The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge

by Ruth Leigh

"Now in her third year of living the rural dream, starry Instamum Issy Smugge is up against it. A single parent of four with an award-winning brand, a gin-swigging mother convalescing upstairs and a distraught relative craving a shoulder to cry on, her diary and listed Regency home are bursting at the seams! Of course, she can count on lively support from the colourful playground mums – and then there’s always Tom, the startlingly good-looking vicar, and his angelic wife, Claire. But as pressure begins to mount, long-buried memories surface and difficult decisions need to be made. How will our heroine cope with painful emotions? (Clue: no filter!) And when the influencer needs influencing, who will show her the way?"

261 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2022

Reviews

[Cathy Gale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read the other two books in the trilogy and found myself missing Isabella and wondering how Ruth would bring about a transformation in the final novel. This is just as witty and perceptive as the other books and Ruth dares to tackle the difficult subject of faith in a modern novel with great sensitivity

[Penelope · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Britain’s Most Relatable Mum Designer’, Isobella M. Smugge, (it rhymes with Br-ugge-s) is back in fine fettle in her third year of living in the Suffolk countryside. She’s now a solo working parent of four, and is caught, as so many are, with looking after a young family while caring for an ailing parent – her gin-swilling mother who has moved in upstairs in Issy’s beautiful designer Georgian house.
As Issy’s life slowly but surely changes at every level, and as she continues to hashtag her way through it, her emotions are pulled in all directions. And so are those of her readers, laughing and crying at the different situations that arise, the difficulties facing Issy, and her explorations of the meanings of the Christian life. I chortled out loud at this for some time:

"I might give this home group thing a try. I had Jenna over for
coffee the other day and she is a hoot! Within five minutes, I
was crying with laughter as she described an unfortunate
incident at their previous church. The Praise and Graze
Fellowship Lunch, a monthly event, was always fraught with
stress and tension owing to a long-running feud between two of
its members over flower arranging. Things came to a head just
after grace was said when one lady made a derogatory comment
about a salmon and broccoli quiche made by the other. Harsh
words were exchanged and a full-on fist fight was only averted
when the curate stepped in. “One of the ladies went over to the Methodists after that.
Probably just as well.” #quichewars"

Issy is a successful influencer and award-winning lifestyle author; there are certain standards she needs to maintain. But, without giving too much away, by the end of the book Issy is discovering that there is more to life than maybe she ever thought possible, that family and friends matter more than she had ever realised, that healing from deep wounds of the past is possible.
Ruth Leigh has done it again with this third book about her heroine, a wonderful mixture of Jane Austen heroines and Instagram influencers. By the end of this book, I was as ever sad to reach the final page, my head full of hashtags – and finding myself even beginning hilariously to add hashtags to my own stream of consciousness.
Ruth, what HAVE you done to us?! More please.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Continued Times Of Isabella M Smugge by Ruth Leigh is an absolute delight. It is the third book in the Isabella Smugge series but can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous two books first for maximum enjoyment and to follow character progression.
I absolutely adore Isabella Smugge. She is open and down to earth, speaking her mind, and yet she comes from a privileged background, so is slightly out of touch with the masses. She has a huge heart and is also as a new Christian, a work in progress. I recognized some of her thinking. “And what did she mean, God was far away?... He stayed in the same place and waited for people to approach Him.” She also thinks that God would not want to be bothered with her small concerns as He would be busy with bigger problems. Issy Smugge is very easy to relate to.
As a new Christian, Isabella Smugge has some unusual views of God. “I thought God waved His magic wand and sorted everything out.” It comes as a surprise to her that Christians have problems too. “I don’t understand why God lets this kind of thing happen, Claire ticks all the boxes in the world of religious people.” We were never promised a trouble-free life, quite the opposite. Jesus tells us that in this world you will have problems but He also promises to never leave us but to walk beside us throughout all of life.
Isabella Smugge occasionally misses church, believing that God will understand (which He will). Her attitude to going to church is hilarious at times. “I was ready to go [to church] and collect some more holy points.”
I found the scene in church where Isabella Smugge is clearly touched by the Holy Spirit, incredibly moving. As God touches hearts, the tears often fall but they are good tears as they are the healing tears of God.
Isabella Smugge is an influencer for her generation. We have watched her go, over the course of three books, from presenting a perfect picture to presenting a more realistic picture. Her honesty is always refreshing, and at times, incredibly funny. I laughed out loud at: “How else would I be expected to nurse a cantankerous and difficult parent while bringing up four children alone with only a housekeeper, part-time nursery nurse, a gardner and a manicurist.” Isabella is in the same world as us but it’s also a very different one. She still has life to balance with all its problems. Isabella Smugge is part of the sandwich generation as she juggles looking after her mother and her children.
In a previous book, the reader witnessed the breakdown of Isabella Smugge marriage. It is rather telling that she misses her au pair more than her husband!
Ruth Leigh has created a wonderful series of books around Isabella Smugge. She is refreshingly honest, incredibly kind and absolutely hilarious at times. Isabella Smugge is the friend we all wish we had. I really love her.
The style of the series is delightful. It is as if Isabella Smugge is talking to the reader. We recognize ourselves in some of her comments and attitudes, whilst also realising that her lifestyle is totally alien to us. “What kind of a woman makes an Insta-friendly breakfast then eats it before photographing it and sharing it across her platforms?”
If you have not discovered Isabella Smugge yet – why not? You are definitely missing out! Rectify that today – and buy yourself all three books now. You will be glad you did!
The Isabella Smugge series is delightful, and has such a wonderful leading lady. Thank you Ruth Leigh for introducing us to Isabella Smugge and for brightening many a day.
I received a free copy. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

