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The Undercover Mother
Have you ever wondered what secrets other mothers are keeping?
Jenny has too much on her plate: literally – she’s only pregnant with one child but she’s already eating for three. Not to mention trying to juggle her future life with a baby, a nightmare boss, a know-it-all sister, and a bizarrely laid back husband.
She used to be famous for her ‘Single Girl About Town’ journalism. But not only is she bored of parties, she also hasn’t been single for years, and is now 8½ months pregnant.
So when her boss hands her column to a younger colleague, Jenny panics and proposes instead writing about being a clueless new mum. Surely people will find her new friendship group fascinating? Even if the only thing they have in common is that they all had sex around the same time 9 months ago...
Like – what’s the deal with scary Gail’s mystery husband? How is posh mum Antonia already out drinking when Jenny can barely make a cup of tea? Why isn’t sweet-natured Ruth answering any phone calls?
And if her readers aren’t quite hooked yet, maybe Jenny will just have to be more liberal with the truth. After all, none of the other mums will read it… will they?
The Undercover Mother is a feel-good parenting page turner that will make you laugh, cry and recognise every moment. Perfect for fans of Why Mummy Drinks and The Bad Mother’s Diary.
Jenny has too much on her plate: literally – she’s only pregnant with one child but she’s already eating for three. Not to mention trying to juggle her future life with a baby, a nightmare boss, a know-it-all sister, and a bizarrely laid back husband.
She used to be famous for her ‘Single Girl About Town’ journalism. But not only is she bored of parties, she also hasn’t been single for years, and is now 8½ months pregnant.
So when her boss hands her column to a younger colleague, Jenny panics and proposes instead writing about being a clueless new mum. Surely people will find her new friendship group fascinating? Even if the only thing they have in common is that they all had sex around the same time 9 months ago...
Like – what’s the deal with scary Gail’s mystery husband? How is posh mum Antonia already out drinking when Jenny can barely make a cup of tea? Why isn’t sweet-natured Ruth answering any phone calls?
And if her readers aren’t quite hooked yet, maybe Jenny will just have to be more liberal with the truth. After all, none of the other mums will read it… will they?
The Undercover Mother is a feel-good parenting page turner that will make you laugh, cry and recognise every moment. Perfect for fans of Why Mummy Drinks and The Bad Mother’s Diary.
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2018
About the author
Emma Robinson
32 books298 followersEmma Robinson is a USA Today Bestseller with a passion for stories which explore the power of family and friendship in the most challenging circumstances. Whilst her early novels are humorous; her recent work focuses on emotional themes and these novels are both heart-breaking and life affirming.
Emma currently lives in Essex, England with a husband, two children and a small black dog.
Emma currently lives in Essex, England with a husband, two children and a small black dog.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
March 19, 2018
4.25 Spice Mom Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟.25
This book sure did bring back memories.... sleepless nights, crying babies, spit up, changing diaper after diaper after diaper.... first smiles, the smell of baby Hair, baby laughs, and the first time somebody calls you Mom.... they were the best days, the worst days, the busiest days, and the loneliest days of my life..... I sure would have loved a group of women like the Spice Moms in my life at that time...
Jenny is like most of us when we are pregnant for the first time convinced she’s got it all figured out... I mean how hard can it really be? After her boss informs her she will no longer be writing the single girl column she has been writing for the past several years... she comes up with an idea of starting a mommy blog with hopes of it eventually becoming A regular article in the magazine.... first assignment prenatal class (this has an entirely different name apparently in the UK)
While at prenatal class Jenny meets four other women from very different backgrounds with very different circumstances.... The women bond over there pregnancies and stay in touch after their babies are born.... and unbeknownst to them they become the subjects of Jenny’s mommy blog....
All the women were likable and relatable.... they were all flawed and approached motherhood differently.... and that’s what made this so real there was a little piece of each of them that I could relate to... I think I related to Jenny more than any of them.... but I did see a bit of my young mommy self in all of them.... this book wasn’t all diaper changes and breast-feeding.... there are also some laugh out loud moments.... sweet and sad tear inducing moments.... and some major drama and secrets revealed..... let’s be honest if there is a group of five women there’s going to be drama!
Strongly recommend as a fun fluffy read to anyone who is a mom, is going to be a mom, has a mom, knows somebody that is a mom, or just likes fun reads....
*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***
This book sure did bring back memories.... sleepless nights, crying babies, spit up, changing diaper after diaper after diaper.... first smiles, the smell of baby Hair, baby laughs, and the first time somebody calls you Mom.... they were the best days, the worst days, the busiest days, and the loneliest days of my life..... I sure would have loved a group of women like the Spice Moms in my life at that time...
Jenny is like most of us when we are pregnant for the first time convinced she’s got it all figured out... I mean how hard can it really be? After her boss informs her she will no longer be writing the single girl column she has been writing for the past several years... she comes up with an idea of starting a mommy blog with hopes of it eventually becoming A regular article in the magazine.... first assignment prenatal class (this has an entirely different name apparently in the UK)
While at prenatal class Jenny meets four other women from very different backgrounds with very different circumstances.... The women bond over there pregnancies and stay in touch after their babies are born.... and unbeknownst to them they become the subjects of Jenny’s mommy blog....
All the women were likable and relatable.... they were all flawed and approached motherhood differently.... and that’s what made this so real there was a little piece of each of them that I could relate to... I think I related to Jenny more than any of them.... but I did see a bit of my young mommy self in all of them.... this book wasn’t all diaper changes and breast-feeding.... there are also some laugh out loud moments.... sweet and sad tear inducing moments.... and some major drama and secrets revealed..... let’s be honest if there is a group of five women there’s going to be drama!
Strongly recommend as a fun fluffy read to anyone who is a mom, is going to be a mom, has a mom, knows somebody that is a mom, or just likes fun reads....
*** thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for a copy of this book ***
March 22, 2018
5☆ Hilarious, Heartwarming, Appeals to Everyone.
Undercover Mother is a hilarious, heartwarming, journey into Motherhood.
From Big Knickers, antenatal classes, birth plans, coping with change, all the while trying to write a magazine column that will capture an audience and keep her job.
When pregnant Jenny is due to take maternity leave, her boss Eva pulls her in to tell her she's given her magazine column 'Girls about Town ' to Lucy. Lucy is fresh, young, attractive and single.
Jenny is petrified of being sidelined and potentially losing her job she acts irrationally and tells Eva she wants to become an Undercover Mother and write about life as a new mum.
Eva isn't so sure! She thinks that it's not what Flair is all about.
But Jenny convinces Eva that the the women that used to read Flair are most likely in a relationship or becoming Mums. What better way to get those readers back!
So Jenny leaves on a positive note determined to prove everyone wrong. Including her Sister Claire who loves to make Jenny feel inadequate.
Follow Jenny on her ups and downs as she becomes a Mum, regains control, writes her blog and makes new friends.
I loved Jenny's determination she was fun, strong, and wasn't affraid to uncover her apprehensions and flaws.
I loved the fact Emma Robinson gave a real portrayel at what it's like for women who want to work and have a baby yet feel slightly pushed out just because they want to start a family.
Also what it's like to become a first time Mum. The apprensions, the birth, being on your own, juggling childcare and work etc..
I thoroughly enjoyed Undercover Mother.
It has plenty of laugh out loud moments, mothers will be able to relate to it, expectant mothers will love it, and the rest of us well we will just love it!
There is plenty of heartwarming and tender moments that makes Under cover Mother the Perfect read.
Under cover mother truly is a fantastic read that will appeal to both men and women. It is a nice paced book that will keep you hooked the whole way through.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
You won't be disappointed!
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
Undercover Mother is a hilarious, heartwarming, journey into Motherhood.
From Big Knickers, antenatal classes, birth plans, coping with change, all the while trying to write a magazine column that will capture an audience and keep her job.
When pregnant Jenny is due to take maternity leave, her boss Eva pulls her in to tell her she's given her magazine column 'Girls about Town ' to Lucy. Lucy is fresh, young, attractive and single.
Jenny is petrified of being sidelined and potentially losing her job she acts irrationally and tells Eva she wants to become an Undercover Mother and write about life as a new mum.
Eva isn't so sure! She thinks that it's not what Flair is all about.
But Jenny convinces Eva that the the women that used to read Flair are most likely in a relationship or becoming Mums. What better way to get those readers back!
So Jenny leaves on a positive note determined to prove everyone wrong. Including her Sister Claire who loves to make Jenny feel inadequate.
Follow Jenny on her ups and downs as she becomes a Mum, regains control, writes her blog and makes new friends.
I loved Jenny's determination she was fun, strong, and wasn't affraid to uncover her apprehensions and flaws.
I loved the fact Emma Robinson gave a real portrayel at what it's like for women who want to work and have a baby yet feel slightly pushed out just because they want to start a family.
Also what it's like to become a first time Mum. The apprensions, the birth, being on your own, juggling childcare and work etc..
I thoroughly enjoyed Undercover Mother.
It has plenty of laugh out loud moments, mothers will be able to relate to it, expectant mothers will love it, and the rest of us well we will just love it!
There is plenty of heartwarming and tender moments that makes Under cover Mother the Perfect read.
Under cover mother truly is a fantastic read that will appeal to both men and women. It is a nice paced book that will keep you hooked the whole way through.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
You won't be disappointed!
Thank you to Bookouture for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
My Review is also on my blog website:
https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2018/0...
March 21, 2018
Book Reviewed by Stacey on www.whisperingstories.com
Jenny had worked on a weekly magazine article ‘Girl About Town’, for many years. The article was about a single girl, but Jenny hadn’t been single for the last two years, and now she was expecting a baby her boss, Eva, decided to pass the reins over to young and single, Lucy, leaving Jenny without a column.
