A Fine Mess

A Fine Mess by Kim Duke is not at all what I had expected to read when I picked up this book, but in the very best possible way. It is so much more. When life feels like it is falling apart around us, it is common, and human, to assume that we alone are suffering while everyone around us is continuing to live their best life. But Ms Duke reminds us, with large doses of humour and compassion, that finding yourself in a 'fine mess' from time to time is all a part of the experience that is being human. This is a book about perspective, and the message is hugely relatable. We will all find ourselves struggling with life's hurdles, from not getting the dream job, to coping with a painful illness, to enduring the unbearable grief of losing a loved one, but it is often a positive mindset that will determine our success in coming out on the other side.

Many thanks to NetGalley and BHC Press for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I loved this, such an easy read. Loved the pictures and how the book flowed. Learnt a lot from it as you may feel like your life is a mess but actually it really is not. This has left me with a lot of positive thoughts on how to deal with issues.

Kim Duke brings snappy wit and humor to the situations, like cancer in her case, we may face in life in A Fine Mess. She points out wittily that there is always some lesson to learn from any setback in life and that realizing this we "carve out" our lives. Pragmatic and down to earth. The graphics are delightful.

A mini-book, means a mini review! A Fine Mess by Kim Dukes was a quick read - it only took my about 45 minutes to get through the entire thing.

Essentially a collection of essays, Dukes writes about finding your way out of “your fine mess.” In her case, that fine mess is breast cancer. The first few collections were a bit choppy, but the second half I found funny, insightful, and poignant. I know many of us are still trying to cope and grieve over the atrocities the year 2020 has brought us, and I found this book to be incredibly relevant to the current state of the world. I will say I thought the pictures were a bit odd and a random jumble. I’m not sure if the ebook wasn’t properly formatted, but there were a lot of text flow oddities and bizarre spacing.

Overall though this was a nice pick-me up and I leave you with two of my favorite quotes.

“And just as people will leave your life (bye-bye!), others will become much closer to you-because they stepped into the fire with you when others stepped out.”

“Remember - even shit has a job.”

3.5🌟





A Fine Mess by Kim Duke is a breath of fresh air.

Anything can be a fine mess. A car breaking down is a fine mess. Losing a job is a fine mess. Finding yourself homeless is a fine mess. Even cancer is a fine mess.

And along comes Kim Duke to tell us that any fine mess we find ourselves in, one way or another that fine mess is part of the journey. A bump in the road. There is no comparisons. A fine mess is a fine mess. We all get into them and fly, walk, and/or crawl out of them. She is uplifting, encouraging. She shines a beacon of light and hope to those experiencing fine messes everywhere.

The cover alone is what hooked me. Who in their right mind can scroll past a book cover of a women with cake? smeared all over her face. I wanted to participate in the food fight. What fun to have during a fine mess.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and Kim Duke for an ARC in return for an honest review.

A wonderful read Kim Duke shares with us her diagnosis of cancer.and the strength spirit and humor that gets her through difficult situations.A life guide for all of us to keep going not let life bring us down.#netgalley#Afinemess