No Hard Feelings

by Genevieve Novak

Hungover, underpaid and overwhelmed, this isn't where Penny expected to be as she reached her late twenties. A sharp, smart and witty look at adulting - Fleabag meets Sorrow and Bliss with a splash of Dolly Alderton.

'No Hard Feelings is clever, funny and surprisingly sweet, and Penny captured my heart' Toni Jordan

I exist on validation from emotionally unavailable men, biscuits, and cheap wine, and it's easier to get off with Max than a Tiny Teddy.

Penny can't help but compare herself to her friends. Annie is about to become a senior associate at her law firm, Bec has just got engaged, Leo is dating everyone this side of the Yarra, and Penny is just ... waiting. Waiting for Max, her on-again, off-again boyfriend, to allow her to spend the night, waiting for the promotion she was promised, waiting for her Valium to kick in. Waiting for her real life to start.

Out of excuses and sick of falling behind, Penny is determined to turn things around. She's going to make it work with Max, impress her tyrannical boss, quit seeing her useless therapist, remember to water her plants, and stop having panic attacks in the work toilets.

But soon she's back to doomscrolling on Instagram, necking bottles of Aldi's finest sauvignon blanc, and criticising herself with renewed vigour and loathing. As her goals seem further away than ever, she has to when bad habits feel so good, how do you trust what's right for you?

Praise for No Hard

'Genevieve Novak will inevitably be compared to other authors, but the truth is, she is herself and herself alone - and that's a good thing. Funny, biting, vulnerable and unflinching, Novak's novel is like an ocean a bit salty, very refreshing.' Lauren Sams

'Scaldingly funny and bitingly real, No Hard Feelings deserves a warning danger, may induce binge reading. With her sly wit, Genevieve Novak's debut demonstrates a brilliant eye for observing the little things in life, which together can be the biggest things of all.' Tori Haschka, author of Grace Under Pressure

'No Hard Feelings is a gratifying, warm and funny debut' Books+Publishing

'Novak has perfectly captured the self-doubt and total horror of having to be happy and functional in your twenties. It would have you crying into your chipped manicure if it wasn't so darn funny.' Kimberley Allsopp, author of Love and Other Puzzles

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Adult

336 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2022

About the author

Genevieve is a writer from Melbourne. She writes character-led romantic comedies, culture columns for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, digital content, and not-great author biographies.
She loves croissants and her dog, Viktor. She hates being called Gen.
Her debut novel, No Hard Feelings, was published by HarperCollins in 2022. Crushing is her second novel.

Reviews

[✨ jami ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

normal people for australians

[Cameron Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Uh oh, I think I’m let down…” Is the first thing I wrote upon beginning this book.
Highly, highly anticipated, pre-ordered, raved about bookstagram staple, No Hard Feelings. How excited I was to love you.

It was all just so… basic. Don’t get me wrong, basic is okay; 20-something woman flailing around in life, work and relationships is a popular trope right now for a reason. But this one was all just a bit straight forward in the sense that ~writing school 101~ there was 100% telling and 0% showing. It wasn’t read-between-the-lines smooth or evocative or subtle. It made me feel like I could write a book. (For context: on the contrary someone like Ms. Rooney makes me feel like I could never.) Is this the Sally Rooney effect? Has she raised the bar so high for this genre that nothing else will ever come close? I don’t think so. I just think No Hard Feelings isn’t that great.

“Oh wait no we’re good,” I wrote, about half way into the book, “I’m hooked on it now.”
I knew where it was all going, obviously, but it got to a point where the narrative was just juicy and fast-paced enough that I was able to become invested. The cliche, obviousness of it all is okay, I told myself, that’s just the genre. It isn’t challenging, it’s comforting. This didn’t last long.

“Infuriating protag though.” I could try to tolerate a pessimistic narcissist if she was learning to overcome it. But why introduce a therapist if two chapters from the end the protag is still going on about being useless and worthless? The defeatist mindset fast becomes annoying. And why, having expressed such disdain for her therapist does she regularly ask herself “What would Dr. [therapist] say?” Does she reject the therapy or not?

