Sophie Kinsella has brought me so much joy and so much laughter throughout the years. Reading What Does it Feel Like? Was an entirely different experience, because this isn’t a story you can laugh through with your textbook happy ending. The bravery and strength Sophie has to put her personal experiences and fears into her writing and then share it with us, is unmatched.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE by Sophie Kinsella is both a departure from the usual feel-good chick lit rom com novel and somehow isn’t. A very creative way to channel her health experience into the framework that she is so well known for. I always read Kinsella to feel good – the stories and the characters in them just do that to me. So I was a little concerned to read this one at first because it has so much reality to it. I think that this novel is written with grace and humor and honesty. It reads very fast but it also makes you stop and think about what is most important. I loved it. I really hope that she has a good recovery and there are more happy stories in the future, including a happy ending to her real life story. I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella's novels, I was overjoyed to receive this ARC of WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? tells the story of Eve and is based on Kinsella's own personal and medical journey battling brain cancer. It is moving and devastating, beautiful and heart-wrenching. Kinsella takes something so specific and private and, as she always does, weaves a beautiful story that anyone can appreciate. I highly recommend this book and am rooting for Kinsella's recovery.

This was such a different book than Sophie Kinsella’s usual rom com. Based on her actual life experiences. The main character is a writer who finds out she has a brain tumor. The story moves quickly and shows an inside look of right after surgery and recovery. The mental and physical toll that the main character experiences as well as family members. While there was a very serious tone to the book, it let me engaged and was such a powerful story to tell. There is definitely a story of hope here as well. Thank you Sophie Kinsella for sharing your story.

Read by Sally Phillips. Phillips delivered a wonderful performance engaging listeners in the story and drawing them in with the intensity of this story.

A beautiful story filled with raw emotion, grit and a determination to beat the diseases. Filled with amazing family and medical care givers.

My heart hurt while reading but so thankful to Sophie for giving us a glimpse of what she went through.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the complimentary copy.

I've been a Sophie Kinsella fan for over 20 years now and have religiously read everything she's written. To say I was devastated to read this novella is an understatement. I wish nothing but the best for her and her family. This was incredibly reflective and I imagine it was difficult for her to write.

My gosh this was heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how hard this was to write, but I truly admire the positivity and hope in her voice even through the hard times. A very inspiring read.

I understand the purpose of this book, but the way it's written seems a bit incongruous. Or maybe that's the point. To make it more approachable to a larger audience.

Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors for years and this book was incredibly different than her typical novels (I love a good romcom!). If you're looking for a romcom, this is NOT it, but it was truly amazing to read so much of herself in this intimate novella. She touts it as semi-autobiographical in response to her own recent brain tumor diagnosis. If you're in the mood for a big, huge, ugly cry- this is the book for you!

While this book is tragic, with the main character being given a grave cancer diagnosis, it is also uplifting and inspirational. I think it really personified the real story of someone going through such a tough ordeal and the aftermath and recovery. As a mother, it was gut-wrenching hearing about her thoughts about her children and some of the very difficult conversations she had with her husband about the future.

This was a beautiful story and I'm so happy Sophie decided to share it with all of us. I loved it, but I would not recommend for someone not in the right headspace for such a heavy read.

“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma and underwent surgery and treatment. She has taken her story and turned it into a fictional story about a woman named Eve, an author, wife and mother. One day she wakes up in a hospital bed and doesn't remember what happened. She has had brain surgery to remove a large, malignant tumor and must learn to walk, talk, and write again. She has no short term memory and remains in the hospital for a long period of time. She and her husband must break the news to their children and realizes what is important in life.

This was an emotional story, especially as I have lost my neighbour and my sister's BIL from this same cancer. It is tough to see what someone goes through and I commend Sophie Kinsella for writing this book to share her experiences with others. This story was told in a series of vignettes and allowed me to see inside her head, her thoughts and emotions and what she was going through. No one can know what it is like for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, especially when they use that word, incurable. This story deals with an extremely sad time in her life, but as I closed the cover, I had hope that just maybe, Eve might have a happy ending.

