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From Here to Paternity
Will Jackson is a desperate man - desperate to be a dad, that is. Tired of his laddish lifestyle, he's redecorated the spare room, traded in his beloved sports car for a 4x4, and even drawn up a list of his favourite baby names. In fact, there's only one thing left he's got to do - find a femalewho'll have his child. But where on earth is he going to find a woman who meets his exacting standards? Certainly not in the usual bars and clubs he frequents. But Will has a plan - you can find everything else on the Internet these days - so why not someone to start a family with? From Friends Reunited, through the weird world of online dating, even to auctioning his 'services' on Ebay, Will's journey to paternity is a hilarious romp through the pitfalls of procreation. But when push comes to shove, is Will prepared to trade passion for Pampers? What do men really look for when it comes to starting a family? Can the perfect mother also be the perfect partner, or are there more important things than a nice-fitting pair of genes?
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2007
24 people are currently reading
189 people want to read
About the author
Matt Dunn
23 books368 followersMatt was born in Margate, but eventually escaped to Spain to write his first novel (in between working as a newspaper columnist, and playing a lot of tennis). Previously he has been a professional lifeguard, fitness equipment salesman, and an IT head hunter, but he prefers writing for a living, so hopes people will keep buying his books.
Matt is the author of four contemporary romantic comedy novels; Best Man, The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (which was shortlisted for both the Romantic Novel Of The Year award, as well as the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance), From Here To Paternity, and Ex-Girlfriends United. He's also written about life, love, and relationships for various publications including The Times, Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, Glamour, and The Sun.
Several of Matt's novels have been translated for various European markets (he's big in the Balkans, apparently), as well as as far afield as Malaysia and Indonesia. He's a regular on the literary festival scene, and rates the recent lecturing stint he did on the Creative Writing degree course at London Metropolitan University as one of the most rewarding things he's ever done - and not only because of the number of ideas he was able to appropriate from his students for his books.
Matt is the author of four contemporary romantic comedy novels; Best Man, The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook (which was shortlisted for both the Romantic Novel Of The Year award, as well as the Melissa Nathan Award for Comedy Romance), From Here To Paternity, and Ex-Girlfriends United. He's also written about life, love, and relationships for various publications including The Times, Guardian, Cosmopolitan, Company, Elle, Glamour, and The Sun.
Several of Matt's novels have been translated for various European markets (he's big in the Balkans, apparently), as well as as far afield as Malaysia and Indonesia. He's a regular on the literary festival scene, and rates the recent lecturing stint he did on the Creative Writing degree course at London Metropolitan University as one of the most rewarding things he's ever done - and not only because of the number of ideas he was able to appropriate from his students for his books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 21, 2022
Nice easy read, funny in parts
February 18, 2011
nothing better if the purpose of reading is easy relaxing. Made me giggling all way through. Very lovely, look forward to the next one!
July 27, 2017
Baby vielleicht
Bald hat Will sein dreißigstes Lebensjahr vollendet, er ist beruflich erfolgreich als Lebensberater tätig. Allerdings scheint es so als würden die guten Ratschläge, die er seinen Klienten gibt, bei ihm nicht wirken. Eine richtig feste Beziehung hat er nicht und so ist er etwas neidisch auf seinen besten Freund Tom, der gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Barbara zwei aufgeweckte Kinder hat. Nun, wenn es mit den Frauen nicht so richtig klappt, wird Will das Pferd eben von hinten aufziehen. Er sucht nach einer Mutter für sein künftiges Kind.
Will, dessen Vater die Familie verlassen hat als er noch nicht einmal ein Jahr war, möchte seinem Kind etwas Besseres bieten. Eine sichere Familienbank sozusagen. Aber wie an das Kind kommen, wenn sich einfach keine Mutter finden lässt. Auf alle möglichen Gedanken kommt Will, angefangen von einer Anzeige übers Internet bis hin zu Blind Dates. Eher von mäßigem Erfolg gekrönt sind Wills Versuche und manchmal sehr zur Belustigung seines befreundeten Pärchens Tom und Barbara gibt er zum Besten, was er auf der Suche nach der idealen Mutter für sein künftiges Kind alles erlebt.
