I was left thinking about this book long after I had read it. Really loved how it made me think. Strong female characters who are kind to each other and supportive. Such a refreshing read and really funny too!

If You Could See Me Now

If You Could See Me Now is a feel good, humorous book that I think is the perfect holiday read.

There are parts of this book that are laugh out loud, but it's also quite a poignant tale about self discovery and self empowerment. This is a must read for all women in need of an uplifting, thought provoking and laugh out loud read! Four shiny stars from purplebookstand!

I was lucky to be provided with an advanced copy of this book and voluntarily reviewed it.

This book was not what I expected from reading the description, but it was enjoyable. I liked all of the humor the author used...it made this a great beach read.

This book was brilliant, very clever and with laugh out loud moments. Simply ingenious but with a message we can all relate to.

An easy five stars from me.

Don't you hate when, after you've read and ADORED a book, you think 'I wonder if (said author) has any other books out, and they've tons that you could have read and devoured before this? This is what happened after I read this book, thanked my lucky stars that I had, and signed up to Keris Stainton's newsletter for more news of upcoming releases. I think you've guessed by now how much I ADORED this book (people who don't like gushy reviews, hide ... NOW!)!

The book starts with Izzy Harris finding out that the biggest and oldest client of their firm is shopping around and so the people of her company need to up their game and pitch to keep them sweet. Izzy has been told she's always just on the periphery, never quite seen, and so she needs to prove to everyone that she's capable and not just a background player.

Izzy is possibly one of my favourite characters in some time. It's very difficult to still adore a character who has or feels they have, been let fade but Ms. Stainton has given us a lead character who is so lovely, with none of the 'poor me' or other people constantly talking about how perfect she is, when she isn't (a regular thing in so many books!) Actually the characterisation in this book is spot on, in particular her best friend Tash was the perfect mix of bright, viviacious, loud and human, and made me laugh (out loud -me, the prude!) and Alex was excellent too. This leads me to another huge pull of the book, that Izzy had people to lean on. In a lot of books authors feel they need to alienate every last person to give the lead a properly rough ride, but there was enough drama (oh the drama!) to keep it all moving very well.

Actually (sorry, I knew this review would be all over the place!), the comedy was excellent too, there's very few books that do really keep their promise of being 'laugh out loud,' but in particular, the bit of the book that I can't speak of because it isn't in the blurb, but which makes it so different and is, really its USP (hence the reason it should have been in the blurb in my humble opinion!) In this part, Izzy does something that EVERYONE would love to do to get back at her boyfriend, and it was so funny, that I snorted!

Even though its predominantly a comedy, there are some amazing touches, and the author is great at looking at Izzy's journey and how she feels about her life before, and now in this situation, and plants her feet firmly at a crossroads, and there were some beautiful moments.The thing that happens, is also done amazingly (I'm so sorry about this, I just don't want to do spoilers!)

This is a book about someone who wonders how and why everyone else seems to be better than she, a book that looks at how people can get into a rut, and inspires said people to do something about it. For people who aren't fan of rom coms, they may reconsider their stance, for people who are, well, they'll be excited and happy to have found this, a book that will make them smile, laugh and make them nod along. A sparkling triumph! Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this perfect treat, I mean book, in return for an honest review.

Rating: most defintely 5/5, and definitely in my end of year 'best of's.'

From the opening page of this story I was absolutely hooked - it has all the ingredients needed to become a bestselling story.

The main character, Izzy Harris, is fed up with so many elements of her life but just plods on regardless because she doesn’t know what else to do - or where to start changing it.

Then, waking up completely invisible, she slowly begins to realise how to change things - and that she shouldn’t have to put up with all the crap in her life.

The characters you meet throughout this story are all relatable - I knew how Izzy felt and several characters reminded me of idiots I’d come across in life too. It really is a fantastically, laugh out read that I suggest you read - today!

This was a great book and it did make me laugh out loud. Great characters and an unusual story, a definite must read.

The foul language in this book was a real turnoff for me. Not just cursing - a little of that can be fitting - but the terms used for body parts, etc. Not my cup of tea. Other than that the writing was splendid.

My Review: 4/5
What a fun book!  This one took me a little by surprise, something I was not expecting at all. But, I found myself just going with it and really enjoying it.
This review is going to a little difficult to write because I don’t want to reveal anything about the plot.  So, I’m going to do something a little different.  Trust me on this one….it’s cute, it’s fun, and I enjoyed it tremendously. If you are looking for a book to take with you on that weekend getaway, look no further….this is it!

Review copy kindly provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
If You Could See Me Now is a debut novel & I can’t wait to read her next one! This book was filled with originality, which I needed after finishing a daunting fantasy! If You Could See Me Now is hilarious & quick to fly through! The relationship between Izzy & her best friend is superb & I super enjoyed it! I really related to the main character, Izzy. She deals with more bullcrap than she should, simply because it’s easier to just avoid the confrontation. She settles for less than she deserves until she wakes up one morning and she is invisible. Being invisible gives her the opening to assess her life and she starts to realize she has just been putting up with so much crap because it’s agreeable & she’s used to it. This realization is the kick in the butt that she needs to venture for more out of life. And it’s so good to see her start loving herself & see that she is valuable! I look forward to reading more great stories from this author!

If You Could See Me Now was a great book that I could not put down.
Would you cope if you were invisible, meet Izzy, whose boyfriend has not only been cheating on her but taken her for granted, one day after a heavy drinking session she wakes up invisible.
What a great read, you'll not be disappointed.

Funny, feminist and refreshing! This book is both uplifting and properly hilarious.

