The Mum Who'd Had Enough

by Fiona Gibson

The voice of modern women is back! Perfect for fans of Milly Johnson and Carole Matthews.
‘More than funny, it’s true!’ Elle

After sixteen years of marriage, Nate and Sinead Turner have a nice life. They like their jobs, they like their house and they love their son Flynn. Yes, it’s a very nice life.

Or, at least Nate thinks so. Until, one morning, he wakes to find Sinead gone and a note lying on the kitchen table listing all the things he does wrong or doesn’t do at all.

Nate needs to show Sinead he can be a better husband – fast. But as he works through Sinead’s list, his life changes in unexpected ways. And he starts to wonder whether he wants them to go back to normal after all. Could there be more to life than nice?

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Comedy, Contemporary, Adult

384 pages, Paperback

First published June 14, 2018

About the author

Fiona is an author and journalist who has written for many UK publications including The Observer, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Red, New Woman, Top Sante and Elle. She writes a monthly column for Sainsbury’s magazine and is a Contributing Editor at Red magazine.

Fiona lives in Scotland with her husband, their twin sons and daughter. She likes to draw, run 10k races, play her saxophone and lie in the bath with a big glass of wine, although not all at once.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nate wakes up to find his wife Sinead has already left their family home, leaving him to take their 15 year old son Flynn who suffers with Cerebral Palsy to school. She thoughtfully left him a “Everything that’s wrong with you” list and an email talking about divorce!!!

Poor Nate you can’t help but like him, rather than accepting his marriage is over he decides to work his way through his list and make changes in his life.

I couldn’t help but find Sinead selfish. Nate could have shaved his hair off for her but nothing he did would have changed Sinead’s mind.

I couldn’t put this book down, at times I was mentally shouting “No” at Nate. You know if you feel this way about a storyline then you have just read a brilliant book!!

Definitely recommend this book, it’s funny, emotional and beautifully written. I look forward to reading more of Fiona Gibson’s works.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy in exchange for a review.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ A Cosy Warm Read

The Mum Who’d Had Enough is a story of relationships, starting over, family, friendship.

I was very surprised by this book. I was first attracted by the cover, but it's completely different from what I was expecting.
It's a story of a broken marriage with a young child with cerebral palsy and a mum who is unhappy and in need of change.

She leaves her hubby with a list of everything she thinks is wrong and his faults then leaves to stay with her friend.
Whilst he looks after their son.

But what does he do?
Does he fight to save his marriage or does he give up and accept defeat?

Respect to Sinead by having the guts to express her feelings, admitted it was via a letter but the fact they have been together years it must of been so difficult.

The Mum Who’d Had Enough was simply a joy to read.
It's a warm, funny and engaging, cosy story with appealing warm characters. With a sparkle of Romance.

This really is a heart warming story. I very much recommend! Enjoy!

Thank you to Avon Books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

My Review is also on my Blog Website:

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...

[M T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy.

This was not the light fluffy read I was expecting. Sinead is a mother of a teenage boy and married to Nate. She is feeling unfulfilled and taken for granted. Nate wakes one morning to find a note from Sinead with a vast list of his shortcomings and that she has left him.

Unfortunately I found it difficult to engage with either of these two characters but did enjoy Flynn who is a typical teenager.

The cover is very appealing.

[Nila (digitalcreativepages) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look at the cover, it is so cute!! I wanted a fun light read and hence I picked up this book. But I was soooo wrong!!

The book started with the mum Sinead leaving as she was quite fed up with her husband Nate and his ways. So it was not mum who'd enough but the wife who'd had enough!!

She left a list of all his shortcomings and I did understand them all. From her perspective, I agreed Nate was pretty lousy!! He didn't put up mouse traps and allowed mouses to run in the kitchen behind the toaster and microwave. That alone would have been reason enough for me to leave such a husband. Who wants to live in a house with mouse/rats?? Eeeeeeuuuuuu!!

My first book by author Fiona Gibson, and I had great expectations. I wanted humor and a chick-lit kind of a book (look at the cover again!!), I got a pretty serious book dealing with breaking relationships.

The introduction of Tanzie brought some humor and fun to this prose. Nate as the bumbling clueless husband was okay, I did get why he gifted his wife leapord print mini skirt for birthday (she had to return it) and gave money for Christmas (she had to gift herself). Imagine that!!

