Unapologetic Love Story

by Elle McNicoll

UNAPOLOGETIC LOVE STORY is an unapologetic celebration of love, relationships and the women who have historically been shut out of such stories, until now…

Enter Raina Lewis, London’s newest autistic ‘It Girl’ who has investigative journalist Tom Branimir convinced that she can’t be as perfect as she seems. If she has a hidden agenda, he’s determined to find it, he just has to avoid falling under her spell…


A joyful, whip smart, unputdownable romance, perfect for fans of Olivia Dade, Emily Henry, Taylor Jenkins Reid and Talia Hibbert.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Adult, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Contemporary Romance, Adult Fiction

Audible Audio

First published April 2, 2026

About the author

Hey, I'm Elle. I'm Scottish, autistic and an author/screenwriter who is really bad at logging her reading choices.

I write about autistic girls finding out who they are and what makes them happy, because I'm an autistic girl trying to find out who she is and what makes her happy.

I don't read reviews, as they are for readers, but I'm grateful to any and everyone who engages with my work, on the page or on the screen. My Young Adult Romance debut is called Some Like It Cold in it will be published on the 3rd of October. Official professional shiz below:

Elle McNicoll is a bestselling and award-winning novelist and screenwriter. Her debut, A Kind of Spark, won the Blue Peter Book Award and the Overall Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, as well as Blackwell’s Book of 2020. She is a four time Carnegie nominated author, and was shortlisted for the Books Are My Bag Awards 2020, 2021 and 2022, the Branford Boase Award 2020 and The Little Rebels Award 2020 and 2021. She was also honoured in the US with the Schneider Award, 2022.

Her second Middle Grade novel, Show Us Who You Are, was Blackwell’s Book of the Month and one of The Bookseller’s Best Books of 2021. Her first fantasy middle grade, Like a Charm, was nominated for Best Children’s Book for Older Readers in the first ever Week Junior Book Awards, and was highly praised in the New York Times.

Her debut novel, A Kind of Spark, has also been adapted for television, which debuted on UK and US screens on the 2nd of April, 2023. It is Emmy nominated and won Best Children’s Programme at the Broadcast Awards and the Royal Television Society Awards in London, 2024 and is now streaming in many territories around the globe. A second season is currently airing on CBBC.

Her debut Middle Grade was named as one of the greatest children’s books of all time, coming in at number 75, and she is twice nominated for the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award.

Her YA debut, Some Like It Cold, will be published on October 1st (US) and October 3rd (UK). She is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing, as an autistic and dyspraxic novelist, and currently lives in North London.

Reviews

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written with heart for anyone who has been told you don’t look autistic enough. Or that you’re *too* different. Or for those who feel they aren’t autistic enough. Or for ANYONE who wants an incredible love story that will make you laugh and tear up and glow from within.💜

Raina Lewis is a 28-year-old podcaster spotlighting autistic women. Tom Branimir is an investigative journalist who is known as the King of Cancel Culture. When Tom crosses wits with Raina, he is surprised to find a sparring partner.

As someone who recently got an autism diagnosis, someone who didn’t even realise I could claim a community, a sense of being understood; this hit home.

This book highlights how autistic people (women especially) listen to people talk at length about how tragic and terrible it is to be them, or to be in their lives, or how they’re not real.
You can tell this is an own-voices romance from someone desperate to see themselves represented.

If Clark Kent’s signature glasses did represent autistic masking, they’d been discarded.

Raina is bubbly and optimistic, Tom is more cynical and comes across as dour at first. I wouldn’t call this opposites attract as Elle artfully demonstrates masking and also the desperate need to fit in - even from neurotypicals.

The steamy scenes will have your toes curling, but it is balanced out with emotional resonance.

Yes, it was occasionally cheesy. Yes, the romance felt too perfect, too quickly. But, hey. This is a love story. A projection we can dream about.

“No one is voiceless–some people just don’t know how to vary their listening skills.”

Physical arc gifted by Pan MacMillan.

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[ahmeeka · Rating 2 out of 5]

[arc review] I so badly wanted to enjoy this book and now I feel like the minority while reading everyone’s positive reviews—I just didn’t connect with the story. I think it’s definitely a me problem, because I’m not a huge fan of the writing style and traditionally prefer to read romance in first person.

I did like the way the story touched on the difficulties neurodiverse women face—being told you don’t look like you’re autistic, but then made to feel like you’re just difficult for wanting to establish health boundaries that work for you and make you feel comfortable in a world built for those that are neurotypical.

as someone with debilitating high functioning ADHD—I too struggle establishing boundaries on what is expected of me, so I found myself relating to raina throughout the story.

I didn’t—controversially—like tom, and at times I found myself rolling my eyes at him. I also feel like third act break ups only really work if it makes sense for the plot, but in this it felt predictable and only there to serve as a final push towards the end of the book.

I know that when ‘unapologetic love story’ is published, it’s going to be one of those books that becomes well loved and received by a lot of people—I just wish I was one of them!

[R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

นิยายรักที่นางเอกเปนออทิสติก เขียนโดยนข.ออทิสติก
ชอบประเด็นที่ใส่มา บางทีอ่านแล้วก้รีเฟลคเหมือนกันว่าเคยไปทำตัว insensitive หรือ ignorant ใส่คนกลุ่มนี้ไหมวะ🥹

แอบคิดว่ามันไปทาง chick lit นิดนึง แต่โรแม้นซ์คือหวานเลยล่ะ พระเอกรักนางเอกมากไม่ไหวแร้วๆๆๆ และถึงเราจะรู้สึกว่ามันยังขาดๆ เกินๆ มีช่วงไม่เก็ตความคิดตลค.อยู่บ้างกับการตัดสินใจในสถานการณ์หลายๆ อย่าง แต่ว่านะ ยี่สิบเปอสุดท้ายคือเลิ้ชชชชชชชชช มีแต่เหตุการณ์ปึ้งๆ พระเอกง้อนางเอกแบร่บ bro that's not grand gesture it's Graundé Ghestqué

spice: 2/5

[Bookly_Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am no way shape or form a romance reader.

