🌊🏡🌧From calamity city to freedom and joy!

What a transformation from the first chapters of Brit Jenny James's story to the end! Her initial problems in Norfolk were catastrophic and yet, her eighteen year-old son Charlie and a kind stranger who's a motor home nomad help her "weather the storm" and embrace the freedom of starting fresh and unencumbered. This is a nice piece of women's fiction, maybe felt a slight bit slow for me, about second chances, coming to terms with the past, and embracing joy wherever you find it.

Single mom Jenny has lived her life since a teenager making a stable environment for her precious son. But he's on the cusp of independence and that plays into her insecurities about the future. She's a very real, very sympathetic character. As is typical, perpetually-starving teen Charlie. And Luke, the caravan nomad with a tragic backstory who takes the pair under his wing and gives them a month of non-stop touring and activity throughout the English countryside in summer.

There is a very, very slow-burn bit of sweet romance, but the author focuses on Jenny's trial of fire (rain and wind?!) and how she makes her way to the other side. Inspiring, real and a good read.

Thanks to Harper and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

Sweet women’s fiction, with a tiny bit of a romance.

Jenny left home at 17, had a baby at 18, and her boyfriend left them soon after. Estranged from her parents, she has lived for 18 years as a single mum to her son Charlie.

Until the day their life fell apart — she got laid off, her car broke down, and their coastal Norfolk cottage fell off a cliff into the sea.

This forces Jenny and Charlie to change their routine; and courtesy of their neighbor who lived in a motor home, they find themselves on the roadtrip of a lifetime.

3.75 stars

A sweet and simple family tale with a lot of heart and humor. Jenny James and her 18 year old son Charlie have had a good life, but with the usual single mom caveats: no money, no extras, financial and job insecurity, etc. Then one day their rented cottage literally slides down a cliff after days of heavy rain -- the same day Jenny's job becomes redundant.

Fate intervenes in the form of a nomadic gentleman traveling in his motor coach. Luke offers Jenny and Charlie a week or two of respite from reality by accompanying him on his wanderings. He, of course, has an interesting story all his own. The trio bond and have a great time. They are all good for each other, especially Jenny and Luke, the two veterans of heartache, guilt, and trust issues.

Jenny is sometimes an exasperating character. She has had to carry on by herself for so long she has lost the ability to collaborate emotionally and finds herself repeating the same mistakes her parents made with her.

It's a fun trip with this sort of family as they just enjoy each other and the unknown fun of the open road. Lessons are learned, new opportunities present themselves, and a lot of forgiveness and communication comes about. Yes, it's a little sentimental but not treacly. Jenny's banter with the two guys is especially endearing. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

What a delight. I loved this book so much, it made me laugh and it certainly had me in tears on more than one occasion. As a mother of boys, I loved the relationship between Jenny and Charlie 💙 Just when you think nothing else can go wrong…
You’re in for a treat with this one- 5 stars from me

Great Read!!! A positive story after disaster hits. Jenny James is a delight. With help from the neighbor that lives in a motor home Jenny is on a adventure along with her 18 year old son.

Jenny James, a single mother, is having an exceptionally tough day. Upon arriving at work, she learns her job is at risk, her car won't start, and upon returning home with her son Charlie, they witness their cottage falling off a cliff. Now almost homeless, jobless, and with a broken car, they notice a large motorhome, previously beside her cottage, now safely away from the cliff. The owner, Luke, invites them inside.

Luke, the owner of the spacious RV, offers Jenny and Charlie a chance to join him on a summer journey. Jenny is at a crossroads, contemplating her future, while Charlie, now eighteen, is preparing for university in the fall.

Accompanied by Luke's dog Betty, the four embark on an adventure. Jenny, who left home as a teenager after a dispute with her parents, had to mature quickly when her boyfriend Rob left her alone with a two-year-old.

Review to come.

