You’ll know that I am a sucker for a cute quirky rom-com and I knew that this debut would satisfy that craving perfectly. So I was delighted when I was accepted for a copy on NetGalley.

Just like her initials, Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton’s life has been a bit meh. It seems that everyone she grew up with has happy, successful lives and she is still single, living with her parents in Birmingham and has a string of rejection letters for her novel. The one speck of light is her job at the bookshop owned by her dear friend and boss Arthur, who is in love with his accountant but won’t admit it. When another Tinder date ends badly, Effie meets Theo, a pretty blond boy with a dark secret. Little does she know, Effie is about to be dealt a whole new hand.

‘How could such big dreams amount to so little?’

I have to start by saying that Effie is me. She speaks, feels and thinks exactly like I do and so of course, I was heavily invested in her from page one. I am also a woman in her late twenties who still lives with her parents and dreams of becoming a writer. I also get sad scrolling through social media and seeing all of the promotion and engagement announcements. I also often drink too much and hate myself. However, I’ve been lucky enough to have had quite a lot of therapy over the years and Effie definitely hasn’t. Essentially, Effie is what I would have become without therapy and if I hadn’t eventually learned to (mostly) love myself. Effie’s depression isn’t ever explicitly said or diagnosed but the hopelessness, the irritability and the dark thoughts all definitely point to her having it. I noticed it very quickly and from then on, I just wanted her to conquer it.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I am not a Theo fan. When she first met him, he gave off major fuckboy vibes and he actually reminded me of one I used to date (maybe that’s the reason I took a dislike!). He seemed a bit arrogant and sure that Effie would be interested in him. I’m much more attracted to the shy, awkward type but apparently Effie has different taste! I loved her initial resistance to him though because had she fallen for his beautiful face at first sight, I’d have immediately lost all faith in her.

However, it’s easy to see how Effie eventually melted. He does genuinely care about her and wants to show her that the world is so much more than what’s going on inside her head. My feelings for Theo actually changed with hers and I began to warm to him towards the middle of the book, which is down to expert writing and character development skills. I’ll admit that even by the end, I still wasn’t head over heels in love with him but I knew so much more about him and his reality, so I could extend a huge amount of sympathy and understanding his way. That doesn’t stop me from secretly wishing that the ending had been different! 

Hannah Sunderland perfectly nails what it’s like to live with your parents, as you’re approaching 30. This is a new commonplace phenomenon that many contemporary writers haven’t had to write about before but Very Nearly Normal offers a masterclass in how to do it. The dynamics between Effie and her mother are very similar to those of my own mother-daughter relationship. I know that my mum would prefer not to have another grown woman living in her house and we do argue about almost everything. Effie and her mother’s relationship offers a realistic portrait of how hard it actually is to be an adult and yet still be trapped in this weird overgrown teenager phase, due to a lack of finances. It sometimes feels like older generations think that millennials who live at home have it easy because they assume we are still essentially ‘looked after’ like children and it’s those people who need to take this accurate portrayal in. 

I was audibly cheering for Effie by the end of the book because she has come so far in her own self-love journey. If I’m honest, I would have loved to have left her as a single free woman whose ordeals shaped her to be able to focus on herself. In some ways, it did end like that. She emerged a sassy, independent success and totally different to the girl she was at the start but I guess I just wanted a little bit more for her on a personal level. I wasn’t wholly dissatisfied with the ending because it is very cute and ties up the loose ends but it just wasn’t what I selfishly really wanted!

Very Nearly Normal will take you through all the feels. It’s hilarious sometimes, heartbreaking at other times and there are even moments of frustration and anxiety. It has a bittersweetness to it that is reminiscent of a cosy Richard Curtis film and I’d love to see it adapted as such. It has been said that it’s for fans of Gail Honeyman but I actually found it much lighter than Eleanor Oliphant. I’d say it’s for fans of Beth O’Leary and Jojo Moyes, who are looking for a cute, uplifting, romantic new voice.

Very Nearly Normal follows the story of Effie Heaton, a young woman who is completely unhappy with how her life has panned out; she lives at home with her parents, is completely unlucky in love, drinks too much and works a low-paying job at a bookshop. She is incredibly insecure, especially as her passion for writing has got her nowhere, and those around her appear to have wealth, success, and solid relationships. However, the bad luck that Effie has endured throughout her life seems to shift upon meeting Theo, who pushes her to rid of her grudges and jealousy, to try new things, and to live her life to the fullest; however, Theo has a hidden secret, which will change the course of their love story entirely.