[Vicki Cottingham · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge is the third book in the series by Ruth Leigh.

I read this book in just three days. I was only a few pages into it when I remembered just why I enjoy Ruth’s books so much. Once I started reading it was very difficult to put down!

Isabella Smugge has her hands full, being a single parent of four children, whilst navigating time for them to spend time with their Dad, taking care of her Mother who is temporarily staying with them as she recovers from her stroke, and working, as she herself puts it, as “one of the UK’s most beloved mumfluencers.”

Isabella is a great mix of both confidence and vulnerability. She is completely confident in her work as an Instagram Influencer. she continues to appear in magazines, and in this book she is invited to have a slot in a morning television show and star in a podcast alongside her mum.

Her vulnerability is seen, for example, in her relationship with her mother, who never gave her the love she craved for as a child. Her mother still has the ability to bring out the child in Isabella. She longs for her mother to be proud of her. We do see, however, that there are signs of improvement in their relationship whilst her mother stays with her.

Isabella has to come to terms with her mother’s new love interest and there are some great scenes in the book involving them all. I look forward to seeing how this develops in Ruth’s next book.

Her own struggles have helped to make her far more aware of the difficulties others also go through. She has become less selfish and less self-absorbed and more considerate of others and their needs.

We also see Isabella make big strides in forgiving her au pair, Sofija, for the sake of her children who adore Sofija. (You’ll need to read the first two books if you want to know more about the strained relationship between them.) And as a result of a school reunion, Isabella finds herself beginning to understand Lavinia better and begins to take steps towards reconciliation with her. Lavinia has held a grudge against Isabella since they were at school, and still takes it out on Isabella in her column in which she writes poisonous things about her. Again, I’m hoping to read more about their reconciliation in the next book in the series.
I enjoyed reading this book because as well as dealing with serious issues, such as forgiveness and reconciliation, family relationships, and difficulties in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, Ruth injects plenty of humour throughout, such as when Isabella agrees to help with the nativity play at the Christingle Service, and host a Christmas meal for the family which includes two difficult to please women – her own mother and her sister’s mother-in-law.

This third book in the series did not disappoint me at all and I’m glad to say it lived up to my expectations. I love the character of Isabella a little more with each book and it’s great to escape for a few hours from my world into the world of Issy Smugge.

