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It's All in Your Head
Not yet published
Expected 10 Feb 26A “poignant and swoony” romance about a woman with a rare neurological condition who agrees to fake-date the hot guy in her chronic pain support group—only to discover he’s an Olympic snowboarder whose career-ending injury is as infamous as his dating history (Gigi Griffis, author of The Empress).
Your fake relationship shouldn’t come with chronic feelings.
Skylar is done with offline relationships—especially romantic ones. Living with chronic illness means she’s heard it all unreliable, high-maintenance, too much. She’d rather spend her free time in her online chronic pain support group, and lately, she can’t help but notice Pike, the hot new guy with a penchant for broody poetry. When a chaotic night in the group forces her to pose as his girlfriend, she reluctantly agrees to keep up the charade in real life. Surprisingly, he’s thoughtful, sweet, and—most importantly—doesn’t flinch at the things that have scared others away.
Fake dating gets a lot more complicated when she discovers Pike isn’t just some guy. He’s a professional snowboarder whose career-ending injury is as infamous as his playboy past. He won’t talk about that, though. He’s fine. Really. But pretending to be in love with Skylar turns out to be the least depressing thing he’s done in months. As they spend more time together, she starts to notice the cracks in his carefully crafted image, and for once, he doesn’t mind being seen.
After all the bed-sharing and late-night talks, it becomes harder for both of them to pretend. But just as things start turning real, the paparazzi catch on, wanting the scoop on how everyone’s favorite Olympic medalist is doing post-accident. Dating while disabled comes with challenges of its own, but public speculation and invasive questions are something else entirely. If their newfound feelings can’t survive the spotlight, their not-so-fake relationship may be over before it ever truly begins.
Your fake relationship shouldn’t come with chronic feelings.
Skylar is done with offline relationships—especially romantic ones. Living with chronic illness means she’s heard it all unreliable, high-maintenance, too much. She’d rather spend her free time in her online chronic pain support group, and lately, she can’t help but notice Pike, the hot new guy with a penchant for broody poetry. When a chaotic night in the group forces her to pose as his girlfriend, she reluctantly agrees to keep up the charade in real life. Surprisingly, he’s thoughtful, sweet, and—most importantly—doesn’t flinch at the things that have scared others away.
Fake dating gets a lot more complicated when she discovers Pike isn’t just some guy. He’s a professional snowboarder whose career-ending injury is as infamous as his playboy past. He won’t talk about that, though. He’s fine. Really. But pretending to be in love with Skylar turns out to be the least depressing thing he’s done in months. As they spend more time together, she starts to notice the cracks in his carefully crafted image, and for once, he doesn’t mind being seen.
After all the bed-sharing and late-night talks, it becomes harder for both of them to pretend. But just as things start turning real, the paparazzi catch on, wanting the scoop on how everyone’s favorite Olympic medalist is doing post-accident. Dating while disabled comes with challenges of its own, but public speculation and invasive questions are something else entirely. If their newfound feelings can’t survive the spotlight, their not-so-fake relationship may be over before it ever truly begins.
384 pages, Paperback
Expected publication February 10, 2026
7 people are currently reading
7938 people want to read
About the author
Sabina Nordqvist
1 book67 followersSabina Nordqvist began writing as a way to distract herself from chronic pain and illness, and before long, she couldn’t stop creating imaginary worlds and swoony book boyfriends. When not immersed in her latest project, she’s likely doing physical therapy, reading, or searching for answers to her latest mystery symptom. A polyglot with three nationalities, she’s spent many years abroad and loves nerding out over intercultural communication and the languages she’s picked up along the way. It's All in Your Head is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
4 / 5 Stars
This was a really great debut. It is a poignant portrayal of characters living with chronic pain and disabilities mixed with a sweet and spicy romance. In “It’s All In Your Head,” Skylar has created an online support group for people living with chronic pain and illness. When Pike, a new, very attractive member, posts a poem that garners a lot of attention, Skylar is forced to act as his fake girlfriend (just go with it). She’ll pose as his fake girlfriend for two dates over the course of a few months, but things get complicated because 1) Pike is thoughtful and kind on top of being hot and 2) he is a former Olympic snowboarder who had a career ending injury. As things become more real and less fake, their feelings and his celebrity become even more complicated.
You will probably like this book if you like:
💘 Fake dating
💘 Only one bed
💘 Secret celebrity and reformed playboy
💘 Hurt / comfort
💘 Found family
💘 Representation of people with chronic pain and illness (IIH and POTs)
💘 Representation of people with physical disabilities (ambulatory wheelchair and cane use)
💘 Representation of mental health conditions (depression)
The portrayal of chronic pain and illness and physical disability was really comprehensive, nuanced, and unflinching. It portrays how pervasive and systemic ableism is and shows how two characters who are relatively privileged (have money, health insurance, access to doctors, are not dealing with medical racism) could have their symptoms dismissed or overlooked. I am really glad that we are getting more stories about characters who are disabled from authors with lived experience. I can’t say anything as well as the author had so here are some really beautiful words from her author’s note: “If chronic pain or illness upended your life, I hope you’ll hold onto the possibility of your own happy ending. Joy, romance, and belonging are not out of reach just because we are ill or disabled. We do not need to be cured or inspirational to find love, in whatever form it takes.”