When I started this book, I thought that it would be an easy, light-hearted romcom with lots of clichés, but it proved to be so much more than that; I felt so many different emotions, at times feeling happy and laughing at the blunders and awkward situations that Effie finds herself in, to feeling angry, sad and frustrated at other parts, that I will not go into detail about because of spoilers! I felt so heavily invested in the lives of the characters, and there were many aspects of Effie’s character that I found to be very relatable. Sunderland does an amazing job at exploring a huge variety of themes, from love, forgiveness, self-acceptance and jealousy, and what it actually means to be normal; the story follows the journey of two realistic, but nonetheless broken individuals, and delves into how things are not always how they seem to be on the surface, whether it be Theo’s secret, or the apparent success of Effie’s childhood friend Kate. One of my favourite things about Very Nearly Normal was the character development; Effie and Theo are both flawed and complex characters, though they were incredibly realistic, and I really warmed to both of them. I also enjoyed the characters that were not central to the main plot, especially Effie’s cat, Elliot!

Overall, this book was definitely not what I excepted; though it has many conventions of a classic romcom novel, it avoids being cliché, and leaves you guessing and engrossed until the very final pages. Sunderland delivers a really important and powerful underlying message of self-acceptance and to live life to the fullest, whilst keeping you entertained the whole way through. This is the perfect read for these strange times, and I could not recommend it enough.

I started this book two nights ago. Last night I was at 20% and thought I'd read a little before I went to sleep...I ended up staying awake, finishing the book whilst sobbing.
I adored this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it wasn't predictable! It didn't fall down the trap that so many books fall into. The characters were beautiful, so unbelievably relatable and their backstory's made perfect sense.
For anyone that was a fan of "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes - this is definitely for you!
Gorgeous book, 5* Rating.

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland is a modern love story that tackles some of the issues  facing the over 25s in the 21st century.  Matilda Effie Heaton (MEH) aka Effie is the heroine who is leading a very unhappy life living at home and not progressing in her career as a writer. Effie works in a bookshop, compares herself unfavourably to her best (?) friend and drinks way too much to the dismay of her parents. After a disastrous Tindr date Effie meets Theo and slowly but surely he breaks down Effie's many barriers. There are some beautifully written scenes between these two. There is also humour, pathos and a sense of awakening. But the path of true love doesn't always run smoothly and so is the case here. Effie finds herself and her creative self is reawakened. Be prepared Effie drinks a lot and cries a lot but eventually life comes good for her. For me the theme I took from this book is if you try to be someone other than your true self it is so easy to get lost and sometimes to stay lost but you can also rescue yourself too. A love story to remember.  I really liked it. #FindYourSeahorse #Netgalley

This book was a complete emotional rollercoaster!

Effie is literally down in the dumps, she can't catch a break. Her former best friend got promoted and engaged, her tinder date thinks she's someone else and she's still living at home. That is until she meets Theo, this complete stranger who comes into her life and changes everything. He gives her hope and goals. He believes in her however he has his own secrets.

I will admit it took me a very long time to get into this book, I almost DNF however the need to find out what Theos secret was strong haha! I couldn't connect with the characters, I thought Effie was extremely selfish and rude. She is constantly angry and I genuinely don't know why Theo put up with her rudeness. Theo is sweet, fun, and charming you can't help but love him! He really helps Effie with her goals and also with her dependence on alcohol.
There are a lot of hard topics within this book such as suicide and depression. Some parts were extremely hard to read. In saying this the writer did write these parts with empathy and care.

This book is very well written, as I previously stated the main reason that I continued reading this book was to uncover Theo's secret. (no spoilers here) haha! 

I enjoyed the mysterious aspect of this book, however, this book was not for me.

Effie is nearing 30 and feels like she has nothing to show for her life. An aspiring writer that is sick of being rejected, stuck in a house with her parents, crumbling under her mother’s expectations and jealous of her friends. Effie has had enough after a particularly disastrous date but her luck turns when she meets Theo. As Theo tries to show her the positives in life it’s up to Effie to become the woman she wants to be.
I was so surprised by this book, I thought it was going to be a light-hearted romance but it’s not at all, it’s a much more emotional read than that. There were passages in the novel where Effie talks about how everyone is alive to make a contribution but she hasn’t anything to give and these sections were so beautifully written and heartbreakingly relatable. This is a novel about Effie being alive but not living and Theo helping her to live life to the fullest. 
Effie is not for everyone - she is deeply pessimistic and pushes people away again and again. I think some people might not be able to connect with her because of her attitude but I really related to her and I felt nothing but sympathy for her as she lashed out at her loved ones. 
Although there were sections of this book were hard to read because they were so emotional, this book was a reminder that life is never easy, it’s not always fair but we’ve got to play the hand we’re dealt and make the most of it. I was really touched by this story and Effie will stay with me for a while yet. 
(I will place content warnings for suicidal thoughts, self harm and alcoholism in case that’s something that could affect you.)

