Member Reviews

How important is it to be seen? To be seen at work for all your hard work and dedication? To be seen and appreciated in your relationship? To be seen for your beauty and intelligence and loyalty? 

Izzy has been passed over for a promotion at work, more than once. Her boyfriend hardly looked up from his video game the last time she tried to seduce him. Her best friend Tash is a gorgeous flirt, who makes fast friends whenever they go out while she fades into the wallpaper. Izzy feels invisible, but she's content. That's just how things are, and she's accepted that things probably won't change. 

And then things change. 

Izzy wakes up one day and discovers that she's invisible. Not just metaphorically, but literally. She is invisible. And after she finishes being really freaked out about it, she figures out what an opportunity it is. She gets to see others for who they are, and they have no idea that she's even in the room. It's time to turn things around in her life, and she starts right away to clear out the clutter and make room for more work success, a better relationship, and the chance to see herself differently, which may be the greatest gift of all. 

If You Could See Me Now is a charming, laugh-out-loud look at how we see ourselves and how we allow others to see us. Keris Stainton has created utterly likable characters and set them free in a world that is a combination of magical realism and all-too-real realism for so many women who feel invisible in life. If You Could See Me Now is the romantic comedy you didn't even realize you needed, but once you start reading it, you will be pulled into Izzy's world, and you can't imagine your life without it.



Galleys for If You Could See Me Now were provided by Bookouture through NetGalley.com, with many thanks.

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What an absolutely fun read this turned out to be! It was different than what I was expecting, but I mean that in a good way. Without spoiling it, it gave me a Kitty French/Chapelwick series vibe and had a touch of magical realism that worked really well for me. It was highly original in both the concept and the characterization, I cannot wait to read more from Keris Stainton.

Izzy was such a fabulous character, she went through quite the transformation throughout the book and I was rooting for her the whole time. She’s been a bit of a doormat her entire life and lets people walk all over her until something kind of crazy happens to her. Her best friend Tash was also fantastic, she’s naughty and sassy and the perfect balance to Izzy’s more subdued personality. When they were together they had me laughing so hard, there were SO many hilarious scenes in this book.

I loved the positivity throughout the book, it was super uplifting and lighthearted but it still had a powerful message of female empowerment that had me nodding my head in solidarity. It’s a little risqué but in a wickedly funny way and while there was definitely romance, the entirety of the plot did not hinge on that aspect which was great! If you’re looking for an original, easy weekend/vacation read this is it.

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This book was advertised as a laugh out loud comedy - and laugh out loud I did! Several times. Once enough to scare the dog, but that just made me laugh more. In this story we hear from Izzy who wakes up one morning completely invisible. From there the journey of self discovery begins - along with her best friend Tash and new 'friend' Alex. It was well written with great characters, and a storyline that gets you thinking past the whole 'hold on someone can't just become invisible' bit! I thoroughly enjoyed this as a Summer read 'beach book' and would be interested in reading whatever Keris has up her sleeve for the next one.

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If You Could See Me Now - where do I start. What total, pure joy this novel was. It's Keris' first novel for adults and god I hope it's not her last. I have done actual LOLing, a bit of swooning and much high fives in her general direction. It's fresh, refreshing. It's hilarious. It's feminist. It's got depths that you could be forgiven for missing 'cos of the LOLing yet you probably won't because it's done with such warmth that you keep thinking about it even when you're not reading. It was total joy from start to finish. Please write more for us Keris!

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A sweet story about a woman who wakes up one day to find herself invisible - and realises she has to use her words and actions to be seen, for the first time in her life.
Feminist, empowering, buttery and it's made me wish I was invisible too.

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As soon as I saw the cover of this book, I knew this would be the perfect read for an evening with me, myself and ice cream. And I was right! If You Could See Me Now can be your typical romantic comedy: predictable and easy to digest. But the supernatural element adds all sorts of meanings to it. So meet Izzy, the invisible woman.

This is the story about a girl who has always felt invisible and one day, well, she becomes invisible in fact. It’s simple, straightforward and the romance is predictable. But does it matter? No, because the journey of Izzy as she overcomes her insecurities and works through her self-esteem is an empowering one. Even though the supernatural element (becoming invisible) is used mainly to develop Izzy’s character and inner journey, it does contribute to some funny moments (I wish there were more of those though). Reading through this book through Izzy’s struggles and growth has kept me smiling. It has a beautiful message underneath. Overall, an entertaining plot, even if you suspect you know how it all is going to end.

