| Title | : | Flying by the Seat of My Knickers (The Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 150 |
| Publication | : | First published March 25, 2016 |
Why run from your troubles when you can fly instead?
When Caity Shaw is fired from her first job that doesn't require an elf uniform, her older sister, Rachel, an event planner, hires her to work a meeting in Dublin. Caity jumps at the opportunity to travel abroad and escape her pathetic life. However, even four thousand miles from home, there's no avoiding debt collectors, an overbearing mother, and haunting memories of a controlling ex.
While in Dublin, Caity suffers a series of humiliating mishaps, causing her to lose even more faith in herself. Caity struggles to earn Rachel's respect--and to keep Declan, her hot Irish coworker, at arm's length. Declan repeatedly saves Caity's butt and helps boost her self-confidence, making it difficult to keep her distance from the charming womanizer. When Declan helps her research her Irish grandmother, Caity discovers the mysterious past of the courageous woman she barely knew might hold the answers to her future.
Flying by the Seat of My Knickers (The Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw #1) Reviews
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4☆ A Light hearted, Humorous Adventure!
First of all I want to start by saying I absolutely LOVE the title for this book. It had me giggling and I just had to find out more!
Flying by the Seat of My Knickers is a Light hearted, warm and fun read with a good dash of laugh out loud moments. It's the first book in the series and I'm excited for the next one!
Caity has lost her job and going through a pretty rough break up, so when her mum persuades her sister Rachel to hire her she has no choice but to go along with whatever her sister throws at her... even if it means dressing up in a crazy costume for a promo event.
Caity has no self confidence and doubts her abilities all the time. Her abusive ex played a major part in her anxiety and low self esteem.
Rachel and Caity Aren't particularly close and it seems pretty obvious that Rachel is the sister that's excells at everything. So it was really nice to see them eventually cone together and bond as they explore their Irish roots.
I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth and humour, it was refreshing to read a Light hearted story with fun, relatable and quirky characters, a strong storyline and a zest for adventure.
It was a compelling and fun read with plenty of laugh out loud moments, mishaps and drama.
A fast paced shorter read, perfect for a warm lazy afternoon.
I can't wait for the second instalment to see what's next in-store for Caity.
Thank you to Rachel Random Resources for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my Blog Website :-
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0... -
“I felt as overwhelmed and awed as Elizabeth Bennett had on her first visit to Darcy’s Pemberley estate.”
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Caity Shaw is going through a life crisis. She has an abusive ex-boyfriend who is stalking her, she lost her job and she’s in a tonne of debt. Her sister, an event planner, agrees to take her on temporarily for a huge meeting in Dublin. Even thousands of miles from home, all these things can still haunt her. She feels intimidated by the team, and that she’s just letting her sister down. But after finding out her families roots lie in Ireland, she begins to feel herself again, with the help of hotty Declan!
The real-world issues tackled in less than 200 pages was super impressive here! I think emotional abuse and debt especially isn’t talked about enough in literature, and Eliza really did an incredible job to connect to readers about these issues and how they can make people feel. Caity as a character was well-built, but I do with there was a bit more on the others. I also feel like the relationship between Caity and Declan could have been explored more, but it was less than 200 pages so it may be explored more in book two!
I’m really glad this is a series, and I can’t wait to see what happens to Caity and Declan next! -
For full disclosure, I was a beta reader for this novel in the early stages. I was full of excitement when I read an early draft, and even more excited once I was able to dive in to the finished manuscript. This is a book for me! As someone who loves travel, reading a novel set in Dublin had me all kinds of hooked. But more than just a very cool setting and reading about castles, there is a solid plot here. We follow Caity who has always been in the shadow of sister Rachel, and now is at her beck and call after being fired from her job and getting thrown a bone by Rachel, an event planner. What Rachel doesn’t know is the real troubles Caity is fleeing from – namely, an abusive ex-boyfriend who had a hand in causing Caity to lose her job. The sisters clash over a multitude of items while working together, but also bond over their Irish heritage and the mystery of the grandmother. I loved the way this book ended also, and am really hoping for another novel following Caity. Wait! Looking on Amazon, it says this is Book 1 of The Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw series. YES! She made for a fantastic heroine and I truly enjoyed watching her journey and can't wait for more to come. One for your reading list!
