The Debt and the Doormat by Laura Barnard

Poppy and Jazz have been best friends from the first week of uni. Whenever these two get together trouble isn’t far away and things haven’t changed much. When Jazz gets herself into financial trouble Poppy, being a good friend, offers to help. She instead ends up being talked into swapping lives, with Jazz insisting it will be good and help her get over her broken heart. 

Poppy is thrown into a new life, full of crazy housemates; there’s fitness freak Izzy, horrendously beautiful bitch Grace and the slightly gorgeous, if not incredibly grumpy Ryan. Quickly, with the help of Jazz, her life is thrown upside down. Madness ensues and her need to please everyone gets her in more trouble than she could ever imagine.

Before she knows it she’s got a fake boyfriend and is hiding so many secrets she’s scared they’ll spill out any minute. With a bullying boss, a sex crazed colleague, a mental mother and three brothers each with their own dramas, life has gotten pretty difficult for Poppy. And all of this would be much easier, if she could just stop falling over. 

Will she get her life back to normal before her brother’s upcoming wedding? And will she want to?

I am clearly not really the target audience for The Debt and the Doormat by Laura Barnard.  I'm in my mid forties, happily married and settled whilst the lead characters in this story are young, a little bit reckless, very clumsy and just a little bit mad.

This is the sort of book that I'd describe as a holiday read, or when you need a total escape from the humdrum of everyday life.   The story races along at a fast pace, and although I did find Poppy quite annoying at times, she is pretty realistic.  Another reason why I'm probably not the best person to read this - I do get annoyed by squealing, silly girls these days - my 'grumpy old woman' days are well and truly here!

Poppy and Jazz decide to swap lives.  Jazz has got herself into debt, and they decide that the best way to deal with this problem is a life swap.  I'm not really sure why they came to that decision, but it does set the story up pretty well.   What follows is a host of disasters, relationships, mishaps and to be honest, quite a lot of laughs.

This is a story that is very readable, will not tax the brain and will appeal to chic-lit fans.  I think that Laura Barnard has lots of potential as an author, her characters are colourful, her plotting is well thought out, despite being a little crazy.  A fun read, but more suited to a younger audience than myself.

I'd like to say thanks to Laura Barnard who sent my copy for review.