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Someone Else's Shoes
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Fiction (2023)12 hours, 21 minutes
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from international sensation Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars
Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes?
Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope—she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.
That’s because Sam Kemp—in the bleakest point of her life—has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag—she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.
Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from international sensation Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars
Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes?
Nisha Cantor lives the globetrotting life of the seriously wealthy, until her husband announces a divorce and cuts her off. Nisha is determined to hang onto her glamorous life. But in the meantime, she must scramble to cope—she doesn’t even have the shoes she was, until a moment ago, standing in.
That’s because Sam Kemp—in the bleakest point of her life—has accidentally taken Nisha’s gym bag. But Sam hardly has time to worry about a lost gym bag—she’s struggling to keep herself and her family afloat. When she tries on Nisha’s six-inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, the resulting jolt of confidence makes her realize something must change—and that thing is herself.
Full of Jojo Moyes’ signature humor, brilliant storytelling, and warmth, Someone Else’s Shoes is a story about how just one little thing can suddenly change everything.
Audiobook
First published February 2, 2023
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About the author
Jojo Moyes
124 books65k followersJojo Moyes is a British novelist.
Moyes studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist.
Moyes' novel Foreign Fruit won the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year in 2004.
She is married to journalist Charles Arthur and has three children.
Moyes studied at Royal Holloway, University of London. She won a bursary financed by The Independent newspaper to study journalism at City University and subsequently worked for The Independent for 10 years. In 2001 she became a full time novelist.
Moyes' novel Foreign Fruit won the Romantic Novelists' Association (RNA) Romantic Novel of the Year in 2004.
She is married to journalist Charles Arthur and has three children.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 18,392 reviews
February 2, 2023
Classic Jojo Moyes--funny, touching, and just an all around good story.
It starts off as a mix-up.
Sam is a married mother of a young adult daughter. Her husband lost his job and his father right around the same time, and he has been in a deep depression ever since. She's the sole breadwinner and exhausted, has a terrible supervisor who makes her feel like she can't do anything right.
Nisha is immensely wealthy. An American living in England with her globetrotting husband, their son is in an American boarding school.
While at the gym, the two accidentally end up with each other's gym bag.
Sam has Nisha's red Christian Louboutin shoes, and because she has to go to a business meeting right away, she wears them. The shoes give her a newfound confidence and she rocks her meetings.
Nisha on the other hand, has nothing to wear and is frantic to get her things back. As she works her way back to meeting her husband, she discovers that she's been locked out of her place of residence, no access to any money or accounts. What is she supposed to do?
There is a lot going on in this book, but I loved the entire thing. It's long, but well worth the time spent on the journey. Moyes' character development is wonderful, I got a real sense of these women who were a lot more complex than they seemed on the surface.
There's a very thoughtful examination of the effects of depression on a spouse, marriage, and family. I really felt for Sam as she struggled with trying to be supportive, but losing herself in the process. She made both good and not-so-good choices, but isn't that realistic? I didn't relate as well to Nisha, but as her character unfolded I could understand her and the decisions she made more and more.
The supporting characters really shine as well, I loved Jasmine and Andrea and their roles in the story were needed and made this more of a well-rounded tale.
I ended the book with a smile on my face and felt very satisfied with the way all of the storylines converged and concluded.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
It starts off as a mix-up.
Sam is a married mother of a young adult daughter. Her husband lost his job and his father right around the same time, and he has been in a deep depression ever since. She's the sole breadwinner and exhausted, has a terrible supervisor who makes her feel like she can't do anything right.
Nisha is immensely wealthy. An American living in England with her globetrotting husband, their son is in an American boarding school.
While at the gym, the two accidentally end up with each other's gym bag.
Sam has Nisha's red Christian Louboutin shoes, and because she has to go to a business meeting right away, she wears them. The shoes give her a newfound confidence and she rocks her meetings.
Nisha on the other hand, has nothing to wear and is frantic to get her things back. As she works her way back to meeting her husband, she discovers that she's been locked out of her place of residence, no access to any money or accounts. What is she supposed to do?
There is a lot going on in this book, but I loved the entire thing. It's long, but well worth the time spent on the journey. Moyes' character development is wonderful, I got a real sense of these women who were a lot more complex than they seemed on the surface.
There's a very thoughtful examination of the effects of depression on a spouse, marriage, and family. I really felt for Sam as she struggled with trying to be supportive, but losing herself in the process. She made both good and not-so-good choices, but isn't that realistic? I didn't relate as well to Nisha, but as her character unfolded I could understand her and the decisions she made more and more.
The supporting characters really shine as well, I loved Jasmine and Andrea and their roles in the story were needed and made this more of a well-rounded tale.
I ended the book with a smile on my face and felt very satisfied with the way all of the storylines converged and concluded.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
February 23, 2025
This book was a massive departure from Jojo Moyes's usual books. It was "too much" of everything. It tried to be serious, comical, romantic, a bit of mystery, a bit of girl-boss-power all in one.
If I could give a perfect summary, I would say I liked the beginning and the end but didn't care for most of the middle. Not much happens, but when it does, it’s 300 pages of repetitive incidents and emotions.
This is the story of Sam and Nisha--two middle-aged women stuck in loveless marriages. When Sam accidentally picks up Nisha's gym back, she is left with her very high, expensive Louboutin shoes. She has an important meeting at work and has no choice but to wear these crazy, wild shoes. Nisha is in the midst of chaos when her husband shuts her out of their hotel room and cuts her out of all his money.
What ensues is two women ruffling through life, carrying their problems and the shoe, connecting them in unexpected ways.
There are triggering plot points of depression, suicide, and divorce. The reviews claim the book is funny, but I found it serious, sad, and slow.
Too many things were happening simultaneously, and connecting to any character or the overall story was hard. Sam, married to a depressed husband, seemed impatient and lacked understanding. Nisha seemed spoiled and elitist. It was hard to exhume sympathy when things went disarray in their lives.
I continued reading and found the ending to have a good moral resolution, which made for a decent read but was not memorable.
Overall 3/5 stars
If I could give a perfect summary, I would say I liked the beginning and the end but didn't care for most of the middle. Not much happens, but when it does, it’s 300 pages of repetitive incidents and emotions.
This is the story of Sam and Nisha--two middle-aged women stuck in loveless marriages. When Sam accidentally picks up Nisha's gym back, she is left with her very high, expensive Louboutin shoes. She has an important meeting at work and has no choice but to wear these crazy, wild shoes. Nisha is in the midst of chaos when her husband shuts her out of their hotel room and cuts her out of all his money.
What ensues is two women ruffling through life, carrying their problems and the shoe, connecting them in unexpected ways.
There are triggering plot points of depression, suicide, and divorce. The reviews claim the book is funny, but I found it serious, sad, and slow.
Too many things were happening simultaneously, and connecting to any character or the overall story was hard. Sam, married to a depressed husband, seemed impatient and lacked understanding. Nisha seemed spoiled and elitist. It was hard to exhume sympathy when things went disarray in their lives.
I continued reading and found the ending to have a good moral resolution, which made for a decent read but was not memorable.
Overall 3/5 stars
November 2, 2023
2.5-3 Stars
This was my first Jojo Moyes book and, while I liked it well enough, it definitely didn’t blow me away. I wanted milk toast Sam to grow a backbone a little sooner and Nisha…I typically love the ice queen character everyone else hates, but her redemption effort felt a little weak.
