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Robin Wilde #1
Wilde Like Me
You'll never forget the day you meet Robin Wilde!
Robin Wilde is an awesome single mum. She's great at her job. Her best friend Lacey and bonkers Auntie Kath love her and little Lyla Blue to the moon and back. From the outside, everything looks just fine.
But behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things sometimes feel . . . grey. And lonely.
After 4 years (and 2 months and 24 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life!
A little courage, creativity and help from the wonderful women around her go a long way. And Robin is about to embark on quite an adventure . . .
Robin Wilde is an awesome single mum. She's great at her job. Her best friend Lacey and bonkers Auntie Kath love her and little Lyla Blue to the moon and back. From the outside, everything looks just fine.
But behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things sometimes feel . . . grey. And lonely.
After 4 years (and 2 months and 24 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life!
A little courage, creativity and help from the wonderful women around her go a long way. And Robin is about to embark on quite an adventure . . .
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 29, 2017
245 people are currently reading
3288 people want to read
About the author
Louise Pentland
14 books635 followersLouise Pentland is a British author, vlogger, blogger and internet personality.
Pentland is best known for her online work, under the title Sprinkleofglitter. She was working in a number of office roles when she began writing a craft and interior DIY blog named "Sprinkle of Glitter". In January 2010, Pentland began her YouTube channel, also named "Sprinkle of Glitter". At first the channel covered beauty, fashion and lifestyle; it has since expanded to include motivational and advice videos. In August 2012, Pentland began a second channel named "Sprinkle of Chatter", where she uploads lifestyle vlogs.
Pentland grew up in Northampton. In 2003, she moved to Liverpool to study Psychology and Biology; she attended Liverpool John Moores University and graduated with honours in 2006.
Pentland has identified as a feminist and interviewed Labour Party leader Ed Miliband during the 2015 United Kingdom general election.
On 2 November 2014 she performed a pilot of her LouiseLIVE stage show in Northampton, her home town, and went on to take it on tour around the UK.
On 2 July 2015 she released her debut book Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter through Simon & Schuster publishing. The following month she published Sprinkle of Glitter 2016 Diary: Have the Best Year of Your Life! through Faber and Faber.
She released her debut novel, Wilde Like Me in 2017.
Pentland is best known for her online work, under the title Sprinkleofglitter. She was working in a number of office roles when she began writing a craft and interior DIY blog named "Sprinkle of Glitter". In January 2010, Pentland began her YouTube channel, also named "Sprinkle of Glitter". At first the channel covered beauty, fashion and lifestyle; it has since expanded to include motivational and advice videos. In August 2012, Pentland began a second channel named "Sprinkle of Chatter", where she uploads lifestyle vlogs.
Pentland grew up in Northampton. In 2003, she moved to Liverpool to study Psychology and Biology; she attended Liverpool John Moores University and graduated with honours in 2006.
Pentland has identified as a feminist and interviewed Labour Party leader Ed Miliband during the 2015 United Kingdom general election.
On 2 November 2014 she performed a pilot of her LouiseLIVE stage show in Northampton, her home town, and went on to take it on tour around the UK.
On 2 July 2015 she released her debut book Life with a Sprinkle of Glitter through Simon & Schuster publishing. The following month she published Sprinkle of Glitter 2016 Diary: Have the Best Year of Your Life! through Faber and Faber.
She released her debut novel, Wilde Like Me in 2017.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 652 reviews
July 13, 2017
I love Louise. I do. I think she's refreshing, honest and relatable as a Blogger/YouTuber. But when it comes to being an author, I think she's still got some way to go.
My main problem was that the character of Robin just wasn't someone I'd easily warm up to. The constant self-pitying and self-deprecating really grated my nerves. Robin had lovely, supportive friends, a loving aunt and an amazing daughter and while I understand that most people long for a partner, I just felt like Robin took it too far with her "I'm nothing without a man by my side" attitude. It got a bit better in the last third of the book but the constant referencing to The Emptiness was a bit much - I feel like this was more a hint at the fact Robin was suffering from depression and should have gone to therapy for that, not that she needed a "nice man" to fix "The Emptiness". Meh.
My main problem was that the character of Robin just wasn't someone I'd easily warm up to. The constant self-pitying and self-deprecating really grated my nerves. Robin had lovely, supportive friends, a loving aunt and an amazing daughter and while I understand that most people long for a partner, I just felt like Robin took it too far with her "I'm nothing without a man by my side" attitude. It got a bit better in the last third of the book but the constant referencing to The Emptiness was a bit much - I feel like this was more a hint at the fact Robin was suffering from depression and should have gone to therapy for that, not that she needed a "nice man" to fix "The Emptiness". Meh.
August 1, 2017
I had avoided buying Louise's book due to the incessant reminders to buy it, and the high price tag. However, post release date the price dropped and I figured I would give it a go. I've been in a massive reading slump lately and thought an easy going, light contemporary would get me back into gear.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I struggled to read the book without constantly hearing Louise's voice coming through and thinking I was reading more of an autobiography. The colloquial style also felt very awkward at times - especially the consistent use of 'Ha' and terms such as 'bants'. The writing style came across as very basic and not very engaging.
The editing also seemed rushed due to a number of typos, clunky writing and the dragging out of brackets to the extent that the intended point of the bracket was lost.
Robin Wilde is supposed to be a character that the reader can see as their best friend, but unfortunately I don't think Robin is someone I could get along with. She repeats herself a lot, gets very ahead of herself and has thought processes that make no sense. She picks herself up on selfish behaviour, more than once, but does nothing to change it, or even work on it. She also has a very woe-is-me attitude and a rather concerning view that she needs a man to validate her despite a wonderful daughter, aunt and best friend as well as a developing career. Robin also gets a kick out of comparing herself to other women, finding flaws and insulting them in an attempt to make herself feel better. I have no idea how her family and friends put up with her!
Robin also describes herself (at least twice) as having a figure that is 'a nice normal size'. I'm concerned by this phrasing and am not sure what we're supposed to be considering a 'normal' size. I was under the impression that society is pushing the concept of 'there is no normal' as everyone is different and that's what makes us brilliant. Ultimately it seems Robin is living in the dark ages and needs to catch up with 2017 and the feminist, kick ass female position that we don't need no man.
Unfortunately, I was wrong.
I struggled to read the book without constantly hearing Louise's voice coming through and thinking I was reading more of an autobiography. The colloquial style also felt very awkward at times - especially the consistent use of 'Ha' and terms such as 'bants'. The writing style came across as very basic and not very engaging.
The editing also seemed rushed due to a number of typos, clunky writing and the dragging out of brackets to the extent that the intended point of the bracket was lost.
Robin Wilde is supposed to be a character that the reader can see as their best friend, but unfortunately I don't think Robin is someone I could get along with. She repeats herself a lot, gets very ahead of herself and has thought processes that make no sense. She picks herself up on selfish behaviour, more than once, but does nothing to change it, or even work on it. She also has a very woe-is-me attitude and a rather concerning view that she needs a man to validate her despite a wonderful daughter, aunt and best friend as well as a developing career. Robin also gets a kick out of comparing herself to other women, finding flaws and insulting them in an attempt to make herself feel better. I have no idea how her family and friends put up with her!
Robin also describes herself (at least twice) as having a figure that is 'a nice normal size'. I'm concerned by this phrasing and am not sure what we're supposed to be considering a 'normal' size. I was under the impression that society is pushing the concept of 'there is no normal' as everyone is different and that's what makes us brilliant. Ultimately it seems Robin is living in the dark ages and needs to catch up with 2017 and the feminist, kick ass female position that we don't need no man.
July 5, 2017
I really enjoy Louise's you tube channels and was so looking forward to this book I preordered it from Amazon. I found this book tedious, trite and poorly written. The plot is weak and not much happened which would be fine if it was well written and you could just enjoy the prose. I think Louise has been let down by the editors. I think the book would have been a better read if it was more concise and didn't have so many brackets everywhere. Most of the time it was to explain things that didn't need explanation and made it feel clunky to read. I hate read it to the end so I could review it as Louise gas been asking people to review it. Also why call a book about a selfish, jealous woman Wilde Like Me? She wasn't wild. Another thing that annoyed me were some of the conversations and internal monologue in the book. They kind of felt like paragraphs from a self help book but you were supposed to be realisations she had just come up with. The book felt quite anti-feminist as she judged and moans about all the women in her life - even when she complimented them it was kind of bitterly.
