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The Diary of Isabella M Smugge
Meet Isabella Smugge – as in ‘Br-uge-s’, naturally! Instagram influencer, consummate show-off and endearingly self-unaware. With a palatial home, charming husband and three well-mannered children, she is living the Country Life dream.
Newly arrived in the country, Isabella is ready to bring a dash of London glamour to the school gate and gain a whole new set of followers – though getting past the instant coffee, terrible hair and own-brand sausage rolls may be a challenge!
But as her Latvian au pair’s behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre and a national gossip columnist nurses a grudge, Isabella finds herself in need of true friends and begins to wonder if her life really is as picture-perfect as she thought…
Newly arrived in the country, Isabella is ready to bring a dash of London glamour to the school gate and gain a whole new set of followers – though getting past the instant coffee, terrible hair and own-brand sausage rolls may be a challenge!
But as her Latvian au pair’s behaviour becomes increasingly bizarre and a national gossip columnist nurses a grudge, Isabella finds herself in need of true friends and begins to wonder if her life really is as picture-perfect as she thought…
256 pages, Paperback
Published February 19, 2021
8 people are currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Ruth Leigh
2 books26 followersRuth is a novelist and freelance writer, the author of “The Diary of Isabella M Smugge”, “The Trials of Isabella M Smugge” and “The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge. She writes for a number of businesses and charities and blogs at ruthleighwrites.co.uk. She has abnormally narrow sinuses and a morbid fear of raw tomatoes, but has decided not to let this get in the way of a meaningful life. You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter at ruthleighwrites and at her website, www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
August 2, 2021
Book Reviewed on www.whisperingstories.com
‘The Diary of Isabella M Smugge’ is the debut novel from UK-based author Ruth Leigh. Isabella, of the title, is an internet influencer. Her materialistic life revolves around her desire to stay relevant in the global world of social media in which she competes. She unashamedly uses her family and sees every aspect of their day-to-day routine as an opportunity to further her brand. On the face of it, she has everything; a fabulous home, a loving (hedge fund manager) husband, three perfect children and a nanny to take care of the minutiae she has no time for. Can anyone’s life be so seemingly idyllic, yet so utterly false? She believes herself relatable yet actually is so removed from real life that she is almost a caricature.
The author has cleverly captured the reader in an instant by having Isabella flippantly assert; ‘I expect you’ve heard of me.’ Her self-important bubble is soon tested at the school gates by the other mums and she finds it harder to fit in than she anticipated.
The first part of the story relies heavily on ironic humour, satire and sarcasm, to embed Issy into our lives. The author uses actual social media platform references to add authenticity and throws in the odd reference to people in the public eye. We gradually get some glimpses of her scars from the past and watch as she cynically attempts to exploit those around her to maintain relevance and increase her followers. Her priorities remain skewed as she asserts she would be lost without her wonderful nanny, Sofija, yet flippantly mentions she isn’t sure if Sofija comes from Latvia or Lithuania.
Inevitably things don’t run smoothly and Issy has to face some very uncomfortable truths about herself and her situation. Soon the cracks begin to appear and the reader is treated to some subtle foreshadowing as Issy’s life starts to unravel…
Although it is written in the first person in both present and past tenses, Issy often refers to herself in the third person. Ruth Leigh covers all bases by throwing in some authorial intrusion which, in the right context, can work well. The chapters are broken up into months of the year which adds to the diary feel. Ms Leigh also shows off an impressive vocabulary with her descriptive passages bringing the main protagonist and her foils to life.
The plot is quite simple and maybe it lacks a little for those who like twists and turns; I confess I was waiting for a shock that never actually came but nonetheless, it’s a multi-layered journey of reassessment, self-discovery and slow-awakening faith. Issy starts to redefine her priorities as her life goes from being one big hashtag to one of genuine care and compassion for her new neighbours.
Ruth Leigh displays an excellent understanding of how to make literary devices work for her and writes with a confidence which normally comes only with experience. The way is definitely left open for a sequel and I look forward to reading it. I award four-and-a-half stars.
‘The Diary of Isabella M Smugge’ is the debut novel from UK-based author Ruth Leigh. Isabella, of the title, is an internet influencer. Her materialistic life revolves around her desire to stay relevant in the global world of social media in which she competes. She unashamedly uses her family and sees every aspect of their day-to-day routine as an opportunity to further her brand. On the face of it, she has everything; a fabulous home, a loving (hedge fund manager) husband, three perfect children and a nanny to take care of the minutiae she has no time for. Can anyone’s life be so seemingly idyllic, yet so utterly false? She believes herself relatable yet actually is so removed from real life that she is almost a caricature.
The author has cleverly captured the reader in an instant by having Isabella flippantly assert; ‘I expect you’ve heard of me.’ Her self-important bubble is soon tested at the school gates by the other mums and she finds it harder to fit in than she anticipated.
The first part of the story relies heavily on ironic humour, satire and sarcasm, to embed Issy into our lives. The author uses actual social media platform references to add authenticity and throws in the odd reference to people in the public eye. We gradually get some glimpses of her scars from the past and watch as she cynically attempts to exploit those around her to maintain relevance and increase her followers. Her priorities remain skewed as she asserts she would be lost without her wonderful nanny, Sofija, yet flippantly mentions she isn’t sure if Sofija comes from Latvia or Lithuania.
