Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts

Sunday 14 January 2018

Gift of Continence (Fiona MacDougall Book 2) by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith

Book one Dance of Chaos by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith made the top 5 of my favourite books of 2017, so you can imagine I was keen to read the follow up. This book is still very, very funny, but I enjoyed it less than book one. I will give this a 4.5 star.



Book one leaves us with Fiona losing her job and eyeing up a career in policing. It came as a bit of a surprise to find her  marrying long-term on-off boyfriend Tim. It is clear from the outset that Fiona is not marrying purely for love but also for the easy life Tim is willing to offer his stay at home new bride. Soon it becomes clear that living with her new husband is not a bed of roses and when she suspect her husband is cheating, Fiona drafts in the help of her foul mouth friend Gloria and little brother Patrick. This is a very funny book as Fiona and co. deliberate what to do with philandering hubby Tim. I did like the plot and there are a lot of laugh out loud moments, but I did enjoy it less than book one, mainly because I missed the cast of eccentric characters from the first book. Goebels, his sassy but foul mouth assistant and all Fiona’s other colleagues did add much comedy moments. I felt that Fiona was portrayed a bit too naive and silly, I mean she must have had some intelligence to do well on an aptitude test and land the job of programmer.  I would like to see what Fiona does next. What will do her good (like most of us!) is an honest day’s work and a fulfilling relationship, but knowing Fiona her delusional mind will lead her down the path of least resistance right into a big pile of trouble. Fun Aussi comedy, for people who don’t mind a bit of strong language and dark humour.
I got book one as a review copy of the author and enjoyed it immensely, so I promptly asked her for the follow up for an honest and fair review.

Friday 8 December 2017

Dance of Chaos (Fiona MacDougall Book 1) by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith

I recently reviewed a short story by this author. She contacted me and offered me a free copy of a full length novel. I told her I liked comedy and cats and waited for her recommendation as she has published a few novels. I loved this book, it ticked all the right boxes for me. Very funny, a cat that gets up to all sorts and no mushy romance. A healthy dose of swearing and poking fun at the clergy might offend some people (and the South-Africans might take a sharp intake of air!) but it is all good fun and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 5 stars.



I loved this comedy and laughed out loud a good few times. Fiona is 20 year old who still lives with her parents, brother Patrick and cat, and we get her somewhat deluded view of the world.  She is stuck in a dreary office but thinks her career will become more exiting by becoming a computer programmer. At home things are made difficult by her teenage brother, (who’s raging hormones cause all sorts of havoc) a mother who is phobic about cleanliness and a cat that likes to misbehave at the most inopportune moments.  What I loved about the book is the more than realistic and at times unlikable characters. Who doesn’t have an annoying little brother who pesters us into stupid schemes?  Or a blustering boss who doesn’t recognise our skills or merit in the work place? The interaction between Fiona her family felt familiar, and was written with great wit and warmth. Even though they can drive you crazy, you can’t help but love your family. I think you will love this book if you enjoyed reading Bridget Jones and watching series like The Office. But this book has a unique and Australian edge to it and is very funny. I look forwards to reading the follow up.