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Natural Disaster
One perfect day. A million catastrophes.
For weeks, she has been saying it will be their special day. One last, perfect day with her children before she returns to work after maternity leave.
What's the worst that can happen?
Unfolding across 24 hours, Natural Disaster is a propulsive, darkly funny and sharply observed novel about the absurd, frustrating, hilarious, precarious, bittersweet, sometimes astonishing challenge - literal, existential - of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a person for one single, entire day.
For weeks, she has been saying it will be their special day. One last, perfect day with her children before she returns to work after maternity leave.
What's the worst that can happen?
Unfolding across 24 hours, Natural Disaster is a propulsive, darkly funny and sharply observed novel about the absurd, frustrating, hilarious, precarious, bittersweet, sometimes astonishing challenge - literal, existential - of being a woman, a mother, a wife, a person for one single, entire day.
191 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 25, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
January 8, 2026
| ARC REVIEW |
For weeks she has counted down to this day — the final day of maternity leave. This is the day that has to be perfect. The day that will be perfect, because she has it all meticulously planned out. And everything in motherhood always goes to plan... right?
Natural Disaster not only accurately portrays motherhood in all its chaotic and overwhelming glory, but also does a fantastic job of normalising the aspects that some parents are often too embarrassed to talk about.
To me, motherhood is the gift that keeps on giving: unconditional love, the overwhelming sense of pride you get when you look at your children, but also the anxiety, the guilt, and the isolation that often ensues. All of which I feel to various degrees throughout the day.
However, this book took me by the shoulders, shook me hard and shouted "it's not you, it's all of us! This is MOTHERHOOD! And you're doing a damn good job!"
I truly felt that this book was holding my hand whilst I read it. The way Lisa Owens was able to write about the messy aspects of being a mother in such a raw, authentic and quite frankly hilarious manner was remarkable! I laughed, I teared up, and I felt seen.
My only criticism (if you can even call it that) is that I really wish this book was longer! I didn't want my lovely, comforting hand hold through motherhood's chaos to end.
Once this book is published, you can bet that I will be recommending it to the women in my "mother and baby" group, as well as anyone else I know who is in the throes of motherhood.
This book was an absolute pleasure to read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Owens and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Virago for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
❀ Tia ❀
For weeks she has counted down to this day — the final day of maternity leave. This is the day that has to be perfect. The day that will be perfect, because she has it all meticulously planned out. And everything in motherhood always goes to plan... right?
Natural Disaster not only accurately portrays motherhood in all its chaotic and overwhelming glory, but also does a fantastic job of normalising the aspects that some parents are often too embarrassed to talk about.
To me, motherhood is the gift that keeps on giving: unconditional love, the overwhelming sense of pride you get when you look at your children, but also the anxiety, the guilt, and the isolation that often ensues. All of which I feel to various degrees throughout the day.
However, this book took me by the shoulders, shook me hard and shouted "it's not you, it's all of us! This is MOTHERHOOD! And you're doing a damn good job!"
I truly felt that this book was holding my hand whilst I read it. The way Lisa Owens was able to write about the messy aspects of being a mother in such a raw, authentic and quite frankly hilarious manner was remarkable! I laughed, I teared up, and I felt seen.
My only criticism (if you can even call it that) is that I really wish this book was longer! I didn't want my lovely, comforting hand hold through motherhood's chaos to end.
Once this book is published, you can bet that I will be recommending it to the women in my "mother and baby" group, as well as anyone else I know who is in the throes of motherhood.
This book was an absolute pleasure to read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Lisa Owens and Little, Brown Book Group UK | Virago for gifting this eBook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
❀ Tia ❀
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December 19, 2025This is a difficult review for me to write as I felt I am too old to read about the coal face of motherhood, and times have changed so much since my time that I noticed that I couldn’t relate to the narrator. In fact, I found her very annoying, disorganised, overthinking, and too sensitive. Perhaps that’s how mothers are nowadays, with the internet and social media at their fingertips, ready to make them feel so inadequate.
But I did really enjoy the story, even with these reservations, though I sided with her mother re child rearing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC
But I did really enjoy the story, even with these reservations, though I sided with her mother re child rearing.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC
March 10, 2026
Wanting to make the last day of maternity leave special was a good way of exploring the pressures of motherhood.
The first half seemed like an extended critique of gentle parenting that felt frustrating at times, but the second half took a different direction.
The different ways mothers are treated by the public, partners, employers, shopkeepers, other mothers and of course their own children all had their spaces to be examined.
I don’t think this was saying that much that is unexpected and is mainly a way to watch someone have a chaotic day or be glad your life doesn’t give you days like this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Virago for the arc
The first half seemed like an extended critique of gentle parenting that felt frustrating at times, but the second half took a different direction.
The different ways mothers are treated by the public, partners, employers, shopkeepers, other mothers and of course their own children all had their spaces to be examined.
I don’t think this was saying that much that is unexpected and is mainly a way to watch someone have a chaotic day or be glad your life doesn’t give you days like this.
Thanks to NetGalley and Virago for the arc
June 16, 2026
overthinking-maxxing
February 6, 2026
Natural Disaster follows a mum’s last day of maternity leave. Not a great deal happens plot wise, which in my opinion is exactly why it works.
Instead, it offers a sharp, intimate insight into the strange oxymoron of motherhood, and the way everything can feel monumental and mundane at the same time. The novel puts language to emotions and thoughts that are often hard to articulate or even admit. Reading it six months after returning to work, I found it relatable and unexpectedly validating. This is a book I’ll be recommending to mum friends for sure.
Thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Owens, and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
Instead, it offers a sharp, intimate insight into the strange oxymoron of motherhood, and the way everything can feel monumental and mundane at the same time. The novel puts language to emotions and thoughts that are often hard to articulate or even admit. Reading it six months after returning to work, I found it relatable and unexpectedly validating. This is a book I’ll be recommending to mum friends for sure.
Thanks to NetGalley, Lisa Owens, and Little, Brown Book Group UK for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I think all of us know the feeling that we’re running the Red Queen’s Race everyday. This book perfectly captures that feeling-you can try your best, but daily life and tiny events can all still conspire against you, one little thing at a time, till even your relaxation needs to be perfectly planned, but can still falter with the execution, in the most banal yet unexpected way. A mother with 2 young children, on her last day of maternity leave, decides to spend a day with them, giving them ‘quality time’, letting the day unfurl while she makes the most of being able to give them undivided attention. What could possibly go wrong? As mice know and men seem to forget, things don’t turn out in quite the halcyon way she expects, and the writing is both poignant and hilarious, in turns, in its interrogation of women trying to have it all. While the book is set over that one day, you get flashbacks to her meet-cute with her husband, her career, her first pregnancy and how it went, her relationship with her parents-all sprinkled throughout, in an unobtrusive way, the way the mind and memory work. You still get a full, rich picture of all these characters though, without them even actually getting many pages for each, and I wonder how many times the author wrote and rewrote these to make it seem so effortless. I also absolutely loved her relationship with her husband-like the protagonist, I tend to harbour resentment and think of myself as carrying the burden of housework but as multiple arguments have proved to me, that’s not really the entire picture because I’ve also refused offers of help multiple times!