Inevitably things don’t run smoothly and Issy has to face some very uncomfortable truths about herself and her situation. Soon the cracks begin to appear and the reader is treated to some subtle foreshadowing as Issy’s life starts to unravel…
Although it is written in the first person in both present and past tenses, Issy often refers to herself in the third person. Ruth Leigh covers all bases by throwing in some authorial intrusion which, in the right context, can work well. The chapters are broken up into months of the year which adds to the diary feel. Ms Leigh also shows off an impressive vocabulary with her descriptive passages bringing the main protagonist and her foils to life.
The plot is quite simple and maybe it lacks a little for those who like twists and turns; I confess I was waiting for a shock that never actually came but nonetheless, it’s a multi-layered journey of reassessment, self-discovery and slow-awakening faith. Issy starts to redefine her priorities as her life goes from being one big hashtag to one of genuine care and compassion for her new neighbours.
Ruth Leigh displays an excellent understanding of how to make literary devices work for her and writes with a confidence which normally comes only with experience. The way is definitely left open for a sequel and I look forward to reading it. I award four-and-a-half stars.
April 5, 2021
This made me think of Bridget Jones if she'd been about today. I came of age when that book was written and it gave me a joy of diary based books and this one is now added to that list. I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure if I would: I only learnt what a mumfluencer was last week and I spent the last 2 series of Strictly baffled by the popularity of you-tubers. I use social media mostly for posting pictures of my knitting so I wasn't sure if I was the right audience but a good book slices through all of that. Issy Smugge (Smooge) is smug by name and nature and even right to the end hasn't quite got the hang of us normal folk but you do warm to her and it's a delight to watch her make friends with people who simply enjoy having friends and don't have a constant game of one-upmanship. The reader's invited to see the big drama (no spoilers) coming from months away but when it does happen you feel for her.
You can see that for all her not actually that relatable pretentiousness she is a good person and seems to want to help people wherever she can even if she goes about it in the often hilariously wrong way. It took me on a bit of a roller coaster and the ending leaves it open for a second book. I will very much be buying it when it's written.
Note: I was sent an advance copy of this book, but all views are my own.
You can see that for all her not actually that relatable pretentiousness she is a good person and seems to want to help people wherever she can even if she goes about it in the often hilariously wrong way. It took me on a bit of a roller coaster and the ending leaves it open for a second book. I will very much be buying it when it's written.
Note: I was sent an advance copy of this book, but all views are my own.
February 20, 2021
‘Part of my success is to stay humble and relatable’ Issy Smugge Says in her diary. Several times in different ways in fact. All the while absolutely missing the point that she is barely relatable at all to most of those in the country village she’s moved to from London with her City Banker husband and three children. All of whom feature strongly in her #awardwinningblog and on her other prize-winning and hugely followed social media platforms. Her private school education, enormous house, and staff - #soblessed - are just some of the things which are glaringly different from the other school mums.
But despite all her efforts, Isabella’s #perfectlife is not so perfect as she would like, and things are about to get a lot less perfect. The mother she feels has never loved her comes to visit, oldest child Finn gets into trouble at school, Issy’s much-loved sister is far away in Hong Kong and their close bond is broken, and a childhood enemy re-appears with what seems a single aim – to destroy brand Isabella M Smugge. Is it possible for things to get any worse? Well, yes, actually, it turns out that it is. #impendingdoom
I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s very wittily written with lots of pace and energy. There are some genuinely laugh out loud funny moments – and a few shocking ones. You can’t help warming to Isabella quite early on, even though she’s a frightful snob who makes a lot of quick and not very complimentary assumptions about many of the people in her new village. However she is generous, and keen to get to know people, even if at first her motives are a bit suspect. She finds out that those she is quick to dismiss have their own struggles and heartaches and that it’s wise not to judge on first impressions. One of the great threads of the book is the friendship Isabella finds with Lauren and vicar’s wife Claire. She is going to need #realfriends to get her through some very big challenges.
‘If you’d told me a year ago that I would find comfort and happiness in the company of a mumsy vicar’s wife in the wilds of Suffolk while stuffing my face with organic shortbread, I’d have laughed in your face.’
This is an easy read, and not as frothy as you might expect. There are lots of relatable elements, in fact. ‘Issy’s’ writing is spikey, and she is far from perfect at various points of the book, which does make her more of a real person to the reader. I enjoyed the changing relationships between Isabella and her children too. The faith elements are woven gently throughout but this is not at all a preachy novel and would be good for a non-Christian friend or for a reader who is wary of Christian fiction because they think it’s too implausible.
I can’t wait for the next one. #comingsoon? #dyingtoread
(Oh, and I think Mr Fazakerley is a great name for a rocking horse…)
9781912726400, Instant Apostle, paperback, UK publication February 2021
Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.