Gleich mit den ersten Sätzen wird die Ankunft des neuen Erdenbürgers gefeiert. Und als Will gegenüber von Tom mit seinem Plan herausrückt, löst das gleich ein Schmunzeln aus. Das ist doch mal eine Idee, der künftige Vater auf der Suche nach einer Mutter für sein geplantes Kind. Zwar bekommt den Eindruck, die gesuchte Mutter wird nur als Muttertier betrachtet und denkt, dass diese Art der Herangehensweise doch etwas verkopft ist. Wäre da nicht der witzige Tom, der seine Leiden als Familienvater beklagt und doch immer wieder betont, dass er dieses Leben um nichts in der Welt missen möchte, man könnte ein wenig an Wills Art verzweifeln. Erst nach und nach kapiert Will, dass ein paar Gefühle, die man zulässt, vielleicht eher zum Ziel führen als jeder Plan. Ob das Glück dabei möglicherweise bereits vor seiner Nase zu finden wäre, bleibt jedem überlassen zu entdecken. Mit der langsamen Entwicklung der Handlung entwickelt man auch große Sympathie für Will und verfolgt gerne, ob ihm irgendwann das Glück hold ist.
Bald hat Will sein dreißigstes Lebensjahr vollendet, er ist beruflich erfolgreich als Lebensberater tätig. Allerdings scheint es so als würden die guten Ratschläge, die er seinen Klienten gibt, bei ihm nicht wirken. Eine richtig feste Beziehung hat er nicht und so ist er etwas neidisch auf seinen besten Freund Tom, der gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Barbara zwei aufgeweckte Kinder hat. Nun, wenn es mit den Frauen nicht so richtig klappt, wird Will das Pferd eben von hinten aufziehen. Er sucht nach einer Mutter für sein künftiges Kind.
Will, dessen Vater die Familie verlassen hat als er noch nicht einmal ein Jahr war, möchte seinem Kind etwas Besseres bieten. Eine sichere Familienbank sozusagen. Aber wie an das Kind kommen, wenn sich einfach keine Mutter finden lässt. Auf alle möglichen Gedanken kommt Will, angefangen von einer Anzeige übers Internet bis hin zu Blind Dates. Eher von mäßigem Erfolg gekrönt sind Wills Versuche und manchmal sehr zur Belustigung seines befreundeten Pärchens Tom und Barbara gibt er zum Besten, was er auf der Suche nach der idealen Mutter für sein künftiges Kind alles erlebt.
Gleich mit den ersten Sätzen wird die Ankunft des neuen Erdenbürgers gefeiert. Und als Will gegenüber von Tom mit seinem Plan herausrückt, löst das gleich ein Schmunzeln aus. Das ist doch mal eine Idee, der künftige Vater auf der Suche nach einer Mutter für sein geplantes Kind. Zwar bekommt den Eindruck, die gesuchte Mutter wird nur als Muttertier betrachtet und denkt, dass diese Art der Herangehensweise doch etwas verkopft ist. Wäre da nicht der witzige Tom, der seine Leiden als Familienvater beklagt und doch immer wieder betont, dass er dieses Leben um nichts in der Welt missen möchte, man könnte ein wenig an Wills Art verzweifeln. Erst nach und nach kapiert Will, dass ein paar Gefühle, die man zulässt, vielleicht eher zum Ziel führen als jeder Plan. Ob das Glück dabei möglicherweise bereits vor seiner Nase zu finden wäre, bleibt jedem überlassen zu entdecken. Mit der langsamen Entwicklung der Handlung entwickelt man auch große Sympathie für Will und verfolgt gerne, ob ihm irgendwann das Glück hold ist.
June 27, 2019
This novel follows Will, a life coach who’s decided that he wants a baby. The problem is, he doesn’t have a partner. None of his relationships have lasted more than a year and now he’s 30 he wants to settle down. His best friend Tom is married to Barbara and they have twins: Jack and Ellie. Tom and Barbara think Will’s idea to find a mother for his future child is a bit crazy, but help him nonetheless.
