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The Bad Mother #3

The Bad Mother's Holiday

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Every mother deserves a holiday. The third in the bestselling comedy series, Juliette Duffy is knocked up again. Preggers. Up the duff. To put it another way… whoops. While she and her hotel magnate boyfriend Alex get their heads around unexpected parenthood, Juliette is having all the usual pregnancy symptoms: throwing up, indigestion, sciatica, constipation, migraines, and brain-fuddling tiredness. Because Mother Nature is a psychopathic old hag. She needs a distraction and this summer she is determined to get away. Her party-loving mother is demanding the usual Duffy family all-inclusive Greek holiday. Her dad wants to go camping in Norfolk. And Alex? Well, he has asked her on a five-star luxury cruise. The trouble is, his mother is coming too... The third in Suzy K Quinn’s addictive, bestselling Bad Mother series, where Why Mummy Drinks meets Bridget Jones, is another laugh-out-loud treat.

318 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2018

703 people are currently reading
449 people want to read

About the author

Suzy K. Quinn

33 books932 followers
Download your Suzy K Quinn starter library at: www.suzykquinn.com

Suzy K Quinn writes romantic comedy / rom com books / cozy mystery and has sold over 1 million books worldwide. She is a bestseller in the UK, US and Germany and has plans for total world domination with more feel-good books (bestsellers, obviously) in the near future. Her books exist in the space between Jojo Moyes, Richard Osman and the Midnight Library.
 
Suzy lives in Wivenhoe, Essex, with her husband Demi and two daughters. She is a twin, an incompetent parent of two and now fully decaffeinated. Her twin sister, Cate Quinn, is also a bestseller author. When she's not writing, she is reading rom coms and cozy mysteries.
 
Suzy loves her readers and is ALWAYS happy to chat on social media - she's @suzykquinn on all the socials. You can also get a free book at her website.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews
Profile Image for Barb.
905 reviews22 followers
July 17, 2020
There’s something about British humor that really hits the spot for me. I love the snarkiness, unpredictability, and sheer silliness that British writers are wont to display. This book is a perfect example.

We have Juliette, a single mother of young Daisy, who has somehow become pregnant a second time by a new boyfriend, Alex, who wants to marry and make her an honest woman. Juliette is having none of that; her independence has been hard won and won’t be relinquished easily.

Juliette’s family is a mixture of extreme personalities, all of whom make the story more entertaining. Alex’s mother is a litany of first-world problems, all self inflicted. Her life revolves around shopping and drinking, not necessarily in that order.

Nick, Daisy’s father, is a spoiled pretty boy who’s currently in a relationship with Juliette’s former best friend who is mentally unstable, at best. He and his mother Helen are desperate for Juliette to take him back and solve their problems. Once again, that’s a hard pass for our girl.

Through two cruises and a family camping trip, Juliette tries to maintain her sanity and do what’s best for both Daisy and herself. The dialogue and situations are hilarious. The pacing of the novel is via daily snippets from Juliette’s perspective, rather like a diary but not so formal.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining novel and a pleasure to read. Do yourself a favor and pick it up.

Profile Image for Becky .
117 reviews4 followers
May 9, 2020
Hilarious

I have read the first two books in this series and each book has been as funny as the next and this book is no exception. This book follows juiliette and Alex's journey through love and heartbreak. She also has to battle with a insistant Helen ( daisy's grandmother) and an inexperienced ex (nick). This book also follows juiliette and daisy on an array of holidays both in and out of their comfort zone there are a lot of changes to the duos life. This book also highlights what it is really like to be the mother of a toddler and the daily struggles faced.
My favourite character is Alex is persistence is frutile
My least favourite character is Helen she seems snobby and the pressure she puts on juliette is unnecessary
I would definately recommend this book to anyone who wants a good laugh
Profile Image for Ritu Bhathal.
Author 6 books154 followers
May 16, 2022
A shorter chapter in the escapades of Juliette and her daughter Daisy, as she navigates tricky relationship waters, with Alex, her posh kind o but not, boyfriend, and balances him and his moods with her ex.
Of course, things are never simple especially when family are so involved in her life, and not just her family. There is also her ex's mum, as well as Alex's mother.
Holidays are meant to be relaxing, but the three she manages to take within a few months, show that they can truly be otherwise, but equally rewarding in other ways.
Funny, quick read and a great continuation to the story.
Profile Image for Mandy Desay.
266 reviews12 followers
May 7, 2018
Another great addition to the series, it’s light-hearted feel good and funny, the perfect summer read
Profile Image for Laura..devouring books like crumpets.
1,962 reviews109 followers
December 3, 2021
Ok... so the Parts i Loved...

