I've been reading Sophie Kinsella for years and I'm always happy to see when she has a new book (except the Shopaholic books - I've given up on those because Becky drives me up the flipping wall). It's been awhile since I've read one of her adult books (I read and enjoyed Finding Audrey, review here) so I was really thrilled when I received a copy of My Not So Perfect Life. I dove in and could not stop. This book is exactly what I want chick lit to be and I loved it.

Here's the synopsis:
Katie Brenner has the perfect life: a flat in London, a glamorous job, and a super-cool Instagram feed.
Ok, so the real truth is that she rents a tiny room with no space for a wardrobe, has a hideous commute to a lowly admin job, and the life she shares on Instagram isn’t really hers.
But one day her dreams are bound to come true, aren’t they?
Until her not-so perfect life comes crashing down when her mega-successful boss Demeter gives her the sack. All Katie’s hopes are shattered. She has to move home to Somerset, where she helps her dad with his new glamping business.
Then Demeter and her family book in for a holiday, and Katie sees her chance. But should she get revenge on the woman who ruined her dreams? Or try to get her job back? Does Demeter – the woman with everything – have such an idyllic life herself? Maybe they have more in common than it seems.
And what’s wrong with not-so-perfect, anyway?
I loved Katie. It helped that she's only a few years younger than I am so I really understood her struggles, especially in terms of her career and cultivating a seemingly perfect life online (you know you're guilty of only posting the good stuff too, don't try to deny it!). It's common for me to find myself rolling my eyes at chick lit heroines, particularly Kinsella's. I didn't find myself getting frustrated with Katie, not much anyway. I wanted her to be honest with her dad but I could totally understand why she was holding back. Maybe I wasn't getting annoyed because I just identified with Katie on so many levels and could see bits of myself or my friends in her. Whatever the reason, she was an absolute joy to read because she was smart, funny, and such a genuinely good person.

Many people probably wouldn't care too much what Katie's job is but I loved that she worked in branding. I'm a communications grad and I've worked in marketing type positions over the years so I really liked reading as they tried to come up with campaigns and worked on different projects. It's only a small part of the book but it rang true for me and it helped me enjoy the story that much more.

As much as I loved Katie, I also really liked Demeter. I could see how she was a bit of a nightmare to work for (we've all had bosses like that, right?) but I could also see glimpses of someone who's trying to hold it all together and starting to show some cracks. Or maybe I could see it just because I figured where the story was going. The point is, Demeter was a really interesting character and I loved the reminder that no one's life is perfect, no matter how it's filtered on Instagram.

Final side note...I really want to go to Katie's family's farm and try glamping. I am not an outdoorsy kind of girl (camping? No thank you) but I am a small town, country girl so the idea of getting away from the city and spending time at a farm without the distractions of life is incredibly appealing. And Kinsella made Biddy's food sound freaking amazing.

Just in case you want further proof of how much I liked My Not So Perfect Life, I'm planning on buying it this week (in hardcover...in Canada...so I essentially have to pay with a kidney) so I can go to a signing on Saturday. It's not often authors I enjoy come to Canada so I'm thrilled that I live close enough to go to the event. (I just need to hope for no snow!)

My Not So Perfect Life may have just catapulted itself to the top of my list of favourite Sophie Kinsella books. It's not perfect (sorry, couldn't resist) but the teeny little things that I wasn't thrilled about didn't even matter because the story is, overall, so so good. If you're a lover of contemporary stories with heart and laughter that feature smart and real women, you have got to pick up this book!

Who doesn't love Sophie Kinsella? Well, I am sure some people are not a fan, but I know she is loved far and wide. Sophie writes a fun, fast paced story that catches your interest right away and keeps you reading! Her style of writing is so engaging I often find myself looking up at the clock and wondering how time has gone so fast!

My (not so) Perfect Life wasn't any different. It was light, fun, easy to read, entertaining and hilarious. There was a little bit of romance as well...it hit all the right notes for me.

Katie is the main character, she has always wanted to live in London and have a fabulous life and job. The reality is that London is expensive and her job isn't that great, but she is optimistic and portrays her life the way she sees it ending up to everyone around her, and her Instagram followers.

When Katie is fired from her dream job she is forced to move home and reevaluate her life a little. She is not about to give up her dream and she does everything she can think of to find her way back to London. In the meantime she helps her father and stepmother start up a fabulous "Glamping" venue on her parents farm. Reading about Katie's job, her life and her adventures in helping her parents is a lot of fun. Especially when the boss that fires her comes to stay! The revenge Katie tries to dole out is ingenious! How does Sophie Kinsella think of all of these things???

I highly recommend this one!

Thanks to NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy of this one! I was so excited to read it! 5/5 on Goodreads.

I think this might be my favorite standalone Sophie Kinsella book! Funny, charming, and might make you want to book a glamping holiday in the country...

So many novels right now focus on the heaviness of the world. this novel brings to life the quirky character of Katie (or her London name "Cat"). Silly but smart I enjoyed this novel and will be bringing it to the beach with me and reminding others to do the same

Katie (Cat) Brenner is trying to make her way in London, working at a branding agency and fulfilling her Instagram with wishful thinking. Her flatmates seems horrible, her job seems thankless and life seems to be on hold. The boss from hell scenario plays out well, with scatter brained but brilliant Demeter running the office. Once Katie's fired, the story picks up steam as she heads home to Somerset and her father's farm, all the while hiding the fact that she has been sacked. I loved the second section of the book. Her dad and stepmom Biddy were great characters and the idea to turn their farm into a glamping site plays out very well. This is where Kinsella shines, just when you though this would be another Becky-like character, Katie comes into her own, in a way that makes me wish this would hit the big screen. It turns out, in looking at her booklist, I've read all of Kinsella's books, except for her young adult one. I may have to make time for that as I wait for her next, always fun, novel.

I really enjoy books by Sophie Kinsella. This one was no different. It was a lighthearted and funny read. I liked the fact that it touched on how anyone's life can look amazing on social media if they want you to believe that. Also, never be so quick to judge someone. Their life may not be as "wonderful" as it appears. I enjoyed the book and would recommend it.

My Not So Perfect Life—Sophie Kinsella

How often do you admire someone’s life based on social media posts? What pictures do you post? Do they show all of your life, or just the “perfect” image you want to project?

Katie “Cat” Brenner desperately wants to be a “Londoner” with the perfect job and perfect life. But, in reality, she has a low-paying entry-level job in one of the most expensive cities in the world. But her Instagram feed would never show that “imperfect” life. She masks her country accent, styles her hair, wears elaborate makeup, and even unnecessary glasses in order to create the persona she thinks everyone else has all well. Note I said “thinks” as, of course, other people also hide the imperfections in their lives.

The story focuses on Katie’s relationship with her boss Demeter, romance with her boss’ boss Alex, and re-connecting with her father while rediscovering her roots.

My Not So Perfect Life is a fun read. Although the reality of entry level jobs and living in an expensive city are realistically portrayed, the ending does have a certain fairy-tale quality. Yes, Prince Charming makes a public declaration of love, humbling himself for his past idiocy, and they all live happily ever after. I like it anyway. The book made me smile as I read it, even as I recognized the pure absurdity of some of the plot points. It also makes you think about the realities of other people’s so-called “perfect” lives and emphasizes the point that everyone has issues in their lives, and no one’s life is truly “perfect.” Katie come to accept this at the end and ends up a stronger person because of it.

Disclaimer: I was provided a promotional copy of this title from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.

When I first started reading Sophie Kinsella's latest book, I was expecting a plot and characters similar to her previous titles. I was pleasantly surprised with this book.

Love, love, love! I'm a huge Sophie fan and really enjoyed this book. It was a little more serious than most of her other work but still light and fun to read. The main character is totally relatable which makes it even more enjoyable to read. This just may be my favourite book of hers yet! Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group for the ARC copy.

I am like a kid at Christmas whenever a new Sophie Kinsella book comes out. Good story line but not her usual laugh out loud novel - not my favorite of her books but still better than half the stuff I've read this month

This is such a timely story given the current climate in Social Media. Loved it!

While I have enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's stand alone books, I am not a big fan of her Shopaholic series (only read 2 of them). When I started this book, I was worried that it was going to be more like the Shopaholic books, in that the main character seemed to be the same kind of hapless twentysomething. Luckily, the book improved as it went on and I ultimately found both the main character and the book itself to be charming. 3.5 stars.

I have been a fan of Sophie Kinsella's work for many years. However, as someone nearing 50 years old, I was unable to relate to the main character who is much younger than me by decades. Instead, I found her behavior and actions cloying and annoying. The storyline had a few twists, but for the most part, it was fairly predictable. By the end, Katie figured out what is really important in life while also helping people figure out how to be their best selves. There is a good, shocking moment with her coworkers near the end of the book that did catch me by surprise though. Overall, I think this book is well written and captures the angst women in their 20's and 30's go through when starting out after college. That stated, I do recommend it for people 15-35, but I am not sure the older, experienced crowd will enjoy it as much.

Very relateable book! Loved every minute of this one. First Stand alone book I've read by this author. Perfect romantic comedy!

