Author: J.D. Barrett
ISBN: 978-0-7336-3797-1
RRP: $29.99
Publication Date: May 29, 2018
Publisher: Hachette
Copy: Courtesy of the Publisher
The Upside of Over is the third novel by J.D. Barrett, a successful Australian television writer and script editor. I haven’t read her books, though her debut came across my desk and looked like it could be quite an entertaining read, after just reading the first couple of pages of this I think it could be a real winner too.
Olivia Law is a newsreader in her mid-40s who has always done things the right way. She was the quintessential good girl and always has been. Good grades, great career, husband, hairdo and house. She has always filled her time with great causes and kept up appearances.
It all falls apart when her fabulous husband leaves her and her drunken love letter confession goes viral. She is left with no house, husband or job.
Looking down the barrel of middle age with a reputation that’s just been totally turned upside down Olivia is left humiliated and defeated, wondering who she really is. She is faced with a crossroad that allows her to abandon perfection and chase a new destiny.
Olivia might just get her sass back, and this time it will be of the authentic variety.
A novel about love, sex, breaking up and breaking through.
A scathingly brilliant new novel that explores sex, love and all the stuff in-between.
If the first 2 chapters are anything to go by this book is going to offer an insightful social commentary on the face of news media, an acerbic wit and more than a touch of heat.
J.D. Barrett can be found on Facebook.
The Upside of Over is published by Hachette and is available now from Angus & Robertson Bookworld, Booktopia and where all good books are sold.
Thanks to Hachette 30 of our Beauty and Lace Club Members are reading The Upside of Over and I look forward to hearing their thoughts. Please be aware there may be spoilers in the comments below.
I devour books, vampires and supernatural creatures are my genre of choice but over the past couple of years, I have broadened my horizons considerably. In a nutshell – I love to write! I love interacting with a diverse range of artists to bring you interviews. Perhaps we were perfect before – I LOVE WORDS!
The upside of over was a great read.
Olivia is a very successful media identity who when her marriage turns sour she tries to get revenge on her husband. Oops, that backfired and now it leaves her without her life successes and subject to discrimination.
Just when she thinks she has lost everything, she turns to her best friend and starts to find herself again.
This book takes you on her journey of which many women I am sure can relate.
The title of The Upside of Over rings true. When one door closes, another one opens and in this case it was a blessing. Recommended and will re-read!
Absolutely loved this book, I finished it in one day.
It was clever and funny read. I enjoyed all the characters, they were all interesting and unique in their own way.
I loved that it tackled current issues and empowered women.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Hachette Australia for the opportunity to read this fantastic book.
I would highly recommend it for a great piece of escapism!
Well this book wasn’t at all what I expected!!!
Olivia made a very raunchy video for her husband as she desperately attempts to win him back. This all backfires as it goes viral! She looses her job, her security and is slandered everywhere she goes. Olivia has hit rock bottom. She escapes to her best friend in Byron and her life changes for the better when she receives provocative emails from women supporters.
This story is very easy to read and is quite entertaining! A lot of likable characters.
“The Upside of Over” is awesome! I devoured this book in just two sittings.. resulting in a major reading over this morning.. but it was absolutely worth it.
The book is easy to read, hilarious and cringe worthy in all the right ways.
We follow the life of Olivia as she goes through a major low.. think internet humilation x 100. She escapes to her friends farm in Byron to hide and heal.. Honestly I would love to escape to Byron some days.. now if only I could find myself a rich friend lol. She deals with her issues and comes out enlightened and a much better person.
A really fun read that offers some brilliant escapism, I would highly recommend.
This book has been my favourite read so far this year. I read majority of it in one sitting and found it was just one of those stories that you’re intrigued by from page one. I loved the quirky thinkings of the main character, Olivia. This book was like a combinations of Bridget Jones’ Diary and Sex and the City. I enjoyed the supporting cast even if they were somewhat predictable and cliche. I do agree with one of the earlier reviewers about the ending feeling a little rushed. I feel like another couple of chapters would have left the book feeling more ready to be wrapped up, but overall I loved this book. The plot was otherwise well paced, interesting and topical.
Thanks so much to Hachette and the Beauty and Lace Bookclub for the opportunity to participate.
The Upside Of Over was a nice easy read, funny, witty and definitely one I would recommend. A bit rude, but not in a crude way, and reminds us that everyone has fantasies and there is nothing sting with that!
Olivia is a lovely woman who takes a wrong turn and finds her career and life in turmoil, but her friends and new friends help her to turn her life around in a way she would never imagine!
It was an empowering book, but I think it empowered women in a way that didn’t belittle men which is good as many books about empowerment often degrade the other side entirely.
Really enjoyed this read!
This novel gets off to quite a raunchy start and I was a bit concerned about where the story was going, but Olivia Law, a top newsreader, good wife, and some involved in community causes is someone I think most people could relate to.
Olivia’s husband leaves her and her drunken video love letter to him goes viral, resulting in her losing her job, losing some of her social standing and her life falling apart. But, there is only way to go when you hit rock bottom, and that’s up.
She finds solace with her best friend in Byron Bay and learns plenty about who she really is and what she wants from life. Once she meets the owner of a successful ‘marital aids’ company, her life takes a turn for the better as she learns about love… from a four-legged friend.
The relationships in this novel and the issues that are explored are where the strengths in this story lie. A few of the storylines are a little far-fetched, but it all adds to the overall feeling of the novel.
This may not be the book you recommend to your mum for some light bedtime reading, but then again… you just might. It’s a fun book that ties up all loose ends in a fairly convenient way – far too convenient for real life. If it’s a lighthearted book you’re after that’s going to be an easy read, this is it.
Thanks to Beauty and Lace and Hachette for the opportunity to read and review this novel.