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Female, Nude
Sophie, a painter, is holidaying with friends in a stunning villa in Greece. Her best friend Helena will be married soon, and this is the last time she and her friends will be together as single women. But life has treated them so differently since their university days that Sophie questions everything about the friendship.
Meanwhile, Sophie's partner, Greg, is desperate for them to have a baby, but she wants to devote herself to her art—and other, deeper forces pull the two of them in opposite directions. During the holiday, Sophie paints a nude portrait of her friend Alessia and has an intense affair with Ky, who lives and works on the island. Both the painting and the affair will challenge everything Sophie thinks she knows.
Meanwhile, Sophie's partner, Greg, is desperate for them to have a baby, but she wants to devote herself to her art—and other, deeper forces pull the two of them in opposite directions. During the holiday, Sophie paints a nude portrait of her friend Alessia and has an intense affair with Ky, who lives and works on the island. Both the painting and the affair will challenge everything Sophie thinks she knows.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 12, 2026
About the author
Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
6 books40 followersRhiannon Lucy Cosslett is a columnist, feature writer and editor for The Guardian newspaper. She is the author of two novels, one memoir, and a collection of her parenthood writing.
She was born in Islington, grew up in Wales, spent time living in France and Italy, and has now returned to her birthplace, where she lives with her husband, son, and Mackerel, her cat.
She was born in Islington, grew up in Wales, spent time living in France and Italy, and has now returned to her birthplace, where she lives with her husband, son, and Mackerel, her cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
May 16, 2026
I didn't love this.
I'm a meanie, maybe. Just struggled to read about wealthy, white people, all gorgeous, wafting around on wine and drugs...hurting each other. Not interested in all the sex. Or the baby stuff. Food sounded nice.
Liked the art, but grew tired of the format formula.
Maybe I'd have enjoyed it more from a sun lounger.
I'm a meanie, maybe. Just struggled to read about wealthy, white people, all gorgeous, wafting around on wine and drugs...hurting each other. Not interested in all the sex. Or the baby stuff. Food sounded nice.
Liked the art, but grew tired of the format formula.
Maybe I'd have enjoyed it more from a sun lounger.
January 20, 2026
Female, Nude addresses so many issues on the minds of many women in their 20s and 30s: motherhood, body confidence, money. I love reading about imperfect women and this book was full of them, as well as interesting conversations and plot points around art and sex. One of my favourite things was learning about so many artists and artworks through main character Sophie’s reflections on the holiday that changed everything.
Full review here: https://cassidyiswriting.substack.com...
Thank you NetGalley and Tinder Press for the gifted ARC for review.
Full review here: https://cassidyiswriting.substack.com...
Thank you NetGalley and Tinder Press for the gifted ARC for review.
February 23, 2026
I loved reading Female, Nude. The story follows aspiring artist Sophie who has joined her posh friends on a vacation in Greece. In between lush descriptions of the food and scenery and unfolding romance Sophie gets involved in there are chapters where Sophie describes different women artists and their relationships with the female nude in art. Beautiful and evocative.
February 26, 2026
Actually really enjoyed this. It was fun, sexy, imperfect and full of art. Take me to a Greek beach right now!!
September 1, 2025
*Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance reader copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review.*
Female, Nude follows Sophie who is a painter on holiday with her friends in Greece. Her best friend, Helena is getting married soon so the girls are on holiday for a few days on their own until their partners arrive. However, friendships change as people get older and the dynamic between the women isn’t the same and Sophie is constantly questioning their friendship. Sophie’s partner Greg desperately wants a baby but Sophie wants to focus on her art. Before Greg arrives Sophie ends up having an affair with Ky who lives on the island and is close friends with Alessia who Sophie paints a nude portrait of. But the intense affair will make Sophie think about what she wants from life and her views on motherhood.
This whole book has a sensual and erotic feel to it and the atmosphere is electric. It really felt like I was in Greece experiencing the same events as Sophie. I found it easy to relate to Sophie and her views on motherhood and I think this has some very valid discussions on motherhood and autonomy. The writing was great and I flew through this book. This is incredibly readable and I loved the affair between Sophie and Ky. There was so much tension and chemistry as soon as they saw each other. This book also had Sophie’s opinions on different female painters and they are written as if Sophie is speaking to the artist. They were interesting and insightful. Those parts kind of reminded me of an essay by Zadie Smith on Celia Paul that is in her new essay collection, Dead and Alive. I really enjoyed this and I will be recommending this. This should be on everyone’s anticipated books for 2026.
Female, Nude follows Sophie who is a painter on holiday with her friends in Greece. Her best friend, Helena is getting married soon so the girls are on holiday for a few days on their own until their partners arrive. However, friendships change as people get older and the dynamic between the women isn’t the same and Sophie is constantly questioning their friendship. Sophie’s partner Greg desperately wants a baby but Sophie wants to focus on her art. Before Greg arrives Sophie ends up having an affair with Ky who lives on the island and is close friends with Alessia who Sophie paints a nude portrait of. But the intense affair will make Sophie think about what she wants from life and her views on motherhood.
This whole book has a sensual and erotic feel to it and the atmosphere is electric. It really felt like I was in Greece experiencing the same events as Sophie. I found it easy to relate to Sophie and her views on motherhood and I think this has some very valid discussions on motherhood and autonomy. The writing was great and I flew through this book. This is incredibly readable and I loved the affair between Sophie and Ky. There was so much tension and chemistry as soon as they saw each other. This book also had Sophie’s opinions on different female painters and they are written as if Sophie is speaking to the artist. They were interesting and insightful. Those parts kind of reminded me of an essay by Zadie Smith on Celia Paul that is in her new essay collection, Dead and Alive. I really enjoyed this and I will be recommending this. This should be on everyone’s anticipated books for 2026.
July 21, 2026
As a woman, I felt seen by Female, Nude and its exploration of the female body through both the male and female gaze. The book shows how society, art, and history have influenced the way women's bodies are seen, portrayed, and understood.
January 21, 2026
This book nearly made me hop on a flight to Greece to find a Greek man ... luckily I married one 😂
Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, is a sissling literacy fiction. Sophie, a painter, is on her best friend Helena’s hen do, on a Greek Island. The four woman are brought together for the last time as ‘singles’ with the men joining in five days’ time.
We follow her point of view as we count down the days and this was an intense spiral as she blows her whole life up.
There was so much packed in here, covering issues that many women in their 20s and 30s face.
She’s debating whether she wants to become a mother. She knows the responsibility of caring for another, through taking care of her disabled sister. She feels separate to the group, as they grew up in more privilege and I think issues around money and class are protrayed so well.
The book also explores different nude self portraits from artists, as our main character takes us back in time to different parts in her life when she saw them for the first time.
And of course I can’t not mention the affair!! Completely full of messy characters, I was hooked!! 👀
It was a whirlwind of emotions reading this. You might not agree with some of the things she does, but you understand her reasoning. I think it captures so well the battle between being a feminist, while falling into the trap of societies expectations around marriage and starting a family.
It’s messy, complicated, and thought provoking. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and think it’s a contender to be in my top books of this year!
It’s not perfect, but I was completely transported to another place while reading it and I was discussing it endlessly with my husband.