And the whole scene where they stole the shoes back felt very slapstick.
I appreciated the female forward character efforts and interactions, but couldn’t help but notice a relationship with a new man was still part of the happy ending. Which is fine. But it didn’t match what felt like one of the main threads the author seemed to be trying to loom together.
All in all, a decent-ish read. But what with the length and this author’s former huge hits, I guess I expected more.
And PS the whole fateful shoe switch/working as a maid and suddenly having all these friends rushing to your aid felt very late 90’s/early 2000’s romcom.
This was my first Jojo Moyes book and, while I liked it well enough, it definitely didn’t blow me away. I wanted milk toast Sam to grow a backbone a little sooner and Nisha…I typically love the ice queen character everyone else hates, but her redemption effort felt a little weak.
And the whole scene where they stole the shoes back felt very slapstick.
I appreciated the female forward character efforts and interactions, but couldn’t help but notice a relationship with a new man was still part of the happy ending. Which is fine. But it didn’t match what felt like one of the main threads the author seemed to be trying to loom together.
All in all, a decent-ish read. But what with the length and this author’s former huge hits, I guess I expected more.
And PS the whole fateful shoe switch/working as a maid and suddenly having all these friends rushing to your aid felt very late 90’s/early 2000’s romcom.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 29, 2023
I liked the ladies we meet in the book. Although there are definitely stereotypes, i like characters who learn something new and change because of it. My favorite parts of the book was the relationship between the characters. It is lovely to see people coming together, encouraging each other and being there. Almost like a cozy episode of friends.
May 31, 2023
Jojo Moyes is an incredibly talented author! I read the novel, Someone Else's Shoes, in one day. It is a riveting page-turner that starts with an innocent mix-up of two gym bags after a workout session. The two women who end up with the wrong gym bag, Nisha and Samantha (Sam), experience significant impact in their personal and professional lives.
Life is messy, gritty, and fluid with ever-changing demands and situations. Moyes captures the rapidity with which life can throw curveballs.
Highly recommend!
Life is messy, gritty, and fluid with ever-changing demands and situations. Moyes captures the rapidity with which life can throw curveballs.
Highly recommend!
March 12, 2023
DNFed. Fell asleep thrice trying my best to focus wanting to absorb everything. It’s just that the author’s writing isn’t for me. I thought this one would be different.
February 19, 2023
If the last Jojo book you’ve read was The Giver of Stars, expect something completely different!
I decided to do the audiobook and it was an awesome narration! Daisy Ridley is one of my favorite narrators and she killed it.
I loved the story of all these women! It was such a pump up female empowerment story. I think it was a taaaaaaaad bit long, but the ending was validating! There is a bit of romance, mystery, heartbreak, self discovery, and friendship. I think people who like women’s fiction stories will love this one. And try the audio!!
I decided to do the audiobook and it was an awesome narration! Daisy Ridley is one of my favorite narrators and she killed it.
I loved the story of all these women! It was such a pump up female empowerment story. I think it was a taaaaaaaad bit long, but the ending was validating! There is a bit of romance, mystery, heartbreak, self discovery, and friendship. I think people who like women’s fiction stories will love this one. And try the audio!!
June 14, 2023
"...Strength- real strength is not doing what someone asks you, necessarily. Strength is turning up everyday to a situation that is intolerable, unbearable even just to support the people you love..."
Huh so that was wasted potential.
It sure is interesting. C'mon two women- one rich and the other struggling to get by, both with problems of their own end up accidentally exchanging their bags at the gym and then the whole story revolves around a pair of heels.
Initially, am liking Sam, cause she seems grounded and her struggles seem realistic. Nisha on the other hand came across as a stereotypical rich brat. I thought there lay character development for both of them, but sadly that wasn't the case.
"When we're low it can be easy to see everything through a prism of negativity. Human beings are remarkably bad at understanding other people's motivations, even when they know them terribly well."
The pacing of the book is extremely slow. I was bored in the middle and especially in the second half. Sam and Nisha both lost my interest. These two are extremely unlikable women, especially Nisha. Sam continues to stay a pushover and a crybaby. The author midway forgets that Sam struggles with anxiety and that made Sam's character go downhill. Nisha continues to be a brat and constantly looks down on others. She is extremely selfish, imagine abandoning your own child and not even realising it.
Look, I get that the women were struggling and the author wanted to generate the whole concept of empathy, through a pair of heels but empathy regardless. But it's not executed right imo. Don't get me wrong, it is a well written book but it didn't make me feel anything for the characters. It was just words on paper.
The author also tries to generate a feeling of sisterhood and women empowerment but fails. The use of shoes is also an apparent metaphor, one will get that after reading the ending. Nisha wasn't empowering. Sam wasn't empowering. Reading their lack of character growth made reading an exhausting exercise.
I skimmed through the last 100 pages. The ending was okay, kinda predictable tho. I liked that things fell into place especially for the married couple.
"But if you cannot change your situation, then you have no choice. You can only change how you think about it."
But a bit of positive points now. I liked Phil and how raw his depression and anxiety was depicted. I liked how true his struggle was and him trying to find a solution for it. I liked how powerful the character growth was for him. His talks with the therapist and at the end finally with Sam made me emotional. What Sam and Phil went through is so true and seen in so many relationships and marriages. Jojo Moyes does a good job at bringing that out.
The most underrated character would be Aleks, I swear he is the only one who made me smile in this depressing book. While he was attempting to make Nisha smile and make things easy for her, he was doing the same for me- making this book slightly easier to read. I loved him and wish there was more of him. The book needed more of him 😭
It does deal with some triggers- depression, anxiety, loss of life, cancer, grief, manipulation.
Overall, could've been executed well. Ironically, for a book about women empowerment, it was the men who came out on top 🤷♀️
Huh so that was wasted potential.
It sure is interesting. C'mon two women- one rich and the other struggling to get by, both with problems of their own end up accidentally exchanging their bags at the gym and then the whole story revolves around a pair of heels.
Initially, am liking Sam, cause she seems grounded and her struggles seem realistic. Nisha on the other hand came across as a stereotypical rich brat. I thought there lay character development for both of them, but sadly that wasn't the case.
"When we're low it can be easy to see everything through a prism of negativity. Human beings are remarkably bad at understanding other people's motivations, even when they know them terribly well."
The pacing of the book is extremely slow. I was bored in the middle and especially in the second half. Sam and Nisha both lost my interest. These two are extremely unlikable women, especially Nisha. Sam continues to stay a pushover and a crybaby. The author midway forgets that Sam struggles with anxiety and that made Sam's character go downhill. Nisha continues to be a brat and constantly looks down on others. She is extremely selfish, imagine abandoning your own child and not even realising it.
Look, I get that the women were struggling and the author wanted to generate the whole concept of empathy, through a pair of heels but empathy regardless. But it's not executed right imo. Don't get me wrong, it is a well written book but it didn't make me feel anything for the characters. It was just words on paper.
The author also tries to generate a feeling of sisterhood and women empowerment but fails. The use of shoes is also an apparent metaphor, one will get that after reading the ending. Nisha wasn't empowering. Sam wasn't empowering. Reading their lack of character growth made reading an exhausting exercise.
I skimmed through the last 100 pages. The ending was okay, kinda predictable tho. I liked that things fell into place especially for the married couple.
