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Pear Shaped
The UK Number One ebook bestseller
‘What a fantastic book. Really quite brilliant, way superior to standard chick-lit…so well written, fresh, insightful, funny…honest and very contemporary. Fantastic dialogue. Great characters. There's so much that's fresh and fun, including the food world which I loved.’ Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl loses mind.
Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life – to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.
An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere.
What people are saying about Pear Shaped…
'If you are a girl with a passion for food, this modern city heartbreak is the book for you.' Heat Magazine
‘A fabulous first novel by a British writer…Her writing is witty and snappy and she is hilarious on the food industry … I also found her fascinating on the methodology of contemporary dating.’ Wendy Holden
‘Pear Shaped is Stella’s first book and what a victorious debut it is. With a wonderful lead character who is impossible not to like, a horrible boyfriend, witty dialogue and a vast quantity of delicious sweets and desserts, this book is for anyone who has loved and lost. A sharp, refreshing and occasionally sad story, that tells beautifully, of the balance between love and insanity, it is an honest tale of discovery and finally accepting who you are, cellulite marks and all.’ Handwritten Girl
'Pear Shaped is the best sort of guilty pleasure, from the copious puddings our heroine Sophie tests in her day job, to the relationship she just knows is wrong for her but can't seem to give up. You'll shout out loud willing her to dump him, and cry with laughter as you recognise all the daft things we do when we're in love. And then you'll have a second helping of pudding and fall in love with Stella Newman's quick wit and her clever portrayal of that delicate balance between food, love and insanity.' Kathleen Baird-Murray
‘What a fantastic book. Really quite brilliant, way superior to standard chick-lit…so well written, fresh, insightful, funny…honest and very contemporary. Fantastic dialogue. Great characters. There's so much that's fresh and fun, including the food world which I loved.’ Henry Fitzherbert, Sunday Express
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl loses mind.
Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life – to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.
An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere.
What people are saying about Pear Shaped…
'If you are a girl with a passion for food, this modern city heartbreak is the book for you.' Heat Magazine
‘A fabulous first novel by a British writer…Her writing is witty and snappy and she is hilarious on the food industry … I also found her fascinating on the methodology of contemporary dating.’ Wendy Holden
‘Pear Shaped is Stella’s first book and what a victorious debut it is. With a wonderful lead character who is impossible not to like, a horrible boyfriend, witty dialogue and a vast quantity of delicious sweets and desserts, this book is for anyone who has loved and lost. A sharp, refreshing and occasionally sad story, that tells beautifully, of the balance between love and insanity, it is an honest tale of discovery and finally accepting who you are, cellulite marks and all.’ Handwritten Girl
'Pear Shaped is the best sort of guilty pleasure, from the copious puddings our heroine Sophie tests in her day job, to the relationship she just knows is wrong for her but can't seem to give up. You'll shout out loud willing her to dump him, and cry with laughter as you recognise all the daft things we do when we're in love. And then you'll have a second helping of pudding and fall in love with Stella Newman's quick wit and her clever portrayal of that delicate balance between food, love and insanity.' Kathleen Baird-Murray
344 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
93 people are currently reading
922 people want to read
About the author
Stella Newman
11 books96 followersStella Newman studied English at Sussex University, then went on to work in advertising, at the BBC and then as a professional food taster. She is now a full time writer, based in London and has written three novels: Pear Shaped, Leftovers and The Dish, as well as the festive e-short story, A Pear Shaped Christmas.
She blogs about restaurants, food and writing at https://stellanewmansblog.wordpress.com/.
She blogs about restaurants, food and writing at https://stellanewmansblog.wordpress.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 174 reviews
December 21, 2014
This book warmed my heart. Clever, cute and hilarious...what more could you ask for in a story? I found Sophie to be pretty relatable for the most part (the good and the bad). I loved all the details about food, which were comprehensive without becoming boring. I believe that this book is filled with great moral lessons, and that any it will leave any woman with a smile on her face. Pear shaped, apple shaped, banana shaped, whatever fruit shape you are, you are sure to enjoy this terrific read! 4.5/5
Note: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
February 23, 2012
The only real love affair in this book is the authors relationship with food. The main character, a pudding developer for a supermarket, reads like a piece of wish-fulfillment for the author who would obviously rather be baking brownies than writing about a character that does. This is evident when you reach the end of this book and the epilogue is a list of recipe sources, restaurant reviews and other foodie ravings.
I liked the style of this book, it's obvious Newman is capable of writing witty well paced stories, but I just didn't understand the 'love' story in what is supposed to be a romance that's fairly essential. The heroine starts out as a feisty and loveable character who falls in love with a man that is obviously a total rat from the beginning. Even the character can see this, yet inexplicably becomes almost addicted to him. Almost the entirety of this book is taken up by a depressing tale of one woman losing every scrap of her self esteem and pride, having a mental breakdown, and eating A LOT of cake. When she finally comes to her senses and runs off with a custard developer this takes up about one chapter of an otherwise long story. I have no sympathy for the main character, who against all good sense continues to do stupid things (like having copious unprotected sex with the guy even when she's fairly sure he's sleeping around) and then whining about it.
If you like lengthy descriptions of cake and puddings, then you may enjoy this book since that covers a lot of the content, although honestly you'd be better off (and less depressed) if you read a cookery book.
I liked the style of this book, it's obvious Newman is capable of writing witty well paced stories, but I just didn't understand the 'love' story in what is supposed to be a romance that's fairly essential. The heroine starts out as a feisty and loveable character who falls in love with a man that is obviously a total rat from the beginning. Even the character can see this, yet inexplicably becomes almost addicted to him. Almost the entirety of this book is taken up by a depressing tale of one woman losing every scrap of her self esteem and pride, having a mental breakdown, and eating A LOT of cake. When she finally comes to her senses and runs off with a custard developer this takes up about one chapter of an otherwise long story. I have no sympathy for the main character, who against all good sense continues to do stupid things (like having copious unprotected sex with the guy even when she's fairly sure he's sleeping around) and then whining about it.
If you like lengthy descriptions of cake and puddings, then you may enjoy this book since that covers a lot of the content, although honestly you'd be better off (and less depressed) if you read a cookery book.
April 29, 2013
I originally decided to read this book because my boyfriend said that it looked like one I'd read, and he was not wrong.
The book starts with 33 year old Sophie Klein, who works as a pudding developer, meeting older man James Stephens whilst on a night out with her best friend Laura. The pair soon go on a date, and continue seeing each other. James is a charmer. He's funny, clever, has done well for himself in life, him and Sophie have so much in common... but Sophie never knows when he will call. They develop a relationship but Sophie is constantly paranoid, with James checking out younger girls modelling for his legwear company and making comments about her weight and what she eats, even though she is far from fat. I personally did not see anything in James, he was just awful, and his constant sexist comments infuriated me. He didn't seem to know what he wanted, even at his age.
