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My Not So Perfect Life
by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - Part love story, part workplace drama, this sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world. New York Times bestselling author Sophie Kinsella has written her most timely novel yet.
Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demet ...more
Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demet ...more
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Paperback, 448 pages
Published
July 11th 2017
by Dial Press
(first published February 7th 2017)
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Jan 13, 2017
Chelsea Humphrey
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley,
from-publisher
3.5 STARS
Do you have a go to author for particular moods? Kinsella has been on my list of auto approved authors for dependable reads; she is the mashed potato of books in the sense that her stories always bring me comfort and a smile to my face. They aren’t anything ground breaking; typically these are your run of the mill chick lit that is predictable, but that is exactly why I pick them up, for their reliability. This particular read was a little bit different than her previous books; while sh ...more
Do you have a go to author for particular moods? Kinsella has been on my list of auto approved authors for dependable reads; she is the mashed potato of books in the sense that her stories always bring me comfort and a smile to my face. They aren’t anything ground breaking; typically these are your run of the mill chick lit that is predictable, but that is exactly why I pick them up, for their reliability. This particular read was a little bit different than her previous books; while sh ...more
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.
The author's books may be shallow and silly, but I have also always found them charming, funny and charismatic. I couldn't help liking Becky Bloomwood. I especially liked Audrey and her family from 2 ...more
The author's books may be shallow and silly, but I have also always found them charming, funny and charismatic. I couldn't help liking Becky Bloomwood. I especially liked Audrey and her family from 2 ...more
I read some Sophie Kinsella books back in the day and liked them so I thought I would get this one and give it a try. I was worried because the summary didn't sound like my cup of tea, but Lord, I'm glad I got it all because of Sophie Kinsella. I freaking loved it!
Katie lives in London and she works at a job where she is trying to get noticed by her boss Demeter. Katie is hoping she will see her potential and give her a real job. Poor ole Katie is working check to check and living with some mat ...more
Katie lives in London and she works at a job where she is trying to get noticed by her boss Demeter. Katie is hoping she will see her potential and give her a real job. Poor ole Katie is working check to check and living with some mat ...more
The last few books I read were dark, one of them was particularly dark. GR friend Larry suggested that perhaps I needed a "palate cleanser", and, yup, that's what I needed and I found it in Sophie Kinsella's My Not So Perfect Life. I used to read Kinsella's Shopaholic books, but then I got tired of the formula and the rom com literary genre generally. But it sure felt nice to revisit Kinsella when looking for something lighter. Katie is a young woman from the British countryside who tries to mak
...more
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.
It's just as easy to pass flattering judgments on people as it is to pass those of the more disgruntled sort. People who seem like they have the best life ever rarely do behind closed doors. Let's face it, no one has a perfect anything. My Not So Perfect ...more
It's just as easy to pass flattering judgments on people as it is to pass those of the more disgruntled sort. People who seem like they have the best life ever rarely do behind closed doors. Let's face it, no one has a perfect anything. My Not So Perfect ...more
Better.
That's how I feel now for having read My Not So Perfect Life.
After all of the heaviness of my last read, American Dirt, I needed a little light in my life. I needed fun. I needed fluff. I needed to feel good.
And My Not So Perfect Life delivers all of the above-- and more.
The story is pretty much your standard chick lit fare. Young Katie Brenner is trying to desperately succeed in her new marketing job in London. She thinks that everyone around her has the perfect life -- her friends, her ...more
That's how I feel now for having read My Not So Perfect Life.
After all of the heaviness of my last read, American Dirt, I needed a little light in my life. I needed fun. I needed fluff. I needed to feel good.
And My Not So Perfect Life delivers all of the above-- and more.
The story is pretty much your standard chick lit fare. Young Katie Brenner is trying to desperately succeed in her new marketing job in London. She thinks that everyone around her has the perfect life -- her friends, her ...more
Dec 08, 2016
Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February)
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
netgalley
My Not So Perfect Life is such a fun escape!
There’s something about Sophie Kinsella’s books that not only draw me in, but also make me laugh and smile. Her characters are usually flawed but likable, and the main character in this book, Katie Brenner, follows suit.
Katie “Cat” Brenner is living her dream life. It’s not perfect, but she is willing to overlook her hour and half painful commute to work, her crazy boss, her tiny room in a shared flat, and her lack of a social life because she gets to ...more
There’s something about Sophie Kinsella’s books that not only draw me in, but also make me laugh and smile. Her characters are usually flawed but likable, and the main character in this book, Katie Brenner, follows suit.
Katie “Cat” Brenner is living her dream life. It’s not perfect, but she is willing to overlook her hour and half painful commute to work, her crazy boss, her tiny room in a shared flat, and her lack of a social life because she gets to ...more
So................ I am in a serious debate now.
