I've read almost all of Sophie Kinsella's books. I enjoy both her style of writing (oh, so funny) and the messages she manages to convey through her plots.

In “My Not So Perfect Life”, Katie/Cat Brenner is struggling to get her life on track. She's abandoned the family farm to move to London (her dream city) to work in marketing (her dream career.) She's Katie at home and a newly created persona, Cat, in London. The reality isn't quite so great and she spends a good deal of time thinking that those around her have perfect lives.

Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect life and Katie finds out the truth of it no only in her life but in those around her. The journey is filled with funny moments, though even some of those are a little more than a bit heart-breaking.

This is another wonderful book by Ms. Kinsella and the only problem I have now is waiting another year for a new novel to appear.

I was provided a digital advance reader copy of this book by the publisher via Netgalley.

I really enjoyed this book. I've never read Sophie's books before, but the topic of this one caught my eye and I wanted to read it. I'm so glad I did. Such a fun and entertaining story and I love Sophie's writing style. I will definitely be looking to read all her books now. Thanks!

Sophie Kinsella is one of my favorite authors and the queen of chick-lit. The first book I read of hers was Can You Keep A Secret?
Her light, quirky, fun characters never disappoint. This was a little different from her usual Sophie Kinsella brand but enjoyable for beginning to end.

In My Not So Perfect Life by the well-known author of the Shopaholic series, the author keeps her wit and humor. We meet Katie, a person who feels that everyone's life is coming together around her, by the looks of social media. Who has not felt that way? We always see the positives, never the negatives. She does not mind the fact she has a teeny apartment, no life outside of work, and long commute to work with a boss that is not so great at the finish line when she arrives. Why is she able to forgive these things? She lives in a place she loves, London. When Katie's world finally starts to make sense she finds herself in a tailspin. She has lost her job. Now, she must go back to her family, her hometown, and help with a business she thought she left behind.
I loved this book because while there is plenty of humor, the characters and situations seem more real than some of the previous. You care about the main character and find yourself being able to relate to her, I know I did. That is why you are able to love this book so much. It is warm and cozy like an old friend, and because you feel like you could be this person, you feel like it actually is an old friend. I highly recommend this book to everyone! Thank you to the publishers for the amazing opportunity to review this book!

Sophie Kinsella is my go to author when I need something light, witty and entertaining. Her Shopaholic books are favorites of mine in audio format, with the reader bringing so much life to the story. I don't know if I would have the same reaction if I read them but they were great in that format. When I started My (not so) Perfect Life my first thought was that it would also be great in audio and I actually debated about waiting until the release day to go that route. But I sat and read a little lot more and then a little more, eventually I was so immersed in Katie's life that I couldn't put it down.

Katie also known as Cat, has goals dreams and lives those dreams through her Instagram account. She has a career she wants and is apparently very good at it and a lifestyle she dreams about. But when things don't always go the way planned the real adventure begins. Secrets take over, and a little revenge.

The authors authors writing style brings this story together perfectly, her dialogue makes me smile and laugh out loud, her characters are not perfect and she does this all in a believable and realistic manner.

One of the things I really love is that this is not book was not over run with romance but it's about Katie who is trying to find her place in society.

This was a very enjoyable read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a fun story with twists, turns and an unexpected ending.

Thank you to the publisher for an andvanced copy (via Netgalley).

My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel

by Sophie Kinsella
Edition: Hardcover
Price: $18.08
17 used & new from $9.97

5.0 out of 5 stars Masterful comedy and commentary of our lives, February 7, 2017

This review is from: My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel (Hardcover)
"My not so Perfect Life" speaks soooo very loudly, tongue in cheek, to our addiction to social media, our posting of a fictional life (or at least super-highly edited life!) We have Kat/Katie our heroine, who is trying to make her way in the wilds of London's media-savvy marketing world, with lots of pit-falls and prat-falls, meanwhile posting rosy images to social media to convince her family (herself?) of success. We have the boss and co-workers from hell. And we have the father/partner ready for their next hair-brained scheme. And, above all, we have Sophie Kinsella, a master of comedy and love mixing and matching the characters and situations. Read this book. It is sooooo very worth it!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the loan of a time-constrained copy of this book.

