So Much More

by Isabel Hansen

Who knew falling in love with your best friend’s little sister could hurt so much?

Hartley always heard people refer to their lovers sweeping them off their feet, but they never expected it to happen quite like this. Mostly because they didn’t picture happening after being punched in the face. They definitely didn’t picture the girl who punched them to insist on driving them home… or to turn out to be their roommate’s sister.

Hartley barely cares about rules in their life, but the one rule they rigidly stick to is not dating with their friend’s siblings. Even Daria, the beautiful little sister of their roommate. But when they get snowed in together, the tension between Hartley and Daria is increasing, and Hartley is finding it harder and harder to pull away.

Perhaps some rules are made to be broken…

Genres: Romance, Lesbian, Novella, Queer, LGBT, Contemporary, New Adult

150 pages, Unknown Binding

Published February 2, 2022

About the author

Isabel Hansen is an emerging Canadian romance author. She is an asexual lesbian, and an LGBTQIA+ advocate. When she is not writing, Isabel likes to read and play with her two dogs.

If you'd like to get notifications of new releases and special offers on her books, join her email list or visit her website.

Reviews

[Nina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was fun from the start. Hartley and Daria bump into each other and are attracted to each other in no time. Hartley is socially awkward and seems to trigger some protective instincts in her friends. Maybe this is a bit stereotypical but it is adorable in Hartley, and since she is cute and unintentionally quick to open up towards Daria, she is a lovable character.

Daria, just like Hartley’s best friend Katharina, is rather dominant, which fits nicely into the situation, and often both, Daria and Katharina appear quite a bit like cats playing with the mouse, Hartley.

Since the plot only has novella length, all of this has to happen rather quickly, and I really would have loved to see a bit more plot, maybe sometimes it could have been a little bit deeper, then.

However, the way Hartley and Daria are attracted to each other, how Katharina appears rough for some time but actually cares for Hartley and Daria is written in a very nice way. So, if you like a rather light-hearted wlw novella, So Much More could be a good title for you.
5 out of 5 stars


I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[pipsqueakreviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friend's sister.

This is a pretty enjoyable novella about Hartley being attracted to the younger sister of her best friend and roommate. While I thought the dialogue was a bit dragged out at times, it was generally humorous and fun and there's chemistry there.

I received an ARC through BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Melany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one! Quirky, sarcastic characters. Right up my alley! Loved the character development and how they intertwined. Such a great short, quick read! Would recommend to my friends for a cute story with giggles and an "awww" ending! I especially loved the beginning and how everything happened to the two main characters meeting. Seemed like something that would be pretty realistic and could happen to anyone. I loved all of this!

This book was given to me by BookSirens and the publishers to read and review. All comments above are my true opinion after reading this book.

[Judy - JC · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella was good, even this was a very short read, the pace was great and you didn't feel rushed until (almost) the end. Liked the premise, liking the best friend's little sister.
The epilogue was good.

[Lorraine Rusnack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Follow your heart

This is a fast paced story and gets right to the heart of the matter. Hartley doesn't want to jeopardize her friendship by dating her roommate's sister. Daria is hard to resist and won't back down. This is my first book by this author and I look forward to reading one of her longer stories.

[Joana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a sweet story and there was nothing bad with it, but I have to say this is on the lower side of four stars and lower on the list of books by this author - I've read most of her other ones and really enjoyed them. I really think what lost me here was the size of the book and what that allowed for the relationship, Isabel Hansen has a talent to build up the tension in a slow burn romance, so I think I missed that here... while I would never call this insta-love, the attraction is immediate and it moves fast from there, which didn't work as well for me.
Now still would definitely recommend, it was cute and sweet, and it's enjoyable for those who like short romances!!!! :D

(I received this book through BookSirens in exchange of an honest review)

[sarahthebibliomania · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5
I had high hopes for this novella as the premise seemed right up my alley I mean come on what's better than a snowed-in romance with the best friend's little sister trope? Unfortunately, this book didn't end up being my cup of tea. The pacing was a little odd and I felt like the author was rushing through it. I didn't feel the chemistry between Hartley and Daria and overall their relationship felt bland. I know that this is an arc and it's not 100% publishing-ready but there were quite a big amount of errors that did not make sense for the conversations that the characters were having and it seemed like the author might have gotten confused on what part of the story she was writing. Overall this novella was decent and I think it definitely had potential but as I said earlier it just felt a little too bland the relationship seemed forced.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[mila · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was a super cute novella! This is a fast-paced story about the main character Hartley meeting and falling for their best friend's sister. It is definitely a meet-cute story, even if they do start off slightly rocky. Daria, the sister, quite literally sweeps (punches) Hartley off their feet and then offers them a ride home as an apology.

I wanna start off by saying I really enjoyed this story. The main character Hartley, their roommate Katarina and her sister Daria are all fun, interesting characters. I enjoyed the interactions between Hartley and Daria from the beginning - their dialogues were super fun, and I enjoyed their banter.

My main complaint about this story was how short it was. I feel like this would've been an amazing full-length novel. It was hinted (or at least it seemed so to me) that there is some family drama between Katarina and Daria, but the story was short so that was never explained. Also, I didn't like the fact that Katarina was against them dating but in my opinion, it wasn't fully explained why. And the way they met and how fast everything was happening was a tiny bit too insta-love for my taste. I do understand it is due to the length of the story, and that's why I think I would've enjoyed it more had it been longer.

I did really like the addition of the epilogue, it was really sweet and I was so happy reading it. I really liked Hartley and Katarina's friendship, and I liked how considerate they are of each other. Despite saying everything happened so fast, I did enjoy the romance. It was cute and I liked how the characters were very charming even if some situations were a bit cheesy.

I would definitely recommend it if you are looking for something fast-paced, fun, and sweet - you will get just that!

I received a copy of the book through Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

[Pam ✦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free ARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.

This was a short and sweet novella about falling in love with your best friend's sister, and I must say, it was really cute.

I really liked the banter and the overall chemistry between them in the beginning. Also, russian love interest?!? I'm obsessed.
Furthermore, we get non binary rep, treated as normal as it should be and without making it a plot point, and we love that.

That said, when they get to the house it kinda lost me a little bit. The best friend/sister, is kind of a bitch just because. I get that was the point of the book, but the whole dating your sister thing isn't that much of a taboo for the friend to be that pissed about it. I mean, I would be mad if my best friend dated my mother, but my sister (?). Idk, maybe it's just me.

Anyways, this is perfect if you are looking for something short and shappic.

[Kay read by Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy from BookSirens of, So Much More by Isabel Hansen. I am voluntarily leaving an honest and unbiased review. One of the cuter meetings I admit. The banter between Hartley and Dasha at the very beginning felt organic and drew me in. I felt as if I’ve heard that type of conversation many times and even been part of this type of back and forth. It was comfortable and captured my heart. So Much More is a simple refreshing read and worth every minute. Any night when I have the time I would read this again. 5 Stars

[Jezabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this quick, cute and a little bit spicy read.
I wish it was longer! I think we can see a great character development and there’s a very interesting background story about Katia and Daria that i wished we got more info about.

The novella is divided in short chapters and the author’s writing style is simple yet it keeps you entertained since the beginning.

I truly recommend it if you are looking for a quick sapphic romance read.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[jade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This lighthearted novella is exactly what you would expect. It’s cute and romantic. I really liked the characters, they’re lovable and funny. They are “full” and realistic. I definitely will be reading more of Isabel Hansen’s books.

[Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book! It is a short story so I finished it in no time and the characters are witty and sassy, but in a cool way! I definitely had to smile and laugh several times while reading this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this!! I loved the sarcastic characters, I can definitely relate 😎 the story was short but so good

[Jhullyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW

ENGLISH BELOW

*****
La segunda historia que leo de la autora y creo que se convirtió en mi lugarcito feliz como lectora. Un romance lésbico corto y dulce que te hará reír y te hará querer enamorarte de una mujer tan bella y considerada como Hartley.

No pude empatizar con Daria, el interés romántico, porque se comporta a ratos como una niña malcriada y caprichosa, pero fuera de eso, fue bonito ver cómo se dio todo.

La trama es simplísima: una chica, Hartley, que se fija en la hermana menor de su mejor amiga y se siente culpable al respecto.

La relación entre Hartley y su mejor amiga me parece muy madura y comunicativa. La manera en que hablan las cosas como adultas en lugar de juzgarse y enojarse porque sí, me pareció muy linda.

En general es una historia bella y, muy importante, con final feliz. Me gustó mucho, aunque no tanto como "Love me now", el otro que leí de la autora. Recomendado ♥

*****

The second book I read of this author and I'm very happy to have found her.

"So much more" it's a short but good story. It's not perfect, though.

It has a slow start, I think that the moment the characters first meet, could have been a little shorter in order to move on the story and maybe develop it more.

It's like 150 pages (acording to Goodreads), but it all happens too fast and too superficial. I mean, it felt like a one-shot because of the easy plot, but it was actually longer than that.

