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Go Lightly
WHO IS ADA?
With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.
With Stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.
With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.
But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be… right?
Ada's answer to most questions is: yes. Every night is an opportunity to be thrilled and every morning a chance to recount it to her friends, so when she falls for Sadie and Stuart at the same time, she sees no reason not to pursue them both.
But as the realities of modern life begin to catch up with her, and everyone wants Ada to define herself in relation to them, she feels the weight of the questions: which version of yourself is most true? And do other people enhance your best self, or distort it?
Go Lightly is a tribute to party girls who'd rather enjoy the present than fear the future or regret the past, and a love letter to the community you find when you're far from home.
With Sadie she's an Aussie girl in London, a performer, a ball of creativity and a lover of food.
With Stuart she's funny and quirky, capable of finding romance in a dinner of crisps on a cold harbour and long train rides.
With her family she's the joker, the peacekeeper, the entertainer.
But she doesn't have to choose which version of herself to be… right?
Ada's answer to most questions is: yes. Every night is an opportunity to be thrilled and every morning a chance to recount it to her friends, so when she falls for Sadie and Stuart at the same time, she sees no reason not to pursue them both.
But as the realities of modern life begin to catch up with her, and everyone wants Ada to define herself in relation to them, she feels the weight of the questions: which version of yourself is most true? And do other people enhance your best self, or distort it?
Go Lightly is a tribute to party girls who'd rather enjoy the present than fear the future or regret the past, and a love letter to the community you find when you're far from home.
384 pages, Paperback
First published March 14, 2024
22 people are currently reading
5691 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
September 20, 2024
adding books purely because they remind me of summer...
which is maybe not the best possible reason.
if i had a nickel for every time i'd read an advance copy of a highly anticipated queer romance set [partially] in edinburgh this year that ended up feeling unfinished and disappointing, i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
this had a writing style that grew a little cumbersome after a while, very jokey and self-aware and interested in describing feelings and defining words. the trick to being a critical reader is that most books have a crutch phrase they can't stop using, which you will immediately hate as soon as you identify it. this one's is all varieties of "in the [blank] sense of the word."
anyway. i like an unlikable protagonist as much as the next person, or actually probably more due to my own bad personality and innate desire for representation, but that has to include one of two things:
- literary fiction vibes in which the main character is intentionally awful, and the point is more Themes and Writing and Symbols and all that intellectual stuff, or
- character development.
this is very much supposed to be a fun, fluffy, contemporary-y book, and so you'd think our protagonist might get around to changing from the selfish girlfriend, friend, sister, lover, and daughter she begins the book as. and it seems like she considers it with about 40 pages to go, but then she backtracks.
a character-driven story like this, with a character who does not care about people at all, with a story arc that includes absolutely no change between the first page and the last...well, it just feels like a waste of time.
bottom line: edinburgh deserves better.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
which is maybe not the best possible reason.
if i had a nickel for every time i'd read an advance copy of a highly anticipated queer romance set [partially] in edinburgh this year that ended up feeling unfinished and disappointing, i'd have two nickels. which isn't a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.
this had a writing style that grew a little cumbersome after a while, very jokey and self-aware and interested in describing feelings and defining words. the trick to being a critical reader is that most books have a crutch phrase they can't stop using, which you will immediately hate as soon as you identify it. this one's is all varieties of "in the [blank] sense of the word."
anyway. i like an unlikable protagonist as much as the next person, or actually probably more due to my own bad personality and innate desire for representation, but that has to include one of two things:
- literary fiction vibes in which the main character is intentionally awful, and the point is more Themes and Writing and Symbols and all that intellectual stuff, or
- character development.
this is very much supposed to be a fun, fluffy, contemporary-y book, and so you'd think our protagonist might get around to changing from the selfish girlfriend, friend, sister, lover, and daughter she begins the book as. and it seems like she considers it with about 40 pages to go, but then she backtracks.
a character-driven story like this, with a character who does not care about people at all, with a story arc that includes absolutely no change between the first page and the last...well, it just feels like a waste of time.
bottom line: edinburgh deserves better.
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
April 7, 2024
Go Lightly is everything I hoped each of Sally Rooney’s novels would be, a millennial novel that actually captures the realities of millennial life. It’s wry and self-deprecating and insightful without holding your head under its water – like if Rooney had a sense of humour and used quotation marks for speech.
My full review of Go Lightly is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Go Lightly is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
February 3, 2024
It took me forever to get through this book, and I strongly suspect that I (an older reader) was not the target audience. If you are in your early twenties, I think this book will read very differently for you than it did for me. It had a kind of a more Sally Rooney (Conversations With Friends) vibe.
From the title, you may correctly surmise that this is a contemporary rendering of Truman Capote's famous character Holly Golightly.
