Consider Yourself Kissed

Consider Yourself Kissed ~ Jessica Stanley

It is 2013 in London, and Coralie Bower is a 29 year old Australian transplant, working as a copywriter and dreaming of writing a novel. When she meets (divorced) Adam and his young daughter, Zora, she quickly falls for them. Adam works as an author and political podcaster, and the backdrop of the novel, which takes place over the next 10 years, is Brexit and the prime ministerships of Boris Johnson and Theresa May.

As Coralie and Adam work to build their life together, his career takes off, while she is mired down in parenthood, losing her sense of self and autonomy along the way. Cheering Coralie and Adam on are her brother, Dan, Adam’s ex-wife, Marina and her Tory husband, Adam’s mother and her wife, some friends made along the way, and a poodle named Madonna.

This was an enjoyable read, I felt for Coralie as she struggled with the challenges of modern life, of maintaining her identity while handling the demands of raising children and caring for her family. Very well done, highly recommended.