I can't decide if this is my new all-time favorite book by Sophie Kinsella or if Twenties Girl is still my number one...
Ohh, this is so hard, it shouldn't be this hard!!
Anyway, this book is perfect!
The end was a bit... cheezy but not too cheezy, but still cheezy enough to spice everything up with flavour of love...
Okay, now I'm really rambling!
I won't bother you anymore, but just before I write my proper review I'll just tell you that YOU NEED THIS ...more
I can't decide if this is my new all-time favorite book by Sophie Kinsella or if Twenties Girl is still my number one...
Ohh, this is so hard, it shouldn't be this hard!!
Anyway, this book is perfect!
The end was a bit... cheezy but not too cheezy, but still cheezy enough to spice everything up with flavour of love...
Okay, now I'm really rambling!
I won't bother you anymore, but just before I write my proper review I'll just tell you that YOU NEED THIS ...more
Nov 27, 2017
Katerina
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Katerina by:
Aj the Ravenous Reader
Shelves:
2017-reads,
contemporary-romance
It's Monday morning.
You wake up early, determined to get to work on time.
You leave behind your crappy apartment and your crazy roommates.
You run to catch the bus, but your high heels are killing you, so you miss the bus and you're forced to reach the metro station on foot, while the bypassing cars keep splashing you and your only trench coat with mud.
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 ea ...more
You wake up early, determined to get to work on time.
You leave behind your crappy apartment and your crazy roommates.
You run to catch the bus, but your high heels are killing you, so you miss the bus and you're forced to reach the metro station on foot, while the bypassing cars keep splashing you and your only trench coat with mud.
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 ea ...more
Oh Sophie Kinsella DOES NOT DISAPPOINT!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to this book! The audiobook & narrator were fantastic!
I loved how this was slightly different from other Kinsella books. It focused more on our main character, Katie & her coming to terms with her career and how people perceive her.
FULL VIDEO REVIEW COMING SOON!
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND listening to this book! The audiobook & narrator were fantastic!
I loved how this was slightly different from other Kinsella books. It focused more on our main character, Katie & her coming to terms with her career and how people perceive her.
FULL VIDEO REVIEW COMING SOON!
I thoroughly enjoyed My Not So Perfect Life!
I wished I had read this book when it came out for the first time. It has a good message about social media, in this case, Instagram.
We all try to post pictures in a positive light and Katie Brenner is not any different. Her Instagram feed is full of pictures of a beautiful life she is not living. She moved to London with the idea of "making it" in life. But her life is not perfect. She's working for Cooper Clemmow but her boss Demeter Farlowe does ...more
THIS BOOK. Gah, this book. <3 <3 <3
RTC.
RTC.
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
“One day my life will match my Instagram posts. One day.”
Meet Katie. Errrr, I mean Cat. She used to be Katie, but that was back when she was a farmer’s daughter in Somerset. When she moved to London and got a posh job at Cooper Clemmow, Katie figured it was high time to reinvent herself. Little did she know what kind of freight train was barreling toward her . . . .
“So . . . OK. Here’s what I’m going to do: 1. Help Bid ...more
3.5 Stars
“One day my life will match my Instagram posts. One day.”
Meet Katie. Errrr, I mean Cat. She used to be Katie, but that was back when she was a farmer’s daughter in Somerset. When she moved to London and got a posh job at Cooper Clemmow, Katie figured it was high time to reinvent herself. Little did she know what kind of freight train was barreling toward her . . . .
“So . . . OK. Here’s what I’m going to do: 1. Help Bid ...more
May 07, 2017
Margitte
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
fiction,
2017-read,
2017-releases,
romance,
satire,
women-s-fiction,
reviewed,
british-author,
british-novels,
comedy
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.
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 wit ...more
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 wit ...more
Loved this laugh-out-loud funny story! You've got office antics and a touch of romance, told in a truly hilarious way - what's not to love?
Sophie Kinsella is pretty much a sure thing when it comes to the feel good, chick lit genre. You can't go wrong with her if your goal is to shut out the outside world for a moment and enjoy a bit of humor. Escapism at its finest.
We have Katie/Cat who is trying to make it big in the branding business in London. She runs into a bit of trouble with her boss and ...more
Sophie Kinsella is pretty much a sure thing when it comes to the feel good, chick lit genre. You can't go wrong with her if your goal is to shut out the outside world for a moment and enjoy a bit of humor. Escapism at its finest.
We have Katie/Cat who is trying to make it big in the branding business in London. She runs into a bit of trouble with her boss and ...more
“No one’s life has to be perfect.”
