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The Bad Mothers' Book Club
'I needed a funny easy book because of the days we're living in and The Bad Mothers' Book Club was perfect.' Maria, 5 starsThe laugh-out-loud new comedy about family relationships from the ebook bestseller!Meet Emma, the new Mum on the block. Since moving to the Liverpudlian seaside after her husband's career change, her life consists of the long walks on the beach (with the dog), early nights (with the kids) and Netflix (no chill). Bored and lonely, when Emma is cordially invited to the exclusive cool school-mums' book club, she thinks her luck may finally be about to change. But she soon finds the women of the club aren't quite what they seem - and after an unfortunate incident involving red wine and a white carpet, she finds herself unceremoniously kicked out. The answer? Start her own book club - for bad mothers who just want to drink wine and share stories. But will this town let two book clubs exist? Or is there only room for one queen of the school gates...? Perfect for fans of Why Mummy Drinks.
229 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2019
821 people are currently reading
1318 people want to read
About the author
Keris Stainton
22 books525 followersMy mum always claimed that when she lived in America for a year, my dad wrote to her every day and, in one of his letters, proposed. My dad denied this. But when she got home they got married anyway. In 1966 they emigrated to Canada. They'd wanted to go to New Zealand, but it was full.
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which, by all accounts, is very cold. And also hot. But when I was four months old, my parents moved back to the UK.
When I was 18 I moved to London and worked in the music industry (eventually). A few years later I moved back up north. Now I live in Lancashire (which is lovely, particularly when it's not raining... which is about two weeks a year) with my two sons and two guinea pigs. All four are cute and hairy.
I was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which, by all accounts, is very cold. And also hot. But when I was four months old, my parents moved back to the UK.
When I was 18 I moved to London and worked in the music industry (eventually). A few years later I moved back up north. Now I live in Lancashire (which is lovely, particularly when it's not raining... which is about two weeks a year) with my two sons and two guinea pigs. All four are cute and hairy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
March 10, 2019
I really enjoyed this book about a group of mothers at the same school, all which do like reading.
Yet although there are some book club meetings featured, this story is about so much more than that.
It shows just how different people are coping with being parents, the challenges they face in parenting, professional and personal lives.
There are many moments that will make you laugh, and then there is Jules' much more serious story line.
I adored Sam and Rosie, Emma's two children, who are worlds apart, with individual personalities, and who both get rather a starring role in this book.
The Bad Mother's Book Club is a fun story, that was reasonably quick to read. It was the first book I have read by the author, and now i am wondering why on earth that is!
Thank you to Netgalley and Trapeze for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Yet although there are some book club meetings featured, this story is about so much more than that.
It shows just how different people are coping with being parents, the challenges they face in parenting, professional and personal lives.
There are many moments that will make you laugh, and then there is Jules' much more serious story line.
I adored Sam and Rosie, Emma's two children, who are worlds apart, with individual personalities, and who both get rather a starring role in this book.
The Bad Mother's Book Club is a fun story, that was reasonably quick to read. It was the first book I have read by the author, and now i am wondering why on earth that is!
Thank you to Netgalley and Trapeze for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
December 18, 2020
*https://mrsbbookreviews.wordpress.com
POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2020 #38: A Book about a Book Club
The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is penned by Canadian born British based author Keris Stainton. With a number of adult contemporary fiction, young adult and non-fiction titles to her name, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is Stainton’s latest release. A story of friendship, connections, loneliness, boredom and change, Stainton’s book offers a candid look into the challenges we face in life. The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is revealing, comical and sassy.
When a career change brings Emma and her family to a new seaside-based town, Emma finds that she is dissatisfied with her current pursuits. With just her kids and dog to entertain her, Emma jumps at the chance to join an exclusive local book club organised by a group of school mothers. But as soon as Emma joins the club, she realises that she may have made a big mistake. This book club is not the kind of interest base that Emma is seeking. After one too many dull meetings and wine spill incident, Emma is booted from the club. Sick of the hurtful actions of the club and embarrassment she suffered at the hands of these catty women, Emma decides to create her own book club. In rebelling against the club that kicked her out, Emma devises a new club that is free from judgment. It is the kind of book club we all envy!
