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Living My Best Life
This life-affirming and hilarious novel is the perfect balm for the Insta-weary mind – get ready to shatter the illusion that is #LivingMyBestLife
Recently dumped by her boyfriend of ten years, Bell is struggling to move on with her life – and surrender the fleecy pyjamas she’s been living in since January. Haunted by #blessed on social media, she can’t help but compare her life to those she follows online, wondering where she is going wrong . . .
In the world of social media, Millie is the successful online influencer @mi_bestlife. But in real life she’s just a regular single mum trying to make ends meet, while fending off the younger competition and tenacious internet trolls. Her Instagram feed is far more #BestLie than #BestLife, and soon Millie begins to wish her life was more like her filters.
It isn’t until Bell and Millie’s paths cross that they begin to realise what they’re both missing. Can Millie prove to Bell that life online isn’t always what it appears to be? And in return, can Millie learn that she needs to start living for the moment and not for the likes?
Recently dumped by her boyfriend of ten years, Bell is struggling to move on with her life – and surrender the fleecy pyjamas she’s been living in since January. Haunted by #blessed on social media, she can’t help but compare her life to those she follows online, wondering where she is going wrong . . .
In the world of social media, Millie is the successful online influencer @mi_bestlife. But in real life she’s just a regular single mum trying to make ends meet, while fending off the younger competition and tenacious internet trolls. Her Instagram feed is far more #BestLie than #BestLife, and soon Millie begins to wish her life was more like her filters.
It isn’t until Bell and Millie’s paths cross that they begin to realise what they’re both missing. Can Millie prove to Bell that life online isn’t always what it appears to be? And in return, can Millie learn that she needs to start living for the moment and not for the likes?
372 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 23, 2019
28 people are currently reading
431 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 97 reviews
November 17, 2025
Fast and chill reads are always the hit for me. I definitely enjoy drinking my hot chocolate and cuddling my blanket while reading a chill book on my sofa. '' Living My Best Li(f)e '' was a modern-day book, that captures today's problems, and it felt familiar, because I have seen these problems in my surrounding. It focuses mostly on social media, and the differences between what we present online, and who we really are in the real world.
We have one woman - Bell - who is about to turn 40, and her comfort is broken when her man decides to leave her after years of togetherness.
We also have another woman, Millie, in her mid-thirties, and her little son Wolf (who names their child Wolf?). Millie fell in love with a football star Louis and had a child with him. To her disappointment, she realized the man she is in love with is the most unreliable parent in the world. She also happens to be an Instagram star, that only shows the world what she wants them to see.
While the followers see expensive dresses and well-behaved child, the reality shows that Millie takes a picture of the dresses and returns them to the shop, unable to afford them. She is also receiving calls from Wolfie's school that he has not be behaving in his best manners.
When these two women accidentally meet, they turn out to be besties. In fact, they became besties so fast, that I had to laugh out loud at how bizarre and unrealistic that was. Do you ever go to a coffee shop, say hi to a person, and then THE SAME DAY, THE SAME CONVERSATIONS you both start sharing your deepest secrets? Yes - it was that bizarre.
I really wanted to love '' Living My Best Li(f)e '' , as it captured a lot of problems. But it only captured the surface of these problems, then solved them instantly and moved on. And I wasn't satisfied. There were so many little plot problems that the author kept adding to the book randomly to keep the story going, and kept resolving them one by one - no anticipation, no hunger for one more chapter. Disappointing.
First of all, all the characters were not realistic. We have this woman that keeps saying she can be on her own, but she also keeps complaining every second of the day.
Then, we have this other woman, who seems like such a person that everyone is looking up to, but in fact, she is too scared to say no to her ex-love and father of her child, and she keeps up with all his nonsense on a daily bases.
Last, but not least, we have the 5-year-old Wolf boy, who talks like a 20-year-old boy, but behaves like a toddler, and I don't know how to react to that.
And finally, we have ''the rest of the characters'', who were mentioned and had their own roles in the book, but didn't have enough of a back story or air-time in order to be remembered by the audience.
The author also introduced us to a plot twist, that came out unexpectedly - but suddenly the government were about to destroy their community center and it was up to them to collect money and save this place in a record time. How convenient for the story, right? With no building up to it, the problem just raised from the ground... And you can all imagine the happy endings and soppy stories that followed with their success.
So yeah - that got me, and I didn't believe it for a second, and therefore this review. I really wanted to love Living My Best Li(f)e, but nothing worked out. Disappointing characters, plots and lack of thrill. Not a great experience for me. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you choose to read it, I would love to know what you think! <3
Thank you to the team at Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK, for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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We have one woman - Bell - who is about to turn 40, and her comfort is broken when her man decides to leave her after years of togetherness.
We also have another woman, Millie, in her mid-thirties, and her little son Wolf (who names their child Wolf?). Millie fell in love with a football star Louis and had a child with him. To her disappointment, she realized the man she is in love with is the most unreliable parent in the world. She also happens to be an Instagram star, that only shows the world what she wants them to see.
While the followers see expensive dresses and well-behaved child, the reality shows that Millie takes a picture of the dresses and returns them to the shop, unable to afford them. She is also receiving calls from Wolfie's school that he has not be behaving in his best manners.
When these two women accidentally meet, they turn out to be besties. In fact, they became besties so fast, that I had to laugh out loud at how bizarre and unrealistic that was. Do you ever go to a coffee shop, say hi to a person, and then THE SAME DAY, THE SAME CONVERSATIONS you both start sharing your deepest secrets? Yes - it was that bizarre.
I really wanted to love '' Living My Best Li(f)e '' , as it captured a lot of problems. But it only captured the surface of these problems, then solved them instantly and moved on. And I wasn't satisfied. There were so many little plot problems that the author kept adding to the book randomly to keep the story going, and kept resolving them one by one - no anticipation, no hunger for one more chapter. Disappointing.
First of all, all the characters were not realistic. We have this woman that keeps saying she can be on her own, but she also keeps complaining every second of the day.
Then, we have this other woman, who seems like such a person that everyone is looking up to, but in fact, she is too scared to say no to her ex-love and father of her child, and she keeps up with all his nonsense on a daily bases.
Last, but not least, we have the 5-year-old Wolf boy, who talks like a 20-year-old boy, but behaves like a toddler, and I don't know how to react to that.
And finally, we have ''the rest of the characters'', who were mentioned and had their own roles in the book, but didn't have enough of a back story or air-time in order to be remembered by the audience.
The author also introduced us to a plot twist, that came out unexpectedly - but suddenly the government were about to destroy their community center and it was up to them to collect money and save this place in a record time. How convenient for the story, right? With no building up to it, the problem just raised from the ground... And you can all imagine the happy endings and soppy stories that followed with their success.
So yeah - that got me, and I didn't believe it for a second, and therefore this review. I really wanted to love Living My Best Li(f)e, but nothing worked out. Disappointing characters, plots and lack of thrill. Not a great experience for me. I wouldn't recommend it, but if you choose to read it, I would love to know what you think! <3
Thank you to the team at Netgalley and Simon & Schuster UK, for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
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July 13, 2019
Sadly this wasn’t for me. I didn’t warm to any of the characters and the dialogue felt very stilted and was annoying me by the end. It was a nice concept but the handful of sub plots felt too easily resolved and I was relieved to finish it. Sorry!
August 11, 2019
*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
I was very excited to start this book, because oft he author, the blurb and also the title. I didn’t disappoint at all, I really loved it!
We follow two completely different women in this book. Bell is almost forty and finds herself single after ten years. She needs to change something in her life and move on. That’s not so easy, easpecially when she is comparing herslef to people on social media. She eventually starts a photography course, meets new people and starts enjoying life again.
Millie is younger than Bell, but she is already a mother tot he adorable Wolfie. She is separated to his father and is an influencer, who posts a lot on instagram.
When their paths cross a lot changes in both their lives. They are good for each other and build a strong friendship. The can both learn from each other and help each other as well.
