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Consider Yourself Kissed
A literary love story told through ten years in the life of one woman as she tries to build a longed-for family without also losing herself -- an entertaining portrayal of the true, grown-up meaning of "happily ever after."
When she first meets Adam, Coralie is new to London and feeling adrift. But Adam is clever, witty, and (he insists) a quarter inch taller than the average male. His charming four-year-old daughter only adds to his appeal.
But ten years on, something important is missing from the life Coralie and Adam have built. Or maybe, having gained everything she dreamed of, Coralie has lost something else she once herself.
Set against an eventful British decade that included the soap opera of five prime ministers plus the chaos of the pandemic, Consider Yourself Kissed puts the subjects of love and family on a grand stage, showing how the intimate dramas in our homes inescapably compete for energy and attention with the shared public dramas of our times.
Told over ten years of one woman’s life, Consider Yourself Kissed is an unforgettable literary love story that effortlessly balances sweetness with bite, the public with the personal, and humor with heart.
When she first meets Adam, Coralie is new to London and feeling adrift. But Adam is clever, witty, and (he insists) a quarter inch taller than the average male. His charming four-year-old daughter only adds to his appeal.
But ten years on, something important is missing from the life Coralie and Adam have built. Or maybe, having gained everything she dreamed of, Coralie has lost something else she once herself.
Set against an eventful British decade that included the soap opera of five prime ministers plus the chaos of the pandemic, Consider Yourself Kissed puts the subjects of love and family on a grand stage, showing how the intimate dramas in our homes inescapably compete for energy and attention with the shared public dramas of our times.
Told over ten years of one woman’s life, Consider Yourself Kissed is an unforgettable literary love story that effortlessly balances sweetness with bite, the public with the personal, and humor with heart.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published May 27, 2025
702 people are currently reading
18741 people want to read
About the author
Jessica Stanley
2 books119 followersI’m Jessica Stanley, an Australian novelist living in London.
I grew up in Melbourne, studied in Canberra, and worked in journalism, on the set of the TV show Neighbours, for the trade union movement, and in advertising.
Since moving to the UK in 2011, I’ve been working as a freelance copywriter while writing fiction. My Australian first novel A Great Hope was published in 2022.
My new novel Consider Yourself Kissed will be published internationally in Spring/Summer 2025.
I live in East London with my husband and our three children.
I grew up in Melbourne, studied in Canberra, and worked in journalism, on the set of the TV show Neighbours, for the trade union movement, and in advertising.
Since moving to the UK in 2011, I’ve been working as a freelance copywriter while writing fiction. My Australian first novel A Great Hope was published in 2022.
My new novel Consider Yourself Kissed will be published internationally in Spring/Summer 2025.
I live in East London with my husband and our three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 601 reviews
May 22, 2025
Okay so I hated this book. So if you don't want to read my hate, move on. Here's why:
1. There was a big advert for it at the top of Broadway Market, so I thought it would be a cute Hackney gal thing to do to go and buy it instantly. It cost £16.99.
2. Absolutely nothing of interest happens other than a weak political commentary with a left wing bias (I get it, you hate Tories and Brexit - it's like being on Hinge).
3. The book positions itself as the main character rejecting her happy family life. She does nothing the entire book except complain. I'd want to leave my life too but do it on page 100 not 300/350.
4. No one explains how a political journalist owns a three bed house by London Fields. I walk past Wilton Way most days and I couldn't afford to buy a shed there.
5. The first date of the main characters is stupid. How am I supposed to care about their relationship for the next 350 moany pages?
Overall: moaning, complaining, weak, pointless. I'd like my £16.99 back. It's annoyed me so much that I've left it on the train.
1. There was a big advert for it at the top of Broadway Market, so I thought it would be a cute Hackney gal thing to do to go and buy it instantly. It cost £16.99.
2. Absolutely nothing of interest happens other than a weak political commentary with a left wing bias (I get it, you hate Tories and Brexit - it's like being on Hinge).
3. The book positions itself as the main character rejecting her happy family life. She does nothing the entire book except complain. I'd want to leave my life too but do it on page 100 not 300/350.
4. No one explains how a political journalist owns a three bed house by London Fields. I walk past Wilton Way most days and I couldn't afford to buy a shed there.
5. The first date of the main characters is stupid. How am I supposed to care about their relationship for the next 350 moany pages?
Overall: moaning, complaining, weak, pointless. I'd like my £16.99 back. It's annoyed me so much that I've left it on the train.
March 9, 2025
4.5★s
Consider Yourself Kissed is the second novel by Australian-born author, Jessica Stanley. Needing to escape a hurtful break-up, the legacy of a troubled upbringing, and a demanding boss who grossly oversteps, in late 2012, twenty-nine-year-old copywriter, Coralie Bower heads to her firm’s London branch.
She’s working hard but staying under the radar, keeping to herself, because this is her chance, in her spare time, to write, to consolidate the notes, the bits written on the back of receipts, the emails to herself, the notebooks, into something worthwhile. But it’s not easy with a noisy pub next door.
Saving a cute four-year-old girl from drowning in a duck pond brings her instantly to the attention of the girl’s rather dishy father: they seem to easily connect and, soon enough, they’re dating. Within a few months, Coralie has packed up her worldly goods and moved in with Adam Whiteman, journalist, podcaster, author, political commentator, and divorced father of Zora.
It’s not too hard to gain Zora’s approval, and soon she is sharing her care with the ex and her new partner, gay grannies and, of course, Adam. Theirs is a wonderful life, but the casualty is Coralie’s writing, for which there is never the right moment, or enough of them.
And the turbulence of the coming decade in British politics seems to ensure that, again and again, Adam’s work takes priority: a book deadline, an election, Brexit; there’s always something urgent that keeps him busy and has her juggling work, home and childcare. Because it really feels, more and more often, like Zora’s other carers are taking advantage of Coralie’s generous nature.
