Let’s be real for a second. We’ve all had that moment where we look at someone—maybe a friend, maybe a stranger at a coffee shop—and think, "Nope, definitely not my type." It’s a gut reaction. But what happens when your gut is dead wrong? That’s the messy, beautiful, and sometimes frustrating premise that makes the Not My Type book by Melanie Murphy such a standout in the crowded world of contemporary romance and "new adult" fiction.
Melanie Murphy isn’t just some random author popping out of nowhere. If you’ve spent any time on the Irish side of YouTube over the last decade, you know her. She built a massive following by being aggressively honest about body image, sexuality, and the general chaos of being a person in your twenties. When she transitioned into fiction, people were skeptical. Could a YouTuber actually write a novel that wasn't just a vanity project?
Honestly, she nailed it.
The Chaos of Choice in Not My Type
The story follows Eleanor, or "El," who is basically a walking personification of "I have my life together, but actually I don’t." She’s a lifestyle vlogger—a nod to Murphy’s own career—living in London. She’s got the aesthetic. She’s got the followers. But her love life is a literal graveyard of "types" that didn't work out. Then comes Barnaby. He’s a geeky, awkward, knitwear-wearing guy who is the antithesis of everything El thinks she wants. He’s not the brooding bad boy. He’s not the high-flying corporate shark. He’s just... Barnaby.
The Not My Type book works because it doesn't try to be a fairy tale. It’s gritty in that weird, modern way where the obstacles aren't dragons or warring families, but rather anxiety, social media pressure, and the fear of being seen for who you actually are.
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Why the "Not My Type" Trope Actually Hits Different
Most romance novels rely on the "instant spark." You know the one. The protagonist walks into a room, smells the love interest’s expensive cologne (which always smells like "rain and sandalwood" for some reason), and suddenly their knees are weak. Murphy subverts this. She asks a much more interesting question: Can you grow into loving someone who doesn't give you that immediate electric shock?
It’s about the slow burn.
The pacing reflects this. Some readers find it a bit slow at the start, but that’s the point. Real attraction isn't always a lightning bolt. Sometimes it’s a slow-growing moss. That sounds less romantic, sure, but it’s a lot more grounded in reality. Murphy uses her background in digital media to highlight how El’s online persona clashes with her offline reality. It’s meta. It’s self-aware. And it makes the relationship between El and Barnaby feel earned rather than forced by the plot.
Navigating the Themes of Identity and Mental Health
One thing you need to know about the Not My Type book is that it doesn't shy away from the heavy stuff. Murphy has always been an advocate for mental health awareness, and she weaves that into El’s narrative arc without making it feel like a "very special episode" of a sitcom.
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- Body Positivity: Unlike many romance leads who are described in perfect, airbrushed terms, El deals with the reality of having a body that doesn't always feel like her own.
- The Vlogger Trap: The book explores the performative nature of the internet. How do you date someone when you’re used to turning every private moment into "content"?
- Sexual Fluidity: Murphy explores the nuances of attraction in a way that feels organic to the characters’ journeys, rather than ticking a box.
There is a specific scene mid-way through the book—I won't spoil it—where El has to confront the fact that her "type" was actually just a shield. By only dating a specific kind of person, she was subconsciously ensuring those relationships would fail so she never had to get truly vulnerable. It’s a "lightbulb" moment that resonates with anyone who has ever self-sabotaged a good thing because they were scared.
Is It Worth the Hype?
Look, if you’re looking for a spicy, fast-paced thriller, this isn't it. But if you want something that feels like a long conversation with a friend who is oversharing after two glasses of wine, then the Not My Type book is exactly what you need.
Critics and readers on platforms like Goodreads have been somewhat divided, which is usually a sign of an interesting book. Some people find El’s indecisiveness annoying. They want her to just "pick the guy." But people are annoying. Real people are indecisive. Murphy’s writing style is very conversational—almost diaristic—which fits the vlogger protagonist perfectly. It’s a "voicey" book. You either vibe with El’s internal monologue or you don’t.
Practical Comparisons
If you liked Fans of the Impossible Life or maybe something by Rainbow Rowell, you’ll likely enjoy this. It occupies that space between Young Adult and Adult fiction often called New Adult. It deals with the transition from "who my parents think I am" to "who I actually am."
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Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Read
If you’re planning on diving into the Not My Type book, or if you’ve just finished it and are looking for what’s next, here is how to get the most out of the experience:
- Check out Melanie Murphy’s non-fiction first: If you want to understand the "soul" of this book, her memoir Fully Functioning Human (Almost) provides a lot of context for the themes of body image and recovery she explores in her fiction.
- Audiobook vs. Physical Copy: Murphy actually narrates the audiobook herself. Given that the book is about a girl who makes a living with her voice and screen presence, hearing the author read it adds a layer of authenticity that the physical page sometimes misses.
- Reflect on your "Type": The book is a great catalyst for thinking about your own dating patterns. Are you dating a "type" or a person?
- Join the community: There are active discussion threads on Reddit and Discord specifically about Murphy’s work. Because she’s so active online, the fandom around the book is very engaged and often discusses the real-life implications of the plot points.
The Not My Type book stands as a testament to the fact that our first instincts aren't always our best ones. It’s a messy, awkward, and ultimately hopeful look at what happens when you let your guard down long enough to let the "wrong" person in. Don't go into it expecting a polished, tropes-by-numbers romance. Go into it expecting a story about a girl trying to find her footing in a world that wants her to be a filtered version of herself.
The best way to experience this story is to approach it without the "rom-com" expectations. It’s a character study first, and a romance second. By the time you hit the final chapters, you realize it wasn't just about Barnaby being "not her type." It was about El realizing she didn't even know what her type was because she didn't know herself yet. That’s a journey worth reading.