Love the cover✔️
Interesting description ✔️
New Author to me ✔️

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC ❤️

Thank you to @netgalley and @HarperMuse for this ARC. Jenny is having a rough week. Her car won't start, she has been put on notice that she is going to lose her job and when she finally arrives home, she finds her house hanging off the side of a cliff due to torrential rains. After she risks her life to trying to save a couple of family photos, she is saved by her new neighbor that lives in an RV not far from her house. With no hope in site, her, her son and their new friend decide to embark on a road trip in Luke's RV. This trip now dubbed "A trip to find Joy" takes them to several parts of the UK but can she truly find a home once again? I enjoyed this book and their adventures! #JennyJamesisNotaDisaster #DebbieJohnson #HarperMuse #July2024

This was a cute book. I absolutely LOVED the beginning; the first few sentences made me chuckle and I was sure this book was going to be amazing! Unfortunately, about halfway down the line, I started to lose interest a little. The story was a bit slow for me and it wasn't as gripping (and funny) as the beginning anymore. I did finish the book, and I liked how the story unfolded. I just expected a bit more.

Debbie Johnson's "Jenny James Is Not a Disaster" is a fun read that takes you through what many would consider if it happened to you: a rollercoaster of loss, discovery, and self-realization. This story captures the essence of resilience and shifting priorities when life throws unexpected challenges your way. (no matter how outrageous the challenges maybe)

Plot Summary:

The story revolves around Jenny James, a woman who faces significant losses that lead her to reassess her life's priorities. With the help of a stranger, Jenny embarks on a new adventure that allows her to explore a long-held secret dream, brings about reconciliation, and deepens her understanding of herself and others.

Characters:

The witty and endearing protagonist, Jenny James, stands out with her sharp sayings and quirky expressions. Her internal conflicts and resilience add depth to her character, making her relatable and lovable.

Jenny James may sometimes feel like a disaster, but her story is one of resilience, joy, and self-acceptance.

The Author:
Debbie Johnson's writing in this book is engaging and infused with a lighthearted flair that makes the book a joy to read. Her ability to balance humor with heartfelt moments kept me hooked from start to finish. However, one minor drawback is the somewhat unrealistic portrayal of blog writing and follower counts, which could have been more grounded. (as a blog writer myself)

I am so impressed with Johnson's writing that I've already added many of her other books to my wishlist for future reading.

For readers who enjoy lighthearted yet meaningful fiction, I recommend checking out Sophie Kinsella's works. I loved her book "My Not So Perfect Life." Much like Debbie Johnson's, her novels feature relatable heroines, humorous situations, and a blend of romance and personal growth that seem similar to "Jenny James Is Not a Disaster."

Thank you, NetGalley, for the early read.

Thanks kindly to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jenny James Is Not a Disaster follows Jenny James as she embarks on a motorhome adventure with her son and a good samaritan who helps them out after their home is destroyed in a terrible storm. Well, it actually partially falls off the cliff it's perched on.

The novel kicks off with a series of disasters that leads them on this journey together, and explores themes of identity, single parenthood, family and romance. I loved the mother-son bond between Jenny and Charlie, and Jenny's attempts to not repeat the same mistakes her parents made with her when she was the same age as her son.

I also quite adored the slow burn romance between Jenny and Luke throughout the novel.

Overall a comfy and predictable read, and likely to be enjoyed by a wide variety of folks.

"I stare at him and wonder just how far out of my comfort zone I need to be--I lost my job, my house fell off a cliff, and I have just noticed that I somehow have bug bites on my cleavage."

That's pretty much the gist of the story, or at least, the beginning.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Nevertheless, it's a hard one for me to rate. I loved it to begin with; the author has such a great sense of humor. Having lost her home, Jenny and her teen son, Charlie, end up in a stranger's motor home, touring England, and it got a little monotonous in their travels (or so it felt to me). However, Debbie Johnson is a good writer, and that kept me reading.

Jenny James is a Phoenix, rising from the ashes of her life and forging ahead. As a fellow Phoenix, I can relate and enjoyed this book immensely. It makes me want to set off on my own journey of discovery.

