I really enjoyed this! I’d put it in the same category as something like The Rachel Incident, or maybe a Sally Rooney—literary-leaning and more focused on a glimpse into a character’s life and the relationships between people, but still mostly entertaining. I found the writing to be very strong and loved the characterization of most of the characters. I think the one thing that kept this from being a five star read is the ending. Since it’s more slice-of-life, this story just kind of ends, in the same way that it just kind of begins. For a story to be a favorite, I think I typically prefer a more… manufactured ending, a more distinct sense of satisfaction and resolution. But this book is still one of my favorite reads of the year overall, and I eagerly await Dinan’s next work!

I have to say, this book was fascinating on every level. I loved the plot, I devoured the writing, and the characters were just chef's kiss. Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan follows the characters of Max and Vincent, a couple of young people finding their way in love and life, learning about their sexuality, discovering their identity, and attempting to create structure and peace in the chaos that is life, the reality of making choices that can haunt you and the allure of self-destruction. The writing is feels very much in the heads of the characters, and feels extremely relatable in a way I can't truly describe. The thought trains, the random quips and references had me flicking pages like crazy. Dinan has an amazing talent for expressing humanity in "seeing the forest through the trees" kind of way. I really enjoyed reading from both characters' points of view, and I thought they both had a distinct and unique window to the events that made me yearn for their connection. I really liked all the characters in their own way, and felt the emotional pull of longing and fear of rejection, that hope fused with danger and pre-disappointment. I think we've all felt lost at some point, and Max is such a loveable, if frustrating, character with a complex path. I feel like I got a lot of insight into experiences I've never had, and that's what all the best novels do. There was a lot of diversity in characters and sexualities, which I always appreciate and enjoy.

To end, I'd like to send the biggest of thanks to Nicola Dinan, the publisher, Random House - Dial Press, and NetGalley for the huge privilege of being able to read this novel. I will share my review to Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes & Noble, as well as recommend this one to many people I know. Thank you!

It's so hard to review books that are actually good. I'm fighting the urge to reach for comparisons to other, less successful books -- really, there are too many to name; complicated romantic relationships are the bread and butter of mediocre litfic -- to explain, by contrast, this book's virtues. Sometimes you read a book and you can see what it's trying to do, and you can also see the ways in which it falls short of that vision. Maybe the characters are too one-note, or the ending is too pat, or the themes are too heavy handed. It's a little bit like seeing through an optical illusion. You can't un-see that it's a contrivance on part of the author.
But there's no gap here. Disappoint Me is the book other books want to be when they grow up. Dinan's contrivances are so artfully executed that they all but disappear. There's a spark of life, a sense that the narrative is not exhaustive, that the world extends beyond the frame. Also, it made me cry, which never happens.

A haunting, sad yet funny Literary Fiction commentary and character study in an experience of being a Transgender millennial navigating the modern landscape. Max is a 30 year old lawyer and poet, flirting with sobriety and in a new relationship with Vincent. Her brother, who can't commit to a relationship, is going to start a family and be a co-parent. She has a good community and friends, but constantly worries about being forgotten and being out-of-place. Of not being self-aware to her own destruction.

This is a painfully constructed novel, helped create a sense of empathy to those of us who benefit from heteronormativity in our complicated world. There are characters across a gender and sexuality spectrum, with a powerful community but similar insecurities that all of us have on a daily basis. This book is descriptive and smart, not one that I would read over and over again, but that gave me an insight into someone else's experience.

The POV is mostly Max but also changes to her boyfriend Vincent, with a very engaging thread that alternate in London and Bangkok. A somber yet hopeful story about the messiness of life and love.

Thaks to @netgalley and @thedialpress for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

#booksbooksbooks #booktok #bookstagram #arcreader #bookreview #bookrecommendations #disappointme

I will officially read anything Nicola Dinan puts out. Her writing is stunning and really pulls me in. Bellies was one of my favorite books last year, so I was thrilled to get into this one. It is similarly tender, vulnerable, and introspective.

The title prepared me for a plot that would be filled with.... well, disappointment. And yes, it is there although maybe the imagined or expected disappointment feels larger than reality.

