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Everything is Fine
Jessica Bradley has it all: the perfect boyfriend; influential healthy-eating blog; successful PR company and wonderful daughter, Anna. Or at least that is what her thousands of followers believe.
The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter's Coco-Pops.
So as they say: fake it 'til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?
Hilarious, heart-warming and oh-so relatable, prepare to fall in love with Jessica Bradley's search for happiness. Perfect for fans of Louise Pentland, Anna Bell and Lindsey Kelk.
The truth is, her boyfriend just broke up with her in four words on a post-it; her zest for healthy-eating has all but disappeared; her PR success is all reliant on her now not-so-honest online-life and she just got caught eating her daughter's Coco-Pops.
So as they say: fake it 'til you make it. A few little white lies and phoney smiling selfies and Jess can keep up appearances. But when her real-life starts to spiral out of control how can Jess tell the truth from the lies? And will she be able to seize real happiness when it is right in front of her?
Hilarious, heart-warming and oh-so relatable, prepare to fall in love with Jessica Bradley's search for happiness. Perfect for fans of Louise Pentland, Anna Bell and Lindsey Kelk.
368 pages, Paperback
First published May 28, 2020
92 people are currently reading
553 people want to read
About the author
Gillian Harvey
13 books325 followersI'm a British author and freelance writer, currently living in Norfolk, England with my husband and 5 children. I write contemporary, uplifting and emotive fiction, often set in France where I lived for 14 years.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
June 6, 2020
'Everything is Fine' is one of those books that I was genuinely sad to finish. Jessica Bradley is a fitness Instagrammer with a muscle-bound boyfriend to match. Her whole lifestyle is the envy of her thousands of followers. Yet, behind the scenes, Jessica's life isn't as perfect as her photos and blogs make out. Laugh-out loud funny, stylish and smart, this is one of the best novels I have read this year. Can't wait to see more from Gillian Harvey.
June 30, 2020
A hilariously told tale of how 'anti'social media affects life, love, parenting and career - causing us to miss the important things in life. I admit that I don't normally read modern fiction, but I got this on Audible and I loved how the story drew me into the main character's world - so true to life, it had me laughing out loud. A superb debut novel from an up-and-coming author - I'm really looking forward to reading more in the future. Highly recommended.
January 4, 2020
I chose this book to read as I thought the subject matter sounded amusing and I wasn’t disappointed. Once I started reading I couldn’t put it down as I wanted to find out what happened to the characters (I felt like I know people like most of them!), I was cringing and laughing along the way at the scrapes that Jessica found herself in. I found the social media side of the story really refreshing and food for thought. I absolutely loved this book from beginning to end, a real laugh out loud read.
January 23, 2021
This was such a charming, feel good funny read! I love me some sarcasm and the humor in this book was on point for me. Jessica is a fitness influencer and she’s living a double life. Her oh so perfect looking Instagram life is anything but, she may be sharing pictures of clean eating dinners but her reality is sugary cereal. I think we’ve all felt the pressure to present ourselves a certain way online at some point so this was relatable to an extent with a funnier and more outrageous look at the pressures of social media than most of us experience. It was a true escapist read and one that left me smiling in the end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 26, 2020
Such a great, fun read. This is very ‘now’ for a subject of influencers and the focus on their attention, but this was really funny. It’s well written and Jessica is such a lovely character you are drawn in by her and the story. It’s an addictive and fast paced read and was sad it ended when I did, but I’m hoping there’s more to come. I’ll definitely be reading future books.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
May 17, 2020
Relatable take on the absurdity of fake social media life and it’s hilarious consequences. Heartwarming and easy going, a lovely light read during lockdown.
May 25, 2020
Jess is trying to do it all whilst promoting her picture perfect life to the world via her blog and Instagram, only it's all fake. Everything that built her following, like workouts and healthy eating, have fallen at the wayside and Dave, whose abs gain her more likes than anything else she posts, has left her. Yet determined not to let anyone see what’s happening she continues to post perfect life pictures and tweets and builds up a web of lies, each leading to disastrously funny consequences.
This is an easy, light-hearted, modern read that had me laughing out loud. I like the use of different medias such as tweets, emails and newspaper articles and thought that the use of social media through out was written really well. As someone who blogs and uses Instagram/twitter I found a lot of it very relatable.
My only qualm with the book is that she didn't seem to care about her daughter at all, the author wrote that she cared but it wasn't believable as she barely spoke to her through out the whole book!
Thanks to @alexxlayt at @orionbooks for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.
This is an easy, light-hearted, modern read that had me laughing out loud. I like the use of different medias such as tweets, emails and newspaper articles and thought that the use of social media through out was written really well. As someone who blogs and uses Instagram/twitter I found a lot of it very relatable.
My only qualm with the book is that she didn't seem to care about her daughter at all, the author wrote that she cared but it wasn't believable as she barely spoke to her through out the whole book!
Thanks to @alexxlayt at @orionbooks for my #gifted copy in exchange for review.
June 6, 2020
This book was recommended to me by another book lover and it did not disappoint! It was so fun, hilarious in places but also had a more serious thread running through it.
Jessica Bradley has a perfect boyfriend, a successful marketing business and a thriving Instagram page that has drawn attention due to her boyfriends perfect abs. She also has a wonderful daughter, Anna.
Just as her life seems as though it is going from strength to strength there is a little blip, as she really isn't as 'health conscious' as she is making out on her blog. Truth be told, she wants a little break from the super healthy eating and perfect diet. Her boyfriend breaks up with her temporarily and her life is all a bit of a mess. But Jess tries to keep up appearances and fake her perfect life to keep her business and followers and that is when the fun really begins.
This really was hilarious, uplifting and just so much fun. I also loved the more serious underlying messages in this one and it was just delightful.
Jessica Bradley has a perfect boyfriend, a successful marketing business and a thriving Instagram page that has drawn attention due to her boyfriends perfect abs. She also has a wonderful daughter, Anna.
Just as her life seems as though it is going from strength to strength there is a little blip, as she really isn't as 'health conscious' as she is making out on her blog. Truth be told, she wants a little break from the super healthy eating and perfect diet. Her boyfriend breaks up with her temporarily and her life is all a bit of a mess. But Jess tries to keep up appearances and fake her perfect life to keep her business and followers and that is when the fun really begins.
This really was hilarious, uplifting and just so much fun. I also loved the more serious underlying messages in this one and it was just delightful.
August 7, 2020
I really enjoyed this easy, laugh out loud read. The book follows the story of Jessica, who I really didn’t like at first as she came across shallow, self-centred and image focused. It is very much a real life scenario book and how people depend on the ‘likes’ and followers on social media for self appreciation and other people’s expectations. Jessica’s character grows and realises what really is important and what makes her happy. I look forward to reading other books by this author. This is an unbiased review in return for a copy of this book from NetGalley.
June 1, 2020
I absolutely adored this book. Its message about embracing your inner happiness and being true to yourself is precisely what we all need to hear right now. The story focuses on thirty something lifestyle blogger and PR expert Jessica Bradley who appears to have it all, but beneath the facade her life is crumbling around her. She's a single parent, an errant best friend and a businesswoman, but the pressure of trying to keep up the pretence of perfection takes its toll. When her boyfriend dumps her by post-it note, it triggers a catalogue of hilarious disasters which involve phallus artwork, gym mishaps and fur-lined nappies.
Primarily a comedy, romance (and the failure of her previous relationships) underpins this novel and I really hope this isn't the last we've heard of these characters -all of whom felt well-crafted and real. It navigates themes of family, coping with children becoming teenagers, expectation versus reality with ease, making so many prescient and timely points without seeming condescending or preachy. Everything is Fine is a book with a big heart and a tremendous sense of humour.
Primarily a comedy, romance (and the failure of her previous relationships) underpins this novel and I really hope this isn't the last we've heard of these characters -all of whom felt well-crafted and real. It navigates themes of family, coping with children becoming teenagers, expectation versus reality with ease, making so many prescient and timely points without seeming condescending or preachy. Everything is Fine is a book with a big heart and a tremendous sense of humour.
January 23, 2020
I found this book difficult to put down and is a great example of people pretending they are something they are not to gain followers and how social media can impact on people's lives. It had me laughing in parts and sad in others. It did seem to end a bit promptly however I'm hoping that's paving way for the next instalment.
Thank you to Orion Fiction and Secret Readers for a free advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion, which is completely my own.
Thank you to Orion Fiction and Secret Readers for a free advance copy of this book in return for my honest opinion, which is completely my own.
July 5, 2020
This is a brilliantly funny take on the modern obsession of social media and how it dictates our lives. Had me howling one minute - to the point I nearly woke my hubby up in bed and questioning IG and Twitter the next. It’s pure escapism and a great summer read. Loved it and will ready The authors next book - which is due out next year.
February 1, 2021
Actual rating - 4.5 stars. For this review and many others, please visit - https://bionicbookwormblog.wordpress.com
Have you ever read a synopsis and immediately knew that you HAD to read it…. even though you knew it would kick you right in the emotions and it was a little too close to your own reality? Yup, that’s me. Here I am.
Our main character Jessica seems to have everything. A huge social media following, a growing successful business, a pre-teen daughter, and a super hot boyfriend. But that’s only what she’s allowing social media to see. But the reality? Her boyfriend breaks up with her on a post it note, her healthy eating blog is a lie because she eats cookies, her gym photos are recycled from months ago because she put on weight, and her daughter seems to be growing ever more distant.
Over the past few months i’ve seen a lot of conversations about social media. 2020 was the year of social media for most of the world as it was our only way of communicating since we couldn’t leave our houses! But, for me anyway, it was also the year that I stepped back from social media…. for all the reasons that were in this book. Jessica is incredibly successful. She’s got thousands of followers, constantly gets sent free products and spa treatments, and it ended up leading to her starting up her own PR business. She took her social media following and made it into a career which was really smart! But she felt trapped in a lie. The way of living that she felt she had to portray wasn’t sustainable in the long run, so she found herself cheating and hiding behind her accounts. It’s SO easy to pick and choose the things that you show in your online persona. I think that most people (myself included) just want to focus on the happy and positive things that are going on in our lives. It’s like, if we post something about having a shitty day, then you’re putting others in a bad mood. So we paste fake smiles on our faces for a selfie and call it a day. But, on the inside, we may feel like we’re falling apart. It’s easy to see all these pictures of spotless houses, loving couples, elaborate vacations – and you’re sitting there wondering what you’re doing wrong and why you don’t have the things that others do. Oops! That was a bit of a rant that I didn’t intend lol.
I just LOVED how real this book was!! The pressures of social media and feeling the need to be someone that others will like. The pressures of being a good parent (because god knows, parenthood doesn’t come with an instruction manual!). The stresses of running a business and all the hours that the business needs, all the while balancing kids, home life, and, let’s hope, sanity. It’s a lot. A LOT! You can put a smile on your face and make it look like you’re doing it all. It’s so easy – I feel like Superwoman! But life isn’t picture perfect, I don’t care who you are! It’s messy. It’s exhausting. It’s stressful. And this book shows the mess behind the scenes in all its glory. Sometimes I found myself laughing or tearing up because I related so much with the main character. It was a little creepy sometimes actually!
On top of being real, this book was just hilarious! The humour in this book was right up my alley. There was an incident in chapter two involving bull semen (yes, you read that right) that had me laughing so hard that I scared my dog who was sleeping on my lap.
And the characters – ahhh! Jessica was your down to earth girl just trying to do her best. Her boyfriend, Dave, is the type of person that I literally wanted to punch in the nuts about 50 times throughout this book! We also meet a quiet and socially awkward author, and an eccentric artist that later gets dubbed “penis guy”. Everyone was so clear and vivid that I felt like I knew them, or could even pick out someone I knew in my own life that could mirror the character.
The themes of this book were just amazing. Friendships, relationships, co-parenting, motherhood, loving yourself, balancing work and personal life, needing approval and acceptance. I honestly feel like SO many people could relate to this book and find something in it to make them smile and feel better.
Literally the only thing that annoyed me in this book was the lack of communication. You know, that “over-the-top” lack of communication where if the main character would have just told the truth then it would save them chapters worth of problems in the long run? But it was almost from start to finish. I get it though. The whole point was that Jessica felt as though she couldn’t tell the truth as it would expose her as lies from what her online persona was saying. I really do understand why there was SO MUCH lack of communication. But it was just a little uncomfortable at times. I literally wanted to scream at her to just say something resembling the truth. It all rights itself eventually (you can’t hide for long), but yeah. That was a little annoying sometimes.
Seriously though, this book was incredible! I read it SO FAST! The characters were a delight, the story was incredibly relatable, and I loved being able to follow Jessica as she went from “having everything” to having love for herself and just being happy!
Have you ever read a synopsis and immediately knew that you HAD to read it…. even though you knew it would kick you right in the emotions and it was a little too close to your own reality? Yup, that’s me. Here I am.
Our main character Jessica seems to have everything. A huge social media following, a growing successful business, a pre-teen daughter, and a super hot boyfriend. But that’s only what she’s allowing social media to see. But the reality? Her boyfriend breaks up with her on a post it note, her healthy eating blog is a lie because she eats cookies, her gym photos are recycled from months ago because she put on weight, and her daughter seems to be growing ever more distant.
Over the past few months i’ve seen a lot of conversations about social media. 2020 was the year of social media for most of the world as it was our only way of communicating since we couldn’t leave our houses! But, for me anyway, it was also the year that I stepped back from social media…. for all the reasons that were in this book. Jessica is incredibly successful. She’s got thousands of followers, constantly gets sent free products and spa treatments, and it ended up leading to her starting up her own PR business. She took her social media following and made it into a career which was really smart! But she felt trapped in a lie. The way of living that she felt she had to portray wasn’t sustainable in the long run, so she found herself cheating and hiding behind her accounts. It’s SO easy to pick and choose the things that you show in your online persona. I think that most people (myself included) just want to focus on the happy and positive things that are going on in our lives. It’s like, if we post something about having a shitty day, then you’re putting others in a bad mood. So we paste fake smiles on our faces for a selfie and call it a day. But, on the inside, we may feel like we’re falling apart. It’s easy to see all these pictures of spotless houses, loving couples, elaborate vacations – and you’re sitting there wondering what you’re doing wrong and why you don’t have the things that others do. Oops! That was a bit of a rant that I didn’t intend lol.
I just LOVED how real this book was!! The pressures of social media and feeling the need to be someone that others will like. The pressures of being a good parent (because god knows, parenthood doesn’t come with an instruction manual!). The stresses of running a business and all the hours that the business needs, all the while balancing kids, home life, and, let’s hope, sanity. It’s a lot. A LOT! You can put a smile on your face and make it look like you’re doing it all. It’s so easy – I feel like Superwoman! But life isn’t picture perfect, I don’t care who you are! It’s messy. It’s exhausting. It’s stressful. And this book shows the mess behind the scenes in all its glory. Sometimes I found myself laughing or tearing up because I related so much with the main character. It was a little creepy sometimes actually!
On top of being real, this book was just hilarious! The humour in this book was right up my alley. There was an incident in chapter two involving bull semen (yes, you read that right) that had me laughing so hard that I scared my dog who was sleeping on my lap.
And the characters – ahhh! Jessica was your down to earth girl just trying to do her best. Her boyfriend, Dave, is the type of person that I literally wanted to punch in the nuts about 50 times throughout this book! We also meet a quiet and socially awkward author, and an eccentric artist that later gets dubbed “penis guy”. Everyone was so clear and vivid that I felt like I knew them, or could even pick out someone I knew in my own life that could mirror the character.
The themes of this book were just amazing. Friendships, relationships, co-parenting, motherhood, loving yourself, balancing work and personal life, needing approval and acceptance. I honestly feel like SO many people could relate to this book and find something in it to make them smile and feel better.
Literally the only thing that annoyed me in this book was the lack of communication. You know, that “over-the-top” lack of communication where if the main character would have just told the truth then it would save them chapters worth of problems in the long run? But it was almost from start to finish. I get it though. The whole point was that Jessica felt as though she couldn’t tell the truth as it would expose her as lies from what her online persona was saying. I really do understand why there was SO MUCH lack of communication. But it was just a little uncomfortable at times. I literally wanted to scream at her to just say something resembling the truth. It all rights itself eventually (you can’t hide for long), but yeah. That was a little annoying sometimes.
Seriously though, this book was incredible! I read it SO FAST! The characters were a delight, the story was incredibly relatable, and I loved being able to follow Jessica as she went from “having everything” to having love for herself and just being happy!
May 17, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley and Orion for this ARC.
I really enjoyed the commentary on how it feels to live in a social media age and the constant pressure to be perfect. It was a nice reminder that social media shows the best of people and what they want you to see, and life is not always perfect from behind the scenes.
I loved following Jessica's story and thought it was really funny and heartwarming. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and the dynamics of different types of family units and I really liked Bea and her story. I loved how the book demonstrated that friendships aren't always perfect.
I wish there was a "6 months on" so we could see how Jessica's story ended with her change in lifestyle as I felt the ending was rather sudden.
I really enjoyed this book and finished it in just over a day, would definitely recommend.
I really enjoyed the commentary on how it feels to live in a social media age and the constant pressure to be perfect. It was a nice reminder that social media shows the best of people and what they want you to see, and life is not always perfect from behind the scenes.
I loved following Jessica's story and thought it was really funny and heartwarming. I enjoyed getting to know all the characters and the dynamics of different types of family units and I really liked Bea and her story. I loved how the book demonstrated that friendships aren't always perfect.
I wish there was a "6 months on" so we could see how Jessica's story ended with her change in lifestyle as I felt the ending was rather sudden.
I really enjoyed this book and finished it in just over a day, would definitely recommend.
May 19, 2020
If you loved Sophie White’s Filter This, I think you’ll love Gillian’s book. Jessica Bradley has recently found fame as a #fitspo blogger, thanks, in part to her gym bunny boyfriend. A boyfriend who has broken up with her on a post-it (thank you). Jess is a single mum of a tweenager, owns a PR company with interesting clients and is trying – but failing – to keep all the balls in her life in the air. So she’s willing to fake her Instagram life if it means keeping up the illusion of physical perfection. Except… Jess isn’t sure she wants to be the perfect size, not when she can eat what she wants. Will she be able to sort through what’s working in her life and what’s not, and figure out whether she is able to make her own happiness. Nicely written with plenty of bite, this was a pleasure to read.
April 16, 2020
A sincere thank you to the publisher, author and Netgalley for providing me with an ebook copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is not my usual genre, I’m more into crime/thriller books and even psychological thrillers too so I am extremely pleased and grateful to them for opening up my mind to something totally different.
I enjoyed this very much. 4 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟
May 30, 2020
Very funny book and a thought provoking look at real life vs social media life.
September 6, 2020
What a voice! I was hooked from the first page! Full review to come!
October 10, 2020
Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey tells the story of Jessica Bradley, who on the surface seems to have it all – a successful PR company and fitness blog, a gorgeous boyfriend and a great daughter. But when her boyfriend leaves her and things in her personal and professional life start to go awry, she begins to wonder about what really matters in life.
I really enjoyed this book. It is really realistic and honest and is definitely something I feel a lot of people will relate to. Harvey has incorporated a wonderful mix of humour and honesty in her novel and it really works so well. She is able to tow the line between absurd and realistic scenarios perfectly.
I also really enjoyed Harvey’s writing style. It is delightfully conversational and really makes you feel as if you are talking with Jessica, the main character, personally.
I loved the characters. Jessica is so real and honest and you can tell that she does believe that she is doing the right thing, even the situations don’t always work out the way she wants them to. I was really rooting for her and Robert to get together and thought that Dave treated her horribly, so I was hoping for her to have a happy romantic ending. It is left up to conjecture as to whether a relationship with Robert could have happened but she did leave Dave which I was glad about.
Finally, I appreciated how the novel ended with a message about perspective through the conversation she had with her brother, Stu. It really showed that perspective, both in work and personal relationships is all about how you view things and the same thing can look very different from someone else’s perspective.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic and honest but delightfully funny novel.
Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey will be released in Canada on January 26th 2021.
I really enjoyed this book. It is really realistic and honest and is definitely something I feel a lot of people will relate to. Harvey has incorporated a wonderful mix of humour and honesty in her novel and it really works so well. She is able to tow the line between absurd and realistic scenarios perfectly.
I also really enjoyed Harvey’s writing style. It is delightfully conversational and really makes you feel as if you are talking with Jessica, the main character, personally.
I loved the characters. Jessica is so real and honest and you can tell that she does believe that she is doing the right thing, even the situations don’t always work out the way she wants them to. I was really rooting for her and Robert to get together and thought that Dave treated her horribly, so I was hoping for her to have a happy romantic ending. It is left up to conjecture as to whether a relationship with Robert could have happened but she did leave Dave which I was glad about.
Finally, I appreciated how the novel ended with a message about perspective through the conversation she had with her brother, Stu. It really showed that perspective, both in work and personal relationships is all about how you view things and the same thing can look very different from someone else’s perspective.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a realistic and honest but delightfully funny novel.
Everything is Fine by Gillian Harvey will be released in Canada on January 26th 2021.
November 16, 2020
Have you ever stopped to wonder if social media is taking up too much of your time? Do you find yourself caught up in a whirlwind of likes, followers, and filters? If any of these notions ring true, Everything Is Fine might be the book for you.
A light-hearted commentary on our times, this story centers around PR savant, Jessica Bradley. Not only does she have the perfect boyfriend and the perfect job, she also has the perfect body. And all of it is on display daily on her equally perfect blog.
But as we all know, appearances can be deceiving. In the digital age this is true tenfold. Online Jessica curates a life worth envying, but in the real world she’s struggling to keep it together. Not only does she find she has to lie to her fans, but she also slowly comes to realize she’s been lying to herself.
Everything Is Fine is a relatable story even without the social media backdrop. Jessica is also a relatable character. Everyone has found themselves wanting to be thinner, happier, younger -you name it-at one point or another, in search of that magic something that will get them there. But deep down we all know no one thing will make us a better person. Still, this doesn’t stop the keeping up with the Joneses mentality that permeates today’s culture. In its essence, Everything Is Fine reminds us everything is often anything but, and that not being fine with everything is just fine sometimes, too.
Thanks a bunch to the author who provided me a review copy in exchange for a fair review.
A light-hearted commentary on our times, this story centers around PR savant, Jessica Bradley. Not only does she have the perfect boyfriend and the perfect job, she also has the perfect body. And all of it is on display daily on her equally perfect blog.
But as we all know, appearances can be deceiving. In the digital age this is true tenfold. Online Jessica curates a life worth envying, but in the real world she’s struggling to keep it together. Not only does she find she has to lie to her fans, but she also slowly comes to realize she’s been lying to herself.
Everything Is Fine is a relatable story even without the social media backdrop. Jessica is also a relatable character. Everyone has found themselves wanting to be thinner, happier, younger -you name it-at one point or another, in search of that magic something that will get them there. But deep down we all know no one thing will make us a better person. Still, this doesn’t stop the keeping up with the Joneses mentality that permeates today’s culture. In its essence, Everything Is Fine reminds us everything is often anything but, and that not being fine with everything is just fine sometimes, too.
Thanks a bunch to the author who provided me a review copy in exchange for a fair review.