Ah, to be twenty six again, full of yourself, patronizing to twenty one year olds, impervious to advice, dangerously suggestible, and a compendium of bad choices, limited sleep, and cheap drinks.
The opening setting is in Edinburgh, during the cold, dark, winter, at a party where you can smell the staleness of the atmosphere: a mix of old couches, cigarettes, and spilled beer.
Living in a University town is like living in a tourist destination. It mirrors the untethered nature of Ada, an Australian ex-pat, who loves this age, and refuses the serious in favor of the temporary. Speaking of which, the novel immediately moves toward London. The first location only serves as a vehicle to create a tenuous bond for the characters.
I never did quite get a hold on what made Ada tick. Ada fears being overlooked, so she tries to be completely present, to be noticed. This means she also becomes a little obnoxious. Ada privately wonders if she's more of an experience than a person.
Imagine thinking that your purpose is just to prop up the egos of others. Ada battles a gnawing emptiness. But, she also knows how to switch out masks of emotions to manipulate others, and at the same time, feels too much? You see my dilemma. I had a hard time getting all of her presented traits to work together, and no part of her seemed particularly likeable. I had sympathy only for Mel, a side character.
So, basically this is a novel about conflicting emotional travails in the context of the world of hookups and the gig economy. I'm not sure what the point of all of it is supposed to be, and quite a bit seemed unbelievable, especially the text exchanges.
As far as style goes, I prefer my scenes more spare in their description, with more emphasis on mood and atmosphere. That's a subjective preference, I just want the reader to know that the author describes a lot of extremely mundane actions.
There are a few very top notch lines, so we know that the author has potential.
So, I would sum up the world of the MC, Ada, as such: Ada observes a lot of the world insightfully, though she bulldozes her way through it, and feels way too much about it all. If I'm exhausted by her, she is even more exhausted by herself.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and to Harper Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, for providing an ARC of this novel for review.
From the title, you may correctly surmise that this is a contemporary rendering of Truman Capote's famous character Holly Golightly.
Ah, to be twenty six again, full of yourself, patronizing to twenty one year olds, impervious to advice, dangerously suggestible, and a compendium of bad choices, limited sleep, and cheap drinks.
The opening setting is in Edinburgh, during the cold, dark, winter, at a party where you can smell the staleness of the atmosphere: a mix of old couches, cigarettes, and spilled beer.
Living in a University town is like living in a tourist destination. It mirrors the untethered nature of Ada, an Australian ex-pat, who loves this age, and refuses the serious in favor of the temporary. Speaking of which, the novel immediately moves toward London. The first location only serves as a vehicle to create a tenuous bond for the characters.
I never did quite get a hold on what made Ada tick. Ada fears being overlooked, so she tries to be completely present, to be noticed. This means she also becomes a little obnoxious. Ada privately wonders if she's more of an experience than a person.
Imagine thinking that your purpose is just to prop up the egos of others. Ada battles a gnawing emptiness. But, she also knows how to switch out masks of emotions to manipulate others, and at the same time, feels too much? You see my dilemma. I had a hard time getting all of her presented traits to work together, and no part of her seemed particularly likeable. I had sympathy only for Mel, a side character.
So, basically this is a novel about conflicting emotional travails in the context of the world of hookups and the gig economy. I'm not sure what the point of all of it is supposed to be, and quite a bit seemed unbelievable, especially the text exchanges.
As far as style goes, I prefer my scenes more spare in their description, with more emphasis on mood and atmosphere. That's a subjective preference, I just want the reader to know that the author describes a lot of extremely mundane actions.
There are a few very top notch lines, so we know that the author has potential.
So, I would sum up the world of the MC, Ada, as such: Ada observes a lot of the world insightfully, though she bulldozes her way through it, and feels way too much about it all. If I'm exhausted by her, she is even more exhausted by herself.
Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways and to Harper Perennial, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, for providing an ARC of this novel for review.
Read
June 2, 2024DNF - Made more than one attempt but this was not for me.
Too ‘millennial’ for this Gen Xer, if that makes sense.
Too ‘millennial’ for this Gen Xer, if that makes sense.
February 6, 2024
I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley, however all opinions are my own.
How I read this book: eBook
So the reason I wanted to read this book is that it was described as LGBTQIA+ romance on Netgalley and I requested the book. I am so appreciative that I was able to get this book and read it before it officially comes out and I definitely will be buying this book in physical form when it does. Most of the book is really enjoyable and is just such an easy read. It was nice to see some queer representation which isn't just MLM or WLW specifically. As someone who's bi/ace I find it really difficult to find representation in books/movies and it just made me really happy to see it here. I did spend a couple days longer reading this book not because it was difficult to read but because it was so easy to just pick up when I had a couple of minutes spare! The chapters are mostly short so it's so easy to pick up where you left off! I also really enjoyed the chapters which were the characters sending messages to each other because it made the book feel more real. It was also great to see real life situations being handled very realistically as well and mostly not too overdramatized (although Ada does sometimes still have her moments). The only critique I have about the book is that there are two moments that involve drug use, and that put me off a little bit (not enough to stop me reading, but is worth noting if you're uncomfortable with reading that). I definitely would recommend this to anyone who just wants a nice little queer contemporary to read throughout the day!
