Blood Sweat Glitter

by Iona Datt Sharma

The Primrose Glitter Girls play ROLLER DERBY and they’re here to DESTROY YOU!

Well, they’re trying. Team captain Eleanor Ashwell has problems. Her fresh meat skaters are terrified, her blockers fall over when people look at them funny, and if the Glitter Girls don’t start winning bouts soon they’re going to be chucked out of the league. And off the track, things are no Eleanor’s job as a nursing sister is overwhelming her, and friends and lovers seem to be drifting away.

Robin, Eleanor’s pretty-in-pink new jammer, is hawk-fast and fearless, and she’s a brilliant skater to boot. But she’s never on time, she forgets her kit, she comes to practice in stupid frilly dresses, and according to Eleanor, she has no respect for the traditions of the game. It’s only because the team needs her so badly that Eleanor is teaching her to play at all.

But ditzy, silly Robin isn’t quite what she appears to be. And if Eleanor can see past that candy-pink exterior, then there might be some things Robin can teach her, too. About how to win, how to lose, how to rediscover a little glitter in her life. How to get herself back up from where she’s fallen—and how to fall in love.

Genres: Romance, Queer, Contemporary, Novella, LGBT, Adult, Fiction

Kindle Edition

Published December 1, 2024

About the author

I'm Iona, I write science fiction and fantasy and contemporary romance. My last romance, Blood Sweat Glitter, came out on 1 December 2024 and a new collection of SFF short stories, You Are Here, comes out on 1 January 2025.

My surname is "Datt Sharma", two words, but books listed on Goodreads under "Iona Sharma" are also me.

Reviews

[K.J. Charles]

On the surface of it this is an opposites attract novella about two women on a roller derby team that Must Win The League to Survive.

It is *so much more* than that. It's a truly remarkable story about loneliness, and female anger, and the brutal trauma healhcare workers suffered under Covid. About friendship and recovery and finding ways forward, and getting it wrong and getting up and starting all over again. It's a book that knows the same things (cities, people) can be bleak and despairing, *and also* wonderful and joyous. A book where the happy moments are the ones that make you cry. And all this in a novella about putting on glitter and clattering people on roller skates.

Moving, funny, beautifully descriptive and cracklingly intelligent. Iona Datt Sharma is one of the most exciting authors on my radar and I have no idea why Tor or someone isn't kicking their door down.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the emotionally grown up winter holiday classic I didn't know I wanted. And now it exists! It's going right into my winter holiday reading rotation for years to come.

I love a romance story but I like the romance to have a spine, a plot, something chewy, so this works perfectly for me. The relationship development is extremely well done and very cute, never saccharine. This is absolutely a book about trauma: the Covid-19 pandemic and the huge shadow it cast over so many lives is integral in a way I found refreshingly up front and extremely effective. That weight stops what's otherwise a delightful queer romcom about roller derby girls from being so light it blows over, and I love it for that. There's a nuanced, grown-up approach to the emotional world of this book that I absolutely love. The funny, sexy romantic comedy stuff can and does share a world with the serious. Adults with jobs they care about can enjoy roller derby and fall in love.

That's one reason I love the protagonists so much. There are some reveals I absolutely don't want to spoil, but learning who these people are and their reasons for acting the way they do is just ahh, delightful! So good! One especially, when I first read it I went "OMG" actually out loud. And this isn't a big-twist kind of story: I was surprised, in the way learning new things about people you love can surprise you with how much you care about them. It's just very satisfying.

It's also very hopeful. It's not a Christmas book in one sense - there's no reindeer or Winters Wonderland here, our POV character is too busy and not really a Christmassy person - but in another it's one of the most festive things I've ever read. This is a book about light in the darkness, about finding warmth on the coldest of winter days. I can't think of anything I want at this time of year more than that.

(note: I got an ARC in exchange for an honest review. the only lack of honesty here is my original attempt at a review was several times longer and had a lot more exclamation marks.)

[Victoria (Eve's Alexandria) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody has any business making a roller derby romance so damn poignant, and beautiful, and achy, but Iona Datt Sharma went there and pulled it off. I went in expecting a punchy fun opposites-attract love story and instead got this paean to health workers surviving and connecting in the post-pandemic city. I wanted happiness for Eleanor and Robin so much by the end, I would have done anything for them. Datt Sharma writes with such brilliant restraint too. Gah, just all the good things - equally as good as Division Bells.

