Saffron suffers with seasonal affective disorder, and Nell loves everything about the cosy months- and so begins their autumn bucket list.

I don't think I've ever read about SAD in a novel before, and it was done with such care and grace whilst being informative and giving the reader an understanding of what Saffron has to deal with. It was so hard to watch her struggle to open up and keep her feelings hidden from everyone that cares about her, and I spent the whole book raging with her parents.
Nell faces her own struggles as she is figuring out her sexuality- another topic that was dealt with so well. The two girls compliment each other perfectly, helping each other and slowly building a relationship.
The wider friend group were wonderful, I appreciated that although they weren't main characters, their stories were still given time, and I'd love to read more about them.

The autumnal vibes were immaculate and I couldn't recommend this story enough.

★★☆☆☆ — If I were going by enjoyment, this would be a one star

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review this ARC.

If I were going based purely on enjoyment, this would be a one-star read. But I also know I’m not the target audience, and I don’t think it’s an objectively bad book, so I’m giving it two stars and doing my best to recommend it to the right readers.

Sad Girl Hours is a young adult contemporary romance between two college students, Saffron and Nell. It’s best suited for younger readers looking for something soft, reassuring, very direct, and emotionally validating. If you're new to conversations around mental health or identity, this book presents those themes in an extremely accessible, easy-to-understand way.

While this book features two 20-year-olds, it feels targeted at a much younger audience who might need help putting words to feelings.

You might like this book if:
- You're a young teen exploring sexuality and want a book that has a diverse cast of characters who talk about it very clearly
- You're a young teen learning about mental health and want a book that discusses depression, anxiety, autism (not a mental illness, but you know what I mean), and self-harm (but not in an explicit or triggering way)
- You're an adult and don’t mind having your hand held through those conversations or if you get fuzzy feelings reading a book you wish you had as a teen
- You don’t mind extremely modern vocabulary with pop culture references and references to somewhat obscure internet memes that'll be forgotten in a year or two
- And if you find the Pinterest quote “I care. I always care. This is my problem.” deep and emotional, because the author uses it almost word for word near the end. (Sorry for the sass)

Now, if I were the target audience, I might have enjoyed this a lot more. Alas, I'm an autistic adult who has gone through my fair share of mental illness and has gotten past sexuality 101, so this wasn't my cup of tea. I also can't stand pop culture and meme references in my books.

But even if I had enjoyed it, I would still knock it down a star for that third act breakup. It was nonsensical. I thought I'd missed a page or two when I read it because... what? But no, I reread the conversation three or four times and still don't get it, beyond “we need them to break up because that's the genre convention.” I don't mind well-done miscommunication, but this... this wasn't it.

"To love someone is always a risk.

But I'm realising that I'd take it a thousand times over for her."



I will put a quick disclaimer; this review talks heavily about mental health. There is a very mild trigger warning for mentioning self harm in the book itself. I was not aware of this, so I just wanted to say.

I found this book a little difficult to get into at first but I'm really happy I continued with it. I was hesitant whether I should request this or not due to my own personal struggles with mental health, but I am so glad I did.

However this book has incredible representation of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), autism and POTS (Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome). There was other representation that is shown later on - this next part is a spoiler, so skip it if you don't want to see it. <spoiler>There is asexual rep as well, specifically demisexual</spoiler>. There was also a lot of rep in the side characters - BIPOC rep, trans rep and a variety of other sexualities.

As someone that struggles with depression, especially someone that struggles so much more in the colder seasons, seeing a character with similar struggles was validating. Especially the anxiety surrounding your friends hating you when it gets really bad.

Talking about the characters themselves;

Nell is one of our main characters, she was diagnosed with autism later in her teen years, she also has POTS - it's not mentioned as much, but she does. I would have liked to see more rep surrounding that. Sh 's our poet. One thing I really loved was seeing all the poetry in the book! She loves autumn and winter, so much so that she creates a bucket list for her and Saffron! I really loved Nell's character, I love her humour, but I also love how she was able to comfort her friends when needed. She isn't sure what her sexuality is, but she's definitely not straight - that's what she says. It's so difficult being queer while not knowing exactly what you are, knowing you are something but not knowing what that something is.

