As always, a great read by Sophie Kinsella.  The story line is similar to the Shopaholic series, but different enough to be enjoyable.  I really enjoyed the story, and the development of all the characters in the book.

Humorous, amusing and heartwarming!

Departing slightly from her usual fanciful romantic comedies, in this latest novel Kinsella writes a story that is rich in character development and touches on the pitfalls of pretense, unrealistic perception, social media fallacies, and finding one's true self all in a plot laced with humour, lightheartedness and a touch of romance.

The writing is crisp and witty. And the characters are a quirky, unique bunch that are likeable, flawed and genuine.

Overall, this is an enjoyable, thought-provoking story filled with cheeky banter and spirited hijinks that will definitely make you laugh and entertain you for hours.

Thank you to NetGalley, especially Random House, for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'll be totally up front. When I started reading this I thought, this is boring and I don't think I like it. I was totally wrong. I made this judgement in the first couple of pages. (I'd just finished a very emotional book surrounding the story of a child's death so wanted something light and airy, fun.) My Not So Perfect Life is so good on many levels. Once I let myself settle into it I read it in less that 24 hours.

This is my first time reading a book by Sophie Kinsella. I like that she wrote in Cat's/Katie's voice. It's the only way this could have been done. As a reader I was inside of this girl's head. And even though she is a woman, she seems like such a young girl at the start of the book. London and the life to live there is all preconceived by the dreamer who set her sights on living and having a career there. As the story unfolds, Kinsella gradually opens Katie's eyes to the reality of so many things. There is a journey toward clarity and maturity. A very emotional and tense journey at times,  a comical one when she finally learns to be herself. I love the humor in this book.

This is such a "the grass is always greener on the other side" story. There are some truly laugh out loud moments. There is a series of events that I can honestly say had me smiling as Katie embarks on a bit of revenge that is like something anyone could harbor in the little dark side of the brain.
Lessons are learned. 

The characters are very well developed as is the plot. This took some planning and hard work I'd think. There could be an award or to in the future for this book. Twists and turns are 'spot on'. I particularly like Biddy, who is quite the character as a sort of surrogate mother for Katie. Demeter, the bigger than life boss is a powerful character in more ways than one as is Katie herself. Of course, there's a love interest, Alex, who could break the country girl's heart.

On a personal note I hate the common "F" word. It is sprinkled throughout. Other than that it's a tasteful story and one that an office worker, daughter or low employee on the totem poll will recognize. 

This is also published on Goodreads.

Katie Brenner always dreamed of living the city life in London. After finishing school, she moves to London from the countryside farm where she grew up. She changed her style, her hair, her makeup, her accent, and even her name to fit in. Katie, now known as "Cat" seems to have it all, which is reiterated by her perfect Instagram feed. Or does she? In order to afford her life in London, she lives in a rundown apartment, eats bad cheap food, and can't afford to go out to lunch with her friends. She's able to keep up her fake appearances until she's let go from her job unexpectedly. She heads back to her hometown "temporarily" to help her dad and stepmom start their Glamping business while she tries to get back on her feet. Things start to come crashing down when her old boss Demeter shows up at the glamping site...partly because her dad and stepmom don't know she's been fired, and partly because her boss doesn't recognize her, which gives her the perfect opportunity to exact some revenge. Will Katie's plan for revenge work, or will she find out that Demeter isn't as bad as she thought? You'll have to read the book to find out!

Overall, I really enjoyed My Not So Perfect Life. I can definitely relate to using social media as a way to make your life look better than it really is. I think everyone can. No one wants to post the bad things, so they don't! The pictures and moments that are shared are ones you're proud of or excited about. Looking from the outside, when you only see those happy perfect moments, of course someone's life looks perfect. But in reality...no one has a perfect life. Everyone has struggles and you never know what goes on behind closed doors.

I really liked Katie as a narrator. I thought she was bright, charming, and motivated to have a successful career, but was also insecure and worried about appearances, like many of us are. I feel like she and Demeter were both really well developed characters, which I loved.

The only thing I didn't love about the book was that it seemed a little long. There were parts of it that seemed too dragged out and felt like they definitely could have been shortened in order to hold the reader's attention, but still get the same message across. Additionally, I would have loved to see more of the relationship between Katie and Alex. It started developing strongly, but then I felt like it took a backseat to the other storylines while still maintaining the same momentum and development of feelings, which felt a little unrealistic.

Overall, I loved the book and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking for a light chick-lit read with a great main character! I'd like to thank Netgalley, Sophie Kinsella, and Bantam Press for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review. The expected publication date for My Not So Perfect Life is February 7, 2017 so be sure to mark your calendars!

Quick witted characters, fun and a fast read are all hallmarks of this author's works.  This book continues her legacy.  Enjoyable story of Katie's search for her place in life and in her family.