Nonetheless, she throws herself enthusiastically into the relationship. Home renovations, two pregnancies that produce a daughter and a son but, after ten years together, there’s even less me time. “She was like a sandcastle, and Adam and the kids were like the sea, eroding her and flattening her with their proximity and demands. If she went for a walk, or listened to a podcast, she could begin rebuilding her ramparts, only to get knocked down again by wave after wave of needs.”
Complaints would bring temporary minor changes but to “Ask an ambitious show-off to refuse high-status work? She wasn’t mad.” Eventually, at crisis point, she has to ask herself is she complicit in her own situation? ”Not insisting on things she wanted. Talking herself out of complaining. She’d floated away, mentally. A ghost in her own life. She’d nearly floated away for good. She was crying.”
But what to do about it? She felt that “Something was wrong with her, it set her apart – she couldn’t be in love, but she couldn’t be out of it either. If she didn’t love, she was half a person. But if she did love, she’d never be whole.” But can she just walk away?
This is a story that will resonate strongly with working mothers, with step-parents, and those with an interest in British politics in recent decades, of which there is quite a lot. Stanley’s own experience with journalism and political campaigns gives the story authenticity and makes it wholly credible. Half a star off for the pregnant bloke, though.
Stanley populates her novel with engaging characters while her protagonist has depth and appeal. She gives the reader a topical, relatable tale that is often laugh-out-loud funny, might sometimes make the reader indignant, and occasionally brings a lump to the throat. Funny, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Text Publishing
Consider Yourself Kissed is the second novel by Australian-born author, Jessica Stanley. Needing to escape a hurtful break-up, the legacy of a troubled upbringing, and a demanding boss who grossly oversteps, in late 2012, twenty-nine-year-old copywriter, Coralie Bower heads to her firm’s London branch.
She’s working hard but staying under the radar, keeping to herself, because this is her chance, in her spare time, to write, to consolidate the notes, the bits written on the back of receipts, the emails to herself, the notebooks, into something worthwhile. But it’s not easy with a noisy pub next door.
Saving a cute four-year-old girl from drowning in a duck pond brings her instantly to the attention of the girl’s rather dishy father: they seem to easily connect and, soon enough, they’re dating. Within a few months, Coralie has packed up her worldly goods and moved in with Adam Whiteman, journalist, podcaster, author, political commentator, and divorced father of Zora.
It’s not too hard to gain Zora’s approval, and soon she is sharing her care with the ex and her new partner, gay grannies and, of course, Adam. Theirs is a wonderful life, but the casualty is Coralie’s writing, for which there is never the right moment, or enough of them.
And the turbulence of the coming decade in British politics seems to ensure that, again and again, Adam’s work takes priority: a book deadline, an election, Brexit; there’s always something urgent that keeps him busy and has her juggling work, home and childcare. Because it really feels, more and more often, like Zora’s other carers are taking advantage of Coralie’s generous nature.
Nonetheless, she throws herself enthusiastically into the relationship. Home renovations, two pregnancies that produce a daughter and a son but, after ten years together, there’s even less me time. “She was like a sandcastle, and Adam and the kids were like the sea, eroding her and flattening her with their proximity and demands. If she went for a walk, or listened to a podcast, she could begin rebuilding her ramparts, only to get knocked down again by wave after wave of needs.”
Complaints would bring temporary minor changes but to “Ask an ambitious show-off to refuse high-status work? She wasn’t mad.” Eventually, at crisis point, she has to ask herself is she complicit in her own situation? ”Not insisting on things she wanted. Talking herself out of complaining. She’d floated away, mentally. A ghost in her own life. She’d nearly floated away for good. She was crying.”
But what to do about it? She felt that “Something was wrong with her, it set her apart – she couldn’t be in love, but she couldn’t be out of it either. If she didn’t love, she was half a person. But if she did love, she’d never be whole.” But can she just walk away?
This is a story that will resonate strongly with working mothers, with step-parents, and those with an interest in British politics in recent decades, of which there is quite a lot. Stanley’s own experience with journalism and political campaigns gives the story authenticity and makes it wholly credible. Half a star off for the pregnant bloke, though.
Stanley populates her novel with engaging characters while her protagonist has depth and appeal. She gives the reader a topical, relatable tale that is often laugh-out-loud funny, might sometimes make the reader indignant, and occasionally brings a lump to the throat. Funny, insightful, and thoroughly enjoyable.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by Text Publishing
December 22, 2024
Not my usual read at all but I found myself really absorbed in the story. The writing is superb and the representation of real life is second to none. It made me think about my own actions and how they might impact my wife and new family, and how I can be a better person to make her feel more than “just mum”. The ending was excellent and this will definitely be one to watch next year!
May 14, 2025
I dislike novels like this probably more than anything in the world.
Reading this made me want to give up everything I’m doing and write up my social media posts because honestly, if this can get published, then so could those.
In general, I’m a fan of relatable stories with prose that makes me stop in my tracks and think ‘oh, that’s me’. But when a book is literally just a list of anything (authors, news outlets, streets, restaurants, celebrities) that someone who is likely to read this book will have heard of, it becomes less of a story and more like a checklist. There has got to be a balance between being contemporary and essentially just writing a think piece about the modern world - this book does not achieve that balance. And every line that was not name dropping was so cliche that it was almost worse.
Usually I would know to avoid fiction in this genre, but the generally high ratings and endorsements by authors like Nina Stibbe and Meg Wolitzer made me think there might be something to it. I think I probably how shallow the publishing industry is.
It’s probably ironic that I hated this so much but Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss - with similar themes and also by an Australian author - remains my favourite book. Or maybe it’s true that some people just aren’t meant to write fiction at all.
