#BlogTour Precious You by Helen Monks-Takhar

It's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour Precious You by Helen Monks-Takhar.

About the Author
Helen's debut novel Precious You will be published in the UK by HarperCollins imprint HQ on June 11th 2020 and in the US by Penguin Random House on March 10th.

She is currently working on her second novel, as well as various TV projects, including the adaptation of Precious You with eOne and Mam Tor Productions. Helen is joint MD of production company Second Generation with her husband, screenwriter and executive producer, Danny Takhar.

Follow @HelenMTakhar on Twitter, on Goodreads, on Amazon, Visit helenmonkstakhar.co.uk Buy Precious You

About the book
Trusting you was my first mistake.

To Katherine, twenty-four-year-old Lily Lunt is a typical "snowflake." Soft, entitled, unflaggingly earnest, the privileged, politically correct millennial will do whatever she can to make it big as a writer, including leveraging her family's connections. She's got it easy. To Lily, Katherine Ross, a career woman in her early forties, is a holdover from another era: clueless, old-fashioned, and perfectly happy to build her success on the backs of her unpaid interns.

When Lily is hired as the new intern at Leadership magazine, where Katherine is editor in chief, her arrival threatens the very foundations of the self-serving little world that Katherine has built. But before long, she finds herself obsessively drawn to Lily, who seems to be a cruel reminder of the beauty and potential Katherine once had, things she senses Lily plans to use against her. Is Katherine simply paranoid, jealous of Lily's youth as she struggles with encroaching middle age? Is Lily just trying to get ahead in the cutthroat world of publishing? Or is there a more sinister motivation at play, fueled by the dark secrets they're both hiding? As their rivalry deepens, a disturbing picture emerges of two women pitted against each other across a toxic generational divide--and who are desperate enough to do anything to come out on top.

Review
This is a fascinating social commentary on the large divide between young and old, which is perhaps not so unusual, but certain generations of the last century have created a division that is much larger than usual. There is a certain disdain between the generation Katherine belongs to and the one Lily is a part of. Millennials have a reputation for having it so easy that they expect everything to be handed to them on a platter and are often described as 'snowflakes' for being offended by everything.
Personally I despise the use of that particular word - it's just a catchphrase devised by those inclined to the right to discredit anyone critical of their hateful rhetoric.

You'd think that the premise is a simple matter of young privileged, manipulative Lily does her best to sabotage the older and unwanted Katherine. Lily wants what Katherine has. Simple story of the old being replaced by the young.

This story is so much more, because it gives a more honest picture of both sides, especially when it comes to Katherine. Is she really as innocent as she pretends to be and is her way the right way just because it was always done the way she says it has to be done? Maybe Lily has a point or is Lily a creepy sociopath? Depends on perception and possibly also your own age and experiences, which is what makes it such an intriguing read.

The author makes some interesting points in the acknowledgements, something I often mention in my reviews. How women are often pitted against other women, and instead of the sisterhood supporting each other, they become their own worst enemies. Shaming each other, judging, being critical, laying guilt trips on each other - all so much worse when it's woman against woman.

It's a gripping psychological thriller immersed in the wars women wage against themselves and other women.

Buy Precious You at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: HQ; pub date 23 July 2020. Buy at Amazon com.