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Vuxen på låtsas
Robyn är en typisk lillasyster. Hon är både kaotisk och slarvig medan storasystern Cleo gör allting perfekt. Men när Robyns glassiga mäklarliv krackelerar tvingas hon ta anställning i Cleos städfirma. Genom det nya jobbet träffar hon människor som var och en ger henne anledning att börja fundera över sitt egna stökiga liv. Och varför är det så svårt att ha en ärlig konversation med sin syster?
Vuxen på låtsas är en lika delar drabbande som hoppingivande roman om familjehemligheter, kärlek och nya chanser.
Vuxen på låtsas är en lika delar drabbande som hoppingivande roman om familjehemligheter, kärlek och nya chanser.
429 pages, Hardcover
Published February 1, 2024
102 people are currently reading
957 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Dillon
20 books971 followersLucy Dillon was born in Cumbria, worked for a while in publishing in London, and now lives in the Wye Valley with her husband and their Border terrier. She has written eight novels set in the fictional Midlands town of Longhampton, which looks a bit like Hereford, although the inhabitants tend to sound rather more Northern than that.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 137 reviews
June 8, 2024
Robyn has found herself in a bit of a pickle. After months of ignoring a growing mountain of paperwork, she dramatically ends up losing her job at an estate agents, just after her previously healthy savings accounts has been drained after choosing to invest in an up-and-coming housing redevelopment scheme, which won’t be helping her pay the rent anytime soon. However, Cleo, her older sister, is pretty desperate for extra workers to help out with her cleaning company…
I struggled a bit with this book. There’s nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t click with me. I found Robyn to be quite a frustrating main character, and felt like we were stuck going in circles a little bit with her. I did, however, quite like Jim, the fellow cleaner she’s paired with, and found them to make an interesting pair. I also adored Terry, a chatty elderly man, whose house they clean once a week.
I did like the overall progression of the story though, culminating in a pretty emotional ending. It did feel like it came somewhat out of the blue, and changed the overall feel of the book quite a bit, but I liked that. It felt true to life. Events like that do shatter the tone of your life.
I just found myself a little bit bored, but I know many others will love this book. It’s funny, witty, and sweet, and holds a pretty strong emotional centre, focusing on family, with a dash of romance. It just wasn’t fully for me.
Thank you to the publishers, and netgalley, for the copy to review.
I struggled a bit with this book. There’s nothing wrong with it, it just didn’t click with me. I found Robyn to be quite a frustrating main character, and felt like we were stuck going in circles a little bit with her. I did, however, quite like Jim, the fellow cleaner she’s paired with, and found them to make an interesting pair. I also adored Terry, a chatty elderly man, whose house they clean once a week.
I did like the overall progression of the story though, culminating in a pretty emotional ending. It did feel like it came somewhat out of the blue, and changed the overall feel of the book quite a bit, but I liked that. It felt true to life. Events like that do shatter the tone of your life.
I just found myself a little bit bored, but I know many others will love this book. It’s funny, witty, and sweet, and holds a pretty strong emotional centre, focusing on family, with a dash of romance. It just wasn’t fully for me.
Thank you to the publishers, and netgalley, for the copy to review.
August 27, 2024
Välskriven roman som jag trodde skulle vara någon slags feelgood, men som jag snarare stundvis mådde så dåligt över eftersom jag verkligen kände med huvudpersonen Robyn. Det är min första Lucy Dillon och jag känner mig redo och/eller taggad för nästa!
Språk: 75 % - ytterst funktionellt men utan en speciell ton eller jargong. Välskriven romanprosa bara.
Handling: 90 % - väldigt väl uppbyggt!
Mitt engagemang: 80% - jag tappade det lite i mitten men på det stora hela var det nästan i topp hela tiden.
Karaktärer: 100% - vilken bedrift det är när man lyckas göra karaktärer som är såpass mänskliga att det känns som om man suttit där och hört dom berätta historien själva. Robyn har alla möjliga tillkortakommanden men hon är ändå sympatisk. Även när hon gör riktigt dumma saker förstår man henne och vill att det ska gå bra för henne.
Originalitet: 75% - en roman som handlar såhär mycket om städning, det kanske är ett genomgående tema för de senaste årens stora boksucceer (tänk Rent hus eller Städerskan) men det görs på detaljnivå här. Dillon får det till och med att bli intressant. Sen är det ju en vanlig drama/rom/com-film uppbyggnad med sina förutsägbara delar men dom stör mig inte.
Slutet: 85 % - extra guldstjärna för att det inte var så där sockerkladdigt som ett feelgoodslut gärna blir. Men så är det här mer Liane Moriarty meets Marian Keyes än Ali McNara och alla tiktokböcker.
Stannar boken med mig?: 60 %
Total läsvärdhet: 80,7 %
Språk: 75 % - ytterst funktionellt men utan en speciell ton eller jargong. Välskriven romanprosa bara.
Handling: 90 % - väldigt väl uppbyggt!
Mitt engagemang: 80% - jag tappade det lite i mitten men på det stora hela var det nästan i topp hela tiden.
Karaktärer: 100% - vilken bedrift det är när man lyckas göra karaktärer som är såpass mänskliga att det känns som om man suttit där och hört dom berätta historien själva. Robyn har alla möjliga tillkortakommanden men hon är ändå sympatisk. Även när hon gör riktigt dumma saker förstår man henne och vill att det ska gå bra för henne.
Originalitet: 75% - en roman som handlar såhär mycket om städning, det kanske är ett genomgående tema för de senaste årens stora boksucceer (tänk Rent hus eller Städerskan) men det görs på detaljnivå här. Dillon får det till och med att bli intressant. Sen är det ju en vanlig drama/rom/com-film uppbyggnad med sina förutsägbara delar men dom stör mig inte.
Slutet: 85 % - extra guldstjärna för att det inte var så där sockerkladdigt som ett feelgoodslut gärna blir. Men så är det här mer Liane Moriarty meets Marian Keyes än Ali McNara och alla tiktokböcker.