Also, not the authors fault, but it definitely didn’t help that the audiobook was narrated by someone whose narration I had experienced before, which tends to merge the characters together for me.
I feel bad giving this such a low rating when it doesn’t seem to be published in some places yet. There is probably a certain amount of self hatred involved about the fact that I 100% think I could write a better novel than this but doubtlessly never will. So I’m not saying don’t read this, just that reading it made me personally very sad.
Reading this made me want to give up everything I’m doing and write up my social media posts because honestly, if this can get published, then so could those.
In general, I’m a fan of relatable stories with prose that makes me stop in my tracks and think ‘oh, that’s me’. But when a book is literally just a list of anything (authors, news outlets, streets, restaurants, celebrities) that someone who is likely to read this book will have heard of, it becomes less of a story and more like a checklist. There has got to be a balance between being contemporary and essentially just writing a think piece about the modern world - this book does not achieve that balance. And every line that was not name dropping was so cliche that it was almost worse.
Usually I would know to avoid fiction in this genre, but the generally high ratings and endorsements by authors like Nina Stibbe and Meg Wolitzer made me think there might be something to it. I think I probably how shallow the publishing industry is.
It’s probably ironic that I hated this so much but Meg Mason’s Sorrow and Bliss - with similar themes and also by an Australian author - remains my favourite book. Or maybe it’s true that some people just aren’t meant to write fiction at all.
Also, not the authors fault, but it definitely didn’t help that the audiobook was narrated by someone whose narration I had experienced before, which tends to merge the characters together for me.
I feel bad giving this such a low rating when it doesn’t seem to be published in some places yet. There is probably a certain amount of self hatred involved about the fact that I 100% think I could write a better novel than this but doubtlessly never will. So I’m not saying don’t read this, just that reading it made me personally very sad.
August 19, 2025
Over ten years, we follow Coralie, an Australian copywriter, now living and working in London.
Here she meets single father, Adam. There's a connection, a smooth coupling.
Then there's a house renovation, and babies.
The tribulations of new motherhood, the dreaded so-called juggling of work and parenting, leave Coralie drained, and resentful. As it happens in most hetero couples with children, Coralie pays the motherhood tax - she's overlooked for promotions, while she feels inadequate as a parent. She's everything to everyone, her ambitions and dreams have disappeared. Meanwhile, her dear husband's ambitions and prospects get better and better, which means that he's busier and less present.
On top of everything else, Britain is going through a lot of changes, arguably not for the better. Oh, and there's that pesky Covid-19 that makes people feel claustrophobic.
This contemporary novel felt almost autobiographical. I dare say many women will find it highly relatable.
NB: The cover and title make it seem like a lighter read than it actually was.
Here she meets single father, Adam. There's a connection, a smooth coupling.
Then there's a house renovation, and babies.
The tribulations of new motherhood, the dreaded so-called juggling of work and parenting, leave Coralie drained, and resentful. As it happens in most hetero couples with children, Coralie pays the motherhood tax - she's overlooked for promotions, while she feels inadequate as a parent. She's everything to everyone, her ambitions and dreams have disappeared. Meanwhile, her dear husband's ambitions and prospects get better and better, which means that he's busier and less present.
On top of everything else, Britain is going through a lot of changes, arguably not for the better. Oh, and there's that pesky Covid-19 that makes people feel claustrophobic.
This contemporary novel felt almost autobiographical. I dare say many women will find it highly relatable.
NB: The cover and title make it seem like a lighter read than it actually was.
May 30, 2025
Call me an escapist, a dreamer. I don’t really care. When I sit down to read, that’s exactly what I want to do: escape. Leave the politics, judgement, hatred, and turmoil of the world behind. The moment I flip open a book, I’m gone from reality.
Of course, there are many different types of worlds that authors invent for their readers: fantasy, apocalyptic, parallel universes. The list goes on. However, the most common is such a world that most resembles our own. Blue skies, green grass, attending school, going to work. Experiencing first love and heartbreak; the highs and lows of simply being. While the author may invent such a world that mirrors our own, and that which documents the human experience as we know it, I know as the reader that the world that the author is presenting to me is fictitious. I’m not existing in the same world as these characters.
Perhaps, this is why I hate when authors choose to include pop culture references within their writing. To me, this not only works to date a novel in the long run, but it also quite harshly, jerks me back to reality. Why are these things, these people that I encounter in my everyday life making an appearance in a fictional world? In my mind, it doesn’t make sense. So, you can only imagine the utter horror I felt when reading Consider Yourself Kissed, and not only stumbled upon multiple pop culture references, but realised that the author willingly chose to set their book in what can only be described as our world, real life. Cue Edvard Munch’s The Scream face.
Consider Yourself Kissed is basically an anti-Brexit manifesto disguised as a romance novel. Yes, the majority of the book focuses on the politics of Great Britain leading up to Brexit. Coralie, our main character, who is an Australian expat, is in a long term relationship with Adam, a Liberal journalist/radio host/author. Practically all of their conversations revolve around British politics and Boris Johnson, with a mention here or there of Trump. Yes, Trump. Jump scare much?
It only got worse when Covid entered the picture. We all lived through the pandemic, and while it’s undeniable that it has left a lasting impression on the world, I think it’s safe to say that most people would rather not read a book where Covid exists. In fact, I think this is the third book I’ve read where an author has chosen to have Covid play a part in their novel. I just don’t get it? Why would you want to bog down your book by incorporating something that had such a negative impact on the world? An author can literally choose to create any world they want, and they actively choose to write about our exact world and some of its very real divisive politics and a way too recent pandemic? If I wanted to read about Brexit or the pandemic, I would have picked up a non-fiction book instead.
