Overspill is a raw and tender debut about Sara, a 25-year-old woman living with complex PTSD, as she navigates life, trauma, and love in London.

This was a different read for me, but I’m so glad I picked it up. What a brilliant book. A real girls’ girl read - thoughtful and beautifully written. It tackles some brutal themes, but with care and authenticity. I loved how it didn’t waste time on filler, it moved between the moments that really mattered.

The relationship at the heart of this book felt refreshing in its honesty. No big drama, just two people figuring things out in a way that felt true. If you’re looking for something quietly powerful, Overspill is it.

Charlotte Paradise’s Overspill is a breathtakingly raw and intimate debut that examines the intersections of trauma, desire, and identity with searing honesty. Set in modern-day London, it follows Sara—a young woman navigating the complexities of intimacy, love, and self-ownership in the wake of deeply rooted psychological trauma.

Paradise’s prose is both lyrical and unflinching, portraying Sara’s journey with remarkable emotional clarity. Readers are drawn into the tender but tumultuous relationship between Sara and Miles, a man who respects her boundaries but wrestles with his own longing and confusion. Their dynamic is portrayed with nuance, allowing room for both love and frustration, miscommunication and care.

What makes Overspill so powerful is how it avoids easy resolutions. The novel refuses to simplify Sara’s trauma or romanticise her recovery. Instead, it leans into the discomfort, offering an authentic portrayal of healing as nonlinear, messy, and deeply personal. Through perspectives that alternate between Sara, Miles, and therapy conversations, the novel builds a layered picture of what it means to reclaim agency over your body and your story.

Many early readers have described Overspill as “devastating,” “suffocatingly real,” and “spectacular in its emotional depth.” It has drawn comparisons to works by Sally Rooney and Coco Mellors, but Paradise brings her own voice—one that is sharp, visceral, and deeply empathetic.

Trigger warnings apply, as the novel engages candidly with CPTSD, bodily autonomy, and psychological distress. However, for readers seeking a story that challenges, resonates, and ultimately uplifts, Overspill is a must-read.

A refreshing, raw portrayal of CPTSD. I really respect the openness and honesty of this book. I can really see this book leading to more open conversations amongst friends and partners. This was unfortunately a DNF for me as I couldn’t connect to the characters or to the setting but I am so grateful to have been given the chance to read this. Thank you so much for the arc. I can’t wait to see what Charlotte does next!

Truly devastating. Sara tries to come to terms with some uncomfortable truths about herself, and finds herself on a very dark journey to discover more than she realised. This is a very tough read, as Sara fights to free herself from the past through therapy and support from her mother and friends. As she starts a relationship with Miles, the full horror of her past catches up with her and she has to face this down before she will ever be able to move on. It is sensitively written but is very disturbing, so proceed with caution with this revelatory story.

Sara is 25 and for as long as she can remember she has struggled with the relationship between her and her body and he sense of self. Then she meets Miles who is patient, kind and willing to work within her boundaries. But both of them have never actually had a real relationship and the progression of theirs goes wrong eventually when both of them struggle to be honest with each other and themselves.

This book was really interesting. The exploration of trauma and sense of self was so fascinating. The writing was really beautiful and compelling. It just wasn’t a book for me, I can objectively see this was a really good book and I liked it well enough

This tells Sara's story of cptsd after a traumatic event in her past: unable to use period products, unable to fully experience a sexual relationship without panic, but she meets Miles and amongst the backdrop of falling in love, she learns to accept herself, learn about her past and try to move forward.

This is a powerful read, one that I would argue the reader is required to read, one that educated me. Sara has a support network of characters: her mum, her flatmate and friend Anji, her book club friends. I loved that she lived an ordinary life, accepting other people's success, and celebrating their joys. She lives with her PTSD and is hindered by it but she's not morose.

Miles, the love interest though, I absolutely could not stand! Perhaps that is the point but I missed all the joy that they should have been experiencing when falling in love, I think he had forgotten that too!

This is a hard read, for sure, but one I think is important. It opened my eyes up and I loved Anji's humour and succinct, straight to the point, wisdom! We all need a friend like that 😃

This was so raw and real and had me aching somewhere deep inside. I loved the characters, their connection and story.

Overspill by Charlotte Paradise is a raw and beautifully crafted debut novel, with C-PTSD as its central theme. It is not always an easy read, but the author's conscientious writing and very real characters create a safe space within the pages that make it a real page turner.

Sara is in her mid 20s and is desperate to live the life of a typical 25 year old, she wants to be in love and she wants a sexual relationship, but even using a tampon results in a panic attack. Sara meets Miles at a friends party and they begin to date. For the first three months, they don’t touch. Although filled with desire for Sara, Miles respects her boundaries. Sara is equally full of desire, but her body won’t let her do the things she wants to do.

Overspill is the story of how Sara and Miles navigate their relationship. It is also the story of Sara’s journey to reclaim her body. A journey that is woven so skillfully into the narrative, with Paradise slowly revealing key details as Sara discovers them herself.