Bring tissues, it’s a wonderful but emotional read. A beautiful story with great characters, I wasn’t sure about Effie at the start but she grows on you as the story progresses. A cute lovely romantic story, but bring the tissues.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Effie Heaton is barely getting through life. In her late 20's, preferring wine over almost anything else, and still living at home with a mom who doesn't understand her it seems like everyone else's life is just fantastic, Instagram perfect. When a Tinder date goes terribly wrong before it's even really gotten started she meets Theo. He seems too good to be real, handsome, charming and for some reason, despite all of her flaws, attracted to her, but Theo has a huge secret.

What a rollercoaster. Very Nearly Normal is a beautiful tale of growth and discovery, while we do spend a good amount of time with Theo and Effie, it's more about Effie learning to take control of her life, making it what she wants and finding happiness. I loved watching Effie grow and learn to stand on her own, I felt like she was relatable on some levels, and that the mental health aspects of the story were accurately portrayed. This is a great book, it has humor, compassion, forgiveness, and a small twist at the end. Definitely recommend.

I enjoyed this book - initially I wasn't so sure as the main character was just a tad unlikeable but I think that was the point. A tale about the danger of comparing yourself to others and following your dreams and giving things a go! I finished this book feeling very heartwarmed!

A corker of a debut! I loved Effie. Her flaws made her a great character. A 2020 reading highlight! 5 stars!

At the beginning of this book we meet Effie. Effie is 28, has low self esteem, still stays with her parents, doesn't see a purpose in very much and is annoyed that her peers have 'got on' in life. Effie also has an alcohol problem.  All this does not make for a loveable character...but I did love her. I loved her spikiness, I loved her feisty attitude and I loved her reluctance to believe in herself.  When she and Theo meet, by accident and not by design, he enables her to help herself to see a way forward.  
I enjoyed Effie and Theo's journey complete with all its ups and downs. I liked most of the other characters in the story as well and felt they all had something to add. At times I found I laughed with Effie and at others I cried with her, and for her, too.  All in all I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to friends.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Sutherland and the publishers for an advance e-copy of this book.

The synopsis for this novel is that Very Nearly Normal is a charming, unusual and uplifting romance to captivate your heart. For me, I did find it to be an unusual love story because our lady of the moment Effie is such a complex difficult character to instantly like. 
Effie and Theo’s love story begins with a first chance encounter in a diner where Effie is on a blind date with douchebag Daz and Theo is eavesdropping on their conversation. The humour and funny one liners are present in the writing from the start but it is Effie’s character who will either steal your heart or frustrate you immensely. Her character is an amalgamation of familiar traits that trouble many of us which actually makes for painful reading at times. Effie’s permanent sense of failure is worn like a crucifix around her neck, dragging herself further into a pit of self hatred, low self esteem and poor perception of herself in relation to others. That should endear the reader to this young woman weighed down by all her perceived weaknesses but her overwhelming self pity turns this fictional character into the most gloomy depressed individual I’ve encountered in a modern day love story. Don’t get me wrong, I could sympathise with Effie up to a point and believe her character will resonate with many who find themselves on the periphery of life , more often that not outside looking in, believing everyone else is living a far more successful life, happier, richer, in a loving relationship blah blah blah. There are a few film references dotted throughout the storyline and one in particular struck a chord and sums up perfectly the way Effie views herself . This is the scene in Love Actually when Keira Knightly discovers her husband’s best friend is secretly in love with her and declares this on her doorstop via handwritten cards. A romantic yet heartbreaking scene and Effie can never ever imagine herself to be on the receiving end of such a romantic gesture. Join the club!! 
At twenty eight Effie is still living at home with her ‘joyless’ mother and a mostly silent father, working in a bookshop, having shelved her dreams of becoming a writer. So basically she’s not in a good place at all when the handsome, persistent and patient Theo enters her life.
Naturally the course of events hereafter are pretty much what you’d expect from a novel of this genre and I liked Theo’s idea of a list; a way to achieve and experience new things whilst perhaps changing Effie’s perspective of herself and life in general. Although not original, it does make for heartwarming if predictable reading and like all good romantic reads you can expect the path of falling in love to be bumpy. Whilst I did think Theo could possibly have a dramatic and positive effect on Effie I did think his character suffered from double standards which you’ll discover if you think this novel is one for you. 
Despite Effie’s self pitying nature I grew to like her more as she progressed through her list so that by the end you can imagine a more hopeful future. Throughout her journey to becoming a more positive individual, finally letting go of past resentments, that old adage ‘it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all’ kept springing to mind. Like I said at the start there is humour in this romantic read, often of the self deprecating type and my favourite characters had to be bookshop owner and Effie’s boss, Arthur and his accountant Toby who offer a hand of friendship when it’s most needed. They provide some lightness and shade to offset the more darker aspects of this novel.
If you prefer a romantic read to mimic reality rather than those that are all light and fluffy and full of sunshine then look no further than Very Nearly Normal. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Thank you Net galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. I didn't look at the description of this book before requesting. I got the jist that it was going to include some romance. I loved the cover. Well Hannah Sunderland's debut novel definitely took me on a journey. I fell in love with Effie from the first page. Should I be worried at how relatable I found her. With the exception of wine consumption of course. I found myself laughing out loud as she stumbled through life less gracefully than others appeared around her. And when the story started taking a different route I think I was almost as heartbroken. This book had everything for me. I haven't read a book that made me laugh in a while, but I was rooting for Effie all the way through. I loved this book and have recommended it to a few friends for when it is released.