But I am always very excited to try out books by autistic authors or with autism rep in it. So after a bit of debating I decided to give the audiobook a try and I don’t regret it!!

I loved Raina so much, she was so sweetly relatable in very specific ways and a majestic cloud of optimism! I adored the friendships and even kicked my feet at the romance!!

Jessie Mei Lin did an amazing job narrating which was surprising because I didn’t know she narrated but it fit so so perfectly I couldn’t think of anyone else doing it!

[kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75* Unapologetic Love Story has all the vibes of a naughties British rom-com, whist also being the antidote to the rampant ableism those classic rom-coms often contain.

I adore both Elle's and Raina's passion for uplifting and highlighting neurodivergent voices and experiences, something that shone through in this book. This is such a wonderfully empowering story, whilst also being enlightening, funny and emotional. I'm definitely looking forward to more romance from Elle in the future.

tw: ableism, disordered eating, body shaming

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unapologetic Love Story by Elle McNicoll is hands down one of my favorites of 2026. Yes I know the year’s just started but trust me, it’ll take a lot to bump this one down the list. I have to preface this review by admitting that Elle McNicoll is one of my favorite authors and Some Kind of Spark captured my type of autism so extremely well I force everyone around me to read it (while I keep Role Model close to my heart because of the relatable school trauma). So I already am quite familiar with everything she wrote. I loved her YA romances already, but this one. THIS ONE.

If you’re autistic, stop reading this review and (pre)order it. It is 100% healing. It is a warm hug, a familiar space with understanding and love. If you’re not autistic, please order this one too but you might want to read this review first.

What I love is that you can really feel and see what autism is like for the main character Raina, both in her POV and when Tom is trying to understand her. It makes it recognisable for fellow autistics, and at the same time it gets explained to a neurotypical reader who slowly will get to know Raina’s autism. It’s so beautifully done it made me cry. But of course this book, like the main character, is so much more than autism! It’s just my focus as a fellow autistic. Because the story is amazing too, I was sucked into this stort at page 1, it didn’t let me go. The supporting characters are so layered! Raina’s best friend was at times unbearable and at other times amazing, she felt so real to me!

But Tom and Raina themselves really shone in this one. Their meetings and banter and getting to know each other is chef’s kiss and I was so invested in their relationship and the plot! It is very character driven, just how I like it, but enough happens to keep it interesting. This novel is truly fun, yet deep and meaningful with a message simmering underneath. I can honestly say this is my favorite romance book ever and I will be rereading this many times in the future.

I received a free copy through netgalley, many thanks, but my opinions are my own.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly refreshing romance novel. Raina is a podcaster behind the show, The Disability Track, on which she discusses autism and interviews disabled people. Tom is a writer, well known for his take downs of terrible people, earning him the nickname, the "King of Cancel Culture."
The pair meet at an extravagant event and are immediately drawn to one another. Tom thinks she might be a good story for his book, but quickly realises that she's so much more than fodder for his writing. Raina is reluctant, hesitant to let him in, especially when so many horrible and ableist comments have been said about her before.
Luckily, they continue to spend time together and Raina begins to let Tom in. The more he sees, the more he finds to like. But the world is cruel to autistic women, especially successful, attractive autistic women who don't fit the preconceived ideas of what an autistic woman "should" be like. Tom and Raina might be able to unmask in the comfort of her Barnes home, but in the outside world it's a different story.

This book truly has it all, brilliant side characters, spicy scenes, great representation, thoughtful social commentary and a third act conflict that actually makes sense.

I thought I was sick of romance books, but I just needed to read this.

Unapologetic Love Story is Elle McNicoll's first adult book, but reads so naturally that I would've thought she's been writing for this audience forever. I'm definitely going to read her YA books now!

Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the eARC.

[Isabell (Taylor’s Version) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 ✨ ‘He loved me unapologetically. He saw me and loved me in and out of my mask. Now I no longer wear one. My whole life, I’ve felt unnatural. But with him, everything is easy. I feel more natural than ever before. I feel human. For the first time.’


I enjoyed this story a lot and am so glad to have listened to the audio-book read my Jessie Mei Lee, a neurodivergent actress, who brought the story to life beautifully. I loved her narration, the characters and the steamy romance. This book felt full of hope and possibilities and I thoroughly adored it and hope lots of people will read and enjoy it as well.

[Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Elle McNicoll's adult debut and it is very much an adult novel (sweary words and sexy scenes included!). And as a reader who enjoys romance I really, really enjoyed this book. She has a very (unapologetic) way of telling things like they are in her books. And I love it.

This story focuses on older main characters in their late 20's and early/mid 30's who have a lot of their own lives sorted, which I always enjoy reading. Tom and Raina know who they are, or who they want to be, but just want that one special thing to complete their wee puzzle... And because the characters are older in this book - with a life and jobs and experience - we get sweary words and physical affection and life. We also get to see how the romance between Raina and Tom forms, how they are drawn to each others intellect, wit, and their banter. This is their foundation (and doesn't it just smack 'autistic stereotypes' in the face!) and it's really quite fun to read/watch develop.

I loved this more 'adult' story about an adult autistic woman from Elle McNicoll. Yes, we've read about similar characters in her other books, but in 'Unapologetic Love Story' we also get to talk about the shushed over aspects of being an autistic women, which is refreshing and very much needed. As an autistic woman, I find that is isn't uncommon for people to be surprised that I have emotions, big feels, about things (pick a topic; climate, environment, and human right are some of my favorites) but can't handle wooly jumpers, loud noises/bright spaces, or people telling me to 'smile, it can't be that bad', or f*cking supermarkets this bit in the book is utter perfection and could likely only be written by a neurodivergent person who lives this . All this to say that this romance book is real, it made me feel seen, and will undoubtedly make others feel seen too. It has a rawness to it, a reality that I feel lends itself to the story. Some romances paint unreal expectations of relationships and life; I don't think this one does, not at it's heart.

