“Our family is like one of those games where you shake the plastic box and then try to get the silver balls into all the little hollows. Sometimes it seems impossible. But if you wait long enough, it’ll happen; everyone will eventually find their place.”

Families are messy. They’re never perfect, but they’re essentially what’s worth fighting for in
someone’s life. This witty and entertaining book spoke volumes to me. Contrary to Kinsella’s previous works, it’s not really a romcom, even though there’s a love interest in the main character’s story. It’s about a family who falls apart following the parents’ divorce. A heartfelt tale of family redemption, with its laugh-out-loud moments, in true Kinsella fashion.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A new release by Sophie Kinsella is automatically a must-read for me, so when I was approved for an ARC for her latest effort, it jumped to the top of my TBR pile. Maybe my expectations were too high. Or maybe the set up of The Party Crasher was just too petty and contrived for me to enjoy the story. There’s a lot I liked about the novel: the Effie and Joe storyline, the relationships between Effie and her sister and their father, and the ‘revisionist history’ piece in which Effie realizes she has been selectively remembering moments from her past and seeing things only through her own limited and biased perspective, which is all-too-relatable. But I just couldn’t get past the fundamental premise, which feels like a gimmick from the outset, but then is carried out *far* too long.
I could’ve accepted the silly set up, that Effie is going to the party in order to retrieve some banal childhood memento and must sneak in so as not to damage her pride, if she’d been discovered during that first party— though I think even that could’ve been improved by adding a little more stakes and complexity (instead of nesting dolls, could it have been some kind of incriminating documents or even a diary?). But here’s where it really bothered me: the ruse is carried out for the entire weekend. Effie not only sneaks in and attends the drinks reception and the first dinner party while hidden in various places around the family’s oddball mansion, but she then stays the night in secret, sneaks around the house more to spy, and attends another party the following morning, all while supposedly in hiding. Ugh. I wanted to like the story so much :(

Effie and family bring all the fun of Sophie Kinsella romantic comedy, this time focused on a dysfunctional family that has to say goodbye to their beloved shambling home. Overall enjoyable but uneven. The mom(stepmom), is underdeveloped and the disjointed jump in time from the 1st part of the story to the main part of the story might have functioned better as a flashback am with more nuanced development (showing more than telling, please). Overall, I will take a flawed Sophie Kinsella book over most other books, anyway. She brings the charm every time.

The Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella is a wonderful, quick read that will delight the author's legions of fans. I will pick up anything with Ms Kinsella's name attached and, unsurprisingly, this latest did not disappoint.

Effie is saying goodbye to her childhood home, as her father and his current partner have decided that it is time to move forward. Effie, along with her siblings Bean and Gus, are sad to see their family's history sold off, but realize that their hands are tied. A final party is meant to gather the family for a final farewell, but it seems that Effie's invitation is less than sincere when it arrives so she decides to boycott the event. That is, until she realizes that her beloved Russian dolls are still captive inside the house and must be saved before it is too late. Hatching a plan to sneak into the party without being seen, Effie will learn some home truths, and come to some shocking realizations about her family, friends and, most importantly, herself.

Ms Kinsella strikes the perfect balance between humour and sentimentality here, and I lapped up every word.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an ARC.

Thanks Netgalley for a review copy. Sophie Kinsella walks the fine line between hilarious and ridiculous. Her books are either my favorite and make me snort-laugh, or they are so over-the-top I roll my eyes. While the her last few books have missed the mark, I’m excited to say I absolutely loved this book!
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The set-up of the book is a little flimsy but then I got so invested in Effie and her family, I just tore through the book. Effie’s parents have gotten a divorce, her dad has a new girlfriend, and they are selling the family home. Effie is unhappy and angry with the situation. And long story short, she is creeping around the “house cooling” party to say goodbye to the home, because she’s declined her invite.
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Again, the set up is a bit sketchy, but I ended up loving everything else about this story. Effie’s relationships with her siblings felt real and I really enjoyed her interactions with Joe. What started as a silly and funny story soon became full of heart. Everyone has to grow up, find their own way in life, but change isn’t always bad.
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This book comes out October 12th and is worth the read, even if you didn’t like her few previous books!

