thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! <3

’It must be a small club to be part of, to have loved and then lost someone whom the whole world has a piece of. Maybe that’s why no one ever warns you’

Bitter Sweet by Hattie Williams is a brutally raw and realistic look at the world of publishing, depression, loss, grief, and the consequences of power dynamics in relationships. The book follows Charlie Turner, a 23-year-old publicity assistant for a fictionalised 'big' publishing house, as she recounts the loss of her mother, the tumultuous existence working in publishing, and the intensely toxic relationship between her and famous 57-year-old author Richard Aveling.

The discussions on the competitive, occasionally cruel and always hectic life working in publishing was especially fascinating for me, as someone who will in the next year be stepping foot into that world. I will admit that this story helped me remove my rose tinted glasses, and realise that publishing, like any industry, has a vicious edge to it. Even so, I loved the way in which Williams described such an exciting work climate. I will certainly be going into the sector with more trepidation now, but needless to say, I feel that some pull into the literary world that Charlie and her friends discuss.

Charlie is the sort of character I both love and despise. Throughout the story I was screaming at her, wishing she would see through her own desperation and obsession, and realise that the relationship between her and Richard was utterly wrong. I became irritated, angry, thinking 'how can she be so stupid?', only to realise there was nothing stupid about her, that she was a vulnerable woman taken advantage of by a powerful older man who knew she idolised him.
Richard is truly one of the most despicable characters I've read about this year, and in many I ways he reminded me of the terrible Jacob Strane, from Kate Elizabeth Russells, My Dark Vanessa. In fact, I found myself comparing the stories a lot, and while I am in no way saying that this fictional story is at all comparable to the very real experiences by Russell, the representation of the manipulation and isolation Charlie was put through meant My Dark Vanessa was in the back of my mind.

For me, the most significant part of this story was its themes of loss and grief. Early on it is established that Charlie's mother passed away when she was a teenager. The way in which this sudden death devastated Charlie not only in the moment but continuously through her adolescence and adulthood, was so incredibly powerful that I cried alongside her at points.Williams is fantastic at portraying such intense anguish and loss, that I was at points swept away in the emotion of it, mourning alongside Charlie and her father.

Overall, Bitter Sweet is a brilliantly written, compelling story that I believe everyone could get something out of. I truly cannot believe that it was a debut, and I will absolutely be keeping an eye out for anything else Williams releases. 4/5 stars.

Firstly, fair play to Hattie Williams for writing one of the most insufferable characters I’ve come across in the shape of Richard Aveling.

I found this book to be a bit of a slow starter but once I got into it, I was completely engrossed and felt like Williams did a great job of turning an emotionally draining love (?) story into a somewhat heartwarming tale of friendship.

Congratulations to author Hattie Williams on this intoxicating and compulsive debut that pushed all my buttons. It’s a long time since I found myself shouting at a character one minute then wanting to hug them the next!

Charlie is twenty-three, single and the new publicity assistant at an independent London publishing house, when she meets and starts an affair with her idol, fifty-six-year-old author Richard Aveling. The age gap and the fact that Richard is married suggests that it’s a relationship doomed to failure. But Charlie is besotted, needy, and completely in thrall to Richard’s charms. And she’ll do whatever it takes to keep him.

This made for difficult reading. It’s never easy seeing a vulnerable young woman being taken advantage of, but the power imbalance in Charlie’s relationship with Richard made my blood boil. Time and again, she took whatever he dished out, abandoning her tight-knit friendship group to make herself available at his whim.

Williams’ character development is superb, as is her understanding of the intensity of human emotions and how these can lead to bad decisions. Charlie could so easily have come across as a foolish, naïve doormat, but she drew sympathy because of her fragile mental state and lingering grief over the death of her mother. Struggling with identity, belonging and purpose, she was easy prey for an egotist like Richard, who I loathed more and more as the story played out.

Of course, there had to come a reckoning, and it was just as bloody as I imagined.

I have to say, though, I loved the ending and also Charlie’s besties, Ophelia and Eddy, who are exactly the kind of friends I’d want in my corner.

Williams is an exciting talent, and I’m already looking forward to her next book.

I find it a little difficult to review this book. It’s the perfect choice for a book club looking to spark conversation as it manages to be both engrossing and frustrating in equal measures but a lot of how you feel about this book will come down to how you feel about the characters.

Charlie is 23 and just starting out in publishing when she comes across Richard, a famous author who has long been one of her favourite writers. Her work with him soon grows into an affair, forbidden in her workplace, and with a huge imbalance in age and power. The book follows the affair, the effect it has on her and her relationships, and the life experiences which have brought her to this place, all of which are very convincingly portrayed. The intensity of friendships in this age group is also very well described.