This book was so poignant and heartbreaking. It's about Eve, a mom of 5 and author, who finds herself staring down an unfathomable cancer diagnosis. Kudos to Sophie Kinsella for tackling her own personal story (yet fictionalizing it) and sharing the raw emotions with her readers.

I Read this book in one sitting. The author created a masterpiece making us feel for her and understanding her cancer and memory lapses. It was short but she was able to convention such émotion and empathy. I think this will be an excellent book for book clubs.

I do Hope for the best for her and her family.

I do recommend.

What Does It Feel Like is a standalone novella by Sophie Kinsella. The book tells the story of successful author Eve, who woke in the hospital with no idea how she got there. Her husband explained that she was waking from surgery to remove a large malignant tumor from her brain. While Eve learned to walk, talk, and write again she wrestled with her diagnosis and when and how to explain it to her five children. She started to remember the things that were most important to her. The book was a celebration of life filled with warmth and humor. It was the most emotional book I have read by this author, which is understandable since the novella was very personal for her. While not completely autobiographical, it is based on Ms. Kinsella’s experiences and feelings, a way for her to process her thoughts and emotions in the face of her life threatening experience. Reading this novella was a truly moving experience regardless of how brief and it will stay with me for a long time. I definitely recommend this novella for all who wish to read about the thoughts and feelings surrounding such a profound experience.

I would like to thank Netgalley and The Dial Press/Random House Publishing Group for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest review. I am voluntarily submitting this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Wow, I was not expecting this. Very emotional and raw. Honestly the first time hearing about this and I'm glad it came from Sophie Kinsella herself.

Oh wow. I was not expecting this. A vulnerable peak into a terminal diagnosis and how it affects the entire family.

Incredibly emotional and poignant. I find the author so brave for writing such a personal story that is so meaningful

I love how this started, almost a story within a story. The main character, Eve, is an author who has lost her professional self. She describes what it feels like to be an author who has writer’s block. Deciding to take her own advice to aspiring authors, Eve writes what she knows, and writes the book that she wants to read when she’s browsing in a bookstore.

Which I think is amazing advice, that maybe I will one day take as well, because sometimes you just want a very specific book and you can’t find it anywhere.

It definitely seems like advice that’s coming from Sophie Kinsella through the character of Eve, which was kind of fun. Of course, this novel wouldn’t be very interesting if everything was going perfectly so you know that some sort of catastrophe is about to hit Eve’s life.

Unfortunately, the tragedy that hits does not have a happily ever after. It does end with a sort of ‘happy for now’, but this book is not typical of Sophie Kinsella‘s writing, and it is loosely based off of her real story if you follow her online which adds to the tragedy. I was expecting Kinsella’s typical happy, goofy, funny, easy to read book and instead I had my heart torn out.

I think anyone reading this book should know going in that it is not her typical plot line and it is not a feel-good book, but it is also something that I think is important to read. The perspective that she gives is enlightening, and I felt like I owed it to her as a long time reader to finish What Does It Feel Like, but I definitely recommend that people read reviews first or check some trigger warnings because it definitely caught me off guard at a bad time and it took me months to write this review.

I will read anything Sophie Kinsella writes. This is unlike her other books, but if you are a fan of those, this is a must read!

I have always been a Kinsella fan. So I was delighted when I received this advanced copy. Because of my loyalty to Kinsella, I failed to read the synopsis about What Does It Feel Like. Well let me say, I would have appreciated a warning before I was sobbing my eyes out. This was such a deep, personal novella. Obviously it reflected her life and diagnosis but it was so personal and relatable. The attitude that she has toward life, diagnosis and each stage of life is truly remarkable. She is a phenomenal human and this book did not disappoint.

What an emotional read from one of my favorite authors! It was brave, vulnerable, and profound, and I loved that it ended on a hopeful note. 5⭐️