That’s when she has this fabulous idea for a new column, ‘The Undercover Mother’, documenting the funny side of motherhood. Her boss wasn’t so sure, so to convince her she offered to write a blog so that she can prove how much of a hit it would be. How hard could writing a blog about motherhood be?
The Undercover Mother is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud book about 30-something Jenny as she discovers just how hard having your first child is. Jenny’s convinced that having a child is a walk in the park, until she actually gives birth, then the dawn of realisation sets in.
Having had three children, my first nearly twenty-two years ago, lots of memories were brought back to life. Especially the bit about trying to put a sleepy baby down as if you were trying to not detonate a bomb, or can you grab a bath/shower before the child wakes up?
Jenny’s first assignment was before she gave birth on antenatal classes (I’ve never been to one). It was here that she met four women, all from very different backgrounds and attitudes to motherhood. These women played an important role in Jenny’s blog.
This book is an honest look at motherhood, wrapped in an amazing story. The five women were all unique and all had their own ‘version’ of motherhood. I did laugh at the advice given by one of the women to take make-up to the hospital with you so that you can look amazing in the ‘new mum’ photographs – I’ll hold my hands up and state I did this with my second son. I even got moaned at for painting my nails in my hospital room.
This is a truly amazing book that I read in two sittings. I just didn’t want to put it down. The writing flowed, the characters were all a delight and the plot was so passionate, and truthful. If you are a mum, this book will have you nodding along in agreement and reliving those early memories of having a child.
Jenny had worked on a weekly magazine article ‘Girl About Town’, for many years. The article was about a single girl, but Jenny hadn’t been single for the last two years, and now she was expecting a baby her boss, Eva, decided to pass the reins over to young and single, Lucy, leaving Jenny without a column.
That’s when she has this fabulous idea for a new column, ‘The Undercover Mother’, documenting the funny side of motherhood. Her boss wasn’t so sure, so to convince her she offered to write a blog so that she can prove how much of a hit it would be. How hard could writing a blog about motherhood be?
The Undercover Mother is a hilarious, laugh-out-loud book about 30-something Jenny as she discovers just how hard having your first child is. Jenny’s convinced that having a child is a walk in the park, until she actually gives birth, then the dawn of realisation sets in.
Having had three children, my first nearly twenty-two years ago, lots of memories were brought back to life. Especially the bit about trying to put a sleepy baby down as if you were trying to not detonate a bomb, or can you grab a bath/shower before the child wakes up?
Jenny’s first assignment was before she gave birth on antenatal classes (I’ve never been to one). It was here that she met four women, all from very different backgrounds and attitudes to motherhood. These women played an important role in Jenny’s blog.
This book is an honest look at motherhood, wrapped in an amazing story. The five women were all unique and all had their own ‘version’ of motherhood. I did laugh at the advice given by one of the women to take make-up to the hospital with you so that you can look amazing in the ‘new mum’ photographs – I’ll hold my hands up and state I did this with my second son. I even got moaned at for painting my nails in my hospital room.
This is a truly amazing book that I read in two sittings. I just didn’t want to put it down. The writing flowed, the characters were all a delight and the plot was so passionate, and truthful. If you are a mum, this book will have you nodding along in agreement and reliving those early memories of having a child.
March 31, 2018
Being pregnant myself, when I saw this book, I thought it would perfect: a humorous view of the pregnancy and the first months with a new baby in tow. Well, it was funny, and I was pleasantly surprised to love this book so much. All subjects are discussed, some taboo, some not. It was refreshing. I grew attached to the characters, who were all living something different in their life while living the "same" first months with their newborns. It made me eager to meet my son, in less than 2 months now!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-copy!
Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for my e-copy!
March 19, 2018
Sometimes I find I need to step away a little bit from the gritty crime and dark thrillers I normally gravitate towards and The Undercover Mother seemed like a great alternative. Granted, this is so incredibly far removed from my usual choices, you may well wonder if there’s something not quite right with me. Fear not, all is well! Better yet, within the space of a few pages, I already knew I’d made the right decision when I could feel my spirits lift and a big smile settled itself on my face.
Jenny used to write a singles column called “Girls About Town” for a magazine. The problem is, Jenny isn’t single anymore and is also preparing for the birth of her first child. So when her column is handed over to a younger colleague, Jenny tries to convince her boss she could write about motherhood instead. To find inspiration, Jenny joins an antenatal class where she meets four other women who couldn’t possible be more different from each other if they tried. There’s Naomi, the hippy earth-mom; Gail, the fierce business woman; Antonia, the well turned-out snobbish one who seems to have it all and finally Ruth, who’s been struggling to get pregnant for years.
Now, I admit I thought I would struggle with this story as I’m not a member of the mum club and never had the desire to join up. While I am familiar with sleepless nights due to being an insomniac, I’ve never changed a diaper nor have I thankfully ever been the victim of misdirected projectile vomiting. But somehow, I found myself totally able to relate to Jenny and her circle of first time mothers. Not everything is all roses and sunshine. Sure, there are moments where I chuckled and snorted rather un-lady like but there were also times when I felt quite a huge lump in my throat.
From unplanned pregnancies to having to throw your carefully written birthing plan out the window, from exhaustion to mishaps, from trying to juggle it all and think you need to be perfect at everything, to realising your live has changed forever, … this story has everything and these five women will somehow find each other, despite their differences. Mothers everywhere will undoubtedly be able to relate and some things will surely bring back fond, or less fond, memories. If like me, you’re not a mother, worry not as I’m feeling pretty confident you will be as entertained as I was.
The Undercover Mother is a funny feel-good story about pregnancies, motherhood, friendships and finding the best of friends in the most unusual places. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with all of them and I do so hope there will be a follow-up at some point as I would absolutely love to know what happens to all of them next.
Jenny used to write a singles column called “Girls About Town” for a magazine. The problem is, Jenny isn’t single anymore and is also preparing for the birth of her first child. So when her column is handed over to a younger colleague, Jenny tries to convince her boss she could write about motherhood instead. To find inspiration, Jenny joins an antenatal class where she meets four other women who couldn’t possible be more different from each other if they tried. There’s Naomi, the hippy earth-mom; Gail, the fierce business woman; Antonia, the well turned-out snobbish one who seems to have it all and finally Ruth, who’s been struggling to get pregnant for years.
Now, I admit I thought I would struggle with this story as I’m not a member of the mum club and never had the desire to join up. While I am familiar with sleepless nights due to being an insomniac, I’ve never changed a diaper nor have I thankfully ever been the victim of misdirected projectile vomiting. But somehow, I found myself totally able to relate to Jenny and her circle of first time mothers. Not everything is all roses and sunshine. Sure, there are moments where I chuckled and snorted rather un-lady like but there were also times when I felt quite a huge lump in my throat.
From unplanned pregnancies to having to throw your carefully written birthing plan out the window, from exhaustion to mishaps, from trying to juggle it all and think you need to be perfect at everything, to realising your live has changed forever, … this story has everything and these five women will somehow find each other, despite their differences. Mothers everywhere will undoubtedly be able to relate and some things will surely bring back fond, or less fond, memories. If like me, you’re not a mother, worry not as I’m feeling pretty confident you will be as entertained as I was.
The Undercover Mother is a funny feel-good story about pregnancies, motherhood, friendships and finding the best of friends in the most unusual places. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with all of them and I do so hope there will be a follow-up at some point as I would absolutely love to know what happens to all of them next.
February 23, 2018
This is the first book I have read by the author and certainly won’t be the last. Even though it has sadly been quite a few, okay, a lot of years since my teens were babies, the book had memories flooding back of what it was like to be a new mother.
Each chapter starts off with a post by the undercover mother which had me smiling whilst nodding in agreement. Even though the story focuses on Jenny, the undercover mother, we do get to know her new friends better throughout who all held my interest and I wanted to know more about them.
All the women are very different. You can see some tension between some as they probably are not best suited as friends but that’s what makes this story work so well. The relationship between the women was so interesting and I couldn’t wait to find out more about them. Find out more you do and it makes for some emotional, shocking and fun reading.
I loved the battle of Jenny trying to juggle her emotions when it comes to her work as well as that new mother guilt of not being able to bear to leave them with anyone else. For one’s so little, children certainly make a huge impact and it is great to read of others going through the exact same struggles you did.
The Undercover Mother was so much more than just a story about motherhood. It deals with a lot of grown up topics as well as relationships and friendships. It will certainly hold some surprises in there for readers. An entertaining and enjoyable read by an author that I will certainly be looking out for in the future.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
Each chapter starts off with a post by the undercover mother which had me smiling whilst nodding in agreement. Even though the story focuses on Jenny, the undercover mother, we do get to know her new friends better throughout who all held my interest and I wanted to know more about them.
All the women are very different. You can see some tension between some as they probably are not best suited as friends but that’s what makes this story work so well. The relationship between the women was so interesting and I couldn’t wait to find out more about them. Find out more you do and it makes for some emotional, shocking and fun reading.
I loved the battle of Jenny trying to juggle her emotions when it comes to her work as well as that new mother guilt of not being able to bear to leave them with anyone else. For one’s so little, children certainly make a huge impact and it is great to read of others going through the exact same struggles you did.
The Undercover Mother was so much more than just a story about motherhood. It deals with a lot of grown up topics as well as relationships and friendships. It will certainly hold some surprises in there for readers. An entertaining and enjoyable read by an author that I will certainly be looking out for in the future.
My thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway.
