An impressive debut. Full of soul, elegantly written. I found the characters intriguing, the prose electrifying.

Thanks for the ARC!

Wonderfully-developed characters with depth and substance. I was immediately drawn in and held captive from beginning to end.

I literally finished the book and picked it up and started all over again. It was that compelling. . I didn't want to leave the characters and now am hoping for a sequel or tv series. Warrell captures the intimate power dynamics in relationships so exactingly well and really gives you a brilliant view of the psychology of her characters. Additionally, this may be the first time we hear from the perspective of the WOMEN in a womanizer's life in a novel in a deep and nuanced way. These woman are multi-dimentional, smart, hurt, and most importantly REAL. She somehow manages to make SO many passages poetic and not pretentious, and paints very specific pictures of her characters. And don't get me started on the feat of creating a novel from multiple points of view yet somehow not making it feel fractured or random. It is all held together so brilliantly with a rhythm and pacing that almost feels musical. Just. Read. This. Book. It's delicious.

The story in "Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm" focuses on a musician, Circus Palmer, and women who are in his orbit, including his teenage daughter. Women he can make feel special, if he pleases so, but mostly does it out of self-preservation and seeking quick gratification, rather than connection and genuine relationship. This is the book of what happens to these women as a result of encountering Circus and how their further steps differ, depending on the resources and alternatives available to them.

It was an interesting exploration of complicated relationships, however, not as captivating as I hoped for. At times it lacked narrative tempo and chapters became repetitive. That being said, I appreciate Laura Warrell's talent to create a scope of distinct voices and characters that were believable and so different from each other.

I loved this book so much. It was beautifully written. I liked how complex themes were explored in a meaningful way and how, though flawed you were able to empathise with the characters. I really loved koko.

This is a book I truly wish I could read for the first time all over again. I’m in complete awe and fangirl mode at how utterly fantastic this book is.

I think this is a strong debut novel. I enjoyed it fairly well. It is very character driven which I like when they are so well fleshed out. There are a lot of characters to get to know so initially it was a little off putting but I soon got to grips with that to enjoy the story that is very well written. I'm not a big jazz music fan but I do love stories about music singers or bands so I thoroughly enjoyed this.

Circus Palmer seems to be at the centre of the lives of many women.

His ex wife, Pia, is trying to navigate being a parent to a teenager without much help from Circus.

Peach is wanting someone to see her and she had hoped Circus would be it.

Koko, Circus’s daughter is trying to discover the world without her Dad.

Odessa is trying to forget about a mistake she made.

Maggie is pregnant and she is not sure what her next move will be or whether she will see Circus again.

The premise of this novel intrigued me and I was pleased to have the opportunity to read Laura Warrell’s debut novel.

It did take me a little while to get into this novel and there are quite a lot of characters introduced. However, if I were to suggest who to leave out, I am not sure who to suggest as they all have a relatable story to tell and after a few chapters, I couldn’t put it down.

The characters really drive this novel and it gave me such a rollercoaster of emotions.

I had so much empathy for all these women. I connected more with some than with others. They are all at various stages of their lives. Circus was a tragic character. He was a person who didn’t realise what hurt and damage he left in his wake and I felt he needed to grow up.

Laura Warrell has done a great job of creating this world and I could see myself with these characters. I’m not a huge fan of Jazz but it’s weaved well into this book. The atmosphere it conjures up is rich and almost tangible.

I also like the dive into the dynamics of relationships and the mixture this book presented.

Overall, I feel that this is a strong debut. It’s perfect if you’re looking for a strong, female led story. I am interested to see what Laura Warrell does next.

Thank you to Doubleday and Netgalley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 rounded up to 4

A musical and lyrical novel about a Jazz Musician named Circus (real name Cyrus), of all the women in his life and of unrequited love. Be that his ex wife, his hook up, his one night stand, his bartender. The relationships that Circus has with these women and even his own child are empty, they’re lonely and they’re shallow.

There isn’t one key character in this novel and instead multiple points of view of the women connected to Circus. Whilst I found it an interesting portrayal of the need to be admired and loved from all characters pov, I did find it primitive in the sense that all of the men in the story want the women and vice versa. The only character I admired in the novel is the only women who sees Cyrus for what he is. All other characters felt a little flat, apart from Koko.

I found the writing extremely beautiful and engaging, but as far as the plot went I was very disappointed and the ending was rushed.

For a debut, a hell of a punch but not a book I’d recommend.

What a ride and a journey. This book started dragging on the Coco part and I was lost. The first part of music was coming along fine but fell flat till the end.

Thanks to Natgalley and Penguins Random House for a review copy.

Sweet, Soft, Pleanty Rhythm is a well-written book, with pretty well-drawn out character portraits, especially of the main protagonists Circus, Pia, Koko and Maggie. I think my main problem with the book was not so much the womanizing, but how helpless and powerless some of the smaller characters (and even Pia, to a large extent) were.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. I loved the different perspectives from the different characters and their connection and impact of their relationships with the infamous Circus- a deeply flawed character. So satisfying.

What a book. Hard to believe it’s a debut novel. And how do I feel about Circus Palmer now I’ve finished it? I still don’t know 🙃 The epitome of a flawed character. It’s definitely something I would recommend to students for dissertation.

I thought this was an interesting read that sounded so original but something was just sadly missing for me. I enjoyed the premise of the story and I think it was executed reasonably well and the charcaters were well developed and likeable. I think the pacing for me was just too slow and that made it hard for me to get into the flow and narrative of the book.

I thought this book would one I loved but sorry to say I could not get into the story at all. I found it was slow and none of the characters interested me. Thanks for the ARC but was one of the few books I have read this year I did not finish

Between Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm and The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino I have now come to the conclusion that books about sleazy womanizers and the women who at some point or other loved them are not for me. Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm appealed to me because I find that ensemble-cast books usually make for a kaleidoscopic reading experience. Sadly, most of the voices in this Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm ended up sounding exactly the same. With the exception of Maggie, who is a free spirit and therefore allowed to exist beyond her relationship with Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm were more or less blank slates, who spend their time thinking about Circus or in the case of Koko dodgy boys. If I hadn’t known who the author was, I would have assumed that they were a man, as the women in this story are as cliched as they come. With the exception of Circus, Koko, and her mother, Pia, each character is only given a chapter to shine in. The glimpse we get into their lives however felt far too shallow, and it frustrated me that these women are given no complexities, no real selves. They seem to exist only as a consequence of Circus, and because of this, their personalities suffer. Funnily enough, even if they spend a lot of their page time thinking about Circus, how they met, how things ended, and often yearning to be the one who is able to ‘change’ him…I still found it hard to believe that they were so devoted to him. We are told he is a real charmer, smooth-talking, and a talented trumpet player. But…he just came across as a sleazy guy who is beyond selfish, and manipulative, and a man who discards women as if they were disposable utensils. His lines ranged from corny (but not in an endearing way) to plain gross. Sure, his flaws are very much the driving force linking all of these voices together, but he was so one-note it was hard for me to care about him (doing better etc). It annoyed me that all of these women were reduced to the role they have with him (exes, daughter, lover, etc) and that their narratives had to stress just how hung-up and passive they are.
Koko is the kind of teenage girl we often find in adult fiction. That is to say, she is ‘angsty’, ‘self-centred’, and full of ‘silly’ ideas about love, sex, and life. It frustrated me that her character arc ultimately hinges on her wanting to have sex as if other aspects of her life (friendships, hobbies, etc) weren’t interesting or deserving enough of being explored. Also, at one point we have a scene referring to Koko's 'virgin's blood'...which, anche no.

What I hated the most is how the narrative then decides to go for a very convenient, sadly moralistic, and rushed plot point that results in Circus ‘learning’ his lesson. We are also given a happy ending of sorts which felt really jarring…

The prose often veered into sentimentality, even when attempting to come across as sensual or affecting. We even get a variation of the very much tired ‘someone lets out a breath’ phrase which did nothing to improve my impression of the author’s writing. Sure, here and there we have some observations that come across as insightful or piercing, but these often lead to less effective platitudes on love and sex, women and men. Also, given how many characters we get, it was a bit frustrating to have one woman be bisexual only as a way to turn on Circus...

I wanted more female solidarity, a more nuanced exploration of femininity and masculinity, and a more convincing portrayal of a fraught father-daughter bond. Circus and Koko's interactions often came across as either painfully scripted or as consisting of badly delivered lines.
More than anything, I longed to read about people who are flawed yet complicated individuals, as opposed to the entirely generic and not-at-all-believable characters we get here. The women's voices sounded too much alike, which was weird given that they are of different ages and come from different backgrounds. Circus was a one-note sleaze who did not deserve the convenient redemption arc he got. I swear the stuff he said & did made me either seethe with rage or want to hurl.

If you are interested in Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm I recommend you check out more positive reviews.