This book is fluffy, it’s easy, but it’s also clunky. The pace is wrong, the tension building is almost non-existent so I honestly got the ick from the corniness of it all. I enjoyed the ending but overall I was much too distracted by the bits that I didn’t like to really find comfort in it. 3/5 ⭐️
Gonna go write my own book now.

[Theresa Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am really liking this new genre (sub-genre?) of which I have no name. Life lit has been taken and these novels are sharper than that, the covers striking with their photo images of the ‘fed-up woman’ (#canrelate) set against a boldly coloured background that catches the eye and makes the reader (me) instantly want to pick the book up and start reading until the end. This is the third novel of this type that I’ve read this month and I’ve loved each of them fiercely and despite the similarly themed covers, each of them has contained an entirely different story within. Inevitable comparisons are going to be made with other well-known novels of this type, but I can honestly say, No Hard Feelings more than holds its own. I enjoyed it so much I read it inside of a day – and it’s got to be a good book for that to happen with me nowadays.

Our protagonist is twenty-seven-year-old Penny. She’s got a lot of things going on, spends much of her time in denial about the real things while sweating all the small stuff. She is obsessed with mending a broken relationship, unhappy in her job, feeling uncertain within her friendships, and is reluctant about therapy because each time she goes, well, reality check: the truth hurts and is hard and who has time for that sort of introspection. I felt an instant affinity to Penny. I might not be in my twenties anymore, but I do know about starting over, broken relationships, being unhappy in jobs, and feeling uncertain within friendships; all of that doesn’t magically go away once you turn thirty. Sometimes it hangs around, other times it retreats only to find you again in your forties. So, definitely could relate to much of this despite the generation gap. Plus, Penny was just so lovely. I honestly wanted to give her a hug and tell her that she was awesome, that all of this, every single thing that was going wrong, had the potential to turn around for her. She just needed to believe in herself – as cliché as that sounds.

And herein lies the core theme of the novel (as I see it, anyway). Self-belief. It’s a thing and not enough people embrace it, particularly when they are young. Penny felt like she was a crap human and fully believed herself to be not worthy of anything more than what she was getting. Watching her plummet face first into a mess of her own making was devastating but seeing her emerge out of that funk to claw her way back up to the other side was enormously satisfying and incredibly life affirming. I love how Genevieve Novak writes. The wit is sharp, the humour is genuine, the dialogue punchy and realistic, the outrage suitably outrageous, and the feels – all the feels – really make you feel. This is an outstanding novel, one that I recommend highly for the list of ‘books you need to give to your best friend’. I look forward to reading more from Genevieve Novak.

Thanks to the publisher for the review copy.

[Alice Kimberley · Rating 2 out of 5]

The publicist who described this as “the next Sorrow And Bliss” must’ve been smelling burnt toast because they were having a stroke.

[Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is easily the worst book I’ve read this year. It feels like it was written by a high school student who’s trying to be ‘different’ and is filled with cringey millennial humour and crude Australian anecdotes. It’s also borderline triggering how much penny complains about her thighs, so much so that she takes the cake for my least favourite fictional character ever. Besides this, the story is highly predictable and unoriginal. Also who in 2022 is still referring to Woody Allen as anything but a pedophile.
Would not recommend.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak is a book that many people will be able to relate to. Twenty-seven-year-old Penny is full of self-doubt and has many insecurities which many people her age have experienced and can relate to.

Whilst Penny’s friends are getting promotions, getting engaged or in happy and loving relationships, Penny feels she is just waiting for her life to start.

This is a well-written story that I really enjoyed and to be honest, I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. Recommended.

