Jenny James may not be a disaster, but her life certainly is (at least on this particular day). A morning filled with small annoyances turns into a work day in which she learns that her office may shut down and she would be out of a job. Then, her car won’t start, and when she and her teenage son, Charlie, make it home, well, they discover that their house has fallen off a cliff and into the sea, the result of a month of rain. Jenny’s response to all of this, and the resulting challenges that she faces, create a charming story. The characters are warm and very funny—the banter is fabulous—and their ensuing adventures are very interesting. While Jenny’s life may be far from typical, how she deals with a difficult turn of events and changes her life will interest many people. This book is another hit from Debbie Johnson. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.

This was a sweet quirky unsuspecting love story where everything goes wrong before it goes right. Jenny true so hard for her son, Charlie. The audio was a a fun listen. I really enjoyed this.

Jenny James was a cute contemporary romance with humorous and tender moments. I couldn't really relate to any of the deeper moments that the characters experienced but felt emotional regardless.

I received an ALC from HarperCollins Focus | Harper Muse via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was entranced by this book, mostly due to the descriptive writing of the author. I really felt as if I were there with Jenny, the main character, as she takes this amazing journey. I could really feel the emotions that arose from her visits to various locations and was rooting for her to find her joy! The story begins when Jenny and her teenage son Charlie lose their home to a landslide. They are taken in temporarily by Luke who lives in a motorhome camped in a field next to their home. After losing her job in the same week, Jenny is beside herself as to what to do next, when Luke suggests they take a break and travel with him for awhile.

While, yes, there is a developing bond between Jenny and Luke, I'd say the more important part of the story is following Jenny as she reexamines her past choices and tries to figure out what to do in the next stage of her life. I was very moved by her experiences and courage as she takes the risk of this new adventure. The descriptions of her feelings (as well as those of Luke, who is dealing with a loss of his own), and also the physical descriptions of the places they visit were so realistic. I felt as if I was experiencing it myself. Loved this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Focus for providing an advance review copy of this audiobook. My opinions are my own.

Jenny James is a single mom who has ALL the problems. She loses her job, her car breaks down in a torrential rain storm, and that same storm causes a landslide that sends her lovely little home, complete with all her possessions and clothes and memories, careening down the cliff and into the sea. Even though her life is a disaster, Jenny James is not. She keeps focused on what she can do, rather than what she's lost. She and her teenage son take off on a cross-country adventure with their nomadic neighbor in the RV and they all find more than they could have imagined looking for when the trip began.

Though some of the adventures and coincidences are a little too good to be true (finding out your traveling companion is wealthy enough to foot the bill for your trip across England,) author Debbie Johnson creates characters who are believable and relatable. This is an uplifiting book about facing your life with what you've got available and finding out you really are enough all along.

I thought this book was so much fun!

Jenny and her son end up at rock bottom. When her job is at risk and her car breaks down, she thinks things can't get any worse but when she gets home and finds her house has slipped off the top of the hill, her and her son are left with nothing. It's a stranger that offers them some assistance and as they build a friendship with the nomad, Luke, he has an interesting idea. Why not travel around with him in his RV and see some of the sights?

On a whim, they do it and it sets them all on an adventure full of laughter and fun. Jenny is estranged from her family and has been for her sons whole life and thanks to Luke, she manages to fix that. I loved it.

I thought the whole book was really entertaining and fun. You literally can hit rock bottom and find a much better life on the flip side. This book was so enjoyable and the narration was great.

4 stars

A sweet story about how one woman’s worst day contains the seeds to help her cultivate her best life.

Jenny just learned her job may be ending. When she and her teenage son arrive home, they find the cottage they rent has fallen into the sea due to erosion (hence the climate-fiction shelf). With her financial future uncertain and no family network nearby for support, Jenny accepts an offer of help from her neighbor who lives in a motorcoach with his dachshund.

Did I mention he’s a little older but also single and handsome? Guess what happens next: they solve all their problems with thoughtful words and support! No big surprises here just interesting characters and happy endings. 3.5 rounded up for being so darn pleasant.

My thanks to the author, publisher, audiobook producers, and #NetGalley for providing me with a
copy of the audiobook for review purposes. The book and audiobook are now available to buy or borrow Enjoy!

Thank you NetGalley for the audiobook of this newly released book. It was a slow start everything falling apart in Jenny James life, single mom of teenage son, lost her job and her house literally falls off a cliff during a storm. The story has witty dialogue and a pick yourself up and keep going attitude as well as complicated family situations with forgiveness and love. The narrator Beth Eyre gives just the right emotion.

What a fun little adventure following Jenny James after she loses her job and her rental home falls off a literal cliff. It was fun to see how she moved on from this 💩 hand she was dealt and started to build her own new life. This is mostly women’s fiction wish a small touch of romance.

Jenny James is Not a Disaster is a pleasant read with a likable main character and some genuinely funny moments, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of more memorable romantic comedies. Fans of Debbie Johnson will likely enjoy it, but it may not stand out to those new to her work.

I read the premise of the book and immediately asked to be an early reviewer. Im so glad I was given the chance to listen to this beautiful book. The trip, the estranged family relationship, the inability to tell her son the entire thing, highlighted beautifully what it is to be human - and how complicated it can be. I highly enjoyed the book and absolutely devoured the writing, especially the ability to listen/see and smell everything that was being described. It felt like a light enough read to enjoy at its fullest.

The fact that I listened to this in one day should be stated, as that is how much this book captivated me.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review

Sweet, heartfelt, and so much fun! I loved the dynamic between Charlie and Jenny and think that their relationship and the book as a whole had a perfect balance of banter and seriousness. I felt that the pacing was a little off, I wanted more time spent in the van and less time with the build up and the wrap up. I also find that when something happens without a good reason (her not communicating with her parents) it makes me feel frustrated with the storyline. I absolutely loved the narrator and thought she did an excellent job. Overall, fun enjoyable read, especially for the summer!

A sweet, leisurely read with a smidge of slow burn romance. This coming of age (at 36) road trip story about a single mum, her teenage son and a generous motor home owner, was heartwarming and inspiring. It's about self discovery, family and second chances.

It's something I think a lot of people have thought about. Just packing up and going on a trip, leaving behind the grind, working, paying rent, the monotony. Imagine visiting new places every day, meeting new people, staying when it feels right then moving on when you've had enough.

Woven into this are Jenny's estranged parents. When they are travelling near her old home town, the opportunity to perhaps reconcile and allow them to meet their 18 yr old grandson becomes a very real possibility. Can Jenny take that step?

I wasn’t sure about this book in the beginning. I was afraid it was going to be sappy sweet and just not for me. I held on because I enjoyed the narrator and I am so glad I did. I was wrong! This is such a good book.

If you want a reminder that sometimes second chances are worth it, that starting over can be a great thing, that difficult situations, while hard, can be worth the work and effort, this is the book for you.

Jenny and Charlie’s relationship made me laugh several times and warmed my heart. Luke was such a surprise as we of to know him throughout the story.

Every single character in the book is someone we can all learn from and I truly enjoyed it .

Thank you to Harper Collins Focus for the ALC. All views are my own.

I wanted to like this so much more than I did. Could've been that I didn't feel like the narrator's voice. This book felt like a ton of build up and 'finding yourself' while that's great I still felt like it was longer than it needed to be.

Jenny James is a single mom who has a pretty bad day that leads to a pretty great adventure. A fantastic story of love and loss and how taking the plunge to go on a adventure can change your life.

Debbie Johnson perfectly crafted this story and I would definitely recommend to anyone.

When single mom, Jenny James, is let go from her job, then her house literally falls off a cliff, she and her 18-year-old son embark on a journey with their neighbor. I loved this book and how it focused on how Jenny picks herself up (with the help of others) and becomes confident again in her life. This was an emotional read with a lot of pain in the backstories of their past. I love the social media posts Jenny does at the encouragement of her son as Jenny goes on this life-changing / self-discovery journey. The characters were so well done and felt real. This was a light-hearted read with plenty of meaning. The story touches on different topics such as parent / child relationships and finding happiness again. I recommend this one for a fun, uplifting read.

This was such a wonderful book. I went into this with zero expectations and I am so glad that I did. I loved that this book was about a single mom, trying to find herself again. Jenny was not created in a pathetic way and although you felt for her as the main character, it was not forced or overly done. The book felt real. The relationships were flawed, in the most realistic way, it was perfect. They felt like people you knew and the way the book was written felt like you were having a coffee with a best friend. I found myself laughing, crying, cringing and cheering the characters on throughout the story - never once thinking "this feels fake." This book will take you on an emotional rollercoaster while watching Jenny find herself, but it is done in an incredible way.

Thank you #netgalley for our #audiobook #arc

I absolutely adore this book! Debbie Johnson has once again delivered a heartwarming, feel-good story that’s impossible to put down. With a perfect mix of romance, captivating characters, and an engaging plot, Jenny James Is Not a Disaster is a must-read.

The story follows three main characters who, after facing challenging life circumstances, embark on a journey together. Their growth, individually and as a group, is beautifully portrayed. I especially loved the slow-burn romance and the powerful themes of forgiveness and self-discovery. This book is a testament to finding new beginnings even in the darkest times

Thank you to #Netgalley for a free copy of this audio book in exchange for an honest review.
My Interest

I’ve read a lot of “The Something something life of Somebody somebody” novels which lately have become the “Somebody is a something” novels. Usually good, often tug at the heart strings or propel one to think about Life in capital letters.
The Story

Jenny James is a single parent. Her son, Charlie is off to college [aka “Uni”] soon, her job is going South and their house…just slipped down a cliff. Life kind of sucks at the moment. Meanwhile, the local grumpy guy, Luke, invites them to stay in his motor home and go on an adventure to take their minds off the mess of life. They pull places out of a hat to decide where to go next.

On their road trip a lot of bonding happens, secrets are shared and all three heal from things they’ve either talked about or hidden. Jenny, Charlie, Luke and Dachshund Betty start to feel like “family,” but is t his the truth?

My Thoughts

This story shows just how differently each person sees things without it being one of those trendy “unreliably narrator” books. It also shows just how quickly time passes in our lives and how easy it is to get used to things we never wanted to happen in the first place. Putting our own view of what should happen first is the culprit here. Parents do their best. Teenagers do their best-worst. Life happens. Jenny’s story is such a typical one, yet the author makes it seem new. Charlie, too, has a typical story one he shares with way too many kids [don’t worry–it’s nothing horrific in the Oprah book meaning of that word]. ALMOST A SPOILER coming. Luke’s–that was a gut punch I didn’t see coming.

This is a good story of a decent, caring family and what can go wrong when you are trying to do your best. Even better it is one in which people do their best to heal the rend.
My Verdict
4.0

Jenny Jones is NOT a Disaster: A Novel by Debbie Johnson