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Souper Mum
A fantastic debut novel that takes a refreshing look at family, modern life, and the joyless merits of quinoa. Monday morning can't get any worse for harassed mum-of-four Jools Campbell when, after a frantic school run, she's cornered in the supermarket by pompous celebrity chef Tommy McCoy, who starts criticising the contents of her trolley. Apparently the fact that she doesn't make her own bread or buy organic is tantamount to child abuse. In a hurry and short of patience, she berates McCoy for judging her when she hasn't the time or the money to feed her family in line with his elitist ideals. Unbeknownst to Jools, her rant has been filmed and immediately goes viral on YouTube, making her a reluctant celebrity overnight. With McCoy determined to discredit her by delving into her personal life, Jools decides it's time to fight her corner in the name of all the fraught mums out there who are fed up with being made to feel bad by food snobs like him. Armed with some fish fingers and her limited cooking repertoire, Jools must negotiate the unfamiliar world of celebrity while staying true to her instincts as a mum.
304 pages, Paperback
Published June 16, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 13, 2021
Although this book was enjoyable to read and I was thoroughly thrilled to read a book centred around food and cooking, there were a few things which made reading to the end a complete drag.
It was way too long for a start. Jools had so many meltdowns that in the end they meant nothing as there had been one three pages before and will be another coming along shortly. I think the mother storyline should have been edited out. It didn't go anywhere, and just added more pages.
Speaking of mothers, considering this book was about motherhood Jools did very little mothering of her own. She spent most of her time whining, online, or drinking. The kids were taken care of by her army of babysitters. I don't understand why the woman was ever tired or unkept when her father, 2 brothers, husband, mother-in-law, and friends were always looking after the children or tidying the house. Maybe she's just a lazy slob looking for an excuse. I thought it was really rich of her to insult Tom and Kitty for having nannies, when she spent 5 minutes looking after her own children.
Which leads me to 'the enemies' (the author was totally writing about Jamie Oliver, she doesn't even hide it). They are totally unbelievable. There was no redeeming moment with them. They were just all bad. They were (insert Dr Evil here) eeeevvvvviiiiilllll. Humans aren't like that. They were like the cartoon bad guy who gets his comeuppance to the delight of the crowd. It was not believable.
Jools was also an immature, emotionally unstable nutcase. Someone gives her the slightest insult and she's gun's blazing. Who cares if a celebrity chef doesn't like her opinion? Why does it matter? She has no respect for her husband whatsoever. He tells her time and again that he doesn't like the media intrusions, and every day she just makes it worse and worse. I was hoping he'd leave her and find a woman who actually cares about someone besides herself.
I would have enjoyed this book far more if Jools had been a better character. If she had actually behaved like a mother instead of just claiming to be one.
I enjoyed the interactions of the characters around Jools. I felt like I was part of the family whenever the whole cast of characters were anywhere. I think it would have been a great book had Jools decided that it was better to learn to cook for her family instead of taking on a caricature of Jamie Oliver. I feel like Jools learnt nothing. The real story got lost in the celebrity worship.
It was way too long for a start. Jools had so many meltdowns that in the end they meant nothing as there had been one three pages before and will be another coming along shortly. I think the mother storyline should have been edited out. It didn't go anywhere, and just added more pages.
Speaking of mothers, considering this book was about motherhood Jools did very little mothering of her own. She spent most of her time whining, online, or drinking. The kids were taken care of by her army of babysitters. I don't understand why the woman was ever tired or unkept when her father, 2 brothers, husband, mother-in-law, and friends were always looking after the children or tidying the house. Maybe she's just a lazy slob looking for an excuse. I thought it was really rich of her to insult Tom and Kitty for having nannies, when she spent 5 minutes looking after her own children.
Which leads me to 'the enemies' (the author was totally writing about Jamie Oliver, she doesn't even hide it). They are totally unbelievable. There was no redeeming moment with them. They were just all bad. They were (insert Dr Evil here) eeeevvvvviiiiilllll. Humans aren't like that. They were like the cartoon bad guy who gets his comeuppance to the delight of the crowd. It was not believable.