February 25, 2018
I laughed out loud on the bus at this book, which was a surprise since it's twenty years since I had my first baby. Emma Robinson took me right back there, made it seem like yesterday. Well written, funny and most of all compassionate, the story weaves itself around its themes with style, humour and great generosity. Lines such as 'There weren't many places Jenny didn't know in the area, but this one had only opened two weeks ago and, as they weren't serving Gaviscon cocktails, she hadn't yet been in' help to show the huge change on the main character as she comes to terms with her shift from Girl About Town to a mother about house. Using a cast of vastly different women, women who on the surface have nothing in common apart from their babies, the exploration of female friendship is particularly well-observed: how we make ridiculous comparisons, find ourselves wanting, only to discover that we are all, always, paddling like swans beneath the surface. Robinson rails against the culture of pretending that everything is OK, and against the myths surrounding what it's actually like to have a baby, how it feels, as opposed to the propaganda we read in magazines. I would particularly recommend this book to new mums. It is a much needed dose of humanity and humour, a call to women everywhere to do what we do best: accept each other, support each other and, ultimately, love each other. Oh, did I mention it made me laugh on the bus? Five easy stars.
March 21, 2018
This is the story of a naive woman on the verge of giving birth in 5 weeks who thinks life would remain pretty much the same, after the baby arrives. Uh-huh!! And boy, is she proved wrong!!
Jenny who writes a column on Single Woman About Town suddenly finds herself writing a blog The Undercover Mother. To make it more interesting, she uses the anecdotes from the mothers she meets at the ante-natal class, who become her Spice Mum crew with Posh, Scary, Sporty, Ginger and Jenny.
My first book by Emma Robinson, and it was hilarious. From the naiveté of life not changing to being a slave working for a 7 pound baby, Jenny's life is streamrolled, where exhaustion seems to the norm for the day.
Each chapter starts with a blog, and each blog is written in such a humorous manner, that I couldn't help but laugh and smile all the way. It takes a village to bring up a child, especially to look after the needs of a newborn. And to see Jenny with her husband Dan, muddle their way through this process, in a tongue-in-cheek manner is cute and funny. (P.S. I loved Dan, he was fabulous as a husband and as a father)
But in the midst of this chaos, these new mums find a way to be in touch, initially because Jenny wanted fodder for her blog, but later the women start sharing, showing their vulnerabilities, their sorrows, joys, their fear. And a bond which started due to just being thrown together in a class soon becomes a bond for life. There are twists and emotions and secrets which kept me riveted to the book, till I finished it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
Jenny who writes a column on Single Woman About Town suddenly finds herself writing a blog The Undercover Mother. To make it more interesting, she uses the anecdotes from the mothers she meets at the ante-natal class, who become her Spice Mum crew with Posh, Scary, Sporty, Ginger and Jenny.
My first book by Emma Robinson, and it was hilarious. From the naiveté of life not changing to being a slave working for a 7 pound baby, Jenny's life is streamrolled, where exhaustion seems to the norm for the day.
Each chapter starts with a blog, and each blog is written in such a humorous manner, that I couldn't help but laugh and smile all the way. It takes a village to bring up a child, especially to look after the needs of a newborn. And to see Jenny with her husband Dan, muddle their way through this process, in a tongue-in-cheek manner is cute and funny. (P.S. I loved Dan, he was fabulous as a husband and as a father)
But in the midst of this chaos, these new mums find a way to be in touch, initially because Jenny wanted fodder for her blog, but later the women start sharing, showing their vulnerabilities, their sorrows, joys, their fear. And a bond which started due to just being thrown together in a class soon becomes a bond for life. There are twists and emotions and secrets which kept me riveted to the book, till I finished it.
I received an ARC from NetGalley and publisher Bookouture, and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.
November 5, 2025
The Undercover Mother by new to me author Emma Robinson was a huge surprise. I was expecting a memoir detailing the author’s experiences as a first time mother. Instead, I received a laugh out loud fictional story about first time mother Jenny who is trying to navigate being a mother and wanting to retain her sense of self as a columnist at the magazine she works for. She begins writing a blog about her personal experiences as well as entertaining moments with four other new mothers she meets at childbearing class who she nicknames The Spice Mums.
This story was a lot of fun. In addition to the challenges Jenny faces as a new mother, the reader is given a lot of insight into the lives of the other four women, Antonia, Gail, Naomi and Ruth. Over several months, secrets are revealed and lives are changed, some good and some not so good.
I loved this story and meeting Jenny and the Spice Mums. Each character brings depth to the story and had my curiosity piquing sky high about the secrets being kept and what would happen when all is revealed and whether Jenny’s new friendships can survive it. The author does a fantastic job of giving lots of detail that kept me engaged without confusion as well as snippets of Jenny’s blog which were hilarious. I will look for more of this author’s work.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this story will appeal to readers of women’s fiction as well as readers who enjoy stories that are realistic and cut right to the heart of the matter while finding joy and humor along the way.
Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
This story was a lot of fun. In addition to the challenges Jenny faces as a new mother, the reader is given a lot of insight into the lives of the other four women, Antonia, Gail, Naomi and Ruth. Over several months, secrets are revealed and lives are changed, some good and some not so good.
I loved this story and meeting Jenny and the Spice Mums. Each character brings depth to the story and had my curiosity piquing sky high about the secrets being kept and what would happen when all is revealed and whether Jenny’s new friendships can survive it. The author does a fantastic job of giving lots of detail that kept me engaged without confusion as well as snippets of Jenny’s blog which were hilarious. I will look for more of this author’s work.
My Final Verdict: Overall, this story will appeal to readers of women’s fiction as well as readers who enjoy stories that are realistic and cut right to the heart of the matter while finding joy and humor along the way.
Thank you to the publisher, Bookouture, who provided an advance reader copy of this book via NetGalley.
January 10, 2019
What an amusing look at motherhood. From early on I was really enjoying this story, and seeing just how the group that met at ante natal classes would get on together.
Well I ended up very surprised as some of the outcomes, and semi predicted some of the others,.
Jenny is a fabulous main character, completely unprepared for what will happen to her life once she has her baby, She is convinced she can continue working on her column that she perhaps had already outgrown, and that it would be easy being in charge of a helpless little thing that doesn't do much!
I must say the chapters with Jenny giving birth, have completely reassured me that my decision to not ever give birth to anything is completely correct. That is not for me at all. Apart from those horrifying scenes the book is on the whole a light hearted look at the nitty gritty of parent hood,
Jenny gives it an amusing slant in her Undercover Mother blog, and each chapter starts with a snippet from a blog post which was a nice touch.
I was entertained getting to know Jenny's new friends, as well as seeing the vastly different attitudes of each of them towards parenting, as well as her old colleagues.
Its a really fun book, that I'm really glad I finally loaded up on my kindle after a year to read, and I find myself frustrated that I haven't read Emma Robinson's other books yet either, which is something I should correct. For if this is a debut and I loved it, I have to see what else she has written since.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,
Well I ended up very surprised as some of the outcomes, and semi predicted some of the others,.
Jenny is a fabulous main character, completely unprepared for what will happen to her life once she has her baby, She is convinced she can continue working on her column that she perhaps had already outgrown, and that it would be easy being in charge of a helpless little thing that doesn't do much!
I must say the chapters with Jenny giving birth, have completely reassured me that my decision to not ever give birth to anything is completely correct. That is not for me at all. Apart from those horrifying scenes the book is on the whole a light hearted look at the nitty gritty of parent hood,
Jenny gives it an amusing slant in her Undercover Mother blog, and each chapter starts with a snippet from a blog post which was a nice touch.
I was entertained getting to know Jenny's new friends, as well as seeing the vastly different attitudes of each of them towards parenting, as well as her old colleagues.
Its a really fun book, that I'm really glad I finally loaded up on my kindle after a year to read, and I find myself frustrated that I haven't read Emma Robinson's other books yet either, which is something I should correct. For if this is a debut and I loved it, I have to see what else she has written since.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily,
March 20, 2018
Originally posted on This Chick Reads
OMG this book reminded me of everything I went through 6 years ago (yup, pregnancy). The sleep deprivation, the change of moods, the bladder ready to explode in the most inappropriate places, the swollen feet (boy, they were HUGE! I swear the last couple of weeks I felt like Bigfoot and I am not kidding). But like everything in life, the package also contains some amazing stuff, happy memories, moments I am so glad this book reminded me of.
The Undercover Mother is Emma Robinson's debut but Emma's been writing on the topic of motherhood with all its ups and downs for a while. She's also a blogger (I just love bloggers turned to authors) on her own blog 'Motherhood for Slackers' (dude, lurve the name!!) and writes humorous blogs, stories and even poems on (yup, you got it) MOTHERHOOD. With such a background it's only normal for The Undercover Mother to be a great and authentic portray of the modern mums of today.
The Undercover Mother tells a story of Jenny, 37 and pregnant with her first child. She works for a magazine, writing a funny and brilliant column on being single in the big city. There's only few minor problems though, she's not single for two years and it's 5 weeks till the birth of her first child. While Jenny does see some changes coming her way, she doesn't expect to be taken off her own column which she writes for a decade and threatened to lose her job just before going on maternity leave. However, she's one smart cookie and at the very last minute comes up with a magnificent plan which will allow her to keep her job and work from home. Thus The Undercover Mother blog is born. However, she's not all by herself on this new venture. She needs an inspiration for her blog and she has no experience whatsoever in being a mum, so she goes to antenatal class where she meets some girls who turn from her 'project' to her new BFFs.
For a comedy you'd expect that everything would be funny and fluffy, but there were a couple of situations that seriously brought a tear to my eye. I won't go into details as not to spoil the story for you, but these four ladies who become Jenny's friends...their stories were so great and added to the main one. I have to admit I wasn't too fond of Jenny at the beginning, because her attempts to make friends with some women at antenatal class felt manipulative to me. She's not subtle either and you know...it just made me dislike a bit. However I am absolutely blown away by the friendship of the girls and just how amazing they are. Though they are so different, they truly are each others' best cheerleaders.