I think it was written like a blog post and that chatty style works in a blog as it is only going to take 10 minutes or so to read but I don't think this style is suitable for a novel. I also think this reads as though the author doesn't actually read much fiction. I've grown tired of 'chick lit' in the last year or so but have read enough to know good women's fiction and this is not it. There are books which are equally plot less or equally formulaic but are nevertheless entertaining and well written but this book is not.
My advice is download the kindle sample before you buy to see if you get on with the way it is written. Maybe you will find it okay.
I think it was written like a blog post and that chatty style works in a blog as it is only going to take 10 minutes or so to read but I don't think this style is suitable for a novel. I also think this reads as though the author doesn't actually read much fiction. I've grown tired of 'chick lit' in the last year or so but have read enough to know good women's fiction and this is not it. There are books which are equally plot less or equally formulaic but are nevertheless entertaining and well written but this book is not.
My advice is download the kindle sample before you buy to see if you get on with the way it is written. Maybe you will find it okay.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2017
I can't remember the last time a book made me laugh like this. If you know Louise or watch her YouTube channels then you will spot her personality coming through the pages of this debut novel. Louise is already planning book two as well. It was a fun, easy read and it's a book that would be great to read during the summer as a holiday read.
July 11, 2017
well that was a struggle. is that one star because i love louise? 100%
would i give it zero if i could/didn't love louise? 100%
would i give it zero if i could/didn't love louise? 100%
July 6, 2017
I'm not really one for youtuber books, I read Zoella's debut novel and it was enough to put me off, however I really love watching Louise, and did find her passion for her book infectious!
I want to start by saying how pleasantly surprised I was with this book! Don't get me wrong, it was not without mistakes - which did irritate me. I understand its a first novel, mistakes are made, etc. However, its not like Louise went down the same path as other first time authors, and considering she must have known she would be judged quite harshly, given the feeling towards youtubers and their book deals, I think simple mistakes could have easily been rectified and saved her a fair bit of criticism. The writing did feel a bit clunky in places, again nothing too major, just slightly irritating, especially considering she has self confessed how much help she had with editing and sorting out the story arc.
Despite those small criticisms, I really did enjoy the book, I do like a chic lit to get lost in every now and then, and you could easily get lost in the story. Its not something I couldn't put down but I did really look forward to reading it. I wasn't 100% sold on the Robin Wilde character, I didn't hate her like some other reviewers, but I did find her self centered and annoying at times, but saying that, she is also very relatable. I found her feelings on motherhood very relatable too, even though I am happily married, those thoughts of failure and just wanting you child to be happy are something I think every Mother could reside with.
This really is a good little read, with some true laugh out loud moments, it all very 'Sophie Kinsella' but it does work. Its not something I would rush off to tell my friends about, but defiantly fits into the beach read genre. Overall, if I was Louise, I would feel really proud of myself. Do I feel like she got an easy ride to author hood as a youtuber? Of course I do, she even admitted it herself, but I have certainly read some chic lits that were a lot worse than this, and I do think it would have been published in its own right.
I want to start by saying how pleasantly surprised I was with this book! Don't get me wrong, it was not without mistakes - which did irritate me. I understand its a first novel, mistakes are made, etc. However, its not like Louise went down the same path as other first time authors, and considering she must have known she would be judged quite harshly, given the feeling towards youtubers and their book deals, I think simple mistakes could have easily been rectified and saved her a fair bit of criticism. The writing did feel a bit clunky in places, again nothing too major, just slightly irritating, especially considering she has self confessed how much help she had with editing and sorting out the story arc.
Despite those small criticisms, I really did enjoy the book, I do like a chic lit to get lost in every now and then, and you could easily get lost in the story. Its not something I couldn't put down but I did really look forward to reading it. I wasn't 100% sold on the Robin Wilde character, I didn't hate her like some other reviewers, but I did find her self centered and annoying at times, but saying that, she is also very relatable. I found her feelings on motherhood very relatable too, even though I am happily married, those thoughts of failure and just wanting you child to be happy are something I think every Mother could reside with.
This really is a good little read, with some true laugh out loud moments, it all very 'Sophie Kinsella' but it does work. Its not something I would rush off to tell my friends about, but defiantly fits into the beach read genre. Overall, if I was Louise, I would feel really proud of myself. Do I feel like she got an easy ride to author hood as a youtuber? Of course I do, she even admitted it herself, but I have certainly read some chic lits that were a lot worse than this, and I do think it would have been published in its own right.
October 23, 2017
Wilde Like Me is author Loiuse Pentland’s debut novel. A funny, fast paced read, Loiuse explores being a woman and motherhood in the 21st century. Through the first person, she takes an in depth look into being a single parent, the role of friends and family as well as the negative effects of social media. From yummy mummy’s to aspiring to the perfect English life, Louise leaves no stone unturned. While I’m not a fan of this particular topic, the title and the blurb led me to believe that this could be a book I could enjoy. I did. I enjoyed every minute that I spent getting to know Robin Wilde.
Robin Wilde. The name made me think that this is a woman who is wild by name and would become wild by nature. How wrong I was. 29 year old Robin is just like every woman out there, dealing with life’s up and downs in the best way she can. Every situation Robin found herself in was totally relatable. She is trying to be the best parent she can to adorable 6 year old Lyla. She is trying to appreciate the beautiful, eccentric aunty Kath who is there for Robin and her daughter every single moment. She is trying to spend time with her two best friends, Lacey and Piper. She is trying to be the best employee. She is trying to deal with the ‘emptiness’ she sometimes feels and get on with living.
To get on with living, Robin, like all women, decides to make some changes. Wild changes for Robin but not so much for others lol Both physical and emotional. But like every year for all of us, these changes don’t always eventuate. Until now. Robin decides to start putting some effort into the way she looks, addressing her wardrobe and her make up. If I had a quarter of the talent of this make up artist I would be looking like a model every single day lol These small changes make a big difference to Robin’s daily outlook, just like increasing her work hours as Lyla is at school. This step leads Robin to working on movies and taking a leap into special effects. I loved how Lyla observes these changes in her mother and tells her mother how she is smiling more! Perhaps the scariest change is Robin entering the dating game again. There were many moments I giggled as Robin uses social media or went on single dates with varying success. A little predictably, Robin falls hard and fast for the too good to be true Theo. But here too she learns something from this experience.
Robin isn’t perfect by any means and messes things up time and time again. She becomes so wrapped up in her own world and problems with Theo that she doesn’t realise that her aunt Kath is just like her. Robin acts like she is the first and only person to be alone. To some readers this would be annoying, to me it was just life. In fact, Kath has been a widow for many years. Robin constantly feels judged by the mothers at Lyla’s school when she herself is her biggest critic. To make it even harder, Robin believes the social media hype of photos and posts that show everyone living the dream life. It takes a long time and frank conversations with people like her boss, Natalie, for Robin to realise the reality.
With so many laugh out loud moments as Robin finds her groove, the best part of Robin’s story is the end. It’s realistic and positive without being your traditional happily ever after!
Robin Wilde. The name made me think that this is a woman who is wild by name and would become wild by nature. How wrong I was. 29 year old Robin is just like every woman out there, dealing with life’s up and downs in the best way she can. Every situation Robin found herself in was totally relatable. She is trying to be the best parent she can to adorable 6 year old Lyla. She is trying to appreciate the beautiful, eccentric aunty Kath who is there for Robin and her daughter every single moment. She is trying to spend time with her two best friends, Lacey and Piper. She is trying to be the best employee. She is trying to deal with the ‘emptiness’ she sometimes feels and get on with living.
To get on with living, Robin, like all women, decides to make some changes. Wild changes for Robin but not so much for others lol Both physical and emotional. But like every year for all of us, these changes don’t always eventuate. Until now. Robin decides to start putting some effort into the way she looks, addressing her wardrobe and her make up. If I had a quarter of the talent of this make up artist I would be looking like a model every single day lol These small changes make a big difference to Robin’s daily outlook, just like increasing her work hours as Lyla is at school. This step leads Robin to working on movies and taking a leap into special effects. I loved how Lyla observes these changes in her mother and tells her mother how she is smiling more! Perhaps the scariest change is Robin entering the dating game again. There were many moments I giggled as Robin uses social media or went on single dates with varying success. A little predictably, Robin falls hard and fast for the too good to be true Theo. But here too she learns something from this experience.
Robin isn’t perfect by any means and messes things up time and time again. She becomes so wrapped up in her own world and problems with Theo that she doesn’t realise that her aunt Kath is just like her. Robin acts like she is the first and only person to be alone. To some readers this would be annoying, to me it was just life. In fact, Kath has been a widow for many years. Robin constantly feels judged by the mothers at Lyla’s school when she herself is her biggest critic. To make it even harder, Robin believes the social media hype of photos and posts that show everyone living the dream life. It takes a long time and frank conversations with people like her boss, Natalie, for Robin to realise the reality.
