Insatiable: ‘A frank, funny account of 21st-century lust' Independent

Product Information

The book flowed well, although some parts of the story were a little flat for me. However, I really liked the authors writing style and was fully engaged with the book from very early on.

Insatiable introduces us to Violet, a twentysomething trapped in a poorly-paid, dead-end job as a social media coordinator for some kind of art-related start up. At a social event, she meets Simon and Lottie, a suave, diabolically rich married couple who immediately sweep her off her feet. Violet is immediately swept into their world of designer candles, high-rise apartments and weekly sex parties, seduced by their rich friends, their immense wealth and the constant, dangling promise of a better life, an escape that poor Violet – who lives in her overdraft and feels constantly adrift from her own life – so desperately needs.Insatiable is a story about loneliness and trying to fit in, about our desire to be loved and included, how it’s easy to confuse being wanted with being used. It’ll draw people in with the shagging, but people will stay because they’re rooting for Violet.’ Evening Standard

This follows Violet, a millennial living in London, unhappy in her social media job. She has recently broken off her engagement and had a huge bust up with her best friend Nadia and is looking for purpose. All of her dreams look to be coming true when she bumps into Lottie at a works event who offers her a new job opportunity alongside her husband Simon.Finally, I’d like to give a standing ovation to the writing style. Even during the book’s slow, slightly dull beginning, the writing was enough to keep me spellbound; it’s richly detailed, evocative, raw and brilliant – in short, everything I love about the kind of writing style you find in literary fiction. There were so many lines I had to highlight, and I’m desperate to have a physical copy of this to mark up. There’s this feeling I get sometimes when reading literary fiction that an image is just so right, that it describes something exactly as it is, and it’s so satisfying. This book gave me that feeling constantly. It also added a little something extra to every scene, enhancing even the smallest moments. From the character descriptions to the settings, everything here is so brilliantly described, I was kind of obsessed. I’ve often had an issue with litfic in that I adore this kind of writing, but am often dissatisfied by the directionless plots that a lot of literary novels seem to have. To me, this book made it work, and made me understand how people can be so captivated by a book where nothing much happens. I’ll be on the lookout for more books like this in the future, because it was great.

But when Simon and Lottie introduce a sexual element to their somewhat hazy professional relationship with Violet, things start of passionate but soon start to turn a little bit muddled. It’s then up to Violet to decide what does she really want? Is this opportunity to good to be true? Does she only deserve this kind of messy relationship? I requested this book totally on a whim after seeing it on a Facebook ad. Even judging by the description it sounded a little out of my comfort zone, but I thought I’d give it a shot – and I’m so pleased that I did, because I ended up enjoying it a surprising amount! Intelligent, observant prose that gives a snap-shot of life experienced by millennial women.' Kate Sawyer Firstly, Violet is great character; she's flawed in many ways, but has just about enough redeeming qualities to keep you rooting for her as she tears through life. A Fleabag-esque character! The book is utterly filthy, but it's also warm and tender, Daisy very cleverly uses the sexual boundaries that are somewhat blurred between the group to dig into consent as well. But the book isn't just about sex, Daisy creates a window into the experience of many millennial women battling their way through their 20s, shirking off what society thinks they should be to find out who they actually are.There’s a lot of sex in this book. With lots of people. At the same time. Posh orgies and I mean posh in that they take place in posh London flats. With posh food. (Rule of orgies: always have a buffet.) Daisy brings characters to life like no other writer, pumping them full of humour, vulnerability and sexy sexy sex’ Lucy Vine At times I was so frustrated with Violet for choices she made, but I think this is testament to the writing of the author. Characters that are well written bring out an emotional response from the reader. The characters are fascinating. Firstly, of course, we have Violet, a walking contradiction. Constantly questioning herself, smarter than she thinks she is, gullible and hopeful but filled with doubts. Simon and Lottie, of course – untouchable, sexy, but with edges you could cut yourself on, two characters who draw you close for a cheek-kiss but never truly let you get past their veneer. Acerbic Sasha, with her eviscerating disdain; Mimi, an absolute angel, who steals every scene; Max and Richard, who… were there… and Nadia, the former best friend whose absence from Violet’s life is like a missing tooth she can’t stop poking. I loved getting to spend time with these characters, pulling at their loose threads and slowly watching them unravel. There was so much tension, especially for Violet, who finds them all volatile and unpredictable and makes constant missteps. The woman are infinitely more interesting than the men, which I really enjoyed; there’s a huge emphasis on female connection here that I adored. A piercing insight into the unreal demands modern women place on themselves and told with real humour and energy, we love this book so much' Stylist