Did I shout, sigh, swoon, swear, sweat through drama? Yes, I did. Did I also say 'f*ck yes' and 'isn't that the truth' so many times that I lost count? Also yes. Is Tom so totally swoony, and Raina deserving of all the love. Absolutely. Did I cry a few times? Yes.
And not just because I felt seen. Not just because some of this was too sweet and cute. Not just because I felt the pain of some of Raina's experiences. But because all of those things together. The tears were of sadness and joy combined. Of those big feelings we autistics 'are not meant to have'.

We need more books by neurodivergent authors with neurodivergent characters. I think I get so much joy from books with this representation because it's a reality for so many - and such a diverse reality too. How do we show authors its safe to write like this, that the support is there, that

I received this as an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. It has not affected my opinions - but I did squeal when it came through!

Also I wrote way more than I wanted to here. A simple "Sweary-word yes!" didn't seem appropriate for a GoodReads review. ... I'll do that somewhere else..

[Kelsey-rose💘 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is Elle mcnicolli’s debut Adult novel ( she has written ya in the past) and it’s also my first book of hers I’ve read too - considering I don’t really read Ya .

THE cover is so beautiful .the mmc is hot and so is the fmc and i love that. I did request this as an arc but I did not get approved . However , I did buy the book when it was released - I mean the fact the fmc is autistic was a reason to buy this book alone. I also wanted to support an autistic author .

So um this book has an autistic fmc - I love that as an autistic women myself . This book actually shows an autistic woman struggle - sort of ( it shows that her autism very much affects her life ) . I love to see this in books because it’s rare . It’s rare to read a book about someone with autism ( especially a woman ) and it not just be about her having barely any meltdowns / shutdowns etc.

Reina is a character I love - like me she love to dress girly ( autistic women are for some reason presented in society as women who “don’t care to look pretty “ this book did have that message at the start of the book - the fmc debunks that . Now I also love an fmc that has a podcast - a podcast about disability I love that .

Now let me be clear I know many autistic women do dress more tomboyish - not all of us are girly ( I for example don’t wear makeup ) but I love pink and dressing girly . I love skirts , dresses , cardigans . Like the fmc . I love looking cute and as pretty as you can without the makeup

I also love tom . An mmc who knows she has autism and what does he do ( he finds out more about it ) . She has a podcast - so he listens to it . He research’s about it . He actually is there for her - this man is down bad quickly ( but it pays off because he like cares about her and I love it . Tom won’t be an mmc everyone loves but for me I do - he calls her sweetheart . He is essentially the kind of mmc I yearn for .

Let me be clear though tom isn’t portrayed as perfect at all and I like that - I like that both he and Raina (the fmc) are flawed characters. I love them as both individuals and together .

This book may be in 3rd person but it works for this book - to me the 3rd person enhances the book instead of dulling it ( which is rare ) - this shows that Elle mcniolli understands how to do it well and I love that .

This book had a 3rd act breakup but it works well - for me it worked well even if I wish tom and Reina hadn’t broken up at all . And I love the way it was resolved .

the book is kinda dedicated and written for us autistic women so ofc I had to pick it up . Especially since it’s autism awareness/ autism acceptance month . It’s a perfect book to pick up this month ( April) . I love seeing autism rep / ND REP IN BOOKS ( as a an audhder ) . I absolutely love this truly .

This is a book set in London with a Scottish mmc and a British( English ) fmc.the author to my knowledge is also a Scot so .( I like that ) . For those wondering, this book is In 3rd person I know that’s not for everyone so that’s why I’m telling you all this . This is also an own voices book because like me and fmc the author is also autistic

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

I hugely respect and admire Elle McNicoll for all her work advocating for neurodivergent people, and I've previously loved several of her books. This is her first adult romance, and quite honestly, I struggled with it. I think that's largely because it was, at no fault of the book, Not For Me, which is 100% fine and I really hope a lot of other (autistic) people will connect with it more.

Ultimately, what I took away from this book was mainly that it felt almost like it was intended as a movie rather than a novel. I also think it would work exceedingly well as a movie, it has all those early 2000s UK romcom vibes. But as a novel, it didn't work for me in several small ways.

Mainly, I struggled to really connect with the characters. Raina, because she was just SO witty literally all of the time and it felt a little exhausting to read. Tom, because he seemed to almost worship Raina to an uncomfortable degree. He seemed to think she was entirely perfect, and I would have liked to see a little more nuance in their relationship. I also didn't love how Tom chose physical violence towards some of the bad guys not once but twice, and I really don't see how that could ever be romantic. I genuinely did see the chemistry between them, but it didn't land for me in the end.

I also struggled to read so much hatefulness towards Raina and hatefulness in general through Raina's parents, Tom's friends, Raina's online haters, et cetera. Elle McNicoll has always had a great way to deal with ableism head-on, and it's very valuable, but as a fellow autistic person, I do have a hard time reading it.

[morgs · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

This was a beautiful read. From a neurotypical pov, I know I could never grasp and understand to a deeper extent the experiences of a neurodiverse individual, but this romance put such emphasis and highlight on how every single neurodiverse person is different, with different emotions, different experiences & different ways they express themselves in society and I thought this was a really important message.

The representation ofc was incredible and the way it highlighted the way SO many people perceive neurodiverse people. It was heartbreaking being in Raina’s head during times where she was being spoken to in such a disgusting way.

But, I LOVED the dual pov. I felt so connected to Raina, I loved being able to understand her actions and the way she’d mask herself, through her internal thoughts and feelings. With Tom, I felt it was so important for the story that we felt how he was trying to understand and learn everything about Raina.

The love story was perfection. It felt authentic and raw, with genuine ups and downs that felt realistic and not like an unachievable fairytale. The emotional development of their relationship was so satisfying and made me feel so warm, then the SPICE?! Loved it!

So, this only isn’t 5 stars for me because of my massive dislike for Seb & Ottie. Ok, I know it was important to the plot. However, I felt that Tom should’ve cut ties sooner, they made shitty comments SO early on that I feel he dismissed? Just made him lose a tiny bit of credibility to me.

But such a refreshing, character-driven, romance!