I really liked the dynamics of the relationship between Izzy and her best friend Tash. Those two, apparently opposites, kept bringing the best of each other. I wasn’t too impressed with Alex (there I said it) and I wish there was more development of Max’s character – all we know is told us from Izzy’s point of view, there are no specific interactions that help us to judge him more by ourselves. I also thought he could’ve been explored more during the time Izzy was invisible.

The writing style is pretty straightforward since it’s from Izzy’s POV and I thought it made us warm pretty easily to her character. I can say I liked everything except the sexy scenes – I also thought there could be less of that, but that’s just me.

Overall, If You Could See Me Now is a fun classic romantic comedy with a supernatural element. Apart from the ending feeling a bit rushed, and the fact there should be more fun scenes (for me, at least), it delivers a beautiful message in the end with the analogy involved in metaphorically invisible vs physically invisible. It’s easy to read and pretty engaging, so it will surely keep you busy during the weekend. Despite only getting 3 stars from me, I’d recommend it to anyone wanting to read something light, fun, romantic and full of positive vibes.

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*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*

If You Could See Me Now is Keris Stainton's first adult novel and I fell in love with her style of writing immediately.

The story follows Izzy Harris, who wakes up one morning and is invisible. Yes, you heard right! To be honest, it was really confusing form e at the beginning and I didn’t really know what to think. I went with the flow however and really started enjoying the book.

She dumps her boyfriend, works on a big work project at home, starts liking her work colleague Alex and her best friend’s relationship status changes as well. Her best friend Tash is in an open relationship at first and really really likes going out with different men.

Izzy has always felt a bit invisible at times and now she is really experiencing it. She now has to learn to deal with it and find a way to still come up with a plan for work, go out with Tash and see Alex. More and more people find out that she is invisible and more problems come up. I liked the idea behind it all, because Izzy really learned a lot about herself and life, but the invisibility thing made the „chick-lit“ effect form e a bit weird.

Keris Stainton has a fab writing style, her words are engaging, there are lots of funny moments and she somehow made the invisibility work. My fave scenes were to ones with Izzy and Alex.

The ending was a bit rushed form e and left some things open, which I don’t like, but I still enjoyed every second of this book. It’s gripping, funny and full of great moments!

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I enjoyed If You Could See Me Now. Following the story of Izzy Harris who is being overlooked at work for promotion and doesn't have the best boyfriend. After a night out with her best friend Tash, Izzy's life is turned upside down. She dumps her boyfriend and throws herself into trying to win a big contract at work.

There is an unexpected twist to this book that makes it more interesting. It would be a perfect beach read and you'll definitely warm to both Izzy and Tash.

I'd give this book 4 stars. Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture and the author for the chance to review.

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Uhhhhh hellooooo swoonerific book cover!!! 

'If You Could See Me Now' completely caught me off guard! I had no idea what to expect before I read the book, yet what I got wasn't at all what I expected! That make sense? I absolutely LOVED this book! The storyline is so unique and incredibly refreshing, my mind kept thinking 'HALLELUJAH' the entire way through! FINALLY something completely different!!

Without giving away too much, Izzy's boyfriend is an absolute BLEEP!! What a twonk! How anyone in their right mind can go through life believing that actions like that are acceptable, realllyyyyy need to re-evaluate their mindset. Seriously! The need for girl power is rather evident in this storyline, thank goodness Izzy has such a good best friend.

About half way through the book, the storyline decided to take a surprising (but incredible) turn which changed my opinion of the novel completely. In a good way that is. Usually I would say that changes (such as the one in this novel), are a tad outlandish, but it wasn't. Not at all. It actually worked. Understatement of the year actually...it worked brilliantly.

'If You Could See Me Now' has such a heart-warming, and eye-opening underlying message about learning to be true to yourself and realising your worth. Coming from an Elsa impersonator, the message actually caught me in the feels, no joke. The way that Izzy had been living her life prior to the big change in direction, was extremely relatable to my own personal journey. I think that's why I became quite emotional in all honesty.

Not only does Keris Stainton's novel contain in-depth topics and romantic antics, it's also filled to the brim with such fantastic and snort worthy humour. I laughed at things I never would have laughed at before, and you know what? It felt so flipping good to be able to do that thanks to a novel, I felt as though I was on cloud nine.

This storyline may dip its toes into discovering whether certain characters stay grey, or whether they turn rainbow, but the book itself does not blend in with the crowd at all. This baby has made itself known. It's made me sit up and take notice. It's been the book to make me think 'I WANT TO BE MULTICOLOURED!' instead of blending in and staying quiet. This book is a genius. No, wait; Keris Stainton is the genius and this book is her protegé. 

