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Motherfaker
Rebel-in-a-smock-dress Barri Brown has spent years slaving away as an English teacher in Guernsey, covering for colleagues with kids and barely tolerating the unhygienic staffroom etiquette. With a distant family and a husband who has just vanished along with her life savings, Barri dreams of escape.
Her wild plan? Pretend she’s having a baby and use the paid year off work to start over somewhere new. And so Barri tells the school she’s pregnant, orders seven bumps on the internet and sets the wheels in motion for her great pregnancy heist.
All she has to do is blag it until she can disappear for good, without getting caught and being sent to prison for fraud. How hard could it be?
On a small island like nightmarish. Especially when her student, fifteen-year-old irredeemable troublemaker Callum, discovers her secret. To make matters worse, Barri's fake pregnancy forces her to make genuine connections with friends and family for the first time in years and she begins to understand the true cost of her deception.
It turns out scamming your way to a better life is harder when you start liking the life you're supposed to escape from . . .
Her wild plan? Pretend she’s having a baby and use the paid year off work to start over somewhere new. And so Barri tells the school she’s pregnant, orders seven bumps on the internet and sets the wheels in motion for her great pregnancy heist.
All she has to do is blag it until she can disappear for good, without getting caught and being sent to prison for fraud. How hard could it be?
On a small island like nightmarish. Especially when her student, fifteen-year-old irredeemable troublemaker Callum, discovers her secret. To make matters worse, Barri's fake pregnancy forces her to make genuine connections with friends and family for the first time in years and she begins to understand the true cost of her deception.
It turns out scamming your way to a better life is harder when you start liking the life you're supposed to escape from . . .
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 26, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If you've ever sat in a restaurant or coffee shop and silently seethed by someone's else's rogue children running around your table, you're going to feel very seen in the opening of this book!
Set in Guernsey we follow Barri as she fakes a pregnancy for the maternity leave. I was very intrigued by this premise; it was either going to be wildly offensive or wildly fun. I'm pleased to say this was handled very carefully in my opinion.
While at times this was silly fun and humorous, it is tackling some big topics and at points I was cringing, reading with one eye it felt so uncomfortable however I really liked how the author is not shying away from the difficult conversations.
Really impressed with this one, very well thought out. As a child free women myself, the idea of maternity leave without the kid is very appealing!
Four stars.
Set in Guernsey we follow Barri as she fakes a pregnancy for the maternity leave. I was very intrigued by this premise; it was either going to be wildly offensive or wildly fun. I'm pleased to say this was handled very carefully in my opinion.
While at times this was silly fun and humorous, it is tackling some big topics and at points I was cringing, reading with one eye it felt so uncomfortable however I really liked how the author is not shying away from the difficult conversations.
Really impressed with this one, very well thought out. As a child free women myself, the idea of maternity leave without the kid is very appealing!
Four stars.
April 30, 2026
Love this kind of debut novel, especially when it delivers such a compelling plot. If you’re stuck in a reading slump, this is a great reminder that sometimes all you need is a novel with morally complex, even unlikable characters, a striking storyline, and a vivid setting to pull you back in.
Barri, the narrator, constantly makes you question: how far would you go for a year off work? She’s a fascinating and deeply flawed character, someone who doesn’t want children yet goes as far as faking a pregnancy.
I adored the cover design and the title. They instantly pulled me in. The author’s writing style and narration felt incredibly professional, making it such an easy and engaging read to get through. This is an amazing book in my opinion and will be recommending to everyone.
Barri, the narrator, constantly makes you question: how far would you go for a year off work? She’s a fascinating and deeply flawed character, someone who doesn’t want children yet goes as far as faking a pregnancy.
I adored the cover design and the title. They instantly pulled me in. The author’s writing style and narration felt incredibly professional, making it such an easy and engaging read to get through. This is an amazing book in my opinion and will be recommending to everyone.
November 1, 2025
I was not expecting to love this as much as I did. I went into this book assuming it’d be a fun, lighthearted comedy, but it was so much more than that. Barri was extremely unlikeable at first, but hilarious. She grew on me quite quickly (like her fake bump…) and I found myself rooting for her, hoping she wouldn’t get caught out. I also loved Trish and Callum, both were excellent supporting characters.
The emotions and themes of regret, abuse and grief took me by surprise, but they were weaved into this story so brilliantly. There were several moments where I found myself tearing up after laughing out loud. I didn’t want this to end, I’d read another book about Barri watching paint dry, her humour and inner monologue were the most entertaining thing I’ve read in ages. A real stand out story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #MotherFaker #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
The emotions and themes of regret, abuse and grief took me by surprise, but they were weaved into this story so brilliantly. There were several moments where I found myself tearing up after laughing out loud. I didn’t want this to end, I’d read another book about Barri watching paint dry, her humour and inner monologue were the most entertaining thing I’ve read in ages. A real stand out story.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for kindly providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. #MotherFaker #NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This strong debut novel has a great concept (woman who doesn't want a baby faking a pregnancy), a great setting (Guernsey island) and a fantastic set of complex characters. I really enjoyed Trish, whose appearance is a stroke of unbelievable luck but then she brings everything in the plot together really well. The protagonist has a brilliant character arc, where she slowly realises that her own perceptions aren't always correct and that she does have her own flaws, as well as realising she has been wronged by others - meaning she ends up with comeuppance and compassion in equal measure.
The humour got a bit too slapstick for me at times, but there were deeper moments to balance it out. The pacing is pretty good and I found myself hooked in and wanting to reach the resolution. I loved the end, which had so much heart.
3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads
The humour got a bit too slapstick for me at times, but there were deeper moments to balance it out. The pacing is pretty good and I found myself hooked in and wanting to reach the resolution. I loved the end, which had so much heart.
3.5 stars rounded up for goodreads
April 22, 2026
Ciąża i macierzyństwo to jedne z najbardziej delikatnych tematów w naszej kulturze – trochę jak te pytania przy świątecznym stole, które z czasem ewoluują od „kiedy znajdziesz chłopaka”, przez „kiedy ślub”, aż po „to kiedy dzieci”. A przecież za potencjalnymi na nie odpowiedziami kryją się bardzo różne historie: jedni marzą o dziecku, ale nie mogą go mieć, inni świadomie wybierają życie w samotności. Dlatego to temat wymagający uważności – łatwo tu przekroczyć granicę, zadając pytania, które mogą ranić albo rozdrapywać stare rany. Bo czy obcy człowiek naprawdę ma prawo pytać o nasze plany rodzicielskie albo bez zgody dotykać brzucha ciężarnej?
Właśnie wokół tych napięć krąży książka Kto by się spodziewał autorstwa Anny Brook-Mitchell. Pod lekką, humorystyczną fabułą – o kobiecie, która po rozstaniu i odkryciu długów zaczyna udawać ciążę, by zyskać finansową i społeczną ulgę – kryje się znacznie poważniejsza refleksja o tym, jak często postrzegamy kobiety tylko przez pryzmat byłego/aktualnego/potencjalnego macierzyństwa.
To opowieść pełna zabawnych sytuacji, które jednocześnie celnie pokazują, jak często rozmowy (w domu i w pracy) sprowadzają się do pytania o dzieci: czy są, czy będą, dlaczego ich nie ma i kiedy „w końcu się pojawią”.
Kto by się spodziewał jest jednak klasyczną komedią pomyłek – jedno małe oszustwo czy przemilczenie prawdy uruchamia lawinę kolejnych, a bohaterka grzęźnie coraz głębiej w sieci kłamstw (trochę jak w Dear Evan Hansen). Jednocześnie pojawiają się u niej wyrzuty sumienia i świadomość, że jej nieprzemyślane zachowanie dotyka ludzi z bardzo różnymi doświadczeniami: także tych, dla których temat ciąży jest źródłem bólu.
Z czasem książka nabiera bardziej refleksyjnego tonu i zaczyna przypominać powieści Emily Henry czy Cecelii Ahern: o życiu po trzydziestce, relacjach, rozczarowaniach, pracy i mierzeniu się z przeszłością oraz przyszłością, o relacjach między rodzeństwem, toksycznych związkach i chęci pomocy swoim podopiecznym.
To lektura, która potrafi rozbawić, ale też zostawia z czymś więcej – z pytaniami i refleksją.
Sięgnij po nią, jeśli lubisz:
– książki Emily Henry;
– książki Brittany C. Cherry;
– książki Paige Toon;
– książki Cecelia Ahern;
– Jesteś moim jutrem;
– Goście weselni;
– Margo ma kłopoty;
– Bridget Jones;
– film Prawo ciążenia
– film Był sobie chłopiec.
