I was very intrigued by the blurb for this novel, and it certainly lived up to expectations. Leave your credulity on the doorstep and you will love this book about learning how to say no, and not letting others manipulate you.

Jade is a pushover with a soft heart, and this means everyone around her takes advantage of her. Her sister asks her to babysit at the drop of a hat, and to do her favours without thought for Jade’s welfare. Her boss works her all hours and wants her to pick up his washing, and buy gifts for his wife in her lunchtime. Her parents are always making unreasonable demands, and patently favour her sister. Worst of all is her boyfriend, Adam, who spares no thought for her whatsoever. Jade starts to find scrips left in the oddest of places, depicting her conversations with various other people – her family, her boss and her boyfriend – the only thing is that they haven’t happened yet. Shortly after finding each script, the dialogue plays out word for word as in the scripts. Unfortunately, Jade finds herself unable to deviate from the script.

This is a wholly original novel, with an endearing main character, and I was rooting for Jade to control the script, and her destiny. A lovely summer novel.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6515633746

Jade's purpose in life has become to be a doormat. Her selfish boyfriend Adam, her self obsessed sister Lily, her full of himself Father, her ex-husband obsessed Mother and her w**nker of a boss Colin, all treat her as if she is there for their convenience.
When Jade finds a script that features her, she is surprised at it's contents and even more surprised when it is the exact conversation she has later that day. Gradually Jade realises that the only person who can change things is her and when more scripts arrive, she is more aware of her own actions.
With Lily's wedding looming large on the horizon Jade is reminded of her own cancelled wedding and is worried of the effect it's going to have on her. With her best friend and her godmother in her corner, she sets about changing her life for the better.
A lovely read. I was very wrapped up with it.

I was excited to read Fearne Cotton's new offering, which has the intriguing premise of finding scripts that foresee important conversations that have yet to take place in your life.
That sounds great, doesn't it?
What if you could know what was to come so you could be prepared or even try to change the outcome?
Well, this is what happens to Jade, our MC. Jade is a woman in a stale relationship, with a job she enjoys but a boss who, quite frankly, takes the mick with what he asks of her, and a family who also leave a lot to be desired, especially her sister, around whom the world appears to revolve.
It was an okay story, but it felt a bit flat once the initial premise was introduced. I didn't feel a huge affinity to Jade and the other characters, though her workmates were a bit of a laugh.
If you need a read to plug some spare time, this is one of those books, but maybe not if you want to read something groundbreaking.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Michael Joseph Penguin Random House for an ARC.

A fun easy read, touching on themes of family dynamics, people pleasing and learning to say no!

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

I was drawn to this book cos I actually thought it was a fox on the cover (and now you can't un-see that), and we have just been blessed with our resident garden fox having 7 cubs. Maybe I need better glasses... Anyway... looking closer, it obviously isn't, but it drew me in nonetheless and, after reading the blurb, I thought, why not? And having finished the book, I can only see my initial error as a good thing as I actually had a blast reading it.
Jade is a bit of a pushover. She allows, and enables, people to just walk all over her. Family, boyfriend, boss, she just can't say no to any of them, even when it means she misses out on things herself. She's a bit of a wuss all told.
Until... one day she comes across some papers on the floor outside her flat, the flat she rents from her father (at the market rate, no family discount). On closer examination they appear to be a script of a conversation between her and boyfriend Adam. I say conversation, it's really more of an argument, another one in which Jade capitulates. A conversation that hasn't yet taken place.
Fast forward to that evening and the script plays out exactly as written. To say Jade is both gobsmacked and confused is an understatement... Cut to the chase, and more scripts appear depicting more conversations between Jade, her sister, mother, boyfriend, boss... Why, who, what, all the questions mount up, until the real doozy... with this forearmed knowledge, all it really boils down to is what can she do to change the script...?
Ok so this book is bonkers. But, anyone who knows me, knows that I do love a bit of bonkers. And I really had a blast reading this book. Jade was a bit of a flake but overshadowed by everyone initially. She really needed to grow a pair but was unsure how to go about it without upsetting everyone. She was also surrounded by larger than life, forceful characters who probably only needed standing up to to change. But she didn't know how. And I loved to see that worm turn. Probably as I did see my past self in Jade. I can't remember what the catalyst for my transformation was, but I do remember being more of a people pleaser. Maybe that's why I connected to Jade so well.
It would have been the five stars but I was a bit disappointed by the ending. Not the resolution of where the scripts came from, more the way that I am not convinced that the author knew exactly how to finish the book off so gave it a bit of a bizarre ending for Jade personally. Spoilers prevent me from spelling it out but it did feel a bit of a cop-out and I did roll my eyes. Surely with her new found "balls" Jade could have enjoyed being a strong woman for a while before... But that's just my take...
All in all though, apart from the relatively weak, and not to my total satisfaction, ending it was a decent enough read which did keep my attention throughout, and was entertaining along the way. My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

