My Not So Perfect Life

A Novel

By: Sophie Kinsella

Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham

Length: 11 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2017 Sophie Kinsella (P)2017 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"Katie is a winning heroine.... Kinsella creates characters that are well-rounded, quirky, and a complete joy to read." ( Kirkus Reviews)

"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." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Another outstanding novel...a perfect combination of fun, laughable moments rounded out with some deep-seated family and relationship issues." ( Booklist)

Somewhat disappointed

Any additional comments?

I love Sophie Kinsella, but this book was not a win for me. I did finish it, but at times I didn't feel connected to the book. It was drawn out. I did enjoy the beginning, there were definitely some laugh out loud moments, but not enough to save this book for me.

Fun Story!

Good fun story. Does have a lot of the F word, if that bothers you.

love story 😍

This book was easy to listen to and a great life/love story. I recommend it.

Loved it!

I think this is Sophie Kinsella's best novel yet. So real, AND hilarious. Must read.

Romance, revenge, and some good life lessons

This enjoyable story provides romance, revenge, and some good life lessons. This is reminiscent of a good Bridget Jones' Diary style of story. Ok, so I have a soft spot for Bridget Jones, what can I say? I would like to read another book by this author, to see if she remains true to her style without reducing her story line to a constant formula she reuses ad nauseam. I gave this one 4 stars.

Awesome narration!

The story itself was funny and cute. But the narration was awesome! Normally, I wouldn't go for this genre, but it was chosen in my book club. I'm so glad that I was introduced to this book. I will definitely read more from this author and narrator!

Loved it

I'm a huge Sophie Kinsella fan. This book did not disappoint. It was light and funny and I enjoyed the antics of the main character almost as much as the Shopaholic character.

Good frothy girl in the city story

I enjoyed the story and narrator. Was disappointed to guess the plot twist a bit early. Also, the moral was a bit heavily delivered at the end. Interesting characters though.

such fun

I've always enjoyed Sophie Kinsella's wit, and this book is no exception. Fun, heartwarming and Fiona is a great narrator.

Fantastic narration

This story was sweet and charming, if not a touch predictable. I don't think this book is aiming to be anything more than a sweet satisfying rom-com and on that level it succeeds quite nicely. I am relatively new to audio and didn't want something too heavy while I was assessing how well I could listen and do non-engrossing tasks and the same time, and I must say: I was really impressed with the fantastic narration by Fiona Hardingham. A lesser performer (and I gather the director is critical here too) could have made this novel a much less satisfying listen. I am a big fan of great voiceover actors, and am aware that the art of voice acting is not fully appreciated by most consumers, especially given the somewhat recent prevalence in casting big-name actors to do voice work (especially in big budget movies, but also TV, commercials, etc) where an experienced voice actor would do a better job of bringing an animated character or voiceover to life. Listening to this I had an appreciation that audio book narration is likely something that is similarly better suited to actors who are trained, experienced and have the right skill set for this particular kind of storytelling. Bravo to Ms Hardingham for her outstanding performance. She made the world of Katie, Demita, Alex, Farmer Mick et al a very enjoyable place to visit for a while.