Politics and pandemic aside, I absolutely hated Coralie as a character. Unlikable, unsympathetic, thinks the world should solely revolve around her and her wants and needs. Her internal monologue complaining about absolutely everything was a chore to read.
A good majority of the dialogue also felt very awkward, unnecessarily confusing, or just plain unnecessary in general.
Before picking up this book, Consider Yourself Warned.
*I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
Of course, there are many different types of worlds that authors invent for their readers: fantasy, apocalyptic, parallel universes. The list goes on. However, the most common is such a world that most resembles our own. Blue skies, green grass, attending school, going to work. Experiencing first love and heartbreak; the highs and lows of simply being. While the author may invent such a world that mirrors our own, and that which documents the human experience as we know it, I know as the reader that the world that the author is presenting to me is fictitious. I’m not existing in the same world as these characters.
Perhaps, this is why I hate when authors choose to include pop culture references within their writing. To me, this not only works to date a novel in the long run, but it also quite harshly, jerks me back to reality. Why are these things, these people that I encounter in my everyday life making an appearance in a fictional world? In my mind, it doesn’t make sense. So, you can only imagine the utter horror I felt when reading Consider Yourself Kissed, and not only stumbled upon multiple pop culture references, but realised that the author willingly chose to set their book in what can only be described as our world, real life. Cue Edvard Munch’s The Scream face.
Consider Yourself Kissed is basically an anti-Brexit manifesto disguised as a romance novel. Yes, the majority of the book focuses on the politics of Great Britain leading up to Brexit. Coralie, our main character, who is an Australian expat, is in a long term relationship with Adam, a Liberal journalist/radio host/author. Practically all of their conversations revolve around British politics and Boris Johnson, with a mention here or there of Trump. Yes, Trump. Jump scare much?
It only got worse when Covid entered the picture. We all lived through the pandemic, and while it’s undeniable that it has left a lasting impression on the world, I think it’s safe to say that most people would rather not read a book where Covid exists. In fact, I think this is the third book I’ve read where an author has chosen to have Covid play a part in their novel. I just don’t get it? Why would you want to bog down your book by incorporating something that had such a negative impact on the world? An author can literally choose to create any world they want, and they actively choose to write about our exact world and some of its very real divisive politics and a way too recent pandemic? If I wanted to read about Brexit or the pandemic, I would have picked up a non-fiction book instead.
Politics and pandemic aside, I absolutely hated Coralie as a character. Unlikable, unsympathetic, thinks the world should solely revolve around her and her wants and needs. Her internal monologue complaining about absolutely everything was a chore to read.
A good majority of the dialogue also felt very awkward, unnecessarily confusing, or just plain unnecessary in general.
Before picking up this book, Consider Yourself Warned.
*I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
May 10, 2025
This was quite well written and I thought I would enjoy it. But basically it evolved into a tedious boring novel written from inside a North London liberal bubble. All the baddies were obvious political types and the only thing missing from the zeitgeist was a child being trans.
May 10, 2025
Like it was designed in a lab for me to love.
February 1, 2025
💫 Introspective and beautiful characters. Delightful.
Set against some pretty brutal British politics, and a whole lot of love, this is a surprisingly refreshing read. I enjoyed it immensely. Not is it choc full of wonderful characters which were cast beautifully, this novel is fresh in everything that it does. Coralie meets her match, an Aussie expat living in London. She meets and falls in love with Adam, a political writer, and his adorable Zora who is 4. The years fly by as does the chaos, love, and many many portions of realistic and punchy family drama. Not only does time seem to scoot along with alarming speed, as does Coralie and the full on trajectory of her life. Whip smart and focussed, it’s truly wrenching to see all she must grapple with, and continues to do, which is what will be her downfall. Her complete and utter desire to mother, and mother WELL. This book is full of what I love. Characters to LOVE. Little pockets of true to life things smattered here and there as well. Yoga With Adrienne. The ‘My Story’ series from Scholastic. Literature, friendships and fractured families. I do not possess heaps of political nous, but gosh this was clever. I really enjoyed my ride with this one. If there were moments of serious and momentously difficult reflection on hard subject matter, this book was also bloody hilarious too. Thanks so much to Text and the author for sending me this skilfully written book, which also happens to have the most apt title.
Set against some pretty brutal British politics, and a whole lot of love, this is a surprisingly refreshing read. I enjoyed it immensely. Not is it choc full of wonderful characters which were cast beautifully, this novel is fresh in everything that it does. Coralie meets her match, an Aussie expat living in London. She meets and falls in love with Adam, a political writer, and his adorable Zora who is 4. The years fly by as does the chaos, love, and many many portions of realistic and punchy family drama. Not only does time seem to scoot along with alarming speed, as does Coralie and the full on trajectory of her life. Whip smart and focussed, it’s truly wrenching to see all she must grapple with, and continues to do, which is what will be her downfall. Her complete and utter desire to mother, and mother WELL. This book is full of what I love. Characters to LOVE. Little pockets of true to life things smattered here and there as well. Yoga With Adrienne. The ‘My Story’ series from Scholastic. Literature, friendships and fractured families. I do not possess heaps of political nous, but gosh this was clever. I really enjoyed my ride with this one. If there were moments of serious and momentously difficult reflection on hard subject matter, this book was also bloody hilarious too. Thanks so much to Text and the author for sending me this skilfully written book, which also happens to have the most apt title.
May 15, 2025
I loved this book so so much. The characters were all so lovable and reading a book set in Hackney was so nice now that all of the places mentioned are so familiar. The writing is superb and having the uk political situation taking place in the background was so clever. Highly recommend.