Juliette And her Unique humour the Duffy's and the delicate way the Author Handled Juliettes Heart breaking Loss.

What i Hated was Alex... Daisy is more Mature than him.... And that ending how did Alex deserve any positive response???

3.5 Miss Quinn Alex needs to Grow a Pair but still love most of the characters
153 reviews2 followers
April 9, 2024
Absolutely brilliant, kept me laughing hysterically at intervals all the way through.
Profile Image for Jacky Montgomery.
60 reviews
September 16, 2018
Just finished this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Now reading ‘Bad Mother’s pregnancy’, a freebie prequel that is offered at 75% into the e-book. (Also available for 99p on Amazon)

I got this book for free through bookbub (thank you bookbub) and originally thought it was going to be one of those books where the author tries too hard to be funny. The synopsis on Amazon does not do the book justice! For this reason I read the book out of sync (thinking I probably wouldn’t want to read the others) and now I have to backtrack and read 1 & 2 – but hopefully by then Suzie will have written another one.

Bad Mother’s holiday centres around Jules, her daughter Daisy (who’s at that age where she comes out with hilarious things), her ex Nick (Daisy’s Dad) (who’s now with her ex-bestie, though his Mum Helen would like him to get back together with Jules), Her Mum and Dad who run a pub – me and Her Mum would make the best of friends, we both like food and alcohol too much!) Her Cousin John Boy (silly name but quite a laugh and I also felt a bond with him as he, like me, lost a leg) and last but not least Alex who knocked her up. Oh and not forgetting his mother who is just an annoying diva.

I loved this family and was sad when the book came to an end but downloaded the free one immediately. They all felt like friends and I often don’t get that in a book – it just demonstrates how well written it is. I believe it was mainly a romance novel but you don’t really notice that as you’ll be laughing and bonding too much.

I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who likes a good book!
Profile Image for Hannah.
192 reviews38 followers
September 29, 2018
I'm not sure where to start. I did not like this book at all. In fact I had to skim through a lot otherwise I would not be able to finish. It came as a surprise because of the good reviews that I had read. I will say that I did not read any of the other books. This one was a free kindle book so I decided to give it a shot but not having read any backstory might have contributed to my dislike of the book.

I'll try not to go to in depth so I won't spoil anything. There wasn't really anything that I liked in this book. The characters were annoying, unrealistic, and one dimensional. There wasn't a single character that I enjoyed or thought was interesting, even the two year old Daisy. The plot dragged on with nothing really interesting happening. I didn't care about the relationship between Jules and Alex or the pregnancy. Normally I like quirky families but this one just didn't do it for me.

One of my main reasons that I did not like this book was the writing style. In other reviews I see it described as like a diary. I think this style is not for me. In the past I have read a couple of books that were similar and I did not like those either. If I had enjoyed the characters, the story, or anything else about this book I might have been able to look past the diary aspect. But I guess it is just not my thing. For me it comes across as wooden. It is a tell not show book and those are almost always not as good in my experience.

Overall it just wasn't for me.
165 reviews1 follower
October 10, 2019
Not a Romance

The book as vaguely funny and entertaining enough to finish, but I felt betrayed by the mislabling of the book as a "romance". There was zero romance, despite the main character having a sort of relationship through most of the book. The male love interest was really just one of the ensemble cast and there was zero chemistry between them. They didn't even kiss!
Beyond that, since this is apparently the third in a series with the same characters, the author assumes you know who everyone is. Having characters just show up without knowing how they fit in the dynamics was disconcerting. For example, I'm still not sure, but I think Callum is Brandi's son (and it took several appearances for me to figure that out).
A lot of behaviors didn't make sense to me. If Alex was really invested in the baby,why wasn't he more present during the pregnancy (he barely called or texted and I think she only saw him about once every few weeks)? Why was the narrator so insistent Alex move to her town when she regularly went to London to visit Althea and her sister, Laura? Seems like she has just as much ties there (though admittedly less free baby sitting). Why did Alex shut her out when he thought she owed him an explanation? Just too much was illogical beyond the normal amount one expects from dysfunction.
Profile Image for Lilli Myers.
Author 2 books1 follower
May 19, 2018
Goddamnit I cried.

I loooove this series, I hate it when the books end, like why can't it go on forever? Anyway.....

What can I say?

Another awesome book from Suzy, I love the diary format of these books and the realness of them. Like seriously who hasn't had a stupid product substitute from Tesco? I'll never forgive them for send me brillo pads rather than. A tookbrush.

I cried when I got to the bad part, not gonna say what cause ya know spoilers and all that, but yeah, I cried and my man had to make me a cup of tea and feed me chocolate and then an hour later I had to apologise for throwing an empty coke can at his head when he said it's just a book. Feckless man.

