Everything's Perfect

by Nicole Kennedy

Can you ever have the perfect life? A smart and thought-provoking romantic comedy about motherhood, friendship and the quest for perfection in an Instagram age.

Cassie Holliday is at the top of her game. A glamorous wife and mother with 1.3 million Instagram followers, she posts images of her gorgeous husband and cute (gender-neutral) twins online every day. To her adoring fanbase, Cassie's life is a string of perfect experiences in Valencia filter.

But in real life, you can't airbrush the truth. Cassie's marriage is at breaking point, her finances are precarious, and she is terrified of every Insta-star's worst nightmare: becoming irrelevant.

Then Cassie meets Beth, an anxious new mum who never ventures online. Finally, Cassie feels like she can be herself. They soon become each other's lifeline, until a video of Beth goes viral, and their offline friendship tips into online rivalry.

In a world where everything is curated, what does it mean to have a perfect life?

405 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 10, 2021

Reviews

[思莹 · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75/5 stars*

This was okay, not really for me but I can see how others might enjoy this one. Everything’s Perfect reads like a commentary on social media and the often disproportionate responsibilities and struggles that come with parenthood (at least with cis, straight couples). My main gripe was it felt like there was nothing really driving the story and though I empathize with the characters it wasn’t enough for me to stay invested.

As someone who isn't a big fan of mommy/daddy/family bloggers/influencers, where everything is on display and often is or feel staged, I was a little hesitant going in. But as you read on you do feel for some of the characters and I do like how they managed to find something fueling them through the more mundane, tiring parts of motherhood. I think the takes on social media made aren't anything revolutionary or new, but the inclusion of how it affects modern families or young mothers is interesting (unfortunately still not enough for me I'm sorry).

The writing style intrigued me at first but after a while it felt like a little bit of a chore to get through, there was just so much details that felt unnecessary. It's a pretty simplistic story dragged out for so many pages was just...

Overall, again, this just wasn’t for me. Would recommend it for those looking for a family focused contemporary novel.

Thank you to Netgalley for proving the arc

[Jules · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed Everything’s Perfect far more than I thought I would. As someone who spends a hell of a lot of time on Twitter (none of it fake btw!), I was intrigued by the concept of life not being quite so perfect as social media profiles lead us to believe.

Cassie has 2m followers on Instagram, partly due to giving a commentary of her life that is far from reality. Setting up photos, hiding how hard she finds parenthood, & covering up the holes in her relationship. Then she meets Beth, who doesn’t “do” social media, who is totally genuine. Right?! Maybe not!

What follows is a turbulent ride to revealing the reality of both of their lives.

Nicole Kennedy’s writing is great, the book flows well. It has some LOL moments, & some tender moments too. As I’m not a mother, I did find some of the parental attitudes a bit cringey, but that’s a personal thing for me & would no way detract from my rating of the book. In a world where social media takes up a lot of our time, this is a very current & relevant read.

[Sandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read about mum influencer culture and the hardships of becoming a new mum. The book follows Cassie Holliday, the #1 mum influencer who has her gender-neutral twins and seemingly swanky life. We also follow Beth a first-time mum who loathes social media and is struggling with a few things alongside motherhood. Those things mainly being the death of her mother many years ago, anxiety, the state of her relationship and her kind of pushy sister who has some battles of her own. The two mums end up meeting one day and form a friendship, one that mainly takes place through phone calls and text messages. We spend time with each of the women as they go about their day-to-day lives, so with Cassie, we get the world of influencers and all the gossip about what really goes on behind the scenes. With Beth we get her dealing with her anxiety, having dinners with her partners' parents and hanging out with her sister. So much more happens but telling would ruin the story.

