My (Not So) Perfect Life

This was a (not quite) awesome read.

I had tried reading a print copy of this book three years ago but bailed (I can't remember why I DNF'd it) but clearly I forgot I had started this book when I recently downloaded its eAudiobook from my public library. The narrator, Fiona Hardingham (a delightfully British name) did a good job voicing this audiobook about relationships, life changes and making assumptions.

This was an easy-going, but very predictable read with cliched characters and a formulaic plot that you just know will contain misunderstandings and romance (in this case, a scorching case of Insta-Love). The story focuses on Katie's POV who is rather dull and her relationship with her boss Demeter has a very Devil Wears Prada feel. But it was her immature vendetta against Demeter that was over the top - particularly when she became jealous of a Demeter's connection to a guy Katie had spoken 30 words to in her whole life. Nothing substantial happens for the bulk of the book except the focus on Katie's parents' new glamping business which was a booming success faster than you can say yurt in a sheep field. Naturally. The rural setting was delightful, but I wish the ending had went with a different message and diverged from the anticipated neat with a bow on top kind of ending.

This was an okay read to pass the time while I was driving. I liked how it addressed the issues of how we tend to only show our perfect lives to others (particularly online), but it fell flat with its characters and plot. I'm not a fan of Kinsella's Shopaholic series so if you are a Kinsella fan, take my review with a grain of salt. I think Kinsella and I will part ways since I can't see us being bookish besties any time soon. 

My Rating: 3 stars

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Type and Source: eAudiobook from public library

Publisher:Random House Audio Publishing

First Published: February 7, 2017

Narrator: Fiona Hardingham

Run Time: 11 hours, 58 minutes

Opening Line: First: It could be worse.

Book Description from GoodReads: Part love story, part workplace dramedy, part witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world, this is New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella’s most timely and sharply observed novel yet.

Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie’s life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle—from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she’s trying to negotiate. The final, demeaning straw comes when Demeter makes Katie dye her roots in the office. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she’s desperate to make her dad proud.

Then, just as she’s finding her feet—not to mention a possible new romance—the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away—until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie’s future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.

Sophie Kinsella is celebrated for her vibrant, relatable characters and her great storytelling gifts. Now she returns with all of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her bestsellers to spin this fresh, modern story about presenting the perfect life when the reality is far from the image.