So entertaining was drawn right into the Village Of Primm and Holly Banks the newcomers attempts to fitI really enjoyed this debut had a few laughs great characters looking forward to more by this author.#netgalley#lakeunionpublishing,

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! No spoilers. Beyond amazing I enjoyed this book so very much. The characters and storyline were fantastic. The ending I did not see coming  Could not put down nor did I want to. Truly Amazing and appreciated the whole story. This is going to be a must read for many many readers. Maybe even a book club pick.

Thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy of this book. This is a very lighthearted quick read following the life of Holly Banks as she recently moved to the small village of Prim. On top of a new town, Holly is also sending her only child to their first day of kindergarden.  The book follows Holly's first week of navigating the school, a PTA president bully, a husband with a clingy female coworker, a gambling mother and so much more.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review. 

     "The Authenticity Project" is the fictional debut of Claire Pooley. Pooley began her writing career as the author of the blog, "Mummy was a Secret Drinker". Her first book, "The Sober Diaries" was released in 2016, To be perfectly honest, I'm pleased that I didn't know her history before reading this novel, as it might have deterred me. And I loved this book. Really loved it. It's warm and authentic, just like the title states.
     It's the story of a group of diverse individuals who come together and form unlikely friendships based on a small notebook titled "The Authenticity Project". The members of the group are all flawed in their own ways but learn to see themselves as they really are and attempt to make positive changes. Wonderful book, highly recommended!

Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie is an ambitious debut and, presumably, the first of a series to be focused on the fictional village of Primm.  I believe that Holly's story will resonate with mothers who are constantly striving for perfection yet, despite their best efforts, find it just out of reach.  There is lots of humour here and, like Holly, we come to realize that maybe our flaws are simply part and parcel of the human condition.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC.

Okay! I came here to post the review as soon I finished the book. 
What the heck is happening! I felt like watching the Mean Girls movie on a loop. It was funny and irritating at the same time. But the thing I enjoyed the most is getting a glimpse of Primm. It's such a cute place. Also, you gotta give it to Holly. She did a giant task of settling in like a pro though there were few disasters.  Overall,  one can give it a try. When they need light and funny read.

Darn. DNF. I wanted to like this so much but it was too cutesy and cliched for my taste. I may not be the right audience.

I don't often read American based novels, not for any reason other than I don't really think to read them, so I was intrigued to read this one.

I found it a little difficult to relate to this sometimes due to the location and also as I'm not yet a mother, I can't really relate to the mother side of the story. I also found it a little difficult to connect to the characters as I didn't really like any of them that much. Having said that, I enjoyed it and managed to finish the book. I've never seen Desperate Housewives, but the story was exactly how I imagine the show is. Please correct me if I'm wrong if anyone has both read this and watched Desperate Housewives!

This was well paced and held my attention. It wasn't exactly a minute by minute thriller, but that's not really what you want with this genre.

Generally I found this uplifting and amusing, and even when I felt a little frustrated with the characters, I still wanted to see what happened to them all in the end. Overall, I would recommend this for anyone who is interested in the genre, but don't read this if you don't like feeling angry with characters. I mean, the word angst is even in the title of this book!

I just could not get through this book. I have no positive comments here and for that I am sorry. This was also an Amazon first reads book and I see that I am not alone in my dislike.

I mean, maybe I am a bit biased as a former PTA president, but what?  The stuff Holly has to endure in Primm, and the fact that she still wants to live there, is beyond me.  Even as a satire of  modern day community, it seemed a bit far-fetched.  But, it was a light read.  And, when you looked beyond the absurdity, there were some funny moments tucked away.  

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

This was a mostly humorous and only a little upsetting in some parts (bullying) story about a woman named Holly Banks and she has to adapt to a new lifestyle that she isn't used to. I found it highly relatable and believable plus Holly as a character is similar to many hard working moms trying to be super mom to support their kids. The overall story was great and has several strong supporting characters and I was definitely Team Holly in this book, and only wanted to sucker punch the PTA president a million times for being rude to her.