Through the book we see Sophie struggle with her confidence due to James' remarks, as well as a very messy breakup that leaves her devastated and in need of a psychiatrist. Despite this, Sophie does have a good, supportive group of friends. One thing I really loved about the book was Sophie's constant comments: what she was thinking in her head, but didn't actually say. The book had just the right balance, sometimes I was laughing, sometimes far from it.
Another great addition to the book was the pudding theme, with Sophie working as a pudding developer we see her visiting New York and Paris to try amazing foods, as well as testing out various desserts. The sweet theme is not only mentioned in her job, but throughout the whole book. I really love Sophie's love of food; she doesn't care to watch what she eats, she believes that eating is something you do to enjoy yourself, and that food is an art.
I didn't really know what to expect with this book, with it being the author's debut, but I was thoroughly impressed. The story had plenty of interesting twists, meaning that I didn't know which way the story was going to go. A really nice ending too, the last few pages made me smile.
An excellent debut novel which I highly recommend, and I am thoroughly looking forward to reading Leftovers.
The book starts with 33 year old Sophie Klein, who works as a pudding developer, meeting older man James Stephens whilst on a night out with her best friend Laura. The pair soon go on a date, and continue seeing each other. James is a charmer. He's funny, clever, has done well for himself in life, him and Sophie have so much in common... but Sophie never knows when he will call. They develop a relationship but Sophie is constantly paranoid, with James checking out younger girls modelling for his legwear company and making comments about her weight and what she eats, even though she is far from fat. I personally did not see anything in James, he was just awful, and his constant sexist comments infuriated me. He didn't seem to know what he wanted, even at his age.
Through the book we see Sophie struggle with her confidence due to James' remarks, as well as a very messy breakup that leaves her devastated and in need of a psychiatrist. Despite this, Sophie does have a good, supportive group of friends. One thing I really loved about the book was Sophie's constant comments: what she was thinking in her head, but didn't actually say. The book had just the right balance, sometimes I was laughing, sometimes far from it.
Another great addition to the book was the pudding theme, with Sophie working as a pudding developer we see her visiting New York and Paris to try amazing foods, as well as testing out various desserts. The sweet theme is not only mentioned in her job, but throughout the whole book. I really love Sophie's love of food; she doesn't care to watch what she eats, she believes that eating is something you do to enjoy yourself, and that food is an art.
I didn't really know what to expect with this book, with it being the author's debut, but I was thoroughly impressed. The story had plenty of interesting twists, meaning that I didn't know which way the story was going to go. A really nice ending too, the last few pages made me smile.
An excellent debut novel which I highly recommend, and I am thoroughly looking forward to reading Leftovers.
February 20, 2012
I have struggled to write this review. I really wanted to enjoy this book but I think I got my hopes up a bit too much after reading the synopsis and the comments about how funny it was. I have to say there is not one moment in this book where I found my self smiling let alone laughing, I really don't think you can call this a "funny" book.
The first half of the book started off ok but just under half way through the pace really started to take a dive and I had to struggle along to manage to finish the book.
I think the main problem for me in this book was that I really couldn't see what it was that Sophie sees in James. He has to be the most awful male character I have ever read as the love interest in a book, he constantly puts Sophie down and not in a tactful way, I just couldn't figure out why she would put up with so much negativity in a relationship when he clearly was holding her at arms length not wanting a serious relationship. He is such a vile character that my faults towards his character soon took over any enjoyment in the book.
The best parts in this book were when Sophie went to work, when Stella Newman talks about desserts in this book the story seemed to flow a lot easier as did the relationship between Sophie and Will. It was because of these parts of the book that I didn't give the book a 2 star.
This would not be the kind of book I would read again but at the special price on kindle at the moment (99p) it will be worth reading just don't expect to get a stitch from laughing too much!
The first half of the book started off ok but just under half way through the pace really started to take a dive and I had to struggle along to manage to finish the book.
I think the main problem for me in this book was that I really couldn't see what it was that Sophie sees in James. He has to be the most awful male character I have ever read as the love interest in a book, he constantly puts Sophie down and not in a tactful way, I just couldn't figure out why she would put up with so much negativity in a relationship when he clearly was holding her at arms length not wanting a serious relationship. He is such a vile character that my faults towards his character soon took over any enjoyment in the book.
The best parts in this book were when Sophie went to work, when Stella Newman talks about desserts in this book the story seemed to flow a lot easier as did the relationship between Sophie and Will. It was because of these parts of the book that I didn't give the book a 2 star.
This would not be the kind of book I would read again but at the special price on kindle at the moment (99p) it will be worth reading just don't expect to get a stitch from laughing too much!
February 6, 2012
Bloody amazing.
Ok, I found the ending hard work, and I really hope I don't ever feel like that because of some guy, not a chance. To quote the back of the novel, "if you loved "One day" you will love this, yes deffo because alot of it was based on feelings rather than fact.
I loved the fact that Sophie was such a foodie and drinker and she was just so natural. I only started it last night, i've just finished it now and I can honestly say, it was BRILLIANT.
The ending I thought was a bit abrupt and I wish that it had left her and Will getting married. Maybe a sequel to this would be a fabulous idea because it did just end!
Great Character in Sophie; she really was your "typical girl next door" unlucky in love, worried about her eating/food habits, and I could relate to her truly which is why i think Stella did such a good job of building the character because you couldn't help but love her; even when she was buying weed.
I must admit though, I got bored of her obsession over James and her moping about, but, I can't deny that I wouldn't be like that!
Ok, I found the ending hard work, and I really hope I don't ever feel like that because of some guy, not a chance. To quote the back of the novel, "if you loved "One day" you will love this, yes deffo because alot of it was based on feelings rather than fact.
I loved the fact that Sophie was such a foodie and drinker and she was just so natural. I only started it last night, i've just finished it now and I can honestly say, it was BRILLIANT.
The ending I thought was a bit abrupt and I wish that it had left her and Will getting married. Maybe a sequel to this would be a fabulous idea because it did just end!
Great Character in Sophie; she really was your "typical girl next door" unlucky in love, worried about her eating/food habits, and I could relate to her truly which is why i think Stella did such a good job of building the character because you couldn't help but love her; even when she was buying weed.
I must admit though, I got bored of her obsession over James and her moping about, but, I can't deny that I wouldn't be like that!
October 31, 2014
I really tried to like this book. I thought I would too because it involves baking and bad relationships, two things I'm good at. But I had to force myself to read this book. It was a chore for me. I didn't like any of the characters. I think Sophie was annoying and she became even more annoying once she started seeing James. I think I was supposed to be rooting for her to do well, but since I didn't really like her, I didn't care what happened to her. I cared so little that I actually didn't finish reading this book. I feel bad when I don't finish reading a book, especially when I write a review about it. But I just couldn't do it. I was too bored with the story and the characters. It seems nothing ever happened to keep the book moving, it was the same thing throughout most of the book (the first half, at least).