This book is funny and such a good insight into the world of influencing when it comes to parents. There are so many other influencer mums in the book and even an influencer dad! It very much focuses on how these people’s lives on Instagram do not reflect their actual lives. Every cute picture is heavily curated and involves faking friendships, lies and children being bribed. There’s even a summer party and it 100% reminded me of the parties Gleam Futures would hold for their influencers (although these were just young women and my only reference point), and the author shows you how heavily curated each picture or video you see is. The book doesn’t take itself too seriously, it calls out the fakeness in the influencer world but it also does focus on giving the two main characters depth, as well as the other characters. The writing allows for you instantly be engaged with the story and the story itself flows really well. I read this in less than 24 hours (I was ill) but I think it’s a testament to the writing being easy to get on board with. The pacing was excellent in my opinion, there is a great build-up to certain moments and there are several “big” moments which I always think makes for an enjoyable book and we get to see the repercussions of this rather than just having the book end.

Ultimately though I did think the book was a bit too long, not that I mind long books, I don’t. But I found some chapters could have been cut, nicely summarised in another chapter and it wouldn’t have disrupted the overall experience of the book. I wouldn’t say there was a lot of filler in the book though, it just seemed to me that perhaps some bits could have been slimmed down a bit. Also, the abbreviation of Social Media to SoMe, was annoying, maybe I’m just too old? Like I get it but after a while it became tedious. Overall, I think it depicted the troubles of being a first-time mum with grace, as well as dealing with how toxic influencer culture can be when you’re in it. It deals with several topics with grace, but as I stated earlier to reveal them would be to ruin the story. Would love to read more from the author if she decides to give us more insight into the influencer world.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

everything’s perfect gives an interesting insight into parenthood in the digital era where mommies and daddies turns influencers to make a living. it’s witty, at times relatable but most of all, fierce with the battle of momfluencers.

of course, i’m not a parent myself and clearly i have not the faintest idea of what motherhood would be like. but it was fun and interesting getting to read the parental struggles as well as relationship-wise going on in this book. the moms in here quite reminds me of the movie bad moms except they are well known across social platforms. they’re badass, competitive, and yet would do anything for their kids. though some parts do bother me a bit as i have never been a fan of “family channels” as the whole idea of monetising your own children or your own family just feels so wrong on so many levels to me. again, this is my personal view of it and i’m sure others have other views too and i respect that. nevertheless, the notion that nothing behind the lens is ever perfect is truly a concept that was quite well executed here in this book.

kennedy’s writing was charming and funny, it made this book such an enjoyable read to me despite the lack of relatability i find myself having with this book. the plot was exciting from the very beginning however some parts felt very draggy and boring and at times even threw me off. there were parts of the “texts” conversation that i got confused with even. perhaps it’s just my peanut brain but overall, it was okay. i’m giving this a good ol’ 3.5 stars i guess. would i recommend this everyone? 50/50. depends on your interest in reading all about momfluencers. would i recommend this to the millennial parents of our generation? absolutely. i think they would relate to it even more so than i could or any of us kidless young adults could and they’d have fun laughing over it too i assume.

huge thank you to definitely books by pansing as always for sending me a copy to review! 💌

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[Jane Weller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well I preserved with this book but didn’t click with it. So jumpy back and forth really mixed and easily got lost! Can see why some would like it cos of social media

[Catriona Fyfe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything’s Perfect shows the highs and lows of social media focussing on Cassie, an instamum, and Beth, who is struggling as a new mother. The pair develop an unlikely bond from an incident at the park. Cassie makes the mistake of not telling her that she’s one of the most popular influencers on the internet for motherhood. As the year unfolds, Cassie starts to struggle with the pressure of social media and keeping up her image especially with the introduction of a new influencer on the block “Mardy Mum”. Perhaps someone close to her is out to tear Cassie down?

This was an okay read for me. I really felt for Beth and Cassie especially the struggles they were having in their marriage. The problem for me was the social media angle. The whole fake life and influencer events just wasn’t for me. Plus the book felt quite long. I actually got to the 60% mark and thought “surely the end must be close??” The influencer awards night was really unneeded, same with the Christmas Eve/Day scenes.