If you liked Hot Milk, you’ll love this!
Thanks to @tinder_press for a proof copy! It’s out in February 💕
“That painting of mine, I made it years ago, during a time when I was brimming with desire”
Female, Nude by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett, is a sissling literacy fiction. Sophie, a painter, is on her best friend Helena’s hen do, on a Greek Island. The four woman are brought together for the last time as ‘singles’ with the men joining in five days’ time.
We follow her point of view as we count down the days and this was an intense spiral as she blows her whole life up.
There was so much packed in here, covering issues that many women in their 20s and 30s face.
She’s debating whether she wants to become a mother. She knows the responsibility of caring for another, through taking care of her disabled sister. She feels separate to the group, as they grew up in more privilege and I think issues around money and class are protrayed so well.
The book also explores different nude self portraits from artists, as our main character takes us back in time to different parts in her life when she saw them for the first time.
And of course I can’t not mention the affair!! Completely full of messy characters, I was hooked!! 👀
It was a whirlwind of emotions reading this. You might not agree with some of the things she does, but you understand her reasoning. I think it captures so well the battle between being a feminist, while falling into the trap of societies expectations around marriage and starting a family.
It’s messy, complicated, and thought provoking. I couldn’t stop thinking about it and think it’s a contender to be in my top books of this year!
It’s not perfect, but I was completely transported to another place while reading it and I was discussing it endlessly with my husband.
If you liked Hot Milk, you’ll love this!
Thanks to @tinder_press for a proof copy! It’s out in February 💕
“That painting of mine, I made it years ago, during a time when I was brimming with desire”
March 6, 2026
Cudowna! Elektryzująca, sensualna, inspirująca.
W "Female, Nude" podobało mi się wszystko. Bohaterka i jej perspektywa, wstawki dotyczące kobiecej sztuki, grecki gorący klimat, erotyzm, chemia i napięcie, dynamika między przyjaciółkami, plot twisty, relacje damsko-damskie, damsko-męskie, no wszystko! Aaa, język! I język, pięknie jest to napisana i skonstruowana powieść.
"Female, Nude" opowiada o początkującej artystce Sophie, która dołącza do swoich zamożnych przyjaciółek podczas wakacji w Grecji. Jedna z nich niedługo bierze ślub i te plus minus 10 dni na wyspie ma być pobytem panieńskim. Sophie jest w długoletnim związku, partner namawia ją na dziecko, przy czym ona od początku ich relacji zaznaczała, że dzieci mieć nie planuje. Podczas tego wyjazdu (pod koniec którego faceci mają dołączyć do swoich kobiet) Sophie dywaguje na temat macierzyństwa i lęków z nim związanych, takich jak np. utrata autonomii jako kobieta. Poznaje też pewnego przystojnego Greka... Całościowo książka krąży wokół tzw. female gaze, czyli kobiecego spojrzenia na świat i relacje, w opozycji do typowego „male gaze”. I pięknie jest ten motyw wpleciony w całą książkę.
I sztuka! O losie, jakie piękne i inspirujące były te rozdziały poświęcone rzeczywistym autoportetom-aktom powstałym na przestrzeni tylu lat. Macierzyństwo, pożądanie, relacja z ciałem, wyzwolenie, ucisk, choroba, samoświadomość - tak wiele motywów zostaje omówionych w oparciu o te obrazy, tak wiele refleksji pobudzanych tymi platonicznymi rozmowami narratorki z artystkami. Coś wspaniałego! W jednym rozdziale pojawia się na przykład autoportret Gwen John, której poświęcona jest inna książka nominowana obecnie do nagrody Women's Prize for Non-Fiction ("Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John"). Mnóstwo inspiracji i refleksji wyciągnęłam z tych rozdziałów.
All in all, kocham tę książkę i bardzo mi szkoda, że nie znalazła się na tegorocznej liście do WPF. Pasowałaby tam idealnie!
W "Female, Nude" podobało mi się wszystko. Bohaterka i jej perspektywa, wstawki dotyczące kobiecej sztuki, grecki gorący klimat, erotyzm, chemia i napięcie, dynamika między przyjaciółkami, plot twisty, relacje damsko-damskie, damsko-męskie, no wszystko! Aaa, język! I język, pięknie jest to napisana i skonstruowana powieść.
"Female, Nude" opowiada o początkującej artystce Sophie, która dołącza do swoich zamożnych przyjaciółek podczas wakacji w Grecji. Jedna z nich niedługo bierze ślub i te plus minus 10 dni na wyspie ma być pobytem panieńskim. Sophie jest w długoletnim związku, partner namawia ją na dziecko, przy czym ona od początku ich relacji zaznaczała, że dzieci mieć nie planuje. Podczas tego wyjazdu (pod koniec którego faceci mają dołączyć do swoich kobiet) Sophie dywaguje na temat macierzyństwa i lęków z nim związanych, takich jak np. utrata autonomii jako kobieta. Poznaje też pewnego przystojnego Greka... Całościowo książka krąży wokół tzw. female gaze, czyli kobiecego spojrzenia na świat i relacje, w opozycji do typowego „male gaze”. I pięknie jest ten motyw wpleciony w całą książkę.
I sztuka! O losie, jakie piękne i inspirujące były te rozdziały poświęcone rzeczywistym autoportetom-aktom powstałym na przestrzeni tylu lat. Macierzyństwo, pożądanie, relacja z ciałem, wyzwolenie, ucisk, choroba, samoświadomość - tak wiele motywów zostaje omówionych w oparciu o te obrazy, tak wiele refleksji pobudzanych tymi platonicznymi rozmowami narratorki z artystkami. Coś wspaniałego! W jednym rozdziale pojawia się na przykład autoportret Gwen John, której poświęcona jest inna książka nominowana obecnie do nagrody Women's Prize for Non-Fiction ("Artists, Siblings, Visionaries: The Lives and Loves of Gwen and Augustus John"). Mnóstwo inspiracji i refleksji wyciągnęłam z tych rozdziałów.
All in all, kocham tę książkę i bardzo mi szkoda, że nie znalazła się na tegorocznej liście do WPF. Pasowałaby tam idealnie!
April 14, 2026
Thoroughly gripping and beautiful. The tension built throughout against a backdrop of the beautiful Greek sea and landscape. Sensitively and boldly explored many taboo topics and their complexities through the main narrative and the descriptions of the female nudes visited. Excellent writing.
July 5, 2026
4,5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
"𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝙺ö𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚝 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚣𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚑𝚗𝚎𝚗, 𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚛 𝚣𝚞𝚖 𝙺𝚎𝚛𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚐. "
Ein malerischer Sommerroman, jedoch keine leichte Kost.
In "Fünf Tage im Licht" geht es um die Künstlerin Sophie (Anfang 30), die mit drei Freundinnen auf die griechische Insel Sifnos reist, da eine der Freundinnen dort ihren JGA feiert. Sophie lässt es sich unter der Sonne Griechenlands gut gehen und versucht sowohl ihren Alltag als auch ihren Freund Greg auszublenden. Dieser setzt sie nämlich seit geraumer Zeit mit seinem Kinderwunsch unter Druck. Auch in der Freundesgruppe ist nicht alles Heiterkeit und Sonnenschein. Daher verbringt Sophie viel Zeit mit sich allein auf der Insel, bis sie beim schwimmen im Meer, dem Griechen Ky begegnet. Beide fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen und so beginnt eine leidenschaftliche Affäre.