I really fell in love with both Pike and Skylar. Skylar has felt and been told that she is too much and that is such a heartbreaking and relatable feeling. Pike is adjusting to a new reality that he isn’t sure how to process and grieving his past life which is also a heartbreaking and relatable feeling. The two of them made perfect sense together.
The romance itself was also fun. I haven’t read a ton of secret celebrity stories and I think that trope added a fun layer of external conflict to the story. The internal conflict came from the fact that neither of the characters had been in a healthy long-term relationship before so both are terrified of messing it up. Does that lead to miscommunication and assumptions? 100%. Was that a bit frustrating (though realistic)? Also 100%. I appreciated both of their growth though. And there was a fun, spicy microtrope that kind of came out of nowhere, but you know what, why not (iykyk)? Let’s go with it!
There were a few times that I had a bit of a hard time following some of the smaller details in the book. A few times I caught myself saying “when did this character, who is now talking, enter the scene?” or “wait, how are you laying down? I thought you were in the car.” These might get corrected before the publication date but it did take me out of the book a tad.
Overall, I am looking forward to reading more of Sabina Nordqvist’s work and am happy I got to read this ARC!
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: February 10, 2026
_________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I am genuinely so excited to read this book. So happy I got this ARC.
This was a really great debut. It is a poignant portrayal of characters living with chronic pain and disabilities mixed with a sweet and spicy romance. In “It’s All In Your Head,” Skylar has created an online support group for people living with chronic pain and illness. When Pike, a new, very attractive member, posts a poem that garners a lot of attention, Skylar is forced to act as his fake girlfriend (just go with it). She’ll pose as his fake girlfriend for two dates over the course of a few months, but things get complicated because 1) Pike is thoughtful and kind on top of being hot and 2) he is a former Olympic snowboarder who had a career ending injury. As things become more real and less fake, their feelings and his celebrity become even more complicated.
You will probably like this book if you like:
💘 Fake dating
💘 Only one bed
💘 Secret celebrity and reformed playboy
💘 Hurt / comfort
💘 Found family
💘 Representation of people with chronic pain and illness (IIH and POTs)
💘 Representation of people with physical disabilities (ambulatory wheelchair and cane use)
💘 Representation of mental health conditions (depression)
The portrayal of chronic pain and illness and physical disability was really comprehensive, nuanced, and unflinching. It portrays how pervasive and systemic ableism is and shows how two characters who are relatively privileged (have money, health insurance, access to doctors, are not dealing with medical racism) could have their symptoms dismissed or overlooked. I am really glad that we are getting more stories about characters who are disabled from authors with lived experience. I can’t say anything as well as the author had so here are some really beautiful words from her author’s note: “If chronic pain or illness upended your life, I hope you’ll hold onto the possibility of your own happy ending. Joy, romance, and belonging are not out of reach just because we are ill or disabled. We do not need to be cured or inspirational to find love, in whatever form it takes.”
I really fell in love with both Pike and Skylar. Skylar has felt and been told that she is too much and that is such a heartbreaking and relatable feeling. Pike is adjusting to a new reality that he isn’t sure how to process and grieving his past life which is also a heartbreaking and relatable feeling. The two of them made perfect sense together.
The romance itself was also fun. I haven’t read a ton of secret celebrity stories and I think that trope added a fun layer of external conflict to the story. The internal conflict came from the fact that neither of the characters had been in a healthy long-term relationship before so both are terrified of messing it up. Does that lead to miscommunication and assumptions? 100%. Was that a bit frustrating (though realistic)? Also 100%. I appreciated both of their growth though. And there was a fun, spicy microtrope that kind of came out of nowhere, but you know what, why not (iykyk)? Let’s go with it!
There were a few times that I had a bit of a hard time following some of the smaller details in the book. A few times I caught myself saying “when did this character, who is now talking, enter the scene?” or “wait, how are you laying down? I thought you were in the car.” These might get corrected before the publication date but it did take me out of the book a tad.
Overall, I am looking forward to reading more of Sabina Nordqvist’s work and am happy I got to read this ARC!
Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing this eARC! All opinions are my own.
Publication Date: February 10, 2026
_________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: I am genuinely so excited to read this book. So happy I got this ARC.
March 13, 2024
IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD marks the introduction of a powerful new voice in the romance genre and literature as a whole. While Pike and Skylar's relationship is at the book's core, Nordqvist deftly tackles the pervasiveness of ableism in familial, platonic, and romantic relationships—even in the relationships the characters have with their own selves. Her writing is unflinching, funny, and heart wrenching. IAIYH is one of the first books I've ever read that accurately depicts what it is like to date, be in love, and navigate the world as a disabled woman, all without shying away from the parts of ourselves society has taught us to hide. And Pike is definitely my new fictional crush.