It’s really well-etched and easy to relate to, even for someone like me who doesn’t have children and normally isn’t at all interested in narratives like this, because they’re always so badly written-I usually don’t have much patience for narratives about privileged white women whingeing about their lack of time and all their various troubles after choosing to have multiple children , while being aware of all the responsibility that brings. The absolute worst offenders in this genre to me, are ‘Consider yourself kissed’ by Jessica Stanley, and ‘ Sorrow and bliss’ by Meg Mason, astoundingly solipsistic and self-important books that somehow got great reviews. I started this book fully expecting it to be as awful as the others but this isn’t like the others at all. The writing is much more incisive, and the writer doesn’t set up what seem like terrible problems only for them to be resolved very easily( ‘Sorrow and bliss’, for instance, is all about the protagonist’s supposedly devastating mental health issues, which are breezily resolved with one diagnosis, that we are conveniently not told about, when that’s not how diagnoses for mental health conditions work, not ones described the way the book does-it’s not a stomach ulcer! In CYK, the protagonist does not want to live with her partner anymore, and conveniently has a rich friend whose house she can live in, while continuing to complain about how oppressed she is.) I have adopted an attitude of superciliousness because of these silly books where the women never seem to lack for great childcare options when that's the Holy Grail for mothers, and dismissed these characters as choosing these problems. This book however, with its very real problems ( like never finding a thermometer when you need one!), made me rethink my lack of empathy-should women choose not to have children because the logistics are difficult for them, instead of their partners also chipping in to plan out their circumstances? Is it silly of women to want both financial independence and motherhood? Surely not, particularly in circumstances that should be easier than for many other far less fortunate people, and this still doesn't invalidate their difficulties.
I loved this book so much that it’s gone on my ‘books I will risk a migraine for’-I get terrible, day-ruining migraines if I sleep even 10 minutes beyond my usual bedtime, so if a book makes me stay up to finish it, it deserves a special place! Read this, if you’re a woman, a mother, a person in this world.
It’s really well-etched and easy to relate to, even for someone like me who doesn’t have children and normally isn’t at all interested in narratives like this, because they’re always so badly written-I usually don’t have much patience for narratives about privileged white women whingeing about their lack of time and all their various troubles after choosing to have multiple children , while being aware of all the responsibility that brings. The absolute worst offenders in this genre to me, are ‘Consider yourself kissed’ by Jessica Stanley, and ‘ Sorrow and bliss’ by Meg Mason, astoundingly solipsistic and self-important books that somehow got great reviews. I started this book fully expecting it to be as awful as the others but this isn’t like the others at all. The writing is much more incisive, and the writer doesn’t set up what seem like terrible problems only for them to be resolved very easily( ‘Sorrow and bliss’, for instance, is all about the protagonist’s supposedly devastating mental health issues, which are breezily resolved with one diagnosis, that we are conveniently not told about, when that’s not how diagnoses for mental health conditions work, not ones described the way the book does-it’s not a stomach ulcer! In CYK, the protagonist does not want to live with her partner anymore, and conveniently has a rich friend whose house she can live in, while continuing to complain about how oppressed she is.) I have adopted an attitude of superciliousness because of these silly books where the women never seem to lack for great childcare options when that's the Holy Grail for mothers, and dismissed these characters as choosing these problems. This book however, with its very real problems ( like never finding a thermometer when you need one!), made me rethink my lack of empathy-should women choose not to have children because the logistics are difficult for them, instead of their partners also chipping in to plan out their circumstances? Is it silly of women to want both financial independence and motherhood? Surely not, particularly in circumstances that should be easier than for many other far less fortunate people, and this still doesn't invalidate their difficulties.
I loved this book so much that it’s gone on my ‘books I will risk a migraine for’-I get terrible, day-ruining migraines if I sleep even 10 minutes beyond my usual bedtime, so if a book makes me stay up to finish it, it deserves a special place! Read this, if you’re a woman, a mother, a person in this world.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Arc provided by NetGalley
The last day of maternity, two children and a plan to celebrate the day, nothing could go wrong- right? Natural Disaster follows one mum and her boys across 24 hours as her plans for celebration and cherishing her last maternity experience end up in tears, chocolate chips and A&E.
An endearing, chaotic and funny take on the emotions and ambitions of early motherhood, the trials of babies and balancing parenting with society. This book talks about a lot of the struggles that come with motherhood including the bittersweet return to work and the pressures of parenting out in the public eye.
This is a medium pace book with dry humor and sarcasm served with teary truths. Whilst I dont have experience first hand with the themes I didn’t feel alienated and it didn’t affect my position as a reader. Owens strikes a good balance between sharing the experiences of motherhood and opinions on certain things that arise without any airs of judgement or ‘holier-than-thou’ attitudes. Here we are, a fly on the wall of one mum’s experience and her feelings on the matter.
We are taken along as our main character decides that her last day of maternity will be a celebration of her time, a marker of a new chapter. She discusses that this will probably be the last one for her and that she wants to make it a moment of happy memories and fun.
This doesn’t go exactly to plan.
With her husband away in Barcelona on a work trip she is left to juggle the demands of Felix and Ruddy alone and the chaos ensues almost instantly. Chocolate chips are grabbed and fistfulls eaten before even making it to the pancake mix. Oats are stuffed into coat pockets and spill into the hallway…Owens does a great job of making these stressful moments build up right from the beginning so that the tension boils and boils and as the hours tick away we get a real solid sense of how mum is feeling. It was an immersive experience. These dramatic flashes are sandwiched between mum trying to keep calm and think of other ideas and trying to keep both boys supervised. There is a moment of strife where she is offering healthy snacks and tells us about how she is trying to get them on a clean and healthy snack schedule but due to the constant crying and the boiling tempers she makes the call to give in to their temptations. All this is taking place as her mind is buzzing with thoughts about the tampon found in her husband’s old luggage.
Another part of the book I thought was really strongly integrated was the flashbacks. They all took place as a result of something happening and felt very seamless and didn’t feel clunky or misplaced within the main narrative. These flashbacks felt natural and was a great way to build on the character’s and their background to make them feel more fleshed out without being obvious. I love a book that has the constraints of time and this was a way to flesh out the story and provide more ‘action’ in a realistic way.
There were also some really good nuggets to think about in the text related to the story. The main characters' musings comment on some key social aspects such as how strangers feel comfortable to comment and judge mums and the societal pressures that come with raising children too. These moments of honesty and reflection I think will be appreciated a lot especially for readers with similar experiences.
Very funny, great pacing and a unique exploration of maternity, life changes and the stress of parenting for mums. Captures both love and tension in a realistic and entertaining way!
The last day of maternity, two children and a plan to celebrate the day, nothing could go wrong- right? Natural Disaster follows one mum and her boys across 24 hours as her plans for celebration and cherishing her last maternity experience end up in tears, chocolate chips and A&E.
An endearing, chaotic and funny take on the emotions and ambitions of early motherhood, the trials of babies and balancing parenting with society. This book talks about a lot of the struggles that come with motherhood including the bittersweet return to work and the pressures of parenting out in the public eye.
This is a medium pace book with dry humor and sarcasm served with teary truths. Whilst I dont have experience first hand with the themes I didn’t feel alienated and it didn’t affect my position as a reader. Owens strikes a good balance between sharing the experiences of motherhood and opinions on certain things that arise without any airs of judgement or ‘holier-than-thou’ attitudes. Here we are, a fly on the wall of one mum’s experience and her feelings on the matter.
