Lover Girl

by Nicole Sellew

A picaresque debut of forbidden desire, in which a young woman escapes NYC to work on her novel in the Hamptons, falling into a downward spiral of lovers and other destructive behaviors.

In the closing days of summer, ‘lover girl’ arrives at the sprawling, neglected home of her wealthy friend, Lucas. What to him is an empty house is to her an act of generosity that comes with blurry expectations. The arrival of an ex-boyfriend, Cameron, makes things even more complicated.

How can she give both men the things they assume they can take from her? What she calls ‘love’ will take her to the bedrooms of New York City, the decadent parties of upper-class America, and, eventually, to Paris.

Lover Girl is a lesson in the schooled indifference and the complicated dynamics of the super-privileged and the meaning of real love as a twenty-first century girl.

Genres: Literary Fiction

222 pages, Paperback

Expected publication February 24, 2026

Reviews

[Autumn · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be blunt: I did not like this book. I think it’s only fair to admit that this novel was not meant for me but I struggle to place exactly who it would be meant for. I would have felt differently about this book if it was supposed to be satire or from the point of view of an unreliable narrator but as the description states “Lover Girl is a lesson in the schooled indifference and the complicated dynamics of the super-privileged and the meaning of real love as a twenty-first century girl,” so I know that this book was not intended to be either of the things that I had said above.

From the start I did not like the nameless main character that I will refer to as Lover Girl. She thinks a lot of mean, judgmental, and uncalled for things about people (particularly “prettier” blonde women) and it’s a clear projection of her own lack of self worth. By the end of this novel she made me feel so bad for her and frankly she could be the new poster girl for extreme self destructive tendencies. So many times I wanted to reach through my screen, shake her, feed her, and tell her to get a job so she can save up and start providing for herself. Despite her always lying and saying she’s writing she only writes one time throughout this whole novel which defeats the purpose of her staying at Lucas’ house since that was supposed to be her writing haven.

The author’s writing was incredibly redundant. There were a lot of lines where Lover Girl would say one thing only to immediately debunk it and say the opposite. I understand the author’s intention was to show Lover Girl’s insecurity but it came off as the author trying to reach a certain page count. So many times throughout this novel the author would describe one thing only to say something entirely the opposite. In one line Lover Girl is wearing a full sleeved blazer but somehow can still feel the wet touch of a man’s finger on the skin of her arm. Lover Girl is said to not have social media and yet she scrolls through instagram and knows a lot of people “from online.” At one point Lover Girl is in a grocery store and says she grabbed a basket but it’s then referred to later as a cart.

By far my biggest grievance is that this book was tagged as a romance. This book is not about true love. This book is not about a love triangle between two different privileged rich boys. This book doesn’t even end in Lover Girl being in a relationship but rather the potential possibility of one that in my opinion would still be an unhealthy one for her to be in. I fear that Lover Girl will fall back into old habits because her biggest downfall is not allowing herself to communicate how she is feeling. She may have finally ditched the man who was using her but she never got better at expressing herself to the only person in her life that she seems to be comfortable around. I know this novel is supposed to be realistic and no one gets a shiny happy ending in real life but this ending felt like Lover Girl was just falling back into the old trap that she just escaped from, just this time with a guy that she feels cares about her more despite the fact that the other guy also cared about her before this novel took place. The only way this book should have ended was with Lover Girl going to therapy so she could unpack her trauma and stop thinking such rude and awful things about the people around her. Her thoughts are a projection of her own self hatred and she never fully realizes that except for during fleeting moments while she’s drunk and desperately wanting male attention that always in the end only makes her feel worse about herself.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC.

[Christine Seder · Rating 1 out of 5]

The summary of this book had so much promise but fell really short for me.

Following the Nameless FMC was a struggle. She was extremely obsessed with the men in her life and to the point of over thinking actions and words. Her insecurities are the weight of her character but felt no true waves of character development to be pulled in to know more.

I think this one just needs more editing from beta/alpha readers to really round out the story and pull out all the redundant sentences.
It is a short and sweet book and I really tried to give it a chance but it was just not my cup of tea.

Thank you Netgalley and Clash books for providing the eARC.

[Jace · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF// unfortunately this book was not for me. I’m not entirely sure what I was expecting going into this one but I knew pretty early on that I would have to DNF. Litfic can be a bit of a hit and miss and I’m all for a no plot just vibes but unfortunately this was a miss this time.

