Book Review: Life or Something Like It by Annie Lyons

Blurb: Step into someone else’s shoes for a day…And it will change you for a lifetime.

Cat is very good at her job. She runs a PR company with her best friend (and secret crush) Jesse, and is never happier than when her high-profile celebrities are glittering in the spotlight.

But when her footballer client gets in the press for all the wrong reasons, Cat’s career takes a sudden nosedive. So when her brother Andrew unexpectedly needs her to look after his kids for a few weeks, she can hardly say no. She’s happily single, hasn’t exactly been the ‘World’s Best Auntie’ over the years, and what she knows about looking after children would fit on the back of a postage stamp. But it’s only temporary until she gets her real life back on track – isn’t it?

First of all I would like to thank the publishers for sending me a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Review: After reading Annie Lyons' book, Not Quite Perfect, last summer, I knew that she could make me laugh but also think about life and how to appreciate what we have. But with Life or Something Like It, Annie Lyons has overdone herself. She has created a fantastic character with Cat. She was a real workaholic at the beginning and regarded her nephew and niece as strange creatures that she had to avoid at all costs. But under all this you could easily see she was smart, generous and had a lot of love to share.

It was no surprise then to see this new version of her flourish during the story, especially when they went on holiday (she became, new and improved HollidayCat). I loved how her interactions with the kids slowly became easier and their bond grew. And the kids themselves were a joy to read, especially Ellie. This young girl had such a fantastic personality! She always said what she thought and more than once, her innocent comments were spot on. Without a doubt, she was my favourite character on the story. Although her older brother Charlie was really cute (sometimes). He was quite closed and moody (what can you expect from a pre-teen?) but also very protective of his sister. You could tell he loved her fiercely.

In the story there was a romantic line too, but I liked that it didn't take the main stage in the book. For Cat, what really mattered was this new found love for her family and her new love interest just added the perfect spark to the story. A story that will make you reevaluate your life for sure. 

Life or Something Like It is a fantastic summer read. Half of it was set in a lovely coastal village in Suffolk and the descriptions were wonderful. It made me want to take a little vacation there myself. And it was the perfect spot for Car to rediscover herself. 

I highly recommend this read for some laughs, especially at the first half of the story when Cat and the kids still don't understand each other, but also for a whole lot more of emotions! 

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