Współpraca reklamowa: Wydawnictwo Gorzka Czekolada
• literatura obyczajowa • literatura kobieca • książki • co czytać • co przeczytać • recenzje książek • opinie o książce •
Właśnie wokół tych napięć krąży książka Kto by się spodziewał autorstwa Anny Brook-Mitchell. Pod lekką, humorystyczną fabułą – o kobiecie, która po rozstaniu i odkryciu długów zaczyna udawać ciążę, by zyskać finansową i społeczną ulgę – kryje się znacznie poważniejsza refleksja o tym, jak często postrzegamy kobiety tylko przez pryzmat byłego/aktualnego/potencjalnego macierzyństwa.
To opowieść pełna zabawnych sytuacji, które jednocześnie celnie pokazują, jak często rozmowy (w domu i w pracy) sprowadzają się do pytania o dzieci: czy są, czy będą, dlaczego ich nie ma i kiedy „w końcu się pojawią”.
Kto by się spodziewał jest jednak klasyczną komedią pomyłek – jedno małe oszustwo czy przemilczenie prawdy uruchamia lawinę kolejnych, a bohaterka grzęźnie coraz głębiej w sieci kłamstw (trochę jak w Dear Evan Hansen). Jednocześnie pojawiają się u niej wyrzuty sumienia i świadomość, że jej nieprzemyślane zachowanie dotyka ludzi z bardzo różnymi doświadczeniami: także tych, dla których temat ciąży jest źródłem bólu.
Z czasem książka nabiera bardziej refleksyjnego tonu i zaczyna przypominać powieści Emily Henry czy Cecelii Ahern: o życiu po trzydziestce, relacjach, rozczarowaniach, pracy i mierzeniu się z przeszłością oraz przyszłością, o relacjach między rodzeństwem, toksycznych związkach i chęci pomocy swoim podopiecznym.
To lektura, która potrafi rozbawić, ale też zostawia z czymś więcej – z pytaniami i refleksją.
Sięgnij po nią, jeśli lubisz:
– książki Emily Henry;
– książki Brittany C. Cherry;
– książki Paige Toon;
– książki Cecelia Ahern;
– Jesteś moim jutrem;
– Goście weselni;
– Margo ma kłopoty;
– Bridget Jones;
– film Prawo ciążenia
– film Był sobie chłopiec.
Współpraca reklamowa: Wydawnictwo Gorzka Czekolada
• literatura obyczajowa • literatura kobieca • książki • co czytać • co przeczytać • recenzje książek • opinie o książce •
March 29, 2026
Motherfaker really is the whole package: a fun and funny novel about a contemporary social issue that will make you think and take you by surprise.
My full review of Motherfaker is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
My full review of Motherfaker is up now on Keeping Up With The Penguins.
May 8, 2026
Oh I so enjoyed this!!! While it was lighthearted and slightly implausible there were some serious undertones that made you think. A great holiday read!
February 26, 2026
Hilarious and so fun. Adored it! Such a feel good book and the type that gives you a giggle when you need it the most!
June 13, 2026
Confesso que esta história me chamou apenas e só pelo seu nome...não me digam que com um título destes ficam indiferentes!!!
Pois bem, aqui encontramos um relato, um pouco desesperado, de alguém que está literalmente cansada da vida que tem, cansada de nunca ser suficiente e existir sempre algo e/ou alguém melhor que si apenas porque sim... É um relato por vezes cómico é verdade, mas muito realista e por vezes pessoal.
A Barri não merece de todo o que lhe acontece, e de uma maneira caricata e sim...errada, faz por si e tenta vingar e demonstrar que é alguém importante e tem valor.
Gostei da evolução do modo como a ação e a mentira da Barri evoluem, e gostei muito do sentido de humor britânico presente em toda a história. Contudo, senti que faltou algo extra para me fazer delirar por completo com tudo...foi bom, mas não foi uau - ainda assim recomendo se vos apetece uma espécie de coming of age.
Pois bem, aqui encontramos um relato, um pouco desesperado, de alguém que está literalmente cansada da vida que tem, cansada de nunca ser suficiente e existir sempre algo e/ou alguém melhor que si apenas porque sim... É um relato por vezes cómico é verdade, mas muito realista e por vezes pessoal.
A Barri não merece de todo o que lhe acontece, e de uma maneira caricata e sim...errada, faz por si e tenta vingar e demonstrar que é alguém importante e tem valor.
Gostei da evolução do modo como a ação e a mentira da Barri evoluem, e gostei muito do sentido de humor britânico presente em toda a história. Contudo, senti que faltou algo extra para me fazer delirar por completo com tudo...foi bom, mas não foi uau - ainda assim recomendo se vos apetece uma espécie de coming of age.
May 31, 2026
A genuinely pleasant read. I enjoyed the writing style and the characters. The whole thing has a light, enjoyable flow that makes it perfect for when you want something fun without emotional heavy lifting.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
If Eleanor Oliphant faked a pregnancy…
Thank you to Goodreads for the ARC of Mother Faker, releasing February 2026.
As a child-free reader, the premise immediately hooked me. The idea of “maternity leave” being treated almost like a loophole felt darkly funny and oddly relatable (purr-turnity leave for cats being my dream). That said, the opening café scene with the two children made me cringe — it’s fine not to like kids, but the hostility felt unnecessarily unkind and made it harder to settle into the story at first.
Barri is a interesting protagonist. Her intense dislike of Callum Le Broxq initially feels confusing — the strength of her reaction doesn’t quite add up early on, especially given how often they cross paths (especially around the 50% mark) but this does start to make sense later in the book and everything clicks into place.
What I loved most was watching Barri grow. You can feel her gradually becoming her own person, questioning her assumptions of the people around her and confronting the reality of what she’s built — and what she might lose.
I felt sadness for her as the weight of the lie settled in, and I was desperately hoping she’d find a way to come clean without hurting everyone around her. The way her friends and family rallied to protect her from Shaun was particularly touching, even if the outcome wasn’t entirely a happy one.
The twist involving Ripley and Trish was mildly surprising but ultimately underwhelming — it didn’t add much for me, though it also didn’t detract from the story overall.
Thank you to Goodreads for the ARC of Mother Faker, releasing February 2026.
As a child-free reader, the premise immediately hooked me. The idea of “maternity leave” being treated almost like a loophole felt darkly funny and oddly relatable (purr-turnity leave for cats being my dream). That said, the opening café scene with the two children made me cringe — it’s fine not to like kids, but the hostility felt unnecessarily unkind and made it harder to settle into the story at first.
Barri is a interesting protagonist. Her intense dislike of Callum Le Broxq initially feels confusing — the strength of her reaction doesn’t quite add up early on, especially given how often they cross paths (especially around the 50% mark) but this does start to make sense later in the book and everything clicks into place.
What I loved most was watching Barri grow. You can feel her gradually becoming her own person, questioning her assumptions of the people around her and confronting the reality of what she’s built — and what she might lose.
I felt sadness for her as the weight of the lie settled in, and I was desperately hoping she’d find a way to come clean without hurting everyone around her. The way her friends and family rallied to protect her from Shaun was particularly touching, even if the outcome wasn’t entirely a happy one.
The twist involving Ripley and Trish was mildly surprising but ultimately underwhelming — it didn’t add much for me, though it also didn’t detract from the story overall.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 8, 2026
Motherfaker kupił mnie już na 20 stronie, rozśmieszając mnie wielokrotnie. Bowiem mamy do czynienia z niezwykle sarkastycznym poczuciem humoru głównej bohaterki, którego ja jestem ogromną fanką.
Historia, która miała być lekka, przyjemna i zabawna, okazała się być lekturą z o wiele większym ładunkiem emocjonalnym. Motherfaker w najbardziej satysfakcjonujący sposób sprawi, że będziecie śmiać się, wzruszać i rozmyślać jeszcze na długo po zakończeniu tej książki, a sama Barri zapisze się w waszej pamięci jako jedna z wyjątkowych bohaterek. Bo choć czasami podczas lektury miałam ochotę wejść do książki i kopnąć ją w dupe, to tyle samo razy pomyślałam „dziewczyno, rozumiem Cię” i chciałam Barri przytulić. Autorka stworzyła bohaterkę tak autentyczną, że nie sposób z nią się nie utożsamiać i nie sympatyzować z nią.
Motherfaker to debiut, ale wierzę i szczerze, że na to liczę, że stanie się sensacją w bookmediach, bo na to zasługuje. A historia Barri to tylko początek wszystkiego, co autorka ma do zaoferowania!
