This book just isn't for me at this time. It has nothing to do with the book. I may try to read this one again in the future at a different time.

We opened to an information dump. I prompty closed the book and moved on. No grip from first paragraph. "Friday was Victoria's day off." So what, who cares? "She liked having Fridays off because Holly often did, so they could visit and gossip." So do I. So what? We need so much more from an opening. I'm shocked this wasn't addressed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the ARC.

Darkly funny, sly, irreverent, a bit bleak; honestly, Bookworm reminded me of nothing so much as Matilda, but for adults. Also shades of We Ride Upon Sticks, by way of Ottessa Moshfegh (who is, unsurprisingly, name checked in the story).

Not the book or author's fault, but I do think this is a bad cover design for the book's actual contents. I don't think I'm alone in getting more cheerful, light, chick lit vibes from the cover, while the story itself is anything but. It's very worth reading, but if your expectations are leaning more romance/women's fiction, maybe adjust them a bit.

Thanks to the publisher for the advance review copy.

This book was not my cup of tea. There was a lot going on, but also not enough going on. I couldn't get into the style of writing or the plot line that the main protagonist's out of body experiences. Unfortunately, it fell short for me and it won't be a book that I would recommend to others in my reading circles ... but I do think that it may be a good read for those looking for a light book. It reminded me of how I felt about the Arthur Less series and those are loved by so many more!

I loved this book so much! I immediately connected with the story and with Victoria. If you think you know where this book is going, don't be so sure! I absolutely loved the touch of magical realism (very slight) and I understand this book so well. This book was so well written that I can't believe it's a debut but I can't wait for more from this author! I highly recommend if you like dark comedies and if you love to read.

Bookworm comes out next week on February 14, 2023, you can purchase HERE! Read this book!!

Victoria wasn't used to discussing the books she read with Eric. It felt too intimate, somehow. He didn't exist in her world of books. If he had wanted to know her at any point in their marriage, all he would have had to do was ask her about what she was reading. This might be the first time he had done so, and it was too late for such chitchat.

I understand that this is supposed to be a black humor type of book but it was too dry for my tastes. Victoria is a boring and judgmental character and while married to the also boring Eric, it didn't add any dimension to her character. The book moved too slowly for my liking and ultimately, it felt like a slog to get through. Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Perennial for this eARC,

This one seemed to fall short. The cover and title are darling, and the idea of it being a dark comedy appealed to me. The story itself didn’t seem like such a dark comedy, there wasn’t a lot of humor and the “dark” parts seemed unclear if they were fantasy or foreshadowing until the end. The characters were too one-dimensional, even Victoria. She was pretentious about her reading and we were never given a reason why she would’ve been with Eric in the first place. The other characters were blah and beautiful but insufferable. Victoria’s fantasies about her husband’s death seemed a bit much, making her cruel to wish for his death so she could have an affair with Luke. I know that customers will buy this title based on the cover, but I cannot recommend it.

Was this a romance novel? A suspense novel? A dark comedy? I’m going with yes to all of the above. Victoria is a massage therapist by trade, but a bookworm at heart, living in Montreal. I kept imagining Roald Dahl’s Matilda as an adult. Victoria loves getting lost in a book, but she also loves hiding behind them and feels a strong sense of obligation to finish a book, once she starts, because she’s so optimistic that the book will improve. One day, she is in a café reading a book when she sees a very handsome man reading the exact same book and she believes this is kismet and she loves him. Problem is, she’s married to Eric, a lawyer, void of passion. He picks on her and forces her to watch cheesy movies with him and even has her on a book reading ban because he thinks they’re making her depressed. Victoria begins fantasizing about Eric dying, These fantasies get darker as the book progresses. I don’t want to spoil anything, so I will stop there, but this is a funny, irreverent, surprising and subtle book that Bookworms will love, filled with fantastic book references throughout. Thank you to HarperCollins and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy.

I don't know if it's because of the dreamy cover or the fact that it's classified as romance on Goodreads but Bookworm was not what I expected and not in a good way. Victoria is unhappy--with her husband who is a condescending, check-the-box-type of guy, with her parents who never understood her and like her husband more than they like her, with her best friend whose choices and lifestyle she judges constantly. One day, she notices a guy at a coffee shop she goes to regularly and develops an obsession with him after deciding he is the one for her. The fact that I didn't like, couldn't relate to, or root for any character definitely affected by reading experience. Supposedly, it's a black comedy but I don't think it's funny? A psychological thriller would be a more appropriate genre in my opinion.

