This was a mixed bag of emotions! I found myself occassionally thinking 'oh thank goodness I'm not the only one that thinks like that', and then the main character Sophie would take a step further and I would be embarassed I ever saw myself in her. It was a strange reader-character dynamic with her stream of consciousness, as I was often concerned for her sanity or health. It was funny at times and there was a phrase or two that was hard-hitting, however it did often come across a little odd. Not sure if that was a choice of Pascoe or whether it comes from it being her fiction debut. Altogether I found it an enjoyable read but not impactful enough for a raving review. Had the tone of Fleabag but a little lacking in the flair department. Still grateful to receive the proof copy!

Whilst I love Sara Pascoe and was really looking forward to this book, it did not live up to my expectations. I was expecting her wit, humour and intelligence to shine through however the story was just ok. The writing was as scatty and airheaded as the main character. I found the story very long winded and very banal although there were some funny moments. All in all a disappointment

I think if you can connect with Sophie you will have a good time with this book. Sadly, I couldn't :( And at times, quite a few, she really annoyed me. Not quite enough for me to ditch the book. But definitely enough for me to be happy to wave goodbye to her as I turned the final page. She's a victim. Some of her own making, some of her upbringing, some from other people taking advantage. But she's not a victim that you get behind. Well, I couldn't. She chased a dream that put her into debt. A LOT of debt. And she has been struggling just to keep on top of things ever since. She did have some good observations along the way though and occasionally made me chuckle with her shenanigans. So it wasn't all bad. My advice if you are unsure would be to take advantage of the "sample" facility and give her a whirl. Just cos I didn't get on with her, doesn't mean you won't. Indeed, reading other reviews, she does have plenty of other fans... Just not me.

I have really enjoyed Sara Pascoe's non-fiction works, but this novel is not for me. Sophie is a young woman trying to find her way out of the mess she has made of her life. This is all narrated by Sophie except for several breaks in the text for a series of letters and documents which undercut or explain some of the things that Sophie says. It becomes rapidly clear that Sophie has a lot of issues and makes very poor life choices, not entirely unrelated to her toxic upbringing and relationships with her family. I found the bits that were meant to be funny mostly devastatingly sad and Sophie an increasingly troubling character for whom there is no redemptive arc. I know not every book has to have a destination or a neat ending but it felt like this narrative just stopped in the middle of a life. It was well written but there were no likeable characters here and no real sense of self awareness in Sophie and I found it just too bleak.

Sophie is a broke, depressed barmaid who has overstayed in her relationship with boyfriend, Ian. Her phone is constantly full of messages from debt collectors and her life is full of monotony. Sophie’s sister is marrying Sophie’s ex-boyfriend after they bonded over what a cow Sophie is. Life is not good. Then a blast from the past walks into Sophie’s bar and reignites an old obsession. Chris is everything that Ian is not. He’s exciting and daring and he has a tan from all his time in Australia. Sophie is smitten once more. As the excrement of modern life piles on, can Sophie find a little happiness with Chris and make her wildest stalkerish dreams come true? I LOVE Sara Pascoe to a potentially unhealthy level. I love her stand up, I love her presenting, I love her non/fiction. I wanted to love this book. I didn’t. This book is ok, I guess. It passed some time. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. Sara Pascoe writes the way she speaks - with that slightly awkward naivety, childlike and without finesse - so if that’s something that irritates you about her stand up it will definitely irritate you as you read. The depiction of the adhd mind is wonderful and boldly accurate but uncomfortable to read. There should be trigger warnings for abortion and miscarriage also. TLDR: meh.