[Aldi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this one! Good f/f is so hard to find, so this was a delight. Great use of the novella format, which is hard to pull off. The characters felt real and flawed with believable baggage. The technicalities of the roller derby stuff went right over my head but the characters’ passion for it came through loud and strong without taking over, and the friendships among the team were lovely. I did think Eleanor’s turnabout from disillusioned cynic happened perhaps a tad bit fast and the ending wrapped up very neatly, but I wasn’t mad at it. Will definitely check out some more of this author’s work!

[elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went in expecting a derby-themed lesbian romance; what I got was a gem of a book that's both lovely and emotionally mature with a delightful cast of characters. And yes, it's got roller derby and romance. I loved it to bits.

[Teleseparatist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Datt Sharma does it again! What a gem of a touching queer story, full of anger, loneliness, despair and hard-won joy. I actually ended up crying at the ending (good tears). My only complaint is that I could have read one hundred more pages of these characters. A labour of love, reading it was a joy.

(I still have no idea how this sport works, but slay, derby skaters.)

[X · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well-written slice-of-life, with strongly realized characters. It was a pleasure to return to this author’s voice and pace and writing style.

But the book itself didn’t work for me, ultimately. Eleanor and Robin felt very real, but not like real people I would like to spend time with. (Eleanor in particular reminded me of a former coworker I didn’t get along with, them’s the breaks.) And the medical emergency partway through didn’t work for me at all - as someone with asthma that sequence felt more like a plot device than a real thing that could happen, at least in terms of how it unfolded. I fully rolled my eyes when Kealani didn’t know the name “Albuterol” - which was definitely not the mood the book was aiming at for its readers in that moment.

I DNFed at 90% - just didn’t feel invested in reading anymore. Definitely a Not For Me book; I think others might enjoy it a lot more.

[Alsha · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up. I absolutely loved the first part, with the misplaced antipathy and the emotional woundedness and the roller derby details and the supporting characters and the COVID backdrop. Then it all wrapped up too quickly with too much saccharine tidiness for my liking. Would definitely read more by this author though!

[fridge_brilliance · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read this novella was. I cracked it open on a late Friday evening, thinking I would treat myself to some pink and glitter of an all-girl sports anime type romance after a long day of work, and stayed way past midnight until I finished it, discreetly wiping a tear or two. It's on me, I admit: I'd read the author's other stories, and knew they would be good, but I should have also known that they are never just one thing. Oh it' definitely a joyous, angry girl sports anime at heart. But it's also a story that has some solid, aching bones: because it's so tangibly grounded in its place and time (and boy how I love it when London is not a window dressing in stories), and the trauma of pandemic and recovery from it: as I say, it's not one thing, and the end result is so delightfully chewy. The reflections on being a lonely thirtysomething in London who has lived through pandemic hit so close home, but at the same time the story of connecting and healing through new people and old friends was lovely and uplifting.

With many thanks to the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Genuinely, a delight.

[Cait · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wolfed this down, which makes it hard to point a finger at what exactly made this less than stellar for me by the end. I think I struggled a bit with eleanor's...struggle to admit her attraction to robin? struggle to articulate her attraction to robin? actual lack of attraction to robin for a while there? I do love an oblivious protag who is desparately self-deluding about not being attracted to the love interest, but in parts here it just plain...feels like eleanor isn't all that into robin, attraction-wise, even as and after she gets over her hang-ups about liking robin as a person point-blank period. hard for me to explain it, but something about it turned me off a little. I know that sometimes that's real life, but "[squints] yeah, I guess" isn't super what I'm looking for in my romance novels, unless you can really sell me on why it was necessary. ("[squints] yeah, I guess" is probably NOT the best way to describe how it goes down between eleanor and robin, but please see previous note about having a hard time determining what the best way would be!!) and then from there they go super hard super fast, so maybe it's a pacing issue for me at the end of the day? eh. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

datt sharma's writing remains lovely (and by 'lovely' I mean 'lovelily mean') and specific, though, with a real world populated by (mostly) real people, so this still stays firmly on the 'thank god some tolerable f/f' side of the spectrum.

