I found myself frequently wondering how Jayne Entwistle might have read this one, as Fiona Hardingham was sounding more strident and angry than I felt a protagonist in a comedy should. I kept re-running her lines in a lighter delivery, but either I got used to it or it evened out as the story developed. When all was said and done I felt it'd been an enjoyable and interesting read. ( )

Flew through this light story about a young woman and her first job in London. There's romance, office politics, a bit of a mystery and some quaint country characters to boot.

There's nothing spectacular here to truly warrant four starts but this delivers what it's supposed to and I enjoyed it hence the good rating. ( )

loved this first grown up job adventure that felt familiar ( )

If you ever want a book that reminds you to stop trying to "Keep Up With the Joneses" or to stop lusting after the lives you see on social media, this one is for you. My Not So Perfect Life teaches us to embrace the good AND the bad, the ups AND the downs because all of it is what makes life worth living. We shouldn't hide the less than perfect moments, we should embrace them because they are a part of what makes us who we are.

All Katie (no Cat, it’s Cat!) wants is an Instagram perfect life - fine dining, extravagant weekends, successful career, and prestige. Instead, she has to settle for a low-level associate job, a flat with two roommates who are either trying to shag her or could care less she exists, no friends, and no money. Despite it all, she is determined to be Cat (not Katie!), successful Londoner who will eventually make the life she pretends to have on Instagram a reality. Until then, she will live vicariously through her extraordinary boss Demeter. This woman has it all! She’s gorgeous, she’s the best in the industry, handsome husband, jaw dropping house, and a social life that would put a Kardashian to shame. When Cat finally gets an opportunity to speak with Demeter alone, she ultimately gets the advice she believes she will need to succeed in the world of branding and marketing. Ready to put her best foot forward, and with a few pieces of advice from her unexpected encounter with a "too beautiful to be a partner of the firm" Alex, Cat takes on her father’s latest project, heading the branding and marketing to make his glamping dream a reality. Proud of what she has created, Cat believes this is what she needs to finally be noticed by Demeter, only to be fired! Devastated and desperate, Cat finds herself back in Somerset under false pretenses but it’s fine, as long as she keeps up the lie until she gets her life back on track, there is no harm in a little deception to prevent stress to her family (and humiliation), right?

Katie is so determined to be Cat that she takes for granted the few achievements that she has made in life and where she has come from. She drops her accent because people are making fun her (instead of owning it). She changes her looks because she is so desperate to fit in (instead of embracing her uniqueness). She shapes, molds, and twists everything about her personality so she can be what she believes is the perfect Londoner! Worst off, when she finally does do something that should make her proud and is Instagram ideal - she is too embarrassed to embrace it!

The immense amount of growth Katie made throughout the story was extraordinary. What made it even more significant was the one person in her life who was deemed the "wander" was the one to give her the perspective she needed.

The book itself was hysterical. The shenanigans she pulled with Demeter on the farm where priceless. I still can't stop laughing about the rooftop incident with her and Alex! There were so many moments of joy but just as many moments of introspection. The idea of understanding that is ok to want, ok to envy, but be realistic about those we choose to emulate.

Like most of Kinsella's books, you don't dive into these pages expecting romance and swoon-filled moments. You prepare yourself for the most eye opening, thought provoking, enlightening experience that her words always ignite. I never fail to walk away from her books with an incredible and uplifting perspective on life and invigorated to continue my journey. ( )

My Not So Perfect Life/Sophie Kinsella Part love story, part workplace drama, this sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world. New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has written her most timely 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. 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 truth.
 
I was sooooo excited to receive this book, and it exceeded my expectations! As kismet would have it, I received it one year to the day after I'd seen Sophie Kinsella speak in London (an experience that, if possible, made me fall even more in love with her!) I've yet to read a Kinsella book I haven't loved, and while this admittedly fell into her old patterns, it was nonetheless brilliant.
 
Sure enough, by the third page I had laughed out loud. Reading a Kinsella book is like having a chat with an old friend who gets you, putting on that sweater that's cosy and makes you look good, or sinking into a warm bubble bath. I felt like I knew Katie like an old friend and was rolling my eyes at her antics affectionately. She deals with the very real problem of having a not-so-perfect life that I totally related to.
 
One aspect of this book that I loved was how the entire romantic plot took more of a backburner than normal. Katie didn't let herself be defined by any men. I also had a lot of warm and fuzzy feelings inspired by her dad and her step-mom, and I loved the way Katie's feelings towards them and her relationship with them evolved.
 
Her career exploration was a lot of fun. The design details were much more interesting than I thought they would be. I have no desire to work in marketing, but Katie's descriptions of her work and the way she used her eyes for detail was really fun to read about. Her job search felt very real, as did her struggles with unpaid internships, long commutes, and expensive flats. Mainly, I thought that the job advice she received was important and widely applicable.
 
I went through a lot of emotions at the ending, but was ultimately disappointed. To be entirely ambiguous so as not to give spoilers, the ending flipped on me multiple times and I wasn't sure what was going to happen, which was a plus, but I texted my friend at 95% with a lot of excitement just to have what I thought had happened reversed. But then again, most readers I assume will find the ending very satisfying.
 
This addresses a lot of aspects of our world and how we portray it, and I really enjoyed how she made the book modern and relative to life today. She even threw in a reference to Trump, which could not be more timely. While a lot of books go overboard with texting and social media, I felt like this one had a stellar amount.
 
If you've liked any other Kinsella books, this will hit the spot. If you like any type of chick flick/rom com lit, you'll love this. Definitely something I'll read again, and I highly recommend it.
 
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. ( )