Dieses Buch war von Anfang bis Ende ein absoluter Pageturner. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Für mich war es mal etwas ganz anderes. Klar, wenn man meist nur New Adult oder Fantasy liest...
Der Schreibstil von Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett war ein Gedicht. Richtig, richtig toll. Auch die Übersetzung - ich würde behaupten fehlerfrei - leider sehr selten heutzutage.
Die Insel war so beeindruckend beschrieben, dass ich das Gefühl hatte selbst auf Sifnos zu sein, die Hitze auf meiner Haut zu spüren...den Geschmack mediterranen Essens und gutem Wein auf meiner Zunge zu schmecken. Grandios!
Die Kunst-Thematik hat mich auch total abgeholt. Jedes Kapitel wurde eingeleitet durch eine Beschreibung eines weiblichen Selbstportraits (z. B. von Frida Kahlo) und gab den Blick frei auf den weiblichen Körper...vor allem in der (damals) von Männern dominierenden Kunstszene. Den Körper einer Frau durch Frauen beschrieben, gemalt, fotografiert oder aus Ton geformt zu sehen...zu erleben, das war interessant und lehrreich zugleich. Auch das Aktportrait, das Sophie von ihrer Freundin Alessia in Griechenland anfertigt. Wahnsinn! Eines der Highlights im Buch...aus Gründen!!!
Zum Inhalt möchte ich (wie immer) nicht viel sagen. Man muss es einfach selber lesen. Es bleibt spannend, da an Tag Fünf die Partner der Frauen anreisen...und auch was unter den Freundinnen passiert...
Dieses Buch beinhaltet so viele wichtige und zum Nachdenken anregende Themen, wie Mutterschaft, Identität(sverlust), das Leben in einem weiblichen Körper, Behinderung, Selbstfindung, Feminismus und viele weitere. Vor allem Frauen ab 30 haben oft mit Dingen in ihrem inneren zu kämpfen. Rollenbilder, in die Frauen gedrängt werden...die innere Uhr die irgendwann immer lauter wird...Erwartungen, die der Partner hat und so vieles mehr. Allein aus diesen Gesichtspunkten sollte Frau es lesen...und Männer am besten auch.
Obwohl ich sehr begeistert war vom Inhalt, gab es dennoch einen halben Stern Abzug für das Buch, da ich an einigen Stellen echt schlucken musste. Ich konnte Sophie als FMC eigentlich sehr gut greifen, an ein einigen Stellen ist sie mir jedoch entglitten. Diese Stellen konnte ich für mich nicht mehr gutheißen und fühlte mich beim lesen eher unwohl. Daher der kleine Abzug.
Ich finde es auch sehr schade, dass dieses Buch nicht den Originaltitel "Female, Nude" trägt. Das hätte so viel mehr Sinn ergeben. Ebenso ist das Cover, im Original zu 100% passender.
Am Ende war es aber ein tolles Buch. Ich bereue nicht, es gelesen zu haben. Diese Geschichte werde ich sicherlich nicht so schnell vergessen.
Zitate:
"𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚞ß𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙻𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚏ü𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚁ä𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕."
"𝙸𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚋𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚝, 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚔𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚝; 𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚜 𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚒𝚋𝚝, 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚏𝚐𝚊𝚋𝚎 ü𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚑𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚣𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚏ä𝚗𝚐𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚣𝚞𝚐𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚗."
"(...)𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚜𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚔𝚣𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝙻𝚞𝚜𝚝, 𝚠𝚒𝚎 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚝 𝙺𝚢 𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎, 𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚐 𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝙳𝚘𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚒 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚗𝚞𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚣𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝙼𝚊𝚕, 𝚕ä𝚜𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚑𝚛 𝙵𝚎𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚛 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗. 𝙳𝚊𝚜 𝚆𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚞𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚊𝚋, 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚖𝚙𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚕ö𝚜𝚎𝚗 𝚔𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚝𝚎, 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚣𝚞𝚕ä𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚔𝚎𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚎𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚗𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍, 𝚠𝚒𝚎 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝙵𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚑, 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚝𝚎 𝙻𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚕𝚊𝚏𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚛, 𝚞𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚋𝚊𝚛 𝚏ü𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚝."
"𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚖 𝚠𝚒𝚛 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝙺ö𝚛𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚎𝚗, 𝚊𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚝𝚝 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚋𝚣𝚞𝚕𝚎𝚑𝚗𝚎𝚗, 𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚛 𝚣𝚞𝚖 𝙺𝚎𝚛𝚗 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚐. "
Ein malerischer Sommerroman, jedoch keine leichte Kost.
In "Fünf Tage im Licht" geht es um die Künstlerin Sophie (Anfang 30), die mit drei Freundinnen auf die griechische Insel Sifnos reist, da eine der Freundinnen dort ihren JGA feiert. Sophie lässt es sich unter der Sonne Griechenlands gut gehen und versucht sowohl ihren Alltag als auch ihren Freund Greg auszublenden. Dieser setzt sie nämlich seit geraumer Zeit mit seinem Kinderwunsch unter Druck. Auch in der Freundesgruppe ist nicht alles Heiterkeit und Sonnenschein. Daher verbringt Sophie viel Zeit mit sich allein auf der Insel, bis sie beim schwimmen im Meer, dem Griechen Ky begegnet. Beide fühlen sich sofort zueinander hingezogen und so beginnt eine leidenschaftliche Affäre.
Dieses Buch war von Anfang bis Ende ein absoluter Pageturner. Ich konnte das Buch nicht mehr aus der Hand legen. Für mich war es mal etwas ganz anderes. Klar, wenn man meist nur New Adult oder Fantasy liest...
Der Schreibstil von Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett war ein Gedicht. Richtig, richtig toll. Auch die Übersetzung - ich würde behaupten fehlerfrei - leider sehr selten heutzutage.
Die Insel war so beeindruckend beschrieben, dass ich das Gefühl hatte selbst auf Sifnos zu sein, die Hitze auf meiner Haut zu spüren...den Geschmack mediterranen Essens und gutem Wein auf meiner Zunge zu schmecken. Grandios!
Die Kunst-Thematik hat mich auch total abgeholt. Jedes Kapitel wurde eingeleitet durch eine Beschreibung eines weiblichen Selbstportraits (z. B. von Frida Kahlo) und gab den Blick frei auf den weiblichen Körper...vor allem in der (damals) von Männern dominierenden Kunstszene. Den Körper einer Frau durch Frauen beschrieben, gemalt, fotografiert oder aus Ton geformt zu sehen...zu erleben, das war interessant und lehrreich zugleich. Auch das Aktportrait, das Sophie von ihrer Freundin Alessia in Griechenland anfertigt. Wahnsinn! Eines der Highlights im Buch...aus Gründen!!!
Zum Inhalt möchte ich (wie immer) nicht viel sagen. Man muss es einfach selber lesen. Es bleibt spannend, da an Tag Fünf die Partner der Frauen anreisen...und auch was unter den Freundinnen passiert...