Stannar boken med mig?: 60 %
Total läsvärdhet: 80,7 %
May 27, 2024
Lucy Dillon's Irresponsible Adult is an NA coming-of-age that warms the heart.
Exploring themes such as family, relationships and work tied together with the impending doom that adulthood often feels like, Irresponsible Adult explores what it is to be in your early 20s with no idea where you are going or how you got where you are.
The characters are complex and relatable, there is a hint of romance but this is in no way a focal point of the novel. I would absolutely read more of Lucy's work in the future.
'Robyn?' Jim's voice sounded a long way away. 'Are you oK?'
'No,' I said. 'I'm not OK. I'm the worst person I know.'
I was invested from the start of this novel, but I could not put the book down for the last 50% and read it in one go.
One note I have is that I do wish the issues had been explored in a bit more depth. I felt as though the ending was rushed and loose ends not tied up as well as they could have been, (although they were wrapped up and I wasn't left wondering!)
This is a story about emerging into yourself throughout Adulthood and shows that you continue to grow astronomically as a person, even when you have left your teens. This book also sees a late ADHD diagnoses and realisation which was handled and portrayed wonderfully.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Lucy Dillon for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
Exploring themes such as family, relationships and work tied together with the impending doom that adulthood often feels like, Irresponsible Adult explores what it is to be in your early 20s with no idea where you are going or how you got where you are.
The characters are complex and relatable, there is a hint of romance but this is in no way a focal point of the novel. I would absolutely read more of Lucy's work in the future.
'Robyn?' Jim's voice sounded a long way away. 'Are you oK?'
'No,' I said. 'I'm not OK. I'm the worst person I know.'
I was invested from the start of this novel, but I could not put the book down for the last 50% and read it in one go.
One note I have is that I do wish the issues had been explored in a bit more depth. I felt as though the ending was rushed and loose ends not tied up as well as they could have been, (although they were wrapped up and I wasn't left wondering!)
This is a story about emerging into yourself throughout Adulthood and shows that you continue to grow astronomically as a person, even when you have left your teens. This book also sees a late ADHD diagnoses and realisation which was handled and portrayed wonderfully.
Thankyou to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and Lucy Dillon for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
August 30, 2025
A much better read than her last one.
Yes, it did drag a bit, and felt it could have been made tighter, especially the Mitch storyline, and her mother’s backstory came out of the blue really, but I did enjoy it, especially Jim.
I can vouch for Longhampton being based on Hereford, as the book mentions The Beefy Boys, a fantastic burger restaurant, highly recommended if you’re near one of their places.
Yes, it did drag a bit, and felt it could have been made tighter, especially the Mitch storyline, and her mother’s backstory came out of the blue really, but I did enjoy it, especially Jim.
I can vouch for Longhampton being based on Hereford, as the book mentions The Beefy Boys, a fantastic burger restaurant, highly recommended if you’re near one of their places.
May 23, 2024
There is something about this author's writing that speaks to my soul - I love it! One of my most favourite reads of the past few years was Where the light gets in which is a heart-warming read that has stayed with me - this is another book by this author that will remain with me. it's funny, witty and written in a way that you are rooting for the heroine, Robyn who might not be the best at admin but has a heart of gold and I would imagine many women in their 20s can relate to her. An absolute 5 star review from me and I will be recommending it to anyone that will listen!
December 5, 2025
Det gör ont att behöva ge den så få stjärnor men denna var inte bra alltså… Lucy Dillon lyckas alltid får mig att må bättre med hennes mysigt historier om en brittisk småstad med massor av vänskap, hundar och mys. Men denna gav mig inte det alls.
Den första boken i den här småstadsserien utgavs typ 2010 och sättet hon skrev på då gav en sån känsla som hennes nyaste böcker tyvärr inte ger. ”Vuxen på låtsas” är från 2023 och innehåller för många referenser till nutiden och har ett helt annat språk som gör att den här mysfaktorn som Lucy annars ALLTID får till försvinner.
Dessutom gillade jag inte riktigt storyn för det var inga hundar med (😭), karaktärer bara kom och gick - det här med vänskap fanns knappt med. Huvudkaraktären hade inga bra vänner vid bokens start och i slutet hade hon inga nya heller😂 Så det sög. Sedan brukar hennes tidigare karaktärer nästan alltid vara med i något inslag och det älskar jag. Men såklart inte i denna skam.
Men vänta! Det fanns en kille med så boken kanske inte var så kass… fast JO! Han vara hennes kollega och först gillade de inte varann, men sen började de typ göra det? Och när jag säger gilla menar jag som vänner. Oklart när det hela började förvandlas till kärlek men de blev ”tillsammans” på seriöst sista sidan. Eller han bjöd typ ut henne och sen var boken slut. Eh…? Nej tack. Jag vill ha tension, lite blickar, asså NÅGON antydning till känslor men allt var bara så stelt och ytligt.
Längtar att få läsa en LD bok som åtminstone har en hund med.
Den första boken i den här småstadsserien utgavs typ 2010 och sättet hon skrev på då gav en sån känsla som hennes nyaste böcker tyvärr inte ger. ”Vuxen på låtsas” är från 2023 och innehåller för många referenser till nutiden och har ett helt annat språk som gör att den här mysfaktorn som Lucy annars ALLTID får till försvinner.
Dessutom gillade jag inte riktigt storyn för det var inga hundar med (😭), karaktärer bara kom och gick - det här med vänskap fanns knappt med. Huvudkaraktären hade inga bra vänner vid bokens start och i slutet hade hon inga nya heller😂 Så det sög. Sedan brukar hennes tidigare karaktärer nästan alltid vara med i något inslag och det älskar jag. Men såklart inte i denna skam.
