The Undomestic Goddess: A Novel

I have a soft spot for Sophie Kinsella her writing is so easy and she always makes me laugh. I confess I read this back in September 2013 - as per my verified purchase! However the review has been sitting in my drafts for such a long time I thought I best re-read it again. Well it is just as enchanting, fun, ridiculous, beautiful as it was the first time.The story goes an up and coming attorney finds herself suddenly out of a job, she has a meltdown and then finds another job... as a housekeeper. Never mind that she is totally clueless as to any kind of domestic engineering. But how hard could this be right?This book frequently reads like episodes of an old sitcom with masses of slap stick comedy through out. Our undomesticated Goddess - Samantha, was easy to identify with and root for. The story line was fast paced without being frantic or hard to connect with emotionally. And the supporting characters played their respective roles well as Samantha moves from ambitious attorney to harried housekeeper. There is necessary romance and some soul searching as Samantha finds her footing in the the work-a-day world.If you're looking for a light, feel-good chick-lit - this fills the bill very nicely.I am a verified purchaser in Australia

When an up and coming attorney finds herself suddenly out of a job, she does the most logical thing. She has a meltdown and then finds another job. As a housekeeper. Never mind that she is totally clueless as to any kind of domestic engineering. She can do this, right?This book frequently read like episodes of I Love Lucy. And I loved it. The main character,Samantha, was easy to identify with and root for. The story line was fast paced without being frenetic. And the supporting characters played their respective roles well as Samantha moves from ambitious attorney to harried housekeeper.There is romance and some soul searching as Samantha finds her footing in the the work-a-day world.If you're looking for a light feel good read, this fills the bill.

I enjoyed this book quite a bit. I do have to say I expected the "surprise turn", but that did not ruin the story at all. I don't read many romancy type books, but I really like this one and will look up others by this author. One problem I noticed here and there were words missing from sentences; a verb here, pronouns there, articles there. You end up having to read the sentence again for it to make sense, but it wasn't often enough to ruin the story. I also don't think this is a proofreader problem. I've noticed it fairly often lately in widely different books and I get the impression that it may happen when the book is converted into an e-book. It is annoying, but the story was fun regardless.

I love Sophie Kinsella's books -- except this one. Most of her heroines find themselves is weird predicaments that would be difficult to disengage from. But the couple this character lied to went out the next day. All she had to do was leave after right after they did. Since the situation was so easily rectified, I stopped reading. It's very difficult to empathize with a character that could solve her problems with a short walk to a train station.

Fantastic book! It was a little slow getting into and a little silly. But by page 100 I was laughing out loud - and I don’t do that in books! Some twists at the end, but carries a good message about life and what you want to get out of it - what makes you YOU! I’m so glad my book club recommended this book!

This was the first book by Sophie Kinsella that I read and I loved it! It made me laugh out loud and I really loved the story. If you're looking for a satisfying and enjoyable chick lit book, I highly recommend this one. There are a few f-bombs and some PG romantic moments but the overall experience was charming and great.

This book arrived ahead of schedule, which is excellent. Hardly any signs of wear, it was practically in new condition. I am very satisfied eith my purchase.

I always read at least several of the reviews that my colleagues have posted before me, trying to get a feel for what has been said before and what is yet to be said. I try to read several reviews of people who loved it, and people who hated it. Often I am impressed with what my fellow reviewers have to say, and even build upon some of their ideas to complete my review.Unfortunately, as I flip through these reviews, I find little guidance for my own. The people that loved it loved it for predictable reasons - the main character's gumption, the hunky leading man - and the people who hated it raised their feminist flags and stomped around. What sort of woman would quit her high powered job to become a maid? What type of woman would have never ironed a shirt or cooked a meal? This is completely unrealistic!!!It's not that far of a stretch. There are many woman that feel pressured to follow in the footsteps of their parents, even if that means following them into a career that they don't enjoy at all. If Samantha's mother was as high-powered as she is presenting, do you really think that she would take the time to teach Samantha how to iron or cook? Do you think that she really even does those things for herself? I didn't think so.And burnout is absolutely a great reason to quit a job, and an incredibly strong motivator in our world. I know a ton of people who have thought about and actually quit their jobs for that reason.Overall, this is a book that is a ton of fun. Are you going to have important life discoveries and be profoundly moved? Probably not. Not every book has to be a classic! Just enjoy it for what it is, not what it's not.

