Consider Yourself Kissed by Jessica Stanley

I really liked the cover of CONSIDER YOURSELF KISSED by Jessica Stanley; finding it to be bright and happy, I was expecting to escape through a rom-com of some sort. Instead, I was disappointed by the characters and their actions. In its review, The Wall Street Journal says, “‘Lost woman tries to find herself’ is a familiar story, but CONSIDER YOURSELF KISSED is buoyed by fresh, funny writing and, pretty much without exception, a terrific cast of characters.” Unfortunately, I could not get past the “lost woman” aspect and found the main character, Coralie, to be a willing doormat, despite an initially promising romance with Adam, an English political journalist.  Granted, circumstances are difficult (Coralie has to return to Australia where her own mother is dying, the pandemic looms, etc.), but even Coralie acknowledges that “all the while, she was conscious of an argument going on inside her, between the part of her that loves Zora [Adam's young daughter] and would do anything for her and the part that hated being taken for granted by the adults in Zora's life.” The pattern repeats itself and readers may struggle to develop empathy for this character even though The New York Times says, “Stanley’s delightful novel reminds her readers of the joy, humor and even subtle hope that can be experienced during life’s lowest moments."