REVIEW: Main Character Energy by Jamie Vernon

Main Character Energy by Jamie Vernon: Poppy, lucky enough to have a fairy-godmother like Aunt who she is forced to meet secretly due to an eon long family feud, is not fortunate enough to have the self-belief she needs to pull herself out of her rut. Downtrodden, with poor self esteem, a job lacking in the love and inspiration she needs to further her self-worth, her dream of becoming a writing becomes exactly that – nothing more than a dream, until Aunt Margot suddenly dies and gives her the kickstart she needs to find the inner strength to become the woman she wants to be for herself.

Initially, Poppy was presented as fairly insipid and she took quite a bit to come into her own and thus become likeable depite the inherent reader sympathy given her emotionally abusive mother, their strained relationship and the fact that comparative to her sibling, she’s really not killing it.

Similarly, the fairy-god mother concept was a bit sticky and whilst there were moments that didn’t make much sense, there was a lot to love. Being given the blessed opportunity to realise her dream to become a writer in the French Riviera after she inherits her Aunts villa, the time pressure to deliver keeps Poppy more than honest. And as she struggles to fall in love with herself and discover her own worth, gorgeous scene descriptions punctuate the page enabling the reader to travel Poppy’s journey with her even to the romance doors with Oliver her crush, which she doesn’t believe for a second will eventuate into much.

Whilst the romance itself, was a little flat and strangely paced, Polly’s ongoing vacillation between insecurity and self-empowerment were oddly relatable, bookended by some inspo one-liners that helped her do some of the heavy lifting internally. On the whole, this is a relatable read and with strong themes of self-belief, resilience and identity it is certain to strike a chord or two in most hearts that we do indeed need to play the lead role in our own lives.

Book Info:

Publication: 5th September 2023 | Park Row |

Poppy Banks would rather be writing mysteries than writing listicles for her dead-end job at Thought Buzz. But after a series of rejections, she’s ready to accept life on the sidelines as a plus-size woman. Her aunt Margot is the one person unwilling to give up on her niece’s dreams and tells her so at their secret yearly lunches.

But all of Poppy’s beliefs about herself are challenged when her beloved aunt dies and leaves her niece a grand surprise—a trip to her villa in the French Riviera. There, she learns her aunt intends to leave her stunning villa and secretive writer’s residency to Poppy—if she can finish her novel in six months.

When the writing countdown begins, Poppy realizes she has more to confront than her writer’s block. Family drama, complicated romances and self-doubt all threaten to throw her off course. In this fun and heartwarming debut, Poppy must decide if she can live up to her aunt’s—and her own—desire to be the main character in her own life.