"But if you cannot change your situation, then you have no choice. You can only change how you think about it."
But a bit of positive points now. I liked Phil and how raw his depression and anxiety was depicted. I liked how true his struggle was and him trying to find a solution for it. I liked how powerful the character growth was for him. His talks with the therapist and at the end finally with Sam made me emotional. What Sam and Phil went through is so true and seen in so many relationships and marriages. Jojo Moyes does a good job at bringing that out.
The most underrated character would be Aleks, I swear he is the only one who made me smile in this depressing book. While he was attempting to make Nisha smile and make things easy for her, he was doing the same for me- making this book slightly easier to read. I loved him and wish there was more of him. The book needed more of him 😭
It does deal with some triggers- depression, anxiety, loss of life, cancer, grief, manipulation.
Overall, could've been executed well. Ironically, for a book about women empowerment, it was the men who came out on top 🤷♀️
March 15, 2023
3.5 stars rounded down. I did enjoy this one, but mostly the last half when things started to come together - the beginning was really slow, too many characters and just too much of the MC’s being a bit dense and miserable in their almost OTT misery. Not the author’s best by a long shot, but I’m still down for what she does next.
March 17, 2023
👠👠👠👠
The Devil wears Prada meets Finlay Donovan?
(Okay, it’s actually 6 inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, but you get the picture!)
That was my impression of this book-which isn’t the typical “tear jerker” we have come to expect from this author!
Sam Kemp has accidentally taken Nisha Cantor’s gym bag-and inside it are the red shoes mentioned, which are about to change two women’s lives.
As the sole breadwinner in her family, and one with an ABUSIVE BOSS, Sam cannot show up for an important meeting in flip flops, and there is no time to turn around and return the gym, so she will have to LITERALLY wear another woman’s shoes to her meeting. Turns out, the sexy shoes end up giving her a boost of confidence that she needed.
When she does return to the gym to exchange the gym bag and shoes, for her own, she finds that it has been closed down.
The owner of the shoes, Nisha Cantor is left standing in a bathrobe and flip flops, with a knock off of her designer bag. She entered the gym as the pampered wife of a wealthy globetrotting husband-but finds out as she exits, that she has been locked out of the hotel’s penthouse suite, and cut off from ALL of her money and credit. Her husband won’t answer her calls.
She devises a plan to get a job in “housekeeping” so she can get into the suite and retrieve what is rightfully hers. But, it won’t be that simple, and she will have to FIGURATIVELY walk in the shoes of the women she has taken for granted her entire life, aided by Jasmine, the kind-hearted housekeeper who trains her for her new job.
Both women will grow from their experiences, and the hi-jinks that ensue from Nisha’s attempts to get back her life, and those RED SHOES will lighten up the chapters which thoughtfully deal with the challenges that Sam is facing which include SEXISM at work, a friend with CANCER and a husband battling DEPRESSION. Strong women and friendships are positives as well.
Despite the book being a bit predictable, and a bit too long (448 pages or 12 1/2 hours of listening at 1.4x speed) I did find it to be enjoyable, and the AUDIBLE performance was entertaining!
A buddy read with DeAnn. Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional thoughts on this one!
A thank you to the Chandler Public library for the loan of this AUDIBLE title!
AVAILABLE NOW!
The Devil wears Prada meets Finlay Donovan?
(Okay, it’s actually 6 inch high Christian Louboutin red crocodile shoes, but you get the picture!)
That was my impression of this book-which isn’t the typical “tear jerker” we have come to expect from this author!
Sam Kemp has accidentally taken Nisha Cantor’s gym bag-and inside it are the red shoes mentioned, which are about to change two women’s lives.
As the sole breadwinner in her family, and one with an ABUSIVE BOSS, Sam cannot show up for an important meeting in flip flops, and there is no time to turn around and return the gym, so she will have to LITERALLY wear another woman’s shoes to her meeting. Turns out, the sexy shoes end up giving her a boost of confidence that she needed.
When she does return to the gym to exchange the gym bag and shoes, for her own, she finds that it has been closed down.
The owner of the shoes, Nisha Cantor is left standing in a bathrobe and flip flops, with a knock off of her designer bag. She entered the gym as the pampered wife of a wealthy globetrotting husband-but finds out as she exits, that she has been locked out of the hotel’s penthouse suite, and cut off from ALL of her money and credit. Her husband won’t answer her calls.
She devises a plan to get a job in “housekeeping” so she can get into the suite and retrieve what is rightfully hers. But, it won’t be that simple, and she will have to FIGURATIVELY walk in the shoes of the women she has taken for granted her entire life, aided by Jasmine, the kind-hearted housekeeper who trains her for her new job.
Both women will grow from their experiences, and the hi-jinks that ensue from Nisha’s attempts to get back her life, and those RED SHOES will lighten up the chapters which thoughtfully deal with the challenges that Sam is facing which include SEXISM at work, a friend with CANCER and a husband battling DEPRESSION. Strong women and friendships are positives as well.
Despite the book being a bit predictable, and a bit too long (448 pages or 12 1/2 hours of listening at 1.4x speed) I did find it to be enjoyable, and the AUDIBLE performance was entertaining!
A buddy read with DeAnn. Be sure to watch for her amazing review for additional thoughts on this one!
A thank you to the Chandler Public library for the loan of this AUDIBLE title!
AVAILABLE NOW!
November 27, 2023
If my husband froze all my cards and locked me out of the house with everything I own still inside it (including my passport that I’d need to get to our minor aged son in a different country), I’d be calling the police. I wouldn’t be sleeping around town homelessly and working an under the table job at a hotel just to find a pair of shoes he wants before he lets me get my things. What the hell.
I really have no idea how this plot actually made it into a book.
I really have no idea how this plot actually made it into a book.
March 24, 2023
Having loved this author’s previous work, I jumped at the chance to read this book. This was fluffy, it requires a lot of acceptance of unreal situations occurring at all stages, and very light. I considered giving up at some stages, but as it was an audio read it was able to be finished quickly, and I did want to know how these quirky and thrown together group of women ended up.
Nisha is rich and successful, seeped in material desire and wanting to look good. Extremely snobby, judgemental, and mean. There was a background to her which possibly showed us why she was this way, but she was hard to take. Married to an awful scum bag wealthy for doing goodness knows what and travelling the world to partake in this ‘business’. She has an adolescent son who isn’t well, and he’s become collateral damage to this jet setting lifestyle. Poor kid.
Sam, such a hard worker, has the sexist boss from hell who undermines her, constantly rude and just awful. Her husband is suffering from depression and unable to work is leaving everything to her including financial, household and everything else. It’s really hard reading about his lack of anything toward his wife who works so hard.
A mix up at the gym transpires this story into the farcical, Sam takes Nisha’s bag by accident and this triggers events that draw these women together. Predominantly a pair of Louboutin shoes get taken, are used used (and for of course)) and go missing. It’s just quite surreal, really. Nisha ends up completely broke and penniless (the husband has cut her off completely. Awful stuff!). Nisha has to work (gasp) and learns a thing or two here.
Jasmine comes to the rescue while Nisha finds her feet, and thus and unlikely friendship/cat and mouse chase in the streets of London ensues. Each woman learns what is important and many life lessons are learned and cherished.
