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My Not So Perfect Life: A Novel

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And never fear --the story does have a touch of romance. Personally, I could've done without the added element of a love interest. I think the inclusion only serves to weaken the novel, and Katie's story would've been much more powerful without the unnecessary distraction.

This is a satire in the rom com literary genre with a touch of Hollywood fluff in the ending. However, it comes with a little more substance, meat to the bones, and I loved that. I'm somewhat subjective and biased too in my rating. My daughter took a sabbatical from her 18-hour days in the advertising world to tour the world. She is the Katie Brenner in our own story. Katie "Cat," thinks Demeter has the best life. Her commute is short, she has the perfect job, the perfect husband, the perfect kids, perfect travels and dining and then there is her relationship with Alex Astalis. Alex, the guy Katie has developed a crush on. Katie also has a crush on her other boss, Alex. She thinks something is going on with him and Demeter though. She has this hate relationship with Demeter because she acts like she's better than anyone else. She has the perfect life, the husband, the kids, the job, the house, the everything. But, as we all know things aren't always what they seem. Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game, can be regarded as the general mantra for the miniskirt brigade coming with the high-prized hype and pretentiousness. Welcome to Cooper Clemmow branding company. The second thing I liked, was Demeter. I wish she were real. She was an amazing supportive character.

Then things take a turn for the worse when Katie is fired and must return to her family in the English countryside and settle into her new job - helping out with their glamping business. Until Demeter shows up with her family for a holiday and Katie is forced to confront the fact that she might have misjudged her all along.

Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover Sophie Kinsella has sold over 40 million copies of her books in more than 60 countries, and she has been translated into over 40 languages. Kinsella is my go-to for fun, feel-good reads that demand very little of me. After all these years, since the very first shopaholic book, I know exactly what I'm going to get from her and I'm totally good with that. Unfortunately, though, a huge chunk of My Not So Perfect Life bored the pants off me.Oh, what fun it was to read about Katie taking out all kinds of revenge on Demeter having her do some crazy stuff on the farm. Even if you disregard for a second my disconnect from Katie and her overlong and dull story, even if you forget the uninteresting love interest, much is built up around the whole "finding out Demeter is not actually all she first seems" angle, but this was unsatisfying to me, too. Her rudeness is explained away through misunderstandings, and while some revelations about her draw sympathy, am I really supposed to feel sorry for her because - oh my gosh - she has a few home troubles and a mortgage? I actually cringed when she complained about the beautiful stone steps outside her house and how hard it is to get a pram up them. Boo freaking hoo. There is a rare authenticity in the prose of Sophie Kinsella, a deep connection to your reality that makes you see yourself in Katie. She is such a relatable and wonderful character, you can feel, truly feel her inner battles, the way she is torn between two lives, and two sides of herself. The cool, classy London girl or the farmer's daughter. Kat or Katie. The girl with the perfect life and the girl with the not-so-perfect life. And you realize that the latter, the not-so-perfect part, is the one that fills you with contentment, a genuine euphoria you want to touch, cuddle, put in a box and preserve forever. Your face hurts from smiling, and your heart flutters like a bird every time Alex appears (the aforementioned funny and gorgeous guy whom - of course - I pictured as Henry Cavill because apparently my mind is not capable of conjuring another man's face) Your feet are sore and your hair resembles a bird nest when you finally get in the train. It is so crowded, though, that you end up accidentally eating the breakfast of the incredulous woman next to you.

Others have noted the similarities between this and The Devil Wears Prada, and that is especially true of the book's opening. I would say it is practically identical. Katie Brenner is starting her new job at a trendy marketing/branding agency in London. It all seems very glamourous, but her reality is running errands and filling out spreadsheets for her boss - Demeter - who also happens to be selfish and insensitive. Demeter has the dream life, it seems, and everyone hates her. Then, when things couldn't get any worse, she is fired. Without an income and no prospect for a new job, she's forced to return to her family's farm in Somerset.Katie ends up losing her job and she moves out to the farm where her dad and stepmom live. She gets all of these things set up for them to run a B&B and for people to have a farm experience. She does a great job and they start making money. Just like the alphabet, bitch, I come before U. Yep, Demeter Farlowe(the goddess of the harvest, but also Mrs. Wilton in her other life), a proper Godzilla II, heads a team of pretty, but nasty nails on parade in the advertising world; a goopy pudding of gals, fluffed up by high heels, the secret Wednesday Bacchus devotion, and Ya Ya-sisterhood to die for. Sophie was born in London. She studied music at New College, Oxford, but after a year switched to Politics, Philosophy and Economics. She now lives in London, UK, with her husband and family. Working in the behavioral health field, I see how people present themselves while in the waiting room and then I see the real deal once in my office. The difference can be as extreme as night and day. Lesson? Everything ain't always as it seems. What makes My Not So Perfect Life different from Kinsella's other books is that the plot is not solely focused on romance—it’s more about a girl struggling to find her identity in world that is obsessed with the images people portray online. There’s a little bit of mystery, some romance, and revenge on a seemingly horrible boss. This is an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend for a bit of fun!

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