Sophie Kinsella is a very popular author and now I see why! I totally enjoyed this book and the twists and turns of Katie Brenner's life. It reminded me a bit of my daughter's struggles living in New York City with a horrible commute and working so hard just to be able to survive living in a very small room with a variety of interesting roommates. You find yourself cheering her on in her attempts to succeed at work and in her personal life too. pics she shares on Instagram of her "perfect" life aren't exactly the truth but isn't that what we all do -- we share things that are what we want others to see and not the things that aren't so perfect. I don't want to give away any surprises that occur so I will just say that she has a good time back at home when co-workers turn up at her family's new glamping enterprise. You will enjoy following along her days both in the city and out and need to read to the very end because it is definitely worth the trip!

I was provided an advance copy of this book by NetGalley and am so glad I was approved for this one!

I needed My Not So perfect Life badly. After reading a dismal, uninteresting book it was time for something light, easy, and just plain old fun. I was introduced to Sophie Kinsella by reading Confessions of a Shopaholic. Come to think of it, Katie Brenner is a lot like Becky Bloomwood, the heroine of the "Shopaholic" series.

Katie Brenner is making a go of it in London after leaving behind her humble beginnings in the English countryside. She does like most of us and posts wonderfully embellished pictures to Instagram proving how cool her life is. There is no evidence of her cramped and sparse living quarters, limited disposable income, or her less than glamorous position at work. She's so good at pretending it's all good that if she weren't reminded by her boss Demeter, daily, of how the other side lives, she might believe her own hype.



Before long that world she's so close to attaining crashes and burns. She's let go from Cooper Clemmow and has nothing else lined up. Katie is forced to come to terms with her not so perfect life.

Katie returns home to help her father with a new business venture. He and his girlfriend Biddy are in the market to begin a glamping business. Before I continue, I must disclose I had no idea what GLAMPING was/is or even what a YURT is. Thank you Sophie Kinsella for opening my eyes. I so want to go glamping.



What I like most about My Not So Perfect Life is that it's hard not to enjoy it's quirkiness. No Kinsella is not out to write some literary masterpiece or answer the meaning to life. What she is attempting is to tell an interesting story of a woman who's similar to many of us. A woman with ambition that just wants to be heard but isn't entirely in tune with her voice. Katie, like most of us, puts up a brave front just to make it through the day.

When Katie begins to...ummm... develop into a less nice person, I understood why, but I didn't want her to be that person. I love that Kinsella is able to balance her and her actions enough to keep her likeable and relatable.

I can't say I have any gripes with this novel. Did I expect some overly developed literary traipse? Not at all. Did I expect the characters to be memorable? Not all of them at least. Was I hoping for a little bit of a coming of age along with a romantic interest? Of course! I just wanted to get lost in something that could free me of the angst I felt from my last read.

My Not So Perfect Life is the perfect read for those who love the "chick-lit" genre. Sophie Kinsella has solidified her name in this literary space and will probably always be my go to for these types of reads. Maybe what's so perfect about life is that it isn't perfect at all.

Copy provided by Random House Publishing Group via Netgalley

Kinsella is a terrific storyteller- you will be swept up into Katie's life and go along with her for the ride. I really enjoyed this. It's light, it's funny, and the characters are all so real. Katie, her dad, and Binny are people I'd love to stay with. Demeter seems like a caricature at first (although don't we all know a boss like her?) but then things get really good. The nicest thing about Kinsella is that she's got a good heart and it shines through in this novel. It's a fast read and a perfect way to relax. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This is a winner.

Eh. I've read better Sophie Kinsella books than this one. It's like a light version of Shopaholic.

I like Sophie Kinsella's book a lot, but I don't think My Not So Perfect Life was all-that for me. I guess I'm so used to Kinsella's books being laugh-out-loud funny and also romantic, and there wasn't much of that here. I do think that if you change your expectations a little bit, this is a book you could enjoy. Katie was a likeable enough heroine. I admired how driven she was though I can't say I understood why she so desperately wanted to fit in in London and had to basically undergo a persona change to be happy. When she loses her job and moves back in with her dad, she became a bit more likeable to me. I liked seeing how hard she was willing to work, but then the weird revenge-on-the-boss story on Demeter was introduced and I wasn't a fan. The romance with Alex didn't fully work for me, mostly because we barely got to know him as a character. I would have liked to see him and Katie be more open with each other, and just generally, I would have liked more scenes between them. I did think that Katie underwent some growth and grew a better understanding of the meaning of success as the story progressed, but it was all just so cliched. Usually, Kinsella's books are so ridiculous, but also really entertaining. While I was reading My Not So Perfect Life, I didn't laugh once and I just wanted the story to be over with. If you're new to Kinsella, pick something else as your first read. I highly recommend Can You Keep a Secret or The Undomestic Goddess.