I can’t help it, I laughed and I welled up. At some pages, you’ll find the protagonist to be totally in her strike. And then, in other chapters, she falls into an innocence that is absolutely lovable - she only knows about green peas that is packed in a plastic from Waitrose. Oh my god.The story doesn’t dwell into legal jargons even though she is a lawyer. There are some legal issues but the author doesn’t spend time writing about that. I find it just right. I don’t need to know the details, it is not a legal novel. But the last few chapters are exciting - will she or will she not? - kept me thrilled to the end.The pace is quick. The writing is simple yet rationally engaging. This is definitely a good book to share with someone who needs a lift.

This is still one of my favourite chick lit books and one of the few I'll re-read, coming back to it now and again when I'm looking for something uncomplicated and fun to pass the time or read on a train!The characters in Sophie Kinsella's books (like a lot of chick lit) always require a fairly large doze of disbelief-suspension (but then, that's one of the reasons why we love them :o). For me the Shopaholic series goes too far - with the characters tipping beyond ditzy into "annoying" territory - but the rest of her novels are spot on, with this being one of the best. All the right mix of misadventure, secrets, romance .. and a happy ending:o) .Fun reading that gives you a warm fuzzy glow.

While the plot's a bit of a stretch and borders on formulaic, Kinsella's characters are easy to like and relate-able, making The Undomestic Goddess a light and enjoyable read. It won't change your life (like protagonist Samantha) but this would make a perfect romp to lose yourself in while relaxing poolside with a fruity cocktail close to hand.

Have you ever felt like the rug has been completely pulled out from under your feet? Something you've worked for all of your life within grasp and the harshly yanked away from you because of one little mistake? Samantha has. High flying city lawyer Samantha is due to take up a partnership position at her firm when a costly mistake has her running for the countryside. Samantha has to overcome the massive change in her surroundings and acclimatise to her new state of domesticity. I think this was the first book by Sophie Kinsella that I had read, and it definitely got me hooked on her writing style and I have enjoyed many since reading this. The story follows Samantha as her high flying career comes crashing down around her and she finds herself making her way on to any train to anywhere as long as it's far from London. Blagging herself as a Cordon Bleu trained housekeeper Samantha joins the Geigers. Without a clue how to turn her own oven on, or whether her Hoover needs bags or has a cylinder she embarks on a journey which could possibly have a harder learning curve than studying for her law degree. Cue crush-worthy Gardner Nathaniel. Nat is nobody's fool and calls Samantha out as the fraud she is, after their first meeting. Nat sees an opportunity to help Sam and offers his mother's services to teach her to cook and keep house. I loved Samantha's character. She is down to earth and completely relatable to anyone who has ever felt any pressure and who just needs to get away from it all. You will be laughing throughout as this feel good romance twists and turns as Samantha changes almost beyond recognition. The writing is witty and has you feeling like you are with Samantha the whole time. You'll want to keep reading to the end as a plot twist is thrown in meaning changes for the characters. I often think it's nice to see some of the story told by other characters, however in a case like this where the protagonist is so likeable, reading purely from her perspective just makes it easier for you to like her and want the best for her. I also loved how easy it was for me to imagine the characters. For me Samantha was a cross between Kate Hudson and Jennifer Love Hewitt. It makes it easier to imagine yourself in her place if you can really see the character bringing you a whole lot closer to the story. I also really liked Nathaniel's character. He was easy going and complimented Samantha's highly strung and nervous exterior, teaching her to appreciate taking time to carry out tasks and to actually live life. Having said that, who doesn't love a good hottie to read about? I think if you haven't read this, or haven't read it for a while it is a good read for any Sophie fans, but also for any fans of Lindsey Kelk and Paige Toon.

This is my 8th read of this book! I lost my paperback copy to somebody who borrowed it and didn't return it - don't you hate people who do that! So when this appeared for 99p on Kindle I had to buy it.A fantastic, laugh out loud read by Sophie. The characters are all wonderful and you will devour this in one sitting.

Highflying corporate lawyer Samantha is on the brink of being promoted to partner. She makes a £50 million mistake and flees. She finds herself being mistaken for an interviewee for the post of housekeeper at a Cotswolds mansion...OK, the plotting is rather far fetched, but it's just so funny. The lawyerly detail is nicely done too. A fast moving, farcical romcom, it's ideal escapist reading, particularly in the current 'lockdown'.