I have enjoyed a few books in the past that deal with the sometimes tricky business of book clubs. After being part of three different book clubs over the years, I was looking forward to this 2019 release from Keris Stainton. Overall, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club was a decent read, but not amazing for me.
Stainton takes the time to set the scene and delve into the colourful back stories of her characters. This mixed bunch of characters are in some respects relatable, with plenty of flaws and issues, but I found it hard to develop any kind of attachment to the central cast. While delving into ins and outs of female friendship, Stainton also looks at a collection of serious topics. These topics include personal demons, insecurities, loneliness, boredom, isolation, marital estrangement, parenting, wealth, careers, sexuality, expectations and health concerns. Stainton incorporates a number of important areas in her book, but I felt these were not fully explored to any true depth unfortunately.
In terms of the book club side of things, I was really excited about this aspect but Stainton doesn’t get the ball rolling in this department until late in the piece. While we are taken on journey highlighting the stresses of motherhood and friendship with the key characters of the text, the book club element isn’t really given enough air time. Although I appreciated the challenges faced by these women, I would have loved a stronger focus on the inner working of the book club in question.
If you are looking for a book that will offer some light relief following a heavier read, or you are searching for an easy holiday read, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club might be a contender.
POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2020 #38: A Book about a Book Club
The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is penned by Canadian born British based author Keris Stainton. With a number of adult contemporary fiction, young adult and non-fiction titles to her name, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is Stainton’s latest release. A story of friendship, connections, loneliness, boredom and change, Stainton’s book offers a candid look into the challenges we face in life. The Bad Mothers’ Book Club is revealing, comical and sassy.
When a career change brings Emma and her family to a new seaside-based town, Emma finds that she is dissatisfied with her current pursuits. With just her kids and dog to entertain her, Emma jumps at the chance to join an exclusive local book club organised by a group of school mothers. But as soon as Emma joins the club, she realises that she may have made a big mistake. This book club is not the kind of interest base that Emma is seeking. After one too many dull meetings and wine spill incident, Emma is booted from the club. Sick of the hurtful actions of the club and embarrassment she suffered at the hands of these catty women, Emma decides to create her own book club. In rebelling against the club that kicked her out, Emma devises a new club that is free from judgment. It is the kind of book club we all envy!
I have enjoyed a few books in the past that deal with the sometimes tricky business of book clubs. After being part of three different book clubs over the years, I was looking forward to this 2019 release from Keris Stainton. Overall, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club was a decent read, but not amazing for me.
Stainton takes the time to set the scene and delve into the colourful back stories of her characters. This mixed bunch of characters are in some respects relatable, with plenty of flaws and issues, but I found it hard to develop any kind of attachment to the central cast. While delving into ins and outs of female friendship, Stainton also looks at a collection of serious topics. These topics include personal demons, insecurities, loneliness, boredom, isolation, marital estrangement, parenting, wealth, careers, sexuality, expectations and health concerns. Stainton incorporates a number of important areas in her book, but I felt these were not fully explored to any true depth unfortunately.
In terms of the book club side of things, I was really excited about this aspect but Stainton doesn’t get the ball rolling in this department until late in the piece. While we are taken on journey highlighting the stresses of motherhood and friendship with the key characters of the text, the book club element isn’t really given enough air time. Although I appreciated the challenges faced by these women, I would have loved a stronger focus on the inner working of the book club in question.
If you are looking for a book that will offer some light relief following a heavier read, or you are searching for an easy holiday read, The Bad Mothers’ Book Club might be a contender.