I ended up choosing to DNF this book, as I could not relate in any form or fashion to Katie, whose life is nothing like she makes it appear. I simply could not understand or connect with the character, and was finding no enjoyment from the book.

Although directed at a younger audience than me, I still enjoyed the plot.  Not too predictable, and I was interested in the setting, with its discussion of marketing and 'glamping'.  A really fun read that held my interest until the last page.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early.

I was having a difficult week, and so I did what I always do, pull up a list of too-read books.  I have always loved Sophie Kinsella books, and so I figured I would feel a bit better.
The more I read, the more I found myself smiling.  I kept reading during all my down time, and finished in 24 hours.  

The book is well-written, the characters are wonderful, and you want to know what happens almost as soon as you start reading.  The only bad thing about this book is that I've already read it!

Do yourself a favor and grab this funny, quirky, and awesome paperback off the shelves as quickly as possible!

Due for release February 7th is the new novel from Sophie Kinsella, “My (Not So) Perfect Life.” This is the story of a young woman, Katie, who is trying to build a design career and make it on her own in London. Katie grew up on a farm with her Dad but has always felt the pull to live in London and be a part of city life. She embellishes her life in London to friends and tries to adjust to being the new girl at the firm she is working for. Just as she is starting to form some friendships and meets one of the handsome partners, Alex – Katie gets fired by her hateful, scatter-brained boss, Demeter. Katie returns home to help her Dad and Step Mom start up a new glamping business on their farm, but says she is on a sabbatical, rather than tell them she was fired. Later, when Demeter and her family show up as guests, Katie has to face her lies and misconceptions about people. 

I honestly struggled with the first 20-30 pages of this novel. I felt like I had read this story a 1000 times, another young woman in the U.K., dissatisfied with her life, no money, crappy roommates, etc. I’m glad I stuck with it, however, because it ended up being pleasantly full of cringe-worthy, embarrassing moments, sweet moments, and huge moments of clarity. Katie did have several valid frustrations in her life, but she also had incorrect perceptions of others, causing her to exaggerate her own hardships in her mind. Katie’s character goes through a great deal of change and growth throughout the novel, becoming a much more mature and realistic version of the girl we meet at the beginning of the story. 

The theme in this novel is one that I so wish girls could learn at a younger age – everything is not as it appears. Katie thinks all of these women and co-workers have these perfect lives and tries to re-invent herself with new hair, hiding her accent, and going by “Cat” instead of Katie, all in attempts to lead the perfect lives that she thinks she sees. Fortunately, as the novel progresses, Katie learns that just because people behave in one way or do one thing, doesn’t mean this or that. Katie learns how much she misjudged Demeter, and also learns how incorrect her assumptions and perceptions of her parents and of Alex were. 

“My (Not So) Perfect Life” is a wonderful novel with young women that are chick lit fans and looking for a light and easy read. I did enjoy this novel and found myself laughing several times, however, it lacks that certain something making it unique amongst a sea of other chick lit novels. I love and admire Sophie Kinsella’s dialogue style, especially Katie’s inner-dialog, that flowed so naturally throughout the novel. Katie’s quirky and fabulous sense of humor made her very likable and someone you could relate to as if she were one of your own friends. This was a fun book, was well written and had interesting and developed characters, but there just isn’t anything about it that “wowed me” and repeatedly reminded me of Bridget Jones or countless other “single, young, struggling, career women” stories. 

*Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Kinsella's newest protagonist, Katie Brenner, is struggling to 'make it' in London. Her social media posts make it appear she has, but in reality, she lives in a dreary apartment with a rather odd roommate. Katie is incredibly jealous of her boss, Demeter, who seems to 'have it all'--perfect house, job, kids, and husband. After being fired by Demeter, Katie retreats to the family farm, helping set up a glamping (glamour camping) business while not admitting to her family she is unemployed. When perfect Demeter and her family become guests, Katie goes into all out sabotage mode, then learns that perhaps no one's life is what it appears to be. Another funny, engaging, escapist read from this author.

am a fan of all of Sophie Kinsella’s books. I usually don't go for the chick-lit genre of writing but I make an except for Kinsella and I am glad I did. Her books are very well written, have a nice European setting and regardless of how the characters act you cant help but love them just like Kat .   I will say that I like her  Shopaholic series and I absolutely love her stand alone books as well.   As soon as I received the book on my KIndle, I couldn't stop reading it.  I received a copy from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review. Kinsella brought us yet another very likeable and very flawed protagonist in the My Not so Perfect life. The novel itself is at times a bit more serious than her previous works but overall a nice light read. I do not want to spoil this novel but I will say this story is more than simply the summary on the book’s cover its the story of the main characters personal growth.  I think the reason Sophie Kinsella is such a popular author is in large part due to the realistic and relatable characters she creates

Katie ("Cat") Brenner is a country bumpkin trying to find herself in the big City, London. She has a decent job at Cooper Clemmow with the hopes of moving up in the company now that she has the foot in the door. 