[buchdate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kooperation
»No Hard Feelings« gehört ganz klar auf die Bücher-die-jede-Maus-in-ihren-20ern-gelesen-haben-sollte-Liste 🧡

Dieses Buch enthält Themen, die uns alle (mehr oder weniger) in den 20ern oder auch 30ern beschäftigen: fear of speaking up, toxische Beziehungen sowohl in Freund- und Partnerschaften, aber auch im Beruf, mental health, bodyshaming, Perfektionismus, social media pressure und noch einiges mehr 💭
Ich habe mich in dieser Geschichte total gesehen gefühlt, auch wenn - oder gerade obwohl - mich die Protagonistin Penny manchmal auch aufgeregt hat.
Heißt es nicht, dass man sich an den Charakterschwächen anderer aufhängt, die man auch an sich selbst nicht mag? Das lasse ich hier mal so stehen 👀

Neben dem starken Inhalt, hat der gute Schreibstil und der doch lockere Ton der Geschichte alles abgerundet - ein richtiges Highlight für mich! 🧡✨💬

Fazit:
Eine riesige Empfehlung an ALLE ❤️‍🩹

[Trinette Sands · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like the main character I’m also a 27 y/o white female professional so I thought I would find this relatable, instead I found it to be superficial, stereotypical and underwhelming.

[Marcela (marcereads) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars. The sad millennial trope done in an average, predictable and annoying way.

If you’re looking for something similar to Sorrow and Bliss, look somewhere else because this is not it. The only positive is that at least it’ll keep you entertained.

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Penny is nearly 27, lives in Melbourne and experiences ongoing anxiety. As many people in their 20s, I can relate.

Anything set in Melbourne gets bonus points from me. They go to Flinders St Station, I’ve been there! I can only assume this is how people from LA or New York feel all the time.

But what makes this book such a fun read is Penny herself. She is absolutely riddled with self-doubt, and self-destructive behaviours and usually I’d find it difficult to read a character constantly making terrible decisions, but Penny is so likeable and you want so badly for her to find happiness.

The plot is nothing ground breaking, but all the characters are great to read and feel authentic. None are two-dimensional, they all feel fleshed out to varying degrees.

No Hard Feelings is also very funny. Despite the heartache Penny experiences she is still humorous. Genevieve Novak nailed the balanced tone.

Fair warning though: there is no scene where Penny lies down surrounded by oranges.

[Elle · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s giving year 7 students creative writing. If our tumblr era was a book it would be this. I found the characters to be incredibly reductive, really underwhelmed with this read.

[Camila - Books Through My Veins · Rating 1 out of 5]

I must admit that I simply picked up this novel because I felt, purely and simply put, a FOMO victim. A lot of people on bookstagram were reading and raving about No Hard Feelings as if it were a masterful Literary Fiction work, so of course, I wanted to know what everyone was talking about, but, most importantly, I wanted to judge it myself.

Of course, at this stage of my life, I should know to stay away from what the masses are loving.

Unfortunately, I did not find the relatable Millennial mind-blowing story I was promised. In fact, this novel is the perfect example to answer an unnerving question: since when has it become fashionable in literature, to portray Millennial female characters as idiotic, frustrating, infuriating, useless, disinterested, and completely lost human beings?

Sadly, far from relating, female authors are giving us Millennial women a REALLY BAD reputation with these narratives.

Penny, the protagonist, is a 26 years-old Melbournian trying to navigate life as a professional woman struggling with work, and romantic and friendly relationships. Unsurprisingly, she is without a doubt, the most irritating, self-centred, superficial and self-loathing female protagonist I have ever encountered. I believe it is unnecessary to point out that she is terribly unlikable, but that is not, in essence, the issue.

The problem with Penny is that there is not one single aspect of her characterisation that I could genuinely appreciate. It is impossible for me to empathise with a character that easily admits she is average at work, is unmotivated and therefore, spends hours browsing and basically being utterly unproductive, to then chuck a tantrum and have a full-on panic attack when her boss points exactly the lack of productiveness she is fully aware of. She is also absurdly self-centred and incapable to feel happiness for the people she cares about.

Overall, No Hard Feelings is a novel about a useless and emotionally limited Millennial woman, unrelatable and without depth. With unimaginative writing, damaging stereotyping and a bland and predictable plot development, I would not recommend this novel.

[Gia (지아) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a therapy session

[Nomnivor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Killing Me Softly, weil ich das Gefühl hatte, jemand hat mich studiert, um diese Protagonistin zu schreiben. Ich nehme die ganzen Rezensionen, in denen sie als die nervigste Person bezeichnet wird, persönlich. Offensichtlich.

