The Talbots are having one last party at their family home.
But Effie hasn't been invited . . .
Effie's still not over her parents splitting up a year ago. Her dad and his new girlfriend are posting their PDAs all over Instagram (complete with super-gross hashtags #viagraworks and #sexinyoursixties) and as if that wasn't bad enough, they're now selling the beloved family home. So when Effie receives a last-minute anti-invitation to their 'house-cooling' party, she decides to give it a miss.
Then she remembers her precious Russian dolls, safely tucked away up a chimney. She'll have to go back for them - but not as a guest. She'll just creep in, grab the dolls and make a swift exit. No one will know she was ever there.
But Effie can't find the dolls. And as she secretly clambers around dusty attics, hides under tables and tries to avoid bumping into her ex-boyfriend (who she's very much not over), she discovers unexpected truths about her family - and even about herself.
With time (and hiding places) running out, Effie starts to wonder if the only way to find out what's really going on with her family is to simply crash the party . . .
Expect shocking secrets, hilarious mix-ups and an unforgettable romance!
Review: This felt like a classic Sophie Kinsella novel to me. I felt the kind of quirky sense of humour used for Becky Bloomwood in the Shopaholic series when I met Effie. She is very much troubled by her parents split and the selling of the family home and she exhibits that is possibly not the most mature of ways. I really felt for her but I wish she had made better choices. He character flaws make for excellent reading though and some seriously hilarious moments and I was still rooting for her all the way.
It's the characters in this book that really make the story what it is and so if you love a character driven novel then you'll enjoy Kinsella's latest. The cast is just so whacky and each of them perfectly flawed for maximum impact on the plot. I will say that in the audiobook their names seem rush and so I did have to look up a couple of them but on the whole the audiobook was well-narrated. Effie's Dad seems a little clueless and his new partner is really difficult of warm too. Effie's Mum on the other hand is not seen on the page very often. Effie holds her on a pedestal but perhaps she isn't entirely blameless in the situation.
Effie's brother and sister both have fully formed story arcs of their own and and I enjoyed the part they played in Effie's story too. They both have some issues that need to be worked through and it was wonderful seeing how Effie get herself involved in their lives despite not really 'being' at the party! Running into your ex is never fun but the scenes with Effie and her ex were indeed fun to read. I enjoyed their banter bak and forth and thought that their relationship to one another was written very well.
This book made me cringe and made me laugh. I like the fact that it was so character driven but would recommend avoiding the audiobook so that you can better keep track of all the characters and exactly how they know the other characters at the party.
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