Rainbow Rowell writes all kinds of stuff.

Sometimes she writes about adults (ATTACHMENTS, LANDLINE, SLOW DANCE).

Sometimes she writes about teenagers (ELEANOR & PARK, FANGIRL) .

Sometimes — actually, a lot of the time — she writes about lovesick vampires and guys with dragon wings. (THE SIMON SNOW TRILOGY).

Recently, she’s been writing comics, including her first graphic novel, PUMPKINHEADS, and the monthly SHE-HULK comic for Marvel.

She lives in Omaha, Nebraska.

Why did I purchase this book?

The cover, the title, instantly caught my attention while browsing a preloved bookstore, and it was only 49 bucks.

Why did I pick this book as wildcard entry to July TBR?

I guess I was picking all the books that seemed most interesting from a 63-books haul. Yep, I bought 63 books in one month and have read 5 already and three are in progress. Crazy doesn’t even begin to describe who I am.

Characters

Jacqueline M. Pane: Jaqueline aka Jack, the narrator

Andy Warner: aka Attractive New Andy, Jacqueline’s crush that she tries to hide with all her might.

Thin Claire: Jacqueline’s colleague

New Secretary: Jacqueline’s colleague

Carlo Pozzi: One of the clients, clearly into Jaqueline

Sally: Jaqueline’s best friend

Lovely Dan: Sally’s boyfriend

Bossy Bowyer: Jaqueline’s boss

Notes as I Read

Day 1: 18 July 2026

A diary entry that hops from one thought to another, and shows the diary owner spiralling down. Just the thing I need. I need reassurance that what I do isn’t insane, that others do it, too and that one day, hopefully sooner rather than later, this diary writing habit will make me money.

That’s some wishful thinking and then some.

Day 2: 19 July 2026 3:24 am

P12

Haven’t had time to write for a couple of days, been completely rushed off my feet at work.

Allah is my witness, I wrote almost same words in my diary a couple of hours ago. It’s like staring at yourself in the mirror but the person you see is essentially like you but doesn’t look like you. Take that mirror of erised.

I also absolutely love that she has a name for everyone. I do that too. How else am I to talk about people without talking about people?

P14

It’s always best to assume the worst.

Seriously, this person is giving me second thoughts. Have I written this book in my sleep somehow or bounced off my ideas with her? Jaqueline is so like me. Eerily so. Except I don’t eat a tub of food and say it doesn’t count. Of course it does count. Silly Jaqueline. I don’t question if my bum looks big in this? I always know it does. It looks big in everything I wear.

Day 4: 21 July 2026

P16

Jaqueline on Carlo Pozzi, it’s like reading wimpy kid for a woman. And how is it that Andy and Pozzi like Jaqueline and she hasn’t the slightest clue? I know that’s the whole point of this book that she’s too obsessed with unimportant things to think about the truth that’s staring at her face but still…

P28

Sally reckons all parents attend seminars called ‘how to ruin your child’s life with facial expressions’.

Day 6: 23 July 2026

For a book filed with so much humour, This book reads very slow, I blame the small font and non-book like formatting. It’s a good thing though, this speed break set of sorts; I have been reading too much this month and needed to slow down a notch, do something else for a change.

P52

Sorry, I didn’t write yesterday – look, actually, I’m tired of saying I’m sorry … I don’t have to write every single day, it’s my diary and I can write as often or as little as I want … alright, I know I ought to write every day because it’s not really a diary if I don’t but it is quite hard, you know, trying to find the time and the inclination every single bloody day.

I saw this coming. She was apologising in almost every entry until now and I resonate with what she said. I may have said something to that effect when I started my diary 1448 series. I find her relatable, okay?

And today I’m parking it aside in favour of Matilda and Mushaf.

Day 14: 31 July 2026

p152

Spent most of today briefing Andy’s replacement, John Weston. He is an extremely irritating person to work with – full of good ideas and enthusiasm, yuk.

p168

It is actually very difficult maintaining a constant state of mediocrity, which is obviously the best place to be because nobody ever notices you there.

Review

Some entries were hilarious, others were tedious to read. I loved the entries that were just a paragraph or two. I wouldn’t have any objection for longer entries (because if I write diary, I go on for 4-5 pages) but the font, and the spacing threw me off.

The longer fiary entries had walls of text, just look at this:

Also, it ended very very abruptly, almost as if the author was tired of writing for so long.

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