Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the arc:

I want to start with how much I loved the writing in this. Nicola Dinan is effortlessly funny and clever, and then will turn around with the most heartbreaking line you've ever heard all within one paragraph. She also writes in a way that is impossible to put down. Every time I picked this up I became entranced. The dialogue flows easily and is believable, the inner turmoil that Max (and Vincent) experience is tangible. Her characters are very real and incredibly flawed, but easy to love, until they aren't.

I loved Max as the lead in this. She is deeply insecure and so incredibly smart. She is empathetic but she can be mean. She is varied and full of life. Living in her head broke my heart because I saw her virtues so much clearer than she did. I wanted to tell her she is loved and deserves happiness, comfort, and to not feel like such a burden. She is a rich character that I found myself so enamored to almost immediately.

The relationship between Max and Vincent was done very well in this also. They struggle when Vincent is ignorant about what it means to be trans and missteps. It's a real relationship, it isn't idealized and it doesn't feel fake. They felt like people I might know. And I probably would have told her to leave him a couple times. They were so real that I could understand Max's choice in the end, not that I agreed with it.

I can't get too into the main conflict in the third act without spoiling things, but I will say it made me feel incredibly uncomfortable and incredibly angry. This was the point, I know that. But I can't help but think that maybe it could have been handled differently. The book has a very realistic take on the conflict, but I guess what I was hoping for was some theatric retribution. This wouldn't make sense in the book, but I hoped for more comeuppance regardless.

Overall, I really loved this. And I will definitely be pursuing Nicola Dinan's previous work, as well as what she does next.

Disappoint Me follows Max and Vincent as they navigate their new relationship. Weighed down by past mistakes the two wonder if what they have is something real, something that can last, can they weather the storm on the horizon? We meet Max at a New Year's Eve party, she's recovering from a break-up and wondering what her next steps are. A few weeks later she meets Vincent on a dating app. This could be the start of something wonderful. But, Max has got baggage, she's trans and Vincent is cis, her queer friends question her desire for a hetero-sexual relationship and there's something about Vincent that might be off- or maybe it's just her fear of commitment.

Exploring multiple layers of the modern dating experience, examining relationships through a queer lens, Disappoint Me contains multitudes. As the characters navigate traditional parents, Asian diaspora and immigrant experiences and the moral dilemmas of modern dating the reader gets a unique view of trans life that is seldom seen in media.

For fans of Sally Rooney and Naosie Dolan- who maybe wish those books were a littler less heteronormative, Disappoint Me is an exciting new addition to the modern canon of disaffected 20-somethings living in the UK.

Nicola Dinan is a genius at writing compelling and real characters. This book may have just suffered from having too many of them.

I enjoyed Max and Vincent’s storyline, the dual timelines, the way they navigated their relationships, and the unfortunate parallels between the timelines. However, there were so many characters and so many small plot lines that made it hard to follow. For the first half of the book I had no idea where it was going, though it became a lot more clear in the second half.

Dinan is a great writer and after Bellies, I will continue to read anything she releases. This one unfortunately just ended up falling a bit flat.

I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did!! I felt such a kinship with Max - her voice was very distinct, and by the time she met Vincent and we saw how their story progressed both as individuals and as a couple, I truly could not put this book down. What a genius touch to end with one of Max's poems. I can't wait to read more of Nicola Dinan's work!

Wow. Nicola Dinan has so beautifully captured what it feels like to be trans today. Through thoughtful prose and sharp dialogue, you can feel the heaviness of Max & Alex’s many disappointments, the fatigue that comes with repeatedly having to tell (cis) people what is and is not appropriate to say, and the aching pain of someone close letting you down. I will be thinking about these characters and their conversations for many years to come. This was my first read of Nicola’s work, and it certainly will not be my last. I cannot wait to add the hardcopy to my shelf. Thank you for this!

Nicola Dinan, the writer that you are 🙇‍♀️ I just can’t get over how much the writing style is just my inner dialogue. 100% a new auto buy author.

Dinan has such unique ability to bring out the absolute worst traits in people and make them the parts I love most.

Dinan did an incredible job at addressing modern day relationships and identity. The dual narrative was *chef’s kiss*- I felt like I was inside Max’s complex head as well as listening to the secrets inside of Vincent. This was a simple story, but a very important one. The author’s ability to write about deep, meaningful relationships and make you think about love, forgiveness and acceptance is different than I’m used to in all the thrillers I read.

I LOVED this book! I read it in two days, and was itching to get back to it when other responsibilities tore me away. I loved Max and her "judgmental" truth bombs and her vulnerabilities. I empathized with Vincent, mostly, although some parts were hard. Even though Max's personal story is far from my own, there is so much I related to. Very much looking forward to reading "Bellies"!

Dinan’s writing is elegant yet piercing, blending lyricism with emotional precision. There’s a vulnerability in the prose that makes every moment feel real—whether it’s a tender embrace or a heart-wrenching conversation. The novel delves into themes of identity, transformation, acceptance, and the inevitable growing pains of long-term relationships. It’s not just about romantic love; it’s about self-love, loss, and learning how to navigate the unpredictable nature of human connection.