Historia, która miała być lekka, przyjemna i zabawna, okazała się być lekturą z o wiele większym ładunkiem emocjonalnym. Motherfaker w najbardziej satysfakcjonujący sposób sprawi, że będziecie śmiać się, wzruszać i rozmyślać jeszcze na długo po zakończeniu tej książki, a sama Barri zapisze się w waszej pamięci jako jedna z wyjątkowych bohaterek. Bo choć czasami podczas lektury miałam ochotę wejść do książki i kopnąć ją w dupe, to tyle samo razy pomyślałam „dziewczyno, rozumiem Cię” i chciałam Barri przytulić. Autorka stworzyła bohaterkę tak autentyczną, że nie sposób z nią się nie utożsamiać i nie sympatyzować z nią.
Motherfaker to debiut, ale wierzę i szczerze, że na to liczę, że stanie się sensacją w bookmediach, bo na to zasługuje. A historia Barri to tylko początek wszystkiego, co autorka ma do zaoferowania!
February 15, 2026
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A YEAR OFF WORK? That is the question Motherfaker gets you thinking about: and it definitely challenges your moral compass.
Barri Brown is a teacher, a daughter, a friend, a sister, a proud citizen of Guernsey, an auntie, a soon-to-be ex wife...but one thing she has never wanted to be, is a mother.
But with her husband divorcing her, losing out on a promotion to her fellow teacher/arch nemesis, and seven (named!!!) foam baby bumps in her closet…she’s ready for her turn to go on paid maternity leave. But the only catch? She isn’t actually pregnant…🤰🏻
What I found so special about the way this book is written, and it’s done so expertly by Anna Brook Mitchell that you don’t even realise at first, is that it doesn't ask you to like its main character at all times, it just dares you to recognise her. It dares you to relate to her. It asks you to sit with her and jump inside her mind in her point of view.
At first, Barri isn’t very likeable. From page one she’s funny, she had me ROLLING during the cafe scene with the little kid, but on the whole seems quite prickly and as if she’d be hard to ‘care about’ as a main character. But as the story progresses, and it becomes clear why she is the way she is, she grew on me (much like her fake bump…) and became relatable in unexpected ways.
Anna Brook Mitchell gives us a deliciously messy female lead who is flawed, defensive, funny, and unmistakably human. She’s unapologetic in the way she turns Barri into a 3D, realistic, every day woman and the result is a story that feels raw and intimate.
What made the book even better for me though, was its warmth. Amidst the chaos and, let’s be honest, a bit of self-sabotage, are the unexpected friendships. Awkward at times, a bit rough round the edges and imperfect, but life changing in their own little ways.
Trish, her new next door neighbour who just so happens to be a doctor, was a saving grace in what could’ve been a very short story for Barri otherwise…she really saved the day multiple times! And Callum, her troublemaker English student, reminded me of every young boy I’ve know who is cheeky, a little bit rogue but overall quite misunderstood. The bonds they form are something special, unexpected and deeply layered which made me love them even more.
The humour is sharp and self-aware, often self deprecating, right from the very first page. This is one of those rare books where it reads like it could have a TV show adaptation easily. The characters are so deeply human and I was laughing out loud from the first chapter (not just of of those nose snort laughs, proper out loud belly laughing). You may not immediately like Barri, I definitely didn’t, but you will absolutely grow to love her…and even more so, understand her.
The stakes are heightened by the setting of the novel, which only makes it impossibly funnier. Barri lives in Guernsey, a small island, population of less than 65,000. Where she lives, everybody knows each other, word spreads quick and by the time she’d told that first lie…there was no turning back. But aside from that, it actually made me want to visit Guernsey! I want to see the blue post boxes, go to the beach, see the cliffs, see the ormer shells…iykyk
But finally what I loved the most was the portrayal of the weight of expectation from everyone around her. The age old rhetoric of “you’ll change your mind” searing through each page, despite her being sure and having been sure all of her life. It shows the expectations placed upon women just for simply being a woman.
Motherfaker, in my opinion, has the perfect formula: humour and heart. I went into this book knowing it would probably be a lot of fun, but also not sure whether I would gel with the idea of pretending to be pregnant (it’s very hard to get that right without being a bit insensitive, but ABM got that down perfectly) but I wasn’t expecting to love it quite as much as i did - it’s so much more than what it seems. The quiet grief, the feeling of not belonging, the way people paint Barri as weird for not wanting the same things they do - the same things she ‘should’ want.
Structurally, the pace was great, the chapters were short and snappy which left me wanting to read on and the sub plots kept me just as invested as the main pregnancy heist.
This was such a strong debut from a brilliant new author & I highly recommend giving it a go if you want a moral dilemma and a lot of laughs. For the first time, I’d actually love to see this made into a series.
Barri Brown is a teacher, a daughter, a friend, a sister, a proud citizen of Guernsey, an auntie, a soon-to-be ex wife...but one thing she has never wanted to be, is a mother.
But with her husband divorcing her, losing out on a promotion to her fellow teacher/arch nemesis, and seven (named!!!) foam baby bumps in her closet…she’s ready for her turn to go on paid maternity leave. But the only catch? She isn’t actually pregnant…🤰🏻
What I found so special about the way this book is written, and it’s done so expertly by Anna Brook Mitchell that you don’t even realise at first, is that it doesn't ask you to like its main character at all times, it just dares you to recognise her. It dares you to relate to her. It asks you to sit with her and jump inside her mind in her point of view.
At first, Barri isn’t very likeable. From page one she’s funny, she had me ROLLING during the cafe scene with the little kid, but on the whole seems quite prickly and as if she’d be hard to ‘care about’ as a main character. But as the story progresses, and it becomes clear why she is the way she is, she grew on me (much like her fake bump…) and became relatable in unexpected ways.
Anna Brook Mitchell gives us a deliciously messy female lead who is flawed, defensive, funny, and unmistakably human. She’s unapologetic in the way she turns Barri into a 3D, realistic, every day woman and the result is a story that feels raw and intimate.
What made the book even better for me though, was its warmth. Amidst the chaos and, let’s be honest, a bit of self-sabotage, are the unexpected friendships. Awkward at times, a bit rough round the edges and imperfect, but life changing in their own little ways.
Trish, her new next door neighbour who just so happens to be a doctor, was a saving grace in what could’ve been a very short story for Barri otherwise…she really saved the day multiple times! And Callum, her troublemaker English student, reminded me of every young boy I’ve know who is cheeky, a little bit rogue but overall quite misunderstood. The bonds they form are something special, unexpected and deeply layered which made me love them even more.
The humour is sharp and self-aware, often self deprecating, right from the very first page. This is one of those rare books where it reads like it could have a TV show adaptation easily. The characters are so deeply human and I was laughing out loud from the first chapter (not just of of those nose snort laughs, proper out loud belly laughing). You may not immediately like Barri, I definitely didn’t, but you will absolutely grow to love her…and even more so, understand her.
The stakes are heightened by the setting of the novel, which only makes it impossibly funnier. Barri lives in Guernsey, a small island, population of less than 65,000. Where she lives, everybody knows each other, word spreads quick and by the time she’d told that first lie…there was no turning back. But aside from that, it actually made me want to visit Guernsey! I want to see the blue post boxes, go to the beach, see the cliffs, see the ormer shells…iykyk
But finally what I loved the most was the portrayal of the weight of expectation from everyone around her. The age old rhetoric of “you’ll change your mind” searing through each page, despite her being sure and having been sure all of her life. It shows the expectations placed upon women just for simply being a woman.
Motherfaker, in my opinion, has the perfect formula: humour and heart. I went into this book knowing it would probably be a lot of fun, but also not sure whether I would gel with the idea of pretending to be pregnant (it’s very hard to get that right without being a bit insensitive, but ABM got that down perfectly) but I wasn’t expecting to love it quite as much as i did - it’s so much more than what it seems. The quiet grief, the feeling of not belonging, the way people paint Barri as weird for not wanting the same things they do - the same things she ‘should’ want.
Structurally, the pace was great, the chapters were short and snappy which left me wanting to read on and the sub plots kept me just as invested as the main pregnancy heist.
This was such a strong debut from a brilliant new author & I highly recommend giving it a go if you want a moral dilemma and a lot of laughs. For the first time, I’d actually love to see this made into a series.
April 23, 2026
"Kto by się spodziewał?" to lekka, zabawna, ale też momentami bardzo szczera historia o kobiecie, która ma już wszystkiego dość i podejmuje naprawdę dziwną decyzję.
Główną bohaterką jest Barri Brown. Jej życie się sypie – mąż ją zostawia, w pracy znów ją pomijają, a ona czuje się zagubiona i zmęczona. W przypływie emocji wpada na pomysł, żeby udawać ciążę. Nie robi tego z jakiegoś wielkiego planu, tylko raczej z paniki i potrzeby ucieczki od problemów. I choć brzmi to absurdalnie, trudno jej nie współczuć.