My not so Perfect Life has been one of my most surprisingly good reads this year and also one of the most hilarious books I’ve read ever (The Panini and “Vedari” incidents had me wiping tears of laughter. I swear.) and if a book could make me laugh this much, I believe it deserves five stars. I'm logical that way. ^^
Katie, a Somerset farm girl who wants to make it big in London struggles with everything in the big city but doesn’t give up because living in ...more
My not so Perfect Life has been one of my most surprisingly good reads this year and also one of the most hilarious books I’ve read ever (The Panini and “Vedari” incidents had me wiping tears of laughter. I swear.) and if a book could make me laugh this much, I believe it deserves five stars. I'm logical that way. ^^
Katie, a Somerset farm girl who wants to make it big in London struggles with everything in the big city but doesn’t give up because living in ...more
Jan 31, 2017
Jasmine from How Useful It Is
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
from-publisher,
contemporary
My Experience: I started reading My (not so) Perfect Life on 1/26/17 and finished it on 1/31/17. This book can be quickly described as a series of hilarious unfortunate events. It started out with Katie getting on the tube to make the morning rush to get to work on time. The subway/tube ride just tickles me. I laugh with tears coming out. She talks about her job, her co-workers, and her boss, Demeter. She’s Katie at home, but in London, she’s Cat with a different hairstyle. Living in London is h
...more
Full review up:
Kinsella is like the Queen of chick-lit and even though I’m not particularly blow away by her stuff, I have this affinity where I keep coming back. . . and back. . . and back.
“Have you ever shaken up a compass and see the arrow whirling around, trying to find a place to settle? Well, that's my brain. It's all over the place.”
To be fair, I think this is my favourite books of hers. There was A LOT of character development which I adore and we get to see the mc in different situatio ...more
Kinsella is like the Queen of chick-lit and even though I’m not particularly blow away by her stuff, I have this affinity where I keep coming back. . . and back. . . and back.
“Have you ever shaken up a compass and see the arrow whirling around, trying to find a place to settle? Well, that's my brain. It's all over the place.”
To be fair, I think this is my favourite books of hers. There was A LOT of character development which I adore and we get to see the mc in different situatio ...more
I wanted a quick easy read to wind down the year. I’ve read enough sad, harrowing stories for 2017. This pick was certainly lite reading, so light I could have floated lol this isn’t the type of book you read for the writing, it serves as fun and frivolous which it delivered. I could even see this book turned into a fun rom com! There were just a few nagging annoyances the insertion of all the full disclosures as a side bit irritated me to no end, it kind of feels like lazy writing and the style
...more
My Not so perfect life by Sophie Kinsella was a really great read. I found it funny, cute, and entertaining. I'm glad to have discovered Sophie Kinsella and really enjoyed her writing. I have a feeling she's going to be one of my favorites!
4****
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review ...more
4****
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review ...more
Dec 19, 2016
Zoha
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2017,
you-are-so-cute-i-wanna-cuddle
Brilliant! This is the best contemporary book I've read in a long time and I read alot of contemporary books!
☉I can't believe Sophie Kinsella managed to write something that was more than a cute fluff of pastry (which I love, btw! Not complaining at all) This book isn't just funny like her other books. I mean it was a fun-read but it also has a sensible plot with sensible characters ^^SURPRISE!!!
☉It doesn't mean this is something completely different from Sophie Kinsella's usual writing styl ...more
☉I can't believe Sophie Kinsella managed to write something that was more than a cute fluff of pastry (which I love, btw! Not complaining at all) This book isn't just funny like her other books. I mean it was a fun-read but it also has a sensible plot with sensible characters ^^SURPRISE!!!
☉It doesn't mean this is something completely different from Sophie Kinsella's usual writing styl ...more
Katie is living an exciting, glamorous life as a single career girl in London – at least on Instagram. In reality, as the title suggests, her real life is not so great. She has a lowly job with the boss from hell, a long commute, she’s so poor she can’t afford to go out to lunch with her work friends, her shared flat is tiny…and on it goes.
Reality hits in a big way when, after getting her hopes up that her life is turning around, she loses her job and moves to the countryside to help her dad an ...more
Reality hits in a big way when, after getting her hopes up that her life is turning around, she loses her job and moves to the countryside to help her dad an ...more
This was a fun and entertaining book. I have read a few heavy or dark books recently and this was just light enough for me right now.