My Favourite Characters:
- Mel: Mel is Ada's best friend and roommate and I absolutely adored her throughout the book. She very much tries to be Ada's moral compass but also lets her do her own thing with little judgment.
- Sadie: I loved Sadie from the very start. She very much matches Ada's energy and is so honest and communicative throughout the book.
- Hank: Hank is honestly such a sweetie and I wish we actually got more of him throughout the book but I enjoyed the time we did get with him.
My Least Favourite Characters:
- Stuart: I just didn't like him at all in the book. I understand that Ada can be a bit difficult sometimes throughout the book, but that did not excuse his behaviour. He was just so creepy and I really just hated him.
(If you'd like to see more of my reviews please go to my blog:
https://doesden.blogspot.com/)
How I read this book: eBook
So the reason I wanted to read this book is that it was described as LGBTQIA+ romance on Netgalley and I requested the book. I am so appreciative that I was able to get this book and read it before it officially comes out and I definitely will be buying this book in physical form when it does. Most of the book is really enjoyable and is just such an easy read. It was nice to see some queer representation which isn't just MLM or WLW specifically. As someone who's bi/ace I find it really difficult to find representation in books/movies and it just made me really happy to see it here. I did spend a couple days longer reading this book not because it was difficult to read but because it was so easy to just pick up when I had a couple of minutes spare! The chapters are mostly short so it's so easy to pick up where you left off! I also really enjoyed the chapters which were the characters sending messages to each other because it made the book feel more real. It was also great to see real life situations being handled very realistically as well and mostly not too overdramatized (although Ada does sometimes still have her moments). The only critique I have about the book is that there are two moments that involve drug use, and that put me off a little bit (not enough to stop me reading, but is worth noting if you're uncomfortable with reading that). I definitely would recommend this to anyone who just wants a nice little queer contemporary to read throughout the day!
My Favourite Characters:
- Mel: Mel is Ada's best friend and roommate and I absolutely adored her throughout the book. She very much tries to be Ada's moral compass but also lets her do her own thing with little judgment.
- Sadie: I loved Sadie from the very start. She very much matches Ada's energy and is so honest and communicative throughout the book.
- Hank: Hank is honestly such a sweetie and I wish we actually got more of him throughout the book but I enjoyed the time we did get with him.
My Least Favourite Characters:
- Stuart: I just didn't like him at all in the book. I understand that Ada can be a bit difficult sometimes throughout the book, but that did not excuse his behaviour. He was just so creepy and I really just hated him.
(If you'd like to see more of my reviews please go to my blog:
https://doesden.blogspot.com/)
August 6, 2024
I thought I didn’t like this book that much in the middle but I think I just hated her relationship with Stuart. As I should. I would say before she goes to Florida this is a 3 star read and during/after it is a 5 star read. I found this incredibly cathartic and Ada felt so real — you really watch her grow throughout the book.
July 30, 2024
slipping into this girl’s brain for 300 pages was so easy and pleasant and i can see how maybe you wouldn’t like this if you’re not the target audience but i am. so i don’t care. what a lovely little journey
April 2, 2024
I wanted to throw this book across the room when reading some of the messages sent to the main character but in the end I deeply related to the delusion
September 22, 2023
There are no words for this book for me. I struggled through reading it and if it hadn’t of been an ARC I don’t think I’d of finished it.
Obviously I can appreciate that some people may love this book but ultimately, it wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy the writing style… it was a lot of Ada did this then Ada did that and then Sadie said this so Ada said that. The only parts I did enjoy were the chapters with the messages.
I’m not even certain I understand what happened at the end. I’m not being dense I don’t think, I just couldn’t tell you what happened…
Also, I hate Stuart, he’s so annoying.
I can appreciate the journey that the book takes Ada on, where she’s trying to find herself and find who she is as a person by herself and with others. But other than that it just wasn’t for me.
Obviously I can appreciate that some people may love this book but ultimately, it wasn’t for me. I didn’t enjoy the writing style… it was a lot of Ada did this then Ada did that and then Sadie said this so Ada said that. The only parts I did enjoy were the chapters with the messages.
I’m not even certain I understand what happened at the end. I’m not being dense I don’t think, I just couldn’t tell you what happened…
Also, I hate Stuart, he’s so annoying.
I can appreciate the journey that the book takes Ada on, where she’s trying to find herself and find who she is as a person by herself and with others. But other than that it just wasn’t for me.