[Felicia Davin]

Eleanor is the grouchy, prickly butch captain of a struggling roller derby team and Robin is the pretty, sparkly, ultra-fast jammer that the team desperately needs. Eleanor does not like Robin, for reasons she refuses to investigate, and they clash a lot. But the team needs them to work together, and eventually they need each other, and it’s lovely when they finally get together. Datt Sharma writes beautifully about all the little details of life, from trudging to the bus stop in the dark to making mulled wine while the hearth crackles, and there’s such a strong sense of place (North London). It feels very real, as well, that this contemporary isn’t one where we all pretend the pandemic doesn’t exist. Suffering is real, but so are love and roller derby.

[AGMaynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tender, lovely, sad, hopeful. Novella. Two people connect playing competitive roller derby. Strong supporting friends, teammates, roommates also given strong voice. A pandemic era story that has one of the characters deeply traumatized as a medical professional.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Do you know why you’re having trouble on the straights?”
“I’m gay?”

Blood Sweat Glitter is an absolute treat for the holiday season. There's a lovely cast of characters here, and the book is jammed (heh) with loads of roller-derby excitement - and just the right amount of burnout and heartache. Eleanor and Robin feel like real people, practically skating to life off the pages. Their relationship is delightfully authentic. I devoured this book on a train ride, and couldn't help but find myself grinning at so many moments between these two and their circle of friends.

As an aside, I found the pacing to be quite fast - and there is quite a whole lot packed into only 153 pages! Still, there were several times I found myself wishing to linger slightly in the atmosphere before being whisked away by the narrative. But all-in-all, Blood Sweat Glitter is a truly refreshing read - one that has me putting more of Sharma's books on my reading list.

Disclaimer: An ARC was given in exchange for an honest review.

[TR · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about roller derby made me cry uncontrollably, five stars.

On the surface, it's an opposites-attract romance (Eleanor takes everything seriously, including roller derby. Cute, fluffy Robin seems to take nothing seriously, including roller derby. Then they fall in love!) but it's actually that and also more. Iona Datt Sharma depicts pandemic trauma, what happens after your duty breaks you, and where you go after that with a beautifully light and subtle touch, making the romance and friendship in this book wrenchingly hopeful. Like everything Datt Sharma writes, it has a fantastic mixture of complex characters and quiet romance. Please read this one, please please please.

[Francesca Forrest]

I've been mulling this story over. It is indeed what it promises on the cover (a roller derby romance), but at the same time it's very much not what the cover promises. It's more fraught and thoughtful. And while the cover is charming, for the leads in the story, personally, I'd draw on this series of roller derby portraits. Eleanor on the upper left, and... well, there's not a good candidate for Robin, really, but if you go down that first column to the fifth woman (the one whose shirt says "Bristol Roller Derby"), her expression and general petiteness feel right for Robin, though Robin should be curly-brown-haired. Also, that woman feels like she could have the secret identity Robin has.

Robin, the newcomer to the roller derby team that Eleanor captains, is likable from the beginning and just gets more so. Eleanor doesn't see it that way, however, and, for me, that made it initially kind of hard to like Eleanor. Why you have to be so mean, Eleanor? As the story unfolded, I did come to understand, and I think that's maybe the intention. Robin's been through A Lot, but she's also been lucky in having really supportive friends, whereas Eleanor keeps people at a distance--a big handicap. Trying to grow into someone who can actually be close to people is a challenge, but Eleanor rises to it.

An unexpected character in the story is the covid pandemic, and how it's changed lives and psyches. This was sensitively and affectingly done.

Sprinkled throughout are some excellent humorous moments:

While practicing a move:
Eleanor goes straight over. Without pause, without hesitation, sprawled out on the floor with toe stops raised to heaven. She lies there and regrets things.

And this, when Robin has invited Eleanor to her house. There's no one else there, and Robin is going to fix something to eat:
“Shouldn’t be too long,” she says. “Talk amongst yourself.” --I laughed out loud. Excellent line.

And this:
her nurses think she had a horrible break-up and are still giving her the strawberry creams out of the Quality Street. --I think I liked this in part because I felt smug knowing about Quality Street chocolates, which I feel like most American readers might not recognize. But also, it's a very cute and believable gesture and misapprehension all in one--great detail.

And then too there are some lovely moments, like this, capturing the beauty and thrill of skating:
They twirl and loop and dip, around the square and across it and around again and through their own breath hanging like smoke. It’s wonderful, dizzying, a wild and extraordinary freedom.

And made me feel warm and happy:
Eleanor finds it new and strange, to feel herself so clearly perceived by someone like Robin.