Jools was also an immature, emotionally unstable nutcase. Someone gives her the slightest insult and she's gun's blazing. Who cares if a celebrity chef doesn't like her opinion? Why does it matter? She has no respect for her husband whatsoever. He tells her time and again that he doesn't like the media intrusions, and every day she just makes it worse and worse. I was hoping he'd leave her and find a woman who actually cares about someone besides herself.
I would have enjoyed this book far more if Jools had been a better character. If she had actually behaved like a mother instead of just claiming to be one.
I enjoyed the interactions of the characters around Jools. I felt like I was part of the family whenever the whole cast of characters were anywhere. I think it would have been a great book had Jools decided that it was better to learn to cook for her family instead of taking on a caricature of Jamie Oliver. I feel like Jools learnt nothing. The real story got lost in the celebrity worship.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2016
This debut novel is laugh-out-loud funny!!! Lots of good hearty and honest swearing, farting and snot talk! I found myself snorting with giggles on the train. Easy to read and topical... With loveable and realistic characters. Can't wait for the sequel!
August 15, 2016
I bought a copy of 'Souper Mum' because the author is a friend and a brilliant short fiction writer. I have to confess, it isn't the genre I'd usually pick; however, it is well worth reading, whether you're a fan of women's contemporary fiction or not.
The story follows mother of four, Jools Campbell's, journey as she is dragged into the superficial world of celebrity, after being accosted in the supermarket by TV chef, Tommy McCoy, and judged for the contents of her shopping trolley.
The characterisation is strong, and Bailey's take on modern life is spot on. The dialogue is sharp, and the humour offers a great balance to the more serious underlying issues. I loved the development of Jools' relationship with her mother-in-law, Gia, and the portrayal of Jools' long-term relationship with Matt; particularly salient is the paragraph on the use of 'I love you'. This is a no-holds-barred look at the nitty-gritty of day to day life compared to romanticised longings for imagined realities.
It is a novel full of reality and humour, and one that tugs at the heartstrings. A superb debut.
The story follows mother of four, Jools Campbell's, journey as she is dragged into the superficial world of celebrity, after being accosted in the supermarket by TV chef, Tommy McCoy, and judged for the contents of her shopping trolley.
The characterisation is strong, and Bailey's take on modern life is spot on. The dialogue is sharp, and the humour offers a great balance to the more serious underlying issues. I loved the development of Jools' relationship with her mother-in-law, Gia, and the portrayal of Jools' long-term relationship with Matt; particularly salient is the paragraph on the use of 'I love you'. This is a no-holds-barred look at the nitty-gritty of day to day life compared to romanticised longings for imagined realities.
It is a novel full of reality and humour, and one that tugs at the heartstrings. A superb debut.
August 14, 2016
Not many books have the ability to make me belly-laugh and have teary eyes in the same proportions; Souper Mum succeeded there! A hilarious analysis of the daily grind of family life that every parent can identify with. Kristen Bailey perfectly captures the chaos, mess, emotions, tearing-your-hair-out moments and love that surround the demands of a modern family and the parental guilt that ensues. An impressive debut novel that has definitely left me wanting to read more.
July 18, 2016
A fun story about a mum taking on a supercilious to chef. Enjoyable and warm, but I felt the main character's swinging between virtually catatonic to extremely eloquent was at times a little unbelievable.
March 16, 2020
Really enjoyed this book and sometimes laughed out loud and then had to explain to my husband. This book reminded me of the Why mummy... series which I really loved.
Read this book whilst on vacation and it was the ideal book to relax with. I would recommend this book.
Read this book whilst on vacation and it was the ideal book to relax with. I would recommend this book.
December 27, 2016
Souper Mum is a contemporary women's fiction novel about mother of four Jools Campbell and her showdown with celebrity TV chef Tommy McCoy.
On a disastrous Monday morning Jools is accosted in the supermarket by Tommy as he sources participants for his TV show where he shows ordinary people healthier ways to cook and eat. Jools isn't in the mood for this and tells him straight what she thinks of him and his show. That evening she discovers she is a YouTube sensation as someone filmed her supermarket rant. The newspapers run articles on her verbal fight and the social media machine snowballs the situation.
