Review – The Near Daphne Experience

the Near Daphne Experience by Alison Reynolds
Published by Affirm Press on 2022
Genres: Contemporary Fiction
Format: Paperback
Source: Personal book collection

The Near Daphne Experience by Australian author Alison Reynolds (Affirm Press, 2022) is a hilarious story that is part romance, part thriller, part farce and 100% entertainment. The story unfolds through a series of emails, texts, letters and medical consultation notes that centre around psychiatrist Daphne Buckley and her search for love.

This isn’t a traditional chick lit novel, however. The closest you get to hearing Daphne’s voice directly is through the notes she makes on one of her patients. Instead, readers get to know her through correspondence from her best friend Celeste, her parents, Celeste’s husband Digby, potential suitors, her protege Melissa, and a cast of minor characters. I really enjoyed the way Daphne’s personality unfolded through the way others interacted with her, creating quite a detailed picture of her character by the end of the book.

The novel has a farcical feel, with big personalities and comical coincidences, but this works with the flow of the story rather than detracting from it and I found it hard to put the book down because I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

The writing is clever and witty, the characters are quirky and fun, and the story has some entertaining twists. This is one of those books where you just can’t stop yourself sharing funny excerpts with anyone who is nearby (I did this so often and so enthusiastically that my husband ended up reading the book himself once I was done and enjoying it just as much as I did).

The Near Daphne Experience is an engaging, funny, well-written novel with a fresh format that offers something a little bit different. I was already a fan of Alison Reynold’s picture books and now I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any future adult fiction books as well. Highly recommended if you’re looking for a book to relax with over a rain weekend or while relaxing by the pool.