The week before I left for college, I promised my teenage-self that I wouldn't tell anyone that I was chronically ill, because, amongst other things, I believed no one would want to date a sick girl. I wish I had IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD to read then, to know that I could be the main character in a love story. But I can settle for having it now, a decade later, knowing that someday soon readers will have access to this beautiful book and their lives will be changed for the better.
The week before I left for college, I promised my teenage-self that I wouldn't tell anyone that I was chronically ill, because, amongst other things, I believed no one would want to date a sick girl. I wish I had IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD to read then, to know that I could be the main character in a love story. But I can settle for having it now, a decade later, knowing that someday soon readers will have access to this beautiful book and their lives will be changed for the better.
November 17, 2025
I was ABSOLUTELY blown away by debut contemporary romance author Sabina Nordqvist's upcoming 2026 It's all in your head!! This was the first romance book I've read where the author clearly knows what it's like to live with chronic pain and an invisible illness (in this case IIH - Idiopathic intracranial hypertension).
The dual POV story involves fake dating, hurt/comfort, an only one bed situation, awesome found family/disabled friend and community groups and SOO much more. It also doesn't shy away from discussions of ableism, parental abandonment, medical gaslighting, depression and worse.
But the heavy is balanced out by some of the steamiest and utterly swooniest moments too!! Brendon 'Pike' is a former Olympic gold medal snowboarder who has a career ending accident that leaves him with chronic pain and dependent on mobility aids (canes and at times a wheelchair), while the FMC, Skylar, has been struggling to figure out the cause of her IIH and lives with a host of symptoms and pain that often leaves her immobile and without the energy (aka 'spoons') to be social or do her job.
I could go on and on and ON about how much I loved this book but just trust me when I say you won't want to miss it! I'm already itching to get my hands on Skylar's two best friend's books (one of whom suspects she has hEDS and the other who is Autistic).
HUGE thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for getting an early digital copy and physical ARC in my hands! I can't recommend IAIYH enough, especially for fans of authors like Chloe Liese and Hannah Bonam-Young.
The dual POV story involves fake dating, hurt/comfort, an only one bed situation, awesome found family/disabled friend and community groups and SOO much more. It also doesn't shy away from discussions of ableism, parental abandonment, medical gaslighting, depression and worse.
But the heavy is balanced out by some of the steamiest and utterly swooniest moments too!! Brendon 'Pike' is a former Olympic gold medal snowboarder who has a career ending accident that leaves him with chronic pain and dependent on mobility aids (canes and at times a wheelchair), while the FMC, Skylar, has been struggling to figure out the cause of her IIH and lives with a host of symptoms and pain that often leaves her immobile and without the energy (aka 'spoons') to be social or do her job.
I could go on and on and ON about how much I loved this book but just trust me when I say you won't want to miss it! I'm already itching to get my hands on Skylar's two best friend's books (one of whom suspects she has hEDS and the other who is Autistic).
HUGE thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for getting an early digital copy and physical ARC in my hands! I can't recommend IAIYH enough, especially for fans of authors like Chloe Liese and Hannah Bonam-Young.
March 13, 2024
I love this book so much! With sparkling prose and characters that jump off the page, It’s All in Your Head by Sabina Nordqvist is a beautiful debut from a fresh new voice in contemporary fiction. Readers will root for main character Skylar, who lives with chronic pain from a rare neurological condition, as she grapples with developing feelings for swoony Pike, a celebrity-in-hiding who is newly disabled—and new to the very real struggles of ableism and medical gaslighting that Skylar faces every day. Nordqvist has penned an immersive love story that strikes exactly the right balance of sweetness and steam and provides authentic disability representation—filling a critically underrepresented literary need.
September 25, 2025
IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD is a breath of fresh air and an instant favorite. Skylar and Pike’s chemistry and tension is rewarded with the sexiest, most tender payoff, one that had me tearing up and blushing in equal measure. Simply put, this book feels like falling in love—with yourself and your disability, and with the one person who knows to bring you cake when you’ve existed on crumbs. Sabina Nordqvist just gets it.
December 12, 2025
I love finding a new all-time favorite book—especially when it's a 5-star prediction. Like, yes, I am psychic! And now I'm a prophet: you will also enjoy this book. Go preorder it now.
TW: Chronic pain; Depression; Medical trauma and gaslighting; On-page medical procedures, including spinal tap; Fatphobia; Ableism; Vomiting; Minor car accident (on page); Discussions about suicide; Toxic parents; Parent with gambling addiction; Medical information leaked
I would place this book in the same category as Torie Jean's books. There's a blend of well-loved tropes but starring disabled characters, and levity mixed with intense and accurate portrayals of chronic pain and medical gaslighting. If you were to see a Venn diagram with two circles labeled "swoony romance" and "shit gets real," those books would be solidly in the center. It's difficult to write books that balance both without sacrificing the humor or the nuanced identity searching. Those two authors are extremely capable.
Please see below for a full list of the representation included, which spans nine different disabilities and the use of multiple different mobility aids. I LOVE TO SEE IT!!!
I want to specifically rave about the caretaking and inclusion of internet friends. Oh, is Sydney talking about caretaking in a review again? YES I AM. And chronic pain caretaking is god tier. Chronic pain intimacy is on another level too. If you're not convinced, this book will change your mind.
Internet friends are not seen often in books, but in a book full of disabled characters I should have expected them. Online support groups have been a saving grace as I've navigated my own chronic illnesses. I love how Nordqvist incorporated the group and the different dynamics within it into every part of the story. It's there as a backdrop to the inciting incident between Pike and Skylar, it's the safe space for her to retreat to, it's complicit for a portion of the conflict, and it's the source for Skylar's entire support system.
I have zero complaints. This was the first book in MONTHS that has made me put screens aside, only wanting to read above anything else. Instant new favorite for me. <3
Set in northern New York, specifically near Rochester.
Sport included is snowboarding.
Rep:
Main character with idiopathic intracranial hypertension & POTS
Main character with chronic intractable pain and depression who uses a cane and a wheelchair
Gray ace side character with fibromyalgia, autism, & interstitial cystitis
Italian side character with hEDS who uses a rollater
Gay, Mexican-American side character with ME/CFS who uses a wheelchair
Persian, gay side character
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the arc copy in exchange for promotion and an early review. My opinions were not affected by the gift and remain my own.
TW: Chronic pain; Depression; Medical trauma and gaslighting; On-page medical procedures, including spinal tap; Fatphobia; Ableism; Vomiting; Minor car accident (on page); Discussions about suicide; Toxic parents; Parent with gambling addiction; Medical information leaked
I would place this book in the same category as Torie Jean's books. There's a blend of well-loved tropes but starring disabled characters, and levity mixed with intense and accurate portrayals of chronic pain and medical gaslighting. If you were to see a Venn diagram with two circles labeled "swoony romance" and "shit gets real," those books would be solidly in the center. It's difficult to write books that balance both without sacrificing the humor or the nuanced identity searching. Those two authors are extremely capable.
Please see below for a full list of the representation included, which spans nine different disabilities and the use of multiple different mobility aids. I LOVE TO SEE IT!!!
I want to specifically rave about the caretaking and inclusion of internet friends. Oh, is Sydney talking about caretaking in a review again? YES I AM. And chronic pain caretaking is god tier. Chronic pain intimacy is on another level too. If you're not convinced, this book will change your mind.
Internet friends are not seen often in books, but in a book full of disabled characters I should have expected them. Online support groups have been a saving grace as I've navigated my own chronic illnesses. I love how Nordqvist incorporated the group and the different dynamics within it into every part of the story. It's there as a backdrop to the inciting incident between Pike and Skylar, it's the safe space for her to retreat to, it's complicit for a portion of the conflict, and it's the source for Skylar's entire support system.
I have zero complaints. This was the first book in MONTHS that has made me put screens aside, only wanting to read above anything else. Instant new favorite for me. <3
Set in northern New York, specifically near Rochester.
Sport included is snowboarding.
Rep:
Main character with idiopathic intracranial hypertension & POTS
Main character with chronic intractable pain and depression who uses a cane and a wheelchair
Gray ace side character with fibromyalgia, autism, & interstitial cystitis
Italian side character with hEDS who uses a rollater
Gay, Mexican-American side character with ME/CFS who uses a wheelchair
Persian, gay side character
Thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the arc copy in exchange for promotion and an early review. My opinions were not affected by the gift and remain my own.
November 15, 2025
This book is a love letter to people with chronic illnesses. It battles ableism on all fronts and showcases people thriving WITH their illnesses, not just in spite of them. It takes these characters on a deep journey of self-worth, self-love, and finding your place in the world. Their stories are ones that so many chronically ill people battle with daily, and it felt so good to be seen by its pages.
March 15, 2024
I absolutely can’t wait to read this!
We’ll all become disabled if we live long enough — our only options are aging and getting disabled or dying — but our world isn’t built for disabled people and instead marginalizes us.
I hope this book contributes to getting people to care about disabled people and disability justice as much as media can — but I’m also really looking forward to reading a romance novel by someone who’s disabled and can write about life with disability well.
I love romance, and I’m looking forward to reading about two people navigating life and love.
We’ll all become disabled if we live long enough — our only options are aging and getting disabled or dying — but our world isn’t built for disabled people and instead marginalizes us.
I hope this book contributes to getting people to care about disabled people and disability justice as much as media can — but I’m also really looking forward to reading a romance novel by someone who’s disabled and can write about life with disability well.
I love romance, and I’m looking forward to reading about two people navigating life and love.
