Title: Bitter Sweet

Author: Hattie Williams

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Publisher: Orion

Publication Date: 3rd July 2025

Rating: 5/5

Cover:

Review:

First off, I must say that Bitter Sweet has one of my favourite covers of the year – utterly gorgeous. Happily, I can confirm that the book itself is just as excellent inside as it looks on the outside. A young woman falling for an older and more powerful man is not a new story but Bitter Sweet is a stunningly well written take on this scenario, with a main character in Charlie that I couldn’t help but root for and empathise with, even when I wanted to shake her for the decisions she made at certain points. She is an incredibly compelling and nuanced character with layers of trauma and loss that affect every facet of her life. The book is, of course, about the relationship she falls into with a much older, famous and married author whose writing she has been a lifelong fan of – but on a deeper level it is about so much more.  It is really about Charlie herself and what has led her to the place we find her in Bitter Sweet. 

I loved the way Hattie Williams writes, especially on young adult female friendship (I adored Ophelia, Charlie’s best friend), the multitude of challenges and stereotyping that young women face, especially in an industry like publishing and the inner narrative of someone struggling intensely with their mental health. Bitter Sweet is sharp, smart, beautifully observed and intensely raw in its depiction of a young woman caught in a messy yet darkly intoxicating situation. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR list immediately.

★★★★★

Huge thanks to Tracy Fenton of Compulsive Readers and the publisher for my place on this tour and for the copy of the book. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Amazon