March 20, 2024
Go Lightly - Brydie Lee Kennedy 🌊
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thoroughly enjoyed this, when I first started the book I was unsure but in time became hooked!
At points I really related to the main character Ada and truly felt what she was feeling.
It was really interesting to see how her relationship would develop with Stuart and Sadie (of course the boy was awful) and I really enjoyed the small glimpse into the relationship with her family.
Also appreciated the chapters that were the messages between Ada and others, having some short chapters in a book is just *Chefs kiss*
Definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something light hearted and easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thoroughly enjoyed this, when I first started the book I was unsure but in time became hooked!
At points I really related to the main character Ada and truly felt what she was feeling.
It was really interesting to see how her relationship would develop with Stuart and Sadie (of course the boy was awful) and I really enjoyed the small glimpse into the relationship with her family.
Also appreciated the chapters that were the messages between Ada and others, having some short chapters in a book is just *Chefs kiss*
Definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something light hearted and easy to read.
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me this book in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own*
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2023
I'm not sure I understand the point of this book. The title never made sense for me either.
The main character, Ada, was unlikable from the start. Her thoughts and actions were bizarre and the why's of her life didn't add up.
The supporting characters weren't particularly likeable either. Mel, Sadie & Stuart all had a major impact on Ada but their place in Ada's life was confusing. Stuart was a mess from the start and any attraction between them made zero sense.
I'm sure there are people who love this kind of story and writing but this particular book just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The main character, Ada, was unlikable from the start. Her thoughts and actions were bizarre and the why's of her life didn't add up.
The supporting characters weren't particularly likeable either. Mel, Sadie & Stuart all had a major impact on Ada but their place in Ada's life was confusing. Stuart was a mess from the start and any attraction between them made zero sense.
I'm sure there are people who love this kind of story and writing but this particular book just wasn't for me.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
March 14, 2024
Gifted this book as an ARC, was slow to start with but I really enjoyed. I flew through it and actually enjoyed the main characters pov. I saw someone say it’s for fans of Sally Rooney, but I’m not a fan of theirs and enjoyed this read sooo 🤷🏽♀️ it’s a modern story of a woman finding herself in London, it’s a cliche but I enjoyed. I only found the “she said and then I said and then she said” aspect 🤭
August 4, 2023
A beautiful and hilarious exploration of who we are and who we portray to others.
Read
September 5, 2024DNF
I went into this book with such high hopes. I had seen it compared to Sally Rooney (though, admittedly, I haven't read any Sally Rooney) and that part of it was set in Edinburgh during the Fringe (a setting I know well) and I was really excited to read it. What I got, though, was really disappointing.
This follows Ada, a 26-year-old who is struggling to get acting work and living in a two bedroom flat in London. She is juggling a sort-of relationship with fellow actress and Australian Sadie and a text romance with Stuart who messaged her after seeing her Fringe show.
That's about as much as you know when you go into it, and also about as much as I knew at 28% where I DNF-ed. That wasn't my issue though. My issue was that I am 26 - the same age as the main character is meant to be - but everything she said and did was so textbook millennial. The way she talked and acted was as if she was an American at least ten years older than she was meant to be and I really could not get past it since so much of the story was making such a big deal of her being in her mid twenties. I tried so hard to look past this and soldier on, but I really was not enjoying it and decided to put it down.
Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for an e-ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own and this did not affect my review!
I went into this book with such high hopes. I had seen it compared to Sally Rooney (though, admittedly, I haven't read any Sally Rooney) and that part of it was set in Edinburgh during the Fringe (a setting I know well) and I was really excited to read it. What I got, though, was really disappointing.
This follows Ada, a 26-year-old who is struggling to get acting work and living in a two bedroom flat in London. She is juggling a sort-of relationship with fellow actress and Australian Sadie and a text romance with Stuart who messaged her after seeing her Fringe show.
That's about as much as you know when you go into it, and also about as much as I knew at 28% where I DNF-ed. That wasn't my issue though. My issue was that I am 26 - the same age as the main character is meant to be - but everything she said and did was so textbook millennial. The way she talked and acted was as if she was an American at least ten years older than she was meant to be and I really could not get past it since so much of the story was making such a big deal of her being in her mid twenties. I tried so hard to look past this and soldier on, but I really was not enjoying it and decided to put it down.
Thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for an e-ARC copy of this book! All opinions are my own and this did not affect my review!
April 22, 2024
This was an interesting and quick read about Ada, a free-spirited Australian bisexual and her adventures in modern love and what happens when she falls for two people at the same time and the challenges/chaos that results plus her complicated relationship with her sister.
Good on audio and recommended for fans of books like It's been a pleasure, Noni Blake. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @libro.fm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Good on audio and recommended for fans of books like It's been a pleasure, Noni Blake. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @libro.fm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
June 11, 2024
DNF: Page 166
I was unable to get into this book. The writing tripped me up many times and the characters were strange. I read some reviews to see if it improved. For the most part I think I am too old for this book. Perhaps it is meant for young millennials. Also “go lightly” is a colonoscopy prep drug and I cannot see this title without thinking of that which is the best while relaxing.