So, this book is not only about motherhood, it goes much much deeper into exploring friendship, who do we turn to when times are hard, how life sometimes amazes us in the best possible way. Sometimes we get blessed with amazing friendships when we least expect it.
While, as I said, I had difficulty in understanding Jenny at the beginning, the story really warmed my heart. The book simply oozes feel good vibes and boy...it really brought a huge smile on my face. In a way, though the story is quite different, it reminded me of Fiona Gibson's books and I sure do love Fiona. Motherhood, the every day problems, the strong bond between real friends... I can see some parallels. Overall, this sure was an interesting read and one with a strong feel good factor. So, if by any chance you're feeling shit (excuse my French. But don't we all sometimes) this book is definitely one to lift your spirit. Due to characters' age and the topic of motherhood in the front, maaaaaaybe it would be most appealing to women, especially new mothers or women in their mid 30s. However, due to that strong feel good factor I mentioned earlier I'm pretty sure anyone can enjoy it. So, if you're looking for an easy and warm read with fantastic cast of characters, this is the book for you.
OMG this book reminded me of everything I went through 6 years ago (yup, pregnancy). The sleep deprivation, the change of moods, the bladder ready to explode in the most inappropriate places, the swollen feet (boy, they were HUGE! I swear the last couple of weeks I felt like Bigfoot and I am not kidding). But like everything in life, the package also contains some amazing stuff, happy memories, moments I am so glad this book reminded me of.
The Undercover Mother is Emma Robinson's debut but Emma's been writing on the topic of motherhood with all its ups and downs for a while. She's also a blogger (I just love bloggers turned to authors) on her own blog 'Motherhood for Slackers' (dude, lurve the name!!) and writes humorous blogs, stories and even poems on (yup, you got it) MOTHERHOOD. With such a background it's only normal for The Undercover Mother to be a great and authentic portray of the modern mums of today.
The Undercover Mother tells a story of Jenny, 37 and pregnant with her first child. She works for a magazine, writing a funny and brilliant column on being single in the big city. There's only few minor problems though, she's not single for two years and it's 5 weeks till the birth of her first child. While Jenny does see some changes coming her way, she doesn't expect to be taken off her own column which she writes for a decade and threatened to lose her job just before going on maternity leave. However, she's one smart cookie and at the very last minute comes up with a magnificent plan which will allow her to keep her job and work from home. Thus The Undercover Mother blog is born. However, she's not all by herself on this new venture. She needs an inspiration for her blog and she has no experience whatsoever in being a mum, so she goes to antenatal class where she meets some girls who turn from her 'project' to her new BFFs.
For a comedy you'd expect that everything would be funny and fluffy, but there were a couple of situations that seriously brought a tear to my eye. I won't go into details as not to spoil the story for you, but these four ladies who become Jenny's friends...their stories were so great and added to the main one. I have to admit I wasn't too fond of Jenny at the beginning, because her attempts to make friends with some women at antenatal class felt manipulative to me. She's not subtle either and you know...it just made me dislike a bit. However I am absolutely blown away by the friendship of the girls and just how amazing they are. Though they are so different, they truly are each others' best cheerleaders.
So, this book is not only about motherhood, it goes much much deeper into exploring friendship, who do we turn to when times are hard, how life sometimes amazes us in the best possible way. Sometimes we get blessed with amazing friendships when we least expect it.
While, as I said, I had difficulty in understanding Jenny at the beginning, the story really warmed my heart. The book simply oozes feel good vibes and boy...it really brought a huge smile on my face. In a way, though the story is quite different, it reminded me of Fiona Gibson's books and I sure do love Fiona. Motherhood, the every day problems, the strong bond between real friends... I can see some parallels. Overall, this sure was an interesting read and one with a strong feel good factor. So, if by any chance you're feeling shit (excuse my French. But don't we all sometimes) this book is definitely one to lift your spirit. Due to characters' age and the topic of motherhood in the front, maaaaaaybe it would be most appealing to women, especially new mothers or women in their mid 30s. However, due to that strong feel good factor I mentioned earlier I'm pretty sure anyone can enjoy it. So, if you're looking for an easy and warm read with fantastic cast of characters, this is the book for you.
March 12, 2018
This is actually the perfect book for all mums to be and mums to enjoy and have a giggle at! It has EVERYTHING, Emma has not left out the bits that others do. It has all the ups, down and all the wobbly bits in between! This had me laughing out loud in parts. An easy to read, fast paced belter of a story. I would highly recommend to you all.
I loved Jenny and all the girls and how they all represent different mums with differing views on life. I awarded a well deserved five stars! I cannot wait to read more by Emma in future. I have enjoyed and loved reading every minute of this story at all daft hours in the morning with my newborn so I can relate to many parts in this story.
It’s one of those stories you wont want to put down when you start… Very impressed.
I loved Jenny and all the girls and how they all represent different mums with differing views on life. I awarded a well deserved five stars! I cannot wait to read more by Emma in future. I have enjoyed and loved reading every minute of this story at all daft hours in the morning with my newborn so I can relate to many parts in this story.
It’s one of those stories you wont want to put down when you start… Very impressed.
March 28, 2018
A fun, humorous, and hormonal story about a group of ladies who become friends during the last few weeks of pregnancy and share all the ups and downs that happen after giving birth. I thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
June 26, 2018
Having just finished a very similar book just before starting this, I was hoping for something different. This story definitely provided that. Yes there is a first time mother documenting the trials and tribulations which come with being pregnant and having a baby. But we also have stories of loss, deceit and great friendships.
This story made me cry, laugh and smile a lot while I was reading it. I definitely identified with one of the women in particular and I believe most who read it will find one of the characters they have more in common with than the others. That helps to draw you even more into the story.
A feel good read which is perfect for anyone who has had kids or even is wanting to have kids. Either way it is a more true to reality account of what having children entails. Obviously being a nanny rather than a mum myself, I haven’t experienced certain parts of that journey. However I have looked after a lot of children over the years and I can totally relate to so much of the story.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.
This story made me cry, laugh and smile a lot while I was reading it. I definitely identified with one of the women in particular and I believe most who read it will find one of the characters they have more in common with than the others. That helps to draw you even more into the story.
A feel good read which is perfect for anyone who has had kids or even is wanting to have kids. Either way it is a more true to reality account of what having children entails. Obviously being a nanny rather than a mum myself, I haven’t experienced certain parts of that journey. However I have looked after a lot of children over the years and I can totally relate to so much of the story.
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for providing a copy.
May 10, 2018
*Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review*
HILARIOUS, HEARTWARMING and AUTHENTIC!!!
The Undercover Motheris a story of motherhood. We follow Jenny, who is a journalist and writes her “Single Girl About Town” column. Now, that she is pregnant her boss wants something different from her and she won’t have time to write anyway, after the baby arrives right?!
Together with her husband Dan she joins a antenatal class and gets to know other women. A friendship is built, but these women couldn’t be more different from each other. Jenny starts a blog and writes about her experiences. She continues writing after her son Henry is born. Of course she includes the other women as well, using pseudonyms. The idea she comes up with for that is fab and makes the story funny and entertaining.
All these women have their own story to tell and at one point it gets really dramatic and exciting. I loved following them around. Emma Robinson has a fresh, vivid and thrilling writing style and you just don’t want the book down. I love the humour in it and I definitely enjoyed every second of it.
This book covers so many topics. Not only motherhood, but also love, friendship, work and relationships.
A fab set of characters and so much heart in this book.
HILARIOUS, HEARTWARMING and AUTHENTIC!!!
The Undercover Motheris a story of motherhood. We follow Jenny, who is a journalist and writes her “Single Girl About Town” column. Now, that she is pregnant her boss wants something different from her and she won’t have time to write anyway, after the baby arrives right?!
Together with her husband Dan she joins a antenatal class and gets to know other women. A friendship is built, but these women couldn’t be more different from each other. Jenny starts a blog and writes about her experiences. She continues writing after her son Henry is born. Of course she includes the other women as well, using pseudonyms. The idea she comes up with for that is fab and makes the story funny and entertaining.
All these women have their own story to tell and at one point it gets really dramatic and exciting. I loved following them around. Emma Robinson has a fresh, vivid and thrilling writing style and you just don’t want the book down. I love the humour in it and I definitely enjoyed every second of it.
This book covers so many topics. Not only motherhood, but also love, friendship, work and relationships.
A fab set of characters and so much heart in this book.
April 18, 2018
Thanks to Netgalley for my copy
A funny light hearted look at new motherhood. Haven't we all gone into having our first baby with rose tinted glasses only to have them swiped off amongst a sea of bodily fluids, crying (baby and myself) and sleep deprived monotony.
This was humorous, light and a perfect beach read.
A funny light hearted look at new motherhood. Haven't we all gone into having our first baby with rose tinted glasses only to have them swiped off amongst a sea of bodily fluids, crying (baby and myself) and sleep deprived monotony.
This was humorous, light and a perfect beach read.
July 11, 2018
I really enjoyed this novel about career columnist Jenny experiencing motherhood for the first time. I found it very relatable and enjoyed the humorous tone. I also liked that the author explored what it was like for a woman to try to juggle work/career with motherhood and to find that there are inevitably choices to be made. Having it all is a myth. With a mixed supporting cast of characters (the Spice mums) filling out the story and giving Jenny some inspiration for her Undercover Mother blog, this book delivered a fun and relatable read.
August 25, 2018
I’m not a parent and so perhaps I’m not the usual target audience for a book like this, but I absolutely loved it! It was really well-written, and I found all of the characters very likeable. It has some nice underlying themes about friendship and integrity, but is also written with humour and is a nice, light-hearted read. It’s the first I’ve read by Emma Robinson, and I certainly hope to read more. This is a must-read for any new parents that can likely relate to the plot, but I think many others can also find joy in reading this.