We are taken along as our main character decides that her last day of maternity will be a celebration of her time, a marker of a new chapter. She discusses that this will probably be the last one for her and that she wants to make it a moment of happy memories and fun.
This doesn’t go exactly to plan.
With her husband away in Barcelona on a work trip she is left to juggle the demands of Felix and Ruddy alone and the chaos ensues almost instantly. Chocolate chips are grabbed and fistfulls eaten before even making it to the pancake mix. Oats are stuffed into coat pockets and spill into the hallway…Owens does a great job of making these stressful moments build up right from the beginning so that the tension boils and boils and as the hours tick away we get a real solid sense of how mum is feeling. It was an immersive experience. These dramatic flashes are sandwiched between mum trying to keep calm and think of other ideas and trying to keep both boys supervised. There is a moment of strife where she is offering healthy snacks and tells us about how she is trying to get them on a clean and healthy snack schedule but due to the constant crying and the boiling tempers she makes the call to give in to their temptations. All this is taking place as her mind is buzzing with thoughts about the tampon found in her husband’s old luggage.
Another part of the book I thought was really strongly integrated was the flashbacks. They all took place as a result of something happening and felt very seamless and didn’t feel clunky or misplaced within the main narrative. These flashbacks felt natural and was a great way to build on the character’s and their background to make them feel more fleshed out without being obvious. I love a book that has the constraints of time and this was a way to flesh out the story and provide more ‘action’ in a realistic way.
There were also some really good nuggets to think about in the text related to the story. The main characters' musings comment on some key social aspects such as how strangers feel comfortable to comment and judge mums and the societal pressures that come with raising children too. These moments of honesty and reflection I think will be appreciated a lot especially for readers with similar experiences.
Very funny, great pacing and a unique exploration of maternity, life changes and the stress of parenting for mums. Captures both love and tension in a realistic and entertaining way!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
THIS IS AN ADVANCED READING COPY FROM NETGALLEY :
Mum to Felix who is 4 and Rudy who is still just under a year is preparing to return to her job and the day before she’s decided to spend a special day out with the boys making it an extra special demarcation of her foray back into the work force and her little one Rudy’s first time at nursery.
The week before she heads back into work, her husband who is in the middle of a start up and getting it up and running has been working late and weekends and now he’s got a conference achedule for his entire company to attend the whole week and won’t be home the weekend until Sunday the night before she heads back.
She’s a very high strung Mum internally but is continually patient and using her super mum power reserves on the power struggles that 4 year olds love to push and her Rudy is an attached lap baby who often doesn’t want to part with her.
Their special day turns into a day of unfortunate events and some of the fiascos the boys and she get themselves into are LOK hilarious. She is swinging on the pendulum of guilt for wanting to go back to work and guilt for leaving the boys to nursery care because financially she doesn’t have to go back but her own self preservative and esteem she feels it will best for them all. Having done it with her eldest, the beginning was brutal he cried so hard she swore she could hear him at the train but eventually they both calmed down.
She and her husband aren’t connecting they continuously keep getting into snarky fight that really aren’t over anything other than she is an overwhelmed exhausted homemaker and mum of two very young boys one of who is still nursing and he is naturally very stressed out at a critical juncture with his own company.
This book is perfect for mums who will delight in the comical conversations she has with her boys especially Felix and you just want to give her the boggiest longest hug and tell her she might not feel it but she’s doing an incredible job and if every mum was as invested and concerned about the mental repercussions of her losing her patience or judge her for feeding her kids prepackaged snacks she should ignore them and know she’s doing best and that’s all that’s needed.
Thank you for this opportunity to receive and give my honest feedback of the book #NaturalDisaster written by #LisaOwens and a huge thank you to #Netgalley and to #LittleBrownandCompany
Mum to Felix who is 4 and Rudy who is still just under a year is preparing to return to her job and the day before she’s decided to spend a special day out with the boys making it an extra special demarcation of her foray back into the work force and her little one Rudy’s first time at nursery.
The week before she heads back into work, her husband who is in the middle of a start up and getting it up and running has been working late and weekends and now he’s got a conference achedule for his entire company to attend the whole week and won’t be home the weekend until Sunday the night before she heads back.
She’s a very high strung Mum internally but is continually patient and using her super mum power reserves on the power struggles that 4 year olds love to push and her Rudy is an attached lap baby who often doesn’t want to part with her.
Their special day turns into a day of unfortunate events and some of the fiascos the boys and she get themselves into are LOK hilarious. She is swinging on the pendulum of guilt for wanting to go back to work and guilt for leaving the boys to nursery care because financially she doesn’t have to go back but her own self preservative and esteem she feels it will best for them all. Having done it with her eldest, the beginning was brutal he cried so hard she swore she could hear him at the train but eventually they both calmed down.
She and her husband aren’t connecting they continuously keep getting into snarky fight that really aren’t over anything other than she is an overwhelmed exhausted homemaker and mum of two very young boys one of who is still nursing and he is naturally very stressed out at a critical juncture with his own company.
This book is perfect for mums who will delight in the comical conversations she has with her boys especially Felix and you just want to give her the boggiest longest hug and tell her she might not feel it but she’s doing an incredible job and if every mum was as invested and concerned about the mental repercussions of her losing her patience or judge her for feeding her kids prepackaged snacks she should ignore them and know she’s doing best and that’s all that’s needed.
Thank you for this opportunity to receive and give my honest feedback of the book #NaturalDisaster written by #LisaOwens and a huge thank you to #Netgalley and to #LittleBrownandCompany
May 23, 2026
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC!
The idea of Natural Disaster sounded like such a fun and relatable book. A woman decides to make her last day of maternity leave a “very special day” with her kids but it turns into a “what can go wrong will go wrong” day. Fun right, maybe a relatable and humorous look at motherhood?! incorrect.
I could not relate to this mother at all. This woman is so worried about achieving perfection in motherhood that she can’t cope with anything’s in the day to day. She has little to no confidence in herself as a mother, and she allows herself to be walked over by her children on nearly every page. She is permissive and accommodating to the enth degree in a way that was exhausting. She second guesses everything she does and her inner monologue wore me out. I am someone who has a lot of anxious thoughts and compared to this, I’m the calmest smooth brained woman on the planet.
Her relationship with her husband seems to be the age old issue of letting the role of “parent” usurp the role of husband and wife instead of keeping a relationship ship strong ao you can support each other while being parents.
Wife first then mother. Husband first then father. Their lack of communication and the wife’s “perceived” meanings taken from every normal comment her husband makes was tiresome and frustrating. She read into everything in a way that seemed unfair and unloving. Call em old fashioned but communication and respect go a long way in your literal MARRIAGE.
While I did feel some companionship with our main character at some points in her postpartum journey, I veered off of our similar track when she refused to ask for help or express her needs. What’s the point of a husband if you can’t express needs to each other?
This woman is overthinking to the point that she worries forcing needed medicine into her toddler could be viewed as abuse??? Or forcing shoes on a child to flee an emergency would be mean?!?!?! Get a grip.
I think this book was written as a funny look at the daily struggles of being a mother, but the main character was ultimately unlikable, ridiculous, and absolutely un-relatable to me as a wife, mother, and woman.