January 14, 2012
Girl meets boy, girl loses boy, girl loses mind. But, oh my, there is so much more in between! Sophie falls head over heels for James, a man she finds charming, funny and a real catch! Friends see something different, but Sophie by this time is besotted and slips any misgivings about the relationship to the back of her mind. That is, until James lands a bombshell on her lap, and no, it's not what you might be expecting having read this far, it's something more complex and, well, I can't spoil this bit for you!
Wonderfully believable characters and a strong storyline, with laughter and tears, had me reading in this one sitting! Plus all the cake and dessert references (Sophie is a pudding developer), had me drooling. A great read!
Wonderfully believable characters and a strong storyline, with laughter and tears, had me reading in this one sitting! Plus all the cake and dessert references (Sophie is a pudding developer), had me drooling. A great read!
May 26, 2013
**SPOILERS**
The blurb says this book is recognizable to women everywhere.
At first I thought "what women?" I have never eaten more than one dessert at a time, never eaten pudding out of the bin + never stayed with a man who is ritualky unkind...
But then...
The slow descent into nervous breakdown, the not knowing how you'll get out of bed tomorrow + the sudden eureka moment when you realise everything will be OK. Yes I recognise that.
And the scene where she buys 400 ciggies + smokes her way through them all...yeah :/
Stella Newman's writing is addictive + her portrayal of a breakdown so spot on I was uncomfortable reading it at times.
The blurb says this book is recognizable to women everywhere.
At first I thought "what women?" I have never eaten more than one dessert at a time, never eaten pudding out of the bin + never stayed with a man who is ritualky unkind...
But then...
The slow descent into nervous breakdown, the not knowing how you'll get out of bed tomorrow + the sudden eureka moment when you realise everything will be OK. Yes I recognise that.
And the scene where she buys 400 ciggies + smokes her way through them all...yeah :/
Stella Newman's writing is addictive + her portrayal of a breakdown so spot on I was uncomfortable reading it at times.
July 19, 2012
I LOVE LOVE LOVED this! So many sharp, absolutely on-the-money jokes and observations about realtionships (bad ones) and break-ups (even worse ones). I can't wait to read this author's next book. I hope it's just as foodie! One of those books I wish I could read for the first time all over again.
December 30, 2018
E' la storia di Sophie,una ragazza di 34 anni che vive a Londra e crea e inventa nuove ricette di budini x una grande catena di supermercati.Conosce James un quarantacinquenne con un naso pronunciato ,un po di pancia, tanti soldi ed eterno peter pan,immaturo e infantile che frequenta donne molto più giovani di lui,magre e belle. Cosi comincia l'autodistruzione di Sophie,xche lui non e gentile,la critica spesso sparisce x lavoro senza farsi sentire.Lei diventa sempre piu insicura e vive sulle spine....
Una storia che mi ha fatto innervosire parecchio e tutta incentrata sul percorso autodistruttivo di questa ragazza che non riesce a dirgliene quattro a questo bellimbusto che non chiede mai scusa.
Non lo mollato solo xche curiosa di sapere se alla fine lei riesce a svincolarsi da quel legame malsano....
Una storia che mi ha fatto innervosire parecchio e tutta incentrata sul percorso autodistruttivo di questa ragazza che non riesce a dirgliene quattro a questo bellimbusto che non chiede mai scusa.
Non lo mollato solo xche curiosa di sapere se alla fine lei riesce a svincolarsi da quel legame malsano....
October 20, 2022
Some of the reviews I have read are more eloquent than I have the patience for, but suffice it to say I didn't care much for this book. The parts about food and the main character's job developing dessert (pudding in British English) recipes were interesting to me, but the "romance" was just depressing. It's amazing to me that a 34 year old woman would subject herself to so much gaslighting by an older man, and then go into a depression when they finally break up. 2.5 stars (the .5 for the food parts)
August 17, 2023
CW: anxiety, belittling comments to partner , death in family
I really liked this!
I loved reading about Sophie and her foodie career. I thought James was an absolute dickhead though.
I hope Stella Newman writes more foodie novels in the future.
I really liked this!
I loved reading about Sophie and her foodie career. I thought James was an absolute dickhead though.
I hope Stella Newman writes more foodie novels in the future.
August 20, 2012
Taken from my blog www.rosiereview.wordpress.com
I don’t think I’ve read anything like this. Which I think is a good thing! I have quite a busy lifestyle, I work full-time, read for fun and also juggle a fiance and dog at home with a horse in a field somewhere; so I like a book which has lots of chapters. Not to small and not too big so that I can read a chapter or few at a time and put the book down to be picked up again later on. Suppose that is the OCD in me, I don’t like to leave anything unfinished, so can’t put a book down mid chapter. This book only has Four chapters including the Epilogue. Luckily for me there were page breaks along the way so I compromised and used them as my mini chapters. I was twitchy in between, itching to go back and read some more, but I think it was more down to the fact that I was thoroughly enjoying this book. I love how the chapters were a perfect start to how Sophie was at that stage in the book. Especially the crumble one when she was falling apart!
I felt I could relate to Sophie; she has weight issues, and loves pudding! My book character soul mate! Although I did find myself disagreeing with her at some point – a UK size 12 is not fat! But I can see how this is just how the author, Stella is highlighting the pressure women are put under by the media, celebs, men to stay skinny. The obsessive relationship (which leads to) and Sophie’s breakdown is very well written. I love the witty insides you get from Sophie whilst she’s at work, or wherever; although at first and at points they were confusing. But they helped the storyline and to also build the character.
There wasn’t one boring bit in the book, I liked how Stella has just briefly mentions things that Sophie’s doing, I start to read it and just as I think it’s getting slow we jump a few days ahead to a date with James or a meeting with Devron. Also I can’t make up my mind who I hate more James or Devron – but in a good way – if you’ve read the book you’ll know why! And the trip to Paris with Will was superb!
I really enjoyed this book, I haven’t read One Day so I can’t really compare it. I’m rating it a Must Read
I don’t think I’ve read anything like this. Which I think is a good thing! I have quite a busy lifestyle, I work full-time, read for fun and also juggle a fiance and dog at home with a horse in a field somewhere; so I like a book which has lots of chapters. Not to small and not too big so that I can read a chapter or few at a time and put the book down to be picked up again later on. Suppose that is the OCD in me, I don’t like to leave anything unfinished, so can’t put a book down mid chapter. This book only has Four chapters including the Epilogue. Luckily for me there were page breaks along the way so I compromised and used them as my mini chapters. I was twitchy in between, itching to go back and read some more, but I think it was more down to the fact that I was thoroughly enjoying this book. I love how the chapters were a perfect start to how Sophie was at that stage in the book. Especially the crumble one when she was falling apart!
I felt I could relate to Sophie; she has weight issues, and loves pudding! My book character soul mate! Although I did find myself disagreeing with her at some point – a UK size 12 is not fat! But I can see how this is just how the author, Stella is highlighting the pressure women are put under by the media, celebs, men to stay skinny. The obsessive relationship (which leads to) and Sophie’s breakdown is very well written. I love the witty insides you get from Sophie whilst she’s at work, or wherever; although at first and at points they were confusing. But they helped the storyline and to also build the character.
