I really like Very Nearly Normal! Although, when I started reading this book, I wasn't sure that I liked Effie at all. She was quite a depressing character, angry at everything and drank...a lot! It didn't seem like she had any clue how to change her miserable life...until Theo. I loved watching the transformation from the train wreck that was Effie, to the loveable, confident woman that would in return, rescue the hero himself. Once I saw through the wall Effie put up, I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. I cringed, I laughed and I cried...more than once! This was heartwarming and heartbreaking all wrapped up together. Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for an ARC of Very Nearly Normal in exchange for an honest review.

We meet Effie, who is down on her life. She is exceedingly morose and has but one person she does not quarrel with regularly. This is the story of how she finds herself again.

Effie is living with her parents, has but one childhood friend who counts more as a frenemy and as someone who has had a partial experience of that kind of dynamics, understood her frustration. A noisy eater crosses her path, and from then on, she is forced to shake up her regular monotony. It has a very significant growth arc, leading to the point that the Matilda (Effie) who we end up with is a woman who likes the legs she stands on and we can cheer on any regular day. There was a lot of angst and soul searching, and at a point, I thought I had noticed too many ‘sneer’s and on checking found only five in the entire book so I was mistaken. It is a gruelling journey, and the author has not left any stones unturned in describing the depths of despair Matilda goes to. It just was mildly frustrating to be able to see what was wrong (as an outside observer) while the character continues to bemoan the situation without addressing the relevant possibilities.

It is a story of a couple and the journey they take towards common goals, and it was well written, and I would read other books by the author in the future!

I received an ARC thanks to NetGalley and the publishers, but the review is entirely based on my own reading experience.

Matilda Effie Heaton is a bit of a mess.  In her eyes, at least, she is below average; even her initial spell MEH, and that’s how she lives her life.  Everyone around her has their world in order – the perfect job, the perfect house, the perfect fiancé, the gorgeous hair, the stunning body.  Effie is increasingly unravelling at the seams.

Then, suddenly, the seemingly perfect Theo forces his way in to her world and makes her confront her own perceptions and reality.  In an attempt to take her out of her comfort zone, Theo challenges Effie to complete a list of 10 “missions”, akin to a bucket list, which combined, will help change her life.

This story follows Effie as she tries to regain control of not only her life, but her perceptions of self, and her descent in to alcoholism; picking up a few new wounds along the way.  In that sense, it’s a great idea for a story, and is told remarkably well.

Effie, as our protagonist is, on some levels, quite unlikeable; however, you can see her personality shining through her many flaws, and you just want her to see her potential.  Personally, I warmed to her very quickly and loved the fact she was not perfect.  However, I struggled with the juxtaposition of Theo, who was built up to be this all-amazing, wonderfully sculpted, gorgeous being.  I get it, I do, he looks too-good-to-be-true, and on some levels, he is; still, it would have been nice if he was a bit more on the average side, too.  But, that’s just personal opinion and doesn’t detract from the story at all.

I loved the way the author made me feel – I actually had tears in my eyes at some points.  What Effie goes through (NO spoilers) was written in such a raw way, that I felt it for her.  I wanted to reach in and hold her and tell her she was going to be OK.  Creating a situation where your readers feel that way is no mean feat, and I have to applaud that level of skill.  

That said, the overall book was let down by a rushed ending.  I remember getting to about 95% and thinking there’s a lot that needs to happen before this is over, and 5% later I had whiplash and felt a bit mugged off.  Again, I get it; it’s hard coming to a nice gentle close on these things.  At 400 pages this isn’t the shortest book in it’s genre, and you don’t want to run the risk of it turning in to an epic, but there must be a balance.  

I found Effie seemed to have solved some of her more complex and challenging issues very quickly, and neatly – in a way that can only happen in fiction.  Given the time and patience put in to developing her descent, I would have thought it would make more sense to demonstrate her struggle out of it a bit more.  What had, at times, felt far grittier than a traditional ChickLit read, quickly turned in to a typical perfect happy-ever-after ending.

The Stars
A strong four stars.  Although I found part of this quite frustrating, specifically the ending, the rest of the story was brilliantly told and executed, and the character development was largely excellent.  This is a fantastic debut, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more from this other.