Thank you NetGalley for the Arc!

[Kristen | citruschapters · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I hate being alone but also I love it and if you hate anything that much it means you love it."

An introspective POV from a girl in her early twenties—self-destructive, emotionally damaged, and a bit mentally ill... but honestly, who isn’t?

This was raw and a little spiraling—messy, with chaotic emotional lows. Like a breakdown with poetic timing.

This book feels both manic and cozy.

It’s full of beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and sad one-liners. There’s still humor, beauty, and heartache in the spiral.

Lover Girl makes you feel.

Maybe it’ll remind you of a time when nothing made sense and everything felt meaningless.
Or maybe you’ll think it’s just about a silly girl with her silly little thoughts and silly little problems.
If that’s the case, we lived very different lives in our twenties.

My biggest critique: I wouldn’t place this in the Romance genre.
It belongs firmly in Literary Fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH for the ARC.

[Agnes Odek · Rating 2 out of 5]

In this literary work, Sellew writes a romantic book on forbidden desires. A young woman, given refuge by a friend named Lucas, finds comfort in the Hamptons while writing her novel; escaping from New York City to the Hamptons should have been an inspirational experience. Instead, it causes her to become distracted alone in the neglected. Her past lovers' appearances exacerbate her situation. She struggled to understand love and its expectations. Navigating her relationship and figuring out herself send her into a downward spiral as she strives to please the boys, with her body image becoming a top priority.

Lover Girl's plot is intriguing, and some people would find it relatable. Although I read the book to the end, I craved more details to immerse myself in the world. The character lacked depth. I felt like the book came to an end quickly. She didn’t do any internal checks, fully understanding herself and why she felt she needed to seek validation externally. I'll recommend this book to romance lovers.

I received the book as an ARC from Net Galley.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Clash Books for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this. It belongs on any women vs the void book list, heavyyyy on the void. Definitely for fans of Emma Cline’s The Guest.

I loved the stream of consciousness feel to the prose, and the alternating POVs with the boys. This book was aimless and pointed all at the same time, and some of the main characters choices really stressed me out. I liked the ending, and didn’t feel like I was left with a bow nor do I feel like I was left with a bunch of loose ends.

This was well written, well paced, and only for people who like dry humor.

[long2 -`♡´- · Rating 3 out of 5]

⊹ ࣪ ˖𝒎𝒚 𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈
ᯓ★★.5

⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔 𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈
Our main character doesn’t even have a name.


This book is labelled as literary fiction + romance (in NetGalley), but it’s actually more of a literary fiction exploring forbidden desires, loneliness, and the inability to love oneself.

The story follows a young woman who escapes New York, hoping to finish her novel, but instead gets lost in her own emptiness. She finds temporary comfort in lovers (or maybe just sex buddies, with s, plural). Her relationships with them are messy and obsessive. She struggles to understand love, yet she keeps seeking validation from others instead of facing herself.

I do think the protagonist is a pitiful one. People go through insecurity and self-denial during adolescence, but most manage to grow out of it (at least a little bit). Unfortunately, she doesn’t (and she totally need therapy involved). Still, I believe some might strongly relate to her, especially those who constantly seek love and attention to feel seen and valued.

Lover Girl tries to be a story about learning to love yourself, but to me, the characters lack depth. Even by the end, the heroine still doesn’t truly understand herself.


It’s not a bad book, but it left me feeling conflicted and unsatisfied, mostly because there’s no awakening. When I closed the book, I could easily imagine her repeating the same patterns again, even if not with Lucas or Cameron.

⊹ ࣪ ˖ 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒐𝒏
╰┈➤blog ╰┈➤ instagram

⊹ ࣪ ˖𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅
I’m expecting a messy, intoxicating story about desire, privilege, and self-destruction — the kind that captures the recklessness of youth and blurred boundaries. It sounds like a dark, character-driven summer read that questions what “love” really means in a world obsessed with power and appearance.

₊˚ʚ Thanks to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC. Lover Girl will be published on Feb 24 2026.

[Pia.reads1 · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.25⭐️
I am very confused by this book.
I know nothing about any character in this except that they sometimes felt sexual attraction for each other but otherwise they didn’t have a real personality or relationships.
It was very: this happened and then this happened and so on, I don’t mind that but it was like this the whole time.
Even though it was very very descriptive I still really liked the writing style especially the word choices.
And I don’t know what to say about the ending if you can even really call it that.