Bellies was phenomenal and had a very strong ending so I will say that the bar was high and Disappoint Me didn't quite reach it. But still a great book that I couldn't put down. And Max is maybe my favorite character of both stories.

Ratings
Story Concept 4/5
Quality of Writing 5/5
Pacing 4/5
Plot Development 4/5
Character Development 5/5

Overall Enjoyability 4.5/5

Disappoint Me, the second novel from author Nicola Dinan, read like a stage performance. I often felt myself wishing certain scenes would end, or living inside other scenes that were beautifully complex and emotionally riveting. While, overall, I struggled to follow the timeline (dueling narrators perhaps adding to this challenge), I think Dinan succeeded in developing rich and thoughtful characters that I feel curious about. I would pick up another book by Dinan but wouldn't recommed this one to a friend.

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan did quite the opposite of its title. While it took me a few chapters to fully get into the story, once I found my rhythm, I was hooked. The novel follows Max, a trans woman who, after an accident that leaves her with a head injury, decides to start the year by embracing heteronormativity, a choice that brings new complexities to her life. The other perspective comes from Vincent, a man grappling with his sexuality while trying to come to terms with a past mistake he made during his time in Thailand a decade earlier.

Dinan’s writing is beautiful and nuanced, capturing the complexity of growing up and the isolating effect of friendships evolving as people move through different stages in life. Each character is facing significant personal struggles and searching for forgiveness, whether from others or themselves, all while navigating the challenges of love and acceptance.

For me, the alternating timelines between London and Thailand added a rich layer to the narrative. As an expat in Thailand around the same time as Vincent’s story, the setting and the memories it evoked were especially poignant. I also found Max’s family dynamics compelling and well-developed, adding depth to her journey. The diversity of the characters—whether in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, or identity—was another standout feature. Dinan fully imagined each character, making them feel real and multi-dimensional.

Disappoint Me reminded me of works by Coco Mellors and Antonia Angress, with its melancholic, beautiful undercurrent and engaging plot. It’s a story that is as emotionally resonant as it is thought-provoking. I look forward to reading more of Dinan’s work in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group—Random House & The Dial Press for providing me with an advanced e-copy.

Oh this one was delicious. I haven’t read Bellies by Nicola Dinan (yet) but after this absolutely stunning novel, I’m running to get it.

Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan is a raw, honest exploration of love, heartbreak, and self-discovery. Through sharp dialogue and complex character dynamics, Dinan captures the emotional turbulence of navigating relationships while grappling with personal growth. The novel's nuanced portrayal of vulnerability and resilience leaves a lasting impact, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in the messy realities of life and love.

This book is written from the heart and soul. I laughed, I cried, my jaw hit the floor numerous times. I didn’t know what i expected from this book going in but I finished feeling seen, understood, and heard. This book is for anyone lost in their late 20s or early 30s, anyone unsure if you’re deserving of love or unsure where to go next. I was over the moon for this book and its characters.

Really enjoyed this piece by Nicola Dinan. Max's restlessness and dissatisfaction with what should be a happy life is painfully relatable. Despite Max and Vincent each having their own hang ups and issues, I was rooting for them to work everything out. A testament that nothing is ever as simple as "black and white", people and the relationships we have with them included.

4.5 ⭐️
If this book doesn’t make it onto the top releases of 2025 lists, I will be not only surprised but disappointed. Reading this made me excited for the future of literary fiction in the coming new year. The pacing and tones and conversations within Disappoint Me cover so many bases in such a graceful way. I highly recommend that everyone get their hands on a copy on release day!
Thank you to NetGalley and The Dial Press for the e-ARC!

This book delivered everything I wanted and more. Bellies walked so Disappoint Me could run. I was so deeply moved by Max and Vincent and their innate humanness and all that comes with growing older. This story was so human. It was perfect. 10/10

This is my first Nicola Dinan novel, and I definitely was not disappointed! I found both characters, Max and Vincent, to be intriguing characters that held my interest throughout. It was also really interesting to see a heteronormative relationship/lifestyle through the eyes of a trans woman, and I’m glad I ended up requesting this.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

Well, I loved this.

I finished this book a few days ago, and it has lingered with me in a way I did not expect. I keep thinking of Max and wondering what she is up to, as if she is a real person I know and not a character in a book.

