Review: The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

 Discover the joy that awaits when you set yourself free...

Sasha is well and truly over it all: work (all-consuming), friendships (on the back burner), sex-life (non-existent). Sasha has hit a brick wall (literally).

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find solitude, she heads to the Devon resort she loved as a child. But it's off-season, the hotel is falling apart and now she has to share the beach with someone else: a grumpy, stressed-out guy called Finn. How can she commune with nature when he's sitting on a rock, watching her? Especially when they don't agree on burnout cures. (Sasha: manifesting, wild swimming, secret chocolate bars; Finn: drinking whisky.)

But when curious messages start appearing on the beach, Sasha and Finn are forced to begin talking - about everything. What's the mystery? Why are they both burned out? What exactly is 'manifesting', anyway?

They might discover that they have more in common than they think...

Review: I’m not going to lie, the start of this book where we meet Sasha and experience her burnout did have me a little stressed out. I think I just related to her so much that my heart rate went up and I was a little short of breath because each and every email and interaction that she experienced, I experienced for her as well and I could just empathise with the way she was feeling. So if you’ve ever felt somewhat overwhelmed at work or felt like there weren’t enough people to make doing your job possible then this book is most definitely for you!

This book isn’t all about burnout though. This book has some classic Sophie Kinsella elements that we know and love. As already mentioned, Sasha is extremely relatable and easy to get along with. I love the fact that she can be silly and serious all at the same time but she pretends that she has it all together because that’s what society expects of women her age. But then there’s this massive nostalgia element for her as well as she heads to the holiday resort she went to as a child for some much needed R and R. 

I enjoyed travelling to an ‘off season’ British holiday resort with Sasha. It was a great location for this story because it really does put her and her needs at the forefront. There is no sunshine and holiday makers to distract her and we don’t have to imagine packed beaches. In fact the opposite meant that you could clear your mind with Sasha looking at the waves, feeling the cold sand and the sweeping winds. I really enjoyed the fact that Sahsha got to rediscover this setting through very different eyes and in a very different way to how she went there as a child. 

Then we do have to have the romance aspect of a Sophie Kinsella romcom. Finn is a great antidote to Sasha’s hopefulness. They are equally burned out (or so they think) and so they have this in common but don’t seem to be able to find any other common ground until a mystery from their past starts to become prevalent in their present, particularly through mysterious messages on the beach. I liked Finn because he was honest and I think that is a rarity these days. I also loved the rest of the cast of the novel, the hotel staff, the Devon locals and of course Sasha’s mum-they were great antidotes when things in Sasah’s world start to get a bit dark. 

I really enjoyed this novel, it felt very classic Sophie Kinsella and I would definitely recommend cosying up with it this autumn and being whisked away to a Devonshire beach for some therapy of your own! 

To order your copy now, just click here!

Review: The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella

 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. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Love Your Life by Sophie Kinsella

 I love you . . . but what if I can't love your life?

Ava is sick of online dating. She's always trusted her own instincts over an algorithm, anyway, and she wants a break from it all. So when she signs up to a semi-silent, anonymous writing retreat in glorious Italy, love is the last thing on her mind.

Until she meets a handsome stranger. . . All she knows is that he's funny, he's kind and - she soon learns - he's great in bed. He's equally smitten, and after a whirlwind, intoxicating affair, they pledge their love without even knowing each other's real names.

But when they return home, reality hits. They're both driven mad by each other's weird quirks and annoying habits, from his eccentric, naked-sauna-loving family to her terribly behaved, shirt-shredding dog. As disaster follows disaster, it seems that while they love each other, they just can't love each other's lives. Can they overcome their differences to find one life, together?

Review: The meet cute in this novel was so sweet and I really loved the idea of two writers getting together in this way. I also really loved the humour and the writing style. Sophie Kinsella just has a natural talent when it comes to her writing. She has such a great sense of humour and its something that really appeals to me. 

That's really where the things I liked in this book stop though. It's taken me a while to actually pen my feelings on this novel. I actually posted a video review of this when I first read it because I found it so hard to believe I didn't like something from one of my favourite authors but this book just really angered me and I just couldn't enjoy it like any other Sophie Kinsella novel. 

Ava should have been a character that I really enjoyed spending this book with. I love the idea that she rescues everything i hr life, books, her dog, her furniture. She is a very sustainable character sure but she is hugely selfish and judgmental. She just doesn't seem prepared to bend at all in her relationships whether that's in her love life or in her friendship group. I ADORED her friendship group and would happily read more about them in future novels, however Ava really got to me in that she felt that Matt had to change in order to make their relationship work and she had no ideas that she could change or what compromise actually means. It actually just seems really sexist to me.

