I read this book with great anticipation, knowing the author's reference points had included The Cazalet Chronicles and I Capture the Castle. I can see the DNA of these books in this accomplished piece of fiction, that skilfully blends the domestic with bigger political events of the last decade. I loved a funny scene that saw the protagonists encounter an angry, blustering Boris Johnson when trying to leave a restaurant! This novel portrays a middle-class, occasionally smug, London lifestyle, that will feel familiar to some and alienating to others, however the themes explored, including parenthood, relationships and grief should resonate with many.

Consider Yourself Kissed follows Australian Coralie in London and her life after meeting Adam in a local park. The two then bump into each other in a pub and begin a relationship where she becomes stepmother to his daughter and they go on to have their own children. The follows Coralie’s conflict with motherhood and keeping a sense of self through work.

I really enjoyed this book and for the first two thirds found myself rationing it so I wouldn’t finish it too quickly. Coralie’s voice is convincing and well sustained and feels like hearing from a friend. I found some of the recounting of British politics over the past decade to be slightly tedious, and think the relationship between Coralie and her dad could’ve been further explored.

Consider Yourself Kissed is the story of Coralie over the course of roughly ten years. Coralie has recently arrived in London after an unexpected transfer from the company she worked for in Australia. Coralie meets Adam, a divorced father of one and the book follows their life together over the following decade set against the bizarre political background of the UK at this time ( Brexit, the numerous general elections and PM's, the threat of crashing out of the EU, pandemic and the antics of Boris J, all of which added a entertaining backdrop to this beautifully realistic love story and family drama.

Coralie's story is achingly familiar in so many ways while also being unique to her, she is a brilliant character. The book is full of brilliant characters, I cared for and was entertained by them all. Motherhood in its different forms, balancing all that life demands, hope and ambition, frustration, love, friendship and family dynamics are all captured brilliantly by the author . This book is sharp, funny, it's moving and it is a delight. I loved it. I think most people will. I predict this will be the book of the summer.

I loved it. I love a romance novel and I love LOVE. You feel yourself taking in the roles of these characters. You're invested in everything, every relationship with family and others. 10/10 would read again.

This was so cute! I loved the characterisation of Coralie and Adam, i loved their dynamic. I think this book balances gritty politics (which are done well) and the love of love. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

I felt certain I would love this book as soon as I realized the title was a reference to The Group, but it exceeded my expectations and lifted me out of a real reading rut. I really related to Coralie even though we have very little in common on the surface, and felt drawn to and repelled by Adam with her in equal measure. It didn’t go exactly where I expected it to, but it felt real and like what the characters would really have done had they actually existed. I loved the side characters as well - I thought Zora in particular was really well done and seemed like an actual child. This book is funny, clever, romantic, and sad, and I can’t recommend it highly enough.

A pleasant enough read but not really my cup of tea. I think this will really appeal to women with families/children as it may be quite relatable.

Long winded in some areas and I couldn’t connect with the characters but I would still recommend it as there is a good political backdrop and some elements are enjoyable.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

I did enjoy this but found it very slow paced. The backdrop was either explored too much or too little in my opinion. There was a raw honesty about the characters which was appealing and some flashes of humour and pathos as well as lots of relatable moments as a parent. Thank you for the review copy.

This isn’t my usual genre; I rarely read romance titles. But I’m pleased I read this. It’s Charlie and Adam’s story, told over approximately a decade and it’s a story of our time. I’m sure many will relate to some of the circumstances and both characters are plausible. Jessica Stanley’s take is filled with sharp observation about people, how they interact, motivation and more. It’s not action packed, but it’s filled with insight and there’s humour. To my surprise, I became invested in both; I wanted things to work out. Very well written and very refreshing.

Enjoyable and truly relatable read. Charting Coralie and Adams relationship through time..with all aspects of family relationships covered.. Generally a satisfying read... although relevant to the story I didn't enjoy the political content and tended to gloss over it.

A gem of a book that is tender and joyful, I loved every moment of this. Coralie is a wonderfully drawn character, and while it is a love story (CYK!) it is also a story about coming of age and acceptance of self. It also felt deeply nostalgic and funny, and I loved the tenderness of the relationships, romantic and platonic, but particularly between stepmother and stepdaughter and brother and sister. It's the kind of book you want to share with everyone.

A story about mixed families, a young Australian writer running to the UK to get away from a bad relationship and bumping into a single dad with a lovely very young daughter . Love blossoms between Coralie and Adam, she moves in with him, she becomes pregnant, they don't marry at first, then she has a second child. Zora the child from Adam's past relationship is constantly in their home. Coralie is invariably working from home for the first few years of having the young ones around. Adam's job is getting busy and his career takes off, he's a political journalist, so plenty of very busy times and these affect the relationship and Coralie.
Very descriptive writing and one is swept up in the drama and the politics of the time.
Things eventually work out after Coralie has a minor breakdown and Adam eventually proposes - after 10years of being together!

perfect mix of funny, sad, romantic—i loved this very much. felt a moment of startled recognition as someone who also read i capture the castle and bonjour tristesse in the same adolescent summer. RIYL laurie colwin, that ann patchett book about the pandemic, or books where everybody texts like you actually text!