February 21, 2018
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Oh my goodness this book resonated with me on so many levels!
As some of you who follow my blog may know I am a new mum and had my daughter, Ava in July last year so as soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew I HAD to read it - and even after just the first few pages I was laughing - it was like the author had been following me for the last six months of my pregnancy!!
The book is so true to what happens, it is written so well and so funny - No hesitation in giving this book a massive five stars - it was BRILLIANT!!
Oh my goodness this book resonated with me on so many levels!
As some of you who follow my blog may know I am a new mum and had my daughter, Ava in July last year so as soon as I read the blurb for this book I knew I HAD to read it - and even after just the first few pages I was laughing - it was like the author had been following me for the last six months of my pregnancy!!
The book is so true to what happens, it is written so well and so funny - No hesitation in giving this book a massive five stars - it was BRILLIANT!!
February 11, 2018
I enjoyed reading this debut novel by Emma Robinson. It took me right back to when I was going through all those stages of late pregnancy/early motherhood, and that is saying something because that was quite some time ago now!
Jenny meets a bunch of women at antenatal classes. They have nothing much in common except having babies due around the same date, nevertheless they get on quite well and form friendships. Jenny's boss Eva doesn't have a lot of time for babies and new mums, and Jenny is forced to do a bit of lateral thinking in order to keep on doing the job that she has loved so much for so long. But is the price too high? How does motherhood change a woman?
It is not, and has never been, easy to navigate the world of work and motherhood. Motherhood changes you irrevocably, whether you like it or not.
This is a nice book that would make for lovely reading by mums, young mums in particular. This older mum enjoyed it too though.
I give this book a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Jenny meets a bunch of women at antenatal classes. They have nothing much in common except having babies due around the same date, nevertheless they get on quite well and form friendships. Jenny's boss Eva doesn't have a lot of time for babies and new mums, and Jenny is forced to do a bit of lateral thinking in order to keep on doing the job that she has loved so much for so long. But is the price too high? How does motherhood change a woman?
It is not, and has never been, easy to navigate the world of work and motherhood. Motherhood changes you irrevocably, whether you like it or not.
This is a nice book that would make for lovely reading by mums, young mums in particular. This older mum enjoyed it too though.
I give this book a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
March 22, 2018
All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com
Where do I even begin with my review! Bearing in mind that I had absolutely no idea that Emma Robinson had children of her own, it didn't take me long to reach the conclusion that she just had to be a mother where this storyline is concerned. I mean come on, even good ol' Google wouldn't be able to tell you that shizzle unless it was a parent itself!
As a mum myself I laughed out loud, grimaced, and cringe, whilst also nodding along to every single thing in this story. If after having a baby you can fit into the same pair of jeans you wore when you were 16 years old, then ace! If after having a baby you decide that you want to wear the same pair of knickers for one week straight and lock yourself in your home, crack on! What did I do? Well, I was in the middle! Seeing as I couldn't fit into any of my own clothes right after, I found myself resembling a smaller version of my mother as I wore her clothes instead. Am I ashamed? Hell no! Was I embarrassed at the time? Most definitely, that is why I wish that Emma Robinson's 'The Undercover Mother' was around when I had my daughter in 2013.
This book lays parenthood bare from the thoughts of disgust (each to their own, obviously!) at watching someone giving birth, to a mother thinking that she cannot give birth or look after a baby. Not only that, it follows the lives of several different women, all with their own interpretations of parenthood and what it means for them. What was even better for me personally, was the fact that not all of the characters were married with some of the women living the life of a single mum. As a single mum myself, I found this incredibly refreshing as a lot of books I have read lately seem to enjoy slamming single mums, yet Emma Robinson doesn't do that. Yes, she is honest with a lot of eventualities which parents could face, including the single ones, yet she didn't throw any shade to single mums at all. To be honest, I actually felt like crying at that because I was like 'FINALLY!!!!!!! An author who isn't slamming single mummies!!'. Even though I know that this book wasn't written for me personally, obviously, it really did mean a lot that it didn't seem to matter whether Robinson's characters were single, divorced, dating, married mums. All that mattered was the most important thing - being a mum.
I saw a lot of myself in Jenny in the way she reacted to pregnancy classes, and how the other women approached motherhood. Yes, I laughed a lot!
'The Undercover Mother' made me laugh out loud, snort my coffee up my nose (I wouldn't advise it) and slap my hand on my forehead going 'omfg I did that!' (multiple times!). But, whilst the storyline is hilarious and the author writes about parenthood in a way that a lot of people would be too ashamed to admit, the overall storyline does highlight several important messages. Personally, the message that hit home for me was how important it is to NOT beat yourself up every day, reminding yourself that you are doing the best that you can and, whilst it is only natural to compare yourself to other mothers, you shouldn't let their choices dictate how you raise YOUR child. I am fully aware that that is far easier to say than it is to actually do, but its something I feel the author conveyed absolutely brilliant with her characters. Seriously, they are all so different, yet they all found themselves feeling exactly the same as each other. They just managed to hide it differently in case anyone looked down their nose at their parenting skills, or saw them in a bad light.
Hell, we are in charge of keeping another human bean alive, and us women either managed to squeeze a large watermelon out of our foof, or we delivered a baby out of the sunroof which left us with a scar longer than the actual baby!!
I loved this book and everything it stands for. The honesty is empowering, the hidden messages are like little hugs every few pages, and the hilarity makes the hard times seem less....daunting. We may find ourselves covered in baby poo and baby sick right after getting our cherubs into clean clothes and feeling annoyed at the time, but that's what being a mummy is all about. Mummyhood isn't all about cuddles in front of the tv, or sleeping through the night from the moment you find the blue line on the pregnancy stick. No. Mummyhood is all of that and more. It's the good days and the bad days. It's the sad tears, the happy tears and everything in-between, and 'The Undercover Mother' showcases that like the Queen's jewels. If you feel like you need a cheerleader, Emma Robinson is your woman.
Hand on heart, this book is everything I could have wished for and more. If I wasn't already extremely proud of being a mumma, I am even more proud of being a mumma after reading this book.
A phenomenal debut novel which is totally trophy worthy - Emma Robinson has certainly got a fan for life where I am concerned!
Where do I even begin with my review! Bearing in mind that I had absolutely no idea that Emma Robinson had children of her own, it didn't take me long to reach the conclusion that she just had to be a mother where this storyline is concerned. I mean come on, even good ol' Google wouldn't be able to tell you that shizzle unless it was a parent itself!
As a mum myself I laughed out loud, grimaced, and cringe, whilst also nodding along to every single thing in this story. If after having a baby you can fit into the same pair of jeans you wore when you were 16 years old, then ace! If after having a baby you decide that you want to wear the same pair of knickers for one week straight and lock yourself in your home, crack on! What did I do? Well, I was in the middle! Seeing as I couldn't fit into any of my own clothes right after, I found myself resembling a smaller version of my mother as I wore her clothes instead. Am I ashamed? Hell no! Was I embarrassed at the time? Most definitely, that is why I wish that Emma Robinson's 'The Undercover Mother' was around when I had my daughter in 2013.
This book lays parenthood bare from the thoughts of disgust (each to their own, obviously!) at watching someone giving birth, to a mother thinking that she cannot give birth or look after a baby. Not only that, it follows the lives of several different women, all with their own interpretations of parenthood and what it means for them. What was even better for me personally, was the fact that not all of the characters were married with some of the women living the life of a single mum. As a single mum myself, I found this incredibly refreshing as a lot of books I have read lately seem to enjoy slamming single mums, yet Emma Robinson doesn't do that. Yes, she is honest with a lot of eventualities which parents could face, including the single ones, yet she didn't throw any shade to single mums at all. To be honest, I actually felt like crying at that because I was like 'FINALLY!!!!!!! An author who isn't slamming single mummies!!'. Even though I know that this book wasn't written for me personally, obviously, it really did mean a lot that it didn't seem to matter whether Robinson's characters were single, divorced, dating, married mums. All that mattered was the most important thing - being a mum.
I saw a lot of myself in Jenny in the way she reacted to pregnancy classes, and how the other women approached motherhood. Yes, I laughed a lot!
'The Undercover Mother' made me laugh out loud, snort my coffee up my nose (I wouldn't advise it) and slap my hand on my forehead going 'omfg I did that!' (multiple times!). But, whilst the storyline is hilarious and the author writes about parenthood in a way that a lot of people would be too ashamed to admit, the overall storyline does highlight several important messages. Personally, the message that hit home for me was how important it is to NOT beat yourself up every day, reminding yourself that you are doing the best that you can and, whilst it is only natural to compare yourself to other mothers, you shouldn't let their choices dictate how you raise YOUR child. I am fully aware that that is far easier to say than it is to actually do, but its something I feel the author conveyed absolutely brilliant with her characters. Seriously, they are all so different, yet they all found themselves feeling exactly the same as each other. They just managed to hide it differently in case anyone looked down their nose at their parenting skills, or saw them in a bad light.
Hell, we are in charge of keeping another human bean alive, and us women either managed to squeeze a large watermelon out of our foof, or we delivered a baby out of the sunroof which left us with a scar longer than the actual baby!!
I loved this book and everything it stands for. The honesty is empowering, the hidden messages are like little hugs every few pages, and the hilarity makes the hard times seem less....daunting. We may find ourselves covered in baby poo and baby sick right after getting our cherubs into clean clothes and feeling annoyed at the time, but that's what being a mummy is all about. Mummyhood isn't all about cuddles in front of the tv, or sleeping through the night from the moment you find the blue line on the pregnancy stick. No. Mummyhood is all of that and more. It's the good days and the bad days. It's the sad tears, the happy tears and everything in-between, and 'The Undercover Mother' showcases that like the Queen's jewels. If you feel like you need a cheerleader, Emma Robinson is your woman.