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elle McNicoll's adult romcom debut has some of the best #ownvoices autism rep that I've ever read!! Raina is unapologetically autistic and uses her podcasting platform to elevate other actually autistic people. When she is approached by Tom, a Scottish journalist known for 'cancelling' influencers, she's leery to say the least. But as the two circle one another, their chemistry becomes undeniable and Tom becomes one of the few people Raina has to mask her true self from. From sensory overload, to feeling like she's equally not neurotypical or autistic enough, Raina has had to deal with medical gaslighting, bullying and more. Great on audio with a must listen conversation between the author and narrator included at the end. Definitely a standout read for me this year!

[Toby Sutton-Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is one of my favourite author's first foray into adult fiction. What always impresses me is Elle McNicoll is able to write with the exact same amount of heart and passion for each age group, her writing always feels so natural. This time there's also a commentary on both romance and romance fiction, and Autistic people's relationships within those spheres. The highlight for me was the ending, which is very satisfying!

[Inaaa_Sayshi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook. Jessie Mei Li did an amazing job narrating everyone and it was very immersive! It's also very interesting to be in a perspective of a mc who has neurodivergent autism. It really did open my eyes to everything that she experienced and especially in love.

Imo, i think everyone should read this because it is quite enjoyable and we really need more stories like this in the book community 😌👏

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book

Raina Lewis is dazzling London with her smash-hit podcast The Disability Track, which celebrates neurodiverse women.

Tom Branimir, a cynical investigative journalist known as the ‘King of Cancel Culture’, is seeking his next story.

Big-hearted, bold, and full of bite, Unapologetic Love Story is the dazzling debut adult romance novel from bestselling author, Elle McNicoll. For fans of Emily Henry's Book Lovers and Talia Hibbert's Get a Life, Chloe Brown.

[DJBookgirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS BOOK NEEDS ALL THE HYPE

Gorgeous romance with an autistic FMC who is nothing but herself.

I loved this. It was sooo relatabyand had me giggling, getting all worked up and also swooning.

Loved the romance.
Loved the friendships - and how the toxic parts of them played out.
Loved the family representation.


This book felt honest, refreshing and very much the sparkly pink joy in a book space that likes the negative aspects of being neurodivergent.

[Katie (cozynatured)]

Eeek thanku so much Pan for the finished copy and goodies, so excited to be a part of the blog tour !! <3

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love autistic people falling in love!!! Also like that this protagonist was angrier than most of elles - less of a palatable autistic woman.

[Stacyfrancesreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

“As long as I’m alive, I will never stop loving you, Raina. It’s in my fucking bones. Archaeologists will be able to see you etched in me.”

Elle McNicoll writing an adult romance . I was so ready for it. I’m happy to say that Unapologetic Love Story really delivered. It was sharp, funny, romantic, and angry in all the right ways. It felt so true to Elle’s style, especially in how she writes autistic womanhood with real depth, rage, humour, and heart.

First things first: Raina Lewis is THAT girl. She’s confident, stylish, biting, vulnerable underneath it all, and completely unwilling to shrink herself to make other people comfortable. And honestly? I loved her for that immediately. There is something about the way Elle writes autistic female protagonists that feels so real. Not polished or sanitised. Not written to be palatable. Just...real. And Raina absolutely embodies that.

“Autistic women, in the narrow corners of these people’s minds, weren’t supposed to be successful. They weren’t supposed to be attractive. They weren’t supposed to be colourful, or stylish, or someone who could draw attention and take up space.
Raina liked it that way. She liked upending whatever they thought.”

LIKE...YES, EXACTLY!!! That is the energy of this whole book. Raina is not here to be digestible. She is here to take up space, challenge people’s assumptions, and look incredible while doing it.

And because this is Elle, the book is also infinitely quotable . Genuinely, every five pages, I was like, “Excuse me?! I need to highlight that before I combust.”

The autism rep here hit so hard for me, too. There’s so much truth in the way Raina moves through the world, in the exhaustion of being misunderstood, in the anger of having other people define autism for you, and in the deep ache of wanting connection while knowing how often the world gets it wrong.

“There were bound to be girls like her listening. Girls who worked hard at processing a world that was sometimes not processable for them in the slightest…Girls who felt that they were just the wrong kind of girl.”

That one? Straight to the chest. Elle just has this way of writing lines that don’t feel performative or over-explained. They just land.

And Raina’s speech was incredible. I loved how unapologetic she was; how she refused to let autism be framed as a tragedy or burden or some cautionary tale for neurotypical people.

“I’d like you all to forget everything that you think you know about autistic women… Don’t listen to it. It’s a crock of shit.”

Now let’s talk about Tom Branimir because this man was DOWN BAD almost immediately, and I ate it up. This is very much a “he fell first, he fell hard, he never recovered” situation, and Tom spends a huge chunk of this book absolutely gone for Raina. The man is fighting for his life from the second she verbally destroys him, and I had the time of my life watching it happen.

Their first interactions were SO good because Raina is not remotely impressed by him at first, and rightfully so.

“It’s just…I heard you suffer with a disability yourself.”
You dick, why did you say it like that?
“I don’t suffer from anything, Mr. Branimir. Not until this moment, at least.”

I’m sorry, but I SNORTED. She gathered him so effortlessly. And deservedly! But what I liked is that Tom isn’t written as perfect from the start: he messes up; he has blind spots; he says the wrong thing. But he learns; he listens; he pays attention to Raina, to her needs, to the shape of her world, and that made the romance work for me.

Tom is basically hopeless when it comes to her, and while yes, the romance develops quite quickly, I can’t even be mad because the man was in the trenches. He was obsessed. He was yearning. He was writing love declarations that could probably alter my brain chemistry.

“You’re like spring to me.”

“How am I supposed to go back to life before you? I used to breathe oxygen, now it’s just you.”

“Raina, you’re not a holiday. You’re like my homeland.”

ELLE, YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME.

Was it a little fast for my personal favourite kind of slow-burn suffering? Yes. I am, unfortunately, a masochist who likes to be dragged through emotional glass for a bit longer, but Tom being almost love-at-first-sight levels gone for her was still incredibly swoony, and it suited the intensity of the story.

I also really loved the side characters here. Pepper was such a standout for me: fiercely loyal, funny, and protective, exactly the kind of friend you want in your corner when the world is being awful.