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:: 5 Pretty Little Stars ::
This is a such a fun novel! I read it in one day as it is not only fast paced but extremely interesting! Seeing as I am not much of a traveler I really look forward to reading books that take place abroad and this one did just that! Not only this, the characters in this novel are extremely relatable. I truly felt like the heroine, Caity, could be a best friend of mine. This is honestly one of my favorite things about this novel. If I cannot relate to the characters, it’s a wash for me. But this one definitely had a set of characters that were relatable. In addition to all this, character growth and real life situations are prominent in this book. Everyone has a past and some of us have even had to live through some tough times. This is the same for Caity (which is why I think she is one of those characters that we all fall in love with). But us readers can see her growth and the way she is able to overcome her hardships.
All in all, I loved this book. I can’t wait to see the series continue and will definitely be picking up the others books when they are available. This is one of those feel good novels that will leave readers feelings its positive energy and wanting more. I highly recommend it! -
I don’t know if I’ve ever read something this fun and lively! Flying by the Seat of my Knickers had it all; stimulating writing and an original plot topped off with a quirky main character. This is a brilliant read for anyone looking for something amusing and upbeat.
When Caity is fired from her first proper job, her only fall back is to work for her sister, Rachel, as an event planner in Dublin. Jumping at the chance to travel, even if it means dealing with her overbearing, workaholic sister who is as much a stranger to her as the others working with her. Longing to prove her worth, Caity sets out to become Rachel’s best employee while reconnecting with her Irish heritage and hopefully her sister along the way. But nothing can separate her from the problems back home. As her possessions dwindle, her mother becomes more overbearing (if that’s even possible), and memories of her controlling ex bear down on her, Caity struggles to pull her life together.
This book is a short, silly, feel-good story that also carries some powerful messages. A little ditsy and vertically challenged, Caity is an interesting and quirky character that I wanted to know more about. While she didn’t fully appeal to my ideals of a strong female character, she did get herself through some hard times and eventually learnt her worth, growing a backbone and a bit more self-confidence which was fantastic.
The male lead, Declan is such a sweetie and it seems like he’s been crossed in love in some way or another. He deserves some loving – which I hope will happen sooner or later. He’s the mysterious, handsome and charming Irishman, the girl should go with him right – everyone knows I would…
The only thing I really had a problem with was, at times, I felt some of the characters came straight out of some soppy, over-stereotyped, teen romance. Gretchen was probably the worst I mean, the girl’s name is Gretchen and if that isn’t a blaring sign for 'evil bitch' in today’s literature then I don’t know what is. She’s the chick who can’t let go of the guy and so strives to ruin everyone else’s chances. I can understand why Gretchen was included and, fortunately, she didn’t have a huge part the story but I wasn't a fan.
As for the ending, this book left me aching for the next one. There wasn’t much of a wrap up regarding relationships, no final direction for Caity’s life or even hints of a decidedly happy future. Sure, there is stability assured but, by the end, we know that our leading lady is still working on finding who she is, a mere step away from her forever.
View my full review on my blog
here -
This is the first book in a series of books following Caity and her travel adventures. This particular novel is set fully in Ireland which you really get a great sense of what Ireland is like, as in the people and certain things that it is best known for.
Caity is almost a disaster waiting to happen. Her life just seems to be one disaster after another and she doesn’t have much faith that things are going to get any better when she comes to Ireland to work with her sister Rachel.
There is a lot going on in the novel with Caity trying to find out more about her heritage, with her mothers family coming from Ireland. There is also Caity’s past with her ex which especially doesn’t seem to have been a happy time which has left Caity very wary.
Flying By The Seat Of My Knickers is a relatively short and entertaining read. It was fun joining Caity on her journey of ups and downs. The authors writing skills make this a compelling and light hearted read and very much look forward to more in the series.
My thanks to Rachel at Rachel’s Random Resources for inviting me to be part of the blog tour. My opinions are my own and not biased in anyway. -
As fluffy "chick lit romance" goes, I enjoyed this one. I don't read this genre much anymore as I prefer more substance to my "female centric" fiction. Characters of substance and all.
