This is a huge divergence from what Sophie Kinsella is known to write. She said that this book is her most autobiographical, and it definitely feels that way. I was in tears reading most of this book. It's heartbreaking, scary, and very moving. She has been one of my favorite authors for so many years now, and I have been given a tiny glimpse into what her life has been like after being diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor. I can only continue to wish her and her family the best and to hope that she gets the happy ending she has given so many of her characters.

Oh my. This is heartbreakingly beautiful. This author chooses Eve as her autobiographical character and the story is dramatic and also courageous. What happens when your brain no longer works exactly like it did before? How do you approach your future?

Though presented as a novel, Eve Monroe's story mirrors Sophie Kinsella's own life, reflecting her journey from a successful author to a cancer patient. Like Eve, Kinsella has five children, a beloved husband she met at Oxford, and is fighting glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

Eve's recovery from surgery to remove the tumour is slow and painful but ultimately triumphant. The narrative is honest, raw, heart-wrenching, and humorous, ending on a hopeful note with wishes for her continued success.

An added bonus is insight into the inspiration behind Kinsella's hit book, "Confessions of a Shopaholic." This short read can be finished in one sitting, so be prepared to laugh, cry, and cheer as Eve faces her illness.

Although billed as a novel, Eve Monroe's journey from successful author to cancer patient draws heavily from Sophie Kinsella's own journey through life. Like Eve, Sophie Kinsella has five children and an adored husband she met at Oxford, and is fighting the battle of her life with glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer.

Honest, raw, heart wrenching, and humorous, Eve's recovery from surgery to remove the tumor is slow and painful but ultimately triumphant. The book ends on a hopeful note and we hope her battle continues to be successful.

Am added bonus is a glimpse into the inspiration for Kinsella's most successful book, "Confessions of a Shopaholic." Be prepared to laugh, cry, and cheer on Eve as she comes to terms with her illness.

I had no idea going into this book what it was about. I only knew that I love everything Sophie Kinsella writes. And wow…this very real depiction of her life was so engaging, so heartbreaking and so raw. I loved every page and wish her only the very best in her health journey.

Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange of an honest review.

Oh my goodness, where to start? I am a long time Kinsella fan and this book broke me. Kinsella describes this as her most autobiographical book to date, and once you realize that, the book takes on a whole other life of its own. Despite the heavy premise, this is filled with quick banter, lots of love, and hope. Highly recommend for Kinsella fans! Thank you Net Galley for the ARC!

Loved this so much. So raw yet beautiful as you know this is the author's story. I really enjoyed this one so much. It was short and yet it was full of so many emotions. Praying for you SK

WOW. Wow wow wow. This book was so beautiful, so heavy, so tragic, but so touching. I have been loving Sophie Kinsella since middle school and I devour all her books, and this one was no exception! It was definitely a different "vibe" than her usual light hearted, banter filled romance, but for good reason. This book was an autobiographical novelization of Sophie's own struggle with a grade 4 glioblastoma. This book was especially hard for me to read as my father in law lost his battle to this particular cancer one month after my daughter was born. He was diagnosed in 2013, fought valiantly, and went into full remission. However, when I was pregnant in 2015 it came back with a vengeance. He had a tough but short battle with this cancer for the second time and when we lost him it broke all our hearts. Reading Sophie's story of success and fighting and the beauty of a wonderful marriage and amazing children was just the healing I needed. Extra special thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review! 5 stars, but if I could, I would give it fifty million stars. We're all rooting for you, Sophie!

Absolutely beautiful and brave novella. I couldn’t put it down. Obviously a slight departure from her normal work, nevertheless a top tier Kinsella!

Yall... when I say I cried my eyes out...
I. Meant. That.

This is so raw, emotional, deep, heartbreaking and yet inspiring. Then reading the author's note. I cried even harder. Praying for Sophie and any others currently battling the atrocious disease. My sister was diagnosed recently with breast cancer so this truly hit me harder.

This just...geez. I can't make words,my tears are doing the talking. Go read this!!

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Random House Publishing to read/review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.

Sophie Kinsella and I are around the same age. I remember being hooked on her Shopaholic books when I was in my twenties and early thirties, following avidly as heroine Becky navigated life, love, and motherhood with her breezy, effervescent style. It’s a bit jarring to read her latest work and realize (jarringly) that 30 years later, we are now well into a different season of life. In this, her most autobiographical novel yet, SK tells the story of Eve Monroe, a successful novelist and beloved wife/mother (also a bit of a shopaholic) whose life changes when she is diagnosed with brain cancer. This short novel goes back and forth in time, following Eve’s faulty memory as she courageously fights on. Written in SK’s trademark lighthearted style, this book nevertheless is a poignant (and at times scary) read about mortality, identity, resilience and hope. Keep the tissues handy.

Publication date: October 8,2024

Traditional format 📕 (digital). First off let me say this is more a short story than a book. At only 144 pages I read it drinking a cup of coffee.