Read
December 15, 2024Stanley’s debut novel, A Great Hope examined the Rudd/Gillard years here in Australia so it’s no surprise to she her using Brexit and its aftermath as her backdrop as we bear witness to protagonist Coralie losing important parts of herself as she launches into a relationship, a renovation, motherhood and adult life. There’s so much here that is painfully relatable and I love the way Stanley uses politics in her fiction. It’s reminiscent of Nathan Hill and Andrew O’Hagan but now it’s decidedly feminist (thank god). Bookended by some classic rom-com tropes, Consider Yourself Kissed goes deep into the drudgery and magic of everyday life for working women trying to keep everyone in their household alive, clothed, fed and content. I have no idea how so many of us manage it and Coralie eventually unravels. Zora might be my favourite kid ever written on the page; I love Zora. The references to The Group were greatly appreciated.
June 7, 2025
Not quite enough plot for my taste and too much Brexit. But the writing was very good. A lot of romance writers could benefit from reading this and taking notes on the dialogue!!
April 5, 2025
Jessica Stanley's sophomore novel Consider Yourself Kissed is a luminous, perceptive exploration of what it truly means to build a life with someone while struggling not to lose yourself in the process. Set against the backdrop of a tumultuous decade in British politics, Stanley crafts an intimate portrait of modern love that resonates with painful authenticity.
The novel follows Coralie Bower, an Australian transplant in London who meets Adam Whiteman, a divorced political journalist with a charming four-year-old daughter named Zora. What begins as a serendipitous romance—they meet three times by chance before properly dating—evolves into a decade-spanning relationship marked by the challenges of blended families, career ambitions, motherhood, and maintaining one's identity amidst the constant demands of others.
The Dance of Domesticity and Desire
Stanley excels at capturing the complexity of domestic life without romanticizing or sanitizing it. The novel's narrative spans from 2013 to 2023, as Coralie and Adam build their life together: renovating a house in East London, having two children of their own (Florence and Max), and navigating the complexities of co-parenting with Adam's ex-wife Marina.
What makes this novel particularly affecting is Stanley's refusal to reduce her characters to simple archetypes. Coralie is neither a perfect mother nor a flawless partner. She loves her children desperately while sometimes resenting the ways they've limited her life. She's intelligent and capable yet paralyzed by self-doubt. Her relationship with Adam begins with passionate intensity but grows complicated as their lives become entangled with children, careers, and the mundane rhythms of daily existence.
As Coralie tells Adam early in their relationship: "If she didn't love, she was half a person. But if she did love, she'd never be whole." This tension—between selfhood and sacrifice—forms the emotional core of the novel.
Political Backdrop as Character
One of Stanley's most impressive achievements is her integration of British politics into the narrative without ever making it feel like a history lesson. Brexit, the turnstile of Conservative prime ministers, and the COVID-19 pandemic aren't mere background elements—they're forces that directly impact the characters' lives and shape their experiences.
When Coralie discovers she's pregnant with her second child, it's against the backdrop of the 2019 general election. As she gives birth, Boris Johnson is hospitalized with COVID. Personal milestones are consistently juxtaposed with public events, illustrating how our intimate lives are inextricably connected to the social and political worlds we inhabit.
Sharp Dialogue and Biting Humor
Stanley's dialogue crackles with wit and authenticity. Whether it's the tender banter between Coralie and Adam, tense exchanges with Adam's mother Anne, or touching conversations with Zora, each character's voice feels distinct and genuine. The humor is acerbic but never cruel—a perfect reflection of British sensibilities filtered through an Australian lens.
Some of the novel's most delightful moments come from Stanley's observations of social awkwardness and family dynamics. During a tense Christmas lunch where politics are discussed, Coralie thinks: "Very cool and normal. A cool and normal thing to say in a cool and normal country."
The Price of Modern Motherhood
Consider Yourself Kissed offers one of the most honest portrayals of motherhood I've encountered in contemporary fiction. Stanley demonstrates how having children transforms not just a woman's daily routine but her entire sense of self.
After giving birth to Florence, Coralie reflects: "She was a puppet, shaking and waving. Her head was a balloon, floating away." The physical and emotional toll of parenthood is rendered with unflinching clarity but also deep tenderness.
The novel is particularly insightful about the uneven distribution of domestic labor. While Adam is a devoted father, his career consistently takes precedence, leaving Coralie to handle most childcare responsibilities alongside her own professional ambitions. The resentment this creates simmers beneath the surface of their relationship, eventually boiling over during the COVID lockdowns when the division becomes unsustainable.
Notable Strengths and Moments
- Character Development: Stanley excels at creating complex, flawed characters who evolve believably over time. Coralie's journey from an uncertain twenty-nine-year-old to a woman reclaiming her identity at forty feels earned and authentic.
- Stepmother-Stepdaughter Relationship: The relationship between Coralie and Zora is particularly well-drawn—tender, sometimes fraught, but ultimately loving. Their swimming trip to Hampstead Ladies' Pond near the novel's end is a touching demonstration of their bond.
- Mental Health Representation: The portrayal of Coralie's breakdown in 2022 is handled with care and nuance. Her deteriorating mental health following her father's visit feels tragically inevitable rather than contrived.
- Supporting Characters: The novel boasts a rich cast of secondary characters, from Daniel (Coralie's gay brother) and his larger-than-life husband Barbie to Adam's prickly mother Anne and her gentle partner Sally.
Room for Improvement
While Stanley's novel is remarkably accomplished, a few elements could have been strengthened:
- Coralie's Writing: Throughout the novel, Coralie struggles to work on her manuscript. While this serves as an effective symbol of her stifled selfhood, we get little sense of what she's actually writing or why it matters to her.
- Pacing: The second half of the novel, particularly the COVID sections, sometimes feels rushed compared to the leisurely development of Coralie and Adam's early relationship.
- Australian Identity: Although Coralie's Australian background is mentioned frequently, it occasionally feels like a character trait rather than a fully integrated aspect of her identity and perspective.
