BOOK REVIEW: My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

I'm a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella. Okay, so I might have fallen out of love with the Shopaholic series after the last couple of books, but Sophie's standalone novels have always been brilliant reads. In fact, Twenties Girl is one of my all-time favourite chick-lit reads. Aside from the bestselling Shopaholic series, Sophie's books include The Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep a Secret?, YA novel Finding Audrey and now, My Not So Perfect Life.

Katie Brenner is living the London life. She's given herself a new, chic nickname (Cat) and bagged herself a fab office job in marketing. She's stylish, eats out at great places and has a bunch of equally glam city friends. Basically, she's living the dream.

Except she's not. Despite the photos she's always sharing on Instagram, Katie is poor, is undermined by her boss who's impossible to please, lives in a flatshare, and doesn't have that many friends. In fact, Katie is totally faking it. Having always dreamed of moving to London from her rural home in Somerset, Katie is finally in the city she loves and is determined to stay there. Even if it DOES mean hiding her country-girl roots from her posh colleagues.

Though things begin to look up when she meets handsome, fun Alex. Not even a humiliating encounter with bitchy boss Demeter can burst her happy bubble. Or can it?

Just after finding out who Alex really is, Katie is fired from her job without warning, effective immediately. With no job and little cash, Katie makes a decision she really doesn't want to make...to head back to Ansters Farm in Somerset to assist her dad in setting up his latest money-making idea - a trendy new 'glamping' site. Katie's plan is to help until she lands herself a new job, then return to the big city to resume normal life.

That is, until Demeter turns up at Ansters Farm for a family holiday.

When Demeter doesn't even recognise Katie as the junior she recently fired, Katie's angry - and she's not about to pass up the opportunity to get her own back on her awful former boss, with some hilarious results. However, it soon becomes apparent that Katie's not the only one guilty of faking a perfect life in London.

My Not So Perfect Life is a wonderful read. As expected, Sophie Kinsella delivered her perfect combination for a great romantic comedy: witty writing, fun characters and amusing scenarios. Even though Katie is particularly silly at times, she's fun, relatable and easy to warm to. I loved her family too (her dad especially!) and admired Katie's determination throughout the book. Over the years there have been plenty of novels with the 'country girl moves to the big city' theme (it was highly popular at one time), and even though I expected this book to be similar, the ending surprised me.

I guess a lot of us can be guilty of wanting more out of life, or coveting a lifestyle we think is better or more glamorous. Social media, Instagram especially, allows people to display the life they want to the world, if they choose to. This was something I enjoyed about this book; the role that social media plays in Katie's life, as she tries to 'design' what she thinks that she needs to have.

Yet again Sophie Kinsella has penned another wonderful read. If you're looking for something funny, romantic, a little bit silly and heartwarming, then My Not So Perfect Life is...well, perfect.

Rating: 5/5

Thank you to Netgalley for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

COMING SOON: Shopaholic to the Rescue by Sophie Kinsella

Becky Brandon (formerly Bloomwood), will be returning later this month for another adventure in Sophie Kinsella's next Shopaholic installment, Shopaholic to the Rescue. This time, Becky heads to Vegas in search of her dad, but this is Becky Bloomwood, so more shenanigans are guaranteed...

Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is on a major rescue mission! Hollywood was full of surprises, and now she's on a road trip to Las Vegas to help her friends and family. She's determined to get to the bottom of why her dad has mysteriously disappeared, help her best friend Suze and even bond with long-time enemy Alicia Bitch Long-legs (maybe...). As Becky discovers just how much her friends and family need help, she comes up with her biggest, boldest, most brilliant plan yet! So can she save the day just when they need her most? 

Becky is setting out to make things right in this laugh-out-loud, feel-good conclusion to her American adventure that began with Shopaholic To The Stars. 

BOOK NEWS: Sophie Kinsella announces new Shopaholic book!

Sophie Kinsella, bestselling author of the Shopaholic series (and new teen novel, Finding Audrey), has announced a new installment which will be released in the autumn, titled Shopaholic to the Rescue.

Sophie posted the following photo on social media earlier today, stating: 'Becky is back – and the stakes are getting higher!' We're not sure what Becky Bloomwood will be up to this time, but there's definitely a Vegas-themed vibe going on...

COVER NEWS: Cover for Sophie Kinsella's 'Finding Audrey' revealed

Sophie Kinsella, bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, has today released the cover image of her upcoming YA novel, Finding Audrey, which is to be published in June. The book has been described as 'a mix of family comedy, romance and personal discovery.'

You can read an exclusive excerpt from Finding Audrey over at USA Today.

NEW RELEASES: New Shopaholic short story from Sophie Kinsella

Shopaholic on Honeymoon, a short story by bestselling Shopaholic author Sophie Kinsella, is available to download now. Sophie's last novel, Shopaholic to the Stars, was released in September, and now Becky Brandon (formerly Bloomwood!) is back in this short tale, which takes places shortly after Shopaholic Ties the Knot.

The new Mr and Mrs Brandon are on honeymoon, and Becky has big plans! They’ve got a whole year to explore Venice, learn yoga in India, sleep in little wooden huts in South America… maybe even see penguins in the Antarctic. And of course they’ll need to buy just a few essential souvenirs along the way (everyone needs a set of Murano glass goblets, after all).

They’re not just tourists, they’re travellers. Becky is sure it is just the thing that Luke needs – time to unwind. He’ll come back a changed man… with all the good bits still intact of course.

But it soon becomes clear that Luke has different plans entirely. Can Becky help him let go, or will this little disagreement threaten their whole honeymoon?