[Natasha Woodcraft · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thing I love about this author is that she is actively ‘bridging the gap’ between the christian fiction and non-christian fiction markets, writing something entirely accessible to those without faith, but also stealthily meaningful.

Cue Isabella M. Smugge (as in ‘Bruges’, darling). For those who don’t know, in the first book of the series, Instagram influencer and consummate show-off Isabella has a charming husband, three well-mannered children, a gorgeous home in the countryside, an au pair and a housekeeper. She is at the top of her game, and life should be perfect. Yet disaster is around the corner.

As Isabella is given a healthy dose of reality, she begins to change. I shan’t tell you everything that happens because, if you haven’t read the first two books, I don’t want to completely spoil the delight. Suffice to say, she befriends ‘normal’ people, people we can easily recognise from the playground or doctor’s surgery. The vicar’s wife is one of them, resulting in Isabella coming face to face with "Value" sausage rolls at Messy Church.

The Continued Times finds Isabella in quite the fix, as her frightful mother has moved in following a stroke, she now has four children (and is lacking an au pair to look after them), and her ‘work’ has ramped up following a featured slot in Gorgeous Home magazine (the book is littered with made-up brand names, some of which are hilarious.)

The author, Ruth, is very funny, and humour laces each page. This nicely offsets the fact that the book touches on several heavy issues. Particularly amusing are Isabella’s attempts at prayer and her experiences of church and church folk.

Isabella is on a journey. Accordingly, gospel truths simmer beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered. These revelations, when they come, are subtly woven between the hashtags and hilarity in such a way that I cannot imagine them ever being threatening to a reader with no faith. Challenging perhaps, but not threatening.

I found I had to concentrate a little harder whilst reading The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge than I did in the previous books. There is quite a bit of timeline hopping and plentiful short sections. Yet the somewhat jumpy nature of the narrative reflects the reality of Issy’s life as she flits from one activity to the next, running around after the children (and Mummy), fitting in work commitments, offering hospitality to distraught sisters-in-law and facing more attacks from her nemesis.

There is something magnetic about Isabella, who embodies the ‘American (or English) Dream’ and yet reveals its utter inability to satisfy. As mentioned on the cover, Ruth’s social commentary is akin to that of Austen, who showed up the frivolities of life in her times through often excruciatingly flawed characters whom we grew to love anyway. Whilst Ruth’s writing is certainly not in a classical style, I venture to suggest that Austen fans will love it.

[S.C. Skillman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m delighted to be bringing you my review of this third Isabella book, as I’ve read and loved the previous two.

This is the best book Ruth Leigh has written so far: it is sharp, witty, fluent, and incredibly discerning about human psychology and relationships, and about the English class system together with all its attitudes. Isabella herself, the privileged, snooty social media influencer, has developed enormously since she was first introduced to us: in this book I found myself totally on Isabella’s side as I watched her navigate her increasingly chaotic home situation.

The reader feels Issy is real; we can believe in her and care about her; and we can see and feel we are in the lovely Georgian rectory where she strives to maintain a sense of control over her life. Isabella is obsessed with control, perfection, and success: we see clearly that this preoccupation has come from her mother, and from past tragic events. Isabella is undergoing profound inner changes; nevertheless – and this is very astute observation of human behaviour – she does still frequently switch back to her ‘everything must be perfect’ mode, when she becomes absorbed once again, for a brief period, in her old, false, artificial values. Then she re-emerges with a new family crisis, a new emotional challenge.

I loved watching how she grows through the frequent agonising dilemmas presented by Johnnie, her coercive, manipulating, philandering husband: and also, how she finally recognises the truth about his character. Highlights include Isabella’s application of ‘Tony the counsellor’s technique’ – very funny to read about and very effective. What does matter in the end is love, compassion and caring, and accepting people for who they are: and this is a lesson Johnnie still has to learn.