I thought it’d be interesting to read this book since it was like chick-lit but written by a man. I’ve since discovered this is apparently called ‘lad-lit’. The ending was predictable but quite sweet.
What I really didn’t like was how women were talked about/viewed by Will and Tom a lot of the time. Will makes a list of characteristics he wants in the mother of his child and many of them are superficial: not being ugly, not being fat, not having fat ankles etc. He often comments on women’s appearance before anything else, I don’t think there’s a woman he doesn’t comment on with regard to attractiveness except for his mother. Their breasts, approximate age, legs etc. are all evaluated by him, and he and Tom often make inappropriate remarks. This despite Tom being married with a daughter. Sex is mentioned or alluded to a lot. Probably the worst line was this on page 120 ‘We can’t help thinking of every single woman we meet as a sex object, because quite frankly that’s exactly what they are to us.’ I was quite shocked to read that actually written down explicitly. I wondered if maybe Will was meant to be a jerk that then matures and changes, but he didn’t really. I think that’s meant to be a representation of how men think. A few of the reviews on the front cover said how Matt Dunn’s books are an insight into the male mind and point of view; if it was an accurate one I’m pretty disturbed. I really hope that the majority of men don’t think and talk like Will and Tom, but unfortunately I think a lot of them might.
I thought it’d be interesting to read this book since it was like chick-lit but written by a man. I’ve since discovered this is apparently called ‘lad-lit’. The ending was predictable but quite sweet.
What I really didn’t like was how women were talked about/viewed by Will and Tom a lot of the time. Will makes a list of characteristics he wants in the mother of his child and many of them are superficial: not being ugly, not being fat, not having fat ankles etc. He often comments on women’s appearance before anything else, I don’t think there’s a woman he doesn’t comment on with regard to attractiveness except for his mother. Their breasts, approximate age, legs etc. are all evaluated by him, and he and Tom often make inappropriate remarks. This despite Tom being married with a daughter. Sex is mentioned or alluded to a lot. Probably the worst line was this on page 120 ‘We can’t help thinking of every single woman we meet as a sex object, because quite frankly that’s exactly what they are to us.’ I was quite shocked to read that actually written down explicitly. I wondered if maybe Will was meant to be a jerk that then matures and changes, but he didn’t really. I think that’s meant to be a representation of how men think. A few of the reviews on the front cover said how Matt Dunn’s books are an insight into the male mind and point of view; if it was an accurate one I’m pretty disturbed. I really hope that the majority of men don’t think and talk like Will and Tom, but unfortunately I think a lot of them might.
July 28, 2025
Strange how people are calling this chick lit when the main protagonist - arguably even the main two protagonists as his best mate is probably the next most visible and articulate pov - are both male. Does this mean that any book about human relationships in the modern world has to be chick lit ie can only be read by women? Quite an extraordinary and in fact sexist position to take. Men have relationships too, they have kids and mothers and families and sometimes even a sense of humour. It's not exactly unbelievable that occasionally some of them would want to read about stuff that is germane to their existence, rather than guys shooting stuff and driving fast cars.
Also, I don't like the term chick lit. I don't even like the term women's fiction. For all the reasons above. I actually do read, quite often, about guys shooting stuff etc; strange how no one calls that man's fiction.
Good fiction, written well with strong characters, a plausible and engaging storyline and hopefully a satisfying conclusion, is simply that: good. Regardless of artificial categories, mostly imposed for marketing purposes.
And this story is good fiction. I suspect a lot of the surprisingly low reviews are because they are written by women who expected "chick lit" and aren't quite comfortable with a male pov. And yes, he is occasionally a sexist twerp - the fat ankles thing is decidedly superficial and sexist - but he reads like a real person, imperfect and well-meaning and quite frequently a bit of an idiot.
It's also genuinely hilarious, which makes a lot of his idiocy forgivable, plus he learns a lot from his mistakes as the story progresses and consequently changes, and that makes for a highly satisfactory resolution.