With so many laugh out loud moments as Robin finds her groove, the best part of Robin’s story is the end. It’s realistic and positive without being your traditional happily ever after!
August 7, 2017
I adored this and I cannot wait to see what Louise does next if this is her debut?!
March 6, 2018
I liked this. Not too heavy, but touched on some issues that we all come across.
Definitely a feel good book.
Definitely a feel good book.
June 24, 2017
Book reviews on www.snazzybooks.com
Wilde Like Me is a fun, light-hearted read. It follows Robin Wilde, mum of six year Lyla who's life, in her eyes anyway, is a bit of a mess. She's trying to juggle being a single mum and desperately trying to live up to the perfect examples the other mums at her daughter's school seem to set, whilst feeling pretty lonely at times.
The story itself is easy to read and, at times, really funny. There were parts that really made me laugh, and parts that were a little more serious. The novel focuses a lot on main character Robin's emotions, which can often be quite up and down, and I liked that these emotions were not something to be excused or apologised for. However I wasn't sure that Robin's mental health was just due to her being lonely without a man in her life; this felt a bit too 'simple', and Robin was also so preoccupied with worrying that Lyla might be negatively affected because she's is a single mum which is a shame. I suppose that's what Robin feels is the opinions of society and I'm sure many other people sadly feel this pressure too (I don't have any kids so I guess I can't comment on this), but it feels a bit outdated.
Enough about the more serious parts - most of the novel is pretty light-hearted and humorous. Some of the story is unapologetic fluffy, and sometimes that's just what you feel like reading! Louise Pentland definitely has a knack for writing witty occurrences in an engaging way. There are some great situation that Robin gets herself into which really amused me, though sometimes she is far too hard on herself - she IS doing a great job as a mum, though she can be a bit annoying sometimes!
I lost interest a bit in some of the story in the second half, but overall I feel that it's a fun read which I enjoyed, and I think this will be a popular read.
Many thanks to Readers First for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
Wilde Like Me is a fun, light-hearted read. It follows Robin Wilde, mum of six year Lyla who's life, in her eyes anyway, is a bit of a mess. She's trying to juggle being a single mum and desperately trying to live up to the perfect examples the other mums at her daughter's school seem to set, whilst feeling pretty lonely at times.
The story itself is easy to read and, at times, really funny. There were parts that really made me laugh, and parts that were a little more serious. The novel focuses a lot on main character Robin's emotions, which can often be quite up and down, and I liked that these emotions were not something to be excused or apologised for. However I wasn't sure that Robin's mental health was just due to her being lonely without a man in her life; this felt a bit too 'simple', and Robin was also so preoccupied with worrying that Lyla might be negatively affected because she's is a single mum which is a shame. I suppose that's what Robin feels is the opinions of society and I'm sure many other people sadly feel this pressure too (I don't have any kids so I guess I can't comment on this), but it feels a bit outdated.
Enough about the more serious parts - most of the novel is pretty light-hearted and humorous. Some of the story is unapologetic fluffy, and sometimes that's just what you feel like reading! Louise Pentland definitely has a knack for writing witty occurrences in an engaging way. There are some great situation that Robin gets herself into which really amused me, though sometimes she is far too hard on herself - she IS doing a great job as a mum, though she can be a bit annoying sometimes!
I lost interest a bit in some of the story in the second half, but overall I feel that it's a fun read which I enjoyed, and I think this will be a popular read.
Many thanks to Readers First for providing a copy of this novel on which I chose to write an honest and unbiased review.
July 6, 2017
This was a typical chick-lit style book featuring Robin Wilde, a 20 something year old woman stuck in a rut in her life and looking for a way out. A single mother to her daughter Lyla, she was feeling more and more out of place as her daughter grew and she had more time to herself. With a push from family and friends, she throws herself further into her career as a make-up artist's assistant and begins looking for a man to share her life with.
There was nothing particularly new here but there were some suggestions of more interesting themes such as mental health awareness, sex positivity and the loneliness brought about by weaker friend and family ties, but I felt like none were explored in enough detail to particularly draw attention to this book away from other novels of a similar genre. Most of these themes were rushed or left without a real conclusion by the end of the novel, though I was interested in them being brought up and would read a potential sequel to see if more would be done with these issues.
A final issue is with the writing style. As someone who has watched some of the author's vlogs and other videos, it did feel (unfortunately) quite like a self-insert. The character and the author share a lot in common and the writing style felt like a transplant of the author's recording style in her videos. While I like this style in short segments, it felt a bit much in a longer-length narrative and also made me feel like the character wasn't too well explored or developed. It took away from some of the potential humour of the situation, though I felt the interesting supporting characters did help with this. All in all, it was a good read if you are a fan of chick-lit and similar genres, and I hope that a second book will be released to tie up loose ends.
There was nothing particularly new here but there were some suggestions of more interesting themes such as mental health awareness, sex positivity and the loneliness brought about by weaker friend and family ties, but I felt like none were explored in enough detail to particularly draw attention to this book away from other novels of a similar genre. Most of these themes were rushed or left without a real conclusion by the end of the novel, though I was interested in them being brought up and would read a potential sequel to see if more would be done with these issues.
A final issue is with the writing style. As someone who has watched some of the author's vlogs and other videos, it did feel (unfortunately) quite like a self-insert. The character and the author share a lot in common and the writing style felt like a transplant of the author's recording style in her videos. While I like this style in short segments, it felt a bit much in a longer-length narrative and also made me feel like the character wasn't too well explored or developed. It took away from some of the potential humour of the situation, though I felt the interesting supporting characters did help with this. All in all, it was a good read if you are a fan of chick-lit and similar genres, and I hope that a second book will be released to tie up loose ends.
December 11, 2017
This was a library book so I *could* have stopped reading after the first few chapters. I *should* have stopped reading but I hoped it would get better. Hoped IN VAIN - I must be a glutton for punishment. And it kept not getting better. I ended up skimming most of this - it was just really disjointed and trying to hard to create tension/story - which just came off making Robin seem like a whiny, self-centred, insecure, vapid/vain bore. I get why dippy Simon left her....
And don’t get me started on the continual dull descriptions of who was wearing what, and how things looked, and the dropped in references to labels/brands. It was quite a clumsy narrative, making the book hard to read.
I had no idea who the author was till a friend saw I had added this book to my “goodreads” list, and alerted me to the fact she was a beauty blogger. Wilde like Me makes the one and a half star I gave Roxy Jacenko’s debut novel seem like it should have been a 3* effort - i probably shouldn’t have read them back-you-back. But perhaps instead I think I need to steer clear of fiction done by social media darlings. That said, with some solid editing Wilde maybe could have been more engaging, but Laine Moriaty does a much better writing job of the “mummy life” genre.
And don’t get me started on the continual dull descriptions of who was wearing what, and how things looked, and the dropped in references to labels/brands. It was quite a clumsy narrative, making the book hard to read.
I had no idea who the author was till a friend saw I had added this book to my “goodreads” list, and alerted me to the fact she was a beauty blogger. Wilde like Me makes the one and a half star I gave Roxy Jacenko’s debut novel seem like it should have been a 3* effort - i probably shouldn’t have read them back-you-back. But perhaps instead I think I need to steer clear of fiction done by social media darlings. That said, with some solid editing Wilde maybe could have been more engaging, but Laine Moriaty does a much better writing job of the “mummy life” genre.
July 24, 2019
Pontuação: 3.5/5 *
Disclaimer: Livro oferecido para resenha pela Porto Editora
Eu fui para este livro com uma ideia muito base dele, apesar de já ter visto uma spoiler free review dele no Youtube da Bunny's reads. A minha ideia foi de que este livro era um Gilmore Girls moderno e só posso dizer que, agora que o li, não concordo a 100% com esta minha ideia inicial.
Neste livro conhecemos, tal como em Gilmore Girls, uma dupla mãe e filha que tentam todos os dias encarar a vida pelo lado positivo mas como todos sabem isso nem sempre é possivel. Neste caso, temos a Robin e a sua relação com o Vazio (nome dado pela autora à sensação de ansiedade da Robin), relação esta que costuma minar a mente da Robin e o seu dia-a-dia com pensamentos negativos (e.g Serei boa mãe? Será que estou a criar bem a minha filha?) e a levam a sabotar-se a si própria.
Em termos de representação da ansiedade, acho que a autora conseguiu transmitir e escrever muito bem sobre este ponto e também tocar em temas como depressão pós-parto (), que acabou por ajudar a aumentar o Vazio da Robin.