Matt and Ava go into their relationship agreeing that they will have baggage. They decide that they don't want to bring any of their previous relationship drama with them but that means, in this case, that they don't tell each other anything about their past. I love the idea of no baggage but it just can't work in real life, you need to know what someone has been through in order to grow a relationship with them. Sure we can have work acquaintances that we only know as their work persona but if you want any kind of deep and meaningful relationship with someone then you need to know what makes them tick and what makes them vulnerable. 

I actually felt quite sorry for Matt at points in this book. His friendship group were also very true to life. A lot less likable that Ava's friendship group but still very true to life. Matt had a lot of pressure from his career and from his parents and so I really hoped his relationship with Ava would be a lovely and romantic thing for him but she wanted him to change everything about himself and so I found myself rooting for the relationship to fail and not for love to win!

Another thing that really struck me with the book is that the covers are so different UK to US and the way Matt is described in the book really fits both of these covers but Ava doesn't look like she is described in the book at all. So I know that writers doesn't really have a say in their covers but it's just another thing that bothered me when it came to reading the book and I read the audio so I didn't really even see the cover when I was reading!

This was such a hard review to write because I love Sophie Kinsella so much but I just couldn't draw a lot of positives from this book and so it is not something I recommend.

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: Christmas Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It's always the same – Mum and Dad hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers.

And now it's even easier with online bargain-shopping sites – if you spend enough you even get free delivery. Sorted!

But this year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky's parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she'll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong?

With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper – surely Becky can manage all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are far from clear . . .

Will chaos ensue, or will Becky manage to bring comfort and joy to Christmas?

Review: Oh it was wonderful to be back in Becky Bloomwood's world again. I re-read the entire series leading up to publication day of this one and so I left right off of Shopaholic to the Rescue to read this one. It was so good spending time with Becky at Christmas again and it was every bit as magical, and hectic as you might imagine. 

I really do feel like Becky has grown as a character over the course of this series. Hosting Christmas is the ultimate adult responsibility and I feel like that is a symbol of where she is in the Shopaholic world and where this author has decided for her to go next. It was great seeing her with Mini and Luke, with her family and her friends and I feel like the author was really true to the character in terms of the choices Becky makes in this novel and the ways she behaves. The only character missing from this book was Danny, but then adding him into the mix I think would have cause a catastrophe at Christmas so long live the new characters we did get to meet. 

I love the fact that we have your traditional 'Don't Panic, do not panic' moments from the rest of the shopaholic series, but now they are Christmas themed. We know that things tend to get hectic and all go wrong at Christmas and we know that things tend to get a bit hectic and often go wrong for Becky, put these two together and you have the perfect mix. Plus we all have our own little traditions at Christmas and so do Jess and Tom, Janice and Martin and Becky's mum and dad and they all want it done their way-what's a girl to do?

There are some really heart-warming moments for Becky and Mini with their new school friends and there are some lovely moments between Becky and Luke, I have loved watching their marriage over the years. There were a couple of moments that took me aback too however. I felt that Suze was a little judgemental in this book whereas in the beginning when Becky's spending was REALLY bad, I never felt like Suze was judgey in any way, perhaps she has changed for the worse or perhaps this was just necessary for the plot but I do feel like she took it a little too far. And another choice that shocked me was that a character in the book who is adopted was written to be wearing a shirt that says the word recycled on it. Again I might be reading a little too much into it but I did really gasp at that point because I was shocked that this author would choose to use that particular word in that instance. 

Overall though, I really enjoyed this book. Becky at Christmas with all the shopping to be had and now with all the online ordering to be done-it really is superb reading and I feel like even if you haven't read the rest of the series, you're going to enjoy this one as a standalone novel about what happens when you host Christmas for the first time. 

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Shopaholic Series by Sophie Kinsella Re-read and Book Club

If you've been following my blog, my channel or any of my social media channels you will know that I am, and have always been a massive Sophie Kinsella fan. This year it was announced that there will be a Christmas Shopaholic book released, yes Becky is getting festive! The Book comes out on October 15th in the US and October 17th in the UK!

When I heard the release date for the new book, I knew I wanted to plan a re-read of the series in preparation for reading the new one! That time is now my friends, that time is now!

If you follow me on Instagram you will have already seen that I am planning on reading one book a week from the series, starting today and the each Monday, over on my Bookstagram, I will be hosting a discussion of that book. 

Here are all the dates you need to know... (there are so many different covers for this series so I just did a mish mash of them all!)

 

Read w/b August 19th

Discuss August 26th

 

Read w/b August 26th

Discuss September 2nd

Read w/b September 2nd

Discuss September 9th

Read w/b September 9th

Discuss September 16th

Read w/b September 16th

Discuss September 23rd

Read w/b September 23rd

Discuss September 30th

Read w/b September 30th

Discuss October 7th

Read w/b October 7th

Discuss October 14th

Ready for Christmas Shopaholic landing October 15th (US) or 17th (UK)

I would love for you to join me in this reading and discussion and if you've never read the series, now would be a great time to start!