Most characters were not nice, the cook in the hotel where Jasmine and Nisha worked was thoughtful and measured, but it was all quite grey. Sam was very open to allowing herself to be trampled upon, and Nisha’s snootiness was awful. These characters did flourish but it was cringeworthy at times. My frustration was mounting and I wanted a cummupance for many!
Themes such as female friendships were heartwarming, but it was all very unreal and over the top. A middle of the road read for me. Disappointed I wasn’t captured like the author’s previous works.
2.5★, which is a generous rating.
I listened to this on the BorrowBox platform through my public library at 1.5 speed.
Nisha is rich and successful, seeped in material desire and wanting to look good. Extremely snobby, judgemental, and mean. There was a background to her which possibly showed us why she was this way, but she was hard to take. Married to an awful scum bag wealthy for doing goodness knows what and travelling the world to partake in this ‘business’. She has an adolescent son who isn’t well, and he’s become collateral damage to this jet setting lifestyle. Poor kid.
Sam, such a hard worker, has the sexist boss from hell who undermines her, constantly rude and just awful. Her husband is suffering from depression and unable to work is leaving everything to her including financial, household and everything else. It’s really hard reading about his lack of anything toward his wife who works so hard.
A mix up at the gym transpires this story into the farcical, Sam takes Nisha’s bag by accident and this triggers events that draw these women together. Predominantly a pair of Louboutin shoes get taken, are used used (and for of course)) and go missing. It’s just quite surreal, really. Nisha ends up completely broke and penniless (the husband has cut her off completely. Awful stuff!). Nisha has to work (gasp) and learns a thing or two here.
Jasmine comes to the rescue while Nisha finds her feet, and thus and unlikely friendship/cat and mouse chase in the streets of London ensues. Each woman learns what is important and many life lessons are learned and cherished.
Most characters were not nice, the cook in the hotel where Jasmine and Nisha worked was thoughtful and measured, but it was all quite grey. Sam was very open to allowing herself to be trampled upon, and Nisha’s snootiness was awful. These characters did flourish but it was cringeworthy at times. My frustration was mounting and I wanted a cummupance for many!
Themes such as female friendships were heartwarming, but it was all very unreal and over the top. A middle of the road read for me. Disappointed I wasn’t captured like the author’s previous works.
2.5★, which is a generous rating.
I listened to this on the BorrowBox platform through my public library at 1.5 speed.
June 14, 2024
Ok but why did the husband ghost her BEFORE getting the shoes back from her? No wonder they tricked him. He dumb AF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2022
DNF at page 154. Wanted to like this, but it's not good. Unlikeable characters, idiotic storyline, I just can't read anymore of it.
March 14, 2023
Here’s the thing. Jojo Moyes needs zero of my help selling her books and since I loved Me Before You, Still Me and One Plus One I am not super interested in dissecting all the reasons this one didn’t work for me. Some books just aren’t for some people and for me that has a lot to do with the characters. I didn’t much care for doormat Sam at all and thought Nisha was a real See You Next Tuesday throughout the entire story (even though an attempt was given at providing her a redemption arc). The plot didn’t really tickle my fancy either and it was waaaaaaay too long (especially when things went all “Three’s Company” while attempting to steal back the shoes in the hotel). So that’s that and on to the next.
2.5 Stars
February 22, 2023
This is my 4th Jojo Moyes book & I have to say I have enjoyed the majority of them! This was a fun chick lit novel that is about friendship, hardships and starting over. I enjoyed reading about NIsha & Sam and how they both struggled in life and how they meet each other.
I will say at times this novel was a little absurd and often felt like Murphy's Law. But the characters had a lot of heart.
I will say at times this novel was a little absurd and often felt like Murphy's Law. But the characters had a lot of heart.
February 6, 2023
Who knew that a story revolving around a pair of Christian Louboutin red bottomed shoes would turn out to be SUCH a brilliant book that I didn’t want to put down!
Someone Else’s Shoes contains such a rich cast of brilliantly diverse characters, who are developed really well over the length of the story.
A day at a London gym changes the path of two women’s lives forever;
Sam, a middle aged mother of one, who is the breadwinner for her family. She keeps having run-ins with her new boss Simon and is constantly on edge trying to impress him in fears that she will end up losing her job.
Nisha, a slightly younger mother of one. Married to a millionaire and living a life most can only dream of. Multiple houses in different countries. Designer clothes tailored made just for her. It’s a far cry from her working-class upbringing in America.
Then in the changing room at the gym, the women accidentally swap bags. Nisha doesn’t notice that the Marc Jacobs bag she swiftly picked up is in fact a fake. Sam finds a Chanel jacket and a pair of Louboutin heels when she opens her gym bag and realises that this is not hers. But as she is on the way to some important meetings for her job, changing out of the flip flops she wore leaving the gym into those designer heels would help her…
Throughout the course of this book, the women’s lives slowly unravel and they are both faced with different adversities as their lives intertwine. Nisha needs those shoes back as part of a divorce settlement with her husband. He is using them as a bargaining chip. Sam tries to return them to the gym where she accidentally picked them up but it has closed down.
Things in life are never that simple and there are many twists and turns… Will Nisha and Sam cross paths? And will they be able to help each other?
I empathised a lot with the character of Phil (Sam’s husband). His struggles with symptoms of depression mirrored some of my own. A heavy feeling in the body, it taking an insurmountable amount of effort to get up and do anything throughout the day. Perma-fatigue. I felt emotional reading his therapy scenes, I just wanted to reach out through the pages and give him a hug 🥺
My favourite character was a new friend of Nisha’s that she meets over the course of the story called Jasmine. She is so upbeat and a positive influence. Everybody could do with a friend like Jasmine.
I forgot just how much I love Jojo Moyes’ writing style. She is a great storyteller and this has inspired me to finally finish the Me Before You series soon, and also read The Giver Of Stars. (Owned these paperbacks for years now 😅)
”Strength — real strength — is not doing what someone asks you, necessarily. Strength is turning up every day to a situation that is intolerable, unbearable even, just to support the people that you love.”
5 Stars.
Someone Else’s Shoes contains such a rich cast of brilliantly diverse characters, who are developed really well over the length of the story.
A day at a London gym changes the path of two women’s lives forever;
Sam, a middle aged mother of one, who is the breadwinner for her family. She keeps having run-ins with her new boss Simon and is constantly on edge trying to impress him in fears that she will end up losing her job.
Nisha, a slightly younger mother of one. Married to a millionaire and living a life most can only dream of. Multiple houses in different countries. Designer clothes tailored made just for her. It’s a far cry from her working-class upbringing in America.
Then in the changing room at the gym, the women accidentally swap bags. Nisha doesn’t notice that the Marc Jacobs bag she swiftly picked up is in fact a fake. Sam finds a Chanel jacket and a pair of Louboutin heels when she opens her gym bag and realises that this is not hers. But as she is on the way to some important meetings for her job, changing out of the flip flops she wore leaving the gym into those designer heels would help her…
Throughout the course of this book, the women’s lives slowly unravel and they are both faced with different adversities as their lives intertwine. Nisha needs those shoes back as part of a divorce settlement with her husband. He is using them as a bargaining chip. Sam tries to return them to the gym where she accidentally picked them up but it has closed down.
Things in life are never that simple and there are many twists and turns… Will Nisha and Sam cross paths? And will they be able to help each other?
