In true Dawn style, she has created layered, interesting characters who rile you up but also make you fall in love with them. If you enjoyed The Cows, you are going to LOVE this book. Timely, funny and very very entertaining’ Emma Gannon The story follows three women, Ruby who is separated with a three year old daughter who she finds hard to manage and get along with. She also has a condition which makes her feel she must isolate herself from everyone. All in all a great fun read with a powerful message that will resonate with many and I wholeheartedly recommend reading it.

I’ve also always wanted to have fun with my clothes, but when you grow up on a small island like Guernsey you’ve got to be really brave to break away from what everyone else is doing. So I used to follow the herd, even though I knew I wanted to look different. Then, in my early 20s, I discovered vintage and that’s when it came together. After I gave up on modern fashion it was such a relief and everything made sense. I was raised by a dressmaker – my uncle made furs – and he’d turn clothes inside out and show me how they were stitched together, and I have so much sensory nostalgia for what my mum was like. Here I am, four years old and getting my photo taken at primary school. I look quite miserable, probably because I wanted attention all the time, but got quite shy when someone actually gave it to me. As someone who is often guilty of playing - and losing! - at the comparison game, it was a theme that drew me in. We meet the kooky slim girl, the career woman seemingly effortlessly juggling running her business alongside family life, the rich and beautiful influencer. Each one seems to have it all but, as we soon discover, things are rarely as they seem...Expect some raw realities of female life, but when these women come together, they go full-blown badass’ Heat I was always a funny little girl who was theatrical, but after my mum died I became even more so. I didn’t want anyone to mention the elephant in the room. I became the kid who spent more time trying to make people laugh than learning, and failed at everything as a result. The joking around was annoying, but I just couldn’t stop doing it. I got pulled up on it when I went to drama school years later. A teacher said to me: “You hide your pain by trying to make people laugh.” Like it was some really negative thing! I thought: “At least I’m not being miserable, and if that’s the reflex reaction to what I’ve been through, I’m not going to be ashamed of it. I’m going to embrace it.” Oh, and I have to mention Risky who is one of my favourite book character’s of all time. She’s hilarious, loyal and truly believes in female empowerment. She also has the perfect cure to beat the afternoon slump which is apparently better than a Mars Bar. 😉 All are involved in different ways in selling images of perfection. Ruby earns her living - well aware of the ironies and dodgy ethics - by digitally altering photographs to make women appear flawless; Lauren portrays a carefully curated image of her perfect life and gorgeous self on social media; Beth and her young assistant, the strangely named Risky, plan perfect weddings for the rich and famous (and Beth has an apparently enviable marriage of her own).

The beauty of O'Porter's writing is that these characters are presented to us fully formed. They are three-dimensional, modern women who have complexities in their lives which they just have to get on with. Although the cards they have been dealt are sometimes harsh, there is little time for moping, and their vibrant spirits are their best qualities. They are easy to relate to, and also easy to root for. Thanks to Netgalley, HarperCollins and the author for sending me an ARC of this book in return for an honest and unbiased review. So…’ I say, trying to be all blasé about it… ‘What kinda vibrator ya got?’ I nonchalantly start to finger some paperwork, and then bam, a small, pink-silicone, bullet-shaped battery-powered device is waved under my nose. ‘It’s the best!’ Risky says, testing its various speed levels. I am hoping she washed it. It is very close to my face.”Beth who is married with a young baby. Her husband has lost interest in sex and she can’t work out why which is diving her crazy. Then we have Lauren who is about to marry a rich celebrity. She has the perfect life on social media but there are rumours about her fiancé Gavin which just won’t go away. They are all trying to go about their daily lives despite feeling like failures and are trying to make the correct choices for themselves. I'm a mum and my body has changed so much since having my little girl, I'm also impacted by social media and the constant pressure to be perfect!
The reality is we all have imperfections we hide, we all want to show the world our best selves and we all suffer from the judgements people make. It’s an incredible and wonderful thing to read her painfully accurate, heart warming and hilarious analysis of our age of comparison in this wonderful, powerful novel!’ Scarlett Curtis

Each character has their own distinct voice, concerns, dramas and thoughts - thoughts we all have on a daily basis, but no one really has the guts to say out loud. This book, and in particular the characters of Ruby and Beth, will stay with me for a while. This book is spot on in so many ways, from swipes at celebrities who express “fashionable” mental health issues and “keeping it real” in terms of body image while constantly portraying unrealistically perfect lives and bodies, to Beth’s assistant’s well meant and sincerely held but sometimes naive conceptions of feminism. What O'Porter does brilliantly throughout the book is combine real humour with some major and very current themes around the pressures of modern life - mental health, body image, relationship woes, self esteem and the impact of social media amongst them. As a result the book makes you laugh at times, at other times it makes you think hard and brings a lump to your throat as you reflect on the challenges women face. O'Porter ensures the book ends on a positive note with plenty of humour and a message about the power of sisterhood.And while Dawn may be very protective of Art and Valentine's online personas we can't help but wonder if we can expect to see baby number three anytime soon."No!" she replies very firmly. "My leg clamps are on!" Seeing Ruby’s relationship with not only her daughter, but also with herself, strengthen, and Beth’s ability to empower herself and take full control of her happiness is rewarding. Furthermore this frank, comedy read brilliantly exposes the role social media plays to further perpetuate the filtered, fake perfect image. Ruby has a medical condition that affects her self-confidence has led to her being introverted, shy and rather grumpy and antisocial. She takes commissions to digitally retouch photographs for magazines, usually creating ‘the perfect woman’ which doesn’t make her feel any better about herself. She has a little girl Bonnie and is separated from her husband after a disastrous wedding day where she feels he betrayed her and let her down. Ruby had a bad relationship with her mother and doesn’t really know how to be a good Mum to Bonnie, not least because Bonnie is always playing up and never does what Ruby tells her to.