Hand on heart, this book is everything I could have wished for and more. If I wasn't already extremely proud of being a mumma, I am even more proud of being a mumma after reading this book.
A phenomenal debut novel which is totally trophy worthy - Emma Robinson has certainly got a fan for life where I am concerned!
March 21, 2018
I must admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up ‘The Undercover Mother’ because I haven’t had children and I didn’t think that I would be able to relate to the story. Well I needn’t have worried because I was hooked on this book from the moment I opened the front cover. I absolutely loved reading ‘The Undercover Mother’ but more about that in a bit.
Jenny is one of those characters that I didn’t take to straight away. The start of the book sees her writing a blog on the single life. There’s one problem with that as she isn’t and hasn’t been single for a couple of years now. She is also pregnant and due to go on maternity leave. Jenny loves her job and her blog and she envisages that her blog will only be covered temporarily until she comes back from her maternity leave. She then finds out that ‘her’ column is permanently being given to the office glamour puss, who Jenny is rather envious of. Jenny is desperate to have something to come back to and so she floats the idea of writing a blog about being a new mother. I couldn’t quite understand how Jenny had such conflicting feelings about being pregnant and giving birth. She had an idealised view of what motherhood was going to be like. Somebody I know was exactly the same when she was pregnant. She had an idea of what being a parent was going to be like and what was going to happen and when. Only reality was so much different. Jenny throws herself into researching for her new column and drags her partner along to an antenatal class. She meets some other pregnant ladies but I got the impression that she was looking down on them. To begin with she only talks to them for research purposes but it isn’t long until a bond forms between the women.
Boy oh boy ‘The Undercover Mother’ certainly put me through the emotional wringer and then some. Yes it’s primarily a romantic comedy about life, loves, parenthood and friendship but there were certain parts that brought a lump to my throat. I don’t want to give too much away but for one the of the couples the pregnancy doesn’t end as it should. I really felt for this couple and I could certainly sympathise as I know people who have tried and tried and tried to have babies and would make fantastic parents but it just didn’t happen or the pregnancy ended in tragedy. The author writes about the subject with great sensitivity.
I picked the book up at a good time for me because I needed a distraction from my chronic back pain and wowzers, this book was certainly a distraction and then some. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and the book kept my interest throughout. On more than one occasion I found myself chuckling away to myself, which got me some strange looks when I was on the bus. As I was enjoying the story so much I didn’t notice how quickly the page numbers flew past nor did I realise how quickly the time was going. Before I knew what was happening I had cleared over half the book and as I was enjoying reading the book so much, I just had to keep on reading. I cleared this book in one sitting which is unusual for me as I am usually easily distracted but not in this case.
In short I absolutely LOVED reading ‘The Undercover Mother’ and I can’t wait what comes next from this hugely talented author. Here’s hoping that we don’t have to wait too long. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
Jenny is one of those characters that I didn’t take to straight away. The start of the book sees her writing a blog on the single life. There’s one problem with that as she isn’t and hasn’t been single for a couple of years now. She is also pregnant and due to go on maternity leave. Jenny loves her job and her blog and she envisages that her blog will only be covered temporarily until she comes back from her maternity leave. She then finds out that ‘her’ column is permanently being given to the office glamour puss, who Jenny is rather envious of. Jenny is desperate to have something to come back to and so she floats the idea of writing a blog about being a new mother. I couldn’t quite understand how Jenny had such conflicting feelings about being pregnant and giving birth. She had an idealised view of what motherhood was going to be like. Somebody I know was exactly the same when she was pregnant. She had an idea of what being a parent was going to be like and what was going to happen and when. Only reality was so much different. Jenny throws herself into researching for her new column and drags her partner along to an antenatal class. She meets some other pregnant ladies but I got the impression that she was looking down on them. To begin with she only talks to them for research purposes but it isn’t long until a bond forms between the women.
Boy oh boy ‘The Undercover Mother’ certainly put me through the emotional wringer and then some. Yes it’s primarily a romantic comedy about life, loves, parenthood and friendship but there were certain parts that brought a lump to my throat. I don’t want to give too much away but for one the of the couples the pregnancy doesn’t end as it should. I really felt for this couple and I could certainly sympathise as I know people who have tried and tried and tried to have babies and would make fantastic parents but it just didn’t happen or the pregnancy ended in tragedy. The author writes about the subject with great sensitivity.
I picked the book up at a good time for me because I needed a distraction from my chronic back pain and wowzers, this book was certainly a distraction and then some. I was drawn into the story from the beginning and the book kept my interest throughout. On more than one occasion I found myself chuckling away to myself, which got me some strange looks when I was on the bus. As I was enjoying the story so much I didn’t notice how quickly the page numbers flew past nor did I realise how quickly the time was going. Before I knew what was happening I had cleared over half the book and as I was enjoying reading the book so much, I just had to keep on reading. I cleared this book in one sitting which is unusual for me as I am usually easily distracted but not in this case.
In short I absolutely LOVED reading ‘The Undercover Mother’ and I can’t wait what comes next from this hugely talented author. Here’s hoping that we don’t have to wait too long. I would definitely recommend this book to other readers. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a well deserved 5* out of 5*.
March 16, 2018
Motherhood - a topic I know literally nothing about (thank god). I have, however, witnessed my older siblings go through the whole child rearing phase and, in fact, their children have now sprouting mini-mes and so I do have an awareness of the peculiarities of life which come from having the small, dependant person in tow. My experience with small persons came when I was nine and a half, when my first nephew was born. I vaguely recall the smelly early nappies, the rancid odours a small bottom can produce and the absolute glee they gain from peeing all over you (actually it was my brother) as you try to change their nappies. I also lived with my second sister in the early days of her child rearing terrors and so I do have a little ability to empathise with the Jenny in the story as she struggles with the transition from 'Girl About Town' columnist to new mother. Thankfully my experience came with a use by and hand back date, but still. Much of this book I do actually get.
The story follows new mum, Jenny, as she battles with the early days of motherhood, The fears that she is doing it all wrong, the panic that her child is not developing as quickly as others due to her failure to allow him to interact and take part in extra-curricular activities i.e. baby groups, and her inability to regain her pre-baby body as she has a preference for cake over exercise. Most of all, it is the fear that she will lose her job, her previous column already having been given to a rival. In order to avoid the naff assignments regaling the virtues of nail polish, Jenny makes a proposal to her boss - let her run a column on Motherhood. To that end she starts out with a blog, making a new group of friends she met at the ante-natal classes the subject of her attention, as well as her own inability to navigate the confusing waters of motherhood - with humorous effect.
I cannot say 100% for sure, but I am positive, from the conversations I have had with my sisters and my Nephew and his wife, that any person who has ever had, or even been near to someone who has had, a baby can find something to identify with in this book. I've seen it all happen, albeit from a distance, and experienced some of it for myself in terms of the fear of handling the dang things (babies) all wrong and going for the middle of the night drives to try to get said thing (baby) off to sleep. I may not have had the 24/7 burden responsibility, but I've been close enough, and everything I read in this book had me nodding, smiling and occasionally even laughing out loud as I pictured each of my siblings in Jenny's place, their fears, their mistakes and their triumphs at each little milestone said thing (baby) achieved.
What Emma Robinson achieves here is a humorous look at the subject of motherhood - an almost how to and how not to guide of baby rearing and the many personalities which make up the social group of 'The Mother". Through Jenny's blog, the eponymous 'Undercover Mother' we see the funny and yet alarmingly honest view of motherhood, almost an Adrian Mole-esque diary for the post-natal. The way in which she captures and in a way lampoons her friends and their foibles did make me chuckle, while Jenny's personal dilemma's, both career wise and as she managed her knowledge of her friend's secrets, kept me entertained and engrossed from first page to last.
This is more than a simple comic take on motherhood though, examining the idea of friendship and the importance of the bond that Jenny shares with a group of women who, in all honesty, should have nothing in common. They are all so very different, all likeable in their own ways, even when they are being objectionable, and all with their own problems. I found myself invested in each and every one of their stories, intrigued by their characters and saddened by the difficulties they faced and the choices they were forced to make. Of all though, it was Ruth whose story touched me the most. Such a sad and moving story but one which left the reader with a feeling of hope at the end. Emma Robinson has done a brilliant job of creating an emotional tale without making light of her situation or bringing the story into too dark a place. A delicate balance but pulled off expertly.
If you are planning on becoming a mum, read this as you'll realise all your fears are both founded but also manageable. You will also realise you are not alone. If you are already a mum, read this book as you will chuckle along in memory of each of these little milestones and problems you faced in your own early days, thankful it's all behind you. If, like me, you are simply an Aunty then read this book, sit back, relax, rub your hands together and smile as you think to yourself - thank god that wasn't me ;)
The story follows new mum, Jenny, as she battles with the early days of motherhood, The fears that she is doing it all wrong, the panic that her child is not developing as quickly as others due to her failure to allow him to interact and take part in extra-curricular activities i.e. baby groups, and her inability to regain her pre-baby body as she has a preference for cake over exercise. Most of all, it is the fear that she will lose her job, her previous column already having been given to a rival. In order to avoid the naff assignments regaling the virtues of nail polish, Jenny makes a proposal to her boss - let her run a column on Motherhood. To that end she starts out with a blog, making a new group of friends she met at the ante-natal classes the subject of her attention, as well as her own inability to navigate the confusing waters of motherhood - with humorous effect.
