The Undomestic Goddess

by Sophie Kinsella

Image courtesy of Amazon.com.

This book made me laugh and bake apple crisp. Not at the same time.

Kinsella's characters sometimes make me want to scream, but this book made me laugh. Samantha Sweeting is a top-notch London lawyer one the fast-track to promotion at Carter Spink. Unfortunately, she discovers she made a major mistake moments before making partner--a £50-million-in-unsecured-loans-sized mistake. In hours, she's lost her job, her dignity and the respect of legal counsel across the world. She hops on a train, ends up in the Cotswolds and finds herself in an itchy blue uniform. Er, did she just interview as a housekeeper? She doesn't even know what a vacuum bag is!

Kinsella's wit returns in this novel, along with a lady lawyer in possession of an IQ of 158 and a fear of cookware. Kinsella's main character finds herself in the most ridiculous situations in the most natural ways. While Samantha can be wishy-washy, she's also intelligent, spunky and far too aware of her own faults--three things that inspire loyalty in the reader. Samantha is a dependable narrator, providing a fair look at her own insecurities and the issues driving her life decisions. Kinsella's rom-com is a lovely, cozy way to spend an afternoon. Make sure you have a cup of tea and carb-heavy pudding, however. Kinsella whets the reader's appetite as Samantha learns how to whip egg whites, tier cakes and pour coffee. And she thought amending contracts was hard.