BITTER SWEET is an honest and real look on the effects of an imbalanced relationship can have on you and how it can affect other parts of your life as well. Losing her mom at a young age, Charlie feels closer to her through the works of author Richard Aveling, which they bonded over. Meeting him at her job turns into an affair, where she finds herself losing herself and giving him all her power and unable to stop it. I was pleased with how it ended for Charlie!

3.5 stars rounded to 4.

Thank you to Random House Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Well I think the moral of the story is that men are horrible.

Poor Charlie. And her poor friends. But really poor Charlie. Living her best life working in publishing, and in swoops this predator to make her feel less. Sure, she needs to take some of the responsibility, but HE SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER. I am happy that Charlie ended up happy and fulfilled, but my heart really just broke for her. I think a lot of women can see themselves in her in the way we’ve ditched friends, kept secrets, and alienated ourselves for a man who won’t step up. Maybe that’s why this was so hard to read at times.

Richard had zero redeeming qualities. He’s pretentious and arrogant, and really not all that great. His history of predatory behavior made me happy he died without reconciling with Charlie. He’s every terrible boyfriend we’ve all had mashed into one.

A difficult read, but worthwhile.

I’ll be sharing my review on instagram in January under the handle @rebekahreadsbooks.

This was a really well done novel and worked with the genre overall, it had that feel that I wanted and enjoyed from this type of book. The characters were everything that I wanted and was engaged with what was happening. Hattie Williams does a fantastic job in writing this and left me wanting to read more.

I’m not sure what about the description of this book led me to requesting a copy but I am sure glad I did. At the moment I’m finding it hard to find the correct words to describe how this book made me feel, and I might have to come back after thinking a bit more, but I’ll try my best.

Bitter Sweet is extremely emotional, both within the story and as a reader. Williams does an excellent job of placing you inside of Charlie’s head and making you truly understand her through the events of this book. There were so many times where I just had to stop and take a breather because I felt for Charlie so much.

Pretty early on I started thinking about how this would make a great movie, is that ironic?

This book was truly beautiful and I think a great look into the kinds of relationships older men in power pursue with younger women.


4.5⭐️ rounded up to 5

I really enjoyed this book! I think it was interesting and it was exactly what the title says: "Bittersweet". I liked the issues the character was going through, and it made it enjoyable to read through.

Thank you to NetGalley, to the author, and to the publisher for this complimentary ARC in exchange for my honest review!!!

Charlie often felt like she did not fit in growing up, especially after the death of her mother. Now 23, she finally feels like she is finding her place in the world. She is a publicist at a prominent publishing house in London and has made a close group of friends among two of her co-workers. She is excited her company is publishing the latest novel from her favorite author of all time, Richard Aveling, and that she’ll be able to play a small role in supporting the new book.

Then, Charlie meets Richard and feels a strong connection. When Richard indicates he does as well, they begin an affair that soon consumes Charlie’s life — alienating from her friends and creating new pressures at work. Charlie, however, finds her feelings for Richard growing stronger, and wondering whether she’ll ever be able to overcome not having Richard in her life.

This was a powerful debut, exploring important themes around power, love, and friendship. I’m looking forward to reading what comes next from this author.

Highly recommended.

My heart hurts. There is something so hopeful about young love, but something ancient and sinister about the familiar way this tale unfolds. I absolutely loved joining the journey of Bitter Sweet, but it really was just that: a hard pill to swallow, but a pill nonetheless.

Bitter Sweet is an unflinching look at the ways we lose ourselves in the people we love, and the strength it takes to find our way back. It’s tender, devastating, and ultimately redemptive, a must-read for fans of emotionally charged literary fiction

No idea why I requested this but I’m grateful that I did. I’m more of a heartwarming / happy ending person. This debut novel is just wonderful, despite the cringeworthy subject matter. So many novels about an imbalanced extramarital affair are heavy handed and depressing, you read with your hand over your eyes. This one is tender, realistic, and will anger you but also keep you wanting to protect Charlie.

Charlie is an assistant at a UK publishing company, she does pretty menial work, processing expense reports and getting coffee. But at age 23, she is happy just to be working in the publishing industry and hoping to advance her career. She inevitably meets Richard, a 56 year old bestselling author, her favorite. Immediately she is star struck and they connect and start an affair that lasts a year. Obviously the imbalances of power in the relationship is egregious, and the reader is likely older than Charlie. I remember what it is like to be- truly- in a sort of relationship with your job, with the hope of your industry and in becoming something special. "Work never ceased to give us something to talk about."

