Seductive, sharp, and spiraling. Lover Girl is a raw, stylish ride through privilege, heartbreak, and self-destruction—perfect for fans of messy women and beautifully written chaos.

This book was short but sweet. I enjoyed the characters and the parts they played. I love how fast paced and easy going it was. Easy to follow and not get bored or distracted.

The title piqued my interest, and the writing kept me engaged. I liked the "artsy" feel of Sellew's writing and storytelling. The deep dive into Lover Girl and the men she encounters was interesting, and I felt like I was part of the main character's story. It was as if she were recounting to me her daily life and experiences. It was super enjoyable and indulgent. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

The epitome of a messy girl. The novel Lover Girl follows the story of an unnamed protagonist and her spiral due to her self-destructive behavior and love. Throughout the story, I never particularly liked any of the characters, though I did feel empathy. While I enjoyed the choppiness of the writing, with the blunt ending and short and, at times, unfinished-feeling chapters, I definitely understand why this is not a read for everyone, especially those who enjoy likable characters and logical decisions in books. However, I do think this could have used another round of editing, as someone who read this in one sitting, I noticed a few inconsistencies in the story, and I believe more could be caught with time. Thank you, NetGalley and publisher, for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. It felt like such an intimate story like a friend was telling me their experiences. The one thing that tripped me up was it changed perspectives but didnt always say whose perspective it was. I felt a little confused. I think i would prefer the name of the character as opposed to the chapter number.

I feel like this is an interesting writing style, but could not get past the main character. She was vapid but also aloof. Obsessed with attention, and ultimately just really unlikable for me.

TLDR; If you're into contemporary literary fiction with modern touches—the Juuls, the texting, the Instagram drama—this could hit the spot. Sellew definitely captures that particular brand of Zennial malaise, and there's definitely an audience for character studies of deeply unpleasant people. The love triangle aspect might appeal to readers looking for messier, more realistic relationship dynamics rather than traditional romance beats. This isn't a book for romance readers expecting a satisfying ending, but it could work for folks who like their love stories complicated and a little painful.

I wanted to like this more than I did, which feels like a disappointing way to start a review of someone's debut novel. There's something about reading a first book that makes you want to be generous, to find the promise even when the execution doesn't quite land. And maybe that's part of what made Lover Girl so frustrating for me—I could see glimpses of what Nicole Sellew was reaching for, but the writing never quite got there. I keep thinking about other reviews calling it "slick with charm" and "sharp wit." I wonder if I'm missing something, or if this is just one of those books that lands completely differently depending on what you bring to it.

The Protagonist:

The unnamed narrator is messy. Unhinged female characters are having a moment right now, and I love it. Though, this protagonist leans too far into being cruel in her thoughts—especially about other women—in a way that clearly stems from her own self-loathing. There's something almost fascinating about how deeply unpleasant she is, how willing Sellew is to let her be unlikable without trying to redeem her.

The Writing Style:

My biggest hurdle was the prose. Sellew's writing has this choppy, unpolished quality that reads more like a first draft than a finished novel. This style reads more attractive;y in her short stories than in Lover Girl. There are these endless run-on sentences that seem to go nowhere: "Eventually they stop talking and he leans over and kisses my neck lightly and I had been staring out the window looking at the blinking lights which were so mesmerizing but I obligingly turn my head to kiss him." Telling rather than showing made me want to take a red pen to the margins. I also kept getting pulled out by little inconsistencies—like choosing a basket at the grocery store but later it's mentioned as being a cart. These felt like editing oversights that could be easily fixed with another draft or two.

The Bottom Line:

As a debut, Lover Girl shows flashes of promise, but it reads like a book that needed another round of editing. The love triangle is an overdone dynamic, and the ending left a lot to be desired. There's something to be said for a debut novelist willing to write a protagonist this difficult, this resistant to growth or change. That takes a certain kind of courage, even if the execution doesn't quite support the ambition. Sellew clearly has a voice, and she's not afraid to explore complex characters. But I found myself wishing for more insight into why these particular people mattered enough to write a whole book about them.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was an edgy book that feels very relatable for me as a millenial. Between two men, I was. Fascinated by the main character’s actions and feelings towards both. I enjoyed the heat of this book and the overall theme of privilege and also expectations of women these days. I read this in one sitting because it was a juicy salacious read.

To be blunt: I did not like this book. I think it’s only fair to admit that this novel was not meant for me but I struggle to place exactly who it would be meant for. I would have felt differently about this book if it was supposed to be satire or from the point of view of an unreliable narrator but as the description states “Lover Girl is a lesson in the schooled indifference and the complicated dynamics of the super-privileged and the meaning of real love as a twenty-first century girl,” so I know that this book was not intended to be either of the things that I had said above.

From the start I did not like the nameless main character that I will refer to as Lover Girl. She thinks a lot of mean, judgmental, and uncalled for things about people (particularly “prettier” blonde women) and it’s a clear projection of her own lack of self worth. By the end of this novel she made me feel so bad for her and frankly she could be the new poster girl for extreme self destructive tendencies. So many times I wanted to reach through my screen, shake her, feed her, and tell her to get a job so she can save up and start providing for herself. Despite her always lying and saying she’s writing she only writes one time throughout this whole novel which defeats the purpose of her staying at Lucas’ house since that was supposed to be her writing haven.

The author’s writing was incredibly redundant. There were a lot of lines where Lover Girl would say one thing only to immediately debunk it and say the opposite. I understand the author’s intention was to show Lover Girl’s insecurity but it came off as the author trying to reach a certain page count. So many times throughout this novel the author would describe one thing only to say something entirely the opposite. In one line Lover Girl is wearing a full sleeved blazer but somehow can still feel the wet touch of a man’s finger on the skin of her arm. Lover Girl is said to not have social media and yet she scrolls through instagram and knows a lot of people “from online.” At one point Lover Girl is in a grocery store and says she grabbed a basket but it’s then referred to later as a cart.

By far my biggest grievance is that this book was tagged as a romance. This book is not about true love. This book is not about a love triangle between two different privileged rich boys. This book doesn’t even end in Lover Girl being in a relationship but rather the potential possibility of one that in my opinion would still be an unhealthy one for her to be in. I fear that Lover Girl will fall back into old habits because her biggest downfall is not allowing herself to communicate how she is feeling. She may have finally ditched the man who was using her but she never got better at expressing herself to the only person in her life that she seems to be comfortable around. I know this novel is supposed to be realistic and no one gets a shiny happy ending in real life but this ending felt like Lover Girl was just falling back into the old trap that she just escaped from, just this time with a guy that she feels cares about her more despite the fact that the other guy also cared about her before this novel took place. The only way this book should have ended was with Lover Girl going to therapy so she could unpack her trauma and stop thinking such rude and awful things about the people around her. Her thoughts are a projection of her own self hatred and she never fully realizes that except for during fleeting moments while she’s drunk and desperately wanting male attention that always in the end only makes her feel worse about herself.

I wish there was more depth to this story and I get it. This genre of nameless, aimless, gen z/millennial young woman traipsing around the Hamptons with no goal in sight is starting to take off but there's no meat, no stakes to get invested into the plot. Peppered in with some references to trauma and that very uncomfortable non consensual act, this just never took off for me.

I really enjoyed this book. It tells of a young woman whose focus was more on feeling love than being in love, having a career, or having a relationship with her family. There were a lot of relatable moments in this book.