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A Moment on the Lips
Escape this summer with the care assistants of Elm Lodge with this relatable, laugh-out-loud funny, and completely heart-warming debut by J Taylor.
Join Etta, Val, Jenna, Nicky and Yana on their laugh-out-loud and truly uplifting journey of love, fresh starts, and unlikely friendships.
Because it's never too late to live the life you've always wanted.
Meet the Ladies of A Moment on the Lips:
Etta has had enough. At 5 ft 3 and size 20, she is determined to make a change. A change for herself, her daughter and also a tiny bit to show her ex, Robert, that she is in fact not only good enough for him but in fact far too good.
Jenna is being driven mad by her mother-in-law’s critical and overbearing personality. And with her wedding fast approaching, she’s determined to regain control of both her body and her big day.
Val is feeling lost and in shock after her husband of thirty years has upped and left her. Why? Good question. Val really has no idea, but she’s determined to find out.
Nicky has been on a downward spiral since her divorce. Struggling to move on, and lonely with only her cats for company, food has become her best friend.
Yana has new life in England. Despite marital bliss being everything she’d hoped for, Yana misses her family back in Russia and has developed some new habits that even her new husband isn't unaware of.
A feel-good, and completely heart-warming debut, that proves all we really need in life is a few good friends.
Praise for A Moment on the Lips:
Join Etta, Val, Jenna, Nicky and Yana on their laugh-out-loud and truly uplifting journey of love, fresh starts, and unlikely friendships.
Because it's never too late to live the life you've always wanted.
Meet the Ladies of A Moment on the Lips:
Etta has had enough. At 5 ft 3 and size 20, she is determined to make a change. A change for herself, her daughter and also a tiny bit to show her ex, Robert, that she is in fact not only good enough for him but in fact far too good.
Jenna is being driven mad by her mother-in-law’s critical and overbearing personality. And with her wedding fast approaching, she’s determined to regain control of both her body and her big day.
Val is feeling lost and in shock after her husband of thirty years has upped and left her. Why? Good question. Val really has no idea, but she’s determined to find out.
Nicky has been on a downward spiral since her divorce. Struggling to move on, and lonely with only her cats for company, food has become her best friend.
Yana has new life in England. Despite marital bliss being everything she’d hoped for, Yana misses her family back in Russia and has developed some new habits that even her new husband isn't unaware of.
A feel-good, and completely heart-warming debut, that proves all we really need in life is a few good friends.
Praise for A Moment on the Lips:
356 pages, ebook
First published November 22, 2021
189 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
J. Taylor
2 books62 followersJ Taylor is an eleven-time Amazon Select All-Stars award-winning author. Jamie loves to find funny in the familiar. She writes the kind of books you reach for when you've had a bad day: Laugh-out-loud stories of friendship, strong, capable women, and love in all its forms.
Her bestselling debut, A Moment on the Lips, sold over 100,000 copies in its first year of publication and is soon to be a television series.
Now a full-time author and screenwriter, Jamie currently splits her time writing books from her home in the English countryside and studying towards an MA in Comedy Writing with Falmouth University.
When away from her desk, you’ll usually find her catching up with WhatsApp group chats, reading in an oily bath or daydreaming on Rightmove.
Whatever she's doing her beloved family and dogs will always be nearby.
Her bestselling debut, A Moment on the Lips, sold over 100,000 copies in its first year of publication and is soon to be a television series.
Now a full-time author and screenwriter, Jamie currently splits her time writing books from her home in the English countryside and studying towards an MA in Comedy Writing with Falmouth University.
When away from her desk, you’ll usually find her catching up with WhatsApp group chats, reading in an oily bath or daydreaming on Rightmove.
Whatever she's doing her beloved family and dogs will always be nearby.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 86 reviews
February 27, 2023
A really fun read
I wouldn’t say that “A Moment on the Lips “ is laugh-out-loud funny but there were several rather funny moments throughout the book. What I will say is that I felt that I had become rather close to the main characters. I was sorry to come to the end of the story. Inspiring story for certain readers, laughable moments, moments when I cried, and a few moments when I really did laugh out loud. I think perhaps I will check out the next book which continues where this one left off. Just what I needed at this point in time - a quiet, gentle read filled with lovely, quirky characters.
I wouldn’t say that “A Moment on the Lips “ is laugh-out-loud funny but there were several rather funny moments throughout the book. What I will say is that I felt that I had become rather close to the main characters. I was sorry to come to the end of the story. Inspiring story for certain readers, laughable moments, moments when I cried, and a few moments when I really did laugh out loud. I think perhaps I will check out the next book which continues where this one left off. Just what I needed at this point in time - a quiet, gentle read filled with lovely, quirky characters.
January 30, 2022
As someone who has been plus size herself, I knew this book would be relatable. Hats off to the author for being brave enough to feature plus size characters in a positive and accurate way and make them empowered. Yes!
I had a little titter to myself on the very first page and this didn't let up. Some comic gold moments and a joy to read. Did get some Elinor Oliphant vibes about it but less in the sad way more in the quirky and misunderstood sense.
This really celebrates female empowerment and friendship which I think is fantastic. The girl friendship group with their various suspicious partners makes for fab reading.
Super fun, some absolutely perfect LOL moments and a group a gals I want to work with and befriend.
I had a little titter to myself on the very first page and this didn't let up. Some comic gold moments and a joy to read. Did get some Elinor Oliphant vibes about it but less in the sad way more in the quirky and misunderstood sense.
This really celebrates female empowerment and friendship which I think is fantastic. The girl friendship group with their various suspicious partners makes for fab reading.
Super fun, some absolutely perfect LOL moments and a group a gals I want to work with and befriend.
November 16, 2022
I’ve had this book on my radar for a little while because of the all the positive reviews I’ve seen & when the author released her Christmas book I knew I needed to get a move on!
Read this if:
💗You’re looking for a cosy read
💗You like books about personal improvements
💗You have a big group of girlfriends
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
Things I loved:
💗Every character in their own way was so relatable. Who hasn’t been an Etta, Nicky or Jenna at some point in their lives?!
💗It was funny. I caught myself smiling throughout
💗The weight loss element. I thought it was so realistic & again incredibly relatable. (and even motivating at at times)
💗It was quick to read & the chapters were snappy!
Things I struggled with:
💗Literally my only criticism is that I wanted more romance but that’s only because I’m a softy 🥲 The love interest was cute & very late to the book but that didn’t stop me from loving it all.
One of the notes I saved on my kindle whilst reading… I loved it & wholeheartedly agree with!
‘𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚊𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔. 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜.’
Overall this book was just such a heartwarming, cosy read about the power of friendship & self- belief. A perfect pick me up on a cold autumn evening 💗
It’s available on Kindle unlimited if you have it, even if you don’t I’d recommend you add it to your TBR now.