There wasn’t one boring bit in the book, I liked how Stella has just briefly mentions things that Sophie’s doing, I start to read it and just as I think it’s getting slow we jump a few days ahead to a date with James or a meeting with Devron. Also I can’t make up my mind who I hate more James or Devron – but in a good way – if you’ve read the book you’ll know why! And the trip to Paris with Will was superb!
I really enjoyed this book, I haven’t read One Day so I can’t really compare it. I’m rating it a Must Read
September 27, 2014
http://bit.ly/1xqtXeU
What They Say.....Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Girl loses mind.
Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life – to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.
An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere.
What I Say....Freaking guys. They can be so stupid.
This started off as a lighthearted little romance, I was happy to see Sophie hitting it off with James and he seemed like he was really going to get it. And by it, I mean, looks aren't everything. One weirdness about this book was that Sophie wasn't even fat!!! Ever!! And then she got too skinny.
But James being a middle aged, financially well-off man, realizes that maybe he could do better than Sophie in the looks department.
So begins the half-in, half-out relationship with a man who doesn't really want her, but doesn't want to not have her either. Having been through this, and having watched the majority of the women I know go through it too, it's absolutely maddening.
Even watching a fictional character see all the red flags and the signs and still keep going back for more punishment is infuriating.
I won't spoil the ending for anyone, but it was a little more true to life than I would have preferred. It's always a catch-22, do I want the chick-lit happy ending or what happens to those of us not bound to 352 pages of a life?
Mostly, I prefer a happy ending, I've got enough reality, thankyouverymuch.
I liked the writing, I liked the characters, I liked the story. I would have preferred just a touch less of the food description - it got too long sometimes.
All in all, a book worth reading. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advanced copy.
What They Say.....Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Girl loses mind.
Sophie Klein walks into a bar one Friday night and her life changes. She meets James Stephens: charismatic, elusive, and with a hosiery model ex who casts a long, thin shadow over their burgeoning relationship. He’s clever, funny and shares her greatest pleasure in life – to eat and drink slightly too much and then have a little lie down. Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.
An exploration of love, heartbreak, self-image, self-deception and lots of food. Pear Shaped is in turns smart, laugh-out-loud funny and above all, recognizable to women everywhere.
What I Say....Freaking guys. They can be so stupid.
This started off as a lighthearted little romance, I was happy to see Sophie hitting it off with James and he seemed like he was really going to get it. And by it, I mean, looks aren't everything. One weirdness about this book was that Sophie wasn't even fat!!! Ever!! And then she got too skinny.
But James being a middle aged, financially well-off man, realizes that maybe he could do better than Sophie in the looks department.
So begins the half-in, half-out relationship with a man who doesn't really want her, but doesn't want to not have her either. Having been through this, and having watched the majority of the women I know go through it too, it's absolutely maddening.
Even watching a fictional character see all the red flags and the signs and still keep going back for more punishment is infuriating.
I won't spoil the ending for anyone, but it was a little more true to life than I would have preferred. It's always a catch-22, do I want the chick-lit happy ending or what happens to those of us not bound to 352 pages of a life?
Mostly, I prefer a happy ending, I've got enough reality, thankyouverymuch.
I liked the writing, I liked the characters, I liked the story. I would have preferred just a touch less of the food description - it got too long sometimes.
All in all, a book worth reading. Thank you, NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advanced copy.
March 22, 2015
I first chose this book on iBooks, not really having any expectations of what it would be about, but purely wanting something new to read.
Within a few pages, I was hooked! There's no massive drama or thrilling murder to intrigue you, just a down-to-earth character we can all relate to.
Although parts of the book (the man in her life) infuriated me, I could sadly imagine it happening in the real world, so it made for an interesting read.
Stella Newman is a witty, charming author and I will definitely be reading more of her books in future. The combination of food, romance and friendship made the book a perfect relaxing 'bath-time' read. I would definitely recommend the book to anybody looking for a girly book, sometimes light-hearted, sometimes a bit darker, but always written with humour behind it.
Within a few pages, I was hooked! There's no massive drama or thrilling murder to intrigue you, just a down-to-earth character we can all relate to.
Although parts of the book (the man in her life) infuriated me, I could sadly imagine it happening in the real world, so it made for an interesting read.
Stella Newman is a witty, charming author and I will definitely be reading more of her books in future. The combination of food, romance and friendship made the book a perfect relaxing 'bath-time' read. I would definitely recommend the book to anybody looking for a girly book, sometimes light-hearted, sometimes a bit darker, but always written with humour behind it.
March 11, 2012
Finished reading Pear Shaped on Saturday. I really enjoyed it--Stella Newman did a fantastic job of creating a character who becomes riddled with self-doubt because of a shallow, selfish man. You both love and hate Sophie--she wants to be loved and the man she wants to love her just doesn't love her (and can never love her) the way she wants to be loved. And the descriptions of pastries and puds...yummy! Now I have a new appreciation of custard...:)
January 7, 2021
Nice and light read. I was fairly hungry throughout with the constant mentioning of food!
October 1, 2014
I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It did not impact my review.
See this review at: http://stephaniesbookreviews.wordpres...
I honestly wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of this novel and I ended up quite pleasantly surprised! It reminded me a bit of a slightly edgier Sophie Kinsella book.
Sophie Klein is a pretty likable and relatable character for most of the book. She’s a woman in her early thirties dealing with normal things like love and weight and family, and having a jerk for a boss. Despite the jerk boss, her job sounds pretty awesome, working in Pudding development at a grocery chain. Now I think that “pudding” is British for “dessert”, and not strictly pudding as we have in America. (Maybe one of my British friends can help me out here?) Due to her job, and a love for good food in general, there is a lot of talk about food in this book. I didn’t always know what they were talking about, since I think we tend to use different terms than the Brits, but it didn’t really detract from the story telling.
Sophie meets James one night and falls for him pretty hard. This is when the smart, likable, confident Sophie starts to go awry. James is one of those guys that you never really know where you stand with him. He’s rich and over-confident and critical. While he can be fun and charming when he wants to be, he’s often emotionally abusive and manipulative and refuses to ever take blame. Though he really does enjoy spending time with Sophie – and might even love her – he’s super shallow about the fact she’s not model sized and tells her he struggles with being attracted to her. This guy is LOATHSOME. Yet, Sophie takes the criticisms to heart (she shouldn’t. She describes herself in the beginning as a toned size ten with slim arms and waist) and even stays with him.
She goes a little neurotic here. I can understand why lots of people can find her unlikable and not a “strong heroine” that we like to root for in chick lit. However, I’ve witnessed several women in these types of emotionally abusive relationships. While I can not for the life of me understand why they stay, they are like any other abused person, who often blames themselves for the abuse and not the abuser. While Sophie does go a little wacky there for awhile, she does come around, and takes back control of her life, even while recognizing that it will still take a long time for the scars to heal.
