Three friends, three single mums, one quest to find love…
It’s 8:30am and I’m already utterly exhausted. My son has lost his football boots, my daughter is ready for school dressed only in her vest and knickers, and of course, my 1-year-old has filled his nappy for what feels like the tenth time this morning.
As for my husband? He’s decided marriage doesn’t suit him, and well… buggered off.
All hope of ‘me time’ has but dwindled to sipping half a glass of wine whilst shouting after the kids. But everything is about to change.
I’m taking control of my life! I’ve joined… a book club.
Yes, I know what you’re thinking. ‘Wow… live a little.’ But my fellow book clubbers, Amanda and Janey, are my lifelines. They understand the daily struggle because they’re mothers too.
And in between the prosecco, Doritos and googling everything about Mr Darcy on SparkNotes, they’ve convinced me to go on a date with my boss.
A single mum of three looking for romance… what could possibly go wrong?
A gloriously funny and relatable read for anyone who just needs a little more ‘me time’. Fans of Why Mummy Drinks and Has Anyone Seen my Sex Life? will snort with laughter at this utterly hilarious and heart-warming read.
Buy Link: http://getbook.at/TheSingleMumsBookClub
Review
Stephanie is struggling since her divorce. Her ex is pushy, her friends absent, and she's struggling to make ends meet since no-one wants to hire a bookkeeper who's ten years absent from the job market. But after a breakdown in the supermarket leads to friendship with the neighbour across the road, Steph finally has the space and support to build the life she wants to live.
There's a trend in books recently - and I'm guilty of the same - of lumping women's fiction in with romances, but in the words of Seanan McGuire, "Romance is an ingredient as well as a genre, and it's everywhere". While there is certainly some crossover, this book is clearly the former rather than the latter. It's not the story of Steph-and-Ed, but the story of Steph, in which Ed plays a part - as do her children, her friends, and even her ex.
It's sometimes laugh-out-loud, sometimes touching, and I'm sure for many will be very relatable. When we meet her, Steph's life is both frustrating and familiar, and it's lovely to see her break the same old cycles. I adored the female friendship that is front and centre here - her old "friends" might be useless but her new ones are delightful in their encouragement and camaraderie despite their own setbacks.
There's no villain here. Like life, there are people with antagonistic characteristics, but one thing the narrative does well is show that everyone is struggling with something, and the best thing we can do is be kind. And also set boundaries, because that's also important.
For a feel-good slice of life about life and parenthood after divorce, take this one to your next book club!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Rachel's Random Resources; all opinions are my own
Author Bio 
Victoria Cooke grew up in the city of Manchester before crossing the Pennines in pursuit of a career in education. She now lives in Huddersfield with her husband and two young daughters and when she's not at home writing by the fire with a cup of coffee in hand, she loves working out in the gym and travelling. Victoria was first published at the tender age of eight by her classroom teacher who saw potential in a six-page story about an invisible man. Since then she's always had a passion for reading and writing, undertaking several writers' courses before completing her first novel, 'The Secret to Falling in Love,' in 2016.
Her third novel, Who Needs Men Anyway? became a digital bestseller in 2018 and her debut, The Secret to Falling in Love was optioned in 2020.
Social Media Links
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16345710.Victoria_Cooke
https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaCookeAuthor/
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https://www.instagram.com/victoriacookewriter/
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