Fun, flirty, and effing fabulous; 'If You Could See Me Now' is the most refreshing book I have read this year so far. I love it.

No. 

Wait.

I absolutely-totally-completely-bloody LOVE IT!

Thanks Bookouture.

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Oh this was such a fun read and just the kind of thing I was looking for. This is a classic romantic comedy with a healthy dose of decent sex and just a little twist in the tale. This book made me laugh out loud but also made me think. It;s a book about relationships but also about friendship and female empowerment.

This was an incredibly quick read because of all those reasons above. It has short chapters, which I love and sped up the pace a bit too. This book surround Izzy and her quest to get her work life, her personal life and her relationship life on track. I loved her as a main character because she is just so much fun. She is optimistic and yet she knows the realities of every day life. I think this is helped by the fact that she has been living in London for a while and she is a lady who knows how to take care of herself. She has also been coasting through life until a couple of events happen to her, including this big work pitch and she realises she is worth more than that. I found her so easy to get along with and could definitely recognise her in a few of my friends!

Her best mate Tash is definitely a good influence on her, even if those from the outside might think quite the opposite. I think these two made a great team. At first they seem to be kind of ying and yang, but as the book progresses, we see just how alike they are and just what bonds their friendship together. Obviously we have possible love interest Alex too, he is an interesting character and it takes a while to work him out but I am really glad he came into the picture! There are a couple of villains too which help to make up a great cast for this novel.

I really like the fact that this book does definitely touch on female empowerment. It is really all about Izzy taking back that control and along the way she learns some invaluable lessons. She does get a little help from her friends but really she is an independent woman with a lot going for her and once she realises this, she knows that she's got this and i loved this message coming through throughout the novel. There are also some fabulous sex scenes in this book which definitely help to balance it out and just make it an even more fun read. There's nothing too offensive but I would give a little public service warning not to read too much of this book in public; a, because you'll find yourself laughing out loud and b, because you may find yourself blushing just a little.

This was a great read. If you're a fan of Keris's other books, you'll see her wicked sense of humour coming through in this one, but if you are new to her novels, this is a great place to start. Get this one ordered now, a definite read if you're looking for something to cheer you up this summer!

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Sometimes, timing is everything. If You Could See Me Now was the perfect read I needed after a difficult read. I'm sure it would also work for you after a long day at work, for an Saturday evening instead of going clubbing, or during your baby's nap in the afternoon. In fact, this book is a remedy to life's pressure, especially with a cuppa! (Tea, no alcohol!)

Have you ever felt invisible? Like no one really saw you. I remember feeling like this last Christmas when dishes were handed out in front of me without stopping. And all I did was stare and shut up. Now if you know me online, I am chatty and happy to share, and delightful, but this me, this real me, really has to try to exist in this world. The old Meggy was invisible. Now it's Izzy's turn. And I mean it on every level.

As you might have guessed, I related to Izzy from the very beginning. A personality hidden by years of lack of confidence, a fear of change, a fear of not being loved for who you really are, a fear to exist. So Izzy stays in the grey. A good job that she does without extra motivation, an unsatisfying but convenient relationship with someone who stopped looking at her as if she were the 9th Wonder of the World (I'm the 8th!), if he ever did. Been there, done that.

But everything in If You Could See Me Now is done with such humor, originality, and truth that no matter where you are in your life, you can only fall for this fun existential crisis which rings true and makes you laugh until you get cramps.

I stayed skeptical at her very special and literal wake up call for … two minutes. The dialogs, intern and with her best friend, her thoughts, everything about Izzy is hilarious and fantastic and she's the only one not seeing it. So I believed in the story, and I believed in Izzy. I had all the reactions that were expected, the “OMG what a douchebag”; the “How is there always a cute guy around in books and never here with me??”; and the “I need a BFF for whom sex is an acceptable subject at any hour!” Except I am lucky to have that last point. No naming... Right Jill? So yes, there's quite some … talks and adventures in this area, which the prude I am blushed at! But it was a key point in the story to make a turn towards more in depth analysis and the chuckles it gave me make me unable to resent the author! After all, I read the book in two hours. Had I not enjoyed it all, I would not have been so keen on reading!

Invisibility, true or not, is something we face when we need to grow up, to accept who we are, what we are not, and to decide what we want to be. Izzy learns her lesson the hard and visible way! But not everyone dares to take the step and the message behind the seemingly light story was perfectly conveyed.