I empathised a lot with the character of Phil (Sam’s husband). His struggles with symptoms of depression mirrored some of my own. A heavy feeling in the body, it taking an insurmountable amount of effort to get up and do anything throughout the day. Perma-fatigue. I felt emotional reading his therapy scenes, I just wanted to reach out through the pages and give him a hug 🥺
My favourite character was a new friend of Nisha’s that she meets over the course of the story called Jasmine. She is so upbeat and a positive influence. Everybody could do with a friend like Jasmine.
I forgot just how much I love Jojo Moyes’ writing style. She is a great storyteller and this has inspired me to finally finish the Me Before You series soon, and also read The Giver Of Stars. (Owned these paperbacks for years now 😅)
”Strength — real strength — is not doing what someone asks you, necessarily. Strength is turning up every day to a situation that is intolerable, unbearable even, just to support the people that you love.”
5 Stars.
February 17, 2023
Big disappointment! Are we sure JoJo Moyes wrote this book?
Storyline has been done before and done better than this.
Two women from drastically different backgrounds mistakenly grab each others bags in the gym locker room. Who ever wrote this book obviously forgot it’s 2023 and women who have been married for 20 years do not end up destitute because their husband locked them out of their hotel room and cancels their credit cards and they have no one they can call to help them though the chaos, so they end up working as a maid in the hotel they were kicked out of? What woman in 2023 that is blatantly verbally abused by their boss in public on a regular basis has no recourse? Shall I continue? Because there is more I could say but I’ve already wasted enough of my time on this review.
Definitely do not recommend. Apologies to Jojo because I have liked all of her previous books.
Storyline has been done before and done better than this.
Two women from drastically different backgrounds mistakenly grab each others bags in the gym locker room. Who ever wrote this book obviously forgot it’s 2023 and women who have been married for 20 years do not end up destitute because their husband locked them out of their hotel room and cancels their credit cards and they have no one they can call to help them though the chaos, so they end up working as a maid in the hotel they were kicked out of? What woman in 2023 that is blatantly verbally abused by their boss in public on a regular basis has no recourse? Shall I continue? Because there is more I could say but I’ve already wasted enough of my time on this review.
Definitely do not recommend. Apologies to Jojo because I have liked all of her previous books.
February 8, 2023
Nope. Not a fan of this book. I hated all of the characters and didn’t feel bad when marginally bad situations gave them into dramatic panic attacks. It was boring with way too many coincidences. The only redeeming factor was that the ending tied up nicely. Unrealistically but nicely.
February 17, 2023
I just can’t with this one. Too long, far fetched, silly plot, and I didn’t connect with or like many of the characters. I typically love Jojo Moyes but this one wasn’t worth the hype in my opinion.
November 9, 2022
Even a less than 5-Star JoJo Moyes can assure hours of fun reading. And it could have been five-Stars if I didn't start getting annoyed by the coincidences in this suspension of disbelief novel. Okay, that said, go out and grab a copy of Someone Else's Shoes just to see if you can guess how it turns out.
What you'll find is a most unlikely set of circumstances where a wealthy, well-dressed, nasty woman is locked out of everything she has by an evil and hateful husband. Second heroine is a menopausal woman mistreated by a boss from hell and putting up with a depressed husband, two horrendous parents, and a smelly dog.
Introduce a pair of 6" heeled red ostrich Louboutin shoes and we're off. Nisha, the wife, with no money, finds work as a chambermaid in a posh London hotel. Sam, sad sack extraordinaire, picks up the wrong bag, containing not her own shabby shoes, but Nisha's. The problem is, Nisha can't get her divorce settlement without giving her husband back the shoes.
So then we get into parenting, friendship, cancer and talk therapy, as well as a hysterical breaking and entering episode. But wait, there's more. It's a real romp. Read and laugh. Thank you thank you to Penguin Division of Random House for allowing me to read this early copy.
'
What you'll find is a most unlikely set of circumstances where a wealthy, well-dressed, nasty woman is locked out of everything she has by an evil and hateful husband. Second heroine is a menopausal woman mistreated by a boss from hell and putting up with a depressed husband, two horrendous parents, and a smelly dog.
Introduce a pair of 6" heeled red ostrich Louboutin shoes and we're off. Nisha, the wife, with no money, finds work as a chambermaid in a posh London hotel. Sam, sad sack extraordinaire, picks up the wrong bag, containing not her own shabby shoes, but Nisha's. The problem is, Nisha can't get her divorce settlement without giving her husband back the shoes.
So then we get into parenting, friendship, cancer and talk therapy, as well as a hysterical breaking and entering episode. But wait, there's more. It's a real romp. Read and laugh. Thank you thank you to Penguin Division of Random House for allowing me to read this early copy.
'
April 2, 2023
Someone Else’s Shoes by JoJo Moyes. It is a book about shoes. Sam works hard for her family in a job she loves but hates because of her nasty supervisor. She leaves the gym with the wrong bag.
Nisha is in London with her husband when he shuts her out of their 18 year marriage. He freezes her assets. Locks her out of their place of residents. She goes to change at the gym and her bag is gone.
The whole book is based around these missing shoes and Nisha getting them back.
There is a lot going on in this busy book. Moments it is funny but eye rolling.
Two women with nothing in common but a pair of shoes and many moments of funny crazy chaos.
Nisha is in London with her husband when he shuts her out of their 18 year marriage. He freezes her assets. Locks her out of their place of residents. She goes to change at the gym and her bag is gone.
The whole book is based around these missing shoes and Nisha getting them back.
There is a lot going on in this busy book. Moments it is funny but eye rolling.
Two women with nothing in common but a pair of shoes and many moments of funny crazy chaos.
February 20, 2023
Sam Kemp is trying hard to juggle her life. She has a teenage daughter at home as well as an out-of-work husband who is drifting away from her as he sinks into a deep depression. She does a very good job working for a printing company but her new boss finds nothing but faults in her performance. While at a London gym, Sam mistakenly leaves with someone else's look-a-like Marc Jacobs bag. While her bag is a knock-off filled with sensible shoes, the bag she took is the authentic version and is filled not only with a Chanel jacket but an incredible pair of one-of-a-kind Christian Louboutin high-heels. Sam starts wearing the shoes and a new side of her comes out -- one of power and confidence. The true owner of the bag is Nisha Cantor, who is horrified that her shoes are gone and is aghast that she has to wear the worn, flat shoes in the bag she now possesses. But this is just the beginning of Nisha's woes. When Nisha, who is an American, returns to her hotel, she discovers that her wealthy husband Carl has shut her out of their room leaving Nisha with no money, clothes and dignity. His young assistant has taken her place. In order to survive, Nisha becomes a maid in the hotel and is determined to get her life back and find the woman who took her shoes.
