Everything is Fine

A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.

I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for this ARC.

I really enjoyed the commentary on how it feels to live in a social media age and the constant pressure to be perfect. It was a nice reminder that social media shows the best of people and what they want you to see, and life is not always perfect from behind the scenes.

I loved following Jessica's story and thought it was really funny and heartwarming. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and the dynamics of different types of family units and I really liked Bea and her story. I loved how the book demonstrated that friendships aren't always perfect.

I wish there was a "6 months on" so we could see how Jessica's story ended with her change in lifestyle as I felt the ending was rather sudden.

I really enjoyed this book and finished it in just over a day, would definitely recommend.

Everything Is Fine’ is the debut novel by Gillian Harvey.

Jessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential healthy-eating blog; successful PR company and wonderful daughter, Anna. Or at least that is what her thousands of followers believe. The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter’s Coco-Pops. So as they say: fake it ’til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?

‘Everything Is Fine’ is a honest and funny story about the pressures of social media and society that we put on ourselves and how easy it is to take the smallest of things for granted.

Seen solely from the perspective of PR guru, influencer and single mum Jessica, when her gym obsessed boyfriend breaks up with her apparently letting herself go, she uses the magic of social media to convince her followers that her life is going perfectly and heartbreak isn’t on her mind. To occupy herself, she brings on some new unique and well known clients as well as creates a fake engagement with some help from the ex.

This was an extremely fun and enjoyable story to curl up with. With relatable characters having to deal with the pressures of the perfect life through lies and filters. Jessica was a great lead and one I found myself relating with a lot, the pressure of social media, family, the ticking biological clock, it was all combined in this story, but was all delivered with wit and warmth, and sensitivity when dealing with the hardships of fertility.

With snappy narrative, fun characters and disastrous situations, ‘Everything Is Fine’ was a laugh out loud story that was a joy from start to finish and a book that every reader will identify and relate too.

You can pre-order ‘Everything Is Fine’ from Amazon and will be available to buy from good bookshops from 28th May 2020.

I really enjoyed this easy, laugh out loud read. The book follows the story of Jessica, who I really didn’t like at first as she came across shallow, self-centred and image focused. It is very much a real life scenario book and how people depend on the ‘likes’ and followers on social media for self appreciation and other people’s expectations. Jessica’s character grows and realises what really is important and what makes her happy. I look forward to reading other books by this author. This is an unbiased review in return for a copy of this book from NetGalley.

Everything is Fine was an absolute joy to read! It gave me those happy feelings that I got when I first read Bridget Jones's Diary, with its brilliant voice, humour and characterisation. It’s definitely given me a taste for more adult comedy novels.

It feels like you're plunged into a real life, with social media and Jessica's struggles coming across as very relatable. Jessica is a great main character! She gets herself tangled up in all sorts of outlandish situations and I couldn't stop reading until I saw how it all worked out.

The voice also adds to the feeling of realism. Jessica comes across as a real person spilling all of her feelings and experiences. The dialogue is witty and believable, and there is an interesting cast of characters.

I'd definitely recommend Everything is Fine as a fun, feel-good read that gives perfect escapism for these uncertain times.

I absolutely adored this book. I could connect with the characters. Jessica seems to be unlucky in love. Her husband Grahame, father of their daughter Anna, leaves and marries someone else. Along comes Dave who is a keep fit fanatic and looks good in his gym wear. Jessica has her own PR business and a healthy eating blog and everything seems rosy until she comes downstairs one day to a post-it note saying he had left her. As the story progresses, I become to detest Dave. Does he love Jessica for the real Jessica or the Jessica that she has been portraying in her blog? Jessica was not being true to herself and her life was becoming a lie. There were some very funny parts in this and some very good visual images in my mind’s eye. Jess certainly seems to land herself in trouble. She was lovable and full of life. This book made me think of just how many of us are true to ourselves? Is it easier to write or say what we think other people want to hear about us, as we can make it more interesting? I then wondered just how many bloggers are true to themselves or does everyone make embellishments. It’s not something I have ever thought about, however I certainly got my little grey matter working overtime. This was a very believable book, which was extremely well written and highlighted how life today is all about social media, followers and likes. I recommend if you want a wonderful cosy sit down with a laugh out loud humour then this is the book to get. This is Gillian Harvey’s debut novel. There will hopefully be many more to follow. Congratulations and thank you for such a memorable read.

I don't even remember the last time I related this strongly to a book or a main character. Everything is Fine is, on the surface, a light fun book - and it is - but at the same time, it's got some very insightful commentary into the way we as woman put pressure on ourselves, especially as mothers, and especially in the internet age. The desire to pretend that everything is perfect, the inherent need to only put our best face forward, is something I deal with every single day. I didn't just understand Jessica's struggle, I felt it with every fiber of my being. (I also firmly believe that it's impossible to be unhappy while swinging, so the book spoke to me on that level, too). Well done. Highly recommended.