In a Nutshell: A heartfelt novella inspired by the author’s own health scare. Heartbreaking, pragmatic, humorous, hopeful. I never thought I would recommend a Sophie Kinsella book this strongly, but never say never, right? Much recommended!

Plot Preview:
Eve Monroe has it all. She’s a successful author with a huge fan following. One of her books has even been turned into a successful Hollywood movie. She has a loving husband and five adorable children. In short, she is lucky. Perhaps, too lucky, because one day, her luck runs out. When she wakes up in bed with no memory of what happened to her, her husband explains that she had undergone an operation to remove a large tumour from her brain. Unfortunately, the tumour turned out to be malignant. As Eve comes to terms with her diagnosis and what it means for her, her family, and their future, she takes us on an emotional journey filled with heartwarming and heartwrenching moments.
The story comes to us in Eve’s first-person perspective.

I am not a Sophie Kinsella fan. To be clear, I respect her for sticking to her genre and doing a wonderful job satisfying light romcom readers. It is just that those books, with their frivolous heroines, aren’t for me. I read eight of her novels before I finally accepted that she wasn’t my cup of tea and resolved never to read her again. Why simply read a book that's not our type and then give it a negative rating, right? So this book came as a surprise addition to my reading list, and that’s mainly because it is different in style and approach to all her earlier works.
In April 2024, Kinsella revealed that
https://x.com/KinsellaSophie/status/1780552008618893441
she had been diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer in 2022. To say that I was shocked on seeing this update is an understatement. Cancer is never welcome, but to hear that someone youngish is going through this is always difficult to accept. It makes you question your own health, to wonder if you are taking everything for granted, to introspect on what you would do if you were in that position. With all my heart, I rooted for her complete recovery, especially for the sake of her five children. When I heard that she had written a novella as a semi-autobiographical version of her journey through cancer, I knew I would read one more Sophie Kinsella work, this time without any hesitation.
This book is written as a series of vignettes. Scenes from “Before” give us an insight into who Eve Monroe is, and “After” tells us of what happens after her surgery. In between the shortish chapters, the narrative is interspersed with phone conversations, messages, notes on how to get through certain events, and “early morning conversations” between Eve and her husband about their future. This approach makes the novella even more poignant. There were many scenes when my eyes welled up. Her description of her experience is so vivid that the whole story played out like a movie in front of my eyes. The most painful to read were her introspective thoughts on what would happen to her children. This is such a real fear for moms!
Because this is autofiction, there is a strong sense of honesty and authenticity to the words. As such, it is very tough to stop picturing Sophie Kinsella as the first-person narrator, even though we know that we are hearing the journey of a fictional character named Eve; there’s so much of herself she has put into Eve. The author’s note at the end of the book reveals the extent of the overlap between fact and fiction.
I won't reveal details about the cancer itself and about Eve’s (and Sophie’s) prognosis. The author has been so successful in conveying her emotional upheaval through this novella that I would like readers to pick it up and discover her story themselves.

Much recommended to those who can handle the emotional intensity of this work. Kinsella spares no efforts to tell you “what does it feel like.” So don't read this when you are in not in a strong headspace, especially if you too are a mother with dependent kids or are a cancer patient/caregiver.

4.5 stars, happy to round upwards while sending best wishes the way of the author.

My thanks to Random House Publishing Group and The Dial Press for providing the DRC of “What Does It Feel Like?” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

This is a very difficult book to review because while Kinsella billed this as a novel, it's actually the true story of her own cancer diagnosis and treatment. It's really a memoir pretending to be a novel. Kinsella's ability to write about her own cancer journey is admirable and I'm glad I read this.

To be honest, I've been putting this book off. I've been reading Sophie Kinsella since the first Shopaholic book came out, and I was devastated to learn that she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. You see, my mother in law fought this awful disease for 3 years, and it's still very fresh in my mind and heart. I knew I wanted to read this book, and I feel like I owed it to Sophie to read it, but I also knew I needed to be in the right frame of mind for my own mental health. Is that selfish? I don't know, but I am glad I waited to read this until I felt like it was a day I could handle it.

And I do mean a day. This book is only about 125 pages long, and it only took me a couple hours to read. I'm not complaining - I mean the woman wrote it after she had brain surgery, for goodness sake. I think, for me at least, it was better that this was a short book, because she got her point across quickly and succinctly. It didn't need to be any longer.