I couldn't put this book down, it handles the subject of trauma in an honest and sensitive way. The characters are flawed but striving to do their best which I found wonderfully comforting. There's so much love and support within the pages which balances out the heavier moments.

I’d recommend this book to readers who enjoy Sally Rooney, Coco Mellors or Caroline O’Donoghue.

Thank-you to Rachel Quin and NetGalley for reaching out with an ARC copy of this brilliant book.

Wow, this was an emotional GUT PUNCH. Hard to review, if I'm honest...

Charlotte Paradise is a very, very talented writer, that much is clear. I didn't remember what this was about as I requested it from NetGalley a while back (thanks for the arc!) and sort of went it blind - which I don't recommend if you are the kind of person who needs trigger warnings.

Without giving too much away (which, having read the blurb again, I think gives too much away in some ways... blurbs are hard!), this is a story about trauma. Our MC, Sara, suffers from extreme body issues that make it hard for her to put a tampon in, let alone think about penetrative sex, particularly after an awful experience with ex-boyfriend. (Awful is not a strong enough word). She hasn't dated since then, but wants to move forwards in a relationship with Miles, who she genuinely has romantic feelings for, and sexual ones too, but how can they navigate a physical and emotional connection that doesn't leave them both resentful, hurt, or unsatisfied?

A lot of Sara's issues resonated with me, even though she's in a younger age profile than me (she's 25), and her raw, brutal pain is hard to read. The prose is stunning, the emotions are real and crippling. I wonder if this comes from lived experience?

<spoiler>I found it difficult that, in the end, there was an 'answer' to Sara's trauma. She was sexually abused as a child. This will resonate with a lot of people I'm sure, but I felt that as the subject centred around cPTSD, it was an unnecessary part of her backstory. I am not negating in ANY WAY people who have undergone such terrible experiences. However, the fact that Sara's trauma had a clear 'instigating moment/moments' slightly undermines people with cPTSD who do not have that clarity. It's actually possible to feel the things that Sara feels throughout the book - the life-limiting bodily detachment, dysmorphia, panic attacks, emotional detachment, irrational fears - without having such a specific and terrible event in one's life. I expected the 'twist' (but not from the very beginning), yet still felt a kind of disappointment that this can potentially deny people who experience these difficulties with just being alive, without having an 'aha' moment. cPTSD can come from micro-traumas, and I guess I was hoping to see that sort of representation. I think that it's quite a misunderstood condition in many ways. To repeat: I am not suggesting that childhood abuse makes these feelings any 'easier'; I was just hoping it might have presented a more nuanced look at complex trauma </spoiler>

Please do read the trigger warnings for this book - it may be a difficult read. Beautifully written though - Charlotte Paradise has a turn of phrase and way with words that are devastating. A strong debut; my rating is perhaps more due to personal expectations/experiences.

Sara is a 25 year-old woman who cannot use a tampon without having a panic attack. She starts dating Miles but they can’t touch. Then they can. But every time they explore something new, Sara panics. Her anxiety creeps in and her body works against her desires.

Her body is hers. But it isn’t. She wants to know it but she can’t. Things trigger her but why? What is her body trying to tell her?

✨

This is the kinda book that creeps up on you and keeps you reading, reading and reading until you finish and realise how tightly it was gripping you.

It was by no means an easy read and I felt so many emotions during my experience. I went from confusion to happiness and excitement to sadness and to thinking I was literally going to be sick. I still feel sick as I’m writing this.

Sara’s story is brutally honest and painful at times but it deserves your time and it deserves your patience. Tread gently though. The trauma explored and the self-loathing may make for difficult reading.

This is a remarkable debut. Every word felt chosen, and although the plot comes second to understanding the mind of our main character, I didn't mind at all. I really appreciate that although this book has slow romance, it hasn't been marketed as a romance book. Instead it is an authentic and gentle ode to friendship and healing.

I am very excited to watch Paradise's career and read what's next.

🫗 REVIEW 🫗

Overspill by Charlotte Paradise
Publish Date: 24th April

Thanks @netgalley and @akan_books for the e-ARC

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

📝 - Sara is twenty-five. She has never used a tampon without having a panic attack. She starts dating Miles. For three months, they don’t touch. Miles respects her boundaries, though he longs for them to melt away. Sara desires Miles, but she knows her body, or rather she knows it is an unknowable thing. Sara wants to be in love, to find a person who allows her to be herself. Someone who is happy with everything she is and everything she isn’t. Miles hopes he won’t hurt her. But how do you navigate a relationship for which there is no blueprint? How do you love someone when your body is not your own, and how do you reclaim it?

