The Undomestic Goddess: A Novel

by Sophie Kinsella

Workaholic attorney Samantha Sweeting has just done the unthinkable. She’s made a mistake so huge, it’ll wreck any chance of a partnership.

Going into utter meltdown, she walks out of her London office, gets on a train, and ends up in the middle of nowhere. Asking for directions at a big, beautiful house, she’s mistaken for an interviewee and finds herself being offered a job as housekeeper. Her employers have no idea they’ve hired a lawyer–and Samantha has no idea how to work the oven. She can’t sew on a button, bake a potato, or get the #@%# ironing board to open. How she takes a deep breath and begins to cope–and finds love–is a story as delicious as the bread she learns to bake.

But will her old life ever catch up with her? And if it does…will she want it back?

• ISBN10: 0385338694
• ISBN13: 9780385338691
• Publish Date: 25 April 2006 (first published 1 June 2005)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Imprint: Dial Press Trade Paperback
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 400
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9780385338691

Reviews

[The Romantic Comedy Book Club]

The Undomestic Goddess is an all around laugh out loud, feel good read for those who need a little “pick me up” and a quick reminder that even when life goes left, it may still be going right.

Samantha has finally reached the culminating moment in her life – being named a partner at one of London’s top law firms. Every decision and sacrifice she has made: The late nights, the lack of a life, the inability to go more than 30 seconds without her phone and blackberry, all of it was finally going to pay off…until the unthinkable happens. Awaiting the “official” announcement, Samantha finds the one thing that will destroy her career. Seeing no way out of her life altering mistake, Samantha escapes the restraints of the big city and ends up in the middle of nowhere! Making one bad decision after the next, the once high powered lawyer finds herself impersonating a highly trained housekeeper and chef! With zero skills in cooking or cleaning, the laughs start rolling in as Samantha’s conning and quick mind keeps her one step ahead of her quirky new employers (not to mention having Nathaniel, the gardener, come to her rescue with a secret weapon). As an initial overnight stay turns into days and weeks, Samantha finds herself re-evaluating her life and wonders if everything she once wanted was everything she really needed.

Charming, funny, and surprising steamy (on the milder side) for Kinsella book, The Undomestic Goddess is a relaxing read with a little social commentary on the role of women. It was entertaining and enlightening to watch Samantha’s perspective of women and their roles shift as her own life was transformed.

[Sam@WLABB]

I love Sophie Kinsella books, because they always delivers an adorable and fun story, which make me smile, and The Undomestic Goddess had me grinning from ear to ear. This is the story of Samantha, who was working her whole life to become what she was -- one the best lawyers money can buy. When she uncovers a HUGE error she made, she flees London, knowing her career is over. While in a fugue-like state, she stumbles into a job as a housekeeper. Standing by as she adjusts to this new lifestyle had me laughing and grinning like a fool. And then, well, there's Nat. Nat was sort of perfect and amazing, and I really wanted Nat and Sam to happen.

This book is lighthearted, but has a lot of heart. Kinsella hit upon something, which factored into my own career decisions (choosing a life over money), and I really liked the way she address all this, while giving us another great chick-lit experience.

[Emma (SCR)]

The first few chapters I found hard to read, but once I got into this book I was hooked! I couldn't put it down. This was my first Kinsella book and has definitely put her as one of my favourite authors. It was funny and romantic. Predictable? Yes. Does it matter? No. I was an easy, fun read. I look forward to reading more of her books.

[Leah]

It’s well known that I love Sophie Kinsella. All of her Shopaholic books are great as well as her stand-alone novels. I wasn’t planning to re-read The Undomestic Goddess but I read the first page and found it so funny I decided to carry on reading.

It tells the story of Samantha Sweeting, a lawyer about to make partner at her firm, Carter Spink. One day, whilst tidying up her desk she realises she’s made a huge, career-altering mistake and panics. She leaves the office, finds herself in Paddington Station, takes a train and finds herself in the middle of nowhere. She stops at a house to ask for some water and is mistaken for an interviewee for a housekeeping position. She takes the job but there’s only one problem – Samantha is no Domestic Goddess…

This is the second time I’ve read The Undomestic Goddess and I found it just as funny the second time around as I did the first. That’s the one thing you can count on with Sophie’s novels – they’re going to be amusing.

It’s told in the first person so we get to know all of Samantha’s thoughts and at the beginning of the novel you can feel how fast-paced her life is and you find yourself reading quicker. The first-person view also allows you to see how Samantha’s life changes and slows down when she meets the Geigers.

I liked Samantha and I loved that she was so dedicated to her job, she had no idea how to work a toaster or the washing machine. It shows that just because someone has an IQ of 158 it doesn’t mean they can work simple appliances! Reading about Samantha’s struggles during the first few days of her job was hilarious and I could see all of the situations she got herself into. I also like how salvation came and Nathaniel’s mother showed Samantha that she could bake a cake and iron clothes. And that, when she puts her mind to it, Samantha could do whatever she liked.

I thought Nathaniel was well written and loved how amusing he found Samantha. I thought they got on well together. I found the Geigers amusing – all the demands they ask of Samantha and how impressed they were that she was English. They were completely bonkers but I loved them anyway! As I mentioned, Nathaniel’s mother, Iris, helped Samantha with her cooking skills and domestic skills. I loved the scenes between Samantha and Iris, they were sweet.

One of my favourite parts of the story – and of any story – was when Samantha pulled herself together over her error that cost her her job. I love when any heroine of any story goes out to find out the truth and realises, actually, there might be more to it than meets the eye. I loved how Samantha defended herself and tried to explain herself and, in the end, was given a chance to exonerate herself.

The Undomestic Goddess is definitely a favourite of mine. The story wasn’t really about Samantha’s job but the chance in Samantha as the novel wore on and I felt Sophie Kinsella wrote that brilliantly and realistically. Sophie is undoubtedly one of the best chick lit writers out there, because I have yet to read one of her novels I haven’t enjoyed!

Rating: 5/5

[Eve1972]

I thought this was funny as heck!

Pure chicklit. Easy to read and somewhat funny - if not entirely cliche and predictable. The romance was pretty typical. I didn't really like Samantha. She annoyed me - for someone so smart she seemed rather idiotic. I mean I get not being able to cook but some of her domestic abilities are a bit farfetched. If she can google herself, surely she's capable of googling how to. Apart from that she was just so indecisive. I can't stand indecision. A little bit sure, a whole book of it? No. It just frustrates me to read.

Overall typical chicklit. If you love this sort of read then it'll be right up your alley. If chicklit is more of an occasional genre for you - then this is not the book to pick.