But despite all her efforts, Isabella’s #perfectlife is not so perfect as she would like, and things are about to get a lot less perfect. The mother she feels has never loved her comes to visit, oldest child Finn gets into trouble at school, Issy’s much-loved sister is far away in Hong Kong and their close bond is broken, and a childhood enemy re-appears with what seems a single aim – to destroy brand Isabella M Smugge. Is it possible for things to get any worse? Well, yes, actually, it turns out that it is. #impendingdoom
I absolutely LOVED this book! It’s very wittily written with lots of pace and energy. There are some genuinely laugh out loud funny moments – and a few shocking ones. You can’t help warming to Isabella quite early on, even though she’s a frightful snob who makes a lot of quick and not very complimentary assumptions about many of the people in her new village. However she is generous, and keen to get to know people, even if at first her motives are a bit suspect. She finds out that those she is quick to dismiss have their own struggles and heartaches and that it’s wise not to judge on first impressions. One of the great threads of the book is the friendship Isabella finds with Lauren and vicar’s wife Claire. She is going to need #realfriends to get her through some very big challenges.
‘If you’d told me a year ago that I would find comfort and happiness in the company of a mumsy vicar’s wife in the wilds of Suffolk while stuffing my face with organic shortbread, I’d have laughed in your face.’
This is an easy read, and not as frothy as you might expect. There are lots of relatable elements, in fact. ‘Issy’s’ writing is spikey, and she is far from perfect at various points of the book, which does make her more of a real person to the reader. I enjoyed the changing relationships between Isabella and her children too. The faith elements are woven gently throughout but this is not at all a preachy novel and would be good for a non-Christian friend or for a reader who is wary of Christian fiction because they think it’s too implausible.
I can’t wait for the next one. #comingsoon? #dyingtoread
(Oh, and I think Mr Fazakerley is a great name for a rocking horse…)
9781912726400, Instant Apostle, paperback, UK publication February 2021
Note: for transparency, I was sent an advance copy of this book, but I was not required to write any specific or favourable review. All views herein are my own.
February 5, 2021
Isabella M Smugge is the ultimate Yummy Mummy, a poised, elegant, capable, thirtysomething who seems to have it all together. She’s a lifestyle blogger, author and social influencer with 2 million followers on Instagram. She has just moved from London to a Grade II listed Georgian pile in Suffolk, along with her rich, handsome, hedgefund manager husband and their three adorable children. She has a Latvian au pair, a Polish cleaner, and a gardener. And a swimming pool. She is exactly the sort of person I would expect to loathe ...
However, Isabella turns out to be more human and likeable than you might think. Half-way through this thoroughly entertaining novel, her carefully curated life starts to unravel. Thanks to Ruth Leigh’s skilful writing, I was already warmly disposed to Isabella before the cracks start appearing in her apparently perfect life. You can’t help but like Isabella: her social and emotional blind spots are obvious from the first page, yet underneath the shallow values of her Instagram world, she has a kind heart and good intentions. She is also carrying huge emotional damage from her posh but deeply dysfunctional upbringing. She eventually finds true friendship and support in her Suffolk village, mainly with the local vicar’s wife (whose childhood was far worse than Isabella’s) and several other women who are refreshingly down to earth. There is faith content in the novel, lightly handled … Isabella starts to ponder more deeply on the meaning of life and on spirituality, and her baffled observations of church subculture are also very funny.
Jane Austen said of her heroine Emma Woodhouse that 'I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like'. There is more than a touch of Emma about Isabella – had Emma lived in the early 21st century, she would no doubt have been a lifestyle blogger and expert on ‘relationship enrichment' – but, just like Emma, Isabella grows in self-awareness and maturity.
This is a first novel, and the author deliberately ends on quite a cliffhanger. I hope very much a sequel will be in the works. This is a very worthy contender in the Bridget Jones tradition, and unexpectedly moving.
However, Isabella turns out to be more human and likeable than you might think. Half-way through this thoroughly entertaining novel, her carefully curated life starts to unravel. Thanks to Ruth Leigh’s skilful writing, I was already warmly disposed to Isabella before the cracks start appearing in her apparently perfect life. You can’t help but like Isabella: her social and emotional blind spots are obvious from the first page, yet underneath the shallow values of her Instagram world, she has a kind heart and good intentions. She is also carrying huge emotional damage from her posh but deeply dysfunctional upbringing. She eventually finds true friendship and support in her Suffolk village, mainly with the local vicar’s wife (whose childhood was far worse than Isabella’s) and several other women who are refreshingly down to earth. There is faith content in the novel, lightly handled … Isabella starts to ponder more deeply on the meaning of life and on spirituality, and her baffled observations of church subculture are also very funny.
Jane Austen said of her heroine Emma Woodhouse that 'I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like'. There is more than a touch of Emma about Isabella – had Emma lived in the early 21st century, she would no doubt have been a lifestyle blogger and expert on ‘relationship enrichment' – but, just like Emma, Isabella grows in self-awareness and maturity.
This is a first novel, and the author deliberately ends on quite a cliffhanger. I hope very much a sequel will be in the works. This is a very worthy contender in the Bridget Jones tradition, and unexpectedly moving.