Funny, heartwarming, and often pretty insightful about parenthood and longterm relationships. A feel-good book to be enjoyed, but not if you prefer a female pov.
A solid four stars rounded up to compensate for unfairly low reviews.
Also, I don't like the term chick lit. I don't even like the term women's fiction. For all the reasons above. I actually do read, quite often, about guys shooting stuff etc; strange how no one calls that man's fiction.
Good fiction, written well with strong characters, a plausible and engaging storyline and hopefully a satisfying conclusion, is simply that: good. Regardless of artificial categories, mostly imposed for marketing purposes.
And this story is good fiction. I suspect a lot of the surprisingly low reviews are because they are written by women who expected "chick lit" and aren't quite comfortable with a male pov. And yes, he is occasionally a sexist twerp - the fat ankles thing is decidedly superficial and sexist - but he reads like a real person, imperfect and well-meaning and quite frequently a bit of an idiot.
It's also genuinely hilarious, which makes a lot of his idiocy forgivable, plus he learns a lot from his mistakes as the story progresses and consequently changes, and that makes for a highly satisfactory resolution.
Funny, heartwarming, and often pretty insightful about parenthood and longterm relationships. A feel-good book to be enjoyed, but not if you prefer a female pov.
A solid four stars rounded up to compensate for unfairly low reviews.
August 2, 2022
I surprisingly enjoyed the book, especially after having to push through the first half, Will was quite arrogant which almost put me off. I gave it 3 stars since the story didn't draw me in immediately and was almost off-putting, but I wanted to at least give it a chance. I did enjoy it in the end.
April 2, 2018
A witty insight into relationships and what makes a family
Matt Dunn has captured the essence of what makes a mum a mum and a dad a dad. I can relate to both sides now my children are older and I reflection differing relationships in our family
Matt Dunn has captured the essence of what makes a mum a mum and a dad a dad. I can relate to both sides now my children are older and I reflection differing relationships in our family
June 26, 2018
You know what you're getting when you pick up a Matt Dunn, a mildly unlikeable protagonist meets a girl, learns something about life and gets a happily ever after while negotiating some mildly amusing misunderstandings and gags.
I still maintain that that's a good thing.
I still maintain that that's a good thing.
Read
January 12, 2022I really enjoyed it. It has such a satirical take on parenting. Also it draws a very grounded comparison on the idea of family. Such a page Turner.
December 4, 2022
It didn’t fill up my expectations.
July 29, 2023
Easy read but quite sexist language and could have been a hundred pages shorter
Read
September 20, 2023Interesting. Funny. 🙂
November 16, 2024
Mildly amusing, but predictable.
September 16, 2009
Will Jackson is a desperate man – desperate to be a dad, that is. Tired of his laddish lifestyle, he’s redecorated the spare room, traded in his beloved sports car for a 4×4, and even drawn up a list of his favourite baby names.
In fact, there’s only one thing left he’s got to do – find a female who’ll have his child. But where on earth is he going to find a woman who meets his exacting standards? Certainly not in the usual bars and clubs he frequents. But Will has a plan – you can find everything else on the Internet these days – so why not someone to start a family with? From Friends Reunited, through the weird world of online dating, even to auctioning his ’services’ on Ebay, Will’s journey to paternity is a hilarious romp through the pitfalls of procreation.
But when push comes to shove, is Will prepared to trade passion for Pampers? What do men really look for when it comes to starting a family? Can the perfect mother also be the perfect partner, or are there more important things than a nice-fitting pair of genes?
I first read about Matt Dunn when I read his second novel “The Ex-Boyfriends Handbook” and I found it hilarious and a really good read – so good in fact I’ve read it twice. From Here to Paternity didn’t have as many laugh-out-loud moments as Ex-Boyfriends Handbook but was still a good read. My favourite scene was in the Starbucks when Will had the twins, that was really funny.
It was an odd premise for a novel: a man with a biological clock. Not only that but it was ticking – loudly. So Will goes from one extreme (internet dating) to the next (putting himself on Ebay and going on national TV). Also a funny point is his job: a lifecoach with no qualifications but his knowledge of life. I wonder how many other lifecoaches have the “qualifications” Will does….