[Eugenie! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lover Girl is a book with an incredible premise, and a main character with a strong internal personality and a deadpan irony that I enjoy reading.

However, the although Lover Girl, the nameless main character comes of as witty and ironic, her distaste for everybody and everything, without growth in any sense, makes her incredibly hard for me to relate to. But maybe that’s the whole point. Lover Girl is both a victim of her environment and someone who self-victimises, and the lack of growth may reflect the stagnation she’s trapped in.

Still, the book is riddled with small inconsistencies that pulled me out of the narrative. For instance, Lover Girl claims she’s not on social media, yet references Instagram and online interactions. Her recounting of how much she’s drunk also shifts. These could be deliberate choices since after all, she’s an unreliable narrator, but they felt more distracting than illuminating.

Reading this made me unexpectedly grateful for not being in the characters’ shoes. Their lives feel hollow, directionless, and devoid of meaning. That irony is underscored by the quote from the start the book:

“I wash out my smoothie glass and stare at the strip of white wall between the sink and the window and get the sense that my life could very easily become boring and meaningless if I’m not careful.”

Overall, Lover Girl was an interesting read that made me consider a life very different from mine, yet do not envy living.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH Books for the ARC!

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley for this Arc!!
I read the synopsis of this and found myself intrigued as it’s usually a novel I would pick up. I enjoyed this idea of being in limbo with our main character, as she navigates her newfound freedom after college, and is trying to take her experiences and turn them into a novel. It felt as if the house she was staying in had the sense of purgatory… and the side characters that came in never stayed fully, I know there must have been some reasoning behind that, or maybe just to show the she really didn't care much about these people?

(I’m assuming most of this was loosely based off of the author’s experiences because a lot of it felt journal like, which was nice) I love a book with stream of conscious thought, that's somewhat like prose but not really, just these sentences that flow from one thing to the next. I

I enjoyed the backdrop of this mansion in the Hamptons, however, I felt that the book was very rushed by the end, I wish that there was a little more of a resolution with the sort of love triangle she had going on. Still though, I enjoyed it a lot and give it 4 stars, and I would definitely read something again by this author!!!

[Xan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I picked up this book as an ARC on Netgalley. I think the cover drew me in at the time, but boy do I have thoughts about this book.

Our main character, who is nameless throughout the whole book but we will call Lover Girl for ease, is not a girl you can like. I guess that at some level this was the point, but it generally got old really quick. I feel like she had no real personality. One moment she was self-assured, the next she was talking about how ugly she was. She's definitely shallow, as she judges everyone quicker than the other could say hi. Lover Girl's shallowness extended to the relationships she has in her life too. At one point she calls a friend, but when I read that part I was not even sure if the two women were friends at all. It's said she was writing a novel, but only in one instance it was said that she was writing at all.

Next to Lover Girl not being a well-rounded character, the side-characters were possibly even worse. I still have no idea how Cameron fits in between Lover Girl and Lucas. If your book is minimalistic on the account of plot, you hope that the characters are strong. Alas, none of that was found in this book. There was zero chemistry between the characters either, to the point I wondered why all these characters interacted with each other at all.

Next up: the writing. I'm sorry to say that the flow in this book feels very stunted. Long. Sentences. Do. Not. Make. You. Artsy. If. They. Don’t. Flow. Right. That was the general feeling I had in this book too. I already talked about the non-existent chemistry, but the conversations these people had were so boring, so even that lacked. The punctuation is shaky at best. There was no consistency. It bothered me too that questions often didn't even have a question mark. That's what that's for really. Please use it better. And another big ick was the repetition. Be it in conversation: I didn't count, but Cameron asked Lover Girl she was hungry a fair amount of times or in the writing itself. The author contradicts herself in multiple instances in this book too, and it was just... not good.

Conclusion: I sadly cannot recommend this book to others. I think this story and its characters need a lot of work before it becomes worth picking up. For now I just have to say that this story bored me. Those were 222 pages I am never getting back in my life.

To end I want to thank Netgalley, Nicole Sellew and CLASH Books for the opportunity to ARC read this book. I hope this book does find its intended audience upon release, because it really wasn't it for me.

[Lily Cooper · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initial thoughts: On finishing Lover Girl, I can’t quite tell if it’s the confusion of the novel I understand, or if I understand that I myself am confused.

