Such a fun book! I was instantly intrigued. Love a book abt a cool it girl especially one that highlights a good cause. It was fun also seeing Tom dig deep and not only uncover her “secret” but fall in love as well! This one is going to be a bit hit next year I just know it! Can’t wait for another book from this author in the future

Unapologetic love story has everything a romance fan could want in a book!

I absolutely adored this book, and I read it in less than a day! The story gets you quickly invested and wanting to know more about the characters and how the romance between Raina and Tom will develop, as well as the stories of their friends and family.

I loved the character of Raina and felt she was very relatable, as a fellow autistic woman. I thought she was a well written protagonist and it was very interesting to see her develop as a character. I found it great how her portrayl combated stereotypes of disabled people only existing in media either to be inspirations or to be pitied, by her being represented as empathetic, loving, intelligent, well liked, yet also flawed. The book did a great job at highlighting the abelism and other hardships she had experienced, whilst also showcasing her successes and the positives about being autistic. I also loved how her podcast was a safe space for disabled women to be themselves and I adored her line "stay uninspiring"

I also really liked the character of tom, and found it interesting how his experiences in his childhood and with his family shaped him and his writing.

The relationship between the two main characters was well written, and I thought they worked well together, and the whole time i was rooting for them to get together.

The supporting cast were very strong as well. I thought Pepper was a very nuanced, but loveable character, and that Solana was very interesting and loving towards her family and friends. Even the less nice characters, are very well written, and incredibly hateable. Whilst you can't help but dislike them, you can see why they are that way and honestly pity them for that.

Although the main love story was that of Raina and Tom, this book is absolutely brimming with love, showcasing love between friends, familial love, love for local community and neighbors, love within the neurodivergent and disabled community, Raina's love for London, Tom's love for Scotland, of course lots of romantic love! Overall this was an incredible read, and i am certain it will be very popular when published. I think it would work great as a film, so fingers crossed that happens in future!

An absolutely dreamy and delightful debut by Elle McNicoll. It contained everything I love about a will they, won’t they romance, and more. It comprises a small cast of super believable characters, not least the neurodivergent protagonist, that everyone will adore. I can’t wait to read whatever Elle writes next!

It is rare that I read a book and know it is going to be 5 stars within the first 3 chapters, but here we are!

This is Elle McNicoll's first adult Romance and oh my goodness it was perfection!

Raina is a 28 year old autistic woman who runs a podcast for disabled women, who meets the "King of Cancel Culture", Tom. Tom needs a positive story to finish his book on his previous subjects, who were scam artists, liars and overall bad people, to weigh out the bad with the good. However, Raina is sceptical about his intentions, but intrigued.

Raina and Tom's love story was truly wonderful and their chemistry was off the charts from the start. Tom fell first and he feels hard!! Their love was gentle, understanding the others needs and full of passion.
The neurodivergent rep was so fantastic in this! I could not believe how much I related to Raina, it made me cry several times.
The ableism and internalised ableism in this hit hard and Raina's resilience against people always trying to put her down was something extraordinary and how hard she worked against it. It was also realistic in that some days are harder than other to battle people's opinions, but having people who love you and can prop you up is a great thing.

This is a love story for all the autistic people who were told they would never find love and just how wrong society was to say that!

Please check the trigger warnings for this book, as it contains mentions of eating disorders, controlling behaviours from a parent, ableism, internalised ableism, mentions of bullying, death of a parent (in the past) and mentions of alcoholism.

Raina runs a successful podcast spotlighting autistic women called 'The Disability Track' and lives in London, spending her free time with her best friend and socialite Pepper Cousins. During a charity event at at the V&A, Raina meets Tom Branimir, an investigative journalist who takes an interest in Raina. Their first meeting is less than successful on Tom's part but, undeterred, he pursues Raina, to find out more about her for his book and because he finds her fascinating.
What unfolds is a love story that will draw you in and sweep you away.

I don't quite know where to begin with this review, and before I've even begun typing I know that my words will not be able to do this book the justice it deserves. Unapologetic Love Story is an utter triumph and Elle deserves all the praise and accolades that will undoubtedly come her way when this book publishes in April.