And Solana was such a good little sister. I loved that when Raina was too hurt or angry to think clearly, Solana often stepped in as that voice of reason without ever making Raina feel small. That dynamic felt really lovely and grounded.

Raina’s parents, though? Hmm...Interesting is definitely the word. Her mum and I were not friends, let’s just say that. Her dad felt more redeemable to me, and honestly read as though he may well be neurodivergent himself, which added an interesting layer to how he related to Raina. But her mum? Yeah… no. She irritated me deeply.

And then there's Seb and Ottie, who I can only describe as deeply despicable people. Absolutely foul. I support the idea that they should now be unhappily married to each other as punishment because, truly, what else do they deserve?

One thing I found really interesting was the parallel between Tom and his awful friends and Matt and his awful friends. Both men are surrounded by people who treat Raina badly, but the difference is in what they do. Matt lets it happen. Matt prioritises fitting in. Matt hurts her. Tom, on the other hand, put Raina first. And that contrast was one of the strongest parts of the book for me. Because it’s not about what kind of people you’re around; it’s whether you choose cowardice or love.

And when the inevitable betrayal/break-up happened? Oh...I knew it was coming, but it still hurt. What saved it for me, though, was how Tom worked to win her back. Not in some lazy grand gesture way, but in a way that actually showed thought and care and understanding.

Tom buying tickets to the Mondays so that her fans, and more importantly, her parents, who hadn’t really ever supported her properly, would be there to see her success? Him buying her the Liberty shoes she loved for the occasion? Him sending messages through Solana because he knew he wasn’t welcome? Sorry, that is ROMANCE.

That whole section was great because it wasn’t just “man says sorry, woman forgives him.” It felt like Tom was trying to prove that he saw her, that he valued her work, that he respected what mattered to her, and that he wanted to celebrate her even if he got nothing out of it.

And then there’s this:

“As long as I’m alive, I will never stop loving you, Raina. It’s in my fucking bones. Archaeologists will be able to see you etched in me.”

EXCUSE ME??? I beg your finest pardon???
That is actually insane behaviour, and I support it fully.
100% my favourite line of Tom’s in the entire book.

The spicy scenes were fine for me. They didn’t really make or break the book either way. They were there, they worked, but the real heart of the story for me was always in the emotional intimacy, the understanding, the banter, the tenderness under all that bite.

And the banter really was so good throughout.

“I’m working on a collection of my… uh—”
“Assassinations?”

“No,” Raina said firmly. “He’s my stalker.”

“His little Dictaphone thing hasn’t come out once since we started sleeping together.”
“Uh huh. Thinking with his dick instead of his Dictaphone. Fine.”

I mean… come on. Elite.

Overall, Unapologetic Love Story was bold, romantic, clever, angry, tender, and deeply, deeply readable. It felt like a natural step into adult romance for Elle McNicoll, while still carrying everything I’ve loved about her writing before, especially her ability to write autistic women with complexity, dignity, humour and absolute bite.

The only reason this wasn’t 5 stars for me is that the romance moved faster than my personally preferred level of emotional torment, as I do love my yearning dragged out just a tiny bit longer, but that said, I still had such a good time with this. Raina was incredible, Tom was feral for her in a way I enjoyed immensely, and the whole thing had so much heart.

So, thank you very much to Pan Macmillan for the proof, and may we all continue to be as “unapologetic" as Raina.

And I’m leaving you with one of my absolute favourite lines because it says everything about the heart of this book:

“Until then, stay uninspiring.”

[Lily Golding · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Elle McNicholl’s books. I have for years. But I have to admit, this one was a struggle. It wasn’t the story itself, or the relationship (which was fantastic), or the characters (who I loved). It was the comments and overall hate that the bad characters gave Raina for being autistic.

I’ve found this in McNicholl’s books before. She does like to include stuff that’s not very nice that’s said about us, so that she can rebuff it. Which I understand completely. But as an autistic person who has trauma from that sort of thing, it really really hurts. This book especially had an awful lot of it. And I just found it very distressing. It really upset my enjoyment of the book.

It was still a really well done story. The romance had me rooting for the main characters so much. I really loved their different characters and their romance together. There was lot to love about this book. But it was just overshadowed so much for me by the horrible comments that Raina was getting from all the Neurotypicals around her.

I’m still a huge fan of Elle McNicholl. And I still want to keep reading her books. But if there’s another one as hard to get through as this, I might have to rethink that for my own wellbeing.

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Cross-posted to thewhisperingofthepages.co.uk

[Miya Soleil · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Unapologetic Love Story by @ellemcnicollofficial ✨

Since I don't want to forget my thoughts afterward I decided to jot them down directly, 5 minutes after I closed the book.

There might be tangents and it's not well-structured AND English isn't my native language so please bear with me 🙇‍♀️

⚠️MIGHT CONTAIN SPOLIERS⚠️

I want to start this post by saying that this is definitely my favourite book of 2026 and one of my favourite books by Elle.
I've been in a long book slump and have been DNFing books for a few months now, until I read Unapologetic Love Story. I enjoyed every bit of this book - hmmm well the third-act breakup has my body tensing and has me sobbing but it's because it's so well written...
*I mostly dislike thrid-act breakups and always avoid reading them, but this one is well built and seemed necessary for the story even though it has made me so sad.*

I just want to say that I LOVE RAINA so, so much.
When we read MF romance, we are often searchng for a cute book boyfriend in it if that makes sense - BUT my full focus was definitely on Raina.
While I don't relate to every part of Raina's neurodivergence, I still found her so relatable and adore her personality. As some other readers said, I would love to have a big sister like Raina...!

I especially relate to the part of being a neurodivergent self-advocate and trying to help other NDs adore themselves while feeling super frustrated and angry with myself when I have meltdowns/shutdowns... etc.
I also relate to Raina's wanting to see the good in people (& empathising with others) even when they're being mean... but I also feel sad for Raina while reading because - most of the time, people won't do the same for us, they seldom be as accepting and kind towards NDs when we don't act as they expected as almost immediately deem as "rude", "weird", "apathy"...