I was unable to get into this book. The writing tripped me up many times and the characters were strange. I read some reviews to see if it improved. For the most part I think I am too old for this book. Perhaps it is meant for young millennials. Also “go lightly” is a colonoscopy prep drug and I cannot see this title without thinking of that which is the best while relaxing.
Read
July 24, 2024This book feels humid. Like ac broken, fan on, window cracked. I was really surprised by this and probably wouldn’t have liked it as much if it wasn’t for the
Tampa/Florida. My issue is that the straight vs queer relationship can fall stereotypical in their dynamics. The realest evaluations follow sister-family relationships, rather than the romantic ones.
Stuart would def use Snapchat.
Tampa/Florida. My issue is that the straight vs queer relationship can fall stereotypical in their dynamics. The realest evaluations follow sister-family relationships, rather than the romantic ones.
Stuart would def use Snapchat.
December 4, 2024
this started off really strong but it was just too long for me and i just stopped caring really
August 20, 2025
This was an engaging story that reads compulsively. Our protagonist, Ada, is an Australian living in London, with her best friend Mel.
Ada meets Sadie and Stuart at roughly the same time, and pursues romances with both of them (I was 100% team Sadie).
Ada is chaotic, in debt and prone to making very bad decisions, but she's confident and a fun lead character.
Her sister had a baby, and part of the book is set in America, where Ada has travelled to be with her sister and her parents. This section was a real highlight of the book.
There were also some amazing food descriptions!
Each chapter is interspersed with a text conversation which was also a fun detail.
An enjoyable read, even if Ada makes decision that will make you hold your head in your hands.
#golightly Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. Opinions are my own.
Ada meets Sadie and Stuart at roughly the same time, and pursues romances with both of them (I was 100% team Sadie).
Ada is chaotic, in debt and prone to making very bad decisions, but she's confident and a fun lead character.
Her sister had a baby, and part of the book is set in America, where Ada has travelled to be with her sister and her parents. This section was a real highlight of the book.
There were also some amazing food descriptions!
Each chapter is interspersed with a text conversation which was also a fun detail.
An enjoyable read, even if Ada makes decision that will make you hold your head in your hands.
#golightly Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. Opinions are my own.
June 15, 2024
I think "Go Lightly" is a great summer read. Brydie Lee-Kenedys book focuses on Ada, a twenty something Australian living in London as a cabaret performer and sometimes temp, thrilled with her life of adventurous nights out.
Then she falls for Sadie AND Stuart at the same time, but doesn't feel either are worth pursuing. Life continues, family obligations, adulthood creeping in... and Sadie and Stuart learning of each other.
Relatable to the pains of growing up and full of comedic parts. I especially liked the exchanges that happen via text message throughout the book. The way the characters talk to one another and flirt, I think will hit home with many of you. The story of the way Ada interact is with her family and especially her relationship with her sister was a highlight for me.
Coming into one's own, and juggling all of the relationships we have in life, Go Lightly tackles it with a great balance and humor and heart.
Then she falls for Sadie AND Stuart at the same time, but doesn't feel either are worth pursuing. Life continues, family obligations, adulthood creeping in... and Sadie and Stuart learning of each other.
Relatable to the pains of growing up and full of comedic parts. I especially liked the exchanges that happen via text message throughout the book. The way the characters talk to one another and flirt, I think will hit home with many of you. The story of the way Ada interact is with her family and especially her relationship with her sister was a highlight for me.
Coming into one's own, and juggling all of the relationships we have in life, Go Lightly tackles it with a great balance and humor and heart.
May 14, 2024
this one was a little out of my comfort zone, but i was really excited to pick it up because i have been wanting to read a bit more lit fic. i honestly really enjoyed it. the characters felt really real and vulnerable and chaotic. also having a heavy australian influence was really cool to see. i think this would be perfect for people that love normal people by sally rooney. thank you so much bloomsbury publishing for the gifted copy!
August 2, 2023
I'm not really sure what to write about this book. It was just a bit... nothing. There wasn't anything especially bad about it, I am sure that there will be readers out there who enjoy it a lot more than I did, but I just found it to be underwhelming. I was constantly waiting for it to 'get good' and it just didn't.
The characters in this book lacked depth for me. Ada didn't seem to really learn anything or grow so by the climax of the story I didn't have any emotional attachment to her and didn't much care what she chose to do. Stuart, considering he was a third of the love triangle (can you call it that? I'm not sure) was not given any backstory at all and perhaps this was the author's intent, but it didn't work for me personally. Sadie, the other love interest, was also not really explored fully and so once again I didn't really care who Ada chose as they were both pretty uninteresting characters.
