First book by this author but will happily look for others.

Greta Gayle lives with her parents and 2 brothers. Presenting a light hearted approach to life, Greta is desperate to get into the world of acting. However the real Greta us a very different person....she struggles with her self confidence, the need to use sleeping tablets as well as a constant battle with her weight.

Greta is desperate to meet her american namesake idol and when Uncle Ray offers the chance of a road trip to America, Greta jumps at the chance.

This a heart warming story that many women may be able to relate to. Alongside some humour and light romance, it highlights the topic of self discovery alongside accepting you for who you are.

Well worth a read.

Initially I was undecided on whether to read this book, the cover made me think it would have laugh out loud humour throughout. Whilst this was not the case as it addresses more real moments, the more I read, the more it did become a page turner for me.

It's told mainly from Greta's perspective. Greta is an aspiring actress, who is also struggling with both her size and an addiction, always laughing at herself before others had the chance to put her down and not admitting to herself that she has a problem. We follow Greta on her path before, going through treatment and learning to live with her new knowledge gained, whilst taking a trip of a lifetime with her Uncle.

A moving read, to finding the real you and learning to love yourself, in order to find love itself. I'd not read any books my this author before, look forward to reading more.

Definite should read.

I read this book very quickly thanks to such an engaging talented author! Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review. Great characters, setting and storyline. Would highly recommend.

My pear shaped life is a read that most women will be able to relate to, we’ve all had confidence issues re our looks and weight and most women have been on various diets throughout their lifetimes! my pear shaped life addresses this along with addiction and previous trauma something two of the others on Greta and Uncle Ray epic road trip have experienced too! Uncle Ray surprises Greta with a fabulous road trip across America to see her idol and name sake Greta Gayle although Uncle Ray has his own reasons for the trip too! During the road trip they inherit two others and barriers are broken down, hearts are opened and the intrepid four learn lots about themselves and each other culminating in an acceptance of who they are and beginning to love themselves!
An uplifting affirming read.
Thank you net galley for this early read.

A compelling story of self discovery.
An aspiring actress, Greta's life is not going to plan and when she ends up in rehab she has to re-evaluate her life. When her uncle suggests a road trip through America to find an ex-girlfriend, they embark on a journey of love, laughter and heartache where Greta learns to love herself again.

Greta, with her failing acting career is really relatable in all aspects of her life from hiding her pain behind humour to accepting rejection because of how she looks.
Her journey through rehab and her road trip to find the other Greta in America are heartwarming, humorous and incredibly well written.
You cannot help but like Greta and root for her from day one.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story of Greta Gale and the highs and lows of trying to learn to value yourself. The author wrote empathetically about addiction, body issues and familial relationships. As a reader I was willing Greta on and particularly loved her travels across The States. We could all do with an Uncle like Ray. The author weaves the story of The Wizard of Oz throughout which is exceptionally deftly done, beautifully illustrating the light and the dark within us all.

A gréât read that whilst light hearted left me thinking about after.
A change from many similar ´chick lit’ with a real page turning story

I honestly didn't expect to be as invested in this story as I was. I loved the Oz references and the theme running through the book. And I really took something away from it - the message that the witch and the wizard are inside us all, and that loving ourselves is the first most important thing to do for our mental health.

The double romance part is lovely, and not at all predictable, and I loved Greta's character and her journey.

Serious issues explored with grace and empathy, this book is both uplifting and funny, and has been one of my favourite reads of 2020.

This book thoroughly gripped me and spoke to my soul. Stunningly beautiful and relatable with all the feels.

Greta Gale is an aspiring actress frequently attending auditions but constantly turned down, she manages to hide each disappointment by laughing and pretending it doesn't matter.

Greta is also fat, very fat and embarrassed by her size, shielding her embarrassment by self-deprecation and being a comedian. Her lack of self esteem stops her from sleeping, when she begins to rely upon sleeping pills she soon becomes addicted to them.

The first part of My Pear-Shaped Life describes Greta's distressing and emotional life, it's not a fun read. When her fit and athletic family discover her addiction they are horrified at Greta's self destructive behaviour.

The second part of the book is far lighter and even amusing, following Greta and her uncle Ray on their road trip in America. Greta is desperate to completely change her life and Ray must learn to leave the past behind and start living in the present.

My Pear-Shaped Life is both emotional and entertaining, sad yet funny and very well worth reading.

ARC generously supplied by NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

I really enjoyed this book and its parallels with The Wizard of Oz which is one of my favourite films. It's very true to life in that we all strive to meet the expectations laid upon us by socialefia and the views of others. These expectations are often almost impossible to meet with the result our efforts become self destructive. This is a great book and the first I've read by this author but it won't be the last.

Really enjoyed this book. It was completely uplifting, following Greta's journey in overcoming addiction and body image issues. It had me smiling, laughing and crying - a great rollercoaster of emotions!

3.5
A real grower this one.

At the start I struggled; it's a big old learning about yourself, life journey, triumph over adversity story which of course means we have to feel the desperately low lows to appreciate the highs. And those lows were hard to stomach, I cannot lie. I get uncomfortable reading about someone being hard on herself, sabotaging her talents and making a tit of herself and my natural instinct is to bail on that. It is a mark of this story and its characters though that it had that impact on me - I quickly grew fond of Greta and wanted better things for her.

Once we'd got through that part, then this really picked up. It was funny in places but also touching and poignant. I also really enjoyed the travelogue; I wasn't surprised to read this was based on a real trip, I kind of felt like I was there with them.

The romance was sweet and slow burn but this was entirely lacking in smut fellow smut fans. I suppose you can't have everything.

Enjoyable, absorbing and uplifting, this was a pleasant read.

**Thanks to the publishers via netgalley for my arc.**

I ADORED this book.
With echoes of Marian Keyes, this novel brought humour, grief, regret, addiction, and so many other themes to life. Greta was a wonderful character, and my heart ached for her so many times through the story. Her family and friends were great additions and I cheered them on just as much.
I was a little distracted by the continued references to The Wizard of Oz, but now having finished the book, it was completely relevant.
Absolutely brilliant book, my heart is happy and it's made me look at my own life in a different way.

This is a thoroughly enjoyable book with a brilliantly flawed main character in Greta whose dissatisfaction with herself and her life leads her to hit rock bottom big style. I think Greta is very relatable to many people with her self image issues and self judgement and her journey, although more extreme than most people’s , takes her on a very thoughtful and entertaining path of discovery and to a degree acceptance. The characters in the book are all well written and there’s some brilliant bitter sweet moments. For me this was a hidden gem of a book, very easy to read but with a great message too.

Such an emotional book and so well written. Story pulled me right in. I highly recommended it to anyone.

I was given a copy of My Pair Shaped Life by Carmel Harrington by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. I have read other books by Carmel so was keen to read this one. The story is about Greta who puts on a front to the test of the world that everything is fine and she is happy but underneath it is a very different story. This book is about finding yourself, friendships and family. I really enjoyed this bookthoughout the highs and lows.

Greta’s life is pear-shaped - in every sense of the word. For so long, she has allowed others to put her down. She puts on a front to the outside world: everyone sees her as this big personality, happy and content with her life and the direction that it’s going in. However, Greta is living a lie. Greta is in turmoil; she hides her own shame, insecurities and problems from the rest of the world, including her nearest and dearest.

It’s clear that the Gale family love Greta and that they want the best for her, but she feels like she doesn’t fit in; they’re confident and they’re enthusiastic about fitness - they eat healthy, they work out - they’re motivated and committed to maintaining their healthier lifestyles, but Greta feels better when she comfort eats.

The only family member that Greta feels ‘gets her’ is her Uncle Ray - she can relax in his presence and she can be her true self, without ridicule or shaming for the choices that she makes.

Besides Ray, Greta seeks solace from her favourite TV personality - her namesake - Dr Greta Gale. She follows her every movement on social media, using her as an inspiration to be better. This story shows how it’s good to have someone to look up to, but it also highlights how unhealthy it can be and the negative effects in can have on you, without actually realising it. It reminds you to be your own version of you.

The story follows Greta’s life-changing moment of hitting rock bottom to battling her demons to come back fighting. Greta embarks on a road trip of a lifetime, which serves as a journey to self discovery and finding out what it means to be kind to yourself and a reminder that when you’re at your lowest - you are worthy. You are enough.

This was my first book by Carmel Harrington and it's safe to say that I will definitely read more. The story grabbed me right from the start and I enjoyed getting to know the characters.