I struggled a bit to read this book. I couldn't connect to the main character, and everything just felt so messy. The story just felt a bit incomplete.

Thanks for the opportunity to read it though!

I went into Lover Girl with curiosity, but unfortunately, it didn’t land for me. The point of view felt disjointed and hard to connect with, and I struggled with the choice to leave the main character unnamed—referred to only as “Lover Girl.” While I can appreciate the artistic intent, this narrative choice made it difficult for me to engage or relate to the story on a deeper level.

I’m not entirely sure who the target audience is, but I couldn’t find a way in. Had this been framed as satire, I might have been more receptive to its tone and direction. That said, I absolutely applaud anyone who found joy or resonance in it. There’s clearly an audience for this kind of storytelling—it just wasn’t me.

Thank you NetGalley & CLASH Books for the ARC!

Lover Girl by Nicole Sellew is a bold, introspective debut that reads more like literary fiction than traditional romance—despite its title and themes. I went into this expecting something romantic or redemptive, but the story focused more on the narrator’s internal spirals than any tangible emotional arc.

The writing felt inconsistent at times. For instance, the narrator claimed to be incredibly drunk after drinking “almost every liquor,” only to say shortly after that she only had two glasses and wasn’t drunk at all. These contradictions made it difficult to stay immersed.

I also struggled with the main character’s voice. I wasn’t quite sure how the author wanted us to perceive her—at best, she read as lost and self-loathing; at worst, she came across as judgmental, projecting her insecurities onto others without much reflection or growth. Her “pick me girl” energy was loud, but never really examined in a meaningful way. Most of her observations felt like surface-level digs masked as insight, and while I could see the attempt at edgy or sarcastic humor, the tone often left me confused rather than charmed or entertained.

That said, there’s something raw and unfiltered here that could resonate with readers who enjoy character-driven stories centered around messy, flawed women. But if you’re looking for romance or transformation, this might not be the book for you.

Lover Girl genuinely surprised me. But in such a good way. This story has a quiet intensity that builds beautifully, layered with emotional angst and strikingly real characters. It reminded me of the writing style of Coco Mellors. Rich, thoughtful, and emotionally immersive.

The characters bring depth and soul to the pages, and the storyline held me tightly throughout. There’s something beautifully raw about the way the narrative unfolds, pulling at your heart in a subtle, insistent way.

A wonderfully written debut that explores love, identity, and emotional vulnerability with care and power. Absolutely recommend.

POV: a girl after college navigating through life, relationships and expectations put there by the world and others.
I went into this book with no expectations and boy, did i like this book.
It reminded me a bit sally rooneys / the bell jar. It made me sad and angry and it kind of sums up what beeing a girls means.
4 star read for me

The story itself and the characters were going nowhere except each others houses and parties. For literal fiction, I don’t understand where the premise was going. The plot never thickened. A lot of “are you hungry?

This book did not give the excitement I was looking for it kind of fell flat for me I couldn’t get into it thank you for this read

There’s something uniquely manic yet cozy about the narrative. It swings between emotional lows and moments of sharp clarity. The writing is full of striking one-liners that are sad, hilarious, and disarmingly insightful all at once. Even in the darkest parts of the spiral, there’s humor, heart, and an aching kind of beauty.

Lover Girl doesn’t offer a neat story arc or romantic resolution—it offers feeling. Maybe you’ll see your younger self in these pages, especially if you’ve ever been lost in your twenties, unsure of who you are or what comes next. And if you dismiss it as just a "silly girl with silly problems," then chances are, you lived a very different kind of life.

One note: this definitely isn’t a romance. It belongs in the realm of literary fiction, where flawed, messy characters are allowed to exist without tidy endings. And that's exactly what makes it feel so real.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

I don't read many books where I don't like the main character, so this was a nice change for me. I felt sorry for her at times because she was a mess, but she could easily fix herself. The first step would be to actually work on writing a book instead of going along with whatever men want her to do.

I think a lot of people will see themselves in her, and that might be uncomfortable. It's definitely one of the most memorable books I have ever read.

Not sure what it says about me that I’ll practically eat up any stream of consciousness POV from a self-destructive twenty-something but here we are! The protagonist is deliciously both so unlikable and relatable that it just feels simultaneously real, cringe, and refreshing.

Reading this felt a little like what reading my diary from 10 years ago is like. The internalized misogyny, the constant centering of men, and the comparison against other, “prettier” girls. I love a book that will just be open and honest about these things in a satirical way. Plus, the writing was great. If anything, it could’ve benefited from a little more dialogue and I would’ve loved a little more closure or build-out with Cameron, overall I found it was a quick, easy, reflective read with some absolute gold buried within.

Intanto io esaltatissima perchè è il primo libro che mi sia mai stato mandato per venire letto e recensito!! (grz @netgalley )

Comunque potete accogliere il nuovo libro della serie sad-girl-summer, dato che mi ha ricordato molto sia come vibes, che come trama di fondo, stile di narrazione e dinamiche dei personaggi a Sally Rooney. La protagonista ha infatti molti complessi (segnalo la possibilità di trigger legati a cibo/corpo/dca), ma anche molti pensieri, spesso anche autodistruttivi o comunque autocritici. Poi vabbè, qua i personaggi sono meno caratterizzati, spesso piú odiosi, però sa anche di un buon splice of life dato che spesso le persone... semplicemente sono cosí, senza che abbiano nulla di romantico. Forse non un 3⭐ pienissimo, ma io mi ritengo molto soddisfatta 😎

I wish there was more substance to this book. I think the concept was interesting and I personally love a messy girl book but this just was not doing it for me. The main unnamed character was unlikeable but not in a fun way. I also found the book had a lot of scenes where I found myself thinking “what’s the purpose of this” I think it would have been nice to learn more in depth about the main character or either of the men instead of reading her drunkly pick at food while thinking about how much she hates other women and craves. I also was not a fan of the writing style and found it a bit dull. Overall I did not enjoy this book. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This was way shorter than I was expecting it to be (it's less than 150 pages)!

This has some really great sentiments in it, but I found that they fell a touch flat since there wasn't enough length to this book for anything to really come of it. I think if this was longer, there would be more time for these revelations to mean more. I get that the point of it was to be short and deep, but sometimes you really do need to back that depth up with some more substance.

This was not bad by any means, I did quite enjoy it, I just wanted a bit more from it. But I know that so many people will love this perfectly as it is. I'm sure you can look through the reviews and find many examples of maybe my feelings and differing ones.

I also did not like how the main character doesn't really seem to have a name? She's just referred to as Lover Girl? That felt a little weird to me. Almost like this was trying to hard to be deep yet vague. But don't let that name fool you! This is not really a romance, it's more like an introspection on romance.

This is definitely a book for the messy girl who want a quick read and some Pinterest-worthy quotes (that is a compliment, I'm an art girlie, I love Pinterest).

Thanks to NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I don't say this lightly but this book is definitely not good or least it wasn't for me. I thought it was going to read a romance but I won't classify it as one at all. It was mostly an inner monologue of the main character being judgmental about everyone around her and of herself. I didn't find anything healthy or redeemable about any of the characters. I kept thinking they all needed therapy and the writing dragged in sections.
I really did want to like this. Thank you Netgallery for ARC.

"I hate being alone but also I love it and if you hate anything that much it means you love it."

An introspective POV from a girl in her early twenties—self-destructive, emotionally damaged, and a bit mentally ill... but honestly, who isn’t?

This was raw and a little spiraling—messy, with chaotic emotional lows. Like a breakdown with poetic timing.

This book feels both manic and cozy.

It’s full of beautiful, funny, thoughtful, and sad one-liners. There’s still humor, beauty, and heartache in the spiral.

Lover Girl makes you feel.

Maybe it’ll remind you of a time when nothing made sense and everything felt meaningless.
Or maybe you’ll think it’s just about a silly girl with her silly little thoughts and silly little problems.
If that’s the case, we lived very different lives in our twenties.

My biggest critique: I wouldn’t place this in the Romance genre.
It belongs firmly in Literary Fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH books for the ARC.

Lover Girl by Nicole Sellew is a dreamy, emotionally raw debut about a young woman who escapes to the Hamptons to write but instead falls into a messy web of desire, privilege, and self-destruction. With lush settings and sharp prose, it explores the emptiness behind glamour and the recklessness of longing. Though the plot is minimal and the narrator can feel self-absorbed, the book’s moody, intimate tone will resonate with fans of flawed characters and character-driven stories.

3.75stars

Thank you to NetGalley and CLASH books for the Arc.

I loved the way it was written! It was compulsively readable… but I hope Lucas walks off a short pier!

From page one, I was drawn to the character’s messy and insecure inner world. There is something special about having an imprerfect character who didn’t need to be fixed. Sellew captures the contradictions of modern womanhood that so many find relatable. Such as craving love yet pushing it away. This is litfic that isn’t afraid to be messy and I loved it.

Nicole Sellew's Lover Girl is a thought-provoking exploration of desire, identity, and self-discovery. The protagonist's journey is a powerful reflection on the nature of desire, shaped by personal experiences, cultural norms, and societal expectations. As she navigates her relationships and desires, she faces feelings of rejection and low self-esteem. However, her journey towards self-discovery is inspiring, and her eventual realization that she can break free from her timidity and find happiness with someone who cares about her is a satisfying conclusion for me. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in character-driven fiction and themes of identity and self-discovery.

"I love music but not in any real way. I mostly listen to whatever it is boys decide to play for me."

Lover Girl is as ambitious as its eponymous main character. She's unlikeable, lacking self-awareness, and violently projects her judgemental nature onto others, yet she is not entirely unsympathetic.

Lover Girl is a novel that is clearly capable of poking fun at itself, but sometimes it's difficult to tell exactly when-- especially since our protagonist doesn't seem to be in on the joke. Nevertheless, the book delivers genuinely funny moments - usually in the form of a poignant, culturally incisive quip. Lover Girl's internalized misogyny combined with her romantics interests' exaggerated personal melodramas creates a cast of characters with constantly misaligned expectations and understandings.

I wish Sellew leaned a bit harder into the satirical elements because that's when the book is at its most interesting, and the narrative would have benefitted from more dialogue.

Overall, I enjoyed this as lit fic despite not being a romance fan. I felt it had something interesting to say about being the kind of woman who places all her value on the opinions of men. I'll be waiting to see what Sellew puts out next!

Thank you Clash and netgalley for the ARC!