I enjoyed it but perhaps slightly too long and probably wouldn’t read it again. I’d view this book as a lighthearted and easy read. Maybe the author could have looked deeper into the post-natal depression, grief and miscarriage themes that felt too skimmed over for my liking.

[Anita Barreiro · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little hard to read. It was veeery slow at first but then when everything started unfolding, it got better. 4/10

Poppy is a great name for a child 😍

[Kerri - Book Off I’m Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beth is an anxious new mum who, at the same time as trying to get to grips with a new baby, is struggling with grief after losing her own mum. Her husband works long hours, she is lonely and is trying her best to make some new mum friends.

In the park one day Beth meets Cassie, who is a major ‘mumfluencer’ known as ‘The Happy Hollidays’ (although she doesn’t tell Beth this). She’s the ‘perfect’ mum, is raising her twins as gender neutral and has recently secured a lucrative PR deal. However when a new account ‘Mardy Mum’ suddenly makes an appearance, Cassie feels like her influencer friends are conspiring against her. Her seemingly perfect marriage is anything but, and she’s been spotted in McDonald’s with her children on iPads! God forbid! 😱 How will she cope now that she is slipping down the influencer ranks? And how will this affect her new friendship with Beth?

The story shows how precarious life as an influencer can be. It shows what goes on behind the scenes of an influencer; staged photographs showing enviable lifestyles and cheesy hashtags, when in reality their lives look very different - and followers should never forget that! I was particularly interested in the point that was made about children being used in these social media accounts without their permission - how will they feel when they’re older and so much of their lives have been publicly documented?

Cassie’s mumfluencer friends were an odd bunch of brilliant supporting characters, especially where ‘Holistic Flo’ and ‘Forest Dad’ were concerned, they were an excellent parody of your typical influencer and added a great sense of humour to the story.

I really enjoyed this book, it was great fun alongside more emotional themes of motherhood, grief, friendship and marriage, that will resonate with many readers. I could really relate to Beth’s experience, her story really tugged at my heartstrings and it brought back a lot of memories of when my own children were born. The story is brilliantly written and well structured to create a real page turner. A hugely enjoyable, uplifting and thought provoking read!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read a copy of this book.

Everything's Perfect by Nicole Kennedy is centred around Instagram and the pressure of being relevant and engaged. Cassie Holliday is at the top of her game, with 2 million followers across her multiple platforms. She and several other 'instamums' compete to get promotional deals and freebies, which drives a wedge between friends.

Cassie meets a new friend, Beth, which causes her to readjust her view on life. Cassie and Beth help each other through a variety of relationship and personal issues, forming a connection and a friendship worth reading about.

This was a good read. As someone who is often highly focused on social media, reading this book was an eye opener. The author addresses the issue of addiction, concept of happiness, and the dynamics of family relationships.

The two main characters, Cassie and Beth, were relatable in many ways. Their approaches to motherhood and their struggles were fascinating to read about, and the author does a great job of normalising many of the struggles that mothers, new mothers especially, face.

The book was extremely long, a lot of which was interesting to read, but unnecessary for the story/plot.

My rating for this book stems mostly from the length. I enjoyed the read, but it isn't a book I would read twice.

[Giki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything's Perfect sat on my to be read list for a very long time. It does not have the easy appeal of the light romance novels that I usually read. I am not much enamoured with the crazy world of social media. I thought it might be a drag. I was wrong. It is sharp and sassy and unexpectedly dark at times. The writing is crisp and clever with an understated humour. Despite not being set in 'my world' the writer was able to draw me in, make me interested in her characters and educate me. I will never look at social media in the same way again.
This is a story about true friendships and the messy troubled course of real relationships, pulled into sharp focus by the fake perfect world of Instagram. It is quite funny, in a clever understated type of a way,. In the land of social media, nothing is too ridiculous, but this story always stays belivable. The main characters and misguided, flawed people, the architects of their own downfall, but somehow the author manages to get us on their side.
I really enjoyed reading this book, I was a little disappointed by the ending though, I wont give any thing away but I feel the spark went out and the end approached and everything fell a little flat.
I received a free e-book from net galley to review.

