Motherfaker

by Anna Brook-Mitchell

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 . . .

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Audiobook, Romance, Comedy, Literary Fiction, Book Club

400 pages, Paperback

First published February 26, 2026

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sadie E · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to be a DINK . . . and now I’m a SIFK. Single Income Fake Kid.

4.5: This book's completely unhinged. And it just keeps on going. Every time you think, this can't possibly get any worse, it gets so much worse. So you're alternating between peeking out from between your fingers in horror and cackling.

The MC Barri's a total nightmare. She's bitter, cold, judgemental, and incapable of letting things go, but she's also got the kind of internal monologue that makes you (unfortunately) understand her sometimes.

The writing style's direct and too often it feels like reading your own intrusive thoughts. Except most of us are capable of keeping those thoughts on the inside. Barri on the other hand? 😬

Children are central to this book. Whether that's the decision to have them or the decision to remain childfree. Barri's the latter. She's surrounded by the constant assumption that having children's the natural endpoint of adulthood, and her desire not to have children is treated as a silly phase that she'll inevitably grow out of. I could feel her frustration.

Like, no Stacey. I'd rather regret not having them than regret having them and spend every day resenting them.

Even if she's got a point and her rage is usually completely warranted, sometimes the hostility towards children and parents goes a bit too far. Sometimes it feels like reading one of the deranged posts on r/childfree (don't go there). There's a fine line between being frustrated by how she perceives society treating childless people and being downright hateful, and Barri very often obliterates that line.

But as a childless-by-choice person, I get where she's coming from.

Like someone smugly telling you you'll change your mind? That it's different when they're yours? Asking who'll look after you when you're old? 😡

The book could stay in its lane and be a silly story about an unhinged woman faking a pregnancy. And I'd love it. But it goes further and finds a depth I didn't expect and takes the book from great to amazing.

When Barri looks at parents, she sees people who've been granted access to an elite social club. One that comes with a built in community. Where their sacrifices are celebrated. Where everyone understands their time's valuable. Where their lives are automatically understood to be fuller and richer, more consequential.

Meanwhile, Barri's standing outside the clubhouse, thinking, what the fuck do I need to do to be considered a person whose life matters?

Except she lacks the social skills to articulate any of that, so naturally she responds by becoming increasingly hostile.

She doesn't secretly want a baby. She wants what she thinks having a baby would give her.

Barri sees people experiencing empathy, community, and social permissions to need and want things. She wants that. She craves that. But she also resents the people who have that.

She wants connection without having to admit she needs connection. She wants to be cared for without having to be vulnerable enough to let people care for her. She wants people to notice when she's struggling, but her sarcasm, superiority, and resentment make it impossible for them to get close enough to notice. She's basically built a barbed wire fence around herself and then fumes when no one comes over to hug her.

Then, in a moment that's equal parts stupidity and panic, she announces a fake pregnancy. And everything changes.

People fuss over her. They make allowances. They include her. They care about her wellbeing. And she doesn't have to change a thing about her personality.

For someone who's spent her entire life on the outside looking in, it's intoxicating.

The lie gives Barri a taste of belonging. But it also forces her to confront the fact that belonging isn't something we're owed. She has to let people in and let them matter to her as much as she matters to them. She has to participate in the relationships and social niceties she's spent a lifetime judging.

As she inches closer and closer to that realisation, it doesn't transform her into a saint. Thank god. I would have hated that. She remains Barri. But she starts seeing people as people rather than objects she can judge from a safe distance.

Underneath all the venom, there's a lonely woman who desperately wants to be liked but has no idea how to stop protecting herself long enough to let herself be known to others.

Here I was thinking they saw me as a rockstar when all along I’ve been as much of a joke to them as I am to my contemporaries.

I found myself drawing comparisons to Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine with the social awkwardness, isolation, loneliness, brutally honest internal monologue, and a protagonist completely oblivious to how other people experience her.

The difference is that Barri has way more opportunities to fuck everything up.

And like the overachiever she is, she takes every single opportunity that comes her way.