I really enjoyed Scripted - Jade cannot say no to people and they take advantage of that. I could relate to this and really felt for Jade, I liked most of the characters (as intended!) and enjoyed the story but was left with some questions.

Overall I enjoyed this book. The writing was easy to read, and the characters gave you the feelings about them you were supposed to have. There were a few parts where I think more could have been said to bring the story together better though.

A reflective, honest, magical elements read. I don’t know what I’d do if I found a script literally showing my life as it happens, and Jade handled it as I would by panicking a lot. I loved the humour, the family squabbles, the idea that your life is physically in your hands would you follow the script? Or flip it? A fabulous read.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the ARC, via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I must admit I found this book quite infuriating, and at several points debated whether to continue. Our heroine is a bit of a limp lettuce and I couldn’t find it in myself to root for her as all her issues were of her own making, and by her own admission she didn’t want to change things. As it turns out, due to the “scripts “ turning up, and with the encouragement of multiple friends who’ve also been put out by her weak willed attitude, she thankfully does start to see the need for change, but it’s a long time coming in the book, and the plot device of the scripts doesn’t properly get developed so that they feel more like an addition to the story, rather than the primary motivation which is what it appears they were intended to be

Scripted

The premise of this book reminded me of some of Alexandra Potter’s older books - and I was intrigued. At first I found the writing a little overly descriptive but that definitely settled down after a few chapters. Jade is a kind soul, she puts everyone’s wants and needs before her own, never pulling the people in her life up on how they’re making her feel.
Whilst Jade navigates her predictable family - her overbearing Dad, her dramatic sister, the tense relationship between her Mum & step mum - and her boyfriend Adam - she suddenly starts to find scripts in the most random places - detailed scripts depicting conversations between Jade and her loved ones.
The story sees Jade try to reassess the path set out in front of her and find herself a different path - one that sees her standing up for herself & making everyone else take notice.
Yes Jade is a bit of a pushover, Adam is a total plank and her family a good talking to, but I really liked this story, I liked Jade and her kind heart. A really good story and I will definitely pick up any future books Fearne writes.

I enjoyed this book. It was a bit different to other in its genre and I found the concept of our lives being scripted through habit but literally being able to rewrite the script a really interesting one. I did like the characters and I was rooting for Jade all the way through. For me, it was an empowering and uplifting book about being human and our capacity to change.

Jade is your typical people pleaser, she puts everyone’s needs before her own, including her obnoxious partner. Then one day she finds a script on a random piece of paper in a random place but her name is on it and so are other names of people in her circle of family and friends. It’s the script of a conversation that then spookily takes place sometime later exactly as is written on the script. How can this be and why is she receiving these scripts in advance of challenging conversations?
I felt this book had great promise with its unusual storyline but sadly it just never really delivered. The whole storyline could be the advice of a counsellor to a people pleaser - imagine how a conversation might go - is that how you want it to go? If you don’t want it to go that way imagine how you would like it to go………..then make it happen.
I didn’t find it funny. I didn’t take to any of the characters - Jade is walked all over and treating badly by her entire dysfunctional family. Jade’s sister Lily whose wedding features in the story is a total bridezilla and a spoilt brat to boot.
Jade finally finds her voice which is the most satisfying and enjoyable part of the book.
Where the scripts came from and who wrote them………………..I still don’t know!
Sorry, just not for me, I’m sad to say as the plot had such promise!
As always my thanks go to the author, the publishers and to NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this books.

My initial thoughts on this plot when I first read about it was that it sounded quirky but fun and that's exactly what this book is! Jade is a likeable character but is clearly being used and abused by her nearest and dearest who are caught up in their own hurts and dramas without considering Jade. It was great to read how Jade slowly but surely started listening to the RIGHT people in her life, with a little nudge from the mystery "scripts", and make important changes.
I loved the ending of this, really special

I found this book very irritating and I got very annoyed with it. Not what I was expecting at all. The main character was so lame and stupid I felt like screaming at her. Shame, I was expecting better. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

Jade is fed up with her life and feels she has lost her way. She can’t seem to fix anything, until one day she finds a script outside her house. She is shocked to see the script is about her and even more so when the script later on becomes a reality. Soon more scripts occur. What’s going on and can she rewrite the script?