[Marijana☕✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ovo je prva rom-com koju sam pročitala da se obraća milenijalcima na svim nivoima, a pritom nisam ni znala da se upuštam u taj žanr kad sam uzela da je čitam. Očekivala sam da će ton biti ozbiljniji, ali smejala sam se naglas, uživala u referencama pop kulture i situacijama koje kao da su preslikane iz mog života i života mojih prijatelja.
Ne dajem najvišu ocenu zato što mislim da je moglo da bude kraće, a opet, kontradikcija, postoje neki delovi kojima je trebalo više da se posveti pažnja.
Što se mene tiče, može jedna filmska adaptacija sa Lucy Hale koja polako ali sigurno postaje rom-com darling.

[Sina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Glaube dieses Buch hätte mir Mitte 20 sehr gut gefallen und viel gegeben. Mitte 30 wars eher ne kleine Reise zu alten Gefühlen und Problemen. Teilweise wars mir zu vorhersehbar und Penny zu nervig, aber die Geschichte ist gut geschrieben und ich kann verstehen, was viele Leserinnen darin finden, die sich momentan in der Welt ein wenig verloren fühlen.

[Noémie · Rating 4 out of 5]

hétérosexuality set appart c’était pile ce dont j’avais besoin !!!!!!

[Giulia · Rating 1 out of 5]

"Even in my happiest moments, there’s room for improvement."

TW: depression, anxiety, panic attacks, fat-phobia, mentions of suicide

I wonder – Would it even be the beginning of a new year if I didn’t start it with an
Unpopular Opinion Time 🐸☕️

Actual rating: 1.5 ⭐️

This is my short Rather Random Review™️ for No Hard Feelings:
Relatable sometimes;
predictable, repetitive, infuriating and annoying all the other times.

Harsh? Maybe.
True? Without a doubt.

I fucking hated it.

I know how annoying I am - I am annoyed at myself, too – but, damn, I really despised No Hard Feelings.
Let me develop.

It started out so strong and it got bad so fast, I suffered from severe whiplash.

The main character was relatable – she was messy, confused, did not know what to do with her life, had mental health issues, low self esteem and, in general, she felt lost in life.
She was me, you know?
I read the first chapter and it felt like looking in a mirror.
I was in love.

But like any other love story, it either ends in marriage or a break up.
And this one ended in the messiest, angriest break up of them all.

The issue I have with the book is that it became painfully predictable quite literally immediately.

You know what will happen, with who, when and where (the coordinates can be found by simply opening the book they are that obvious) from literally chapter three (the real answer is: you know what’s gonna happen from chapter two, but I wanted to be graceful).
The hints and signs were definitely not hidden or hinted – they were screamed from a rooftop with a megaphone attached to another megaphone which was attached to the alarm system of the city.
And that made the reading experience annoying and boring.

Even more so because the main character was a fucking rock: nothing could pass through her self-absorbed brain. Believe me, I can understand that depression and low self esteem can make you fucking blind and hate yourself with a passion, but you still have some sense in yourself. She seemed childish in her actions and drove me insane with how self-centered she was.

She fully and unquestionably lacked self awareness – to such an extreme I was honestly taken aback. But it also made it incredibly irritating to be inside her head and listen to her train of thought.

The story got stale and redundant precisely because, as a reader, we could predict (pretty darn easily) how things were going to develop.
There is not one (1) point in the plot that made me think “oh, I wonder how this is gonna work out”.
Everything was painfully obvious and predictable and dull.

But allow me to rant here.
Allow me to fully unleash the rat in me explain why my rating is so low.
Let me tell you what really bothered me and infuriated me.

We know Penny has low self esteem, and we know she hates her body and thinks she’s too fat.
Her inner monologue, whenever she is criticizing herself, is also very much centered around this aspect of the body: she is fat, she is thus unlovable – she will never fit in a size 6 and so nobody will ever look at her or find her attractive and she will never end up in a relationship
blah fucking blah.

She has always commented on her weight and how she looks – for the entirety of the book. Which are completely understandable feelings to have.
Today’s society sucks big time and beauty standards are even more fucked up than they were in the past. So, because of her insecurities, Penny is relatable. She's all of us, you know?