The idea of Natural Disaster sounded like such a fun and relatable book. A woman decides to make her last day of maternity leave a “very special day” with her kids but it turns into a “what can go wrong will go wrong” day. Fun right, maybe a relatable and humorous look at motherhood?! incorrect.
I could not relate to this mother at all. This woman is so worried about achieving perfection in motherhood that she can’t cope with anything’s in the day to day. She has little to no confidence in herself as a mother, and she allows herself to be walked over by her children on nearly every page. She is permissive and accommodating to the enth degree in a way that was exhausting. She second guesses everything she does and her inner monologue wore me out. I am someone who has a lot of anxious thoughts and compared to this, I’m the calmest smooth brained woman on the planet.
Her relationship with her husband seems to be the age old issue of letting the role of “parent” usurp the role of husband and wife instead of keeping a relationship ship strong ao you can support each other while being parents.
Wife first then mother. Husband first then father. Their lack of communication and the wife’s “perceived” meanings taken from every normal comment her husband makes was tiresome and frustrating. She read into everything in a way that seemed unfair and unloving. Call em old fashioned but communication and respect go a long way in your literal MARRIAGE.
While I did feel some companionship with our main character at some points in her postpartum journey, I veered off of our similar track when she refused to ask for help or express her needs. What’s the point of a husband if you can’t express needs to each other?
This woman is overthinking to the point that she worries forcing needed medicine into her toddler could be viewed as abuse??? Or forcing shoes on a child to flee an emergency would be mean?!?!?! Get a grip.
I think this book was written as a funny look at the daily struggles of being a mother, but the main character was ultimately unlikable, ridiculous, and absolutely un-relatable to me as a wife, mother, and woman.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
"What if there's a middle ground? ...she lives on the middle ground, a perilously high and narrow path winding between the abysses of opposing extremes: too much/not enough, smothering/negligent, pushover/cold block of stone. The middle ground is the reason she's so tired."
As her maternity leave comes to an end, our unnamed narrator plans a final perfect day with her two boys before they begin childcare and she says goodbye to full-time parenting.
We follow mum, Felix (4), and Rudy (1) through this one day which, with Dad absent overseas, gets off to an early, fractious start.
As all her best intentions collide with reality, we share her frustrations and anxieties even as we chuckle with recognition.
Every other mother, working or otherwise, seems to have everything under control, while our narrator is awash with doubts. What should they eat? When should they eat? How much sex is the "right" amount for parents of young children? Should the boys watch television at all?
Sources of anxiety proliferate: online forums, WhatsApp parents' groups, advice that either never works or works perfectly until, suddenly, it doesn't. Family members, meanwhile, undermine her efforts with the best of intentions, offering unsolicited wisdom at precisely the moment she needs nothing more than silent agreement.
Amid all this pressure and worry is the unconditional love she feels for her two boys, and the joy of watching them discover both the world and themselves—so much of which she fears she'll miss when she returns to work.
Her relationship with her husband has become transactional, fraught with tiny misreadings of language and tone that can send any conversation spiralling into irritation. Because he works outside the home, despite his best endeavours he cannot fully appreciate the juggling and self-subsumation required by the "round-the-clock immersive theatre that is parenthood."
It turns out that the middle ground isn't a place of balance at all, but one of constant effort—and this funny, tender, quietly angry novel captures that perfectly.
As her maternity leave comes to an end, our unnamed narrator plans a final perfect day with her two boys before they begin childcare and she says goodbye to full-time parenting.
We follow mum, Felix (4), and Rudy (1) through this one day which, with Dad absent overseas, gets off to an early, fractious start.
As all her best intentions collide with reality, we share her frustrations and anxieties even as we chuckle with recognition.
Every other mother, working or otherwise, seems to have everything under control, while our narrator is awash with doubts. What should they eat? When should they eat? How much sex is the "right" amount for parents of young children? Should the boys watch television at all?
Sources of anxiety proliferate: online forums, WhatsApp parents' groups, advice that either never works or works perfectly until, suddenly, it doesn't. Family members, meanwhile, undermine her efforts with the best of intentions, offering unsolicited wisdom at precisely the moment she needs nothing more than silent agreement.
Amid all this pressure and worry is the unconditional love she feels for her two boys, and the joy of watching them discover both the world and themselves—so much of which she fears she'll miss when she returns to work.
Her relationship with her husband has become transactional, fraught with tiny misreadings of language and tone that can send any conversation spiralling into irritation. Because he works outside the home, despite his best endeavours he cannot fully appreciate the juggling and self-subsumation required by the "round-the-clock immersive theatre that is parenthood."
It turns out that the middle ground isn't a place of balance at all, but one of constant effort—and this funny, tender, quietly angry novel captures that perfectly.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Firstly, and really I should have guessed this from the book description, I am the wrong target audience for this book. My eldest grandchild is 16 so it is quite some time since I had sole charge of two young children (grandchildren excepted, but at the end of the day we give them back), but even so I could certainly sympathise at times with the main character - Mum, sorry I can't remember her actual name. Perhaps that says something about how becoming a parent causes you to lose your sense of self, in that the reader hasn't remembered her name, does anyone ever even say it in the book?
My daughter being mum to 4 children from 5 years up to 16 could most definitely identify with the MC. I think she has probably faced every minor trauma in this book and much more besides. It did have its funny moments and I enjoyed the humour in the book, but I felt it read a bit like a blog on mumsnet. There isn't a plot as such, though to be fair it is only set over 1 day but apart from her two children, there is little dialogue with anyone else until you get towards the end, so seems a little one dimensional. And at times she does over analyse, ruminating over every minutia of the day. It did have me laughing out loud at some of the situations she found herself in so it did keep me entertained.
I think maybe social media and the internet as a whole perhaps has a hand in denting the confidence of new mums today compared with 40 years ago when I had my children. She does tend to be led by the latest trends in child rearing rather than going off her gut instinct and it highlights how hard it can be for new parents now, always feeling judged and compared, and at times I felt she was probably making a rod for her own back.
I'm sure this book would appeal hugely to younger readers with young children, but perhaps grandparents too could have a read, just to see what their children are up against when they're raising their own families.
My daughter being mum to 4 children from 5 years up to 16 could most definitely identify with the MC. I think she has probably faced every minor trauma in this book and much more besides. It did have its funny moments and I enjoyed the humour in the book, but I felt it read a bit like a blog on mumsnet. There isn't a plot as such, though to be fair it is only set over 1 day but apart from her two children, there is little dialogue with anyone else until you get towards the end, so seems a little one dimensional. And at times she does over analyse, ruminating over every minutia of the day. It did have me laughing out loud at some of the situations she found herself in so it did keep me entertained.
I think maybe social media and the internet as a whole perhaps has a hand in denting the confidence of new mums today compared with 40 years ago when I had my children. She does tend to be led by the latest trends in child rearing rather than going off her gut instinct and it highlights how hard it can be for new parents now, always feeling judged and compared, and at times I felt she was probably making a rod for her own back.
I'm sure this book would appeal hugely to younger readers with young children, but perhaps grandparents too could have a read, just to see what their children are up against when they're raising their own families.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Ok Im obviously not the demographic this book is aimed at so I will try to be measured with my opinions.