What I didn't get from this book was Sinead's point of view, her reasonings. I didn't connect with her, and I didn't even feel the couple had warm vibes to begin with!! The mum who'd had enough kept mum through this entire story!! So I skim read it hoping she would have more of a role!! Sighhh!!

[RoloPoloBookBlog · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mum Who’d Had Enough by Fiona Gibson
Source: Netgalley
My Rating: 2½/5 stars

**MINI-REVIEW**

The Bottom Line: Based on the description and the bright, fun cover, I think I expected this book to be something more than it is. I expected this to be a funny and heartwarming read and what I got was quite the opposite. What’s more, with the exception of one character, Flynn, I didn’t find a single character worth liking in this book. Sinead is extremely selfish and unwilling to admit she had a significant part in the collapse of her marriage and Nate is just completely clueless about everything. I stayed with this book all the way through to the end because I kept hoping something would salvage this book for me, but alas, that just didn’t pan out. With all that being said, I would have absolutely DNF’d this book if the writing quality had been bad. That is not the case at all and I can’t find any complaint with the mechanics of this book. At the end of the day, this just wasn’t the story for me, but I can see it being quite an appealing and enjoyable read for many readers.

[Nicola Clough · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing from the first page so well written with amazing characters and so true to real life as full of families and warm and funny at the same time. I loved this book so much I would love to give it far more than the five stars as so deserves it couldn't put it down at all.
Nate thinks he has the perfect marriage with family and a great job as a driving instructor but he comes downstairs one morning to find a note with everything that his wife Sinead has left him that states all his faults. His wife has gone and left the son Flynn with him but he's so unsure what to make of this note. His wife has moved in with a friend and believes her marriage is over. Sadly Nate things he can change and become a better husband and dad and he needs to change fast but as he's doing these changes his life starts to change in ways he's not expecting can things get back to normal or can he make a better life with out or with his wife.
Worth far more than the five stars and couldn't put it down an amazing book.

[Anya Leonard · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a fan of writers like Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Anna Maxted and Liane Moriarty, this book had big boots to fill. However, somehow Ms. Gibson knocked this one right on the head. Our protagonist, Nate, is left by his wife, who in turn leaves him a list of things that are wrong with him. The author has given us a very realistic portrayal of how relationships actually occur, as opposed to that of a typical chick-list book, with highly romanticized ideals and easy solutions. This book appeals to the heart as well as the head, and makes the genre better for it.
I love the intricate additions of Tanzie's daughter, Nate and Sinead's son Flynn, and many other minor characters.
A treat to read!
This e-book was provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Jules (Never enough time to read) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5* rating.

It was good, not my favourite Fiona Gibson novel but still an enjoyable read. I just felt that this one was a bit slow and a bit sad at points, I also didn't really love any of the main characters except maybe Tanzie and she didn't feature near enough.

I love the bright cover!

[Agi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Other than usually, when it is woman thinking that her marriage is working perfectly well and then felling off their high horse, this time it is Nate that is perfectly happy with his life, his wife, son and job as a driving examiner. However, one day he gets up and instead of a cup of hot coffee he finds the kitchen empty but a note listing all his faults, left by his wife Sinead. Who, as it seems, has just left him. Nate absolutely doesn't know what to do - with the note, with his life, with their son Flynn who stayed with him - basically, he can't believe, and won't believe, that his marriage is over. Is he going to win Sinead back? Is it really so simple, to change and fix all the faults, or is it something bigger, deeper?

The author has a great way with words and she writes about serious things also with a pinch of salt - the balance between seriousness and humour works pretty well in this book. Thanks to Ms Gibson's light and welcoming writing style you will immediately feel a part of this story and you'll be quickly drawn into it. What I also liked in this novel is that it wasn't over - done, too sugary, that it was realistic and down - to - earth and it showed also the darkest sides of life, in a very accessible and not disheartening way.

