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Wants and Needs
- Author
- Roxy Dunn
- Narrator
- Roxy Dunn
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 29 January 2026
- Run Time
- 7 hours 3 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction, Non-monogamy / Polyamorous relationships: advice, topics and issues
- Rating
- 5.0 (1 review)
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What to expect
A novel about love, pain, big life choices and unconventional relationships, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Coco Mellors and Gillian Anderson
Independence seems to be drifting away from Misty. Just months ago, she was living with her fiancé and planning their life together. Now she’s single, back in her childhood bedroom, on crutches from knee surgery, and relying on her mother to help her with the smallest of tasks. This isn’t how thirty-two was meant to look.
When Misty turns to dating apps, she's immediately intrigued by charismatic, handsome Christopher – so intrigued that she doesn't doesn’t even notice the acronym ‘ENM’ on his profile. By the time she discovers that it stands for ‘ethical non-monogamy' – and that he’s in a long-term open relationship – she already feels such undeniable, dizzying chemistry that she decides to give things a go.
And so Misty makes a pact with herself to date Christopher for the next six weeks while his partner is away. It’s all part of her plan: she wants to learn to become less attached, and to prepare herself for her next ‘real’ relationship. But is what she wants really what she needs?
'A razor-sharp tale of what happens when life doesn't work out the way you hoped it would' ELLE
'Funny, witty and fast paced ... I tore through it' INDEPENDENT
'So wryly funny ... Roxy Dunn writes so smoothly about the limitations - and liberations - of adult love with such delicacy and honesty' CLAIRE DAVERLEY, author of Talking at Night
'A thoroughly amusing coming of age (in your thirties) novel written with wit, honesty and tenderness' CLAIRE POWELL, author of At the Table
© Roxy Dunn 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
Critics Review
-
Thoughtful, fresh and intelligent (and so wryly funny), Roxy Dunn writes so smoothly about the limitations - and liberations - of adult love with such delicacy and honesty. This is a timely novel about things that are, conversely, timeless - self-worth, desire and the deep questions of the heart
Claire Daverley, author of Talking at Night
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An unconventional love story with comedic chops ... Funny, witty and fast-paced, I tore through it on a Sunday afternoon'
Independent
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Narrated by a refreshingly offbeat heroine, Wants and Needs is a thoroughly amusing coming-of-age (in your thirties) novel written with wit, honesty and tenderness
Claire Powell, author of At The Table
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In this smart novel about post- break- up drift, dating apps and ethical non- monogamy Dunn writes frankly about dependency and self knowledge, drawing you in with her protagonist's messy experiment in love
The i, 2026's Biggest Books
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Roxy Dunn is oh so good on love. The big feelings. The thinking (and overthinking). The thrills and the spills. Wants and Needs is witty, warm and seriously sexy. A story about what we desire and deserve
Chloë Ashby, author of Family Friends
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From the author of As Young as This comes a razor-sharp tale of what happens when life doesn’t work out the way you hoped it would. At 32, Misty is back in her childhood bedroom after breaking up with her fiancé. She hits the dating apps and finds herself trying non-monogamy in an attempt to learn how to become less attached
Elle
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Dunn’s novel asks the kind of questions that keep most of us up at night: what’s the difference between what we want and what we need? And can we learn to care – or possibly, to love – less?
Stylist
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Desperately sad and desperately entertaining ... I just knew I was going to inhale it when I read that first page. So enjoyable and well observed and the writing is just so good and moreish. I loved it
Catherine Airey, author of Confessions
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This book needs to be read by people who don't have it all figured out but think everyone else does ... It's an absolutely fantastic book, and I can't wait to read more by Dunn
The Bookish Drop, Substack
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A funny, deeply perceptive novel about desire, commitment, and the drastic (sometimes questionable) measures we'll take to avoid ourselves. Dunn writes with an honesty and intimacy that would be scary if the book wasn't also so much fun
Morgan Dick, author of Favourite Daughter
User Reviews
Book 5.0
Narration 5.0
- No written reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Roxy Dunn
- Narrator
- Roxy Dunn
- Duration
- 7 hours 3 minutes
- Release Date
- 29 January 2026
- ISBN
- 9780241812778
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction, Non-monogamy / Polyamorous relationships: advice, topics and issues
- Rating
- 5.0(1 review)
- Narration
- 5.0(1 review)
Synopsis
A novel about love, pain, big life choices and unconventional relationships, perfect for fans of Dolly Alderton, Coco Mellors and Gillian AndersonIndependence seems to be drifting away from Misty. Just months ago, she was living with her fiancé and planning their life together. Now she’s single, back in her childhood bedroom, on crutches from knee surgery, and relying on her mother to help her with the smallest of tasks. This isn’t how thirty-two was meant to look.When Misty turns to dating apps, she's immediately intrigued by charismatic, handsome Christopher – so intrigued that she doesn't doesn’t even notice the acronym ‘ENM’ on his profile. By the time she discovers that it stands for ‘ethical non-monogamy' – and that he’s in a long-term open relationship – she already feels such undeniable, dizzying chemistry that she decides to give things a go.And so Misty makes a pact with herself to date Christopher for the next six weeks while his partner is away. It’s all part of her plan: she wants to learn to become less attached, and to prepare herself for her next ‘real’ relationship. But is what she wants really what she needs?'A razor-sharp tale of what happens when life doesn't work out the way you hoped it would' ELLE'Funny, witty and fast paced ... I tore through it' INDEPENDENT'So wryly funny ... Roxy Dunn writes so smoothly about the limitations - and liberations - of adult love with such delicacy and honesty' CLAIRE DAVERLEY, author of Talking at Night'A thoroughly amusing coming of age (in your thirties) novel written with wit, honesty and tenderness' CLAIRE POWELL, author of At the Table© Roxy Dunn 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026
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