During my extra day of quarantine, I also finished this. I have mixed feelings. I liked the message of the book, but I don’t think I liked the presentation. After Noni Blake finds out that her first hookup after getting out of a long relationship has died in a fire, she starts a journey to discover what makes her happy. In other words, Noni realizes that she’s happy being unhappy and sets out to make a change - Cutting her hair into a pixie cute (which doesn’t match the cover), seeking out past missed connections, and taking a European vacation. Along the way she meets new friends, hookups, and Beau. I liked her journey to find herself, but I question why she does some of the things she does. Like does finding yourself mean you hookup with anything that looks at you? And to be honest, when she did have a meaningful relationship, it was hard to believe in the “magic” of that. It just didn’t work for me.

DNF'd this at thirty percent, and actually read far past where I wanted to stop. The MC having sex with a white supremacist just because she's too uncomfortable to say no is bad, and I probably should have just give up there. Two stars because the writing was okay and I mostly liked the main character, plus her grief over the end of a long relationship is relatable.

Noni Drake takes a sabbatical to go find herself. She's stuck after a very tough long term relationship went south and wants to go find her old flings to see if the sparks are still there.

I really wanted to love this. I mean it had some great differential factors up front. A lgbtqia "chubby" (her words not mine) leading lady. I was so looking forward to see a leading lady with issues like mine! Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it. Like where was the story? It was just Noni traveling fucking and having a great time. Honestly, this book was just so PORNY and not really realistic. Everywhere Noni goes someone falls in love with her and wants to fuck her and she's just like OK! For someone who is supposedly so negative and full of self esteem/body issues she really out there with her sexual conquest and emotions. Also in todays society no one gets picked up at a bar or at a restaurant like that. It was just so weird. This book is 75% sex, 10% self insecurities and 15% plot. Lastly the format of the book was really dragging. I know this is an unedited proof but there were a lot of formatting mistakes that made it hard to read.

The last 15% of the book was my favorite and wished it focused more on this plot line rather than the party girl phase.

I thought this was fabulous! Every woman should read this. We should all be more like Noni. This was a story of a woman finally putting herself first and finding herself. It was a fun read!

This book was an absolute pleasure to read!
Noni Blake takes a journey of self discovery- with a focus on her pleasure from her home in Austraulia to Europe. There are a few fumbles along the way, but once Noni discovers to listen to herself and what she wants instead of doing only the things she feels she should do or is obligated to do,
This is something so many of us could learn from as too often we lose sight of the things that truly make us feel alive.
While my personal pleasure journey would look quite different than Noni's I completely enjoyed being able to witness Noni's in thiss book.
This book is very steamy- part of Noni's pleasure project includes hookups with a number of different people. Many will make you cringe, but are good comedy and some - especially with "The Viking" are downright hot.
Beau was an absolute dream of a romantic interest - definitely swoon worthy and hunky and his unfiltered honesty was refreshing in a genre that too often hinges on miscommunication tropes. While there did end up being some things the chacters were hesitant to discuss he was always willing to say what he was thinking which is a great trait in a man and a romance novel.
I also appreciate how inclusive this book is- both in terms of LGBTQ representation and plus-sized heroine.
Many to MIRA and NetGalley for the advance copy.

Unforunately the way this e-book is formatted is not compatible with my e-reader so I am unable to read it and give an honest review.

I picked this book up at an extremely pivotal time- it was Valentine's Day and I was valentine-less (boo hoo I know I know). Little did I know this seemingly innocent rom com would leave me feeling so empowered! Noni has been in a funk for two years since a huge breakup and we meet her right when she's had enough and decides to do something about it- so she goes on a pleasure seeking holiday. Now, it is as steamy as it sounds (in some parts) but it's also funny and heartwarming and sad at times too. Noni realizes that she has spent most of her life trying to please everyone and has since become very fine with being unhappy. So she makes a list of all the things she wants that will bring her pleasure and empowerment. This spoke so strongly to me and I think we could all use a little bit of Noni's bravery! This was a great book that I flew through, the characters are what made me fall in love. Definitely put this on your TBR list- you'll thank me (and Claire) later!

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC! This was a book I was super excited, as I’m always trying to find new books with plus size rep. However, I ended up DNFing at 25%. I’m a big fan of smutty romance, but the sex scene with Ben, the disgusting fatphobic white supremecist completely turned me off. And the writing style just really didn’t click with me. It felt awkward and abrupt and I felt now flow or that ease you feel when slipping into really good writing. Overall, I just don’t think this was the book for me, but hopefully other people can connect with it and end up enjoying it!

We all wonder what could have been, but not many human beings make a choice to go on a 6 month vacation to find out. This book was filled with one night stands, adventure, laughter, and tears. I am glad I got to go on the journey with Noni.

There are some trigger points, like infertility, and pregnancy loss. But those readers who are looking for an unapologetically sex positive book featuring a bisexual main character should really give this book a shot.

I received an ARC of this book through NetGalley all opinions are my own.

#itsbeenapleasurenoniblake #netgalley

Noni Blake is having a bit of a dry spell (the unintentional, eighteen month-long kind) following the end of her nine-year relationship. After a one-night stand and a tragic event that follows, Noni is ready to put herself out there as life begins to feel too short to continue wallowing. After crafting a "Should-Have-Boned" list with her best friend, Noni takes a semester off teaching and heads to Europe to see about a will they/won't they romance that's always been in the back of her mind.

