The Time of Our Lives

by Jane Costello

[Leah]

I’m a big fan of Jane Costello, she’s one of my favourite, go-to Chick Lit authors. Her books are fantastic – they’re reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella, and Paige Toon, and she has this warm, easy to read writing style that truly gets you into the head of her characters. She’s also one of the few authors capable of making of literally laugh out loud. Which is not something to be sniffed at! So when I saw her new novel on Netgalley, I was super chuffed, and requested it immediately – obviously! I was pleased to be accepted and I couldn’t wait to get started because it’s actually my first Jane Costello read in a couple of years, I’ve got All The Single Ladies and The Wish List on my to be read pile but just haven’t gotten around to them yet, sadly. I was quite torn over the The Time Of Our Lives, and that pains me to say that.

The Time Of Our Lives has a very interesting premise, but I actually found it a bit annoying at times. I liked the idea of Imogen, Nicola and Meredith going on a proper, expensive holiday, unlike the ones they’re usually used to which are budget, budget, budget, but I thought it was very disingenuos of Imogen to not actually bother to spend any time at all with her friends. I totally understood she was important at work, but jeez! PUT THE PHONE DOWN, WOMAN! Every single time Imogen’s phone rang, I could feel my teeth setting themselves on edge. It seriously drove me NUTS. I did enjoy her phone conversations with her boss David, don’t get me wrong, because they were quite amusing, but I just wanted everybody to leave her bloody well alone to enjoy her holiday in Barcelona. It felt like the novel was constantly interrupted, and reading a novel should not be this fractuous!

Jane Costello always manages to write such fantastic, warm books, and that was the case here yet again, I just wish it had actually been a book about a holiday in Barcelona! I hate how phones interrupt real life these days so it’s pretty bloody annoying when they also interrupt holiday time. I also found myself cringing at the predicaments Imogen got herself into. Jane Costello always provides comic scenes, with her heroine doing something hapless now and again, but Imogen did it CONSTANTLY. She dropped her phone in water and then a chapter later, she did it again! She broke her arm! She got a black eye! She should have been dead, let’s be clear. Nobody that hapless lives to 29, let me tell you and it was fun at first, but it was a bit too much for me. But there were so many good bits! I loved Harry, and I wished he’d been featured more prominently! He was amazing! Ditto Meredith and Nicola! I wanted to know more about them, too! I did enjoy Imogen’s chats with her boss, David, as I’ve said. I would have liked more of the Barcelona setting, I’ve never visited there, and I’m sure it’s a fascinating city, but every time Imogen decided to go somewhere, ring ring ring went the phone.

I really wanted to love The Time of Our Lives. I wanted it to be the holiday of a lifetime with three best friends! Instead, there was waaaaay too much work for Imogen. It was just waaaaay over the top, and it just made me feel furious on Imogen’s behalf every time her phone rang. (Surely the TWO drops into water should have killed it? The perfect excuse for not answering your phone, surely!) I enjoyed hearing about Imogen’s relationship with Roberto, who has mysteriously vanished from Imogen’s life! I enjoyed meeting Imogen’s daughter Florence, she seemed like such a sweet little kid! There were lots of bits that were good, and it did make me chuckle more than a few times, I just wish other bits had been a bit different, or not there at all. I certainly didn’t hate the novel, I enjoyed it, I just would have preffered it to have been slightly different. Some might like reading about a workaholic like Imogen, but if I’m going on holiday, my phone is STAYING PUT. (And hopefully Imogen’s will be, too, if she ever dares venture on holiday again…)