My (Not So) Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

Synopsis from the publisher:

“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.”

Review:

I have always enjoyed chick-lit as a way to decompress. It’s generally light, fluffy, and fun, and the perfect way to rejuvenate my mood after reading an abundance of horror or true crime. Sophia Kinsella can easily be called the “Queen of Chick Lit” and I really enjoy her books. I picked up My Not So Perfect Life when the Kindle edition was on sale on Amazon and I finally got around to reading it this weekend.

I really enjoyed certain aspects of this book. It certainly reminded me of various romantic comedies where our heroine has a job in a modern, sophisticated office and works for an equally sophisticated boss who is gorgeous and put-together but also a nightmare. There are definitely some comparisons to be made to The Devil Wears Prada, but I think the basic premise is as far as those comparisons can go.

Katie is fine as our protagonist. There is nothing overly special about her, but I understood her struggle and the desire to make the world of social media believe your life is pretty much perfect when, in reality, it’s anything but. She goes through some major changes and grows as a result, but she does have moments that prompt a couple of eye rolls (usually when it comes to Alex, her love interest).

Kinsella focuses more on the relationship between Katie and Demeter, showing us that even with social media, what we see at work may not always reflect who we are. She’s flawed and a bit immature at times, making it hard to root for her throughout the novel.

The romance angle of this book is sorely underdeveloped. Alex is supposed to be a commitment-phobe and has a not-so-great relationship with his father, but that’s all we know about him. We don’t see him much, and Kinsella doesn’t spend enough time on Katie and Alex’s blossoming romance for me to buy that they’ve fallen in love. He was a bit bland and could have used some more character development.

Parts of My (Not So) Perfect Life moved along slowly, and I skimmed the less interesting bits. But it did have some funny moments and a satisfying (if somewhat unbelievable, but that’s okay) conclusion. My (Not So) Perfect Life is not my favorite Kinsella book, but it is a light, entertaining read.

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