Member Reviews

Sad and beautiful novella from Sophie Kinsella. I've read every one of her books, whether in the pen name or Madeline Wickham. I was so floored when I heard about her brain tumor. How brave of her to give us this fictionalized window into her experience. Cancer is a universal truth. We all deal with it personally or in our family. I appreciated the humor in the honesty of this novella. I know it can help people feel less alone. I can definitely recommend it as a therapist. No one knows how to grieve, and we often do so before the main event. I am grateful to have read this book.

Thanks to Dial Press and Net Galley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. 4.5 stars

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Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors since I was young and I was devastated to learn of her diagnosis. As a Medical Social Worker who worked with patients in Rehab following surgeries, wow, this brought me right back to working with patients like Eve/Sophie. The fact that she wrote something so raw and real is beautiful.

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This was an incredibly quick, heart wrenching story. I appreciate the author’s vulnerability in sharing a piece of her life with the world in this way..

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SYNOPSIS
- Eve is a successful writer with a husband & five kids.
- One day, she finds herself recovering from brain surgery & a cancer diagnosis.

MY THOUGHTS
- Very short read.
- Well written.
- Fictionalized version of the author’s actual battle with glioblastoma. Heart-wrenching & could really feel her feelings as she navigated various emotions & stages of her journey.
- Devastating mixed with humor and hope.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️very short but moving book + fictionalized version of the author’s actual battle with glioblastoma.

Thanks to Random House Publishing Group | The Dial Press and Netgalley for this digital ARC in exchanges for an honest review. This book will be published on October 8, 2024.

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I often don’t read the synopsis of books from authors I love. This was the case for this book and I didn’t realize it would break my heart and destroy me. This is a very short little book but so incredibly impactful. I applaud Sophie for writing about something so deeply personal. It was incredibly sad but extremely enlightening read about cancer. Knowing it is fictional but based on true events in her life is heartbreaking.

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Eve has it all. A great husband, family, and career. She wakes up and can't remember how she ended up in the hospital. The book is a gut wrenching read. I laughed and cried my way through it. The family struggles are true to life in dealing with a terminal diagnosis. One of my favorite books this year. Faith and love are a powerful thing

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I didn’t read much about this before starting it. I have read every Sophie Kinsella and Madeleine Wickham novel. Therefore I got a gut punch when I realized this was sort of autobiographical and it was heart breaking. I am so happy that she is still with us and still writing such witty dialogue, and so very British. The husband should be winning awards for being the best man ever and I really hope the character (Nick) takes after her husband.
This was a short read, and obviously slightly different from her previous novels. Yet, the humor, the optimism and the realism are still very much in the vein of Sophie Kinsella.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

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Ive read most of Kinsella's books and have admired her humor and thoughtful ease in relationships. This book was breathtaking and allowed me to know Kinsella better. The book is heartbreaking, sweet, and still filled with lightness. This is a tough book to review but I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to know kinsella better.

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It's been years since I last picked up a Sophie Kinsella novel. I'm very glad to have had the opportunity to read an advance copy of What Does It Feel Like?. This is a short (read in one sitting) novel, both heart-wrenching and full of hope. TW: cancer.

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Post-read: Beautifully painful. Painfully beautiful. All I can say is thank you for allowing everyone the opportunity to see you.

Pre read: reading the description for this book gives me chills. My heart has been out to Sophie Kinsella ever since I saw she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma. Cannot wait to read this.

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Sophie Kinsella always knows how to write the most darling books!! I just absolutely melted with this book. The story was beautiful! Well done!

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There was a lot packed into this little book, and I thought it was so heartfelt and beautifully written. I appreciate the humor in the story, and that it was written with such honesty, and also hope.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the early chance to read and review.

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I had no idea what was going on with Sophie Kinsella. I am so sad to hear of her health issues as I have loved her books for years.
This is actually a novella based on her experience with brain cancer. I flew through it and found it very touching and illuminating.
Please don’t be expecting a typical Kinsella book. It still has her voice, but it reads very differently knowing it’s based on her life.
I wish her all the health and joy in the world.

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Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of What Does It Feel Like by Sophie Kinsella in exchange for an honest review.

I have been a Sophie Kinsella fan for years and have read many of her books. When I saw she was out with a new book, I requested an ARC and was excited to receive it. I didn’t even look to see what it was about.

Wow. Was I in for a surprise? I didn’t realize that this book was fiction but based on what the author had been going through in real life. At the end of the book, the author explains how much of the story is true and how much isn’t.

This book is written in a different format than all of her other books, and at the end, she explains why.

Can you imagine having to repeatedly tell your wife that she has a malignant tumor in her brain? Can you imagine having to wake up without knowing where you are, how you got there, or why you can no longer walk? Can you imagine having to break your children’s hearts and telling them you have cancer?

This book pulls at your heartstrings but shows what true love and positive energy can do.

#SophieKinsella #WhatDoesItFeelLike #NetGalley #RandomHouse #ARC #Cancer #Writer #Glioblastoma #Cancer #Fiction #WomensFiction #RealisticFiction #Love #Family #August #2024

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Eve is a successful author and enjoying walking the red carpet with her family when her latest book is turned into a movie. She is the mother of five children and has a wonderful husband that she adores. The next thing we know, Eve is waking up in a hospital with bandages around her head and not remembering what’s happened. The book does a wonderful job of letting us feel Eve’s struggles as she learns to walk again and deal with the treatments ahead of her. As the author states, Eve is a fictional character based on her own life and the brain cancer she faces. The book is very short but powerful. You can’t help feeling for Eve and for Sophie Kinsella and hope they both have good outcomes. I give the book 5 stars for its honest portrayal of dealing with a horrible disease with the wide range of emotions that come with it.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. The book will be published on October 8, 2024.

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This was a heart wrenching and heavy book with Sophie Kinsella’s standard drops of lightness and humor sprinkled in. Her story is sad but the message of hope and “keep going” are undoubtedly felt for those experiencing their own stories of tragedy as a way to not discount the validity of their fears, grief and blurry future - but as a way to push forward when the ending is unknown.

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I must say that I have not read any of Sophia Kinsella's books before this one. This book has made me want to read more of her books. From the first moment I opened this book I was hooked. The story hit very close to home for me and bottom line of this book is that there is always hope. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

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Wow! This book had me feeling all kinds of feels. In typical Sophie Kinsella fashion, there was wit and quirkiness, that then took a turn to a different type of writing for this author. This story is semi autobiographical and deals with a cancer diagnosis and how it affects everyone in this family. Laugh out loud funny at times and heartwrenching at times, this short novella is a must read. Excellent!,

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Autobiographical title from Sophie Kinsella on her health crisis. Deep and moving read that we all hope has a happy ending!

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Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC. This was a short story but packed the punch. Very emotional but inspiring.

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