Dieses Buch beinhaltet so viele wichtige und zum Nachdenken anregende Themen, wie Mutterschaft, Identität(sverlust), das Leben in einem weiblichen Körper, Behinderung, Selbstfindung, Feminismus und viele weitere. Vor allem Frauen ab 30 haben oft mit Dingen in ihrem inneren zu kämpfen. Rollenbilder, in die Frauen gedrängt werden...die innere Uhr die irgendwann immer lauter wird...Erwartungen, die der Partner hat und so vieles mehr. Allein aus diesen Gesichtspunkten sollte Frau es lesen...und Männer am besten auch.
Obwohl ich sehr begeistert war vom Inhalt, gab es dennoch einen halben Stern Abzug für das Buch, da ich an einigen Stellen echt schlucken musste. Ich konnte Sophie als FMC eigentlich sehr gut greifen, an ein einigen Stellen ist sie mir jedoch entglitten. Diese Stellen konnte ich für mich nicht mehr gutheißen und fühlte mich beim lesen eher unwohl. Daher der kleine Abzug.
Ich finde es auch sehr schade, dass dieses Buch nicht den Originaltitel "Female, Nude" trägt. Das hätte so viel mehr Sinn ergeben. Ebenso ist das Cover, im Original zu 100% passender.
Am Ende war es aber ein tolles Buch. Ich bereue nicht, es gelesen zu haben. Diese Geschichte werde ich sicherlich nicht so schnell vergessen.
Zitate:
"𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝙱𝚎𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚞ß𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝙻𝚎𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚏ü𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚁ä𝚝𝚜𝚎𝚕."
"𝙸𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚕𝚊𝚞𝚋𝚎 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙵𝚛𝚊𝚞 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚝, 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚔𝚘𝚖𝚖𝚝; 𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚜 𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚒𝚋𝚝, 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝙰𝚞𝚏𝚐𝚊𝚋𝚎 ü𝚋𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚑𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕, 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚣𝚞 𝚛𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗, 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚏ä𝚗𝚐𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚣𝚞𝚐𝚎𝚑𝚎𝚗."
"(...)𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚜𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚎𝚛𝚠𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚜𝚎𝚗 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚔𝚣𝚎𝚙𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝙻𝚞𝚜𝚝, 𝚠𝚒𝚎 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚝 𝙺𝚢 𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚊𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚗 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎, 𝚗𝚒𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚜 𝚗𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚒𝚐 𝚒𝚜𝚝. 𝙳𝚘𝚌𝚑 𝚠𝚎𝚗𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚜𝚒𝚎 𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚖𝚊𝚕 𝚎𝚛𝚕𝚎𝚋𝚝 𝚑𝚊𝚝, 𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚜𝚎𝚒 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚗𝚞𝚛 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚣𝚒𝚐𝚎𝚜 𝙼𝚊𝚕, 𝚕ä𝚜𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚒𝚑𝚛 𝙵𝚎𝚑𝚕𝚎𝚗 𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚑𝚛 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗. 𝙳𝚊𝚜 𝚆𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚎𝚜 𝚊𝚞𝚏 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚗𝚜 𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚐𝚊𝚋, 𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚌𝚑𝚎 𝙴𝚖𝚙𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚞𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚛 𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚕ö𝚜𝚎𝚗 𝚔𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚝𝚎, 𝚑𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎 𝚍𝚒𝚎 𝚄𝚗𝚣𝚞𝚕ä𝚗𝚐𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚑𝚔𝚎𝚒𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚛 𝙱𝚎𝚣𝚒𝚎𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚗𝚋𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚞𝚗𝚍, 𝚠𝚒𝚎 𝚎𝚒𝚗 𝙵𝚕𝚞𝚌𝚑, 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚐𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚎𝚕𝚝𝚎 𝙻𝚎𝚋𝚎𝚗, 𝚍𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚑 𝚍𝚊𝚜 𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚌𝚑𝚕𝚊𝚏𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚛, 𝚞𝚗𝚑𝚊𝚕𝚝𝚋𝚊𝚛 𝚏ü𝚛 𝚖𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚐𝚎𝚖𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚝."
July 13, 2026
Sophie’s Greek getaway with old university friends forces her to reflect on changing relationships, hidden tensions and the choices that have shaped her life. As she struggles with her partner’s hopes for a family, her passion for art and an unexpected affair on the island, Sophie begins to question what she truly wants.
I stumbled across this by chance as it was a 99p Kindle read this month. The summery cover caught my eye during the heatwave, and before I knew it, I’d started reading it straight away!
The story is told from Sophie’s perspective, and she isn’t necessarily the most likeable character. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself sympathising with her more. Beneath her frustrating choices, she felt like someone who was lost, stuck and unsure of where she truly belonged.
Each chapter is split into a morning or evening during the holiday, with an additional chapter between each featuring a real piece of artwork by a female artist. These are usually self portraits, often nude, and frequently explore themes of motherhood. I loved how these pieces reflected Sophie’s journey and the things we learn about her throughout the book. As an art fan, I found myself looking up each piece alongside the story and studying them before moving on to the next chapter.
The friendship group was very much a “rich white girl” circle, and unfortunately I didn’t find many of them particularly likeable either. This, along with a plot that felt a little thin and slow paced for the length of the book, stopped it from earning a higher rating.
Where this book really worked for me was the writing style. I loved the author’s use of language, and the art chapters added something unique that I haven’t come across before. A great summery read if you enjoy art, complicated relationships and a beautiful Greek island setting.
The story is told from Sophie’s perspective, and she isn’t necessarily the most likeable character. However, as the story unfolded, I found myself sympathising with her more. Beneath her frustrating choices, she felt like someone who was lost, stuck and unsure of where she truly belonged.
Each chapter is split into a morning or evening during the holiday, with an additional chapter between each featuring a real piece of artwork by a female artist. These are usually self portraits, often nude, and frequently explore themes of motherhood. I loved how these pieces reflected Sophie’s journey and the things we learn about her throughout the book. As an art fan, I found myself looking up each piece alongside the story and studying them before moving on to the next chapter.
The friendship group was very much a “rich white girl” circle, and unfortunately I didn’t find many of them particularly likeable either. This, along with a plot that felt a little thin and slow paced for the length of the book, stopped it from earning a higher rating.
Where this book really worked for me was the writing style. I loved the author’s use of language, and the art chapters added something unique that I haven’t come across before. A great summery read if you enjoy art, complicated relationships and a beautiful Greek island setting.
July 26, 2026
Such an interesting book. I’ve had this on my list to read for a long time and cannot remember where I discovered it but it being set on the small island that I’m going to in Greece later this year was a great coincidence. Such a great way to explore what it feels like to be a woman and the discovery of such
July 6, 2026
I felt like I have read this Story before. Maybe it resonates better with people in a different life phase. The Greek scenery was beautifully written. The ending was somewhat entertaining and I learned about female painters.
July 26, 2026
Tschüss
December 4, 2025
3.5 stars
Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This was not my usual kind of book and so I was somewhat apprehensive going into it.
It is a very poetic style of writing and storytelling which took some getting used to. It's like Rhiannon has tried to make sure every sentence was as beautiful as it can be before moving to the next, which isn't an outright negative, but it is a fine line between beautiful language and something distracting to the story.
I can't deny her ability to create a sense of space, place, and time, from the physical landscape and weather, to this idea of a group of friends inhabiting a space at the same time.