I think there are readers out there for this novel, but sadly I’m not one of them. The cover description is a bit off the mark, portraying Victoria’s bookish habits as a way to escape her loathsome husband, cruel family and humdrum life. Instead, we find her “leaving her body” through mediation each evening to escape the sleeplessness and discontent that plagues her. This is less about a bookworm, and more about a woman frozen in time. I really wanted to root for Victoria, unfortunately I didn’t like her all that much. Thank you to @NetGalley and Harper Collins for my gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well this book just wasn’t for me. Labeled as a wickedly funny debut, I just didn’t find any humor in the book at all. Maybe dark humor fans would find it more enjoyable?

I understand the concept of Victoria as a unhappy wife using books and her imagination to escape her reality. However, Victoria is a very unlikable character (as is every other person in the book). I just really didn’t connect with her or care how her story ended. Maybe if the book had a different synopsis so I was expecting a more sinister book I would have felt differently.

Thank you to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for granting me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

0.75/5. stars! The cover of this book is really fun. I enjoy dark comedies, so the premise of this book sounded like it was right up my alley. I think the author made an intentional choice for the main character to be just disgustingly unlikable, but it didn't really work for me. It was like "ma'am stop disassociating and handle your sh*t." towards the FMC. Maybe some would like this, but for me it missed the mark entirely.

I received an advance review copy for free through NetGalley, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC!

I read a few negative reviews on this one before starting, and I'm glad they didn't deter me from this book! This is a great dark humor, with a main character who daydreams both of killing her husband and about her new coffee shop crush. This one will definitely not be for everyone, but I thought the ending tied together well and I honestly came to enjoy the main character, Victoria.

If the synopsis appeals to you, it could be worth picking up!

One of my most anticipated Canadian debut books of 2023 and it was a surprise delight! Darkly funny, a book obsessed woman stuck in a unsatisfying marriage fantasizes about a man she sees in a coffee shop and starts dreaming of ways she could off her husband. Relatable and absurd in equal measures, I devoured this and loved it on audio too. Much thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

This is dark and so unique. I advise you to go into this blindly as I did and just be prepared for anything and you’ll get what you came for. It’s extremely entertaining.
Victoria just wants to enjoy her books. But she’s got a problem. Her stepford wife type life with her husband, Eric, who doesn’t approve of her reading so much. He prefers her to be at his disposal instead after his first wife cheated on him. So Victoria goes to the local coffee shop after Eric goes to work so she can read. One day, a man comes into the coffee shop and is reading the same book she is and she is smitten and decides it is fate. She thinks he may be the solution to all her life’s problems. Victoria’s vivid imagination helps her escape from her miserable life, but can it help her escape for real?
I had no idea what to expect from this and I’m glad I didn’t because I never would have predicted it. I am still thinking about it. This is one people will be talking about.
Thanks to Harper Perennial and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I found this book just OK. It just didn't feel like something I could really get in to - just kind of a fluff read with no real thinking. Didn't hate it and obviously finished it, but not something I would be interested in reading again.

4.75 stars rounded up

I pretty much read this book in one day.

This was the first ARC I got approved on NetGalley and I honestly couldn’t remember the synopsis going into it. I’m so glad I went I to this blind.

How I would describe this book:
- a dark comedy
- about a woman obsessed with reading, who name drops a ton of great titles (would love to challenge myself to read all the books mentioned)
- the “bookworm” is in a horrible marriage and quickly becomes obsessed with a man she sees at the cafe she frequents
- has amazing writing (you can tell the author Robin is obsessed with reading herself)
- this book also has a twist of almost fantasy like aspects, where the main character has had a habit of astral projection since childhood.

This book really reminds me of gone girl but in a much more relatable way. At her core, Victoria just wants to be loved the way the characters in her books are. But, does that all really exist or are the traumatic thrillers more realistic and in a way …. Tempting ?

Interesting concept and loved the authors style of writing but didn’t enjoy the book as a whole.

Thank you the netgalley and the publisher for this arc and in exchange for my honest review.

I couldn’t get into this one, I ended up DNF at 45%. I tried a few times but couldn’t connect with the characters or their situations. I’m sure this will be a favorite for some but it just wasn’t the book for me.

Wow! This book is so interesting, but I would definitely read the description carefully before reading.

I imagine most people would not enjoy this book, or would be caught off guard by the dark topics and comedy it contains. Even just from the description it sounds like an unhappy wife wants to get rid of her husband so she can justify an affair. Just get divorced, problem solved.

I enjoyed this book as it was an interesting plot, unique idea, and had an interesting writing style. The characters are interesting, as well as the plot twists and turns along the way.

Again, I don't think I'd recommend it to everyone, but for a specific audience that loves darker comedy, they'll love it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for a digital ARC of this book!