It's witty & funny. A story about how life can surprise you in good and bad ways.

Jenny James Is Not a Disaster. This title just made me want to read the book and get the details of why she is not a disaster. I was so pleased to have read this book. It had a a story line that was easy to follow and it was one that I will gladly tell people to read. It is filled with characters that the author made feel so real as I read.
I loved the connection between Jenny and her son. This book had a lot of unexpected things happen and everything connects so well.
Thank you NetGalley, Debbie Johnson and HarperCollins Focus for the ARC of Jenny James Is Not a Disaster. This is my personal review.

My only complaint here is that reading this book made my week at work pretty unbearable - I wanted to leave it all behind, pack up, and hit the road with the fam! Although I thought Jenny sheltered her 18-year old son a bit too much at the beginning, I enjoyed learning more about their relationship throughout the book. And my three boys are still ten and under still, so maybe that'll be me as well! I loved exploring parts of England with this trio, and seeing where they all ended up. Thanks for the ARC!

This was a joy to read. I loved traveling across England with Jenny, Charlie, and Luke, and you will too!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Jenny James is Not a Disaster by Debbie Johnson is feel good women's fiction book.

The book started strong and the story really flows nicely and is easy to read. The disasters followed one another were almost comical to read and maybe a bit exggagerated but some aspect about daily life and struggles with raising teenagers are on point.

After a while I slowly but surely started losing interest but I can't pinpoint the exact reason why. Maybe my issues with it was that it was just too good to be true, even though I love happy ending.

I really enjoyed the trip and all the descriptions about it, it was very picturesque and it was interesting to read/
There are some quite funny moments.

Cute, but had I known the author's self-description of "feel-good emotional women's fiction," I might have passed on this one. Pretty predictable plot but sweet story. Think Elinor Oliphant is Completely Fine meets Lessons in Chemistry meets Where'd You Go, Bernadette, but maybe not even that substantive. Fun summer beach read. Probably 3-1/2 stars.

I loved this delightfully sweet but comical coming of age look at Jenny James as she navigates through yet another tough time in her life.

In the past, Jenny had been estranged from her parents when she became pregnant at the age of 18. It was a tough time in her life, especially since the baby's father left her, but she got through it.

Fast forward to now, Jenny has her wonderful 18 year old son, Charlie, living with her. She has just recently met her fairly new but reclusive, attractive neighbor, Luke, who lives next door in a very nice RV campervan.

As if she is living in a nightmare, she loses her job, her car is dead, and she walks home just as her cute cliffside cottage literally slides into the sea during a rainstorm, all in one terrible day!

Luke is there and helps them dry off and warm up. Then, he ends up offering them a place to stay in his RV campervan with him and his cute dachshund Betty, who happily greets them until they can figure things out.

Luke is a guy who usually never stays in one place for too long as he likes to travel. He eventually offers them to travel around with him since they now have literally nothing else to do, at least until Charlie leaves for college.

They decide to travel around and have a good time. I loved that Jenny named the campervan, "Joy!"

To make their trip fun, they decide to put a bunch of destination ideas into a hat to draw from. They travel all over England, seeing all kinds of great places, hiking to remote beautiful areas, waterfalls, seeing stone circles, villages, amusement parks, etc.

And then, Charlie wants to know about what happened...in the past...with his grandparents...can they go see them?

Jenny not only finds herself for the first time but finds the best way to move forward in her life and to experience joy!

I loved this book, it was filled with a lot of fun and adventure and I recommend it!

I would like to thank #NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for a complimentary copy of an ARC of this book. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sometimes you just have a really bad day. Jenny has such a day, Here job is in jeopardy, her car breaks down and there isn't enough money to fix it. Then as she walks home after her car disaster, she sees her home slip off the cliff and disappear into the sea. She is estranged from her parents and is a single mother. Her neighbor who lives is a RV with wonderful dog, lets them stay with him and offers them a life in a RV travelling around and having adventures. She finds a new sense of freedom and moves forward. A fun, uplifting read.