What I really liked about Pear Shaped was the writing. The dialogue was sharp and quick-witted and I actually found myself laughing out loud at some parts (which I hardly ever do at books). The supporting cast of characters were well-developed and often scene-stealers that I would’ve liked to see even more from.
Overall, I quite enjoyed Pear Shaped. While the story could be a little over the top at times, all good chick lit is. I found Sophie to be a mostly likable character and I really enjoyed the writing. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Sophie Kinsella and chick lit. I look forward to reading more from Stella Newman, as well.
Rating (out of 5):
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Readability: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Overall Rating: 3.75 Stars
See this review at: http://stephaniesbookreviews.wordpres...
I honestly wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of this novel and I ended up quite pleasantly surprised! It reminded me a bit of a slightly edgier Sophie Kinsella book.
Sophie Klein is a pretty likable and relatable character for most of the book. She’s a woman in her early thirties dealing with normal things like love and weight and family, and having a jerk for a boss. Despite the jerk boss, her job sounds pretty awesome, working in Pudding development at a grocery chain. Now I think that “pudding” is British for “dessert”, and not strictly pudding as we have in America. (Maybe one of my British friends can help me out here?) Due to her job, and a love for good food in general, there is a lot of talk about food in this book. I didn’t always know what they were talking about, since I think we tend to use different terms than the Brits, but it didn’t really detract from the story telling.
Sophie meets James one night and falls for him pretty hard. This is when the smart, likable, confident Sophie starts to go awry. James is one of those guys that you never really know where you stand with him. He’s rich and over-confident and critical. While he can be fun and charming when he wants to be, he’s often emotionally abusive and manipulative and refuses to ever take blame. Though he really does enjoy spending time with Sophie – and might even love her – he’s super shallow about the fact she’s not model sized and tells her he struggles with being attracted to her. This guy is LOATHSOME. Yet, Sophie takes the criticisms to heart (she shouldn’t. She describes herself in the beginning as a toned size ten with slim arms and waist) and even stays with him.
She goes a little neurotic here. I can understand why lots of people can find her unlikable and not a “strong heroine” that we like to root for in chick lit. However, I’ve witnessed several women in these types of emotionally abusive relationships. While I can not for the life of me understand why they stay, they are like any other abused person, who often blames themselves for the abuse and not the abuser. While Sophie does go a little wacky there for awhile, she does come around, and takes back control of her life, even while recognizing that it will still take a long time for the scars to heal.
What I really liked about Pear Shaped was the writing. The dialogue was sharp and quick-witted and I actually found myself laughing out loud at some parts (which I hardly ever do at books). The supporting cast of characters were well-developed and often scene-stealers that I would’ve liked to see even more from.
Overall, I quite enjoyed Pear Shaped. While the story could be a little over the top at times, all good chick lit is. I found Sophie to be a mostly likable character and I really enjoyed the writing. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of Sophie Kinsella and chick lit. I look forward to reading more from Stella Newman, as well.
Rating (out of 5):
Plot: 3
Characters: 4
Readability: 4
Enjoyability: 4
Overall Rating: 3.75 Stars
October 16, 2014
Pear Shaped begins as an entertaining read with a main character that is fun, confident and completely relatable. Sophie Klein is a Jewish gal in her early thirties living in London and working a dream job as a pudding developer. However, the minute she meets a man named James her life takes a downward spiral, though it takes a while for her to finally realize two things; one, he’s a total idiot that will never commit to one woman and two, she needs to ditch the loser and move on with her life. Honestly, I found it quite irritating that the book description basically gives away the entire story and tells you that he is too good to be true. “Girl meets boy. Girl loses boy. Girl loses mind… Sophie’s instinct tells her James is too good to be true – and he is.”
“Food equals love, too much food equals Jewish love.” I loved this quote; Jewish culture and holidays are all about the food, and the people! I could relate to her mother’s advice in her head telling her that James is going to be exactly what he says he’s not; meaning he will be a liar and a cheat. It irritates me that she spends an inordinate amount of time in an ambiguous relationship with him, even though her instinct is telling her that he’s not worth her time. From reading the book description you know that he’s going to turn out to be an asshole, it’s just a matter of when she figures it out and how she proceeds with the realization. I was disappointed that it took her so long to finally walk away from the toxic relationship, though it was realistic, as many women stay in relationships much past their expiration dates with losers that weren’t worth their time to begin with.
I identified and related with Sophie towards the beginning of the novel; she’s a confident and intelligent individual with a major sweet tooth. She books up her ‘diary’ in advance and is uncomfortable with uncertainty in plans. Like me, she doesn’t like making a generalized plan that doesn’t get confirmed until a few hours prior to the event happening. This character trait of Sophie’s is part of the reason I was surprised that she continued to be involved with James for so long. After a certain point in time, you have to realize that your relationship isn’t important to him and move on with your life.
I despised James’ character and I did not enjoy watching Sophie waste her time with such a douchebag. I’m sorry, but if a guy you’re dating tells you that he thinks you’re fat and isn’t sure if he’s attracted to you for a long-term relationship, you run! To make matters worse, he complains that she’s too heavy, all while sitting around with a big huge beer gut; hypocrisy at it’s worst. You don’t sit around and waste more time thinking that maybe he’s right or that you should be doing something differently, when you were perfectly happy with yourself before he came along.
Although I found the book to be a bit slow and irritating to read, there were many aspects of the storyline that were entertaining and relatable and somewhat redeemed itself with it’s humor and important life lessons. It wasn’t my favorite novel, but it did have it’s moments of laugh-out-loud humor with a possible happily ever after.
“Food equals love, too much food equals Jewish love.” I loved this quote; Jewish culture and holidays are all about the food, and the people! I could relate to her mother’s advice in her head telling her that James is going to be exactly what he says he’s not; meaning he will be a liar and a cheat. It irritates me that she spends an inordinate amount of time in an ambiguous relationship with him, even though her instinct is telling her that he’s not worth her time. From reading the book description you know that he’s going to turn out to be an asshole, it’s just a matter of when she figures it out and how she proceeds with the realization. I was disappointed that it took her so long to finally walk away from the toxic relationship, though it was realistic, as many women stay in relationships much past their expiration dates with losers that weren’t worth their time to begin with.
I identified and related with Sophie towards the beginning of the novel; she’s a confident and intelligent individual with a major sweet tooth. She books up her ‘diary’ in advance and is uncomfortable with uncertainty in plans. Like me, she doesn’t like making a generalized plan that doesn’t get confirmed until a few hours prior to the event happening. This character trait of Sophie’s is part of the reason I was surprised that she continued to be involved with James for so long. After a certain point in time, you have to realize that your relationship isn’t important to him and move on with your life.