Barri bywa irytująca – podejmuje złe decyzje, czasem zachowuje się nierozsądnie i można mieć ochotę na nią nakrzyczeć. Ale jednocześnie jest w niej coś prawdziwego. Łatwo zrozumieć, dlaczego dochodzi do momentu, w którym robi coś takiego. Jej sposób opowiadania historii jest bardzo bezpośredni, jakby mówiła do nas wprost, dzieląc się swoimi myślami, nawet tymi chaotycznymi.
W książce jest dużo zabawnych sytuacji, zwłaszcza związanych z jej „ciążą” i sztucznymi brzuchami. Ale pod tym humorem kryje się coś więcej. Autorka porusza temat tego, jak społeczeństwo traktuje kobiety, szczególnie w kontekście macierzyństwa. Pokazuje, jak bardzo są oceniane, niezależnie od tego, czy mają dzieci, czy nie. Ten wątek wypada bardzo wiarygodnie i daje dużo do myślenia.
Dużym plusem są też relacje między bohaterami. Barri z czasem przestaje być samotma, zaczyna budować więzi i otwiera się na ludzi. Postacie drugoplanowe są ciekawe i często zabawne.
Nie wszystko jest jednak idealne. Czasami historia się dłuży i ma trochę zbędnych fragmentów. Z kolei zakończenie jest dość szybkie – chciałoby się, żeby było bardziej rozbudowane.
Mimo to książkę czyta się bardzo przyjemnie. To historia trochę szalona i nieuporządkowana, ale jednocześnie pełna emocji. Opowiada o tym, jak łatwo się pogubić i jak trudno na nowo poukładać swoje życie, nawet jeśli trzeba do tego użyć bardzo wątpliwych sposobów.
Główną bohaterką jest Barri Brown. Jej życie się sypie – mąż ją zostawia, w pracy znów ją pomijają, a ona czuje się zagubiona i zmęczona. W przypływie emocji wpada na pomysł, żeby udawać ciążę. Nie robi tego z jakiegoś wielkiego planu, tylko raczej z paniki i potrzeby ucieczki od problemów. I choć brzmi to absurdalnie, trudno jej nie współczuć.
Barri bywa irytująca – podejmuje złe decyzje, czasem zachowuje się nierozsądnie i można mieć ochotę na nią nakrzyczeć. Ale jednocześnie jest w niej coś prawdziwego. Łatwo zrozumieć, dlaczego dochodzi do momentu, w którym robi coś takiego. Jej sposób opowiadania historii jest bardzo bezpośredni, jakby mówiła do nas wprost, dzieląc się swoimi myślami, nawet tymi chaotycznymi.
W książce jest dużo zabawnych sytuacji, zwłaszcza związanych z jej „ciążą” i sztucznymi brzuchami. Ale pod tym humorem kryje się coś więcej. Autorka porusza temat tego, jak społeczeństwo traktuje kobiety, szczególnie w kontekście macierzyństwa. Pokazuje, jak bardzo są oceniane, niezależnie od tego, czy mają dzieci, czy nie. Ten wątek wypada bardzo wiarygodnie i daje dużo do myślenia.
Dużym plusem są też relacje między bohaterami. Barri z czasem przestaje być samotma, zaczyna budować więzi i otwiera się na ludzi. Postacie drugoplanowe są ciekawe i często zabawne.
Nie wszystko jest jednak idealne. Czasami historia się dłuży i ma trochę zbędnych fragmentów. Z kolei zakończenie jest dość szybkie – chciałoby się, żeby było bardziej rozbudowane.
Mimo to książkę czyta się bardzo przyjemnie. To historia trochę szalona i nieuporządkowana, ale jednocześnie pełna emocji. Opowiada o tym, jak łatwo się pogubić i jak trudno na nowo poukładać swoje życie, nawet jeśli trzeba do tego użyć bardzo wątpliwych sposobów.
August 4, 2026
So good! This book had me laughing out loud at so many points.
Only loses a star as it was difficult at times to read as an actual secondary school teacher- I’d have some pretty serious safe guarding concerns about thee protagonist 🤔 but other than that AMAZING
Only loses a star as it was difficult at times to read as an actual secondary school teacher- I’d have some pretty serious safe guarding concerns about thee protagonist 🤔 but other than that AMAZING
March 26, 2026
3.5 stars
Headlines:
Life explosion
Lie explosion
I think I stress-read this book for the most part. This story centred around Barrie, a woman who created the most elaborate lie for a reason I couldn't quite fathom for most of the book. Sure, her life had exploded to some degree but her decision-making centre seemed way off kilter.
Barrie was the most fascinating character. She was largely unlikeable in her dislike of most other people and of course her lie felt like complete character-flaw. But there was a vulnerability about her, much of this was unwrapped slowly as the plot rolled out.
The story was a mixture of twisty lies, wit and mystery but with chinks of loveliness hiding between the cracks.
All in all, the last 25% was utterly wild and I rushed through the pages. How it ended was sweeter than I expected.
Thank you PanMacmillan for the review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
Headlines:
Life explosion
Lie explosion
I think I stress-read this book for the most part. This story centred around Barrie, a woman who created the most elaborate lie for a reason I couldn't quite fathom for most of the book. Sure, her life had exploded to some degree but her decision-making centre seemed way off kilter.
Barrie was the most fascinating character. She was largely unlikeable in her dislike of most other people and of course her lie felt like complete character-flaw. But there was a vulnerability about her, much of this was unwrapped slowly as the plot rolled out.
The story was a mixture of twisty lies, wit and mystery but with chinks of loveliness hiding between the cracks.
All in all, the last 25% was utterly wild and I rushed through the pages. How it ended was sweeter than I expected.
Thank you PanMacmillan for the review copy.
Find this review at A Take From Two Cities Blog.
November 30, 2025
I received this book from NetGalley and the publisher, in return for an honest review. This review is based entirely on my own thoughts and feelings.
Overall rating: 4*
Writing: 4*
Characters: 4*
Pace: 3*
Plot: 3*
I don’t read many funny books, I prefer a serious thriller on average, so it took me a bit of getting used to the calamitous ways of our MC. But after 15% or so I was laughing out loud. The characters were really great, Callum for me was the best side character in any book I’ve read this year. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how this was going to play out and I liked the build up to the end. Will definitely be recommending this book when it comes out next year. A real feel good, lighthearted, funny read.
Overall rating: 4*
Writing: 4*
Characters: 4*
Pace: 3*
Plot: 3*
I don’t read many funny books, I prefer a serious thriller on average, so it took me a bit of getting used to the calamitous ways of our MC. But after 15% or so I was laughing out loud. The characters were really great, Callum for me was the best side character in any book I’ve read this year. I couldn’t for the life of me figure out how this was going to play out and I liked the build up to the end. Will definitely be recommending this book when it comes out next year. A real feel good, lighthearted, funny read.
March 29, 2026
Enjoyed the majority - and the narration style, which felt reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant - but found the whole thing rather stressful
February 20, 2026
I’ve gone back and forth on my rating for this; there were a few things that irked me but ultimately I did enjoy reading it and got through it relatively quickly.
I think the concept was clever and funny, the MC’s development was lovely to read and the relationships explored were written well and felt quite real.
I enjoyed the extra character of Guernsey, it felt like a huge part of the book and the little details (ornering, witches benches etc) made Guernsey come alive as an important addition to the novel.
It definitely could have used more editing, some bits weren’t necessary or needed tweaking and the ending felt a little rushed.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this digital arc in exchange for review.
I think the concept was clever and funny, the MC’s development was lovely to read and the relationships explored were written well and felt quite real.
I enjoyed the extra character of Guernsey, it felt like a huge part of the book and the little details (ornering, witches benches etc) made Guernsey come alive as an important addition to the novel.
It definitely could have used more editing, some bits weren’t necessary or needed tweaking and the ending felt a little rushed.
Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this digital arc in exchange for review.
September 11, 2025
POTENTIAL *MILD* SPOILERS!!
Firstly, thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC copy of this book.
~
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A YEAR OFF WORK?
Meet Barri Brown. Respected teacher. Upstanding citizen of Guernsey. Down for a bit of law-breaking . . .
Barri is preparing for a year’s paid maternity leave but there’s a catch:
She isn’t pregnant.
With seven foam bumps, a wardrobe full of smock dresses and a great pregnancy heist planned, all Barri has to do is blag it until she can disappear for good, without getting caught and being sent to prison for fraud. Child’s play.