What I missed was Sinead's perspective. Yes, she has written the list where she listed the problems but so truly, deeply I really had no idea what her problem was. The book was told mostly from Nate's point of view and honestly, so as he told this, they led a normal partnership, a marriage. If she wanted something different - well, it just wasn't made clear enough in this story, or maybe it was, but it was not motivated, explained. Sinead really came across as bored and as one who didn't know what she really wants. She sounded so unhappy and honestly guys, instead of having this overwhelming feeling that I'd love to hug her and console her, I just couldn't completely warm to her. She's just left her husband, leaving only a list of his faults - where did it come from??? Yes, she was taken for granted, I admit, she's always put her husband and their son before herself and I totally get it that she's had enough, who of us doesn't have such feelings as well, but I think she should have approached the matter differently - I think this is this list thing that is just bugging me. She's finally realised it's time to put herself first, and I'm the first to give her the standing ovation, it's just the way she has chosen to do so that simply doesn't work for me. I really get the poor Nate and his confusion when out of the blue his wife leaves him. He lived in obliviousness for so long and I am not defending him, oh no, but how could he realise that something is wrong when Sinead didn't talk with him? We all know that women are from Venus and men are from Mars and they need simple words to explain what we feel. I just couldn't help the feeling that Sinead's part in the collapse of her marriage was as significant as Nate's.
Tanzie's perspective has added so much freshness and humour and sunshine.

I'm giving 3 stars to the plot that was not developed enough for my liking - I mean, the idea was there, the potential was there but it was not delivered - and 5 stars for the characters of Nate and Tanzie and the brilliant writing style and the very few best in the world one - liners. Altogether, "The Mum Who'd Had Enough" was a heart - warming and "ringing the bell" story of a broken marriage, about relationships, family dynamics, second chances and friendship. It also has one of the most gorgeous covers ever, this bright and shiny yellow is simply beautiful and it has this brilliant summery vibe to it. Fans of Fiona Gibson are going to adore this book, that's for sure, and the new readers will certainly fall in love with this author and her writing. Recommended!

Copy provided by the publisher in return for an honest review.

[Michelle Beginandendwithbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you enjoy British characters and setting, this is a nice, light read. It would make for a sweet rom-com movie, although there is some serious subject matter/conflict. I was on the fence between a 3 and 4. The title isn’t fitting. There are three main points of view and the one that dominates the book and the character that felt most developed to me was the male character, not the “mum who’d had enough.”

