Julie Valerie

Oddly enough, despite the ratings on this book (which I only just saw and was flabbergasted by), I LOVED it. It was exactly the lighthearted, easy-to-read book I needed to transition into 2021. If you enjoy the show “American Housewife,” you will enjoy this book. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it predictable? Yes. But it’s honestly a fun, goofy, over-the-top romp that mocks the Pinterest-perfect lives we think we’re supposed to have. I recently saw a meme that said “the term domestic show more housewife implies there’s such thing as a feral housewife and now I have a new life goal.” That perfectly describes the character of Holly Banks. A feral but lovably relatable housewife, in the vein of Lucy Ricardo. And I’m here for it. show less

Hilarious Super Mom Satire. This is one of those books that non-perfect parents will LOVE, showing just how ridiculous the Super Moms of the world are and that no one is truly perfect. Truly the only reason I dinged this a star was because I personally just could not get into it due to being a childfree male that generally prefers to avoid kids... and this is all about a mother's struggles with her daughter's first week of Kindergarten. Great tale, well written, and I absolutely look forward show more to seeing more from this debut author in the future. Recommended. show less

I’ve just finished this book ‘The Peculiar Fate or Holly Banks’ by Julie Valerie and am contemplating what a very apt title it is. Set in America, the story tells of the first few months of Holly and her family’s life in a new house on an ‘upwardly mobile’ estate. A tale of aspirations to better oneself, sometimes thrown by the desire to the same as your counterparts, it’s a spritely fast moving lesson in success (and failure). As a british native I don’t always find American show more text as easy to read as I would like but this was engaging and intriguing as well as entertaining and kept me reading to the end. Sprinkled with familiar cosy subject matters such as dogs, children, annoying and crazy neighbours, which sit neatly alongside more bizarre content such as flying machines and kindergarten weddings, it’s a heart warming tale, that gently nudges your faith in fate. Persevere through the America references and you’ll be rewarded for completing this reassuring tale. show less

I’ve just finished this book ‘The Peculiar Fate or Holly Banks’ by Julie Valerie and am contemplating what a very apt title it is. Set in America, the story tells of the first few months of Holly and her family’s life in a new house on an ‘upwardly mobile’ estate. A tale of aspirations to better oneself, sometimes thrown by the desire to the same as your counterparts, it’s a spritely fast moving lesson in success (and failure). As a british native I don’t always find American show more text as easy to read as I would like but this was engaging and intriguing as well as entertaining and kept me reading to the end. Sprinkled with familiar cosy subject matters such as dogs, children, annoying and crazy neighbours, which sit neatly alongside more bizarre content such as flying machines and kindergarten weddings, it’s a heart warming tale, that gently nudges your faith in fate. Persevere through the America references and you’ll be rewarded for completing this reassuring tale. show less