I have since bought this book and will review on Amazon and Goodreads. Thank you for the review copy.

This book is totally unexpected. I was caught off-guard by the strange twist that turned Izzy’s life upside down. I didn’t see that invisibility thing coming. But it’s a welcome surprise and actually made things funnier. It made the story more appealing, too. I considered it as a solid read, what with its uplifting message. I’m sure all of us, at one point, feels invisible. And with that, the desperation to be seen. To be recognized. To be appreciated. And sometimes, be okay with being ignored. That’s exactly what this book is about. Only, Izzy becomes invisible for real and realized that even when the time that she’s visible, people still fail to notice her and what she’s capable of doing. She accepted things as it is and even believed it is how it should be. Being invisible let her see things differently and started making her life better. I love how Izzy’s character development progressed slowly, from having some serious self-esteem issues to being that confident woman who learned to love herself as well.

I wish there’s a lot more to the story, though. Because I feel like everything seem rushed especially towards the end. It would be nice to read why Izzy become invisible in the first place and more about her hard work on her pitch. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed reading If You Could See Me Now. Overall, it is light, funny and real insightful despite the somewhat magical twist added. I believe there’s a thing or two we can learn from Izzy’s story.

Thanks everyone for giving me the opportunity to review this book. What a fun read this turned out to be and was totally not what I expected but in a good way.

Izzy has always been a bit of a doormat - especially where her boyfriend Max is concerned - she is the type to get overlooked at work.....as though she is invisible.......so when she actually becomes invisible the fun can start!

This is a great fun book but with a bit more - Izzy learns to love and believe in herself, she is certainly worth more than Max....and Alex is certainly more in every way! The story will make you laugh out loud and cringe with embarrassment but definitely a summer read not to be missed!

I was given an ecopy of this book by Bookouture, Keris Staintons publisher in exchange for an honest review. This is something I am more than happy to do.

What a delightful book, when if like me recently, you've lost your reading mojo and everything book you pick up seems to blend into the last then this is a book is for you I knew nothing about the book, Kim at Bookouture recommended it, I trust her 100%, so downloaded it and read this week-end whilst on a friends narrow-boat. What a tonic, a proper laugh out loud, amusing read which is also a bit sad at times too,

Imagine going through life feeling invisible and inferior to everyone - nobody really seeming to look at you, listen to you or pay any heed to anything you do either at home or at work - that was Izzy Harris' life. I don't really think she realised properly how low her self esteem was until one day she literally disappeared with hilarious consequences.

I think we've all at times wished we could be a fly on the wall - well Izzy gets her chance and uses it to get her own back on a few people. It felt like I was on a journey with Izzy as she got the opportunity to see herself and her life clearly, not really liking everything she saw and then gradually with the support of best friend Tash and a hunky, Australian from the office she begins to rebuild her confidence and takes control to turn her life around.

I so wish I could have been a fly on the wall as I suspended disbelief so many times - laughing and smiling at the consequences. Every page is filled with funny moments that literally made me howl - Izzy is such a fun character I was rooting for her all the way as she dumped her boyfriend, got even at work, shocked her family and found love when she least expected it. I highly recommend this book, you'll whizz through the pages in no time and be sat like me now wondering what's next! Thank you so much Kim for recommending this book and Keri for writing such an uplifting, fun read — just perfect to lift me out of my funk.

Funny and interesting take on self-esteem.
Enjoyable beach reading - 3.5*
Not sure it would have worked for me as a commuting read, though. A nice, easy style and believable - despite its premise!

Ps I usually find books described as "laugh-out-loud"... as not the case. It was amusing but not in a totally hilarious snort-out-your-coffee kind of way.

I was looking forward to reading this when I heard that it was a ‘laugh out loud’ read. I have to admit when I got about a third of the way in I had to stop and look up the description again to check I was reading the right book. This book has the most unusual twist that once you get used to it, will indeed have you laughing out loud. It made this book stand out and I don’t think it is a book I will ever forget. I was completely stunned but it just worked in this book. Intrigued? You should be – get reading, you won’t regret it!

Sometimes contemporary ‘women’s fiction’ can be quite shallow and all about the romance. But this book had a depth that I really enjoyed. Throughout the book, we are shown the extent to which Izzy feels invisible. She has serious self-esteem issues. It is terrible to see how many of these issues come from her worries about what other people think of her – even people walking down the street. The twist in this book is used to address this issue and help Izzy come to terms with the fact that she is good enough and she only needs worry about what the people who are important to her think. It was fascinating ‘being’ Izzy as she develops into a confident woman who no longer bends to the pressures of society.

As well as having depth and social commentary this book was hilarious. The expressions and descriptions were on point and there were some one liners that had me tearing up with laughter. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author as she has a frank witty writing style and unique ideas. I think it was a refreshing addition to this genre and this is an author to watch.

Thank you to Kim for providing me with a copy this book via Netgalley and for letting me be part of this tour. I am a huge fan of Lindsey Kelk and I really enjoyed Joanna Bolouri's book so I was excited to read this one.

After the first chapter I wasn't sure if this book was for me but, I kept reading and before I knew it I was at the end. I found this book very easy to read. I finished it in one day which is rare for me.

The promotion for this book is that it is laugh out loud funny. While I would not agree with that, there were quite a few scenes that tickled me. Some of the situations that Izzy gets herself into are quite funny.

The characters in this book were easy to identify with. They are likable and entertaining. my favourite was Tash. She is the complete opposite to Izzy in so many ways but they have the strongest of bonds.

This was a feel good story with a good moral theme running through it.