It's mainly set over a short space of time, which I thought was impressive because she's manged to make 300+ pages not feel too stretched out, like she's trying to fill the page rather than write organically.
Every so often, dotted about, we get small passages by various female artists, which seemed a bit clunky, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.
Not a lot actually happens, which is fine, I prefer books with well-written characters over plot anyway, and I think her characters are wonderful. Not always nice people, but they're layered, morally grey, and feel so real, and so I don't really mind that the plot is light.
It's still not a book I would have voluntarily picked off the shelf, but I did enjoy it on the whole, and so I will be broadening my mind when it comes to picking books out of my comfort zone.
I really enjoyed the exploration of friendship groups changing. You can have the same friend your whole life, but your friendship at school, university, work, as adults, when married, with children - they're completely different people at each stage, s are you, and I loved how Rhiannon has been honest here. That not all friendships are suitable for every stage of life.
I think the whole thing is a bit borderline uncomfortable. I found it okay, but it definitely has this erotic, sensual undercurrent that some readers may not enjoy, but that's really down to your own preference.
Thanks to NetGalley and Tinder Press for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
This was not my usual kind of book and so I was somewhat apprehensive going into it.
It is a very poetic style of writing and storytelling which took some getting used to. It's like Rhiannon has tried to make sure every sentence was as beautiful as it can be before moving to the next, which isn't an outright negative, but it is a fine line between beautiful language and something distracting to the story.
I can't deny her ability to create a sense of space, place, and time, from the physical landscape and weather, to this idea of a group of friends inhabiting a space at the same time.
It's mainly set over a short space of time, which I thought was impressive because she's manged to make 300+ pages not feel too stretched out, like she's trying to fill the page rather than write organically.
Every so often, dotted about, we get small passages by various female artists, which seemed a bit clunky, but I enjoyed them nonetheless.
Not a lot actually happens, which is fine, I prefer books with well-written characters over plot anyway, and I think her characters are wonderful. Not always nice people, but they're layered, morally grey, and feel so real, and so I don't really mind that the plot is light.
It's still not a book I would have voluntarily picked off the shelf, but I did enjoy it on the whole, and so I will be broadening my mind when it comes to picking books out of my comfort zone.
I really enjoyed the exploration of friendship groups changing. You can have the same friend your whole life, but your friendship at school, university, work, as adults, when married, with children - they're completely different people at each stage, s are you, and I loved how Rhiannon has been honest here. That not all friendships are suitable for every stage of life.
I think the whole thing is a bit borderline uncomfortable. I found it okay, but it definitely has this erotic, sensual undercurrent that some readers may not enjoy, but that's really down to your own preference.
July 30, 2026
When I had to get my sticky notes out on page 11, I knew this book was going to be something special for me. It’s gorgeously written and I had a hard time distilling all my thoughts to write a coherent review.
Perhaps I’m just lucky and this book is the perfect match for my personality - it’s the Secret History/Saltburn/Mamma Mia mashup I didn’t know I needed. The combination of dark and sexy is addictive and I found the musings so relatable. The author has somehow managed to capture in a succinct and lucid way feelings and concepts I haven’t previously been able to make sense of in my mind, let alone put words to. She captures beautifully this feeling of being an outsider, in a literal way in terms of the characters’ different socioeconomic statuses, but also on an existential level, as though everybody else has something figured out and you haven’t been let in on the secret. You feel that you’re wired differently and though you don’t necessarily want to be like the others, you want your differences to be recognized and validated. When they aren’t, it creates this inner chaos where, to quote directly from the book, “destruction seems a pure entropic inevitability.”
The book tackles some heavy topics without being depressing; it was a brilliant move to use the setting of a holiday in Greece to keep a bit of levity. The author has found a way to dive deeply into femininity, motherhood, and the evolution of the role of the female in society without droning on in the whiny, self-justifying tone we often see in books that revolve around these topics. It’s also worth noting the very satisfying closure at the end - it felt fully thought-out and not rushed at all.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever finished a book and wanted to immediately start reading it again from the beginning, but this one has me hooked. There’s so much symbolism I could probably read it three times and discover a new layer each time, but it’s also not so complex that the story works just fine on its own if you don’t feel like thinking too deeply. This is my favourite read of 2026 so far and I can’t decide if I want to shout my recommendation from the rooftops or guard it closely for fear that others’ opinions might sully my intense connection with it.
Perhaps I’m just lucky and this book is the perfect match for my personality - it’s the Secret History/Saltburn/Mamma Mia mashup I didn’t know I needed. The combination of dark and sexy is addictive and I found the musings so relatable. The author has somehow managed to capture in a succinct and lucid way feelings and concepts I haven’t previously been able to make sense of in my mind, let alone put words to. She captures beautifully this feeling of being an outsider, in a literal way in terms of the characters’ different socioeconomic statuses, but also on an existential level, as though everybody else has something figured out and you haven’t been let in on the secret. You feel that you’re wired differently and though you don’t necessarily want to be like the others, you want your differences to be recognized and validated. When they aren’t, it creates this inner chaos where, to quote directly from the book, “destruction seems a pure entropic inevitability.”
The book tackles some heavy topics without being depressing; it was a brilliant move to use the setting of a holiday in Greece to keep a bit of levity. The author has found a way to dive deeply into femininity, motherhood, and the evolution of the role of the female in society without droning on in the whiny, self-justifying tone we often see in books that revolve around these topics. It’s also worth noting the very satisfying closure at the end - it felt fully thought-out and not rushed at all.
I can’t remember a time when I’ve ever finished a book and wanted to immediately start reading it again from the beginning, but this one has me hooked. There’s so much symbolism I could probably read it three times and discover a new layer each time, but it’s also not so complex that the story works just fine on its own if you don’t feel like thinking too deeply. This is my favourite read of 2026 so far and I can’t decide if I want to shout my recommendation from the rooftops or guard it closely for fear that others’ opinions might sully my intense connection with it.
June 1, 2026
Ich beginne Rezensionen normal immer mit dem Positiven, hier fange ich mal mit dem Negativen an.
Was schlecht war: Cover und Titel. Lieber Verlag, what did you do? In diesem speziellen Fall ist das englischsprachige Cover nun auch wirklich kein Meisterwerk, aber definitiv besser und treffender als dieses hier, das mich eher an ein Werbeplakat aus 2015 erinnert. Mit der Gestaltung der deutschsprachigen Ausgabe wird überhaupt nicht transportiert, was für eine Art von Roman das wirklich ist!
Kommen wir damit zu dem, was gut war: Der Inhalt das Buchs.
Hinter den generischen und ein bisschen altbackigen Buchdeckeln verbirgt sich nämlich eine kluger Text, der sich mit weiblicher Kunst und zahlreichen feministischen Themen auseinandersetzt.
Es ist ein eigentlich typische Setting eines Sommerromans: Eine Gruppe Freundinnen verbringt einen Urlaub auf einer griechischen Insel. Die letzten Tage ohne Männer, bevor eine von ihnen heiratet. Eine Art Abschiedsfest der gemeinsamen Girlhood. Die Protagonistin verliebt sich schließlich in einen anderen Mann, gerät ins Zweifeln.