P.S. I literally finished this one & went straight into the next one ‘a moment on the lips at Christmas’ so watch this space for my next review!
Read this if:
💗You’re looking for a cosy read
💗You like books about personal improvements
💗You have a big group of girlfriends
⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️.💫
Things I loved:
💗Every character in their own way was so relatable. Who hasn’t been an Etta, Nicky or Jenna at some point in their lives?!
💗It was funny. I caught myself smiling throughout
💗The weight loss element. I thought it was so realistic & again incredibly relatable. (and even motivating at at times)
💗It was quick to read & the chapters were snappy!
Things I struggled with:
💗Literally my only criticism is that I wanted more romance but that’s only because I’m a softy 🥲 The love interest was cute & very late to the book but that didn’t stop me from loving it all.
One of the notes I saved on my kindle whilst reading… I loved it & wholeheartedly agree with!
‘𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚝𝚛𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚏𝚊𝚝 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚏𝚊𝚝. 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔. 𝙷𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚡𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚜 𝚠𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚍𝚎𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚖𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚗𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜.’
Overall this book was just such a heartwarming, cosy read about the power of friendship & self- belief. A perfect pick me up on a cold autumn evening 💗
It’s available on Kindle unlimited if you have it, even if you don’t I’d recommend you add it to your TBR now.
P.S. I literally finished this one & went straight into the next one ‘a moment on the lips at Christmas’ so watch this space for my next review!
December 31, 2021
Single mum Etta, has a solitary life with her daughter, Chloe, and her grandad and stepnan for support. She struggles with her weight and really isn’t happy. The staff at the care home she work at set up a WhatsApp group and soon the ladies start their own slimming and exercise club. Soon the gang are bonding, losing weight and becoming fast friends.
This was bloody fantastic, funny yet touching and some hilarious one liners which had me howling! A massive thank you to the author for reaching out to me and giving me the chance to read it.
This was bloody fantastic, funny yet touching and some hilarious one liners which had me howling! A massive thank you to the author for reaching out to me and giving me the chance to read it.
June 2, 2022
Let me just start by saying that although this book is based around a group of friends loosing weight, it is about SO MUCH more than that, so if a weight loss plot doesn’t sound like it’s for you, please don’t be put off by this book because there is a lot more to it than that!
The plot follows the up and downs of each main characters lives, not just in weight loss but an array of other topics including marriage and divorce.
The character development was perfectly executed. With 5 main characters as well as a few other background characters, it could easily have become quite confusing getting to know them all, by the author managed to do it seamlessly. It really felt like you ‘knew’ them all personally they were so well portrayed! She also managed to include a really diverse character base, with characters of different sizes, ages, nationalities and sexualities it really is the perfect mix.
The writing style is also really easy to follow. It’s a very informal style, which was a really refreshing change from some of my recent reads! The chapters are nice and short (which is always a win for me) the story just flows so easily and is a really light hearted read!
This book is honestly the perfect book if your looking for a wholesome, uplifting and inspirational read. The perfect story of friendship, love and self acceptance. If I could delete this book from memory and read it again; I would just to feel the happiness all over again!
Also, as a side note, I honestly hope that one day this gets made into a film because it honestly would just be the most perfect feel good film!
The plot follows the up and downs of each main characters lives, not just in weight loss but an array of other topics including marriage and divorce.
The character development was perfectly executed. With 5 main characters as well as a few other background characters, it could easily have become quite confusing getting to know them all, by the author managed to do it seamlessly. It really felt like you ‘knew’ them all personally they were so well portrayed! She also managed to include a really diverse character base, with characters of different sizes, ages, nationalities and sexualities it really is the perfect mix.
The writing style is also really easy to follow. It’s a very informal style, which was a really refreshing change from some of my recent reads! The chapters are nice and short (which is always a win for me) the story just flows so easily and is a really light hearted read!
This book is honestly the perfect book if your looking for a wholesome, uplifting and inspirational read. The perfect story of friendship, love and self acceptance. If I could delete this book from memory and read it again; I would just to feel the happiness all over again!
Also, as a side note, I honestly hope that one day this gets made into a film because it honestly would just be the most perfect feel good film!
January 6, 2023
5⭐️
AD-PR PRODUCT
One very realistic, wholesome and hilarious read! 😍
Taylor has wowed readers with this very clever read that is incredibly relatable, engaging and also contains laugh out loud moments. 🔥
I loved the layout of this book and found the titles of the three parts very clever. This book is not just about dieting, but in fact is very thought provoking and spreads plus size positivity through a group of friends who form an unbreakable friendship. 😍
The characters were all fantastic and I really connected with Etta as her sadness, anger and love flowed through the pages. My favourite character has to be Yana. Wow, was she hilarious. I loved her accent and her personality shone through brightly. Pam was also very funny. 🤣
I think one of the most important messages that this book gives you is that not everybody is Instagram perfect and that it’s okay to have stretch marks and wrinkles, and I think that’s very important in a society where people judge themselves against what they see on social media. Taylor has definitely impressed with this. 💕
I would like to say a huge thank you to J Taylor for gifting me this superb read. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the next one in a few weeks time. 🥰
AD-PR PRODUCT
One very realistic, wholesome and hilarious read! 😍
Taylor has wowed readers with this very clever read that is incredibly relatable, engaging and also contains laugh out loud moments. 🔥
I loved the layout of this book and found the titles of the three parts very clever. This book is not just about dieting, but in fact is very thought provoking and spreads plus size positivity through a group of friends who form an unbreakable friendship. 😍
The characters were all fantastic and I really connected with Etta as her sadness, anger and love flowed through the pages. My favourite character has to be Yana. Wow, was she hilarious. I loved her accent and her personality shone through brightly. Pam was also very funny. 🤣
I think one of the most important messages that this book gives you is that not everybody is Instagram perfect and that it’s okay to have stretch marks and wrinkles, and I think that’s very important in a society where people judge themselves against what they see on social media. Taylor has definitely impressed with this. 💕
I would like to say a huge thank you to J Taylor for gifting me this superb read. I highly recommend this book and I cannot wait to read the next one in a few weeks time. 🥰
November 5, 2022
A Moment on the Lips is about a group of work colleagues who come together to lose weight. However they discover so much more from their time spent together.......life long friendships, second chances and finding happiness in the little things.
I wanted something wholesome to read after a constant run of intense horror. This book was absolutely perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect but I really loved it and it put me in such a good mood. I need to remind myself to read more books like this among all the horror. I'm really happy this book has a Christmas edition too, I'm going to save it for December I think!