Give Holly's story a chance!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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Holly Banks is Full of Angst by Julie Valerie is one of my favorite books of the year! Holly Banks and her family just moved to the Village of Primm where it seems that everyone is perfect and involved with all school activities and events. When Hollys daughter is late for school on the first day of kindergarten, Holly gets the ultimate welcome from Mary Margaret, president of the PTA. Turns out showing up to school drop off in pink pajamas bottoms does not make the best first impression. ⁣
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On top of all the stress with the seemingly perfect school moms, Holly Banks also worries that her husband is having an affair and she is faced with being the center of a neighborhood drama. ⁣
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It has been a long time since I read a book and laughed out loud while reading it. Holly Banks is a relatable character for anyone who has tried to fit in to a new neighborhood, environment, job or school. Julie Valerie makes Holly feel like one of your best friends while reading her story and I really think that Holly and I would get along so well! I cannot day enough good things about the story line, the writing, the characters and the great plot! I’m looking forward to the second book in the Village of Primm series! ⁣
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Thank you @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing and @julievalerieauthor for an ARC in exchange for my honest review ⁣

I received an eArc of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. 
I saw someone on bookstagram talk about this book & I liked the way it sounded so I requested it from NetGalley & I'm so glad I was approved to read it. I love this book so much. Its a new favorite of mine. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. It is such a quick but good read. Its heart warming & humorous. The characters are so well done & so different from each other. The plot was well done & wrapped up nicely. Its perfect for people who like comedies & quirky characters. I love the main character & her quirks. She is so relatable. I really hope the author will do more books with these characters. I enjoyed my time reading this book & I didn't want it to end. Its such a fun, quirky, lighthearted read & shows that no one is perfect & you don't have to be. I recommend this for everyone who needs a good laugh & a pick me up. It is definitely a new favorite of mine. I am so glad I read this book.

I thought this book was good.  It definitely had some funny parts, and parts I could relate too.  Some of it was a little too much and unbelievable.  The plot was strong, but I feel like there could have been more.  Fast read for between books.  

I received this ARC from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review

Thank you to Net Galley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me an eARC for Holly Banks Full of Angst by Julie Valerie in exchange for an honest review.

The premise of seemingly perfect PTA moms in the seemingly perfect neighborhood called Village of Primm reminded me of the TV show, American Housewife and the movie, Bad Moms. This is the story of Holly Banks, who is struggling to fit into her new hometown - this aspect of the storyline depicts the challenges of moving to a new city. She has the baggage of being raised by a not-so-perfect mother, who still reaches out to her for monetary help as she can’t seem to get her act together. She is striving to be a good mom and her sole focus has become her daughter, Ella. She gave up on pursuing a career even though she has a film degree to focus on her family. But once Ella starts going to school, she feels kind of lost and disoriented. The pressure of living up to the standards of being the perfect Primm mom is causing her undue stress. This is the story of how she rediscovers her passion for film making and finding her own identity outside of motherhood, while mending her strained relationship with her own mom and dealing with the bullying, control freak fellow Primm mom, Mary-Margaret, who was the one of the most dislikable characters I have ever read. 

There is also an insurance fraud and tax evasion plot line that her husband is involved in that I found interesting. However, I wish the husband’s character had been more well-developed and the dynamic of their marital relationship had been explored more. The first half was mostly spent on the friction between Holly and her arch nemesis, Mary-Margaret and that’s why I liked the second half of the book better when the other plot lines started unfolding.

Overall, I think moms will find this book relatable especially those who are trying to rediscover themselves and finding their own voice in the world outside of motherhood.

Laugh out loud funny and a great debut! I really enjoyed this one and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

While the book had funny parts to it, it was just missing something for me. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. I'm sure there are people that enjoyed it though.