I despised James’ character and I did not enjoy watching Sophie waste her time with such a douchebag. I’m sorry, but if a guy you’re dating tells you that he thinks you’re fat and isn’t sure if he’s attracted to you for a long-term relationship, you run! To make matters worse, he complains that she’s too heavy, all while sitting around with a big huge beer gut; hypocrisy at it’s worst. You don’t sit around and waste more time thinking that maybe he’s right or that you should be doing something differently, when you were perfectly happy with yourself before he came along.
Although I found the book to be a bit slow and irritating to read, there were many aspects of the storyline that were entertaining and relatable and somewhat redeemed itself with it’s humor and important life lessons. It wasn’t my favorite novel, but it did have it’s moments of laugh-out-loud humor with a possible happily ever after.
September 30, 2014
This is a trimmed down version of my review, to view the full review visit The Book Ramble.
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie Klein loves food. Sophie Klein also loves James, the totally wrong guy for her. Sophie Klein can give up neither food nor James, even though James wants her to give up food. Finally, Sophie Klein makes the right choice and lives her life.
To be completely honest, Sophie Klein kind of enraged me. This book starts out sweet, goes completely sour for ages, and then ends on the sweetest note it makes you smile and wish for more. Unfortunately, all the sugar in the world couldn't fix the huge dose of sour forced on your for about two thirds of the book. Reading this book made me miserable, irritable, body conscious, and angry. By the end of the book, I was nearly willing to forgive Newman for making me so miserable, but it was too little too late for me.
Let's start off with Sophie. Sophie is really very sweet. She has good friends, an awesome gran (actually, the kind of gran you wish you had), and an amazing job. Sophie's love for food made me hungry and happy. Her eating habits made me so envious, she eats some of the most amazing sounding foods around. The fact that Newman made me drool a little every few pages is a testament to her writing skill, she's quite a good writer. I loved Sophie, and everything Sophie loved, except for James.
I didn't buy into James as a person at all. He was the kind of guy that I found repulsive right off the bat. He's the kind of guy you avoid at all costs, in any situation. You mock guys like James for their absolutely ridiculous sense of self importance. James was foul, rude, with a terrible personality, and a pompous air. James made me miserable, and he made Sophie miserable. James is the reason two thirds of this book suck. He is absolutely foul and when he finally leaves Sophie you just don't care anymore.
Everything after Sophie gets over James: Fantastic. Everything else: Infuriatingly bad. The writing, as I've noted, is good. The food is described in such drool worthy quality I wanted to reach into the book and grab brownies and custards and cakes from Sophie. The emotion is there and is good. There are lots of witty jokes, and cute moments scattered throughout the book. Honestly, Newman is a good writer. Her plot was just...infuriating. When it got to the end I felt like I was finally being rewarded for the effort I had to make in reading the book.
Overall, I liked this book. It was a good idea, it was well written, and it had some sweet and enjoyable moments. As I've said already, however, these were too little and too late. I recommend this book, somewhat hesitantly, because I found the ending enjoyable, but the overall experience painful. It was a hard journey to go on, maybe that parallels Sophie's journey somewhat, but it felt sort of rewarding in the end.
I received a copy of this book from Bookouture on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Sophie Klein loves food. Sophie Klein also loves James, the totally wrong guy for her. Sophie Klein can give up neither food nor James, even though James wants her to give up food. Finally, Sophie Klein makes the right choice and lives her life.
To be completely honest, Sophie Klein kind of enraged me. This book starts out sweet, goes completely sour for ages, and then ends on the sweetest note it makes you smile and wish for more. Unfortunately, all the sugar in the world couldn't fix the huge dose of sour forced on your for about two thirds of the book. Reading this book made me miserable, irritable, body conscious, and angry. By the end of the book, I was nearly willing to forgive Newman for making me so miserable, but it was too little too late for me.
Let's start off with Sophie. Sophie is really very sweet. She has good friends, an awesome gran (actually, the kind of gran you wish you had), and an amazing job. Sophie's love for food made me hungry and happy. Her eating habits made me so envious, she eats some of the most amazing sounding foods around. The fact that Newman made me drool a little every few pages is a testament to her writing skill, she's quite a good writer. I loved Sophie, and everything Sophie loved, except for James.
I didn't buy into James as a person at all. He was the kind of guy that I found repulsive right off the bat. He's the kind of guy you avoid at all costs, in any situation. You mock guys like James for their absolutely ridiculous sense of self importance. James was foul, rude, with a terrible personality, and a pompous air. James made me miserable, and he made Sophie miserable. James is the reason two thirds of this book suck. He is absolutely foul and when he finally leaves Sophie you just don't care anymore.
Everything after Sophie gets over James: Fantastic. Everything else: Infuriatingly bad. The writing, as I've noted, is good. The food is described in such drool worthy quality I wanted to reach into the book and grab brownies and custards and cakes from Sophie. The emotion is there and is good. There are lots of witty jokes, and cute moments scattered throughout the book. Honestly, Newman is a good writer. Her plot was just...infuriating. When it got to the end I felt like I was finally being rewarded for the effort I had to make in reading the book.
Overall, I liked this book. It was a good idea, it was well written, and it had some sweet and enjoyable moments. As I've said already, however, these were too little and too late. I recommend this book, somewhat hesitantly, because I found the ending enjoyable, but the overall experience painful. It was a hard journey to go on, maybe that parallels Sophie's journey somewhat, but it felt sort of rewarding in the end.
May 22, 2012
I'd probably give this a 3.5 rather than a 3 but I did really like it. I read it in one day! It's very compulsive and easy to read.
Books like this take me back to my own single days where I seemed to date arsehole after arsehole - some of the situations Sophie finds herself in were painfully familiar. If you've ever wasted a lot of time, energy and tears over a guy who wasn't worth it, you may feel the same.
I read a few other reviews of Pear Shaped before writing my own and I noticed that many readers expressed disappointment in a feisty and loveable character like Sophie falling for such a horrible person like James, putting up with his abuse and then going on a path of self destruction when she refuses to wake up and smell the coffee. Or russian vodka as it turns out ;) I didn't like this either, and furrowed my brow in frustration by about 3/4 of the way through thinking "Sophie, love, just LEAVE!! You can do better!" But at the same time, I could empathise because I've been there and I know other women who have been there too. It's not as easy as it looks to leave an arsehole like James because they have a horrible way of making you feel like you're the one with the problem. And in that respect this book did capture that situation. For those who haven't been there I could see why it would be frustrating to read about. But when you are young, inexperienced or have low self esteem, being able to extricate yourself from that kind of situation is a long and painful process.
To be honest, I was more uncomfortable with Sophie starving herself at the height of her misery then gaining weight and all the baggage that went with that, than with the emotionally abusive relationship. This is eventually counteracted by a moment of clarity she has a boot camp where she realises how very sad it is that educated and intelligent women invest so much importance in calorie counting/being thin. I would have liked this turnaround to be explored a bit more. I liked how Stella Newman was clearly trying to bring some darker, less fluffy issues in to the story - I just would have liked a bit more of the story dedicated to Sophie becoming more empowered.