Saffron is our main character with Seasonal Affective Disorder. The book really dives deep into her mindset and the struggles of depression. The inability of being able to get out of bed - that it is so much more than just "one step". It's so many steps you need to take before you're ready for the day. It's overwhelming and draining. Saffron's character is the one I related to the most, and this book did hit me really hard. The feeling that you need to push everyone away so your emotions don't drain them as well. I'm so happy that she found her support system.

There were some amazing quotes that hurt a lot. (Thank you, Anna. I appreciate it.) But it was a truly beautiful book.

Other information on the book!

It is a dual POV, sapphic romance with so much representation. I loved all the characters, I loved the friend group. I would definitely recommend this book.

5 stars! This is a stunning story that discusses so many relevant topics. Everyone should read it.

Perfect if you enjoy:
- Sapphic romance
- Young adult romance
- Mental health representation
- Disability representation

This story follows Nell and Saffron, two college students that have recently become friends.
Nell is autistic and suffers from a chronic illness called POTS.
Saffron suffers from seasonal affective disorder.
Nell is a lover of the fall and winter seasons, so when she discovers Saffron doesn’t like them (although she isn’t yet aware the reason), she creates a bucket list of activities for them to do together- to try and change her mind.
As the girls grow closer, they must both face their fears and come clean to the other about a multitude of problems that each of them is challenged with.
Life seems to be trying to tear Nell and Saffron apart- but they are determined not to give up on each other.

I loved every second of this. Ate it up and left no crumbs.

Nell and Saffron are just an adorable couple.
I mean they are so sweet, so supportive, and so gentle with one another. I could not ask for anything more wholesome than this.
I was rooting for them so much. I desperately wanted them to get their happy ending, especially given that they’d both been through so much.

I felt so deeply for both characters, but especially for Saffron.
She went through so much trauma with her parents, and they were so horrible. She really did deserve a hug.
Side note: while it is not “good”, I do appreciate how the story between saffron and her parents ended. It showed that things don’t always work out- but sometimes that can be for the best. Sometimes letting go is better than holding on.
I think stories sometimes focus so much on the happy ending- that they lose some of their realism. But this, this was very real.

Nell’s questioning of her identity, and her place on the ace spectrum was great. I was so glad she had such supportive friends that gently guided her to finding herself.
Who doesn’t love a little self-discovery in a young adult book? I certainly love it.

Fantastic story overall. I am super excited to read more from this author in the future!

A huge thank you to Netgalley, Little Tiger Publishing and author Anna Zoe Quirk for providing me with the eARC of “Sad Girl Hours”, in exchange for my honest review!
Publication date: September 4th, 2025
Reviewed on Goodreads: August 12th, 2025

I really loved this one. It absolutely tugged on my heartstrings and so much of both Saffron & Nell's experiences I could relate to. Reading this felt like being wrapped into a big hug of acceptance and understanding, with so many three-dimensional queer characters depicted, it felt like I was hanging out with my friends.

Saffron is at uni wanting to become an astrophysicist, she also makes TikToks all about space but she has a secret - she has SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). Nell is autistic and has PoTS, she's at uni studying to be a poet, and is obsessed with all things autumn (relatable vibes, personally). Nell wants to share her love of all things autumnal and wintery with Saffron to try and persuade her to enjoy the colder months (without knowing she has SAD). The result is one of the most heart warming books I've read in a long time - fantastic found family cosy vibes with great queer and disabled representation.

Reading this book felt like being wrapped in a cosy blanket of love and acceptance, the kind of hug you’d get from the person who knows you best. It’s warm, tender, and full of heart. I adored how every character was on their own journey of self-discovery, while also being held up by an incredible circle of friends and found family.

The slow-burn relationship between Saffron and Nell was especially moving, starting from a foundation of platonic love and gradually unfolding into a romance that felt authentic and beautifully earned.

One of the things I loved most was how the book gave equal weight to platonic love and friendship alongside romance. It explored sexual identity, chronic illness, disability, and mental health with honesty and sensitivity, never shying away from the struggles, but always balancing them with hope and joy.

Saffron and Nell’s dual perspectives made the story even richer. Saffron’s battle with SAD and her fear of being seen at her lowest felt incredibly real, while Nell’s proud, unapologetic autistic voice brought so much light and strength to the narrative.