As for the romance itself, there was definitely potential with Ada and Stuart to have an interesting story together but this did not happen. Sadie and Ada I just found to have no connection at all other than the fact that they are both Australian. It didn't even feel like they liked each other so I didn't buy that they particularly cared what the other one was doing.
Overall, I got to the end of this book feeling nothing at all.
The characters in this book lacked depth for me. Ada didn't seem to really learn anything or grow so by the climax of the story I didn't have any emotional attachment to her and didn't much care what she chose to do. Stuart, considering he was a third of the love triangle (can you call it that? I'm not sure) was not given any backstory at all and perhaps this was the author's intent, but it didn't work for me personally. Sadie, the other love interest, was also not really explored fully and so once again I didn't really care who Ada chose as they were both pretty uninteresting characters.
As for the romance itself, there was definitely potential with Ada and Stuart to have an interesting story together but this did not happen. Sadie and Ada I just found to have no connection at all other than the fact that they are both Australian. It didn't even feel like they liked each other so I didn't buy that they particularly cared what the other one was doing.
Overall, I got to the end of this book feeling nothing at all.
February 16, 2024
I was so relieved to finish Go Lightly, it made me so anxious and sad. I would normally feel bad about saying that but I felt like it might have been the goal? It was hard to watch someone tripping and falling her way through life expecting it all to work out, only for the book to end with there having been almost no character development. I found all the characters to be grating and every conversation/ interaction excruciatingly painful and awkward. All of this to say I have never lived in a different country so perhaps this is an accurate portrayal of how that would feel. I will also say there was some really funny and quick witted writing and wonderful bisexual representation that I found really refreshing. In the end I think this would fit someone also struggling through their twenties or who perhaps is living abroad while struggling through their twenties.
Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the gifted copy!
Thank you to Harper Perennial and Netgalley for the gifted copy!
June 6, 2024
This was just delightful, a messy and funny book about modern love, friendship and how long the nights seem when you’re young! Ada is a bisexual 20-something that falls for both a man and a woman and can’t seem to decide haha. I think if you’re a Rooney, Dolly Alderton, Candice Carty-Williams fan - this will appeal. Loved all the scenes from Edinburgh to London to Sydney and even Florida. This surprised me in the most wonderful way. Beautiful last scene, great prose. Someone to watch.
February 21, 2024
Mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, it talks beautifully of how familiar relations and friendships are complicated at times, and the struggles of finding your place in the world. On the other hand, I hated Stuart with a passion, he was so whiny 💀
December 18, 2023
A book about who we are to different people featuring a bisexual love triangle and a love of food. She don't miss!
June 21, 2025
Go Lightly is a novel about a bisexual Australian woman living in London who finds herself caught between two people. Ada is an actor who loves a fun time, so when she meets Sadie at Edinburgh Fringe and then Stuart messages her having seen her perform there, it seems she has opportunities abound. Even her estranged sister's immanent giving birth can't put her down. But as Ada tries to balance the things in her life and the people she is in these different situations, sometimes the chaos is too much for her.
I was drawn to this book as a queer version of the 'chaotic young woman has a messy life' genre, and I was hoping for something fun but also delving deep in character. Unfortunately, the best bits of this book weren't the romance or Ada's development (or lack thereof), and those parts take up the majority of it. Ada's family situation and some of her quirks when she was growing up were much more interesting, and the section of the book set in Florida as she visits her sister who has just given birth was the best part, with tension lingering underneath that never really gets delved into enough. It felt almost like a separate novella stuck in the middle which lacked a real conclusion or progression once that bit was over.
The novel feels caught between being a feel good contemporary light romance and being more like a Sally Rooney novel, which ends up making it not really work as either, at least not for me. Both of her love interests are pretty forgettable and Ada herself is mostly a bundle of meant-to-be-relatable things who never really gets either character development or particularly purposeful non-development. Ada's position as a flawed-but-meant-to-be-relatable protagonist also means there's some weird comments in the book that immediately put me off, like calling someone "entirely asexual" not as their orientation but just as Ada's vibe about them, or a scene about discussing if it is problematic or not to still watch Harry Potter films without actually mentioning why or engaging with what it means as a queer person to discuss that.
Overall, this book was fine as a light read, but it just didn't quite work for me. I appreciate it being a queer version of the 'young woman is a mess' novel, as from my perspective a lot of those feel aggressively straight even when the book wants the protagonist to have the vibe of being bisexual without ever actually being bi or using the term. However, I'd prefer Go Lightly if it actually went a bit less lightly, and delved into some of the weirder or tense elements of the narrative that don't really go anywhere, like Ada's relationship with her sister.