Sometimes I struggle with lots of characters but with this book, I knew who everyone was. Their personalities, their family lives and desires etc. I could almost hear their voices by the way it was written. As well as being wholesome and cute, it was really funny. I enjoyed all the little side stories told by the characters on their catch ups. This book really is about so much more than losing weight. It's about second chances when everything has gone wrong, or when everything just feels wrong. It's about friendship and happiness. It shows that you can make changes at whatever stage of life you are in and about finding happiness in the little things that life gives us - which is very inspiring.
I liked how the friendship group were supportive and not bitchy at eachother or random people (there was no shaming others for their weight etc). It was also realistic about slip ups and childcare.
Sometimes I can find cutesy books tedious after a while, but I wanted this one to just keep on going! There was not a boring moment at all.
A genuinely lovely book which will lift your mood, make you smile, make you laugh and inspire you. This is a favourite for me outside of the horror world!
Looking forward to the Christmas one!
I wanted something wholesome to read after a constant run of intense horror. This book was absolutely perfect. I wasn't sure what to expect but I really loved it and it put me in such a good mood. I need to remind myself to read more books like this among all the horror. I'm really happy this book has a Christmas edition too, I'm going to save it for December I think!
Sometimes I struggle with lots of characters but with this book, I knew who everyone was. Their personalities, their family lives and desires etc. I could almost hear their voices by the way it was written. As well as being wholesome and cute, it was really funny. I enjoyed all the little side stories told by the characters on their catch ups. This book really is about so much more than losing weight. It's about second chances when everything has gone wrong, or when everything just feels wrong. It's about friendship and happiness. It shows that you can make changes at whatever stage of life you are in and about finding happiness in the little things that life gives us - which is very inspiring.
I liked how the friendship group were supportive and not bitchy at eachother or random people (there was no shaming others for their weight etc). It was also realistic about slip ups and childcare.
Sometimes I can find cutesy books tedious after a while, but I wanted this one to just keep on going! There was not a boring moment at all.
A genuinely lovely book which will lift your mood, make you smile, make you laugh and inspire you. This is a favourite for me outside of the horror world!
Looking forward to the Christmas one!
February 22, 2022
YES, yes and YES! What a brilliant read I absolutely loved this what a feel good book. This book had me laughing out loud at so many points all of the characters are so well described and I was rooting for each of them to achieve. This book will be such a relatable read for so many women, it’s ultimately a story of friendship, heartache, family and love - and I loved it! Looking forward to the next book 😊
April 1, 2022
This is such a fun & lovely story about a friendship between some amazing ladies as they support each other through so much and have a lot of fun and laughter along the way! The author brings so much humour to the story, you can tell she has a fab sense of humour 🙂 all the characters are so down to earth and relatable which is just so refreshing and I just loved how much they supported each other and how you could see their friendship develop. (I especially loved Yana & Jenna)
I absolutely love a book that shows the strength of friendship and females supporting each other 💪🏻
It’s a lovely lighthearted read that flowed nicely and has a lovely story behind it about independence, strength & loyalty. I love that there’s a mix of humour and also a lot of inspiring talk about wanting more for yourself and wanting yourself and the people you love to be treated with the love and respect they deserve 💛
I’m very excited that there is also a second book that will be coming out towards the end of the year so we can see more of the ladies! 😍
I absolutely love a book that shows the strength of friendship and females supporting each other 💪🏻
It’s a lovely lighthearted read that flowed nicely and has a lovely story behind it about independence, strength & loyalty. I love that there’s a mix of humour and also a lot of inspiring talk about wanting more for yourself and wanting yourself and the people you love to be treated with the love and respect they deserve 💛
I’m very excited that there is also a second book that will be coming out towards the end of the year so we can see more of the ladies! 😍
February 12, 2022
‘𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨.’
~
I jumped at the chance to do this buddy read and I’m so glad I did - one of my new favourite books right here!! J Taylor is smart, funny and her writing is a dream!
When I say this book is relatable, it’s an understatement! I’m a big girl myself and having a plus size main character and not as a token side character was amazing! But the struggles, the relationship with food, the experiences - they were to the point where it could have been me she was writing about.
It’s a story of two halves really, both being as equally important and well developed. The story focussing not only on the diet/weight side of things, but on this incredible journey all the women go on and this amazing friendship they build between them. It’s a properly feel good, girl power kinda vibe - women supporting women - and I bloody loved it!!
Now, let’s talk about how funny it was!! I have a terrible sense of humour and if you listen to my husband, he’d tell you I’m generally just a sarcastic b*tch. Well, if that’s the case then I have found my people, because it was bloody hilarious!! Not in that try hard, I’m trying to be funny way - but in a totally natural and effortless way.
I think Jenna is my spirit animal!! So when this gets to big screen production (which it definitely needs to!!) I’m here for when you’re casting 🙋🏼♀️🤣 Also, I do just need to put it out there that Pam is an absolute legend!
All in all, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It was relatable, hilarious and had me properly smiling throughout. If you haven’t read it already, you need to!!
And in the wise words of Grandad - ‘𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣’ 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙨!’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
~
I jumped at the chance to do this buddy read and I’m so glad I did - one of my new favourite books right here!! J Taylor is smart, funny and her writing is a dream!
When I say this book is relatable, it’s an understatement! I’m a big girl myself and having a plus size main character and not as a token side character was amazing! But the struggles, the relationship with food, the experiences - they were to the point where it could have been me she was writing about.
It’s a story of two halves really, both being as equally important and well developed. The story focussing not only on the diet/weight side of things, but on this incredible journey all the women go on and this amazing friendship they build between them. It’s a properly feel good, girl power kinda vibe - women supporting women - and I bloody loved it!!
Now, let’s talk about how funny it was!! I have a terrible sense of humour and if you listen to my husband, he’d tell you I’m generally just a sarcastic b*tch. Well, if that’s the case then I have found my people, because it was bloody hilarious!! Not in that try hard, I’m trying to be funny way - but in a totally natural and effortless way.
I think Jenna is my spirit animal!! So when this gets to big screen production (which it definitely needs to!!) I’m here for when you’re casting 🙋🏼♀️🤣 Also, I do just need to put it out there that Pam is an absolute legend!
All in all, it’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time. It was relatable, hilarious and had me properly smiling throughout. If you haven’t read it already, you need to!!
And in the wise words of Grandad - ‘𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙛 𝙖 𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙬𝙤 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣’ 𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙨!’
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
November 24, 2021
A story of an unlikely group of ladies brought together through work, heartache and a desire to loose weight for various reasons. I literally laughed out loud and cried with laughter reading this book, I could not put it down - brilliantly funny, thought provoking and heart warming, a great mix of character and I can't wait to read more of your books J. Taylor (please hurry up and write them!)