Author Sophie Kinsella has written a fictional account of her battle with brain cancer. It’s written very much in the style of her Shopaholic series and I even imagined the voice of Becky as I was reading this. It has all the humour you would expect of one of Sophie’s books only it’s her real life story. I also enjoyed the format (snippets, texts, articles etc within the chapters.

“Why would an author want to write her memoir in the form of fiction?” i thought as I was reading this but the author’s note give you all this plus more and pulls the whole book/story together.

If you’re a fan of Sophie’s work give this short one a read. Because I thought Sophie’s explanation of why she wrote her story in this format brilliant I will give this one 5/5 and wish her a continued happy ending on her battle ❤️

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

What Does it Feel Like? is the story of Eve and how her life totally turns upside down when she wakes up in the hospital after having a brain tumor removed. The story is told in a vignette style with short chapters which give us a glilmpse into Eve's life and at times almost feels like stream of consciiousness. This is not the usual fun, lighthearted books that I have previously read by Sophie Kinsella, but it totally works. The vingnette style was extremely effective. I was instantly sucked into Eve's world and deeply cared about her and her family as they navigated this devastating news. Not only did I come to care for Eve, but also for Sophie Kinsella who stated that "Eve's story is my story". What a brave move for Sophie Kinsella to tell her story in such a way and to express to her readers what is really important in life. Deep down we all know this, but life sometimes gets in the way and we need a reminder. Bravo to Sophie Kinsella for giving us the reminder and for packing so much so well into such a short novel. This certainly shows that a great, hopeful, and beautiful story can be conveyed extremely effectively in a consise manner. I hope and pray that she herself has a happy ending. Thank you to Net Galley for my copy of this book.

An incredibly short read for me and I was able to burn through it in less than two days while traveling and visiting with family. I was tempted to give this fewer stars, because there was a lot of disjointed to it, but because it is Kinsella writing about her own experiences, I felt that it still justified a 4 star rating.

What I liked? The chapters where we were focusing on Eve and her journey. It was hard to read, especially knowing how closely this ties to Kinsella's lived experience with her cancer diagnosis and treatment, but these were the parts of the book that resonated most and were the most moving. The in between (as I like to think of them) chapters or sections felt disjointed and didn't work for me for whatever reason. I get that they were still tied to the story, but these moments just pulled me out of what Eve was experiencing. Maybe it was important for Kinsella to take these pauses in her writing.

I have to say that, after reading everything that happened to Eve as she fought to live and get through the surgery recovery, I am floored by how positive Kinsella has been about her illness. It's not a great situation for her, but she is continuing to do what she does best and to use that to teach as well.

I feel for her. For her family. And for those who are in similar situations with their health.

I’ve been a Sophie Kinsella fan since the beginning and have read all her books and was excited to see this on NetGalley. Knowing her personal health issues, this was a heartbreaking read. I commend Sophie for being vulnerable and basing this short story off her struggles. Highly recommend.

Eve, a successful writer who has just had her latest novel optioned for a Hollywood movie is sitting on top of the world. She has a loving husband, five wonderful children and a world of friends who support her. She has all the luck in the world until one day, it runs out.
Waking in a hospital bed, Eve can't recall how she got there, why she is there and why her head feels so funny. When her husband reveals that she's been in the hospital for weeks following surgery to remove a brain tumor, she can't seem to hold onto that thought and asks him repeatedly every day why is she in the hospital. Finding out that the tumor that was removed was cancerous and an incurable type as well, Eve must face the reality that her days are numbered and make a plan for how she will spend the rest of them.
Told in short chapters, readers get a feel for how Eve's brain is now trying to function, the successes and the multiple daily failures and her courage to keep fighting for as long as she can. Finding out in an author's note at the end that Eve's story is actually Sophie Kinsella's story is shocking and heartbreaking and readers will want to embrace their favorite author and wish her and her family only the best in this situation.
Honest, Raw, Real.

What Does It Feel Like? By Sophie Kinsella
Rating: 5⭐️s

Was anyone else completely blown away by Kinsella’s Good Morning, America last week? I could not believe that she has been suffering from a brain tumor since 2022. It broke my heart for her husband and five children.

This novella is slightly autobiographical with some changes to it. It had me laughing, and it had me crying. Fair warning: there is the discussion of terminal cancer in it. I think it’s a good reminder to read the story for its messages on appreciating and enjoying life.

Raw. Honest. Beautiful.

Sophie Kinsella’s books have been a part of my life for the past sixteen years. This was like reading about a dear friend.

This is a deviation from the author’s normal rom-com. This novella is a fictionalized autobiography. of the author’s journey fighting brain cancer. Eve, the main character, is an author who has lead a charmed life with both a strong fan group and a movie deal based on her work. Unfortunately she suddenly has brain cancer. This story documents her inspiring story as she goes through her healing process. It is a brave, honest, heart breaking yet optimistic story.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and Random House for sharing her story and this book.

In this bittersweet story, Sophie Kinsella tells the story of her cancer diagnosis and the journey that follows through her fictional character, Eve. Heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, “What Does it Feel Like?” is one of those stories that will stay with the reader forever.