We also get to meet other characters, who play an important role in this story as well. The community comes together and they fight for a place that is close to their hearts. All in all, it was a great mixture of people. It was very interesting to see Bell and Millie togther, because their lives are so different, but that added a lot to the story.
The discussion about insta photos not being real has been going on for a while and the book touches on it as well. We get inside into Millie’s instagram psosts and Bell then gets to know the real Millie.
Claire Frosts’writing is fresh, funny, down to earth and just great to read. A heart-warming book full of love, friendship, family and passion!
I was very excited to start this book, because oft he author, the blurb and also the title. I didn’t disappoint at all, I really loved it!
We follow two completely different women in this book. Bell is almost forty and finds herself single after ten years. She needs to change something in her life and move on. That’s not so easy, easpecially when she is comparing herslef to people on social media. She eventually starts a photography course, meets new people and starts enjoying life again.
Millie is younger than Bell, but she is already a mother tot he adorable Wolfie. She is separated to his father and is an influencer, who posts a lot on instagram.
When their paths cross a lot changes in both their lives. They are good for each other and build a strong friendship. The can both learn from each other and help each other as well.
We also get to meet other characters, who play an important role in this story as well. The community comes together and they fight for a place that is close to their hearts. All in all, it was a great mixture of people. It was very interesting to see Bell and Millie togther, because their lives are so different, but that added a lot to the story.
The discussion about insta photos not being real has been going on for a while and the book touches on it as well. We get inside into Millie’s instagram psosts and Bell then gets to know the real Millie.
Claire Frosts’writing is fresh, funny, down to earth and just great to read. A heart-warming book full of love, friendship, family and passion!
April 24, 2019
A heartwarming book about friendship, community and finding your own kind of happy.
January 23, 2021
One of the characters in particular I could relate to on so many levels and with several of my local towns mentioned. A light, easy read about friendship.
January 26, 2021
A happy light read, a change from my usual crime books, but very enjoyable. Will definitely look out for her next book.
October 28, 2019
The beginning of ‘living my best li(f)e’ hooked me in as it was such a nice change to read about characters who were a bit older than the usual - especially Bell, who is almost 40.
Bell and Millie are both likeable characters who I could identify with in some way, but their sudden friendship felt a little unbelievable as they seemed to become such close friends incredibly quickly. Wolf also seemed far too old for his age in the way he behaved and spoke - though that might just be me being overly critical.
The plot is quite sweet and it’s a nice light hearted read - you don’t have to worry about reading anything particularly upsetting or emotional - but I think the story just got a bit too twee at times, and some of the occurrences and situations felt a bit unbelievable/ convenient. So although I liked the two main characters, and it’s a light, entertaining read, I finished the book feeling like it could have done more.
Bell and Millie are both likeable characters who I could identify with in some way, but their sudden friendship felt a little unbelievable as they seemed to become such close friends incredibly quickly. Wolf also seemed far too old for his age in the way he behaved and spoke - though that might just be me being overly critical.
The plot is quite sweet and it’s a nice light hearted read - you don’t have to worry about reading anything particularly upsetting or emotional - but I think the story just got a bit too twee at times, and some of the occurrences and situations felt a bit unbelievable/ convenient. So although I liked the two main characters, and it’s a light, entertaining read, I finished the book feeling like it could have done more.
September 6, 2019
Living My Best Li(f)e, Claire Frost
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General Fiction (Adult),Women's Fiction
Ah no....usual moan :-( Why, why do we have women's fiction as a category? Why assume men won't/don't read romance – they do, they write it and read it.
Anyway, other than that moan what did I think of the story? Well, I'm conflicted, there was a lot that felt very true to life, and for me that's really important, but I felt that there wasn't really a main thrust to the book, a central plot I could really fix on.
There was Bell and her struggles with the ex, her having to pick up her life and restart when she though she'd be getting married, was settled for life. Millie, living the dream from her online presence, but in the real world struggling as a single parent, with an ex that's unreliable, and she's always watching the pennies. Bell's workmate and friend Suz, and her girlfriend Els seem to be going through a rough patch, and then of course there are more folk we meet along the way.
I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for more romance, though to be fair the description doesn't say that.
I just felt we were going along with Bell and Millie in their daily struggles, but apart from the raging success of the community centre fete, which was great fun, I didn't feel we ever got past that onlooker, voyeur, feeling of their daily lives, when what I wanted was to be part of it, and for there to be a more central hook.
It wasn't a book I was gripped with, wondering what would happen, more one that I kept putting aside, picking up and trying to read a bit more. That's maybe down to me, its well written but the content just didn't really engage with me. Maybe just a little too much going on...Bell and Colin, Suz and Els, Millie and Louie, ( and Wolf – loved that kid!), the folk from the community centre, the blogging side, though we never really got further with the internet trolls, it just seemed there were several lines of interest but none really treated in depth and for me they were fighting with each other a bit. I wanted one to stand out more and the others to support it.
Like I said though, that's just my view and I can see others adore the story as it is. Horses for courses and all that.....
Stars: three, a fun and very topical novel, but for me it needed a bit more of a central theme.
Arc via Netgalley and publishers
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: General Fiction (Adult),Women's Fiction
Ah no....usual moan :-( Why, why do we have women's fiction as a category? Why assume men won't/don't read romance – they do, they write it and read it.
Anyway, other than that moan what did I think of the story? Well, I'm conflicted, there was a lot that felt very true to life, and for me that's really important, but I felt that there wasn't really a main thrust to the book, a central plot I could really fix on.
There was Bell and her struggles with the ex, her having to pick up her life and restart when she though she'd be getting married, was settled for life. Millie, living the dream from her online presence, but in the real world struggling as a single parent, with an ex that's unreliable, and she's always watching the pennies. Bell's workmate and friend Suz, and her girlfriend Els seem to be going through a rough patch, and then of course there are more folk we meet along the way.
I enjoyed the story, but I was hoping for more romance, though to be fair the description doesn't say that.
I just felt we were going along with Bell and Millie in their daily struggles, but apart from the raging success of the community centre fete, which was great fun, I didn't feel we ever got past that onlooker, voyeur, feeling of their daily lives, when what I wanted was to be part of it, and for there to be a more central hook.
It wasn't a book I was gripped with, wondering what would happen, more one that I kept putting aside, picking up and trying to read a bit more. That's maybe down to me, its well written but the content just didn't really engage with me. Maybe just a little too much going on...Bell and Colin, Suz and Els, Millie and Louie, ( and Wolf – loved that kid!), the folk from the community centre, the blogging side, though we never really got further with the internet trolls, it just seemed there were several lines of interest but none really treated in depth and for me they were fighting with each other a bit. I wanted one to stand out more and the others to support it.
Like I said though, that's just my view and I can see others adore the story as it is. Horses for courses and all that.....
Stars: three, a fun and very topical novel, but for me it needed a bit more of a central theme.
Arc via Netgalley and publishers
April 21, 2019
What a truly joyous debut novel, a book filled with a lot of fun, an adorable child, two fabulous main characters, and a message about social media too.
I really loved getting to know both Bell and Millie in their own chapters, and once they both discovered the local community centre existed and met each other, it was the start of a beautiful new friendship, which had great benefits to both women.
Millie is a single mum to 5 year old Wolf, her ex is a celebrity footballer and has a knack of letting his son down, and I didn't like half of Louis' interactions with Wolf. Millie is doing everything she can for Wolf, on a limited budget, and has loads of follower in Instagram, as she is an influencer.
Millie posts aspirational photos about her perfect life - although once you meet her, well let's just say there is a lot of filtering and creative usage of Photoshop being done, pre-posting.
Then there is Bell who we first meet when her best friend stages an intervention a few weeks after a long term relationship breakup. As the story progresses, so does Bell's character, until she becomes someone you want as a best friend, and would love to have fighting your corner.