Her boss, Demeter, has everything that Cat wants: great job, great house, great husband, and great kids.  What is actual perfection and what is an illusion? 

I have read almost all of Sophie Kinsella's standalone books, with the only exception being Finding Audrey.  I get excited for each new release because I know it is going to take me right to my happy place. The same applies for My (Not So) Perfect Life. I forced myself to slow down reading this book because I wanted to savor it. It was romantic, a bit silly at times, and yet there was a lot of character development amongst multiple characters. It gets deep yet some characters are shallow. There are misconceptions that get out of hand yet there is empathy. It is modern yet It comes back to the age-old question: is the grass always greener on the other side? 

I highly recommend this book, as well as Sophie Kinsella's other books, for anyone looking for a relatable and humorous light read. 

I would not recommend this book for any reader that is offended by foul language, bullying, or sexually suggestive scenarios. 

Please note: an electronic copy of this book was generously provided by the publisher via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

I was in the mood for a feel good book and this book fit the bill perfectly. A  fun  breezy read rhat takes you away from all the troubles in the world.

Another fun read by Sophie Kinsella. When Katie Brenner loses her job and has to move back with her family in the country, she turns the family farm into a successful "glamping" location. When her former boss books a trip at the farm Katie learns the truth about her boss' life and her former co-workers. The story takes us through ups and downs of Katie's journey in finding a career and love. Really enjoyed this book.

I have never met a Sophie Kinsella book that I didn’t like.  My Not So Perfect Life in no exception.  I really enjoyed reading this lighthearted, enjoyable and sometimes funny book.  I actually felt a wide range of emotions during the 2 days it took me to read this book. (I do wish it had taken me longer!) Excitement, frustration, anger, joy and even sadness.  Katie/Cat wants to fit in so badly in her beloved adopted city of London that she loses sight of who she really is.  Once she visits her home in the country, she re-gains her perspective on what it really is she wants in life and learns how to be happy with who she is meant to be.  The characters are written so well that I felt I was watching them like a movie in my head. They were all likeable despite their flaws.  The settings were descriptive enough to give me a great picture of where the story was taking pace.  Yes, I now might consider a “glamping” vacation.  Is this book going to give you the meaning of life? No, but it will keep you enjoyably entertained and might even make you smile.

As is her style, author Sophie Kinsella knows the genre she is writing within. Katie aka Cat is a young professional trying to make her way into the London life. Like many young people, she is struggling to find her identity, make her mark and still be able to financially survive. So, when a shocking blow rocks her plans, she must trudge back home to Birmingham and try to figure out her life ... again. She gets a successful start with her dad's latest business venture, putting all the legwork to make it a success. When the person who ruined her London life comes waltzing back in, she must decide if she should take the higher road, or seek revenge. As usual, Kinsella's style is funny but personal, and she really taps into the millennial lifestyle. It is a good beach or vacation read, easy to flow through and light-hearted with all the pieces of chick lit. Kinsella might not have re-invented the writing wheel but she knows her style and does it well.

What I Thought...

• Sophie Kinsella has long since been one of my favorite authors, and while her Shopaholic series dwindled for me some, I can't help but pick up her books when I need something light and fun. My Not So Perfect Life fit that spot for me perfectly.

• MNSPL reminded me a lot of Can You Keep a Secret? in the best possible way. Things just happen to Katie and you can't help but laugh and what she is going through. It was a bit ridiculous at times, but this is precisely the kind of book I needed in my life right now.

• It was so easy to identify with Katie. I completely understand the "fake" Instagram life she had and how you keep telling everyone how AMAZING and FANTASTIC your life is, even if it's not. No one wants to show the bad parts. I've been there myself so I totally get it. And it's so easy to make things look fabulous on the internet even when it's not.

• What I liked best about MNSPL is that it really showcases that you should never judge anyone until you walk in their shoes. You don't know where they've gone or what they've done. Some people just seem to have it all together and are seemingly perfect, but you don't know what happens when you're not around.

• Not a lot is happening at the beginning but around the middle of the book all these things start happening. Demeter (boss from hell) reappears in Katie's life so does Alex (her crush) and there are other things that I don't want to go in to because of spoilers, but I promise, you will enjoy the journey!

Overall if you're looking for something light and fun this book is definitely for you!

Review will post 2/6/17

I really love Sophia Kinsella's books and she was my favourite author of all time!!

This book makes me laugh so much!

This story is classic Sophie Kinsella - you have a lovable, yet slightly annoying, protagonist who is trying to figure out where and how she fits in her world. Cat works hard to get noticed by her boss and isn't always successful. She returns to her family farm to put her skills to use and learns a lot about herself and love along the way. A great, quick read!