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A review by roshreviews
Confessions of a First - Time Mum by Poppy Dolan
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
If you are looking for a funny but predictable mom-com (is that a thing yet? A mommy-comedy?), this is a book you could try out.
Stevie, an erstwhile PR executive, is on her maternity break for her six month daughter, Cherry. Her husband Ted is always at office so it’s up to Stevie to manage the home and baby. As you can guess, this leads to typical, over-the-top situations which will make you laugh or cringe. She soon finds two new parent friends, Nelle (a mother of three struggling to manage her home business with her third baby) and Will (a gay dad who serves as the caretaker for his twin daughters while his husband is at work.)
The different factor in this book is that Stevie begins to blog about her mothering experiences and her page “Confessions of a First-Time Mum” soon becomes a hit (as expected) as she seems to delve into the bittersweet side of mothering rather than on the sugary experiences. The chapters that are presented in the form of these blog entries are quite entertaining and the best part of the book.
You get all your usual mom book tropes here – food mishaps, potty bloopers, sleep traumas, social anxieties… Some of it is realistic enough. But the rest is so exaggerated that it might put you off ever wanting to become a parent, if you aren’t one already! We already know that such books are usually cliché-ridden and this book is no exception. It actually starts off very well, and there are many laugh-out-loud scenes in the first few chapters. But it soon digresses into overstated and unrealistic blunders.
The secondary characters are mostly likeable within their stereotypical roles. The main characters, not so much. Stevie’s opinion about her husband seems to go into extremes depending on the situation. The lack of communication between them seems bewildering. Furthermore, Stevie’s almost-entirely absent social skillset seems like a glaring character glitch considering her PR background. The only hands-on dad in the entire book is Will, who is gay. The straight dads seem to be dependent on their female better halves for parenting. Yup, stereotypical it is.
That is not to say that the book is without any merits. The ride is more or less enjoyable, though not memorable. Stevie’s narration of her parenting anxieties, when based in reality, are absolutely touching. The depiction of “mum mums” started off in a typical manner but ended very well. So that was a big plus too. My favourite character of the book though was Nelle, who seems to have her head screwed on very firmly.
What turned the book from a good to a great experience was its narrator Lizzie Wofford. This is one of the best narrations I’ve heard this year. The 9 hours 43 minutes long audiobook went by without any rewind because of her exuberant performance. Full marks to her narration! I would love to hear more books read by her.
Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.
Stevie, an erstwhile PR executive, is on her maternity break for her six month daughter, Cherry. Her husband Ted is always at office so it’s up to Stevie to manage the home and baby. As you can guess, this leads to typical, over-the-top situations which will make you laugh or cringe. She soon finds two new parent friends, Nelle (a mother of three struggling to manage her home business with her third baby) and Will (a gay dad who serves as the caretaker for his twin daughters while his husband is at work.)
The different factor in this book is that Stevie begins to blog about her mothering experiences and her page “Confessions of a First-Time Mum” soon becomes a hit (as expected) as she seems to delve into the bittersweet side of mothering rather than on the sugary experiences. The chapters that are presented in the form of these blog entries are quite entertaining and the best part of the book.
You get all your usual mom book tropes here – food mishaps, potty bloopers, sleep traumas, social anxieties… Some of it is realistic enough. But the rest is so exaggerated that it might put you off ever wanting to become a parent, if you aren’t one already! We already know that such books are usually cliché-ridden and this book is no exception. It actually starts off very well, and there are many laugh-out-loud scenes in the first few chapters. But it soon digresses into overstated and unrealistic blunders.
The secondary characters are mostly likeable within their stereotypical roles. The main characters, not so much. Stevie’s opinion about her husband seems to go into extremes depending on the situation. The lack of communication between them seems bewildering. Furthermore, Stevie’s almost-entirely absent social skillset seems like a glaring character glitch considering her PR background. The only hands-on dad in the entire book is Will, who is gay. The straight dads seem to be dependent on their female better halves for parenting. Yup, stereotypical it is.
That is not to say that the book is without any merits. The ride is more or less enjoyable, though not memorable. Stevie’s narration of her parenting anxieties, when based in reality, are absolutely touching. The depiction of “mum mums” started off in a typical manner but ended very well. So that was a big plus too. My favourite character of the book though was Nelle, who seems to have her head screwed on very firmly.
What turned the book from a good to a great experience was its narrator Lizzie Wofford. This is one of the best narrations I’ve heard this year. The 9 hours 43 minutes long audiobook went by without any rewind because of her exuberant performance. Full marks to her narration! I would love to hear more books read by her.
Thank you, NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio, for the audio ARC of the book in exchange for an honest review.