[Daisy Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Everything's Perfect was a tricky one to review. There were parts I liked, and the basic premise was current and an enjoyable story. But I felt there was some clumsy editing that meant the writing felt a little disjointed at times.

The story is a cautionary tale about the double edged sword of living life through the lens of social media. A place where nothing is as perfect as it seems.

As Beth and Cassie's lives become increasingly out of control it does highlight the very real damage social media can wreak.

It was also a very candid look at parenthood, and how having a baby affects relationships, families and above all, mothers. Losing one's identity, dignity and sleep all contribute to at best, exhaustion, at worst PND. Add to that, instamums who appear to have it all together, and it's a recipe for wrecked self esteem and welcomes in self criticism.

However, I did find this book slightly laboured towards the end, and found myself disengaging. I think it was just slightly too bogged down with detail that didn't add to the story.

However, still overall an enjoyable read with an important message.

[Frankie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the sound of this from the moment I set eyes upon the cover (yes, I do pick up books by cover first) and by reading the back blurb it sounded really interesting and to be honest very relatable to the online world we have found ourselves living in. I was interested in how the story of living one life online and another in real life would come across.

I did enjoy it, I didn't think it lived up to the hype of how much I wanted to enjoy it, as once we get past the two lives of one person and friends becoming online enemies sort of thing I felt as though it had all been done before, but the difference here is that this book is incredibly well written and it has proper laugh out loud moments - which I do love in a book, it's full of wit and good-hearted humour which will keep you reading and the pacing is perfect for the story it's incredibly easy to read.

This is very relevant to the online times we are now living in and well worth a read.

[Lottie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book about influencers.
I thought this would be a lighthearted, easy read book because - lets face it - what do influencers have to worry about?! Bad lighting on their photos? Their tea going cold while they take 50,000 images and find the “right one” to upload?
I now feel like a mean and cynical person admitting that! My eyes have been opened.

This book shows the life behind the scenes. Being worried about the number of likes / comments / engagements that are received. Suffering in silence as they can’t admit their life isn’t perfect; as that’s not what people want to read online, its not why people use social media.

The book also touches on pregnancy, birth and motherhood. The changes women go through physically and mentally during and after. As a mother this resonated with me and I was happy to see the book didn’t shy away from the not so perfect aspects (hands up, who else poo’ed during labour?!)

Basically, I loved this book and would recommend it to anyone.

[Nisha Joshi (swamped, will review whenever possible)]

I have been reading quite a few books about social media influencers since last year and the common theme around them is that how addictive social media is and how it creates a gap between the real and online lives of the influencers. This book is no different.

Cassie is a top Instagram influencer and she slowly starts drifting away from her friends while she has to be always in top form for her followers. Beth is Cassie's friend who hangs around and tries to bring her back from the brink of total collapse.

The premise was pretty good but the book was too long with a lot of unnecessary details that could have been easily dispensed.

3 stars.

[Joey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me a while to get in to the story, but the more I read, the more I wanted to read. The more I learnt about Beth and Cassie, the more I understood them. The book cleverly illustrates the ups and downs of social media; from the positive family/supportive community, to the constant comparison and self scrutiny. Whilst being a really fun read, full of laugh out loud moments, it was also filled with touching moments, and death with loss and grief really well. I also feel there was a reiteration that it's ok to feel how you feel, it's ok to ask for help and it's really ok if you don't have a master plan.

[Meryl Moorhouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me a while to get into this because I had to keep referring to the glossary at the front. Thank heavens for the glossary of social media terms!! It really helped. I found this book to be a thoroughly enjoyable read. Once into it, I felt I really got to know the characters. The writer describes the joys and difficulties of new motherhood realistically and sensitively. I also loved her portrayals of the characters’ relationships with friends, sisters, partners, parents and in-laws. The book reminds me that nobody’s life is exactly as it appears on the outside and that this is particularly true of lives displayed via social media. Or SoMe - thanks, glossary!