A book based on the final day of a mother’s maternity leave after having a second child, she wants to have a special last day with her children and do lots of stuff they love to mark the day. Of course things dont go according to plan as she struggles with the everyday problems of motherhood and this is apparently observed and told in a humorous and insightful way.
Sounds ok so far but… the story (if you can call it that) is wafer thin with not a lot happening apart from them going out of the house a couple of times and then to the hospital. I mean there is barely a short story here never mind a novel.
Also the characters were just irritating and totally lacking any real substance. The mother was an incredibly weak and immature character who annoyed the hell out of me throughout and is married to a vain shallow man. As for the children well at least the baby wasnt annoying as he had little to say (well nothing really, hes a baby) but the toddler was next level annoying. Spoiled and indulged by his mother who didnt want to upset him etc etc.
Its a whole lot of nothing where nothing happens and we get a rinse and repeat of the mothers inane and uninteresting musings.
I started off this review trying to be mindful that I probably am not the demographic for this book and so wanted to go gently on it but as I type this review I just become more and more aware of how much the book irritated me and I didnt enjoy any of it.
There are much more positive reviews out there so hopefully Im an outlier but for me this was poor. Really really poor.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
A book based on the final day of a mother’s maternity leave after having a second child, she wants to have a special last day with her children and do lots of stuff they love to mark the day. Of course things dont go according to plan as she struggles with the everyday problems of motherhood and this is apparently observed and told in a humorous and insightful way.
Sounds ok so far but… the story (if you can call it that) is wafer thin with not a lot happening apart from them going out of the house a couple of times and then to the hospital. I mean there is barely a short story here never mind a novel.
Also the characters were just irritating and totally lacking any real substance. The mother was an incredibly weak and immature character who annoyed the hell out of me throughout and is married to a vain shallow man. As for the children well at least the baby wasnt annoying as he had little to say (well nothing really, hes a baby) but the toddler was next level annoying. Spoiled and indulged by his mother who didnt want to upset him etc etc.
Its a whole lot of nothing where nothing happens and we get a rinse and repeat of the mothers inane and uninteresting musings.
I started off this review trying to be mindful that I probably am not the demographic for this book and so wanted to go gently on it but as I type this review I just become more and more aware of how much the book irritated me and I didnt enjoy any of it.
There are much more positive reviews out there so hopefully Im an outlier but for me this was poor. Really really poor.
Many thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Little, Brown Book Group UK | Virago and NetGalley for this ARC.
The premise of this book, 24 hours of mother's life before going to her corporate life after maternity leave, is absolutely my alley.
I was supper excited for this one....and what a disappointed it was.
in my opinion this should have been a novella. I think it could have worked as a shorted book and if the main character had a backbone. She wants to create a perfect day for her and 2 sons but she should have known that having a toddler means nothing will go according to plan. The issue is that her toddler is annoying and disrespectful towards his mom while she does nothing to correct or encourage respect. It looks like he can do whatever he wants with no consequences. She is irritating and annoying as a main character. Plus really nothing happens thru the story.
It could have been a great exploration of handling marriage and the changing of its dynamics while having two kids and work, The husband seems to be quite detached and self centered. I believe if the book would use humour, like a comedy of errors it would have been more enjoyable.
As someone who had 2 kids under 2 years of age I could easily relate to her struggles but what really annoyed me is her passiveness and striving for perfection, knowing full well that making a mess in the kitchen would be much better perfect day for her and her kids than her own version of a perfect day she was trying to achieve. I felt sorry for her that she doesn't understand that.
I really wanted to like it but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
The premise of this book, 24 hours of mother's life before going to her corporate life after maternity leave, is absolutely my alley.
I was supper excited for this one....and what a disappointed it was.
in my opinion this should have been a novella. I think it could have worked as a shorted book and if the main character had a backbone. She wants to create a perfect day for her and 2 sons but she should have known that having a toddler means nothing will go according to plan. The issue is that her toddler is annoying and disrespectful towards his mom while she does nothing to correct or encourage respect. It looks like he can do whatever he wants with no consequences. She is irritating and annoying as a main character. Plus really nothing happens thru the story.
It could have been a great exploration of handling marriage and the changing of its dynamics while having two kids and work, The husband seems to be quite detached and self centered. I believe if the book would use humour, like a comedy of errors it would have been more enjoyable.
As someone who had 2 kids under 2 years of age I could easily relate to her struggles but what really annoyed me is her passiveness and striving for perfection, knowing full well that making a mess in the kitchen would be much better perfect day for her and her kids than her own version of a perfect day she was trying to achieve. I felt sorry for her that she doesn't understand that.
I really wanted to like it but unfortunately it just wasn't for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Natural Disaster is a quick book to read if you're in a mood for a story following a VERY messy day in the life of a mother of two. You'll follow this mother and her two sons for a chaotic period of 24 hours. It's this mother last day before she gets back to work. Her husband is temporarily away, in another country, working. She starts the day with the premise of a lovely last day alone with her sons. But everything goes wrong from morning to evening.
Some people are saying this is a funny book. That there are funny moments. It's only my opinion, but I didn't find it funny at all.
The mess and chaos that happens during that day with that mother? I thought it was sad and uncomfortable to witness. Pitiful, even.
And very realistic. I guess that's the purpose of this book: to show how chaotic motherhood is. Especially if you're handling it alone.
I, personally, was mesmerised by it. The writing is engaging; every single moment/situation in this book is very realistic, so it gets very easy to empathise with the mother and understand or feel her pain and struggles. And because it happens in one single day - and a lot happens during that day -it makes the story fast-paced.
If you enjoy reading a 'slice of life' story with messy characters and chaotic situations involving small kids, consider picking up this book. And if you're a mother (or a soon-to-be) I believe this story will resonate better with you.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for providing me with an advanced and free ebook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Some people are saying this is a funny book. That there are funny moments. It's only my opinion, but I didn't find it funny at all.
The mess and chaos that happens during that day with that mother? I thought it was sad and uncomfortable to witness. Pitiful, even.
And very realistic. I guess that's the purpose of this book: to show how chaotic motherhood is. Especially if you're handling it alone.
I, personally, was mesmerised by it. The writing is engaging; every single moment/situation in this book is very realistic, so it gets very easy to empathise with the mother and understand or feel her pain and struggles. And because it happens in one single day - and a lot happens during that day -it makes the story fast-paced.
If you enjoy reading a 'slice of life' story with messy characters and chaotic situations involving small kids, consider picking up this book. And if you're a mother (or a soon-to-be) I believe this story will resonate better with you.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for providing me with an advanced and free ebook copy of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A trip down memory lane for all mothers who spent nine months planning, shopping, and dreaming of forming that perfect mother–child bond. Reality hits when you realize you’ve birthed independent, clingy, whining little humans—and that once-clean house, with its freshly laundered, sweet-smelling sheets, has been overtaken by stained, foul-smelling clothes that never seem to come clean again.
This is a little story that reminds you what it’s really like, as the narrator decides to spend a meaningful last day with her two young sons before returning to her office post–maternity leave. Despite all her internal assurances that it will be eventful and happy, it turns out to be just as chaotic and distressing as any day involving toddlers. That dreadful stroller—always in the way and too cumbersome to fully function—makes an appearance. Oh, the painful memories it holds.