This book was bloody brilliant and definitely had the feels going for it. I freaking LOVED this one! It reminded me why I loved Sophie's writing when I first discovered her.

Cat is an everyday girl who has always dreamed of living in London. But life is harder than she'd like to admit. It's expensive to live on your own and with her dad in Somerset, she had no choice but to move out of his house. She can't afford to eat out or do much other than work, but her IG page makes London look glamorous. She's a foodie at heart and so what if she captured someone's coffee or hot cocoa at a cafe and made it look like hers?!

As life starts to go in a different direction from what she expected, Katie emerges and she begins finding her voice, figuring out who she is while helping her dad and stepmum. (Autocorrect, don't fix mum for me! Why can't we Americans have a mum? Mum sounds so much more posh than mom!) And oh is it HILARIOUS when Katie starts exacting revenge on someone from her past. I couldn't stop laughing. It was GENIUS! But when truths come out, she realizes maybe life isn't so perfect after all. At least, not all the time.

The FEELS in this book were serious. I was completely captured by everything happening in Katie's life. This was a book I couldn't put down. As in, I read it in 1 day and couldn't even walk away long enough to eat something because I was so caught up in all that was happening. It's sweet, sad, maddening and totally swoon worthy at points! 2 words for you dear reader: book hangover. HURRY!! Go get your copy right now!!

Fans of Kinsella's Shopaholic series and readers of The Devil Wears Prada will adore this book! Katie's antics are hysterical! I really enjoyed the storyline. The characters were completely believable and were not too over the top. Anyone that has a difficult boss will want to pick up this book for an escape!!!!

Note, I did receive an advanced copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The main character, Katie, is lovably imperfect and offers that unique brand of Kinsella relatability. Although good at her job, Katie is in danger of being made redundant. She's certain that her boss hates her. She lies to her parents about the precariousness of her employment so they won't worry and inflates her importance at the firm. She doesn't quite believe in herself. Underneath it all, she's a good person with solid values. Who couldn't love Katie?

I adore Sophie's books, so I may be juust a little prejudiced (my favorite: Can You Keep a Secret? is dogeared). While Perfect Life doesn't topple Secret from it's pedestal, it's pretty damned great in it's own right. The story is told with classic Kinsella humor. I may have shed a tiny tear as I turned the final page.

From the time I have read Sophie Kinsella I have enjoyed her work. A lot of Kinsella reminds me of Bridget Jones' Diary and the antics of her main characters is so similar to what amused me about Bridget Jones. This book did not fail in its attempts to amuse me and keep my attention. The characters and interactions are wonderful and hilarious and it is easy to connect with the characters. This is one of those books that you wish would be made into a film just so the reader can see how everything is adapted. I would definitely recommend this book! It's a fun read :)

It just felt so good to be back in the happy place that is a Sophie Kinsella novel. I was hooked right into this book straight away and literally read it in 2 sittings. This books just had me drawn so into Cat/Katie's world that even when I was waiting in line at Starbucks, I had this out, devouring pages, wanting to stay in Sophie Kinsella's world for just a little longer.

I think one thing that I love about Sophie's writing is that she writes such great characters and so all of her novels are so character driven. Anyone who has read her shopaholic series will have Becky Bloomwood in their mind and once she's there, she's here to stay. And I think that the thing I loved so much about this particular read was that Katie is another character that really sticks with you. Katie is relatatble, because as you can see from the tittle, not everything in her life is going perfectly. I could so relate to Katy and her commute across London. Her fierce determination that she was going to live and work in a certain way, no matter what. I also really loved that we got to see aspects of her family life, her personal life and her work life, and that nothing was quite perfect in any of those aspects.

The other characters in this book are great too. I loved Katie's dad and his attitude of bettering himself too, just in a very different way to Katie. I loved Katie's work friends and how they were just the kind of people I would imagine would work in an office that is all about branding and image. Of course there is the boss we love to hate, we've all worked for one of those after all and then there is the love interest. The love interest in this particular book is seriously swoon worthy, yet another thing that Sophie Kinsella creates so well!