April 6, 2022
I thoroughly enjoyed this poignant, witty and entertaining story about self care and friendship. The writing is superb and I would highly recommend if you're in search of a feel good story to motivate you to get up and grab life by the balls.
October 28, 2022
Very touching a relatable book! Such a beautiful read with some hard hitting parts but a book I couldn't put down
August 7, 2023
✨Synopsis✨
A heartwarming summer getaway following the unlikely friends of Elm Tree Lodge. Etta, Val, Jenna, Nicky, and Yana, share laughter, love, and the journey to new beginnings. Through their challenges, they prove that it's never too late to chase your dreams and find lifelong friendships. Together they navigate relationships, self-discovery, and the joys of companionship in this touching, hilarious and uplifting story.
✨My Thoughts✨
When I say this book is so funny, I really mean it. I’m not the type of person that normally goes for funny books (just check my StoryGraph top genres for evidence of that) and the reason I don’t is because I think it’s really hard to make a book humourous without either completely missing the spot or overdoing it completely however this book just felt so real and authentic that the feelings I had about the story and characters themselves also transpired to the humour. I absolutely loved the female empowerment and friendships depicted throughout but again it was done in a way that felt so real, the women would die for each other but still had lives outside of their friendships, really different lives- they each made their own decisions and didn’t all morph into one character which I think can often happen in this type of book so I was really impressed. I thought the pacing worked so well and I think having the backdrop of the weightloss journey almost kept me in time with the story in an odd way (maybe I felt more aware of time passing?) Overall I loved this book and can’t wait for the screen adaptation!!
tw- weightloss and difficult relationships with food do feature heavily in this story so please take care if that is something you find challenging to read about
A heartwarming summer getaway following the unlikely friends of Elm Tree Lodge. Etta, Val, Jenna, Nicky, and Yana, share laughter, love, and the journey to new beginnings. Through their challenges, they prove that it's never too late to chase your dreams and find lifelong friendships. Together they navigate relationships, self-discovery, and the joys of companionship in this touching, hilarious and uplifting story.
✨My Thoughts✨
When I say this book is so funny, I really mean it. I’m not the type of person that normally goes for funny books (just check my StoryGraph top genres for evidence of that) and the reason I don’t is because I think it’s really hard to make a book humourous without either completely missing the spot or overdoing it completely however this book just felt so real and authentic that the feelings I had about the story and characters themselves also transpired to the humour. I absolutely loved the female empowerment and friendships depicted throughout but again it was done in a way that felt so real, the women would die for each other but still had lives outside of their friendships, really different lives- they each made their own decisions and didn’t all morph into one character which I think can often happen in this type of book so I was really impressed. I thought the pacing worked so well and I think having the backdrop of the weightloss journey almost kept me in time with the story in an odd way (maybe I felt more aware of time passing?) Overall I loved this book and can’t wait for the screen adaptation!!
tw- weightloss and difficult relationships with food do feature heavily in this story so please take care if that is something you find challenging to read about
February 12, 2022
Hilarious, this will brighten anyone's day! I laughed my way through this book from beginning to end. The characters really give a whole new meaning to friendships. I could totally relate to the characters and emphasise with them. Their stories resonate with a good percentage of the population in the way they are battling with their weight, their confidence, and their relationships, not only with others but with themselves. It definitely gave me some motivation to tackle my own battles, so I thank the author for that.
Such a cheerful read that will truly turn a frown upside down. The scene was portrayed so realistically, I could really imagine the characters as if they were my friends, the atmosphere at every weigh in and body combat class - I was sweating just thinking about it lol!!
This is a book i'll definitely keep on my shelf and read again!
Such a cheerful read that will truly turn a frown upside down. The scene was portrayed so realistically, I could really imagine the characters as if they were my friends, the atmosphere at every weigh in and body combat class - I was sweating just thinking about it lol!!
This is a book i'll definitely keep on my shelf and read again!
February 10, 2022
Overview: Where do I even start with this book? I LOVED it! Not my usual genre, but I do love to laugh and thought this would be the perfect book. I wasn't wrong. And reading it with a group made it even better. As an ex Personal Trainer I've worked with many women such as the characters in the book so while i couldn't relate directly to losing weight I knew exactly the struggles they were going through. A perfect, feel-good, heart warming story of friendship, dedication and laugh out loud moments.
Good Points: The characters have got to be the best bit of this story. They felt so real to me so much so that I was rooting for them all the way and actually felt so much pride and joy for them at the end. The hilarious stories some of them came out with was amazing. Channing Tatum (the hamster) and Etta being taken hostage by an elderly resident are my favourites. While it is a funny read it also touches on real and serious issues with dieting and the psychological issues with weight loss.
Not so Good Points: To be honest I don't have anything negative to say! And that's rare for me!
Pick this up if you want a laugh and to meet a bunch of relatable, funny and dedicated characters!
Good Points: The characters have got to be the best bit of this story. They felt so real to me so much so that I was rooting for them all the way and actually felt so much pride and joy for them at the end. The hilarious stories some of them came out with was amazing. Channing Tatum (the hamster) and Etta being taken hostage by an elderly resident are my favourites. While it is a funny read it also touches on real and serious issues with dieting and the psychological issues with weight loss.
Not so Good Points: To be honest I don't have anything negative to say! And that's rare for me!
Pick this up if you want a laugh and to meet a bunch of relatable, funny and dedicated characters!
February 14, 2022
This was such a nice story that will have you in stitches, it is definitely the best medicine if you are feeling down. I could empathise and relate to the characters, who were all great by the way. There are lots of one liners that hade me roaring with laughter. Many people struggle with their weight and I am one of them, so I feel as though this book proves that you are not alone on this journey of self discovery, it has made me feel motivated to get myself some help and prove to myself I can do this. I really hope it helps other people that are struggling. I found it such a heart warming story that I would highly recommend.
March 2, 2022
A brilliant book that made me feel so at ease. I really resonated with this book, and loved all the main characters! With a great mix of seriousness, heartbreak, humour and love, this book just had it all!
February 11, 2023
This was a fun read with some good characters. It reminded me of the TV series a few years ago called Fat Friends. A nice easy read with a some laughs, recommended.
July 11, 2024
This book was great really funny, made me laugh out loud.