The saying “you’ll laugh about it one day” rings true, and that’s why I enjoyed this so much. There were so many elements I remember doing, right down to bribing with anything for just a few moments of peace, or the excitement of adult company—even if it meant returning to work a little earlier. The writing and pacing are spot on, as every detail of childhood illness is dissected and investigated to within an inch of its life. The watchful, sleepless nights as the world continues around you. The quick, easy morsel of food you forget to chew—all in the name of motherhood.
A great read that young mothers will enjoy too.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication
This is a little story that reminds you what it’s really like, as the narrator decides to spend a meaningful last day with her two young sons before returning to her office post–maternity leave. Despite all her internal assurances that it will be eventful and happy, it turns out to be just as chaotic and distressing as any day involving toddlers. That dreadful stroller—always in the way and too cumbersome to fully function—makes an appearance. Oh, the painful memories it holds.
The saying “you’ll laugh about it one day” rings true, and that’s why I enjoyed this so much. There were so many elements I remember doing, right down to bribing with anything for just a few moments of peace, or the excitement of adult company—even if it meant returning to work a little earlier. The writing and pacing are spot on, as every detail of childhood illness is dissected and investigated to within an inch of its life. The watchful, sleepless nights as the world continues around you. The quick, easy morsel of food you forget to chew—all in the name of motherhood.
A great read that young mothers will enjoy too.
Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ahead of publication
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I love when a book makes me laugh out loud, and Natural Disaster had me cackling repeatedly. This author understands the comedy of watching someone's carefully laid plans implode in real time.
A woman has promised her children one perfect day before she returns to work. That's the setup. And then everything falls apart in ways that are simultaneously ridiculous and completely plausible. The catastrophes accumulate with relentless precision, each one funnier and more frustrating than the last, spiraling in ways you don't see coming.
What makes this book so funny is the specificity of the chaos. It's not generic or contrived. The disasters feel like actual things that would happen, which is what makes them hilarious rather than just annoying.
The pacing is masterful. Just when you think things have hit rock bottom, another wrench gets thrown in. There's a momentum to the humor that keeps building, and the character's increasingly frantic attempts to salvage the day fuel the comedy beautifully.
Underneath the chaos is real character work. You understand who this person is, what matters to her, why this day matters so much. That investment is what makes the humor land harder.
This is smart, observant comedy about the precarious challenge of trying to control anything in a world determined to derail you. It's funny, it's sharp, and it's absolutely memorable.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
A woman has promised her children one perfect day before she returns to work. That's the setup. And then everything falls apart in ways that are simultaneously ridiculous and completely plausible. The catastrophes accumulate with relentless precision, each one funnier and more frustrating than the last, spiraling in ways you don't see coming.
What makes this book so funny is the specificity of the chaos. It's not generic or contrived. The disasters feel like actual things that would happen, which is what makes them hilarious rather than just annoying.
The pacing is masterful. Just when you think things have hit rock bottom, another wrench gets thrown in. There's a momentum to the humor that keeps building, and the character's increasingly frantic attempts to salvage the day fuel the comedy beautifully.
Underneath the chaos is real character work. You understand who this person is, what matters to her, why this day matters so much. That investment is what makes the humor land harder.
This is smart, observant comedy about the precarious challenge of trying to control anything in a world determined to derail you. It's funny, it's sharp, and it's absolutely memorable.
Disclaimer: I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
December 5, 2025
This book describes a Mum’s last day before she goes back to work with her two children and her attempts to make it memorable. She manages to fit a lot into one day. I had a sinking feeling as I read it, thinking I did not like the protagonist, then I thought actually I recognise some of this. I’m in my menopause now and am angry, assertive and maintain my boundaries. As I read the book it reminded me of the hazy feeling when my son was young, sleep deprived and desperately trying to be a good Mum. I never went as far as trying to make memories, probably because I only had 5 months off and I guess there was some envy of the characters wealth which impacted my enjoyment.
I am not scoring it a 5 because I would not read it again and yet the book is well written and feels like a detailed character study of a specific time in a woman’s life. It reminded me of Motherland, a Uk tv show. I didn’t find it as laugh out loud, although I did laugh at times, but again I wonder if it’s just not my time of life.
I would recommend to friends who have just had babies or have little ones.
There was a few points that I did cry so I do think the author has written a story that is meaningful with characters that feel very real with an emotional connection to the reader.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion
I am not scoring it a 5 because I would not read it again and yet the book is well written and feels like a detailed character study of a specific time in a woman’s life. It reminded me of Motherland, a Uk tv show. I didn’t find it as laugh out loud, although I did laugh at times, but again I wonder if it’s just not my time of life.
I would recommend to friends who have just had babies or have little ones.
There was a few points that I did cry so I do think the author has written a story that is meaningful with characters that feel very real with an emotional connection to the reader.
Thank you to NetGalley for providing this book for my consideration, this is all my own rambling, honest and personal opinion
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Different readers will have a very different view on this book; I picked it up not because I have an interest in reading about motherhood (I don't) but because I read Lisa Owens' previous book, Not Working, and found it weird and enjoyable. Like her first novel, Natural Disaster is quite light in terms of plot, which I personally don't mind. We follow a young mother who is spending her last day of maternity leave before going back to work. Her husband is away for work, and, against the advice of her friends to put the kids in daycare and enjoy a spa day, she is determined to have a last blissful day, taking them to the library and the park, and to be the perfect cheerful mum she aspires to be. Obviously everything goes wrong and the novel is an excruciating description of her day as she struggles to find time to shower, Felix won't have his snacks and Ruby's pram gets stuck in the door.
It's hard to find more depth than that - obviously it hints at the pressure on mothers, dads who get to do bath time (and nothing else), the guilt, the fatigue... but it doesn't go far enough and says nothing new. Some reviewers have enthusiastically written about how relatable it is and how accurate they found it; I found it a great reminder of how thankless and dull parenthood seems. It was enjoyable to read but, as a happily childfree reader, I learned nothing than I can't learn by spending an afternoon with relatives and their grubby toddlers.
It's hard to find more depth than that - obviously it hints at the pressure on mothers, dads who get to do bath time (and nothing else), the guilt, the fatigue... but it doesn't go far enough and says nothing new. Some reviewers have enthusiastically written about how relatable it is and how accurate they found it; I found it a great reminder of how thankless and dull parenthood seems. It was enjoyable to read but, as a happily childfree reader, I learned nothing than I can't learn by spending an afternoon with relatives and their grubby toddlers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
The novel centres around one day in the life of a young mother of two - not just any old day but her last day before going back to her job following maternity leave. Our heroine decides to make it a special day for the children - precocious Felix, aged four, and his baby brother, Rudy. However, all is not sweetness and light and the day deteriorates almost as soon as it starts, especially as she finds a female 'item' in her husband's bag which is not hers.
She battles through the day alone, because he is working away, and everything seems to go wrong. She wants it to be a lovely day for both of her children but reality strikes over and over again.
Some very funny scenes in this novel, especially the struggles in a corner shop with a double buggy and storytime in the local library.
The book will appeal to all parents - especially to mothers of children who were born close together but are now perhaps a bit older and don't require the constant supervision and stimulation needed for younger ones. I think if you have children of this age, the frustration and difficulties could be too raw and just hit home too hard.