September 7, 2019
This is my second and last book by this author and I officially give up. This book was pretty much about nothing and had little to do with book clubs or even “bad mothers”. In fact the whole bad mothers book club didn’t even form until the last 60 pages or so and they only had one meeting (and didn’t even read a book?!?). I was expecting an “us against them” type of story relating to school mothers but I didn’t get that at all. If the authors intentions was for us to see another side of Jools and have sympathy then she didn’t get it from me. I hated her when she was a bitch, when she was sick (and still a bitch) and when she was overnight a lot nicer. I would have like to have seen her change her ways WHILST she was going through her illness- realising life is too short for all the superficialities and front. Actually, none of the characters were particularly likeable. Emma is just vulgar and lazy. It became incredibly repetitive and boring the amount of times she complained the house was a mess and nothing got done yet would admit to sitting around doing nothing all day. Argh was just a frustrating read and a total waste of time.
March 8, 2019
This is my first book by Keris but it won't be my last, I'm quite a slow reader with it taking me a week or more to finish a book well I flew through this in four days! I am not a mother but love books about mums and clubs so this was the perfect book for me.
This book had a whole host of characters- some you love, some you hate and some you are a bit in the middle with and to be able to make all those types of characters in the same book takes skill. I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations of Emma, Maggie, Jools lifes and how they managed to deal with friendship, love, marriage, health and even though this book dealt with tough subjects it was funny too. i am looking forward to book two and hopefully many more to come.
Thanks goes to net galley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This book had a whole host of characters- some you love, some you hate and some you are a bit in the middle with and to be able to make all those types of characters in the same book takes skill. I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations of Emma, Maggie, Jools lifes and how they managed to deal with friendship, love, marriage, health and even though this book dealt with tough subjects it was funny too. i am looking forward to book two and hopefully many more to come.
Thanks goes to net galley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.
August 5, 2019
Basically a story that tells some of the struggles of motherhood.
There were some part that made me laugh but I wasn't invested in any of the characters which made it a struggle to read and, as a mother, didn't find a lot of it believable. The title is also misleading as you don't hear anything about a book club until 40% into the book and then its not essential to the plot.
There were some part that made me laugh but I wasn't invested in any of the characters which made it a struggle to read and, as a mother, didn't find a lot of it believable. The title is also misleading as you don't hear anything about a book club until 40% into the book and then its not essential to the plot.
August 4, 2019
My husband pointed this book out to me recently and it was definitely my type of book! I will be on the look out for more stories by Keris Stainton now.
August 27, 2020
Didn’t laugh out loud - predictable chick lit - nothing really happened
Read
October 28, 2022I'll start with the positives:
It was nice to see a book set in Liverpool. That was such a welcome change. I honestly think it's the first book I've ever read set in Liverpool. I wish more books had such different settings, instead of always being London, Edinburgh, the Highlands, or some rich Cornish town. I only wish there'd been more talk about Liverpool itself.
The negatives:
1)These women are drunken idiots. Like literal, actual idiots. I spent the entire book irritated with their stupid choices. A female character being silly is funny for only so long, then she needs to wise up. I thought women's liberation happened so that women didn't have to be stupid in literature. Apparently not. These women risked the lives of their children with their stupidity. They don't even have the forethought to buy tampons. What kind of world does the author live in where she thinks this is a realistic representation of women?
2) Alcohol.
Good grief! I'm no teetotaler prude but come on. These women needed an intervention. Nothing could be done without downing a bottle of wine. Everything was about drinking and getting drunk. I felt like I was reading about 19 year olds on a pub hop, not married mothers who want to be taken seriously.
3) Sex.
This author seems to believe that marriage is nothing but sex. There was no companionship, no friendship, no intimacy besides getting it on. Every marriage was described as though sex was the only thing holding them together. And when the women weren't constantly harking on about sex to their husbands, they were talking about it to their friends. Once again, a teenage mindset instead of fully grown adults with real responsibilities. I felt like every relationship/marriage in this book was a facade because the author didn't understand the partnership that goes into a successful one. If marriage was nothing more than sex, what the hell is the point then?
