Gemma is thrilled to tell her boyfriend Jack that she has a new job but he drops the bombshell that he is going travelling without her. They promise to commit to a long distance relationship but that soon collapses.
Heartbroken, Gemma bares her soul on her YouTube channel and it goes viral… Her life changes forever as she gets swept up in a life of glamour and celebrity that makes her yearn for early nights and junk food.
As an influencer, content creator, blogger, occasional vlogger, whatever, this was a fab book to read and I found I could identify with Gemma quite a lot as she battles to be herself and work out what she wants from her life.
There is an important message about reality in social media which I think is important for young people to realise. Celebrity is sold in reality TV shows every day and the amount of work it takes to be successful is often overlooked. I think most bloggers start for themselves but it is very easy to swept up in products and money making potential.
Out With The Ex, In With The New has plenty to say about relationships, both friendships and romantic connections. Again, this really resonated with me as I had a boyfriend who went off to travel when I thought we would settle down. When he came back, he was ready for all the things I’d wanted previously but I’d moved on.
There is a serious side to this book as Gemma discovers that her housemates are in an abusive relationship and uses her media presence to promote a campaign against violence.
The overall effect of the book is a balanced one of fun and drama. Many of the media aspects of the novel are ridiculous yet probably true (daily cat articles sounds very realistic and I’m sure I’ve clicked on quite a few over the years!) as are the celebrity parties and the truth behind big YouTubers. This book is modern yet with the classic story of looking for love.
For another book with humour and emotion, try It’s Not You, It’s Him by Sophie Ranald too
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.
Author Bio:
Sophie Ranald is the youngest of five sisters. She was born in Zimbabwe and lived in South Africa until an acute case of itchy feet brought her to London in her mid-20s. As an editor for a customer publishing agency, Sophie developed her fiction-writing skills describing holidays to places she’d never visited. In 2011, she decided to disregard all the good advice given to aspiring novelists and attempt to write full-time. After one false start, It Would Be Wrong to Steal My Sister’s Boyfriend (Wouldn’t It?) seemed to write itself. Her second, third and fourth novels followed. Sophie also writes for magazines and online about food, fashion, finance and running. She lives in south-east London with her amazing partner Hopi and Purrs, their adorable little cat.
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