I really enjoyed this book! It was a captivating read that held my attention from start to finish. The story was well-paced, and the characters felt real and engaging. I’m grateful to the publisher for providing an early copy—it was a pleasure to read!

*Jenny James is Not a Disaster* is a charming and humorous coming-of-age tale that deftly captures the whirlwind of teenage life. The protagonist, Jenny, navigates the trials of adolescence with a relatable blend of self-doubt and determination, making her both endearing and refreshingly real. The narrative is peppered with witty dialogue and quirky situations, providing a lighthearted yet insightful look at friendship, family, and the quest for self-identity. With its engaging plot and vibrant characters, this book is a delightful read for anyone who has ever felt a little lost in the chaos of growing up. A perfect blend of humor and heart, it resonates with readers of all ages.

A fantastic audiobook.
Brilliant narration that was clear and well presented.

The plot was a wonderful mix of humour, heartache, serious issues and love.

Great for a chilled out listen and one which I was keen to return to.

Thank you @netgalley for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

This was my first book by Debbie Johnson & while I enjoyed some elements of the book, it was only 3 ⭐️ for me. I was so excited to read this & loved the premise so I was a little disappointed about that, but it happens!

A single mom loses her house when the entire thing falls off a cliff! She starts to examine what’s really important in life & begins to find herself again.

The story fell a little flat for me, with what I felt was a very abrupt & predictable ending. I do think some people would enjoy the story. It is heartfelt & inspiring to see how Jenny transforms her life.

On a side note, I did enjoy whoever narrated the audiobook & I will definitely give this author another try!

The perfect feel good story. I really loved Jenny and charlie and Luke. I love seeing her journey of letting go and making peace with her past.

Jenny James is a single mother of an 18-year-old boy, Charlie. When she finds out her job might be downsized, her car won’t start, and her house literally falls into the sea all in the same day, she is at the end of her rope. Jenny surprises herself by her and Charlie joining their nomadic neighbor, Luke, and his dog, Betty, on a road trip across England for the summer. Throughout the stops, Jenny has to face down how she got to where she is now and what she wants her life to look like going forward.

This was a solid 3.5 star read for me. Despite the heavy topics discussed in the book (teenage pregnancy, child loss, family estrangement, etc.), the book maintains a light, humorous feel. The book features personal growth from all the main characters wrapped up in a HEA. The narrator did a nice job with the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

If you’re looking for a book that will have you laughing out loud, look no further than “Jenny James is Not a Disaster” by Debbie Johnson. Jenny James is a character you can’t help but love, despite (or maybe because of) her endless mishaps. One of the funniest moments is when she tries to bake a cake for her new colleagues and accidentally uses salt instead of sugar. The reactions are absolutely priceless! 😂

Jenny’s ability to laugh at herself and her relatable mix-ups make this book a joy to read. It’s a feel-good story that reminds us all that it’s okay to be imperfect. If you need a good laugh and a heartwarming tale, this book is a must-read. Highly recommend!

The start of this story will amaze you that any one person can have such bad luck! Jenny James is a single mom, raising a teen-aged son, Charlie, and does not have a good relationship with her parents. In fact, she hasn't spoken to them in nearly two decades. She is extremely independent and used to relying on her own resources to provide for her son and herself. When she loses just about everything she owns in a terrible storm, an unlikely neighbor, Luke, who charms and restores Jenny when she doesn't know she needs it.
Jenny, Charlie, and Luke travel in Luke's RV and that is where Jenny and Luke become friends and begin sharing their past life history with one another. Jenny is hesitant to allow Charlie to grow and make his own decisions. Their once great, close connection becomes somewhat distant as Jenny learns to trust that she has raised Charlie well. Jenny and Luke make decisions to heal their pasts but how do they move forward?
This story will grip you with emotions and then cheer on Jenny as she accepts the changes in her life with the grace she always has had.
Thank you, NetGalley and Harper Collins Focus/Harper Muse for the advanced reader's copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
#netgalley #JennyJamesIsNotADisaster #Audiobook #WomensFiction #Love #Parenthood #Perserverance #ThirtySomething

One can always trust to get to know themselves during a journey. One can also always trust to get to know their journey companion.
The book testifies for both issues above.
Trouble does not always mean disaster. Sometimes it helps take a different direction in life, which has seemed impossible before.
Luke, Jenny and Charlie are a great example for finding yourselves at different times.

I want to thank Netgalley and author for gifting me the audio book. I was interested in the story as I was listening but then the author decided to put woke crap in it. It was just a no for me.

Not the romance that I expected, but it was so much better. Jenny is a 38 year old single mom working a dead end job and just kind of going through the motions of life. Then all in one day, she fights with her teenage son, learns she may soon lose her job, and her house collapses due to unusual amounts of storms. Her stand-off-ish neighbor is there to help, taking her and her son in when they have nowhere else to go. The catch? He lives in a motor home, and won't stay anywhere longer than 2 weeks. The trio take off around England visiting places they draw out of a hat. Jenny is able to reevaluate her life in the process, including rekindling relationships with her family, who she hasn't talked to in 18 years.

Book 166 of 300 ~ 2024

🌟🌟🌟🌟

First, the possibility of being made redundant. Then comes the cherry on the cake - your home that sits on a cliff.. well, just decides to *ahem* take a dive, thus leaving you homeless.