I thought the idea behind this was really interesting and unique, unfortunately I found that it failed to deliver. The pacing was off, had parts that seemed very random and I found the story a struggle to read. I also found the writing style a bit cheesy in places and trying too hard to be funny. I didn’t care at all for any of the characters, finding the majority annoying and unlikeable. The ending was also slightly disappointing. Ultimately this book was just not for me, which is disappointing as I don’t like to leave negative feedback. Good concept but could have been better executed. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy in return for an honest review.

I was really excited about this one, it was such a great concept but it just wasn't for me at all.
I found myself wanting to shake Jade and tell her to get a grip. I know her people pleaser attitude was part of the story, but it was so extreme that it was very frustrating.
Most of the characters were all completely unlikeable, and were so awful they felt like over exaggerated caricatures.
A nice message, but poorly executed in my opinion.

This was a book in two parts. The first part is long and messy, with characters and nicknames flung about as I tried to get everyone straight. The second part is the wedding which is fabulous. Absolutely mad as you like but full of realness ans strong words and action. Kate until this part of the book is pretty dull and lack lustre and isn’t appealing, she is saved at the wedding and she gets some panache. I wanted more wedding Kate to make me love the book.

"Pushed around by her warring family, and taken for granted by a boyfriend who’s more interested in his “brand” than their relationship, she knows that somewhere along the path to being an adult she’s lost her way."

Jade is walked all over in every aspect of her life, and finding a script that details her future conversation highlights just how much she lacks any boundaries. This is why I found the story frustrating, surely no one is lacking that much of a backbone, but then we learn that she had called off a wedding, and that just didn't seem to fit her narrative, so I felt it was a little confusing. The story felt very drawn out at the start and then a bit rushed at the end but it was an easy read overall.

I loved the premise of this book - Jade’s relationship with her boyfriend seems stale, her sister Lily, is getting married again and is seemingly unaware that the world doesn’t revolve around her, her parents continue to pander to Lily and don’t pay Jade much attention at all and her boss is an idiot, asking Jade to collect his dry-cleaning and buy intimate birthday gifts for his wife… and Jade is seemingly unable to stand up for herself and say no to ANYONE!

One day, whilst out for a run, she discovers a sheaf of papers that look like a script. On reading further, she realises that the scene features her. Situations that haven’t happened but that seem, sadly, to be very realistic.

What follows is the story of how Jade continues to find short scripts in the most unexpected places. The scenes playing out as scripted, even with tipped, until Jade’s friend Sophie suggests she start to stand up for herself more, push back and create some boundaries. Her work friend Jackson also proved surprisingly insightful in matters of taking back control too..

This is an enjoyable tale of how Jade starts to put herself first, strengthens her resolve and finally tells her boss, sister, parents and boyfriend how their behaviour feels to her and makes them understand that it just isn’t acceptable.

The characters are well written and this is an easy read.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from
Fearne Cotton the author, but I was really pleasantly surprised.

I feel like her copy-editor did her wrong in the early pages of the book though.
Some clunky and poorly constructed sentences made me fear the worst… I mean, Jade doesn’t brush her hair. We get it. We do not need to be reminded every other sentence. And I was also confused by the introduction of Jackson and then his sudden departure. And where DID these
scripts come from? Why did Jade just accept this randomness?

I think the ending was a little abrupt but I was enjoying the story so perhaps wasn’t quite ready for it to end.

Definitely a promising debut and I would read more by Fearne in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an early copy.

I enjoyed this book although silly in some ways but silly is sometimes fun to read. Jade has been with her boyfriend for several years but things are not running smoothly. One day she finds a script showing her future arguments with her boyfriend and, of course, she finds this very odd. Where did it come from. Then the script plays out exactly as is written which freaks her out but good does come out of that eventually. Over time she finds more scripts to do with her mom, dad, her boss and her sister. All the words in these scripts play out. Life needs to change and this gives her the courage to read and listen to what is said in the scripts. Jade’s sister in particular is taking advantage of her and this is something she needs to change. The book goes through the changes in Jade’s life as she stands up for herself all for the better. Some of the characters I could visualise, others not but on the whole this book was a fun read