"My Not So Perfect Life"

 by Sophie Kinsella

I am not the biggest fan of Sophie Kinsella, but I do like her books.
They are fun, easy to read, have quite good story lines and you very often can't help but exclaim: "Ah, yes, I've done that, too!" and then go into a spasm of laughter :)))

I found "My not so Perfect Life" book exactly one of those fun to read books!
It was really enjoyable and light hearted.

You can't help but feel for Katie Brenner. She is in her mid-twenties, she is young and pretty. Katie grew up on a farm in Somerset, but always dreamt about making it big in London. And so she did... Well, not exactly made big, but she moved to London and got a job in a branding company and Katie is really trying hard to fit in...
She wants to be like her boss, Demeter, she wants to be gorgeous, successful, trendy, rich and popular. But so far she has to settle for a very junior position in work, tiny apartment, stressful, commute, and a very modest salary. She can't afford to "fit in" as she dreamt, to shop in high end shops and dine in fine restaurants or go off on fancy holidays. But her instagram account has it all: perfect pictures of that perfect life with cocktails and bars, trendy cafés and shops and all the things that you are supposed to have when you got it all.
So Katie is just waiting for an opportunity to make her life perfect, to match reality and her instagram. But instead.... She gets fired! No job, no money... Luckily for her, Katie's dad is just starting a new venture on their farm and Katie goes back to help out her dad and hoping that within a few months she'll be back to that "London life" that she has always wanted.
But will she make?
Will she get back to London? Will the farm life turn out to be that bad?
More so, will Katie get a glimpse into the reality of the "perfect" lives of other people?...

I liked Katie's character. She is really likeable. And a portrayal of her life is quite detailed, in fact, at times too detailed. I found the beginning of the book a bit too slow, dwelling monotonously on the same things: Katie can't afford this, Katie can't do that... you get an idea from one scene, and when there's another five or six about the same thing, it gets boring.
I have to say, I loved Demeter! Her character is just brilliantly written! Very realistic, yet it does not give everything straight away. And she is so interesting, so fun to read about, I loved her!
I'd have liked to have more development of the story in the office, with Katie's workmates. You know, office environment, there is so much fun can happen there.
Then Alex... I dunno... I found him a bit flat. Kind of 2D in the 3D movie.
And that's what drags this book down for me in the rating. There are some great characters, like Katie and Demeter. And then there's something lacking in the portrayal of Alex or even Steve and Biddy and Katie's Dad. Steve just mentioned here and there, and every time I was like: Oh, who was that Steve again?...
Overall, it is a cheerful book, a good story.
It is definitely an enjoyable read, one of those that make you laugh out loud and feel warmer on a cold day :))