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Mr Make Believe
Marnie Martin’s formerly perfect life is not quite going to plan.
Hard-hitting newspaper journalist turned stay-at-home mum and part-time failing food columnist, Marnie is wondering when her life went so wrong.
While her husband Matt’s career takes off, she’s left with the impossible task of pairing socks and locating Lego. His late nights at the office are turning into late nights who knows where else and they haven’t had a proper conversation in weeks, sex in months, or a full night’s sleep in years.
On the brink of losing everything when a fantasy about movie star Maddox Wolfe leads to a missed deadline and a disastrous case of food poisoning, Marnie becomes Mrs Make Believe: anonymous blogger, secret spiller, and voice of imperfect mums everywhere.
However, Marnie Martin could never have imagined that her movie star daydream would walk off the screen and into her reality, turning her already muddled world totally on its head.
Will Marnie find happiness in the arms of the (literal) man of her dreams? Or will she find that true love is just make believe?
Hard-hitting newspaper journalist turned stay-at-home mum and part-time failing food columnist, Marnie is wondering when her life went so wrong.
While her husband Matt’s career takes off, she’s left with the impossible task of pairing socks and locating Lego. His late nights at the office are turning into late nights who knows where else and they haven’t had a proper conversation in weeks, sex in months, or a full night’s sleep in years.
On the brink of losing everything when a fantasy about movie star Maddox Wolfe leads to a missed deadline and a disastrous case of food poisoning, Marnie becomes Mrs Make Believe: anonymous blogger, secret spiller, and voice of imperfect mums everywhere.
However, Marnie Martin could never have imagined that her movie star daydream would walk off the screen and into her reality, turning her already muddled world totally on its head.
Will Marnie find happiness in the arms of the (literal) man of her dreams? Or will she find that true love is just make believe?
- GenresContemporary
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2017
21 people are currently reading
85 people want to read
About the author
Beezy Marsh
9 books168 followersBeezy Marsh is an international #1 and Sunday Times top-ten best-selling author who puts family and relationships at the heart of her writing. She believes that ordinary lives are extraordinary. She is also an award-winning journalist, who has spent more than 20 years making the headlines in newspapers including The Daily Mail and The Sunday Times. She began her career as a writer after graduating from Leeds University with a Joint Honours degree in English Literature and French. She was Women’s Editor on The Northern Echo in the North East, where she grew up, winning awards for her reporting before moving to the Daily Mail, where as Health Correspondent she was nominated for a National Press Award for her investigations. Her historical novels featuring the gritty lives of working class women in the first half of the twentieth century have spent six weeks in the Sunday Times best top ten bestseller list in the U.K. and nine weeks at the coveted #1 slot in Canada. She is married, with two sons, and lives in Oxfordshire with a never-ending pile of laundry.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 30, 2020
Marnie is a stay at home mom who's life is falling to pieces because she has let herself go after having children, she downgraded from writing about politics to writing recipes at the paper she works at, has gained weight and stopped trying to wear nice clothes, and her blog only has two readers. I'm sure this book is for someone out there, but it's just not for me. I didn't feel sorry for Marnie at all. She complains about her life but does nothing about any of it, spending so much time reading trashy romance novels or on her blog instead of on herself, it didn't really seem like her children were monopolizing her at all. Also the whole story line was ridiculous and hard to believe, and I don't understand why we even had Athena's story arc it added nothing. The writing was terrible and melodramatic. I also didn't enjoy how there were so many passages from the romance novel she's reading inserted into the book itself. It was bizarre. Also her whole fight with Matt was stupid, he honestly didn't even do anything. Him talking to a porn star once is worse than her masturbating to her romance novels and movie stars? Anyway I didn't enjoy this at all.
April 27, 2017
DNF at 10%.
Marnie Martin was a hard-hitting journalist until she got married and had kids. Now she feels overlooked and underused - the plight I imagine of all mothers everywhere.