Oh wow I really loved this book. I wasn’t sure when I started it as I found the main character really depressing and was always under a “black cloud” and I wondered if I could finish this book. But, I read on and discovering that this book was actually quite funny as well as sad but with a happy ending. I loved the fact that she worked in a bookshop and wanted to be a writer.  I really recommend this book. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Effie is not the usual run of the mill 29 year old. The story highlights very much the problems faced by someone who is a square peg in a round box. However much she has tried to be the "average Jane" Effie has never fitted the mould much to the dismay of her mother. From her school years she has been brash, I would say never considering what to say before she says it so that she has ended up at this age with no friends, no family life and very much alone, sad and bitter.

The only person who seemed to see a glimmer of a person within the person was Arthur her employer who treated her with distance and care at the same time which seemed to be the way to go. That is until she met Theo who saw the rough diamond that Effie was and who was determined to bring the person out.

The travails of Theo and Effie form the crux of the story - emotional, heart breaking but thank the Lord with a happy ever after ending. I couldn't have borne it if I saw Effie disillusioned again!

How our books drag us into a fantasy all the time!

This book was an interesting read because it talks about topics that somehow, nowadays seem more taboo than what the reality is actually like. 
Two broken souls, dealing with heartbreak and alcoholism and what-ifs and a bit of hope for a better future. 
There are many moments that I had to stop reading as well as moments where I felt like the story is dragging a bit or we are told some unnecessary things. 
It’s easy to say You can do this, you can overcome this but while in fiction everything seems easy, in reality, it’s way harder but overall I think the author has done a good job. 
It’s my first book by the author but won’t be the last that I’ll read by her.

I really enjoyed this book, it tells the story of someone who has issues with herself thinking that she is unlovable and a failure and her life is starting to unravel. Drinking too much, living with her parents, no boyfriend.  A chance encounter she meets a new man who makes her change her life for the better and then disappears from her life and breaks her heart.  She then decides to carry on with improving her life and setting right some wrongs.

Would love a follow up.

You can’t help but worry when you pick up a book and take an instant dislike to the protagonist. Will I finish this book? Can I tolerate such a character? Is this just going to make me angry? Thankfully, for me, this became a hate-to-love relationship that made me ever so grateful for persevering.

So, what made me dislike Effie so much, so quickly? Well, it’s her attitude! She is so negative, so despondent and so miserable, that it took every ounce of my own energy to not meet on her this pessimistic level. Yet, through this mist of misery there is an undeniable crudeness and sarcasm. Effie knows that she is a miserable cow, she knows that she hasn’t made much of her life, and is completely aware that she pushes everyone away from herself. And it was this quality that made me start to really like Effie. She is honest, she is humorously sarcastic and I liked her internal monologue. I could relate to her feelings of self-doubt and as a result, wanted to see her get out of the depressing, cyclical rut that she was stuck in.

Poor Effie! She doesn’t realise how good she has things until they start to crumble away. Her relationship with Theo and the subsequent ‘To Do’ list reminded me very much of Jojo Moyes and 'Me Before You'. This was a feeling that stayed with me throughout the story, even though it wasn’t the same, and I think this is why I fell in love with the plot. Theo comes across as Effie’s hero but his secret sends things crashing down, just as Effie is starting to trust herself. Her downfall is tragic and I could not predict how she would turn herself around.

I loved watching Effie’s journey and was delighted in the eventual parallels that are revealed between her and Theo. It was lovely to see Effie realise she isn’t so worthless and to watch her learn to love herself. Those feelings of low self-esteem made her such a believable character that I don’t think any reader would struggle to understand her feelings.

Although I may have conflicted with Effie to begin with, I fell in love with this story – a bit like Effie’s journey herself. Her struggles and pains felt real and I was rooting for her to succeed. This is a powerful story that isn’t just about love and relationships, but acceptance: acceptance for who you are and believing in yourself. I am excited by this debut novel from Sunderland and can’t wait to see what comes next.

With thanks to Avon books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I liked Very Nearly Normal.  It had a unique feel to it.  The storyline felt a bit different from anything else I've read and kept my interest.  The main character, Effie, is struggling at "adulting."  She hasn't quite found her way in life.  At least she doesn't think she has.  The sad thing is that she may just be too busy comparing herself to others and not allowing herself time to appreciate what she has achieved because it doesn't match up to what she "perceives" others are accomplishing.  Regardless, Effie isn't happy with her life.  Because of this, one of Effie's best friends is wine.  At least until she meets Theo.  He is able to bring her out of her shell and help her find a craving for life that she hasn't experiences in a long while.  Of course, Effie is waiting for things to fail.  She's sure it's too good to be true.  What would someone like Theo see in her?  