Men vänta! Det fanns en kille med så boken kanske inte var så kass… fast JO! Han vara hennes kollega och först gillade de inte varann, men sen började de typ göra det? Och när jag säger gilla menar jag som vänner. Oklart när det hela började förvandlas till kärlek men de blev ”tillsammans” på seriöst sista sidan. Eller han bjöd typ ut henne och sen var boken slut. Eh…? Nej tack. Jag vill ha tension, lite blickar, asså NÅGON antydning till känslor men allt var bara så stelt och ytligt.
Längtar att få läsa en LD bok som åtminstone har en hund med.
June 16, 2024
It was a good book. Really. It was complex, skilfully interweaving some really interesting threads together. There are plenty of subplots, very different, that - surprisingly - work really well together, are really well balanced. And I really enjoyed the fact that the book explores those different themes, such as family dynamics, relationships, your everyday chaos, work, without knowing where you are going, what you're actually doing. However, I am not buying into this adult ADHD, because according to the symptoms listed in the book, I think at least 99% of my friends and colleagues have adult ADHD, me included.
I enjoyed the characters, that are really well developed, and I also enjoyed the fact that there is some of romance interest but it's absolutely not overwhelming the story, brilliantly fitting itself into the whole plot. It was lovely and refreshing to read a story with a great leading character that has problems that you can relate to, and not love problems that would be solved in a second if the characters talked to each other - really, trully refreshing and enjoyable.
While there were moments that the story wasn't progressing and we were moving in circles with Robyn, overall I enjoyed it. I liked where it led to and I liked how it focused on things that you usually don't get so often in books. It was written in a light and engaging way, it was witty and poignant and relatable.
I enjoyed the characters, that are really well developed, and I also enjoyed the fact that there is some of romance interest but it's absolutely not overwhelming the story, brilliantly fitting itself into the whole plot. It was lovely and refreshing to read a story with a great leading character that has problems that you can relate to, and not love problems that would be solved in a second if the characters talked to each other - really, trully refreshing and enjoyable.
While there were moments that the story wasn't progressing and we were moving in circles with Robyn, overall I enjoyed it. I liked where it led to and I liked how it focused on things that you usually don't get so often in books. It was written in a light and engaging way, it was witty and poignant and relatable.
May 13, 2024
At the beginning of Irresponsible Adult, our main character Robyn is verging on smug (which almost put me off - you have to keep reading).
She's making sales left, right and centre in her estate agent job and she's about to make a huge investment that could set her up for the future.
But then she's fired, and all her money's tied up, and the only thing she can do is help out at her sister's cleaning company, which yes, she looks down at a little bit. Sister Chloe is clearly going through issues of her own but not willing to talk about it, her mum is keeping secrets of a different variety, and the guy she is paired with on various cleaning jobs is so serious about it, it's enough to drive her mad.
Robyn can't work out why her life is falling apart all of a sudden, or why she seems so unequipped to deal with it.
Essentially, Robyn needs to figure out what being an adult means, whether it's finally understanding why it's so vital to take accountability, or uncovering exactly why she might be struggling so much and the steps she can take to improve things.
There's some romance in there, but the book is more than that too; it's about making good but difficult choices so you can be the person you want to be.
And that, for me, is what makes it a memorable and enjoyable read.
She's making sales left, right and centre in her estate agent job and she's about to make a huge investment that could set her up for the future.
But then she's fired, and all her money's tied up, and the only thing she can do is help out at her sister's cleaning company, which yes, she looks down at a little bit. Sister Chloe is clearly going through issues of her own but not willing to talk about it, her mum is keeping secrets of a different variety, and the guy she is paired with on various cleaning jobs is so serious about it, it's enough to drive her mad.
Robyn can't work out why her life is falling apart all of a sudden, or why she seems so unequipped to deal with it.
Essentially, Robyn needs to figure out what being an adult means, whether it's finally understanding why it's so vital to take accountability, or uncovering exactly why she might be struggling so much and the steps she can take to improve things.
There's some romance in there, but the book is more than that too; it's about making good but difficult choices so you can be the person you want to be.
And that, for me, is what makes it a memorable and enjoyable read.
September 21, 2024
This book had a good start with steady pacing. I loved the sisters and mum dynamic. However all the cleaning jobs were a bit repetative. Mitch was a red flag to begin with and I knew it was a scam Robyn was getting herself into. The story dragged on as I personally wanted a conclusion where Robyn finally joins the dots and realises shes been duped. But this doesn't happen till the end of the book. Jims character felt like cardbroad dry and boring. Overall i was hoping more from this story it was so predicatable that when the events unfolded I was like yeh i knew that was going to happen 5 chapters earlier. Im suprised this has been given so many good reveiws from fellow authors did we all read the same book?! The marketing scammed me. Perhaps im not the right audiance for this book it felt very white washed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2024
I'm such a strong fan of Lucy Dillon's books and whilst this one is maybe more of a serious look at adulthood and there's less dog-related content than previously, it is so well written and thought-provoking.
Initially, I am sure most readers will be banging their heads in dismay at Robyn's actions (or lack of) as I was, yet as the story develops we see why this is, we also understand so much about her relationship with her sister Cleo and why their Mum is so closed off about discussing her own family.
I thought the representation in this book was brilliantly done and whilst I felt the ending just slightly lacked a little bit of depth, particularly on the romance side, I really loved the character development and story arc.
Initially, I am sure most readers will be banging their heads in dismay at Robyn's actions (or lack of) as I was, yet as the story develops we see why this is, we also understand so much about her relationship with her sister Cleo and why their Mum is so closed off about discussing her own family.
I thought the representation in this book was brilliantly done and whilst I felt the ending just slightly lacked a little bit of depth, particularly on the romance side, I really loved the character development and story arc.
January 4, 2025
too much cleaning
October 19, 2025
https://lottensbokblogg.wordpress.com...
I början av oktober ville jag ha en pocket att läsa på resa och då passade det bra att kombinera det med Makeutmaningen och välja Vuxen på låtsas av Lucy Dillon.