[Fay Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had read this before but given that I needed an injection of light hearted easy reading in my book lover's veins, I opted to continue for a second time. I listened to an audio version, and out of the 4 narrators, of whom all were good, I particularly liked the narration for Nate, a forty something driving instructor whose wife Sinead leaves him by way of a note. The note lists everything Nate does wrong, and the heartbroken husband sets about trying to do everything he can to correct his mistakes and win his beautiful wife back.
The story has Fiona Gibson's trademark humour and deft descriptions of suburban family life that fans will instantly recognise and enjoy. The characters are well rounded, there are dogs to add some canine love to the plot and a 16 year old son with cerebral palsy.
This story dips and dives with the sort of fluctuations everyone will recognise as being part of domestic life and family relationships. The taking for granted, the ditching of earlier ambitions, the treadmill of work, household chores, worries over children and a general lack of excitement. But does mundanity mean separation and an absence of happiness?
With vodka infused watermelon, a red haired chef out for revenge for being failed on his driving test, a lost watch, some unexpected news, a silver dress and a bought back record of significance, this tale is uplifting and, whilst sad in places, confirms that even if life changes, the changes can be good.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been a fan of Fiona Gibson for quite a while now. I have read each book that she has written and absolutely loved all of them. So it was with some excitement that I opened the front cover of her new book ‘The Mum Who’d Had Enough’ and began to read. I absolutely loved reading it but more about that in a bit.
The three main characters in this book are Nate & Sinead Turner and their son Flynn. Sinead is a woman, who has literally had enough. She has been taken for granted, used and she has put others (namely her husband and their son) before herself for far too long. I get the impression that she feels as though she has lost her identity in that she doesn’t know who she is anymore. That sounds daft but what I mean is that for a heck of a long time she has been known as Nate’s wife or Flynn’s mam rather than as an individual with her own set of beliefs, hopes, feelings and so on. She has bitten her tongue once too often and it is only after seeing a therapist, that she knows the time has come where she has got to put herself first so she leaves the family home and tells her husband in a letter exactly how she is feeling and what she has become sick and tired of as regards her husband, his behaviour and his mother. Back before Flynn was born, Sinead had her own jewellery making business but following Flynn’s birth, she put her business on hold and she has never picked it back up again. Nate is a man, who doesn’t realise that anything has been wrong and at first he certainly can’t see why Sinead feels the way she does. He is a driving test examiner, who is out of the home all day. It’s fair to say that when he comes home, he flops on the couch and expects Sinead to run around after him. He doesn’t think of offering to do his share of the housework, he just ‘assumes’ or expects that Sinead will do it. Nate gets a wake up call when Sinead leaves and it leads to him analysing his own behaviour and re-evaluating his own life. One thing that Nate & Sinead agree on is that in Flynn, they have a son they can be very proud of. Flynn is your typical teenager, who is prone to have the odd strop or two. Not only has Flynn had to cope with the usual stuff that children have to cope with, but he has also had to overcome the added hurdle of having Cerebral Palsy, which can make day to day living more difficult. He is upbeat about having the condition and it doesn’t stop him from doing things that he wants to do. It’s not surprising that his parents have wrapped up in cotton wool during his childhood but he is getting to the age now where he wants to make his own way in the world and gain his independence. Little things like getting the bus to school with his friends instead of being dropped off by his parents mean a lot to him. Personally I think that Nate and Sinead have stayed together for the wrong reasons and they have been so focused on Flynn and his condition that they have forgotten that they need time as a married couple to focus on their relationship.
After reading the synopsis, I wasn’t sure how a book about somebody leaving the family home to find herself could possibly be funny. Well I needn’t have worried because Fiona Gibson achieves this and so much more. This is one of those books that had me chuckling away to myself all the way through. I wasn’t laughing at the seriousness of things but more at the daft things that Nate or Sinead either said, did or thought. There were also certain parts of the book that made me develop a lump in my throat and those were the parts dealing with Flynn and his Cerebral Palsy. I have a goddaughter who has Cerebral Palsy and I am in awe of how she copes with her condition, how she doesn’t let it hold her back and how she doesn’t allow her condition to define her. So it was emotional for me to read about somebody else who sees his condition in a similar vein to how my goddaughter sees hers. Not only do those with Cerebral Palsy have to overcome their condition but they also have to cope with other people’s often outdated views & prejudices about somebody with Cerebral Palsy. Sorry about my little soap box rant there.
I was hooked on this book from the moment I picked it up and started to read. The author’s writing style is such that you can’t fail to be drawn into the story from the first word on the first page. I just became addicted to reading the book to see what happened to Nate, Sinead and Flynn and to see if they got the life they were hoping for and if things worked out for Nate and Sinead as a couple or if they were better apart. I started reading with the intention of rationing how much I read in one go or in one day but that intention soon went out the window as I binge read this book over the space of a couple of days. The page numbers just flew past in a blur and before I realised what was happening I had finished the book which I was so disappointed about. I was enjoying the story, the characters, the humour and the writing style so much that I just wanted the book to continue. The characters were so well written and described that they seemed to jump off the page and almost seem real. My only criticism of the book is that it had to end!!
To conclude, and if you haven’t already guessed, I absolutely ADORED reading ‘The Mum Who’d Had Enough’ and I wholeheartedly recommend this author and her books to other readers. I can’t wait to read what comes next from Fiona Gibson and I just know that I will love it. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Kayleigh Finlayson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This wasn’t what i was expecting. From the name and front cover i thought i was in for some comedy, but it ended up being more serious.

[B.R. Maycock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nate Turner wakes up one morning to find his dog licking him. Then

‘I flip over to joke with Sinead about waking up being snogged. The joke will have to wait. Sinead isn’t lying beside me.’

And we’re off! First off, you all probably know that Fiona Gibson is my ‘one author who can do no wrong,’ in the rom com stakes (remember the gush that was ‘As Good As It Gets?!’), and this book was no exception (I’m sorry if you wanted something different, but here we are!).

What Nate finds instead of his wife is a list. A very detailed list that tells us that his wife has been hoarding issues up for a very long time and they’ve exploded out of her with gusto.

I was thinking about this review and actually it’s one of those that there’s not a lot I can say without giving the game away. I CAN tell you that early on I realised I had inadvertently taken sides and even though of course when I heard the other person’s point of view I was going to swing over a little, in general I think I made the right choice. For me. And that was actually because one of the people in the couple had my ideas and my way of going about life and one didn’t and I could warm to that person, but not quite empathise with them and their actions (just to give you a laugh, just because I’m hypothesising over these important things in life, I’m actually saying this out loud as I type, kind of in a Carrie Bradshaw way!) I loved the everyday, with their son, Flynn, who has Cerebral Palsy and Nate’s job as a driving instructor, which was hilarious (special mention to Angus Pew and his threats!) and of course Tanzie. Smiles. Perfection. I loved this book. Thanks to Avon and Netgalley for this book in return for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5

[Lydia Bailey · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this as it’s a book club pic (I’m so sorry I didn’t Kerry!) but ...I’m afraid I just couldn’t relate to either the writing or the characters or the ‘plot’. It seemed inconceivable to me that any mum, never mind one we are meant to feel compassion for, would walk out on her own son without explanation or on a long & successful marriage for bunch of silly reasons scribbled out whilst drunk (& what woman in her right mind leaves a man who cooks dinner every night anyway??). Nate was nice enough but was a bit of a sad sack who seemed unable to discuss anything with his wife. The best character by far was Flynn and I did like the way his disability was dealt with in the book & I also didn’t see the pregnancy twist coming. I kept hoping it was about to improve & ‘get going’ but it just didn’t. If it hadn’t been a book club choice I wouldn’t have finished it.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the title, this story focuses less on the mum who’d had enough and more on the dad who’s left behind. Driving examiner Nate is shocked to the core when his wife Sinead, the eponymous mum, leaves him without warning, leaving a note detailing all his many failings. Nate, knowing Sinead belongs at home with him and their teenage son Flynn, is determined to win her back.

Like all Fiona Gibson’s books, this was a fun read; I did take a while to get into it, but definitely felt a lot more engaged as the story progressed, particularly when Tanzie’s voice was introduced. I liked Nate and Tanzie, but somehow never felt I quite connected with Sinead. Loved the eighties night!

A good escapist read.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

How many of us have thought about doing what Sinead does- leaving a spouse with a list of things the spouse has or hasn't done- and leaving the spouse to be a single parent as well? Don't just Sinead or Nate, for that matter, until you've read a bit into this. There are two sides to every marriage. Thee two are interesting characters but even better is young Flynn. The evolution of Sinead and Nate, to include both of them dating (!), is well done. This is not as light as the cover might lead you to believe but it's well written and a page turner. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I could give half points I’d have given this one 2.5 stars. I wasn’t looking forward to reading it after hearing pretty bad reviews about it but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be, I’ve definitely read far worse. It was pretty simple to follow and the characters were likeable and relatable enough. Nothing drastic happened and it was pretty predictable but it was well written and made sense. I don’t think id recommend it as I’ve read far better books. I think it’s probably one for people who don’t read as much as I do and who aren’t as fussy and so hard to please😂.

[Jannelies (living between hope and fear) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yes, I am one of those reader who thought this book to be more 'chicklit'. I was pleasantly surprised because the whole story sounded very real. I gave it three stars instead of 4 because I had a little trouble with the characters. I did not have the feeling I got to know them very well and I thought them both not too likably. Well, that's me... it's not that all readers have to feel the same way. I will certainly read more books by Fiona Gibson now.
Thanks to NetGalley for this book.

[Kel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light hearted, easy read about Nate, Flynn and Sinead, this book takes you on a journey of relationship discovery and rediscovery of them as individuals.

I enjoyed this book, the characters were well described and visual and I liked the other characters distributed throughout the story and the misadventures of Nate whilst he rediscovered who he was.

A lovely light hearted read whilst you kick back and relax

[June Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poor Nate, to have a wife like Sinead, the book should have read, the husband who had had enough, all men have their faults, but to list them down, was petty, he was basically a good man, faithful, honest, good father, what more did she want. I was so pleased for the ending, happiness for Nate.

[Em Yarnell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very funny and emotional read. It's a different spin on a traditional it all fell apart kind of tale. I found myself laughing, crying and getting angry throughout the book. It's well written with good pace and interesting characters.

[Felicity · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was ok, interesting but lacked the depth that would have made it excellent. The end made sense. I liked that about it.

Unfortunately I can only give it ** two stars.


My Goodreads scale:
* waste of time
**filled in time
***good
****excellent
*****absolutely amazing

[Sammy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely read, the ladies will love it, you know who you are

[Caren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This audio book just made me feel good. Great narrators, A great escape.

[Evelyn Prodger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the characters, a gentle read but great to see the reality of making and breaking relationships

[fiona Crookston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Summer Read

What a lovely wee read. Lovable characters with a story that you will to have a happy ending, regardless of which way

[Elizabeth Dewfall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this story perfect for the stage of life I’m at ie middle age 😂😂

[Mandy Gordon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was dire. To the point of I couldn’t even finish it. I’ve read several of her previous books and enjoyed them but this was absolutely rubbish.

[Erik Buitenhuis · Rating 1 out of 5]

OK, just not my style. I try to sometimes read outside my comfort zone, and this is well written.