- Roger's Visit: The pivotal visit from Coralie's father in 2022 is well-executed but could have benefited from further exploration of their complex relationship history.
A Window Into Modern Partnership
What ultimately makes Consider Yourself Kissed so compelling is its celebration of love without sentimentality. Stanley understands that long-term relationships are sustained not by grand gestures but by small kindnesses and mutual growth through difficulty.
The novel's conclusion feels earned rather than tidy—Coralie and Adam have weathered significant challenges and emerge not with a perfect relationship but with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. "They knew each other now—properly. The rest of their lives could begin."
Final Thoughts
Jessica Stanley has crafted a novel that manages to be both achingly specific and universally resonant. Her unflinching examination of motherhood, partnership, and identity makes Consider Yourself Kissed a significant contribution to contemporary fiction about women's lives.
Like the best literary fiction, it balances humor with heartbreak, lightness with depth. Stanley's prose is crisp and observant, equally adept at capturing the chaos of a family birthday party and the quiet desperation of a sleepless night.
I was fortunate to receive an advance reading copy of this book just as I was preparing for my own family's chaotic summer holiday—perhaps the perfect setting to appreciate Stanley's insights about the messy beauty of family life. This review is my honest assessment of a novel that kept me turning pages long after my children had gone to sleep.
The novel follows Coralie Bower, an Australian transplant in London who meets Adam Whiteman, a divorced political journalist with a charming four-year-old daughter named Zora. What begins as a serendipitous romance—they meet three times by chance before properly dating—evolves into a decade-spanning relationship marked by the challenges of blended families, career ambitions, motherhood, and maintaining one's identity amidst the constant demands of others.
The Dance of Domesticity and Desire
Stanley excels at capturing the complexity of domestic life without romanticizing or sanitizing it. The novel's narrative spans from 2013 to 2023, as Coralie and Adam build their life together: renovating a house in East London, having two children of their own (Florence and Max), and navigating the complexities of co-parenting with Adam's ex-wife Marina.
What makes this novel particularly affecting is Stanley's refusal to reduce her characters to simple archetypes. Coralie is neither a perfect mother nor a flawless partner. She loves her children desperately while sometimes resenting the ways they've limited her life. She's intelligent and capable yet paralyzed by self-doubt. Her relationship with Adam begins with passionate intensity but grows complicated as their lives become entangled with children, careers, and the mundane rhythms of daily existence.
As Coralie tells Adam early in their relationship: "If she didn't love, she was half a person. But if she did love, she'd never be whole." This tension—between selfhood and sacrifice—forms the emotional core of the novel.
Political Backdrop as Character
One of Stanley's most impressive achievements is her integration of British politics into the narrative without ever making it feel like a history lesson. Brexit, the turnstile of Conservative prime ministers, and the COVID-19 pandemic aren't mere background elements—they're forces that directly impact the characters' lives and shape their experiences.
When Coralie discovers she's pregnant with her second child, it's against the backdrop of the 2019 general election. As she gives birth, Boris Johnson is hospitalized with COVID. Personal milestones are consistently juxtaposed with public events, illustrating how our intimate lives are inextricably connected to the social and political worlds we inhabit.
Sharp Dialogue and Biting Humor
Stanley's dialogue crackles with wit and authenticity. Whether it's the tender banter between Coralie and Adam, tense exchanges with Adam's mother Anne, or touching conversations with Zora, each character's voice feels distinct and genuine. The humor is acerbic but never cruel—a perfect reflection of British sensibilities filtered through an Australian lens.
Some of the novel's most delightful moments come from Stanley's observations of social awkwardness and family dynamics. During a tense Christmas lunch where politics are discussed, Coralie thinks: "Very cool and normal. A cool and normal thing to say in a cool and normal country."
The Price of Modern Motherhood
Consider Yourself Kissed offers one of the most honest portrayals of motherhood I've encountered in contemporary fiction. Stanley demonstrates how having children transforms not just a woman's daily routine but her entire sense of self.
After giving birth to Florence, Coralie reflects: "She was a puppet, shaking and waving. Her head was a balloon, floating away." The physical and emotional toll of parenthood is rendered with unflinching clarity but also deep tenderness.
The novel is particularly insightful about the uneven distribution of domestic labor. While Adam is a devoted father, his career consistently takes precedence, leaving Coralie to handle most childcare responsibilities alongside her own professional ambitions. The resentment this creates simmers beneath the surface of their relationship, eventually boiling over during the COVID lockdowns when the division becomes unsustainable.
Notable Strengths and Moments
- Character Development: Stanley excels at creating complex, flawed characters who evolve believably over time. Coralie's journey from an uncertain twenty-nine-year-old to a woman reclaiming her identity at forty feels earned and authentic.
- Stepmother-Stepdaughter Relationship: The relationship between Coralie and Zora is particularly well-drawn—tender, sometimes fraught, but ultimately loving. Their swimming trip to Hampstead Ladies' Pond near the novel's end is a touching demonstration of their bond.
- Mental Health Representation: The portrayal of Coralie's breakdown in 2022 is handled with care and nuance. Her deteriorating mental health following her father's visit feels tragically inevitable rather than contrived.
- Supporting Characters: The novel boasts a rich cast of secondary characters, from Daniel (Coralie's gay brother) and his larger-than-life husband Barbie to Adam's prickly mother Anne and her gentle partner Sally.
Room for Improvement
While Stanley's novel is remarkably accomplished, a few elements could have been strengthened:
- Coralie's Writing: Throughout the novel, Coralie struggles to work on her manuscript. While this serves as an effective symbol of her stifled selfhood, we get little sense of what she's actually writing or why it matters to her.
- Pacing: The second half of the novel, particularly the COVID sections, sometimes feels rushed compared to the leisurely development of Coralie and Adam's early relationship.
