To Hell With It is a sharp, heartfelt debut novel by Claire Frances and I'm utterly obsessed with it.

The book follows the character of Pearl, a 27 year old woman with OCD, as she tries to break free from the strict routines and compulsions that rule her daily life. Pearl is an amazing character, she's funny, brave and courageous. She feels the fear but does it anyway, with the support of some fabulous side characters.

This book had me hooked from the very first page with it's razor-sharp wit and unapologetic honesty. I think Claire Frances has found the perfect balance of humour and mental health in the writing of this novel. I've found that's made this read both relatable and unforgettable.

I would highly recommend this book and I'm very much looking forward to seeing what Claire Frances writes next.

I am absolutely in love with this book. I think it may be one of my favourites of the year. I just loved Pearl’s character so much and the way she was brave enough to go an try and conquer her OCD and her fears. I really loved the story and all of the characters.

Where to start with this review?!
Firstly, it’s a debut novel, you would never know that from the quality and style of writing.
Secondly, the cover!! Gorgeous!!
Thirdly, what a story!

Meet Pearl, Pearl has OCD, but Pearl isn’t prepared for OCD to take over her life anymore. Pearl is about to say to hell with it!!

Poignant, heartfelt, expressive and considerate, this story will get the reader thinking, changing their opinions and maybe just taking a chance. For some I think it really will be eye opening, told from Pearls point of view, you really do get an inside look of OCD and how crippling it can be.

The characters are all brilliant and well developed, whether they are in the whole book or just a small part of Pearl’s journey. Pearl learns from every single person she meets.

I love how this book is written and the addition of the text conversations works well. There’s humour too, despite the serious nature of the topics.

I really admired how Pearls ‘condition’ as some may refer to it, is treated as her normal, everyone accepts it, just gets on with it, treats it as a part of her, which it is. Because of this, her close friends can make jokes around it, and their relationships get stronger because of this. Una is such a good best friend, honest, outspoken, but would move mountains for her friend.

The association between Pearl and butterflies is wonderful, thought provoking and a sentiment many will be able to understand, express and use to help themselves.

You will all love Bunty, a real addition to this story!

All in all a fantastic, moving, emotional read which will leave you considering how you feel about the topics raised, your own life and those around you and maybe, just maybe, it will help you release a few of your own butterflies and make you want to run off into the sunset to kiss the sea!! It’s easy to read and will give you a giggle, but you certainly won’t want to put it down.

This book has inspired me to be even more considerate of other people, you really never know what they are going through. Even just listening to someone for a few minutes can make such a difference. Also, take the opportunities to do something new, take the trip, jump from the crane, take a chance on a relationship, you never know what good may happen!

Thank you to Claire Frances, One More Chapter and NetGalley for the advanced copy. My views are completely my own.

Pearly O’Rielly lives with OCD and has her set rituals and a multitude of ways to cope with her daily life. When she wakes up next to Jack, a New Zealander on holiday, her life changes in more ways than one.
This story was more about Pearl’s ability to keep going despite her struggles with OCD than any romantic story. I found her journey interesting to be a part of, and I felt that I had a greater understanding of the condition by the end of the book. The author should be commended for showing Pearl as a strong woman, facing the challenges of life with courage.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every so often, a book lands in your lap that feels like a heart-to-heart with a friend—one who’s laugh-out-loud funny, brutally honest, and not afraid to get real about the hard stuff. Claire Frances’s debut novel, To Hell With It, is exactly that kind of read.

Pearl suffers from extreme OCD which totally rules her life, including counting stairs, hand sanitising etc. Her life changes when a stranger stops in her remote Irish village and she ends up with him naked in her bed.
The story is heartbreaking when you find out how much Pearl's life is controlled by her OCD. What balances this is how much support she gets from the local community and how brave she becomes, I'm not sure that I could do the same. There are ups and downs on her travels, with people taking advantage of her but also those helping her out. Not an easy read, but worthwhile and I became engrossed in the story.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

I’m so glad I read this book and had the chance to get to know Pearl.

At 27, Pearl’s life is shaped by her OCD—her routines, rituals and fears impacting her daily existence in ways that are deeply misunderstood by many. Through Pearl’s voice, I learned a lot about the reality of OCD, far beyond the casual way we sometimes reference it in everyday conversations. Her story sheds light on what it truly means to live with this condition—painfully, honestly and with unexpected humor.