She has a part-time job as a food writer until her daydreaming about a Hollywood movie star leads to a group of influential people contracting food poisoning (do you contract it or catch it?). After being ignominiously sacked she decides to write a blog, which in my limited reading appeared to be ramblings about her crush on said movie star (like a teenager).
I know this is meant to be amusing, maybe similar to Bridget Jones if she were married with children, but I just didn't find it funny. Marnie is allegedly a grown woman who had a serious job and yet she acts like a teenager. I expected her to start passing notes to her BFF in class any second - oh wait, that's what a blog that only you and your best friend read is!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Marnie Martin was a hard-hitting journalist until she got married and had kids. Now she feels overlooked and underused - the plight I imagine of all mothers everywhere.
She has a part-time job as a food writer until her daydreaming about a Hollywood movie star leads to a group of influential people contracting food poisoning (do you contract it or catch it?). After being ignominiously sacked she decides to write a blog, which in my limited reading appeared to be ramblings about her crush on said movie star (like a teenager).
I know this is meant to be amusing, maybe similar to Bridget Jones if she were married with children, but I just didn't find it funny. Marnie is allegedly a grown woman who had a serious job and yet she acts like a teenager. I expected her to start passing notes to her BFF in class any second - oh wait, that's what a blog that only you and your best friend read is!
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
June 4, 2017
https://anaslair.wordpress.com/2017/0...
Mr Make Believe is told in a very light way and I am sure pretty much any woman will relate to at least some of it.
It was entertaining but at times I was annoyed by Marnie and how her children played such a small part in her life. She actually sounded much younger, not in her young fourties, and all the 'but he/she doesn't like me' and the 'woe me I am so fat' sort of thoughts really got old after a while.
The writing confused me at times, as it was difficult to tell how time elapsed. Also, some expressions were quite repetitive (particularly toned or perfect figures) and several things just not believable at all.
You will probably enjoy Mr Make Believe if you are looking for a light read that addresses the possibility of your fantasies coming true.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Mr Make Believe is told in a very light way and I am sure pretty much any woman will relate to at least some of it.
It was entertaining but at times I was annoyed by Marnie and how her children played such a small part in her life. She actually sounded much younger, not in her young fourties, and all the 'but he/she doesn't like me' and the 'woe me I am so fat' sort of thoughts really got old after a while.
The writing confused me at times, as it was difficult to tell how time elapsed. Also, some expressions were quite repetitive (particularly toned or perfect figures) and several things just not believable at all.
You will probably enjoy Mr Make Believe if you are looking for a light read that addresses the possibility of your fantasies coming true.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
October 21, 2017
Er ...
I bought this out of curiosity. I like a laugh, I like romantic comedy films, I'd not really read a romantic comedy book, and since I was going on holiday, I thought I'd try one.
I don't know why any of the reviewers here have wasted energy subjecting the plot and characters to serious critical analysis. Let's simplify: writing style - nauseating and immature; characters - one dimensional at best; plot - incomprehensibly stupid; romance - none; comedy - none. Oh - and the sex scenes are excruciatingly poorly written.
This is a lazy, slapdash piece of drivel: it suggests that the author is completely contemptuous of her readers. Obviously, she has her fans. They clearly live on a different planet from mine.
I bought this out of curiosity. I like a laugh, I like romantic comedy films, I'd not really read a romantic comedy book, and since I was going on holiday, I thought I'd try one.
I don't know why any of the reviewers here have wasted energy subjecting the plot and characters to serious critical analysis. Let's simplify: writing style - nauseating and immature; characters - one dimensional at best; plot - incomprehensibly stupid; romance - none; comedy - none. Oh - and the sex scenes are excruciatingly poorly written.
This is a lazy, slapdash piece of drivel: it suggests that the author is completely contemptuous of her readers. Obviously, she has her fans. They clearly live on a different planet from mine.