Overall Pear Shaped is a very compulsive read, and if you love food like I do, you'll love all the descriptions of the various desserts Sophie concocts and experiments with - it was all I could do not to go down to M&S and load up on puddings as Sophie does in one chapter.
I enjoyed it and will look forward to Stella Newman's next.
Books like this take me back to my own single days where I seemed to date arsehole after arsehole - some of the situations Sophie finds herself in were painfully familiar. If you've ever wasted a lot of time, energy and tears over a guy who wasn't worth it, you may feel the same.
I read a few other reviews of Pear Shaped before writing my own and I noticed that many readers expressed disappointment in a feisty and loveable character like Sophie falling for such a horrible person like James, putting up with his abuse and then going on a path of self destruction when she refuses to wake up and smell the coffee. Or russian vodka as it turns out ;) I didn't like this either, and furrowed my brow in frustration by about 3/4 of the way through thinking "Sophie, love, just LEAVE!! You can do better!" But at the same time, I could empathise because I've been there and I know other women who have been there too. It's not as easy as it looks to leave an arsehole like James because they have a horrible way of making you feel like you're the one with the problem. And in that respect this book did capture that situation. For those who haven't been there I could see why it would be frustrating to read about. But when you are young, inexperienced or have low self esteem, being able to extricate yourself from that kind of situation is a long and painful process.
To be honest, I was more uncomfortable with Sophie starving herself at the height of her misery then gaining weight and all the baggage that went with that, than with the emotionally abusive relationship. This is eventually counteracted by a moment of clarity she has a boot camp where she realises how very sad it is that educated and intelligent women invest so much importance in calorie counting/being thin. I would have liked this turnaround to be explored a bit more. I liked how Stella Newman was clearly trying to bring some darker, less fluffy issues in to the story - I just would have liked a bit more of the story dedicated to Sophie becoming more empowered.
Overall Pear Shaped is a very compulsive read, and if you love food like I do, you'll love all the descriptions of the various desserts Sophie concocts and experiments with - it was all I could do not to go down to M&S and load up on puddings as Sophie does in one chapter.
I enjoyed it and will look forward to Stella Newman's next.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 13, 2014
This book reminded me of the chick lit books popular in the early 2000's. Girl, early 30's, has a mostly fulfilling life, job she loves, boss she hates, no guy. Girl meets guy, relationship ensues, guy is later revealed to be a real jerk, they break up. Girl is massively depressed for way too long, to where she *almost* misses out on the better guy right under her nose. She finally drags herself out of her depression, makes some major life changes and is better for it.
Apparently this book was released a few years back in the UK and was a major hit. It is about to be released in the US. The story is set in London. As an American reader, I struggled with a lot of the writing style/verbiage/slang as it was so, so British. Nothing wrong with that, but the cultural differences made me often feel like I was missing part of the meaning or reference. Didn't really want to google every few minutes, so I let a lot of it go or just inferred the best I could from the context. However, it made the reading drag for me.
I do feel the main character, Sophie, was well-developed and written, even if I didn't like her all the time. I didn't like how easily she allowed herself to be weight-shamed by a guy. I didn't care for her behavior changes and her prolonged depressive period, both in relation to the jerk guy, but I believe in her as a realistic representation of a young woman making mistakes while figuring out her life. I think most readers would be able to identify with some facet of Sophie.
I liked the last 10% or so the best, but it was tough to make it to the end. I think some sections, especially in the middle, could be tightened up to move the story along. Over 400 pages was a bit much.
I also enjoyed the foodie aspect of Sophie's job (R&D for a grocery chain) and found her duties interesting. It took me a while to realize that in the British culture, the term "pudding" refers to any type of dessert and not just what Americans would consider pudding.
*ARC provided by Netgalley*
Apparently this book was released a few years back in the UK and was a major hit. It is about to be released in the US. The story is set in London. As an American reader, I struggled with a lot of the writing style/verbiage/slang as it was so, so British. Nothing wrong with that, but the cultural differences made me often feel like I was missing part of the meaning or reference. Didn't really want to google every few minutes, so I let a lot of it go or just inferred the best I could from the context. However, it made the reading drag for me.
I do feel the main character, Sophie, was well-developed and written, even if I didn't like her all the time. I didn't like how easily she allowed herself to be weight-shamed by a guy. I didn't care for her behavior changes and her prolonged depressive period, both in relation to the jerk guy, but I believe in her as a realistic representation of a young woman making mistakes while figuring out her life. I think most readers would be able to identify with some facet of Sophie.
I liked the last 10% or so the best, but it was tough to make it to the end. I think some sections, especially in the middle, could be tightened up to move the story along. Over 400 pages was a bit much.
I also enjoyed the foodie aspect of Sophie's job (R&D for a grocery chain) and found her duties interesting. It took me a while to realize that in the British culture, the term "pudding" refers to any type of dessert and not just what Americans would consider pudding.
*ARC provided by Netgalley*
August 8, 2012
I'm finding it very difficult to work out what I want to say about this book. Part of me doesn't want to bother writing a review at all but the other part feels the need to explain the reasons why! Odd, I know.
I got this out of the library expecting good things as the blurb sounds really interesting. What I got was a book that around 90% of I hated. Yes hated! So many times I thought about DNF'ing it but I also found that it was strangely compelling. I HAD to keep reading.
The heroine, and I use that term lightly, is an idiot... She starts going out with a total bastard of a man who treats her appallingly, yet she keeps going back for more. Yes, I know it happens, there are women like this, but, you know, I don't want to read about them. This heroine is weak in my opinion.
But, I can ignore or forgive that to a certain degree because, like I said, it is a part of life. So, my main issue with this book is the it is obsessed, and I literally mean obsessed, with weight. Barely a single page goes by without a mention of it. And what gets me is that the writer has her heroine called fat almost constantly - the heroine fluctuates between a size 8 and a size 12 (UK sizes) throughout the story. That is not fat, and it is insulting to imply it is.
The issues with the heroine going slightly of the rails and her sinking into depression were handle like a joke, and not dealt with the sensitivity they deserved - this was a chance to make the book have more depth but sadly this wasn't taken.
Between the heroine's boyfriend, the constant mention of weight, and a weak heroine, etc, this book made me angry... Yet, I couldn't put it down.
Make of that what you will; of course this is just my opinion of the book. It's not for me, but YMMV.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
I got this out of the library expecting good things as the blurb sounds really interesting. What I got was a book that around 90% of I hated. Yes hated! So many times I thought about DNF'ing it but I also found that it was strangely compelling. I HAD to keep reading.
The heroine, and I use that term lightly, is an idiot... She starts going out with a total bastard of a man who treats her appallingly, yet she keeps going back for more. Yes, I know it happens, there are women like this, but, you know, I don't want to read about them. This heroine is weak in my opinion.