UPDATED REVIEW BELOW:

Lover Girl by Nicole Sellew is restlessness. Destructive and spiralling, the reader follows a young woman captured within the danger of what it means to be young and chasing love in the modern world, where relationships are complicated and people are not who you expect them to be. On the surface level, love can be glossed over as easy, comforting and safe. Sellew denies all presupposed ideas of comfort and delves deeper into the difficulty of love- the intricacies of emotional exchanges with other individuals who are not fair. Flaws are not hidden in the protagonist, which at first I thought I disliked as I found her extremely difficult to come to terms with for the first half of the novel. But, as the narrative progresses it is made clear that experiences and exchanges with various people in our lives shape us more than is noticeable and perceivable at first.

To be clear, I did find the narrative bewildering for the most part, but it was the last third of Sellew's novel that I enjoyed considerably more. When I first finished reading, I commented that I couldn't 'quite tell if it's the confusion of the novel that I understand, or simply if I understand that I myself am confused', and I think that is still true. Perhaps the second half of Lover Girl is considerably stronger in its writing than the first, or perhaps it was exactly the message that Sellew wishes to convey: that love is not easy and the decisions we make do not always make sense to someone on the outside, that some people can have a greater hold on us than we would like to admit.


Thank you NetGalley, CLASH Books and Nicole Sellew.

[Breanna Winegarden · Rating 3 out of 5]

really great, quick easy literary fiction! 3.5/5

[Tessa Aldridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨ rtc

[zai · Rating 2 out of 5]

lacked luster, i was bored throughout, unfortunately wasn't for me

[mey · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It goes without saying that I'm not working on my novel because all I can do is think about sex." Oh girl, we know. Despite its title, there is nothing about love in this novel, just sex. The unnamed protagonist filters every single interaction through the lens of sexual desirability: whether someone will have sex with her or not, whether she is desirable enough or not. So, if you’re looking for anything beyond that, you won’t find it here.

"Something I'm realizing is that you can have sex with someone and it doesn't mean you know them any better than before you had sex with them." And honestly, that’s how I felt after reading this novel. I closed the book feeling like I knew nothing about its characters, not even the protagonist herself. They’re hollow, without depth, without a past, without any sense of motivation behind their thoughts or actions. In a novel that lacks a clear plot and relies almost entirely on its characters to drive the narrative, this absence of character development is a real issue. There’s no emotional connection, no exploration beyond the surface of desire. It all becomes repetitive, like reading a loop of fleeting encounters without any meaning attached.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the e-arc!

[Juliette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The epitome of a messy girl. The novel Lover Girl follows the story of an unnamed protagonist and her spiral due to her self-destructive behavior and love. Throughout the story, I never particularly liked any of the characters, though I did feel empathy. While I enjoyed the choppiness of the writing, with the blunt ending and short and, at times, unfinished-feeling chapters, I definitely understand why this is not a read for everyone, especially those who enjoy likable characters and logical decisions in books. However, I do think this could have used another round of editing, as someone who read this in one sitting, I noticed a few inconsistencies in the story, and I believe more could be caught with time. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Síle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Nicole Sellew, CLASH Books and NetGalley for giving me access to this book in exchange for an honest review.

There’s something about Lover Girl that snuck up on me. It carries that quiet, emotionally devastating energy. The kind you find in Coco Mellors' work. High on angst, rich in feeling.

This book is so much more than its premise. The writing flows with subtle power, and the characters felt like real people. Messy, complex, and raw. It had me hooked from the beginning, and I genuinely didn’t want to step away from their story.

A quiet stunner. I’ll be thinking about this one for a while.

[Abbie Hawkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 ⭐️ - ARC read !!

I think the steam of consciousness messy girl genre is great fun… if you can gel with the voice of the character. Sadly this time I didn’t. Unsure if it was because she was so completely different to me, or if it was something about the writing style that felt disjointed.

I think the ending was meant to feel empowered, but to me it felt quite disconnected and a bit sad? The book was very short so maybe I just didn’t spend long enough with the characters to get to grips with them.

Fascinated by Cam. Would have loved to unpack more from his pov.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ (2 out of 5 stars)
Review: Lover Girl by Nicole Sellew

Imagine a 2000s Tumblr girl trapped in a pool of her own self-importance — that’s Lover Girl in a nutshell

I’m giving Lover Girl two stars, and that’s purely because I liked the setting. The locations were interesting, and some of the descriptions actually gave off a cozy, safe vibe that I really enjoyed. This was a contrast to the depressing narration and mentality of the main character. The writing style itself is lovely — I can see the author has talent. Unfortunately, everything else fell flat.

