Can you imagine or, worse yet, actually knowing someone who is so riveted on their electronics and social media that they make the biggest blunder when they tweet something risqué on their employer’s account instead of on their personal account? The massive embarrassment, not to mention the loss of one’s job should be enough for said person to take stock and perhaps rethink what is actually important in life outside of social media.

Meet Daisy, marketing manager of a large company who is online for everything from instagramming meals and uploading photos with friends to trolling Facebook to see what everyone is up to. On her way to meet up with a Tinder date (she had actually forgotten about it so she wasn’t thinking clearly…so I will grant her a little grace here), she decides to tweet a message about perhaps getting lucky. Unfortunately, her tweet is put on her employer’s account and it goes viral overnight. Daisy now finds herself unemployed and her roommate Erica wants to take things to the next level with her boyfriend so Daisy is about to become homeless as well.

Daisy’s sister, Rosie, invites Daisy to accompany her on a digital detox retreat in Cumbria. I suspect Daisy thought it would be meditation, yoga, clean eating, maybe some massage, realigning her chakras but what Daisy gets is a mouse infested run-down farmhouse that her sister bought and wants to fix up and turn into a holiday rental. Rosie tells Daisy that if she will stay for a few weeks and work on the house with her, Rosie will do a digital detox with her. Besides, there is no Wi-Fi signal and cell phones are practically useless. Daisy agrees and Rosie chucks their phones down a well. Yes, you read that correctly, down a well.

What I really enjoyed about this story is the lengths Daisy is willing to go to find an internet signal and she isn’t above stealing or borrowing a cell phone to do it. Even if she has to slog through a bunch of mud in her suede espadrille boots to get to the top of a very tall hill to find a signal. Along the way she meets and befriends Jack, the grouchy neighbor, who doesn’t think very much of tourists. I loved watching their relationship blossom into a friendship and was rooting for them to get together.

I really enjoyed meeting Daisy and Jack and all the supporting characters. The author’s choice of a social media obsessed character and the unwelcome consequences it brings are very relevant in today’s society. People cannot drive their vehicles without looking at their phones. Their entire day to day lives are published online for all the world to see so the events that happen to Daisy after her goof, though extreme and horrific rings true. I was completely invested in how long Daisy could last without her phone or access to the internet.

My Final Verdict: I loved watching Daisy’s transformation from a self-obsessed social media zombie to someone who begins to realize the importance of relationships and connection face to face. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy women’s fiction and for anyone looking to unplug and get offline for a while.

Thank you to the publisher, Bonnier Zaffre, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.

DNF

Slutty-themed bachelorette party that the heroine simultaneously judges and throws herself completely into bridal-themed cards against humanity which fails to be remotely funny. I'm also not into digital detox plot lines, and the editing clearly is lacking.

Good easy beach read . Perfect if you need to read something lighthearted and fun.
I would recommend to friends

Started off hilariously and ended with quite a serious message about how we are all losing personal connections because of our smartphone addictions. It was easy to relate to Daisy as she made her massive faux pas and was then bustled off to the country by her sister for a digital detox. The characters were realistic, there was so much humour, and I absolutely loved the little letters shared between Daisy and Jack. I was also glad to see a certain character being taken down a peg in the end, too. Great story, and I will certainly be checking out Anna Bell's other titles.

***Disclaimer: This e-ARC was provided to me by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Huge thanks to them. ***

This was a lovely, feel-good, light read that I enjoyed spending a lazy Sunday afternoon with! Daisy is, like many, addicted to social media, unable to be without her phone. But when she's fired from her marketing job for a huge Twitter-related error, she finds herself unsure of what to do next. However, her sensible sister Rosie has a plan - to take Daisy away on a social media detox, in an old farmhouse in the Lake District. With no technology, Daisy has to live life the old-fashioned way, and doesn't expect her life to suddenly become far more interesting than she's ever portrayed it on social media.

I expected this book to be quite predictable - ultimately, I was wrong. There are so many little twists throughout the book that made it so hard to put down. I read it in one sitting as it's so much fun. Also, I loved Daisy; in the first chapters I found her quite vapid but quickly grew to love her. After all, how many of us are guilty of being glued to our phones?

Anna Bell is a fantastic writer and this book is utterly wonderful.

I think most people could do with a modern day technology detox. Daisy accidently post a tweet on her work account.. The tweet goes viral and her life takes a dramatic change.
Seeking help from her elder sister and they end up doing a social media detox in a rural hilly area.
Will Daisy be able to cope?
How will she find a new job or a new love interest without the internet?
A great story that really makes you think.