I liked Will’s character and I liked that Matt wrote him different from most men. Here was a man who WANTED to be a dad, who WANTED to be a part of a family and usually when we read novels it’s the other way around.
The supporting characters were also great, Emma, the girl who works in Starbucks with a secret, Tom & Barbara, best friends, and Jen, his receptionist. I loved reading about Tom and Barbara’s relationship and felt they were good friends to Will and they all gelled together well. I loved Emma and was rooting for her and Will, and I was surprised when we found out what her secret actually was.
It was interesting to see just how far Will would go to become a dad and to see just how desperate he was.Will Will fulfil his quest or is it all one big lesson and what he’s looking for isn’t just to become a dad but to actually find love?
Rating: 4/5
In fact, there’s only one thing left he’s got to do – find a female who’ll have his child. But where on earth is he going to find a woman who meets his exacting standards? Certainly not in the usual bars and clubs he frequents. But Will has a plan – you can find everything else on the Internet these days – so why not someone to start a family with? From Friends Reunited, through the weird world of online dating, even to auctioning his ’services’ on Ebay, Will’s journey to paternity is a hilarious romp through the pitfalls of procreation.
But when push comes to shove, is Will prepared to trade passion for Pampers? What do men really look for when it comes to starting a family? Can the perfect mother also be the perfect partner, or are there more important things than a nice-fitting pair of genes?
I first read about Matt Dunn when I read his second novel “The Ex-Boyfriends Handbook” and I found it hilarious and a really good read – so good in fact I’ve read it twice. From Here to Paternity didn’t have as many laugh-out-loud moments as Ex-Boyfriends Handbook but was still a good read. My favourite scene was in the Starbucks when Will had the twins, that was really funny.
It was an odd premise for a novel: a man with a biological clock. Not only that but it was ticking – loudly. So Will goes from one extreme (internet dating) to the next (putting himself on Ebay and going on national TV). Also a funny point is his job: a lifecoach with no qualifications but his knowledge of life. I wonder how many other lifecoaches have the “qualifications” Will does….
I liked Will’s character and I liked that Matt wrote him different from most men. Here was a man who WANTED to be a dad, who WANTED to be a part of a family and usually when we read novels it’s the other way around.
The supporting characters were also great, Emma, the girl who works in Starbucks with a secret, Tom & Barbara, best friends, and Jen, his receptionist. I loved reading about Tom and Barbara’s relationship and felt they were good friends to Will and they all gelled together well. I loved Emma and was rooting for her and Will, and I was surprised when we found out what her secret actually was.
It was interesting to see just how far Will would go to become a dad and to see just how desperate he was.Will Will fulfil his quest or is it all one big lesson and what he’s looking for isn’t just to become a dad but to actually find love?
Rating: 4/5
July 16, 2010
Along with the rise of chick lit, there has been an increase in the books written from a male perspective, of which Mike Gayle is one of the major contributors. This was the first book I have read by Matt Dunn, and I have to confess to being fairly disappointed.
The crux of this is that, no matter how funny the book was - and it definitely raised a few chuckles, including a rather amusing scene in a Gap changing room - I disliked the main character of Will. This is a man who has treated previous girlfriends abominably, who has brought a certificate off ebay so that he can set himself up as a life coach, and who decides that he wants to have a baby, regardless of who he might hurt to get to that end result.
The book suffers from this, because you don't actually want Will to achieve his goal, because you feel as though he would be a far from adequate father.
There are also some massive cliches in the book, including a visit from Will's father and realising that the girl he ends up with already has a child (something that is signposted so heavily that you are almost insulted!)
I did, however, like the characters of Barbara and Tom, who manage to dispense well-meaning advice to the prospective father, and provide a realistic picture of what life is like when a child (or children) come along to disrupt things.
So, not altogether bad but very disposable fiction I'd say, and not a book that I would pick up again.