This book blends lighthearted friendship and romance with important mental health themes, making for a unique and often moving read. While the plot didn’t always hold my attention, I appreciated the emotional journey and the fresh, relatable perspective Pearl offers. Her quiet bravery, quirky charm, and the way she learns to say “to hell with it” resonated with me—and I’ll try to carry that message with me.

Huge thanks to the publisher for the gifted ARC of this heartfelt and eye-opening debut.

Started this book and couldn't put it down. It was a great read with funny, sad, and thought-provoking bits in it.

Pearl battles with OCD every day and she has certain rituals that she has to follow. Despite the seriousness of this condition, some of the things that Pearl came out with had me absolutely howling with laughter! The counting down the stairs and the scene on the stairs in Niall’s flat towards the end - utterly brilliant 😂

When Pearl meets a gorgeous man shortly before he has to return home to New Zealand, Pearl decides to throw caution to the wind and follow him. Every step of that journey means that Pearl needs to confront her fears head on with many bumps in the road along the way.

I loved how the people in Pearl’s community accepted her for who she is, even leaving hand sanitiser by the fresh farm eggs for when she collected.

The story was fairly predictable but a very enjoyable and entertaining read.

3 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Claire Francis and Harper Collins for an ARC of this book.

Pearl wakes up one morning next to a gorgeous naked man…and she’s not exactly sure what happened.

So Pearl asks the reader to back up with her.

Nearing 28 years old, Pearl is like many other women her age: her job is fine, her parents are fine, her cottage is fine, and now she’d like a guy who’s fine.

Except Pearl isn’t like many other women her age because she has OCD that can only be classified as debilitating. There are the little things, for instance liking salmon pink and going to the pub only on trivia night and sitting in the same spot, and there are the big things like counting steps and trying to avoid human touch and spiraling out of control when someone sneezes near her. Pearl is so severely sleep deprived because she can’t go to bed without checking and rechecking everything in her house.

The OCD is bad.

But the naked man, Jake, becomes the impetus for Pearl to step out of her comfort zone. And do she decides, to hell with it - she’s going to travel from to New Zealand to surprise her one night stand.

This is where it falls apart for me. You can’t fix OCD because of a man. It’s far more than making a choice. And while Pearl sees a therapist (no medication is mentioned) it is this incident that sets her on the road to…recovery?

I really wanted to love this one, but I didn’t.

On the positive side, the writing is terrific. The characters are well developed and the friendship between Pearl and best friend, Una is a delight. Una knows when to push her bestie and when to support her.

Unfortunately the story is painfully uneven. Pearl’s OCD is a main character in the first half of the book - guiding everything in her life - and then, oddly, more of a side character in the second half when she *decides* certain things. And while OCD certainly has triggers, I’m not sure I bought the one we learn of near the end of the book.

I think it tried to do too much and where it could have been quirky and unexpected like Eleanor Oliphant, it was too messy and, like I said, uneven.

2.5 stars rounded up.

I loved reading this, especially watching the journey Pearl takes to find herself and love in a world that often feels overwhelming. Her growth, humour, and resilience made this such a heartfelt read.

Pearl works for the parents of her childhood (Niall) at a local shop in her hometown. Since she was young she has struggled with her OCD symptoms, and she's been working to cope with them with mixed results. Enter Jack, a handsome New Zealander in Ireland on vacation. Pearl is thrown into a personal and romantic tizzy as her world suddenly and dramatically opens up. She lives a minimized and semi-manageable life but her best friend Una worries that Pearl is stagnating and hiding. Does Pearl feel the same, and does she have the courage to do something about it?

I really liked Pearl and I felt for her. Her bravery and tenacity made her incredibly endearing and I very much wanted to see how she chose to shape her life. Her OCD symptoms took up a lot of space on the page, but it was fitting since they also take up a lot of space in her life (and it was an interesting insight into her personal symptom experience and management). There's tension as Pearl navigates new choices while trying to be true to herself, and you had to wonder how it would all work out. I rooted so hard for her happiness! There is more humor in this story than I expected, although not a huge amount. It's just enough to keep things interesting. Pay attention to trigger warnings as there is some difficult content. I enjoyed this self-journey/romance and I was happy that there was a satisfying conclusion for Pearl. I have not read this author before but I would gladly read her again! Publishes June 1, 2025. Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK/One More Chapter for providing an eARC of this story, all opinions in this review are my own.