Very Nearly Normal was heartwarming and heartbreaking all rolled together.  It was wonderful to see the evolution of Effie and Theo's relationship.  It was even more rewarding to see how Effie grows, personally.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Never have I ever felt so emotion for a book, by far the best book I have read in years!! Eiffe a young woman who wasnt popular at school or anyone's number one choice feels she has been given the wrong card in life until one day a date that starts as a distarer turns into something more. I really felt for every character in this book, I've cried, laughed throughout this book. Wonderfully written!! A true gem of a read. 10 stars if that was possible.

Nearly Very Normal tells the love story of Theo and Effie. Effie, an unhappy, frustrated and angry, 28 years old single woman (Well, she has several reasons to be unhappy and frustrated) who works in a bookshop. Then she meets Theo ___a handsome, witty, calm, wise ___basically a too-good-too-be-true man (I don't mind too good to be true hero in a love story). They meet in a very unexpected situation and after that, Effie's life changes. But what about Theo. He looks happy and content but seems to be keeping secrets.

I really liked this book. It's uplifting, romantic, funny, and sad, at times. I immediately felt the connection with the characters. The Theo-Effie boning is endearing, their conversations so interesting.

I liked the writing style. The author has managed to build the suspense in the second half, however, it meanders, sometimes, and I got a little impatient. Also, I didn't like the cover. It's too uninteresting for this story.

Overall, an entertaining and engrossing read. Somtimes, Theo reminded me of Will Traynor (Me Before You). I feel it's one of the best things I can say about a fictional male character. Do read if you enjoy reading a love story.

I received an ARC of this book via netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Effie is not this years IT gir, nor is she the IT girl of any earlier or future year and she has spent each of those years bemoaning her lot in life in comparison to that of her friends. Obviously such comparisons have always been on the debit side of her accounting column. We open as she is preparing herself for a last chance in the relationship department and a date arranged via an online site. When it goes disastrously as everything she touches is fated to go a twist in the tale brings a new potential love into her life.

Of course nothing is straightforward and much of it is not helped by Effie's relationship with her other love of alcohol. Yet we do see Effie and Theo's relationship develop through some rater cute goal chasing only for it all to come crashing down as the tale takes a darker twist. Pulling herself proverbial socks up Effie manages to create a less awful place in life only for the unfinished past to come haunting.

This is a reasonably well written novel which follows the propensity of romance novels to have an on again / off again relationship. My main problem with it was I couldn't really like the central character of Effie. I generally just wanted to shake her or her slap her face. I found that i was way past 50% through the book before i had any real desire to see what the end might bring. 

Romance is not my first love and I am sure many will enjoy it. For me it just failed to light a spark and I have found it difficult to rate for these reasons. I probably would have given it a 2.5 if that option had been open as it is better than just OK so I have decided on 3 stars in the end

Wow what a book. I absolutely loved it. It had everything you could want in a story and more. I was gripped from the first page. The emotion was up there with the best I’ve read in a long time. It made you really get to know the characters and feel what they were going through. The romance was lovely too. I do love it when there is a will, they won’t they plot. I also loved the twist.  It come out of nowhere which was great.

All the characters were so heart-warming. I really enjoyed getting to know all of them. My favourite had to be Effie. Just a normal woman struggling with her mental health. Living with her parents, drinking wine every night for comfort.  Apart from her job which she loves, working in a book shop. She really needed something to change. 
Fate then brings Theo into her life. Could he be her chance at happiness? Or is the secret he is hiding too big.

Completely heart-breaking this is a must read. I loved the message from this book ‘keep going, even when you feel like its all too much. You really do not know, what’s around the corner’. Make a list of your dreams, wishes too! Because who doesn’t like ticking things off.

Effie, a 28-year-old, with no dreams to speak of, living with her parents and drowning her miseries in wine meets Theo, an optimistic and persistent man who encourages Effie to stop throwing herself pity-parties and make some serious amends to her otherwise solitary, depressing life style. But Theo's optimism comes from a position of grief and loss that has taken a toll on him, his only ray of sunshine being our beloved, Effie.

I never realized I would end up liking Effie. She is cranky and complains non-stop. She uses all her resistance to push Theo away. This story isn't the most original, but there is something about their personalities that makes you want to read on. Countless times I have wished for a Theo of my own to save me from certain miseries and Effie's transformation from a crybaby to a woman in control of her life is inspirational .