💭 - This was an intriguing read, and one I finished in less than 24 hours, which hasn’t happened for a while. Despite the heavy topics covered throughout, it is easy to get lost in the story and the characters. That said, I couldn’t fully invest myself in the relationship between Sara and Miles - for reasons I’m struggling to articulate without giving away any spoilers. As said, it is a heavy read, delving into Sara’s life full of anxiety due to previous trauma, while she tries her best to be ‘normal’. There are some serious content warnings for this one, so definitely make sure you’re aware

#overspill #charlotteparadise #bookreview #bookreviewer #bookstagram #advancereaderscopy #bookstagrammer #bookrecommendations #contemporaryfiction #fiction

Some books don’t just tell a story, they name a feeling you’ve lived your whole life without the words for. This is Overspill, a quiet, brutal, beautiful book about c-PTSD, intimacy, and what love looks like when touch isn’t always safe. Sara meets Miles. They fall in love but for three months they never touch. Can love survive when your body says no, even when your heart says yes? It’s raw, it’s gentle, it doesn’t romanticise trauma – it understands it, honours it. It lingers. If you have lived in freeze or flight mode this book will find you, and hold you. An incredible debut novel, for all the ones still surviving, I wish this had been published when I was in my 20s.

Thank you to the publishers for allowing me to read an advance copy via NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. This book is not just an incredible read its essential.

2.5 rounded up. I really wanted to love this one and I’ve seen many amazing reviews for it (so make sure to check those out as I’m in the minority) but the pace was too slow. Sadly had to DNF at 50%. Huge thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC - sadly I just couldn’t get invested in this one.

wow. Honest, unflinching, raw. I loved it. It was agonising.

Sara (that’s Zara with an S not Sarah) is entering into a new relationship with Miles, but she needs to be honest about her issues surrounding penetration. Miles thinks he can love Sara and is trying to be a better man. Their love is uncomplicated but their physical touch is anything but. What defines a romantic relationship? How do you reconcile the physicality of love when you can’t reconcile your attachment to your own body?

I couldn’t put this down. There are trigger warnings all over the place for readers so proceed with caution. If you can brave it though, this is enlightening. I’d encourage all genders (especially cis men) to read it.

I wanted to write that it was graphic but actually I’m wrong. It’s factual, it calls a vagina a vagina, it is not graphic, it just does not use euphemisms and I think actually it’s quite refreshing. Sara suffers from vaginismus which although explorer in sex education (the show, not in schools), this very real and very personal condition isn’t really talked about. I think romance novels absolutely have their place in the world but books like this should always sit along side, so we can fantastise but also really learn.

The characters broke my heart. There are certainly villains in the story but neither are Sara or Miles, they get stuff right and wrong but what a difficult path they walk. I sympathise with both of their journeys in this story. They feel real to me.

This book has made me face some of my own hang ups and encouraged me to have open conversations. It’s not the point of the story, but it’s made me feel braver. I’m very very glad I read it.

Thank you Charlotte Paradise (great name) for this work.
Thank you #netgalley and #HQstories for my #arc

An interesting book about how a new relationship can be defined with some big barriers in the way. Enjoyed this and gave a new perspective.

8/10

Overspill is a wonderfully crushing, heart-warming story following self love, self discovery, mental health and relationships.

From the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. It’s so raw, feminine and life-like, which is refreshing and captivating.

While there are new experiences I learnt and appreciated from this book that a 25 year old girl could have, there were so much familiarity about it that I found my self relating to every experience in one way or another. And while relating so much to it may have made it hard to read at times, it shows true vulnerability and security through the navigation of mental health issues and past trauma.

Truly worth the read and all the emotions felt while reading it.

oh my god this book ripped me open (& to begin with I wasn't enjoying it as much as l anticipated as I do thinking the writing needs a bit of refining, and the narrative felt disjointed. It was a bit too matter of fact, saying instead of showing.For a debut novel though, these things can be expected. As the novel progressed, what it lacked in convincing me to read in a literary sense, it made up for in heart. This story broke me and it takes a very special writer to make you feel so connected to a characters trauma. I can really tell the author poured her heart and soul into this novel. It bleeds through the page. It also had a lot of disability/ chronic illness representation that I really appreciated.
In summary, what l'm essentially trying to say here is despite having my criticisms, an author can learn the ways of writing and connecting a narrative through practice and patience. But the ability to make you feel?
The ways in which the pain bleeds through the page? that's a god given gift that Paradise certainly has. I can't wait to see what this author does next!

I felt like this book conveyed its message in a way that was both beautifully delicate and incredibly raw. It really hit me. The format, with its very short chapters, was surprisingly refreshing for a literary fiction piece. It kept the pacing dynamic while still delivering emotional depth.

'm not quite sure how best to review this book. I've just finished and am feeling a lot of things right now (the sign of a good book, I'd say).

Overspill follows Sara as she goes through life with serious mental health struggles and trauma, focusing on her relationship with Miles. She wants badly to be 'normal', but wishing mental health problems to go away has never worked for anyone. It's an incredibly intimate and unflinching book, and hard to read at times.

The writing is beautiful and easy to follow, the characters are real and human (even if the side characters do feel a bit one dimensional at times), and the plot is well thought out. A very introspective read, and while it's not perfect, it's an impressive debut. I'll be keeping an eye out for what the author writes best. I definitely recommend this, but do make sure you're in the right frame of mind before you start - mind your trigger warnings.

Many thanks to HQ for providing me with an eARC of this book through Netgalley.