February 5, 2021
This was an amazing read and just the tonic for these difficult days. Funny, endearing, Isabella Smugge is Bridget Jones in the social media world. Instagram and Twitter influencer, Isabella, her husband, Johnnie, and her three children uproot from London to live in rural Suffolk. Author, social media influencer, Issy, is the eternal optimist. We see her juggle with family life, keeping the au-pair, Sofija and Johnnie happy and trying to be a friend to the other local Mums. Time to time we get a glimpse of Issy's past which is less than picture perfect as she is challenged by her good friend, Claire, the local vicar's wife and gets sucked into church life, much to her discomfort. But then events conspire to rock Issy's world and help her to see the value of friends and family in a new way. A real laugh aloud joy.
February 9, 2021
I laughed out lot (on many occasions), and couldn't put this heartwarming book down. I grew to love Isabella, in all her smugness, and the deep themes of friendship and reconciliation were very powerful, but never over the top, as the humour and general ridiculousness of Isabella's life are wonderfully disarming.
Such a brilliant read - entertaining, gripping and reassuring. When's the sequel coming?
Such a brilliant read - entertaining, gripping and reassuring. When's the sequel coming?
May 15, 2022
This is a wonderfully readable debut from a local author about a woman who thinks she has it all sorted, and hasn't. Very funny and gives a positive message that skilfully avoids being preachy. I felt I got to know the characters as real people
February 5, 2021
This is the very first novel from my wonderful friend and exceptional writer Ruth Leigh!
The book revolves around our main character Isabella Smugge and her life as a mother, wife and inspirational Instgram star!
At first, everything seems perfect in her life. She has a handsome and devoted husband, a career she loves, a stunning new home and three sweet children that are primarily cared for by their Au pair Sophija. Issy is juggling all the plates in her life well, but it soon becomes clear that everything isn’t as perfect as she’d like the world to believe.
Her life is slowly falling apart and she cannot catch the plates in time!
Issy was a hard character to love in the beginning. She’s a snob. She’s pretentious, judgmental, shallow, self-centred and seems to think that her children are just accessories to move around and photograph to use on her social media page. She’s made decisions that have hurt others and destroyed her relationship with her sister. She seems to be caring, kind and wants to help people out but always has her own agenda. Her kindness always seems to benefit her in some way and that irritated me.
But, and it’s a big one... deep down Issy Smugge is a good person!
This book definitely portrays her development and growth as a person. She starts to realise that real friendships are more important than anything. Being kind to others without expectation feels great. She realises that she doesn’t have accept her mother’s constant barrage of abuse and judgement. She can put her sister first and try to repair the damage she (and another) caused. She begins to see her own flaws, starts to stand up for herself and become a better person and I loved her for that
I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book that’s set in the place I live and love. Our beautiful countryside, the scary truth about small school playgrounds, the mums and the social minefields we experience every day 🤣
Oh and the insane stress of being a PTA member! 😂
The book is wonderfully written. It’s ridiculous and flamboyant. It’s sweet and outrageously funny too. It has tons of depth and is packed full of emotions. It was a joy to read and I’m excited to see what happens in Issy Smugge’s life next, after so much devastation and stress 💗
Thank you Ruth Leigh. I will always treasure my signed copy!
The book revolves around our main character Isabella Smugge and her life as a mother, wife and inspirational Instgram star!
At first, everything seems perfect in her life. She has a handsome and devoted husband, a career she loves, a stunning new home and three sweet children that are primarily cared for by their Au pair Sophija. Issy is juggling all the plates in her life well, but it soon becomes clear that everything isn’t as perfect as she’d like the world to believe.
Her life is slowly falling apart and she cannot catch the plates in time!
Issy was a hard character to love in the beginning. She’s a snob. She’s pretentious, judgmental, shallow, self-centred and seems to think that her children are just accessories to move around and photograph to use on her social media page. She’s made decisions that have hurt others and destroyed her relationship with her sister. She seems to be caring, kind and wants to help people out but always has her own agenda. Her kindness always seems to benefit her in some way and that irritated me.
But, and it’s a big one... deep down Issy Smugge is a good person!
This book definitely portrays her development and growth as a person. She starts to realise that real friendships are more important than anything. Being kind to others without expectation feels great. She realises that she doesn’t have accept her mother’s constant barrage of abuse and judgement. She can put her sister first and try to repair the damage she (and another) caused. She begins to see her own flaws, starts to stand up for herself and become a better person and I loved her for that
I thoroughly enjoyed reading a book that’s set in the place I live and love. Our beautiful countryside, the scary truth about small school playgrounds, the mums and the social minefields we experience every day 🤣
Oh and the insane stress of being a PTA member! 😂
The book is wonderfully written. It’s ridiculous and flamboyant. It’s sweet and outrageously funny too. It has tons of depth and is packed full of emotions. It was a joy to read and I’m excited to see what happens in Issy Smugge’s life next, after so much devastation and stress 💗
Thank you Ruth Leigh. I will always treasure my signed copy!