Living My Best Li(f)e is just the sort of book I love reading, its funny, there are great new friendships, there is a hint of romance, a gorgeous guy, new hobbies, characters standing up for themselves, and a real community feel to the book too.
I felt right at home with Claire Frost's writing style, and her sense of humour. If I hadn't known I would never have guessed this was a debut, the story flowed that well and I was completely swept up in it.
Thoroughly enjoyable book, that I have adored reading in the garden in the sun!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
I really loved getting to know both Bell and Millie in their own chapters, and once they both discovered the local community centre existed and met each other, it was the start of a beautiful new friendship, which had great benefits to both women.
Millie is a single mum to 5 year old Wolf, her ex is a celebrity footballer and has a knack of letting his son down, and I didn't like half of Louis' interactions with Wolf. Millie is doing everything she can for Wolf, on a limited budget, and has loads of follower in Instagram, as she is an influencer.
Millie posts aspirational photos about her perfect life - although once you meet her, well let's just say there is a lot of filtering and creative usage of Photoshop being done, pre-posting.
Then there is Bell who we first meet when her best friend stages an intervention a few weeks after a long term relationship breakup. As the story progresses, so does Bell's character, until she becomes someone you want as a best friend, and would love to have fighting your corner.
Living My Best Li(f)e is just the sort of book I love reading, its funny, there are great new friendships, there is a hint of romance, a gorgeous guy, new hobbies, characters standing up for themselves, and a real community feel to the book too.
I felt right at home with Claire Frost's writing style, and her sense of humour. If I hadn't known I would never have guessed this was a debut, the story flowed that well and I was completely swept up in it.
Thoroughly enjoyable book, that I have adored reading in the garden in the sun!
Thank you to Simon & Schuster for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
April 13, 2023
CW: cheating (off page), postnatal depression, vomiting death
3.5 🌟
I liked this. I enjoyed the friendship between Bell and Millie, as well as the supporting cast of friends and family. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Bell and Wolf.
I didn't think that there was that much of an emphasis on social media as I expected, but I still enjoyed the Twitter posts throughout the book.
I loved the scenes where they were holding the events to try and save the community centre, I liked reading about all the different things everyone was doing to pull together and try and help one another to save the centre.
I also loved that Bell and Ben finally got together too.
I thought it was a fun debut.
3.5 🌟
I liked this. I enjoyed the friendship between Bell and Millie, as well as the supporting cast of friends and family. I also really enjoyed the friendship between Bell and Wolf.
I didn't think that there was that much of an emphasis on social media as I expected, but I still enjoyed the Twitter posts throughout the book.
I loved the scenes where they were holding the events to try and save the community centre, I liked reading about all the different things everyone was doing to pull together and try and help one another to save the centre.
I also loved that Bell and Ben finally got together too.
I thought it was a fun debut.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2021
I kept seeing this all over bookstagram and then after seeing it pop up on borrowbox I had to download it! I really like the simplicity of the cover and along with the description I was instantly drawn in. ‘Living My Best Life’ is Claire Frost’s debut novel, such an enjoyable fun read following two wonderful female characters but keeping it balanced with an important social media message that I think we all need reminding of!
Firstly I really enjoyed Claire’s writing style, a huge fan of chapter character swapping (big tick or should I say ‘like’ from me!) We get to follow newly single Bell trying to move on with her life but constantly feeling judged or left comparing her current situation with others online. Then we have Millie, online influencer, her whole life filtered and captured in photos on her socials categorised by hashtags when in reality she’s a single mum doing her absolute best to provide for her son and not let those internet trolls or her ex bring her down. They seem worlds apart however throw in a local community centre where the two ladies meet and very soon an unlikely friendship is formed.
I loved the friendship between Mille and Bell, quite a mix match from the outside but they were a great fit for each other, boosting one another up or learning from each other.
The story featured friendships, family, romance and self discovery. Releasing a new you not just a filtered version. Featuring lots of humour and balanced out really well with that important message that social media is a curated version of what someone wants you to see. A photo is just that, a photo captured, photoshopped or even filtered, it might not always resemble true life. I love the saying ‘The grass isn’t greener over there. That’s an Instagram filter’ it’s so true.
We must remember to experience life not just live it through a lens.
I cannot wait to read Claire’s latest book plus one coming out next year! Definitely an author to watch!
Firstly I really enjoyed Claire’s writing style, a huge fan of chapter character swapping (big tick or should I say ‘like’ from me!) We get to follow newly single Bell trying to move on with her life but constantly feeling judged or left comparing her current situation with others online. Then we have Millie, online influencer, her whole life filtered and captured in photos on her socials categorised by hashtags when in reality she’s a single mum doing her absolute best to provide for her son and not let those internet trolls or her ex bring her down. They seem worlds apart however throw in a local community centre where the two ladies meet and very soon an unlikely friendship is formed.
I loved the friendship between Mille and Bell, quite a mix match from the outside but they were a great fit for each other, boosting one another up or learning from each other.
The story featured friendships, family, romance and self discovery. Releasing a new you not just a filtered version. Featuring lots of humour and balanced out really well with that important message that social media is a curated version of what someone wants you to see. A photo is just that, a photo captured, photoshopped or even filtered, it might not always resemble true life. I love the saying ‘The grass isn’t greener over there. That’s an Instagram filter’ it’s so true.
We must remember to experience life not just live it through a lens.
I cannot wait to read Claire’s latest book plus one coming out next year! Definitely an author to watch!
March 14, 2020
What a gorgeous feel good book I couldn’t put it down. A friendship formed and lessons learnt from each other. Hope she writes another book soon.
November 19, 2019
Living My Best Life by Claire Frost is a fun contemporary chick lit novel that will resonate with the reader. It is easy to empathise with the two lead characters who are similar but different – both are single having been in relationships that did not work out. One is the mother of a perfectly delightful five year old who will just lodge in your affections.
The novel deals with appearances and reality. We live in a digital age where our photos are instant and possibly filtered. Our digital footprints may look very different from our day to day reality.
Community is important. A small community bands together to take on a local council threatening to close their community centre. This gives the people a common focus, purpose and goal as new friendships emerge.
We are never too old to take up new hobbies. We may discover talents we did not realise we had.
Friendship is important. True friendship is priceless. True friends will encourage our hopes and dreams.
I really enjoyed Living My Best Life. It was such a fun light-hearted read and is perfect for escaping into for a few hours.
The novel deals with appearances and reality. We live in a digital age where our photos are instant and possibly filtered. Our digital footprints may look very different from our day to day reality.
Community is important. A small community bands together to take on a local council threatening to close their community centre. This gives the people a common focus, purpose and goal as new friendships emerge.
We are never too old to take up new hobbies. We may discover talents we did not realise we had.
Friendship is important. True friendship is priceless. True friends will encourage our hopes and dreams.
I really enjoyed Living My Best Life. It was such a fun light-hearted read and is perfect for escaping into for a few hours.
August 12, 2019
I thoroughly enjoyed Claire Frost's debut novel and cannot wait for more from her.
Living my best life is the story of Bell and Millie. Bell has recently broken up with her boyfriendl and trying to work out how she goes about living her best life now her plan has gone out of the window. Millie is a social media influencer who according to instagram appears to be living her best life but actually isn't and is really struggling as a young single parent.
What I particularly enjoyed the most about this novel was the friendship that developed over the course of the book and seeing how both of them grow in confidence over the course of the book by discovering more about themselves and what they really want from life. I thought Millie's story was particularly poignant in a world where everyone seems to be having the best time on social media and this book was a stark reminder that what we see online is a real snap shot of the best bits and not what life properly is about.
I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on more novels from Claire in the future.
Living my best life is the story of Bell and Millie. Bell has recently broken up with her boyfriendl and trying to work out how she goes about living her best life now her plan has gone out of the window. Millie is a social media influencer who according to instagram appears to be living her best life but actually isn't and is really struggling as a young single parent.
