Diary of a Stressed Out Mother: Bedlam: Prize-winner Nicola Kelsall’s #1 book in the heartwarming comedy series that every mother can relate to.

by Nicola Kelsall

“A little Cracker of a read” This crazy, hilarious page-turner will knock you for six! Masterfully plotted, and brilliantly observed, Dora’s diary will entertain and enchant in equal measure. Bedlam, is the first of four books in the hysterically funny series, “Diary of a Stressed Out Mother”. Dora Loveday (harassed mother of four kids, two unruly dogs, and a psychotic cat), records the daily chaos and madness of her family life in this laugh-out-loud, comic romp of a diary!

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction

301 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 21, 2015

About the author

Nicola is a prize-winning author of comedy and romantic comedy. Her 'Diary of a Stressed Out Mother' series is a bestselling series of books in the Amazon Kindle Comedy Store.

She is a writer, an artist, mum to her own three children, and has been foster mum to many more. She lives and works in a small Cotswold village near Cheltenham, with her husband and ever-present dog, Chester.

Reviews

[Sharron Joy Reads]

A fun entertaining read.

If it can go wrong it does in this funny diary of a mother of four, this was a hoot and I laughed out loud throughout!

[Julie Haigh]

A very funny, feel-good read-I loved it!

I received a free copy of this book for an honest review. Nicola Kelsall's name is new to me but after reading this first offering from her I can say she is definitely a name to watch-I loved this book! I read this fairly quickly as it was so engaging and fast moving. The book's style is similar to someone such as Sophie Kinsella and it's refreshing to see a more 'normal' character-ie not a model-like woman who is absolutely perfection personified and able to buy all the designer shoes and clothes-here is a 'real' woman, a normal wife with a few kids who is trying to just get through day to day life and all its ups and downs-she's like you and me-she's believable. I found I was sniggering even in the first few lines of the book! It's such a laughable scenario on their honeymoon! I was hoping this was the shape of things to come as it was looking good even this early on! There's a nice brief prologue, it's attention grabbing and soon hooks you in. The book continues in diary format-which I like. In the first few pages the author builds up a good picture of the characters and their quirks. It has a great, concise style, I got straight in it and enjoyed it right away. The book tells of three months in this family's lives. I had just started it and next thing I knew it was well into the early hours of the morning-I wanted to read on as I was enjoying it so much! It's very amusing; just normal family life and issues people deal with but told in a nice light, refreshing and comical way. Dora's mum comes to stay with them to convalesce. Dora has to juggle her job, looking after her mum, the kids, cooking and shopping etc. It all makes for an amusing setting. Very pleasant reading, I really like the tone of this, a fun read. There's a hilarious chapter at the swimming pool! A well-observed romp through the 'normality' of family life which turns out to be anything but routine and normal. A fun, feel-good read. It just cruised along at a great pace and I couldn't put it down, I kept reading-just a bit more, just a bit more. This built so well, so funny! I spluttered on a few occasions-such perfect comedy timing by the author. This really was a great book, I enjoyed it so much. It was funny and entertaining. It had a satisfying conclusion, yet it left it open for a possible sequel-I do hope there are more adventures for this family, I will definitely be buying any follow-up books.

[Sandra]

  I was intrigued by the sound of this when I was asked if I wanted to review it.  Not being a mother I haven’t read many books of this type, they’ve never really appealed to me but this one was somehow different.  I have to admit it wasn’t quite what I expected, though this is a diary it only covers January, February and March (for some reason I thought it covered a full year) but don’t let that stop you reading, this is a gem of a book and I’m hoping this first of a series that will cover at least one full year in the lives of Dora Loveday and her family.

I can’t say a lot about the content without risking spoilers (which I don’t do) but this is a brilliantly written book, it’s easy to read, funny and the characters are excellently crafted and completely realistic.  In the book Dora not only has to contend with her husband and children but also pets, her mother, her in-laws, her friends and a few other people as well and her trials and tribulations with them all made me glad that my home life is a lot calmer than hers.

If you want something a little bit different but realistic and funny then I would definitely recommend this book.  I’ve also been advised that there are plans to publish a second book covering April, May and June.

Many thanks to the author for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Sue Evans]

I received a free copy of the book for an honest review. While I found the characters and situations amusing, and at times chuckled out loud, it felt as though there was no depth or flow to the story, so overall it left me feeling a bit frustrated. It was a bit like having a favourite relative to visit and having them
them regale you for the whole evening with a series of over the top jokes. Amusing enough while it's happening but at the end of the evening you wonder what the point was. Probably a good holiday read if you are looking for something to dip in and out of without worrying too much about a story and conc!usion. Thank you to the author for the opportunity to read the book.

[Nikki Bywater]

A warm, witty read about a 'stressed out mother' of four Dora, who encounters some hilarious and laugh out loud calamities all in the name of 'responsibility' and 'family life' The book is set out in a diary blog form which makes it have a nice fast flow and gives it a lively pace. With lots of colourful characters, sharp wit and a silly sense of humour, this book is an hilarious read.

[Vickie Taylor-Edwards]

My children aren't the same age as Dora's but I found I could definitely identify with some of the scenarios in this book (worryingly!) and a couple of times I actually laughed out loud. I enjoyed the overall story and found the fact it was written in diary form made it easier to read. Would recommend.

[Joanne]

Very Funny!

Loved all of the characters. Great book to sit and relax with!
Will definitely look for more books by this author.

[Debbie Young]

What a fun read for any stressed-out modern mum, of any age. This is one of the most enjoyable books I've read this year, and I couldn't put it down, the diary format making me keep turning the pages, for just one more day... one more week,,, I'll stop when I get to the end of the month... In the end, I finished it within 24 hours, and am now looking forward to the next installment.