- Australian Identity: Although Coralie's Australian background is mentioned frequently, it occasionally feels like a character trait rather than a fully integrated aspect of her identity and perspective.
- Roger's Visit: The pivotal visit from Coralie's father in 2022 is well-executed but could have benefited from further exploration of their complex relationship history.
A Window Into Modern Partnership
What ultimately makes Consider Yourself Kissed so compelling is its celebration of love without sentimentality. Stanley understands that long-term relationships are sustained not by grand gestures but by small kindnesses and mutual growth through difficulty.
The novel's conclusion feels earned rather than tidy—Coralie and Adam have weathered significant challenges and emerge not with a perfect relationship but with a deeper understanding of themselves and each other. "They knew each other now—properly. The rest of their lives could begin."
Final Thoughts
Jessica Stanley has crafted a novel that manages to be both achingly specific and universally resonant. Her unflinching examination of motherhood, partnership, and identity makes Consider Yourself Kissed a significant contribution to contemporary fiction about women's lives.
Like the best literary fiction, it balances humor with heartbreak, lightness with depth. Stanley's prose is crisp and observant, equally adept at capturing the chaos of a family birthday party and the quiet desperation of a sleepless night.
I was fortunate to receive an advance reading copy of this book just as I was preparing for my own family's chaotic summer holiday—perhaps the perfect setting to appreciate Stanley's insights about the messy beauty of family life. This review is my honest assessment of a novel that kept me turning pages long after my children had gone to sleep.
June 12, 2025
Austen-Ephron vibes abound in this cosy, funny, relatable book.
As an elder millennial, Coralie was my fictional parallel-lives sister-in-arms (whose bookshelf I would raid). Living overseas and aching for home while never quite knowing where or what that is; wanting to find love and a family-community then suddenly smothered by the very things you built; that feeling of being an adult suddenly hit with the full realisation of a childhood trauma while still trying to mask as fully functioning and in control.
The writing is warm with laugh-out-loud lines, and even as someone who has never wanted a single child nor felt any form of biological yearning for one, it all hit home.
As an elder millennial, Coralie was my fictional parallel-lives sister-in-arms (whose bookshelf I would raid). Living overseas and aching for home while never quite knowing where or what that is; wanting to find love and a family-community then suddenly smothered by the very things you built; that feeling of being an adult suddenly hit with the full realisation of a childhood trauma while still trying to mask as fully functioning and in control.
The writing is warm with laugh-out-loud lines, and even as someone who has never wanted a single child nor felt any form of biological yearning for one, it all hit home.
June 29, 2025
The book came highly recommended. The title made me think it's a cutesy romance.
While reading, I had only one thought. When will this whine fest end? Everyone is just crying or complaining all the time. The love story, or a regular life of a woman with kids, is heavily based on the UK politics around Brexit. The left wing bias shows. And it is not even well written.
People who found this delightful, were you paid to say so?
The only redeeming factor of this book is Zora, the protagonist's step daughter. She also loses the place in the book once Coralie has her own kids.
While reading, I had only one thought. When will this whine fest end? Everyone is just crying or complaining all the time. The love story, or a regular life of a woman with kids, is heavily based on the UK politics around Brexit. The left wing bias shows. And it is not even well written.
People who found this delightful, were you paid to say so?
The only redeeming factor of this book is Zora, the protagonist's step daughter. She also loses the place in the book once Coralie has her own kids.
June 3, 2025
(3.5) Coralie is nearing 30 when her ad agency job transfers her from Australia to London in 2013. Within a few pages, she meets Adam when she rescues his four-year-old, Zora, from a lake. That Adam and Coralie will be together is never really in question. But over the next decade of personal and political events, we wonder whether they have staying power – and whether Coralie, a would-be writer, will lose herself in soul-destroying work and motherhood. Adam’s job as a political journalist and biographer means close coverage of each UK election and referendum. As I’ve thought about some recent Jonathan Coe novels: These events were so depressing to live through, who would want to relive them through fiction? I also found this overlong and drowning in exclamation points. Still, it’s so likable, what with Coralie’s love of literature (the title is from The Group) and adjustment to expat life without her mother; and secondary characters such as Coralie’s brother Daniel and his husband, Adam’s prickly mother and her wife, and the mums Coralie meets through NCT classes. Best of all, though, is her relationship with Zora. This falls solidly between literary fiction and popular/women’s fiction. Given that I was expecting a lighter romance-led read, it surprised me with its depth. It may well be for you if you’re a fan of Meg Mason and David Nicholls.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
August 1, 2025
Originally 3.5, minus half a star for a familiar problem with a certain type of Gen X novel- the protagonist shies away from conflict, creating a situation for herself, and then hates the situation she slept-walked into.
I would have been super into it if I hadn't recently been burned by two other books that did the same thing, but I enjoyed this look at the quotidian crises of life- step motherhood, parenthood, babies, pregnancy, bills, building a life with a careless partner. Lots of witty banter, a lovely love story, and great side characters, but CW for a surprise Trauma Plot. The writing about her mother was by far the strongest- I would have read an entire book about that.
I would have been super into it if I hadn't recently been burned by two other books that did the same thing, but I enjoyed this look at the quotidian crises of life- step motherhood, parenthood, babies, pregnancy, bills, building a life with a careless partner. Lots of witty banter, a lovely love story, and great side characters, but CW for a surprise Trauma Plot. The writing about her mother was by far the strongest- I would have read an entire book about that.
June 15, 2025
DNF, this was just really boring. Didn’t connect with any of the characters, didn’t like any of them, and it felt like nothing was happening. More fun things to read so put it down.
July 12, 2025
Funny that this is considered "literary" - it reads like a contemporary romance except that the heroine got the guy but isn't happy! Whine whine whine.