What I particularly enjoyed the most about this novel was the friendship that developed over the course of the book and seeing how both of them grow in confidence over the course of the book by discovering more about themselves and what they really want from life. I thought Millie's story was particularly poignant in a world where everyone seems to be having the best time on social media and this book was a stark reminder that what we see online is a real snap shot of the best bits and not what life properly is about.
I loved it and can't wait to get my hands on more novels from Claire in the future.
August 2, 2019
Review originally published on my blog: http://bit.ly/2LX4Yhw
Social media is a blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand it's a great tool to keep up-to-date with what's happening in the world, be inspired by beautiful photos of recipes to try or places to travel to, and stay in touch with people we may otherwise have never even known. On the other, it paints a very skewed picture – as we tend to only show the good bits – increasing people's feelings of anxiety and not being good enough, as they think they can't compare to everyone else's seemingly perfect lives.
Living My Best Li(f)e shows this 21st century issue through Bell's eyes. Nearly 40 years-old, her relationship of ten years has just fallen apart, and seeing everyone's supposedly wonderful lives on social media doesn't help her get out of her slump. Until she meets social media influencer Millie. Millie has a cute son and a gorgeous Instagram feed and is seemingly living the 'hashtag blessed' life. While on the surface the two women aren't the most likely friendship pair, there is an instant click. Although they have different struggles and life experiences, together they conquer social media obsession, selfish exes, and everything else that comes on their path to start living their actual best life.
Gosh, I loved this book so much! The writing was intelligent and inviting and while it's classified as 'women's fiction' it wasn't at all about the main characters – a single mum and someone in their late thirties – only being able to find happiness through a partner, which so often tends to be the case. And the story of how social media impacts how we live our day-to-day life and feel about ourselves was hugely relatable. No-one can compete with the picture-perfect representation we put on our public feeds as it's a filtered and fine-tuned version of ourselves. But while we're all a part of this falsification of life, we tend to forget everyone else does the same. This book is a much needed eye-opener and reminder that there are far more important things to help us find happiness and contentment.
It's crazy to think this is Claire Frost's debut novel as it's already SO good – and I'm beyond excited to see what she'll write next. For now, whether you'll be spending your summer on a beach somewhere far away or at your local lido, make sure you pick up the smashin' Living My Best Li(f)e as it's the perfect holiday companion. Packed with a great story and even greater characters, the novel is relatable, fresh, and so much fun. It has heartfelt moments as well as a generous dose of laughs, and at the end you will not only walk away with two new friends, but also with some much-needed reminders about what's truly important in life.
Social media is a blessing and a curse at the same time. On the one hand it's a great tool to keep up-to-date with what's happening in the world, be inspired by beautiful photos of recipes to try or places to travel to, and stay in touch with people we may otherwise have never even known. On the other, it paints a very skewed picture – as we tend to only show the good bits – increasing people's feelings of anxiety and not being good enough, as they think they can't compare to everyone else's seemingly perfect lives.
Living My Best Li(f)e shows this 21st century issue through Bell's eyes. Nearly 40 years-old, her relationship of ten years has just fallen apart, and seeing everyone's supposedly wonderful lives on social media doesn't help her get out of her slump. Until she meets social media influencer Millie. Millie has a cute son and a gorgeous Instagram feed and is seemingly living the 'hashtag blessed' life. While on the surface the two women aren't the most likely friendship pair, there is an instant click. Although they have different struggles and life experiences, together they conquer social media obsession, selfish exes, and everything else that comes on their path to start living their actual best life.
Gosh, I loved this book so much! The writing was intelligent and inviting and while it's classified as 'women's fiction' it wasn't at all about the main characters – a single mum and someone in their late thirties – only being able to find happiness through a partner, which so often tends to be the case. And the story of how social media impacts how we live our day-to-day life and feel about ourselves was hugely relatable. No-one can compete with the picture-perfect representation we put on our public feeds as it's a filtered and fine-tuned version of ourselves. But while we're all a part of this falsification of life, we tend to forget everyone else does the same. This book is a much needed eye-opener and reminder that there are far more important things to help us find happiness and contentment.
It's crazy to think this is Claire Frost's debut novel as it's already SO good – and I'm beyond excited to see what she'll write next. For now, whether you'll be spending your summer on a beach somewhere far away or at your local lido, make sure you pick up the smashin' Living My Best Li(f)e as it's the perfect holiday companion. Packed with a great story and even greater characters, the novel is relatable, fresh, and so much fun. It has heartfelt moments as well as a generous dose of laughs, and at the end you will not only walk away with two new friends, but also with some much-needed reminders about what's truly important in life.
November 4, 2019
~Spoilers (kind of)~
This book seemed so promising at the beginning, especially because the premise was extremely relevant to me. Having gone through a hard breakup this year and deleting most of my social media because it was damaging my mental health - I thought this book was right up my street. This , sadly, wasn’t the case however, and I have far too many gropes about this book, and too little care to form a coherent review, so I’ll do it in list form instead.
1. The dialogue was terrible. I found myself skipping pages and pages of pointless dialogue about the intricacies of saving a community centre. Such a snooze fest.
2. Leading on from point 1, I’m not sure the author knew how children actually speak. I mean what five year old knows the word musty?? The kid spoke more like an 15 year old at times and I genuinely had to go back to check he was actually 5 years old lol
3. I appreciate what this novel was trying to do in terms of social commentary, but it just wasn’t pulled off well at all. The issues were glossed over, particularly with regards to Instagram, and when it was addressed, it was poorly written and just felt preachy for the sake of it.
4. Similarly the bullying storyline was completely pointless as well. I felt it was only put in there to add another plot point to help the book progress. Unfortunately, the author tried to accomplish too much (in terms of discussing social issues), but only really captured the surface of them. Everything was tied up neatly and solutions were found instantly. But how is moving your kid to another school because of a bully a good solution??? I don’t get it.
5. This book jumped from one thing to the next so quickly, but I couldn’t tell you one exciting thing that actually happened
6. And finally, I hated the way it ended so perfectly with both main characters finding love again. I know this is a chick lit but I feel it could have been so much more powerful if the heroines found happiness within themselves, and have the romance aspect on the back burner. I felt it just reinforced the outdated notion that you need a man to make you happy, which is exactly the opposite of what I expected it to be.
Thank u, next
This book seemed so promising at the beginning, especially because the premise was extremely relevant to me. Having gone through a hard breakup this year and deleting most of my social media because it was damaging my mental health - I thought this book was right up my street. This , sadly, wasn’t the case however, and I have far too many gropes about this book, and too little care to form a coherent review, so I’ll do it in list form instead.
1. The dialogue was terrible. I found myself skipping pages and pages of pointless dialogue about the intricacies of saving a community centre. Such a snooze fest.
2. Leading on from point 1, I’m not sure the author knew how children actually speak. I mean what five year old knows the word musty?? The kid spoke more like an 15 year old at times and I genuinely had to go back to check he was actually 5 years old lol
3. I appreciate what this novel was trying to do in terms of social commentary, but it just wasn’t pulled off well at all. The issues were glossed over, particularly with regards to Instagram, and when it was addressed, it was poorly written and just felt preachy for the sake of it.
4. Similarly the bullying storyline was completely pointless as well. I felt it was only put in there to add another plot point to help the book progress. Unfortunately, the author tried to accomplish too much (in terms of discussing social issues), but only really captured the surface of them. Everything was tied up neatly and solutions were found instantly. But how is moving your kid to another school because of a bully a good solution??? I don’t get it.
5. This book jumped from one thing to the next so quickly, but I couldn’t tell you one exciting thing that actually happened
6. And finally, I hated the way it ended so perfectly with both main characters finding love again. I know this is a chick lit but I feel it could have been so much more powerful if the heroines found happiness within themselves, and have the romance aspect on the back burner. I felt it just reinforced the outdated notion that you need a man to make you happy, which is exactly the opposite of what I expected it to be.
Thank u, next
May 25, 2019
A fantastic, well-written book for social media addicts !