October 18, 2017
Really didn't enjoy this. It was so unbelievable in so many ways - especially the therapists' behaviour. Not great.
May 1, 2018
I was excited to hear about Mr Make Believe, the newly-released novel from journalist Beezy Marsh. I've been on the lookout for some funny reads over the past few weeks and this one was just perfect.
Marnie Martin, formerly an ambitious, hard-hitting journalist, is now a stay-at-home mum and food columnist whilst husband Matt, a successful barrister, is at work. However, when Marnie - who probably isn't the best person to be in charge of a food column - loses her job due to a paté fiasco - she feels as though she's hit rock bottom.
With Matt being out all hours, and going to events with his hot protegee, Marnie has turned her attention to Maddox Wolfe, gorgeous movie star and object of her desires, and finds herself glued to his movies at every opportunity. With Matt away and having nobody else to vent to, Marnie begins an anonymous blog, on which she writes about her life as a stay-at-home mum and her love for the super-hot Maddox...
Little does she know, the blog is about to take off, landing her the role of Mrs Make Believe, columnist and spokeswoman for mums everywhere. But when fame takes hold, Marnie's life begins to get that little bit out of control. And when she releases a bit of gossip about Maddox, she doesn't expect him to turn up at her office, let alone take her out for dinner.
As Marnie's marriage is slowly beginning to fall apart, her life as Mrs Make Believe is starting to take over. Sure, she may be famous - and not to mention close to her one-time crush, Maddox - but is it making her happy? When her mistakes are suddenly broadcast to the entire world, Marnie's new celeb alter-ego, Mrs Make Believe, is also at risk of crumbling.
This book is a fantastic read, one I struggled to put down. The plot is...well, to be honest, it's a bit outrageous. And that's exactly why I loved it. As Marnie goes from stay at home mum to celebrity, her life becomes a whirlwind, complete with celebrity romance, and it was very hard to stop reading. Nothing about this book was predictable.
The only issue I had with this book was Marnie's attitude towards Matt; I did feel that she overreacted a lot, and I did sympathise with him in quite a few places. For example, her anger at him having watched porn (even though she openly fantastises about Maddox whilst watching his movies), her reaction to him not wanting another child, even though he gave good reason as to why he thought it was a bad idea. I got the feeling that Matt was deliberately painted as a villain for these things, and I just couldn't see it.
That said, Marnie does change throughout this novel. And aside from the above, it is a fab read. It's witty, funny, romantic and with a wonderfully wild plot. I do hope that Beezy Marsh writes more like this, because Mr Make Believe is a brilliant novel.
Marnie Martin, formerly an ambitious, hard-hitting journalist, is now a stay-at-home mum and food columnist whilst husband Matt, a successful barrister, is at work. However, when Marnie - who probably isn't the best person to be in charge of a food column - loses her job due to a paté fiasco - she feels as though she's hit rock bottom.
With Matt being out all hours, and going to events with his hot protegee, Marnie has turned her attention to Maddox Wolfe, gorgeous movie star and object of her desires, and finds herself glued to his movies at every opportunity. With Matt away and having nobody else to vent to, Marnie begins an anonymous blog, on which she writes about her life as a stay-at-home mum and her love for the super-hot Maddox...
Little does she know, the blog is about to take off, landing her the role of Mrs Make Believe, columnist and spokeswoman for mums everywhere. But when fame takes hold, Marnie's life begins to get that little bit out of control. And when she releases a bit of gossip about Maddox, she doesn't expect him to turn up at her office, let alone take her out for dinner.
As Marnie's marriage is slowly beginning to fall apart, her life as Mrs Make Believe is starting to take over. Sure, she may be famous - and not to mention close to her one-time crush, Maddox - but is it making her happy? When her mistakes are suddenly broadcast to the entire world, Marnie's new celeb alter-ego, Mrs Make Believe, is also at risk of crumbling.