[KathVBtn · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read about the hidden trials and strains behind being a perfect 'Insta-mum', Cassie is working her socks off to fulfil the sponsored posts she's signed up to, using her gender neutral children as content - but at the cost of her own personal happiness and marriage. At the same time, Beth, a new mother, is struggling to work out how to do it all now she has a baby, and what she wants from life.

Well written and easy to read, possibly a bit too long - 700 pages would put me off in a hard copy of most books- but worth a look

[Lauren Windle · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn’t really for me. I liked the concept but felt that the representation of parents influencers on social media was hyperbolised. The characters were more caricatures, I did bond with them, like them or particularly root for them.
There are lots of smaller a reveals throughout the book but I found the majority pretty predictable. Also the abbreviation SoMe for social media was quite jarring.
That said, it’s an easy read, that a parent may enjoy. It would be a good one to take on holiday.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book on friendship.
Cassie and Beth meet in the park, Cassie is a blogger with thousands of followers trying to portray the perfect family life while her family is falling apart.
Beth is a struggling new mam who has no idea what a blogger is, both are trying to help each other on the way.
I am definitely not a blogger and find it horrible how people will follow false people and take advice from them, I think I`m too old for that generation thank god.
But the storyline of friends supporting each other was good.
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

[Lara Farrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an easy binge read and, whilst not my normal taste, it was a good way to spend a snowy Saturday in lockdown. A satire on the world of mummy blogging, it’s longer than it needs to be and several of the ‘twists’ are pretty well telegraphed early on but it has some decent points to make about the pressure on mothers and the authenticity of what you see on Instagram. Even the more sympathetic characters aren’t particularly so but it does what it does well - you’ll know from the blurb whether this is your kind of thing and, if it is, you’ll enjoy it. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

[Jennifer Saint · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a sharp, absorbing novel packed with wry humour and beautiful description. Kennedy’s writing is poetic and lyrical and I loved the observations of motherhood and social media and how they create a pressure cooker of expectations that’s impossible to live up to. I liked how well drawn all of the secondary characters were and how convincing and recognisable the Influencers felt. It was funny, gripping and moving. An absolute joy to read!

[Aliya Ali-Afzal · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was riveted by the world of influencers and social media (which I’m unfamiliar with but fascinated by) in this funny, sharply observed and moving novel. Kennedy describes the complexities and challenges of motherhood, friendships, marriage and the massive and crazy pressure we put on ourselves as well to appear perfect, with such wit and sensitivity. The plot is gripping with some unexpected twists, so I was totally absorbed. A great escapist treat ❤️

[AnnMarie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i will admit to a social media addiction and i know how easy it is to buy into the perfect life you see online and compare your life.
This book is the perfect antidote to that. As a debut book its outstanding. It feels so like a factual book that a work of fiction.
Looking forward to the authors next book.

[Susan Steed]

I really loved reading this book, it's fun, and yet it has a depth. I found the characters touching, and particularly what it says about us, and who we pretend to be. It captures the struggles of modern life, without generalising about men or gender, and while it has serious points, it's joyful and fun.

[Emma Hardy · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who's not a mother I think this all was not quite suited to me. I can imagine parents would get a lot more out of this read than me. I enjoyed the social media side and seeing how that can escalate/slide.

[Lydia Dillon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. A definite reminder that maybe everything isn’t as it seems on social media. Both the main characters are really likeable. I’m looking forward to reading Nicole Kennedys next book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really endearing. Plenty to get you thinking and second guessing. It was a touching story about friendship and especially enjoyed the very realistic relationship between the sisters in this modern, digital online world,

[Row · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just so very long. Some interesting commentary on social media and modern life, and a plot that could’ve hooked if it had been heavily condensed.
(Arc via Netgalley)

[Sinead Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was sent a proof of this book and really enjoyed it, despite the light topic it’s clever and twisty and a really good read. Recommended for escapism

[A.]

Dnf. Really not interested in reading the most miserable parts of early parenthood.