But can she really get away with telling the mother of all lies?
~
I thoroughly enjoed Anna Brook-Mitchell's style of writing - I found it clear and easy to read. The book follows the story of Barri on her journey to faking pregnancy. As you can imagine, the situation in itself is bizaare and almost funny. I found the book very humourous and I related heavily to Barri's character and her dislike for others touching her/ her awkwardness. I think the storyline in itself is unique - I have never read a book with a plotline even remotely similar.
I found 'Motherfaker' to be an enjoyable read. 'Motherfaker' explores topics such as abuse, mid-life humour, parental abandonment and found family. I enjoyed reading Barri's trajectory from hating everybody to warming up to certain people. I would've liked to see more of the fall out from her fake pregnancy - I do think some details were "glossed over" in a way. The characters in the book forgave her quickly and easily - it seemed slightly unrealistic.
I would definitely read this book again.
Firstly, thank you so much to Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC copy of this book.
~
HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR A YEAR OFF WORK?
Meet Barri Brown. Respected teacher. Upstanding citizen of Guernsey. Down for a bit of law-breaking . . .
Barri is preparing for a year’s paid maternity leave but there’s a catch:
She isn’t pregnant.
With seven foam bumps, a wardrobe full of smock dresses and a great pregnancy heist planned, all Barri has to do is blag it until she can disappear for good, without getting caught and being sent to prison for fraud. Child’s play.
But can she really get away with telling the mother of all lies?
~
I thoroughly enjoed Anna Brook-Mitchell's style of writing - I found it clear and easy to read. The book follows the story of Barri on her journey to faking pregnancy. As you can imagine, the situation in itself is bizaare and almost funny. I found the book very humourous and I related heavily to Barri's character and her dislike for others touching her/ her awkwardness. I think the storyline in itself is unique - I have never read a book with a plotline even remotely similar.
I found 'Motherfaker' to be an enjoyable read. 'Motherfaker' explores topics such as abuse, mid-life humour, parental abandonment and found family. I enjoyed reading Barri's trajectory from hating everybody to warming up to certain people. I would've liked to see more of the fall out from her fake pregnancy - I do think some details were "glossed over" in a way. The characters in the book forgave her quickly and easily - it seemed slightly unrealistic.
I would definitely read this book again.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 5, 2026
May 5, 2026 - Book: “MOTHERFAKER” DNF
Judging from this book’s 4 star (Goodreads) reviews, I recommended this book to our book club. However, we did not have the same experience as many of the reviewers.
Contrarily, we did not enjoy it. In fact, “MOTHERFAKER” is now our book club’s first DNF book. I have since apologized to our book club for having suggested we read it.
In our opinion, this book could have benefitted from a good editor. We offer this because the author inserts irrelevant side stories, spends much time describing the reasons she dislikes the story’s characters (that she created), gets too descriptive overall, it’s repetitive, strays offtrack, and the story is slow dragging and uninteresting.⭐️
⭐️ = Intriguing idea, lackluster storytelling.
Judging from this book’s 4 star (Goodreads) reviews, I recommended this book to our book club. However, we did not have the same experience as many of the reviewers.
Contrarily, we did not enjoy it. In fact, “MOTHERFAKER” is now our book club’s first DNF book. I have since apologized to our book club for having suggested we read it.
In our opinion, this book could have benefitted from a good editor. We offer this because the author inserts irrelevant side stories, spends much time describing the reasons she dislikes the story’s characters (that she created), gets too descriptive overall, it’s repetitive, strays offtrack, and the story is slow dragging and uninteresting.⭐️
⭐️ = Intriguing idea, lackluster storytelling.
December 16, 2025
I haven’t had a book make me laugh out loud in ages, but this book did that pretty much during every chapter!!
Our main character Barri is experiencing a big betrayal from her husband and facing rock bottom, she decides on a whim to fake a pregnancy (because she could do with time off work). The heist soon starts to spiral out of control but along the way she realises how much comfort and enjoyment she is getting from becoming closer to her family and friends.
This is a truly funny book but also heartwarming and I’m sure it will be a big hit when it comes out!
Thanks so much to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy.
Our main character Barri is experiencing a big betrayal from her husband and facing rock bottom, she decides on a whim to fake a pregnancy (because she could do with time off work). The heist soon starts to spiral out of control but along the way she realises how much comfort and enjoyment she is getting from becoming closer to her family and friends.
This is a truly funny book but also heartwarming and I’m sure it will be a big hit when it comes out!
Thanks so much to the publisher for giving me an advanced copy.
February 26, 2026
What a funny book!
Great idea/ concept, which was what made me request it.
I enjoyed the whole idea of the book from beginning to end especially being a teacher a lot of this made me laugh so much. It made me question all of my colleagues. The different names she gave for her bumps was a particular fun joke and there was lots of little jokes running throughout it like that.
Great idea/ concept, which was what made me request it.
I enjoyed the whole idea of the book from beginning to end especially being a teacher a lot of this made me laugh so much. It made me question all of my colleagues. The different names she gave for her bumps was a particular fun joke and there was lots of little jokes running throughout it like that.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When Barri's husband ends their five year marriage over text, she is determined to take the opportunity to leave behind her hometown, her exhausting job and toxic colleagues, and travel the world like she never had the chance to do when she was younger. However, when she learns that her finances are not quite where she thought they were, Barri realises that her travelling plans will have to be put on hold. Desperate to escape, Barri blurts out the first thing she can think of which will allow her some time out - she's pregnant. What follows is a funny, unexpectly moving story (the first from debut novelist Anna Brook-Mitchell), as Barri tries to work out the logistics of faking a pregnancy (with the help of seven singing Austrian children) while figuring out who she wants to be now she's on her own once and for all - or so she thinks.
The conflicting feelings she has for her hometown (well, home island in this case) will be familiar for many readers. Her love for, and pride in, Guernsey percolates the narrative, but her frustration at the small, insular community where everyone knows everyone's business is also apparent. The freedom she feels cycling the island's lanes and swimming and ormering at the unspoilt beaches contrasts with the limitations Barri feels are imposed on her by living in the same place she has spent her whole life, surrounded by people who made up their minds about her, her marriage and her family long before. Brook-Mitchell's writing is infused with specific cultural and geographic details which convey the uniqueness of the setting and - as much as the relationships in her life which we see developing over the course of the story - provide the first hints that Barri's plan to cut ties and leave Guernsey behind for good might not come to fruition.
Barri is unashamedly bitter towards her colleagues and family members who have children, feeling that she is expected to pick up the slack at work when they have childcare emergencies, resenting being expected to be engaged in the lives of her two young nephews just because they are related, and rightfully enraged by the incessant assumptions by everyone she knows that she will eventually succumb to motherhood. She bemoans the fact that she believes she is expected to work harder because she has chosen not to have children, likening her situation to smokers being permitted breaks at work that non-smokers don't get. Barri can be thoughtless and incredibly self-involved. She notes how she has never given any thought to getting birthday presents for her nephews that they would actually enjoy, complains about being expected to attend said birthdays, and is dismissive of all her sister's and colleagues' attempts to connect with her. However, as we learn more about her marriage, we start to understand that much of Barri's abrasiveness is a defence mechanism; it becomes apparent that her feelings for Sean, her estranged husband, are inextricably bound up in her grief for her father, who died not long before they met, and that their dynamic is far more complicated than it first appears.
Some of the themes - of grief and abuse - were heavier than I anticipated from the blurb, but they lend a weight to the novel which elevates it from a light-hearted read to something far more textured.
Brook-Mitchell does an excellent job of writing believable, satisfying character development for her protagonist at the same time as she peels back the layers of protective armour Barri has built up and allows the reader to understand the truth behind some of her somewhat unhinged life choices. The supporting characters, even those who only appear briefly, are thoughtfully drawn and add extra dimension to Barri's story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The conflicting feelings she has for her hometown (well, home island in this case) will be familiar for many readers. Her love for, and pride in, Guernsey percolates the narrative, but her frustration at the small, insular community where everyone knows everyone's business is also apparent. The freedom she feels cycling the island's lanes and swimming and ormering at the unspoilt beaches contrasts with the limitations Barri feels are imposed on her by living in the same place she has spent her whole life, surrounded by people who made up their minds about her, her marriage and her family long before. Brook-Mitchell's writing is infused with specific cultural and geographic details which convey the uniqueness of the setting and - as much as the relationships in her life which we see developing over the course of the story - provide the first hints that Barri's plan to cut ties and leave Guernsey behind for good might not come to fruition.
