When I first began to read this book I was unsure that I was going to like it. Narrated by Sylvia it seemed that her thoughts were just streaming onto the page and a lot of it made cringeworthy reading.

Sylvia is infatuated with her boss and at first I couldn't make out whether it was reciprocated or not, as I judged the world Sylvia inhabits at the university through her rose tinted lens. I mean he does take her out for meals and buys her a lovely bracelet for her birthday which he covertly presents to her.

I began to get annoyed with Sylvia, why couldn't she see what was happening. The gatekeeper for her "Prof" she is the epitome of many a person in a similar position I have encountered. You only get what you want on her terms and only if she decides she wants you to. But the thing about Sylvia is she is also clever and this aspect of her character hooked me in. Although at first I thought she was very mean spirited, as the pages turned and her character unfolded together with her past, I was on team Sylvia all the way.

I liked the way the author managed in the end to present the inner Sylvia. I think there are lots of her out there but she's outnumbered by the "regular" characters. People like Sylvia are usually portrayed in a one dimensional way but this time we got to see the world from her point of view.

If you liked Eleanor Oliphant, or the Rosie Project then I think you will like this too. BTW "Needlemouse" is hedgehog literally translated from the Japanese - which has a twofold meaning in the book. There are also delightful hedgehog snippets for the seasons as you go through the book.

Great book. Really enjoyed the story. The main character was quite frustrating at the beginning because you wanted to say move on but the story changed and I loved the relationship she had with her sister. The ending left a lot of questions so I would love to see a follow up to see how she got on. Good read though. I will certainly be looking for ore by this author.

Really enjoyed, “Needle Mouse,” the writing really drew a strong, but gradual picture of the mentality and being of the main character. Separating her work-life persona from the face put on show to “friends” and family, the story handles depicting an array of quite negative emotions really well, from hard infatuation, sadness, loss, and tragedy to glimmers of hope, and love. Of course, there are hedgehogs... hedgehog facts... information... caring for them... a sanctuary. An all round good read and great end.

Sylvia is in love with her boss, a Professor at the university. However, he only sees her as his Personal assistant. She has the feeling that life is passing her by but like the hedgehogs at the local rescue centre where she helps out, she is a little prickly.
However, a new student takes the eye of her Professor and then Sylvia's life is turned upside down. But, is it such a bad thing. What will happen to her life now and can it really get any worse?
Really enjoyed this book and look forward to the next one from this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy of this wonderful book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Needlemouse and now I've finished I am missing the updates on Sylvia's life which in my view is the highest praise for a book of this type.

The characters were so carefully delineated, the plot was so ordinary and yet so believable and was rolled out most effectively. I was initially fooled into thinking that this was just another story of unrequited love, typical 'chick lit' but with an older heroine but I was soon disabused of this view and soon became embroiled in the action.

This is a story about a middle aged woman who has a crush on her boss, an academic at the university she works at, who she calls Prof. She spends most of her time at work trying to protect him from anyone who wants some of his time. Some of the things Sylvia says and does made me cringe. There are times when you feel she lacks the ability to stop herself from making a complete fool of herself. The other threads to this story are the interaction she has with her beloved sister and family and the work she does in her spare time at a hedgehog sanctuary. I loved this book right from the start. Jane O'Connor brought the characters to life and you can't help but feel sorry for Sylvia whose life seems to have passed her by, wrapped up as she has been for many years in her obsession with Prof. By the end of the book though you realise that Sylvia's life is actually just beginning. The book has a lovely feel to it and is very uplifting. Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

This turned out to be a really good read. I was a bit dubious by the description at first, but ended up really enjoying it. You can't help feeling sympathy and admiring the main character's resolve - even when things go wrong because of her own actions. Definitely worth a read.

Needlemouse tells the story of Sylvia Penton through her diaries. Sylvia is very dedicated to her job at a University, rather set in her ways, single in her 50s, a volunteer at a local hedgehog sanctuary and secretly in love with her boss Professor Lomax.

When it comes down to it, Sylvia is basically a stalker! As well as working with Prof, as she calls him in her mind, she keeps a close eye on what he does out of work too by a variety of means. She is completely blinkered to any of his faults and clings onto any little thing that she thinks shows he secretly loves her too and is just waiting for the right moment to declare it. Although we only hear her side of things told through her diary, you can tell from what she writes about other people how she misunderstands and is misinterpreting things to suit her own beliefs. She is besotted by Prof and convinced they will be together, if only he would realise how much he needs her.

Sylvia is only just beginning to realise how lonely she is. As we learn what has happened to Sylvia to make her the quite closed off character we see, we begin to realise why she has metaphorically curled up into a ball to protect herself, just like the hedgehogs in the sanctuary. My heart went out to her as I realised the repercussions of her what had happened had huge impact on her relationship with her sister in particular. I could understand why she chose to react the way she did and ached for all the heartache it caused her through the years.

More than once I was thinking what are you doing Sylvia?! She makes some really bad decisions in her attempts to protect Prof as she sees it. My heart did go out to her when perhaps inevitably, her life comes crashing down around her and she realises just how little she has.

The hedgehog sanctuary is Sylvia's sanctuary too though she doesn't realise it at first. I loved the character of Jonas who was wise, kind and compassionate. He always listened to her, even though she didn't always reciprocate. He is the one who knew that for Sylvia to move on with her life, she had to make peace with herself.

"The way I see it, lass, the most important things is for you to find a way to forgive yourself."

I like a book that make me feel uplifted, that soothes the soul, and this book certainly did that. This is definitely going to be on my top read list for this year. I love Sylvia fiercely! Comparisons have been drawn to Eleanor Oliphant and Susan from The Cactus. If you enjoyed these books, I'm sure you'll love this too. I enjoyed both those books very much but, if anything, I liked this book more. Sylvia is definitely one my favourite fictional characters.

"Hedgehogs may have been misunderstood in the past, but the truth is they are precious and harmless (unless you happen to be a slug). Just because they are not easy to stroke and live a secretive sort of life, doesn't mean they are not worth loving."

For the first part of this book, I confess I wasn't too keen on it - the main character was very irritating and I didn't really think it was the kind of book I would enjoy. The redeeming feature was the section on hedgehogs at the start of each chapter.
However, as the book progressed and Sylvia found that the object of her obsession was not reciprocating, the book did improve and I quite enjoyed the later part of the book. I found that some characters developed in ways I didn't expect, and the story became good. I do understand why the author made Sylvia so * annoying at the start, but it was a risk that nearly lost me.
Adorable cover, though!

Needlemouse is so very aptly titled.

Sylvia is the lead and her life story is bittersweet, a delight too. She is a great character who makes you hate her, love her, find comfort in her and makes you mad at her too.
I never had so much from a single character, she is invisible yet you can't miss her.

This is an absolutely superb novel, about someone who is disatisfied with her life, but feels it is difficult to change.
She loves her boss, almost obsessively, and protects him against allcomers. They work at a university, and one day she is surprised by a new female student, who seems to have found a way to get under her boss' skin.
In her spare time, our heroine works at a hedgehog sanctuary, and helps the elderly man who runs the place with ll sorts of problems.
In order not to spoil the story for others, I will just say that the most surprising and satisfactory way the story is concluded gives you a lovely fuzzy feeling inside.
The characterization is excellent, and the plot well thought out, and very believable
I would recommend this to anyone who likes a quirky novel to entertain them.

We first meet Sylvia Penton on her birthday and her boss, the Prof, is taking her out to lunch. This is her favourite day of the year, not because it's her birthday but because of the special time she gets to spend with the man she loves. He's told her that he and his wife are going to divorce - Martha is apparently having an affair - and Sylvia is convinced that the Prof will then declare his love and they can be together. She hasn't fully constructed 'together' in her own mind - she envisages it as romantic, but her imagination hasn't yet progressed to the sexual part of the relationship. There's time though - she's only been the prof's PA for fifteen years.

You might be feeling rather sorry for this fifty-two year old spinster who's trying to interpret every word her boss speaks, every action, into something positive which means that they will 'be together', despite all the evidence to the contrary, but you gradually realise that Sylvia's not a very nice person as she takes pleasure in causing problems for people. And gradually her devotion to her boss turns into something far more sinister. You know that it can't end well.

She does have a family. Her sister Millie is married to Kamal and they run a deli. Sylvia's not keen on her niece, Crystal and does her best to avoid even having to speak to her. Sylvia's mother is cold and critical, if not quite hostile. There's a big secret being hidden which could blow all the relationships apart. There is one pleasure in Sylvia's life - she helps out at the local hedgehog sanctuary. That's where we get our title from: the Japanese for 'hedgehog' translates as 'needlemouse' and if you've ever tried to handle a hedgehog you'll know how apposite the name is. Does Sylvia help out at the sanctuary because she wants to, or because it makes her look like a nicer person? It took me a long time to be certain about that as Sylvia's all about appearances, even severely restricting her diet so that she never goes above a size eight.

I had to read this book: I used to help out at a hedgehog sanctuary and I've a soft spot for them. Jane O'Connor has done a superb job of bringing them - and their care - to life: she has it spot on. She has Sylvia Penton spot on too: we've all met someone like her, but what we've probably not appreciated is that there might well be a story behind how that person is and that with a little kindness they might - like a hedgehog - uncurl and reveal themselves. It's a real tribute to O'Connor's writing that I began by pitying Sylvia, then despising her and - finally - coming round to understanding and rather liking her.

This is O'Connor's debut novel and I can't wait to see what she writes next. I read Needlemouse in less than twenty-four hours, resenting every time that I had to put the book down. The plotting is faultless and the insight into Sylvia's character is brilliant. It's a book to reread too - and next time I shall take the time to savour it. I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.

What a fantastic read! I loved following Sylvia’s story and despite not being sure of her character at the beginning, I was really rooting for her by the end. Well written with a strong female protagonist. I think if you enjoyed “Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine” then you will enjoy this too!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and Jane O’Connor for the ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Sylvia is a middleaged woman, certain that her boss – a college professor – is as in love with her as she is with him. Socially maladjusted and prickly, there are very few of Sylvia’s actions throughout the story that aren’t designed to advance her agenda – and some of them are downright spiteful. She’s not a character to be liked exactly, but it’s very hard to resist her story. I was surprised by how engaging I found this. Like Eleanor Oliphant, it gives you a very different type of protagonist who you can’t help rooting for even as she tears her own world down. Recommended.

This was an enjoyable story of Sylvia who had unrequited love for her boss at the university where she works. She doesn't have much of a social life, apart from helping at a hedgehog sanctuary - which she only does to give herself something to say when she's asked about her weekend. It's a common enough story but I did like the writing. I found the hedgehog storyline a bit forced though - it felt like a not very effective plot device.

At first it didn’t think I was going to like this book; the main character was cold and unlikeable and I didn’t think I was going to feel any empathy for her, but I was wrong. I ended up loving Needlemouse; it was a book about loss, guilt and regret and ultimately happiness. It was really quite touching and sad, but with a feeling of hope.

Sylvia Penton is a woman obsessed with the University Professor for whom she is PA. This obsession colours every aspect of Sylvia's working life, she is manipulative and devious in the extreme. As a character she seems completely unlikeable. However there is more than one side to every story and she is also involved with a hedgehog sanctuary. When everything starts to go wrong Is is Jonas and that Sanctuary that in some ways will see her through to the other side. In some way Sylvia can almost be compared to the Hedgehog - hard and prickly on the outside but with a soft and fearful internal persona. The author writes well and although it took me a while to really engage with the characters and the narrative I think she has handled both beautifully. I would definitely read more from this author

oh how I adored this book .... reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant who I miss so much months after finishing. Needle mouse was a great combination of story line and characters and such a good read

False hope and hedgehogs
Jane O'Connor has a light writing touch with Sylvia's story of unrequited love. Written in the first person, the story runs through a whole gamut of emotions, both hers and ours: amusement, frustration, sorrow and finally happiness. Sylvia works at a London university and is The Prof's PA. She is obsessed with her boss, seeing it as her mission to give him peace and quiet in which to do his valuable research. Any students or staff brave enough to try and see the Prof get short shrift. Her journal jottings show her as a woman with no life of her own, who has alienated her family, has no friends and is ridiculed in the office. She doesn't see herself like this at all, believing that 'her' Prof is in love with her and is only waiting for the right time to whisk her into his arms. As the book progresses, you find out about the heart-wrenching event that make her turn against the world, curling up into herself like a frightened hedgehog. But who played the biggest part in her downfall?

Poor Sylvia! Her only release from her dull life is her work at the local hedgehog sanctuary, run by Jonas, a man she feels sorry for as he seems even lonelier than her! To say more about the story would spoil it. Love the way the book runs through the seasons, reflecting Sylvia's life over a year. Each season starts with a section from Jonas's book on hedgehogs, detailing their behaviour but also Sylvia's. Autumn for busy foraging (Sylvia poking her nose into Prof's affairs!), winter for hibernation (hiding away), spring for awakening and new beginnings, summer for sunshine, fun and the prospects of love.

An excellent debut novel. Love everything about this book including the cover design and the name Needlemouse, explained towards the end of the book. The last chapter is understated and perfect. Look out for more from Jane O'Connor.

Sylvia is a 52 year old single woman who I really didn’t like very much, she didn’t seem to have any pleasant qualities at all.

She works in a university as the assistant to a Professor who she tells herself she love and he, obviously feels the same way about her. As he is about to divorce his wife, she knows he will come to understand just how much Sylvia means to hi,.

Sylvia does try to make herself more interesting and likeable by volunteering at a Hedgehog rescue centre, I mean who doesn’t love Hedgehogs?

I loved the other characters and they were so well written, it was a bit like watching Doctor Who through your fingers, as you watched Sylvia’s life fall apart....and while she is not a nice person at all, I still felt sorry for her, which is a credit to Jane O’Connor’s excellent writing.



I would like to thank the Author/the Publishers/NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book for free in exchange for a fair and honest review