May 6, 2022
Etta had been dreaming about her guilty pleasure all day, dinner from the chippy and was on her way home to feast on its greasy contents. Then she saw him. From across the road, her ex, Robert Ward strutting about with his new slim beautiful girlfriend. This forces Etta to reevaluate her life. She’s five foot three and a size twenty, spending most nights curled up on the sofa devouring a family size bar of Dairy Milk. Etta is embarrassed and hates her clothes, always trying to hide in the background. Robert is the father of their 7 year old daughter, Chloe, but has never had a relationship with her. Once home Etta soaks amongst the bubbles in her bath but suddenly her phone goes crazy with notifications. She has been added to a WhatsApp group from the women at work. Val shocks them with the news that her marriage is over and she is desperate to find out why. The women all join together and admit that they also want to lose weight. They all agree that Jenna’s wedding is the deadline to be their ideal, realistic weight. And so A Moment On The Lips Diet Club is born. Val, Nicky, Jenna, Yana and Etta all agree it will be good for them and the diet has to be about teaching themselves to be healthy, no starving. It also happens that Robert will be in attendance at Jenna’s wedding. Etta wants Robert to see her and desire her just so she can tell him he has no chance. She is fed up of not feeling good enough and the wasted years she chased after him in an attempt to make him love her. Now is the time for change and she is so grateful that she won’t be alone in her journey for a healthier lifestyle.
Told in three parts, Starter, Main Course and Dessert, the reader follows Etta on her weight loss journey along with her coworkers at Elm Lodge care home. The first person narrative of Etta gives the reader a sense of personal closeness. They learn of her past; when she met Robert at 18 and he was 30, they were together for five years and he would just disappear for weeks, months on end and then turn up wanting money before disappearing off again. Etta felt more like his mother than his lover and even tried to buy his love to no avail. He made her feel worthless, always commenting on her size which triggered her emotional eating. She blames him for her weight problems and attachment to food. Now thanks to the new found friendship of her coworkers she is finally taking back control. She owes it to herself to be happy and confident, to live life to its fullest and most of all to enjoy it.
I love the strong empowering bond the women all make. They support and encourage each other with their weight goals. Their friendship gave me hope that women supporting women is possible. They all take turns making lunch for each other at work, join fitness classes and socialise at each other’s houses for dinner. Whenever they are together on the page there is a warming, cosy atmosphere that you are amongst true friends. You can have a laugh and are yourself around them. It’s delightful and I was sad when my time with them ended. I felt a new surge of motivation, to get out there and do something!
Taylor brings a lot of inspiration and girl power to the story. I lost count of the amount of times I was cheering the women on at every success they achieved. So many people can relate to the strong themes of dieting and comfort eating that are explored throughout this book. Everybody has been there after a bad day with an extra treat to make themselves feel better. It slowly becomes a part of your daily diet as do the takeaways and bigger portions. You tell yourself life is too stressful to start dieting or you will start tomorrow. But it never comes. It’s a vicious circle, one that is extremely hard to break. But with the help and support of friends, it is possible.
This book teaches a lot about body confidence and how taking responsibility for how you eat can be empowering. Appearances can be deceiving and we should never assume or make comparisons, it will only drag us down. Etta learns that what’s important in life is happiness and being truly happy with one’s life. She discovers that dieting isn’t about banning her favourite food but learning how to eat them in moderation and addressing why she craves certain things. With her new group of friends she sees she can be honest and open with them. She doesn’t have to cherry pick what to show of her life because real friends accept all of you, the good and the bad.
I give A Moment On The Lips By J Taylor a Five out of Five paw rating.
Heartwarming and truly inspiring. A real feel good story that is bursting with positivity that yes, it is possible to lose weight and be healthy. Especially if you have supportive family and friends around you. You have nothing to lose, except the pounds.
Told in three parts, Starter, Main Course and Dessert, the reader follows Etta on her weight loss journey along with her coworkers at Elm Lodge care home. The first person narrative of Etta gives the reader a sense of personal closeness. They learn of her past; when she met Robert at 18 and he was 30, they were together for five years and he would just disappear for weeks, months on end and then turn up wanting money before disappearing off again. Etta felt more like his mother than his lover and even tried to buy his love to no avail. He made her feel worthless, always commenting on her size which triggered her emotional eating. She blames him for her weight problems and attachment to food. Now thanks to the new found friendship of her coworkers she is finally taking back control. She owes it to herself to be happy and confident, to live life to its fullest and most of all to enjoy it.
I love the strong empowering bond the women all make. They support and encourage each other with their weight goals. Their friendship gave me hope that women supporting women is possible. They all take turns making lunch for each other at work, join fitness classes and socialise at each other’s houses for dinner. Whenever they are together on the page there is a warming, cosy atmosphere that you are amongst true friends. You can have a laugh and are yourself around them. It’s delightful and I was sad when my time with them ended. I felt a new surge of motivation, to get out there and do something!
Taylor brings a lot of inspiration and girl power to the story. I lost count of the amount of times I was cheering the women on at every success they achieved. So many people can relate to the strong themes of dieting and comfort eating that are explored throughout this book. Everybody has been there after a bad day with an extra treat to make themselves feel better. It slowly becomes a part of your daily diet as do the takeaways and bigger portions. You tell yourself life is too stressful to start dieting or you will start tomorrow. But it never comes. It’s a vicious circle, one that is extremely hard to break. But with the help and support of friends, it is possible.
This book teaches a lot about body confidence and how taking responsibility for how you eat can be empowering. Appearances can be deceiving and we should never assume or make comparisons, it will only drag us down. Etta learns that what’s important in life is happiness and being truly happy with one’s life. She discovers that dieting isn’t about banning her favourite food but learning how to eat them in moderation and addressing why she craves certain things. With her new group of friends she sees she can be honest and open with them. She doesn’t have to cherry pick what to show of her life because real friends accept all of you, the good and the bad.
I give A Moment On The Lips By J Taylor a Five out of Five paw rating.
Heartwarming and truly inspiring. A real feel good story that is bursting with positivity that yes, it is possible to lose weight and be healthy. Especially if you have supportive family and friends around you. You have nothing to lose, except the pounds.
September 20, 2024
This is probably the longest review I’ve ever written… so just skip to the end for my conclusion.
I really was excited to read this book and moved it to the top of my tbr as soon as I got it. After reading the blurb I related to the character as i am short and fat myself and trying to lose weight has been hard. I had also been a care assistant aswell. The first chapter felt promising I thought this was gonna be a nice easy read and I was gonna fly through it and enjoy but oh no I was wrong. I was so tempted throughout to not finish this book but I dont like DNFing books I wanted to give it a chance so ploughed through. It seemed like it took longer than usual to read because I it was like a chore in the end. Anyways this is what I found
Some things just didn’t make sense such as;
- finding out how much calories they should have daily before even weighing themselves. they wouldnt have been able to find out their calorie intake without knowing their weight. Also the calorie limits were way too extreme! 1,200 cal for someone of 5’3 and 15st 8 is crazy! With all the exercise they were doing on top aswell also her calorie intake was the same as jennas who was 11st so that didn’t make much sense.