To be honest, I was a bit scared of Raina's best friend Pepper, as I was afraid she might walk away from Raina when she most needed her, or might actually laugh at her... but I'm glad it isn't the case ✨
I also adore the sisters (Raina's and Tom's) they are soooo supportive as well!

I was while reading and still am angry with Tome's ex-"friends", especially Ottie - she doesn't deserve Raina's kindness 💔 (while I might have tried to comfort Ottie in that situation, I might quickly give up because of my severe RSD...)

Also the love between Raina and Tom... I just LOVE the 2 of them together! They are so sweet together... 💖💖💖
I have aphantasia so I generally can't really imagine anything in my head when I read, but Elle's writing is so detailed and beautiful it makes me visualise fragments of Raina and Tom, their smiles, their laughing together, also the supermarket shutdown scene...

I was CRYING when I read the scene with Zailey.
In my self-advocacy journey, there are many moments I want to give up, and there are many moments I feel burnt-out and I can't even take care of myself anymore.
There are MANY moments I doubt if my words, if what I'm trying to share could actually get to the people who need them, or if they could actually help anyone.
Like Raina (and I think many ND writers/self-advocates have gone through this too), I've been criticised, doubted, laughed at... etc.
However, if there were anyone, even if there were ONLY 1 person, who feels encouraged/understood/soothed/less alone because of our words, it would be worth it.
So I was SO touched when I read the passage about Zailey... 😭

While I was reading this story, from the very start, I felt a very complicated feeling deep inside me.

I'm SO glad that Elle has written this book and feel so seen and so empowered by Elle's writing and Raina's existence; however, I was also (still) grieving the fact that such wonderful fiction might not be possible to be published in Taiwan.
I have been feeling very upset about the difficulties of getting published as a ND writer in Taiwan, so I've been thinking about this when I read this book.
The level of authenticity might not be easily accepted/understood by NT readers in Taiwan - people are too used to the savant stories, the "severely disabled" stories, or the "disabled people could only side characters" sort of view.

But I'm glad that at least A Kind Of Spark has been translated in Taiwan! ✨
Ohhh and also the oppressing scene from Pepper's birthday party reminded me of the "Are you having a meltdown Addie?" scene from AKOS the series...!
It was a bit triggering, but also VERY realistic.

(I will translate this post into Traditional Chinese and share it on my other accounts with more viewers, hoping that some publishing house might read it and decide to translate Unapologetic Love Story into Traditional Chinese!)

Anyways, I just want to say that I absolutely ADORED Unapologetic Love Story.

Thank you so much Elle for having written this wonderful book.
Hopefully one day I will be able to share a translated version of this book to people who might not be able to read its original version 💖

Original review on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/DW6z6CfjNol/

[Seershhhhh · Rating 4 out of 5]

3/6/26- will add more to review in the morning

We absolutely LOVE to see more and more disabled characters in romance! Like hey! we’re here too! Made this an instant read for me. We also LOVE seeing neurodivergent authors. I personally felt that this was a very realistic romance. It’s not some big unrealistic ‘everything is a fairytale’ story.
You’re getting the real, raw story, and parts are going to be tough. It’s life.

As a young woman who is autistic, I could relate to Raina so much. ‘You don’t look autistic’ is something that I wish I could say I never heard anyone say that to me. I felt at times that I was reading about myself? It definitely hit me, and I felt so many emotions. I mostly felt disappointed for Raina. Any autistic female will heavily relate to Raina and understand her experiences.
Being autistic comes with challenges, but successful, assertive autistic women don’t tick any one box of what an autistic person ‘should’ be like, brings many more challenges. Neurotypical folks just don’t understand us. They perceive everything wrong. Shush us, slap us with labels, dim our light. It truly shows that society still has quite a long way to go with raising awareness, and instilling the simple concept of acceptance. We all have our differences. Neurodivergent people.. our brains just work differently. It’s not that big of a deal to just let us fucking exist.

Raina works on a podcast, talking about autism, and providing our disabled community with a platform. Tom is a journalist who essentially exposes and takes down shady folk. When they meet at a fancy work event, Tom’s intentions aren’t particularly great. ‘What can I make a story’ type of vibe… or WHO. He’s definitely more on the miserable, grumpy side of things. It took me a little while to warm up to him. Raina’s reluctant to trust him, and I understand why it’s so hard for her to let people in. Who could blame her when she’s spent her entire life being told that she’s not enough. Ableist remark after remark. Raina’s journey of unlearning all that shit people expected of her really resonated with me.

Tom quickly sees that all the assumptions he made about Raina couldn’t be more wrong. They start spending time together, and she gradually lets him in a little, and he wants to know more about her, he’s drawn towards her. Spending time with her and getting to know her really opened his eyes. He had to learn about autism, and I really enjoyed this. It’s written beautifully, Tom cared about her so much that he wanted to learn everything he possibly could to support Raina. I know people will say it’s the bare minimum, and of course I agree, but it’s truly beautiful to see how much that effort really means. They developed a beautiful relationship, they had great banter and chemistry. Raina and Tom are so adorable together. I won’t lie, this story brought tears to my eyes. It’s an incredible love story. Being loved for who you are and that you are absolutely enough. That feeling of acceptance… it’s immensely powerful.

Thank you to NetGalley, Ellie McNicoll, and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to receive an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review

[Mia fawnsandfairytales · Rating 5 out of 5]

📃🌷🖊🎙💋

my rating: 5 ★

"𝒀𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆." 🌸🪺🍃

To feel as seen as I did by the words between these pages is something I never imagined I'd ever get to feel.

This book is so special and important to me 🥹

It just shined! I've read a few books with neurodivergence representation before, but they all felt more 'in the background' and not the focus.

This story really was unapologetic and I loved it for it! Raina and everything that came with being autistic wasn't pushed down to make room for the romance - it instead WAS the story. Raina's story. Where she was never 'too much'.

I'm in awe of how much Raina felt like me. I've never felt so represented in a book. I felt completely understood and it was so freeing.

It brought me so much joy but also made my heart ache. So many of Raina's experiences matched perfectly to mine. This book brought me back to lots of hard moments in my life, but it healed and comforted me at the same time to know I wasn't alone ❤️‍🩹

The scenes of 15 year old Raina in particular really broke me. The experiences she had at that time and her feelings were so similar to me. I had tears streaming down my face.