Sometimes the book you need finds is way into your hands. Such is the case with The Party Crasher. I had No idea how much I needed this heartwarming story. Effie, for all her efforts, continually gets it all wrong, but in the sweetest funniest ways. Pure enjoyment.

Sometimes, even a serious reader, needs a little sunshine…this is it. Kinsella manages to create a delightful story around the sale of a family home and a series of misunderstandings and miscommunications among the 3 adult children and their father. The catalyst is the re-partnering of the father with an especially hateful woman.

This is the story of the youngest daughter, EFFIE, and her way of coping with change. Even the story of how she got her name is precious. So, fun to read and totally charming. I definitely recommend this to those who need a smile.

Thank you so much for this ARC, the timing couldn’t have been better!

Effie’s family home is being sold and her Dad and his girlfriend are having a ‘house cooling’ party. Only Effie is not invited. Actually she is invited passively aggressively by her Dad’s girlfriend (they don’t get along). Effie sneaks into the party to get her Russian doll collection and gets more than she asked for.

Sophie Kinsella’s hilarious writing style confines with this book. Effie gets in all sorts of awkward situations that kept me laughing. I have a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella’s books because they provide humor while at the same time heartwarming storylines. I loved this book and very highly recommended it to anyone looking for a relaxing book to take you away.

I want to start by thanking Random House and Net Galley for the ARC of the Party Crasher by Sophie Kinsella. This is a delightful romp of a book. This is about Effie and her family, Effie's mother died when she was born, and her father remarried. Mimi, her dad's second wife, is the only mother she has known. Effie, and her brother and sister, take it hard when after many years of marriage, their dad and Mimi split up. They are even more upset when Dad takes up with a much younger girl, who convinces him to sell their beloved house . Effie and Krista do not get along, and this has led to an estrangement between Effie and her dad. Now Krista decides to have a "house cooling"party before they move out and Effie is not invited. Effie realizes she has a cherished possession at the house- her Russian nesting dolls and wants to retrieve them. In classic Kinsella style, this becomes a comedy of errors of the highest kind. Effie's attempts to retrieve her dolls, and not be seen by the family is sheer slapstick. It isn't all fun and games as the family learns some hard truths about themselves and the people in their lives. It is funny, sad, heartwarming and tear jerking.I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A very fun, quick read. Sophie Kinsella is great at creating characters who are both loveable and cringeworthy. Effie's hijinx had me laughing out loud.

I usually only need a few chapters of a book to realize that I'm not going to love it. However, I read the other reviews and decided to persevere. I'm glad I kept going.

What started out as a childish and very stubborn idea on Effies' part became the crux of this novel. I to have memories of my growing up days and now at my age, I can see that I was prettying them up. And that is what happened in Effies' life. But, of course, her father's girlfriend Krista didn't help matter...or did she? Well, you won't really know until you reach the end of this book. Let's just say that eavesdropping can be informative as well as hurtful.

This was a great coming-of-age novel that deals with so much more and has a romantic HEA!

*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and NetGalley.

I read all of Sophie Kinsella’s books, and The Party Crasher did not disappoint! You can always count on an entertaining read, with a lot of laughs and good humor along the way. I couldn’t put this one down, and highly recommend you join this quirky family for one last hurrah!

Sophie Kinsella never disappoints and her latest, The Party Crasher, falls into the same category! The story is cute, the characters are so likable and the setting is dreamy. Loved this light and fluffy chic lit book. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to netgalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

I've loved Sophie Kinsella's books and have read them all. The Party Crasher felt quite different from her other books. While the premise was great - Effie is sad to hear her childhood home has been sold and feels like this will break up her family - the whole idea of her hiding is something a 12 year old might do, not a 20 something year-old. Crawling around in the attics, eavesdropping on conversations? Hiding under the table? I'm sure the author meant for it to be humourous but it felt a bit over the top.

