Book Review: Sleeping Arrangements

I saw Confessions of a Shopaholic (based on the novel by Sophie Kinsella) at the cinema when it came out and although RomComs aren’t my favourite genre of film, I did quite like this chick flick so when I saw Sleeping Arrangements on the Kindle, I realised it was from the same author as Confessions of a Shopaholic and I bought it straight away. I read it not long after finishing A Clash of Kings, hoping for a lighter, easier read and I can’t say that I was disappointed.

Entertainment: 6/10

Predictability: 7/10

Density/weight of story: 2/10

Quality of writing: 7/10

Inspires reader: 2/10

Characters: 6/10

Overall rating: 6/10

1. The plot is fairly new – While I don’t tend to read much chick lit, nor do I watch many chick flicks, I can say that this plot is quite new and fresh in my experience. It revolves around two completely different families and how they have both booked to spend the same week in a villa in Spain. The plot continues to explain about how both families are connected – in more ways than one – and the repercussions that this double booking has on both families.
2. It is relatable – without wanting to give too much away, a lot of this plot centres around the inevitable “what if” question that we all ask ourselves. In the book, people are placed into a situation that causes them to think about how their lives would have panned out if that situation had/hadn’t occurred, which is something I will say I have thought about a lot in the past and this book caused me to think about it again.
3. Parts of it are a little unrealistic – again, without wanting to give too much away, the proposal was unrealistic. I just doubt it would have happened and that is as much as I am going to say on the matter because I don’t want to ruin the book for you all.
4. Some of the characters were quite unlikeable – I appreciate that everyone has some flaws and everyone has redeeming qualities, but take Jenna, Amanda and Philip for example. Jenna seems very immature and irresponsible, Amanda is very stuck-up and seems quite fake and Philip is a major worrier who didn’t even attempt to have a good time on the holiday. I feel as though the good characteristics didn’t shine through enough, especially with Chloe and Hugh.
5. Parts of the book were unnecessary – this is going to be a hard one to explain without giving a large portion of the plot away so I am simply going to say that in one particular circumstance, I feel like things went way too far, which made it so much harder to feel sympathy for the characters involved.
6. It is a definite holiday book – it took me I think 8 days to read this book, partly because it wasn’t amazingly compelling to read after I’d had a bad or a long day at work. That being said, I think I would like the book a lot more if I had read it in two days by the side of a pool, which is where I think it is best suited for as it is an easy and quick read that isn’t meant to be dragged out.
7. It made me think about the important things in life – this book is a typical book about people finding out what means the most to them in their lives and I have to say that it made me think about my life as well. It definitely made me think about the “what ifs” I have in my life but it also made me think about the type of father I want my future children’s dad to be like and the type of life I want to have when I settle down completely.

So that is my review of Sleeping Arrangements by Sophie Kinsella. Overall, I liked the book as it was a quick and easy read, though it is definitely one to read on holiday and not just after work! Check back in a fortnight for my next book review, on Eeny Meeny by M.J. Arlidge.

Peace, love and happiness

- Taisie ♥