Moving on....

A cliffhanger?! It ended on a cliffhanger. Bad Suzy! Why couldn't I have a few more chapters, maybe let Daisy and Wolfgang do a joint poo in the woods or something? Seriously though, what will happen to that poor caravan door and it's dryrot? Will it survive the whole trip? I'm aghast.

Overall though, minus the sad part, a well written, funny and emotional book. Just don't read it out in the sun, you'll find it hard to put down and then end up looking like a lobster.
Profile Image for Ann.
1,041 reviews2 followers
May 12, 2020
Unfortunately, I have committed to read book 3 before I read book 2 otherwise I wouldn't have continued the series.
I wasn't interested in the characters' happiness. Why wouldn't Jules give Alex a real chance, moving to London e.g. as she goes to London often for shopping trips or visiting her sister and friend but no, she insists on him moving. The "mothers-in-law" are both dragons, and Nick... I still don't understand how he can repeatedly try to get Juliette back while he lives with Sadie. Too scared he would be on his own?

I didn't like Alex much in the previous book but now I felt sorry for him, what does he find in Juliette? She treats him badly, they don't do much together, her family is so proletarian and Jules doesn't know what she wants: "alright, I'll give it a chance". What happened to marriage being for life?

Grammar: why is the author using "show daisy and I"? Please explain to I....

Ok, some things that happen are funny. This and the fact that the one day chapters are short and the thought of reading just one more, kept me finishing the book.
But I definitely won't read another one. I rather watch Bridget Jones movies.
Profile Image for Kristin.
161 reviews4 followers
July 15, 2020
While this book had a few mildly funny moments there was zero romance in it. The book reads like a diary, which would be fine, but there's more drama/stress than comedy. The story was pretty dry and I had a hard time making myself finish it. Juliette, the main character suffers a miscarriage and within three weeks she's thinking to herself that she hopes she doesn't "think about the miscarriage too much. I haven't wallowed in self pity for a while now." Sure, everyone mends and recovers both physically and emotionally at different rates, however, that just felt awfully fast. I guess that's why it's referred to the as the Bad Mother's Holiday?

There were also several inconsistencies in the story. Such as:
"May 1st ... the Corfu trip is only a few weeks away." "May 4th Corfu is only a week away!" May 10th they leave for Corfu.

This book was just not my cup of tea.

Disclaimer: I received a free ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Laura Quinn.
53 reviews2 followers
September 19, 2018
Fab fab fab

I loved the next part to the Bad mothers books, I've really enjoyed following the story so far and now got to wait to see if there's another book with that ending... and everything crossed there will be and don't have to wait to soon. There's so far these books could go d it's great , These books are ideal as theyre in diary format so you can read as much or as little as you like,perfect when just trying to read for a few minutes at a time, which I've done while I've done while I've been ill. There's always plenty of bits to make you laugh when your reading.
It's brilliant , look forward to reading more x


284 reviews4 followers
January 16, 2021
Loved!

Audio Version - I have listened to all three books so far and each one just gets better and better. There are some serious laugh out loud moments and some that being a tear to your eyes. A sign of a very well written novel. I am however so disappointed that the audio journey stops here despite there being three more books in the series. I choose audio for medical reasons and really wish authors who start a series like this on audio see it right through to the end. I have written to Suzy to ask if there are plans to release the last three on Audio but have yet to hear back. I still give this book 5 stars as it deserves it.
Profile Image for Catherine.
Author 1 book
May 25, 2018
I really enjoyed this book, as I have when reading all the others in the series, however my only criticism is that there were occasional grammatical errors and one character inconsistency which were confusing to the reader. For example, Daisy wasn't two yet, but earlier on she was two and a half. Other than that it was an entertaining read, the plot kept me wanting to find out what happened next and I had difficulty putting it down. As a mother of a toddler who isn't two yet, it was also insightful and helpful. Although I appreciate that it's fiction. I loved the ending too, which balanced out the sadder part of the book. I look forward to reading more books in this series.
Profile Image for Michelle Gaffney.
34 reviews1 follower
November 29, 2018
Love this series

Enjoyed this book and the series, love the outbursts, one liners and the cringing while laughing. A bit disappointed in where Alex randomly popped up everywhere and then gone for a few more chapters. Would have loved more about the wedding, thought the author could have ran with the antics of the family. In saying that love this series and can't wait to see what happens next .... please say there is another book on the way ... Will reccommend to everyone, im off to have a bacon sambo now lol!!
52 reviews2 followers
November 29, 2018
Made me laugh