Vuxen på låtsas är den elfte (!) boken i Lucy Dillons Longhamptonserie. En sak jag gillar med den serien är att man inte måste ha läst tidigare böcker, för de är inte beroende av varandra även om det finns beröringspunkter. Jag har tidigare läst tre böcker i den serien, men den senaste var 2017.
Vuxen på låtsas är en fin skildring om syskonrelationer, familj och att vilja förändra sitt liv. Robyn, som är huvudpersonen, har inte fått struktur på sitt liv, och till sist så förlorar hon sitt jobb. Motvilligt så anställer hennes syster Cleo henne i sitt städföretag vilket blir en utmaning för Robyn.
Ganska snart så tänker jag i banorna att Robyns utmaningar skulle kunna vara kopplade till ADHD/ADD, inte minst för att jag känner igen utmaningarna med att få struktur i sitt liv samtidigt som personer runt omkring mest tycker man ska ”skärpa till sig”. Lucy Dillon beskriver Robyn på ett naturligt och fint sätt, utan att döma. Jag gillar också fokuset på familjerelationerna i Vuxen på låtsas, och hur det blir en resa för hela familjen. Romantiken finns också, men det är inte huvudsaken. Samtidigt så tycker jag att lösningen på Robyns utmaningar kommer lite fort och enkelt, även om det antyds att hon får externt stöd.
Lucy Dillon är bra på att berätta en historia. Men jag känner ändå en viss distans till texten, den slukar mig aldrig, trots att läsningen och språket flyter bra. En detalj som jag verkligen gillar är städtipsen som varje kapitel börjar med. Kanske extra mycket för det är just sådant som en person med diagnos som har svårt att få till städningen kan behöva.
Betyg: 4-
I början av oktober ville jag ha en pocket att läsa på resa och då passade det bra att kombinera det med Makeutmaningen och välja Vuxen på låtsas av Lucy Dillon.
Vuxen på låtsas är den elfte (!) boken i Lucy Dillons Longhamptonserie. En sak jag gillar med den serien är att man inte måste ha läst tidigare böcker, för de är inte beroende av varandra även om det finns beröringspunkter. Jag har tidigare läst tre böcker i den serien, men den senaste var 2017.
Vuxen på låtsas är en fin skildring om syskonrelationer, familj och att vilja förändra sitt liv. Robyn, som är huvudpersonen, har inte fått struktur på sitt liv, och till sist så förlorar hon sitt jobb. Motvilligt så anställer hennes syster Cleo henne i sitt städföretag vilket blir en utmaning för Robyn.
Ganska snart så tänker jag i banorna att Robyns utmaningar skulle kunna vara kopplade till ADHD/ADD, inte minst för att jag känner igen utmaningarna med att få struktur i sitt liv samtidigt som personer runt omkring mest tycker man ska ”skärpa till sig”. Lucy Dillon beskriver Robyn på ett naturligt och fint sätt, utan att döma. Jag gillar också fokuset på familjerelationerna i Vuxen på låtsas, och hur det blir en resa för hela familjen. Romantiken finns också, men det är inte huvudsaken. Samtidigt så tycker jag att lösningen på Robyns utmaningar kommer lite fort och enkelt, även om det antyds att hon får externt stöd.
Lucy Dillon är bra på att berätta en historia. Men jag känner ändå en viss distans till texten, den slukar mig aldrig, trots att läsningen och språket flyter bra. En detalj som jag verkligen gillar är städtipsen som varje kapitel börjar med. Kanske extra mycket för det är just sådant som en person med diagnos som har svårt att få till städningen kan behöva.
Betyg: 4-
March 4, 2024
Lucy Dillon är en av mina favoritförfattare men trots det tog det emot att börja läsa boken vuxen på låtsas, då Jag tyckte omslaget var så j**** fult. Ser sååå tråkigt ut och skriker rosa och sen i kombination med det ännu värre gröna namnet. Framsidan kan verkligen ta bort all min läslängtan eller få mig att köpa endast därför om det lockar och detta skrämde bort mig. Men i alla fall så tog jag upp denna boken och man blir ju inte besviken då Lucy väldigt ofta har en fantastisk träffsäkerhet i att skriva så sarkastiskt och hysteriskt roligt att man inte kan hålla sig för ett gapskratt, oavsett om man sitter på en fullknökad buss och alla vänder sig om eller ligger vaken och läser. Denna boken gör en inte besviken och det är flertalet meningar och kommentarer som man önskar att man hade lagrat i hårddisken i huvudet för att ha i tid och otid och kunnat slänga ur sig vid rätt tillfälle. Skrattar så tårarna rinner stundtals trots att man egentligen lipade för man var berörd. Men nejdå. Hon lättar upp det tunga.
Gillar även att det är härliga städtips i hela boken och boken har en fin Story faktiskt.
En lite oväntad upplösning och twist
Gillar även att det är härliga städtips i hela boken och boken har en fin Story faktiskt.
En lite oväntad upplösning och twist
April 1, 2024
Irresponsible Adult by Lucy Dillon is the perfect book to read to feel warm and fluffy after a hard day. It's a quick read and it is lovely, relatable, witty and fun
Previously a successful estate agent, Robyn becomes overwhelmed by work, then life, and has a huge wake-up call when her sister Chloe offers her a job. Robyn thinks she will be doing the marketing for Chloe's cleaning company but nope, here comes one heckuva wake-up call and life change
Lucy Dillon writes in a way that is very relatable, a great wit and says the quiet part out loud. Fun, a great concept with some blinding twists and all in all lovely read
Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Lucy Dillon for this lovely ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
Previously a successful estate agent, Robyn becomes overwhelmed by work, then life, and has a huge wake-up call when her sister Chloe offers her a job. Robyn thinks she will be doing the marketing for Chloe's cleaning company but nope, here comes one heckuva wake-up call and life change
Lucy Dillon writes in a way that is very relatable, a great wit and says the quiet part out loud. Fun, a great concept with some blinding twists and all in all lovely read
Thank you to Netgalley, Hodder & Stoughton and the author Lucy Dillon for this lovely ARC. My review is left voluntarily and all opinions are my own
August 2, 2024
Lucy Dillon has a lovely way of writing about complex issues in a delicate way, in a way no other author of this genre is capable of (save perhaps marian keyes latest books). And every book I have read from her (which happens to be all) keeps proving to me why she is my favourite author in this genre. I couldn’t put this book down and I enjoyed every minute I read it. My only slightest of slight disappointment was that it ended almost too well, everything neatly wrapped up satisfactorily. For a cozy and wholesome read it was perfect.
November 22, 2025
An easy to read story, focused mainly on Robyn who is an estate agent struggling to keep her life in order. Her sister is super organised and runs a successful cleaning business, and it seems everything is going right for her and wrong for Robyn.
Due to mistakes at work catching up with her, Robyn has to swallow her pride and work for her sister. This change of circumstance give her time to reflect on her own behaviours, and ultimately work out what she wants from life. Some great characters, and a very satisfying story.
Due to mistakes at work catching up with her, Robyn has to swallow her pride and work for her sister. This change of circumstance give her time to reflect on her own behaviours, and ultimately work out what she wants from life. Some great characters, and a very satisfying story.
October 21, 2024
⭐ 4.5 stars
February 9, 2025
What an unexpectedly brilliant book!
I couldn’t put it down just before halfway I absolutely fell in love with it
I couldn’t put it down just before halfway I absolutely fell in love with it
March 12, 2025
Svag trea. Förutsägbar men ändå med lite oväntat inslag.
February 10, 2025
Loved this! Some unexpected twists and turns and an extremely relatable lead character that I was routing for from the start.
April 10, 2024
Irresponsible Adult as a nice and warm feelgood book to cosy up with. I raced through it, as I quicky became engrossed in Robyn's story. In the first part of the book, I found Robyn frustrating as a main character, but really enjoyed her character development and how she slowly finds her way in life. The supporting character were well written, mainly Jim and Robyn's mum en sister. The different storylines were intriguing for me and kept me reading on and on!
I liked how Robyn worked together and later connected with Jim. Her character's development, partly thanks to Jim, was not always big or over the top, but Robyn slowly becomes more aware of her own challenges and how she can navigate in life. I really enjoyed how Jim helped her show that and how their friendship develops.
It was my first Lucy Dillon book and will definitely pick up more of her books in the future!
Thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked how Robyn worked together and later connected with Jim. Her character's development, partly thanks to Jim, was not always big or over the top, but Robyn slowly becomes more aware of her own challenges and how she can navigate in life. I really enjoyed how Jim helped her show that and how their friendship develops.
It was my first Lucy Dillon book and will definitely pick up more of her books in the future!
Thanks to the publisher for providing a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
August 19, 2024
Robyn and her sister Cleo couldn't be more different. Cleo is a capable mother of three with a mortgage and her own successful cleaning business (which Robyn is privately convinced is a way of exerting control over the world by way of eradicating other people's cobwebs and ensuring their skirting boards meet her exacting standards). Meanwhile, Robyn coasts through life, hoping that no one will notice that she has no idea what she's doing. When her chaos catches up to her at work, Robyn is forced to turn to Cleo for help, promising that she'll finally start taking responsibility in return.
Robyn is a character who will be relatable to many readers who are at - or who have been at - a similar point in their lives: feeling directionless at work; making poor decisions in dating, and navigating complicated family relationships. She is incredibly frustrating at times, but as we come to learn more about her, her actions and responses make more sense. This is also true of Cleo, and of their mother, whose devastating back story is hinted at throughout the book and revealed towards the end in a sad, not entirely satisfying way that feels very true to life.
From the moment Robyn first describes her struggles with focus and organisation at work and at home, I guessed that she had ADHD, and I applaud author Lucy Dillon for highlighting this condition, which is consistently under-diagnosed in girls or women. Even if the book had concluded with Robyn single and still unlucky in love - which was never going to happen in this type of book - for her to reach the point of understanding that she isn't just as failure at life, and to discover strategies to help her is a happy ending in and of itself.
There is a romantic subplot, but I appreciated that it was not the focus of the story, but rather a manifestation of Robyn's struggles and then of the more settled place she reaches by the end of the book.
Dillon writes with warmth and humour, and this particularly shines through in some of the supporting characters, such as Jim, the serious, conscientious cleaner who is tasked with showing Robyn the ropes, and Terry, an elderly man who is one of their regular clients. It is through the relationships with these characters in particular that we see the caring, perceptive person that Robyn is at heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
Robyn is a character who will be relatable to many readers who are at - or who have been at - a similar point in their lives: feeling directionless at work; making poor decisions in dating, and navigating complicated family relationships. She is incredibly frustrating at times, but as we come to learn more about her, her actions and responses make more sense. This is also true of Cleo, and of their mother, whose devastating back story is hinted at throughout the book and revealed towards the end in a sad, not entirely satisfying way that feels very true to life.
From the moment Robyn first describes her struggles with focus and organisation at work and at home, I guessed that she had ADHD, and I applaud author Lucy Dillon for highlighting this condition, which is consistently under-diagnosed in girls or women. Even if the book had concluded with Robyn single and still unlucky in love - which was never going to happen in this type of book - for her to reach the point of understanding that she isn't just as failure at life, and to discover strategies to help her is a happy ending in and of itself.
There is a romantic subplot, but I appreciated that it was not the focus of the story, but rather a manifestation of Robyn's struggles and then of the more settled place she reaches by the end of the book.
Dillon writes with warmth and humour, and this particularly shines through in some of the supporting characters, such as Jim, the serious, conscientious cleaner who is tasked with showing Robyn the ropes, and Terry, an elderly man who is one of their regular clients. It is through the relationships with these characters in particular that we see the caring, perceptive person that Robyn is at heart.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book.
July 11, 2024
This book seems like a beautiful tribute to the turbulent sisterhood and the centuries old cleaning hacks mixed with some melodrama and filial secrets. Even before picking it up, I was expecting it to be amazing and fortunately this one didn’t disappoint me at all.
A protagonist in her mid 30s with a track record of occasional irresponsibility goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions as she moves here and there in search of a livelihood right when she’s sacked eventually embracing her darkest nightmare of working as a cleaner. Every page makes you turn the next one to know what more can happen to Robyn apart from the worst fate she’s already accepting.
Reading it made me build two opinions; in the first half, I hated Robyn for her inefficiency, childishness and forgetfulness (which could have resulted in a death god forbid), but as you move on to the second half of the book, it’s Cleo who takes her role of being the family’s villain and her stupid justification of her acts. By the end, you almost start loving both the sisters as if they are your own. And of course, Jim tends to be the sweetheart and savior. There are a few scenes which appeared to me as beautifully written (special reference to the shower coming off scene, the cosy cottage photography, and one final act for confession). Thank you Lucy for creating those scenes because that made me the ship sail. Besides, I loved all the wisdom offered by Jim.
This one offers you everything; the good, the bad, the worst, some property hacks and cleaning tips alongside a major villain (who’s really the bad guy). So it’s a complete package of emotions you are going to unwind page by page. I highlighted the cleaning tips for my own use (which I doubt I will ever be using but for the time, I really want to try them out). There are fair chances you can fall in love with the book, the only downside is it’s length (which could have been reduced a bit because it sounded repetitive by the second half in terms of the family secrets. Though Dillon definitely came out of the writer’s block by the end and provided us with a fine resolution.
A protagonist in her mid 30s with a track record of occasional irresponsibility goes through a rollercoaster ride of emotions as she moves here and there in search of a livelihood right when she’s sacked eventually embracing her darkest nightmare of working as a cleaner. Every page makes you turn the next one to know what more can happen to Robyn apart from the worst fate she’s already accepting.
Reading it made me build two opinions; in the first half, I hated Robyn for her inefficiency, childishness and forgetfulness (which could have resulted in a death god forbid), but as you move on to the second half of the book, it’s Cleo who takes her role of being the family’s villain and her stupid justification of her acts. By the end, you almost start loving both the sisters as if they are your own. And of course, Jim tends to be the sweetheart and savior. There are a few scenes which appeared to me as beautifully written (special reference to the shower coming off scene, the cosy cottage photography, and one final act for confession). Thank you Lucy for creating those scenes because that made me the ship sail. Besides, I loved all the wisdom offered by Jim.
This one offers you everything; the good, the bad, the worst, some property hacks and cleaning tips alongside a major villain (who’s really the bad guy). So it’s a complete package of emotions you are going to unwind page by page. I highlighted the cleaning tips for my own use (which I doubt I will ever be using but for the time, I really want to try them out). There are fair chances you can fall in love with the book, the only downside is it’s length (which could have been reduced a bit because it sounded repetitive by the second half in terms of the family secrets. Though Dillon definitely came out of the writer’s block by the end and provided us with a fine resolution.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 15, 2024
This was a really good read...
The main character in this story was Robyn, she's an estate agent but is quite overwhelmed with life and always feels less than her sister Cleo, who seems to get special treatment from their parent's all the time, Cleo can do no wrong. Cleo has her own business, a cleaning company, Taylor Maid, where there are a team under her who clean lots of houses and offices.
Robyn is the opposite of Cleo, she's not responsible at all, she has no dependents and she can't even keep plants alive. Cleo has two children and is married. In her job at the estate agency, Robyn makes a mistake which leads to a very unhappy customer and a public shaming of Robyn, which goes viral on the internet. This leads to Robyn losing her job, so with some encouragement from her mum, Cleo offers Robyn a job for a while until she finds something else. Robyn sold her house and is now in rented accommodation but makes plans to put her money into an investment which is being developed, and looks forward to living in a lovely garden apartment.
Robyn's first day soon arrives working for Cleo, where she expects to be helping with social media or something online, but it turns out Cleo is short of cleaners and she's pairing her up with Jim to clean. After the initial shock, she goes ahead with Jim. What starts as a strained relationship with Jim, Robyn not keen on cleaning and following Jim's rules, it eventually turns into a warm friendship and Robyn has to rely on Jim to help her out when her financial investment wasn't all it was made out to be. Robyn was deceived by someone she cared for, and Jim and Cleo help her through it.
I really enjoyed the pace of this story, the chapters were quite long but not overly. There's a secret running through the story which is touched upon but not revealed until the end of the book, where Cleo had a shock revelation from her parents, and this was a really interesting twist in the story. I loved the relationship of the sisters and the way the story read kept me interested and kept me wanting to read.
The main character in this story was Robyn, she's an estate agent but is quite overwhelmed with life and always feels less than her sister Cleo, who seems to get special treatment from their parent's all the time, Cleo can do no wrong. Cleo has her own business, a cleaning company, Taylor Maid, where there are a team under her who clean lots of houses and offices.
Robyn is the opposite of Cleo, she's not responsible at all, she has no dependents and she can't even keep plants alive. Cleo has two children and is married. In her job at the estate agency, Robyn makes a mistake which leads to a very unhappy customer and a public shaming of Robyn, which goes viral on the internet. This leads to Robyn losing her job, so with some encouragement from her mum, Cleo offers Robyn a job for a while until she finds something else. Robyn sold her house and is now in rented accommodation but makes plans to put her money into an investment which is being developed, and looks forward to living in a lovely garden apartment.
Robyn's first day soon arrives working for Cleo, where she expects to be helping with social media or something online, but it turns out Cleo is short of cleaners and she's pairing her up with Jim to clean. After the initial shock, she goes ahead with Jim. What starts as a strained relationship with Jim, Robyn not keen on cleaning and following Jim's rules, it eventually turns into a warm friendship and Robyn has to rely on Jim to help her out when her financial investment wasn't all it was made out to be. Robyn was deceived by someone she cared for, and Jim and Cleo help her through it.
I really enjoyed the pace of this story, the chapters were quite long but not overly. There's a secret running through the story which is touched upon but not revealed until the end of the book, where Cleo had a shock revelation from her parents, and this was a really interesting twist in the story. I loved the relationship of the sisters and the way the story read kept me interested and kept me wanting to read.
May 25, 2024
“All to do lists should contain the instructions ‘have a cup of tea’.”
(All mine do!)
Robyn and Cleo are sisters with very different attitudes to life. Cleo has her family and her cleaning business, while Robyn struggles to keep her plants alive. After being sacked from her estate agent job, very publicly and humiliatingly, she takes on a cleaning role in her sisters business alongside serious, stern neat freak Jim. There she learns a lot about herself and secrets that can’t stay hidden forever.
Very thankful to be approved for an ARC of this on NetGalley. Thank you @lucydillonbooks @netgalley
One of my favourite things about this book was the useful cleaning tips before the start of each chapter. I thought that was a nice touch.
I haven’t read a book like this in a while that’s not a thriller or something extravagantly unrealistic, it’s purely just real life, (which actually to me is scarier than a thriller). It lead to me having severe stomach pains (I have a pathetically weak stomach anyway) because it was quite painful the self realisation Robyn had to go through and about a third of the way through I got the feeling it was building up to something (AND BOY DID IT!) so I remained tense throughout.
BUT I really enjoyed it, the character development, the overall storyline, as heartbreaking as it was. My only very minor criticism would be that the denouement (what a great word! My mum taught me it recently) happened very quickly, I almost felt like I didn’t have time to process what had happened before the book was over. It was very unexpected and I like being shocked by a book.
I would absolutely recommend this book. It was published 2 days ago so is available to buy!
Robyn and Cleo are sisters with very different attitudes to life. Cleo has her family and her cleaning business, while Robyn struggles to keep her plants alive. After being sacked from her estate agent job, very publicly and humiliatingly, she takes on a cleaning role in her sisters business alongside serious, stern neat freak Jim. There she learns a lot about herself and secrets that can’t stay hidden forever.
Very thankful to be approved for an ARC of this on NetGalley. Thank you @lucydillonbooks @netgalley
One of my favourite things about this book was the useful cleaning tips before the start of each chapter. I thought that was a nice touch.
I haven’t read a book like this in a while that’s not a thriller or something extravagantly unrealistic, it’s purely just real life, (which actually to me is scarier than a thriller). It lead to me having severe stomach pains (I have a pathetically weak stomach anyway) because it was quite painful the self realisation Robyn had to go through and about a third of the way through I got the feeling it was building up to something (AND BOY DID IT!) so I remained tense throughout.
BUT I really enjoyed it, the character development, the overall storyline, as heartbreaking as it was. My only very minor criticism would be that the denouement (what a great word! My mum taught me it recently) happened very quickly, I almost felt like I didn’t have time to process what had happened before the book was over. It was very unexpected and I like being shocked by a book.
I would absolutely recommend this book. It was published 2 days ago so is available to buy!
October 13, 2024
First there is the review in Italian then the English one - Prima c'è la recensione in italiano poi quella in inglese
Direi 4.4.
Letto in inglese.
Molto godibile e brillante. I personaggi sono persone e complesse, che affrontano le difficoltà con fatica e speranza. Si aiutano a vicenda anche a mettere limiti a chi si approfitta.
Alcune citazioni
“Come ha detto papà in un momento di incertezza, ci sono tre lati in ogni storia. Quella di lui, quella di lei e la verità”.
“Non si può rimanere bloccati su quello che sarebbe potuto essere. Si cresce come persona finché non si muore. Questo comporta la spalatura del letame e un po' di pioggia”.
“Non è arrivato nulla. Solo l'abbraccio. Poi ho capito che quando un abbraccio può essere così eloquente, non c'è bisogno di parole. Era un abbraccio che diceva 'non parlare, ...'”.
I would say 4.4.
Read in English.
Very enjoyable and brilliant. The characters are people and complex, facing difficulties with both effort and hope. They also help each other to put limits on those who take advantage.
Some quotes
“as Dad said in an unguarded moment, there are three sides to every story. His side, her side and the truth”.
“You can’t get stuck on what might have been. You’re growing as a person until you die. That involves the shovelling of manure and some rain”.
“nothing came. Just the hug. Then I realised that when a hug can be so eloquent, you don’t need words. It was a hug that said 'don’t speak, stinker'”.
Direi 4.4.
Letto in inglese.
Molto godibile e brillante. I personaggi sono persone e complesse, che affrontano le difficoltà con fatica e speranza. Si aiutano a vicenda anche a mettere limiti a chi si approfitta.
Alcune citazioni
“Come ha detto papà in un momento di incertezza, ci sono tre lati in ogni storia. Quella di lui, quella di lei e la verità”.
“Non si può rimanere bloccati su quello che sarebbe potuto essere. Si cresce come persona finché non si muore. Questo comporta la spalatura del letame e un po' di pioggia”.
“Non è arrivato nulla. Solo l'abbraccio. Poi ho capito che quando un abbraccio può essere così eloquente, non c'è bisogno di parole. Era un abbraccio che diceva 'non parlare, ...'”.
I would say 4.4.
Read in English.
Very enjoyable and brilliant. The characters are people and complex, facing difficulties with both effort and hope. They also help each other to put limits on those who take advantage.
Some quotes
“as Dad said in an unguarded moment, there are three sides to every story. His side, her side and the truth”.
“You can’t get stuck on what might have been. You’re growing as a person until you die. That involves the shovelling of manure and some rain”.
“nothing came. Just the hug. Then I realised that when a hug can be so eloquent, you don’t need words. It was a hug that said 'don’t speak, stinker'”.
March 29, 2024
What a great read! Some great twists that I didn’t see coming, and some great cleaning tips.
Robyn had a lot of relatable qualities, she’s coasting by hoping it’s enough and hoping she’s being ‘adult’ enough. You could see she was struggling from the beginning, she felt overwhelmed by life, by paperwork, time management, and forming friendship bonds. We see her growing and learning, Jim is great at helping her without even knowing he’s doing it. Robyn may be a procrastinator but she does take time to talk to her cleaning clients, even when she’s not supposed to, it’s through these connections that she useable to identify what could have been holding her back and takes step to sort herself out. She also inadvertently helps Jim to see that making a human connection with people is good and can enrich your life.
The family twists with her sister Cleo, they were so not on my radar and I was just as shocked as Robyn and Cleo. Watching the family try to navigate this huge life changing news was touching and I think really brought them together and made them stronger. It really made me think more about ‘assigned’ roles amongst siblings and how hard it can be to be something other than what you’ve been type cast as whether it’s accurate or not.
A great read and very thought provoking from start to finish.
Robyn had a lot of relatable qualities, she’s coasting by hoping it’s enough and hoping she’s being ‘adult’ enough. You could see she was struggling from the beginning, she felt overwhelmed by life, by paperwork, time management, and forming friendship bonds. We see her growing and learning, Jim is great at helping her without even knowing he’s doing it. Robyn may be a procrastinator but she does take time to talk to her cleaning clients, even when she’s not supposed to, it’s through these connections that she useable to identify what could have been holding her back and takes step to sort herself out. She also inadvertently helps Jim to see that making a human connection with people is good and can enrich your life.
The family twists with her sister Cleo, they were so not on my radar and I was just as shocked as Robyn and Cleo. Watching the family try to navigate this huge life changing news was touching and I think really brought them together and made them stronger. It really made me think more about ‘assigned’ roles amongst siblings and how hard it can be to be something other than what you’ve been type cast as whether it’s accurate or not.
A great read and very thought provoking from start to finish.
July 21, 2024
I am quite a slow reader, especially compared to some on here, but I devoured this book so quickly!
I haven’t read a Lucy Dillon book in way too long and am pleased to report that she hasn’t lost her touch on writing a great page turner!
Robyn’s career as an estate agent is in shatters, so she goes to work as a cleaner for her sister Cleo’s successful cleaning company. This is where she meets Jim, who shows her the ropes.
Robyn can’t seem to figure adult life out, Cleo seems to be angry all the time and their mum is hiding a whopper of a family secret!
There are so many wonderful characters in this story. I adored Robyn and absolutely loved the relationship between her and Jim. And then there’s Terry, Robyn is so sweet to him!
With great cleaning tips at the start of each chapter ~ ‘Tomato ketchup will lift rust from garden furniture and copper pans - dab it on, rub off, try not to think what it’s doing to your insides’ 🤣
This book had me laughing one minute and in tears the next.
I loved it! A well deserved five stars from me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @hodderbooks for providing this advanced digital copy in return for an honest review via @netgalley. All opinions are my own.
#irresponsibleadult #lucydillon #hodderbooks #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview
I haven’t read a Lucy Dillon book in way too long and am pleased to report that she hasn’t lost her touch on writing a great page turner!
Robyn’s career as an estate agent is in shatters, so she goes to work as a cleaner for her sister Cleo’s successful cleaning company. This is where she meets Jim, who shows her the ropes.
Robyn can’t seem to figure adult life out, Cleo seems to be angry all the time and their mum is hiding a whopper of a family secret!
There are so many wonderful characters in this story. I adored Robyn and absolutely loved the relationship between her and Jim. And then there’s Terry, Robyn is so sweet to him!
With great cleaning tips at the start of each chapter ~ ‘Tomato ketchup will lift rust from garden furniture and copper pans - dab it on, rub off, try not to think what it’s doing to your insides’ 🤣
This book had me laughing one minute and in tears the next.
I loved it! A well deserved five stars from me!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to @hodderbooks for providing this advanced digital copy in return for an honest review via @netgalley. All opinions are my own.
#irresponsibleadult #lucydillon #hodderbooks #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleyreview
February 24, 2024
Never ever put your flip flops in the dishwasher to clean them, despite that being a cleaning hack in this book. You'll end up with micro plastics clinging to your cutlery and crockery. Seriously!
But about the book: another story about how we live in a 'deafening and demanding' society and all the expectations that come with that. Robyn thinking she is a failure, because she thinks she doesn't live up to what her potential could have been. A timely topic of people thinking not being good enough.
And yet.., I couldn't quite get a feeling for the three main characters Robyn, Cleo, and their mum. All of them struggling with things which clashed in the end, but that were somehow resolved after a few weeks went by, while their struggles to get back on their feet were somehow not part of the story.
Also: this book is flat regarding diversity when it comes to skin color, sexual orientation, religion, history, cultural background, you name it. There are more flavors of the human kind. Unfortunately, I keep adding that to a lot of reviews on books I've read recently...
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
But about the book: another story about how we live in a 'deafening and demanding' society and all the expectations that come with that. Robyn thinking she is a failure, because she thinks she doesn't live up to what her potential could have been. A timely topic of people thinking not being good enough.
And yet.., I couldn't quite get a feeling for the three main characters Robyn, Cleo, and their mum. All of them struggling with things which clashed in the end, but that were somehow resolved after a few weeks went by, while their struggles to get back on their feet were somehow not part of the story.
Also: this book is flat regarding diversity when it comes to skin color, sexual orientation, religion, history, cultural background, you name it. There are more flavors of the human kind. Unfortunately, I keep adding that to a lot of reviews on books I've read recently...
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.
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