I really liked that this book had multiple storylines and multiple settings. I like when I get to travel in the pages of a book and the setting descriptions are wonderful, whether you're in Chiswick or Somerset, you will b e transported there along with Katie. The storyline transports you as well and nothing about it is completely predictable. There is a level of familiarity that is just the right amount of comforting and yet there are definitely some unexpected events, for Katie and for you as a reader, along the way!

If you're a fan of Sophie Kinsella then you definitely won't be disappointed by this standalone and if you are new to her writing then this is definitely one to pick up, welcome to the wonderful world full of fabulous characters. This is definitely something I would recommend adding to your TBR pile now!

Katie leaves her farming life behind to move to London and work in branding, ultimately trying to rebrand herself in the process. Her once curly hair is now straightened daily with annoying high maintenance bangs, non-prescription glasses are worn and she decides to go by Cat (which she has a hard time remembering to answer to). She's living barely paycheck to paycheck and when she's finally getting an invite to the "in" club at work, she gets fired by the boss, Demeter. Demeter - the crazy, whip lash of a woman who made Cat dye her roots for her for their "special project". The only guy she's ever met that interested her turns out to be Demeter's lover based on office gossip and she loses it. Keeping her demise a secret, she returns home to her parents pretending to be on a sabbatical from work, while helping to grow and brand their glamping business. Never would she have guessed Demeter would show up there with her picture perfect family. All hell is about to break loose and Katie-Cat is the eye of the storm.

I've got to say, Sophie Kinsella never fails to entertain me. She blends just the perfect amount of romance with more story telling. I'm not heavy into romance, but a little splashed into a work dramedy featuring a girl who is just trying to make it without losing her mind and being FUNNY, is just a talent Sophie has. I read this in a day and it was such a bright change from my normal thrillers and horror novels. The perfect palate cleanser. You want something to sit down, make you laugh and just really enjoy because you can absolutely relate to the main character? Grab your copy and have it! Trust me on this one.

Though she grew up in the countryside of Somerset, Katie was determined to move to London, be successful and reestablish herself as Cat. Everyone around her seems to have a glamorous life, while she has a tiny room in an apartment in a dismal part of London. She can't tell her family about the reality of her life, so she's lost and devastated when she's abruptly fired. Returning home, she helps her father and stepmother begin a new business while "on sabbatical." The office politics soon catches up with her when her boss arrives for a vacation.

Katie is a fun character, even when bemoaning how difficult it is to live in London. She and her family are very easy to relate to and fun to read about. It's rather formulaic, because Katie is prettier than she thinks she is, the friends she thinks are so glamorous really aren't, her boss' life isn't as perfect as it seemed, and rumors are not facts. Because she was working in the branding business, of course she had the contacts and knowledge to get her parents' business off the ground and grow into a successful vacation spot within a few months' time. That she gets a measure of revenge against her boss is also very believable. While the ending itself was a bit of a reach, I thought it added to overall charm

4.5 Stars

If you are in the mood for a laugh out loud and honest look at the actuality of what it is to be a young adult in today’s society, then this new Sophie Kinsella book will fit the bill. The protagonist, Katie Brenner, is a compelling character that many will identify with. Also, Kinsella’s writing is clever and really grabs the attention of the reader through the use of humour in this look at the image we put forth to the world.

The theme that courses through My Not So Perfect Life is definitely becoming an adult in today’s society. Kinsella accurately portrays the struggles and pressures that many young adults are facing in our society today. The desire to have it all at once and the harsh realities of how most of us achieve our goals is presented in classic Kinsella style. Many readers will relate to the theme, but will find the humour in the process.

