I have a confession to make…this was my first book by Sophie Kinsella.  I know.  I’m almost ashamed to admit it.  My Not So Perfect Life has been on my TBR list for quite some time.  I was more than a little bit anxious to dive into it, but I wanted to wait until I was relaxed, in my reading zone, and wasn’t going to be interrupted by real life – my vacation.  I couldn’t have picked a better time to lose myself in this book. 

What makes this book work so well is that it's relatable.  I could see a bit of Cat/Katie in myself.  I think that we all bumble around a little, trying to make our mark on the world when we’re fresh out of university and starting out.  We want it all:  the great career, beautiful home, and lovely family.  Then reality hits, and we’re barely scraping by on our meager wages, working hard to get noticed in our dead end jobs, and not exactly living the life that we always imagined.  Life wasn’t quite as much fun as the sitcoms led us to believe. Thanks, Friends!

Katie could be any young woman.  She was hard-working, motivated, and just wanted to leave her country home for an exciting life in the big city.  She wanted to prove to her father that she could succeed in London.  She didn’t want to have to admit defeat and go back to her family home.  I wanted Katie to succeed.  That’s another element that makes for a great read – when the reader cares about the characters.  I enjoyed the time that I spent with Katie.  Through all of her mishaps, hardships, and misfortune, I was rooting for her.  She was an underdog who you couldn’t help but want to cheer on and fist pump the air for.  For all of the people who have ever been wronged in their career and in life, Katie was representing.

My Not So Perfect Life was a fun read.  While it was light and entertaining, it also demonstrated how we shouldn’t make assumptions about the lives of others.  We’ve all done it.  Perhaps the person who looks as though they have it all is actually struggling.  Maybe behind the doors of their sprawling palatial home their perfect life isn’t quite so perfect. Or, maybe behind the social media photos of their lavish meals, smiling faces, and posh vacations, they are actually barely keeping their heads above water.  But don’t despair, this book isn’t a life lesson, it is light-hearted and will make you smile and laugh out loud.     

This was a book that I enjoyed from start to finish, in fact, I didn’t want to put it down for too long.  It is filled with humor, heart, friendship, and a dab of romance.  As I mentioned above, it was the perfect vacation read.   I am looking forward to reading more books by this author in the near future.

*4 Stars 

 

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