Well written, funny, with a likeable central character who bears the guilt of working mothers everywhere and trying to do the right thing for her children.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.
She battles through the day alone, because he is working away, and everything seems to go wrong. She wants it to be a lovely day for both of her children but reality strikes over and over again.
Some very funny scenes in this novel, especially the struggles in a corner shop with a double buggy and storytime in the local library.
The book will appeal to all parents - especially to mothers of children who were born close together but are now perhaps a bit older and don't require the constant supervision and stimulation needed for younger ones. I think if you have children of this age, the frustration and difficulties could be too raw and just hit home too hard.
Well written, funny, with a likeable central character who bears the guilt of working mothers everywhere and trying to do the right thing for her children.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance review copy of this novel.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)
Her final day of maternity leave was meant to be perfect, spending quality time with her boys before her return to work. But naturally the day unravels with one disaster after another - will she ever make it back to work?
I loved the writing style and the fact that it was the inner monologue of the main character, a stream of her thoughts and feelings. Interestingly, we’re never given a name for her as far as I’m aware leaving her unidentifiable; an “every-mother” and a stroke of genius emphasising how she feels like her identity as a woman outside of motherhood has been lost and by extension, doesn’t really matter.
This is such a difficult book for me to rate as it’s not reflective of a stage I’m at in my life (yet), however it struck such a chord in the way it explores the endless expectations of women as mothers and genuinely put some of my fears on paper. Her worries about returning to work, about the rift in her relationship with her husband, about doing everything the “right” way, her googling and blog-reading creating unrealistic standards that she can’t reach - all things I have ruminated on and which were explored so authentically in this book.
It’s less plot driven, and more of a raw and gut-wrenching look at motherhood and the changes that come with it; in relationships, self-regard and priorities.
Her final day of maternity leave was meant to be perfect, spending quality time with her boys before her return to work. But naturally the day unravels with one disaster after another - will she ever make it back to work?
I loved the writing style and the fact that it was the inner monologue of the main character, a stream of her thoughts and feelings. Interestingly, we’re never given a name for her as far as I’m aware leaving her unidentifiable; an “every-mother” and a stroke of genius emphasising how she feels like her identity as a woman outside of motherhood has been lost and by extension, doesn’t really matter.
This is such a difficult book for me to rate as it’s not reflective of a stage I’m at in my life (yet), however it struck such a chord in the way it explores the endless expectations of women as mothers and genuinely put some of my fears on paper. Her worries about returning to work, about the rift in her relationship with her husband, about doing everything the “right” way, her googling and blog-reading creating unrealistic standards that she can’t reach - all things I have ruminated on and which were explored so authentically in this book.
It’s less plot driven, and more of a raw and gut-wrenching look at motherhood and the changes that come with it; in relationships, self-regard and priorities.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Lisa Owen has done a wonderful job of creating a day in the life of a mother. Mum has planned on having a perfect day with her sons, Felix and Ruddy, before returning to work from maternity leave. LO gives us the meta of being a mother of very young children, as well as the achingly long ten minutes it takes to get one child to put his coat on. All disasters in this are realistic and very natural. If you are or have been a mother like this fictional one, you will understand every sentence, every moment. And because many of us are mothers of young ones for a brief but tumultuous time, we remember every moment in this novel.
This wonderful story is for everyone, whether you have been a mother or not. The world, today, needs to understand what it takes to maneuver life as a woman or a man who is nurturing the next generation of mothers and fathers. Lisa Owens is a great writer and wise person who knows what makes up true life for most people.
Thank you to Lisa Owens, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. The book will be published on July 7, 2026.
This wonderful story is for everyone, whether you have been a mother or not. The world, today, needs to understand what it takes to maneuver life as a woman or a man who is nurturing the next generation of mothers and fathers. Lisa Owens is a great writer and wise person who knows what makes up true life for most people.
Thank you to Lisa Owens, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest opinion. The book will be published on July 7, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to Little Brown Books/ Virago Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A woman at the end of her maternity leave spends a manic day with her preschoolers while her husband is away with work.
This book instantly transported me back in time to when my kids were young, it was so very relatable. I could really associate with that feeling of desperately trying to fill the minutes while keeping to a routine and attempting to cater to every need.
Funny and heartfelt, I enjoyed this a lot, but I had a couple of reservations. I felt it ended quite suddenly with some stuff not resolved in a way that felt totally satisfying. The other thing was that it was told in third person, with our main character never named. This would have worked so much better in first person in my opinion. We are so focused on our main female character we may as well have been in her head. I got confused at times when she is interacting with someone else and the pronoun she is used, and I had to think about who this was referring to.
Painfully well observed, and realistically stressful, I thought this was a good read.
A woman at the end of her maternity leave spends a manic day with her preschoolers while her husband is away with work.
This book instantly transported me back in time to when my kids were young, it was so very relatable. I could really associate with that feeling of desperately trying to fill the minutes while keeping to a routine and attempting to cater to every need.
Funny and heartfelt, I enjoyed this a lot, but I had a couple of reservations. I felt it ended quite suddenly with some stuff not resolved in a way that felt totally satisfying. The other thing was that it was told in third person, with our main character never named. This would have worked so much better in first person in my opinion. We are so focused on our main female character we may as well have been in her head. I got confused at times when she is interacting with someone else and the pronoun she is used, and I had to think about who this was referring to.
Painfully well observed, and realistically stressful, I thought this was a good read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A young mum determines to spend the last day of her maternity leave having a wonderful time with her two young boys, rather than, as her friends suggest, taking a break at a spa. Of course, as the day involves an ambitious itinerary with a toddler and a baby, things do not go at all to plan. I felt a flash of recognition on every page of this hilarious but also heartfelt book as everything from the weather to the unmanageable buggy to the events schedule at the library conspires to derail the fun. Owens captures that feeling of both desperately loving your children but needing to spend time doing something other than childcare, especially when they never seem to both want to do her activities at the same time and seem to reject all her efforts in “the round-the-clock immersive theatre that is parenthood.” That feeling of not being successful as either a working or a stay at home mum, and feeling guilt about both, has been covered elsewhere, but this beautifully written novel examines all the layers of that- how it affects the marriage, how a second baby steals time from the older one, how you can alternate between wonder at the beauty and genius of your children to questioning if you should have ever become a mother in the first place. This mother’s kaleidoscope of emotions totally rang true to me, which made it a book to savour.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Natural Disaster follows a mother's last day of maternity leave with her one and four year old sons. The day is chaotic and doesn't go as perfectly as the mother planned.
I had a hard time with this book. It took me almost a month to finish it when I typically finish books in 4-5 days. The first 30% was very slow, the middle was a little better and then the ending was slow. I think that the style of stream of consciousness writing isn't for me. There isn't a plot to follow. I think the title and the cover are both clever.
As a mom, I remember the chaotic days of two toddlers. However, I couldn't sympathize for this mom. She has spent a year at home with her sons and planned an unreasonable and highly scheduled day as a celebration on her final day of maternity leave. It just doesn't make sense and doesn't resonate as something a mother would do. It was more about her expectations and the disappointment in how the day wasn't going according to her vision.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for this ARC.