She was such a genuinely wonderful character and I just adored her 🥹💖

I am in love with how indepth and amazing her characterisation was - so much thought and love went into bringing her to life.

And our mmc Tom was so charismatic! I loved his clever and witty personality - he made the perfect sparring partner for bright and bold Raina.

He was also so thoughtful and kind and gentle hidden beneath the layers, and not once did he try to dim Raina's light. He wanted her to shine 🌟

And even on days she couldn't, when she felt weighted down or overwhelmed, he showed up, ready to be whatever she needed of him.

He didn't let Raina push him away out of fear. He worked to prove to her how much he wanted her, how worthy he wanted to be of her.

The ultimate yearning 🥺

I also really enjoyed Tom's backstory and the deeper understanding we were able to have of his character.

Tom and Raina built such a wonderful trust between them and I admired both of their courage to let love in so much 💞

Their romance was beautifully tender and fiercely passionate. Sparks were flying between them and I could feel their connection and chemistry so strongly!

The back and forth between them was so worth it! ❤️‍🔥

They were just such amazingly written characters! Neither of them were perfect, but that's what made it beautiful. This book was so wonderfully authentic.

Also, the blurb quote wasn't lying about the 'For fans of Emily Henry' either. It definitely had Emily Henry energy; a snappy and witty narrative with an incredibly strong voice.

This book means everything to me. My heart feels so full 💗

p.s. Just by the authors note alone I knew I was going to love this!

~

Thank you ever so much to pan macmillan and netgalley for the e-arc, and to the author for writing this story. 🩷

[Books By Your Bedside · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan for the advanced copy o this title in return for an honest review.

This is my second of Elle's books I've read, but I do own four others, and she has quickly become a go-to author for empowering and beautifully tender stories and characters. She doesn't sugar coat anything, it's rough and raw, but that's what what we need to see. We, and particularly young readers, need to see themselves in stories as the hero.

It's a very refreshing romance. It gives me everything I expected from a romance book, but she packages it in a slightly different way which makes it feel fresh. It's cheesy and corny and fabulous.

Raina and Tom are complete opposites and yet their chemistry is palpable and I think part of that is because they're so different. Raina doesn't hide the difficulties she's gone through but she's still bright and bubbly, whereas Tom is quite sedate and pessimistic, particularly at the start.

I loved the chemistry between their minds, not just their bodies. Tom appears a bit lost at first but together they make their way through. He wants to learn from her and she wants to let him in, but it's not always as easy that that.

It is vital that mainstream fiction includes more autistic characters, and not just as a sidekick or a box to tick or to be the butt of the joke. Autistic people - and therefore autistic characters - are just the same as neurotypical people. Sure, there are differences, but they're no more different than a neurotypical person is to another neurotypical person. We are each our own person, and to say that neurodiverse people cannot do this, that, or the other is ridiculous. And the fact that this still needs to be sad is absurd, and Elle has captured this brilliantly. Particularly in the opening few chapters, she shows it in a tongue-in-cheek way, but that doesn't lesson the seriousness.

I believe this is her debut adult novel, and it definitely is more adult, what with the inclusion of swearing and love scenes, but I think the heart of her stories are the same.

It is a relatively long book but it doesn't feel like it I found the opening fabulous and the ending good. Did it slightly dip in the middle? Perhaps, every so slightly. Enough of me to notice but not enough to spoil the enjoyment of it.

I have not had a diagnosis of autism, although I have several relatives who have. There are definitely elements I identify with and people have said I probably am neurodiverse, but I think everyone is to a certain degree. Anyway, I digress. What I'm trying to say is that whilst I really enjoyed it, I think it would be appreciated more by an audience who is autistic, particularly young men and women who are autistic and feeling a bit alone or a bit shunned and aren't sure where their place in the world is.

This is a book for those of us who have been told "but you don't look autistic", or that you're "too autistic; too different ".

[Sifa Poulton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It has not affected my opinions.

At this point, I think it's probably pretty obvious that I'll read whatever Elle McNicoll writes. We need more books - of all genres - by neurodiverse authors centring neurodiverse characters. And the only way to make that happen is to show up for those books that are published to show there is a market for them.

It certainly doesn't hurt that they're very fun reads.

This is Elle McNicoll's adult debut and it is very much an adult novel. The characters are 30 plus and have lived and loved before (and there are a few spicy scenes too). They are not finding love for the first time or trying to work out who they are. It's therefore a very different romance to her other novels - these characters know what they want from life and are going to do their best to get it.

There is a lot of chemistry between the duo from their first meeting. I particularly liked how the novel explored the meeting of minds in their attraction and developing romance, not just the physical side of things. They're both smart and not afraid of a fight and it gave the romance more depth to explore the myriad ways people can be drawn to one another. Plus that's the bit of a romance that always draws me in and find most interesting.

I also appreciate how Elle McNicoll continues to push back against the stereotypes of autistic women in media, instead pointing out the truth that one neurodiverse person is just one neurodiverse person - there is no standard way to be neurodiverse (the clue is somewhat in the name!) Raina loves clothes and is a romantic at heart, she's not afraid to say her mind (and has the courage to say it even knowing it will cause pushback.) She is loyal to her friends, even when they're displaying their flaws. In short, she is a multi-faceted person.

Some of the chapters start with little excerpts from Raina's podcast showing the breadth of topics she covers. Many are romance focused, given the book, and I liked how it did gave fragments of voices to other neurodiverse characters. There was also a little cameo of a character from her YA novel, WISH YOU WERE HER, which I very much enjoyed.

[Lucy Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I would like to say a massive thank you to Pan Macmillan for sending me a proof copy of this book!

This book was absolutely beautiful from start to finish! Elle McNicoll is a fantastic writer and I am so excited to see if she writes any more adult books and where she will take us with them because this book was absolutely wonderful and I need ten more of them immediately.