This book follows Max, a trans woman who suffers an injury at a party and decides to make some changes in her life- namely, she embarks on a new relationship with a man who is not her usual type. She navigates issues with her own family and personal life while also dealing with the new experiences that come with dating a man who lives a very different lifestyle than hers.

What I liked:
I think this book is a perfect mix of character and plot developments. A lot of this book is Max’s inner thoughts as she grows and changes as a person. Yet, there is also a lot of things happening- throughout this book, Max travels to several different countries and is always up to something new.

I just really really liked Max. She is a complicated person and I felt she was incredibly relatable and sympathetic. She is not without flaws and is very willing to acknowledge them. She is a good friend, a good partner, a good daughter, and a good sister, yet she makes realistic mistakes in those relationships.

There are some core themes here about what you can forgive a person for and much how a person can really change. I don’t want to give any spoilers about this, but I loved what the author did with the flashbacks to what Vincent did in his past. I love when an author can make me feel such conflicting things for a character, and that 100% succeeded here.

Honestly, I cannot think of a single thing I did not like about this book and if I were going to put spoilers in here, I think I could talk about it for hours. I loved this, and will definitely be seeking out more books by this author in the future.

5 stars for an emotional, thought provoking, beautiful read.


thanks to NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an unbiased review!

I really enjoyed this book! An incisive and fresh character study of a trans poet whose new boyfriend introduces a sense of security that both charms her and makes her question the shape of her life. Meanwhile, we get glimpses into his past that eventually collide with the present. A sharp and witty look at memory, forgiveness, and how we decide both who we are and who we want to be. Highly recommend.

This was my first from Nicola Dinan and I really liked it. The writing was witty and entertaining. The characters were dynamic and different from one another which made the reading experience much more interesting. Books like this tend to be hit or miss for me, a girl lost in love and life and has that "messy girl" stumbling through life type of story, but this book was a real hit and I think it has everything to do with Dinan's writing style. I really enjoyed it from the first to the last page. I think the book was the right length because I was left satisfied after reading the story and didn't feel like it dragged on too long, something that also causes me to feel wary about this genre from time to time. This book overall was a great read that I greatly enjoyed during my holiday travels and highly recommend it for anyone looking for a good literary/contemporary book.

An interesting read! I loved the way the author described each setting and laid out the dialogue (even if some of the slang seemed too current especially in the beginning of the book) The dual perspective was nice, laying all the pieces of the story in place. The past and the present in different chapters.

The characters were engaging and I was intrigued to see where they’d end up. The descriptions were very vivid and called everything in each scene to mind immediately. The two foremost characters had a very interesting dynamic. The relationship the main character has with her parents was also quite realistic. The characters were flawed but the way the author presents them is very believable and I’d be interested in reading another novel written by her.

The following review will be posted as of November 23, 2024 on Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/99549120-hannah

Some books require a slow burn before they fully captivate, but from the fourth chapter onward, I was thoroughly engrossed. The dual perspective between Max and Vincent is executed with remarkable fluidity, allowing the narrative to seamlessly shift between their points of view without disrupting the flow. I found myself deeply engaged in both perspectives, never once feeling detached or disinterested. The author excels in illustrating the subtle dynamics of human interaction, deftly highlighting the impact of casual, often careless conversation and the pervasive, intrusive thoughts that continually shape our inner lives.

“You can fall in love with an outline, you can even make a home with one, but there will come a time when you can’t deny the bones their flesh. No person is fewer than two things.”

What starts as a thin framework of emotional connection must inevitably confront the messy, human layers beneath. The characters can no longer remain content with the outline—they must reckon with their pasts, their insecurities, and the parts of themselves they would rather not face. Dinan beautifully shows how love, in its truest form, requires more than surface-level affection—it demands vulnerability, change, and, at times, the willingness to disappoint and be disappointed.

I loved this book, would read it again. It’s a book worth having on the bookshelf!

I was a bit confused at the beginning, because it was a lot of thoughts being spoken out loud alongside her thought process, but I ended up figured it out. The writing was amazing though. I loved how messy the characters were. It felt very realistic. It's a very great read.