But now, let me be mad because we get to the end of the book, okay?
Let me paint you the picture: you are about to finish the most below mid book you have ever read about a late-twenty-fuck-up that hates her body.
You get (finally) to the end where everything (as you expected from page 12 because this book is predictable AF – but we’ve already talked about it) goes according to plan and the sun is shining and there’s a rainbow and Penny is in love and successful and what a shock that all this has happened – it’s not as if we could tell this was gonna happen basically from page 3.

Anyhow. You get the picture, right?
All is good in the world. She’s working on herself and finally finding the balance that she has been looking for – and to that I say: amazing! Working on yourself is the most difficult thing you can do. So (even if annoyed by the predictability) I am proud of Penny – she’s THAT girl and I’m happy for her.

But then there’s an epilogue.
And if you know you know.

So, here’s a new version of Penny: more self-aware, less insecure and obsessive and whatever else. Growth, you know? Yay!
She’s going to therapy, taking care of herself, trying to love herself for who she is without struggling to meet impossible expectations, but then she just has to mention that another reason why she’s so happy and better than before is the fact that her jeans fit “slightly looser” than before – and I swear to god I saw red when I read that sentence.

Do not even try to get me wrong.
Lose weight if you wanna lose weight. Gain weight if you wanna gain weight. Go to the gym, don’t go to the gym – whatever makes you fell good and allows you to live a healthy life, do it.
But I am fucking done with this idea that the only moment you can fucking love yourself is when you are thin and slim and whatever the fuck else. I’m done with the narrative that to truly achieve happiness and a balanced life you gotta be fucking slim and your jeans have to fit “slightly looser”.
You have not improved, Penny. You’re still fat-phobic and fat-shaming .

And maybe I’m reading too much into it, but I don’t care.
I am done with it.

My gosh, I’m so glad I don’t have to read this novel and Penny whining anymore.
Can’t wait to actually pick up something decent during 2024

"We love being right, even when it hurts."

[beanwithasoul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein Coming of Age Roman, der auch aus meinen eigenen Whatsapp Chats und persönlichen Erfahrungen in den 20ern entsprungen sein könnte. Für alle mid twentie people, bei denen Dating, Freundschaften und die Frage „Macht mich mein Job glücklich?“ tägliche Begleiter sind.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5*

‘Can anyone ever really be self-aware? I used to think so, but now I’m not so sure. I liked to think that so much time listening to the voice in my head had taught me who I am and why I think and feel like I do, but it turns out I have no idea’

What direction is your life moving in? I adore books that place you front and centre, holding hands with a lead character as you navigate side by side the ups and downs of daily living. It begs the question whether anyone truly knows where they are going - in this book in your late 20s - but this is so well written it could be applied to the many stages of one’s life.

‘The rear-view mirror is for learning lessons, and everything I want is on the road ahead.’

This book is so refreshingly honest and so incredibly raw at times that I challenge anyone not to sigh and say “… ahhh, I can relate to that”. If you are getting older - and let’s face it, we all are …. 30s, 40s, even the reflective 50s - you are sure to find something in this story as you read of Penny's dilemmas. It’s just so relatable as uncertainties and insecurities can be felt by all people at any age of their life.

‘I’m always happier in my memory than I am in real life.’

So clever is Genevieve’s writing, however, that it is not solely an introspective inquiry. As much heartfelt and yearning as this story contains, it is equally bursting with laugh out loud humour. Best of all No Hard Feelings takes place in my home town of Melbourne. I am getting off the tram with Penny or walking down Collins Street in the CBD. So some pages I am laughing, others I am crying and others still shaking my head in frustration at some of the decisions Penny makes. Yet I know in all honesty I cannot be too harsh because we have all made such mistakes.

‘Mostly I’m angry at myself for falling into this again. There’s surely nothing worse than watching yourself make predictable mistakes.’

This book was such an unexpected surprise. It was such a great read that I highly recommend it no matter what your age, with relatable characters that will engage you on many levels. You are sure to laugh, sure to cry but walk away the richer knowingly appreciative of how expertly Genevieve captured and conveyed such relatable human emotions.

‘Am I really being my best self? Is this self-compassion? Is this healthy adult behaviour?’