Armed with the most amazing best friend and a yummy and oh-so-sweet guy, I rooted for Izzy with my whole heart, wishing her to be seen, recognized, and valued for what she is. But old habits and old protective walls are not so easy to dismantle, which made her journey so weird and genuine. We all have those shameful moments, some of us are so shy the slightest interaction is like a mountain. This is why the top of it is the most beautiful place. A place the author reminds us we can reach.

If You Could See Me Now is a hilarious and shameless self-discovering story filled with extreme situations, amazingly endearing characters, and a feel-good sparkle that makes it a wonderful read.

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"If You Could See Me Now" was my first book by Keris Stainton, but also the author's first try at writing an adult novel, and heck, Ms Stainton, if they're going to be as brilliant as this book then pretty please, keep them coming! This book, guys, has totally taken me by surprise.

So, writing about such things as invisibility in woman's literature may be a very tricky thing - sometimes it works, more often it doesn't - but this time Keris Stainton has managed to really pull it off. It completely worked, even though - to be completely honest - at the beginning it was a bit confusing, this whole invesibility things as there was nothing explaning why this happened to Izzy. But the more I read, and especially after her becoming visible again, I just had a feeling that I've got it, this invisibility thing - Izzy changed, started to appreciate herself, to believe in herself, stopped to fear to stand out, and I really liked this message!

The author has delivered a brillianty funny, captvating and different story. She has created great characters, added many moments of uncertainty, when you didn't know what's going to happen and how the plot is going to turn out. Keris Stainton's writing style is brilliantly light, entertaining and easy to follow and the story is fast - paced.
What was great was the depth of this novel. You know, there are really many laugh - out - loud or cringe with embarrassment moments but this book is so much more than meets the eye. It was about finding yourself and what it really is you want from your life, about overcoming your insecurities, realising how much you are really worth - so under all this lightness and humour here were many important and poignant messages to Izzy, and to us, and I truly appreciated how well the author has mixed it all.
So altogether, "If You Could See Me Now" was deliciously filthy, sexy, with a great balance between humour and seriousness and I totally enjoyed it. Already looking towards Keris Stainton's next release!

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'If you could actually see me know'-. i am LAUGH-weeping all the way! This book is crackling! It has numerous LAUGH OUT OUD momnets rightfully as it says on the tin and the beautiful characters make you love them right away!
i looooved Tash... she was my favourite character throughout she's is exactly the 3-4-5-6 am friend that i know I want!
MAx was uggghh in ALL aspects! Loved to hate him.
Alex and Izzy were lovely and the twist was FANTASTIC and gave great insight.. it actually made you think about your life choices too... but in a lovely , light-hearted way!
4 fabulous stars! (an entire star only for Tash... would love a book on her)

Great work Ms. Stainton!
Thank you Netgalley and Bookouture for my ARC!

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Izzy has never quite felt good enough about herself or achievements. She's always felt second best and in the shadow of her best friend. Finally, she has a chance to prove herself with a big proposal at work and hopes to achieve a long awaited promotion. There is only one very unusual situation that occurs that might pose a problem...a very big problem.

This book was fun and absolutely delightful. A bit of humor and magical realism makes this read fantastic. I enjoyed every minute of it and I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

I received this book through Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley.com, to Bookouture, and to Keris Stainton.

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Keris Stainton is one of the funniest women on Twitter - and indeed online. Especially if you have a *thing* for Harry Styles.
I've known of Keris for a long time - probably about 11 years since we were in the same online writing group - all of us working on what we would hoped would be our first books.
Keris indeed went on to write many books - but aimed them at the YA market. If You Could See Me Now is her first foray into a "grown up" book and all I can say is.... ABOUT BLOODY TIME!!

Okay, so the concept of If You Could See Me Now is a little strange. I had purposely avoided reading anything about it because I didn't want to have preconceptions about the book. So when the main character Izzy wakes up invisible (yes, invisible) after a few chapters, I was a bit flummoxed.
This was a bit left field - but I've known Keris long enough to trust that she isn't completely off her rocker and this was probably going somewhere good.

Where it went, in fact, was somewhere which elevated this book from just another chick-lit type rom-com to something a little more special. Definitely something funnier. Definitely something more thought-provoking. Definitely something perhaps a little sexier in places too.

It's a relatively simple concept as they come - but with Keris' funky feminist take on things it became something much more, About how as women we blend in - we have been taught not to stand out, that it's not always safe or desirable to be noticed and that we colour our behaviour to not make a fuss - even when we perhaps really, really should be making a fuss.

Kris has created a brilliant cast of characters - not least the very memorable (and maybe Harry Styles-esque?) Alex. More of him please, Keris. Thank you very much!

This was an easy read - a really, lovely enjoyable read that was the tonic to a stressful week. I found myself turning the last page and wishing for more. So it may have taken Keris Stainton some time to write that first grown up novel - but hopefully it won't be long until we are treated to another... and another... and another.


Funny, frothy, feminist and sexy, If You Could See Me Now is a real treat to read.

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Thank you to Bookouture and the author for the ARC. I'm delighted to be involved in the Blog Tour for this hilarious book.

I can honestly say I started to read this book and put it down once so I could cook and eat dinner, and then one more time when I went upstairs to bed - I finished reading it that same evening. I kept getting funny looks from my family - I actually laughed out loud several times throughout the book.

The story starts off well enough; the lazy-arsed boyfriend; the hot best friend who gets all the guys; Izzy's life is mundane to say the least. I warmed to Izzy right away, her character instantly relatable. I loved the narrative, which is first person, and very sweary and very funny.

Then there is this... er.. thing that happens. I'm not going to spoil it, but it is brilliant. There was one point where I found myself think 'But how come...', then it was answered in the next paragraph.

The other characters are brilliant too. I have to admit to falling for Alex, the hot intern; and I think we have all had a friend like Tash, who attracts all the men and who cannot understand how Izzy is not bothered by sex. I found the dialogue was natural, and the swearing didn't bother me - to me, swearing comes naturally so I am quite happy to read it. After all, it has been proven that people who swear are quite intelligent...

Izzy uses her predicament to her advantage and it is lovely to see how it makes her realise how she can turn her life around. Also it makes for some great scenes - imagining the sex scenes, whilst hot, did make me giggle!

If You Could See Me Now is a great, fun read and I look forward to reading more of Keris Stainton's work.

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Another fun, funny and easy read. Great rom-com if you're just looking for something to cheer you up.

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If You Could See Me Now is Keris Stainton's first adult novel, but it reads like she's an expert in the genre. I deliberately didn't read too much about this one before picking it up, because I wanted to be surprised. From the line "Apparently, I'm fucking invisible", I was hooked. What's not to love about a story of an invisible woman?
I loved that the story was about Izzy being physically invisible whilst dealing with being metaphorically invisible to those around her. She doesn't stand out. Her boyfriend, Max, barely notices her and she is always in the background at work. Then one day she becomes literally invisible, and through this, she learns to stand up for herself and make herself seen. She discovers what she wants from a relationship, what she wants from her job and what she wants from her life. I became so invested in Izzy's development and future that at one point, I shouted out loud and scared my dog. Keris also makes some really great and important commentary on gender, feminist issues and the male gaze. If You Could See Me Now strikes a great balance between serious issues and a laugh-out-loud story that keeps you wanting more. Keris is a wonderful writer. You should definitely get hold of this book!

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Izzy's life is not going great - she got passed over for a promotion (again) and her boyfriend pays more attention to his video games then he does to her. However, one day she decides that is going to change and she dumps her boyfriend and starts working on a project for work which could get her the promotion she has been waiting for. To make things even better, Izzy gets to work on this project with a handsome, young, Australian co-worker. Izzy has never had much self confidence but now she has to dig deep and learn to love and believe in herself. This is definitely a fun feel good book about finding love and learning to love yourself.

I LOVED THIS BOOK. there was an unexpected element in it when Izzy turned invisible. None of the promotional things I had read mentioned that so it TOTALLY caught me off guard. At first, I was unsure about Izzy turning invisible and starting to love herself inside out - I thought it could get really hokey. But, Stainton somehow manages to stay away from making this too hokey and instead creates a really beautiful and funny story about loving yourself. It was fun to think about what I would do if I was invisible. One of my many favorite parts is when Izzy is invisible and in the shower. While in the shower, she runs her hands over body feeling all the softness, lumps and bumps along the way, and starting to love them. It was just a beautiful scene and reminder to love yourself. I loved when she realized she had created something great and that she was capable, that is when she stopped being invisible. Along the story there were other little revelations where I continued to think "okay now it will happen" but Stainton waits until the perfect moment.

This book is a fun humorous and insightful book about friendship, loving yourself and finding love.

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Very disappointed with this book. Whilst some parts were well written, it felt very halted and hastily drawn together. I think the premise was somewhat strange and the aspects focused on at times silly. I was promised a hilarious comedy, but I felt very underwhelmed by the end I'm afraid.

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