December 9, 2025
4.25 ⭐️ it’s all in your head is a tender and sexy romance with some of the most realistic chronic illness/disability rep i have ever read. every discussion of ableism — overt, systemic, medical, subtle, and internalized — was handled with nuance and depth (!!! this is why novels with disability rep written by folks with disabilities are important !!!). these conversations prompted deep reflection and offered new insights, which i appreciated. the pacing of both the plot and romance was steady and, when paired with the evident chemistry between skylar & pike, created a connection that felt completely believable. i also loved the exploration and development of the different relationships the MCs navigate throughout the story; as these dynamics added emotional weight and complexity. and the secondary characters, specifically, emy, analia, kalle, & luis never felt like filler and instead contributed a richness to the narrative in a way that deepened the whole reading experience. a fantastic debut from sabina nordqvist. i cannot wait to read whatever she writes next (like… idk, maybe analia & kalle’s story?? it is not a want. it is a NEED).
thank you so much to netgalley and grand central publishing for providing me with this arc!
thank you so much to netgalley and grand central publishing for providing me with this arc!
November 19, 2025
What an absolute stunner of a debut. Have you ever had someone say, out loud, something that you’ve only ever thought to yourself? And it’s like something unfurls in you and it feels a little bit like glee and a little bit like grief, because commiserating is a lot of things but it’s never lonely.
This book feels like that. Like sitting with friends who GET you, even if they don’t directly understand your lived experience. It is disabled joy that doesn’t undercut disabled reality to make it “more palatable”, because the two coexist as they do in real life. It is angry crying in doctor’s offices and then lying comfortably beside your friend without speaking because you’re just being together without expectations. It’s Pike figuring out what his same life looks like in this new version of his body each day, and Skylar discovering the delight of being seen back by someone - in more than one form - who loves you as you are.
If you’ve been around for awhile, you’ve seen me navigate the US medical system in real-time. You’ve seen my “I need to look presentable enough to be taken seriously but not so presentable that they think my pain isn’t real” appointment looks. You’ve seen the hoops I’ve jumped through and the walls I’ve hit and a handful of the bills I’ve wound up with. You’ve watched me establish a medical team that has stabilized and supported me, and then watched me fear insurance will take them away.
So to read a book where it’s all there on the table - the days when it’s just miserable and you can’t drag through it, or the ones where your tells are the only indication you’re struggling - and ALSO, there is laughter and intimacy and joy and care. It is not “I love you in spite of”, it is “I love you, and.”
This book feels like that. Like sitting with friends who GET you, even if they don’t directly understand your lived experience. It is disabled joy that doesn’t undercut disabled reality to make it “more palatable”, because the two coexist as they do in real life. It is angry crying in doctor’s offices and then lying comfortably beside your friend without speaking because you’re just being together without expectations. It’s Pike figuring out what his same life looks like in this new version of his body each day, and Skylar discovering the delight of being seen back by someone - in more than one form - who loves you as you are.
If you’ve been around for awhile, you’ve seen me navigate the US medical system in real-time. You’ve seen my “I need to look presentable enough to be taken seriously but not so presentable that they think my pain isn’t real” appointment looks. You’ve seen the hoops I’ve jumped through and the walls I’ve hit and a handful of the bills I’ve wound up with. You’ve watched me establish a medical team that has stabilized and supported me, and then watched me fear insurance will take them away.
So to read a book where it’s all there on the table - the days when it’s just miserable and you can’t drag through it, or the ones where your tells are the only indication you’re struggling - and ALSO, there is laughter and intimacy and joy and care. It is not “I love you in spite of”, it is “I love you, and.”
September 29, 2025
As someone with hEDS, this book is super realistic about living with disability. I had all of the feelings. All of them.
November 24, 2025
Sabina Nordqvist is one of the best romance authors I've read. She writes relatable, emotional stories that weave humor and angst with masterful skill, and characters so vibrant they jump off the page and make you forget they're not real people. It's All in Your Head is a wonderful encapsulation of Sabina's talent: delicious tropes, swoony romance, electric banter, and a group of ride-or-die friends getting up to hilarious shenanigans--while also portraying with unflinching honesty the day-to-day struggles of living with chronic illness and disability, the injustices baked into our medical and societal systems, and the strength it takes to cling to love, friendship, and hope in the face of it all. To me, more than anything, It's All in Your Head is about finding the people who will show up for you, no matter what comes, and fighting for them. In our increasingly disconnected world, it's a precious reminder that intimacy, love, and care aren't a luxury--they're a necessity that that every single one of us is deserving of. I can't wait for the world to meet Skylar, Pike, and all their friends. And then all the other stories Sabina has yet to share with us!
September 24, 2025
As someone with endometriosis and PCOS, I cannot STRESS how excited I am for this book. The disability rep of my dreams!
Want to read
January 10, 2025"IT'S ALL IN YOUR HEAD is a contemporary romance about a woman with a rare neurological condition who agrees to fake date the hot guy in her chronic pain support group to convince certain family members he's doing okay, really--only to discover he's an Olympic snowboarder whose career-ending injury is as infamous as his dating history, and the paparazzi are about to catch on."