I was drawn to this book as a queer version of the 'chaotic young woman has a messy life' genre, and I was hoping for something fun but also delving deep in character. Unfortunately, the best bits of this book weren't the romance or Ada's development (or lack thereof), and those parts take up the majority of it. Ada's family situation and some of her quirks when she was growing up were much more interesting, and the section of the book set in Florida as she visits her sister who has just given birth was the best part, with tension lingering underneath that never really gets delved into enough. It felt almost like a separate novella stuck in the middle which lacked a real conclusion or progression once that bit was over.
The novel feels caught between being a feel good contemporary light romance and being more like a Sally Rooney novel, which ends up making it not really work as either, at least not for me. Both of her love interests are pretty forgettable and Ada herself is mostly a bundle of meant-to-be-relatable things who never really gets either character development or particularly purposeful non-development. Ada's position as a flawed-but-meant-to-be-relatable protagonist also means there's some weird comments in the book that immediately put me off, like calling someone "entirely asexual" not as their orientation but just as Ada's vibe about them, or a scene about discussing if it is problematic or not to still watch Harry Potter films without actually mentioning why or engaging with what it means as a queer person to discuss that.
Overall, this book was fine as a light read, but it just didn't quite work for me. I appreciate it being a queer version of the 'young woman is a mess' novel, as from my perspective a lot of those feel aggressively straight even when the book wants the protagonist to have the vibe of being bisexual without ever actually being bi or using the term. However, I'd prefer Go Lightly if it actually went a bit less lightly, and delved into some of the weirder or tense elements of the narrative that don't really go anywhere, like Ada's relationship with her sister.
August 14, 2025
Happy publication day to "Go Lightly" by Brydie Lee-Kennedy and many thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury for providing an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I have conflicting feelings about this book, starting with the fact that nothing really happens or becomes interesting until about 30-35% of the way in. I do feel that a lot of people would probably give up while reading that first third, rather than wait for it to become good. It does become good around the halfway mark. My reading speed essentially doubled and I read the second half of the book over 3 days.
At first I felt like none of the characters were likeable, and I understand that this is intentional at least in the case of the main character Ada, but the risk with having a cast of fully unlikeable characters is that you just go through it thinking "why?". Particularly the first few messages that Stuart exchanges with Ada read so creepy and spammy that you really wondered why Ada ever gave him the time of day.
It is really hard to read through someone's murky feelings about people because being that they are an unreliable narrator as well you don't really know if you should believe what they tell you they are feeling.
When Ada travels to Florida to be reunited with her family I think that was the most enjoyable part, reading about the family dynamic and that slice of life aspect that focuses on what she was cooking for them every evening. Food was so prominent in this book and I loved it. However there is a real sense of underwhelm that the sister who Ada essentially blames for shaping so many different parts of her life is not really the villain that Ada described but is most of the time a neutral character who just happens to take up a lot of space in Ada's head. This to me was essential to understanding the character of Ada and how much she projects on other people, making her a struggling actor did go very well with the kind of personality that she is shown to have.
I was very pleased that this never turned out to be a "you have to pick a side" novel and that all characters were quite open to having loosely defined romantic relationships, in stark contrast with what happens to Mel at the end of the book. Mel is shown to be fully onboard the relationship escalator and completely out of the blue, similar to the character of Gabby, Ada's sister. I do wonder if this juxtaposition between straight characters and queer character was intentional. I hope it was.
I have conflicting feelings about this book, starting with the fact that nothing really happens or becomes interesting until about 30-35% of the way in. I do feel that a lot of people would probably give up while reading that first third, rather than wait for it to become good. It does become good around the halfway mark. My reading speed essentially doubled and I read the second half of the book over 3 days.
At first I felt like none of the characters were likeable, and I understand that this is intentional at least in the case of the main character Ada, but the risk with having a cast of fully unlikeable characters is that you just go through it thinking "why?". Particularly the first few messages that Stuart exchanges with Ada read so creepy and spammy that you really wondered why Ada ever gave him the time of day.
It is really hard to read through someone's murky feelings about people because being that they are an unreliable narrator as well you don't really know if you should believe what they tell you they are feeling.
When Ada travels to Florida to be reunited with her family I think that was the most enjoyable part, reading about the family dynamic and that slice of life aspect that focuses on what she was cooking for them every evening. Food was so prominent in this book and I loved it. However there is a real sense of underwhelm that the sister who Ada essentially blames for shaping so many different parts of her life is not really the villain that Ada described but is most of the time a neutral character who just happens to take up a lot of space in Ada's head. This to me was essential to understanding the character of Ada and how much she projects on other people, making her a struggling actor did go very well with the kind of personality that she is shown to have.
I was very pleased that this never turned out to be a "you have to pick a side" novel and that all characters were quite open to having loosely defined romantic relationships, in stark contrast with what happens to Mel at the end of the book. Mel is shown to be fully onboard the relationship escalator and completely out of the blue, similar to the character of Gabby, Ada's sister. I do wonder if this juxtaposition between straight characters and queer character was intentional. I hope it was.