This book is a fantastic read, one I struggled to put down. The plot is...well, to be honest, it's a bit outrageous. And that's exactly why I loved it. As Marnie goes from stay at home mum to celebrity, her life becomes a whirlwind, complete with celebrity romance, and it was very hard to stop reading. Nothing about this book was predictable.
The only issue I had with this book was Marnie's attitude towards Matt; I did feel that she overreacted a lot, and I did sympathise with him in quite a few places. For example, her anger at him having watched porn (even though she openly fantastises about Maddox whilst watching his movies), her reaction to him not wanting another child, even though he gave good reason as to why he thought it was a bad idea. I got the feeling that Matt was deliberately painted as a villain for these things, and I just couldn't see it.
That said, Marnie does change throughout this novel. And aside from the above, it is a fab read. It's witty, funny, romantic and with a wonderfully wild plot. I do hope that Beezy Marsh writes more like this, because Mr Make Believe is a brilliant novel.
September 23, 2023
This has been sitting on my Kindle for a while, and I finally decided to read it. It is a story of jaded relationships, feeling underappreciated, and dreaming of an alternative life, which isn't always what it's made to look like.
Marnie is a SAHM with a part-time reporting job. It's a far cry from her pre-mummy day job as a full-time reporter. Right now, she is writing nothing of substance, and even that, she can't seem to get right. And her husband is slowly slipping away. She's put on weight, hasn't got time to look after herself and feels like a pile of the proverbial. Then she finds out he's been playing away...
The story ensues, with her making a stand in her own way, and what happens fulfils some fantasies, but, are fantasies always as good as we thought they'd be?
It was an easy read, but POVs did jump a bit, meaning I had to keep checking who I was reading about!
Marnie is a SAHM with a part-time reporting job. It's a far cry from her pre-mummy day job as a full-time reporter. Right now, she is writing nothing of substance, and even that, she can't seem to get right. And her husband is slowly slipping away. She's put on weight, hasn't got time to look after herself and feels like a pile of the proverbial. Then she finds out he's been playing away...
The story ensues, with her making a stand in her own way, and what happens fulfils some fantasies, but, are fantasies always as good as we thought they'd be?
It was an easy read, but POVs did jump a bit, meaning I had to keep checking who I was reading about!
April 15, 2018
I got so caught up in this romance novel I lost all track of time.
This is such a good romcom. It’s really funny and I saw myself in the character of Marnie; frazzled mother, buried underneath a pile of ironing, harassed by her demanding children and constantly wondering what happened to her life.
I thought it was an excellent read and the male character, Marnie’s movie star crush is divine. Maddox Wolfe is my new fictional love interest. He’s so sexy and I thought his cheeky dialogue was fab! Oh god he made me turn up my electric fan...
Great book and romantic escapism doesn’t get much better than this.
This is such a good romcom. It’s really funny and I saw myself in the character of Marnie; frazzled mother, buried underneath a pile of ironing, harassed by her demanding children and constantly wondering what happened to her life.
I thought it was an excellent read and the male character, Marnie’s movie star crush is divine. Maddox Wolfe is my new fictional love interest. He’s so sexy and I thought his cheeky dialogue was fab! Oh god he made me turn up my electric fan...
Great book and romantic escapism doesn’t get much better than this.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2017
2.5 stars. I was really looking forward to a light hearted book I'd be able to relate to. As a mum, I love reading about other mums ups and downs however I just did not "get" the main character Marnie and found her quite immature. A little over the top in places, I found myself getting a bit over the drama. Ok for readers who don't mind a bit of nonsense in their books.
Thanks kindly to Netgalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks kindly to Netgalley, publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
May 12, 2017
This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night and you will not want to put this book down until you finish. This was such a great read and full of surprises. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.
June 24, 2019
Such a breath of fresh air. A mother struggling with how her life has changed post kids, a dreamy movie star, a barrister looking for a way out doesn't sound like an entertaining read. The humour and the supporting cast of brilliant characters thrown in made the story brilliant. I'd love to read more about this motley crew especially Belle.