When the relationship turns out to be a major disappointment, Noni spontaneously agrees to attend a retreat in Edinburgh with a friend, resulting in Noni's Pleasure Quest: a commitment to only the things that bring pleasure. This includes a lot of sexual (mis)adventures, a trip to Amsterdam, a sternum tattoo, and the tattoo *artist* 😏

"I'd done everything right. I'd ticked every box. I studied. I got a good job. I worked hard. I bought a house and a dog. I committed to someone with my whole heart. I got pregnant. I kept my mouth shut. I stayed in my lane. And I was miserable." It's Been a Pleasure, Noni Blake is a refreshing, flirty, and hilarious story about what can happen when you put your own pleasure first and fall in love with yourself for a change.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
I expected this to be a fun, life-affirming, body-positive book with a queer lead. Not so. It was just a generally disgusting book about all of this woman’s sexual partners. I was more or less checked out when I read fairly early on that she “only” had sex with 11 people at 36. And it just got worse as it went on, I mean, one of her partners is a white supremacist? Just meaningless sex with anyone and everyone? I just could not stand this book.

So I don't think a line in a book has hit me as hard as "It's been a fucking pleasure Non Blake." I don't know what it was about Beau saying that to Noni but it hit me and it really stuck. This book is wonderfully story about Noni Blake who is feeling stuck and after an acquaintance dies young decides to only do things that bring her pleasure. While she does go on a a bit of a sex tour it's more about rediscovering who you are and who you want to be after being stuck in a rut and it is beautifully well done. I can't wait to read more by Claire Christian!

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc for an honest review1

I was totally into this book in the beginning. Quirky characters and some fun situations...check! But then it took a weird turn and something happened that completely turned me off to the book. So I had to DNF.

Somehow this book was exactly what I needed to read right now. I really didn't know what to expect, thought the description sounded cute, but I did not expect much depth from the story or characters. I ended up finding so much to relate to in this book that I really wasn't expecting. I think that anyone who has ever questioned their life's purpose and happiness will get a lot out of this book. What starts out as a fun, sexy romp through a bucket list style of people our main character, Noni wants to go back and sleep with, turns into a beautiful story of self-discovery, learning to trust one's self and of course romance. I absolutely loved this book, couldn't put it down and will definitely be recommending it to friends once it is published later this month.

This story has a lot of humorous moments and there were a couple of times where I laughed out loudly at the conversations between Noni and her close friends. I was drawn to this story because Noni is a bisexual woman who wants to give herself the love and care that she has been giving to everyone else. I also liked the fact that this story has other LGBTQIA characters and the story wasn't mainly about being queer and this story deals with body positivity. Plus, the book cover is beautiful!

Despite all of those wonderful things, there were parts of this story that rubbed me the wrong way because I didn't like the way Noni treated the firefighter and her other casual hook-ups. I can't get over the fact that she slept with the firefighter and she didn't even bother to remember her name and what's worse is the fact that she just brushed off the whole encounter as though it was meaningless to her. Yes, she wants to give herself the love she so rightly deserves but at the end of the day, I felt as though Noni was only focused on how many people she could sleep with and I really had a hard time with relating to her struggles.

Self-love and going on a pleasure journey has nothing to do with how desirable someone is or how many people they can sleep with so that's why I am disappointed with the way this story was told. I wish the author had given me more of Noni working on herself and building her confidence and more background on Noni's relationship with her parents because I would have had a better idea of what triggered her self-doubts and I would have been able to truly connect with Noni.

It's been a real pleasure!

Noni Blake is in her 30s and she feels like she hasn't had enough adventured in her life so she decides to do something about it. Never have I seen a character be so awkward through finding her confidence before! Noni does have many (many) adventures that eventually turn out to be misadventures yet she learns about herself along the way.

This book gives off the feeling of wanting to be young again and the question of "what if...?" is the backbone of Noni's choices. In the end, she's really trying yo find something that's missing in her life that she is searching for. It is a story about finding that something that will make you happy because you deserve happiness and that good things will come even if it feels like it's mostly bad. Never stop searching for your happiness.

This isn't my usual style of book to read but I'm glad I got to witness Noni and her experiences on her adventures through finding herself.

Thank you to NetGalley and HARLEQUIN - Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada) for earc in return for an honest review. This review will also be posted on Goodreads.

This book will be coming out on Feb 23, 2021!

Noni Blake is looking for pleasure. Her quest takes her from her home country of Australia to England and beyond. While I do enjoy a good “finding yourself” story, this one missed the mark. Noni equates “finding her pleasure” with having lots of sex with whoever, wherever. Overall it was an interesting story but just wasn’t enough for me.

It's funny, dirty, and has a great main character. Push through the first couple of chapters. You won't be sorry. Thank you HarperCollins!!!
#HarperCollins
#ItsBeenAPleasureNoniBlake

When I first started the book, I wasn’t sure I would stick with it. There is much of what seems like gratuitous sex, with partners of both sexes. But as I read on, I really came to love the main character, Noni, and her quest to find pleasure. Insecure, unhappy and having been through some traumas, Noni decides to go to Europe from Australia and pursue what pleasure means to her. After a series of sexual experiences, she meets Beau, a tattooist who understands Noni. There is much to like about this story of self understanding and moving forward with life on your own terms. I would recommend, but the graphic sex scenes will not appeal to all readers. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really liked this book. I struggled with the first couple chapters, but I’m so glad I stuck with it. This book really spoke to me. I have some of the same insecurities. I just loved her journey.