March 17, 2024
Rate : ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre : Contemporary
Author : Brydie Lee - Kennedy
Thank you to pridebooktours, Bloomsbury and Brydie Lee Kennedy for this copy!
Raw, hard - hitting and a rollercoaster of a ride, this novel really takes you on a journey. From the beginning, you’re in a limbo of Ada’s life and you follow her as she tried to make the best out of her current situation while trying to figure out what she wants to do.
Go Lightly is a slice of life story following Ada who is in a situationship with Sadie, and a new long distance friendship with Stuart that could blossom into something more. Through that, she’s always facing her relationship with her family and you get to watch as she navigates her way through each relationship.
From the get go, you get to see Ada’s raw emotion and life. You see her ups and downs, her victories and losses. A real coming of age story that is so relatable amongst the population. Through this book, you follow her thought process and her feelings, anticipating how each relationship will go.
I have to admit, it was a slow start for me. I found the writing very descriptive in some places that I took a while to get through it in the beginning! I did find that some things that were described in heavily detail didn’t really need describing - like how to make certain meals and such.
Despite that, I did like this book. It was relatable and really interesting to read. It was different to what I’d been reading recently that I did enjoy a change of genre!
If you like contemporary or literary fiction, this would be for you!
CW/TW: Drug use, alcohol consumption, sexual references
Genre : Contemporary
Author : Brydie Lee - Kennedy
Thank you to pridebooktours, Bloomsbury and Brydie Lee Kennedy for this copy!
Raw, hard - hitting and a rollercoaster of a ride, this novel really takes you on a journey. From the beginning, you’re in a limbo of Ada’s life and you follow her as she tried to make the best out of her current situation while trying to figure out what she wants to do.
Go Lightly is a slice of life story following Ada who is in a situationship with Sadie, and a new long distance friendship with Stuart that could blossom into something more. Through that, she’s always facing her relationship with her family and you get to watch as she navigates her way through each relationship.
From the get go, you get to see Ada’s raw emotion and life. You see her ups and downs, her victories and losses. A real coming of age story that is so relatable amongst the population. Through this book, you follow her thought process and her feelings, anticipating how each relationship will go.
I have to admit, it was a slow start for me. I found the writing very descriptive in some places that I took a while to get through it in the beginning! I did find that some things that were described in heavily detail didn’t really need describing - like how to make certain meals and such.
Despite that, I did like this book. It was relatable and really interesting to read. It was different to what I’d been reading recently that I did enjoy a change of genre!
If you like contemporary or literary fiction, this would be for you!
CW/TW: Drug use, alcohol consumption, sexual references
March 21, 2024
I have mixed feelings.
“Go Lightly” started by irritating me profusely. I was having a hard time making sense of spending time with Ada. I couldn’t stand her, to be honest. Then something shifted. I’m not sure what and can’t pinpoint when exactly either. I was drowning in her self-obsession and then I found myself swimming under the warmth of a summer that feels more like a broken promise than anything else. Could be the homesickness, the nostalgia, the I want to go home but home wasn’t always the safest place for me to be myself so perhaps not. Again, I’m not sure.
I wouldn’t say I loved it, but I wouldn’t say I didn’t. Ada is annoying, but at times I found myself relating to her — perhaps because lately I’m also finding it hard to stand myself, my inertia, my settling, my compromising until I can barely recognise myself. The irony is that this negotiation is between me, myself, and I… and too much about me and too little about the book. A bit like Ada, I guess! What I can tell you is that at some point they’re having Popeyes and I took a reading break to have some myself.
A self-pity trip? Maybe. Something magnetic. Perhaps self-obsession? I somehow ended up falling for it.
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me this ARC.
“Go Lightly” started by irritating me profusely. I was having a hard time making sense of spending time with Ada. I couldn’t stand her, to be honest. Then something shifted. I’m not sure what and can’t pinpoint when exactly either. I was drowning in her self-obsession and then I found myself swimming under the warmth of a summer that feels more like a broken promise than anything else. Could be the homesickness, the nostalgia, the I want to go home but home wasn’t always the safest place for me to be myself so perhaps not. Again, I’m not sure.
I wouldn’t say I loved it, but I wouldn’t say I didn’t. Ada is annoying, but at times I found myself relating to her — perhaps because lately I’m also finding it hard to stand myself, my inertia, my settling, my compromising until I can barely recognise myself. The irony is that this negotiation is between me, myself, and I… and too much about me and too little about the book. A bit like Ada, I guess! What I can tell you is that at some point they’re having Popeyes and I took a reading break to have some myself.
A self-pity trip? Maybe. Something magnetic. Perhaps self-obsession? I somehow ended up falling for it.
Thank you Bloomsbury Publishing for gifting me this ARC.
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