4) The non-stop WHINING. Jeez all these women did was moan and complain and whine and make themselves the victims. I get it... Motherhood is HARD. And because society has changed so much, motherhood is even harder than it has ever been. But this constant whining about it was grating. I'm a mother, 90% of my friends are mothers, 90% of my acquaintances are mothers: over the past decade we haven't whined about motherhood as much as these women do in one chapter.
5) The men.
This author does not like men. She has made that very clear by writing such awful husband characters. What are the odds that a group of stranger women come together and all have the same personalitied husband? Very slim. Also these men do not match current men. I know there will always be lazy as hell fathers, dead beat fathers, abusive fathers: but they are the minority. These men that stand around and order food and chores from wives while contributing zero to childcare is not realistic. Men are not like that anymore. Haven't really been like that in this century.
6) Alcohol, sex and whining is the full plot.
There is nothing in this book but those three things that we constantly have to hark on about. Nothing happens. There is no story. It begins with a drunken encounter; there are several high jinx moments brought on by stupidity; alcohol and sex are smeared a bit too liberally throughout the chapters; and then it ends with them almost killing their children through stupidity; and one more drunken encounter.
That's about it.
And for a book literally called Book Club, there was no actual book club.
It was nice to see a book set in Liverpool. That was such a welcome change. I honestly think it's the first book I've ever read set in Liverpool. I wish more books had such different settings, instead of always being London, Edinburgh, the Highlands, or some rich Cornish town. I only wish there'd been more talk about Liverpool itself.
The negatives:
1)These women are drunken idiots. Like literal, actual idiots. I spent the entire book irritated with their stupid choices. A female character being silly is funny for only so long, then she needs to wise up. I thought women's liberation happened so that women didn't have to be stupid in literature. Apparently not. These women risked the lives of their children with their stupidity. They don't even have the forethought to buy tampons. What kind of world does the author live in where she thinks this is a realistic representation of women?
2) Alcohol.
Good grief! I'm no teetotaler prude but come on. These women needed an intervention. Nothing could be done without downing a bottle of wine. Everything was about drinking and getting drunk. I felt like I was reading about 19 year olds on a pub hop, not married mothers who want to be taken seriously.
3) Sex.
This author seems to believe that marriage is nothing but sex. There was no companionship, no friendship, no intimacy besides getting it on. Every marriage was described as though sex was the only thing holding them together. And when the women weren't constantly harking on about sex to their husbands, they were talking about it to their friends. Once again, a teenage mindset instead of fully grown adults with real responsibilities. I felt like every relationship/marriage in this book was a facade because the author didn't understand the partnership that goes into a successful one. If marriage was nothing more than sex, what the hell is the point then?
4) The non-stop WHINING. Jeez all these women did was moan and complain and whine and make themselves the victims. I get it... Motherhood is HARD. And because society has changed so much, motherhood is even harder than it has ever been. But this constant whining about it was grating. I'm a mother, 90% of my friends are mothers, 90% of my acquaintances are mothers: over the past decade we haven't whined about motherhood as much as these women do in one chapter.
5) The men.
This author does not like men. She has made that very clear by writing such awful husband characters. What are the odds that a group of stranger women come together and all have the same personalitied husband? Very slim. Also these men do not match current men. I know there will always be lazy as hell fathers, dead beat fathers, abusive fathers: but they are the minority. These men that stand around and order food and chores from wives while contributing zero to childcare is not realistic. Men are not like that anymore. Haven't really been like that in this century.
6) Alcohol, sex and whining is the full plot.
There is nothing in this book but those three things that we constantly have to hark on about. Nothing happens. There is no story. It begins with a drunken encounter; there are several high jinx moments brought on by stupidity; alcohol and sex are smeared a bit too liberally throughout the chapters; and then it ends with them almost killing their children through stupidity; and one more drunken encounter.
That's about it.