My issue, however, was with how the main characters were written. Richard has almost no redeeming qualities and, although we know she is a huge fan and why, his behaviour is terrible throughout. Charlie has all sorts of issues which have led to her insecurities but, even so, her actions are frustrating. Throughout the book people keep telling her how bright and intelligent she is, but I never really felt that was ever shown in anything she did inside or outside of the affair.

I think perhaps I am just the wrong demographic for this and many people will love it, but I’m afraid the frustration with them all won out for me in the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

There are so many books glamourising the publishing world…this isn’t one of them.

It’s an engaging read which definitely serves as propaganda for those who say getting with someone in work is a bad idea.

I loved the side characters here and really felt for the MC throughout. I wanted to scream out for her to stop which proves the story is a powerful one.

The dynamics of power here make for a captivating yet uncomfortable read.

It’s crazy to believe this is the writers debut.

An unputdownable, uncomfortable, unmissable debut that I simply didn't want to end. Hattie Williams is an incredible new talent, who weaves the troubling and captivating story of narrator Charlie beautifully and with great care. Exploring the inner works and toxic world of the publishing industry, Bitter Sweet manages to bring to life the desirable but oftentimes incredibly gruelling world of publishing and how it can leave a mark on those working within the industry. The central relationship it features is told with sensitivity and honesty - meaning that important questions, observations and a need for further discussion will be taken away by any reader. The toxicity and dangers of the men we give positions of power, who push professional boundaries with the young women they cross paths with, is ever prevalent in the media. Such behaviour may be rare, but it is no different in publishing, and Williams observes this boldly, without holding back.

If you enjoyed Blue Sisters, Sorrow and Bliss, or Normal People, you'll love Bitter Sweet.

Thank you Hattie Williams for writing an incredibly powerful and memorable read, from someone who works in the industry and found many of the elements of this novel to be highly familiar. The best book I've read this year!

Charlie, a young publishing assistant, has a chance encounter one day with Richard Aveling, the esteemed and famous author whose books have shaped her life and whose work is represented by her literary agency. From that spark of a meeting, her future is indelibly changed.

This is such a well crafted, well described novel that I started (reductively) to wonder if it was based on lived experiences. The cliche of the power dynamics between older, successful men and young impressionable women is a trope as old as time, but Hattie Williams puts such nuanced emphasis on all of the people involved - even those on the periphery of Charlie’s life, and those that died before the story even began - that it swerves cliche completely. I had no idea how Charlie’s story would end, even as I felt completely sure of what would happen to her.

The hype saying it’ll be one of summer’s biggest books is, I think, justified. Loved it.

A debut novel about an age gap relationship. Very emotional in places with unexpected twists and turns. Easy to read

A 23 year old young publicity assistant meets a 56 year old writer and they fall in love. He is married, she has to hide their relationship. A really gripping debut novel that reads really well. Definitely recommend

Thanks to her new job as publicity assistant at the independent publishing house Winden & Shane in London, Charlie gets the opportunity to meet the author she has been idolising her whole life, Richard Aveling, and the two embark on an illicit and all-consuming affair.

Whenever I had to put this book down, I couldn't stop thinking about it. Charlie was so easy to love and care for, and going through this journey with her and watching her grow felt like a privilege in its own. The relationship between her and Richard is so incredibly well written, and doesn't shy away from anything, it makes it almost uncomfortable at times. Every single character is so complex and multifaceted, and they all feel so incredibly real. The writing was incredibly captivating, and it made it so easy to fall into these pages and never want to get out.

Bitter Sweet is the story of a young PR in a publishing house getting involved with a 56 year writer that she idolizes. There was a moment were I was obsessed with these kind of story. Power dynamics, mental health explorating, grooming etc. And based on years long enjoyement of the topic I requested this title. Bitter Sweet made me aware that I either outgrew the topics explored here or were simply not in the mood. I felt the style not working for me, not caring about Charlie and the relationship drifting without real grip. Cecile as a boss is truly wishful thinking as is the convenience of rich friends. I powered through but am sure to have forgotten this quiet soon. Loved that Charlie ended up accepting the help she needed. Glad I gave it a go; not a book for me personally but it´s good to know the content for my customers.

You know from the first page you're in very safe hands here. This is a sparkling and assured debut. I think this one will be the talk of book clubs around the country

The characterisation is this book is phenomenal. I was very quickly wrapped up in Charlie's world and could not put the book down!

Charlie is a 23 year old working in the publishing industry when she gets the opportunity to meet her hero - her favourite author and the favourite author of her late mother. She finds herself falling into a secret relationship with this married, much older man and the book’s plot revolves around how this affects her working and personal life. Spoiler, it’s an incredibly negative impact.

Charlie is a deeply frustrating character, intelligent but incredibly naive, self centred and at times very irresponsible. I wanted to shake her throughout the book and I felt a lot of sympathy for her flatmates and colleagues as she was quite awful to them most of the time. Richard was controlling, slimy and predatory, I found no redeeming features in this character at all. I had a really specific vision of what Richard looked like in my head whilst reading, more so than any other character.

The author’s character development was excellent; all of the characters including the less prominent ones felt well fleshed out and whole. The plot was slow, but I feel this was a deliberate decision and it matched the vibe of the book. It took me a long time to read this book, not because I didn’t enjoy it (I really enjoyed it!) but because I’d get so frustrated with the characters that I’d have to put it down and do something else for a while. So well done to the author for provoking these feelings in me! I’d definitely recommend this book if you like insightful books that cover ill advised love affairs, the publishing world, chronic illness/mental health struggles and being 20-something in the late 2000s/early 2010s.

I can never get enough of books like this.

I’ve read so many stories of messy women in London in their twenties making terrible decisions, occasionally in love with older abusive men.

This is no different and while I’ve read a lot of books like this, I always love this narrative and dynamic.

Charlie is a young publishing PR with an obsession with a famous writer. When she gets the opportunity to meet him to help promote his new job, they start an affair which begins to unravel her life.

Nothing I haven’t read before, but I’ll never get enough of this kind of thing. I loved it.

On the surface, Bitter Sweet is a novel that I should have devoured. Introduce me to another twenty-something lost soul and I’m there. I live for these turbulent storylines where morality and happiness can never exist at the same time, and this is what drew me to this novel in the first place.

However, despite its moments of powerful prose and its representation of chronic illness, Bitter Sweet fell completely flat for me. I am all for defending an unlikeable character, but Richard Aveling had no redeeming qualities whatsoever, which made Charlie’s poor decision-making completely unjustifiable.

But my biggest gripe with this book is just how tone deaf it is. No real discourse is had around the privilege and competitiveness that is so apparent in the publishing industry, and Charlie’s nonchalance about it is more than irritating. In the novel, she ends up taking sick days without needing an explanation or facing repercussions (which wouldn’t happen in any workplace). She is also able to get a non-private doctor’s appointment in London a few hours after she requests one - this one was a particular punch in the gut. Even when she DOES face repercussions for her actions, the blow is more than softened by offerings of free accommodation and perfect solutions.

These factors unfortunately drove a wedge between myself and the main character. As someone who has dreams of working in publishing and suffers from a chronic illness, my empathy should be everlasting for Charlie. However in the end, I couldn’t find anything about her to defend.

DNF - This felt very niche in that the format would be beloved by a specific reader who tended to read this writing style. For me, it felt like a dunk into the chronically online world & that is not necessarily a place I aim to visit, especially in this format.

I thought this was an astonishing and remarkable piece of writing that was evocative, beautiful, and gripping.

The structure, sense of place and character building was genuinely incredible and I could not put it down.

Had it been written by a man, it would be lauded as literary fiction, but I fear it will be branded chick lit, which would be doing it a massive disservice.

This is a book that gets under your skin and so perfectly draws London, and the world of publishing, and depression and anxiety, and the lure of an older man, and the intricacies of an affair.

It’s perfect and I ADORED IT.

Bitter Sweet is about a woman in her twenties called Charlie, who lives in London with her two friends and works in PR for a book publisher.

She gets tangled up in a complicated romantic situation, and the book mostly focuses on that, as well as insights into her mental health, childhood and relationships with her friends and family over the years.

I thought the book started strong, but plateaued by the middle. I found myself frustrated with Charlie’s choices, and felt that her love interest was controlling, preyed on her naivety and youth, and wasn’t right for her.

I felt compelled to stick with it to see how things progressed though, and I hoped things would turn a positive corner for her and that she’d make better choices. I thought how the story panned out was interesting. I also found some parts of the story predictable, but the earlier chapters were engaging.

With thanks to Orion Publishing Group, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

Whilst this is an uncomfortable read, it’s raw and powerful. I couldn’t stop thinking about it when I put it down. The power dynamic between the main character Charlie and Richard was so well written, he was gaslighting me through the page. Charlie was a fantastic main character, strong and clever but young and naive, which you don’t blame her for. The “sweet” in the book was definitely her friends who rallied around her in her time of need. The ending was a salve over the wound that this book caused. An incredible debut!