Books On Tour (Review): Out with the Ex, In with the New

I want to make one thing clear right away: I do not believe that I am the target demographic for this book.

I would like to think that I can read (and appreciate) across genres and age groups – I can usually find something relatable or some message that can be appreciated at any age.

I did like the many references to The Great British Bake Off. And I could sort of relate to Gemma’s job, as one of my first freelancing jobs was writing listicles and click articles just like the ones she describes. But I did that as a sideline and could not imagine hoping for that to be my sole earning potential.

And that’s why I don’t think I was the right audience for this book. Someone younger who is into the vlogging scene, who believes in the earning power of social media, and who can appreciate Gemma’s troubles would no doubt highly enjoy this book.

I was able to read it as long as I stayed remote from it (which is why there were a few parts that I enjoyed). But it did not suck me in with relatable characters and situations. That is by no means the fault of the author.

However, I was also greatly turned off by Gemma’s first day at work. I am quite tired of British authors throwing insults at the American President for no reason other than to try to make points. This passage had nothing to do with the plot and was unnecessary for character development. This is also something that a different demographic would probably also enjoy that perspective.

Honestly, as I mentioned at the beginning, I can usually read just about anything. But for some reason, this one just didn’t speak to me. I would recommend it, though, because there was some humor (the weird homeowners), and Gemma does persevere. I just couldn’t relate personally.

Author Bio

Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself. Her second, third and fourth novels followed. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.