IRL, there are relationships you can believe you understand very well or easily; they remind you of ones you've had yourself. And there are others that are something of a mystery to you. You can understand aspects; you can see how the relationship works for the people involved, and yet there's stuff you don't quite get. That's how I feel about Eleanor and Robin. But it's thinking about those kinds of relationships that helps us understand human nature better. People are just so VERY DIFFERENT. So I'm glad to have had some very-different-from-me folks presented to me, so I can muse on how this too is how people can feel and come to be close. Thank you for that, IDS!

[Nicasio Reed · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, and HONESTLY, I feel like I'm getting away with the perfect crime because I loved this so fucking much, so all I have to do is gush about it.

This is a romance that I connected with on all sorts of unexpected levels. For one, I loved the viewpoint character, Eleanor, so much. Which was painful, since her emotional landscape reminded me so much of my own, and seeing that on the page where she comes to realize the limitations of how she's been living is very mortifying ordeal. But also was wonderful, because it is a romance, and the HEA rule applies-- not just in her love life, but just as powerfully in her friendships.

I also adored the roller derby of it all, and you can tell how much the author loves the sport. I'm a fan, not a player, but I've known and loved derby athletes and every detail in the book rang true. From the locker room, to the merch tables, to the punk ethic of neighborhood teams practicing in disused, somewhat smelly sports halls while wearing non-matching, home-accessorized outfits. It's a community that I love, and it was lovingly rendered. Plus the bouts were so good. Sharma is as skilled at sporty action as they are as Big Yearning. (They're really good at Big Yearning.)

There's a lot packed into this book, but I'll also just spotlight that it's a great look at how healthcare workers were and are affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. I liked how that was handled-- with a light enough touch that it didn't make this a dark read, but with the seriousness and sincerity that the topic and characters deserve.

So, yeah. Highly, very recommended.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iona Datt Sharma is crazy talented. If you haven't read anything of hers, run don't walk and get your hands on any of her short stories/novellas. This one is a sapphic romance set in London, it's also about trauma, loneliness and getting better, and definitely more than the sum of all its parts. And it's the perfect winter/Christmas read!

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a complete delight. I'm so glad I followed K.J. Charles' recommendation on Goodreads! For me there was a bit more about the sport than I care about, but that's to be expected in a sports romance, so that's on me.

[tillie hellman · Rating 4 out of 5]

a sweet and well written (duh it’s iona datt sharma) novella about roller derby, loneliness, depression, and health care professionals in a post covid era. i think datt sharma is a better speculative fiction author tbh but this was still enjoyable!

[Ariadna · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF'd at page 20 (or the first pages of Chapter 2)

The extremely positive buzz for this novella has been everywhere. So I was pretty excited when I was able to pick up a copy.

I will say that the writing is v. solid: descriptive without being overwhelming, everyone feels like a real person (for better or worse), and I didn't see any typos.

OTOH, though...

For whatever reason, I didn't read the blurb AND my library ebook copy has the white cover that only displays the title and the author's name. So IHNI abt the "A Roller Derby Romance" tagline.

Now, there are many ppl who LOVE sport romances (and I'm happy y'all are happy). Unfortch, I'm not one of them. I also remember the roller derby renaissance that began in 1998-2000. This is gonna make me sound extremely uncool, but I didn't care for it then and don't care for it now.

Imagine my bitter surprise that the bulk of the first chapter has to do with a bout between the Primrose Glitter Girls and some other team. My brain wTF'd at the goings on. I paused my read, went back to read the blurb, and said oh.

That was strike one.

Strike two had to do with Eleanor, one half of the couple. Her personality rubbed me the wrongest of ways. I don't need a super likeable protag, but it helps if I don't mentally roll my eyes every time the protag makes another judgemental observation abt everyone. The only person she was friendly with was Charlie, IMO.

By the time I started Chapter 2, I decided to let this book go.

Trigger/Content Warnings: There's an on-page injury for a secondary character. The character is given first aid and is okay at the end of the bout.

TL;DR: No one is sadder than me that this novella and I were such an incompatible match! I'm always rarin' to checkout good and fun F/F. However, the jinxed combination of a sports romance with an MC I disliked pretty much jinxed any chances of me reading this novella to the end.

This is deffo a "Not My Cup of Tea" type of situation (instead of the writing being poor, frex). Even though it wasn't for me, I actually do recommend this to folks wanting to read sapphic romances if you don't mind sports being a part of the narrative.