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book. It lands in a gap in the romance novels space that really needs to have more books like it. The representation is fantastic. It’s not just one disabled person among a sea of abled people. Pretty much everyone is disabled in some way, and there’s a huge diversity in the disabilities from mental health representation to neurodivergent to visible disability to chronic illness to chronic pain. I really loved that both the main characters were disabled because I feel like most of the books that have chronic illness feature a partner who takes care of them who is healthy himself, and it was really cool to see how Skylar and Pike had to be aware of each other‘s needs in order to take care of each other together.
The story also didn’t follow the typical “my partner fulfills my every needs in my life is now perfect because we are together” trajectory- in a good way. The book stays true to disability community and shows off interdependence, which is something you rarely see in romance novels because usually we want characters to be really independent and self-sufficient. Skylar and Pike are both self-sufficient, and they start off independent, but they learn to lean on their support group, become vulnerable, and allow themselves to be part of a bigger community that doesn’t put emphasis on independence. And I love that that was shown as a good thing, because it is, especially in the disability community where it’s so important.
The book was also really relatable. You can totally tell that the author has probably had many of these experiences herself. And that’s something you can’t come up with just a sensitivity reader. Learning about a topic versus experiencing it yourself is huge. There are so many lines in here that I feel like abled people probably won’t understand, but there’s something about reading some of these lines that just really makes you feel seen if you’ve had any kind of similar experience. And that’s what makes this special I think. This is one of the first books I’ve read where it focuses on all the things that can make abled people uncomfortable about disability, and it lifts those things up because it’s a true part of our experience.
In reality we are the ones who are usually uncomfortable all the time and finally we get to see other disabled people on the page talk about those things. My friends and I talk about ableism almost every day but I rarely see it in books when we have disabled characters. And I think that’s hard to pull off in a way that doesn’t read like a memoir or a biography about chronic pain, but Nordqvist manages to do that because she centers the disability experience while also balancing it with humor, sexy times, cute tropes that we’d expect from romance novels, banter, and an amazing side cast that I really hope we get stories from from as well (Kal and Analia anyone?).
I also thought it was great that Pike isn’t healed by the end. I feel like a lot of novels that have injured athletes has them returning to the sport, so this is another gap that this book fills in terms of representation. And Pike is just kind of amazing. A book boyfriend for the win. And I kind of had a crush on Emy. So I’d like her book too!
I had a lot of emotions after reading this book, and I think it’s going to stay with me for a long time. I’d really like to have more novels like this where it doesn’t pander to abled people, but centers our experience. I feel like someone is going to read this book and it’s going to make them want to keep going because they finally won’t feel so alone through their chronic pain experience. And honestly, what more could you want from a book? I will be shouting about it as much as I can.
The story also didn’t follow the typical “my partner fulfills my every needs in my life is now perfect because we are together” trajectory- in a good way. The book stays true to disability community and shows off interdependence, which is something you rarely see in romance novels because usually we want characters to be really independent and self-sufficient. Skylar and Pike are both self-sufficient, and they start off independent, but they learn to lean on their support group, become vulnerable, and allow themselves to be part of a bigger community that doesn’t put emphasis on independence. And I love that that was shown as a good thing, because it is, especially in the disability community where it’s so important.
The book was also really relatable. You can totally tell that the author has probably had many of these experiences herself. And that’s something you can’t come up with just a sensitivity reader. Learning about a topic versus experiencing it yourself is huge. There are so many lines in here that I feel like abled people probably won’t understand, but there’s something about reading some of these lines that just really makes you feel seen if you’ve had any kind of similar experience. And that’s what makes this special I think. This is one of the first books I’ve read where it focuses on all the things that can make abled people uncomfortable about disability, and it lifts those things up because it’s a true part of our experience.
In reality we are the ones who are usually uncomfortable all the time and finally we get to see other disabled people on the page talk about those things. My friends and I talk about ableism almost every day but I rarely see it in books when we have disabled characters. And I think that’s hard to pull off in a way that doesn’t read like a memoir or a biography about chronic pain, but Nordqvist manages to do that because she centers the disability experience while also balancing it with humor, sexy times, cute tropes that we’d expect from romance novels, banter, and an amazing side cast that I really hope we get stories from from as well (Kal and Analia anyone?).
I also thought it was great that Pike isn’t healed by the end. I feel like a lot of novels that have injured athletes has them returning to the sport, so this is another gap that this book fills in terms of representation. And Pike is just kind of amazing. A book boyfriend for the win. And I kind of had a crush on Emy. So I’d like her book too!
I had a lot of emotions after reading this book, and I think it’s going to stay with me for a long time. I’d really like to have more novels like this where it doesn’t pander to abled people, but centers our experience. I feel like someone is going to read this book and it’s going to make them want to keep going because they finally won’t feel so alone through their chronic pain experience. And honestly, what more could you want from a book? I will be shouting about it as much as I can.
November 18, 2025
"That's the hardest part about invisible disabilities. Learning to exist with the pain when no one acknowledges its existence. I've tried therapy to have less anxiety about it, but none of that matters unless I have a doctor who will help me."
Y'all, tell me why I, a compulsive horror and fantasy reader with little penchant for romance, am crying about this cute little disabled rom com!? As a reader who lives with chronic pain (Crohn's, arthritis, fibro, et. al), I felt so seen by both Skylar and Pike. They have very different disabilities and come at them from very different lived experiences, but part of the beauty of this novel was the diversity amongst the disabled community, along with the acknowledgement that not everyone will have the same experience even if they *do* share a disability. Too, the way disability was never brushed aside for convenience – like during sex or to allow one partner to take care of the other – was so refreshing in a genre where romance traditionally meant we were either excluded from the narrative, a side character with an unnecessary death, or cured by the end.
I very much enjoyed the depiction of found family in this novel as well (Analia and Emi better be getting their own books; we love the girls). Skylar and Pike had very different relationships with their biological families around their disabilities, but both leaned hard on the online community Skylar built. I won't say I enjoyed the portrayal of biological family, since Skylar's mom's words hit a little too close to home, but I thought it was masterfully done and important to write in this way. Likewise, Skylar's experiences with doctors who dismiss and belittle her were hard to read, but only because they rang so true (see: my current experience with GI medicine).
And the romance!! How am I, an irl aromantic, sitting here swooning over Brandon Pike because he Googled IIH!? Beyond the sexy of it all, it was so refreshing to see a man in contemporary romance who cared so much about his (supposedly fake) partner. Neither Pike nor Skylar are perfect, and Pike especially is still unlearning a lot of ableism from before his accident, but they're both trying their best, and the way Sabina Nordqvist wrote their flaws made them all the more human without straying into bad person territory.
If you can't tell, I fully recommend this book, especially to any disabled readers looking to see their experiences on the page. When one of us wins, all of us win, and Sabina Nordqvist writing for the community is most definitely a win.
Y'all, tell me why I, a compulsive horror and fantasy reader with little penchant for romance, am crying about this cute little disabled rom com!? As a reader who lives with chronic pain (Crohn's, arthritis, fibro, et. al), I felt so seen by both Skylar and Pike. They have very different disabilities and come at them from very different lived experiences, but part of the beauty of this novel was the diversity amongst the disabled community, along with the acknowledgement that not everyone will have the same experience even if they *do* share a disability. Too, the way disability was never brushed aside for convenience – like during sex or to allow one partner to take care of the other – was so refreshing in a genre where romance traditionally meant we were either excluded from the narrative, a side character with an unnecessary death, or cured by the end.
I very much enjoyed the depiction of found family in this novel as well (Analia and Emi better be getting their own books; we love the girls). Skylar and Pike had very different relationships with their biological families around their disabilities, but both leaned hard on the online community Skylar built. I won't say I enjoyed the portrayal of biological family, since Skylar's mom's words hit a little too close to home, but I thought it was masterfully done and important to write in this way. Likewise, Skylar's experiences with doctors who dismiss and belittle her were hard to read, but only because they rang so true (see: my current experience with GI medicine).
And the romance!! How am I, an irl aromantic, sitting here swooning over Brandon Pike because he Googled IIH!? Beyond the sexy of it all, it was so refreshing to see a man in contemporary romance who cared so much about his (supposedly fake) partner. Neither Pike nor Skylar are perfect, and Pike especially is still unlearning a lot of ableism from before his accident, but they're both trying their best, and the way Sabina Nordqvist wrote their flaws made them all the more human without straying into bad person territory.
If you can't tell, I fully recommend this book, especially to any disabled readers looking to see their experiences on the page. When one of us wins, all of us win, and Sabina Nordqvist writing for the community is most definitely a win.
November 25, 2025
Nordqvist's book is amazing! I got to read one of her ARCs, and I only have great things to say about it.
I was hooked, from chapter 1, all the way to the epilogue. The beat was relentless (in a good way) and I simply could not stop reading.
Skylar and Pike's relationship. They had all you can ask for: real conversations, character development, sexual tension (in all the right places). I fell in love with both of them, rooted for them and it was torture to go through the dark moment, but it was well worth it.
The side characters were well written, they had depth and I loved the friendship and how each one of them where there for each other and I NEED TO READ MORE!!!!
Disability Rep: I loved that Skylar and Pike (and side characters too) included real talks about what it feels to be disabled, and while certain topics can be difficult to read, it gets us closer to Skylar and Pike's feelings.
Nordqvist wrote an outstanding book. It allows you to immerse in Skylar and Pike's world so you can laugh, blush and cry (in a good way) with them.
I was hooked, from chapter 1, all the way to the epilogue. The beat was relentless (in a good way) and I simply could not stop reading.
Skylar and Pike's relationship. They had all you can ask for: real conversations, character development, sexual tension (in all the right places). I fell in love with both of them, rooted for them and it was torture to go through the dark moment, but it was well worth it.