- The MC living in this fancy cottage in the middle of nowhere in Cambridgeshire like how is she affording the rent being a care assistant on minimum wage?? Also the countless snacks and takeaways she buys, the bills, and having a child and cat on top of it.
- Chapters being as short as one page huh what is that all about surely you could have just added them few paragraphs on the chapter before or the chapter after it made no sense. Just seems like there was no structure!
- some things in the book were just irrelevant and wasn’t useful to the story.
- the format of the book? Is it a diary? Is it an inner monologue???
- The mc way later in the book says she concocts awful scenarios in her head due to anxiety but this is the first time she does so
- How had this been published with so many errors??
- The mc hardly interacts with her daughter Chloe. Chloe usually is being looked after by the MCs grandparent
- All these five star reviews make no sense too
That brings me to the plot
it was just all over the place. There wasn’t a real plot it just seemed to be made up as it went along, also there was no challenges for the character to face on her weight loss journey. Losing weight can be really hard ( definitely for someone with a food addiction which the mc apparently had) and I wish some of these challenges were highlighted in the book because I feel they are important to address. But we are made to believe the character was perfect with losing weight with hardly any troubles she just had a few cravings here and there or she had half a sausage roll and two biscuits and that was her being “naughty’. It just wasn’t believable. It was only later on in the book tho she says ‘yea i binge now and then’ but it wasn’t ever shown! The story tells us things more than showing us. It also says later on that the first month was the hardest BUT WE WERENT SHOWN HOW HARD IT ACTUALLY WAS - it was made out she was doing great. I wanted to see how hard it was for her and how she overcome this! She also tells us how hard it was for her friends but again never showed instead we have these pointless chapters of her at the beach or at work where nothing isn’t really happening and doesn’t add to the story. It’s such a shame because this story has so much potential if only it showed these messages it’s trying to preach instead of just stating them.
It just wasn’t that funny!
Dont get me wrong there was few things that caused me to exhale heavily out my nose but that was only because I related to them. It was so obvious that most things added was just there for humour but again just wasn’t funny to me
This book could have also been shorter if there wasn’t unnecessary useless details or explanations of things we do not need to know about such as:
- 2 pages describing her cat and why and how she got her because we only read about the cat now and then when someone is stroking her
- 2 pages of a voice note of a character droning on about her irrelevant neighbour.
- 2 pages explaining her grandads girlfriends obsession with corgis and her breeding journey with them.
- Whole chapter talking about her no good parents and said it in a way as if she forgot to tell the reader about them, so wasn’t subtle.
- another random chapter about the mc being held hostage by some residents because they didn’t like the dinner or something I dont know I skimmed through it as it was just pointless and boring and added nothing to the story. These sorts of chapters just ruined my reading experience.
- I just didn’t find it entertaining and had me questioning what’s this got to do with anything. I felt like some chapters were there to try and get a laugh
There was one character that i absolutely despised and that was Jenna
She was a psycho towards her boyfriend and controlled him. She was so self centred and cried when she didn’t get her own way. She was just annoying throughout the whole book but we are supposed to like her and to think she is hilarious
- There’s a part where a she got her boyfriend to get a guy drunk, so she could get his fingerprint to unlock his phone to see if he is cheating on her friend. Then they proceed to catfish him using someone’s photo without permission. Jenna throws food (that was taken from some random couples table) at him and the waiter makes him pay for said food.
- While also on his phone they transfer £50 each ( 50 to her and 50 to her friend) out of his savings account!!! This was played off as a feminist move which is frankly not at all!! This is such an immature way of handling this sort of situation. Jenna continued to annoy tf out of me for the rest of the book.
- Jenna again goes all psycho because her fiancé is having a stag and doesn’t trust him ( why is she marrying someone she doesn’t trust?) she went onto her fiancés phone and changed HIS friends number to HER friends number and added it to the stag group chat and now she can see if anything goes on. She says none of them would think anything of it but that doesn’t make sense because all the others will see a random number in the chat that isn’t saved in their phones so idk. And everyone thinks she’s gods gift because she did this telling her that she should be a detective like huh what is wrong with you ?? By going on his phone alone is wrong never mind the rest.
- Her mum is even worse when they are at a posh wedding dress shop her mum thinks it’d be funny and rebellious towards the rich by moondancing on the counter, manhandling expensive vintage items, and swearing and shouting at the shop assistants… classy
- Jenna also has a go at her boyfriend because she thinks he should have been at the beach to stick up for her when a man was rude towards her. He explains how he is working overtime already having worked 50hours that week so he can afford her dream honeymoon and he won’t be back til 7pm. She gets pissed off saying she has to put the kids to bed herself and tells him to go to aldis because she doesn’t want to because she has been on her feet all day (at the beach)
- She uses her boyfriends emergency credit card to buy makeup and clothes without him knowing and no one bats an eyelid to this
I just can’t explain my hatred towards this woman she made me hate the book even more! I really feel bad for the boyfriend I hope he does cheat on her!
The mc is kind of unlikeable at times she sl*t shames her sister and takes the pee out of her nans aging looks. Her nan was probably the most funniest character and I wish we saw more of her. She Tells her nan to stop being nasty but never tells Jenna to shut tf up. She also judges people wich is a bit out of character as she mentions that you shouldn’t judge people because everyone has something going on. She says she doesn’t want to lose weight for a man but the only reason she decided she wanted to lose weight is because she saw her ex with someone else and she also continues to say she can’t wait to get skinny so her ex can want her but not have her? Shes nasty about her sister when she’s not done any wrong i dont know why we are made to not like the sister.
Conc- Anyways it’s not all bad. Theres nice quotes in there and some bits are quite inspiring. I like the message it’s trying give. The characters are well fleshed out, and the reason I probably don’t like Jenna is because she is so believable - she isn’t perfect and she’s like one of those people that are like marmite you either love her or you hate her. I loved the characters friendship and I lowkey wish I was in their friendship group. The obvious humour in this book just isn’t for me but I like some of the subtle humour tho. I like how they called out groups like slimming world for being a money grabbing con. It really is about calories in and calories out. I’ve seen that the book is having a tv adaptation which honestly could do this book more justice I feel like it would really work well as a comedy series it might be funnier to see these things happen than read them.
Do give it a read if you are wanting to find inspiration to lose weight because this did give me some motivation. It’s a light hearted read and possibly easy to read if you dont mind factual errors and annoying characters that make your blood boil. Could be a fun read for beginners.
And even tho I kinda hated this book I want to read the second one !
