REVIEW: If You Could See Me Now by Keris Stainton

I absolutely ADORED If You Could See Me Now by Keris Stainton! It was so fun and funny and sexy and empowering and I absolutely loved every second of it.  I'm no stranger to Keris Stainton's stories (I've read almost all of them!) but this is her adult debut and I was seriously impressed with it.

I did not know very much about the book before I sat down to read it.  All I knew about it, really, was that it was meant to be funny.  So it came as a major shock when the actual plot line of If You Could See Me Now was revealed. Because the plot summary I read (after it happens I went back to read the plot summary!) makes absolutely no mention of The Thing That Happens.  So I won't mention it either. But ...I was very surprised.  It's a bit weird, isn't it?

I loved Izzy as the main character.  She's incredibly relate-able. I felt very much like Izzy in so many aspects of my life.  Izzy is in a relationship with a man who doesn't treat her right, she's lacking in self confidence which means she's unsure if she should go for this promotion at work, she doesn't stand up to (nor does she know how to stand up to) the sexual harassment she faces on a daily basis.  And it makes absolute sense that Izzy should feel absolutely invisible and inconsequential in her own life.

But then things begin to change.  And I loved seeing the transformation of Izzy in this book.   With the help of her best friend and good-looking intern at work, Alex, Izzy is able to break up with her shit boyfriend and dives into this really important pitch at work that could land her that promotion.  Honestly, what I loved about this book more than anything is that there was combination of it being hugely funny at the same time as it being really feminist.

But I also really loved the relationships. I loved the friendship between Izzy and her best friend and the way the two women were totally in support of each other during a time that's stressful for the both of them.  Women friendships are something I'll always cheer about.  I think Izzy and Alex have so much chemistry, their zing was delicious to read.

But in the end, it's Izzy and her relationship and view of herself that was the main sell for me.  She's amazing and she makes me realise we're all amazing and we should all strive for the best in our own lives.