I had a hard time with this book. It took me almost a month to finish it when I typically finish books in 4-5 days. The first 30% was very slow, the middle was a little better and then the ending was slow. I think that the style of stream of consciousness writing isn't for me. There isn't a plot to follow. I think the title and the cover are both clever.
As a mom, I remember the chaotic days of two toddlers. However, I couldn't sympathize for this mom. She has spent a year at home with her sons and planned an unreasonable and highly scheduled day as a celebration on her final day of maternity leave. It just doesn't make sense and doesn't resonate as something a mother would do. It was more about her expectations and the disappointment in how the day wasn't going according to her vision.
Thank you, NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, for this ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Natural Disaster by Lisa Owens. Thanks to @lbc for the gifted Arc ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
It’s the day before maternity leave ends and she’s been planning it as a special day for her two sons for weeks. But nothing ever goes as planned.
This story was such a great portrayal of motherhood and how intentions never become reality. It takes place in a single day, that’s supposed to be a special day before maternity leave ends. The day does not go as intended, as they never do with two small children. The feeling of being overwhelmed with stress, then guilt/shame, and then love, is very accurately displayed. I loved the main characters interactions with her husband and parents as well.
“To be in such great demand - will she ever know love like it again? Nothing could have prepared her for this and the unimaginable bliss of true, unconditional love- but also the huge, crushing pressure of it.”
Read this if you like:
-Stories about motherhood
-Shorter novels
-Career and motherhood balancing tropes
Natural Disaster comes 7/7.
It’s the day before maternity leave ends and she’s been planning it as a special day for her two sons for weeks. But nothing ever goes as planned.
This story was such a great portrayal of motherhood and how intentions never become reality. It takes place in a single day, that’s supposed to be a special day before maternity leave ends. The day does not go as intended, as they never do with two small children. The feeling of being overwhelmed with stress, then guilt/shame, and then love, is very accurately displayed. I loved the main characters interactions with her husband and parents as well.
“To be in such great demand - will she ever know love like it again? Nothing could have prepared her for this and the unimaginable bliss of true, unconditional love- but also the huge, crushing pressure of it.”
Read this if you like:
-Stories about motherhood
-Shorter novels
-Career and motherhood balancing tropes
Natural Disaster comes 7/7.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Natural Disaster by Lisa Owens follows a mother navigating the emotional and physical upheaval of early motherhood, where love and resentment often sit side by side. It is an intimate portrait of survival, identity, and the quiet strength it takes to keep going when everything feels overwhelming. The book offers a raw, unfiltered look into motherhood, exploring mothers’ guilt, the constant juggling act of managing day to day life, and the struggle to hold onto some form of yourself whilst slowly getting lost in it all. What makes it so refreshing is its honesty and its willingness to show motherhood from the perspective of someone who does not seemingly have it all together. It captures the raw reality of never quite feeling enough, of questioning yourself constantly, and of trying to strike a balance while simply attempting to remain sane, making it deeply validating and painfully relatable to mothers im sure!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Funny in parts, serious in others. I liked the conversational writing style as the author describes a Mam's last day of maternity leave before leaving her 2 young sons and return to work. There are highs and lows as she navigates her experience of motherhood while her husband is often away from home. She has planned to have a perfect day with the boys, but real life gets in the way and she has to try to be spontaneous and adaptable while still addressing the needs of the children. I found the mam frustrating at times with how easily she gave in to the boys for an easier life and how she never put her own needs first when she really needed to. I wanted her to say no to the children more! I did find the frog costume amusing. I didn't like the way her husband was portrayed as some sort of hero who swoops in to save the day, rather than a parent doing what he should. As a parent, I could relate to a lot of her feelings but I did find her irritating too.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Natural Diaster is a fast paced read that will have you laughing at loud.
It takes place in a 24 hour period that follow's a mum's last day of maternity leave.
It's all about quality time.
Any mother can tell you that things never run smoothly with young children and this book is so totally relatable to the chaos, the mishaps and the sheer exhaustion of the day.
Tears seem to always flow on what you think will be the perfect day.
My children are older with lives of their own and this book brought back so many memories complete with the laughter and the tears.
Lisa Owens has done a remarkable job of making all her characters so believable and relatable.
I thoroughly enjoyed Natural Diasaster and the laugh out loud moments plus the memories it brought back.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the privilege of reading and reviewing Natural Diasters.
It takes place in a 24 hour period that follow's a mum's last day of maternity leave.
It's all about quality time.
Any mother can tell you that things never run smoothly with young children and this book is so totally relatable to the chaos, the mishaps and the sheer exhaustion of the day.
Tears seem to always flow on what you think will be the perfect day.
My children are older with lives of their own and this book brought back so many memories complete with the laughter and the tears.
Lisa Owens has done a remarkable job of making all her characters so believable and relatable.
I thoroughly enjoyed Natural Diasaster and the laugh out loud moments plus the memories it brought back.
Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for the privilege of reading and reviewing Natural Diasters.
December 12, 2025
This book is very unlike anything I’ve read before, and I LOVED it. I have never read anything so real, or related so much to a character in a book before.
The story follows our main character, a mom of 2 who is due to return from her maternity leave the following day. She wants her last day of leave to be special but, as is often the case with young children, things don’t go to plan. The text was beautifully written and had me hooked right from the very beginning. It felt like the experiences of the character were validating my own feelings and experiences of motherhood: the conflicting emotions, the deep love but also the exhaustion and frustration.
I will be recommending this book to all of my mom friends!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows our main character, a mom of 2 who is due to return from her maternity leave the following day. She wants her last day of leave to be special but, as is often the case with young children, things don’t go to plan. The text was beautifully written and had me hooked right from the very beginning. It felt like the experiences of the character were validating my own feelings and experiences of motherhood: the conflicting emotions, the deep love but also the exhaustion and frustration.
I will be recommending this book to all of my mom friends!
Thank you to Netgalley and Little Brown Book Group UK for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2026
I really enjoyed this book.
The story takes place over a 24 hour period, following a mother on her last day of maternity leave. She wants it to be the perfect day but it doesn’t go to plan. This book shows the reality of motherhood, where everything can feel monumental and mundane at the same time, with a bit of humour but full of heart it’s perfectly paced. It’s raw, tender, sharp and honest. It’s very well written with so much empathy.
The characters are believable, very relatable and real. You feel an emotional connection to the characters.
I couldn’t put this book down.
It’s such a compelling enjoyable read. Definitely recommend. It’s well worth the read.
I look forward to reading more from @lamowens
With thanks to #NetGallery #LittleBrownBookGroupUk for an arc of #NaturalDisaster in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 25 June 2026
The story takes place over a 24 hour period, following a mother on her last day of maternity leave. She wants it to be the perfect day but it doesn’t go to plan. This book shows the reality of motherhood, where everything can feel monumental and mundane at the same time, with a bit of humour but full of heart it’s perfectly paced. It’s raw, tender, sharp and honest. It’s very well written with so much empathy.
The characters are believable, very relatable and real. You feel an emotional connection to the characters.
I couldn’t put this book down.
It’s such a compelling enjoyable read. Definitely recommend. It’s well worth the read.
I look forward to reading more from @lamowens
With thanks to #NetGallery #LittleBrownBookGroupUk for an arc of #NaturalDisaster in exchange for a honest review.
Book publishes 25 June 2026
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