Sorry Not Sorry - Emily James

I'm back after a break and I've got a good one. This book is basically what you get when you mix second chances, bad decisions, and two people who absolutely refuse to communicate like normal human beings—but somehow you can’t stop reading anyway.

Sorry, Not Sorry by Emily James is messy in a way that feels very intentional. The characters aren’t polished or overly likeable all the time, and that’s kind of the point. They say the wrong things, make things worse before they make them better, and spend a lot of time circling around what they actually feel instead of just saying it. It’s frustrating… but in a way that kept me hooked.

The heroine is strong-willed and very much “take me as I am,” which I liked. She doesn’t bend easily, and even when she knows she’s messed up, she doesn’t instantly turn into a completely different person. The love interest is just as stubborn—guarded, a bit emotionally closed off, and not always easy to root for—but there’s enough depth there to keep things interesting.

Their relationship is tense pretty much the whole time. There’s history, there’s unresolved stuff, and it shows in how they interact. A lot of almost-conversations, a lot of missteps, and moments where you just want to shake them both a little. But when it works, it really works.

❤️ What I Liked

The messiness: It doesn’t try to make everything neat or idealised. People act like people, not perfect romance characters.

The tension: You can feel the history between them, even when they’re not saying it outright.

The tone: It has a bit of an edge to it—less soft romance, more “we’re dealing with this whether we like it or not.”

⚠ Things to Keep in Mind

There’s a fair amount of back-and-forth and miscommunication. If that’s something that annoys you, it might test your patience.

The characters can be frustrating. They don’t always make the choices you want them to make.

Not a light read—it leans more into emotional drama than feel-good romance.

✅ Would I Recommend It?

If you like:

Second-chance stories that feel a bit complicated

Characters who are flawed and a little difficult

Romance with tension, arguments, and emotional payoff

Then yeah, I think it’s worth picking up. It’s not perfect, but it kept me invested, and I liked that it didn’t try to smooth out all the rough edges.

If you’re after something super soft, low-stakes, and easy, this probably isn’t it. But if you don’t mind a bit of chaos in your romance, this one delivers. I'm diving straight into the next book in the series, watch out for that review.

4/5 for me