We watch Issy’s interactions with friends, family, and enemies/ ‘frenemies’ as they all play their part in her transformation. One of the friends I particularly like is Leanne, because she ‘says it like it is’. There are, too, a number of times in the story where I identify closely with Issy on a personal level, and on a couple of these occasions I realised I’d experienced this myself and had even dealt with it in the same way Issy does! – not of course, I hasten to add, because I am a privileged social influencer descended from aristocracy living in a beautiful Georgian rectory etc…

Read all the Isabella M Smugge books for acute psychological and social observation by the author, and lots of laughs and recognisable moments. Then delight in this one: the best Isabella book yet.

[Stace · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge’ is the third book in this series by British-based author, Ruth Leigh. This volume follows the same format as Issy Smugge’s previous outings. She remains a successful influencer and continues to share lifestyle advice with her devoted followers.

We join Issy as she juggles a busy work schedule with being a single parent of four children as well as having her ailing mother living with her. Her popularity shows no sign of waning as her content continues to be relatable. As before, we spend just over a year with Issy and family with each month having its own chapter and no opportunity to use an appropriate hashtag is wasted.

I congratulate Ruth Leigh for managing to string together sufficient material to produce another entertaining read. I enjoyed Issy’s continued exploration of spirituality and appreciated her attempts to reach a deeper empathy with friends and family. Inevitably, she
cannot resist the temptation to share detailed descriptions of every meal she makes and every product she uses or to remind us all how caring she can be. The irony certainly isn’t subtle but it is highly amusing.

As this is the third book in the series, there is of course the danger of the concept becoming stale so I was pleased the author has introduced some new thought-provoking layers to her story. She plants Issy firmly in the sandwich generation with the mood swings of her
adolescent son to cope with, as well as managing the demands of her ultra-critical mother. The changing face of the family dynamic also makes Issy examine issues from her past and re-evaluate her future. I’m sure the bitter sweet scenes will strike a chord with many readers.

The author’s ability to use some delightfully flowery prose to enhance her tale is enviable. I have enjoyed seeing how Issy’s inner strength and independence have grown however, I’m not sure there is sufficient mileage in the concept to revisit The Old Rectory in the immediate future but I’ll be very happy for the author to prove me wrong. I have no doubt this well-written book will be well received by Ruth Leigh fans and I award five stars.

[Christine Cacot · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge is Ruth Leigh’s third novel, in a series of 3.

The first two novels being
The Diary of Isabella M Smugge and
The Trials of Isabella M Smugge


Ruth has created a character who is generally friendly, very funny and has her moments.

In the Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge we see how Isabella
continues to be an influencer.
Some of her experiences can be a positive inspiration and motivation for all of us women- whether you are an at home mum,a workaholic,a socialite,or all three!

Isabella muddles along with the joys and trials of family life and being a working mum.
We see how Isabella learns more deeply, from every situation and who or what she depends on, in her daily routines and in times of crisis.

During all the ups and downs of life and amidst her superficial happiness,Isabella is searching for the path to a deeper happiness, that is more consistent,reliable and dependable.

The novel is written with many quirky and hilarious moments,but it is also very thought provoking,
emotional and relatable to every reader, who inevitably grows to love Issy.
As well as being an influencer of her followers,Isabella,in effect,becomes an influencer of her readers.
As the months go by,the reader sees how Isabella mellows,no longer allows work to take over her life,draws closer to friends and members of her family and searches for an inner peace.

I can’t wait to see how events evolve,or if we are just left pondering. 🤔
Issy brightened up many cloudy days,by making me laugh out loud,until I cried.😂

This novel really is a joy and pleasure to read and you will develop feelings and emotions for Issy as you enter into her world.

Thanks so much Ruth (and Isabella!)

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a meme universally acknowledged, that a single influencer in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of the truth.

Issy Smugge is still after answers. How to raise four children without breaking them, and how much to reveal to the world. How to keep the peace with her ex, now that the situation is developing further. How to manage expectations within the village and discover who – or what – Ecclesiastes is. How to adapt to her mother’s latest shenanigans.