I couldn't empatized with Daria. I don't know how old is her, but she acted like a moody, spoiled and rude teenager most of the time. So stubborn and, like, imposing. Not the type of person I'd like to be friends, let alone lover, with.

On the other hand, Hartley is a sweet girl. She's considered, a little bit awkward, kinda funny and gentle. I like the way she worries about others, without leaving herself out. It's very human.

About the plot... well, it's very simple. A girl who puts an eye on her roomate and best friend's little sister and feels guilty about it.

I love about the author that she gives me only happy endings, so, she's like a happy place for me as a reader.

[libbyy ꨄ︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading this book, throughout I was laughing, smiling, and frowning! I also loved the interaction between the characters! Their dynamic was perfect and well-written. But I couldn't come to like Daria a whole lot, she was a too pushy in some situations and didn't seem to grasp Hartley's concerns. I loved Hartley though! They were a fab main character! And the first POV suited her character/personality.

However, I felt that some parts of the book were a bit fast-paced and rushed through. I wish there was more to the story and the sisters' backstory.

Overall, this was a sweet, funny, light-hearted read with a bit of spice!


I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Hanbbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a cute little romance🥰

This book is not so thick and it is also very easy to read. I really loved reading it but for me the book was a little to short to really get to know the characters. I sometimes also had problems to visualize things that happend in this book but I guess it's just me😅

About the romance in the book, it was well written for the length of the book. I also like that it wasn't immediately that they just accepted it that there was a little hold back. The romance was also the whole plot so it just couldn't be: 'one meeting and I fell in love with you'.

I really liked reading this book, so if you are looking for a book with a cute romance this is it.

Last but not least I want to thank the author and book sirens for providing me with an earc.

[Emzbooktok · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

Best friend/roomates little sister! We have forced proximity (snowed in) and lots of tension thrown in! Overall a quirky and humorous read! Possibly the funniest meeting I've read.. Hartley and Daria are instantly drawn together, however after finding out Daria is in fact her best friends sister, she does not want to Jeopardise their friendship, but can the two ignore that instant spark, the connection.. that "click".

A perfect read if you're looking for something light and fluffy!

My only downside of this book is that it's very fast paced/ insta love but that can of corse be expected from being a novella, I would of just loved more!

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very quick read with a cute relationship at its heart. I liked the perspective from Hartley's point of view and although the relationship developed quite quickly due to it being a novella, it didn't seem rushed and there was still enough time for character development. I also liked Katarina's character looking out for both her sister and her friendship with her best friend if things went bad. This is a fun short story that you are sure to love.

* I received an arc in exchange for an honest review *

[Catharina Simpson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this story as it was cute and fast paced something to enjoy.

I liked the writing style as well, there was a part in the beginning where I was confused because I went blind into this book. I got confused when they had use pronouns but then I clicked when I looked the book up.

The book was cute and enjoyable. I liked how the characters interacted with each other and how the Mc's met and got to know each other. I also laughed when Daria climbed into the wrong bed. it felt a bit to fast but it was a cute short story and i enjoyed it.

Thank you for the ARC!

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun quick read with some hilarious banter. Let's just say the best friend’s little sister was anything but innocent.

[Sha · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK, so this is a shorter story than I'm used to reading, more like a novella. That means that I have no expectations to receive full, rounded, complex characters, simply because there aren't enough pages to accommodate this kind of writing. The story itself was great, the meet-cute was very cute, the conflict was realistic and the solution was the best kind, not out of the blue but simple, hard-at-work communication.

What I didn't like? The conflict, while presenting a realistic and well-known problem in dating (not only in sapphic relationships but also in hetero ones) was not well established. The older sister seemed to be jealous (romantically jealous) more than angry, to the point that I actually thought that she may be in love with the MC… maybe tone down the jealousy vibes and insert some protective vibes of her friend/sister??

What did I like? Banter!! Yes! This book is full of laughs and I love it. the dialogue (and sometimes the inner monologues too) are full of funny moments and I laughed out loud many times. It was great humorous writing and it made up for any flaw in the book. I can't wait to read more from this author :)

Summary: funny, mostly well-written, cute rom-com. And did I mention funny? Highly recommended enjoyable read.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, in exchange for an honest review.

[Aja! · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fast-paced novella about a chance encounter between two individuals who, unbeknownst to them at first, were actually connected by a person mutually important to them. When I said "chance encounter", I really meant that one of them accidentally punched the other and had to assist them afterward out of guilt. I thought this would make me cringe, but really it was genuinely funny and the scenes I thought were too cheesy were indeed cheesy, but in a charming way. The absurdity of some of the scenes and the way the characters are portrayed made me feel like I was watching a romantic sitcom (I could just hear the laughing crowd noise inside my head). I do think that the epilogue was rather out of place though. Overall, this was a fun read that could easily get one out of a reading slump.