Barri is unashamedly bitter towards her colleagues and family members who have children, feeling that she is expected to pick up the slack at work when they have childcare emergencies, resenting being expected to be engaged in the lives of her two young nephews just because they are related, and rightfully enraged by the incessant assumptions by everyone she knows that she will eventually succumb to motherhood. She bemoans the fact that she believes she is expected to work harder because she has chosen not to have children, likening her situation to smokers being permitted breaks at work that non-smokers don't get. Barri can be thoughtless and incredibly self-involved. She notes how she has never given any thought to getting birthday presents for her nephews that they would actually enjoy, complains about being expected to attend said birthdays, and is dismissive of all her sister's and colleagues' attempts to connect with her. However, as we learn more about her marriage, we start to understand that much of Barri's abrasiveness is a defence mechanism; it becomes apparent that her feelings for Sean, her estranged husband, are inextricably bound up in her grief for her father, who died not long before they met, and that their dynamic is far more complicated than it first appears.
Some of the themes - of grief and abuse - were heavier than I anticipated from the blurb, but they lend a weight to the novel which elevates it from a light-hearted read to something far more textured.
Brook-Mitchell does an excellent job of writing believable, satisfying character development for her protagonist at the same time as she peels back the layers of protective armour Barri has built up and allows the reader to understand the truth behind some of her somewhat unhinged life choices. The supporting characters, even those who only appear briefly, are thoughtfully drawn and add extra dimension to Barri's story.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 31, 2026
4 stars
**Thank you to LibroFM for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.**
Basics
Author: England, she/her
Genre: literary fiction
Setting: Guernsey Island
Themes: connection, parenthood
Vibes: sarcastic, caustic, sad, hopeful
Pros
+ I wanted to read this to compare it to Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi (more on that below)
+ Barri is a sarcastic, and often caustic, woman who is sick of parents/pregnancy getting ahead of her due to their own life choices and fakes her pregnancy to get time off
+ What this story actually is about is Barri learning multiple salient facts (she is disconnected & isolated, her ex was trash, she needs to be there for others, she is capable of closeness, etc) on her "pregnancy/parenthood" journey
+ Very strong opening (reminded me of the beginning to Killing Eve show, minus the murder)
+ We must protect Callum at all costs!!!!! 🥺
+ The entire last 15% I couldn't stop listening (stayed up til 2AM for it)
+ I totally cried my eyes out 😭😭😭
+ Side Note: Okay, so despite both books being about a woman faking her pregnancy, Motherfaker and Diary of a Void are completely and totally different from one another. MF is about self-growth, connection, and recovery. DV is about Japan's hierarchy, the patriarchy, and the female body through an unnamed fMC. MF is explicit and on-page with themes, while DV is more vague and leaves room for interpretation. MF had a bit of a soggy middle third in its 400p while DV was much shorter but succinct and tight the whole way through the 213p. MF's strength is Barri's character depth and development. DV's strength is the examination of themes and the possibility of open interpretation. In the end, they were great to have in conversation despite being pretty opposite ✌️
Cons
- At first, I found Barri's nasty inner thoughts hilarious. But, over time, she's actually just insufferable (which is the point and allows a low to grow from)
- I nearly DNFd around the 30-50% mark because we're caught before action kicking off and the continuation of Barri's general shittiness (once she starts to change/learn lessons & the action kicks off, it is much better)
Comp Recs
+ Diary of a Void - Emi Yagi (Japanese)
Content Warnings
pregnancy, child loss (off-page), abortion (mentions), verbally and physically abusive ex-husband, financial abuse, manipulation, gaslighting
**Thank you to LibroFM for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.**
Basics
Author: England, she/her
Genre: literary fiction
Setting: Guernsey Island
Themes: connection, parenthood
Vibes: sarcastic, caustic, sad, hopeful
Pros
+ I wanted to read this to compare it to Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi (more on that below)
+ Barri is a sarcastic, and often caustic, woman who is sick of parents/pregnancy getting ahead of her due to their own life choices and fakes her pregnancy to get time off
+ What this story actually is about is Barri learning multiple salient facts (she is disconnected & isolated, her ex was trash, she needs to be there for others, she is capable of closeness, etc) on her "pregnancy/parenthood" journey
+ Very strong opening (reminded me of the beginning to Killing Eve show, minus the murder)
+ We must protect Callum at all costs!!!!! 🥺
+ The entire last 15% I couldn't stop listening (stayed up til 2AM for it)
+ I totally cried my eyes out 😭😭😭
+ Side Note: Okay, so despite both books being about a woman faking her pregnancy, Motherfaker and Diary of a Void are completely and totally different from one another. MF is about self-growth, connection, and recovery. DV is about Japan's hierarchy, the patriarchy, and the female body through an unnamed fMC. MF is explicit and on-page with themes, while DV is more vague and leaves room for interpretation. MF had a bit of a soggy middle third in its 400p while DV was much shorter but succinct and tight the whole way through the 213p. MF's strength is Barri's character depth and development. DV's strength is the examination of themes and the possibility of open interpretation. In the end, they were great to have in conversation despite being pretty opposite ✌️
Cons
- At first, I found Barri's nasty inner thoughts hilarious. But, over time, she's actually just insufferable (which is the point and allows a low to grow from)
- I nearly DNFd around the 30-50% mark because we're caught before action kicking off and the continuation of Barri's general shittiness (once she starts to change/learn lessons & the action kicks off, it is much better)
Comp Recs
+ Diary of a Void - Emi Yagi (Japanese)
Content Warnings
pregnancy, child loss (off-page), abortion (mentions), verbally and physically abusive ex-husband, financial abuse, manipulation, gaslighting
April 27, 2026
Ta książka odbiła się szerokim echem w bookmediach, dlatego byłam jej ogromnie ciekawa. Sama tematyka wydawała się bardzo interesująca, a historia bohaterki od początku mnie intrygowała.
Barri nie spodziewała się, że jej mąż odejdzie, zostawiając ją jedynie z wiadomością, że to koniec. Nie przypuszczała też, że w końcu zostanie doceniona jako nauczycielka i otrzyma awans. A już na pewno nie spodziewała się ciąży, zwłaszcza że nigdy nie chciała mieć dzieci. Mimo to wszyscy wokół zakładają, że zostanie matką.
Od roku płatnego urlopu dzieli ją tylko kilka miesięcy udawania: siedem sztucznych brzuchów i szafa pełna ciążowych sukienek. Plan wydaje się idealny, a wizja wyrwania się z małej wyspy jest niezwykle kusząca. Problem w tym, że w tak niewielkiej społeczności trudno cokolwiek utrzymać w tajemnicy.
Nigdy wcześniej nie spotkałam się z podobnym motywem w książkach, dlatego z dużym entuzjazmem sięgnęłam po tę historię. Jednak im bardziej zagłębiałam się w fabułę, tym częściej miałam wrażenie, że niektóre elementy są mi już znane. Nie jest to jednak duży minus.
Barri to bohaterka, którą można określić jako outsiderkę. Życie nie było dla niej szczególnie łaskawe, a ona sama długo nie wykazywała inicjatywy, by coś zmienić. Kieruje się raczej przekonaniem, że „jakoś to będzie”. Pomysł z udawaną ciążą ma być dla niej szansą na nowy początek i finansową stabilizację.
Z czasem jednak sytuacja zaczyna się komplikować. Im dalej brnie w kłamstwo, tym więcej tajemnic wychodzi na jaw, a wyrzuty sumienia stają się coraz silniejsze. Przyznanie się do prawdy nie jest proste, bo mogłoby pociągnąć za sobą konsekwencje dla innych osób. Barri staje więc na życiowym rozdrożu i musi zdecydować, którą drogą chce podążyć.
Ważną rolę w historii odgrywa również Callum, zagubiony młody dorosły, któremu Barri próbuje pomóc odnaleźć właściwą ścieżkę. Ten wątek był ciekawym uzupełnieniem głównej fabuły.
Książka jest angażująca i czyta się ją bardzo szybko. Z dużym zainteresowaniem śledziłam rozwój wydarzeń, zastanawiając się, kiedy plan Barri zacznie się sypać. Trzeba jednak przyznać, że bohaterka przez długi czas radzi sobie z sytuacją zaskakująco dobrze.
Na uwagę zasługuje również wątek jej byłego męża, który momentami był naprawdę poruszający, szczególnie ze względu na jego postawę.
Styl autorki jest lekki i przystępny, co zdecydowanie sprzyja płynnej lekturze.
To ciekawa historia z oryginalnym pomysłem na fabułę. Może nie jest to książka wybitna, ale zdecydowanie potrafi wciągnąć i zapewnić dobrą rozrywkę. Jeśli szukacie lekkiej i angażującej lektury, warto po nią sięgnąć.