Smugge has made her mark and is certainly worth her pink Himalayan rock salt. She is both fascinating and frivolous. Her journey is getting a lot more #relatable, as life throws her all kinds of knocks.

Ruth Leigh’s third Smugge book is enormous fun and exquisitely drawn. She makes astute observations of life in Suffolk with her many characters and situations. I feel I have met many of them, but certainly wouldn’t want to bump into all of them in the #Fluid nightclub in Ipswich.

Witty, poignant and marinaded in joy, I highly recommend all the Smugge series to you. They will lift your spirits and brighten your day. Leigh really is the Austen of today.

[Maressa Mortimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three in the series and I loved every chapter. Isabella is subtly changing but for the better. It is wonderful to see the same characters back again, like old friends, making you feel part of Isabella’s world. The Continued Times is a lot about Isabella and her immediate family, especially as her mother is living with her. There’s a whole new storyline about Mother and I can’t wait to find out how it’s all going to end, as the story ends on another Leigh Cliff-hanger, the ones that keep you up in the night, wondering how the author will ever put this right again.
Isabella’s faith is woven in again, making her a well-rounded character, slowly growing and staying true to herself at the same time. I enjoyed the way she is starting to interact more with her children, even taking moody teenage requests into consideration. It’s just a wonderful read, like peeking through someone’s window, feeling a part of the drama unfolding on the other side of the glass, whilst seeing yourself mirrored in the same glass.

[Ben Jeapes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of a trilogy about Isabella, the first two being The Diary of ... and The Trials of ..., and they are a collective triumph. Isabella (her surname rhymes with Bruges, we are told) achieves the remarkable balance of being utterly unaware, smug, innocent and likeable. I would choose her company over, say, Bridget Jones any day. Isabella learns, and grows, and matures as a person, yet still manages to stay the same character. We meet her newly arrived at the Old Rectory in an unnamed Suffolk town, a peacock amongst sparrows (at least, that is what she might think); rich, a successful and nationally famous influencer, perfectly gorgeous husband and children, beautiful home, lifestyle to die for. One by one the challenges set in and imperfection is not far behind. Isabella must learn to live in the real world, and she does, yet keeps her sense of humour and her dignity throughout. Isabella's and our perceptions change gradually as we read on until they are in some cases 180 degrees reversed, and we are all the better for it.

[Deborah Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Continued Times of Isabella Smugge, third in the series, cements Issy’s metamorphosis from lifestyle blogger with much to teach others, into thoughtful, caring person with much to learn from others. Ruth Leigh manages, in her inimitable way, to keep the humour fresh and original while peeling back the layers of Issy’s carefully constructed persona to reveal a deeply sensitive and insecure person. Her protagonist’s desire to connect with others, even those very different to her, and her growing curiosity about faith, allow us to witness her character development with pleasure, dismissing her foibles with an indulgent smile. Favourite line: ‘You can’t pull off these kinds of shenanigans in a new-build.’

This is an extraordinary series, a snapshot into another life where the picture is initially blurred but becomes clearer as each book goes on. Funny, perceptive and in their own way wise, the books are such fun to read and a real pick-me-up. I’d recommend them to anyone.

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire series of the Isabella Smugge books is great. The books are humorous and yet poignant, as we see Isabella tackle some of the ordinary struggles of life which we all encounter, so we can easily identify with her. She has a young baby and three children to cope with as a single mum, one of these being an adolescent boy, and in addition, her elderly mother is living with her, a fairly awkward character. We also see Isabella deal with the bigger questions of life and decisions about whether to forgive her wayward husband and former au-pair. The Isabella books seem to get better and better as the character of Isabella develops and rises up to meet the challenges of life. This book is a triumph and a very easy but compelling read.

[Amy Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabella Smugge's amusing mishaps and adventures continue, and I am addicted at this point and once again zoomed hungrily through the book in a couple of days. This time, author Ruth Leigh is cleverly unfolding some of the background behind characters we (and Isabella) thought we knew. But as the imaginative world of the book grows richer and deeper, Isabella's voice skims just as heedlessly and hilariously as ever across the surface, offering all the laugh-out-loud moments and sympathetic winces I've come to expect from her. Beware: side effects of reading this book include forgetting to cook the dinner (then feeling shamed by Isabella's flamboyant menus) and thinking in hashtags for several weeks. I want my next dose of Smugge already.

[Kirsty Keddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An undemanding feel- good read. Although nothing really happpens of dramatic consequence in this book compared to the previous two, the narrative is nevertheless easy to flow along with, the only awkward piece being a couple of cringeworthy pages explaining a couple of bible stories. I appreciate now that the author is a ‘Christian writer’ but a good editor would chop the bible readings as they are not needed and I feel the more subtle approach to Christianity taken in book 1 is more appropriate.

[Sarah Tummey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best Issy book yet. Johnnie's brothers confused me a bit, but now I think I know who's married to who. I love the fact that as we read each book, we're introduced to new characters. The books go from one September to another, so at the end, there are always questions ... and you have to wait for the next one to have them answered. Some of the lines in this made me laugh out-loud, and the made-up endorsements were fun. I think Flash Gnash teething rings were my favourite.

[Lesley Cresswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth Leigh has done it again! Book 3 in the series is humorous, poignant, revealing and downright captivating! We are drawn even deeper into the changing world of Isabella M Smugge as she confronts her perception of herself and others in her life. There is only one question in my mind - when can we expect the next one!

[Sarah Nicholson · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books just get better and better.
The fourth one is out soon, I will write a more comprehensive review when I've read it.
And if you haven't met Issy yet -you are in for a treat - JUST READ THEM!

[Mike Trendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great story that only took a couple of days to fly through. Well done Ruth again, looking forward to the 4th in the series?

[Anette Kent Vågene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect feel-good summer vacation read

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved following the adventures of Isabella M. Smugge, award winning lifestyle blogger and popular Instamum. This third instalment was just as enjoyable as the previous two books. We see Issy juggling keeping her career afloat and her agent happy, with a new baby, idiot husband and caring for her chain-smoking acerbic mother who has moved in upstairs after a stroke. It is a good thing Issy can rely on the support of the school gate gang and her friends at the local church. Author Ruth Leigh has again succeeded in bringing insights of a down to earth faith into real life struggles. As much as I was eager to see how Issy’s fledgling faith in God would help her in tackling some difficult situations, I was reluctant to reach the end of the book. As that would mean leaving the wonderful world of Issy Smugge.

[Tony Collins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Issy Smugge will be delighted by this third instalment of her adventures.

Issy’s life has not gone as scheduled. A philandering husband, an acerbic mother / unwelcome house guest, a treasonous au pair, and an unplanned extra child would have left a lesser woman on her uppers, but Issy is equal to the challenge.

Into this explosive mix come teenage hormones, a mother-in-law determined to ride to the rescue, and some truly poisonous playground altercations. Issy loses it, of course, sometimes dramatically, but – and this is the underlying narrative of these books – she finds the courage to face what has been done to her, and what she has done.

A particular delight is the burgeoning relationship between Issy and her children. In the first book husband, staff and offspring were all too often accoutrements, servants of Issy’s narcissism. As the story develops so too does Issy’s awareness of her children as individuals. She learns respect.

There is a distinct spiritual strand to the books, as Issy’s discovery of the Divine develops from distant nodding acquaintance to cautious participation in the Almighty’s plans (I love her formal prayers: ‘Dear God. This is Isabella Smugge. I really need Your help’). This is one of Ruth Leigh’s particular triumphs, because the relationship feels genuine, no small feat.

These books are truly funny, and truly moving. I finished this third volume with considerable pleasure and appreciation, but also real regret that the book had to end. Ten out of ten.

[Gracie:) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leigh’s writing never fails to entertain! Witty and moving, I found this novel a perfect continuation of Isabella’s life. Perfect for lovers of Christian fiction and family drama!