Doch im Mittelpunkt dieser Geschichte steht gar nicht so sehr eine Liebesgeschichte, sondern viel mehr die inneren Konflikte der Frauen: Es geht um Selbstbestimmung und Selbstwahrnehmung, um Mutterschaft, Körperlichkeit und das oft komplexe Gefüge von weiblicher Freundschaft.
Besonders fällt auf, dass zwischen den Kapiteln immer wieder von Freuen geschaffene Werke und Darstellungen weiblicher Körper in der Kunstgeschichte thematisiert werden. Dadurch erhält der Roman eine zusätzliche Ebene.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist atmosphärisch und klar. Sie beschwört damit die flirrende, manchmal erdrückende Stimmung einer heißen Urlaubswoche herauf. Zwischenzeitlich hat das Buch Längen und verliert zwischen all den Themen etwas seinen Fokus.
Nichtsdestotrotz gelingt es der Autorin zu unterhalten und den Finger immer wieder gezielt in kleine Wunden zu legen.
"Famale, nude!", wie das Buch im Original heißt, ist ein besondererer Sommerroman, der eindeutig mehr sein möchte als ein klassischer Vertreter seines Genres.
Was schlecht war: Cover und Titel. Lieber Verlag, what did you do? In diesem speziellen Fall ist das englischsprachige Cover nun auch wirklich kein Meisterwerk, aber definitiv besser und treffender als dieses hier, das mich eher an ein Werbeplakat aus 2015 erinnert. Mit der Gestaltung der deutschsprachigen Ausgabe wird überhaupt nicht transportiert, was für eine Art von Roman das wirklich ist!
Kommen wir damit zu dem, was gut war: Der Inhalt das Buchs.
Hinter den generischen und ein bisschen altbackigen Buchdeckeln verbirgt sich nämlich eine kluger Text, der sich mit weiblicher Kunst und zahlreichen feministischen Themen auseinandersetzt.
Es ist ein eigentlich typische Setting eines Sommerromans: Eine Gruppe Freundinnen verbringt einen Urlaub auf einer griechischen Insel. Die letzten Tage ohne Männer, bevor eine von ihnen heiratet. Eine Art Abschiedsfest der gemeinsamen Girlhood. Die Protagonistin verliebt sich schließlich in einen anderen Mann, gerät ins Zweifeln.
Doch im Mittelpunkt dieser Geschichte steht gar nicht so sehr eine Liebesgeschichte, sondern viel mehr die inneren Konflikte der Frauen: Es geht um Selbstbestimmung und Selbstwahrnehmung, um Mutterschaft, Körperlichkeit und das oft komplexe Gefüge von weiblicher Freundschaft.
Besonders fällt auf, dass zwischen den Kapiteln immer wieder von Freuen geschaffene Werke und Darstellungen weiblicher Körper in der Kunstgeschichte thematisiert werden. Dadurch erhält der Roman eine zusätzliche Ebene.
Der Schreibstil der Autorin ist atmosphärisch und klar. Sie beschwört damit die flirrende, manchmal erdrückende Stimmung einer heißen Urlaubswoche herauf. Zwischenzeitlich hat das Buch Längen und verliert zwischen all den Themen etwas seinen Fokus.
Nichtsdestotrotz gelingt es der Autorin zu unterhalten und den Finger immer wieder gezielt in kleine Wunden zu legen.
"Famale, nude!", wie das Buch im Original heißt, ist ein besondererer Sommerroman, der eindeutig mehr sein möchte als ein klassischer Vertreter seines Genres.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Female, Nude is a sensual and affecting tale of lust, friendship, class, and the richness of women’s bodies in life and art.
Sophie, Helena, Iris, and Alessia are staying on a Greek island as a prelude to Helena’s wedding. After this first week their male partners will arrive. Sophie is ambivalent about this; her partner Greg wants a child, and she doesn’t.
She has known the women since university – earning a place with her art skills - but considers only Helena a true friend. Working-class among wealthier, middle-class high achievers, Sophie is sensitive to every glance and tone.
The free-spirited, beautiful Alessia asks Sophie to paint a nude portrait of her in the cool of one of the villa’s outbuildings, but she finds the experience unsettling: Alessia steers conversation into uncomfortable areas, and the spare grace of her body makes Sophie reflect negatively on her own fuller figure. Alessia further unnerves her by pushing her towards Ky, a handsome, older ex-lover.
I never know, when reading fine books like this, so firmly informed by women’s life experience, how objective a view I bring. They can generate revelatory empathy and awareness in me, but I sometimes suspect women readers may think, “yes, that checks out – so what?”
Though set in broadly contemporary times, Cosslett expands on the easy elegance of her writing by framing the novel as Sophie’s recollections years later, middle-aged, seriously ill, and with knowledge of how her life turns out. Her closeness to Ky becomes key to her future, surfacing tensions within the friendship group and the paucity and imbalance in her relationship with Greg.
Throughout, the older Sophie drops in brief biographies of female artists who created nude self-portraits, using their work and lives as a lens through which she can understand her own life and her time on the island.
I liked Sophie a lot. She’s a convincingly flawed character, inconsistent and unsure, discerning the shape of her life only as it nears its end, and found the novel beguiling, sexy, and poignant.
Sophie, Helena, Iris, and Alessia are staying on a Greek island as a prelude to Helena’s wedding. After this first week their male partners will arrive. Sophie is ambivalent about this; her partner Greg wants a child, and she doesn’t.
She has known the women since university – earning a place with her art skills - but considers only Helena a true friend. Working-class among wealthier, middle-class high achievers, Sophie is sensitive to every glance and tone.
The free-spirited, beautiful Alessia asks Sophie to paint a nude portrait of her in the cool of one of the villa’s outbuildings, but she finds the experience unsettling: Alessia steers conversation into uncomfortable areas, and the spare grace of her body makes Sophie reflect negatively on her own fuller figure. Alessia further unnerves her by pushing her towards Ky, a handsome, older ex-lover.
I never know, when reading fine books like this, so firmly informed by women’s life experience, how objective a view I bring. They can generate revelatory empathy and awareness in me, but I sometimes suspect women readers may think, “yes, that checks out – so what?”
Though set in broadly contemporary times, Cosslett expands on the easy elegance of her writing by framing the novel as Sophie’s recollections years later, middle-aged, seriously ill, and with knowledge of how her life turns out. Her closeness to Ky becomes key to her future, surfacing tensions within the friendship group and the paucity and imbalance in her relationship with Greg.
Throughout, the older Sophie drops in brief biographies of female artists who created nude self-portraits, using their work and lives as a lens through which she can understand her own life and her time on the island.
I liked Sophie a lot. She’s a convincingly flawed character, inconsistent and unsure, discerning the shape of her life only as it nears its end, and found the novel beguiling, sexy, and poignant.
April 11, 2026
Thank you to @tinder_press and @headlinebooks for sending me this book.
•••••
A character driven, literary fiction novel that completely captivated me.
This novel follows Sophie as she try’s to find her place in the world. Grappling with the expectations society imposes on women.
