How Do You Like Me Now? By Holly Bourne

How Do You Like Me Now? Is a fantastic story about Tori Bailey, a woman in her early 30s in an extremely unhappy relationship, that has simply lasted far longer than its expiration date. Bailey is a highly successful author because of her brutally honest autobiographical novel, which expressed her journey to find the love of her life. However, with age and the increasing pressure put on women to get married, have children, etc. she finds herself being less and less honest with herself and her devoted fans. This story is about her coming to terms with her real life and not the one she portrays on social media. It is a raw and honest portrayal of the struggles one goes through around that age, especially when one is unhappy.

It was awfully funny but also equally as frustrating! It was like having a friend in a terrible relationship and just wanting to shake them and shout at them to just stop! Imagine your best friend dating a total douchebag for six years! Urgh. Honestly, I got angry several times thinking about how little self-esteem Tori had throughout most of the story. However, this did make me realise that this is extremely common with women, especially in their thirties, because that is how we are socialised. Therefore, I believe this is also a feminist novel which highlights how harmful our misogynistic society is for women all over.

I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of chick-flicks because it isn’t your classic rom-com and it has a valid message which leaves you uplifted! In reality it is the total opposite to a classic rom-com/chick-flick because it isn’t the man that makes her feel content, but it is herself. It is definitely worth the read.