In Someone Else's Shoes author Jojo Moyes has written an entertaining tale of two 40-something women who, while having very different lives and economic status, shared the reality that they had entered a stage in life where they risked becoming invisible. It's a clever story that has both humor and heart. While I found this fast-paced book to be lots of fun, it also addressed some serious issues such as mental health and discrimination. Moyes created a wonderful cast of supporting characters which added to the appeal - including women who provided friendship and sisterhood to the main characters. Since Moyes' Me Before You was one of the most sob-inducing books I've ever read, it was nice to not need a box of tissues this time.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
In Someone Else's Shoes author Jojo Moyes has written an entertaining tale of two 40-something women who, while having very different lives and economic status, shared the reality that they had entered a stage in life where they risked becoming invisible. It's a clever story that has both humor and heart. While I found this fast-paced book to be lots of fun, it also addressed some serious issues such as mental health and discrimination. Moyes created a wonderful cast of supporting characters which added to the appeal - including women who provided friendship and sisterhood to the main characters. Since Moyes' Me Before You was one of the most sob-inducing books I've ever read, it was nice to not need a box of tissues this time.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
October 31, 2023
3.5 stars
London printing company saleswoman Sam Kemp was given a one-day gift pass to a high-end gym. Since the pass is about to expire, Sam decides to use it one morning before a series of sales calls.
At the facility, there's a mix-up in the locker room, and Sam grabs a lookalike gym bag on her way out, leaving her own gym bag behind.
Riding to to her first meeting with several colleagues, Sam reaches into the gym bag for her shoes, and instead of her sensible black pumps, Sam finds red Louboutin sling-backs with four inch heels. Sam can't go to a sales meeting in flip-flops, so she dons the Louboutins and finds that the sexy shoes fascinate clients and help with sales.
This is important to Sam because she has a new boss, a nasty misogynist named Simon who's ALWAYS on Sam's case.
Simon constantly says Sam can't do anything right and insinuates she's dispensable. Sam can't lose her job because she's currently the family's sole breadwinner. Sam's husband Phil - who recently lost his father and his job - just sits on the sofa and watches television. Phil is clinically depressed, but he refuses to take medication or get help.
Thus Sam has to do EVERYTHING: support herself, Phil, and their teenage daughter; walk and feed the family dog; keep up the house; shop for groceries; prepare meals; pay the bills; and so on.
Sam also has to help her retired parents, who expect her to clean their house; shop for them; and see to all their eccentric whims. On top of all that, Sam's best friend Andrea has been diagnosed with cancer, and is currently undergoing treatment.
Though Sam is overwhelmed with worries and responsibilities, she plans to return the gym bag - and the Louboutins - as soon as she gets a chance
On the morning of the gym bag switch, the owner of the Louboutins, an American woman named Nisha Cantor, is horrified to be stuck with Sam's bag, which Nisha thinks is full of germs; nasty skin cells; bad smells; and the like. And that's just the beginning of Nisha's horrible day.
Nisha has been married to wealthy business executive Carl Cantor for eighteen years, and for the entire time, Nisha has been the 'perfect wife.'
Nisha is beautiful, elegant, cultured, and goes everywhere with Carl, whose business interests require constant travel.
As a result, Nisha and Carl's troubled teenage son is at a boarding school in America, where he's lonely and unhappy. Boarding school was Carl's idea, and Nisha reluctantly agreed, since keeping Carl happy is always her first priority.
While Nisha and Carl are in London, they reside in the penthouse of an elegant hotel.
On the day of the gym bag switch, Nisha returns to the hotel and finds that her life is about to be completely upended. Carl has informed the hotel staff that Nisha is not permitted to enter the penthouse under any circumstances, not even to get her clothes (all designer labels of course). In addition, Carl has cancelled all Nisha's credit cards and completely blocked her access to funds. In short, Nisha has NOTHING. It's clear Carl has decided to divorce Nisha, and has been planning this move for a long time.
As the story unfolds we follow Sam and Nisha's arcs.
Sam struggles along with her awful boss, who makes her feel completely cowed at work. Sam does get support from her co-workers, especially a sympathetic man named Joel, which results in an emotional affair.
As for Sam's home situation, she tries hard to pull her husband Phil out of the doldrums. However Phil doesn't respond to Sam's entreaties, and he can't seem to understand how badly he's damaging the marriage.
In the meanwhile, disenfranchised Nisha accidently gets a cleaning job in the hotel where Carl still resides.
As Nisha goes about her work she makes friends with some fellow hotel employees, especially a maid called Jasmine.....
.....and a hotel chef called Alex. Both Jasmine and Alex help Nisha in her darkest days.
Eventually Sam and Nisha's storylines come together, and all the ladies - Sam, Nisha, cancer patient Andrea, and hotel maid Jasmine - cooperate to rectify some wrongs. 🙂
I enjoyed the novel, which has drama, comedy, and interesting characters.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Daisy Ridley, who does a fine job.
You can follow my reviews at http://reviewsbybarbsaffer.blogspot.com/
July 21, 2023
چهارمین و طولانیترین کتابی بود که از جوجو مویز خوندم. (در واقع طولانیترین کتابی که تا حالا نوشته)
نمیدونم من موقع خوندنش اسلامپ بودم یا اینکه خوندنش باعث شد اسلامپ بشم، اما در هر صورت خوندنش نباید انقدر طول میکشید.
داستان یه جورایی منو یاد شاهزاده و گدا میانداخت؛ و میتونست "کم گوی و گزیدهگوی"تر باشه که نبود!
این نکته که آخر داستان همه چیز به طرز فوق العادهای خوشبینانه تموم شد ( یا اینکه همیشه یه مرد فوق العاده جذاب و باشخصیت و همهچیز تموم تو داستان هست که میتونی از دست شوهر مزخرفت بهش پناه ببری) باعث شد فکر کنم داستانی که "میتونست" واقعی باشه بیشتر جنبه فانتزی پیدا کرده.
در کل احتمالا کتاب خوبی برای استراحت دادن بین چندتا کتاب سنگین باشه.
۳.۵ از ۵ ⭐
نمیدونم من موقع خوندنش اسلامپ بودم یا اینکه خوندنش باعث شد اسلامپ بشم، اما در هر صورت خوندنش نباید انقدر طول میکشید.
داستان یه جورایی منو یاد شاهزاده و گدا میانداخت؛ و میتونست "کم گوی و گزیدهگوی"تر باشه که نبود!
این نکته که آخر داستان همه چیز به طرز فوق العادهای خوشبینانه تموم شد ( یا اینکه همیشه یه مرد فوق العاده جذاب و باشخصیت و همهچیز تموم تو داستان هست که میتونی از دست شوهر مزخرفت بهش پناه ببری) باعث شد فکر کنم داستانی که "میتونست" واقعی باشه بیشتر جنبه فانتزی پیدا کرده.
در کل احتمالا کتاب خوبی برای استراحت دادن بین چندتا کتاب سنگین باشه.
۳.۵ از ۵ ⭐
February 15, 2023
The New York Times had it right when it talked about JoJo Moyes being known for her “terrifically funny tearjerkers about woman trapped in sticky situations. Very few authors have the power to make you laugh and one page and cry on the next.” That is exactly what happened to me during the course of this novel. At one point my shoulders were heaving as I sobbed and another point, I was smiling like a Cheshire cat. Yes, this was exactly what the doctor ordered for me right now. I was looking for that brain candy that I could lose myself in and yet appreciate quick dialogue, incisive characters and a plot that would sweep me along. Who cares if the plot has some absurdities? It all just worked terrifically in the flow of the story. Following the mad capers and suspending belief made this a perfect read for a plane ride, a beach getaway or just sitting in your home having a jolly good time.