What I loved:
Raina is a master-piece (she's strong, fiercely independent, funny and blows serious raspberries at autistic stereotyping).
Tom is deliciously at odds with himself, battling the strength of his feelings with his professional curiosity.
There are host of other wonderful people in the book; some you will love, some will make you squirm and some will really touch your heart.
The romance: the tension and the thrill of the chase; the will they, won't they... the need to keep reading to find out if they do... ❤️
The sex: steamy and romantic!
The twist you think is coming but you desperately hope isn't, then the tension to see if what you really want to happen in the end happens ...
The fact that I got completely lost in the book and had to be reminded to eat!
Dalkeith. Ok, this is a personal one for me but as a kid, we used to drive through here to get to my grandparents' and it's where my grandad used to go on a Saturday to buy his weekly bag of sweets! Every time the town is mentioned, I can hear him saying the name in his wonderful Scottish accent and it brings back such fond memories.
The fact that I love a good romance story and this is absolutely that.

Unapologetic Love Story is unapologetically brilliant. I read it in one sitting and got completely and utterly swept away by it. This is Elle's first book for adults but I sincerely hope it won't be her last. For so many reasons, this book left me completely broken in the very best way (there were many tissues used!) and I woke this morning still thinking about it. I said it at the beginning of this review and I'll say it again: Unapologetic Love Story is an utter triumph and I can't wait for the rest of the world to read it when it publishes on the 2nd April.

Unapologetic Love Story is a special type of romance story. Special in the way that it speaks volumes and truths while at the same time warming hearts and getting the reader involved in a way that makes putting the book down near impossible.

Autism is not a new subject to Elle McNicoll, nor are female autistic characters. What is new, and so devastatingly refreshing, is and adult autistic woman. It’s no surprise Raina is strong, clever, witty, and smacks every stereotype of what others expect of autism/autistics in the face.

Raina’s experience to get to her full self-acceptance is not straightforward, and we see her needing to acknowledge her humanity in needing community. Not her disability – her humanity. We all need some sort of community, and I loved that there was a small distinguishing note of that in here. As an autistic woman, sometimes I just want to remind people that I'm as human as they are - if just a little different. Elle writes this in Raina's character beautifully.

Tom’s unapologetic love of Raina may seem to the reader to be unrealistic. But it’s not. There are people who love like that. Who will love like that. Who need help too, who need their community, too. The founding of romance in intelligence and wit, in the banter and joy of each other was a delight to read. Their love, their romance, is beautiful.

Yes to the sweary words, the big feels, the sexy times, but also the reality of being autistic, of loving and supporting an autistic. As a debut adult romance novel, Elle did a damn fine job, and I’m going to be unapologetic about my swooning over this book!

I received this as an eARC from the publisher through NetGalley. And how privileged I feel to have received it.

I genuinely loved this book—both the romance and the insight it offers into neurodivergence. It opened my eyes to how many people’s daily struggles might come from a lack of diagnosis, understanding, or access to the right tools. I learned so much without ever feeling lectured.

The FMC is a neurodivergent woman who has faced a lifetime of bullying, misunderstanding, and ignorance, yet she’s thriving as a podcaster who discusses topics related to neurodivergence with honesty and courage. The MMC is a brooding Scottish writer, known for his political criticism, now digging into the world of social-media fraud. Their relationship begins with an enemies-to-lovers spark—at least from her side—but the story quickly expands into something deeper. It explores friendship, family expectations, social class, and the quiet cruelties society often directs at people who don’t fit its narrow mold. The supporting cast adds so much warmth and depth.

I don’t pretend to be a professional reviewer; I can only share what the story made me feel. And this one made me reflect deeply. It made me realize how overwhelming daily life can be for neurodivergent people and how isolating it must feel when the world responds with judgment instead of empathy. We easily accept friends who are grumpy, anxious, dramatic, or overly cheerful—so why do we struggle to extend that same acceptance to autistic or otherwise neurodivergent people? That question stayed with me. At the end, we are all different and should be accepted as we are.

This book didn’t just entertain me; it gave me a reality check. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

Rainia was such an amazing character she was such a strong women and independent. This book was just amazing I was hooked from the beginning!!!!

I recently read "Unapologetic Love Story" by Elle McNicoll and I was completely swept away by Raina Lewis and Tom Branimir's story. From the first chapter, I just knew this book would resonate with me, and it didn’t disappoint. Raina's character is so relatable and well-developed, while Tom is intriguing and complex. I found myself eagerly anticipating how their relationship would evolve, and I was not let down. The author tackles serious themes with authenticity and approachability, which adds depth to the narrative. The witty banter between Raina and Tom kept me hooked 😍😍😍. I can’t wait to see what Elle McNicoll writes next, because if this is just the beginning, we’re in for some truly great books.

A gorgeous read. Unapologetic Love Story is refreshing, relatable, romantic and hopeful. Five stars, Thank you so much to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read this.

A beautiful portrayal of autistic joy and love from an incredible author! This adult romance debut is such a beautiful story that I instantly fell in love with. As an autistic reader, this book means the world to me.

Sometimes you just need a breathtakingly beautiful love story. That's what this is. Superbly crafted. Honest. Life-affirming. The kind of love you want to shout about while standing in the pouring rain. It's fascinating, really, because I know this is a book... but why do I feel like I've just watched a whole film? Amazing. I think this is going to be huge.

As someone who is neurodivergent, it felt so refreshing to be able to relate to a main character. To feel seen and not alone in the things that make life unique and different for me. It was beautifully written, with third person that for once didn’t feel detached from the characters. I will absolutely carry and sell this in my shop.

Unapologetic Love Story is one of the best romance books I have ever read, and stuck so close to my heart that it has genuinely taken me weeks to write this review as I couldn't form more coherent thoughts than "omg love it". McNicoll had already proven her romance chops with the incredible Some Like It Cold, but this first foray into adult romance proves she should be on everyone's shelves

 

As with any book by Elle, you know you are going to get fantastic characters with real, honest perspectives on the world, and what I loved so dearly was how this book showed grace to both the "hopeless romantic" and the "lifelong cynic". It was refreshing to read a book where, for once, the autistic main character is not cynical and jaded by her experience in the neurotypical world, but instead is hopeful and optimistic without being naïve. Raina's whole character was a true breath of fresh air - I adored her honesty about the difficulties she faces being an autistic woman (and can fully relate to people being surprised when they see you proudly wearing bright bold fashion choices) and the unapologetic desire she had for meaningful connections. So often the autistic characters are side-lined, comedic relief, pitied throughout, or are forced into the untrue stereotype of being unsexual. I didn't know how badly I needed to read about an autistic woman confidently owning her sexuality until I met Raina - her unwavering sense of self felt so authentic and more true than any negative stereotype neurotypicals try to ascribe to autistic women.

 

Whilst yes, Raina is who made me fall in love with this book, it would be wrong of me not to highlight how perfect Tom was as both her romantic interest and antithesis in so many ways. McNicoll expertly balanced his naivety of neurodivergence and harsh cynicism with scenes and lines that truly made me swoon, and throughout it all you can see him growing to become the man that Raina deserves whilst she learns to let someone in. The chemistry between the two was undeniable, and lets just say the moments of intimacy were so hot I was blushing on a train!

 

Whether you're a fan of the romance genre, a lover of neurodivergent representation, or simply someone who enjoys reading about realistic people going through life, this is the book for you. Although warning: the beautiful ending had me crying in public, so maybe buy a pack of tissues at the same time.

Raina Lewis is the glamorous and outspoken host of podcast The Disabliity Track (a joke it took me a frankly embarrassing time to get...). Tom Branimir is the "king of cancel culture", a hard-nosed journalist who has Raina lined up to be a story, but ends up with wanting so much more. Elle McNicoll's latest novel is a love story to autistic women, female friendship, London and Liberty and most of all to love itself.

I thoroughly enjoyed it; Unapologetic Love Story unapologetically hits all the tropes and moves through the comforting, beautiful dance of, in the author's own words, "third-act breakups and happy endings" with aplomb.

Highly recommended (although it is Elle McNicoll's debut adult novel and it is Adult, so not one for the school library, no matter how much your students love A Kind of Spark!)

I've also seen on instagram, potentially, the best Author's Note ever written. If I could give it an extra star for that, I would.

I started reading around midnight last night and just finished. I did get some sleep but clearly my brain decided it was not a priority. And now I'm cursing myself slightly for reading it so quickly. I imagine I will read it again pretty soon.

It's a good romance novel, first of all. It works on that level in a very satisfying way. It made me think about how maybe I don't avoid most romance books because I don't like the genre. Maybe I just find it hard to relate to most of the characters.

Raina is spectacularly relatable. What resonated for me was her political rage and her love of creating space for autistic women to be themselves. This is built into her character development in a way that feels totally natural. I had highlighted 6 things I loved in the first chapter and by the end of that chapter I had been moved to tears because I could absolutely picture the scene and how much of a triumph it would have been. Rainy meets a group of secondary school children and answers their questions and she "held court" after having confounded the teachers' expectations of an autistic speaker. The first short chapter also skewers condescending charity and educational attitudes and introduces us to a flamboyant, confident and articulate main character I was rooting for.

The podcast structure enables the book to bring in other perspectives. Raina as podcaster also seems very natural when sharing her strong opinions. The opinions themselves are rooted in McNicoll's deep understanding of autistic, neurodivergent and disabled community and politics. There is so much love in this book. Yes, it's a romantic love story but it is also so incisive in relation to growing up, being part of a community and choosing a lens on life that fits your values. It has a lot to say about friendship, redemption, and deciding what to do when relationships might be beyond redemption. It rings true about being a Scottish person moving to London too. There is a lot of love for autistic people. It is so affirming to read.

Buy it. You won't regret it. It has something for everyone, but it will be especially important for neurodivergent people to read and to fall in love with.

This is a big, bright, unapologetically proud of yourself, stunning novel. The neurodiverse representative is really well done. I loved the characters and their story!

Unapologetic Love Story
A fabulous well crafted story with two wonderful leads and a cast of characters good and bad.
Raina is a podcaster connecting with women who like her are neuro divergent. Tom a dour Scot writes books exposing frauds. He is immediately attracted to Raina and wants to finish his latest book with a chapter about Raina, she refuses. Both are wildly attracted to each other, Tom completely smitten, the relationship develops and is joyful to read but not without some angst and misunderstandings.
Raina is a wonderful complex character and the descriptive writing of how autism impacts how she has to navigate a world and society that to be frank can be pretty ignorant and downright cruel.
Toms understanding and love is joyful particularly as we see Raina blossom and thrive with Toms support and we also see the empathy and intelligence Raina has.
If like me you love this book another brilliant romance to read is Outlier by Susie Tate which also well describes this subject.
My thanks to net galley and publisher for the opportunity to review this book honestly.

Elle McNicoll has such a way with words. I cried more times than I care to admit while reading this book, not because it was an sad book but because it spoke to my soul in a way that many romance books do not.

I hope that Elle writes forever but as long as she does, I will keep reading.

When you scour your local bookshop or library for books about autism, you will find an abundance of self-help books and non-fiction written by neurotypicals. When I was diagnosed with autism as an adult, these books made me feel utterly helpless, like I was just an alien to be studied, a mermaid stuck on dry land. I felt like I was someone who needed to change myself to fit into a world that did not cater to people like me, a world that actively resented me.

Fiction books with autism rep are few and far between and romance books are rarer still. I desperately wanted to sink into a story and relate to a character, to feel seen within the pages of a book where autistic women are the main character instead of a side character or a plot device. Where women like me get happy endings instead of tragedies meant to inspire neurotypicals.

Unapologetic Love Story is the book that my soul has been calling out for and my heart has been craving. It is a story about Raina Lewis, an autistic podcaster who has created a safe space online for disabled women. She meets Tom Branimir, an investigative journalist, at a party and he is immediately drawn to her.

Raina is such a ray of light, seeing the world through a romanticised lense. Tom, on the other hand, is cynical and prioritieses work over relationships. I loved these differences going in and I loved how Raina slowly warmed his heart. Their romance was everything I could have hoped for and more.

Elle McNicoll has the most beautiful writing style and there were so many lines that spoke to my soul, lines that perfectly encapsulated the experience of being an autistic woman.

I have been a fan of Elle McNicoll for a while now and her books feel like a warm hug. A Kind of Spark helped me heal my inner child, who spent her first decade on earth confused and overwhelmed. Wish You Were Her and Some Like It Cold helped the lonely, outcasted teenager who knew she was different but did not know why. Unapologetic Love Story, however, is for present day me, an adult who knows who she is and endeavours to be unapologetic for it.

I did not have to think about the rating for this book at all. It was 5 stars from the very beginning and never wavered from that.

It made me laugh, it made me feel warm inside, it made me cry and feel quite emotional. It touch me deeply and lit something deep within me.

This love stay was beautifully told. Insightful, entertaining, funny, as well as being completely raw and authentic.

The representation of an autistic woman was very well done and should not be criticised in my humble opinion. We’re all different and all deserve to be able to express ourselves and tell stories without judgement. To be believed, even if it doesn’t make sense to you. That’s how we find out about others, by hearing from their perspective.

It may not be for everyone, and you can rate it accordingly. But I don’t think anyone, neurodivergent or not, has the complete picture of life and fellow humans to decide if something is an accurate , or authentic representation, or not.

That’s the whole point of this book, as I see it anyway. The best love story I’ve read in a while, and I’ve been reading some amazing ones!

I was delighted to have an early read of this, Elle McNicoll's debut adult novel. I've read and loved everything Elle has had published and this is no exception. It is a triumph! An unapologetic (truly) look at romance through the lens of an autistic main character, with a love interest you're rooting for and a whole host of irritating and/or supportive characters. I'll definitely be recommending this!