Crazy, Busy, Guilty

by Lauren Sams

The juggle is real . . .

Georgie Henderson is having a bad year. As a new – working – mum, she strives to be Sheryl Sandberg at work and Martha Stewart at home. But she's discovering that in the twenty-first century being a Good Working Mum means answering emails at midnight while you puée vegetables and line up playdates and French lessons for your four-month-old daughter.

Georgie's ex, Jase, gets 100 per cent of the credit for 5 per cent of the work, and her best friend, Nina, is on a 'self-discovery' journey that involves a 25-yer-old bartender and a plan to become an artisanal florist. And all Georgie's mum wants is for Georgie to find a man. Preferably the man who is the father of her child.

In Crazy, Busy, Guilty, Lauren Sams returns to the characters of She's Having Her Baby and unpacks the realities of modern parenting with candour, humour and warmth.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

Published January 3, 2017

About the author

Lauren Sams is a writer and author who has worked in magazines for ten years. She writes for Cosmopolitan, ELLE, marie claire, Sunday Style and Daily Life. She lives in Sydney with her husband, daughter and two dogs.

She's Having Her Baby is her first book, and she is currently working on a sequel.

Elaine Benes is her spirit animal.

For weekly musings from Lauren, sign up to her Tiny Letter here: http://tinyletter.com/laurensams.

Reviews

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a good read, it reminded me of bringing up my lovely babies!!! It was very much like Sophie Kinsella books very amusing. Although I ve read the 2nd one first I think it stands out alone and I will be reading the first one.

[Cynthia Coghill · Rating 4 out of 5]

The old chestnut of whether a mother can have it all is refreshingly revisited in this second novel by Lauren Sams. It also broaches the question of whether all women are maternally inclined or have it thrust on them by happenstance.

Georgie has a baby, Pippa. Georgie is clueless as to what to do with her. She gets the basics that they need to be fed and changed regularly but that's where it ends. (There's a part where she thinks Pippa will continue in the nappies she's had from birth. Pippa's grown and they no longer fit. What to do?)
Her mothers' group are of little help as each mother insists they have sussed this whole mothering gig. According to Georgie she is a "bad" mother for anticipating her return to the workforce. After all, shouldn't she want to be with Pippa day in, day out? It appears not. Throw into the mix her best friend Nina who, going through a messy divorce, has reverted to single life with gay abandon. Georgie had envisaged Nina helping her with this transition. Alas, that falls through and Georgie struggles to accept that people change, including her.

Lauren Sams writes with insight of the pitfalls of returning to the hectic, unrelenting working life you had pre-baby, whilst attempting to spend time with your baby. Georgie only has to call on the people around her for help and they'll be there - including Pippa's father. She believes she's superwoman and can do everything, even when it's late at night and the exhaustion has driven her to tears of frustration. Something's got to give, the question, as always, is what?

[Bronwyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quite a good, light read. Being a mother to two children under two I could relate to a lot of the main protagonists experiences and thoughts regarding new motherhood. However, the first few chapters seemed to consist of a whole bunch of quips about motherhood - I just wanted her to get on with telling the story. I also found that the main protagonist was very sensitive to any perceivable criticisms of her life choices but she was extremely critical of every other character in the book which left a bad taste in my mouth. I would like to see more from this author but something with a much stronger and more creative plot.

[Sany · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gonna miss Georgina and Pippa

[Ayu Dipta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I give my 5 stars cause the story relates in every level of my life as working-mom. George was a gorgeous. Even for every motherhood whom already planned the baby and marriage sometimes it's quite difficult. It's inevitable to feel the guilt and such leaving you kids at home, without being able to care every single minute of them but you still have to go on because you know how much you good at work but suck as a mom at home. That hits me hard.

I was reading this book when the covid-19 pandemic hit the world and I have to stay at home, self-quarantine because after I travelled to Bali I've got sick, cold, fever, and cough. And my son got sick because of me. He's been suspect getting Covid-19 because a slight pneumonia. I thought this was a hardest time of my life. Work life, parenthood, household are tangled so complicated a couple month before this is happening. And the last storm was this pandemic. It was like struck by the thunder but not in a good way. You know more like struck and suffer rather than getting the enlightenment-
superpower thing like Thor.

But, then in my solitary quarantine when I should get distance five feet away from my son (cause I still had a cough), I read this book. You just need the right book to ease your uneasy feeling. I feel it when George said to herself 'Bad Mum' million time cause now I like to cursed myself because I wasn't good enough. And like everybody told me I wasn't that good as mum. Being judge because they look over my endless pile of works, went out of the town because of duty work, I look left behind my child. I feel the revelation after read this book. Cause it is you that decide what kind of mum you want to be. If you've still figure it out so be it. It was a long journey to be that the best version of mother you wanna be. Sorry too much drama to tell here in one book review :p

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read the Lauren Sams first book and this is the sequel, I have finished it and I want more from these characters. I hope that's a possibility but maybe one more wouldn't be enough that's how much I love them!