Outro tema que achei interessante foi quando a autora abordou a desvalorização da mulher depois de esta ter tido filhos porque concordei plenamente com a opinião dela: normalmente mal uma mulher tem filhos na nossa sociedade esta parece que cumpriu "a sua função" e que agora deve viver para os filhos, relegando a sua identidade. A autora chega a dar o exemplo de que quando uma mulher têm filhos deixa de ter nome e passa simplesmente a ser a mãe de X, Y e Z.
Num aparte, uma cena que achei bastante engraçada foi a ida ao Ikea porque vamos ser lá honestos: aquilo é um labirinto humano e ninguem sobrevive a uma visita ao Ikea com toda a sua paciência e juventude intactas.
Voltando à minha ideia inicial sobre o livro e a sua vertente Gilmore Girls: sinceramente acho que este livro é parecido com a série no que toca a ser uma dupla mãe e filha, algumas cenas engraçadas em que é impossível não nos rirmos e em haver uma filha que apesar de tudo o que se passa (pais separados, nova escola, etc) está no caminho de ser uma pessoa perfeitamente normal e bem formada. De resto, acho que não existem mais parecenças nenhumas.
Agora chegamos à parte da resenha em que eu vos explico finalmente a minha pontuação de 3.5/5 estrelas quando até agora o único aspeto que podia ser mais negativo foi não ser parecido com uma série (e atenção não tinha de o ser). A minha relação com a Robin foi a mais frustrante de sempre, primeiro simpatizei com ela no inicio do livro dado que eu compreendo o que a ansiedade faz a uma pessoa, as óbvias preocupações que todas as mães tem em "Será que o meu filho/filha vai crescer para ser uma pessoa funcional e feliz?", conjugar trabalho-casa-filhos-tempo para nós e ainda dormir no meio disso tudo mas quando chegamos à parte em que ela conhece o Theo.... O comboio descarrilou...
Eu percebo o porquê de a autora ter desenvolvido a história da Robin do modo como o fez, sendo que no fim isso têm um propósito mas ver a Robin a tratar mal a tia que move mundos e fundos por ela (e que inclusive também sofre do Vazio, algo completamente ignorado pela Robin porque não se dá ao trabalho de ter em consideração os sentimentos da tia) , a ter a sua filha de 6 anos a chama-la à razão, porque ela não estava a ter a maturidade suficiente para ver a sua reação exagerada, irritou-me imenso. No entanto, a Robin não nota que o Theo está simplesmente a manipula-lá e corre sempre para ele mal algo acontece....
Tudo isto fez me pousar o livro e ler outra coisa...Porém, eu queria acabar de o ler para puder fazer uma resenha completa do mesmo e então voltei à carga. Ainda bem que o fiz dado que a partir do arco de Nova Iorque vemos a Robin a crescer e a ter atitudes brilhantes e confiança em si. Foi este crescimento que a permitiu dar um chuto a nós sabemos quem e também a finalmente conseguir avançar no emprego de que tanto gosta. Gostei que no final a Robin percebesse que não precisava de um homem para lhe amparar os tachos como se costuma dizer e muito menos para a Lyla ser feliz.
Terminamos o livro com uma Robin cheia de si e pronta para atacar o novo ano e devo dizer que isso me deixou com um bocado de curiosidade sobre o segundo volume desta série e espero que a Porto o traduza.
Devo também mencionar que adorei as amizades femininas neste livro, principalmente entre a Robin e a Lacie e a Robin com as MEC (Mães chiques) e o modo como todas se apoiaram umas às outras. Uma menção honrosa para o apoio que a Robin dá a Lacie à medida que esta atravessa uma fase mais triste da sua vida.
Concluido esta longissima resenha (não esperava ter tantos sentimentos sobre este livro) foram todos estes aspetos que me fizeram dar 3.5/5 estrelas a este livro. Porém, se gostam de contemporâneos, de maquilhagem (as referencias neste livro são top nesse aspecto) ou simplesmente querem uma leitura que vos faça chorar de tanto rir (este livro tem cada tirada mais cómica) ou simplesmente ver uma personagem a tornar-se senhora de si mesma e aprender a conquistar aquilo que quer e que deve dar valor a quem está sempre ao seu lado: este livro é para vocês.
Disclaimer: Livro oferecido para resenha pela Porto Editora
Eu fui para este livro com uma ideia muito base dele, apesar de já ter visto uma spoiler free review dele no Youtube da Bunny's reads. A minha ideia foi de que este livro era um Gilmore Girls moderno e só posso dizer que, agora que o li, não concordo a 100% com esta minha ideia inicial.
Neste livro conhecemos, tal como em Gilmore Girls, uma dupla mãe e filha que tentam todos os dias encarar a vida pelo lado positivo mas como todos sabem isso nem sempre é possivel. Neste caso, temos a Robin e a sua relação com o Vazio (nome dado pela autora à sensação de ansiedade da Robin), relação esta que costuma minar a mente da Robin e o seu dia-a-dia com pensamentos negativos (e.g Serei boa mãe? Será que estou a criar bem a minha filha?) e a levam a sabotar-se a si própria.
Em termos de representação da ansiedade, acho que a autora conseguiu transmitir e escrever muito bem sobre este ponto e também tocar em temas como depressão pós-parto (), que acabou por ajudar a aumentar o Vazio da Robin.
Outro tema que achei interessante foi quando a autora abordou a desvalorização da mulher depois de esta ter tido filhos porque concordei plenamente com a opinião dela: normalmente mal uma mulher tem filhos na nossa sociedade esta parece que cumpriu "a sua função" e que agora deve viver para os filhos, relegando a sua identidade. A autora chega a dar o exemplo de que quando uma mulher têm filhos deixa de ter nome e passa simplesmente a ser a mãe de X, Y e Z.
Num aparte, uma cena que achei bastante engraçada foi a ida ao Ikea porque vamos ser lá honestos: aquilo é um labirinto humano e ninguem sobrevive a uma visita ao Ikea com toda a sua paciência e juventude intactas.
Voltando à minha ideia inicial sobre o livro e a sua vertente Gilmore Girls: sinceramente acho que este livro é parecido com a série no que toca a ser uma dupla mãe e filha, algumas cenas engraçadas em que é impossível não nos rirmos e em haver uma filha que apesar de tudo o que se passa (pais separados, nova escola, etc) está no caminho de ser uma pessoa perfeitamente normal e bem formada. De resto, acho que não existem mais parecenças nenhumas.
Agora chegamos à parte da resenha em que eu vos explico finalmente a minha pontuação de 3.5/5 estrelas quando até agora o único aspeto que podia ser mais negativo foi não ser parecido com uma série (e atenção não tinha de o ser). A minha relação com a Robin foi a mais frustrante de sempre, primeiro simpatizei com ela no inicio do livro dado que eu compreendo o que a ansiedade faz a uma pessoa, as óbvias preocupações que todas as mães tem em "Será que o meu filho/filha vai crescer para ser uma pessoa funcional e feliz?", conjugar trabalho-casa-filhos-tempo para nós e ainda dormir no meio disso tudo mas quando chegamos à parte em que ela conhece o Theo.... O comboio descarrilou...
Eu percebo o porquê de a autora ter desenvolvido a história da Robin do modo como o fez, sendo que no fim isso têm um propósito mas ver a Robin a tratar mal a tia que move mundos e fundos por ela (e que inclusive também sofre do Vazio, algo completamente ignorado pela Robin porque não se dá ao trabalho de ter em consideração os sentimentos da tia) , a ter a sua filha de 6 anos a chama-la à razão, porque ela não estava a ter a maturidade suficiente para ver a sua reação exagerada, irritou-me imenso. No entanto, a Robin não nota que o Theo está simplesmente a manipula-lá e corre sempre para ele mal algo acontece....
Tudo isto fez me pousar o livro e ler outra coisa...Porém, eu queria acabar de o ler para puder fazer uma resenha completa do mesmo e então voltei à carga. Ainda bem que o fiz dado que a partir do arco de Nova Iorque vemos a Robin a crescer e a ter atitudes brilhantes e confiança em si. Foi este crescimento que a permitiu dar um chuto a nós sabemos quem e também a finalmente conseguir avançar no emprego de que tanto gosta. Gostei que no final a Robin percebesse que não precisava de um homem para lhe amparar os tachos como se costuma dizer e muito menos para a Lyla ser feliz.
Terminamos o livro com uma Robin cheia de si e pronta para atacar o novo ano e devo dizer que isso me deixou com um bocado de curiosidade sobre o segundo volume desta série e espero que a Porto o traduza.