April 7, 2025
Big thanks to Text Publishing for sending us a copy to read and review.
Consider Yourself Kissed is a favourable read with real life authenticity set against the back of British political moments and the recent lockdown.
Coralie is many things and she’s trying to juggle them all.
She grew up in Australia and now lives in London.
Then she meets Adam and his daughter, four year old Zora.
Coralie begins to make a life with Adam, a home, a family and kids of their own.
Everything is peachy but ten years on, she is losing the one thing that’s important to her……….herself!
I found this book was good and tickled my reading senses.
It will relate to many readers especially women of a certain age and working mothers.
I must highlight that Zora, as a youngster, made me laugh with her banter and sharp one liners.
Liked the use of the title scattered throughout and the way it was used was smart.
A story that’s engaging, relatable and pleasing.
Consider Yourself Kissed is a favourable read with real life authenticity set against the back of British political moments and the recent lockdown.
Coralie is many things and she’s trying to juggle them all.
She grew up in Australia and now lives in London.
Then she meets Adam and his daughter, four year old Zora.
Coralie begins to make a life with Adam, a home, a family and kids of their own.
Everything is peachy but ten years on, she is losing the one thing that’s important to her……….herself!
I found this book was good and tickled my reading senses.
It will relate to many readers especially women of a certain age and working mothers.
I must highlight that Zora, as a youngster, made me laugh with her banter and sharp one liners.
Liked the use of the title scattered throughout and the way it was used was smart.
A story that’s engaging, relatable and pleasing.
November 11, 2025
Este livro apanhou-me na curva logo nos primeiros capítulos e eu não consegui deixar de pensar nele. Uma leitura atípica e, não vou negar, nem sempre fácil por estarmos o tempo todo na cabeça da protagonista, Coralie, mas eu gostei muito e apareceu no momento certo na minha vida.
September 5, 2025
I reeeally wanted to love this but just found myself bored in some parts (3.5 stars rounded up)
June 1, 2025
3.5 stars
August 5, 2025
I read Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley while stuck in Airport Hell on a return trip from a vacation in July. So, I’m fuzzy on details, but it’s set in the UK, follows the same woman over 10 years, and is a powerful reflection on motherhood. I liked it well enough—how’s that?
[Follow-up: After reading several Goodreads reviews of this, I've decided this one-sentence hot take from one of the reviews I read also summarizes this book quite nicely—I did NOT expect all the political talk in this book! "Consider Yourself Kissed is basically an anti-Brexit manifesto disguised as a romance novel."]
[Follow-up: After reading several Goodreads reviews of this, I've decided this one-sentence hot take from one of the reviews I read also summarizes this book quite nicely—I did NOT expect all the political talk in this book! "Consider Yourself Kissed is basically an anti-Brexit manifesto disguised as a romance novel."]
July 4, 2025
Way too much Brexit talk in this for me
December 7, 2024
It's not that this book is bad, it's well written (though I do take issue with the Australian noting that band-aids are called 'sticking plasters' in the UK. Just plasters. This is a small thing I know, but I was quite bored of the book by the time I got to that part so it annoyed me more than it should). Also the author's use of brackets to explain her point seemed as though she was unsure the readers would know what she was talking about.
I saw another review say that this book is like reality TV, and that sums it up for me. Long stretches of it are like when you couldn't sleep so you watched Big Brother at 1am. Realism is fine, but it's okay to admit that it's also often boring, and doesn't need to be documented.
I'm grateful for the ARC from netgalley, but this was a slog for me unfortunately. Too long, too meandering, too much Boris Johnson (ew).
I saw another review say that this book is like reality TV, and that sums it up for me. Long stretches of it are like when you couldn't sleep so you watched Big Brother at 1am. Realism is fine, but it's okay to admit that it's also often boring, and doesn't need to be documented.
I'm grateful for the ARC from netgalley, but this was a slog for me unfortunately. Too long, too meandering, too much Boris Johnson (ew).
May 17, 2025
1.5-stars
I believe this book to be mis-titled and incorrectly marketed. The political commentary was not merely background, as I’d expected. I didn’t see it as truly being relevant or necessary, aside from Adam’s profession, and so the lengthy exposition was uninteresting, and boring. Unfortunately, this was about 90% of the book.
I believe this book to be mis-titled and incorrectly marketed. The political commentary was not merely background, as I’d expected. I didn’t see it as truly being relevant or necessary, aside from Adam’s profession, and so the lengthy exposition was uninteresting, and boring. Unfortunately, this was about 90% of the book.
June 16, 2025
If you want to read a timeline about Boris Johnson this is the book for you.
August 12, 2025
Consider yourself bored.
September 2, 2025
What a treasure! Dont be fooled by the cutesy title (actually a literary allusion to a 1963 Mary McCarthy novel), this love story is anything but flippant. Intricately weaving the personal with the political, Stanley produces a miraculous and heartwarming text that in turns had me laughing, teary and, quite existentially, questioning how I see my future. I've seen so many people recommend this and can I say, it's for good reason. It wasn't quite a five-star read for me because I felt a few of the themes were re-hashed too laboriously, but wow was it clever and tender and all the good things! I loved loved loved the prolific and ironic use of parentheses and incessant exclamation points!! So!! Much!!! Double bonus points for the impeccable literary references (Australian and British) peppered throughout.
Very funny, because I disliked the author's other novel (also political, set in Australia) but this one stands alone. There are some echoes of that first novel in CYK, a tendency to lecture on political points rather than demonstrate them, for example, but it's far more palatable!
Very funny, because I disliked the author's other novel (also political, set in Australia) but this one stands alone. There are some echoes of that first novel in CYK, a tendency to lecture on political points rather than demonstrate them, for example, but it's far more palatable!
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