The protagonist is likeable, as are the other characters. As she finds herself, pushing herself to find adventures, and ultimately, finding herself.

I did both the audiobook and ebook versions of this wonderful read. The narrator was brilliant and kept me interested, too.

I received a complimentary copy of this book as well as a complimentary copy of the audiobook. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

#book166of200 #amreading #netgalley #tbrpile #instareads #readstagram #reading #bookreview #bookreviewer #booklover #booksAreLife #booksForTheWin #thisbookfairyisreading #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramfeature #bookshelf #booksofinstagram #bookish #bookworm #goodreads #booklovers #theSGbookfairyReads #theSGtrekkiereads #bookaholic #bookaddict #bookchallenge2023 #reviews #lovebooks #booknerds

This one surprised me. I honestly didn't think I was going to like it as much as I did because of the way that it started. But I grew very fond of the characters and their way of approaching difficult situations.
Imagine losing your job and then getting home just in time to see your home falling off an eroding cliff into the ocean below. That is a low blow and a lot to handle all in one day. <i>Jenny James is Not a Disaster</i> is a story of falling and getting back up again while learning to trust yourself and the people around you who truly want to support and help you.
I truly admired Jenny as a single mother and the relationship that she had with her son. She may have doubted her parenting, as most parents do, but having the chance to spend time with him on the open road in an rv was a super sweet time to see how well she did raising him.
There were many times that I laughed, maybe got a little teary and even clapped at the metaphor of the scene with an rollercoaster that Jenny overcame.

Jenny James is Not a Disaster by Debbie Johnson is a cute little rom com story. We meet Jenny on a day during which everything in her life is falling apart, some things quite literally. The characters are fun, if not always making realistic decisions. It is lovely to have a romance without any “R” rated scenes. Some aspects of the story can be a bit predictable, but that doesn’t really take away from the story. I read the audiobook and thought the narrator did a great job. All in all I found this to be an enjoyable read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

I like the premise but it was just okay. Based on the title, it’s no surprise that Jenny James is short on luck when we meet her. She loses her house and her job at the beginning of the story and for me that was the most interesting. The humor and the dialogue all felt a bit off and the ending didn’t wow me. I expected it to be predictable but I still wanted it to be a bit more interesting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Debbie Johnson’s Jenny James Is Not a Disaster takes readers on a delightful road trip of resilience and self-discovery. Jenny, a single mom, faces a cascade of challenges: downsizing, a broken-down car, and a cliff-diving cottage. When she embarks on a nomadic journey with her son and their quirky neighbor, Luke, the story unfolds with humor and heart.

Pros:
Heartfelt Exploration: Johnson deftly explores Jenny’s past wounds and reconciliations, making her journey relatable and poignant.
Random Prompts: The whimsical hat-pulled destinations add an element of surprise and adventure.

Cons:
Pacing: While the pacing is generally good, there are moments when it lingers.

Overall, Jenny James Is Not a Disaster delivers warmth, relatability, and the joy of unexpected detours.

Jenny James Is Not A Disaster by Debbie Johnson is a novel of a journey of three people and one really cute dog. All of them are seeking something, and that something turns out to be joy. Hop into the motorhome, read the "Sausage Diaries," and quest with them to find that certain JOY!

Jenny James Is Not a Disaster- and neither is this story. In fact, it’s quite lovely and poignant and moving to follow Jenny through a very rough and incredibly unexpected time and out the other side. This is a very specific and unique story that at the same time is universal and highly relatable.

Beth Eyre did a fantastic job narrating the audiobook.

Thank you Debbie Johnson, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

Loved this one so much! I love an English author, honestly. This book is so funny and lovely. It touches on the complexities of family, forgiveness in yourself and others, how sometimes life is just plain unfair and rolling with the punches is all we can do. Jenny James can do no wrong in my eyes. She is a wonderful mother that speaks on motherhood in ways that feel so true. The dog is the perfect little comedic relief. Just overall a very wonderful read.

This book took me by surprise, in a good way. I didn't know much about it going in (I generally don't read the synopsis of books and tend to choose them more based on the vibes of the cover) - and I was quickly pulled into Jenny James' no good, very bad day. The book does have some of the style that I've come to expect from euro-centric contemporary fiction, so I'm sure there were a few contextual pieces of information that I missed or that I didn't quite pick up on, but over all, it was a very relatable and enjoyable read.

The whole storyline puts Jenny through so many things (I couldn't even imagine) and then has a heart-warming redemptive arc that really brings the narrative home at the end. I thought the dynamic between Jenny and Charlie was very indicative of what I imagine teenage/parent relationships to be - and the echos between what Jenny experienced with her parents and what she experiences with her son were very well done. The addition of Luke into the mix was a great way to add more depth to the story and give Jenny some "grown-up" interaction as she's navigating everything that has happened.

Overall, I did find myself really pulling for Jenny to come through all of her circumstances and end up with a happy ending. This delivered a nice mix of humor and romance along the way while she discovers herself in the next stage of her life.

I really enjoyed the audiobook narration - I found the narrator to be excellent to listen to and she did a great job evoking the emotion of the moments that she was reading while not distracting from the story itself. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for the ALC of the book for me to read!