The side characters were well written, they had depth and I loved the friendship and how each one of them where there for each other and I NEED TO READ MORE!!!!
Disability Rep: I loved that Skylar and Pike (and side characters too) included real talks about what it feels to be disabled, and while certain topics can be difficult to read, it gets us closer to Skylar and Pike's feelings.
Nordqvist wrote an outstanding book. It allows you to immerse in Skylar and Pike's world so you can laugh, blush and cry (in a good way) with them.
October 14, 2025
This book is a lot of things—a story about two people falling in love with each other, a story of two people falling in love with themselves, and a story about how disability is inextricably linked to it all. I went into the book with pretty high expectations and Sabina Nordqvist surpassed them all. The varied portrayals and samplings of characters living with chronic illness offer readers clear windows and wide open doors in a way that is so graciously done. And the fake dating trope set up is one of the best I've read. A really beautiful debut with a female main character who is more than ready to step into the role of hero that she was clearly made for—so long as she's got the spoons!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you netgalley for the ARC!
You know how some books are just so perfectly written they kinda read themselves? Like they' just pull you in and and make you forget you're even reading and you have to keep going? This is one of those. I'm not a big romance reader, but I have POTS and have wondered for a long time if I have some sort of IIH, so I really didn't want to miss this one. I started reading and simply couldn't stop. The story is so well written and the characters feel so real. The disability rep made me feel so seen and so understood. I got at least a little misty eyed so many times. It absolutely blew me away.
You know how some books are just so perfectly written they kinda read themselves? Like they' just pull you in and and make you forget you're even reading and you have to keep going? This is one of those. I'm not a big romance reader, but I have POTS and have wondered for a long time if I have some sort of IIH, so I really didn't want to miss this one. I started reading and simply couldn't stop. The story is so well written and the characters feel so real. The disability rep made me feel so seen and so understood. I got at least a little misty eyed so many times. It absolutely blew me away.
December 12, 2025
This is an instant favorite of mine. I don't think I have had a more anticipate read from a debut author, and it be better than what I thought it be. This book has absolutely left me speechless. There has never been a book that has portrayed the life of someone that deals with chronic pain, more unapologetically than this book, with all of its nuances. At this same time dealing with all of the internal abelism, PTSD, depression, and mental health issues that come along with it.
It also tackles the changes of relationships once the person becomes disabled/chronically ill, with their family members, relationships, and even those in society.
Thank you to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for an Earc in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.
It also tackles the changes of relationships once the person becomes disabled/chronically ill, with their family members, relationships, and even those in society.
Thank you to NetGalley & Grand Central Publishing for an Earc in exchange for an honest review, as always, all words are my own.
December 17, 2025
his cane and her compression socks and headache hat against the world
✰ 4.5 stars, simply the most raw and profound chronic illness and chronic pain rep I've ever read, and as a medical student, reading about chronically ill characters navigating the healthcare system and dealing with unempathetic doctors is such important exposure. also, the perfect balance of deep emotional intimacy and romantic connection with sexual tension.
thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review
source: netgalley ebook arc
✰ 4.5 stars, simply the most raw and profound chronic illness and chronic pain rep I've ever read, and as a medical student, reading about chronically ill characters navigating the healthcare system and dealing with unempathetic doctors is such important exposure. also, the perfect balance of deep emotional intimacy and romantic connection with sexual tension.
thank you to Grand Central Publishing for the ebook arc in exchange for an honest review
source: netgalley ebook arc
November 26, 2025
Nordqvist masterfully balances a swoon-worthy, toe-curling romance with the unfiltered reality of being disabled in our current society—from the frustration of not being heard, to the magic of finally feeling seen. If you have ever wondered if you were too much or not enough to be loved completely as you are, this book is for you.
November 26, 2025
I really liked how much the MCs truly liked each other. They just let themselves feel their feelings, though still with doubts and concerns. Naturally, I also learned about a large variety of disabilities, most of which I’d never heard of. And about the inner ableism most of us without a disability don’t even know we have.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
AN INCREDIBLE DEBUT!!! This was one of the realest explorations of disability, chronic pain, and invisible illness I’ve ever read. I felt so seen. It was also a sweet and spicy romance. I’m a sucker for fake dating but this one did it really well! This is going to the top of my recommendations list and I can’t wait for what Nordqvist does next! (🤞Lennox and kalle)
December 15, 2025
five stars! full review to come. thank you Grand Central Publishing for the advance copy.
December 16, 2025
Y'all, this book. There's two things happening at once, ya know? The plot of two disabled people trying to navigate their lives and doctors and friendships and pain, and of course the romance. Pike and Skylar are both now my babies and I just wanna wrap them up and protect them forever. As an abled person, for me, this book does a wonderful job of showing how love shines brightest in the dark moments. The writing was well done and the romance was endearing (and spicy!). They fell in love naturally, like, you see it happening slowly and I was just kicking my feet and grinning while along for the ride. I'll definitely be following this author and hope to see more from her soon!
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