Her student Callum's easily my favourite character. He's basically a cartoon character who's always inexplicably there when the plot needs an extra dose of chaos or awkwardness. Think American Dad's Roger Smith and his personas or The Boondocks’ Uncle Ruckus with his 32 jobs (it was actually 47 in the episode I watched earlier).

There were so many moments where I was like, Callum's right behind her, isn't he?

But what starts out as comic relief and a foil to Barri quickly becomes the heart of the story.

He's holding a mirror up to Barri. Just like her, he's desperate for love and connection, but goes about it in completely the wrong way. But through him, Barri learns to care about another person without having to perform a socially acceptable version of herself.

I adore Callum and Barri's relationship. Callum's a wonderful reminder to Barri that love and connection aren't exclusive to romance or family. You can nurture someone, champion them, show up for them, and love them without forcing yourself into a socially acceptable mold.

The constant escalation is everything to me. You know how many times I said ‘oh fuck’ out loud? I stopped counting.

The resignation letter, more an administrative hate crime than a simple letter, had me wincing. “Oh God, the resignation letter, freshly typed and sitting in Julie’s pigeonhole! The bit where I compare her posture to that of Kermit the Frog. When he’s not being puppeteered…” I want to hate someone this much 😭

And then of course her thieving, lying husband delivers one final blow which means she's not getting her clean getaway. She has to face the consequences of what she's done.

Or… she could… not? “STOP! … I’m pregnant!”

Not the first thing I'd have gone with, but okay?

But if you squint, the logic's sound. Ish. “Paid maternity leave is my chance to redress the balance for all the holidays gifted to favoured sisters and promotions granted to less-deserving colleagues.”

If you're going to blow up your life, may as well have a mission statement 🤷🏼‍♀️

Now, if you're going to defraud the government and trick everyone you know, you need to do it right. First, you need a doctor to confirm your pregnancy. And that's not as simple as it sounds. So you need to shop around.

She gives the first doctor painful flashbacks, the second’s a right wing nutcase, and the third is dead behind his desk when she arrives for her appointment. HE'S DEAD. Of course he is 😭

The Guernsey setting’s perfect for the level of fuckery going on here. The story wouldn't work nearly as well in a city. There’s nowhere to disappear. Gossip spreads like wildfire. Every single person you meet knows someone who knows someone who knows you.

The entire island feels like a pressure cooker with Barri inside holding a match.

And it just keeps escalating. There's something delightfully British about the cringe factor. It's not just oh no, something bad happened. It's the particular horror of making an absolute fucking spectacle of yourself and then having to see everyone afterwards.

The increasingly ridiculous scenarios never feel like one dramatic event after another. It's cumulative. Every bad decision creates another problem. And that problem requires another lie. And that lie creates another person who needs convincing. It all of course leads to another opportunity for Barri to make an absolute dick of herself.

Like the workplace pregnancy celebration. Where Barri:

- Rips “the banner off the wall, not caring that my rough grab tears it in half”
- Stamps on the banner “for good measure”
- Goes on a rant about “limescale-infused kettle water – look at the scum!”
- Deems the celebration “Completely inappropriate for the welcoming of a foetus”
- Destroys the cake.

And then, noticing “that everyone is looking behind me, making apologetic faces,” realises the person the party was actually for is right behind her.

😱😱

Jesus fruitcake Christ 😭

My soul left my body.

Naturally, in typical British cringe fashion, it's not enough that Barri's behaved appallingly. It's that she has to stand there afterwards and feel every bit of shame. She doesn't get a dramatic escape. Just the mounting horror upon realising everyone's seen you behave like a complete lunatic and now you have to make small talk.

And it just continues from there.

By the time you get to a kitchen knife in a fake pregnancy bump, several grams of ketamine stuffed inside the hole left by the kitchen knife in the fake pregnancy bump, sniffer dogs, and a strip search, you're not asking, omg Barri why would you do this?

You're asking, how the fuck are we getting out of this one?

You know what the most humbling sound is following the glory of having stripped in front of a police officer while sporting a fake pregnancy bump, several grams of ketamine, and not getting caught? The sound of a rubber glove smacking against a wrist.

I was all set to give this 5 stars. It was shaping up to be one of my top reads of the year. But the ending was just a bit too neat and kept it from perfection.

And the ending gets a bit twee.

I know, you’ve said millions of times that you don’t want a baby. But in all that moaning and groaning, the one thing I’ve never heard you say is that you don’t want to be a mum.

Oh, come onnnn.

I get what the book's trying to say, and for the most part it handles it well. Barri, who's spent so long conflating the things she really wants with motherhood, eventually realises she can have all those things without a baby. She can have connection and purpose, she can nurture, she can need and be needed.

It's a lovely message. But it's let down by the word ‘mum,’ because it still implies (to me at least) that to have all those things, you need to be a parent or a parent figure.

The problem for me is that framing it that way feels like a bit of a cop out when the book's spent so much time establishing that Barri doesn't want a dependent. So while I adore Callum and Barri's relationship, I found the final framing slightly frustrating.

I also didn't love how quickly everything wraps up.

The book's so committed to making Barri's life worse and worse that the ending feels a little too tidy. There's a distinct lack of consequences. Technically, she didn't do anything illegal, but she's lied to everyone, dragged people into increasingly stupid schemes, and basically acted like a wrecking ball with legs. Yet people forgive her so easily.

I would have liked more mess. More fallout. More discomfort. More time for Barri to feel the consequences of her actions. Because by the end it feels like things snap back into place once she's had an emotional breakthrough.

Everything I disliked about the ending is also why I liked it. This isn't a book that's interested in a woman getting what she deserves. It's interested in a woman finding what she was missing.

And despite my complaints about Barri at that point, I loved seeing Barri getting to that point.

This book made me feel so many things.

I was so tense. I cringed. I physically recoiled. I squeezed my eyes shut. I was constantly saying some variation of oh fuck or oh my god. I'm still recovering from the secondhand embarrassment. I may never recover.

[afra · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ewa Cat Mędrzecka · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[em · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Livvy Cropper · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Wybredna Maruda · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 •

[Maddie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Motherfaker is in equal measures funny and moving, with the moments of 'really' and 'what the heck' to 'I get you' and 'I understand'. Barri is one of those seemingly devisive characters, determined to live life on her own rules, needing love but always just striking out and being left out. Until something snaps and Barri does the one thing nobody would ever expect her to do - she breaks the rules, she fakes. And what follows made me laugh and made me symphatise and made me want to just give her a hug. A fab read overall.

[Sheree | Keeping Up With The Penguins · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Karen MS - LadyK · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Mariana · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Rachael D · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Nimi · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Sara Swallow · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barri is not likeable at all as a character.
Her interactions with her student are so far beyond inappropriate it made me uncomfortable.
The book thought it was very funny and clever, I did not agree.

[smellslikebookishspirit ❤︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!

[Suzanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sorry this really wasn’t my kind of book. It feels like the author is trying too hard to be funny, and the writing comes across as very bitchy.
A good premise, but not for me. Abandoned.

[Samz · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Aneta (bujonetka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"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.

[Evie Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Bookphenomena (Micky) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Gem ~ZeroShelfControl~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ella Squire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed the majority - and the narration style, which felt reminiscent of Eleanor Oliphant - but found the whole thing rather stressful

[sarah · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

Disappointed she didn’t get away with it, I was rooting for her crazy behaviour

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just makes me wanna be sterilized

[Jess Mival · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Katie Burnette · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barri was annoying imo and the ending was super duper cheesy. But it did have me giggling at certain points! Like the knife in the stomach and Barri just telling the girl that pregnant ladies can do that lololol that was insane.

But the whole relationship with Callum to just end up being a motherly thing? Yeah no I’m not buying that.

Sean should have been arrested for attempted murder though‼️‼️

[Jessica Delia · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Emma North · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.