No Hard Feelings by Genevieve Novak book review

About The Book

Book: No Hard Feelings
Author: Genevieve Novak
Standalone or Series: Standalone
Publisher: Harper360
Publication Date (UK): 8th May 2025

My Review

Originally published by HarperCollins AU back in 2022, No Hard Feelings has finally made its way to UK shelves and I couldn’t resist signing up for the Insta Book Tour. The cover instantly caught my eye, especially with the tagline: “Hungover, underpaid and overwhelmed.” While this isn’t my usual genre, I mean there’s no crime to investigate and no mystery to solve, I couldn’t deny I was intrigued.

Penny, the protagonist, is a whirlwind of sarcasm, dry humour, insecurity and charm. She’s self-deprecating and often a bit of a mess which makes her incredibly relatable. Her voice reminded me why character-driven fiction can be so satisfying. I’ll admit, I hesitated when the focus leaned toward romantic relationships as this really isn’t something I tend to gravitate towards. And yet… I got invested. Maybe it’s the same part of me that rooted hard for Maeve and Josh in Jane Casey’s books, or Ffion and Leo in Clare Mackintosh’s.

No Hard Feelings turned out to be a refreshing palate cleanserfor me personally. There are no shocking twists or crimes to untangle, in fact not a lot really happens at all. Just the quiet joy of slipping into someone else’s messy, funny and heartfelt world for a while. I think most women out there will be able to identify with Penny and enjoy her journey.

Thank you to Insta Book Tours and Harper360 for this gifted copy in order to take part in the tour.