I really was excited to read this book and moved it to the top of my tbr as soon as I got it. After reading the blurb I related to the character as i am short and fat myself and trying to lose weight has been hard. I had also been a care assistant aswell. The first chapter felt promising I thought this was gonna be a nice easy read and I was gonna fly through it and enjoy but oh no I was wrong. I was so tempted throughout to not finish this book but I dont like DNFing books I wanted to give it a chance so ploughed through. It seemed like it took longer than usual to read because I it was like a chore in the end. Anyways this is what I found
Some things just didn’t make sense such as;
- finding out how much calories they should have daily before even weighing themselves. they wouldnt have been able to find out their calorie intake without knowing their weight. Also the calorie limits were way too extreme! 1,200 cal for someone of 5’3 and 15st 8 is crazy! With all the exercise they were doing on top aswell also her calorie intake was the same as jennas who was 11st so that didn’t make much sense.
- The MC living in this fancy cottage in the middle of nowhere in Cambridgeshire like how is she affording the rent being a care assistant on minimum wage?? Also the countless snacks and takeaways she buys, the bills, and having a child and cat on top of it.
- Chapters being as short as one page huh what is that all about surely you could have just added them few paragraphs on the chapter before or the chapter after it made no sense. Just seems like there was no structure!
- some things in the book were just irrelevant and wasn’t useful to the story.
- the format of the book? Is it a diary? Is it an inner monologue???
- The mc way later in the book says she concocts awful scenarios in her head due to anxiety but this is the first time she does so
- How had this been published with so many errors??
- The mc hardly interacts with her daughter Chloe. Chloe usually is being looked after by the MCs grandparent
- All these five star reviews make no sense too
That brings me to the plot
it was just all over the place. There wasn’t a real plot it just seemed to be made up as it went along, also there was no challenges for the character to face on her weight loss journey. Losing weight can be really hard ( definitely for someone with a food addiction which the mc apparently had) and I wish some of these challenges were highlighted in the book because I feel they are important to address. But we are made to believe the character was perfect with losing weight with hardly any troubles she just had a few cravings here and there or she had half a sausage roll and two biscuits and that was her being “naughty’. It just wasn’t believable. It was only later on in the book tho she says ‘yea i binge now and then’ but it wasn’t ever shown! The story tells us things more than showing us. It also says later on that the first month was the hardest BUT WE WERENT SHOWN HOW HARD IT ACTUALLY WAS - it was made out she was doing great. I wanted to see how hard it was for her and how she overcome this! She also tells us how hard it was for her friends but again never showed instead we have these pointless chapters of her at the beach or at work where nothing isn’t really happening and doesn’t add to the story. It’s such a shame because this story has so much potential if only it showed these messages it’s trying to preach instead of just stating them.
It just wasn’t that funny!
Dont get me wrong there was few things that caused me to exhale heavily out my nose but that was only because I related to them. It was so obvious that most things added was just there for humour but again just wasn’t funny to me
This book could have also been shorter if there wasn’t unnecessary useless details or explanations of things we do not need to know about such as:
- 2 pages describing her cat and why and how she got her because we only read about the cat now and then when someone is stroking her
- 2 pages of a voice note of a character droning on about her irrelevant neighbour.
- 2 pages explaining her grandads girlfriends obsession with corgis and her breeding journey with them.
- Whole chapter talking about her no good parents and said it in a way as if she forgot to tell the reader about them, so wasn’t subtle.
- another random chapter about the mc being held hostage by some residents because they didn’t like the dinner or something I dont know I skimmed through it as it was just pointless and boring and added nothing to the story. These sorts of chapters just ruined my reading experience.
- I just didn’t find it entertaining and had me questioning what’s this got to do with anything. I felt like some chapters were there to try and get a laugh
There was one character that i absolutely despised and that was Jenna
She was a psycho towards her boyfriend and controlled him. She was so self centred and cried when she didn’t get her own way. She was just annoying throughout the whole book but we are supposed to like her and to think she is hilarious
- There’s a part where a she got her boyfriend to get a guy drunk, so she could get his fingerprint to unlock his phone to see if he is cheating on her friend. Then they proceed to catfish him using someone’s photo without permission. Jenna throws food (that was taken from some random couples table) at him and the waiter makes him pay for said food.
- While also on his phone they transfer £50 each ( 50 to her and 50 to her friend) out of his savings account!!! This was played off as a feminist move which is frankly not at all!! This is such an immature way of handling this sort of situation. Jenna continued to annoy tf out of me for the rest of the book.
- Jenna again goes all psycho because her fiancé is having a stag and doesn’t trust him ( why is she marrying someone she doesn’t trust?) she went onto her fiancés phone and changed HIS friends number to HER friends number and added it to the stag group chat and now she can see if anything goes on. She says none of them would think anything of it but that doesn’t make sense because all the others will see a random number in the chat that isn’t saved in their phones so idk. And everyone thinks she’s gods gift because she did this telling her that she should be a detective like huh what is wrong with you ?? By going on his phone alone is wrong never mind the rest.
- Her mum is even worse when they are at a posh wedding dress shop her mum thinks it’d be funny and rebellious towards the rich by moondancing on the counter, manhandling expensive vintage items, and swearing and shouting at the shop assistants… classy
- Jenna also has a go at her boyfriend because she thinks he should have been at the beach to stick up for her when a man was rude towards her. He explains how he is working overtime already having worked 50hours that week so he can afford her dream honeymoon and he won’t be back til 7pm. She gets pissed off saying she has to put the kids to bed herself and tells him to go to aldis because she doesn’t want to because she has been on her feet all day (at the beach)
- She uses her boyfriends emergency credit card to buy makeup and clothes without him knowing and no one bats an eyelid to this
I just can’t explain my hatred towards this woman she made me hate the book even more! I really feel bad for the boyfriend I hope he does cheat on her!
The mc is kind of unlikeable at times she sl*t shames her sister and takes the pee out of her nans aging looks. Her nan was probably the most funniest character and I wish we saw more of her. She Tells her nan to stop being nasty but never tells Jenna to shut tf up. She also judges people wich is a bit out of character as she mentions that you shouldn’t judge people because everyone has something going on. She says she doesn’t want to lose weight for a man but the only reason she decided she wanted to lose weight is because she saw her ex with someone else and she also continues to say she can’t wait to get skinny so her ex can want her but not have her? Shes nasty about her sister when she’s not done any wrong i dont know why we are made to not like the sister.
Conc- Anyways it’s not all bad. Theres nice quotes in there and some bits are quite inspiring. I like the message it’s trying give. The characters are well fleshed out, and the reason I probably don’t like Jenna is because she is so believable - she isn’t perfect and she’s like one of those people that are like marmite you either love her or you hate her. I loved the characters friendship and I lowkey wish I was in their friendship group. The obvious humour in this book just isn’t for me but I like some of the subtle humour tho. I like how they called out groups like slimming world for being a money grabbing con. It really is about calories in and calories out. I’ve seen that the book is having a tv adaptation which honestly could do this book more justice I feel like it would really work well as a comedy series it might be funnier to see these things happen than read them.