Katie is such a fun and witty character that a lot of us can relate to. Desperate to become an up and coming brand manager in London, Katie is trying to succeed and just seems to have so many obstacles to climb. Her determination is admirable, however her desire to hide the difficult parts of her life from friends, family and co-workers, such as her tiny shared apartment and odd roommates, have caused her to put forth an entirely different persona on Instagram. This is where Kinsella really grabs the reader’s attention, because I am sure that most people on social media are usually tweaking their image just a little bit to make their lives appear a little bit more interesting or fabulous than they really are.

Satire is not used often enough in contemporary novels and reading My Not So Perfect Life has really got me craving more of this genre. Kinsella weaves hilarity into her writing and gives an upbeat feel to the story, while exposing the characters and their weaknesses. The book will honestly put a smile on your face, even though you are feeling for Katie and her problems in life.

Fans of Sophie Kinsella will not be disappointed in her latest contemporary, My Not So Perfect Life. This book not only exposes our societal desire to put forth a fabulous image, it is relatable and hilarious at the same time. This is one book that will give you lots of laughter.

Have you ever dreamed of running off to a cabin in the woods alone...not with a significant other –but with a bag of books? That is my perfect fantasy. Winter cabin with the necessities (snow is okay) plus fireplace...down comforter...and new books by my favorite authors. And one of those authors would be Sophie Kinsella. While I didn’t get to read her latest, My (Not So) Perfect Life in my fantasy cabin it still was a fabulous treat.

If you’ve never read a Sophie Kinsella book, then the most important things to know about her books is that they are full of humor and laughter, in addition to being a modern women’s perfect allegory. And in her latest Kinsella teaches us and her heroine a valuable (although not new) lesson–don’t believe everything on social media.

While the setting is London, and then Somerset, it’s a story that is universal–small town girl wants to make it big in a sophisticate, cosmopolitan city. And to do that Katie thinks that she needs to leave the country girl behind. County brogue –gone. Ingenuous name—changed;


Ok full disclosure: It’s not absolutely me. Not yet. I’m still part Katie. I’ve been calling myself “Cat” since I started this job, but for some reason it hasn’t fully taken. Sometimes I don’t respond as quickly as I should when people call out “Cat.” I hesitate before I sign it, and one hideous time I had to scrub out a “K” I’d started writing on one of those big office birthday cards. Luckily no one saw. I mean, who doesn’t know their own name?

But I’m determined to be Cat. I will be Cat. It’s my all-new London name. I had three jobs in my life (OK, two were internships) and at each new step I’ve reinvented myself a bit more. Changing from Katie to Cat is just the latest stage.

Katie is the home me. The Somerset me. A rosy-cheeked, curly-haired country girl who lives in jeans and wellies and a fleece which came free with a delivery of sheep food. A girl whose entire social life is the local pub or maybe the Ritzy in Warreton. A girl I’ve left behind.

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted out of Somerset. I’ve wanted London. I never had boy bands on my bedroom wall; I had the tube map. Posters of the London Eye and the Gherkin.

So now that Katie aka Cat is working in London, she will make any sacrifice to stay there, even if it is living with some very strange roommates, or making the two-hour commute from her flat to work— because some day she’ll be living the fabulous life:


Then, on impulse, I scroll back through my previous Instagram posts, looking at the photos of London cafes, sights, drinks, and smiling faces (mostly strangers). The whole thing is like a feel-good movie, and what’s wrong with that? Loads of people use colored filters or whatever on Instagram. Well, my filter is the “this is how I’d like it to be” filter.

It’s not that I lie. I was in those places, even if I couldn’t afford a hot chocolate. It’s just I don’t dwell on any of the not-so-great stuff in my life, like the commute or the prices or having to keep all my stuff in a hammock. Let alone vanilla-whey-coated eggs and obnoxious lechy flatmates. And the point is, it’s something to aspire to, something to hope for. One day my life is going to match my posts. One day.

One day her life will match her boss Demeter’s life. She’ll be as brilliant and creative as Demeter. She will wear designer clothes, and party with the right people:


I’m not exaggerating. When I say Demeter has the perfect life, believe me, it’s true. Everything you could want out of life she has. Job, family, general coolness.Tick, tick, tick. Even her name. It’s so distinctive, she doesn’t need to bother with her surname (Farlowe). She’s just Demeter. Like Madonna. “Hi, I hear her saying on the phone, in that confident, louder-than-average voice of hers. “It’s De-meeee-ter.”