After reading a hard going thriller, this is just what I needed.
It's been a long time since I laughed and enjoyed a book at the same time.
There were a couple of slight hiccups with things. Is Daisy nearly 3 or 2, and is Nick Helen's son or mad Sadies.
Slight oversight but honestly I can live with it.
I wouldn't normally choose this genre but so glad I gave it a try.
And will differently be reading another of Suzy's books.
I must admit I was a little confused at first about the diary style writing but I soon got into it and couldn't put it down.
Profile Image for Vivian.
798 reviews10 followers
October 11, 2018
Just when Juliette was starting to see the light and get her act together, ie; home, job and full custody of her daughter, Daisy. She discovered the reason why she looked to have gained a few pounds. Although, regretfully that only lasts long enough for her to realize that her bo, Alex, will never be present enough. It’s time she concentrated in her and her daughter’s happiness. That would always be enough. Or would it?
Profile Image for Laura.
80 reviews6 followers
July 27, 2019
I must admit I didn’t realise that this was part of a series so I think I jumped in at the end - not that it really mattered as you did get to know the characters quite quickly- although maybe they would have had more depth if I had read the preceding books.

Honestly, this book was just ‘ok’ to me. It has had some great reviews though so maybe it’s just me! I found a couple of errors which annoy me but I also found it a bit predictable and not that funny. Each to their own I guess!
Profile Image for Hannah Johnson.
202 reviews3 followers
January 3, 2021
As always another brilliant book by Suzy, I have loved every single book of hers I have read! She makes me laugh and o can resonate with everything she writes! It's all so real. The life of a normal person and not someone who always has everything going right for them!

And now I'm done with this one it's Christmas and virus next!

Keep being the amazing writer you are Suzy, can't wait for more!! ♥️♥️
11.5k reviews48 followers
January 18, 2021
Still not sure

I have read several books in the Bad Mother series and have enjoyed them. Bad Mother's Holiday is one that I sat with for a while after finishing it. I am still not sure if I liked it or not, as there were some things I enjoyed and found humorous and other things that I did not. So for me I am coming down the middle and just saying that if you are a fan of Suzy K. Quinn and her Bad Mother series then pick this book up and make up your own mind.
74 reviews
August 27, 2018
Wow, that's a bunch of bad mothers! 😜

If bad mothering is your goal, (and whose isnt?) give this tale a read.
You will be reading Juliette's diary, or journal, whatever it is she keeps her notes in.
The gist is, parenting is hard, and single parenting is twice as hard.
Oh, and, love can creep in when you least expect it. 😊
910 reviews5 followers
February 15, 2020
Would someone please make up their mind?!

Juliette, as is certainly proper for every single mother of a young child, is completely dedicated to her young daughter, Daisy. She's also doing her best to include her cheating ex in Daisy's life. I'm all this turmoil, will she be able to find happiness for herself?
Great story by a terrific writer. Love her books!
Profile Image for Stace.
839 reviews
March 29, 2020
Occasional chuckle NO laughs! My first of Suzy Quinn's... Would probably read her again... if offered on Unlimited. Looking for humor, laugh out loud humor! Has little depth and no backstory. I see now that it is book 3 of a series... on Amazon that's not clearly stated!! But I read it till the end.
Profile Image for Staceywh_17.
3,667 reviews12 followers
April 20, 2020
After reading my way through the series the characters begin to feel like old friends & I found myself willing Julesy to take the right path, just like I would with my own friends. Another fabulous feel good read with a happy ending. Looking forward to the next book now to see if everything works out.
Profile Image for Danielle Shaw.
127 reviews
May 10, 2020
I was given a copy of this book for a review

I laughed so hard I had tears from the first page and most of the way through
There was some sad moments that had me welling up and feeling emotional but I can honestly say this book was hilarious

I am actually now ready for the next in this series and to read the other books that came before this


Profile Image for Becky Sumner.
246 reviews7 followers
July 13, 2020
Just finished this, again fantastic book, full of funny and laugh out loud moments but also a serious story regarding miscarriages so may be a trigger for some people.
Again, I will do a full review of the box set when I have finished but this was full of fun and laughter, great characters and brilliant comedy. 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 reviews
June 18, 2021
This series of books is exactly what you need if you're ever doubting your ability as a parent. It is a laugh out loud and relatable book. The style in which it's written (diary entries) make it easy to read with short but witty entries and you can just imagine a mum frantically scribbling in it for some "me time".

Really easy, enjoyable, feel good book.
Profile Image for Rachael Johnson Myers.
94 reviews12 followers
October 14, 2021
As with the rest of this series of books, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, mostly during the night, when unable to sleep, (thanks 3rd trimester!). I had a bit of a break between the previous book and this one, but soon managed to pick the storyline up quickly, and really warmed to her family this time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 126 reviews

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