As many other readers have said in their reviews, this book can be a little bit stressful. I felt this early on but stuck with it as I was enjoying the story. If you want a believable story, this is not it!
But like the film making background of protagonist Holly, entertainment doesn't have to be believable to be enjoyable. Take this book as you would a fantasy film and suspend your disbelief and you will enjoy the ride!
Rather than stressful I would say this novel is frenetic. The action spans the first week of Holly and her family's move to the village of Primm, a Stepford Wives-esque town of desirable houses and people who don't seem to put a foot wrong.
Holly sees her world imagining it as a film set, with a cast of crazy chracters inhabiting it. I was disappointed that the film references were not used to better effect, as the film analogies came and went sporadically, alongside other inconsistencies in the plot like her relationships and feelings to other characters chopped and changed like mad. Some characters - Penelope, Bethanny - were introduced and seemed to disappear in the second half. 
The emails to Psychic Betty were hilarious but again few and far between! All these things could be explained/rectified by the fact of this novel being part of a series, so we could be in for more fun in the Village of Primm sequels.
I have to say that even though I have been critical in this review, I finished this book in a matter of days, often reaching for my kindle and reading 'just one more chapter' late into the night on a couple of occasions. On the whole I really enjoyed it and think this talented author is one to watch for comedy fans.
Thanks to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

First impressions might also be last impressions if one's not careful!
For Holly the idea that she can belong among a group of elites might be too much too handle.
With this in mind....
Who isn't anxious these days?
Why with all the parenting decisions one must make and the lack of civility in an unstable world it's a no wonder anyone can fully be labeled 'sane'.
Bring in Holly - an uptight mom of a thumb sucking daughter, a husband who might be unfaithful, and a PTA president whose got it out for her!
Might one wonder on the side what ever happened to her illustrious hard fought film degree and why it's not been utilized to propel her career.
Oh, and dare I say plenty of added drama with THE Primm Neighborhood Mystery SAGA!
Which all leads up to one burning question- Is there such a thing as a perfect MOM?!
Well, as a gal with ADHD who runs on high energy 24-7 (the healthy kind) I can attest to the notion that nobody is perfect but when surrounded by the wealthy and powerful it's good to just keep doing your thing and ignore.
By this I mean my kids attended a private Catholic school. We were left bankrupt, homeless, and without income for over a year. The financial aid was a blessing but some of the rich ones are quite nauseating and comical.
If you ain't driving a SUV , BMW, Porsche -- you ain't nobody!
They will gaggle like geese and the gossip is unbelievable. They will work in sync better than heads of Amazon, and will do what's necessary to see there kids succeed at all costs (even if it means bouncing your kids off the team).
It's a dog eat dog world and this one made the reality that many of us live all the more clearer.
Yes, my former husband also had multiple affairs which didn't help the gossip train but it was also a matter of survival of the fittest and it all came down to the wallet.
To save your sanity don't worry if they walk in front of you and turn their back while you were speaking to that person -- IT's normal behavior!
Don't worry if they run over your lil Civic parked out on the street-Clearly the crazed mom thought she had enough room for the 3 ton SUV that just ran over the top of your car without even a note of apology.
Don't worry if these crazed loons join the local PTA groups for attention or become heads of the sports you love because clearly your kid sucked in their eyes and wasn't worth the energy to be informed they weren't selected for the team.
Besides clearly you enjoyed the fact that the nonstop chatter via group chat was welcomed at all hours of the day and night or else you would've commented and requested to be excluded...
Right? -- Oh wait-- You did request to be excluded oh well ok---we'll just keep you in the group chat anyway so your older cell which doesn't have the exit out feature will ping all day long.
YOU WELCOME!
Oh and my favorite - if you must volunteer- remember your spot can be given away at anytime unbenounced to you- so if you show, and are signed up, and clearly your name is in that spot...TOUGH!
So have yourself a great day...lol oh and you can leave and go home now!
(enter the elusive sarcasm) here...
For those who think this isn't happening --go to a private catholic school as a poor family!
Now pay up and enjoy all the expensive outings we hold all year round!
Donations are recommended as well as volunteering and if you don't pay the fee your kids are excluded ...Happy Holidays!
OMG!! Loved it all!
Thank you to the author for showcasing the craziness daily...We love ya!

This was an o.k. book, nothing special, but just o.k.  Most of the characters were annoying and some just not likable.  It reminded me of a reality TV show and that part of it I enjoyed.  The characters could have been much better developed and maybe they would have been likable.  I liked the snarky attitude but that wasn't enough to hold my interest in the book.