Literally, two women, Sam and Nisha end up in each other’s shoes when they mistakenly take each other’s gym bags. Nisha, the privileged wife of a wealthy husband with homes on different continents and a closet full of designer clothes finds herself homeless and penniless after returning from the gym and finding her husband has cut her off from all her accounts assailing her out of the blue. Sam can’t return the shoes because the gym has shut down but when she tries on Nisha’s designer shoes, she feels empowered. Madcap adventures ensue in Nisha trying to secure her shoes, but with acute and piercing revelations about female friendship, aging women and power, vindictiveness, and love. It is about the power of female friendships then can bridge differences and find that common ground. I know this world. And you will want to too!! Run for this one!
Literally, two women, Sam and Nisha end up in each other’s shoes when they mistakenly take each other’s gym bags. Nisha, the privileged wife of a wealthy husband with homes on different continents and a closet full of designer clothes finds herself homeless and penniless after returning from the gym and finding her husband has cut her off from all her accounts assailing her out of the blue. Sam can’t return the shoes because the gym has shut down but when she tries on Nisha’s designer shoes, she feels empowered. Madcap adventures ensue in Nisha trying to secure her shoes, but with acute and piercing revelations about female friendship, aging women and power, vindictiveness, and love. It is about the power of female friendships then can bridge differences and find that common ground. I know this world. And you will want to too!! Run for this one!
April 9, 2023
I usually pick one word to start my review. Well, I have so many words for this one, I'm jumping right in. Get ready for a rant. Because I don't hand out 1 star lightly.
When I started this one, I thought it would be something like the ladies had their bags switched, met up to trade and then they would help each other through their various crises (growth and hugs all around). What I got was: 'A Guide to Cramming as Many Plot Device Tropes as Possible into 435 Pages.' However, Jojo decided to title it 'Someone Else's Shoes' thinking we wouldn't be any the wiser. After 435 pages, I'm wiser. And bitter. And I am here to tell you exactly what that looks like.
SPOILERS AHEAD- DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU ARE OK WITH MAJOR SPOILERS
Sam and Nisha attend a gym session and shower up at the same time. They have the same bag (Sam's a knock-off, Nisha's authentic) and in her rush Sam picks up the wrong one. They both discover they have the wrong bag. Now they're in 'someone else's shoes'...literally. This was interesting.
At that point, Nisha goes to her hotel to pick up some of her clothes. But, wouldn't you know it, her husband has picked that exact moment to decide they are separating and he won't give her anything...not her clothes, not her passport, cuts her bank cards....zilch. So, now Nisha wants her bag. But there's a problem...
Because even though she has tens of thousands of dollars in clothing and accessories that don't belong to her, Sam just 'can't seem to manage to get back to the gym right that day' to return Nisha's bag. She goes to a few client meetings, work lunch, Happy Hour...all while wearing the designer shoes and Chanel jacket that she doesn't own. Sam goes to the gym the next day to try and make the bag exchange but...the gym is closed. Whomp, whomp. So poor Sam is left with no other option than to keep wearing the jacket and shoes because she feels great in them...a version of herself that has been dormant all these years. Because turning it in at the police station isn't an option. Is that a crime to keep tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise that doesn't belong to you? Jojo Moyes doesn't care and so I guess she figures the reader shouldn't either.
So, if you're keeping score we're sitting at: Somewhat of a Reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 2
While Sam is out doing amazing things with her life in the shoes and jacket she doesn't own, Nisha's life is utterly unamazing since she has zero money, zero clothes, zero passport. At this point, I would think the character described as an uber-rich jet setter would hightail it to the US Embassy to obtain assistance since I don't think it's at all legal to withhold an adult's passport and wallet. Instead, Nisha pushes her way into the hotel and they mistake her for a maid. Hmmm...US Embassy assistance vs. Undocumented Maid Job...I need a judge's ruling for this one. Oh, wait, the judge is Jojo Moyes...so undocumented maid job it is! Yes, Nisha is now an undocumented maid in the hotel where her husband (and clothes...can't.forget.the.clothes) is staying so that she can somehow get access to him (and the clothes...can't forget the clothes).
Now we enter a whole subplot with Nisha's maid in the US and sending an investigator with dirt on Nisha's husband to meet with Nisha in a pub. But Nisha...the lady who is an international jet setter...apparently has zero pictures on Google. So the maid does the next best thing and sends the investigator a picture of...the missing shoes. This means the PI delivers the incriminating husband evidence to Sam...who is wearing the shoes at the pub for Happy Hour. Isn't life a gas?!
So, now we're at: Somewhat of a reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 5
The only good point of this novel is Jasmine: a co-worker Nisha meets at the hotel. Jasmine is the only character recognizable as someone that may actually exist. And I was hoping she would be set for life after this mess of a story (and she did get her dress shop, thank goodness).
But other than Jasmine, I just can't by this point. I put the book down and was wondering if I could finish. But I just couldn't imagine how this book could be any more draining. Because all we needed to do was get Nisha her shoes so she could get a divorce settlement and Sam some good karma to help with what she's dealing with. So I decided (after starting and finishing 5 other books) to push on. Did I mention that I couldn't imagine how this could be more draining because all we needed to do was get the shoes, the divorce settlement and the good karma? Well, never fear...Jojo filled in all the blanks in my imagination with the second half of this mess.
I'm going to bullet point here:
1) Sam and Nisha get luvahs. Nisha's is a cook (because that's what usually happens!). Sam gets a caring co-worker but gives him up for her husband that she spent 375 pages complaining about;
2) Speaking of Sam's husband (Phil). He lost his job and his Dad and so is suffering from a massive depressive episode. I do not take mental illness lightly...but I also did not enjoy going through Phil's recovery. No pills for him, just therapy he hates (actually I hated it too) until he goes back to live with his mother and figures out that he can't handle that...(one realistic part of the story). What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Oh, nothing.
3) Sam's best friend (Andrea) is being treated for cancer. The Doctor says she's going to be as OK as they think she can be, which means she's good for where's she's at right now. Sam and Andrea are way more excited with this diagnosis than I am...is the Dr. allergic to the word remission? What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Nothing!
4) Both Sam and Nisha's children are having issues. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Still nothing
5) Sam's parents are completely oblivious to her pain and take advantage of her. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Absolutely nothing!!
6) Sam's boss creates a hostile work environment with age and gender discrimination and eventually fires her. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? N.o.t.h.i.n.g.
7) Sam and Nisha eventually reunite to have a blow-out...Nisha gets her Chanel jacket back...but not her shoes (still 100pgs from the end). So, now the ladies (Sam, Nisha, Andrea and Jasmine) are now a tight sisterhood who plot to get the shoes back. This, includes the shoes being donated to charity, being sold to some lady who abuses animals, a fake prize getaway weekend and a hotel fire alarm While much more on topic with the shoes, settlement and karma, it registered ridiculous on the somewhat reality meter.
8) Nisha's husband is revealed to be a drug smuggler (he hides the gems in the heels of Nisha's shoes...isn't life a gas?!). Nisha glue guns her heels back together. You heard me...a glue gun.
9) Nisha confronts her husband and gets her divorce settlement. She takes a pittance but she uses the incriminating evidence (remember that? Well Sam forgot too but remembered again just in time...whew!) to blackmail him into never bothering her 5 minute friends, her son and her any more. And she gets her clothes (hallelujah, I didn't think she'd ever shut up about them).
10) Nisha goes home to see her son in the US, Nisha's now 10 minute friends each get one diamond from Nisha's husbands latest batch of gems (not too many...just one each. This makes it more realistic. Yes, that's it...more realistic) and her now ex-husband is arrested for smuggling
Are you still with me? Wait, I mean, Jojo. Because Jojo is the one that got all of this into 435 pages. Now that I think on it...maybe this would have worked better as a 'Choose Your Own Adventure'. Yes, I think that would have been great. You could pick what you wanted to read about (Sam's job issues, Nisha's high profile divorce, the BFF with cancer, the ex-husband smuggler, the depressive episode husband) and still reach an ending within 150 pages. Now, that...I think I could have been happy with that.
Final Score: Somewhat of a Reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 15
When I started this one, I thought it would be something like the ladies had their bags switched, met up to trade and then they would help each other through their various crises (growth and hugs all around). What I got was: 'A Guide to Cramming as Many Plot Device Tropes as Possible into 435 Pages.' However, Jojo decided to title it 'Someone Else's Shoes' thinking we wouldn't be any the wiser. After 435 pages, I'm wiser. And bitter. And I am here to tell you exactly what that looks like.
SPOILERS AHEAD- DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU ARE OK WITH MAJOR SPOILERS
Sam and Nisha attend a gym session and shower up at the same time. They have the same bag (Sam's a knock-off, Nisha's authentic) and in her rush Sam picks up the wrong one. They both discover they have the wrong bag. Now they're in 'someone else's shoes'...literally. This was interesting.
At that point, Nisha goes to her hotel to pick up some of her clothes. But, wouldn't you know it, her husband has picked that exact moment to decide they are separating and he won't give her anything...not her clothes, not her passport, cuts her bank cards....zilch. So, now Nisha wants her bag. But there's a problem...
Because even though she has tens of thousands of dollars in clothing and accessories that don't belong to her, Sam just 'can't seem to manage to get back to the gym right that day' to return Nisha's bag. She goes to a few client meetings, work lunch, Happy Hour...all while wearing the designer shoes and Chanel jacket that she doesn't own. Sam goes to the gym the next day to try and make the bag exchange but...the gym is closed. Whomp, whomp. So poor Sam is left with no other option than to keep wearing the jacket and shoes because she feels great in them...a version of herself that has been dormant all these years. Because turning it in at the police station isn't an option. Is that a crime to keep tens of thousands of dollars in merchandise that doesn't belong to you? Jojo Moyes doesn't care and so I guess she figures the reader shouldn't either.
So, if you're keeping score we're sitting at: Somewhat of a Reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 2
While Sam is out doing amazing things with her life in the shoes and jacket she doesn't own, Nisha's life is utterly unamazing since she has zero money, zero clothes, zero passport. At this point, I would think the character described as an uber-rich jet setter would hightail it to the US Embassy to obtain assistance since I don't think it's at all legal to withhold an adult's passport and wallet. Instead, Nisha pushes her way into the hotel and they mistake her for a maid. Hmmm...US Embassy assistance vs. Undocumented Maid Job...I need a judge's ruling for this one. Oh, wait, the judge is Jojo Moyes...so undocumented maid job it is! Yes, Nisha is now an undocumented maid in the hotel where her husband (and clothes...can't.forget.the.clothes) is staying so that she can somehow get access to him (and the clothes...can't forget the clothes).
Now we enter a whole subplot with Nisha's maid in the US and sending an investigator with dirt on Nisha's husband to meet with Nisha in a pub. But Nisha...the lady who is an international jet setter...apparently has zero pictures on Google. So the maid does the next best thing and sends the investigator a picture of...the missing shoes. This means the PI delivers the incriminating husband evidence to Sam...who is wearing the shoes at the pub for Happy Hour. Isn't life a gas?!
So, now we're at: Somewhat of a reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 5
The only good point of this novel is Jasmine: a co-worker Nisha meets at the hotel. Jasmine is the only character recognizable as someone that may actually exist. And I was hoping she would be set for life after this mess of a story (and she did get her dress shop, thank goodness).
But other than Jasmine, I just can't by this point. I put the book down and was wondering if I could finish. But I just couldn't imagine how this book could be any more draining. Because all we needed to do was get Nisha her shoes so she could get a divorce settlement and Sam some good karma to help with what she's dealing with. So I decided (after starting and finishing 5 other books) to push on. Did I mention that I couldn't imagine how this could be more draining because all we needed to do was get the shoes, the divorce settlement and the good karma? Well, never fear...Jojo filled in all the blanks in my imagination with the second half of this mess.
I'm going to bullet point here:
1) Sam and Nisha get luvahs. Nisha's is a cook (because that's what usually happens!). Sam gets a caring co-worker but gives him up for her husband that she spent 375 pages complaining about;
2) Speaking of Sam's husband (Phil). He lost his job and his Dad and so is suffering from a massive depressive episode. I do not take mental illness lightly...but I also did not enjoy going through Phil's recovery. No pills for him, just therapy he hates (actually I hated it too) until he goes back to live with his mother and figures out that he can't handle that...(one realistic part of the story). What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Oh, nothing.
3) Sam's best friend (Andrea) is being treated for cancer. The Doctor says she's going to be as OK as they think she can be, which means she's good for where's she's at right now. Sam and Andrea are way more excited with this diagnosis than I am...is the Dr. allergic to the word remission? What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Nothing!
4) Both Sam and Nisha's children are having issues. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Still nothing
5) Sam's parents are completely oblivious to her pain and take advantage of her. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? Absolutely nothing!!
6) Sam's boss creates a hostile work environment with age and gender discrimination and eventually fires her. What does this have to do with the shoes, the divorce and the good karma? N.o.t.h.i.n.g.
7) Sam and Nisha eventually reunite to have a blow-out...Nisha gets her Chanel jacket back...but not her shoes (still 100pgs from the end). So, now the ladies (Sam, Nisha, Andrea and Jasmine) are now a tight sisterhood who plot to get the shoes back. This, includes the shoes being donated to charity, being sold to some lady who abuses animals, a fake prize getaway weekend and a hotel fire alarm While much more on topic with the shoes, settlement and karma, it registered ridiculous on the somewhat reality meter.
8) Nisha's husband is revealed to be a drug smuggler (he hides the gems in the heels of Nisha's shoes...isn't life a gas?!). Nisha glue guns her heels back together. You heard me...a glue gun.
9) Nisha confronts her husband and gets her divorce settlement. She takes a pittance but she uses the incriminating evidence (remember that? Well Sam forgot too but remembered again just in time...whew!) to blackmail him into never bothering her 5 minute friends, her son and her any more. And she gets her clothes (hallelujah, I didn't think she'd ever shut up about them).
10) Nisha goes home to see her son in the US, Nisha's now 10 minute friends each get one diamond from Nisha's husbands latest batch of gems (not too many...just one each. This makes it more realistic. Yes, that's it...more realistic) and her now ex-husband is arrested for smuggling
Are you still with me? Wait, I mean, Jojo. Because Jojo is the one that got all of this into 435 pages. Now that I think on it...maybe this would have worked better as a 'Choose Your Own Adventure'. Yes, I think that would have been great. You could pick what you wanted to read about (Sam's job issues, Nisha's high profile divorce, the BFF with cancer, the ex-husband smuggler, the depressive episode husband) and still reach an ending within 150 pages. Now, that...I think I could have been happy with that.
Final Score: Somewhat of a Reality: 0 vs Jojo Moyes' completely absurd plot: 15
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