My Not So Perfect Life
A Novel
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4.2 • 844 Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Part love story, part workplace drama, this sharply observed novel is a witty critique of the false judgments we make in a social-media-obsessed world, from the author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life.
“Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover
Everywhere Katie Brenner looks, someone else is living the life she longs for, particularly her boss, Demeter Farlowe. Demeter is brilliant and creative, lives with her perfect family in a posh townhouse, and wears the coolest clothes. Katie’s life, meanwhile, is a daily struggle—from her dismal rental to her oddball flatmates to the tense office politics she’s trying to negotiate. No wonder Katie takes refuge in not-quite-true Instagram posts, especially as she's desperate to make her dad proud.
Then, just as she’s finding her feet—not to mention a possible new romance—the worst happens. Demeter fires Katie. Shattered but determined to stay positive, Katie retreats to her family’s farm in Somerset to help them set up a vacation business. London has never seemed so far away—until Demeter unexpectedly turns up as a guest. Secrets are spilled and relationships rejiggered, and as the stakes for Katie’s future get higher, she must question her own assumptions about what makes for a truly meaningful life.
Sophie Kinsella is celebrated for her vibrant, relatable characters and her great storytelling gifts. Now she returns with all of the wit, warmth, and wisdom that are the hallmarks of her bestsellers to spin this fresh, modern story about presenting the perfect life when the reality is far from the truth.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Sophie Kinsella’s novel made us feel great even though it shouldn’t have. Our heroine Katie watches her Instagram-perfect life crumble after her boss callously fires her. Which sounds miserable, right? Instead, Kinsella crafts a typically delicious story about revenge, redemption, and finding the true meaning of happiness. My Not So Perfect Life is the sort of book that makes perfect company on a chilly weekend.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
With her signature humor, bestselling author Kinsella (Shopaholic to the Stars) explores the frequent disconnect between perception and reality in modern life. Katie Brenner, a 26-year-old research associate at a branding agency in London, left her father's farm in Somerset with the intention of living her dream life in the city. But with her tight budget, peculiar roommates, long commute, and tedious work assignments, reality falls short of her expectations. She becomes isolated and often feels like she's playing a role. Still, she's intent on projecting an image of perfection, both to her family and her Instagram followers. Meanwhile, her controlling boss, Demeter, appears to be living the perfect life that Katie covets. Then, just as Katie begins to feel like her dreams are within reach, with renewed confidence at work, possible new friends, and a potential love interest, she gets fired. She moves back home to Somerset to help her father start a glamping business, only to have her two worlds collide in unexpected ways. Driven by Katie's witty observations and numerous missteps as she attempts to reconcile various aspects of her identity, this novel is smartly satirical and entertaining.
Customer Reviews
Not my favorite Kinsella book, but still good!
Kinsella is always on my favorite author list!
Funny page eater
It was a very funny story all the way through. The descriptions of the farms, the landscape, all was so brilliantly put in words, I could picture all in my mind. The plot was interesting and more the way the story wraps up. A nice closure.
Spot On
It perfectly depicts the realities of early adulthood. The internal struggle between true self and growing self, the emotional whirlwind of family dynamics, the hopeful fantasies of romance, all hidden within the our performances on social media.