Being Shelley by Qarnita Loxton || Book Review

This was one of those cases where I shouldn’t have chosen because of the cover.

It’s colourful and inviting, and I thought I could give it a try. Sadly, it didn’t live up to any of my expectations and it was left a slightly bad taste in my mouth.

DISCLAIMER: This review could contain possible spoilers based on my opinions. All opinions and views are my own.

Book review: Being Shelley by Qarnita Loxton #bookreview #qarnitaloxton #southafricanauthors #dramabooks #booktwt #bookaddict #booktwitter
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Challenge prompt: A book published in my birth month
Originally published: 2019

Pages: 288
Format: Paperback

Plot from GoodReads:

Shelley Jacobsen is in her 40s and feels trapped. The coffee and décor shop that she opened with her bestie is proving to be a gilded cage. Meanwhile, her husband is consumed with Jewish guilt since having their twins, which reminds Shelley that she will always be a Shiksa to his family.
Then she hires Wayde Smith, a sexy 22-year-old surfer who smells like a Pina Colada Coconut Vanilla Dessert, as a barista. He makes her feel young and Shelley just wants some fun. But will it stay harmless?

Thoughts:

Okay, let just start off and say that some of the information in the blurb is misleading and that was just one of the few letdowns I came across.

It was an easy read only because there was absolutely no emotional investment in the story or any of the characters. I only felt sorry for her husband, who really didn’t deserve what happened, and how he was made out to be a villain in certain things to save face for other things.

Shelley is probably one of the most selfish and self-absorbed characters I have ever come across in a book. She acts superior over everyone and then doesn’t understand why people don’t want to connect with her? Come on, it’s not rocket science here! Of course, she wasn’t the only one to blame for some things that happened, don’t get that wrong, but Shelley had a lot more to lose.

I get it, we ALL make mistakes and we learn from them, but Shelley’s character was just as dislikable before she set off down the wrong path and it didn’t improve in the end.

I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews about books I read, but they are sometimes necessary.