Barri nie spodziewała się, że jej mąż odejdzie, zostawiając ją jedynie z wiadomością, że to koniec. Nie przypuszczała też, że w końcu zostanie doceniona jako nauczycielka i otrzyma awans. A już na pewno nie spodziewała się ciąży, zwłaszcza że nigdy nie chciała mieć dzieci. Mimo to wszyscy wokół zakładają, że zostanie matką.
Od roku płatnego urlopu dzieli ją tylko kilka miesięcy udawania: siedem sztucznych brzuchów i szafa pełna ciążowych sukienek. Plan wydaje się idealny, a wizja wyrwania się z małej wyspy jest niezwykle kusząca. Problem w tym, że w tak niewielkiej społeczności trudno cokolwiek utrzymać w tajemnicy.
Nigdy wcześniej nie spotkałam się z podobnym motywem w książkach, dlatego z dużym entuzjazmem sięgnęłam po tę historię. Jednak im bardziej zagłębiałam się w fabułę, tym częściej miałam wrażenie, że niektóre elementy są mi już znane. Nie jest to jednak duży minus.
Barri to bohaterka, którą można określić jako outsiderkę. Życie nie było dla niej szczególnie łaskawe, a ona sama długo nie wykazywała inicjatywy, by coś zmienić. Kieruje się raczej przekonaniem, że „jakoś to będzie”. Pomysł z udawaną ciążą ma być dla niej szansą na nowy początek i finansową stabilizację.
Z czasem jednak sytuacja zaczyna się komplikować. Im dalej brnie w kłamstwo, tym więcej tajemnic wychodzi na jaw, a wyrzuty sumienia stają się coraz silniejsze. Przyznanie się do prawdy nie jest proste, bo mogłoby pociągnąć za sobą konsekwencje dla innych osób. Barri staje więc na życiowym rozdrożu i musi zdecydować, którą drogą chce podążyć.
Ważną rolę w historii odgrywa również Callum, zagubiony młody dorosły, któremu Barri próbuje pomóc odnaleźć właściwą ścieżkę. Ten wątek był ciekawym uzupełnieniem głównej fabuły.
Książka jest angażująca i czyta się ją bardzo szybko. Z dużym zainteresowaniem śledziłam rozwój wydarzeń, zastanawiając się, kiedy plan Barri zacznie się sypać. Trzeba jednak przyznać, że bohaterka przez długi czas radzi sobie z sytuacją zaskakująco dobrze.
Na uwagę zasługuje również wątek jej byłego męża, który momentami był naprawdę poruszający, szczególnie ze względu na jego postawę.
Styl autorki jest lekki i przystępny, co zdecydowanie sprzyja płynnej lekturze.
To ciekawa historia z oryginalnym pomysłem na fabułę. Może nie jest to książka wybitna, ale zdecydowanie potrafi wciągnąć i zapewnić dobrą rozrywkę. Jeśli szukacie lekkiej i angażującej lektury, warto po nią sięgnąć.
July 24, 2026
Barri’s life falls apart when her husband of five years, Sean, suddenly leaves her without warning. Instead of giving her an explanation, he simply sends a text saying it’s over before blocking her on everything. 😭
Desperate to keep her job while trying to rebuild her life, Barri makes an impulsive decision to fake a pregnancy. What starts as one small lie soon spirals into a web of deception that’s impossible to control. As she struggles to keep her secret from family, friends and colleagues, she also begins uncovering some shocking truths about Sean. 🫣
I really enjoyed this one. 😍 It blends humour with emotional moments, grief, betrayal, friendship and plenty of witty dialogue, while still delivering some genuinely surprising twists along the way. 🤯
To be honest, I picked this up without even reading the blurb. I simply loved the cover, and the title made me laugh because it’s so close to the rude word! I’m so glad I took a chance on it. 🤣🤭
You might be surprised to see me reading contemporary fiction, as I’m a thriller girl at heart. But this book proved that sometimes it’s worth stepping outside your comfort zone because you never know what you’re going to enjoy until you give it a try. 🥰
I flew through this in just six hours (including breaks for food, drinks and the toilet), and I couldn’t put it down once the story really got going. 📖👀
This was such a fun, addictive and refreshing read that completely took me by surprise. I laughed, I questioned everyone’s motives, and I was constantly wondering what would happen next. The story starts off a little slower, but once it gets going, it’s incredibly difficult to put down. 😏
If you’re looking for a light-hearted contemporary with plenty of humour, heart, family drama and a few unexpected twists along the way, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try. It reminded me that stepping outside my usual thriller comfort zone can be well worth it. 🤪
I read this as a buddy read with the lovely girls tagged below. 🫶🏼
♥️ @bookish_becky88
♥️ @readingwithlaura_x
♥️ @the_blonde_chapter
Desperate to keep her job while trying to rebuild her life, Barri makes an impulsive decision to fake a pregnancy. What starts as one small lie soon spirals into a web of deception that’s impossible to control. As she struggles to keep her secret from family, friends and colleagues, she also begins uncovering some shocking truths about Sean. 🫣
I really enjoyed this one. 😍 It blends humour with emotional moments, grief, betrayal, friendship and plenty of witty dialogue, while still delivering some genuinely surprising twists along the way. 🤯
To be honest, I picked this up without even reading the blurb. I simply loved the cover, and the title made me laugh because it’s so close to the rude word! I’m so glad I took a chance on it. 🤣🤭
You might be surprised to see me reading contemporary fiction, as I’m a thriller girl at heart. But this book proved that sometimes it’s worth stepping outside your comfort zone because you never know what you’re going to enjoy until you give it a try. 🥰
I flew through this in just six hours (including breaks for food, drinks and the toilet), and I couldn’t put it down once the story really got going. 📖👀
This was such a fun, addictive and refreshing read that completely took me by surprise. I laughed, I questioned everyone’s motives, and I was constantly wondering what would happen next. The story starts off a little slower, but once it gets going, it’s incredibly difficult to put down. 😏
If you’re looking for a light-hearted contemporary with plenty of humour, heart, family drama and a few unexpected twists along the way, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try. It reminded me that stepping outside my usual thriller comfort zone can be well worth it. 🤪
I read this as a buddy read with the lovely girls tagged below. 🫶🏼
♥️ @bookish_becky88
♥️ @readingwithlaura_x
♥️ @the_blonde_chapter
March 23, 2026
Another anti-social character you warm to - in a crazy situation.
I do like these narrator/protagonists. The ones you soon realise are actually quite unlikeable, thick-skinned, anti-social and generally a riot to watch in action interacting with others.
Barri beats them all though. Turned down for promotion again as Head of English, the annoying forever-pregnant colleague chosen over her, she rashly decides she's going to fake a pregnancy to get maternity leave and scarper of Guernsey for a round-the-world trip. Like you do.
We soon see that Barri's much-adored husband has just broken up with her by text, but that doesn't stop the internal horror as we watch her buy a set of Von Trapp-named baby bumps, from little Gretl to watermelon-sized Liesl. She's anti-baby, openly outspoken about remaining child-free.... but reactions are instantly postiive and smug when she lets her school know she's 'pregnant'.
And where will things go from here? Recoiling at horror at baby showers, at offers of friendship and camaraderie, she's still turning down even her sister's offers of time together, mourning her marriage but determined to leave everyone behind. Guilt free.
Can it really be done? Can you fake pregnancy? And with everyone trying to hard to help, to get through her layers of resentment and bristle - can Barri continue to stay cold and unattached?
This was deeper than it might have been, with both a new neighbour's own story and Barri's disappeared husband's forming a complex web of personalities and plots that helped me understand Barri, how she became the closed-off person she is, and ended up with me cheering and willing her on somewhat.
What a plot idea. Do you want her to get away with it or hope she doesn't? Great story, wonderful characters, very enjoyable throughout, and nicely knitted together at the end.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
I do like these narrator/protagonists. The ones you soon realise are actually quite unlikeable, thick-skinned, anti-social and generally a riot to watch in action interacting with others.
Barri beats them all though. Turned down for promotion again as Head of English, the annoying forever-pregnant colleague chosen over her, she rashly decides she's going to fake a pregnancy to get maternity leave and scarper of Guernsey for a round-the-world trip. Like you do.
We soon see that Barri's much-adored husband has just broken up with her by text, but that doesn't stop the internal horror as we watch her buy a set of Von Trapp-named baby bumps, from little Gretl to watermelon-sized Liesl. She's anti-baby, openly outspoken about remaining child-free.... but reactions are instantly postiive and smug when she lets her school know she's 'pregnant'.
And where will things go from here? Recoiling at horror at baby showers, at offers of friendship and camaraderie, she's still turning down even her sister's offers of time together, mourning her marriage but determined to leave everyone behind. Guilt free.
Can it really be done? Can you fake pregnancy? And with everyone trying to hard to help, to get through her layers of resentment and bristle - can Barri continue to stay cold and unattached?
This was deeper than it might have been, with both a new neighbour's own story and Barri's disappeared husband's forming a complex web of personalities and plots that helped me understand Barri, how she became the closed-off person she is, and ended up with me cheering and willing her on somewhat.
What a plot idea. Do you want her to get away with it or hope she doesn't? Great story, wonderful characters, very enjoyable throughout, and nicely knitted together at the end.
With thanks to Netgalley for providing a sample reading copy.
November 10, 2025
Barri Brown is fed up. A hard-working teacher on Guernsey, she’s fed up of people telling her that her biological clock is ticking. She’s fed up of being told that she’ll ‘change her mind’ when she tells her family, friends and colleagues that she doesn’t ever want children and she’s fed up of being overwhelmed, overloaded, unappreciated and overlooked for promotion in favour of people she’s spent years covering for when they have been off on repeated maternity leave. Not only that but she doesn’t really have any friends; her family is exasperated by her, despite what she sees as her best efforts to be a good Sister and Aunt (I fully empathise with her sister here), and worse still, her husband Sean has disappeared and is ghosting her, and she doesn’t know why or where he is. She has had enough.
So when she stumbles, Barri-style, into a conversation that leads her colleagues to think she’s expecting a baby, she starts to think…why not? As everyone seems so desperate for her to have a baby, and is insistent that she will one day she decides to lean into it. She can pull this off, right? With the help of progressive fake ‘bumps’ bought online and a solid game face, she can pretend to be expecting, enjoy all of the positive attention that comes with it, pop the house on the market, pocket her share of the money, take the maternity leave and disappear. Travel the world for a while as the fuss dies down, then settle somewhere new – she thinks she quite fancies Nashville although longer term, Edinburgh has quite a pull.
Enter Trish, a new neighbour who ends up becoming unwittingly embroiled in Barri’s plans and becomes her first real friend. With her support, things are going to plan until Barri discovers that Sean, the errant husband, has remortgaged the house without her knowledge and all her plans go up in smoke…but she’s still there…trapped…fake pregnancy and all, but no money on the horizon. How the hell is she going to get out of this one? When one of her students gets involved with criminal activity and resorts to blackmailing her, she knows she’s really messed up and the prospect of what will happen if she’s outed (or indeed, if she isn’t!) over the next few months is terrifying.
Motherfaker is quite unlike any book I’ve read before. The main character is so beautifully written that she’s believable in her absurdity, but there is a serious message that underpins this book which covers societal attitudes to women and how they are so often defined by their parental status – mothers are judged on their choices in the same way that childfree women are, just in a different context. When a woman is pregnant she effectively becomes public property and her body is discussed and touched, often with seemingly little choice from her. When a woman chooses to be childfree, she is often viewed with suspicion and distrust and the perception is frequently thrown around that a woman who doesn’t have children is devoid of empathy and has no idea what ‘real love’ is. Just look what is said about female MPs or CEOs without children – it’s rarely, if ever raised by way of similar criticism for males in the same situation. This book reiterates that women are often made to feel as if they do not have a choice, and also that motherhood is not always achieved by giving birth. Women may be mothers through blended families, fostering, adoption, and some will play the role of mother many times without ever having the official ‘label’. On the other side of the coin, they may decide that motherhood is not for them at all – and that’s ok too. I think the really sad thing that this book exposes is that she felt left out by the women in her life until she ‘got pregnant’ and in reality – she was. Once she was ‘in the club’, literally and figuratively, she was a different person to them. This is something that many women have felt over the years – constantly expected to have children, and then left out of so much if they don’t, or can’t. It’s a message that really makes you think.
On a more positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s one of my best reads of the year so far (and we are in November now so that’s some going!). It’s got so much going for it – the nervous feeling that Barri’s lies are going to be exposed and the internal struggle of whether you want her to be found out or not? I mean she’s doing something pretty awful here, but based on her experiences, can you really blame her? She’s actually making friends for the first time in her life, she’s maturing emotionally and she’s opening up and making herself vulnerable. Her life is changing in a way she never expected and just when she’s starting to experience real friendship, she’s going to have to blow it all open with a massive expose. Somewhere down the line, while taking on the bad guys, she has become the bad guy. The unjustness of this just emphasises her frustration with the societal expectations on women to have babies and the way attitudes change towards the if and when they do – as I mentioned earlier this will ring true and strike a chord with many women. The themes of feeling ‘othered’, of trying so hard to fit in, and eventually feeling that inclusion, but knowing it’s all based on a lie and she’d never have experienced that warmth and friendship if she’d not deceived them into thinking she was expecting. To have Barri shoulder that burden, and the events that unfold as it all starts to unravel, with such humour and poignancy is a real triumph and I think Anna Brook-Mitchell has a big hit on her very talented hands.
So when she stumbles, Barri-style, into a conversation that leads her colleagues to think she’s expecting a baby, she starts to think…why not? As everyone seems so desperate for her to have a baby, and is insistent that she will one day she decides to lean into it. She can pull this off, right? With the help of progressive fake ‘bumps’ bought online and a solid game face, she can pretend to be expecting, enjoy all of the positive attention that comes with it, pop the house on the market, pocket her share of the money, take the maternity leave and disappear. Travel the world for a while as the fuss dies down, then settle somewhere new – she thinks she quite fancies Nashville although longer term, Edinburgh has quite a pull.
Enter Trish, a new neighbour who ends up becoming unwittingly embroiled in Barri’s plans and becomes her first real friend. With her support, things are going to plan until Barri discovers that Sean, the errant husband, has remortgaged the house without her knowledge and all her plans go up in smoke…but she’s still there…trapped…fake pregnancy and all, but no money on the horizon. How the hell is she going to get out of this one? When one of her students gets involved with criminal activity and resorts to blackmailing her, she knows she’s really messed up and the prospect of what will happen if she’s outed (or indeed, if she isn’t!) over the next few months is terrifying.
Motherfaker is quite unlike any book I’ve read before. The main character is so beautifully written that she’s believable in her absurdity, but there is a serious message that underpins this book which covers societal attitudes to women and how they are so often defined by their parental status – mothers are judged on their choices in the same way that childfree women are, just in a different context. When a woman is pregnant she effectively becomes public property and her body is discussed and touched, often with seemingly little choice from her. When a woman chooses to be childfree, she is often viewed with suspicion and distrust and the perception is frequently thrown around that a woman who doesn’t have children is devoid of empathy and has no idea what ‘real love’ is. Just look what is said about female MPs or CEOs without children – it’s rarely, if ever raised by way of similar criticism for males in the same situation. This book reiterates that women are often made to feel as if they do not have a choice, and also that motherhood is not always achieved by giving birth. Women may be mothers through blended families, fostering, adoption, and some will play the role of mother many times without ever having the official ‘label’. On the other side of the coin, they may decide that motherhood is not for them at all – and that’s ok too. I think the really sad thing that this book exposes is that she felt left out by the women in her life until she ‘got pregnant’ and in reality – she was. Once she was ‘in the club’, literally and figuratively, she was a different person to them. This is something that many women have felt over the years – constantly expected to have children, and then left out of so much if they don’t, or can’t. It’s a message that really makes you think.
On a more positive note, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s one of my best reads of the year so far (and we are in November now so that’s some going!). It’s got so much going for it – the nervous feeling that Barri’s lies are going to be exposed and the internal struggle of whether you want her to be found out or not? I mean she’s doing something pretty awful here, but based on her experiences, can you really blame her? She’s actually making friends for the first time in her life, she’s maturing emotionally and she’s opening up and making herself vulnerable. Her life is changing in a way she never expected and just when she’s starting to experience real friendship, she’s going to have to blow it all open with a massive expose. Somewhere down the line, while taking on the bad guys, she has become the bad guy. The unjustness of this just emphasises her frustration with the societal expectations on women to have babies and the way attitudes change towards the if and when they do – as I mentioned earlier this will ring true and strike a chord with many women. The themes of feeling ‘othered’, of trying so hard to fit in, and eventually feeling that inclusion, but knowing it’s all based on a lie and she’d never have experienced that warmth and friendship if she’d not deceived them into thinking she was expecting. To have Barri shoulder that burden, and the events that unfold as it all starts to unravel, with such humour and poignancy is a real triumph and I think Anna Brook-Mitchell has a big hit on her very talented hands.
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