She’s forty-five and she’s been executive creative director at Cooper Clemmow for just over a year. Cooper Clemmow is a branding and strategy agency, and we have some pretty big clients—therefore Demeter’s a pretty big deal. Her office is full of awards, and framed photos of her with illustrious people, and displays of products she’s helped to brand.

But then the worst happens –her department is not bringing in their expected revenue, and Cat is made redundant. And Demeter, “living-the-perfect-life boss” who can’t even remember Cat’s name, doesn’t even remember if she fired her or not:


“So in the lift, you thought you’d already fired me,” I say bluntly. I can see I’ve hit home, from the flinch that passes across Demeter’s face.

“I apologize if there was any misunderstanding,” she says, and her weasel words make me want to slap her. If? If?

“Of course there was a misunderstanding.” My voice is tart, even to my own ears.

“Cath—”

“No, I get it. It’s such a trivial, unimportant detail to you, you couldn’t remember if you’d done it or not. I mean, I understand!” I throw up my hands. “You have a very full, exciting diary. Meetings... lunches... parties. . . fire your employee. No wonder you can’t keep track.

With no other choice, Cat goes home to Somerset, and becomes Katie again. But she uses all that she’s learn from Demeter to help her dad and his girlfriend start their new vacation glamping business. And when it seems like all is lost, karma steps in. Demeter has booked a stay – and she doesn’t recognize Katie:


Top priority: Demeter must not realize who I am.

She only knew me as Cat. If she associates me with anywhere, it’s Birmingham. She wouldn’t think of me as Katie the farmer’s daughter from Somerset. And she’s never been great at recognizing people. Could I fool her? Can I?

Slowly I stand up and head over to my battered old wardrobe. There’s an oval full-length mirror on it, and I survey myself critically. My curly hair is different. My clothes are different. MY name’s different. My face isn’t that different—but she’s not good with faces. My accent’s different, I realize I can play up the Somerset burr even more:

. . . “Allo thar,” I say to my reflection. “I be Katie Brenner. Farmed this land all my life. Never been to Lunnon town.”

Now Katie, can’t destroy her family’s business by being outright rude and obnoxious to Demeter but there are subtle ways to exact revenge. . . but just like her life, she discovers that Demeter’s life is not quite like it seems.

Of course there is a romance. While it’s not front and center, it is immensely satisfying.

My (not So) Perfect Life is pure entertainment. It’s amusing, it’s fun, in addition to being a mocking satirical commentary on social media and its

My Not So Perfect Life

by Sophie Kinsella

Having read most of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series as well as several other books by this best selling author, I looked forward to a work of chick lit that is neither trite nor cliché. I was rewarded with a story that contrasts the glamour of London with the authenticity of rural Somerset. It presents characters with depth who react to their experiences with change and growth.

The first setting is a branding/advertising agency in London where difficult work relationships take center stage, as well as survival in a very expensive city. The second is a sheep farm that reinvents itself as a glamping (glamour camping) center. The main character, known as Cat in London and Katie on the family farm, tries to survive by straddling two worlds. Katie’s complicated home life leads her to lie about her “perfect” London life, creating unintended consequences. Complications don’t end there, however, as one already difficult boss seems to suffer from mental issues and another sets off romantic fireworks.

I know a book is good when I repeatedly succumb to the temptation of glancing at the opening paragraph of the next chapter. Once I have gotten that far, it is hard to put the book aside, and so it happens again and again. My Not So Perfect Life keeps luring the reader back just like that. As I read, I initially thought I could see a direct path to a happy ending, but Kinsella has lots of surprises in store before the tale reaches its conclusion.

I would like to extend my thanks to netgalley.com and to Random House (Dial Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Women’s Fiction, General Fiction (Adult)

Notes: moderate profanity (including some specific to British English)

Publication: February 7, 2017--Random House (Dial Press)

Memorable Lines:

It’s amazing how an otherwise intelligent person can become a credulous fool as soon as you mention the words “organic,” “authentic,” and “Gwyneth Paltrow.”