Chaos abounds in Jools' everyday life and her new life as a media star. The battle with Tommy culminates in a live TV cook-off, will Jools and her family recipes win over Tommy and his insistence that only organic foods should be fed to families?
This is a funny dialogue lead book which leaves the reader breathless at the end of its galloping pace.
On a disastrous Monday morning Jools is accosted in the supermarket by Tommy as he sources participants for his TV show where he shows ordinary people healthier ways to cook and eat. Jools isn't in the mood for this and tells him straight what she thinks of him and his show. That evening she discovers she is a YouTube sensation as someone filmed her supermarket rant. The newspapers run articles on her verbal fight and the social media machine snowballs the situation.
Chaos abounds in Jools' everyday life and her new life as a media star. The battle with Tommy culminates in a live TV cook-off, will Jools and her family recipes win over Tommy and his insistence that only organic foods should be fed to families?
This is a funny dialogue lead book which leaves the reader breathless at the end of its galloping pace.
September 9, 2018
This was an easy read. There were two things that got in the way of enjoying this book... 1. I didn’t buy in to the choices made by Jools. The portrayal of her character didn’t fit with the decisions she made. Of course, if she hadn’t made those choices then there wouldn’t be a story. 2. Overuse of comments about the nose (tea dribbles through her nose... bubbles out of my nose). There were so many I gave up counting and instead just groaned when I read another. Probably closer to two and half stars because of that alone.
September 3, 2018
Enjoyed but found the progress of the story slow.
June 23, 2018
I can't honestly remember when I had this much fun with a book. This story is awesome; running the gamut from flat out humour to doubts and pathos. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it's set in the exact corner of England where I grew up - Kristen Bailey even gives a nod to my original home town!
The other "plus" is the proper use of the Queen's English: right down to the curse words. Add to that names of stores & products with which I am very familiar and you've got a winning combination. The storyline is fairly familiar also: underdog versus superstar - it really takes off from there.
There is one cobbled-together word that leapt off the page at me: "Twitface." I think we can all figure out where that came from.....especially in today's political climate! Intentional? Perhaps. In any event, give this a shot; I think you'll be glad if you do.
The other "plus" is the proper use of the Queen's English: right down to the curse words. Add to that names of stores & products with which I am very familiar and you've got a winning combination. The storyline is fairly familiar also: underdog versus superstar - it really takes off from there.
There is one cobbled-together word that leapt off the page at me: "Twitface." I think we can all figure out where that came from.....especially in today's political climate! Intentional? Perhaps. In any event, give this a shot; I think you'll be glad if you do.
April 14, 2021
I ordered a paperback from a charity shop online as we were still in lockdown. As a debut novel I wasn’t sure what to expect, with her recent works being incredibly funny I’m glad that this one didn’t disappoint.
Kristen has a great ability to accurately portray real family life in all its hysterical and cringeworthy awkwardness. If you’re a fam on Gill Sims Why Mummy Drinks series, Tracie Podger’s limp dicks and saggy trilogy or Hannah Lynns Peas and Carrots series then this might be another one to start. I am one off to buy the second book whilst I wait patiently for Kristen’s next release.
Kristen has a great ability to accurately portray real family life in all its hysterical and cringeworthy awkwardness. If you’re a fam on Gill Sims Why Mummy Drinks series, Tracie Podger’s limp dicks and saggy trilogy or Hannah Lynns Peas and Carrots series then this might be another one to start. I am one off to buy the second book whilst I wait patiently for Kristen’s next release.
June 4, 2018
Good, down to earth portrayal of modern family life
This was a good, fun read, with a down to earth writing style and portrayal of everyday family life....with the twist of humour many of us use to help us survive it! I would recommend it to anyone without children (educational),with children (empathetic) and for older people whose children have left home (reminiscing). Three stars because I enjoyed reading it, but could easily put it down for a while, which can be useful, but will not remember it in a year’s time.