February 19, 2021
I felt bereft when I finished this book! I don’t even know what to say to do it justice. It was simply wonderful - clever, funny, intelligent, articulate and original. The whole book is impossible to put down so make sure you leave snacks out for your children to keep them well-fed while you read it 🤣 Many of the scenes made me laugh out loud, but Leigh crafts poignant and thought-provoking moments, too, throughout the book. A book that will leave you wanting more immediately. I urge Ruth Leigh to get the sequel written and published! Buy it, read it and recommend it to all your friends. They’ll thank you for it!
January 29, 2021
I literally could not put this book down. I would highly recommend! This book hit every emotion possible! Literally one min I found it so funny and the next I was welling up lol. It touches upon christianity without being too much for non believers so absolutely suitable for everyone. I was gutted to have finished it and really hoping there will be a 2nd book very soon 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
January 27, 2021
I honestly couldn’t put this down...
I warmed to Isabella even though she’s quite pretentious! There’s a really warm heart underneath all those hashtags. Some of the one liners really made me laugh out loud, very clever. I want to know more... see where things go for her. A perfect easy read with laughter, upset & of course fabulous snobbery.
I warmed to Isabella even though she’s quite pretentious! There’s a really warm heart underneath all those hashtags. Some of the one liners really made me laugh out loud, very clever. I want to know more... see where things go for her. A perfect easy read with laughter, upset & of course fabulous snobbery.
January 26, 2021
I am officially a smugge-r! Had me laughing within the first couple of pages & just couldn't put this book down. Fell in love with Issy, Issy is smugge, sassy, delectabley gorgeous, & vunerable. The characters are all so real and relatable, & the author has village life down to a T! Love love LOVE this and literlly can't WAIT till the next one!
February 16, 2021
A wonderfully enjoyable read. Ruth Leigh captures village life to perfection. Easily the most fun I’ve read in ages.
Congratulations Mrs Leigh - now, when’s the next one coming out? Can’t wait to catch up with Issy.
Congratulations Mrs Leigh - now, when’s the next one coming out? Can’t wait to catch up with Issy.
February 12, 2021
Isabella M Smugge (IM Smugge!) is one of those yummy mummies that seem to have it all; a perfect family, perfect life, perfect house, perfect job, everything is, well, perfect. Except that is far from truth! From the very beginning, this story had me feeling a mixture of emotions and I wanted to hate Isabella, although eventually, I ended up falling in love with her. Ruth's description of village life and it’s characters is spot on and her humour shines through. This book will have you eagerly turning the pages to find out what happens next and I can’t wait for number two.
January 31, 2021
Wow!! What a book! From start to finish I was hooked, such an easy book to read and what a story, can’t wait for book 2!
February 15, 2021
This book is very much a surprise. We can begin to read it thinking it will be a waspish comic satire on the internet phenomenon of aspirational lifestyle influencers, who pretend their lives are perfect, and make everyone else feel they have to live up to it.
In fact the book is a very poignant and touching story about contemporary family life and relationships, the control of social media over our lives, our emotional wounds from the past, our lack of self-knowledge, and our deep need for non-judgemental friendship. To me, the style and atmosphere of the story brings it into the same realm as novels such as 'The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment' by Isobel Losada, and The Handbag and Wellies Yoga Club' by Lucy Edge, although this book has more of a Christian flavour.
Isabella has moved with her husband and three children from London to a Georgian rectory in Suffolk. She is judgemental, disdainful, and her diary entries often include bitchy remarks at the end of paragraphs. She looks down on others and considers herself "a cut above". She reminds me of Margot Leadbetter in 'The Good Life', and Patsy in 'Absolutely Fabulous'. In fact I can even hear her superior, cut-glass tones. She also reminds me of Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. In waspish, top journalist style, she fills her account with brand names and scatters her prose with knowing references.
As the story progresses, the author inserts little tell-tale holes in Isabella's flawless, polished and assured account of her perfect life - the fact that she's moved to a place where no-one has even heard of her; her painful memories of warring parents and a broken home; her controlling, social-climbing husband; her memories of hateful boarding school; her awareness that the children clearly prefer Sofiya, the Latvian au pair, to their own mother; and her grumpiness as she works so hard to get them to pose for her social media posts.
As we read on, through Isabella's diary, we hear a clear warning to take care who we get inspired by. Ruth Leigh has perfectly caught the phraseology of internet sirens like Isabella; all the snooty superior buzzwords and phrases. Isabella is in fact a flawed narrator, with nil self-knowledge and is often delusional.
We learn that because of her own wounded upbringing Isabella is setting herself impossible standards in a futile attempt to "prove" herself. And in the process she is eroding her own spirit, and has lost touch with her humanity.
In the end a moving and very thought-provoking book which looks set to be the first of a series.
In fact the book is a very poignant and touching story about contemporary family life and relationships, the control of social media over our lives, our emotional wounds from the past, our lack of self-knowledge, and our deep need for non-judgemental friendship. To me, the style and atmosphere of the story brings it into the same realm as novels such as 'The Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment' by Isobel Losada, and The Handbag and Wellies Yoga Club' by Lucy Edge, although this book has more of a Christian flavour.