“Every promotion requires you to do less of the thing you originally wanted to do.”

“Whoever started the rumor that life has to be perfect is a very wicked person, if you ask me. Of course it’s not!”

Katie/Cat was a Somerset farm girl trying to make her way in London. She's always dreamed of fulfilling her career in London. Now that she has, it's not so easy. When she's unexpectedly let go, she retreats back to her family's farm in Somerset. But when her old boss shows up, she realizes things aren't always as they seem.

I really enjoyed this book. It grabbed me as soon as the book opened talking about the morning commute on the tube in London. I've done that commute and it's insane. It also really touched on how we all make life appear different than it really is sometimes on social media.

One-sentence summary:

In Sophie Kinsella’s latest novel, Katie thinks she’s formed the path to a perfect life with the perfect job in the perfect city, but finds that perfection is fleeting and elusive.

My Not So Perfect Life is a fun book.

Katie aspires to the life of her rich and fabulous boss. In fact, Katie has an Instagram account where she posts (fake) photos of her (fake) excursions all over London. But in true Kinsella fashion, everything falls apart and Katie is forced to make drastic changes in her life and attitude.

Sophie Kinsella has formed a golden (though sometimes not so perfect) pattern she follows in most of her books:
A scrappy but still attractive girl yearns for more (often social status or the perfect boyfriend), but gets herself into a series of wacky hijinks, often the result of her own lies. Before you know it, she’s ‘wackied’ her way into the middle of a mess and can only extricate herself once all of the things in her life come crashing down. But in the end, those trappings were crap anyway and she finds wild success and happiness in the ruins. Oh, and picks up a rich, powerful, and enviously handsome boyfriend along the way.

I say all of this with knowledge of the pattern, but not contempt. The formula works quite well, and perhaps gives Kinsella readers comfort knowing what to expect.

In some books, such as I’ve Got Your Number, Kinsella’s formula works quite nicely. It’s the perfect combination of funny and romantic.

In other books, such as Shopaholic Ties the Knot, Kinsella’s formula is stressful and painful to read. The dang shopaholic piles on lies and gets herself deeper and deeper in trouble, and I just want to throttle her.

My Not So Perfect Life gets it right. Luckily, the downfall and resulting catharsis happens early enough in the book that the stressful period of lies and deceit isn’t too protracted.

The “bespoke” activities are cringe-worthy, though. I wonder if the reader is supposed to feel vicarious revenge against the fabulous and rude people in their lives? It’s petty and rude on Katie’s part. And they go on and on in so much excruciating detail…

Overall, the book is good fun. Go into it expecting an effective use of the formula, and you’ll leave satisfied.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Katie Brenner has been determined to make a life for herself in the city and does everything she can think of to get her boss, Demeter Farlowe to notice her work. Demeter however instead of noticing Katie’s creativity uses her young employee to instead help her dye her roots and other menial tasks. Katie still stays determined she will make it and obtain the lifestyle she is jealous that her boss leads.

Just when Katie thinks things are starting to look up in her life though her boss decides to fire her. Having no where else to turn Katie returns home to the country with her family to help them start up a new business but keeping her jobless state a secret while she’s there. But just when Katie thinks she may have to confess to her losing her job she crosses paths with Demeter yet again.

My Not So Perfect Life was a fun contemporary romance by Sophie Kinsella. Katie was a fun character to follow as she tried to make her way in life on her own with a fun cast of supporting characters to go along with her. The story was often funny and always engaging waiting to see how things would turn out for Katie.

Another thing that made me love this story was the setting with Katie’s family in the country. They were setting up a “glamping” (glamorous camping) business which made for a fun place for a big portion of the story to take place. As much as Katie wanted to be a city girl it was nice to see her go back to her roots in this setting and really grow as a character.

Overall, really enjoyed this fun contemporary romance and watching the main character grow as she struggles to sort out her life.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.