I borrowed this book from my library.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

I inhaled this in one sitting. It's an absolute joy - funny, charming, with a lot of depth and substance to it. The characters, especially the main character, Eleanor, and their world, feel real and true; there's a lot going on in a relatively short word count to establish who they are and what the world they live in is like. It's beautifully grounded in its time and place - North London, early winter, after the initial horrors of the pandemic but still very much in their shadow - in a way that really worked for me.

I absolutely adored capable, lonely Eleanor, trying desperately to hold everything together. She and her love interest, Robin, are the catalyst for change in each other's lives in a way that's wonderful to see unfold. Robin too is a delight, and gradually coming to understand who she really is along with Eleanor was such a satisfying journey.

And as ever with Iona's writing, I found myself shrieking to myself in delight at some points and choking up at others - they truly are a master at subtly building to the point where you are suddenly extremely emotionally compromised and you can't quite explain why.

(Also I am very bad at roller skating, and I am scared of pain and falling over and going fast, but now I kind of want to join a roller derby team? Actually, on second thoughts, what I want is for my friends to join a roller derby team so I can cheer them on and buy all their stickers.)

Disclaimer: I received an ARC in return for an honest review, also the author is a friend.

[thefourthvine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a soft and sweet delight with enough edge to make it truly delicious. I am in a very "read all the gentle things" mood, and this worked perfectly for me, even though it is, under the surface and in secret, talking about a lot of hard things. But basically it's the delightful lesbian romance of my dreams, with people who are hurt and who are trying their best.

It's so hard to write this review because this book hits so many notes absolutely perfectly, but I don't want to spoil anything! So I'll just list some things I loved.

I loved how real all these people are: they have friends, families, jobs, homes, hobbies, lives, problems. The book never narrows focus onto just the main character and her love interest; it absolutely gets that romance exists alongside the day-to-day.

I loved how this book is about finding the glitter inside the hurt of everyday life (and gosh does that make roller derby the perfect setting for it). These are people who have real problems, who have trauma, who have struggles, who *also* have joy and great moments and, in the end, love.

I loved how this book handled the pandemic. I didn't know that would feature, and I might have hesitated if I had, but it's so well done -- deftly, unflinchingly, but not overwhelmingly.

I loved watching Eleanor's life expand and grow and embrace.

I loved how many sports story and romance novel tropes this book subverts.

Honestly, this was such a great read. (I got an ARC free and this is my honest review.)

[Emmie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good. I knew nothing about roller derby whatsoever, but it provided a great backdrop for the character study of Eleanor. Who I loved. She is such a good character, who is so strong and so focused on her role as the caretaker that she struggles with any vulnerability. I loved her juxtaposed against Robin, who is also an amazing character, someone who doesn't take anything seriously because she used to take things so seriously she almost died from it. Both of them are great, and the way they both carry the trauma from the pandemic is really well done.
I didn't like how judgy Eleanor was of Robin, and I didn't like how easily shaken out of her whimsy Robin was (she has had to have dealt with this same exact judgement all her life, so why is she behaving like it holds any weight?) but the only thing I truly didn't like about this book was how short it was. It was beautiful, and it did so much for the characters that the romance felt entirely optional at that point, like the characters had already given so much to each other that anything extra was just a bonus. But it was so full with things that didn't get the time and space they deserved. And I know, it is unfair of me to read a novella and then criticize that it is a novella. The author has done a truly incredible thing with the amount of space they had. But this story deserved to be a full novel.

[Taylor Jefferson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking at the cover and title you would be forgiven for thinking this is just a fluffy romance centered around roller derby. There is some of that but at its core this is a book about loneliness, isolation and trying survive when life is dark. The somewhat misleading cover is fitting since our protagonist Eleanor judges Robin by her outward appearance at first. Eleanor sees Robin as flighty and unserious. Robin's seeming dismissal of roller derby feels like a personal attack to Eleanor since it is the only brightness in her life. We get to see Robin and Eleanor get to know each other and not only understand why they are the way they are but come to respect it. As much as this is about Robin and Eleanor's journey together, I almost enjoyed Eleanor's personal triumphs alone more. Pushing herself to not only open up to Robin but also fight against the smallness that has permeated her life.