I really enjoyed this book, it was so down to earth with its characters and settings. The two main characters were great - there’s Millie who is a single mum and a good mum. I found Millie doubted herself a lot but Bell brought her to life and made her realise there was more to her than just being a mum. Then there was Bell who was single , nearly 40 and plodding along with her life not realising something was missing.
This book really made me look at peoples social media in a different light, I have a friend who is so like Millie and posts all about her perfect life and perfect child yet I know different. Social Media can be the root of all evil at times because there have been times that I think other people’s lives are so perfect and it made me so jealous and miserable. But it’s like my husband always says ‘there’s more than meets the eye’ and ‘you never know what goes on behind closed doors ‘. This story highlights this really well.
This book also inspired me to use my Instagram more.
Thank you bookminxSJV of books and the city for sending me this book.
I really enjoyed this book, it was so down to earth with its characters and settings. The two main characters were great - there’s Millie who is a single mum and a good mum. I found Millie doubted herself a lot but Bell brought her to life and made her realise there was more to her than just being a mum. Then there was Bell who was single , nearly 40 and plodding along with her life not realising something was missing.
This book really made me look at peoples social media in a different light, I have a friend who is so like Millie and posts all about her perfect life and perfect child yet I know different. Social Media can be the root of all evil at times because there have been times that I think other people’s lives are so perfect and it made me so jealous and miserable. But it’s like my husband always says ‘there’s more than meets the eye’ and ‘you never know what goes on behind closed doors ‘. This story highlights this really well.
This book also inspired me to use my Instagram more.
Thank you bookminxSJV of books and the city for sending me this book.
September 3, 2019
"Living My Best Li(f)" follows the nearly 40 years - old Bell and a little younger Millie. Bell's relationship of ten years has just fallen apart and she's in a slump, and seeing the glamorous and wonderful lives of other people in social media obviously doesn't help. That is, until she meets Millie, who is social media influencer. Her Instagram feed, with photos of her gorgeous son and brilliant clothes, provided with "hashtag blessed", is unceasingly popular. The two women instantly click and they form a strong friendship.
I've been waiting impatiently to read this book and was over the moon the receive my review copy few months ago and started to read it immediately. However, sadly, it turned out that it wasn't for me. I had a feeling that it simply is a book out of thousands of others, with nothing really special to make it unique. I really liked the concept - we all know we shouldn't believe in everything we see online but still, we so easily like to get sucked into the glamour of social media - the idea and potential were there but it lacked in development and execution. There were also too many subplots for my liking and none of it was treated with enough depth.
I didn't warm to the characters, to be honest, not sure why, they just simply didn't work for me and I didn't find them too believable. Bell is about to turn 40 and thinks her life is running smoothly, until the moment her boyfriend decides to leave her after many years of being together. Millie is in her mid - thirties and is a single mother, after falling in love with a football star Louis and then realizing that he's the most unreliable father in the world (but who names their child Wolf?) Millie is also the so - called influencer, showing her followers world full of expensive dresses that she has to return to the shop because she can't afford them, and lovely photos of Wolf before he throws a tantrum, but nobody must know this, right? There were also background characters, but they were too absent from the story for me to remember them. The friendship between Bell and Millie happened so quickly that I had a feeling that I've missed something.
All the sub plots were so easy resolved and things happened very conveniently, and also very unexpectedly, like the problem with the community centre that appeared just like that, out of the blue. The storyline was a rather predictable one however I liked the writing style and the message hidden between the lines.
Nevertheless, it was a heart - warming, uplifting and easily written story with many important topics running through it, touching upon love and hope, heartbreak, bullying, loneliness. However, even with those heavier topics, it still stays a feel good story with a friendship in the background and a feeling of belonging and togetherness. There is also the message in regards to social media, and it's really nice that the author has picked it as a guiding theme of her debut novel.
Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.
June 2, 2019
I was immediately interested in this novel when I read the title and I was even more convinced I was going to relate to the characters really well when I read the blurb. Bell and Millie are a bit older than usual – Bell’s next birthday is going to be the big 4-0 and Millie is in her early thirties – and I was happy to find they were fun but also responsible, mature women who happened to fall more into my age range. Bell and Millie are also both single, independent women with some emotional/relationship baggage already and some of it will certainly be recognizable to readers who are single after a long relationship and/or have had a break-up and are now a single parent. They are such normal and warm characters that I’d also love to have a Bell and a Millie and Wolf in my life myself after finishing my read. As much as I liked Bell and Millie though, it was little Wolfie who was definitely my favorite one, he just steals your heart away with his adorableness.
As I said, the title alone was enough to pique my interest. I might have expected it to be focusing on the lying more because I’m kind of used to it when reading my thrillers that people are pretending and putting on a mask, usually ending up being caught in a lie they can’t get out of it anymore. The people in this novel are smarter though, there’s no malicious intent and they are good characters, and lucky for them they have a friend who has their back and isn’t afraid to speak their mind. Overall it just really is a feel good book. There is of course some drama but it’s minor and if you need a novel to give you some pep, that is light-hearted and upbeat then this one’s a great choice.
Living My Best Li(f)e is a novel about warm friendships and a feeling of togetherness and community spirit, people working together towards a mutual goal. A few of the other characters in the novel seemed great too but I didn’t feel I really got to know them as well as I wanted, especially Ben and Suze would have been interesting to see more from. The storyline was rather predictable and I did miss some extra twists here and there to make it really stand out but I enjoyed the messages I could read between the lines. I’ll let you discover them for yourself but I think one of them is pretty obvious in regards to social media. This novel contains a beautiful message to be more truthful to yourself as well as to others. It’s time to be happy with life as it is and not camouflage it to make it seem better just to get a few more likes.
As I said, the title alone was enough to pique my interest. I might have expected it to be focusing on the lying more because I’m kind of used to it when reading my thrillers that people are pretending and putting on a mask, usually ending up being caught in a lie they can’t get out of it anymore. The people in this novel are smarter though, there’s no malicious intent and they are good characters, and lucky for them they have a friend who has their back and isn’t afraid to speak their mind. Overall it just really is a feel good book. There is of course some drama but it’s minor and if you need a novel to give you some pep, that is light-hearted and upbeat then this one’s a great choice.
Living My Best Li(f)e is a novel about warm friendships and a feeling of togetherness and community spirit, people working together towards a mutual goal. A few of the other characters in the novel seemed great too but I didn’t feel I really got to know them as well as I wanted, especially Ben and Suze would have been interesting to see more from. The storyline was rather predictable and I did miss some extra twists here and there to make it really stand out but I enjoyed the messages I could read between the lines. I’ll let you discover them for yourself but I think one of them is pretty obvious in regards to social media. This novel contains a beautiful message to be more truthful to yourself as well as to others. It’s time to be happy with life as it is and not camouflage it to make it seem better just to get a few more likes.
July 30, 2019
Oh this book was just absolute perfection. It has all the feelings of those classic rom coms we love so much but with a fresh take that comes from a debut novelist especially when that someone is so wrapped up in the world of social media.
Bell and Millie are great characters to spend this novel with. They have just the kind of flaws that I love to read about that make them so likable and so easy to relate to. Bell is struggling to get over a break up and also panicking about turning 40. She has a lack of confidence and a lack of joy for life. I loved watching her grow and develop over the course of this novel because she really is a lovely person and I wanted to see her literally living her best life. Millie is one of those people we really can't believe exists but it really is a job these days to be a social media influencer but it isn't as shiny and bright as it would seem as we are beginning to realise in the real world. You would think that she has it all, a beautiful son with a footballer for a dad and the chance to schmooze luxury brands at London parties all in the name of instagram. But Millie is also suffering from a lack of self-confidence that is only further fuelled by those online trolls. You can see you're going to be in for a treat with these two at the helm.
I love the fact that this book is structured so that we switch back and forth between these two ladies and we also gain the ability to see some situations from both points of view... no spoilers of course. I love the fact that these two women approach social media from very different points of view but both are aware of its strengths and weaknesses. This is explored so well over the course of the book. The fact that social media can be used for great things but it can also cause pain and trauma and isn't always as glossy as it would be made out to be. Claire Frost really doesn't handle this issue well without this being an issues driven book, she examines the pros and cons of social media through the lives of her characters and this makes the events of the book just as easy to identify with as Bell and Millie themselves.
There are also some brilliantly developed side characters in this novel. I absolutely loved Bell's friend Suze. She is so funny and brings a touch of diversity to the book as well which is never a bad things. I was discussing with a friend of mine that we would both love to be mates with Suze, I think she is a great person to have around and I really wouldn't mind seeing more from her in the future.
Overall this is just a really great read for so many reasons. It is well paced and had me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next with Bell and Millie. It is easy to relate to and it does a great job of exploring the truth about social media without that being directly what the book is about. This feels like a classic romcom with a fresh new twist and I urge you to add it to your reading list now.
Bell and Millie are great characters to spend this novel with. They have just the kind of flaws that I love to read about that make them so likable and so easy to relate to. Bell is struggling to get over a break up and also panicking about turning 40. She has a lack of confidence and a lack of joy for life. I loved watching her grow and develop over the course of this novel because she really is a lovely person and I wanted to see her literally living her best life. Millie is one of those people we really can't believe exists but it really is a job these days to be a social media influencer but it isn't as shiny and bright as it would seem as we are beginning to realise in the real world. You would think that she has it all, a beautiful son with a footballer for a dad and the chance to schmooze luxury brands at London parties all in the name of instagram. But Millie is also suffering from a lack of self-confidence that is only further fuelled by those online trolls. You can see you're going to be in for a treat with these two at the helm.
I love the fact that this book is structured so that we switch back and forth between these two ladies and we also gain the ability to see some situations from both points of view... no spoilers of course. I love the fact that these two women approach social media from very different points of view but both are aware of its strengths and weaknesses. This is explored so well over the course of the book. The fact that social media can be used for great things but it can also cause pain and trauma and isn't always as glossy as it would be made out to be. Claire Frost really doesn't handle this issue well without this being an issues driven book, she examines the pros and cons of social media through the lives of her characters and this makes the events of the book just as easy to identify with as Bell and Millie themselves.
There are also some brilliantly developed side characters in this novel. I absolutely loved Bell's friend Suze. She is so funny and brings a touch of diversity to the book as well which is never a bad things. I was discussing with a friend of mine that we would both love to be mates with Suze, I think she is a great person to have around and I really wouldn't mind seeing more from her in the future.
Overall this is just a really great read for so many reasons. It is well paced and had me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next with Bell and Millie. It is easy to relate to and it does a great job of exploring the truth about social media without that being directly what the book is about. This feels like a classic romcom with a fresh new twist and I urge you to add it to your reading list now.
September 10, 2019
Living My Best Life is a very topical book for our social media obsessed world. Instagram is the focus of the story and it's a form of social media which I am totally rubbish at! I like looking at other people's photos and I can post a photo, but have to ask my daughters all the time for advice about stories and direct messages which they think is hilarious! I don't really try to make things look something other than they are, although I do admit to loving the filters!
Bell is very down after an unexpected breakup with boyfriend of ten years. Social media exacerbates her feelings as she sees all the photos of people and their perfect lives being #soblessed and #makingmemories - including her ex. She decides to delete all her social media accounts as they are just making her miserable.
On the other side of the scale we have Millie who is an Instagram influencer. Every one of her photos is carefully considered, filtered, photoshopped and hashtagged to death! But they don't really show the reality of her life where she has financial difficulties and issues with her little boy's father. She also feels pressure to get thousands of likes for all her photos in case the brands she promotes decide she's no longer influential enough.
Through both these ladies we see the positive and negative side of social media. In particular we see the effect which 'trolls' have on people even when their comments are way outnumbered by positives. The negative comments are what sticks in Millie's mind. A chance meeting between Bell and Millie shows they have more in common than you might think. A good friendship begins to develop and the two become a huge support to each other. As they begin to work together on a local community project, Bell begins to see the good that can come from social media too.
Living My Best Life is a fun and enjoyable read. It reflects the modern obsession with showing that you are living your best life, at least online. But is also shows that actually living your best life for real and being more honest online is ultimately more important. Friendship and community spirit comes through strongly in the book and there are a few fledgling romances blossoming as well. There were plenty moments which made me smile in this entertaining debut novel - a feel-good read.
Bell is very down after an unexpected breakup with boyfriend of ten years. Social media exacerbates her feelings as she sees all the photos of people and their perfect lives being #soblessed and #makingmemories - including her ex. She decides to delete all her social media accounts as they are just making her miserable.
On the other side of the scale we have Millie who is an Instagram influencer. Every one of her photos is carefully considered, filtered, photoshopped and hashtagged to death! But they don't really show the reality of her life where she has financial difficulties and issues with her little boy's father. She also feels pressure to get thousands of likes for all her photos in case the brands she promotes decide she's no longer influential enough.
Through both these ladies we see the positive and negative side of social media. In particular we see the effect which 'trolls' have on people even when their comments are way outnumbered by positives. The negative comments are what sticks in Millie's mind. A chance meeting between Bell and Millie shows they have more in common than you might think. A good friendship begins to develop and the two become a huge support to each other. As they begin to work together on a local community project, Bell begins to see the good that can come from social media too.
Living My Best Life is a fun and enjoyable read. It reflects the modern obsession with showing that you are living your best life, at least online. But is also shows that actually living your best life for real and being more honest online is ultimately more important. Friendship and community spirit comes through strongly in the book and there are a few fledgling romances blossoming as well. There were plenty moments which made me smile in this entertaining debut novel - a feel-good read.
August 25, 2019
In Living My Best Life we follow Bell and Millie in dual POV. Millie is a single Mum and also an Instagram influencer and Bell is approaching 40 and is trying to find her feet in life following a break up with her long term partner. The two become slightly unlikely friends and help each other to “live their best lives”.
In the first of Millie’s chapters, I immediately knew she’d be my favourite. I felt for what she was going through and how she felt a need to perfect and filter her life. There was such fantastic discussion of peoples use of Instagram and the need to measure up to everyone else, as well as how you can feel like everyone else has a perfect life but realistically, you never really know what someones life is like behind that grid.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Millie’s son being called Wolf, but it all made sense when it was revealed that his Dad named him. That leads me to how Millie dealt with her ex, Louis, I wanted to punch him frequently, but Millie dealt with it like a pro. I’m sure co-parenting can be hard but it felt like a realistic depiction to me, there were great parts and bad parts like in most of life.
A highlight of this book was the friendships, especially Bell and Millie’s. They were such a source of support for each other and they enhanced each other's lives. In so many books romance takes centre stage but seeing a friendship take centre stage was so refreshing. In addition, Bell had some wonderful friends too and everything wasn’t rosy all the time which made it realistic.
Bell felt like the main protagonist to me despite the book being dual POV, this is because she went on the biggest journey. She starts the book in a slump and spending a lot of time at home but throughout she came out of her shell and found her way. Bell discovered who was she alone and found her happiness again, it was a great journey to be part of.
Overall, this was a wonderful feel-good read which I flew through. A must-read for any contemporary loving social media user!
Originally posted on my blog -
In the first of Millie’s chapters, I immediately knew she’d be my favourite. I felt for what she was going through and how she felt a need to perfect and filter her life. There was such fantastic discussion of peoples use of Instagram and the need to measure up to everyone else, as well as how you can feel like everyone else has a perfect life but realistically, you never really know what someones life is like behind that grid.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Millie’s son being called Wolf, but it all made sense when it was revealed that his Dad named him. That leads me to how Millie dealt with her ex, Louis, I wanted to punch him frequently, but Millie dealt with it like a pro. I’m sure co-parenting can be hard but it felt like a realistic depiction to me, there were great parts and bad parts like in most of life.