Effie and Theo complement each other as their personalities are extremely opposite. Through a whirlwind of making each other's lives better, they give you a reason to sob through a lot of their story, feeling their emotions as yours. Sunderland's writing is engaging and has a way to such you right into the plot. The other characters around Effie such as Arthur, Toby and Joy are a sight to behold , making them all make a space in our minds with their distinct personalities.

Effie and Theo give us a story to remember, and a message along with it and that it is important to accept people with all their flaws and be patient because you never know what someone is going through. Also, move you ass and get shit done, for the love of God.

I really felt like I went on a journey with this one! Although I liked the start, I struggled with main character Effie, until two things finally clicked. 1) Why must all female characters be likeable? It's rarely listed as a problem when men are not likeable. This led to thought 2) Effie, like so many of us, has more than enough reason to be the way she is. She's been made 'unlikeable' by circumstance, how she is responded to that has been to retreat into herself and become hostile to the world. As the book goes on it become nigh-on impossible not to understand, sympathise and even empathise. Theo comes into Effie's life and dazzles, persevering past her hostility, reluctance and self doubt. He's a great character, a properly charming male supporting character. But this is the Effie story and though it took some time, I grew to really, deeply care for her. 
I binged the book in a day, desperate to find out what happened to Effie. At times I laughed at and with her, sometimes both. Other times I cringed and even reprimanded her. But I always rooted for her and loved her.
And, if I'm honest, she's taught me a lot about myself and how I compare myself negatively with others. Effie, my fellow pale read head with sturdy thighs, thank you for seeing that liking, and maybe even loving myself, could be possible.

Sorry but my dislike of Effie stopped me from really enjoying this book.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Very Nearly Normal is such a nice story and one that gripped my attention until the end. It gave me serious Me Before You vibes but is its own unique story that I really enjoyed. Effie is the main character who is very relatable in many ways. She finds herself still living with her parents, she manages to get herself a job as a bookseller but it pays minimum wage, she's an aspiring writer but has a finished book which she is struggling to get a publisher for, she's also heavily reliant on alcohol because she's simply very unhappy with her situation and her life.

Things change when Effie meets Theo who literally goes out of his way to get Effie's attention but at first she's too unhappy and insecure to accept it. Theo decides that Effie needs a bucket list to work through or she'll never leave this seemingly permanent slump she's in. Unfortunately, whilst Effie has her own crap she is dealing with Theo also has his own issues which he doesn't disclose until much later for fear of losing her. In the meantime, Theo decides to end the relationship and this naturally sends Effie back into the self-destructive stupor she had previously been in. What's refreshing here is that Effie gives herself time to feel sad but then realises that she has the power to make *herself* happy rather than wait for a man.

Very Nearly Normal is Effie's self-discovery story which I think can give you ideas for how you can improve your life if you want to. It also really made me miss my days as a bookseller.

A massive thanks to NetGalley, Hannah Sunderland and Avon Books UK for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

An enjoyable read, I found the beginning quite difficult to cope with as the main protagonist is very difficult to like (if you don’t like yourself how will others rings very true here) but I enjoyed the character development.

Thanks for letting me review this book.

"my biggest failure had been refusing to be happy." That pretty much sums up what's going on with Effy and Theo.

Lovely story about making positive changes in your life. Being stuck at home during COVID 19, it was a wonderful motivation to make changes in your life so you too can stop refusing to be happy.

This would be an excellent summer read!!

I received an ARC for my review

A Story of Finding Love.. And Along The Way, The Pathway to Love Yourself 💘

Meet Effie, 'Matilda Effie Heaton', although an adult, still seems to find socializing with others difficult as it was in school, always in the shadows trying to fit in.  Effie desperately wants to be a writer, she's very blunt at times, doesn't hold back on her opinions.  Went on a disastrous date, where everything changed without her yet realizing...

Then there's Theo, seems a very confident young man, great personality.  Theo has a secret he's keeping which he reluctant to share, or let it reflect in his actions.

They meet by chance, but will Effie let Theo into her life, she's been let down before.  Will he love her for the true Effie? 

I was undecided about this book initially, couldn't work out if it was for me.  Very nearly Normal has elements I'm sure most of us could relate to, in one way or another.  At times it's sad, makes you chuckle and makes you smile.  If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book too.

Great read.