Devo também mencionar que adorei as amizades femininas neste livro, principalmente entre a Robin e a Lacie e a Robin com as MEC (Mães chiques) e o modo como todas se apoiaram umas às outras. Uma menção honrosa para o apoio que a Robin dá a Lacie à medida que esta atravessa uma fase mais triste da sua vida.
Concluido esta longissima resenha (não esperava ter tantos sentimentos sobre este livro) foram todos estes aspetos que me fizeram dar 3.5/5 estrelas a este livro. Porém, se gostam de contemporâneos, de maquilhagem (as referencias neste livro são top nesse aspecto) ou simplesmente querem uma leitura que vos faça chorar de tanto rir (este livro tem cada tirada mais cómica) ou simplesmente ver uma personagem a tornar-se senhora de si mesma e aprender a conquistar aquilo que quer e que deve dar valor a quem está sempre ao seu lado: este livro é para vocês.
January 21, 2019
I wanted to like this book, I really did. I follow Louise on YouTube and she seems like a lovely person and a very good mother, and I love her personality. When I picked up Wilde Like Me my expectations weren't even that high: I just wanted to read a fun and easy book about a single mother. Unfortunately, I was still disappointed because this book was a hot mess.
My biggest problem is with the main character, Robin Wilde. She is a single mother with a six-year old daughter (much like Louise Pentland herself) and throughout the book she does nothing but complaining and whining about everything. Let me sum up her life for you: she has the sweetest daughter, a loving aunt who helps her with everything, amazing friends and a job she loves to do and that she's good at. But Robin doesn't have boyfriend, so her life still sucks and she sure loves feeling sorry for herself. She feels an 'Emptiness', even though she has basically everything she could wish for. At first I thought it might be about depression or mental health issues, but nope. It really is about not having a man in her life. Apart from that there aren't any problems, because everything Robin complains about is fixed in no time because she is a special snowflake who is good at everything that she does. She barely spares a thought for anyone but herself, and sometimes her daughter. I have a lot of trouble rooting for someone like that, because there weren't really a lot of stakes in this story.
Then the writing style: it's basically written in a sort of vlog/instagram language and it doesn't really work within a book. It doesn't flow and sometimes there are really long descriptions about things that aren't really important. When a meal or outfit is described with so much detail I just imagine Louise going through Pinterest for inspiration but it's not interesting to read about at all. The pacing is off and it got quite boring at times unfortunately.
The ending of the book was a little bit better, but it still didn't save this story for me. I've also heard that the sequel is a lot better, but I don't think I'm going to pick it up. I wish I had loved it more, but sadly this book wasn't very good in my opinion.
My biggest problem is with the main character, Robin Wilde. She is a single mother with a six-year old daughter (much like Louise Pentland herself) and throughout the book she does nothing but complaining and whining about everything. Let me sum up her life for you: she has the sweetest daughter, a loving aunt who helps her with everything, amazing friends and a job she loves to do and that she's good at. But Robin doesn't have boyfriend, so her life still sucks and she sure loves feeling sorry for herself. She feels an 'Emptiness', even though she has basically everything she could wish for. At first I thought it might be about depression or mental health issues, but nope. It really is about not having a man in her life. Apart from that there aren't any problems, because everything Robin complains about is fixed in no time because she is a special snowflake who is good at everything that she does. She barely spares a thought for anyone but herself, and sometimes her daughter. I have a lot of trouble rooting for someone like that, because there weren't really a lot of stakes in this story.
Then the writing style: it's basically written in a sort of vlog/instagram language and it doesn't really work within a book. It doesn't flow and sometimes there are really long descriptions about things that aren't really important. When a meal or outfit is described with so much detail I just imagine Louise going through Pinterest for inspiration but it's not interesting to read about at all. The pacing is off and it got quite boring at times unfortunately.
The ending of the book was a little bit better, but it still didn't save this story for me. I've also heard that the sequel is a lot better, but I don't think I'm going to pick it up. I wish I had loved it more, but sadly this book wasn't very good in my opinion.
July 30, 2017
Wilde Like Me!!! A book from a Youtuber. OH NO!!!! (I love them, well the ones I read so far.)
I'm watching Louise for a few years now and really love her videos. This didn't influence my opinion about the book, tho.
Summary: Meet Robin Wilde! You'll make a friend for life and she'll take you on a journey you'll never forget ...Single mum Robin Wilde adores her six-year-old daughter and loves her job as a make up artist's assistant. She has a wonderful best friend and an auntie who is bonkers, yes, but loves her to the moon and back. But Robin has a secret. Behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things just feel ... grey. And lonely. She struggles to fit in with the school mum crew. Online dating is totally despair-inducing, and she worries every day about raising her little girl with self-confidence, courage and joy.What Robin longs for is someone (over the age of six) to share with - someone who's always on her team. After 4 years (2 months, and 15 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life. Exciting new opportunities are about to come Robin's way ... Perhaps a man, perhaps the chance of a lifetime ...What will Robin do with the possibilities she creates for herself? And what potential will she unlock if she takes the leap?
Right from the first page, I knew that this book would be exactly what I thought it would be and it was amazing. The writing was so wonderful, so funny, so heartfelt, so Louise. Seriously, sometimes while reading I could hear her voice in my head, telling me the story.
I loved the story itself. It really showed all the ups and downs in life. It didn't sugar coat anything. Sometimes life sucks and you let it get you down for a bit, but then you have to get back up and move on. I loved Robin's journey through this whole book, how in the beginning she was on the look out for someone else to come in and fix things and how through out the book she found herself and found out that she was and will always be able to fix shit for herself.
I loved the characters. I loved Robin and her little girl Lyla. I loved how female driven this book was. We have so many wonderful and different woman in this book. I love the different relationships Robin has with all of them. Women supporting each other through all the ups and downs in ones life. I LOVED IT.
The book had a really good ending and would have been fine as a stand alone. But knowing, that there will be a second book, I can't wait to get back to these characters again. Cause even though, Robin and Lyla are a amazing team on their own, I kinda wanna see how things turn out with Edward (and hopefully he won't turn out to be a second Theo, can I just say how much I hated this guy and how much he deserved a good punch in the face).
I'm watching Louise for a few years now and really love her videos. This didn't influence my opinion about the book, tho.
Summary: Meet Robin Wilde! You'll make a friend for life and she'll take you on a journey you'll never forget ...Single mum Robin Wilde adores her six-year-old daughter and loves her job as a make up artist's assistant. She has a wonderful best friend and an auntie who is bonkers, yes, but loves her to the moon and back. But Robin has a secret. Behind the mask she carefully applies every day, things just feel ... grey. And lonely. She struggles to fit in with the school mum crew. Online dating is totally despair-inducing, and she worries every day about raising her little girl with self-confidence, courage and joy.What Robin longs for is someone (over the age of six) to share with - someone who's always on her team. After 4 years (2 months, and 15 days!) of single-mum-dom, it's time for Robin Wilde to Change. Her. Life. Exciting new opportunities are about to come Robin's way ... Perhaps a man, perhaps the chance of a lifetime ...What will Robin do with the possibilities she creates for herself? And what potential will she unlock if she takes the leap?
Right from the first page, I knew that this book would be exactly what I thought it would be and it was amazing. The writing was so wonderful, so funny, so heartfelt, so Louise. Seriously, sometimes while reading I could hear her voice in my head, telling me the story.
I loved the story itself. It really showed all the ups and downs in life. It didn't sugar coat anything. Sometimes life sucks and you let it get you down for a bit, but then you have to get back up and move on. I loved Robin's journey through this whole book, how in the beginning she was on the look out for someone else to come in and fix things and how through out the book she found herself and found out that she was and will always be able to fix shit for herself.
I loved the characters. I loved Robin and her little girl Lyla. I loved how female driven this book was. We have so many wonderful and different woman in this book. I love the different relationships Robin has with all of them. Women supporting each other through all the ups and downs in ones life. I LOVED IT.
The book had a really good ending and would have been fine as a stand alone. But knowing, that there will be a second book, I can't wait to get back to these characters again. Cause even though, Robin and Lyla are a amazing team on their own, I kinda wanna see how things turn out with Edward (and hopefully he won't turn out to be a second Theo, can I just say how much I hated this guy and how much he deserved a good punch in the face).
March 4, 2021
Αυτό το βιβλίο δεν ήταν τόσο κακό όσο το κάνουν να φαίνεται οι κριτικές που έχει πάρει. Είναι καλογραμμένο και μπορώ να πω ότι σέβεται τον αναγνώστη. Αν σε αφορά το ζήτημα της μονογονεϊκής οικογένειας ή αν έστω δεν θα σε ενοχλούσε αν ένα ολόκληρο βιβλίο περιστρεφόταν γύρω απ' αυτό τότε μπορώ να πω ότι θα περνούσες καλά διαβάζοντάς το.