There’s almost no character depth. The entire novel is one long stream of inner thoughts from the main character, “Lover Girl,” who’s an unreliable narrator in every sense. Her situation often felt implausible, and her relationships with Cameron and Lucas lacked any real emotion or realism. It wasn't ever believable that she and Cameron were ever in a prior relationship — especially a teenage one, which usually leaves such an imprint. Neither of them ever references it in a meaningful way. This was disappointing. I think more of the history pulled through from either one of them could have strengthened the plot and added realism.

The book also feels like a draft rather than a finished piece. There are typos throughout and many contradictions that completely pulled me out of the story. One moment, Lover Girl is wearing a long-sleeved blazer, and the next she feels someone’s wet finger on her bare arm. She claims not to use social media but then scrolls through Instagram and mentions people she knows “from online.” Even the grocery store scene can’t make up its mind — she grabs a basket that somehow turns into a cart. This was annoying and meant more time spent on this book than necessary as I kept having to re-read it to make sure I wasn't going insane.

It’s marketed as a romance, but there’s nothing romantic about it. The ending shows no growth or self-awareness, leaving me with an oddly hollow feeling. This story could have been so much more — it had all the ingredients for a raw, emotionally honest exploration of loneliness and self-worth — but it never gets there. Instead, we circle endlessly around the same observations: she’s beautiful, she doesn’t need makeup, she's desperate for attention from men even though it leaves her empty. We get it. But no one is this two-dimensional. And seriously, how many times can one person swim naked in a grimy outdoor pool in autumn before hypothermia or self-reflection kicks in? What was the point of this?

By the end, I honestly didn’t know who I’d recommend this book to. Instead of empathy, I mostly felt uneasy — almost sorry for her. It left me feeling a sense of dread for each of the character's futures.

There’s a line where she says she can’t work on her novel because all she can think about is sex:

“It goes without saying that I'm not working on my novel because all I can do is think about sex.”

WE. GET. IT. ALREADY.

Despite the title, Lover Girl isn’t about love at all — it’s about sex, and how the protagonist defines herself entirely through who might want her next. Every interaction runs through that same lens of desirability until it all blurs together.

At one point, she says :

“Something I'm realizing is that you can have sex with someone and it doesn't mean you know them any better than before you had sex with them.”

That’s exactly how I felt finishing this book: I didn’t know these people at all — not even her. They have no history, no clear motivations, and no emotional weight. For a book that’s built entirely on introspection, that lack of real substance makes it impossible to connect.

Ultimately, Lover Girl feels like it’s trapped in a 2000s “sad-girl” aesthetic — all cigarettes, low-rise angst, and self-destruction. Think heroin chic meets Tumblr-era disaffection. But here’s the thing: eating disorders and emotional vacancy aren’t a vibe anymore. What could have been a sharp look at modern womanhood just ends up feeling dated and kind of exhausting.

I closed the book feeling drained, not moved. And for a story that promises intimacy, that’s a real shame.

[Eva · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is most definitely not a romance book. It centers on romantic feelings and physical attraction, but it never reaches the sentimental, profound, honest feeling you would call love. It plays with the shallow emotions of a nameless protagonist (whom I'll refer to as Lover girl for the sake of the review) who tries to navigate her love and sex life in a sort of love triangle with two wealthy men to whom, in a sense, she is attracted, although as a reader I didn’t get to know if those feelings were actually real.

The story revolves around Lover girl, and it never expands beyond her needs and thoughts, which throughout the whole novel feel shallow, superficial, and lacking depth—and I believe it was the author's intention to create a character without much substance to show the reader how she is incapable of truly knowing herself, of establishing true bonds with the men that cross her path, of deciding for herself what it is that she really needs and wants in her life, and ultimately, of releasing herself from the presence of people who hurt her.
I have decided to believe the author's intention was to paint the story of this nameless girl with no self-esteem, no big dreams or aspirations besides getting to know a new guy every night to fulfill her sexual desires, as some sort of social critique. There must be some sort of message hidden behind the self-destructive tendencies, the lows, the mistakes, the lack of depth, the chaos that surrounds Lover girl. Yet, for me, one read was not enough to grasp it fully and, unfortunately, I don’t think there will be a second one.
Although I loved how fast and easy it was to read the story, and how rhythmic and well-structured the writing style was (to me it sounded very poetic and well-rounded), the story line felt a little bit too flat and uneventful despite things happening. I can imagine it is just another way for the author to point out the stagnant state of mind of the main character—and it is indeed a nice way to do it if you already have a solid story and enough “drama” to support it. I am afraid that in the context of the novel it does not help a lot.