What a point that was - she said this is HER story, and if you have been reading her books, you will see that. A best selling author being diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and what her life turns into after diagnosis, surgery, and treatment. It's a true look at the after effects - the short term memory loss is REAL, people. It was like reading conversations between myself/my family, and my mother in law. The weakness after surgery, the side effects of chemo/radiation, the uncertainty - it's all there and all written in 125 pages.

I check her socials frequently for updates and breathe a side of relief when I see that she's still doing well. I pray that continues for a long time, and that this isn't the last book she puts out into the world.

This was so heartbreaking but such a refreshing read that I know is based on real life events.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy to honestly review.

This was a short, sweet, heartbreaking little novella. It's written so well, and knowing Kinsella's recent news, it's a hard read.

This was a hard book for me to read. I’ve never been diagnosed with cancer, but I had a staph infection that went septic and I almost died.
As a result, I had to learn to walk again. The bruising Eve describes happened to me because I fell, and my husband and I joked that people would think he beat me! I remember the frustration she describes and more.
I can honestly say her descriptions are actually “what it feels like” and I didn’t have cancer. 5 stars.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley, I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A very raw and hopeful read. I have a family member currently battling the same cancer. This was a very helpful peek into the suffering of another.
Well done.

This book felt different from Sophie’s typical style but was still effortless to read. I only learned at the end that it was autobiographical which makes so much sense now. Instead of being plot driven, this story focused on the characters and their journey through a cancer diagnosis and treatment. I’ve been a longtime fan of Sophie’s work and really appreciate how she opened up to readers about a private and deeply personal experience through her writing. I can see how this book could help someone else going through a similar medical experience and could bring them hope. The way the author shares her husband/caretaker's point of view and her own was moving and beautiful.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.


This story is beautiful, heart wrenching, inspirational, powerful, raw, and made me sob so many times.

I could go on and on about how I loved this book.

This short story touched all of the feelings! I wish it was a full novel but it took you through a rollercoaster of emotions while telling a story that is the lives of some.

This was such an emotional read! Once I started, I could not put it down. Sophie Kinsella always writes beautiful stories and this was so moving knowing that it was based on her real life experience.

I have loved Sophie Kinsella's books for years and this was no exception. While it was different from her other books, this book was especially moving knowing it was based on her own life.

I loved This book. It was very emotional knowing how it was o similar to her own life. It was greatly written and a quick read for anyone, great book.

This novella gave us insight to a world that no one wants to be apart of. It was beautifully written! I recommend to those wanting to dive into a novella.

This was absolutely stunning and beautiful and heartbreaking to read. It feels disingenuous to write a review, it was beautiful and lovely and moved me every time I turned the page. Kinsella is a beautiful author worthy of all the praise.

This book was absolutely raw and heartbreaking. For someone who has lost several people in my life due to cancer Including my mom at a young age this was hard to read. I loved how absolutely honest this book was. You felt like you were feeling the pain as she went through it. Heart breaking but also shows so much courage.

This was beautiful and heartbreaking and very raw. I wish it was longer than 144 pages! This was such a personal writing piece for the author so I understand why it was a shorter book. Wishing Sophie Kinsella all the best in the world 🩷

Sophie Kinsella's novella, What Does It Feel Like?, marks a poignant departure from her signature lighthearted romantic comedies, delving into deeply personal and autobiographical territory. The narrative centers on Eve, a successful novelist who awakens in a hospital to the life-altering news of a malignant brain tumor diagnosis. What follows is a candid portrayal of her journey through surgery, recovery, and the emotional landscape of confronting mortality. The way that perspective is used in this novella is beautiful, and powerful.

Kinsella's writing retains its characteristic warmth and humor, providing moments of levity amidst the gravity of Eve's circumstances. The novella is structured through a series of vignettes, each offering insight into Eve's internal struggles and reflections on life's simple pleasures. This format allows readers to engage intimately with her experiences, fostering a deep sense of empathy and connection.

This could've been much longer, and I would have been happy to read every single page.

She is a favorite of mine. I was totally surprised and in tears at the end.lightheartedeven though it’s a tough storyline

What does it feel like is a very heartbreaking, raw, but beautiful autobiographical story written by Sophie Kinsella. Some facts and events were changed by the author. Honestly how do you rate and review someone’s real life experience with stage 4 Glioblastoma that involves 8 hours of brain surgery.
Sophie writes about her experience with uplifting, and positivity which I truly admire her.
It is a short novella packed with bravery, humour, hope, and inspiration. Do yourself a favour and read this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to review this book.