But, I can ignore or forgive that to a certain degree because, like I said, it is a part of life. So, my main issue with this book is the it is obsessed, and I literally mean obsessed, with weight. Barely a single page goes by without a mention of it. And what gets me is that the writer has her heroine called fat almost constantly - the heroine fluctuates between a size 8 and a size 12 (UK sizes) throughout the story. That is not fat, and it is insulting to imply it is.
The issues with the heroine going slightly of the rails and her sinking into depression were handle like a joke, and not dealt with the sensitivity they deserved - this was a chance to make the book have more depth but sadly this wasn't taken.
Between the heroine's boyfriend, the constant mention of weight, and a weak heroine, etc, this book made me angry... Yet, I couldn't put it down.
Make of that what you will; of course this is just my opinion of the book. It's not for me, but YMMV.
Originally posted at http://everyday-is-the-same.blogspot....
November 10, 2013
I didn't really enjoy the first half of this book as I didn't really like either of the main charactors. Millionaire James in his Maserati sports car or beautiful size 10 Sophie who creates puddings for a living. I really struggled to empathised with either of them but slowly as I read more I began to really hate James and find something endearing about Sophie and their one sided relationship. The blurb promised Id be shouting out for her to dump him, and I was. I think if your a fan of Carrie and Mr Big in Sex and the City you are going to love this book as there are many similarities. If you like a bit of mental breakdown after a relationship ends then this is done quite convincingly, if you looking for a panto villian boyfriend then this will satisfy.
For me I would have preferred Sophie to be a larger girl as the endless whining out her weight and figure was ridiculous considering her actual size. But the foodie descriptions and endless meals and pudding really got my mouth watering.
A few daft scenes spoilt the realism including a daft scene in the art gallery. Did that really happen? Could that really happen ?
A bit of fluff to read in a couple of nights which had a few laughs amongst the misery. Not bad for a debut novel.
For me I would have preferred Sophie to be a larger girl as the endless whining out her weight and figure was ridiculous considering her actual size. But the foodie descriptions and endless meals and pudding really got my mouth watering.
A few daft scenes spoilt the realism including a daft scene in the art gallery. Did that really happen? Could that really happen ?
A bit of fluff to read in a couple of nights which had a few laughs amongst the misery. Not bad for a debut novel.
February 26, 2012
I wanted to like this book. I love food and so does Sophie the heroine. She does not love herself. That's kind of the point of the book. The dialogue is lively, the characters are believable. Sophie's self-delusion is nicely depicted, the descriptions of food were so good that I ate my own body weight in snacks while I read it... and yet, I dithered about whether to give it 2 stars or 3.
My main quibble is that it goes on a bit. Okay, it takes a while for Sophie to face up to the fact that James is a git. The trouble is, the reader figures it out pretty early on and then watching Sophie refusing to face for chapter after chapter gets a bit annoying.
The middle bit is good. It describes the anatomy of a nervous breakdown really well. But again, I got bored in places and started skipping sections.
If there were a 2.5 star score, I would have gone for that. It's a good book. It's just got a tiny bit too much spare weight to be perfect... which is completely in keeping with its theme.
My main quibble is that it goes on a bit. Okay, it takes a while for Sophie to face up to the fact that James is a git. The trouble is, the reader figures it out pretty early on and then watching Sophie refusing to face for chapter after chapter gets a bit annoying.
The middle bit is good. It describes the anatomy of a nervous breakdown really well. But again, I got bored in places and started skipping sections.
If there were a 2.5 star score, I would have gone for that. It's a good book. It's just got a tiny bit too much spare weight to be perfect... which is completely in keeping with its theme.
June 19, 2013
Whilst the cover implies that this is lightweight and silly chick-lit, it actually turned out to be something much better than that.
It's very funny in places. Lots of laugh out loud moments.
It's very funny in places. Lots of laugh out loud moments.
March 1, 2012
I had read some good things about this book and managed to get it fairly cheap on the Kindle.
I enjoy chick lit as long as it's not too fluffy and has a good story. This was exactly this. It has a few underlying storylines which work well with the main plot of the romance. The main character is well formed and likeable, even when she was doing things that you knew wouldn't turn out too well.
The story is well paced and kept me wanting to read more. I believe Stella Newman is good enough to be up there with Marian Keyes, Jane Costello and the other chick lit greats.
I would definitely read more of her work as it has everything I like in a good piece of chick lit, humour, romance and a bit of a serious side.
I enjoy chick lit as long as it's not too fluffy and has a good story. This was exactly this. It has a few underlying storylines which work well with the main plot of the romance. The main character is well formed and likeable, even when she was doing things that you knew wouldn't turn out too well.
The story is well paced and kept me wanting to read more. I believe Stella Newman is good enough to be up there with Marian Keyes, Jane Costello and the other chick lit greats.
I would definitely read more of her work as it has everything I like in a good piece of chick lit, humour, romance and a bit of a serious side.
April 5, 2012
Very, very mixed feelings about this. I started to read it, but the first few pages were so fast, I decided I wasn't going to finish it. Then I tried again, and managed to get through it, eventually. Things I loved about Pear Shaped included the humour, which had me laughing out loud SO many times. The writing is so sharp, and so witty. That is what carried me through. However, Sophie started to irritate me after roughly the fourth time she suspected James was a liar. It became repetitive, and I felt that if several of the overused incidents were cut out, it would have been a whole lot better. I would absolutely read another book by Stella Newman because she is superbly talented, but Pear Shaped wasn't really for me.
December 29, 2013
Not what I first expected-much more to it.
A friend recommended this author to me. I found this book and it was the book's cover which caught my eye. I thought it would be your typical 'person who loves food too much, puts weight on and agonises over losing it story'. I imagined a light-hearted and humorous tale. I was wrong. It's so much more than that. It goes far deeper. It concerns a normal, happy young woman who's mind-set is altered due to a bad relationship. She isn't fat but she thinks she is. Some emotional passages and some lighter parts. I didn't find all of it easy reading-some of it dragged a bit for me, but some parts were so good.
A friend recommended this author to me. I found this book and it was the book's cover which caught my eye. I thought it would be your typical 'person who loves food too much, puts weight on and agonises over losing it story'. I imagined a light-hearted and humorous tale. I was wrong. It's so much more than that. It goes far deeper. It concerns a normal, happy young woman who's mind-set is altered due to a bad relationship. She isn't fat but she thinks she is. Some emotional passages and some lighter parts. I didn't find all of it easy reading-some of it dragged a bit for me, but some parts were so good.
April 3, 2012
I enjoyed the beginning as the main character Sophie came across as a strong, intelligent, witty woman who's good at her job and is a bit of a pudding connoisseur - and I like a good pudding. But as soon as she 'fell in love' with James (a superficial, misogynistic and a little bit fat rich old man) I found the book quite hard to read. I couldn't see the appeal in him at all and thus the 'girl loses mind' part didn't make much sense to me.
All in all I did enjoy it though; it's pretty funny in parts and full of references to different puddings. Especially custard. Lots of custard.
All in all I did enjoy it though; it's pretty funny in parts and full of references to different puddings. Especially custard. Lots of custard.
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