The crux of this is that, no matter how funny the book was - and it definitely raised a few chuckles, including a rather amusing scene in a Gap changing room - I disliked the main character of Will. This is a man who has treated previous girlfriends abominably, who has brought a certificate off ebay so that he can set himself up as a life coach, and who decides that he wants to have a baby, regardless of who he might hurt to get to that end result.
The book suffers from this, because you don't actually want Will to achieve his goal, because you feel as though he would be a far from adequate father.
There are also some massive cliches in the book, including a visit from Will's father and realising that the girl he ends up with already has a child (something that is signposted so heavily that you are almost insulted!)
I did, however, like the characters of Barbara and Tom, who manage to dispense well-meaning advice to the prospective father, and provide a realistic picture of what life is like when a child (or children) come along to disrupt things.
So, not altogether bad but very disposable fiction I'd say, and not a book that I would pick up again.
April 2, 2013
I just recently finished reading this book. Lets be candid; the main reason I bought this book to read was firstly because I was tired of reading serious, feminist books and autobiographies and wanted to read something light, enjoyable and heartfelt. Secondly, because its summary portrayed and promised a story which was funny, from a man's view point ( something I had hardly ever read as my choice of books revolved more around the viewpoints of a heroine) and of his journey to find the perfect mate.
However, halfway across it, I was just exasperated to finish it and get to the end of it. The entire story was about a despo who resorts to different means to get his hands on that perfect one. However, it turned out to be very rushed, haphazard and through out the book, nothing new or exciting was happening which would lead me to want to read it more. The character could have had some great punch lines and an engaging personality but he was as confused as the book itself.
Overall, I feel that it was a disappointment and the writer could have done a MUCH better job out of the story; could have made it more engaging and more funny than what he presently did with it.
However, halfway across it, I was just exasperated to finish it and get to the end of it. The entire story was about a despo who resorts to different means to get his hands on that perfect one. However, it turned out to be very rushed, haphazard and through out the book, nothing new or exciting was happening which would lead me to want to read it more. The character could have had some great punch lines and an engaging personality but he was as confused as the book itself.
Overall, I feel that it was a disappointment and the writer could have done a MUCH better job out of the story; could have made it more engaging and more funny than what he presently did with it.
May 5, 2024
Matt Dunn is an author who writes books for women but holds such a low opinion of them that I can’t understand why he wants them as his target audience. I had to give up with this book after a few pages, the MC Will is a dick who wants a baby, not a healthy relationship and a stable home to raise the child, just a baby and the lady he wants to have this baby with must not fat or ugly. I wish I was making this up but it’s in print. Once again, Matt makes himself fit my husband’s opinion of him, a knob who has no respect or luck with women and therefore objectifies them and things it’s funny.
May 9, 2012
I was expecting a great read having read two other books by the author (both of which I very much enjoyed) but unfortunately this was a bit of a disappointment. It was funny in places but overall I didn't feel this was up to the standard of the other books.
May 11, 2013
Just think that this book was so predicable what would happen at the end it make me not really want to finish and this took me a whole while to finish I don't know if I would read another one of Matt Dunns work in a hurry
October 19, 2014
Friggin hilarious there's not many books I would read a second time but this one I would. Found myself chuckling at some inappropriate moments & getting some odd looks from my dear hubby along the way. I think if you are a parent you will understand this book fully.
February 10, 2008
I laughed out loud on more than one occasion reading this tale of a lad desperate to be a dad and the pickles he got himself into along the way.
February 13, 2009
Oh my gosh; it was such a funny read I really enjoyed it. It was nice to read something along these lines from a man's point of view and it's just a none stop laugh.
November 13, 2009
Mildly amusing, but predictable.
July 18, 2011
It is funny to read chick-lit from a guys point of view. I quite liked how much I laughed while reading this book.
July 29, 2011
hillarious
February 8, 2023
Shallow and only mildly amusing but sweet in parts.
February 4, 2014
ich habs nicht fertig gelesen und bei seite 138 aufgehört :(
January 29, 2015
I did enjoy the book, the plot was defiantly something I have never read before (I read a lot of teen books which are all very samey) the book was funny and witty however I did see the ending coming
June 1, 2012
i liked this book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews