Review of Consider Yourself Kissed

This is a very slow-paced character-driven story. While this works for me, I know it’s not for everyone. Coralie is an Australian working in London. She is new to London and doesn’t know many people. She meets Adam and his adorable daughter Zora, and they quickly feel a connection. Their romantic relationship develops, and they move in together. Coralie always had the dream of becoming a writer, but as the years go on, she begins to feel that life has passed her by. Adam has become very successful during this time period as he is on the radio, does podcasts, and has written four books about UK politicians. Adam and Coralie now have two small children, and Zora works half-time. She is relieved she is no longer balancing child care and work as she has now left her job. Coralie loves her children and is a wonderful mother but the routine and monotony around child care, cooking, cleaning, school pickups, and drop-offs begin to overwhelm her. Adam isn’t much help, as so much of his time is taken up involving his various projects. This book encompasses ten years and has a lot of discussion around UK politicians, their platforms, and continual elections as well as Brexit. All of this weighs on Coralie’s mind as well as the state of the world’s environment. To top it off, then COVID hits. Coralie and Adam’s love for each other is strong overall, but as Coralie becomes more entrenched in anxiety and depression he doesn’t see it happening, which causes her to become more resentful toward him. This is a powerful story about seemingly having everything you wanted but not feeling seen. Coralie’s feelings are valid and understandable, and I appreciated the depth the author brought to the story. The characters are all entertaining, and overall, I really enjoyed this book.