‘LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! After months of struggling to find another author I love as much as I love Sophie Kinsella I have found her! Could not put this book down. Ended up sneaking a few lines in here and there, even in a lift whilst shopping!… Fab read, funny and LOL.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 starsYou know when you sleep through your alarm, trip over running for the bus, and then someone points out … someone points out that your dress is stuck into your hotdog-print knickers? That’s basically my life right now.
Gemma didn’t expect her life to look like this. She’s still living with her mother, who steals her leggings and tells her off for leaving crumbs in the butter. After twenty failed interviews she thought she’d got her dream job as a journalist – except it turns out to be writing articles about cats that look like George Clooney. Luckily she has her wonderful boyfriend, Jack, to help her forget just how awful things are.
Then Jack dumps her out of the blue. With nothing but her childhood teddy bear, Stanley, and a whole heap of heartbreak, Gemma resolves to turn things around. She throws herself into her new job and soon she’s hanging out with cheeky, golden-haired hunk Charlie, eating in swanky restaurants and sipping trendy cocktails – and her old life seems like a distant memory.
But it’s not long until her shiny new world starts to lose its sparkle – and Gemma misses the days of wearing battered pink converse and eating peanut butter on toast in bed. Then Jack turns up, backpack in tow, and things start to go wrong with Charlie. ‘Out with the old, in with the new’, the saying goes. But what happens if neither one is quite right?
This laugh-out-loud romantic comedy is for anyone who’s ever cried their eyes out to love songs after a break-up or accidentally drunk-texted their ex. Fans of Sophie Kinsella and Lindsey Kelk will love this unmissable read which is all about falling in love with the most important person: yourself!
This book was previously published as the Truth About Gemma Grey.
Readers absolutely love Out with the Ex, In with the New:
‘Laugh-out-loud goodness!… If you are looking for something to devour over a few days check this one out!!… I could not stop reading.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Perfect!… Lots of fun, lovable and well-drawn characters, witty and pacy. Read it in one sitting and now going to read the Sophie Ranald back-catalogue!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Oh my goodness, I enjoyed this book!… I highly recommend it!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Loved it!!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I adore novels that make me literally laugh out loud and I lost count of how many times I lol’ed!.. This is the first time I’ve read Sophie Ranald, but I will absolutely be reading more from her in the future!’ Steph and Chris Book Review
‘Funny, relatable and just totally fabulous. I didn’t want to put it down.’ Beanie Bookworm, 5 stars
‘It’s a pure joy to read this.’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Funny and addictive! Great read, glued to it! Looking forward to the next one!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘I really really enjoyed this book… Lots of messages about loving who you are and not needing the approval of others. It’s a story about finding your own way… Well done Sophie Ranald!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars
‘Such fun!… It gave me just what I was looking for – a huge hug!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘This is chick lit at its best!… Just read it for yourself!!!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘I really loved this book!’ Goodreads Reviewer
‘Fabulous!… Full of funny moments, girly moments, romance, wine, coffee, and cats. Can you go wrong with that combo? I think not!’ Goodreads Reviewermore
Out with the Ex. In with the new Sophie Ranald a four-star read that will surprise you. I nearly gave this three-stars but went with four as overall it was well written, it just lacked in a few places. Gemma is a great character, you will love her, and you will want to shake her, but most of all you will want to hug her and make it all right for her. This was a sweet story, but it does have its moments, one in particular about domestic violence that may upset some, but overall, I liked the theme of the story and Gemma as a character. It was just that there were chunks that could have been removed and the story would have been better as it wouldn’t have dragged so much.
After living with her mother and commuting to her job in London, Gemma has just landed a job as a junior writer at Clickfrenzy. Now, she’s hoping she can move in with her boyfriend, Jack. But when she tells him about her new job, he then tells her that he has quit his job, He has decided to travel the world with his friend, Olivia, with whom he grew up. There goes their relationship even though Jack promises he will return to Gemma.
Since Gemma’s job is in London and two hours away from where she lives with her Mum, Gemma rents a room in a nice house owned by Richard and Hannah.
As Gemma has always done a lot of vlogging and has a large following, her new job is centered around that. After posting a video of her breakup with Jack, she gains instant fame and even more followers. This blossoms and she is soon “rubbing elbows” with wealthy and famous YouTubers. Charlie and Gus are famous twin brothers on YouTube and soon, Gemma and Charlie start a relationship of sorts.
Soon, Gemma gets involved in helping charity organizations, as well as a friend closer to home. But, can she find someone steady to have in her life?
Well, this book seemed so juvenile to me. I would think that a young woman in her mid-20s would have a better handle on a bit of maturity, but Gemma surely does not. Perhaps since the age of vlogging has missed me, that must be why I cannot believe so much time is wasted on it. Rather cutesy at times, but also rather silly. Hope other readers enjoy this story.
Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.
While I was able to relate to Gemma a little bit (mainly due to her job and “The Great British Bake-Off” references) I was not able to get behind her fully. I thought she came across as whiny and I didn’t feel like her journey from beginning to end was natural. An opening scene on her first day of work also left a bad taste, as I am tired of the potshots taken at America for no plot value. This book may appeal to many people and I would recommend giving it a try for the few humorous moments (the kitchen scene after Amy’s party is particularly amusing), but it just didn’t do it for me. Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for a digital ARC of this book.
This is the second book I’ve read by Sophie Ranald and I enjoyed it. It seemed to take a long time to get through it, though, as the chapters seemed especially long. I don’t really know where (or that) they could have been cut though. Also I was confused near the end when the mc starts doing something that I thought was out of line, as it seemed a betrayal in a number of ways. I don’t want to spoil it for those that haven’t read it, though. Also, the book seemed modern but also anachronistic because I remember the social media phenomena described in the book being big a few years ago, and some of it still is big, but the pictures thing seemed passé. But then I was reminded that the book was originally written and released two years ago, under another title. So it made more sense.
But there were still many laugh-out-loud moments, weighed against heartwrenchers, that still make for a really enjoyable read and I definitely recommend this book.
Ranald weaves a story that keeps a reader turning pages and ignoring adult responsibilities. Just enough detail to perfectly imagine a scene and yet still allows the reader some creative liberties. More importantly, I love that each story I have read by Ranald contains an underlying message of empowerment, self-love, and self-care. We all have been Gemma at some point. Flailing about, pretending to be an adult while we apply for job after job, still live with our parents and dreaming of a glamorous life that doesn’t require a diet of instant ramen for two out of three meals a day.
Gemma was a bit of a mess but her story is a relatable one. Well… mostly. I struggled to connect with Gemma and her passion for lifestyle vlogging. There was so much information about vlogging and Youtube that the pace slowed significantly. Of course, it picked right up once dialogue saved the day. Additionally, the relationships felt awfully abrupt in Gemma’s story leaving me a bit confused. I wish we had a chance to see more of Gemma interacting with others outside of boyfriends specifically at the office, her mother, and her roommates. Even more of her adapting and rising above cat content at work would have sated my greedy palate.
While this story didn’t gel with me as much as the others, I still devoured it and I suspect other readers will connect with Gemma in a way that I couldn’t. After you finish Gemma’s story, pop on over and read Sorry not Sorry and Its Not You, Its Him because both of those are fabulous.
**I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.