I have a difficult relationship with Dawn O'Porter's books. I always want to read them, and generally find them enjoyable to read, but often have a lot of issues with their content/messaging. I also really like Dawn as a person (and have done since her TV days) so I feel a bit mean criticising them, but, this one in particular was just not very good. At all.

There were a few things I liked: the Guernsey setting, the early 2000s setting, and Flo - I found her quite relatable in that she loves being a "behind the scenes" person who organises things for others and doesn't want any limelight. Renee however was extremely annoying, but I'll get to that.

Spoilers follow, you've been warned.

I made notes as I went along, and the rate at which I was writing them decreased as I got into the second half of the book, which is notably better than the first. The first half is solidly 1 star territory but the second half was more 2.5/3 star. 

On to the notes:
* No one said adulting in 1998. How did an editor miss this?
* The forms that Renee fills in at the job agency with sarcastic and "I'm mad me" type answers - not funny, just stupid. Is she early 20s or 12? It's completely unbelievable that anyone would offer her any sort of work based on those.
* Casual homophobia in the office - Flo and Renee are at pains to say "don't worry, we're not lesbians", as if being gay is the worst thing anyone could be. OK it was the early 2000s and this is redeemed a bit as the novel progresses but it doesn't land well or reflect positively on the characters
* The whole thing feels as if it was written for kids with short sentences and simple vocabulary (yet the content is definitely not for children)
* Women's appearances are described in a problematic way with a lot of body shaming and overall judgement of how attractive they are. In this way it does feel very early 2000s but I don't think it's only there as a reflection of the time it's set in - it's done in a way that assumes women go around judging how everyone else looks 24/7 and that this is fine and normal.
* Renee is getting paid over £10/hour as a receptionist in 2001?! And one of her same age friends is on £60k/year at the same time - hmm. I know wages are higher there than in mainland UK but really?
* Another basic editing error - it's said Renee buys a shirt in one shop, then goes to another shop, in which she steals the shirt in the changing room whilst trying on a dress. But it was originally in a different shop?! Also this shirt has tortoises on it, and as the book continues there's a lot about a "frog print" shirt. Is this the same shirt or...?
* The word eyelids is written instead of eyebrows
* There's a scene where Flo and Renee compare their labia (& they're not even drunk at the time) as if this is something women generally do. I mean no judgement if you do this with your friends but in my 40 years this is not something that has ever happened. There's a lot of "vagina" talk generally (and yes the word she's really looking for is "vulva") which jars with the childish writing style
* The phrase "hormonal fuckery" is used - I don't think we said this 25 years ago
* Another few examples of causual body shaming -"left to our own devices we'd all be enormous", and a bit where one character says she buys all her clothes 2 sizes bigger so she can feel good about herself
* The whole job/office situation is so unbelievable. Why are there so many people working there? An office that size wouldn't need a manager and a receptionist, even in 2001. Wtf do they do all day?
* Why does Flo's mum do such a 360 at the end? I guess it's supposed to be some sort of redemption arc but it comes from nowhere
* Flo's mum reads a book that wasn't out yet (OK, only just, but again - not amazing attention to detail) 
* Renée and Flo both go on about what a great writer Renee is, due to her way with words in lines such as "Love is a disease. It will go away over time and then I'll be healthy again, but until then, I just have to suffer"

Plot/compellingness 2/5
Themes 2/5
Characters 3/5 (mostly for Flo and some of the side characters. Renee was just irritating and immature)
Emotional resonance 1/5
Writing style 2/5