This was a good, fun read, with a down to earth writing style and portrayal of everyday family life....with the twist of humour many of us use to help us survive it! I would recommend it to anyone without children (educational),with children (empathetic) and for older people whose children have left home (reminiscing). Three stars because I enjoyed reading it, but could easily put it down for a while, which can be useful, but will not remember it in a year’s time.
November 18, 2018
Ich habe die deutsche Version "Tütensuppenglück" gelesen und war überrascht über den herrlich frischen und chaotischen Wind den die Hauptfigur durch die Auseinandersetzung mit einem prominenten Chefkoch in das Leben ihrer Familie bringt. Ein ehrlich direkter und chaotischer Familienroman mit viel Witz. Guz geeignet für alle die sich eigentlich weniger Chaos im eigenen Familienalltag wünschen - es geht auch noch chaotischer. Witzig, chaotisch und voller Liebe und Ehrlichkeit.
June 14, 2018
Hilarious
Great book, great characters and loads of funny moments. Glad it was set in UK and not one of those American bits of twaddle that reviews often say are laugh out loud. Different sense of humour, so actually laugh out loud. Jools and Matt's relationship isn't portrayed as loved up and soppy either - just normal.
Great book, great characters and loads of funny moments. Glad it was set in UK and not one of those American bits of twaddle that reviews often say are laugh out loud. Different sense of humour, so actually laugh out loud. Jools and Matt's relationship isn't portrayed as loved up and soppy either - just normal.
August 20, 2018
Not my usual choice of genre, but it was free via Bookbub and sounded interesting. The author didn't disappoint, I really enjoyed the story and got quite a few good laughs in the process.
May 19, 2019
An insightful and endlessly witty take on parenthood with bags of drama to keep the pages turning. I would recommend to parents and non-parents alike!
January 23, 2020
Nette, seichte Unterhaltung.
October 5, 2020
I read the first chapter and abandoned it. It's not for me - I know it's supposed to be funny and ironic, but I just read the pathos and frustration and that's really not what I read for.
January 3, 2022
Good light read. Laugh out loud funny at times. Even though I am not a mum, I could really relate to Jools!
July 26, 2022
This book is laugh out loud funny! It’s hilarious and totally relatable, the way the author describes the situations in which the parents and their kids find themselves in.
March 14, 2020
Not hysterically funny but still good
I read this after Kristen’s book, HAVE YOU SEEN MY SEX LIFE.? That was hysterical so I went back to read this one. I spent $3.99 in anticipation. It took me a bit to get over the fact that it wasn’t side splitting funny. But once I did, I really enjoyed the story and characters.
I read this after Kristen’s book, HAVE YOU SEEN MY SEX LIFE.? That was hysterical so I went back to read this one. I spent $3.99 in anticipation. It took me a bit to get over the fact that it wasn’t side splitting funny. But once I did, I really enjoyed the story and characters.
December 20, 2020
Es gefiel mir überraschend gut. Jools ist an einem Punkt in ihrem Leben, an dem sie sich fragt, wie sie dahin gekommen ist, ob es gut so ist, wie es ist, ob es nicht anders sein könnte. Umgeben von einer großen sie liebenden Familie.
March 31, 2017
This is the first book that I have read by Kristen Bailey and I don't think it will be my last
I got in to the story straight away and I loved the first few chapters and didn't want to put the book down, I did feel that it slowed down a bit after that but I still enjoyed it. I have already recommended the book to my book group. I plan to look for more books by this author and hope that I enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this one
There are a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, nothing major but I feel that they add to the story.
I enjoyed the writing style of the author, it was a nice easy read that was easy to fall back in to when i picked the book up. I really got a feel for most of the characters (all of the regular, important characters) and could picture them and their surroundings.
I got in to the story straight away and I loved the first few chapters and didn't want to put the book down, I did feel that it slowed down a bit after that but I still enjoyed it. I have already recommended the book to my book group. I plan to look for more books by this author and hope that I enjoy them as much as I enjoyed this one
There are a few twists and turns that I wasn't expecting, nothing major but I feel that they add to the story.
I enjoyed the writing style of the author, it was a nice easy read that was easy to fall back in to when i picked the book up. I really got a feel for most of the characters (all of the regular, important characters) and could picture them and their surroundings.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews