The plot (in a spoiler-free nutshell): 23 year old Edie has been dumped over text by Daniel and is living back with her dad and his girlfriend in Darling Head, Australia. Edie is socially awkward and insecure and thinks this is why she got dumped, so, with the help of her best friend, a burgeoning life coach, begins her journey of self improvement to try and amend these things. And others.

Type of book: a ‘Can Lisa Walker and Jen Beagin (Pretend I’m Dead) please write something together cos I’m pretty sure Edie and Mona would have a hilarious friendship?’ book

The author: Lisa Walker, Australian novelist who I’m not sure I would trust even my cactus with.

What appealed to me was...the crab sex.

You should read it if...your self esteem is low and you find it comforting to realise that there are other people who have the same thoughts as you. Even if those people are fictional and don’t have brains and therefore can’t even think for themselves.

You shouldn’t read this if...you think Sigmund Freud should just be quiet now. He’s given an airing in each chapter.

The things I liked...it’s a relatable story: getting dumped, feeling like crap and searching your soul for the stuff that is wrong with you...and writing semi autobiographical funny erotic fiction. Also, the story briefly features an echidna, the cutest creature ever apart from snails, tapirs, and baby dinosaurs.

The bad stuff...Sooty Beaumont is Edie’s erotic fiction pen name/alter ego. Sooty and Sweep were my childhood heroes. They are now forever tainted.

The line of the novel that best sums up my average day... ‘I consider running, but eat a lot of chocolate instead.’

Hardest line to read...‘I can’t swim forever.’

The best way to read this book is...lying in a hammock, somewhere in Australia. Or on your journey, wherever you are. There, I’ve given you permission.

Recommended accompanying food and drink is...I’m not sure, but you will find out how worms mate and what they do with mucus, so perhaps just don’t eat? Unless you are me and eat your dinner watching Countryfile and gladly cannot be put off your food by any kind of animal sex...

Rating 5/5

Final thoughts: Here’s another fantastic novel that proves that humour is to difficult issues what sugar is to medicine - it makes it easier to swallow. The breakup is where we meet Edie at the start of her journey, but it could have been anything that prompted it. Why is it that it’s the little crappy things, the things that later on in hindsight become barely a footnote, that make us examine our deepest, locked up shit? Freud, are you there?

Sex Lies & Bonsai was published on 19th April 2018 by Harper360. Thank you to Lisa Walker, HarperCollin and NetGalley for the crabby ARC.

Fun and quirky read.
After being dumped by her boyfried, Edie heads to her beachside family home, leaving the city behind.

She is a bit of a loner, but her best friend Sally wants to change that, by becoming her dating coach. Fun and mishaps ensue.

An entertaining book!