For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. I was a little annoyed at how vengefull one of the characters was, since it seemed a bit out of character for her, but those parts were needed to make the book progress the way it did. I have to admit a couple of time I cringed and thought that she had to know it wasn't going to work out well for her. I'm not sure if th ...more
For the most part, I enjoyed the characters. I was a little annoyed at how vengefull one of the characters was, since it seemed a bit out of character for her, but those parts were needed to make the book progress the way it did. I have to admit a couple of time I cringed and thought that she had to know it wasn't going to work out well for her. I'm not sure if th ...more
Before she was Cat Brenner, upwardly mobile junior associate working for a London-based branding firm, she was Katie, a farm girl from Somerset who dreamed of bathing in the city lights. Living in London is all Cat has ever wanted, but she would admit her lifestyle is not nearly as glamorous as she would have her Instagram followers believe. She lives in a small flat she shares with two other people and is budgeted to the hilt. She works for a flaky, demanding boss, named Demeter, who has no ide
...more
Katie Brenner has been determined to make a life for herself in the city and does everything she can think of to get her boss, Demeter Farlowe to notice her work. Demeter however instead of noticing Katie's creativity uses her young employee to instead help her dye her roots and other menial tasks. Katie still stays determined she will make it and obtain the lifestyle she is jealous that her boss leads.
Just when Katie thinks things are starting to look up in her life though her boss decides to ...more
Just when Katie thinks things are starting to look up in her life though her boss decides to ...more
I utterly and completely loved this novel, it was a So Perfect Romantic Comedy!
This was one of the most anticipated books of 2017 for me, having waited for a new standalone Kinsella for 4 years, and it went beyond expectations.
A few pages in, I was already crying for how much I was laughing (yes, the panini incident). Besides unrelenting humor, the story had all the charm, sweetness, and a sprinkle of mystery of the best works from Kinsella.
I adored all the characters in this book. Katie-Cat wa ...more
This was one of the most anticipated books of 2017 for me, having waited for a new standalone Kinsella for 4 years, and it went beyond expectations.
A few pages in, I was already crying for how much I was laughing (yes, the panini incident). Besides unrelenting humor, the story had all the charm, sweetness, and a sprinkle of mystery of the best works from Kinsella.
I adored all the characters in this book. Katie-Cat wa ...more
Oct 08, 2018
Suzanne
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
library-wsu,
overdrive-browser
I haven't read a book like this for some time, and honestly, I need books like this in my life. Easy to pick up, and easy to put down. Entertaining, funny, light, too easy to be true at times and just sweet.
Katie, or shall we say Cat is attempting to live the dream in London.. but it is not as easy as it seems. She wants more than her fake Instragram life is showing on the surface. On the surface.. Katie isn't being true to herself at all.
I loved all the characters, and I felt right at home at ...more
Katie, or shall we say Cat is attempting to live the dream in London.. but it is not as easy as it seems. She wants more than her fake Instragram life is showing on the surface. On the surface.. Katie isn't being true to herself at all.
I loved all the characters, and I felt right at home at ...more
It’s been awhile since I read a Sophie Kinsella book, and My Not So Perfect Life instantly reminded why I’ve always been a fan of hers.
The story was relatable although somewhat predictable: Young aspiring professional woman, Katie (or Cat, depending on who she’s engaging with), attempts to make her own way in the big city (London). She navigates the work world including gossip circles and female friendships; men - dodging the ones she’s not interested in and subtly (she hopes) pursuing a partic ...more
The story was relatable although somewhat predictable: Young aspiring professional woman, Katie (or Cat, depending on who she’s engaging with), attempts to make her own way in the big city (London). She navigates the work world including gossip circles and female friendships; men - dodging the ones she’s not interested in and subtly (she hopes) pursuing a partic ...more
Ah... Sophie Kinsella, what would I do without you in my life? Another brilliant book with lots of laugh-out-loud moments and that feel good factor. Your books always give me that warm fuzzy feeling! 'My Not So Perfect Life' is no exception, loved it!
...more
Oct 25, 2019
Cortney LaScola - The Bookworm Myrtle Beach
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
I have read and loved Sophie Kinsella's stand alone books for years. This wasn't my favorite, but still a cute and light read.
...more
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Readers also enjoyed
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.
Sophie Kinsella first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty fin ...more
Sophie Kinsella first hit the UK bestseller lists in September 2000 with her first novel in the Shopaholic series – The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confessions of a Shopaholic). The book’s heroine, Becky Bloomwood – a fun and feisty fin ...more
Articles featuring this book
The author of the Shopaholic series turns her attention to our collective social media obsession with My Not So Perfect Life—and gets real about...
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“Every time you see someone's bright-and-shiny, remember: They have their own crappy truths too. Of course they do. And every time you see your own crappy truth and feel despair and think, 'Is this my life?', remember: It's not. Everyone's got a bright-and-shiny, even if it's hard to find sometimes.”
—
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“Because it’s human nature to hope for impossible things.”
—
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