When I first started reading this book I didn't think I was going to like it. Effie seemed whiny and was on a continuous pity party....then came the second chapter and I found myself laughing out loud and I realized Effie was adorably self deprecating.

It is a well written book that touches on some real life issues It made me laugh, stirred a lot of empathy but it also kept me engaged and eager to read on. It was a quite amazing mixture of feelings that Hannah Sunderland delivered in just perfect proportions. The story left me with a warm, optimistic feeling about people.


I believe the main message of the book is about importance of human contact, even when circumstances for them are not optimal. It is a very uplifting message, especially now. Such an impressive debut. I will definitely read the future books by this author.

Oh this book… what a journey. It covers only a short period of time between the two main characters (Effie and Theo) but it feels like a  lifetime that we spend with them. 

The characters are relatable - whether you feel like Effie or Theo or even their parents or Effie’s friends. Lots of hot topics are gently tackled throughout and carefully explored. There’s a balanced mix of heartbreak and humour as well as triumphs and downfalls. 

This is Hannah Sunderland’s debut novel but the great news is that @avon_books signed her up for a two book deal so hopefully we’ll get to read more from this author!

Very Nearly Normal is a novel that took me through all the emotions. Effie is in her late twenties, a failed novelist, barely employed, and living under her highly critical mother’s roof. In short, she’s at rock bottom. When a failed date leads to an encounter with handsome Theo, her life takes several unexpected turns, challenging her to sit with her truth, fall a bit harder, and search for her inner strength and joy. I laughed, I cried, I loved this book.
Advanced copy provided by #NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Available May 2020.

'In all seriousness, if I get through a day without severely injuring someone, breaking something or accidentally insulting someone, then I take that day as a win.'

A brilliant unconventional love story centered around Effie, a girl whose life hasn't exactly panned out the way she would have liked. While her friends are moving on in their lives, she's heavily drinking at her parents house. Then Theo comes along and she starts soften her prickly exterior and fall for him - but Theo is keeping a life changing secret... 

I could highly relate to Effie, her self esteem issues and the way she compared herself to her peers and the stages they were at in life. I loved the mix of highs and lows that were throughout the story. 

For fans of Sarah Haywood's The Cactus and Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

I appear to be in the minority with this opinion, but I was not a fan of the main character. She was too negative, too judgmental in the beginning for me to connect with her. It was just too much, and I found her incredibly unlikable. She was also fairly rude, which I do not like in a main character. I couldn't connect with her or the book as a result.

I LOVE this book!!! 

What a rollercoaster...Effie is a character who I can totally relate to, someone who is overly hard on herself and doesn’t quite know how to get herself out of the rut she is in.

Theo is her knight in shining armour, or so we are led to believe. After falling in love with them both and willing them to get together the book left me heartbroken half way through when Theo breaks Effie’s heart.

I struggled on, reading angrily through Effie’s heartbreak and glad I persevered as I loved seeing Effie grow to live herself, to find out who she is and start to take control of her life.

A fabulous book that I didn’t want to end.

I really enjoyed this book. I was drawn in from the beginning and really identified with the main character. I felt the character of Theo could have been written slightly differently, their earlier interactions seemed a bit strange. I did it really quickly though and even though I felt the ending could have been better I thoroughly enjoyed the book.