INDUSTRY NEWS: Sophie Kinsella to publish YA novel

Bestselling chick-lit author Sophie Kinsella is to publish a young adult novel, The Bookseller revealed today.

The novel, titled Finding Audrey, will be published by Random House and has been described as 'a mix of family comedy, romance and personal discovery'.

Finding Audrey will be released next year. Sophie's next novel in her well-loved Shopaholic series, Shopaholic to the Stars, will hit the shelves tomorrow.

UNCOVERED PICKS: Five September Releases

Now that summer is drawing to a close and the days are becoming chilly, it's time to take a look at what new chick-lit releases are in store for September. Tea and a good book? Don't mind if I do! Here's our pick of this month's upcoming reads...

Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella
Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood ! It's as if all her life has been leading to this moment. She's hanging out with the stars ...or at least she will be, when she finally gets to meet movie superstar Sage Seymour, whom husband Luke is now managing. There's so much to see and do! And getting Minnie through the hurdles for her A-list Hollywood pre-school will require some ...er ...help. Becky sets her heart on a new career - she's going to be a celebrity stylist . Red carpet, here she comes! But Becky soon finds it's tough in Tinseltown. Luckily her best friend Suze comes over to keep her company, and together they embark on the Hollywood insider trail But somehow ...things aren't quite working out as they'd hoped. Then Becky's big chance comes, and it's an opportunity that money can't buy. But will it cost her too much?

Twitter Girl by Nic Tatano
Meet America's Tweet-Heart. She's network reporter Cassidy Shea, better known as @TwitterGirl, with more than a million followers thanks to her sarcastic tweets. One hundred forty characters than can take anyone down a notch. But while brevity may be the soul of wit, it can also get you fired. When a controversial tweet goes viral the snarky redhead finds herself locked out of the career she loves...and watches her boyfriend take a hike. Alas, no industry values sarcasm more than politics, and Cassidy becomes a marketable commodity for Presidential candidate Will Becker, a squeaky-clean, stone cold lock to be the next occupant of the White House. This candidate is unlike any other; he's the country's most eligible bachelor. He's also looking for a running mate, and we're not talking about a Vice President. Twitter Girl has caught his eye. Cassidy finds herself swept up in a whirlwind romance that turns her into the next Jackie Kennedy and becomes the favorite to be the next First Lady. The country can't get enough of America's First Couple...will Cassidy and Will Becker bring back Camelot? But an anonymous tip triggers her journalistic curiosity. Is Will Becker all that he seems? The search for the answer teaches Cassidy the meaning of love.

Honeymoon Hotel by Hester Browne
The Bonneville Hotel is the best kept secret in Mayfair: its art deco suites and glittering ballrooms a former home-away-from-home for royalty and film stars alike. Recent years haven't been kind, but thanks to Events Manager Rosie, the Bonneville is reclaiming some of its old cachet as a chic retro-glam wedding venue. While Rosie's weddings are the ultimate in romance, Rosie herself isn't; she's focused on the details, not the dramas. But when the hotel owner appoints his eccentric son Joe to the Bonneville staff, Rosie finds herself up against an unprecedented challenge: a rival whose predilection for the unconventional could derail not only Rosie's own career, but the most elaborate, high-profile wedding the Bonneville has ever seen.

Saving Grace by Jane Green
Grace Chapman has the perfect life, living comfortably with her husband, bestselling author Ted, in a picture-perfect farmhouse on the Hudson River in New York State. Then Ted advertises for a new assistant, and Beth walks into their lives. Organized, passionate and eager to learn, Beth quickly makes herself indispensable to Ted and his family. But Grace soon begins to feel side-lined in her home - and her marriage - by this ambitious younger woman. Is Grace just paranoid, as her husband tells her, or is there more to Beth than first thought?

The Seafront Tea Rooms by Vanessa Greene
The Seafront Tea Rooms is a peaceful hideaway, away from the bustle of the seaside, and in this quiet place a group of women find exactly what they've been searching for. Charismatic journalist Charlotte is on a mission to scope out Britain's best tea rooms. She knows she's found something special in the Seafront Tea Rooms but is it a secret she should share? Kathryn, a single mother whose only sanctuary is the 'Seafront', convinces Charlie to keep the place out of her article by agreeing to join her on her search. Together with another regular, Seraphine, a culture-shocked French au pair with a passion for pastry-making, they travel around the country discovering quaint hideaways and hidden gems. But what none of them expect is for their journey to surprise them with discoveries of a different kind ...Full of romance, tea and cake, The Seafront Tea Rooms is a heart-warming tale about the strength found in true friendship.

COVER NEWS: Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

Much-loved heroine Becky Bloomwood returns in the next instalment of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series, and the cover for the new novel, due to published in October, was recently announced! Here are the covers...

 UK:

US:

Becky Brandon (née Bloomwood) has stars in her eyes. She and her daughter, Minnie, have joined husband Luke in LA—city of herbal smoothies, multimillion-dollar yoga retreats, and the lure of celebrity. Luke is there to help manage the career of famous actress Sage Seymour—and Becky is convinced she is destined to be Sage’s personal stylist, and go from there to every A-list celebrity in Hollywood! But things become complicated when Becky joins the team of Sage’s arch rival. How will charming and supportive Luke deal with this conflict? Is it possible that what Becky wants most will end up hurting those she loves most? Shopaholic fans old and new will devour Sophie Kinsella’s newest adventure!

What do you think? Will you be reading Shopaholic to the Stars? Let us know!