Isabella has moved with her husband and three children from London to a Georgian rectory in Suffolk. She is judgemental, disdainful, and her diary entries often include bitchy remarks at the end of paragraphs. She looks down on others and considers herself "a cut above". She reminds me of Margot Leadbetter in 'The Good Life', and Patsy in 'Absolutely Fabulous'. In fact I can even hear her superior, cut-glass tones. She also reminds me of Meryl Streep's character in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. In waspish, top journalist style, she fills her account with brand names and scatters her prose with knowing references.
As the story progresses, the author inserts little tell-tale holes in Isabella's flawless, polished and assured account of her perfect life - the fact that she's moved to a place where no-one has even heard of her; her painful memories of warring parents and a broken home; her controlling, social-climbing husband; her memories of hateful boarding school; her awareness that the children clearly prefer Sofiya, the Latvian au pair, to their own mother; and her grumpiness as she works so hard to get them to pose for her social media posts.
As we read on, through Isabella's diary, we hear a clear warning to take care who we get inspired by. Ruth Leigh has perfectly caught the phraseology of internet sirens like Isabella; all the snooty superior buzzwords and phrases. Isabella is in fact a flawed narrator, with nil self-knowledge and is often delusional.
We learn that because of her own wounded upbringing Isabella is setting herself impossible standards in a futile attempt to "prove" herself. And in the process she is eroding her own spirit, and has lost touch with her humanity.
In the end a moving and very thought-provoking book which looks set to be the first of a series.
December 2, 2021
I sometimes take a while to get into a book and read all the way to the end (there are others that I started before this one that are still waiting in vain or growing dusty round the house) but once I began this book I couldn’t stop reading. I devoured it faster than a cheeky tub of Celebrations stashed secretly in my dimly lit kitchen. (Issy Smugge’s witty way with words is rubbing off on me and that was an attempt at mimicking her style (except she probably wouldn’t eat Celebrations. Maybe a batch of homemade chocolate quinoa cookies or something)). Initially I thought I’d get irritated with Issy’s arrogance and self-importance but I soon warmed to her and her lack of self awareness became rather endearing. I found her story hilarious and heartbreaking (sometimes in the same sentence) and some of the hashtags are pure genius. I confess I needed a dictionary at times and engaged in many a frantic google search- this added to my enjoyment as well as leaving me in utter awe of Ruth Leigh’s vocabulary and vast wealth of knowledge! To prove how real Issy became to me, when I finished the book and was drifting off to sleep, the last few pages fresh in my mind, I actually started praying for her... Well done, Ruth, for messing with my mind. #bringonthenextone
January 29, 2021
A wonderfully absorbing read which pulls you into the life of an upper class country woman whose take on life is both disturbing and hilarious. Not a particularly fast reader, I literally could not put this book down and read it in three sittings. The author has an amusing, witty style yet you never get the impression she is laughing at Isabella, managing to engender a real affection for the beleaguered blogger-writer with her perfect home, handsome husband and designer lifestyle. All is not quite as it seems, however, in the Grade 2 listed Georgian house with its indoor gym, pool and tennis courts. And as Isabella's carefully built facade begins to crumble, there are glimpses of her childhood, her past, her family relationships. All this puts a different slant on the parenting of her own children and we see Issy questioning many of the things she has always held dear.
Played out against the backdrop of village life, the story unfolds in an entirely vivid and believable way. I loved the descriptions of local friends, the school and its staff, even the gardener. Ruth Leigh has a way of making the smallest interactions a joy to behold. She is an immensely articulate and clever writer with that rare ability to turn laughter to tears in the space of a sentence. I would highly recommend the Diary of Isabella M Smugge and am looking forward to many more from this author #IssyrulesandsodoesRuthLeigh
Played out against the backdrop of village life, the story unfolds in an entirely vivid and believable way. I loved the descriptions of local friends, the school and its staff, even the gardener. Ruth Leigh has a way of making the smallest interactions a joy to behold. She is an immensely articulate and clever writer with that rare ability to turn laughter to tears in the space of a sentence. I would highly recommend the Diary of Isabella M Smugge and am looking forward to many more from this author #IssyrulesandsodoesRuthLeigh
February 1, 2021
The diary of Isabella M Smugge is hard to put down. I started and finished it in one weekend. The heroine of the title is a woman who seems to have everything any woman could dream of having. A high flying, comfortably well off social media star, with a perfect home life. Or so it seems.
Ruth Leigh as a writer is witty, funny and engaging. The book made me smile, and sometimes grimace, and occasionally laugh out loud. Isabella has just moved from London to a Suffolk village (incidentally, described so well that I was sure I knew some of the inhabitants, despite never having lived in Suffolk!). Many of Isabella’s new neighbours don’t think much of her and are quick to judge. But she ploughs on regardless, trying to infiltrate village life, if just to maintain her fantasy world with her social media followers. What she finds are people who are genuinely kind, welcoming and supportive. As her perfect life begins to unravel around the edges, relationships are formed that will ultimately become her lifeline.
This book is not all flimsy whimsy. Beneath it all, Isabella is just as vulnerable and prone to hurt as any one of us. Carrying pain from her past and facing heartbreak in her present, Ruth paints Isabella’s character with great insight into the human psyche. Amidst the humorous writing is real pathos. What Isabella really craves is to be loved, even above social media likes (although she isn’t going to abandon her Instagram followers just yet). We can empathise with her in that, and find ourselves rooting for her. Willing her, as her new friends do, to look ultimately to the one true source of unconditional love. A great read. My only criticism - the cliffhanger ending! More Ruth, please.
Ruth Leigh as a writer is witty, funny and engaging. The book made me smile, and sometimes grimace, and occasionally laugh out loud. Isabella has just moved from London to a Suffolk village (incidentally, described so well that I was sure I knew some of the inhabitants, despite never having lived in Suffolk!). Many of Isabella’s new neighbours don’t think much of her and are quick to judge. But she ploughs on regardless, trying to infiltrate village life, if just to maintain her fantasy world with her social media followers. What she finds are people who are genuinely kind, welcoming and supportive. As her perfect life begins to unravel around the edges, relationships are formed that will ultimately become her lifeline.
This book is not all flimsy whimsy. Beneath it all, Isabella is just as vulnerable and prone to hurt as any one of us. Carrying pain from her past and facing heartbreak in her present, Ruth paints Isabella’s character with great insight into the human psyche. Amidst the humorous writing is real pathos. What Isabella really craves is to be loved, even above social media likes (although she isn’t going to abandon her Instagram followers just yet). We can empathise with her in that, and find ourselves rooting for her. Willing her, as her new friends do, to look ultimately to the one true source of unconditional love. A great read. My only criticism - the cliffhanger ending! More Ruth, please.
February 7, 2021
Well, how proud of my friend am I ? I thought I'd be a good pal and read a couple of chapters then politely say how good it was and move on. #getagripgirl. #notthereality. This is without doubt one of the best books I have had the pleasure to read and I have read loads through lockdowns and have been an avid reader of all kinds of books all my life. It is a fireside book, a bedtime book, a wake-up book, a beach book, a pool book, a keep-you-awake book, an anytime book ... got the drift ? It contains parts of everyone you will ever know. You will recognise all of them. You will. Honest. Ruth has the most amazing way of interweaving the real and the unreal with the reality. Smugge will never be SMUG. She will always be Smugge as in BRUGES. How could she be anything else ? That first chapter, which I was going to struggle through, having gone to bed early as I had Churchwarden duties the following morning, kept me alert and immersed until 1.30am. I then awoke at 6.30am on Sunday morning and "just one chapter" later found it was 8.30am and I was horribly late. Try it. You'll love it. Isabella gets under your skin. Can't wait for the next one. Not one cliffhanger, but about four ! Ruth - I salute you. Get writing the rest of the series. #multibookseries. One sequel will simply not be enough. Oh, and I speak as I find. If I had not liked it, I would simply have said so.
April 12, 2021
Oh, did I enjoy this one! In fact, one lockdown afternoon, and this book was devoured. Frankly, it was very easy to devour. Issy is so totally clueless about her snobbish ways and how she looks down on people, but at the same time, you can't help but feel sympathy for her because her heart really is in the right place, and she doesn't stay stuck-up when forced to confront her blissfully unconscious stuck-up ways.
What I loved most was the writing! The voice was very unique - it really felt like Issy talking to the reader. And the words just flowed. Yes, loads of hashtags throughout, yet these just added to the fun, a sort of suspended world where reality doesn't exist...yet it does actually exists, as we come to see throughout, sometimes shockingly so, and I want to give a huge shout-out to Ruth Leigh for this feat. This was delightful reading just for the words and voice themselves, let alone the story which got more complex and the people that could easily have been stand-ins or cardboard cutouts, but were absolutely not throughout.
I really hope there's another one coming from this series, because that cliffie ending - that would be so terribly mean if we're not treated to another book! (And soon, too, I hope, LOL)
What I loved most was the writing! The voice was very unique - it really felt like Issy talking to the reader. And the words just flowed. Yes, loads of hashtags throughout, yet these just added to the fun, a sort of suspended world where reality doesn't exist...yet it does actually exists, as we come to see throughout, sometimes shockingly so, and I want to give a huge shout-out to Ruth Leigh for this feat. This was delightful reading just for the words and voice themselves, let alone the story which got more complex and the people that could easily have been stand-ins or cardboard cutouts, but were absolutely not throughout.
I really hope there's another one coming from this series, because that cliffie ending - that would be so terribly mean if we're not treated to another book! (And soon, too, I hope, LOL)
February 9, 2021
This was a thoroughly enjoyable read. Isabella's diary captivated me from the word go! At first glance Issy's life seems remarkably superficial and pretentious, her days filled with asides. She uses good looks, fashion, financial success, a lovely house, a gorgeous husband and three beautiful children to advance herself. She appears self-centred. The impression of a calm, self-possessed and self-sufficient life appears to over-ride all else. We really should dislike her but Ruth helps her to write her diary with such humour and honesty. So many times we see glimpses of a person who really can read characters well and who is able to act with empathy. As Isabella's story unfolds the chink in her armour widens and we begin to see the real Issy, one who is vulnerable, one who does care...
I loved the vibrancy of this book and the way the characters came to life. And what a cliff-hanger of an ending! Have I really got to wait to find out what happens next? Please tell me there is a sequel to this book.