I have to admit that I didn’t care about the male characters in this novel; Lover girl got my full attention despite the flaws I can see in her character development (or rather, the lack of it). And although she is not the perfect protagonist, nor the most exciting story to follow, I was hooked from the first page till the last one, and I do think there is something philosophical and deeper than the not-so-complex story itself. It is definitely worth the read, especially for readers who enjoy fiction that invites interpretation, discussion, and even dissection in order to be understood.

[bunny ୨୧ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Huge thanks to CLASH Books and NetGalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. Lover Girl will be published on February 24th 2026.

"I try to read a book but my mind is too focused on male attention and my current lack of it."

"Eventually I'll be thirty and I won't think about this time in my life at all, except maybe to say "oh, that was strange how I lived in this guy's house," and then I'll move on to talking about actual important things that happened in my life."

❧

First, a quote that describes the book better than the blurb did, then, a quote that speaks to me a little bit.

Lover Girl follows an unnamed protagonist and her struggles with self-image, self-worth, the early 20s blues and of course, the toll men take on us early on in life. Giving two stars for somewhat being relatable, as the inner monologue reads painfully close to the one I used to have at 20-23 years old. It was quite uncomfortable (to put it mildly) to face this aspect of my life that I have now, as I am approaching 30, buried deep enough.

I didn't like her, but maybe that's because I don't like to have confirmed what I believe about 20 year-old me. No one likes to be faced with their ghosts and insecurities.

As "relatable" as it was, knocking down the majority of the rating for how it was written - often contradicting, very bland at times. Messy, emotionally complicated, it might be the book for you if you like to read about sad and toxic people. Would not recommend if you are seeking romance, but rather sad litfic.

[chi ☻]

Thank you, NetGalley, and especially the author, Nicole Sellew, for giving me this wonderful opportunity to read your work in exchange for an honest review !

Basically, it’s about this girl who started living in a house with a guy she knew from high school, whom she met again right after college and well, ended up sleeping with. They had a lot of tension, but never really made it a big deal considering the guy was always out of town and was simply being an arsehole by sleeping around— specifically not with her. Another evening of being left alone at the house, she came home from a drunken state. It was only this time that it was someone else who showed up, someone she used to have feelings for. Things started to get messier, and they found themselves tangled up in each other, but that, unfortunately, turned out to be confusing too. He kept doing the whole push-and-pull thing, which really frustrated the main character. However, what really got me was how she always had these thoughts, that guys don’t really want her for who she is, only for her body. All they do is get with her without making the effort to truly see right through her, which was heartbreaking to read. In fact, there were more than a few things I found relatable that made me feel closer to them.

The writing was easy to follow and surprisingly fast-paced, even though it dragged a bit toward the end. BUT !! the ending made up for it because that’s when she finally got her freedom that she never knew she needed. And although It might be a little weird for others, personally, I liked it more than I expected it to be. With that, I’ll be more than happy to give it 3.5/5 stars !!

[Kaye · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley & CLASH Books for the ARC!

Lover Girl by Nicole Sellew is a bold, introspective debut that reads more like literary fiction than traditional romance—despite its title and themes. I went into this expecting something romantic or redemptive, but the story focused more on the narrator’s internal spirals than any tangible emotional arc.

The writing felt inconsistent at times. For instance, the narrator claimed to be incredibly drunk after drinking “almost every liquor,” only to say shortly after that she only had two glasses and wasn’t drunk at all. These contradictions made it difficult to stay immersed.

I also struggled with the main character’s voice. I wasn’t quite sure how the author wanted us to perceive her—at best, she read as lost and self-loathing; at worst, she came across as judgmental, projecting her insecurities onto others without much reflection or growth. Her “pick me girl” energy was loud, but never really examined in a meaningful way. Most of her observations felt like surface-level digs masked as insight, and while I could see the attempt at edgy or sarcastic humor, the tone often left me confused rather than charmed or entertained.

