Sophie Kinsella has been a force in my life. She sparked my love of romance. Her early books made me laugh with the most relatable and lovely characters.

Now flash forward and Kinsella has written a deeply personal book. It’s heartbreaking to learn that she’s been diagnosed with brain cancer. It’s amazing to read this novel that has such a positive outlook. Loved it much.

I’ve been reading Sophie Kinsella’s books for decades now, spanning back to high school. While this was definitely a departure from the storylines and general tone of her backlist to date, it was an undeniable five stars! The writing was raw and honest, beautiful, heart wrenching and absolutely moving. The strength to draw from her personal experiences navigating a cancer diagnosis, essentially fictionalizing her own life events and sharing this so widely, is remarkable. The before and after vignettes, provide context and insight that enhances the story, and leaves you feeling so invested in the main character, Eve’s progress. The pace does not feel rushed and you’re able to really immerse yourself in the story. It may only span 144 pages but I wouldn’t call it a quick read as the depth within every single page encourages you to slow down and take it all in.

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Publishing group for sharing a digital review copy of this book with me!

This book absolutely broke my heart. We all knew about Sophie's diagnosis but hearing her slightly fictionalized version was just tear jerking to read. I can't recommend this book enough.

I’ve been a big fan of Sophie Kinsella since her shopaholic series many years ago! She is one of my favorite authors and brings us such relatable characters. This book continues her legacy of bringing sweet, compelling and complex characters to a thought provoking plot.

I loved this. I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. There was something so raw about it. I worked in physiotherapy and occupational therapy for many years, and it brought back so many memories. It felt real. My heart broke so many times reading her story. And yes, Sophie Kinsella fans love their happy endings, and I'm glad this fictional story/autobiography got one.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Kinsella is a best-selling author who has deviated from her typical novels to write, "What Does It Feel Like?" This book is non-fictional, but loosely based on Kinsella's own health journey. The main character, Eve, is a well-known author who is living her best life. Eve has a successful career, loving husband, and adorable children. But one morning, she wakes up in the hospital with no recollection of how she ended up there. Thankfully, her husband is always by her side, patiently explaining to her that she had a cancerous tumor on her brain that had to be removed. This book takes us through the journey of Eve having to relearn everything all over again.

While the subject matter of this book was so heartbreaking, Kinsella never made it feel depressing and was, in fact, able to make her readers feel hopeful. This was a sweet, quick book to read and I enjoyed it! Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

Such a heart-wrenching story learning everything she went through when she was diagnosed. Very different from her other books but very raw and emotional.

Such an amazing quick read! I am literally at a loss for words! Just wow! That is all I can say!

I HIGHLY and I mean HIGHLY recommend this book!!

This was definitely a very quick read. This was autobiographical to what the author has went through and was just so heartfelt and touching, There was a lot of vulnerability and honesty in the journey and it was beautiful. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley.

This was a really beautiful little story. Would give it higher marks if it were longer, but the length meant it didn't make much of an impact. 😕 Definitely recommend though.

Sophie Kinsella has brought me so much joy and so much laughter throughout the years. Reading What Does it Feel Like? Was an entirely different experience, because this isn’t a story you can laugh through with your textbook happy ending. The bravery and strength Sophie has to put her personal experiences and fears into her writing and then share it with us, is unmatched.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE by Sophie Kinsella is both a departure from the usual feel-good chick lit rom com novel and somehow isn’t. A very creative way to channel her health experience into the framework that she is so well known for. I always read Kinsella to feel good – the stories and the characters in them just do that to me. So I was a little concerned to read this one at first because it has so much reality to it. I think that this novel is written with grace and humor and honesty. It reads very fast but it also makes you stop and think about what is most important. I loved it. I really hope that she has a good recovery and there are more happy stories in the future, including a happy ending to her real life story. I received an advanced copy of this novel from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

As a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella's novels, I was overjoyed to receive this ARC of WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, the author and the publishers, Random House Publishing Group - Random House | The Dial Press.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? tells the story of Eve and is based on Kinsella's own personal and medical journey battling brain cancer. It is moving and devastating, beautiful and heart-wrenching. Kinsella takes something so specific and private and, as she always does, weaves a beautiful story that anyone can appreciate. I highly recommend this book and am rooting for Kinsella's recovery.

This was such a different book than Sophie Kinsella’s usual rom com. Based on her actual life experiences. The main character is a writer who finds out she has a brain tumor. The story moves quickly and shows an inside look of right after surgery and recovery. The mental and physical toll that the main character experiences as well as family members. While there was a very serious tone to the book, it let me engaged and was such a powerful story to tell. There is definitely a story of hope here as well. Thank you Sophie Kinsella for sharing your story.

Read by Sally Phillips. Phillips delivered a wonderful performance engaging listeners in the story and drawing them in with the intensity of this story.

A beautiful story filled with raw emotion, grit and a determination to beat the diseases. Filled with amazing family and medical care givers.

My heart hurt while reading but so thankful to Sophie for giving us a glimpse of what she went through.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House for the complimentary copy.

I've been a Sophie Kinsella fan for over 20 years now and have religiously read everything she's written. To say I was devastated to read this novella is an understatement. I wish nothing but the best for her and her family. This was incredibly reflective and I imagine it was difficult for her to write.

My gosh this was heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how hard this was to write, but I truly admire the positivity and hope in her voice even through the hard times. A very inspiring read.

I understand the purpose of this book, but the way it's written seems a bit incongruous. Or maybe that's the point. To make it more approachable to a larger audience.

Sophie Kinsella has been one of my favorite authors for years and this book was incredibly different than her typical novels (I love a good romcom!). If you're looking for a romcom, this is NOT it, but it was truly amazing to read so much of herself in this intimate novella. She touts it as semi-autobiographical in response to her own recent brain tumor diagnosis. If you're in the mood for a big, huge, ugly cry- this is the book for you!

While this book is tragic, with the main character being given a grave cancer diagnosis, it is also uplifting and inspirational. I think it really personified the real story of someone going through such a tough ordeal and the aftermath and recovery. As a mother, it was gut-wrenching hearing about her thoughts about her children and some of the very difficult conversations she had with her husband about the future.

This was a beautiful story and I'm so happy Sophie decided to share it with all of us. I loved it, but I would not recommend for someone not in the right headspace for such a heavy read.

“What Does It Feel Like? is fiction, but it is my most autobiographical work to date. Eve’s story is my story.”—Sophie Kinsella

Sophie Kinsella was diagnosed with glioblastoma and underwent surgery and treatment. She has taken her story and turned it into a fictional story about a woman named Eve, an author, wife and mother. One day she wakes up in a hospital bed and doesn't remember what happened. She has had brain surgery to remove a large, malignant tumor and must learn to walk, talk, and write again. She has no short term memory and remains in the hospital for a long period of time. She and her husband must break the news to their children and realizes what is important in life.

This was an emotional story, especially as I have lost my neighbour and my sister's BIL from this same cancer. It is tough to see what someone goes through and I commend Sophie Kinsella for writing this book to share her experiences with others. This story was told in a series of vignettes and allowed me to see inside her head, her thoughts and emotions and what she was going through. No one can know what it is like for someone who has been diagnosed with cancer, especially when they use that word, incurable. This story deals with an extremely sad time in her life, but as I closed the cover, I had hope that just maybe, Eve might have a happy ending.