August 31, 2021
A light entertaining read with a perfect mother and daughter duo. My favourite parts were with the two together they made the best team to me. I like how Robin grew more confident of her own abilities through the story not relying on a man or anyone else to sort her own problems. I liked the New York chapter and when she came home to where the heart is. On to the next one.
July 7, 2017
Ahh, I had pre-ordered this and was so so excited when it arrived! I absolutely love Louise and just knew it would be a great read. It was so so funny at parts and I laughed out loud quite a few times!
Such a heart warming read and actually made me feel so so good. The ending is absolutely perfect because it's so realistic.
I can't wait until we meet again Robin Wilde!
Such a heart warming read and actually made me feel so so good. The ending is absolutely perfect because it's so realistic.
I can't wait until we meet again Robin Wilde!
March 24, 2025
I've watched Louise on Youtube for probably 8+ years! I could hear her as Robin while I read, and her little sayings were peppered through quite often. I even noted 'sprinkle of glitter' popped in to one of the sentences! I enjoyed the ending and look forward to the story continuing in book 2!
November 27, 2019
For me this book was a good 3.5stars ⭐⭐⭐
Lets start with the good. I think this book in many ways is pretty relatable. The main character, robin, goes through a journey of self discovery, reconnecting with herself and finding her 'sparkle'. This is where it was relatable to me, I think alot of women after becoming a mum do find they lose themselves to motherhood and forget who they are away from being just mum. I liked the secondary characters I thought they were great and they have their own things they're going through which adds to the book.
The reason I gave this 3.5 stars and not a higher rating was because there were parts I found I started to skim read. Some of the internal dialogue was frustrating to me and, at times, I felt slightly repetitive.
Overall, I think this book has set up a good start to the series I do want to find out how robins journey continues and where she ends up as she is a likable character.
Lets start with the good. I think this book in many ways is pretty relatable. The main character, robin, goes through a journey of self discovery, reconnecting with herself and finding her 'sparkle'. This is where it was relatable to me, I think alot of women after becoming a mum do find they lose themselves to motherhood and forget who they are away from being just mum. I liked the secondary characters I thought they were great and they have their own things they're going through which adds to the book.
The reason I gave this 3.5 stars and not a higher rating was because there were parts I found I started to skim read. Some of the internal dialogue was frustrating to me and, at times, I felt slightly repetitive.
Overall, I think this book has set up a good start to the series I do want to find out how robins journey continues and where she ends up as she is a likable character.
December 29, 2017
This book was recommended to me by my daughter. I knew nothing about the author before reading it so was not affected by the negative outlook of the 'You Tuber' writes a book comments I have now read in other reviews. I thought this was a really enjoyable read and the characters were well rounded. I have met a lot of self centered and self pitying people over the years and thought this was a very honest portrayal of someone struggling to find their way in life. It is always easy to critcise someone from the outside looking in but 'the emptiness' (depression) that Louise writes about can happen to anyone. I think most of these book reviews are too quick to criticise and I will be looking forward to the second book. Well done Louise.
June 14, 2018
Ben ritrovate amiche del confine, oggi sono veramente felice di parlarvi dell’ultima lettura che ha accompagnato queste prime giornate di giugno e che ho ricevuto in anteprima per potervene parlare proprio nei giorni dell’uscita italiana. Si tratta di “Invincibili come noi”, edito Garzanti e scritto da Louise Pentland, scrittrice e vlogger inglese.
La protagonista è Robin Wilde, giovane donna divorziata e madre di una splendida bimba di sei anni, Lyla, di cui si occupa in maniera quasi esclusiva. Robin adora la figlia e cerca di destreggiarsi come può tra il suo lavoro di truccatrice freelance e gli impegni da mamma, ma spesso la sua buona volontà nulla può contro la sensazione di non essere abbastanza. Vorrebbe essere come le Mamme Snob che incontra alla scuola privata di Lyla, sempre eleganti e puntuali, ma soprattutto con un marito perfetto al loro fianco. Decide allora di rimettersi in gioco scaricando un’app di incontri per conoscere finalmente l’uomo giusto che potrà rendere più facile la sua vita incasinata. Quello che all’inizio parte quasi come un gioco la spinge quindi a superare le sue insicurezze e a sperimentare nuove situazioni, collezionando spesso fallimenti e brutte figure, ma sempre mantenendo la sua spontaneità. Ma alla fine esiste davvero la vita perfetta?
Ragazze, donne, mamme e non mamme, questo romanzo è per voi, anzi per noi. Impossibile non ritrovarsi in almeno una delle tante situazioni descritte, merito anche della presenza di numerose figure femminili che fanno da contorno alla vita di Robin e Lyla. C’è Lacey, la migliore amica di Robin che sembra vivere la vita perfetta ma che fatica a rimanere incinta; Piper, lo spirito libero che colleziona uomini come francobolli; la zia Kath, quasi una madre per Robin, che la aiuta e la sostiene anche presentandosi alle sette del mattino per riordinarle la cucina; Nathalie, il capo di Robin, altrimenti detta Wonderwoman, per essere riuscita a crescere tre figli e dirigere un’agenzia di truccatori senza mai spettinarsi un capello.
Fosse un film verrebbe descritto come un cast quasi totalmente al femminile, dove gli uomini hanno ruoli marginali e di passaggio, senza nessuna cattiveria o pretesa di femminismo politico ma semplicemente perché quasi non trovano spazio nella storia.
Robin è una di noi. Fin dalle prime pagine ci sembra di conoscerla perché in un momento o l’altro della nostra vita a tutte è capitato di sentirci come lei: un casino.
È una donna appassionata e forte, anche se spesso non se ne rende conto, che si ritrova a badare da sola alla figlia dopo che il marito la lascia per un’altra. Innamorata dell’idea dell’amore e col sogno di una famiglia unita in cui crescere Lyla, l’unica ragione che la spinge ad alzarsi dal letto in quelle mattine in cui tutto sembra semplicemente troppo. Vive tutte le difficoltà di una madre single sul limite della depressione o come lo chiama lei, “Il Grande Vuoto”; quella sensazione di ansia e solitudine che spesso minaccia di sopraffarla e a cui resiste solo e unicamente per la figlia.
Robin è talmente avviluppata da tristezza e autocommiserazione che spesso non si rende neanche conto della fortuna che ha nell’essere circondata da tanto amore, in primis quello rivoltole da Lyla, che stravede per lei.
Assistiamo però a un mutamento quando decide finalmente di riemergere dalle spire della depressione e cerca di ottenere la vita perfetta che tanto ammira nelle altre donne. Con lo scorrere delle pagine ci accorgiamo che non è tutto oro quel che luccica e anche quelle che sembrano in apparenza vite perfette nascondono i mille problemi con cui ciascuna di noi deve fare i conti, prima fra tutte la sensazione (ahimè molto spesso tutta al femminile) di non essere e non fare abbastanza.
Mi sembra addirittura scontato dire a questo punto che ho amato questo libro e l’ho trovato una di quelle letture che fanno bene al cuore. Mi sono commossa e ho riso leggendo delle disavventure di Robin, che mi ricorda quasi una moderna e cresciuta Bridget Jones alle prese con l’eterna lotta con la bilancia e la moda, a cui si aggiungono solo i dubbi da madre. L’autrice riesce a conquistarci da subito con uno stile fresco e allegro, definibile quasi come un costante flusso di pensieri piuttosto che un diario. Non avendo mai letto nulla di Louise Pentland prima d’ora non ho potuto fare a meno di cercare altre pubblicazioni che sono già nella mia lista lettura.
La protagonista è Robin Wilde, giovane donna divorziata e madre di una splendida bimba di sei anni, Lyla, di cui si occupa in maniera quasi esclusiva. Robin adora la figlia e cerca di destreggiarsi come può tra il suo lavoro di truccatrice freelance e gli impegni da mamma, ma spesso la sua buona volontà nulla può contro la sensazione di non essere abbastanza. Vorrebbe essere come le Mamme Snob che incontra alla scuola privata di Lyla, sempre eleganti e puntuali, ma soprattutto con un marito perfetto al loro fianco. Decide allora di rimettersi in gioco scaricando un’app di incontri per conoscere finalmente l’uomo giusto che potrà rendere più facile la sua vita incasinata. Quello che all’inizio parte quasi come un gioco la spinge quindi a superare le sue insicurezze e a sperimentare nuove situazioni, collezionando spesso fallimenti e brutte figure, ma sempre mantenendo la sua spontaneità. Ma alla fine esiste davvero la vita perfetta?