That said, there’s something raw and unfiltered here that could resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories centered around messy, flawed women. But if you’re looking for romance or transformation, this might not be the book for you.

[Sarah M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to NetGalley, CLASH Books and Nicolle Sellew for the e-ARC of Lover Girl! I really enjoyed the premise of this short novel. The unnamed protagonist is a sad, hypersexual girl figuring out relationships with herself, men, and other women in the backdrop of the uber rich Hamptons. There are a lot of uncomfortable moments in the narrative, such as when she is taken advantage of by other people, that I feels speaks to the time of life the character is working through. I thought the author did a good job of making us feel like we were in the head of a post-undergraduate just trying to figure life out and I understand why this novel was slotted in the same genre as Sally Rooney and Elif Batuman. However, I unfortunately did not enjoy the writing style of this book. There were some excellent lines here and there that gave me pause, but otherwise, the prose just fell flat. A possible polish could really help make it shine and would raise my review from a current 2.5 stars.

[Cosywithblaise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young woman grapples with loneliness, self-worth, and the desire to be truly seen, pulling her into a series of choices that challenge her sense of identity. As she drifts between connection and detachment, she’s forced to confront the parts of herself she’s long avoided.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC. I found this quite a difficult one to review, mostly because I feel some of the story may have been lost on me — which I do think is a me issue. It’s clear that our main character is deeply troubled and searching for connection, but I struggled to fully resonate with her or understand some of her choices.

The pacing, however, was great; I flew through this in under 24 hours. While it kept me engaged, I ultimately found it a little difficult to connect with the emotional core of the book. Still, I can see this resonating strongly with readers who enjoy introspective, character-driven stories about complicated young women.

[sebbe elholm · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

As we follow our narrator guiding a summer of drugs, meaningless sex and alcohol in the Hamptons. We get a glimpse of some older point of view of friendship between genders. People of the opposite gender can’t be friends without having to do it all the time.
This is one of my major problems with this story. As well as it just doesn’t really feel like something. It tells a story without, telling a story.
There is a lot of potential. But in the end it falls short. It gives hope to some drama and some problems. It teases a lot. But nothing concrete happens.
I don’t think Nicole Sellew is a bad writer, I think her writing style is good. I just think this book and story was not a good combination

[wardah · Rating 2 out of 5]

right off the bat, 'lover girl''s personality and mindset is way too judgmental and narcissistic for me to enjoy the entire book. when she would adjust her shirt / wear anything / wear nothing just to impress the men in the books, i felt sad for her for associating self-worth to male validation / male gaze.

the punctuation mistakes in the book were not bothering me as much but there were a number of it even at around 30 pages mark. most of the dialogue seems rigid and awkward; perhaps it is to fit with their awkwardness at their age, but i couldn't grasp the chemistry of all of the characters in this book. overall, not an enjoyable read for me.

thanks to netgalley and the author and the publisher for giving me a chance to read and review this ARC.

[Kas Marek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Clash Books and NetGalley for the E-ARC.

3.5 stars rounded up. I have to say that the writing was intoxicating and I read the first 65% in one sitting, and the last 35% in a second sitting. I couldn’t stop and the story just flowed so well.

Lover Girl was a messy and relatable 20-something, sadly finding her self worth in her proximity to men. I hated it but also understood it completely. She’s not quite unhinged, mainly just tired.

I found the “boys” hard to understand though. We got snippets from their POV and I just don’t understand her relationship with Lucas at all. I get that he’s a drug addict and piece of shit but I somehow needed to understand a lot more about them that wasn’t provided in the book.

I enjoyed Cameron in relation to Lover Girl but I also couldn’t understand why he kept distancing himself and regretting interactions with her but then constantly worrying about her.

In the end I think there’s a lot I don’t get and that affected my rating, but I enjoyed the writing.

[Day Ravenstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

A year ago I don't think I would've been able to get more than two chapters in, but right now this weird (in a good way) lit fic about a writer's sex life is exactly what I want to read. Books about writers making bad decisions have been a major feature of my summer. Whilst I don't think I'd like the main character in real life, I enjoyed reading her. I loved how each chapter had a short section after with the pov of the boy in that previous chapter. The social commentary in this was on point. Surprisingly, I really liked the loose ends this left. The main character is a mess and the plot not being tied up in a neat little bow like most romances feels very her.