February 22, 2021
I liked this book more than I thought I would based on the reviews, but it got really weird in the middle. It seemed as if the main character, Marnie, was all of the sudden living in a dream instead of the reality that we had been reading about for over 100 pages. It got very, very far-fetched. The characters aren't at all likeable, but they are interesting to read about.
September 21, 2017
Disappointing. Maybe you need to have young children to enjoy it - I found most of the characters rather dislikable and Marnie herself rather immature, so sped read it to see if she stayed with her husband.
March 21, 2018
Didn’t enjoy this book at all.
Found this book both very predictable and totally unbelievable. Wouldn’t recommend at all. I didn’t find ANY laugh out loud moments. Well, maybe the plot was deserving of a snigger or two, but that was it. Complete tosh from start to finish.
Found this book both very predictable and totally unbelievable. Wouldn’t recommend at all. I didn’t find ANY laugh out loud moments. Well, maybe the plot was deserving of a snigger or two, but that was it. Complete tosh from start to finish.
February 6, 2018
An easy light read to get lost in.
February 13, 2018
Good
A good read, slightly predictable towards the end but I would definitely recommend it. Portrays the reality of motherhood quite well too!
A good read, slightly predictable towards the end but I would definitely recommend it. Portrays the reality of motherhood quite well too!
April 11, 2018
Did not finish this book. Some people may relate but I couldn’t.
May 6, 2017
Whilst this was an easy read and amusing in places, it was little too straightforward and needed more oomph. A pleasant beach read, 3.5*
April 13, 2017
Mr. Make Believe by Beezy Marsh is a hilarious women's fictional tale. A romantic comedy about life and marriage. Inside this book, readers will find a strong woman whose life changes after becoming a mother. Her fashion writing career comes to a halt as well as the romance in her marriage. Her career comes to a haunt, while her husband is to busy with his. Lately, he becomes more interested in his work and other things than in the woman he loved and married.
Marriage has its ups and downs. Beezy Marsh clearly shows readers just that withevery page. However, its more complicated than just a marriage suffering. The main charcater, Marnie finds a way to combat her dead end life. She creates a column about fantasy life. Her readers become so engaged in her that she ends up selling a book. By that time, Marine will have had a romance with her fantasy crush, experienced being cheated upon,and come to realize that her love for her husband is greater than what she thought. Whether she leaves her crush for her husband is for readers to figure out for themselves. I loved following this emotional journey.
Mr. Make Believe is the type of novel, that pulls in readers like myself. I became addicted. Page after page, the fun never stopped. The ending was just as brilliant as the beginning. Love, marriage, betrayal, and second chances are all inside this book. Beezy Marsh has a way with brining her charcaters and words to life. Over, I was satisfied with reading it. Highly recommend it to all.
Marriage has its ups and downs. Beezy Marsh clearly shows readers just that withevery page. However, its more complicated than just a marriage suffering. The main charcater, Marnie finds a way to combat her dead end life. She creates a column about fantasy life. Her readers become so engaged in her that she ends up selling a book. By that time, Marine will have had a romance with her fantasy crush, experienced being cheated upon,and come to realize that her love for her husband is greater than what she thought. Whether she leaves her crush for her husband is for readers to figure out for themselves. I loved following this emotional journey.
Mr. Make Believe is the type of novel, that pulls in readers like myself. I became addicted. Page after page, the fun never stopped. The ending was just as brilliant as the beginning. Love, marriage, betrayal, and second chances are all inside this book. Beezy Marsh has a way with brining her charcaters and words to life. Over, I was satisfied with reading it. Highly recommend it to all.
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February 5, 2018Funny, captivating
Laughed out loud. Characters were interesting and then drifted off to nothing but quickly summarized at the end so one less star
Laughed out loud. Characters were interesting and then drifted off to nothing but quickly summarized at the end so one less star
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews