Very Nearly Normal

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Really good debut novel which was easy to read, great characters and a nice storyline. I enjoyed it.

“Very Nearly Normal”, by Hannah Sunderland (Avon), features two broken people, gives a sometimes hard to read account of alcoholism and provides a beautiful depiction of pain and longing that come when a love relationship ends.
Theo, our wounded hero, is just fine, handsome, as mysterious as his wound (which is very original and painful, and totally surprised me). Effie, the heroine is not very likeable – but that even makes her interesting - but as the story progresses becomes more relatable. Having her pinning for Theo later is a wonderful process to read.
There are a lot of interesting secondary characters and relationships that make the story enjoyable. Perhaps the story dragged a little in some parts or I would have liked to have seen more of Theo.
The recovery from alcoholism was fictionally convincing but in felt a bit unlikely without specialized help in the real world.
The longing, the pain of heartbreak was really well written. I would say the same about the drinking problem, but this dimension was hard to read.

Thank you NetGalley and Avon books for a chance to read and review this book early.

I had a great time reading this story and finished it in one go. The protagonists as well as the supporting characters were all very good and I didn't see the twist coming. The secret at the end broke my heart but I am really happy with how things worked out for all. I liked it and will recommend it to all romance /women fiction lovers.

Thank you and Happy reading.

A great read with interesting characters. At the beginning I found Effie a bit annoying and wondered what Theo saw in him. She was more likeable as a character as the book progressed and you understood her a bit more.

A wonderful debut a book I read in one sitting.Emotional moving characters that come alive.with an ending that surprised moved me.Looking forward to more by this author.#netgalley#avonbooksuk,

I have absolutely devoured this book, I couldn't put it down. I loved Effie. Such a brilliant character. She's so real. She's so full of anger and self hatred. She's her own worst enemy. I felt like I really shouldn't like her but I did.
When I started reading I was pretty sure I knew where the story was going. I didn't. Books in this sort of genre often seem written by numbers. This one mixed those numbers up.
It was surprising and warm and funny.
I hope the author is working on book number two.

This book was great! I absolutely loved how Sunderland weaved the story and was able to surprise me with how the story went. I think this is the perfect book for a bookclub and will be recommending this to the book clubs in our library. I think this could be a very popular summer read!

Very Nearly Normal is a fantastic debut novel from Hannah Sunderland. It was heartwrenching and real, and I really felt for the characters. Certain parts (i.e. Effie's alcoholism and explanations/excuses of her drinking) were hard to read, but the rest of the story makes up for it, and Effie's bad qualities round her out and make her seem more realistic.

I had a hard time getting started on the book because I just did not find Effie likable - but once I made it a few chapters in, I was hooked and finished it in one sitting. Effie's character development is fantastic. The relationship between her and Theo is beautifully written, at times heartbreaking, and made me tear up more than once. But the story is about more than that relationship - it's about Effie and Theo's lives, and the way they change each other.

I loved this book and will be recommending it to many people. Hannah Sunderland's writing is reminiscent of Jojo Moyes (another of my favorite authors) and I can't wait to see what's next from her!

This book was really sweet, and a truly enjoyable read! I was drawn in by the seahorses on the cover, and I was glad that they brought in why seahorses are romantic than lobsters (read it, it will make more sense).

Honestly, Effie was a bit annoying at first. But, as her character developed, she really grew on me. She starts out being a wreck, and it's great seeing her mature as the story unfolds.

Theo really does end up being Effie's seahorse. They're great together. I loved that he supported Effie and helped her to become a better version of herself. And she is there for him, too.

The secondary characters are also great. I love the friends Effie makes on the way, and especially her bookstore co-workers. They added a lot of fun to the story.

Overall a great read! I would recommend to friends who enjoy romance novels.

I loved this book so much. I have recently had trouble getting into books but had no such issues with this one. I really felt an affinity with Effie and could see why she was the way she was. Some times i found it difficult to read of her excessive use of alcohol but i felt she was a character with so many levels.

I loved all of the other characters and the way they stood by her - especially Arthur and Caleb - and helped her change her life around

I wasn't as keen on Theo - he seemed ok at first but I didnt really like him all that much - maybe felt he had a bit of a chip on his shoulder but that is not a criticism of the writing. I think he was meant to be that way.

This book made me want to make my life more meaningful, to help other people and get the most out of life while i was able to .

An EXCELLENT read. Thank you so much

At first this book was tough to read as Effie refused to take responsibility for her own happiness and instead blamed others. However, meeting Theo and taking on the list head on made Effie realize she can do anything. Most importantly, she started loving herself and as a result opened herself to true love. Anything including physical illness will not stand in the way of a forever relationship.

The novel made me go through a range of emotions; some parts were funny, in some cases it broke my heart, and others made me feel all lovey dovey.

Effie had grown so much within this novel- she had the push she needed to finally be who she wanted to be, and became happy. When I thought this was over for the romance and it was going to be solely on this growth, I was happily mistaken and the story twisted yet again! But this time, I’m so glad it did, as it ended so beautifully 💕 A good view at what love truly is and how far you’d go for it; from both parts, as it does take a lot to do what they both did.

This is a short read that I read in just one sitting.
This is my first read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last.
Likeable characters and an interesting plot. This is one that I have not been able to put down ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the perfect love story. Such a lovely little book. It’s been a while since I read a book this heartwarming.

I cried, I laughed and got angry. I was not prepared to be so emotionally invested in this one. A very good debut novel by Hannah Sunderland that I hope gets the attention it deserves!
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What I loved: Although I was so irritated at Effie and Theo from the moment I met them I came to care about them as well as other side characters like Arthur, Amy and Otis. I loved the fact them that they were real. From their sloppiness, their bad decisions to the details of everyday life when you wake up on a pillow with a pill of saliva on it, the microwave dinners, the intrusive and negative thoughts that can consume you; unapologetically raw. I also loved the references that correspond to my generation and the ‘about the author’ section which prepared me for a great read since it was on the first page of the book. It gave me a glimpse of the author’s quirkinesses and I was not dissapointed.
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What I disliked: No spoilers but I would have wanted to read a bit more about Theo if I were to nitpick the story.
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PS: I kindly received this ARC from #Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

#findyourseahorse

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland a fulfilling five-star read. Just because its two broken people doesn’t make it right, this was a great story and I gave it five-stars but it didn’t always deserve it, there were bits that didn’t feel authentic and did drag a little but honestly overall it was very good. One main thing I will say about this story is when you start it if you find Effie to be someone that you cant abide keep reading, as she may not become someone you care about, but she will become someone that you can get behind. This is a story that will make you smile, it has some of the best one liners I have read for a long time.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.

This was a quick, cute read and would make a great book club pick.
Although in the beginning the main character is pretty unlikable, she grows a lot as a person after Theo is introduced.
This book quickly takes you through a wide spectrum of emotions, and overall is a nice story.

I found the first third of this book hard going. Effie, the main character, begins by being quite unlikeable and I became irritated by her attitude to life and to others. However I realised this was intentional and throughout the book we see her begin to change and grow into a far more relatable and likeable person. By the end I was fully ‘Team Effie’ and was rooting for her happy ending. Being from Birmingham myself, I also enjoyed references to my hometown. A really good read that won’t leave you disappointed.
Thank you to netgalley, the authors and publisher for gifting me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

Very Nearly Normal sucks you in and then sucker punches you in the gut. It is a complex, emotional read that is intriguing and sweet in all the right places. The lead protagonist, Effie, has so many different levels and such a complexity she is easy to relate to and it's great to see her grow and mature as the storys goes on. Her character development is addictive and you can't help but cheer her on! A fantastic debut novel!

Gorgeous book which I adored. Effie is a likeable, protagonist whose life hasn't worked out the way she hoped it would. She's also bristly - until she meets Theo, this is when she finds that slowly everything starts to change.
But Theo hides a secret which he doesn't want Effie to know about.
This book was so funny/humorous, I laughed out loud.
I found this book is full of heart, too.
It was compelling, entertaining, life-affirming, it's truly a book to lose yourself in. Highly recommend it.

When I started reading this book I found the lead character Effie, irritating in her bitterness, lack of self-esteem, rudeness and general all-round unpleasantness. However, it was obvious from the get-go that this was just to lay the ground-works for her to change as the book went on.

This book was actually really good, and I enjoyed following the journey of Effie and how she developed into a fully-rounded human albeit a flawed one.

That is in fact the beauty of all the characters - they are all flawed, as all humans are and this makes them more relateable. There were even a couple of points that I felt myself tearing up.

Effie in a young woman in her late twenties and is facing a number of problems. Chief among these is her love of wine and her complete lack of self-esteem. Boardering on actual dislike, Effie cannot see any redeeming features in herself but subjects herself to regular meetups with an ex-best friend, only to listen to tales of success which serve to highlight her inadequacies. Her relationship with her mother is also a disaster with each constantly trying to score points against the other and Effie's drinking adding to their contentions.
Yet, a turning point is just ahead, After a particularly unpleasant date, Theo meanders into Effie's life and decides to help her. He certainly has his job cut put for him and the reader is given plenty of reasons to be suspicious of his behaviour.
I loved this book. From their initial meeting, I quickly became a fan of Effie and Theo and rooted for them throughout the story.
This is not a typical girl meets boy and he fixes her story - and for that I am grateful.
There are sufficient funny moments and interactions with family and friends to help jog along the plotline so that we do not focus just on our main protagonists.
Ultimately, this is an uplifting story and one with plenty of heart. Read it and enjoy.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in return for an honest review.

What I particularly liked about Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland are the themes this book talks about. It’s got everything you want from a romance novel; engaging characters, love, and drama, but it also talks about topics which are a lot deeper. Effie is struggling. She’s in her late twenties, and still doesn’t really know what she’s doing with her life. I think most people at some point in their lives have dealt with feeling lost, so this made this book a lot more relatable to me. This made Effie quite a difficult character at first – she’s flawed, but doesn’t yet want to admit her role in her failures. As the book progresses, Effie as a character begins to transform. Very Nearly Normal is as much a book about a self-journey as it is a romance, which I really liked.
I also really liked the other characters in the book – Theo, Arthur, Toby, and eventually Otis, all have a profound impact on Effie’s life, some for the better, and others not so much.
I loved the references to popular culture throughout the book, like Mean Girls and Game of Thrones, to name a few. I thought these added to the sense of humour of the book, especially because I love all the things Sunderland references.
The book was pacey, light-hearted and easy to read, and I flew through it. I thought it was really refreshing to read, so I would really recommend!
A big thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for providing me with an early copy of the book.

Favourite quotes:
“I’d always thought that films overplayed the whole broken heart thing, but now that I was feeling it for real, I knew that the films never did it justice.”
“I knew that my life was my own charge and if I didn’t like how it was going then I was the only one with the power to change it.”

I love books involving bookshops. I love characters who like books. I love love stories. This book was just perfect for me. It sucked me in right from the start and I just couldn’t put it down. The characters were so well developed and the plot so beautifully done- I fell in love with this book a little. I love, love loved it.

Effie is an unlikely and quirky heroine: she’s down on herself, drinks too much and envies her friends. But when Theo pursues her, she gradually feels her guard starting to slip.
The first third of this novel felt like a lot like chick lit: she can’t stand him/ he’s got chiselled cheekbones and smells yummy etc etc.
But then it really lifted and I started to care about the characters and the plot took some unexpected and interesting turns.
Theo also challenges Effie to challenge herself: stop holding grudges, try something new etc etc and it’s all part of her finding herself.
In summary: this is a classic ‘girl hates boy but really loves boy’ novel, but it will grow on you and is a cut above the usual chick lit.

When I started this book I was unsure of what I was going to find. Is it a love story or is it about friendship? Effie is the main character along with the lovely Theo. From the beginning Effie to be honest was quite annoying... But this was because she reminded me of me. She wasn't happy with herself and things always seemed to go wrong in her life. A date went disastrously wrong but with a word from a stranger this seemed to change her entire life.
Effie reminded me of Eleanor Oliphant (if you have read that book) her character seems to be in turmoil. Theo on the other hand seems to be the perfect man. Good looking, adorable and wants Effie. The story takes you on a long but wonderful journey through the ups and downs of Effies life and brings Theo in and out of it too.
I glorious read and will definitely look for more from this author.
Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book pre release for an honest review

Very Nearly Normal is the story of Effie, a young woman who really doesn’t like herself. Everyone she knows seems to have their lives together but Effie’s way of getting through life is to drink. When Theo enters Effie’s life she is on a downward spiral and with his help and encouragement she begins to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But Theo hasn’t been completely honest with Effie, and when she discovers his secret, how will she cope with his deception?

A great first novel by this author, I look forward to the next one.

I requested this book based purely on it’s cover. I knew nothing about the book or the author but this as definitely a good read and a good judgement of a book by it’s cover.

It had some good humour throughout and kept me engaged through the one sitting it took to read.

A lovely, well written enchanting tale about love, about, family, about friendships, about relationships, about social awkwardness, about not filling in,, about failure, about achieving your dreams, about jealousy, about self acceptanc. A love story

A lovely story about Efffie. She is very down on herself, she is unhappy that things never seem to go to plan for her. Everyone else seems to have life sorted. Her best friend has a fantastic job, life, job and is getting married. Effie's life as she puts it is ‘meh.’

One evening she has an awful date. The man sitting on the next table overhears. In her hurry to leave, her purse gets left behind. The waitress having seen her talking to him thinking he knows Effie. He tracks her down and the next morning Theo wanders into her life...

This was a heartwarming well written story, a really enjoyable read.

I was lucky to read an advance copy of this book via Netgalley and whilst I loved I loved most of the book, the ending was a bit of a let down which made me give it four stars.

After a terrible tinder date, Effie bumps into Theo who at first she doesn’t give him any attention until the next day when he returns purse. Over the weeks, they go on more dates and Effie get more attached and realised she is loveable. They get more and more close, creating a

Until, one night at a concert, a terrible accident has occurred and from then Theo shuts Effie out of his life completely. Effie, having low self esteem takes this a sign from everyone round. She considers leaving her life after getting kicked out former family home. Until she her boss puts her up and then Effie 2.0 is born!

Determined not to drink as much booze, help out with charities and comes to love herself and more confident.
I loved reading the way Effie became herself and more confident but the ending had me so disappointed as I can normal tell what is going to happen but not this time. I also got annoyed at the end chapter.
However, I would suggest this book for people to buy and would defo recommend.

When I was given the chance to read and review this novel for netgalley, I did presume it was going to be a normal romance novel - girl meets boy and fall in love ect. However, I was pleasantly surprised as this story was much more than that.
It follows Effie's personal journey from being an unpleasant spikey character as she becomes a person who learns to love herself and to live life without holding grudges. It also follows her friendship/romance with Theo who has a secret.
I would highly recommend this book & have given it 5 stars.

Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton thinks her life is a failure. She's constantly comparing herself to her 'best friend' Kate, who has a successful career, fancy apartment, and a gorgeous fiancée. Meanwhile, Effie is still living at home and spends most evenings drinking herself into oblivion. The only thing she loves is her job at a bookshop.

Then she meets Theo, and her luck finally seems to be changing. Because Theo has a life-changing secret and knows how important it is not to take life for granted.

Can Effie fall in love instead of falling apart?

I wasn't sure what to think of this book in the beginning. Effie isn't the easiest character to like, and her constant self-deprecation started to get on my nerves. Then she met Theo and I was worried this would turn into one of those stories about a girl who only manages to pull herself together because of a guy.

However, as their relationship progressed, I soon started to soften towards Effie, especially in the second half of the book. I liked seeing how she changed and grew. Birmingham is my local city and I loved that there were references to places I know.

I debated between giving this 3 or 4 stars, but I did enjoy it overall and would recommend it.

Firstly, the good stuff: some of this book is really, really funny. I guffawed out loud several times, especially in the first few chapters. To be honest, this is what kept me going - I didn’t like the main character at all, or indeed many of the others (a few of whom were just plan cartoon-y), or the way the story seemed to be going. Later on, it saved itself from being too saccharine and predictable - it had to, I knew it would. And the whole thing, in addition to being hilariously witty at times, had a JoJo Moyes warmth and charm about it, and was moving in parts. Would I read it again? I’m not sure. But plenty of people would, and I can see it being developed for the big screen.

Absolutely loved this book! The emotions are real, you feel the true essence of Effie and everything about her

Very Nearly Normal was a delightful read that I found enjoyable and a great distraction.

Effie is a late twenty-something who has not found her way in life. Effie is quirky and just does not fit in to the world around her. Cue Theo who accidentally meets Effie and then proceeds to push his way in to her life.

This is a great story about finding one's way in life, friendship, being happy, and love.

I will definitely be looking for future releases from Hannah Sunderland.

I loved this! It’s a real story of love, life, adventure and friendships set in a modern day life with the problems any of us could face. Effie is a very open character with issues which make her harder to love, when on a date she meets another man, Theo who pursues her until she goes out with him. What follows is a beautiful story of love, heart-break and understanding the things that really matter. The characters are so easy to get to know and so likeable. I found this really sad in parts but, because I wanted so much for them to be happy. The ending is wonderful and this story is perfectly formed. I don’t normally choose books in this genre but am so glad I did, quite like a JoJo Moyes book. I very much enjoyed this and highly recommend it.

Effie's alcoholism explanations and excuses of why she drinks were well written. Effie's bad qualities make her seem very realistic and although I did not warm to her, a few chapters in Effie's character developed, and I found myself understanding her.
The relationship between her and Theo is well written, at times, tearjerking. The story is more than that of links - it's about Effie and Theo's lives, and the way their closeness changes each other.
I really enjoyed this book.
Hannah Sunderland's writing style is similar to Jojo Moyes, whose books I also really enjoy.
I thank NetGalley, Hannah Sunderland and the publishers for allowing me to read and review pre-publication in exchange for my honest review.

I didn’t think I was going to like Very Nearly Normal, I found Effie to be pretty unlikeable, but I stuck with it and I was pleasantly surprised. I loved the journey that Effie went on, this wasn’t just a romantic story, there was substance to the story and after finishing the book I felt like I wanted to go out and DO something! I loved it!

I absolutely love love loved this story! The main character was a really relatable character. There are plenty of laughs along the way and the story moved at a great pace. I couldn’t wait to read this and completed it in just two days! I could imagine it being made into a film. Thanks for selecting me to read.

It took me a minute to get into it, too many of Effie's thoughts hit too close to home, but then I devoured this book. A lovely romance between two flawed but beautiful (inside and out) people and a great supporting cast. A nice love story about finding yourself and reconciling who you are with who you think you should be.

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK, and Hannah Sunderland for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the author, Avon Books UK and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

This was a wonderful story about opening up, believing in yourself, and finding your path in life. Effie, the heroine, starts off very prickly and unlikeable, and really grew on me. Part of that was her snarkiness, paired with the first-person narrative. I found myself laughing at various points - but there were also plenty of dark and deep moments, exploring themes of addiction, depression and anxiety. Yes, the way things resolved themselves were a bit too pat, but overall I found this a satisfying read.

Words can’t describe how much I loved this book! Effie was relatable, snarky & everything I love. Theo is the perfect male lead to help show Effie how wonderful life can be.

Overall a really heartwarming, funny read and I can’t wait to read more by this author!

Wow what a read!!!
I think alot of people can relate to Effie, in one way or another. Some parts of this broke me, had a good cry for her.
One that was hard to put down thats for sure. It was brilliantly written, really draws you in.
Not really been into these kind of books until recently.

Effie very much down on her luck. Seemed like she could never catch a break. And seeing everyone around her happy and moving on with their lifes. Meanwhile she was still living with her parents, single, and liked to drink a bit too much. Loved seeing how it all turned around for her. Even if she had to endure some really hard times.

Well deserved 5 stars. I'd say it's a must read. Hope everyone else enjoys it as much as I did!

Wow! So often I read romantic novels where the female protagonist is like 'Oh, I'm so quirky and I can't get my hand-painted greetings cards/cupcake business together but then I met this mildly eccentric guy and he's helped me to self-actualise.' Apart from the self-actualisation, this is not that book.

Matilda Effie Heaton (who is rather too concerned with her depressing initials, MEH - frankly they seem to be the least of her problems) is a real but relatable hot mess. More Eleanor Oliphant than Bridget Jones, Effie is a borderline alcoholic (sometimes not that borderline - and she doesn't give up drinking even when her boyfriend has to almost completely cut down, which made me slightly uneasy because she is written like someone who has a genuine problem, not just someone who enjoys a few jars).

The traditional gender roles feel as though they are reversed - Theo, her love interest, is a manic pixie dream boy while Effie is the crotchety, addicted, sarcastic lead who still lives with her parents and vomits a lot (this also isn't an easy book for emetophobic people, by the way). But is Theo as perfect and untroubled as he seems? Course not! The writing is terrific, and Hannah Sunderland has real raw talent. I will be looking out for her in future.

I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t like the main character at first, but as the story developed, I grew to like her. Lots of life lessons in this book, which is very uplifting. I did shed a tear and I was surprising by the ending in some ways (I don’t do spoilers – you’ll have to just read it for yourself!)

Thank you NetGalley for my complimentary copy in return for my honest review.

“But this was not a romcom, this was a tragedy of Shakespearean proportions and I had never been a fan of Shakespeare”
The first thing I noticed about this book was the fact I thought I disliked the main character, but that didn’t put me off reading about her. Effie is miserable and stuck in a rut, she drinks too much and is jealous of her “friends”. I read the majority of the book desperate to stop her self sabotage but as I finished the last page I realised what I was feeling wasn’t hate, I cared for Effie. I related to her in some aspects. As the book progresses with Effie causing a lot of her own chaos working her way through a list of goals written with potential new love Theo; I was yearning for them to find their happy ending. This is a book of twists and turns, it’s not your traditional easy read chick lit romance. This book hits hard, dealing not just with love but loss, alcoholism, illness and turbulent family relationships. It’s a great read, something I would definitely recommend.

Thank you to Avon Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

wonderful heartbreaking novel about a very angry woman called effie and the man she meets theo who falls in love with her .

With a huge thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the ARC of Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland.

In this book we have the pleasure of meeting Effie, a woman in her late twenties whose friends seem to have their life sorted yet she is living at home with her parents, possibly drinking a bit too much wine and looking for the meaning of life. Then, along comes Theo, and as much as she hates it, he completely revolutionises her life in a way that she hates but then...doesn't quite.

It's a good book, a really good book about how life does go down the wrong path for some of us and we might get to a stage and look up and realise that all our other peers have left us in the dust, and at that point we all make different choices. Some of us choose to go down the route of despair and then pull off at the next junction to a path to a happy and contented life. Some of us might choose to stick to the way we know best for the rest of our lives, on the route of despair with stops at self-pity, anger, denial... etc... And essentially, those are the choices that Effie has to make.

Effie really does make the story, she isn't one of those characters you love instantly, or even a few chapters in, but as she grows to loving herself more, you're taken on that journey with her and the chances are you'll end up crying right with her. Watching her mature and embrace adulthood is a really great experience, and it leaves a warm feeling in your heart.

I would recommend this book to lovers of Louisa Clark, contemporary romances that have a sparkle of something else about them and endearing male counterparts.

Wow this book will break your heart in two and then put it all back together and make you realise what a joy life can be and sometimes you don’t need someone else to work out your own value. This book is a beautiful and honest read and I was sad to get to the last page as it felt like I was leaving some old friends behind. I loved it.

I loved this book, this was one of those books that I kept seeing and knew that I needed to read from the first time I saw the cover.

Effie comes across as clumsy, lacking ambition and pretty blunt but as this story unfolds you get to know what sculpted her to be the person she has become and how one list changes the direction of her life.

A book full of superb real life scenarios and characters you can picture and who capture your heart. I loved this book and can't wait to see what comes next from this author!

Thank you to Netgalley and Avon for the opportunity to read this advanced reader's copy in return for my honest review. Effie is a very relatable character that I enjoyed getting to know. A book about finding your path at your own time, in your own way. Beautiful!

When I started this book, I thought it would be a typical romance. An eager boy falling for a hard to love woman. I was so wrong. This book has twists and turns that make it impossible to put down. I was rooting for Effie and loved watching her transformation for herself and for her relationship with Theo. This was a perfect escape!

Thank you, NetGalley, for the advanced copy of this novel.

This was a lovely quirky romantic story. I did struggle with the beginning - I found the language used by Effie and her downbeat attitude very hard to take. But once I had got into the book I loved it and read it overnight. Effie is a failure - living with her parents at 28, no career, no boyfriend - and a borderline alcoholic. She meets Theo who challenges her view of herself and her life but who holds secrets of his own. She falls in love to be let down by Theo and then has to put her life back together. She finds ways to accept herself and her faults, to look outside herself and find a purpose.

A feel good story - well worth the effort.

What a delightfully funny and self-aware book this is. Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton is convinced that she is a loser and a clumsy one at that. She hardly has any friends and she's living at her parents' house at the age of 28, where she often spends her evenings frowning, with copious glasses of wine as her only loyal companion. As you may have guessed it, her dating life is a disaster too, we literally see someone walk out on her after realizing that she is not the 'hot girl' in her dating profile picture. Effie's life-long dream was to be a writer but after being rejected by numerous publishers, her manuscript has been lying below her bed gathering dust. So, all, in all, not an ideal situation

And then, in comes Theo, this man with kind eyes, a rippling body and such an audaciously handsome face that Effie spends most of her time wondering what he possibly sees in her to look past all her indiscretions and wants to deliberately spend time with her awkward self. During one drunken night with Theo, a list is drafted for Effie to complete tasks that would definitely take her out of her comfort zone but also take her closer to the person she wants to be. 

This book is a beautiful and often funny journey of self-discovery, of unyielding oneself from the kind of pressures that are being put on women in their late 20s (of having things in order, moving up the corporate ladder, settling down etc.) and figuring life out in one's own terms. Plainly put, this book made me smile, took my mind away from a global pandemic wrecking quite the havoc on our lives. And I would consider that as a job well done.

This book starts off with Effie who is a self loathing alcoholic who works in a bookshop and is unlucky in love. Then by chance she meets Theo, at first she is reluctant to make things works and does everything she can to push him away whilst also revealing her insecurities and flaws.

I didn't quite enjoy the first half of the book as I hated Effie but I can see how others would love her, but I persevered and was pleasantly surprised with the second half of the story. After heartbreak she decides to finally pick up the pieces and learn to love herself, she finally became a stronger person and fixed broken relationships. You also learn of Theo's illness and how he tried to protect Effie by breaking up with her but this is why I loved the book and character growth by the end of this story as it focused on friendship, love, loss, happiness and finding yourself. This book made me laugh and cry and feel heartbreak and joy.

It's not your typical romance book and for that I would recommend for people to read but some like me, may have to push through the first half but it's worth it, I promise.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advanced copy of this delightful book! Effie is 28 and a self-confessed failure, but fate leads her to meet Theo, who changes her life in more ways than one. This book is a rollercoaster of emotions (in the best way), as I went from being annoyed at Effie's lacklustre attitude to being angry at Theo to cheering Effie on and being content with the book's ending. With strong character development, I feel like fellow fans of Josie Silver and Beth O'Leary will love this book as much as I did.

I received this copy from Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Wow, just wow! This was utterly emotionally brilliant. I loved it.

I laughes and cried my way through this story, thoroughly recommend!

I have to say that I wasn't keen on this book when I first started reading it. Effie, the main character, was a pain in the backside. Very self-absorbed and immature and I felt that the difficulties in her life resulted from her behaviour. However, as the book progressed and her relationship with Theo grew, she became more likeable and by the end I really felt that we could be friends.
The main story is the romance (or not) of Effie and Theo, but there were other side plots regarding other characters , some happy stories and some less so. All believable and valuable editions to the book. Some not completely sewn up but that is the way life works, I suppose. I would like to know more about Effie's parents, who seem to have an unusual relationship (though the reader only sees it through Effie"s eyes) and about Kate .
I will definitely look out for more from this authoress, A good read which leaves you with plenty to think about.
Thankyou to Net Galley & Avon books for the ARC in exchange for an unbiased review & well done Hannah Sutherland for an excellent first novel

Loved it! Quirky protagonist. But what made this book standout, was the untold story that was revealed half way through. Enjoyed relationship between the characters and families.

This book slapped me in the face with a bunch of thoughts and feelings that I didn't know I needed to have in my life 🌸 Being honest I felt related with Effie, she broke my heart every time she was talking, she reminded me a lot of myself and also it's like many people I know. Jealous of others happiness while she feels unhappy, meaningless and a failure. Looking at everyone else having the "perfect life" while she doesnt even feel if she has real friends, she is lonely and feeling completely abandoned. I just couldn't stop crying while reading it and when I finished it I cried again 🌸 You will love the characters!! There's no way or space for hate in there. Effie and Theo, Arthur, Toby, everyone. You won't be able to even hate the "bad one" 🌸 I felt so sad, so related, my heart was broken for her. And then you can become so excited, with her!!! But the twists slap you over and over again letting you there reading and feeling exactly the way she is feeling 🌸 Started reading and couldn't put it down. I will definitely buy the physical copy and goes directly to my shelf of special books that have changed my life in some way. I never read a book like this before, I will just keep it close to my heart.

Very Nearly Normal is Hannah Sunderland’s debut novel and it is a dark horse! I knew I was going to enjoy it but it blew all my expectations out of the water. Very Nearly Normal is one of my favourite books of 2020.

Please be aware that there are some triggers in this book such as suicidal thoughts.

This book made me smile, it made me laugh and it made me cry (numerous times). It is raw, it is emotional, it is romantic and it is realistic.

I have never related to a character as much as I did with Effie. She is going through a tough time in her life and things are not going to plan. She works hard but life is screwing her over. She feels like she’s a disappointment, that she’s failing at life and is barely scrapping by. She believed she would make a difference in the world, because growing up you’re led to believe that you can, and she’s angry and fed up. Effie is incredibly relatable and realistic that I definitely saw myself in her.

I loved Theo, he was charming, he was sweet and he really did want the best for Effie, even if she didn’t agree with some of his decisions. I loved how sarcastic he was and how hard he was willing to try with Effie and push her out of her comfort zone. Honestly, his life-changing secret had me in tears and my heart broke for him.

This book was a rollercoaster of emotions for me but it was perfect in every way. Very Nearly Normal is a book about figuring out how to be happy, no matter what life throws at you. It’s about taking risks, figuring out who you are as a person and letting love in even if it doesn’t go to plan.

I recommend picking this up when it releases on May 14th 2020!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

at first I did not like this book, I loved the writting, the story line, but somthing about the main character bothered me. Effi seemed to me liked someone who victimize themselves, always blaming others for everything that happens to her. when she meets theo, it almost seems too god to be true and she keep on being a walking disaster for the first quarter of the book.. I almost stopped reading it , she annoyed me so much. But i'm glad I kept on reading because the story goes a completly different way, i surprised me, I am giving it 5 stars in the end... loved it...

I really enjoyed this book despite the first few chapters being a bit slow. It covered a wide range of topics and lifestyles underpinned by romance and different relationships

Firstly a big thank you to Avon for approving my request to read on netgalley.

This is a debut that has become one of my favourite reads of the year. This is everything!

Beautiful,life affirming,funny and relatable.

I love Effie who has lost her way somewhat in life and finds a new path with the help of Theo. I could see myself in her in so many ways.

Sweet and romantic while also sad and hard to read in some places.

She rediscovers her love of life and most importantly herself which we all need to do .

A love story with a difference .it is also so much deeper than a love story

If you enjoy authors such as Jojo moyes and Roxie cooper then i highly recommend this.

I wish Hannah every success with this book and i cant wait to see what she writes next.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for a free ARC of this ebook.
This book was an absolute joy to read. The characters, though quirky were so well written it was very easy to relate to them. It is a rich mix of flawed people, humour and sadness. It touches on contemporary concerns such as homelessness, social unaccepability, and coming of age in a harsh modern world. It's a book I an highly recommend and will definitely read again. I give it 4.5 stars.

Overall I really enjoyed this book.

The plot broke my heart, and it touched upon a few areas that definitely could’ve done with trigger warnings. It was powerful. I really disliked Effie to start with, but her development as a character was brilliant and I ended up really liking her.

I adored Theo, but he’s a handsome closet geek who loves books, how could I not love him?! His story really touched me.

I’m from North Wales, Gwynedd is the next county along to mine and Chester is a mere 45 minutes away and I have to say I loved that Gwynedd was picked as the place in Wales that Theo came from. These parts of Wales are rarely ever mentioned in books, it might be the first time I’ve ever seen a location from this area mentioned in a book and I think the author perfectly captured the beauty of Snowdonia!

I’d rate it 3.5 out of 5 but I’m rounding it up to 4!

Bookshop assistant and would-be author Effie, still lives at home with her parents,drinks too much wine, dislikes herself and the rest of the world. Until she meets Theo ,who makes her a to-do list in order to boost her self esteem. She falls in love for the first time. but will it last or will her luck run its usual course.? Well written with an unusual romantic theme, hard to put down, I really enjoyed this book.

A corker of a debut! I loved Effie. Her flaws made her a great character. A 2020 reading highlight! 5 stars!

At the beginning of this book we meet Effie. Effie is 28, has low self esteem, still stays with her parents, doesn't see a purpose in very much and is annoyed that her peers have 'got on' in life. Effie also has an alcohol problem. All this does not make for a loveable character...but I did love her. I loved her spikiness, I loved her feisty attitude and I loved her reluctance to believe in herself. When she and Theo meet, by accident and not by design, he enables her to help herself to see a way forward.
I enjoyed Effie and Theo's journey complete with all its ups and downs. I liked most of the other characters in the story as well and felt they all had something to add. At times I found I laughed with Effie and at others I cried with her, and for her, too. All in all I enjoyed the book and will recommend it to friends.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Sutherland and the publishers for an advance e-copy of this book.

The synopsis for this novel is that Very Nearly Normal is a charming, unusual and uplifting romance to captivate your heart. For me, I did find it to be an unusual love story because our lady of the moment Effie is such a complex difficult character to instantly like.
Effie and Theo’s love story begins with a first chance encounter in a diner where Effie is on a blind date with douchebag Daz and Theo is eavesdropping on their conversation. The humour and funny one liners are present in the writing from the start but it is Effie’s character who will either steal your heart or frustrate you immensely. Her character is an amalgamation of familiar traits that trouble many of us which actually makes for painful reading at times. Effie’s permanent sense of failure is worn like a crucifix around her neck, dragging herself further into a pit of self hatred, low self esteem and poor perception of herself in relation to others. That should endear the reader to this young woman weighed down by all her perceived weaknesses but her overwhelming self pity turns this fictional character into the most gloomy depressed individual I’ve encountered in a modern day love story. Don’t get me wrong, I could sympathise with Effie up to a point and believe her character will resonate with many who find themselves on the periphery of life , more often that not outside looking in, believing everyone else is living a far more successful life, happier, richer, in a loving relationship blah blah blah. There are a few film references dotted throughout the storyline and one in particular struck a chord and sums up perfectly the way Effie views herself . This is the scene in Love Actually when Keira Knightly discovers her husband’s best friend is secretly in love with her and declares this on her doorstop via handwritten cards. A romantic yet heartbreaking scene and Effie can never ever imagine herself to be on the receiving end of such a romantic gesture. Join the club!!
At twenty eight Effie is still living at home with her ‘joyless’ mother and a mostly silent father, working in a bookshop, having shelved her dreams of becoming a writer. So basically she’s not in a good place at all when the handsome, persistent and patient Theo enters her life.
Naturally the course of events hereafter are pretty much what you’d expect from a novel of this genre and I liked Theo’s idea of a list; a way to achieve and experience new things whilst perhaps changing Effie’s perspective of herself and life in general. Although not original, it does make for heartwarming if predictable reading and like all good romantic reads you can expect the path of falling in love to be bumpy. Whilst I did think Theo could possibly have a dramatic and positive effect on Effie I did think his character suffered from double standards which you’ll discover if you think this novel is one for you.
Despite Effie’s self pitying nature I grew to like her more as she progressed through her list so that by the end you can imagine a more hopeful future. Throughout her journey to becoming a more positive individual, finally letting go of past resentments, that old adage ‘it’s better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all’ kept springing to mind. Like I said at the start there is humour in this romantic read, often of the self deprecating type and my favourite characters had to be bookshop owner and Effie’s boss, Arthur and his accountant Toby who offer a hand of friendship when it’s most needed. They provide some lightness and shade to offset the more darker aspects of this novel.
If you prefer a romantic read to mimic reality rather than those that are all light and fluffy and full of sunshine then look no further than Very Nearly Normal. My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

Thank you Net galley for a copy of this book in exchange for a review. I didn't look at the description of this book before requesting. I got the jist that it was going to include some romance. I loved the cover. Well Hannah Sunderland's debut novel definitely took me on a journey. I fell in love with Effie from the first page. Should I be worried at how relatable I found her. With the exception of wine consumption of course. I found myself laughing out loud as she stumbled through life less gracefully than others appeared around her. And when the story started taking a different route I think I was almost as heartbroken. This book had everything for me. I haven't read a book that made me laugh in a while, but I was rooting for Effie all the way through. I loved this book and have recommended it to a few friends for when it is released.

When I first started reading this book I didn't think I was going to like it. Effie seemed whiny and was on a continuous pity party....then came the second chapter and I found myself laughing out loud and I realized Effie was adorably self deprecating.

It is a well written book that touches on some real life issues It made me laugh, stirred a lot of empathy but it also kept me engaged and eager to read on. It was a quite amazing mixture of feelings that Hannah Sunderland delivered in just perfect proportions. The story left me with a warm, optimistic feeling about people.


I believe the main message of the book is about importance of human contact, even when circumstances for them are not optimal. It is a very uplifting message, especially now. Such an impressive debut. I will definitely read the future books by this author.

Oh this book… what a journey. It covers only a short period of time between the two main characters (Effie and Theo) but it feels like a lifetime that we spend with them.

The characters are relatable - whether you feel like Effie or Theo or even their parents or Effie’s friends. Lots of hot topics are gently tackled throughout and carefully explored. There’s a balanced mix of heartbreak and humour as well as triumphs and downfalls.

This is Hannah Sunderland’s debut novel but the great news is that @avon_books signed her up for a two book deal so hopefully we’ll get to read more from this author!

Very Nearly Normal is a novel that took me through all the emotions. Effie is in her late twenties, a failed novelist, barely employed, and living under her highly critical mother’s roof. In short, she’s at rock bottom. When a failed date leads to an encounter with handsome Theo, her life takes several unexpected turns, challenging her to sit with her truth, fall a bit harder, and search for her inner strength and joy. I laughed, I cried, I loved this book.
Advanced copy provided by #NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Available May 2020.

'In all seriousness, if I get through a day without severely injuring someone, breaking something or accidentally insulting someone, then I take that day as a win.'

A brilliant unconventional love story centered around Effie, a girl whose life hasn't exactly panned out the way she would have liked. While her friends are moving on in their lives, she's heavily drinking at her parents house. Then Theo comes along and she starts soften her prickly exterior and fall for him - but Theo is keeping a life changing secret...

I could highly relate to Effie, her self esteem issues and the way she compared herself to her peers and the stages they were at in life. I loved the mix of highs and lows that were throughout the story.

For fans of Sarah Haywood's The Cactus and Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine.

I LOVE this book!!!

What a rollercoaster...Effie is a character who I can totally relate to, someone who is overly hard on herself and doesn’t quite know how to get herself out of the rut she is in.

Theo is her knight in shining armour, or so we are led to believe. After falling in love with them both and willing them to get together the book left me heartbroken half way through when Theo breaks Effie’s heart.

I struggled on, reading angrily through Effie’s heartbreak and glad I persevered as I loved seeing Effie grow to live herself, to find out who she is and start to take control of her life.

A fabulous book that I didn’t want to end.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

This book was a rollercoaster and I loved every minute of it. It had me laughing, smiling and crying!

It was so beautifully written and I just couldn't stop reading. Effie is great character, she's relatable and I got so involved with her story. I got really attached to the side characters also.

This was a great book to escape with!

I stayed up late to finish this book last night and am nursing a book hangover today - I didn’t want it to end!

What can I say? Funny, moving, sad, raw, quirky, happy, unique... Effie and Theo’s love story was far from typical, and that’s what made it so bloody brilliant.

I’ll admit that I found it hard to get into at first, because Effie was so messed up and angry (and okay, a little whiny) BUT as soon as she met the lovely Theo, I was hooked. I really enjoyed the ‘mission’ element of the story, as well as the writing and bookshop elements (I’m an author as well as a massive reader, so this was right up my street). I thought the relationships were very well drawn and the secondary characters were all well-rounded, especially Arthur and Toby, and Effie’s mum.. Theo was a great leading man, until he wasn’t... (don’t worry, no spoilers here!) but it’s Effie who I loved more than anything. A bitter damaged alcoholic, with low self-esteem, both intentionally and unintentionally funny, jealous of other people’s success, with her emotions and the ugly truth exposed on every page... I think there’s a little bit of Effie in all of us. Ultimately, it was seeing her develop over the course of the book and learning to live a full life that made reading Very Nearly Normal such a pleasure. I can’t wait to read it again.

I think this one will stay with me a long time, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what Hannah Sunderland comes up with next.

*TW: Alcoholism, Self Harm, Drug use, Death of a loved one*

Thanks to NetGalley and Avon Books for an advanced copy of this book.

This is my first 5* review in a while I have been thinking about this book for the week since I finished trying to put into words why I loved it so much but I'm struggling!

Effie the main character is in her late 20s, single, still living at home, works as a shop assistant (in a lovely bookstore I might add) and spends her life scrolling through all her pals getting married, or having babies, or buying a house and while I have my lovely other half I can relate on a lot of the other things. There were points in this book where I laughed with Effie, cringed for her and also cried for her (so many tears, I feel the pandemic might also to be to blame on that one). Her character was very well written, I loved her development through the book and was not expecting some of the twists!

I loved the slight back story that was going on with the Bookshops owner and his accountant in the will they wont they get together way too, it was written in a very believable way!

I'm not sure if those of you who are more settled than me would enjoy this as much but I'm going recommend it to all my friends!

Ps the author, Hannah Sutherland, runs her own small business that makes props for crime scene reconstruction. Is that the coolest job or what!?

"my biggest failure had been refusing to be happy." That pretty much sums up what's going on with Effy and Theo.

Lovely story about making positive changes in your life. Being stuck at home during COVID 19, it was a wonderful motivation to make changes in your life so you too can stop refusing to be happy.

This would be an excellent summer read!!

I received an ARC for my review

A Story of Finding Love.. And Along The Way, The Pathway to Love Yourself 💘

Meet Effie, 'Matilda Effie Heaton', although an adult, still seems to find socializing with others difficult as it was in school, always in the shadows trying to fit in. Effie desperately wants to be a writer, she's very blunt at times, doesn't hold back on her opinions. Went on a disastrous date, where everything changed without her yet realizing...

Then there's Theo, seems a very confident young man, great personality. Theo has a secret he's keeping which he reluctant to share, or let it reflect in his actions.

They meet by chance, but will Effie let Theo into her life, she's been let down before. Will he love her for the true Effie?

I was undecided about this book initially, couldn't work out if it was for me. Very nearly Normal has elements I'm sure most of us could relate to, in one way or another. At times it's sad, makes you chuckle and makes you smile. If you enjoyed Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, I'm sure you'll enjoy this book too.

Great read.

You’ll know that I am a sucker for a cute quirky rom-com and I knew that this debut would satisfy that craving perfectly. So I was delighted when I was accepted for a copy on NetGalley.

Just like her initials, Matilda ‘Effie’ Heaton’s life has been a bit meh. It seems that everyone she grew up with has happy, successful lives and she is still single, living with her parents in Birmingham and has a string of rejection letters for her novel. The one speck of light is her job at the bookshop owned by her dear friend and boss Arthur, who is in love with his accountant but won’t admit it. When another Tinder date ends badly, Effie meets Theo, a pretty blond boy with a dark secret. Little does she know, Effie is about to be dealt a whole new hand.

‘How could such big dreams amount to so little?’

I have to start by saying that Effie is me. She speaks, feels and thinks exactly like I do and so of course, I was heavily invested in her from page one. I am also a woman in her late twenties who still lives with her parents and dreams of becoming a writer. I also get sad scrolling through social media and seeing all of the promotion and engagement announcements. I also often drink too much and hate myself. However, I’ve been lucky enough to have had quite a lot of therapy over the years and Effie definitely hasn’t. Essentially, Effie is what I would have become without therapy and if I hadn’t eventually learned to (mostly) love myself. Effie’s depression isn’t ever explicitly said or diagnosed but the hopelessness, the irritability and the dark thoughts all definitely point to her having it. I noticed it very quickly and from then on, I just wanted her to conquer it.

This may be an unpopular opinion but I am not a Theo fan. When she first met him, he gave off major fuckboy vibes and he actually reminded me of one I used to date (maybe that’s the reason I took a dislike!). He seemed a bit arrogant and sure that Effie would be interested in him. I’m much more attracted to the shy, awkward type but apparently Effie has different taste! I loved her initial resistance to him though because had she fallen for his beautiful face at first sight, I’d have immediately lost all faith in her.

However, it’s easy to see how Effie eventually melted. He does genuinely care about her and wants to show her that the world is so much more than what’s going on inside her head. My feelings for Theo actually changed with hers and I began to warm to him towards the middle of the book, which is down to expert writing and character development skills. I’ll admit that even by the end, I still wasn’t head over heels in love with him but I knew so much more about him and his reality, so I could extend a huge amount of sympathy and understanding his way. That doesn’t stop me from secretly wishing that the ending had been different!

Hannah Sunderland perfectly nails what it’s like to live with your parents, as you’re approaching 30. This is a new commonplace phenomenon that many contemporary writers haven’t had to write about before but Very Nearly Normal offers a masterclass in how to do it. The dynamics between Effie and her mother are very similar to those of my own mother-daughter relationship. I know that my mum would prefer not to have another grown woman living in her house and we do argue about almost everything. Effie and her mother’s relationship offers a realistic portrait of how hard it actually is to be an adult and yet still be trapped in this weird overgrown teenager phase, due to a lack of finances. It sometimes feels like older generations think that millennials who live at home have it easy because they assume we are still essentially ‘looked after’ like children and it’s those people who need to take this accurate portrayal in.

I was audibly cheering for Effie by the end of the book because she has come so far in her own self-love journey. If I’m honest, I would have loved to have left her as a single free woman whose ordeals shaped her to be able to focus on herself. In some ways, it did end like that. She emerged a sassy, independent success and totally different to the girl she was at the start but I guess I just wanted a little bit more for her on a personal level. I wasn’t wholly dissatisfied with the ending because it is very cute and ties up the loose ends but it just wasn’t what I selfishly really wanted!

Very Nearly Normal will take you through all the feels. It’s hilarious sometimes, heartbreaking at other times and there are even moments of frustration and anxiety. It has a bittersweetness to it that is reminiscent of a cosy Richard Curtis film and I’d love to see it adapted as such. It has been said that it’s for fans of Gail Honeyman but I actually found it much lighter than Eleanor Oliphant. I’d say it’s for fans of Beth O’Leary and Jojo Moyes, who are looking for a cute, uplifting, romantic new voice.

Very Nearly Normal follows the story of Effie Heaton, a young woman who is completely unhappy with how her life has panned out; she lives at home with her parents, is completely unlucky in love, drinks too much and works a low-paying job at a bookshop. She is incredibly insecure, especially as her passion for writing has got her nowhere, and those around her appear to have wealth, success, and solid relationships. However, the bad luck that Effie has endured throughout her life seems to shift upon meeting Theo, who pushes her to rid of her grudges and jealousy, to try new things, and to live her life to the fullest; however, Theo has a hidden secret, which will change the course of their love story entirely.

When I started this book, I thought that it would be an easy, light-hearted romcom with lots of clichés, but it proved to be so much more than that; I felt so many different emotions, at times feeling happy and laughing at the blunders and awkward situations that Effie finds herself in, to feeling angry, sad and frustrated at other parts, that I will not go into detail about because of spoilers! I felt so heavily invested in the lives of the characters, and there were many aspects of Effie’s character that I found to be very relatable. Sunderland does an amazing job at exploring a huge variety of themes, from love, forgiveness, self-acceptance and jealousy, and what it actually means to be normal; the story follows the journey of two realistic, but nonetheless broken individuals, and delves into how things are not always how they seem to be on the surface, whether it be Theo’s secret, or the apparent success of Effie’s childhood friend Kate. One of my favourite things about Very Nearly Normal was the character development; Effie and Theo are both flawed and complex characters, though they were incredibly realistic, and I really warmed to both of them. I also enjoyed the characters that were not central to the main plot, especially Effie’s cat, Elliot!

Overall, this book was definitely not what I excepted; though it has many conventions of a classic romcom novel, it avoids being cliché, and leaves you guessing and engrossed until the very final pages. Sunderland delivers a really important and powerful underlying message of self-acceptance and to live life to the fullest, whilst keeping you entertained the whole way through. This is the perfect read for these strange times, and I could not recommend it enough.

I started this book two nights ago. Last night I was at 20% and thought I'd read a little before I went to sleep...I ended up staying awake, finishing the book whilst sobbing.
I adored this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it wasn't predictable! It didn't fall down the trap that so many books fall into. The characters were beautiful, so unbelievably relatable and their backstory's made perfect sense.
For anyone that was a fan of "Me Before You" by JoJo Moyes - this is definitely for you!
Gorgeous book, 5* Rating.

Very Nearly Normal by Hannah Sunderland is a modern love story that tackles some of the issues facing the over 25s in the 21st century. Matilda Effie Heaton (MEH) aka Effie is the heroine who is leading a very unhappy life living at home and not progressing in her career as a writer. Effie works in a bookshop, compares herself unfavourably to her best (?) friend and drinks way too much to the dismay of her parents. After a disastrous Tindr date Effie meets Theo and slowly but surely he breaks down Effie's many barriers. There are some beautifully written scenes between these two. There is also humour, pathos and a sense of awakening. But the path of true love doesn't always run smoothly and so is the case here. Effie finds herself and her creative self is reawakened. Be prepared Effie drinks a lot and cries a lot but eventually life comes good for her. For me the theme I took from this book is if you try to be someone other than your true self it is so easy to get lost and sometimes to stay lost but you can also rescue yourself too. A love story to remember. I really liked it. #FindYourSeahorse #Netgalley

Effie is nearing 30 and feels like she has nothing to show for her life. An aspiring writer that is sick of being rejected, stuck in a house with her parents, crumbling under her mother’s expectations and jealous of her friends. Effie has had enough after a particularly disastrous date but her luck turns when she meets Theo. As Theo tries to show her the positives in life it’s up to Effie to become the woman she wants to be.
I was so surprised by this book, I thought it was going to be a light-hearted romance but it’s not at all, it’s a much more emotional read than that. There were passages in the novel where Effie talks about how everyone is alive to make a contribution but she hasn’t anything to give and these sections were so beautifully written and heartbreakingly relatable. This is a novel about Effie being alive but not living and Theo helping her to live life to the fullest.
Effie is not for everyone - she is deeply pessimistic and pushes people away again and again. I think some people might not be able to connect with her because of her attitude but I really related to her and I felt nothing but sympathy for her as she lashed out at her loved ones.
Although there were sections of this book were hard to read because they were so emotional, this book was a reminder that life is never easy, it’s not always fair but we’ve got to play the hand we’re dealt and make the most of it. I was really touched by this story and Effie will stay with me for a while yet.
(I will place content warnings for suicidal thoughts, self harm and alcoholism in case that’s something that could affect you.)

Bring tissues, it’s a wonderful but emotional read. A beautiful story with great characters, I wasn’t sure about Effie at the start but she grows on you as the story progresses. A cute lovely romantic story, but bring the tissues.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Effie Heaton is barely getting through life. In her late 20's, preferring wine over almost anything else, and still living at home with a mom who doesn't understand her it seems like everyone else's life is just fantastic, Instagram perfect. When a Tinder date goes terribly wrong before it's even really gotten started she meets Theo. He seems too good to be real, handsome, charming and for some reason, despite all of her flaws, attracted to her, but Theo has a huge secret.

What a rollercoaster. Very Nearly Normal is a beautiful tale of growth and discovery, while we do spend a good amount of time with Theo and Effie, it's more about Effie learning to take control of her life, making it what she wants and finding happiness. I loved watching Effie grow and learn to stand on her own, I felt like she was relatable on some levels, and that the mental health aspects of the story were accurately portrayed. This is a great book, it has humor, compassion, forgiveness, and a small twist at the end. Definitely recommend.