Big thanks to fellow blogger, tesssmithwrites for her review which had me go back to take another look at this book and would have missed out on if not for her amazing review. Thanks T. Be sure to check out her review also over at Instagram.

‘It’s not the end of bad habits and the constant buzz of anxiety in my ear. That might never come. But maybe I’ll try to stop thinking about endings all together, and just enjoy these belated new beginnings instead.’











This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[Tom Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melbourne, the awkwardness of dating in your 20s and the anxieties of an underpaid job, ‘No Hard Feelings’ by Genevieve Novak may just be the type of literary romance I come to love. It’s a fresh, biting and addictive read for any younger adult, and bonus points for an important date at Cutler & Co.

[Ella Hart · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was in the mood for good trash and this delivered. 3 stars.

[LeserinLu · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Hard Feelings erzählt von Penny, die sich in einer Mischung aus Selbstzweifeln, On-Off-Beziehung und beruflicher Stagnation gefangen fühlt. Sie will ihr Leben in den Griff bekommen – doch statt konsequenter Veränderungen verliert sie sich zwischen Instagram-Scrollen, durchzechten Nächten und verzweifelten Versuchen, Max endlich für sich zu gewinnen.

Der Roman liest sich unglaublich leicht und flüssig. Penny ist eine nahbare, realistische Protagonistin, mit der sich viele Leser:innen sicherlich identifizieren können. Ihr innerer Monolog ist oft witzig und trifft den Nerv der modernen Quarter-Life-Crisis: der Druck, alles im Griff zu haben, während man sich eigentlich ständig überfordert fühlt. Das hat mir wirklich richtig gut gefallen.

Was mich jedoch nach und nach irgendwie gestört hat, ist der Umgang mit Alkohol im Roman. Penny trinkt durchgehend – nach der Arbeit, aus Frust, zur Entspannung, mit Freunden, allein. Es ist offensichtlich, dass sie ein ungesundes Trinkverhalten hat, das viele ihrer Freunde auch haben, doch der Roman hinterfragt das nie wirklich. Dadurch entsteht eine Normalisierung, die aus meiner Sicht problematisch ist. Auch das Ende des Romans konnte mich nicht überzeugen: Es wirkte zu glatt, zu klischeehaft, das wurde dem Prozess der Selbstfindung, den Penny durchgemacht hatte, aus meiner Sicht nicht gerecht.

Trotzdem ist No Hard Feelings ein unterhaltsamer Roman mit scharfem Blick auf die Ängste und Unsicherheiten junger Erwachsener – aber mit einem Nachgeschmack, der mich nicht ganz loslässt.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Do you ever feel like you’re behind on life? Like some of your friends have these successful careers, some are in a loving relationship, marriage or have kids.
You’re here thinking maybe I’m not good/pretty/smart/hardworking enough, because I don’t have the perfect job that I like or a partner that actually stays and isn’t just a situationship.
But that doesn’t have anything to do with you.
A new beginning is frightening, but also freeing.

This story was so relatable, so frightening when you think about the dating pool right now, about all the situationships, fuckboys etc etc
But it also made me hope? For a change, for something different, something better.

Characters 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I’m going to be honest: when I started reading this book I was so annoyed by Penny most of the times. But the more I read, the more I understood that I wasn’t annoyed by Penny in general. I was annoyed because it was so relatable to me, it kinda made me mad.
But it’s good. Sometimes books make you feel emotions you don’t want to feel. Think about things you don’t want to think about.

Relationship 🌟🌟🌟🌟
If the way Max treated Penny is the norm right now, I’m horrified.
But then I remember all the dating stories my friends tell me and I think: this book is awfully realistic.
It makes me crazy thinking about it.
The whole time Penny went back to Max I wanted to scream. I also wanted to scream when Bec was around.
I’m glad Penny realized she has people that care about her: Leo, her brother and father, Annie. And they are here no matter what.

Writing style 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I love short chapters. I also love writing that makes you feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of words in one sentence, when they want to show how overthinking can feel in the head of a character.
I enjoyed reading this and I was hooked from the first moment.
Definitely a recommendation!

[michelle (wertesindwichtig) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dieses Buch war für mich ein „fühl ich"-Erlebnis. Lehrreich, nachfühlbar, witzig. Es bringt ernste und wichtige Themen mit Humor zur Sprache und zeigt dabei, wie unperfekt das Leben ist.

Unsere Penny ist in ihrer People-Pleaser-Rolle gefangen. Sie fühlt sich nicht gut genug, stellt ihre Bedürfnisse zurück und steht nicht für sich ein; aus Angst, verlassen zu werden. Gleichzeitig bleibt sie ein girls' girl und begegnet anderen Frauen auf Augenhöhe. Ihr Verhalten erinnert dabei an Muster, die viele kennen: das unbewusste Streben nach Bestätigung durch Menschen, die emotional nicht verfügbar sind.

Die Dynamik zwischen Penny und ihrem crush aka festem Freund Max fühlt sich bekannt an. Wir hatten alle schon mal einen Max in unserem Leben. Die einen kürzer, die anderen länger.
Besonders das Thema Push-Pull wird gut dargestellt: Jemanden auf Abstand zu halten, um dessen Interesse wieder zu wecken, kann kurzfristig funktionieren, doch es führt nicht zu ehrlichem Interesse.

Nicht alles im Buch hat mir gefallen. Beim Thema Ghosting habe ich mir mehr Tiefe gewünscht - die klassische Storyline bleibt: Der Mann, der ghostet, jagt plötzlich die Frau, mit der er nicht zusammen sein kann.

Vieles war vorhersehbar, das hat meinem Leseerlebnis jedoch nicht geschadet. Das Buch bleibt eine unterhaltsame Reflexion über moderne Beziehungen, Selbstfindung und toxische Bindungen. Eine Geschichte, die besonders die 18-jährige Version von mir gebraucht hätte. Denn am Ende zeigt es vor allem eines: Zwei Verirrte finden nicht alleine aus dem Labyrinth.

[Bridie · Rating 3 out of 5]

No Hard Feelings was fine. It was so aggressively average. The most 3 star book I’ve read.

It's about Penny, a 27 yr old living in Melbourne who is in love with her unavailable on again off again boyfriend (who is a total dickhead), hates her job, resents her friends for their success, and just generally is a bit of a fuck up. The book predictably takes us through her highs and lows, and wouldn't you know it, everything turns out ok in the end.

The scenes where Penny has to confront herself and her mental health and go to therapy are nice, I guess. It's a book about mental health, but it doesn't really delve that deeply into it. The plot explains that Penny is depressed and has low-self esteem, and it just reads like every other sad fictional sad 20 something character I’ve read about ever. I think it would've been more interesting to talk about things like mental health stigma or how difficult it is to access mental health care. Maybe talk more about how social media and expectations especially for women in their late 20s might contribute to poor mental health. But the book just doesn't have those discussions, it only scratches the very surface of everything that could be going on with Penny that might’ve felt more meaningful or provocative.

The humour in this book tries so very hard. Unfortunately I just did not find it funny. It feels low effort and regurgitated and unoriginal and just not very smart or witty. Maybe I’m being mean.

Otherwise, it was generally entertaining. I kept reading becuase I wanted to know what happened to the characters. It wasn't the best book I've read, and it wasn't the worst. The ending is probably the best part but I mean you have to read the rest of it to get there.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this felt like a therapy session

[Chiara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing groundbreaking in terms of story, to be honest, but it fits nicely into that genre that’s hard to pin down—something like memoir-meets-life-lessons, a bit like Dolly Alderton. It’s all about growing up, how things change, how tough it can be, and how everyone’s experience is different. I really appreciate that these stories are being told more often now. That said, I would’ve liked to see some male perspectives too—it’s mostly centered on young women and their empathy for each other, which is great, but a broader scope would’ve added something. One thing I really liked was how openly it talked about getting professional help and how normal and okay it is to struggle. Super relatable, very easy to read, and honest in a way that feels comforting.

[Paige Ballard · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much

[Nina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ukratko utisci direkte citat iz knjige:"‘Oh my god,’ I hear a teenage girl hiss to her friends. ‘This dumb bitch better kiss him or I will.’"