Meet Emily Turner - the Bridget Jones for the 2020s. I lost count of the number of times that I laughed out loud while reading this book and I'm usually more of a quiet smile than a laugh-out-loud person. Ryan's writing style is whip-smart, clever and very funny. But there's heartbreak and sadness too, which makes My (extra)Ordinary Life the kind of book that stays with you for a long time.
It'll be the perfect New Year read, filling readers with hope and compassion as Emily works through her very own Life List of resolutions for the coming months. This novel is also the perfect holiday read for 2023. So, this summer, if someone on the next sun lounger is sniggering away to themselves, there's a good chance they'll be reading this book. And if they also wipe away a tear, yep, it's definitely this.
The character of Emily is so well drawn that I felt like I knew her from a few pages in. And I kind of missed her once I'd finished. Vivid, sparkling and entertaining - what a great debut.