I am always on the hunt for books with neurodivergent representation because there definitely isn't enough of them, but books like this one... my god do they hit 1000000x harder. I have never in my life related so much to a main character before or read so many quotes in a book that resonated so deeply with me that I had no choice but to just sit there and have a little cry. Raina is simply the most wonderful FMC I have every had the privilege to read about and she will stick with me forever.

Neurodivergent people are my favourite people on this entire planet, I mean maybe I'm biased because I too am neurodivergent and I think we're pretty awesome. There are so many different ways to be neurodivergent and no two people will react exactly the same to the same situation and that is a thing that is mentioned in this book that I truly appreciated. As someone who can handle some situations perfectly fine but has others that I won't even contemplate it is so refreshing to have these conversations in this book.

Now we have to talk about Tom Branimir. Boy oh boy do I love this man but boy oh boy did he have some learning to do at the start of this book. I loved seeing the journey these two took as their relationship grew and seeing the things that Tom had to learn and unlearn about Raina's life as an autistic woman. This man just wanted to learn everything he could about the woman that he was absolutely down bad for and he certainly succeeded.

If you have not added this to your TBR yet... what are you still doing here?! go and add it immediately! not only does this book deliver an absolutely stunning, swoon worthy romance it also offers a lot of well needed education about what it is to go through life as an autistic woman and I think everyone will be better off having read this book.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading around midnight last night and just finished. I did get some sleep but clearly my brain decided it was not a priority. And now I'm cursing myself slightly for reading it so quickly. I imagine I will read it again pretty soon.

It's a good romance novel, first of all. It works on that level in a very satisfying way. It made me think about how maybe I don't avoid most romance books because I don't like the genre. Maybe I just find it hard to relate to most of the characters.
.
Raina is spectacularly relatable. What resonated for me was her political rage and her love of creating space for autistic women to be themselves. This is built into her character development in a way that feels totally natural. I had highlighted 6 things I loved in the first chapter and by the end of that chapter I had been moved to tears because I could absolutely picture the scene and how much of a triumph it would have been. Rainy meets a group of secondary school children and answers their questions and she "held court" after having confounded the teachers' expectations of an autistic speaker. The first short chapter also skewers condescending charity and educational attitudes and introduces us to a flamboyant, confident and articulate main character I was rooting for.

The podcast structure enables the book to bring in other perspectives. Raina as podcaster also seems very natural when sharing her strong opinions. The opinions themselves are rooted in McNicoll's deep understanding of autistic, neurodivergent and disabled community and politics. There is so much love in this book. Yes, it's a romantic love story but it is also so incisive in relation to growing up, being part of a community and choosing a lens on life that fits your values. It has a lot to say about friendship, redemption, and deciding what to do when relationships might be beyond redemption. It rings true about being a Scottish person moving to London too. There is a lot of love for autistic people. It is so affirming to read.

Buy it. You won't regret it. It has something for everyone, but it will be especially important for neurodivergent people to read and to fall in love with.

[olivia marion · Rating 5 out of 5]

How to explain how mind-blowingly important this book is? First: if you didn't know, I am a late-diagnosed autistic woman. Our FMC, Raina, was also diagnosed but in her teens and runs a podcast called The Disability Track where she encourages fans to stay uninspiring. And if you don't get why that is SO flipping refreshing, read on. If you do get it, be ready to feel intensely seen. This book is mind-blowing, not because of the representation (which is obviously amazing), but because it is at its core a swoon-worthy, funny, sexy love story that centers an autistic experience. The classic beats are all recognizably there. The meet cute, the sass, and the banter. Oh my god, THE BANTER, people. But there's an extra kind of spark (see what I did there? iykyk) that is so achingly needed in more books today.

From the first chapter, I knew that, 'Oh. This is going to hit different.' It felt like looking in a mirror and seeing a bit of my story reflected back. Okay, sure, I'm not a high-profile neurodivergent podcaster and my partner isn't a columnist in London, but I AM an autistic woman with the most amazing husband (hot historians for the win, am I right?) who has freelanced her whole life because the office environment would never work for me. And notice I said 'work for me.' It took a long time to realize that it wasn't the other way around, that it wasn't me that was the issue. Trying to describe any lived experience as an autistic person is so difficult because every single one of us is compared and tested and ranked against one another. We've all experienced some form of ableism, even from ourselves at times.

Elle so beautifully captures the raw and messy process of coming to the realization that there is nothing wrong with us. That we can take up space. We can be passionate, fun, and sexy! That we all have a voice even if it's not palatable to everyone. I could go on forever, but I’ll end by simply just saying, thank you, Elle. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for writing a book I could see pieces of myself in. It’s one of the first, but I certainly hope it's not the last.

[Caira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a sparkly rainbow explosion of a beautiful love story about allowing yourself to be vulnerable to be loved, and to have the self love to be unapologetically you in this world. Elle has created the most beautifully written story whilst advocating neurodiversity with the sassiest ‘it’ girl in London, the adored Raina. This is book Rom-com at its best!

Raina is the big sister I wish I had growing up to tell me it’s okay that you’re neurospicy, own it and be loud. Don’t mask and hide the real you - show the world how sparkly you can be! And she is creating a safe space for others with her podcast, The Disability Track, to discover how to be proud and bold in life.

This book hit my heart and soul intensely hard. I related to Raina on a deep level. I felt seen as a neurodivergent woman. This book represents neurodivergent woman so well in a sexy and fun way, Which is totally different to how neurodivergent main characters are normally written or conveyed.

Now enters Tom, the ‘king of cancel culture’ who was immediately intrigued by Raina, and why wouldn’t he be?! She’s the hot ‘it’ girl in London with her podcast right now that’s up for a big award! He’s sure there’s more to her and her story and is determined to uncover her secrets. Their first encounter doesn’t go well and he soon learns that she is a sassy girl who won’t back down, but he’s persistent, and as he gets to know Raina he discovers that the sun shines brighter when she is around. Professional and personal lines begin to blur and emotions get heated. Their love story is a slow burn but oh so swoony! Raina enlightens him and makes Tom begin to question what makes him happy in life and where his future is going with his career.

I adored this love story so much and it was an incredibly easy 5 stars to give! 🩷 Thank you so much to Book Break UK for gifting me this copy and for having me on the blog tour for this book release