The author has this way of sharing a few anecdotes about a character, and within a few paragraphs, you know exactly who this person is and how they will interact with everyone else. Charlie never really properly grieved the sudden loss of her mother at age 16, and at 23 she is eager for love and approval in a way that makes her - while brilliant - insecure to the point of being incredibly vulnerable. It is also written from a past perspective, as if Charlie has had 10 years of therapy and is now able to look back at her relationship with a healed perspective. "If you told me ... I wouldn't believe you."

Somehow by the end- you realize that she has grown and taken back her power. It's depressing and sad and yet at the end she has come full circle. Well written and a fresh voice in literary fiction.

Thanks to @netgalley and @randomhouse for the complimentary ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book to be published July 3, 2025.

This book was fantastic. I couldn’t put it down. I thought the mental health representation was excellent. Highly recommended.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC.

This book was hard at times for me to read, it brought up a lot of personal emotions. It deals with depression, difficult relationships, control, feelings of not being enough. It also has friendships, love and growth. At times I wanted to shake Charlie and say wake the hell up. I wanted to slap Richard I really disliked him from the start. That feeling stayed pretty much the whole book. Overall I am happy I read it and did enjoy. I look forward to reading other works from this author.

A book with a large age-gap that explores self-love and romance?! Yes, please. These are among my most favorite. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. Bitter Sweet was an enjoyable read. Williams is a fantastic storyteller, and the action captured and held my attention throughout.

I enjoyed this book overall but felt there were two key points that could have been improved. First of all, the reader is often told how magnetic Richard is but we are never really shown that - he is petulant, selfish, and manipulative, and I really never understood Charlie’s attraction to him. Secondly, her friends Ophelia and Eddy are great but to the point of saintliness- any conflict is quickly resolved without lasting effect. I did love the London publishing setting and thought that was extremely well captured.

This novel hits hard at your heart as it dives deep into the life of Charlie, a young woman whose is finally flourishing in her entry level assistant job in publishing. Charlie has left her small town and has new fantastic friends that help her forget the death of her mother and other trauma she suffered years ago. Charlie's trajectory changes when she begins working with her lifelong literary idol, Richard Aveling. The relationship blooms and crosses lines and she enters that familiar pattern that one has with a married companion or when the power is unequal.

Williams masterfully depicts Charlie’s thoughts and struggles with mental health. The supporting cast is as compelling as Charlie herself, and I am still thinking of her lovely friends and potential flames.

For readers who love character-driven dramas with emotionally charged narratives, Bitter Sweet is an unforgettable read. Williams has crafted a deeply moving story that lingers long after the final page. This story truly is Bitter sweet.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine / Ballantine Books for the opportunity to read Hattie Williams’s stunning debut novel, Bitter Sweet. #bittersweet #hattiewilliams #ballantine #randomhouse

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballantine / Ballantine Books for gifting me the opportunity to be one of the first to read Hattie Williams’s debut novel Bitter Sweet. The story centers around a young woman who has faced significant losses and hardships in her life, but things are finally starting to go her way. She lands her dream job at a prestigious publishing house in London, and she’s formed real friendships with two wealthy, yet kind and thoughtful, people. But then, she finds herself entangled in an all-consuming affair with her literary idol—and that’s when the cracks begin to reappear, quickly and painfully.

Side note: is it just me, or is there always a "Richard" who seems to be the downfall of so many of my favorite fictional characters?

Williams’s writing is beautiful and immersive—so much so that I found myself unable to put the book down. The prose is lyrical and poignant, and you can feel the influence of her musical background in the rhythm and flow of the narrative. Fans of authors like Coco Mellors and Antonia Angress, who specialize in the beautifully tragic, artsy “sad girl” genre, will absolutely fall in love with this book.

The characters are richly developed, each one complex and multi-dimensional. I could vividly imagine every scene, every conversation, and every subtle shift in the characters’ emotions. This is a book I’ll definitely be revisiting.

Also, I have to mention that the cover art is stunning—it's the perfect visual companion to the story. I can’t wait for this novel to be in the world and to hear how others connect with it as deeply as I did.