Their relationship was grounded in mutual support, patience, and vulnerability and was a joy to watch their love story unfold.
I fell completely in love with all of the characters, their journeys, and the world they inhabit.

This is a story about identity, friendship, and the many forms love can take. It’s heartfelt, affirming, and beautifully written. I would highly recommend you read it <3

I never heard of SAD before and was really interested to learn more about it after I read the description of the book. Sad Girl Hours did an amazing job in explaining SAD without sounding like a medical novel.

Sad Girl Hours is about Saffron and Nell who met at university. Saffron struggles with SAD and for her is the winter and autumn time always the hardest. She already took off some time of her first year at university and didn’t tell her friends the real reason why she took the break. Nell on the other hand loves autumn and winter. She plans to show Saffron the beautiful side of the darker months. Together they not only work on a seasonal bucket list, they also get closer and learn more about each other.

The topics in this book are mostly on the more serious part, mixed with a cozy romcom. The story is told in a dual pov and the writing style enhanced the different character traits of both characters. The writing style also made it easy for me to follow the story. I was so enchanted in the story that I didn’t really want to put it down.

The plot matched the vibe of the story. It was a bit predictable but it felt right for the whole story and the way it went.

I had a good time reading Sad Girl Hours. It felt like something I could have needed a few years ago. It’s a lot about friendship and mental health. The story also was pretty diverse and had a lot of interesting characters.

One thing that annoyed me a bit about the book was that the characters didn’t really talk to each other. All of them are really close friends but they never really talked about serious things, until something bad happened. I understand that it’s sometimes difficult to talk about serious things but it was really every time.

Besides that I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read more of Anna Zoe Quirkes book.

This is a lovely queer book. The description said that this is perfect for fans of Alice Oseman and I can definitely enhance that!

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger for this EARC!

Thank you Little Tiger and Netgalley for providing me with an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

This one really tugged at my heartstrings. The depiction of SAD and the way our brains lie to us when we’re feeling low was so raw and real and I really felt for Saffron through all of it. Her reluctance to talk about it or seek help made even more sense the more we learned about her past attempts at opening herself up to people. Her parents in particular made me so angry.

Nell was such a wonderful friend and partner to Saff. I loved these two together so much. Nell was so understanding and so open with Saff and I loved the way she made Saff slowly feel that she could be her true self in front of Nell without scaring her off. All their time spent together was so lovely.

The friend group in this one was really lovely too. Such a great fictional group that I was so happy to spend time with.

This hit hard. It made me feel very deeply and I related a lot to the characters. I really enjoyed this book and how sad it made me!

this absolutely warmed my heart 🥹 i loved the focus on mental health in a way that was accessible for a ya book considering these ages know exactly what it feels like! the sapphic aspect was also the cherry on top and they were positively precious 💞

Thank you Netgalley and Little Tiger Group for an e-arc of this book. All opinions will be my own.

Saffron is a uni student who makes space tik toks, has a amazing and sustainable wardrobe and wants to be an astrophysicist. On the outside, it looks like she has it all, except she's hiding a secret, she has SAD.
Nell is autistic and has PoTS and is an aspiring poet. She is a lover of all things autumn. When she hears that Saffron isn't a fan of autumn/winter (not knowing about her SAD), Nell makes a list of fun activities to get her in the spirit.

The SAD rep in this book was really good. It was written realistically and the open discussions about mental health were wonderful.

The characters in this book were diverse and the friendship group were a supportive unit. I enjoyed their interactions, though I would like to learn more about Casper and Vivvie.

One thing I would like to note is that I hope trigger warnings are included in the final version of this book, as some really heavy topics are discussed.

Overall, this was a really good read. I enjoyed Nell's poetry throughout and the overall autumnal atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley and Little Tiger for approving my request to read an arc of this book

This story follows Nell, an autistic and disabled poet, and Saffron, an astrophysicist in the making with SAD. The two meet at university and the book follows them as they become closer and feelings begin to emerge.
The story has great representation, especially demisexual and also disability wise with PoTs and SAD written in a very realistic way.
I really enjoyed this book, the only thing that took away some of my enjoyment was a lot of negative comments about men. I found this odd especially as Nell has two very loving dads and a very sweet best friend who is a guy.
Other than that, the book was great and I’d recommend it