At times I found it hard to read this book due to the topic of mental health. I really liked the ending, that was the best part of the book for me.

Darling Sorrow was a pretty good read.

Through experimental and poetic (but still approachable!) prose Stephen takes us through an emotional interrogation of what it takes to find meaning in life.

It is a book that demands discussion.

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel.

this was okay, but read a little juvenile and i didn't feel connected to the characters or what happens to them at all. i can see other reader enjoying this a lot tho!

— thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the free digital ARC.

Thanks netgalley for the chance to read this book! This was my first book by the author so I didn’t know what to expect. I read this one in one sitting as I was so confused and needed answers. I finally understand the book and what was happening but while reading it, it didn’t make sense to me. What exactly happened.. was it a happy ending, tragic ending? I liked this book ok but wasn’t overly hyped about it.

Well written and an interesting story but very short! The author has a nice writing style and I found their way of describing the environment was very immersive.

Darling Sorrow by Stephen Reynolds is a book about a life falling apart and bout what happens when someone goes through a break-up after a long relationship, gets fired from his job and starts losing every bit of stability in his life. This is a story about mental health and getting lost and found, told by an unreliable narrator.

I read this book in one day and couldn't put it down. This was so good! I enjoyed every page of it. The writing feels almost poetic, but in a very approachable way. Some parts I read twice, just because the prose was so beautiful.

I didn't know which way the story was going. Was there going to be an ending? Will it be a happy ending? That's up to the reader to decide, I guess. But an ending it has. As a reader you get to choose whether you believe and trust this ending or not.

Stephen Reynolds is a bit of a wanderer, a pastime he recounts with wit and wisdom in four earlier books. I wonder if it was the beauty of the English countryside which inspired the haunting beauty of his prose now that he has turned his skills to literary fiction?
This is a book that should be read and savoured and then read again. There are many layers of storytelling and character development here and I think every reader is going to take something different from it. To me, it was about beginnings and endings, about choices and chances, about staring at the abyss, and about love in all its many forms. A magnificent love letter to life.

This book is addictive and so well written, it’s a book that you won’t be able to put down! The author has done an outstanding job portraying the characters

Thank you to NetGalley and The Book Guild for the ARC of Darling Sorrows for my honest review.

This novella packs a punch. It is very thought provoking and compelling. I read this in one sitting. I think this would be a great book to discuss its deeper meaning. Quite intense and moving, beautiful prose. 4.5 stars

3.5 stars


Whilst I enjoyed this very short book on the surface, I feel the deeper meaning may have passed me by.
Quite often it does.
An enjoyable read despite my lack of insights.