Ragazze, donne, mamme e non mamme, questo romanzo è per voi, anzi per noi. Impossibile non ritrovarsi in almeno una delle tante situazioni descritte, merito anche della presenza di numerose figure femminili che fanno da contorno alla vita di Robin e Lyla. C’è Lacey, la migliore amica di Robin che sembra vivere la vita perfetta ma che fatica a rimanere incinta; Piper, lo spirito libero che colleziona uomini come francobolli; la zia Kath, quasi una madre per Robin, che la aiuta e la sostiene anche presentandosi alle sette del mattino per riordinarle la cucina; Nathalie, il capo di Robin, altrimenti detta Wonderwoman, per essere riuscita a crescere tre figli e dirigere un’agenzia di truccatori senza mai spettinarsi un capello.
Fosse un film verrebbe descritto come un cast quasi totalmente al femminile, dove gli uomini hanno ruoli marginali e di passaggio, senza nessuna cattiveria o pretesa di femminismo politico ma semplicemente perché quasi non trovano spazio nella storia.
Robin è una di noi. Fin dalle prime pagine ci sembra di conoscerla perché in un momento o l’altro della nostra vita a tutte è capitato di sentirci come lei: un casino.
È una donna appassionata e forte, anche se spesso non se ne rende conto, che si ritrova a badare da sola alla figlia dopo che il marito la lascia per un’altra. Innamorata dell’idea dell’amore e col sogno di una famiglia unita in cui crescere Lyla, l’unica ragione che la spinge ad alzarsi dal letto in quelle mattine in cui tutto sembra semplicemente troppo. Vive tutte le difficoltà di una madre single sul limite della depressione o come lo chiama lei, “Il Grande Vuoto”; quella sensazione di ansia e solitudine che spesso minaccia di sopraffarla e a cui resiste solo e unicamente per la figlia.
Robin è talmente avviluppata da tristezza e autocommiserazione che spesso non si rende neanche conto della fortuna che ha nell’essere circondata da tanto amore, in primis quello rivoltole da Lyla, che stravede per lei.
Assistiamo però a un mutamento quando decide finalmente di riemergere dalle spire della depressione e cerca di ottenere la vita perfetta che tanto ammira nelle altre donne. Con lo scorrere delle pagine ci accorgiamo che non è tutto oro quel che luccica e anche quelle che sembrano in apparenza vite perfette nascondono i mille problemi con cui ciascuna di noi deve fare i conti, prima fra tutte la sensazione (ahimè molto spesso tutta al femminile) di non essere e non fare abbastanza.
Mi sembra addirittura scontato dire a questo punto che ho amato questo libro e l’ho trovato una di quelle letture che fanno bene al cuore. Mi sono commossa e ho riso leggendo delle disavventure di Robin, che mi ricorda quasi una moderna e cresciuta Bridget Jones alle prese con l’eterna lotta con la bilancia e la moda, a cui si aggiungono solo i dubbi da madre. L’autrice riesce a conquistarci da subito con uno stile fresco e allegro, definibile quasi come un costante flusso di pensieri piuttosto che un diario. Non avendo mai letto nulla di Louise Pentland prima d’ora non ho potuto fare a meno di cercare altre pubblicazioni che sono già nella mia lista lettura.
August 7, 2018
Oh dit is echt een heerlijk en perfect boek!
Robin zit niet lekker in haar vel. Dat komt in dit boek heel mooi en realistisch naar voren. Dat maakt het heel herkenbaar, want het leven is niet altijd social-media-perfect.
Het mooie aan dit boek is dat ook al zit ze niet lekker in haar vel, er een hele hoop dingen in haar leven goed gaan en mooi zijn. Haar tante is een geweldig personage, en haar dochter is zo'n heerlijke meid!
Ik vind het mooi dat ondanks deze dingen Robin niet gelukkig is. Geluk is namelijk niet maakbaar. Maar dat is soms moeilijk te accepteren. Ik vind het mooi dat die zoektocht centraal staat in dit boek.
En ondanks die zoektocht, ondanks dat ze niet goed in haar vel zit, is ze een topmoeder want ze heeft een geweldig kind opgevoed. Ja, het leven is niet perfect. Ja, haar dochter ziet haar wel eens op een slecht moment dat ze liever niet had laten zien. Maar dat maakt haar geen slechte moeder. En dat is denk ik een belangrijke boodschap: je hoeft echt niet perfect te zijn om goed te zijn, en wie zijn trouwens anderen om daarover te oordelen?
Ik ken de schrijfster trouwens niet. Kennelijk is ze een beroemde YouTuber. Ik heb dit boek op vakantie in Engeland meegenomen omdat het me heel erg aansprak dat het een realistisch klinkend boek over moederschap en het lezen was, en het gaf me ook precies wat ik er van verwacht had en wat ik hoopte dat het zou zijn!
Maar toch geen 5*. Met dit boek had ik dat als ik een hele avond kon lezen, ik na een uur een ander boek oppakte. Dat overkomt me eigenlijk nooit. Niet dat het niet goed geschreven was, ik had er gewoon op dat moment even genoeg van. Was trouwens wel alleen de eerste helft van het boek.
Ik hoop dat een Nederlandse uitgeverij dit nog op gaat pikken om te vertalen. Het geeft een mooie blik achter de schermen, hoe het leven is als we ons masker naar de buitenwereld even afzetten.
En weet je wat? Dat afzetten van ons masker verrijkt ons leven alleen maar, omdat we dan op een dieper niveau connecties kunnen maken. Want we hebben allemaal wel eens een rotdag, en we hebben dan veel meer aan echte vrienden die op de stoep staan dan aan likes op een nep-gelukkige foto op Instagram of Facebook.
Ik heb zin in deel 2. Gelukkig dat ik deze lang heb laten liggen, nu hoef ik niet zo lang te wachten :)
Robin zit niet lekker in haar vel. Dat komt in dit boek heel mooi en realistisch naar voren. Dat maakt het heel herkenbaar, want het leven is niet altijd social-media-perfect.
Het mooie aan dit boek is dat ook al zit ze niet lekker in haar vel, er een hele hoop dingen in haar leven goed gaan en mooi zijn. Haar tante is een geweldig personage, en haar dochter is zo'n heerlijke meid!
Ik vind het mooi dat ondanks deze dingen Robin niet gelukkig is. Geluk is namelijk niet maakbaar. Maar dat is soms moeilijk te accepteren. Ik vind het mooi dat die zoektocht centraal staat in dit boek.
En ondanks die zoektocht, ondanks dat ze niet goed in haar vel zit, is ze een topmoeder want ze heeft een geweldig kind opgevoed. Ja, het leven is niet perfect. Ja, haar dochter ziet haar wel eens op een slecht moment dat ze liever niet had laten zien. Maar dat maakt haar geen slechte moeder. En dat is denk ik een belangrijke boodschap: je hoeft echt niet perfect te zijn om goed te zijn, en wie zijn trouwens anderen om daarover te oordelen?
Ik ken de schrijfster trouwens niet. Kennelijk is ze een beroemde YouTuber. Ik heb dit boek op vakantie in Engeland meegenomen omdat het me heel erg aansprak dat het een realistisch klinkend boek over moederschap en het lezen was, en het gaf me ook precies wat ik er van verwacht had en wat ik hoopte dat het zou zijn!
Maar toch geen 5*. Met dit boek had ik dat als ik een hele avond kon lezen, ik na een uur een ander boek oppakte. Dat overkomt me eigenlijk nooit. Niet dat het niet goed geschreven was, ik had er gewoon op dat moment even genoeg van. Was trouwens wel alleen de eerste helft van het boek.
Ik hoop dat een Nederlandse uitgeverij dit nog op gaat pikken om te vertalen. Het geeft een mooie blik achter de schermen, hoe het leven is als we ons masker naar de buitenwereld even afzetten.
En weet je wat? Dat afzetten van ons masker verrijkt ons leven alleen maar, omdat we dan op een dieper niveau connecties kunnen maken. Want we hebben allemaal wel eens een rotdag, en we hebben dan veel meer aan echte vrienden die op de stoep staan dan aan likes op een nep-gelukkige foto op Instagram of Facebook.
Ik heb zin in deel 2. Gelukkig dat ik deze lang heb laten liggen, nu hoef ik niet zo lang te wachten :)
July 26, 2019
"The right lipstick at the right time makes all the difference. Mental note: Tomorrow I'll wear the brightest, brightest red you have. It's going to be a great day."