Domestic fiction which centres
around the day to day life of Coralie, an Australian living in London with her husband and three children, one of whom is the excellent Zora, Coralie’s stepdaughter.

Spanning an eventful decade from 2013 to 2023 with a political backdrop which ranges from Brexit to the pandemic, not to mention five different UK prime ministers, this is a different take on a classic romance or domestic fiction novel.

When Coralie meets Adam she is in her (very) late 20s and it starts off like any other meet-cute, but with added flat swapping!

I enjoyed discovering the reason for Coralie’s move to live in London, this gives some clues to her nature. Additionally you also gradually learn about her family. Coralie’s father and Adam’s mother are very interesting characters. I enjoyed them both immensely.

By the end of the novel Coralie, her friends and family are very clearly defined and feel like old friends.
Consider Yourself Kissed could be adapted into a TV series. If well written and cast, it would be good.

A satisfying read with likable characters. This is one which will probably particularly resonate with working mothers of young children.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy.

Coralie and Adam have a good relationship until they have children. Adam's high powered job means he has little time to spend at home helping out , Coralie feels invisible. Difficult relationships with other family members. Can they find a way to overcome the problems? Heart rending, so true to life. Hard to put down to see how they manage to cope.

Jessica Stanley’s Consider Yourself Kissed is a tender and relatable exploration of love, family, and the quiet complexities of everyday life.

The story follows Coralie as she moves from Australia to London, where she begins a passionate and seemingly perfect relationship with Adam, a divorced father to the charming four-year-old Zora.

Their love story is heartwarming and beautifully written, capturing the euphoria of new love and the hope of building a life together.

One of the book's strengths is its nuanced portrayal of modern family dynamics.

Adam and his ex-wife Marina co-parent Zora with admirable maturity and fairness, offering a refreshing depiction of divorce and shared parenting. However, as life evolves - with Coralie and Adam welcoming their own children and grappling with the demands of work, family, and societal expectations - the story delves into the less glamorous realities of domestic life.

Coralie’s struggles are depicted with raw honesty.

Her resentment builds as she shoulders the burden of running a household and raising children, while Adam, a political commentator, becomes increasingly consumed by his work.

Stanley captures Coralie’s inner conflict beautifully: the push and pull between love and frustration, between gratitude for her family and a simmering sense of personal sacrifice. These emotions will resonate with anyone who has felt the relentless pressures of family life.

The generational tensions add another layer of depth, particularly when Coralie’s father visits from Australia. His outdated parenting ideals clash painfully with Coralie’s modern approach, leading to moments that are both excruciating and all too real.

Stanley’s writing shines in its ability to make the ordinary feel profound.

This book is a poignant reminder of how life can creep up on us, how dreams and ambitions can be quietly sidelined by the daily grind. It’s not a dramatic or plot-driven story, but its power lies in its relatability and emotional authenticity.

Overall, Consider Yourself Kissed is a thoughtful and engaging read, offering a realistic portrayal of love, family, and the challenges that come with balancing it all.

Stanley invites readers to reflect on their own lives, making this novel not only a story to enjoy but also one to ponder long after the final page.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A lovely read and I enjoyed the dual time aspects. Great sympathetic characters and lovely story. It was good to be shown that love doesn't mean that life is always smooth.

Consider Yourself Kissed is an absorbing family drama made even more interesting by the political background in the time frame that it’s set.
None of us particularly want to remember the harrowing times of Covid and the lockdowns but I did find that reading this part of the book to be a cathartic experience.
That period of time is only part of the story, there is so much more besides. We first meet Coralie, an Australian living in London, in 2013 where she has quite a dramatic meeting with Adam and his young daughter, Zora in Victoria Park. From then onwards I felt I knew Coralie so well as I was taken along with her life for the next ten years. Coralie is a warm, likeable young woman who over those ten years has to navigate being a step parent, a wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend whilst still feeling ties to her native country, Australia. This is set in a turbulent political time of several General Elections, Brexit and Covid, all particularly important to the story as Coralie’s partner Adam is a political journalist. I felt that this was handled so well as this all simmered in the background of all our lives over this period.
If the political background of the story sounds a little heavy and depressing, this book wasn’t at all and I found myself in tears of laughter in many parts of the book. There are some unforgettable characters in this book. I really enjoyed it and it definitely deserves my first 5 stars of 2025. Thank you to the author and NetGalley for a free proof copy of this book. The opinions are all my own.

My rating is probably a 3.5 but feeling generous. It was a sweet story with some novel angles but something was missing for me. Its not quite a love story, in fact there were moments I felt quite frustrated with the romantic relationship and the expectation that the woman (not even the child's mother) should assume parental responsibilities. Its also had large portions dedicated to political commentary which is not really my thing. That said, it was well written with lovely attention to characterizations and UK vs Australian details.

I devoured this book. When I wasn't reading, I was constantly thinking about Coralie and her family.
The characters surrounding her - friends, family, extended family, and her children, were all so realistic. It was a really relatable book about losing yourself and your passions in your relationship and in the early years of motherhood, and trying to find your way back again. Set against the backdrop of Brexit and Covid, it has really captured the uniqueness of the last few years.