There was quite a bit of roller derby terminology in here. I was a bit lost during the match and practice scenes. I wouldn't say it detracted from my enjoyment but if you are a roller derby fan you will enjoy this even more.

Don't judge this book by its cover. Like the characters there is much more here than we initially see.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely story about two opposites who find they complement each other. Eleanor Ashwell is tall, athletic, serious, and a nurse. Robin is petite, artistic, and brimming with pink. And she rubs Eleanor the wrong way.

This is Eleanor's story - of slowly coming to understand that the irritation she feels might just be because she also has other feelings, and of discovering that there's far more under Robin's shiny exterior than she assumed.

It's sweet, tinged in sadness, slightly holiday, and ultimately hopeful.

I'm a roller derby player (blocker, like Eleanor) so those aspects stood out to me particularly. The author has a good handle on the sport. The team dynamics bothered me a little, but only because my team works hard at being welcoming where it was less clear that the Glitter Girls did.

This is my first book by Iona Datt Sharma, and I really appreciated how much the author packed into this short volume.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[guiltless pleasures · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun and well-written sapphic roller derby novella set in London (SAY LESS). It takes place in the aftermath of the worst of the COVID pandemic and features as its FMCs two healthcare workers, one of whom (Robin, a doctor) is suffering from related PTSD and depression. She joins her local roller derby team, the Primrose Kills Glitter Girls, which is led by Eleanor, a roller derby veteran who bristles at the tiny Robin's glittery pink look and showy skating moves. But, of course, there's more to Robin than it seems.

Things get spicy toward the end, but the book focuses more on the evolution of Robin and Eleanor's relationship and the societal events that are shaping their lives. I love Iona Datt Sharm's writing, and particularly her skill at coming up with puntastic, location-based roller derby team names (Maida Wail, Parson's Scream, Piece of the Acton, Harrying Gays) that Londoners will appreciate.

The ending is beautiful and heartwarming, and I just really, really loved this book.

[Juliana · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wholesome and delightful queer roller derby romance! If you're looking for a romance where people with real troubles find joy in this dark world, this might be the book for you. The characters are fully human with believable struggles and character flaws, and they grow to understand themselves and each other better through believable conflict and growth. They come from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds-- thoughtfully written. I really appreciate the way this author handles mental illness and trauma-- they're part of the characters' lives in a relatable way, as is the way they find escape and relief in skating and in community.
Disclosure: I am acquainted with the author and received an ARC with the understanding that I would post an honest review.
Note: This story does deal with the trauma of being a healthcare worker during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but details are not frequently discussed

[Orin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really sweet and really down-to-earth London roller derby romance tackling the repercussions of COVID-19 and the difficulty of opening up. The characters are richly portrayed with a lot of specific detail, and the plot balances realistic problems and conflicts with the sweet blossoming of friendships and love, sharing food, caring for each other, and so, so much glitter.

At the same time, this is a sports novel and it got me excited to follow along with the games (sorry, “bouts”) and the goings-on of the league. I loved that there was a glossary at the end, for those of us who know very little about roller derby and indeed about skating, but it was a very short glossary and I found myself still confused, at times. Which isn’t so bad because I understood most of it, I just felt the need for visual aids, i.e. I need to watch some roller derby now. No complaints.

[Shilo Quetchenbach · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wasn't on my radar until I read through KJ Charles--one of my utmost favorite authors--'s best books read in 2025 list. It sounded interesting and was available at my library so I thought I'd give it a shot.

It was so good. Very immersive and immediately plopped me down in the London roller derby scene. The characters were great. I loved their interactions and the layers they revealed. I loved the romance. And of course, I loved the roller derby.

Eleanor and Robin were both great multilayered characters, and the sapphic relationship was really great and much better written than a lot of them I've read recently.

I flew through it much more quickly than anticipated because I was so absorbed.

Highly recommend.

tw: it touches on the trauma emergency doctors endured during the pandemic.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. This wasn't quite what I was expecting based on the cover, but I really enjoyed it. It was darker and bleaker than the pink glitter cover would indicate. It seems like society has collectively decided to ignore the effects of the pandemic, so I appreciated this look at how many health care workers were traumatized by the Covid pandemic. In addition, how the pandemic eroded a lot of social bonds and left people lonely and unmoored. I loved learning about roller derby - I watched some videos to get an idea of how the game worked. My biggest problem is that Eleanor, even as the POV character, always felt sort of removed.