This is a warm, good-hearted read about believable, relatable characters, including mum, dad, three children, aunts, uncles, grandparents and family friends, that hits so many hot buttons about contemporary life.

I'd rank it with those classic vintage books in this genre, "The Diary of A Provincial Lady" by E M Delafield (far funnier than that title makes it sound), and "Diary of a Nobody" by George & Weedon Grosssmith, which I've read many times over the years and have frequently given as gifts to others who I thought I'd appreciate it.

I read this book on my Kindle, but will be buying a paperback to dip in to again in future, and to show and recommend to family and friends

[Bruce Spydar]

A highly entertaining read

I’ve seen this series flashing up on my Instagram feed for a while, and I finally decided to check it out. The title and cover enticed me towards a humorous and relatable chaos, and it didn’t disappoint.
Dora, the diary writer, has four children, two dogs, a cat, a husband in a midlife crisis, not to mention hippie in-laws … it certainly makes for entertaining family dynamics. Every day there is something to give you a chuckle, and something to make you think about your own life. If you read this book and don’t already have children, it might put you off ever having any. For me, it helped confirm the advantages of stopping after one, and of living a relatively boring life. A highly entertaining read.

[Becky]

Truthful

Thid book.is about a woman with three kids and a husband and what struggles she has to face on a daily basis, from the Monday morning chaos to her husband dumping bricks on a nemesis drive, crazy hippy parent in laws and a best friend facing jail.
This book definitely keeps you on your toes.
I gave it a four star rating because it could of used a bit more humour but all in all a good book.

[Hannah Symonds]

What a little cracker of a read. The cover certainly lives up to what happens in the book. It is a nice light hearted read that follows Dora through her and her family life. I laughed so much and I love how it is such a believable story. 

[Carol Rode]

Great Book

This was a very enjoyable book to read. The stress of just living everyday and raising a family is one thing but all the other problems she had. I enjoyed reading this book makes my life not so bad now.

[Ann anthony]

Fantastic

Another brilliant read, so many things to relate to,, just so much humour, a proper feel good read,, once started you don't want to put down untill you've finished the whole book,,, suffice to say,, not a lot of house work got done today

[Stephanie Deguara]

This book was recommended to me as a really funny book so I felt I had to read the book all the way through. I felt like the ideas were good funny ideas but it was like the book wasn’t finished. It felt like a first draft. The writing lacks depth and felt like the bare bones.

[Cindy Gosnell]

I loved it and hated it in equal measure. The story was fantastic but as the mother of a 14 year old the next few years are looking bleak 🤣

[Alison Smith]

normal family life

Loved every day of this book, all the characters were well written and the chemistry between Dora & Andrew was lovely. Can’t wait to read the next book.

[Mark Beer]

A nice easy read but not a great deal of substance.

[Jemma]

Made me realise my own chaotic life isn't so chaotic 🤣

[Stephanie Neill]

very relatable

Great book. Made me giggle & I too am going through similar struggles & it was reassuring to read the similarities. Will be reading the next one.

[Nicola Wilson]

As a mum found it really relatable

[Book-shelf Shelf]

As soon as I read the title, I smiled and thought ‘ha! how appropriate at this time in my life with 4 young children’. What can I say, Dora has read my mind and I was hooked from the first paragraph. This book seems to me to be written by a real life mom whom doesn't sugar coat anything, she says it how it is, which had me smiling, laughing and identifying throughout. Dora and Andrew have 4 children at various ages ,so all at a different stage in their lives and this book captures it all, the seemingly never ending jobs, stress and unfortunately for Dora, some quite bad luck. This book didn't sugarcoat motherhood like others it told it how it really is to have a family and husband and pets and a house to run, it was a really enjoyable read proven by the fact it took me only 3 days as I couldn't put it down. I cannot wait for volume 2. It makes me feel like I'm not the only mom at the end off my tether at times which is comforting as in real life know one says it how it is but Dora. Dora speaks the truth and it's bloody brilliant!!!!

[Adele]

As soon as I read the synopsis of this novel I knew I’d appreciate this story. As a mother myself I can totally understand and imagine the ups and downs of life with a husband, four children, two dogs and a cat, not forgetting the eco loving in laws! This was such a romp of a read. It was set out like a diary and Dora, the harassed mother, guided you through each day of her life. Each day was filled with adventure, mishaps, catastrophes. Nicola, the author, has such a great imagination and her humour is just brilliant. I was laughing out loud during all Dora’s crazy days. The book flowed really well and to be honest I was sad when it ended however, I’m thrilled to learn that Nicola is writing a sequel and I’m looking forward to more from Dora and the gang.

A great, fun filled story full of hilarious mishaps and adventures that will have you laughing through the pages. 5/5*

[Nicola Hession-Kent]

I received a copy for an honest review.
Diary of a stressed out mother is exactly that. Life for Dora seems to be in a constant cycle of doing household chores, looking after her four children (all with varying personalities and challenges they face), school, losing her job and looking for work, being there for her husband, his crazy parents, her friends and the family pets.
Honestly, I found myself getting irritated with Dora and her clumsiness and naivety. The silly things she did (briefcase and playpen) and silly situations she found herself in were a little too much.
All in all though a good read.

[Maggie]

Perfect summer read - laugh out loud as you are drawn into the hilarious family and their teenage children. Anyone with children will identify with the scrapes and compromise. Recommended for anyone who likes the comedy diary style and excellent companion on the beach. Entertaining worth a look!