Review: I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

Fixie Farr has always lived by her father’s motto: “Family first.” And since her dad passed away, leaving his charming housewares store in the hands of his wife and children, Fixie spends all her time picking up the slack from her siblings instead of striking out on her own. The way Fixie sees it, if she doesn’t take care of her father’s legacy, who will?

It’s simply not in Fixie’s nature to say no to people. So when a handsome stranger in a coffee shop asks her to watch his laptop for a moment, she not only agrees—she ends up saving it from certain disaster. To thank Fixie for her quick thinking, the computer’s owner, Sebastian, an investment manager, scribbles an IOU on a coffee sleeve and attaches his business card. Fixie laughs it off—she’d never actually claim an IOU from a stranger. Would she?

But then Fixie’s childhood crush, Ryan, comes back into her life, and his lack of a profession pushes all of Fixie’s buttons. As always, she wants nothing for herself—but she’d love Seb to give Ryan a job. No sooner has Seb agreed than the tables are turned once more and a new series of IOUs between Seb and Fixie—from small favors to life-changing moments—ensues. Soon Fixie, Ms. Fixit for everyone else, is torn between her family and the life she really wants. Does she have the courage to take a stand? Will she finally grab the life, and love, she really wants?

Review: I really enjoyed this book. I read it in a couple of big chunks, as you do with a Sophie Kinsella novel and yet this felt like a little bit of a departure for this author and something with a different feel from her usual rom coms . This was one f those novels where everything from the beginning and the middle makes sense when you get to the end, but not until you get to the end and this made it difficult for me at times when people would ask if I was enjoying it or what it was about and I couldn't really tell them, but by the time you get to the end you do get rewarded with some answers. 

I loved Fixie as a main character, she had that same ditzy innocence as Becky Bloomwod but she had the weight of the world on her shoulders at the same time! I really felt for her, I identified with her and I was angry for her as the novel progressed. Yes this was one of those books where I shouted at the characters just a little! He family make up the rest of the cast of characters on the whole and oh my goodness did I hate them at some points over the course of the boo, some of the family friends too come to think of it. I think there are definitely some villains you will love to hate upon picking this one up! 

As I say the storyline was definitely a slow reveal, a lot of things happened and I couldn't always work out why but by the time I got to the end of the book they all made sense. Although this didn't feel like the usual Sophie kinsella novel I have come to expect I definitely did enjoy it. It made me laugh and it made me angry, I even shed a tear at one point too. Don't come into this one with expectations of a 'usual' kinsella novel but I can defiantly recommend this one and I would definitely urge you to add it to your TBR whether you are already a fan or not.  

To order your copy now, just click the link: UK or US

Review: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

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. 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.

Review: It just felt so good to be back in the happy place that is a Sophie Kinsella novel. I was hooked right into this book straight away and literally read it in 2 sittings. This books just had me drawn so into Cat/Katie's world that even when I was waiting in line at Starbucks, I had this out, devouring pages, wanting to stay in Sophie Kinsella's world for just a little longer. 

I think one thing that I love about Sophie's writing is that she writes such great characters and so all of her novels are so character driven. Anyone who has read her shopaholic series will have Becky Bloomwood in their mind and once she's there, she's here to stay. And I think that the thing I loved so much about this particular read was that Katie is another character that really sticks with you. Katie is relatatble, because as you can see from the tittle, not everything in her life is going perfectly. I could so relate to Katy and her commute across London. Her fierce determination that she was going to live and work in a certain way, no matter what. I also really loved that we got to see aspects of her family life, her personal life and her work life, and that nothing was quite perfect in any of those aspects. 

The other characters in this book are great too. I loved Katie's dad and his attitude of bettering himself too, just in a very different way to Katie. I loved Katie's work friends and how they were just the kind of people I would imagine would work in an office that is all about branding and image. Of course there is the boss we love to hate, we've all worked for one of those after all and then there is the love interest. The love interest in this particular book is seriously swoon worthy, yet another thing that Sophie Kinsella creates so well!

I really liked that this book had multiple storylines and multiple settings. I like when I get to travel in the pages of a book and the setting descriptions are wonderful, whether you're in Chiswick or Somerset, you will b e transported there along with Katie. The storyline transports you as well and nothing about it is completely predictable. There is a level of familiarity that is just the right amount of comforting and yet there are definitely some unexpected events, for Katie and for you as a reader, along the way! 

If you're a fan of Sophie Kinsella then you definitely won't be disappointed by this standalone and if you are new to her writing then this is definitely one to pick up, welcome to the wonderful world full of fabulous characters. This is definitely something I would recommend adding to your TBR pile now!

To order your copy now, just click here!