Do give it a read if you are wanting to find inspiration to lose weight because this did give me some motivation. It’s a light hearted read and possibly easy to read if you dont mind factual errors and annoying characters that make your blood boil. Could be a fun read for beginners.
And even tho I kinda hated this book I want to read the second one !
November 5, 2022
I really enjoyed this one!
Topics include weight loss, self esteem, broken relationships but, most of all, friendship and women supporting women.
Need a hug? Read this!
Topics include weight loss, self esteem, broken relationships but, most of all, friendship and women supporting women.
Need a hug? Read this!
March 6, 2022
There is one problem with this book, on Amazon it states 1 of 2 in the series….. err no!!! I need these ladies in my life permanently and for a lot more than 2 books.
I adored this book, it has it all - comedy, love, determination, family and the most amazing friendship group. The ladies bond is so heartwarming and exactly how friendship should be, there to support, encourage and lift you back up off your feet.
I loved the authors writing style, it’s such a easy read but with some important messages, the characters were written in such a way, that you immediately warmed to them and spurred them on in their journey.
I need to know what happens next for them! 🥰
I adored this book, it has it all - comedy, love, determination, family and the most amazing friendship group. The ladies bond is so heartwarming and exactly how friendship should be, there to support, encourage and lift you back up off your feet.
I loved the authors writing style, it’s such a easy read but with some important messages, the characters were written in such a way, that you immediately warmed to them and spurred them on in their journey.
I need to know what happens next for them! 🥰
June 18, 2023
Beautifully written, A Moment on the Lips is poignant yet hilarious. I can't remember the last time I laughed out loud while a book! With a wonderful array of characters, I defy anyone not to adore this book. Now I'm off to get the second in the series!
August 13, 2022
Lovetoread
Omg what a brilliant book just loved it didn't want it to end . The characters where so real and funny .
Omg what a brilliant book just loved it didn't want it to end . The characters where so real and funny .
March 4, 2022
The book description for this novel really appealed to me. Having battled with my weight since my teens, I instantly related to the women mentioned and wanted to get to know them better.
The main focus of the story is Etta, a single mother to Chloe. I loved the sound of the little cottage on a farm that they live in along with their cat. It sounded all quite idyllic. Etta’s life is anything but though. With no real friends and turning to food for comfort. When these women start chatting at work and realise they are all in the same boat with their weights and how they are feeling, a strong bond between the women starts to grow.
I loved getting to know these women. All different in personalities, each facing their own issues. It was great to read of these friends supporting each other and taking it in turns to bring lunches in for the others. The story to start with did lose its momentum slightly due to descriptions over what the characters were eating and calories etc. The characters though keep pulling you back in with their fun banter and antics.
A Moment on the Lips is a story with characters that I’m sure most of us will be able to relate to in someway or another. It’s refreshing to read of women supporting each other and being happy of their achievements. It’s a light-hearted, feel good read with plenty of moments that will raise more than a smile on your face. Overall a fun and uplifting read!
The main focus of the story is Etta, a single mother to Chloe. I loved the sound of the little cottage on a farm that they live in along with their cat. It sounded all quite idyllic. Etta’s life is anything but though. With no real friends and turning to food for comfort. When these women start chatting at work and realise they are all in the same boat with their weights and how they are feeling, a strong bond between the women starts to grow.
I loved getting to know these women. All different in personalities, each facing their own issues. It was great to read of these friends supporting each other and taking it in turns to bring lunches in for the others. The story to start with did lose its momentum slightly due to descriptions over what the characters were eating and calories etc. The characters though keep pulling you back in with their fun banter and antics.
A Moment on the Lips is a story with characters that I’m sure most of us will be able to relate to in someway or another. It’s refreshing to read of women supporting each other and being happy of their achievements. It’s a light-hearted, feel good read with plenty of moments that will raise more than a smile on your face. Overall a fun and uplifting read!
May 21, 2022
I loved this!
I loved that it was about someone who was overweight and struggling with her weight. I thought it was a very modern-day read and I liked how it focused on a very touchy, hard subject that no one seems to talk about.
I could really relate to Etta, as someone who has struggled with my weight and been on my weightless journey since lockdown; I know how hard it can be to do it alone.
I love how Etta had all the support around her and people wanting to change their lives around and do it all together. Its an uplifting read and I thought it was fab to read something so uplifting and quite powerful.
I thought this was a fantastic novel, I am so glad I was able to read it and be on tour with @instabooktours and @jtayauthor for allowing me a copy of your book!
I loved that it was about someone who was overweight and struggling with her weight. I thought it was a very modern-day read and I liked how it focused on a very touchy, hard subject that no one seems to talk about.
I could really relate to Etta, as someone who has struggled with my weight and been on my weightless journey since lockdown; I know how hard it can be to do it alone.
I love how Etta had all the support around her and people wanting to change their lives around and do it all together. Its an uplifting read and I thought it was fab to read something so uplifting and quite powerful.
I thought this was a fantastic novel, I am so glad I was able to read it and be on tour with @instabooktours and @jtayauthor for allowing me a copy of your book!
March 1, 2023
What a journey for Etta! I was rooting for her from the get-go. J Taylor’s FMC was the perfect relatable complement to her crazy raucous sidekicks. The humour in this kept me on my toes and pulled me in time after time. It’s surprisingly bawdy and laugh-out-loud funny, both for its one liners and the slapstick scenes which I loved; Pam on the horse had me snorting!
Aside from the fun antics, I also loved the themes of friendship, goal achievement and female empowerment that drove the storyline to its satisfying conclusion, at least so far. Looking forward to reading the next book to see what these gals get up too! A well deserved five stars from me.
Aside from the fun antics, I also loved the themes of friendship, goal achievement and female empowerment that drove the storyline to its satisfying conclusion, at least so far. Looking forward to reading the next book to see what these gals get up too! A well deserved five stars from me.
June 15, 2022
A wonderful story about friendships and support
When you realise there is more to life than food.., I really enjoyed this, I think we can all relate to having body conscious moments and all the characters are really likeable even if some are slightly scary in their forwardness! I loved that this was more about the friendships building up between the group and their journeys to confidence and better lives rather than just a romance story. Very funny in places and equally rather sad in others.
When you realise there is more to life than food.., I really enjoyed this, I think we can all relate to having body conscious moments and all the characters are really likeable even if some are slightly scary in their forwardness! I loved that this was more about the friendships building up between the group and their journeys to confidence and better lives rather than just a romance story. Very funny in places and equally rather sad in others.
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