However, Dr Joe was dreamy. We can talk about him for a long time! Caring, handsome, and funny. He was Effie's long time friend turned boyfriend before things went bad. I enjoyed finding out what happened to him and the truth behind their break-up.

The Party Crasher is a lighthearted read, perhaps a bit too fluffy for me. It's well suited to anyone wanting a romantic comedy and not looking for something deeper.

Storyline = whimsical
Writing = witty

Considering this story centers around mostly a one day (evening actually) event, the book is surprisingly full fleshed. Characters and history are set up nicely. Complications are scattered throughout. It’s all resolved well if not a little too simply - but that’s ok because it completely goes with the nature of the book.

Very enjoyable read.

This was addicting and I really couldn't stop reading it. I think I wanted just a bit more of the "evil" for me it just resolved so simply and so quickly. I did like how real family was presented in this. Because family isnt always easy, fun or warming. Familys grow and break and come together in an ideal world and some never really come back together. THis was almost a solid read for me so dont let my opinion get you down.

Sophie Kinsella is back with another whimsical novel chock full of wit! Hilarious and clever, her book made me howl with laughter. My husband would stop what he was reading and ask me to reread the section out loud so he could enjoy a good belly laugh too. I’ve done this multiple times through out the novel!

Effie’s world turns upside down from a shocking announcement one Christmas at her beloved family’s home. Effie’s parents are getting a divorce and Dad now has a young(er) shiny, sparkling girlfriend. Her world is shattered! Effie and her Dad close relationship seems to become nonexistent because of a disagreement about his girlfriend. She loses her job and comes to find out the home she grew up in is sold! And the “gold digging” girlfriend is hosting a “house cooling party”, Effie, angry, confused and hurt refuses to attend, until she realized her cherished Russian dolls are still in the house. She decides she’ll go to the party, BUT without being noticed or seen. Her one and only mission is to get her dolls and get out ASAP! However, a few comical obstacles prevent her from quickly waltzing in and out.

Only Sophie Kinsella can pull off serious topics such as family dysfunctions, divorce and toxic relationships and roll it into a fun lighthearted romcom! Her heroines continue to be clueless endearing self-reliant women that we all know and love. Effie has characteristics of Laura Lington(Twenties Girl), Emma Corrigan(Can you keep a Secret) with a dash of Poppy Wyatt(I got your Number).
Although it is considered a romcom, romance is just a minor element sprinkled into this story.

For Fans of Kinsella, I’m happy to report there are Easter eggs of movie references. So keep an extra sharp eye out! (One worded clue…rosebushes).

Any book with Sophie Kinsella’s name is an instant buy! This book needs a place on your book shelf(or Kindle)!
Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read the book in exchange for an honest review.

a whimsical and delightful story that kinsella has once again spun. the party crasher is a story about familial love, but also about coming to terms with separation.

kinsella just knows how to hook her readers, her books are always fun and you just feel comfortable reading them. the writing was engaging and simply perfect for a romcom.

I am a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella and was so exited to have been given an advanced copy of The Party Crasher. This book was amazing - I read it in one sitting! I absolutely loved the Talbot Family and their story. Effie literally had me laughing out loud at her antics. The family was so relatable to anyone who is an adult child of divorce. I'd love to see a sequel to this book to find out what happens to Effie, Bean and Gus. I will absolutely be recommencing this book in the Fall. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

You can count on Sophie Kinsella for an entertaining novel.

The Talbot Family have had an idyllic life in Greenoaks, a large quirky house. When Tony & Mimi divorce and Tony's relationship with Krista gets serious, Greenoaks goes up for sale. Though Bean, Gus and Effie are all adults out on their own the loss of Greenoaks creates drama. A final gathering becomes a battleground between Krista and Effie. Effie crashes the party t find her childhood Russian nesting dolls.

At times I wanted to tell the 'children' to 'grow up" then I'd laugh at some of their actions.