I cannot say 100% for sure, but I am positive, from the conversations I have had with my sisters and my Nephew and his wife, that any person who has ever had, or even been near to someone who has had, a baby can find something to identify with in this book. I've seen it all happen, albeit from a distance, and experienced some of it for myself in terms of the fear of handling the dang things (babies) all wrong and going for the middle of the night drives to try to get said thing (baby) off to sleep. I may not have had the 24/7 burden responsibility, but I've been close enough, and everything I read in this book had me nodding, smiling and occasionally even laughing out loud as I pictured each of my siblings in Jenny's place, their fears, their mistakes and their triumphs at each little milestone said thing (baby) achieved.
What Emma Robinson achieves here is a humorous look at the subject of motherhood - an almost how to and how not to guide of baby rearing and the many personalities which make up the social group of 'The Mother". Through Jenny's blog, the eponymous 'Undercover Mother' we see the funny and yet alarmingly honest view of motherhood, almost an Adrian Mole-esque diary for the post-natal. The way in which she captures and in a way lampoons her friends and their foibles did make me chuckle, while Jenny's personal dilemma's, both career wise and as she managed her knowledge of her friend's secrets, kept me entertained and engrossed from first page to last.
This is more than a simple comic take on motherhood though, examining the idea of friendship and the importance of the bond that Jenny shares with a group of women who, in all honesty, should have nothing in common. They are all so very different, all likeable in their own ways, even when they are being objectionable, and all with their own problems. I found myself invested in each and every one of their stories, intrigued by their characters and saddened by the difficulties they faced and the choices they were forced to make. Of all though, it was Ruth whose story touched me the most. Such a sad and moving story but one which left the reader with a feeling of hope at the end. Emma Robinson has done a brilliant job of creating an emotional tale without making light of her situation or bringing the story into too dark a place. A delicate balance but pulled off expertly.
If you are planning on becoming a mum, read this as you'll realise all your fears are both founded but also manageable. You will also realise you are not alone. If you are already a mum, read this book as you will chuckle along in memory of each of these little milestones and problems you faced in your own early days, thankful it's all behind you. If, like me, you are simply an Aunty then read this book, sit back, relax, rub your hands together and smile as you think to yourself - thank god that wasn't me ;)
March 21, 2018
This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews I received this book for free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.Thank you to Bookouture for my copy of this book via Netgalley. This is the first book I have read by this author but I loved the cover and thought the blurb sounded funny. I think this book may be aimed more at new mothers but as a childless 28 year old I still enjoyed it. When I do have children I know I will be hunting the internet for a blog just like Jenny's in the hope that I am doing everything that I should be.
The story follows Jenny who is currently writing a column in a weekly magazine about the single life. The thing is Jenny not only hasn't been single for 2 years she's also about 5 weeks away from having a mini me. With her impending maternity leave someone needs to cover her column while shes gone for 6 months. Jenny struck me as either extremely naive or in denial. I'm inclined to think it was more the latter. Jenny was adamant that having a baby wasn't going to change her or her lifestyle and in 6 months she would be back writing her column as if she never left. As I already said I don't have children but I have friends who do and I have 2 nephews and a niece so I have seen how a baby can change people.
While she's on maternity leave Jenny writes a blog about being a new clueless mum. She also writes about the women from her antenatal class. She gives them all code names and the are dubbed the Spice Mums. I really enjoyed the variety in mums. There was such a range that you think they would absolutely never get on and it would be more a friendship of circumstances than a friendship of your own choosing. However, I think that some genuine long term friendships were made with the most unlikely mums.
I LOVED Dan. Like literally he is the perfect husband. He was attentive, understanding and a great father. I'll take one of those please.
I loved the blog extracts at the beginning of each chapter. These were some of the funniest moments of the book. I enjoyed Emma's writing style and I hope to read more of her books in the future.
The story follows Jenny who is currently writing a column in a weekly magazine about the single life. The thing is Jenny not only hasn't been single for 2 years she's also about 5 weeks away from having a mini me. With her impending maternity leave someone needs to cover her column while shes gone for 6 months. Jenny struck me as either extremely naive or in denial. I'm inclined to think it was more the latter. Jenny was adamant that having a baby wasn't going to change her or her lifestyle and in 6 months she would be back writing her column as if she never left. As I already said I don't have children but I have friends who do and I have 2 nephews and a niece so I have seen how a baby can change people.
While she's on maternity leave Jenny writes a blog about being a new clueless mum. She also writes about the women from her antenatal class. She gives them all code names and the are dubbed the Spice Mums. I really enjoyed the variety in mums. There was such a range that you think they would absolutely never get on and it would be more a friendship of circumstances than a friendship of your own choosing. However, I think that some genuine long term friendships were made with the most unlikely mums.
I LOVED Dan. Like literally he is the perfect husband. He was attentive, understanding and a great father. I'll take one of those please.
I loved the blog extracts at the beginning of each chapter. These were some of the funniest moments of the book. I enjoyed Emma's writing style and I hope to read more of her books in the future.
March 19, 2018
This morning, Henry was spreadeagled on his play mat. It was all very well for him to sleep now. Why not last night, when she had jiggled, walked, cuddled, put him down, picked him up? Sung? Soothed? Begged? It was tempting to pinch him awake and cry loudly into his ear - see how he liked it.
The Undercover Mother was all too relatable with spice-moms and everything! Jenny is pregnant with her first child and joins antenatal class to get material for her new blog, The Undercover Mother. But still, against all her thoughts, she actually grows to like the other mothers. What will become of her blog and her new friendships? Is she able to keep her job and stay home with her newborn baby?
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book from the very beginning. While I had quite good laughs and related to a lot of things, I also could relate to the sad parts of the book. I think that's the biggest reason that I really, really loved this book. That I actually can relate to it all and at the same time see all the frustrating and "i'm such a bad mom" things in a different light when it is not me going through those at the moment. I think I grow a little during this book myself.
This book possibly introduces every different mom type there is in the world. The fact that every spice-mom is very different from the other ones in every way; personality, the way of being a mom, work etc, and they still manage to be friends together and overcome some obstacles was fantastic! I wish I would have had the courage to attend an antenatal class myself.
There's always drama between women and so there is drama in the Undercover Mother too. And who doesn't love some drama?! Well I do! And the drama between spice-moms didn't leave me cold, it was quite a mess there.
All in all this was such a humorous book about first-time mothers and all the expectations versus realities. I'll definitely recommend this to everyone who likes this kind of books and actually for first-time mothers too. It's not all that bad if you throw some humor in it.
The Undercover Mother was all too relatable with spice-moms and everything! Jenny is pregnant with her first child and joins antenatal class to get material for her new blog, The Undercover Mother. But still, against all her thoughts, she actually grows to like the other mothers. What will become of her blog and her new friendships? Is she able to keep her job and stay home with her newborn baby?
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book from the very beginning. While I had quite good laughs and related to a lot of things, I also could relate to the sad parts of the book. I think that's the biggest reason that I really, really loved this book. That I actually can relate to it all and at the same time see all the frustrating and "i'm such a bad mom" things in a different light when it is not me going through those at the moment. I think I grow a little during this book myself.
This book possibly introduces every different mom type there is in the world. The fact that every spice-mom is very different from the other ones in every way; personality, the way of being a mom, work etc, and they still manage to be friends together and overcome some obstacles was fantastic! I wish I would have had the courage to attend an antenatal class myself.
There's always drama between women and so there is drama in the Undercover Mother too. And who doesn't love some drama?! Well I do! And the drama between spice-moms didn't leave me cold, it was quite a mess there.
All in all this was such a humorous book about first-time mothers and all the expectations versus realities. I'll definitely recommend this to everyone who likes this kind of books and actually for first-time mothers too. It's not all that bad if you throw some humor in it.
March 24, 2018
I always say I don't ask for much from a book I'm reading. Whatever the genre, whatever the story, I just want well defined characters and a storyline that flows well.
To that end, The Undercover Mother more than delivers. Jenny is a parent that a lot of women can relate to, she's doing her best to juggle her feelings for her child against her feelings for her career that until her son came along, she was more than enjoying. The other mothers in the story at first seem like caricatures but the longer the story goes on, the more in-depth and complicated they become. The relationships they build are the real driving force behind the story. I loved seeing Sporty become vulnerable and admit she didn't have all the answers, seeing Scary lose some of her confidence (and dare I say arrogance?), learning that Posh was very self-aware and unapologetic despite that, and how Ginger came through something so difficult and still fought on. These ladies were smart, funny, compassionate and sincere. Totally kick ass.
I did see one of the big revelations coming, but that's no criticism of Emma's writing. Because she put in enough hints to make you curious, and the sub-plot flowed well with the other action, and when the revelation came to a head it was organic and well done. And this is true of every element, none of it felt stuck in for drama, none of it felt forced or at odds with who the women were.
I recently read a book that focused on a main character who claimed to be hilarious, and I didn't laugh until near the end. I kept laughing at this story though, Jenny - and her husband Dan - had great insights and a great deadpan delivery. I have so much respect for Dan in this story, because you can see how well he and Jenny compliment each other. They are different but love those differences. They play off each other as well as Becky and Luke do in the Shopaholic series.
I'd like to think that Jenny, Antonia, Gail, Ruth and Naomi still keep in contact, Skyping with coffee and cake.
To that end, The Undercover Mother more than delivers. Jenny is a parent that a lot of women can relate to, she's doing her best to juggle her feelings for her child against her feelings for her career that until her son came along, she was more than enjoying. The other mothers in the story at first seem like caricatures but the longer the story goes on, the more in-depth and complicated they become. The relationships they build are the real driving force behind the story. I loved seeing Sporty become vulnerable and admit she didn't have all the answers, seeing Scary lose some of her confidence (and dare I say arrogance?), learning that Posh was very self-aware and unapologetic despite that, and how Ginger came through something so difficult and still fought on. These ladies were smart, funny, compassionate and sincere. Totally kick ass.
I did see one of the big revelations coming, but that's no criticism of Emma's writing. Because she put in enough hints to make you curious, and the sub-plot flowed well with the other action, and when the revelation came to a head it was organic and well done. And this is true of every element, none of it felt stuck in for drama, none of it felt forced or at odds with who the women were.
I recently read a book that focused on a main character who claimed to be hilarious, and I didn't laugh until near the end. I kept laughing at this story though, Jenny - and her husband Dan - had great insights and a great deadpan delivery. I have so much respect for Dan in this story, because you can see how well he and Jenny compliment each other. They are different but love those differences. They play off each other as well as Becky and Luke do in the Shopaholic series.
I'd like to think that Jenny, Antonia, Gail, Ruth and Naomi still keep in contact, Skyping with coffee and cake.
February 1, 2018
Does pregnancy and having babies change you? That's what Jenny, a columnist who the definitive girls guide to being single and having fun, is determined to prove wrong. Pregnant with her first child and in her 30's, none of Jenny's friends understand what it's like to suddenly have your body turn into an alien and have to go to the bathroom every hour on the hour. When she meets s group of women at a prenatal class, she decides to write a blog about the pregnant and postpartum life, using the women as her examples - without telling them! Jenny is determined to get her old writing job back once her maternity leave is up and to so she has to prove to her editor that she's still relevant even though she's no longer out to 3 in the morning, living la vida loca.
The group of women Jenny hooks up all have their own issues and angsts about childbirth and being a mom - and as many different childrearing ideas that you can shake a stick at. Jenny nicknames them the Spice Moms and gives each one a true Spic moniker. There's Scary mom, Posh mom, even sporty mom and they all have problems denoting their nicknames.
Navigating through this new time in her life, Jenny must either make sacrifices for her baby or her job - and she's having a hard time deciding which is more important to her.
While this wasn't - for me- the laugh out loud romp it was advertised as, the book was filled with many true-to life situations that every first-time mom goes through; and some second or third time moms as well. And many of them were pretty cute and funny.
Thanks to NEtgalley for a chance to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
The group of women Jenny hooks up all have their own issues and angsts about childbirth and being a mom - and as many different childrearing ideas that you can shake a stick at. Jenny nicknames them the Spice Moms and gives each one a true Spic moniker. There's Scary mom, Posh mom, even sporty mom and they all have problems denoting their nicknames.
Navigating through this new time in her life, Jenny must either make sacrifices for her baby or her job - and she's having a hard time deciding which is more important to her.
While this wasn't - for me- the laugh out loud romp it was advertised as, the book was filled with many true-to life situations that every first-time mom goes through; and some second or third time moms as well. And many of them were pretty cute and funny.
Thanks to NEtgalley for a chance to read an arc of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.
April 5, 2018
To see more of my reviews: https://readerswillread.wordpress.com/
I was given a copy of this by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
The book follows Jenny from being a single column writer to a married, pregnant woman preparing for maternity leave. Her column is given to a younger, single writer leaving her with nothing to come back to after maternity leave is over. She pitches the idea of a Moms column to her boss who doesn’t like the idea. Jenny is determined to make this idea work, she starts a blog called The Undercover Mother. She attends and antinatal class where she meets a group of women who she pushes to be friends with, to fuel her blog with ideas. It turns out the moms don’t mesh super well together but continue to hang out with each other. Drama unfolds and friendships are formed and Jenny finds her place in life.
I must first disclose that I don’t typically read books like this, but I thought I would jump out of my usual reads and give this one a try. While I did find the book somewhat entertaining, I did not find it “laugh out loud” funny. I may have liked it more if it had been pitched as a heart warming feel-good story, which I think better describes this book. I also didn’t think it had much to do with actually being a mother as the title would have me believe. The characters were likable and relatable and there was a lot of great parts but nothing about it was very exciting. It has been a few years since I have had a newborn so maybe I am past relating to this book. I’m not sure, I wanted to love this book but it just didn’t do it for me.
I was given a copy of this by Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.
The book follows Jenny from being a single column writer to a married, pregnant woman preparing for maternity leave. Her column is given to a younger, single writer leaving her with nothing to come back to after maternity leave is over. She pitches the idea of a Moms column to her boss who doesn’t like the idea. Jenny is determined to make this idea work, she starts a blog called The Undercover Mother. She attends and antinatal class where she meets a group of women who she pushes to be friends with, to fuel her blog with ideas. It turns out the moms don’t mesh super well together but continue to hang out with each other. Drama unfolds and friendships are formed and Jenny finds her place in life.
I must first disclose that I don’t typically read books like this, but I thought I would jump out of my usual reads and give this one a try. While I did find the book somewhat entertaining, I did not find it “laugh out loud” funny. I may have liked it more if it had been pitched as a heart warming feel-good story, which I think better describes this book. I also didn’t think it had much to do with actually being a mother as the title would have me believe. The characters were likable and relatable and there was a lot of great parts but nothing about it was very exciting. It has been a few years since I have had a newborn so maybe I am past relating to this book. I’m not sure, I wanted to love this book but it just didn’t do it for me.
July 8, 2018
Originally reviewed at Novel Escapes
This book was definitely funny, laugh out loud kind of funny at times and laughing/crying in commiseration at times too. I have conveniently forgotten how utterly confusing that first year is and this book does indeed cover it. However it's not really about motherhood as much as it's about the bond of motherhood-between women. How the very fact that you have birth around the same time as someone else automatically links you in this same period of confusion.
I liked the novel because of the women and how they were all different types of mothers. What I didn't quite get on board with was the rest of the plot. I found Jenny's job quest a bit frustrating and her obsession to remain on the magazine in the same capacity a bit far fetched. While I could appreciate that she wasn't quite ready to give up her old self she didn't seem to have any comprehension of how much things were really going to change having had a child. I also wish that the blog she had been writing had been more humorous and heartfelt rather than looking for the sensationalistic approach. I think that Jenny herself eventually realized that her approach wasn't quite right but that may be me projecting my age on her new mum self.
The author though did keep me engaged and I enjoyed the writing and all the characters. I was just hoping for a tiny bit more. But don't let me put you off the funny parts are really funny and the author's real-life blog is fantastic!
Thank you to Bookouture for our review copy. All opinions are our own
This book was definitely funny, laugh out loud kind of funny at times and laughing/crying in commiseration at times too. I have conveniently forgotten how utterly confusing that first year is and this book does indeed cover it. However it's not really about motherhood as much as it's about the bond of motherhood-between women. How the very fact that you have birth around the same time as someone else automatically links you in this same period of confusion.
I liked the novel because of the women and how they were all different types of mothers. What I didn't quite get on board with was the rest of the plot. I found Jenny's job quest a bit frustrating and her obsession to remain on the magazine in the same capacity a bit far fetched. While I could appreciate that she wasn't quite ready to give up her old self she didn't seem to have any comprehension of how much things were really going to change having had a child. I also wish that the blog she had been writing had been more humorous and heartfelt rather than looking for the sensationalistic approach. I think that Jenny herself eventually realized that her approach wasn't quite right but that may be me projecting my age on her new mum self.
The author though did keep me engaged and I enjoyed the writing and all the characters. I was just hoping for a tiny bit more. But don't let me put you off the funny parts are really funny and the author's real-life blog is fantastic!
Thank you to Bookouture for our review copy. All opinions are our own
May 1, 2020
𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This was the most accurate portrayal of the first 6 months of motherhood I have ever read. Every woman with a link to a child, be it mother, ttc, mum to be, auntie or godmother, needs to read this. Believe me you will find yourself in this book ❤
Emma writes about 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲, an expectant mum and her journey not just to motherhood but with the 'mum friends' you meet along the way. As a column writer on maternity leave and at risk of losing her job to a younger hotter version of herself, she is left with no choice but to write about her friends in 'The Undercover Mum' blog, desperately hoping their lives would not turn out dull. These women were not without drama, and this had me belly laughing the whole way through.
I'm actually grateful to have read this book. As a mum of a 6 & 2 year old, I have been there and done it, my tshirt covered in sick and shit. With my first child I met a lovely group of mums, all of us clueless, all of us in need of the other. They were the women who would message me back at 2am, would initiate our first soft play experience together, and were all happy to simply just talk baby all day long. Our group like this story also had heartbreak, proving not every part of motherhood is a happy little bubble.
Whether you're still friends or not now, with those who were once there for you, it doesnt matter, be grateful for the moments you were together, that's what counts.
"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩"
⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
This was the most accurate portrayal of the first 6 months of motherhood I have ever read. Every woman with a link to a child, be it mother, ttc, mum to be, auntie or godmother, needs to read this. Believe me you will find yourself in this book ❤
Emma writes about 𝐉𝐞𝐧𝐧𝐲, an expectant mum and her journey not just to motherhood but with the 'mum friends' you meet along the way. As a column writer on maternity leave and at risk of losing her job to a younger hotter version of herself, she is left with no choice but to write about her friends in 'The Undercover Mum' blog, desperately hoping their lives would not turn out dull. These women were not without drama, and this had me belly laughing the whole way through.
I'm actually grateful to have read this book. As a mum of a 6 & 2 year old, I have been there and done it, my tshirt covered in sick and shit. With my first child I met a lovely group of mums, all of us clueless, all of us in need of the other. They were the women who would message me back at 2am, would initiate our first soft play experience together, and were all happy to simply just talk baby all day long. Our group like this story also had heartbreak, proving not every part of motherhood is a happy little bubble.
Whether you're still friends or not now, with those who were once there for you, it doesnt matter, be grateful for the moments you were together, that's what counts.
"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩, 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩"
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