Character Development:
The characters feel so alive—flawed, messy, and deeply human. Their struggles are not just plot points; they’re raw, deeply personal reckonings with identity, expectation, and the fear of losing what they once knew. Dinan does a phenomenal job of making both protagonists fully realized individuals, each with their own arcs, growth, and heartbreak.

The emotional depth is chef’s kiss—it’s the kind of book that sneaks up on you, leaving you staring at the ceiling, replaying conversations in your head. The storytelling is fearless, refusing to offer easy answers but instead leaning into the complexities of love and identity.

If you prefer light, escapist romance, this one might be a bit too emotionally intense. It’s not a breezy read—it’s a book that demands reflection. But honestly? That’s what makes it brilliant.

Fans of Torrey Peters’ Detransition, Baby, Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life, and deeply introspective literary fiction will devour this. If you want a novel that challenges you, moves you, and leaves you emotionally wrecked in the best way possible, Disappoint Me is a must-read. Thank you, NetGalley, for this beautifully heartbreaking story—I’m going to be thinking about it for a long time.

This is a novel about trips.
This is not a vacation novel.
This is:
A trip down stairs.
A trip full of abandonment.
A trip to an exhibit.
A trip where parents meet a lover.
A trip to doctor.
A comical, bittersweet trip to a spa.
A trip with friends.
An acid trip.
A trip towards finding out what it means to maybe love.

What a perfectly painful, sweet, and utterly charming novel. Nicola Dinan writes in such a way as to envelop the reader with characters' thoughts; she connects with you so much so that it's nearly impossible to not finish the book without a severely aching heart. Thank you to Random House/Hogarth/Dial for the opportunity to read this novel. I'll never be the same. I miss Max, Vincent, and Simone already.

Intelligently written and human, Disappoint Me presents a romance for today told from two points of view that ultimately collide. Max, a trans woman who meets Vincent via a dating app, is a person not hung up on her situation, faces her needs without self pity, and narrates with calm. Since this is a novel that probes issues such as acceptance and forgiveness unflinchingly, it makes for illuminating reading with a few laughs thrown in.

This book is written from the heart and soul. I laughed, I cried, my jaw hit the floor numerous times. I didn’t know what i expected from this book going in but I finished feeling seen, understood, and heard. This book is for anyone lost in their late 20s or early 30s, anyone unsure if you’re deserving of love or unsure where to go next. I was over the moon for this book and its characters.

Dinan writes a story that is unique and thought-provoking with Disappoint Me. I found myself having a difficult time putting the book down. I was drawn to the characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

I had never read Nicola Dinan before, but for some reason, the description had me expecting this book to be chaotic, snide, fast-paced. I was pleasantly surprised to find it was more poignant, touching, and character-driven. I thought the dual perspective worked really well, especially when you start to see the timelines converging, which is a testament to how beautifully drawn all of the characters in the story were. I'm glad I got the chance to read this really thoughtful, emotional novel.

Starting 2025 strong with a 5 star read.. I loved every single page of this book.

It's written from the POV of Max, a trans woman living in London who meets her boyfriend Vincent via dating apps. The story unfolds as we get chapters from the POV of Vincent on his gap year in Thailand many years earlier. These two threads collide and Max is left to carefully consider whether the ghosts of our past define us.

By chapter 2 I wanted to thrust this book into the hands of all my friends because its so relatable. The witty and astute narration from Max on the topics of modern dating, feeling conflicted about having children, being a woman and having a body, being in your thirties and "feeling like people are graduating into things that don't feel made for me". All the little observations throughout have a way of making the reader feel seen. I loved every minute I spent with these characters and missed Max when I turned the last page.

I found this to be a really interesting and compelling read. The dual perspectives offer an insight into different character's minds and allow the story to unweave slowly. The MC was likeable and relatable in her self hatred and self doubt, I think a lot of trans people share those same feelings of being an imposter pretending to be a good and real person. The friendship between the two female MCs was endearing and believable. While there was romance in this book, I wouldn't consider it a romance novel, definitely more in line with litfic/slice of life.

While I did not love this as much as her debut, Nicola does a fantastic job with her sophomore effort.

This is a beautifully written book with her special and unique style of prose. I will admit I didn’t fall for the characters the way I did in Bellies BUT I was invested and wanted to see how their stories progressed.

The ending was perfect and this is a fabulous second book.

Loved the dual narrative, both characters were quite complex and realistic, as were supporting characters which you usually don’t see in a book.

I actually loved this book so much i was obsessed with the characters and the relationships. the last chapter broke my heart and the ending i gasped because i thought it was over and then thankfully it got to the epilogue. i am a straight cis white woman and it always opens my eyes see life from someone else’s point of view. i honestly cannot wait till this book comes out on physical

ohhh now this was good. not perfect, but for my first read of the year, i was thoroughly satisfied. i still have yet to read bellies, but now i'm rushing to get it from my local library.