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, by J.D. Barret, is the light hearted story of a forty-five year old woman who believes she has the perfect life until she loses everything.
The beginning sparked immediate interest and I just had to find out what was going to happen! The lively characters allowed the reader to develop a positive rapport with them, as well as let the imaginings of the reader picture them in minds eye. Their contribution to the story assisted Olivia in her life changing voyage of self-discovery and self-worth.
The storyline was funny, sexy, provocative and intriguing. It left me torn between being unable to put the book down and savouring every page for those quiet moments to myself.
The Upside of Over shows us just how easy it is to lose everything you hold dear in your life only to be shown that it wasn’t as important as you thought it was!
Highly recommended!
The Upside of Over was an amusing read and an interesting look at our social framework via the media. It was lightly enjoyable but it is where I would leave it. So if you are after a quick light hearted read to pass some time without too much nitty gritty, I’d recommend it.
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Hachette Australia for the opportunity for reading The Upside of Over, though it didn’t become a favourite I was happy to have read it.
Thankyou Beauty and Lace for continuing to be my enabler and encouraging my addiction of reading!
The main theme I found present in The upside of over, was women in media, which I feel is a very current topic at the moment. The book also has your typical love life dramas of divorce, growing apart and finding new love.
At times I felt there was not enough detail in each scene and when it finished I felt like there needed to be more to satisfy my needs. Im unsure if it was because it was rushed or if I needed more of a follow up on the characters to fulfil my ‘happy ever after’.
Overall I found it a light hearted, easy read that touched on many current topics.
A sassy, smart and fun read by J.D. Barrett “The Upside of Over” is a piece of escapism from our busy days.
It is about working through and seeing the upside of over (when your life is falling apart) of changing and reinventing yourself. Olivia is a 45 year old woman who appears to have it all, she is a popular television identity, married to David with a step son Finn but when her husband up and leaves she leave a video, a love letter to her husband which somehow is leaked and goes viral. Olivia goes from reading the news to being the news. She loses everything and to her it is all over.
Strangely I had not read J.D.Barrett before but when I saw the television shows she has written for as a television writer and script editor, I knew I would likely enjoy it as I loved watching “Love my Way, Bed of Roses, Wonderland, Love Child and The Secret Daughter on the tv.
Set in Sydney and Byron Bay it tackles current issues like gender pay issues, sexual harassment, women empowerment and being comfortable in our own skin.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Hachette Publishing for the chance to read and then review this sassy tale.
This was a book filled with lots of laughs. So what’s happen when something really private is put out for the whole world to see. Olivia seems to have everything but that is quickly taken from her and she needs to work out what matters and how to move forward.
I loved some of the minor characters but I would of loved some of the smaller story lines to be developed further including one with her stepson.
Occasionally the book had me blushing 🙂 But overall I found it a light read.
Thank you to Beauty and Lace and Hachette Publishing for the chance to read and review this book.
Fabulously funny and clever!
Olivia Law is a successful newsreader but unfortunately, her marriage is falling apart. When she tries to send her husband a raunchy video to spice up their sex lives, her private life is all of a sudden, no longer private.
The Upside of Over offers an amusing look at what happens when things quickly spiral downhill out of control. What happens when you hit rock bottom? The only way is up. The author, J.D. Barrett, has written a very entertaining book on women’s sexual fantasies and also touches on the subject of discrimination in the workplace. The characters are mature and intelligent adults and very relatable. However, I feel I would not have been as composed as Olivia if I were in her situation!
Thank you Beauty and Lace and Hachette Australia for the opportunity to review this wonderful book. Congratulations J.D. Barrett for your clever writing. Even with a serious topic behind the story, the positive notes of humour made this book very charming and one I would thoroughly recommend.
Thank you to Hachette Australia and B&L for fantastic book called “The Upside Of Over” by J.D Barrett. The minute I picked it up, I struggled to put it down.
Olivia is a 45 year old woman who is a popular newsreader, married to David with a step son Finn. Her husband leaves her with out any indication that things are wrong.In a drunken state she films a video, a love letter to her husband, which is leaked and goes vira on you tube.. Olivia goes from reading the news to being the news.
A story that reminds me to enjoy every part of life and not take things too seriously all the time. We all make mistakes and thats how we learn
The upside of over by J D Barrett is the story of Olivia Law a TV news reader
who lives in Sydney with her husband David. They have not been intimate for
two years and in an attempt to win him back makes a video in a drunken state exposing their sex life and her sexual fantasies.
The video goes viral, publicly exposing herself which leads to her losing her job and now her husband wants a divorce.
Olivia escapes to Byron Bay to her best friend Darcy and their meets some interesting characters.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. While this novel did address some serious, valid issues about the way women can be treated in their job and may be discriminated as they age, I felt that the story did not have much depth to it and was a little mindless.
There were many aspects that I enjoyed such as the many likeable characters in this novel but It is not the most enjoyable book I have read.
Many thanks to Hachette and Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read this book.
the upside of being over was a very witty, fun, behind closed doors kind of book.
Olivia as the main character was relatable, fun,genuine and charming. As a reader, I engaged with her dilemmas, ideas and rebellion of social norms.
Through her hardship she rises like a Phoenix to accomplish things that pushed her out of her comfort, away from her failing marriage to David, away from her beliefs about sexuality. femininity, friends and work.
I related to so much of this book and the way Barrett juxtaposes Byron Bay and Sydney in a way that provided stability, clarity, drama, relief and empowerment.
The way the characters draw on each others strengths and differences allows for a deeper sense of commection and journey as you read effortlessly through he heartfelt novel.
thank you for the wonderful read, it come while I have been cronically sick and provided much needed fodder for escape and enjoyment.
The Upside of Over wasn’t exactly what I was expecting, and yet at the same time it was exactly that! A thoroughly enjoyable, amusing and heart warming tale about what happens when your life goes completely off the rails. It is a fantastic example of reinventing oneself. When Olivia’s life as it was is suddenly history, she really finds out what and who is important to her. A poignant reminder to all of us.
Thanks for a terrific read Beauty and Lace and Hachette.