A highlight of this book was the friendships, especially Bell and Millie’s. They were such a source of support for each other and they enhanced each other's lives. In so many books romance takes centre stage but seeing a friendship take centre stage was so refreshing. In addition, Bell had some wonderful friends too and everything wasn’t rosy all the time which made it realistic.
Bell felt like the main protagonist to me despite the book being dual POV, this is because she went on the biggest journey. She starts the book in a slump and spending a lot of time at home but throughout she came out of her shell and found her way. Bell discovered who was she alone and found her happiness again, it was a great journey to be part of.
Overall, this was a wonderful feel-good read which I flew through. A must-read for any contemporary loving social media user!
Originally posted on my blog -
November 23, 2019
In Living My Best Life we follow Bell and Millie in dual POV. Millie is a single Mum and also an Instagram influencer and Bell is approaching 40 and is trying to find her feet in life following a break up with her long term partner. The two become slightly unlikely friends and help each other to “live their best lives”.
In the first of Millie’s chapters, I immediately knew she’d be my favourite. I felt for what she was going through and how she felt a need to perfect and filter her life. There was such fantastic discussion of peoples use of Instagram and the need to measure up to everyone else, as well as how you can feel like everyone else has a perfect life but realistically, you never really know what someones life is like behind that grid.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Millie’s son being called Wolf, but it all made sense when it was revealed that his Dad named him. That leads me to how Millie dealt with her ex, Louis, I wanted to punch him frequently, but Millie dealt with it like a pro. I’m sure co-parenting can be hard but it felt like a realistic depiction to me, there were great parts and bad parts like in most of life.
A highlight of this book was the friendships, especially Bell and Millie’s. They were such a source of support for each other and they enhanced each other's lives. In so many books romance takes centre stage but seeing a friendship take centre stage was so refreshing. In addition, Bell had some wonderful friends too and everything wasn’t rosy all the time which made it realistic.
Bell felt like the main protagonist to me despite the book being dual POV, this is because she went on the biggest journey. She starts the book in a slump and spending a lot of time at home but throughout she came out of her shell and found her way. Bell discovered who was she alone and found her happiness again, it was a great journey to be part of.
Overall, this was a wonderful feel-good read which I flew through. A must-read for any contemporary loving social media user!
In the first of Millie’s chapters, I immediately knew she’d be my favourite. I felt for what she was going through and how she felt a need to perfect and filter her life. There was such fantastic discussion of peoples use of Instagram and the need to measure up to everyone else, as well as how you can feel like everyone else has a perfect life but realistically, you never really know what someones life is like behind that grid.
I wasn’t a huge fan of Millie’s son being called Wolf, but it all made sense when it was revealed that his Dad named him. That leads me to how Millie dealt with her ex, Louis, I wanted to punch him frequently, but Millie dealt with it like a pro. I’m sure co-parenting can be hard but it felt like a realistic depiction to me, there were great parts and bad parts like in most of life.
A highlight of this book was the friendships, especially Bell and Millie’s. They were such a source of support for each other and they enhanced each other's lives. In so many books romance takes centre stage but seeing a friendship take centre stage was so refreshing. In addition, Bell had some wonderful friends too and everything wasn’t rosy all the time which made it realistic.
Bell felt like the main protagonist to me despite the book being dual POV, this is because she went on the biggest journey. She starts the book in a slump and spending a lot of time at home but throughout she came out of her shell and found her way. Bell discovered who was she alone and found her happiness again, it was a great journey to be part of.
Overall, this was a wonderful feel-good read which I flew through. A must-read for any contemporary loving social media user!
August 23, 2019
If you want the perfect fluffy uplifting read for your summer, then buy this book immediately.
We meet Bell who works for a fashion company but is in a slump after her boyfriend of 10 years has left her. She doesn't want to go out and wants to wallow in her pj's...
We then meet Millie. An Instagram 'influencer' and single mum. Whilst on social media Millie's life with her 5 year old son Wolf seems perfect, behind the filters her life isn't so perfect...
When Bell and Millie cross paths at the local lido, they form a fast and wonderful bond. Can Millie teach Bell how to come out of her shell? Can Bell teach Millie that there's more to life than the facade of social media?
Living My Best Life is a wonderful heart warming book that raises some very valid issues about the perception of life and other issues through social media. Whilst pretty much everyone has some form (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - I'm guilty of all 3), it seems like such a vapid existence to exact your life through filters and hashtags all for likes/comments.
It's a reminder to be more present, more focused on what is real rather than the life through a lense. Not that social media is all bad, it can be a wonderful medium too, but being mindful and striking a balance is one that a lot of people can relate to.
I really liked both protagonists. Chapters are told through alternate points of view and both women were flawed yet strong and capable. Finding a new friendship (pretty much accidentally) made both Bell and Millie blossom and find some much needed confidence.
For a debut novel, this one is a belter. Full of heart, spirit and a real community feel, Frost is one to look out for. I can't wait for her next offering already!
A blinding 5 star read for me.
We meet Bell who works for a fashion company but is in a slump after her boyfriend of 10 years has left her. She doesn't want to go out and wants to wallow in her pj's...
We then meet Millie. An Instagram 'influencer' and single mum. Whilst on social media Millie's life with her 5 year old son Wolf seems perfect, behind the filters her life isn't so perfect...
When Bell and Millie cross paths at the local lido, they form a fast and wonderful bond. Can Millie teach Bell how to come out of her shell? Can Bell teach Millie that there's more to life than the facade of social media?
Living My Best Life is a wonderful heart warming book that raises some very valid issues about the perception of life and other issues through social media. Whilst pretty much everyone has some form (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram - I'm guilty of all 3), it seems like such a vapid existence to exact your life through filters and hashtags all for likes/comments.
It's a reminder to be more present, more focused on what is real rather than the life through a lense. Not that social media is all bad, it can be a wonderful medium too, but being mindful and striking a balance is one that a lot of people can relate to.
I really liked both protagonists. Chapters are told through alternate points of view and both women were flawed yet strong and capable. Finding a new friendship (pretty much accidentally) made both Bell and Millie blossom and find some much needed confidence.
For a debut novel, this one is a belter. Full of heart, spirit and a real community feel, Frost is one to look out for. I can't wait for her next offering already!
A blinding 5 star read for me.
May 14, 2019
This is one book I have been desperate to read since I seen it was being released. I’m feeling so lucky to be able to read and review an early proof copy.
What a debut novel from Claire, I thoroughly enjoyed the messages behind the story which is basically that you don’t have to filter your life to be able to enjoy it. Millie is a single mother to her boy Wolf and she is an influencer on Instagram, she feels this will only work well and she will earn a living if she filters and photoshops her life. Then she meets the lovely Bell thus a very special friendship forms between Millie and Bell. Bell works for a fashion website, has just came out of a ten year relationship and is turning forty! I loved both of these characters. The only person in the story that kind of got on my nerves was Louis - Wolf’s dad but you will see why when you read this story yourself!
The pair come together to also try and save their local community centre from closing down with the help of Bell and Millie’s friends. Will they succeed? Will Bell and Mille become more happy with their lives in the end?
I thought this was a beautiful but amusing story about friendship, finding the positive in life and finding new love ❤️ I can’t wait to see what Claire comes up with next! 😊 I loved her writing style and it was so easy to get my head engrossed in this story. I give ‘Living My Best Li(f)e’ an obvious 5*/5*.
Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for an advanced proof copy of this book.
What a debut novel from Claire, I thoroughly enjoyed the messages behind the story which is basically that you don’t have to filter your life to be able to enjoy it. Millie is a single mother to her boy Wolf and she is an influencer on Instagram, she feels this will only work well and she will earn a living if she filters and photoshops her life. Then she meets the lovely Bell thus a very special friendship forms between Millie and Bell. Bell works for a fashion website, has just came out of a ten year relationship and is turning forty! I loved both of these characters. The only person in the story that kind of got on my nerves was Louis - Wolf’s dad but you will see why when you read this story yourself!