I received a digital review copy for free from BookSirens and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Carrd

[Amari Clegane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Hartley is trying to get over an ex and as part of the process her best friend and roommate bets her that she can’t get a girls number by the end of the month. While out on an errand she’s punched by a beautiful girl and this kicks off a series of events that leads them ending up at Hartley’s home. Little does she know that this girl is her best friends sister and she’s crushing hard.

Isabel Hansen continues their great series of novelas with another great entry. Much like their previous works they’re not too long and are refreshing takes and meet cutes. The characters in the book are all pretty fleshed out for how short the story is. My main complaint would just be that I wish it was a bit longer and that we had a bit more time getting to flesh out the beginning of their relationship and getting to know them a bit more. If you want something short and sweet that you can read in a sitting or two then consider picking this up.

[daisy · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is an adorable, short romance with great representation of the lgbt+ community!

the characters had quirky, fun personalities but i feel like i just wasn't able to get attached to them, which was probably just due to the length. i wish it was just a couple more pages longer!

the jump from chapter 8 to the epilogue was also a bit much for me. i wish we were able to get more insight on hartley & daria's relationship before the epilogue!

i found some of the sentences to just be either too wordy or too broad, unfortunately, and i never really found myself wanting to keep picking it up and reading it. i feel if there was just a bit more plot development, that wouldn't have been the case.

but overall, this is a great lgbt+ romance with a happy ending that i believe a lot of the lgbt+ reading community will just adore!

*i received an advanced review copy for free, and i am leaving this review voluntarily!*

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to recieve an ARC from the author for free but all opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this! The characters were funny and I liked being in Hartley's perspective. The romance was realistic and although it was quick (just because it's a novella) we still got to see enough of the characters that everything made sense.

This book made me laugh and kept me wanting to read more. Everything flowed nicely and overall, I had a really good time with this novella.

Something I always love about Isabel's books is how characters can be casually queer without it being a big part of the story or them having to deal with any conflict because of it. Hartley uses they/them pronouns and both them and Daria are sapphic. That's just who the characters are and it's not challenged.

I would definitely recommend picking this up when it comes out Wednesday!!

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, this was a super cute and easy read! I really liked the flirting; the dynamic between the MC and the love interest was well executed and entertaining. The smut was pretty good, although I think it could have gone a little further. I did think the writing was a bit clunky at times, with characters walking in and out of the room over and over again at the most convenient (or inconvenient times) to help the plot, and the dialogue was maybe a bit repetitive.

At the end of the day, this is a short romance novella, so the characters weren't particularly deep or complex, but it is everything it sets out to be. I would recommend it if you're looking for a quick fluffy romance story to put a smile on your face.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Marjan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I finished this book in 1 read. It was easy to read and was fast paced. However, I had a bit of trouble with how Katarina was portraited, her strange harsh words did not give something extra to her character and was rather anoying. Also I did not understand why she had a nickname.

The story was fast paced and lost some credibilaty. Characters were superficial and could have been build better. The history of the sisters was also vague. Why did they not see each other, what happend with their parents? I think that was a setback for the book, it could have been better if the characterbuild were more explicit.

All in all, a nice read but not great.

An arc was given to me for an honest review

[grace ・❥・ · Rating 3 out of 5]

First and foremost, this book has one of the most sensual and interesting tropes out there, best friends siblings, and whilst the two have the most electric chemistry there was something missing, and I'm not sure what it is but it just felt.. forced.

The dialogue throughout the book is witty and gratifying to read and yet it was seemingly basic and sort of dodged a lot of questions I had with regards to this book, which is understandable as it is only a novella and Hansen managed to communicate the plot in a brilliantly executed manner.

This Novella, overall, has gained a rating of 2.75/5 stars for me as whilst it was done well, it was just missing that something special.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[theo · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2.5)

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was super intrigued by the premise of the book but unfortunately, it fell a bit short for me. I didn't expect too much in terms of character and relationship development or depth but I do wish that there would have been a bit more to the story. It might even have been possible to develop this into a full-length novel, allowing Hartley and Daria some more time to get to know each other before things start to get serious, as well as diving more into the relationship and history between Daria and her sister.

I liked bits and pieces here and there but in the grand picture, it just didn't live up to my expectations.