Pearl O’Reilly is a twenty-seven-year-old single lady, that is until she meets Jack, whose car has broken down and ends up spending the weekend in Pearl’s house. Sounds like an easy enough thing, doesn’t it, having someone staying with you? Only, it’s not that easy for Pearl, as Pearl has OCD. She has many rituals that actually make life quite exhausting for her.

This was a fantastic book, I was gripped from the start.
OCD is a serious subject, but there were also many funny parts.

Pearl is a complex character and I loved how the author managed to get the right mix between her serious issues as well as some well-timed humour.

I loved Pearl, I understood her completely. I spent a lot of time laughing with Pearl but I also felt her pain and exhaustion, as I could see myself in Pearl.

The friendship between Pearl and Una was lovely, and they completely got each other, and both said it how it is.

Watching Pearl grow throughout her experiences was beautiful and I smiled all the way through this story.

A stunning debut romcom, and I look forward to reading more from the author.

My thanks to One More Chapter and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Pearl O'Reilly has OCD (and ADHD), and spends hours every day on her rituals. She doesn't leave the small Irish village of Drangan (nor does she want to), and everything in her life has its place. Until she wakes up with Jack naked in her bed after a night out. This (significant) break in her routine sets off a chain reaction for Pearl...

This was an impressive debut (high 4 stars from me). It's written in the first person, and depicts Pearl's life with OCD with sensitivity and humour. I really enjoyed seeing the world through Pearl's eyes, especially her friends and neighbours in Drangan, who made for an excellent support system. The village and the people in it felt very realistic to me. While technically a romance novel, the plot focuses primarily on Pearl's personal journey with her mental health rather than her romantic relationships. The pacing is a bit slow at first but speeds up after a while, the writing style is smooth with wry and gentle humour. I had a lot of fun reading this, and have developed a whole new appreciation for woodlice (IYKYK).

Many thanks to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for letting me read an eARC of this via Netgalley. All opinions are, of course, my own.

While I loved parts of this book I really struggled to get into it at the beginning. The story is centred around Pearl, I found her character likeable and enjoyed her friendship with Una. It’s really well written,with heartwarming and laugh out loud moments, and gives an insight into living with OCD.
With thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

Sorry but I DNF-ed this one.

The writing was good but I couldn’t stand the FL. I felt like I was drowning in the description of her OCD and while I understand the intention was to explain it it felt like it just dragged on.

Thankyou to NetGalley and Claire Frances for allowing me an Arc in exchange for an honest review!

I liked the premise of this book, and I liked the writing style in relation to it almost feeling like I was on facetime with a friend. I also really liked Una as a character, she was hilarious!!

However, it sadly just fell a bit flat for me personally. I'm not sure if i'm just maybe not the target audience, I just felt I didn't connect with the main character whatsoever.

I loved this.

The first few lines were enough to show me that I would - Pearl is a young woman suffering from anxiety, with a severe OCD, and who uses humor as a deflecting tool. She’s relatable and endearing and you kind of just want to give her a hug.

The -1 star stems from the unrealistic naïveté / love entanglements, which we all saw come from a mile away. But other than that, no notes.

A wonderful read!
This novel drew me in from the very first page and kept me hooked until the end. The characters were vibrant and relatable, the writing was engaging, and the story had just the right balance of heart and humor. Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this book. The blurb sounded right up my street but when it came to reading it, I started to worry as I’d found books about OCD triggering in the past. I really needn’t have worried. Pearl is a fantastic character and I was rooting for her. I loved the glimpse in to her life and the people who made up her world. Her character arc was spot on and I loved discovering the new mischievous parts of her personality. Sure, there were parts where I had to suspend belief…but I was wrapped up in the story and enjoying it so much, that Pearl could have done something completely impausible like, I don’t know, board a spaceship and befriend an alien and I still would have wanted to read on to find out how she got on with that.
It was just my kind of humour and the end was pitch perfect. So satisfying! It’s a fantastic, unique debut novel. I wouldn’t hesitate to read more from this author.