You Ugly Cry But Also Pee
Yourself, Definitely Worth A Read!

I had no idea Sophie was going through cancer. It's incredible that she wrote this novella mere months after her diagnosis and treatment. Parts of it were really emotional and heartbreaking, but it was overall optimistic with bits of humor.