October 29, 2020
Social Media - The Photoshop of Reality
Here you are. About to have a dinner. It's there in front of you. Gorgeously laid out on a plate, which is a nice plate by the way, awaiting to be snapped with your however many megapixel mobile phone camera, because, you know, if you've not posted it on Instagram did you even have a dinner? Your kids are looking at you quizzically, and your other half gives you "The Look". And not a Roxette kind...
'Everything is Fine' a phenomenal debut from Gillian Harvey has everything I would expect from the tradition of British situational comedy. This intelligently written commentary on the superficiality of the world of social media is exceptionally easy and enjoyable to read, yet packs a powerful punch. Gillian Harvey manages to give us quite a few laugh out loud moments, a good dollop of self-reflection, a group of pretty well-developed, nicely rounded characters. What's not to love? Additionally, we are served some beautifully overexaggerated motifs that provide a nice bit of well-timed satire.
Jessica is an accidental PR professional, whose real-life is the opposite of what she's trying to portray on social media. Here's the snag. We ARE Jessica. Every single one of us is "a Jessica" to a greater or lesser extent. How many times have you posted a photo of your salad garnished with a hashtag "clean eating" or something equally pretentious, yet had a chocolate cake straight after? How many times did you post a photo of your dog, knowing it's going to gather lots of reactions and engagement on your Twitter feed? How many times did you take "an accidental" selfie, that was far too good not to be posted on Facebook?
The tone of Gillian Harvey's debut is a beautiful amalgamation of comedy and drama in the tradition of Nick Hornby and Helen Fielding. The lightness of her narrative style creates an easy read, yet allows deeper reflection without being sanctimonious and over the top. The true strength of the story and the characters depicted is, that although satirical, they are incredibly relatable. In fact, the relationship between Jessica and her daughter has hit home probably a bit too firmly, but that's good. Social media and its impact on our lives is something we should talk about more and more, whilst emphasizing its effects on mental health and general social isolation. And again, it's something Gillian Harvey masterfully delivers.
It was a fantastic read, and I certainly hope to see more of Gillian's work on my TBR list.
Here you are. About to have a dinner. It's there in front of you. Gorgeously laid out on a plate, which is a nice plate by the way, awaiting to be snapped with your however many megapixel mobile phone camera, because, you know, if you've not posted it on Instagram did you even have a dinner? Your kids are looking at you quizzically, and your other half gives you "The Look". And not a Roxette kind...
'Everything is Fine' a phenomenal debut from Gillian Harvey has everything I would expect from the tradition of British situational comedy. This intelligently written commentary on the superficiality of the world of social media is exceptionally easy and enjoyable to read, yet packs a powerful punch. Gillian Harvey manages to give us quite a few laugh out loud moments, a good dollop of self-reflection, a group of pretty well-developed, nicely rounded characters. What's not to love? Additionally, we are served some beautifully overexaggerated motifs that provide a nice bit of well-timed satire.
Jessica is an accidental PR professional, whose real-life is the opposite of what she's trying to portray on social media. Here's the snag. We ARE Jessica. Every single one of us is "a Jessica" to a greater or lesser extent. How many times have you posted a photo of your salad garnished with a hashtag "clean eating" or something equally pretentious, yet had a chocolate cake straight after? How many times did you post a photo of your dog, knowing it's going to gather lots of reactions and engagement on your Twitter feed? How many times did you take "an accidental" selfie, that was far too good not to be posted on Facebook?
The tone of Gillian Harvey's debut is a beautiful amalgamation of comedy and drama in the tradition of Nick Hornby and Helen Fielding. The lightness of her narrative style creates an easy read, yet allows deeper reflection without being sanctimonious and over the top. The true strength of the story and the characters depicted is, that although satirical, they are incredibly relatable. In fact, the relationship between Jessica and her daughter has hit home probably a bit too firmly, but that's good. Social media and its impact on our lives is something we should talk about more and more, whilst emphasizing its effects on mental health and general social isolation. And again, it's something Gillian Harvey masterfully delivers.
It was a fantastic read, and I certainly hope to see more of Gillian's work on my TBR list.
February 25, 2021
3.5 stars rounded down!
The book was overlong, that has to be said and the epiphany of the how so called influencers live a false life in social media and how the real people matter more than anonymous followers comes way too late into book. And the ending was definitely abrupt, I understand the author's need to end this on a positive note but we don't really get a good payoff and the current boyfriend stayed for longer than needed which left the main couple (who got together? maybe?) unexplored and underwhelmed. I was left scratching my head whenever people warned her about her daughter's possible problem but Jessica kept prioritizing her work almost always.
The humor was good which is why the book deserves 3 stars in mine. The PR clients were all caricatures but were fun to read. Jess was a difficult heroine to like or root for but it made her human but she put up with a lot of shit from people and body shaming from Dave for straying away from her gym life which made me wonder what the author's motivation there was. The book started off well but became directionless towards the middle and the ending was not fine, atleast not to me.
The book was overlong, that has to be said and the epiphany of the how so called influencers live a false life in social media and how the real people matter more than anonymous followers comes way too late into book. And the ending was definitely abrupt, I understand the author's need to end this on a positive note but we don't really get a good payoff and the current boyfriend stayed for longer than needed which left the main couple (who got together? maybe?) unexplored and underwhelmed. I was left scratching my head whenever people warned her about her daughter's possible problem but Jessica kept prioritizing her work almost always.
The humor was good which is why the book deserves 3 stars in mine. The PR clients were all caricatures but were fun to read. Jess was a difficult heroine to like or root for but it made her human but she put up with a lot of shit from people and body shaming from Dave for straying away from her gym life which made me wonder what the author's motivation there was. The book started off well but became directionless towards the middle and the ending was not fine, atleast not to me.
February 27, 2021
Read Everything s Fine and enjoy yourself.
Read Everything Is Fine and take a good look at yourself.
So which is it? A laugh-out-loud story to help you forget life as we currently know it (yes! and thank goodness for authors like Harvey who can make us laugh) or a story that reaffirms what you know about yourself but would cut out your tongue before revealing just 'who' you really are?
Luckily, this book is both.
Everything is NOT always fine, and it's okay to acknowledge that. Loved this book, and kudos to Ms. Harvey for shining a light on the dark side.
Read Everything Is Fine and take a good look at yourself.
So which is it? A laugh-out-loud story to help you forget life as we currently know it (yes! and thank goodness for authors like Harvey who can make us laugh) or a story that reaffirms what you know about yourself but would cut out your tongue before revealing just 'who' you really are?
Luckily, this book is both.
Everything is NOT always fine, and it's okay to acknowledge that. Loved this book, and kudos to Ms. Harvey for shining a light on the dark side.
January 20, 2023
I wanted to shake sense into Jessica several times during this book. Good read for anyone who worries about their life not living up to social media’s expectations
July 14, 2020
Everything (in this book) is (just) fine. But not great. Better than “meh,” but there are better similar books.
August 12, 2020
Loved this book! It is the reminder that we all need sometimes that the perfect life we see online isn’t always the life that person is leading. It’s a reminder to be true to you and quit playing the look at me game.
November 16, 2020
Really funny and entertaining, Jessica is a very likeable character and is easy to relate to. I was really rooting for her and hoping she’d have a realisation about her life and relationships. The novel also raises the issues of our collective obsession with social media, the pressures it brings and how what is presented on there is often far from the whole truth. A really impressive debut novel and I look forward to reading her next.
July 12, 2020
Fun read.
July 3, 2020
Cute, funny and easy to read story about living in the age of social media.
September 14, 2020
I don't even remember the last time I related this strongly to a book or a main character. Everything is Fine is, on the surface, a light fun book - and it is - but at the same time, it's got some very insightful commentary into the way we as woman put pressure on ourselves, especially as mothers, and especially in the internet age. The desire to pretend that everything is perfect, the inherent need to only put our best face forward, is something I deal with every single day. I didn't just understand Jessica's struggle, I felt it with every fiber of my being. (I also firmly believe that it's impossible to be unhappy while swinging, so the book spoke to me on that level, too). Well done. Highly recommended.
**Review based on ARC**
**Review based on ARC**
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