I knew I was going to like this book. The title, the cover, the synopsis – ah, yes. And I was not wrong. I laughed, I cringed, I nodded knowingly. The setting was also super cute to read about, and the romances … well, the romances had me wondering how this book would end, and wow was I surprised at the plot twist in here! But it culminated perfectly, and I commend Anna Bell on a book well written. If you are a fan of chick lit or find yourself stuck on social media a bit too much, pick up It Started With a Tweet

Daisy works in Marketing, and leads a high pressured, fast paced lifestyle, her face constantly starring at her phone screen, her life completely controlled by social media.

After accidently sending a personal explicit tweet from her work account, which then starts trending for all the wrong reasons, Daisy is fired from her job.

With no employment prospects, no home of her own and no boyfriend, her sister Rosie suggests they both go to Cumbria for a Digital Detox, however, not everything is as it seems, but can Daisy survive a week with no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat?

I loved this book, and could really identify with the characters. I read it whilst on holiday in Cyprus where the internet signal was patchy to say the least, and where the most reliable signal seemed to be in the restaurant, but only if the wind was in the right direction, and you stood facing north east on one leg! Therefore, I could relate to the desperate measures that Daisy went to to try and connect to the outside world!

This was a real laugh out loud story with a hint of romance, but a book which will make you question your own social media usage!

It took me a couple of chapters to finally get sucked into the story but when it did, I was highly entertained. Daisy reflects a lot of us and thus make it easy to connect with her and mostly understand her situation. I love how she wanted the digital detox to be successful yet the temptation to check her social media accounts is so strong that she did some crazy things just to get herself online. It is silly but funny at the same time. Daisy can be annoying at times and I appreciate how her self-discovery and character development was done beautifully. The other characters made the book so much interesting, too. Overall, I am highly entertained by this book with its timely storyline, great sets of characters and humor. It is thought-provoking and a light-hearted and fun read.

This was a nice,funny and thought provoking read.

Daisy is a brilliant woman, her life is dictated by her excessive use of the web and social medias but everything she knows will drastically change when she mistakenly sends a personal tweet from her working account.Could she be happy again with her sister intervention?
I loved all the characters but our heroine have a special place in my heart,I've suffered with her during her digital detox and I was glad when she has found her happy place.

I didn't expect to relate to our heroine's problem so much...I started to think how many hours I spend on the web and I was horrified by the result,I should go on a retreat without technology too but I could never leave my kindle at home.

This was the first time I've read Anna Bell's work but it won't be the last because her writing conquered me.

I love this book, it was an easy read from start to finish and had me laughing throughout. Daisy is a girl a lot of us will resonate with, she's addicted to her phone and social media and spends far too much time updating her followers rather than actually seeing whats right in front of her. When she is forced on a digital detox it is only then she realises the things she's been missing.

If you're a chick lit/rom-com kind of girl you will love this book. I'd be happy to read more and would love this to be the start of a series as all the characters are so likeable.

This was such a feel good book. It was addictive and so easy to read that I devoured it. Daisy is a dream, albeit a slightly annoying one, but you end up wanting the best for her. Fantastic read

I really wished I had downloaded this when I did but the excerpt was enough for me to shake my head and want to kick myself.
My mistake for not checking earlier really but the excerpt was witty and posh and the fact that right at the beginning of the chapters it lists the last hours of internet usage such as "Time since last Internet usage..." well i knew it was going to pique my phone loving heart.

I'm a bit attached to my phone too, but then again who isn't lately? Thanks to mobile being readily accessible as well as the latest of apps being mobile only well I can see and understand Daisy here. Will just have to buy my copy to give a proper Goodreads review later

A beautifully written romantic drama about the impact of social media on modern living and how it damages lives. Interesting characters and setting made this a very enjoyable read.

Wonderful contemporary romance. Funny, warm, charming and it made me think about a digital detox for myself and my family. Not to mention wanting to visit Cumbria.

I began it, and it had promise, but I found it slow-paced and the protagonist too frustrating to read. DNF

Daisy spends her life attached to social media - I think that's something most of us are guilty of! One press of a button and a tweet goes global with disasterour and hilarious repercussions. I really enjoyed this as a light read. The bit that bothered me the most as the continual reference to The Price is Right - and I was underground on the tube and couldn't use my phone to see who the presenter was - drove me mad for an hour!!!!!!

It's refreshing to read books that are relevant now and this was one of those books! A great premise, wonderfully warm characters and lots of laughs!

It took me a while to warm up to this book, but once I did - I enjoyed it.
Some funny moments too that made me laugh out loud.
An easy book to pick up and put down - perfect for holidays!