I loved the vibrancy of this book and the way the characters came to life. And what a cliff-hanger of an ending! Have I really got to wait to find out what happens next? Please tell me there is a sequel to this book.
March 11, 2021
What a fabulous book. Whilst social media influencer, Isabella, comes across as being facile, Leigh's skilful writing brings her to life and shows that she has many layers and more depth than we imagine. . My emotions were all over the place and I wanted to keep reading to find out how Isabella navigated the new relationships which inevitably occurred following relocation to her new home in the country. She finds herself mixing with people from all levels of society, something entirely new to her. With a husband who seems to be away more than he's home and a nanny whose problems seem to grow by the day, Isabella wonders if she's bitten off more than she can chew. I can't wait to read the next book in the series. Well done to the author.
January 29, 2021
I found this book so absorbing and interesting. Wow! It is an inspirational, best life-style blogger's confessions around her family,work, an old enemy, 'a faithful au pair' and true friends God gives Isabella in times of crisis! The author makes readers realise that there has to be the right balance between a great career and family. This is a book that kept me up on my toes with tension, apprehension and suspense until it became undroppable! I love the subtle themes of hope, forgiveness, repentance and true friendship in the story. Isabella's life reminds one of the biblical stories of the foolish man who built his house upon the sand and the shepherd finding his lost sheep!
I really, really enjoyed this book. So natural and realistic. A highly recommended read!
I really, really enjoyed this book. So natural and realistic. A highly recommended read!
January 31, 2021
Loved this book, very lighthearted and humorous, i found myself smiling alot. We all know a Smugge in our lives and if we are honest all have a bit of an inner Issy. Isabella has a humility bypass and thinks rather a lot of herself. But then life events bring despair before reappraisal. Great characters a beautiful turn of phrase with regular hashtags and a plot that leaves you wondering what will become of her and the rest of them. Lends itself to a sequel which i am very much looking forward too.
February 15, 2022
In this first book of the series, the story launches straight in, immediately painting a picture of Isabella that is initially far from flattering. Clearly we are not meant to like her, in fact we are meant to be appalled by her attitudes and behaviours… but what else would you expect from a self-obsessed, image conscious, social media influencer and celebrity blogger, who thinks in hashtags and finds herself extracted from her comfortable metro-centric environment to fend for herself in a sleepy Suffolk village.
In fact, her character is a hoot... read the full review at https://www.robseabrook.com/the-diary...
In fact, her character is a hoot... read the full review at https://www.robseabrook.com/the-diary...
February 20, 2022
The Diary of Isabella M Smugge is a delight to read, and I found myself veering between laugh out loud moments and gasps of horror. Isabella herself is a wonderful creation. Her snootiness and supercilious detachment could make her thoroughly ghastly, but the hints at her troubled childhood and regrets are redeeming features. Her lack of self-awareness is both comic and tragic. I will never forget the fabulously terrible scene involving Dover soles and seafood! Original and refreshingly non-formulaic, I raced through this novel and look forward to reading the sequel.
February 3, 2021
I devoured this over two days - seemingly light and frothy (much like the barista style coffee beloved by the diarist) but with real substance at its heart. The insouciant Issy is so likeable despite her Instagram lifestyle - constantly striving for that picture-perfect moment to share with her followers. Ruth Leigh's characters are sharply observed and sympathetically portrayed through Issy's eyes as we navigate the year with her and her family in their newly established Suffolk home. There's plenty to laugh out loud at as Issy gets to grips with the more challenging aspects of village life, including sub-standard finger buffets and how people manage without 'help'. Her wider family provide plenty of colour and depth to the storyline and there wasn't a page that didn't make me smile. Loved it!
February 18, 2021
Well what can i say as a Bloke who dont really read. "Mrs Isabelle M Smugge" talks about a complete change of lifestyle from the hustle of london to living the country life with all the trials and tribulations. This book is so so good, i found myself laughing out load n even snorting like a pig with laughter at times like things like the "mother in laws vist, and the decisions to make bout types of food for her" 😂😂. If you want a book with every emotion going than this is a really good read.
October 4, 2021
I received this book and started reading it that night, I enjoyed it so much I didn’t realise it was 1 am. I’ve just ordered the second book.
The book is based around the main character Isabelle Smuggle and her life as mother, wife and inspirational Instagram star. At first she has a perfect life, but things start to change.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and the fact it’s set in Suffolk was wonderful.
The book is written wonderfully, it’s has lots of depth and is packed full of emotions. It was a pleasure to read and am excited to see what happens in Issa Smugge life next, after all the devastation and stree.
Thank you Ruth Leigh, having a signed copy I will always treasure it.
The book is based around the main character Isabelle Smuggle and her life as mother, wife and inspirational Instagram star. At first she has a perfect life, but things start to change.
I throughly enjoyed reading this book and the fact it’s set in Suffolk was wonderful.
The book is written wonderfully, it’s has lots of depth and is packed full of emotions. It was a pleasure to read and am excited to see what happens in Issa Smugge life next, after all the devastation and stree.
Thank you Ruth Leigh, having a signed copy I will always treasure it.
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