This was undoubtedly one of my favorite phrases in this book because I reviewed myself 100%, nothing like a red lipstick to boost self-esteem.
Turning my mind about books, I think all mothers should read this book, not because it has life-changing teachings, but because it speaks of things that are totally normal, that insecurity would or might not be doing the best for you. your children, if you are raising them well, the job of managing a home and child, topics such as postpartum depression and what mothers sometimes attribute to tiredness without realizing that sometimes it is not just tiredness.
In addition, she talks about topics such as being a single mom and not being good enough, letting ourselves go down and how we can overcome these things, and how friendships and family are essential topics to help us build.
This book says yes it is normal to hit our head, that it is normal to not be well all the time, that it is normal to sometimes feel empty, but that in the end with help with treatment, with realization that we are something else we can find what everyone wants: happiness.
The only thing I didn't like was a relationship between the main character and a moron, but oh well that's also real for that.
This was undoubtedly one of my favorite phrases in this book because I reviewed myself 100%, nothing like a red lipstick to boost self-esteem.
Turning my mind about books, I think all mothers should read this book, not because it has life-changing teachings, but because it speaks of things that are totally normal, that insecurity would or might not be doing the best for you. your children, if you are raising them well, the job of managing a home and child, topics such as postpartum depression and what mothers sometimes attribute to tiredness without realizing that sometimes it is not just tiredness.
In addition, she talks about topics such as being a single mom and not being good enough, letting ourselves go down and how we can overcome these things, and how friendships and family are essential topics to help us build.
This book says yes it is normal to hit our head, that it is normal to not be well all the time, that it is normal to sometimes feel empty, but that in the end with help with treatment, with realization that we are something else we can find what everyone wants: happiness.
The only thing I didn't like was a relationship between the main character and a moron, but oh well that's also real for that.
June 30, 2017
I was drawn to this book by the intriguing description, just by reading this I found myself wanting to find out which direction Robin's courage would take her. She sounded like such a relatable character and I couldn't wait to find out if that would be the case.
The prologue was smiley and left me with a couple of thoughts - who is this perfect man and can he teach my husband how to do romance 😏.
As the story continued I was introduced to Auntie Kath (a loveable whirlwind of a woman), Robin's daughter Lyla (a fun and intelligent little girl) and Lacey (a super supportive best friend ). Who else would I meet along the way?
I was definitely right about Robin being a relatable character, she had all the normal parenting concerns, many of which I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement at. The emptiness was highlighted and described beautifully, it really touched a part of me that sometimes feels the same way. It's always good to know that you're not the only one feeling a certain way, particularly when it involves your children.
As I progressed further through the book I became more and more inspired by the blossoming character in front of me, I lost count of the number of times I gave Robin an imaginary fist-bump in my mind!
The author's writing style was so natural, it was humorous but also incredibly insightful and it left me wanting more - I really hope to read more from Louise in the future.
Wilde Like Me was a wonderfully honest tale of motherhood in all it's glory with a touch of inspiration thrown in for good measure. An absolute joy to read!
The prologue was smiley and left me with a couple of thoughts - who is this perfect man and can he teach my husband how to do romance 😏.
As the story continued I was introduced to Auntie Kath (a loveable whirlwind of a woman), Robin's daughter Lyla (a fun and intelligent little girl) and Lacey (a super supportive best friend ). Who else would I meet along the way?
I was definitely right about Robin being a relatable character, she had all the normal parenting concerns, many of which I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement at. The emptiness was highlighted and described beautifully, it really touched a part of me that sometimes feels the same way. It's always good to know that you're not the only one feeling a certain way, particularly when it involves your children.
As I progressed further through the book I became more and more inspired by the blossoming character in front of me, I lost count of the number of times I gave Robin an imaginary fist-bump in my mind!
The author's writing style was so natural, it was humorous but also incredibly insightful and it left me wanting more - I really hope to read more from Louise in the future.
Wilde Like Me was a wonderfully honest tale of motherhood in all it's glory with a touch of inspiration thrown in for good measure. An absolute joy to read!
June 4, 2018
I think I am one of the few people who didn't find Robin Wilde "delightful". Yes, I get it being a single mum is hard, trying to carve your way in life is hard, loneliness is hard. The universal truth is life is hard. Admittedly, it is unusual for a book to use this as a jumping off point and to describe those feelings and I did think the term "The Emptiness" was a wonderful description - so much better then "the black dog".
However, I could not warm to the main character at all. I know how debilitating depression and low self-esteem are and I still found her to be whiny and completely self-absorbed. Everything was about how she was feeling and it didn't matter that her best friend was eaten up by her inability to conceive or that her Auntie Kath was clearly unwell. Robin just worried about Robin and then a little bit about her daughter and then it was back to worrying about Robin again.
The book itself is fairly well written and I particularly loved the PSMs. The school gate one-upmanship was hilarious and accurate no matter whether Public or Private. The tale does jog along quite nicely even if I did have to grit my teeth to get through quite a lot of it and the cautionary tale of letting your child use you phone to see a pink snake did make me snicker.
The plot is fairly light so you can pick up and put down again after a chapter or two and I never felt any real incentive to keep reading. Apart from the character of Robin we never really get to know anyone else within the book which is a shame as her two new friends, Finola and the other one whose name escapes me, seem to have great potential as fictional people. Auntie Kath deserves a book all about herself as well. The romance angle was a bit of a non-starter too as Robin's decisions in that department were largely deplorable, although it did make me realise I am not cut out for dating anymore if that's what its really like.
Overall it passes the time and will raise a few giggles but I just couldn't connect with the main character and if you don't then it kind of ruins the whole book as there isn't too much else to grab hold of. I did give it 3 Stars as the writing flow is good and there are some genuinely funny moments in there. Really it is a solid 2.5 Stars but I am feeling a little generous today.
However, I could not warm to the main character at all. I know how debilitating depression and low self-esteem are and I still found her to be whiny and completely self-absorbed. Everything was about how she was feeling and it didn't matter that her best friend was eaten up by her inability to conceive or that her Auntie Kath was clearly unwell. Robin just worried about Robin and then a little bit about her daughter and then it was back to worrying about Robin again.
The book itself is fairly well written and I particularly loved the PSMs. The school gate one-upmanship was hilarious and accurate no matter whether Public or Private. The tale does jog along quite nicely even if I did have to grit my teeth to get through quite a lot of it and the cautionary tale of letting your child use you phone to see a pink snake did make me snicker.
The plot is fairly light so you can pick up and put down again after a chapter or two and I never felt any real incentive to keep reading. Apart from the character of Robin we never really get to know anyone else within the book which is a shame as her two new friends, Finola and the other one whose name escapes me, seem to have great potential as fictional people. Auntie Kath deserves a book all about herself as well. The romance angle was a bit of a non-starter too as Robin's decisions in that department were largely deplorable, although it did make me realise I am not cut out for dating anymore if that's what its really like.
Overall it passes the time and will raise a few giggles but I just couldn't connect with the main character and if you don't then it kind of ruins the whole book as there isn't too much else to grab hold of. I did give it 3 Stars as the writing flow is good and there are some genuinely funny moments in there. Really it is a solid 2.5 Stars but I am feeling a little generous today.
July 13, 2017
Absolutely amazing! And I don't just say that because I am a fan of Louise already. This really is a fantastic read, it's just so real and makes you laugh and cry along with Robin Wilde! Can't wait for the sequel!
August 26, 2021
This is a prime example where you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover . I expected this book to be very cringeworthy and sickly but BUT I this definitely isn’t that . Of course some of it is cringe but not the kind of cringe that’s overbearing . This book follows single mum Robin Wilde as she is on a journey through self-discovery . It tells a story of her coming across dating apps, horrible men ,sweet men ,being a freelance makeup artist and of course being a mum . This book is so beautiful and warm it’s like having a nice warm hug from your Nan . I definitely loved this book
August 10, 2018
What a lovely read. It took me a good few chapters to get into it if I’m honest, hence the long read. However it once I got into it, I really enjoyed it and let thinking about when I’d be able to sit down and read it ! And lucky for me, the next instalment was released today!
August 22, 2018
I really wanted to enjoy this book as it’s been in my TBR pile for ages.
I found myself reading and skipping pages I couldn’t really warm to Robin the main character and her quest to become happy. The second half of the book I enjoyed more and the ending was good.
Sadly this book was not for me but for fans of chick-lit this may be a more enjoyable read.
I found myself reading and skipping pages I couldn’t really warm to Robin the main character and her quest to become happy. The second half of the book I enjoyed more and the ending was good.
Sadly this book was not for me but for fans of chick-lit this may be a more enjoyable read.
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