Consider yourself kissed —and hugged and understood—by Jessica Stanley's smart, oh-so-relatable tale ... What sets Consider Yourself Kissed apart from other novels about overwhelmed mothers who feel stretched to the limit and are disappointed by their partner's level of engagement is the way it braids its utterly sympathetic heroine's domestic drama with the concurrent rollercoaster of British politics and cataclysmic global events ... American readers may care even less about the vicissitudes of various Labour Party leaders than Coralie does. But fortunately, her Australian outsider take is often amusing ... Stanley's novel is rich, and her cleverness irrefutable.
Entertaining ... Funny, smart and memorable, this contemporary romance offers a lucid example of how humanity can endure amid a daily churn of horrendous news ... It is enjoyable to read about this idiosyncratic blended family and their efforts and failures to care for one another across an eventful decade that sees births and deaths, renovations and resentments, as well as Brexit and Covid ... Amid the private dramas that come with the territory of long-term relationships, Stanley deftly animates the heightened tensions outside the home ... Stanley’s delightful novel reminds her readers of the joy, humor and even subtle hope that can be experienced during life’s lowest moments.
Lost woman tries to find herself is a familiar story, but Consider Yourself Kissed is buoyed by fresh, funny writing and, pretty much without exception, a terrific cast of characters.
Certainly romantic at times and has very funny moments, it is mostly an emotional, highly realistic version of a 10-year relationship complicated by kids, aging parents, demanding jobs, dreams deferred and a world that feels like it’s crumbling ... Expertly layers the light and heavy elements of life, with a main character who is quick-witted and quietly perceptive, giving hope that a fire between two people may just survive many storms.
A deeply enjoyable mix of romance, social comedy and political satire ... Stanley writes with a gentle, easy humour. She captures that first flush of love, when Coralie feels totally understood by Adam, but is equally convincing on how difficult it is to stay in love, especially when you know someone so well you can predict exactly how they are going to be irritating ... It’s refreshing to read a depiction of motherhood that acknowledges both the incomparable love it brings and the strain it puts on relationships, especially when one person feels like they are doing all the nose-wiping ... If I have a criticism of this deeply enjoyable book it’s that the politics occasionally feels shoehorned in ... But Stanley redeems this with her on-the-nose observations about relationships.
Irresistible ... The kind of book that, for a certain kind of reader, will immediately become a treasure ... This is a book for people who...love Nancy Mitford, the Cazalet Chronicles and The Line of Beauty ... That these are Stanley’s literary inspirations is so evident that her novel almost feels like a kind of homage: not just in the funny, brisk, tender texture of her writing, but also in the upper middle-class world she details with such care ... Stanley is clearly deeply interested in global affairs...and it does not always work seamlessly for the regular reader ... Yet by grounding the novel in such a specific time and place, Stanley makes us believe that at least for these two characters—and perhaps the rest of us, too—the political and personal are inextricably braided together.
The trajectory of Coralie and Adam’s relationship is authentic, and the family relationships enhance the story, providing further detail about the characters’ motivations. Fans of Jojo Moyes will be drawn into this emotionally candid deep dive into a long-term relationship.
A tender and realistic cataloging of a relationship as it shifts, changes, and grows over time ... The unending politics can feel exhausting at times, but also helps amplify Coralie’s feelings of claustrophobia, weariness, and anger. Stanley writes beautifully about the tension among wants, needs, and desires, especially in motherhood.