Great reviews. Well known author. Reduced price. What could be wrong with it? Everything!Samantha is a brilliant high flying lawyer in a big city firm who is a certainty for a partnership. We also have to believe she is a credulous, incoherent idiot who doesn't know how to boil an egg or use a vacuum cleaner. Now you can be intellectually brilliant and emotionally unstable but I refuse to believe that you can be a gibbeting idiot.

Sophia Kinsella is one of my favourite authors. Her books always have me laughing out loud and are extremely well written but for some reason I have never got round to reading them all. I really enjoyed the Shopaholic series and `Can you keep a secret?' was probably one of the best books I have read in a while but I never did get round to reading the `Undomestic Goddess'.The book itself is about a high flying city lawyer at the top of her career. Crazy hours and 100% commitment has left her with no social life, no family life and no free time to do anything, especially any sort of domestic duties that come with owning your own home. One giant mistake in work and Samantha's life crashes down around her. This one mistake puts her career in jepordary and threatens everything she once believed in so she runs away. A chance encounter with a new family and a surprising new job makes Samantha wonder if her new life is the one she needs or if city life is in her blood?This book had me hooked from start to finish. I adored the storyline, the drama involved and the many different characters who were involved in Samantha's life. Overall the book was superb but I did have one major gripe. Throughout the book you were continuously reminded of how smart Samantha was and yes she is incredibly intelligent but it was mentioned far too often. Not only that it was then coupled with Samantha doing completely idiotic things it is hard to take seriously.Overall it is a fantastic book. It has all of Kinsella's charm and hilarious writing style wrapped up in 300odd pages. I would highly recommend.

When Samantha, a lawyer, finds herself plunged into domestic disaster will she cope and come out smelling of roses? Enjoyable, light chick lit - yes, very far fetched, predictable even but so, so much fun. Entertaining, escapism and all the better for that.

I was 80% through this book when it got quite ridiculous.Always tongue in the cheek silly, but I actually felt embarrassed reading this book. I usually ready murder mystery/thrillers etc and thought I would try this for some light reading. Sorry, but first and last of Sophie Kinsella for me.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!!!Haven't read that much yet but I'm really enjoying it and I got it at a discount price as I had a free £3 to user from Amazon Kindle - I've read some of her other books before hence why I picked this so I knew I'd like it - plus the character reminds me of myself a little - never having time for anything lol

Not read a Sophie Kinsella novel in a while and I've been reading a lot of thrillers and psych suspense lately so thought this would make a change.So perfect, so good. Laugh out loud funny in parts. I looked like a right fool when reading Samantha's first few days in the job chapters in public and laughing so hard.A winner!

High,constant pressure has been known to cause career persons to turn their backs for some time on their careers or negotiate a load reduction at a certain level. That is what I expected from a character portrayed as so brilliant, if the story was going to be plausible,in my opinion. That is about my only criticism with the book, it is well written and researched otherwise. Loved the Iris character by the way- solid and helpful. I only wish the ending were more realistic. The balance of power swung to Sam in the end,especially with all the media attention, so one would have expected her to negotiate before taking a decision. Mildly disappointed.

''The story of a girl who needs to slow down.To find herself.To fall in love.And to discover what an iron is for... '' describes this book perfectly.It was refreshing to read a book not about finding love but about finding the most important relationship of all the relationship you have with yourself.Even though there is a love interest in this book it isn't what the book is about it's more about Samantha discovering who she is and what she wants out of life.A must read if you fancy something light thats not the normal predictable chick lit.This is the first book that I have read by Sophie Kinsella.Having heard rave reviews about her books I decided to give this a go and I really enjoyed it.I now can't wait to read her other books and the famous Shopaholic series!

I baught this book because I have just started reading the Shopaholic series, which I have read the first two up to now.This book is one of my Favourite books that I have ever read.I love the character Sam, so much more than Becky Bloomwood...which is didnt think would be possible.Its probably because I can relate to Sam quite well !I read it on my way to Hawaii from London. I read it so fast because I couldnt put it down, it meant that I had nothing to do for about 5 hours of the 16 hour flight.It was proper Laugh out loud comedy !love it ! I've baught all of Sophie Kinsella's others outside the Shopaholic series ! cant wait to see what they are like.