However, something about the title, cover, and premise tickled my fancy and happily... delivered on its promise.
Usually the problem with this genre is that the heroine has too much of "TSTL" (too stupid to live) to tolerate. But Caity Shaw, while flighty, simply needs to grow up a bit.
It's a fun lark with added good drama of estranged sisters learning to love each other as the adults they now are.
Easy recommend to fans of good beach reads or light chick lit reads. The romance was a fun romp too.
Thank you to the publisher for this free copy of the book in exchange for this honest review. -
Not the cute and charming story the title and blurb would have you believe. Our main character is a bumbling twentysomething woman who's also hiding out from her ex. She talks about applying for executive assistant jobs yet doesn't know basic geography? I'm sure to some this would be a fun read, but to me it was just annoying. DNF
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I picked up this book awhile ago, because I just loved the title but unfortunately it’s been sitting on my kindle for a while now but like most things I haven’t got around to it until now.
Caity has just escaped from her controlling ex, in desperate need of money, she takes a job with her sister at her event planning business.
She jumps at the chance to go to Dublin for a week but when she gets there she gets into mishap after mishap.
Can Caity get her self confidence back and put her past behind her?
This is quite a short and fun read, which is set in Ireland, a place I’ve always wanted to visit. While at times it is light hearted, it also covers the serious topics of toxic relationships and emotional abuse.
Caity is flawed and slightly vulnerable character, who seems to have disaster after disaster. I did keep wishing something would go right for her but on the other hand I couldn’t help but giggle at some of the things that went wrong.
I have to be honest at time I felt it was hard to like Caity because she felt quite judgy towards other women yet she kind of falls at the feet of Declan when he gives her the slightest bit of encouragement...it just slightly irked me.
Overall flying by the seat of my knickers is quirky and entertaining read, perfect if you’re looking to escape from reality for a few hours. -
Cute story, perfect light read. Caity is likable without being a damsel in distress.
Also hats off to the author for bringing to light important messages about domestic abuse - that it can be emotional as well as physical.
Starting book two now! -
Esta novela moderna, cómica, te hace viajar con el personaje. Es un libro corto perfecto para ese viaje en avión o ese fin de semana lluvioso que solo quieres estar en tu sofá en pijamas con un buen libro relajante. Te deja queriendo saber más sobre el personaje, sobre su próxima aventura. Lo mejor es que tiene una segunda parte que ya anote en mi lista de libros a leer.
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I only stuck with this because, Ireland. It disappointed.
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What a gorgeous book cover and very apt title for this book!
I was contacted by Eliza Watson to read and review the first book in the Caity Shaw series called Flying by the Seat of my Knickers and I must say this book tick all my bookish boxes. It is a quick paced, refreshing and romantic read. I loved the very well developed characters, the fantastic setting and the mystery surrounding the Shaw family history.
When we first meet Caity Shaw, she is in a very vulnerable position in he live. After being fired from her job and scared to death by her ex-boyfriend stalking tendencies, Caity jumps at the chance to fly to Dublin and help out her sister plan a fantastic event in one of the most gorgeous and mysterious cities in the world.
It takes a few embarrassing mishaps for Caity to learn the ropes and perhaps even gain some much-needed respect from her sister and her new colleagues. Caity certainly takes her new job seriously and as the book progresses, she is becoming more confident and stronger. It also helps to have a gorgeous Irish mentor to help her navigate the merry Dublin way of living.
I really enjoyed this book. I instantly bonded with the leading character Caity Shaw. There is definitely more to her personality and I can't wait to see her grow into even more of a confident woman as she takes on this new high-flying job. She is scared by her ex-boyfriend controlling behaviour and the way she had to change her life to please him but she had a lucky escape and now she is determined to mend her relationship with her sister Rachel.
Aside from her new job Caity struggles to keep the charming Declan in the arms length after her previous experience and the gossips swirling around this Irishman are a lot to deal with at the moment. But there is so much a girl can do when the man in question is so gorgeous, friendly and very helpful!
The strong attraction between Caity and Declan is very clear from the beginning. They both have a lot in common and I can't wait to see where the story will take them next.
I loved the way Caity wants to know more about the history of her family and why her grandmother fled Ireland and made her new home in America. There is a mystery to solve and Caity and Rachel are prepared to dig deep into their Irish family connections to find out the truth. It may also bring them closer together.
What a fantastic book! I can't wait to delve into the second book in this series! -
Originally posted on my blog:
Review: Flying By the Seat of My Knickers (The Travel Mishaps of Caity Shaw Book 1) by Eliza Watson.
“What better place to reinvent myself than a place where nobody knew me. I could be whoever I wanted to be.”
Caity Shaw finds herself in Ireland recently broken up from an emotionally abusive relationship that eventually caused her to lose her job. She now relies on her sister to save her from being totally money less. It seems that Caity’s life had reached a low point and she is constantly nervous because of the stalker status she put her ex in. There are a lot of relatable characteristics that Caity has and one of them is her low self esteem. She is far from perfect and seeing her perfect sister, the one that doesn’t screw up and has a secure job, makes her even more vulnerable.
However, besides the fact that she has every right to be depressed, it’s her funny outlook on her situation that really made the book shine. I loved her mishaps. Her tripping in front of the boss, her Irish undies and socks, and her crush on her hot Irish co-worker, made me smile a lot. She is such a dork and that makes it all the more fun to read.
The writing style is fun and witty. I can only imagine what Caity’s adventures throughout this series will hold. Because it doesn’t end in this book. I’d wager that this series will not read as a standalone. So it’s best to read this one first. I think that her growth as a character is not over, she has still has a lot to overcome. I can’t wait where her research into her background will take her and I hope she hooks up with Declan. Surely, there’s more to him than a seemingly playboy personality.
Caity is definitely flying by the seat of her “Irish” knickers, which totally suits her personality and tone of the story.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review* -
My rating: 4.5 stars
Flying by the Seat of my Knickers follows Caity Shaw and her journey to find herself/hide (?). After getting fired from her job Caity travels aboard to work for her sister, Rachel. However, things don’t go as planned and Caity ends up suffering a few mishaps causing her to lose more self-confidence. With the help of her co-worker, Declan, Caity starts gaining more confidence and learning more about her Irish grandmother.
This is one of the cutest books I’ve ever read. I’m still on high from it. It’s a power pack filled with laughter, joy, and growth. Caity is an amazing and relatable protagonist. She was sucked into a relationship with a manipulative ex and once she got out she didn’t have a lot of self-esteem. I adored her growth in this book, she worked really hard to impress her sister and when it backfired a few times she was really bummed. But, I love how that didn’t stop her from trying again. The mystery of her Irish grandmother is quite intriguing and I cannot wait to find out more about it. I also loved the romance - it's going to be a slow burn and I'm so excited. :D I cannot wait for more Declan and Caity.
When I first started I had a feeling it would remind me of Confessions of a Shopaholic, however, it didn’t. Don’t be fooled by the synopsis. The plot, characters, writing style, everything about it is near perfection. I can already tell this will be a go to book for me and Watson can easily become one of my go to authors.
I received a reader's copy in exchange of an honest review.
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This book was darling. I really loved the main character Caity. She was completely likeable, relatable and just a joy to follow. Her story was far from perfect and I think a lot of readers can relate (or could relate) to that time of struggling financially, trying to figure out who you are meant to be, trying to please a sibling, navigate romantic relationships and deal with the parents who "just want the best". I thought Caity was very well developed throughout, yet she still is a work in progress. I have to say I was pretty excited to read that there will be more to come of this character. While its sometimes nice to have everything tied up into a neat bow, I enjoy that there is more to Caity in the future. In addition, I have traveled to Ireland in the past so appreciated the Dublin setting descriptions- it felt very authentic. I would recommend this book and really look forward to more from this author to come. I received an e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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Flying by the Seat of My Knickers is a fun, fast read that reminded me of all the joys of my first major travel experience. Caity, an American hoping to escape a string of bad luck, takes a job assisting her event-planer sister with a week-long meeting in Ireland. More of a women's fiction, this first person focuses on Caity as she works to impress her sister and regain her shattered confidence. I loved the character's voice and how she provided a voice of optimism and compassion in spite of the jaded professionals around her. I was surprised how quickly I finished the book and the journey and the end left me wanting more, so I was glad to see a second book in another city will be coming soon.
I don't get to travel as much as I would like, but this book was like virtual vacation and a reminder of why Ireland is on my to-do list, as is the next book in this series. -
Did you ever just meet someone and before you could decide if you liked them, they launched into a long winded story? That is the feel of this story.
I could never decide how I felt about Caity. Mostly she was just a screw up with a self esteem issue. It got much better about three fourths in but I thought about giving up a lot.
Her mother was a nag. Gretchen was just horrible. Rachel was so A type personality that I kept rolling my eyes. Declan was the only highlight.
At one point it seemed like Declan was going to be the bad guy and holy cow I growled. That turned out ok though.
I feel like this is the back story of the story that the author actually wanted to tell. Not much of anything happens. You'd have to be emotionally attatched to Caity or her and Declan's budding romance to continue this series. -
As a somewhat jaded traveler, Flying by the Seat of My Knickers let me relive the joy and excitement of that first trip abroad where everything is different and new. I've never been to Ireland so I was really keen on the descriptions and little insider information for this destination. The characters were well-rounded and interesting and by the end I was really rooting for Katy. Just a note, this is not a traditional romance but anyone who secretly dreams of going to Ireland will love it. A thoroughly enjoyable read.
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Excellent and well written book. I hated to book down I loved it so much. Before I finished the book, I was hooked and looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I highly recommend it. Easy to read. Will read again and have.
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Brilliant! When the story starts out you can't help but feel sorry for Caity and all she has been through, but you'll soon stop feeling bad for her and be cheering her on. The characters are all relatable and well written. Full of comedy, hope, adventure, and even a hint of romance. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next. Well done, Watson!
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I have never read any Eliza Watson and found this book purely on the title, which leapt out at me and said you have to read me.
It was a lighthearted easy read which I thoroughly enjoyed. Its quirky main character keeps you wanting to read more to find out what was going to happen to her next. Although it's very lighthearted it covers some serious subjects of abuse and low self esteem in a relatable, sensitive and at times humorous way.
when I was three quarters of the way through I started to wonder how this story was going to wrap up without leaving to many unanswered questions and was worried I was going to be disappointed with the ending.....as I read the last page, thinking no this can't be it I see an advert for the second book in the series. After a quick Google I have found there are in fact six books in the series. Now I'm So looking forward to following Caity on her journey and pleased that this isn't the end of the story. -
Caity Shaw has just lost her job. She is being stalked by her abusive ex-boyfriend Andy. She has had to move back to her family home and her domineering mother. So when she gets the chance to assist her successful sister Rachel with an event in Ireland, she jumps at the chance.
Having visited Ireland, reading this book was a trip down memory lane. The story was humorous, with a touch of pathos, and the heroine likeable. It was truly a series of unfortunate events - falling on her face in front of the CEO, having to dig through garbage to locate a post-it note, being assigned to bathroom duty, enjoying a gift basket meant for the guests, pepper spraying a colleague... the list seems endless. However, Caity manages to overcome them all and find some self confidence.
Recommended for those who love to travel, and anyone who is an event planner themselves! -
I loved this read, love the cover, such a great read ... I am new to Eliza, I have never traveled overseas. I would love to one day. it is a light hearted read and I was immediately pulled in ... such a quick read for me. I will look forward to reading more from Eliza soon enough. Well done. ( :
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This book is part of a series and cannot entirely be read as a standalone. It does have a proper ending, but there are unanswered questions.
The storyline is interesting enough and I might buy the next books in the series soon. -
What a cheeky story set in Ireland!
I had a great trip to Ireland 🇮🇪 through this funny and touching novel. The setting was vivid. The characters were well developed. It was a nice escaping read. I can’t wait to read the next Caity book! -
For some reason I thought this was a cozy mystery, but it was more like chick lit. Regardless, I liked it a lot. Caity was fun, and the story moved quickly. I will read more in this series.
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Ending the year with a quick chick lit read
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As a meeting planner and TD I loved this book and laughed out load at many parts !! Eliza was spot on !!!! Heading onto another one of her books !!!