A twist happened that I was ultra pleased about. Despite not been a mum myself I enjoyed hearing about the mum aspect of this book and how juggling everything is such a major difficulty . There was some people who Georgia worked with that I wanted to shout at as they were rude or thought they were better than everyone else. I love Georgia and her Pippa daughter, and during the book I thought I love the name Pippa! I was rooting for Georgia and for her to find happiness. Did she find out she could have it all? you'll have to read this fantastic book to find out. I'd recommend starting with the first book.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I realised about two chapters in that this was the sequel to something I read last year! It was fun to catch up with Georgie and her baby Pip. Georgie is mother to a young baby and returning to work. The full time working single mother juggle is one I know far too well, and Lauren Sams writes about it with perfect truth. The struggle of sleepless nights, never quite meeting anyone’s expectations, constant guilt and no one quite understanding how bloody hard it is to keep your head above water and how we just don’t have time to have a mental breakdown or even a sleep. It was so wonderful to read a realistic book about these struggles, not one with a Hollywood spin. This was funny and sad and a lovely read.

[Amber Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I give this one 2.5 stars. I ended up listening to it on audiobook and the reader absolutely made the book for me. She was hilariously entertaining; however, I think if I would have tried to read the print version I wouldn't have finished. The format of the book was a little jumpy and there was no real depth or progression of the story in my opinion. It was a good depiction of chaotic mum life, but just not my personal cup of tea. If you enjoy quick, funny reads without a lot of depth this one would be great for you. Grab a copy, maybe some wine and lay by the pool.

[Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoughts:
~ Really, really, ridiculously funny.
~ Expertly (and humorously) dissects the unrealistic societal expectations of motherhood.
~ Although motherhood is a huge theme in this book, it also tackles friendship, career and identity, which anyone can relate to.
~ Makes fun of Sydney's hipster food scene, which I am SO here for.
~ Shout-out to all the mums who kick butt.
~ Best read with a gin and tonic.

[Talya Salman · Rating 5 out of 5]

i can read this book rightaway, right from the beginning, right now, right till my last breath. its just right in all the right ways. this is one right book i am the happiest to read as a reader. satire on motherhood, womanhood, stupid societal standards and working mothers are definitely my forte. i love you lauren sams for writing this wonderful, right book. legit thing! all other things are BS!

[Andrew Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a goodreads giveaway. Before I read this book I read the first Georgie book and enjoyed that one. Lauren's style is very straightforward which makes the characters believable, angaging and gives you a ringside seat to their daily trials and tribulations. An enjoyable read that could make a good movie.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was easy to get into - although I did find out at the end it was actually the second book in the series! It was a really good, honest commentary on being a single working mother in today's society, and the unrealistic expectations others put on each other by only advertising the glamorous aspects of their lives.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was just ok.. I didn’t realise it was book 2 which didn’t help with character bonding, so the first 1/4 was a bit slow.. I didn’t relate to a lot of the plot being a childless spinster myself but I guess it was a good insight into how I’d picture my life as a single mother.. still not for me haha

[Heather Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun story about a hot mess of a working mom that looked a lot like staring in a mirror for me.

The struggle to balance work life and home life is very real and the guilt and feeling that you’re screwing up in all areas of your life at once is super relatable.

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Well done!

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very accurate account of working motherhood. It was a good read but I would have enjoyed it more when I was at the same stage in my life. I have recommended it to my daughter who just had a baby this year.

[Reannon Bowen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fast book with characters you kinda want to slap but most of them you just want them to hurry up & figure out what's best. I think it's a story that a lot of woman would relate to.

[Ana Urban · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a mum but Just could not relate. A bit too forced for me. Had to give up. Sorry.

[Melinda Crumblin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very enjoyable read. I could relate to a lot of it. Lost one star for poor editing. I'm sure at one point it said it was 2017, then a bit later it was 2016?

[Kvstaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

More of the same!

[Jemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny and honest!

[Betty Macdonald Saudemont · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written with laugh out loud humour, this book expertly (and humorously) dissects the unrealistic societal expectations of motherhood.
Best read with a mojito

[Jessie Noone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very light easy read about the juggle of motherhood and working, relatable and funny

[Janet]

Didn’t read this book

[Hannah Thom · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️'s

[Susie Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

look, this was fine. especially if you like books where there are more quips than complexities. as someone who has been reading literary fiction for clearly far too long, this was quite a nice break. there are some moments that are actually HILARIOUS. and some parts hinted at insights into the publishing world, but it was all so surface level. I'd have enjoyed more of the critique of the foodie industry, especially since the author is in that industry. as it was, all the quips left hardly any room for character development of the protagonist whose name I've actually forgotten right now. perhaps if I'd read the first one it would have made more sense. it definitely sounded like a lot of interesting stuff went on in there, such as the whole mixup between best friend and protagonist's surrogacy agreement. and indeed, decision to keep the baby of a relationship that recently ended. I have however learnt about mastitis which could be an important life skill and there were definitely some moments where I was like, THANK YOU FOR SAYING THIS. so all in all, an extremely guilty pleasure read but do please only read this if you got the free advanced copy off your mum.

[Marcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Crazy Busy Guilty is Lauren Sams’ second book following on from She’s Having a Baby. If I were to have one criticism of the book it is that it would have been less confusing for the reader if there had been a brief recap of the first book in the prologue to clarify the relationships between the characters.
Instead in the prologue Sams asks what sort of mum are you? She then goes onto describe some different idealised options, Foodie Mum, Patient Mum, Martyr Mum, Stylish Mum, Organised Mum, Involved Mum, and Hipster Mum before suggesting that you are really Just Trying to Keep Everyone Happy Mum. It's 30+ years since I was a new mum, but I'm pretty sure I didn't fit into any of those boxes, Trying to Keep My Head Above Water and Pretend I'm Waving Not Drowning Mum was probably more my style!
The story itself begins with the acknowledgement that “There’s life Before Baby and life After Baby; that’s pretty obvious. Any idiot knows that.” And then launches into the reality of life After Baby experienced by many modern parents. The main character Georgie has had her baby and is now facing the reality of life as a single parent. Her friend Nina, recently separated from her husband Matt, and dealing with her own reality that she will probably never have a biological child of her own, has been “encouraged” by Georgie to come and live with them and “co-parent”. Except Nina seems to be having a mid-life crisis and instead of being home to help with baby Pip she is out drinking and partying every night.

Georgie’s other friend Ellie seems to have this parenting bit down pat and encourages Georgie to join a Mothers group so she meets with other mums with similar aged babies. Georgie doesn’t find this to be a positive experience. She feels inferior and judged by the other mums who seem to have this parenting business under control, whereas she can barely work out what day it is. How, Georgie wonders, have they managed to crack the Motherhood Code. they had only been doing it for the same amount as time as her, how had they figured it out already.

And then there’s the fact that with Pippa barely 6 months old Georgie is returning to work, but to a new job as editor of a newspaper supplement, ‘The Weekend’. Her friend Lee, who had been doing the job, was leaving and suggested this would be the perfect job for a woman with a new baby, a woman publisher, family friendly hours, a breast feeding room. For Georgie this seemed like a reprieve from being at home and trying to be a good mum to Pippa, something at which she felt she was failing.

The new job of course brings challenges, the other mums at the mothers and babies group are shocked that she is going back to work so soon, or in fact at all; as is her own mum. Not only does she need to organise day care for Pippa, Nina seems to becoming less and less reliable in assisting her and the reality of the job isn't quite what she expects, or has been led to believe.
We watch as Georgie endeavours to be all things to all people and in doing so discovers her own limits. As she develops a new relationship she also discovers that the other mums haven’t actually cracked the Motherhood Code, they’ve just learnt to pretend really well and make their own compromises to appear competent and then there is the surprising twist at the end,

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and consider it should be required reading for every new and prospective new parent. Although nothing will ever truly prepare you for life After Baby this book goes close. I loved Sams’ writing style which took you right inside Georgie’s head with all the confusion and emotion that she was feeling. Yet at the same time the book has a humorous edge.

[Gyan Yankovich · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished Lauren's first book, "She's Having Her Baby", desperate to know what happened to Georgie. This book gave me all the answers I wished for and more.

This book is honest and insightful, but it's also goddamn funny. I have a newfound respect for all the working mothers I know - especially the ones who somehow manage to make it look easy.

[Monica Purwanti · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I went straight to this book bypassing the other book? I couldn't bond with any of the characters. The romance was not believable (no chemistry there), and what I find difficult to digest was her constant complaints. Her inner musings were all nagging complaints. I am a mother myself but I couldn't relate to whatever she's saying most of the time. Everything was exaggerated and I couldn't see the humour.

For example:
Jase smiled and nodded, taking a stab at an understanding facial expression. What I would have really liked to hear was, "Anything I can do to help?" But he didn't say that.

If she really wants to hear that, then why didn't she verbally ask for help? She was being disrespectful to her mother too, which only wanted to help, and her mother actually did, in a lot of occasions. Did she ever apologize for being rude? Never. The whole book was like this, and I ended up skim reading a lot of pages because I couldn't handle any more of her being ungrateful and selfish. She wanted to be understood, not being judged as a bad mom and needed a lot of break, while she's being judgmental and never extending the same courtesy to others. She has a lot of help for a new mom (from her mothers, two best friends, ex, and she even has a mom-circle), those kind of help were non-existent to most moms, yet this book is full with rude complaints about all of those people who help her.

I was hoping to really enjoy this book because I loved reading Momzillas and thought this was going to be similar to that. It was really disappointing and I guess not my cup of tea. All it could accomplish is probably deter single women not to get accidentally pregnant. Motherhood is not for everyone. Stay away if you cannot handle it. Give the baby up for adoption. It's not too late, you can still "have a life".

Rant over.

[Missyd · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this very cliched. The humour didn't work for me either.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book, it had me nodding my head and reading it aloud to my husband in bed at night when all he wanted to do was go to sleep. Highly recommend this book for a great laugh and a good old reminiscence.