The pair come together to also try and save their local community centre from closing down with the help of Bell and Millie’s friends. Will they succeed? Will Bell and Mille become more happy with their lives in the end?
I thought this was a beautiful but amusing story about friendship, finding the positive in life and finding new love ❤️ I can’t wait to see what Claire comes up with next! 😊 I loved her writing style and it was so easy to get my head engrossed in this story. I give ‘Living My Best Li(f)e’ an obvious 5*/5*.
Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for an advanced proof copy of this book.
March 14, 2022
I listened to the audio version of this book - brilliantly bought to life by Nicky Diss & Sophie Roberts.
This was a fab easy listen - full of laughs and all those situations you can relate to, especially in these times of fake lives on the internet! We always think the people on our facebook/insta/twitter feeds are living 'their best lives' and putting us to shame, but reality is often a long way from the internet image!
This is the story of 2 women living very different lives, and whose paths cross to give each other a different opinion. Bell has recently split from her boyfriend of 10 years and wants away from the social media world she often found herself scrolling through giving her a bad impression of life and where she should be. And Millie is a very successful online 'influencer' who has thousands of followers who dream of her lifestyle and 'ootd' wardrobe. But the reality is a world away - a single mum to Wolfie, an ex who picks and chooses when he plays daddy, and she's getting older! A no-no in the young obsessed online world.
Seeing their lives play out through phone calls, insta posts and daily life was so fun! There's a good cast of characters to help support and often make them see sense! And seeing them work together for the betterment of the community was really good and made them, Millie especially, see that people would much prefer a more honest look at her life and not the filtered version - and it would also make her life less stressful!
This was a fab easy listen - full of laughs and all those situations you can relate to, especially in these times of fake lives on the internet! We always think the people on our facebook/insta/twitter feeds are living 'their best lives' and putting us to shame, but reality is often a long way from the internet image!
This is the story of 2 women living very different lives, and whose paths cross to give each other a different opinion. Bell has recently split from her boyfriend of 10 years and wants away from the social media world she often found herself scrolling through giving her a bad impression of life and where she should be. And Millie is a very successful online 'influencer' who has thousands of followers who dream of her lifestyle and 'ootd' wardrobe. But the reality is a world away - a single mum to Wolfie, an ex who picks and chooses when he plays daddy, and she's getting older! A no-no in the young obsessed online world.
Seeing their lives play out through phone calls, insta posts and daily life was so fun! There's a good cast of characters to help support and often make them see sense! And seeing them work together for the betterment of the community was really good and made them, Millie especially, see that people would much prefer a more honest look at her life and not the filtered version - and it would also make her life less stressful!
August 18, 2021
Bell is newly single after her partner of 10 years leaves her - she was expecting a ring but instead got dumped, and a battle to keep her house commenced whilst she's working through her grief. Working through her grief involved stalking her ex on social media - naturally! Millie is a single mum who is aspiring to be a successful Insta influencer. She posts multi-filtered photos of her 'best life' which is more often so far from her reality ('best lie'). Bell and Millies' paths cross and they discover so much more about themselves, social media and community.
This is an uplifting, heartwarming, easy read, touching on self-discovery, self perception, social media and the image we project to the world. It was refreshing to read about such topics as they're very relevant in today's society. I really liked the characters, different as they are, and I also liked the secondary characters too.
The storyline is very safe and twee, so it was clear early on that there would be a happy ending, but even so, I really enjoyed this read. I think the author writes well enough to have been more riskier with the plot, and that I'd like to read! Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this, perfect for a holiday book.
This is an uplifting, heartwarming, easy read, touching on self-discovery, self perception, social media and the image we project to the world. It was refreshing to read about such topics as they're very relevant in today's society. I really liked the characters, different as they are, and I also liked the secondary characters too.
The storyline is very safe and twee, so it was clear early on that there would be a happy ending, but even so, I really enjoyed this read. I think the author writes well enough to have been more riskier with the plot, and that I'd like to read! Nevertheless, I would definitely recommend this, perfect for a holiday book.
July 27, 2019
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So much to enjoy in Living my Best Life …
I thought it made a refreshing change to have an older female lead (Bell is 39, almost 40). And it’s so true, when you’re younger you think that people in their late 30+’s have life sussed. Until you get there. 🙂 I really enjoyed watching Bell re-discover herself and develop as a character. Best friend Suze has her own insecurities to deal with too. Their friendship felt very real and it’s clear that they accepted each other with all their foibles. It was great how they fit together.
From the blurb we know that social media is involved somehow. The power it has is shown with all its light and shade and I enjoyed this thread in the story. Millie’s isolation and mask is gradually eroded as she gets to know Bell and they both grow stronger as they learn from each other. And who wouldn’t adore Wolf! Children’s timing is always impeccable isn’t it. 🙂
I haven’t mentioned romance yet and for me, romance isn’t the main theme of the story. I’ve mentioned friendships. Another big part is the community that both Bell and Millie become involved with. There’s nothing like a problem in a community for drawing people together and this part of the story gave me goosebumps. I loved the characters from Bell’s photography class, each of them adding even more colour and they all shone when it mattered the most.
Living by Best Life is one of those stories where you find yourself thinking about the characters when you’re not reading, wondering what they’re getting up to because you’re emotionally invested in them and want to be a part of what happens. I didn’t want to let them go.
An awesome debut. Highly recommended.
So much to enjoy in Living my Best Life …
I thought it made a refreshing change to have an older female lead (Bell is 39, almost 40). And it’s so true, when you’re younger you think that people in their late 30+’s have life sussed. Until you get there. 🙂 I really enjoyed watching Bell re-discover herself and develop as a character. Best friend Suze has her own insecurities to deal with too. Their friendship felt very real and it’s clear that they accepted each other with all their foibles. It was great how they fit together.
From the blurb we know that social media is involved somehow. The power it has is shown with all its light and shade and I enjoyed this thread in the story. Millie’s isolation and mask is gradually eroded as she gets to know Bell and they both grow stronger as they learn from each other. And who wouldn’t adore Wolf! Children’s timing is always impeccable isn’t it. 🙂
I haven’t mentioned romance yet and for me, romance isn’t the main theme of the story. I’ve mentioned friendships. Another big part is the community that both Bell and Millie become involved with. There’s nothing like a problem in a community for drawing people together and this part of the story gave me goosebumps. I loved the characters from Bell’s photography class, each of them adding even more colour and they all shone when it mattered the most.
Living by Best Life is one of those stories where you find yourself thinking about the characters when you’re not reading, wondering what they’re getting up to because you’re emotionally invested in them and want to be a part of what happens. I didn’t want to let them go.
An awesome debut. Highly recommended.
September 10, 2019
Living My Best Life is Claire Frosts debut novel and although it was ok there were a lot of things happening along the way that in real life would not be as easily solved as they were in this book.
The book is split into alternate chapters of Bell and Millie, this I thought worked well as it allowed you to really get to know the characters and their thoughts and feelings.
We first meet Bell at the beginning of the book after her best friend dragged her out one Saturday night after not coming out for weeks since January as she had split with her boyfriend and was lining in her pjs. Millie is a single mum and has a lot to contend with being a single parent although her online life is all filtered to make it look like she has the best life.
This book was ok, I would have liked to have seen more genuine struggle and the # did irritate me at times but on the whole it was ok just needed more drama that was relatable.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon And Schuster for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
The book is split into alternate chapters of Bell and Millie, this I thought worked well as it allowed you to really get to know the characters and their thoughts and feelings.
We first meet Bell at the beginning of the book after her best friend dragged her out one Saturday night after not coming out for weeks since January as she had split with her boyfriend and was lining in her pjs. Millie is a single mum and has a lot to contend with being a single parent although her online life is all filtered to make it look like she has the best life.
This book was ok, I would have liked to have seen more genuine struggle and the # did irritate me at times but on the whole it was ok just needed more drama that was relatable.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Simon And Schuster for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.
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