She wants to focus on her art, but her partner, Greg, wants children. Her best friend is getting married. She is worried about her disabled sister and how she’ll care for her and she feels separate from her group of privileged friends, who seem to know exactly what they want.
What starts off as a girly holiday soon begins to turn into the week that will change Sophie’s life forever.
Does Sophie make some questionable decisions? Yes. Whether you agree or disagree with what she does isn’t really the point, I don’t think. I could see her desire to push back to what society expects from a woman, like getting married and having children, and I found myself rooting for her.
It becomes apparent that this story comes from Sophie’s memories of the time past and she is reflecting as she gets older. There are chapters that appear to be letters or diary entries, from Sophie, as she travels during her life and sees different pieces of art work from female artists. These snippets give us a slice into the artist’s lives and how they fought back against the norms and how this then affected Sophie’s life. To begin with I found these chapters a bit confusing but they quickly make sense and I found them deeply moving.
This story is paying homage to being a woman. Relationships, friendship, societal expectations, marriage, motherhood, body confidence, sex, infidelity. Everything from the good, the bad and the ugly. I was completely intoxicated by this book.
Beautifully written, refined and accessible. Completely seductive, erotic, messy and raw.
A story about identity, living in your own skin, and having the courage to choose yourself and go against the grain.
I just wish I could have been on an exotic island to read this novel 🏝️.
•••••
A character driven, literary fiction novel that completely captivated me.
This novel follows Sophie as she try’s to find her place in the world. Grappling with the expectations society imposes on women.
She wants to focus on her art, but her partner, Greg, wants children. Her best friend is getting married. She is worried about her disabled sister and how she’ll care for her and she feels separate from her group of privileged friends, who seem to know exactly what they want.
What starts off as a girly holiday soon begins to turn into the week that will change Sophie’s life forever.
Does Sophie make some questionable decisions? Yes. Whether you agree or disagree with what she does isn’t really the point, I don’t think. I could see her desire to push back to what society expects from a woman, like getting married and having children, and I found myself rooting for her.
It becomes apparent that this story comes from Sophie’s memories of the time past and she is reflecting as she gets older. There are chapters that appear to be letters or diary entries, from Sophie, as she travels during her life and sees different pieces of art work from female artists. These snippets give us a slice into the artist’s lives and how they fought back against the norms and how this then affected Sophie’s life. To begin with I found these chapters a bit confusing but they quickly make sense and I found them deeply moving.
This story is paying homage to being a woman. Relationships, friendship, societal expectations, marriage, motherhood, body confidence, sex, infidelity. Everything from the good, the bad and the ugly. I was completely intoxicated by this book.
Beautifully written, refined and accessible. Completely seductive, erotic, messy and raw.
A story about identity, living in your own skin, and having the courage to choose yourself and go against the grain.
I just wish I could have been on an exotic island to read this novel 🏝️.
January 9, 2026
“I lamented female objectification, and would never view a life model this way, yet outside of the studio, I looked at women more ruthlessly than most men ever would.”
Let me tell you about this book - it’s incredible literary fiction! Initially I was a bit apprehensive and not sure about it. The writing felt a little dry and there were letter style paragraphs that I found a tad confusing. After a while they made more sense and actually were really interesting.
And I was completely hooked and absorbed in the story. I couldn’t get back to reading it quick enough! Absolutely devoured it. It’s one of those books that proved me wrong and got better the more I read.
It’s unapologetic, raw, thought provoking, and provocative. The characters are messy, it’s atmospheric almost like a thriller, there’s a real honesty here that I appreciated.
It’s a book about so many things; Feminism, betrayal, friendship, social construct, class, sex, lust, motherhood, choice, art, love and one hot Greek summer holiday with consequences.
I don’t know much about art but it was really interesting reading about female artists and their paintings as well as personal histories. The letter/diary passages didn’t always fully work for me but some of them were really very interesting. I wish I could have read this as a physical copy as I wanted to go back to reread parts as I was getting further into the story.
It’s not a perfect book but it’s a book that I think will stay with me for a long time and even end up on my top reads of the year list. I can see this being a really good beach read, it really transports you to that hot summer with delicious Greek food! But don’t be fooled, it packs a punch and will have you thinking.
I highly recommend!
4.5 stars
Let me tell you about this book - it’s incredible literary fiction! Initially I was a bit apprehensive and not sure about it. The writing felt a little dry and there were letter style paragraphs that I found a tad confusing. After a while they made more sense and actually were really interesting.
And I was completely hooked and absorbed in the story. I couldn’t get back to reading it quick enough! Absolutely devoured it. It’s one of those books that proved me wrong and got better the more I read.
It’s unapologetic, raw, thought provoking, and provocative. The characters are messy, it’s atmospheric almost like a thriller, there’s a real honesty here that I appreciated.
It’s a book about so many things; Feminism, betrayal, friendship, social construct, class, sex, lust, motherhood, choice, art, love and one hot Greek summer holiday with consequences.
I don’t know much about art but it was really interesting reading about female artists and their paintings as well as personal histories. The letter/diary passages didn’t always fully work for me but some of them were really very interesting. I wish I could have read this as a physical copy as I wanted to go back to reread parts as I was getting further into the story.
It’s not a perfect book but it’s a book that I think will stay with me for a long time and even end up on my top reads of the year list. I can see this being a really good beach read, it really transports you to that hot summer with delicious Greek food! But don’t be fooled, it packs a punch and will have you thinking.
I highly recommend!
4.5 stars
April 9, 2026
I found the story quite interesting. It gave everything i like as a reader personally. Summer, beaches, tension, deeply written interesting characters, ideas that made me think or parts that validated or worded my own silent ideas about world prior to reading, love, sex, friendship.
I have mixed feelings about the sections on different portraits that Sophie encounters throughout her life. That was necessary to the storyline as i believe, but sometimes I wanted to just skip them because I was deeply in the invested story at that moment. Even still, beautifully placed and completely necessary.
I loved the complexity and confusion of Sophie, and complexity of all the characters involved.
The only thing i very much disliked about the book was some of the flowery words. They felt forced, as if i would think of the writer any less if she didnt use them. And they felt forcefully placed in very absurd places as well. Some words, i have never heard one person use beforehand.
But generally, beautiful story. Made me tear up quite a bit at the end, and I read the whole thing in 3 days, because the story kept me coming back for more (and more as I read).
I have mixed feelings about the sections on different portraits that Sophie encounters throughout her life. That was necessary to the storyline as i believe, but sometimes I wanted to just skip them because I was deeply in the invested story at that moment. Even still, beautifully placed and completely necessary.
I loved the complexity and confusion of Sophie, and complexity of all the characters involved.
The only thing i very much disliked about the book was some of the flowery words. They felt forced, as if i would think of the writer any less if she didnt use them. And they felt forcefully placed in very absurd places as well. Some words, i have never heard one person use beforehand.
But generally, beautiful story. Made me tear up quite a bit at the end, and I read the whole thing in 3 days, because the story kept me coming back for more (and more as I read).
February 22, 2026
Sophie is a talented artist but she works in a gallery shop, she's in a committed relationship with Greg but he is pressuring her to have a baby. Sophie has had a group of friends since college and one of them, Helena, is getting married so they have decamped to a Greek island. During this time Sophie experiences several epiphanies - about her friends, her art and her love life - all of which will change her.
The writing in this book is seductive, it's lush and sensual, so even though I did not particularly like it at times I kept reading. Sophie is an interesting character and in the final chapter the reader sees what she has become. Whilst the plot was fairly predictable I did like the journey towards it. What I particularly liked were the references to pieces of art throughout, the linking of the depiction of the female nude and motivations of the artists with Sophie's actions worked well.
The writing in this book is seductive, it's lush and sensual, so even though I did not particularly like it at times I kept reading. Sophie is an interesting character and in the final chapter the reader sees what she has become. Whilst the plot was fairly predictable I did like the journey towards it. What I particularly liked were the references to pieces of art throughout, the linking of the depiction of the female nude and motivations of the artists with Sophie's actions worked well.
June 2, 2026
I really liked the structure of this book. The interludes in the form of letters to female artists were probably my favorite part. They added an interesting layer to the narrative, and I genuinely learned a lot about several women artists whose lives and work I wasn't familiar with before.
That said, I struggled to fully get into the story itself and connect with the dynamics of the group. The characters never quite clicked for me. I also tend to have little patience for protagonists who see themselves as victims of circumstance when, in reality, they are often the architects of their own problems. Unfortunately, that was very much my experience here.
The class conflict at the heart of the novel also felt rather simplistic. The wealthy versus working-class divide is a theme that can be incredibly compelling, but here it felt familiar and underdeveloped, relying on ideas and oppositions I've encountered many times before without offering much nuance.
What ultimately left me unconvinced, though, was the book's overall message. I kept trying to pin down what exactly it wanted to say about art, class, power, motherhood, and womanhood, but the different threads often seemed to contradict one another. The novel raises interesting questions about how motherhood can limit women's freedom, creativity, and ability to pursue an artistic life, and some of those observations felt very true. However, I wasn't entirely convinced by the way these ideas were explored or resolved.
By the end, I felt the book was pulling in several different directions at once, without fully reconciling its own arguments.
That said, I struggled to fully get into the story itself and connect with the dynamics of the group. The characters never quite clicked for me. I also tend to have little patience for protagonists who see themselves as victims of circumstance when, in reality, they are often the architects of their own problems. Unfortunately, that was very much my experience here.
The class conflict at the heart of the novel also felt rather simplistic. The wealthy versus working-class divide is a theme that can be incredibly compelling, but here it felt familiar and underdeveloped, relying on ideas and oppositions I've encountered many times before without offering much nuance.
What ultimately left me unconvinced, though, was the book's overall message. I kept trying to pin down what exactly it wanted to say about art, class, power, motherhood, and womanhood, but the different threads often seemed to contradict one another. The novel raises interesting questions about how motherhood can limit women's freedom, creativity, and ability to pursue an artistic life, and some of those observations felt very true. However, I wasn't entirely convinced by the way these ideas were explored or resolved.
By the end, I felt the book was pulling in several different directions at once, without fully reconciling its own arguments.
April 6, 2026
Following Sophie on a group holiday to celebrate her friend Helena's upcoming wedding. Sophie spends five or six days questioning her life choices to date. Examining her friendships with people who deem her "common", her future with looking after her disabled sister and her current partner, Greg who wants to have a baby, Sophie however, wants to focus on her painting. We see Sophie comment on art and femininity with several famous artworks mentioned throughout.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the way it explored the complexities of female friendship, women's sexuality, what women sacrifice for having children and class differences. Unfortunately the ending did let me down as it felt out of place given the discussions that took place in the book.
Thank you to headline books for the copy of the book.
Overall, I enjoyed this story and the way it explored the complexities of female friendship, women's sexuality, what women sacrifice for having children and class differences. Unfortunately the ending did let me down as it felt out of place given the discussions that took place in the book.
Thank you to headline books for the copy of the book.
March 20, 2026
ik vin dit lastig. het commentaar op de schilderijen boeide me ieder hoofdstuk minder. ik had waarschijnlijk op moeten zoeken hoe ze eruit zagen maar misschien komt dat nog op een dag. ik vond het verhaal lang duren en ook niet per se super inspirerend.
wat ik wél heel interessant vind is het commentaar op (de drang of afwezigheid daarvan) moederschap en de relatie tot je lichaam, partner en jezelf die daar grote invloed op hebben. ik kan dat soort lange overpeinzingen vaak erg waarderen.
klasse en geld is een thema wat me mateloos intrigeert, en vooral wanneer het goed doordacht is een een kritische blik ontvangt van de auteur. ze doet dit heel scherp en dat is fijn.
iedereen in dit boek is een egoïstische asshole, en ook dát kan ik vaak erg waarderen.
overall mixed feelings.
wat ik wél heel interessant vind is het commentaar op (de drang of afwezigheid daarvan) moederschap en de relatie tot je lichaam, partner en jezelf die daar grote invloed op hebben. ik kan dat soort lange overpeinzingen vaak erg waarderen.
klasse en geld is een thema wat me mateloos intrigeert, en vooral wanneer het goed doordacht is een een kritische blik ontvangt van de auteur. ze doet dit heel scherp en dat is fijn.
iedereen in dit boek is een egoïstische asshole, en ook dát kan ik vaak erg waarderen.
overall mixed feelings.
July 25, 2026
A perfect summer read! It’s hot, we’re in Greece, there is a sexy Greek man. But also there’s so much substance, as the main character Sophie goes through this pivotal life change, making various decisions over the course of the book that hurt herself and others, but also free herself too. There’s a lot to be said about sacrifice, class (and the resentful feeling being around wealthy people, which I felt was very real and validating lol) motherhood and sexuality as well. My favourite moments though were between chapters, where, as a reader, you’re presented with a female self-portrait, and given some context around the artist and the meaning behind the piece. It’s inspired me to get to more galleries asap!
April 27, 2026
WOW. What a book. This was exactly what I was hoping it would be and more. The talking to the artist in between each chapter was a really cool touch. I looked at each piece the author mentioned and it certainly added dimension and a unique depth to the book. I also found a couple of new artists who I am going to learn more about thanks to this book. I am struggling to explain why I like it so much, there was something about it that felt so real and genuine. The characters of Sophie and Ky were fascinating to me and I wish the book was 100 pages longer so I could be with them for more time and learn more about them.
I will absolutely be reading more from this author. 5*
I will absolutely be reading more from this author. 5*
March 5, 2026
Loved it - loved the parallels drawn back to female artists and their intersections between motherhood and art. Loved the intensity Sophie and how she it is a bit of a walking nightmare from a relationship perspective, but a romantic and loveable one. Loved how vividly the Greek setting is depicted. Loved how everything was tied together at the end. Loved how the storyline flows and the writing is not a struggle to read whatsoever. I also really loved the reflections on class, generational wealth, and what it means to be a woman in your early 30s. Five stars from me!
June 7, 2026
Narrative was overwhelmed by a stream of consciousness, leaving very little room for action and an engaging plot. The essays in between each chapter were written beautifully but I found disconnected me from the story. They felt misplaced. In fact, the genre as a whole felt confused. Is it fiction novel, a memoir, an essay collection?
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