And for a book literally called Book Club, there was no actual book club.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2019
I have no idea why this is described as a "laugh-out-loud novel full of humour" unless "humour" with a "u" means something different from "humor" without a "u." That said, the book was interesting enough, a nice way to pass the time. It was difficult, all the way to the end, to distinguish the different characters and their children. It would have helped if the author had divided the sections featuring each character and put the character name at the beginning. The only one I had no trouble remembering was "Jools" because the spelling irked me (why not "Jules"?) plus she had the darkest story line. If you're looking for a reasonably well-written story without a lot of depth about what it's like to be a mother of mostly elementary school age children, this one isn't bad. Not great, but not bad
June 11, 2019
After a few heavier books I needed something light and fluffy so this was perfect for that. If you love reading about mums and how they pretend to have it altogether you’ll love this. I need more grit
February 19, 2020
2.5⭐️
That’s what I get for being suckered in by a pretty cover and a great title.
That’s what I get for being suckered in by a pretty cover and a great title.
April 8, 2022
Nice easy read really enjoyed it
June 29, 2019
This is the first book I have read from this author and it won’t be the last, I decided to read this one because I really liked the blub and I am so glad I did, this is a fun and moving story with characters that all had different personalities and wants yet melded well together for a page turning fun read.
Emma Chance and her husband and kids have moved to West Kirby, Liverpool for a change that should have them all enjoying life more, and Emma is really looking forward to making new friends when the kids start at the new school, but the first day turns out so good because of the dog.
Jools Jackson has it all a handsome footballer husband three beautiful daughters and even picks the kids up from school dressed to the nines, she also runs an exclusive book club once a month invitation only, life seems too good for Jools to everyone else.
When Emma is invited through their husbands to join the book club all hell breaks out at the second meeting, there is lots of wine involved and Emma is thrown out Emma and her close friends Beth and Hanan decide to start their own book club with lots of different rules to Jools’s one.
There are lots of laughs through this story but there are also lots of moving and emotional bits as well as these woman Emma, Jools, Maggie, Eve, Flic, Beth and Hanan journey through life with kids and husbands and making things work and keeping everyone happy. This is a book that I do recommend, I thoroughly enjoyed it, very entertaining.
Emma Chance and her husband and kids have moved to West Kirby, Liverpool for a change that should have them all enjoying life more, and Emma is really looking forward to making new friends when the kids start at the new school, but the first day turns out so good because of the dog.
Jools Jackson has it all a handsome footballer husband three beautiful daughters and even picks the kids up from school dressed to the nines, she also runs an exclusive book club once a month invitation only, life seems too good for Jools to everyone else.
When Emma is invited through their husbands to join the book club all hell breaks out at the second meeting, there is lots of wine involved and Emma is thrown out Emma and her close friends Beth and Hanan decide to start their own book club with lots of different rules to Jools’s one.
There are lots of laughs through this story but there are also lots of moving and emotional bits as well as these woman Emma, Jools, Maggie, Eve, Flic, Beth and Hanan journey through life with kids and husbands and making things work and keeping everyone happy. This is a book that I do recommend, I thoroughly enjoyed it, very entertaining.
Read
February 12, 2019[Gifted]
Keris is one of my favourite comfort reads, and this new adult novel from her hit the spot perfectly. It follows a group of mothers with children at the same school in Liverpool, all of whom have problems in their lives. Sometimes it's related to their marriage, their health or their sense of self as a mother and person. This was a lot more serious than some of Keris' other books, and it got quite dark at times. It really captured motherhood perfectly, and I'm going to be thinking about these women for a long time.
Keris is one of my favourite comfort reads, and this new adult novel from her hit the spot perfectly. It follows a group of mothers with children at the same school in Liverpool, all of whom have problems in their lives. Sometimes it's related to their marriage, their health or their sense of self as a mother and person. This was a lot more serious than some of Keris' other books, and it got quite dark at times. It really captured motherhood perfectly, and I'm going to be thinking about these women for a long time.
December 1, 2019
Loved it just as I expected I would
January 28, 2020
Enjoyable. With real, messy lives and the heartache of needing friends.
December 1, 2020
I am not sure what to do about the positioning of the novel, particularly about the information and the whole plot of the story. The bad mothers’ book club? The group is only created at the very end of the novel, so the whole plot doesn’t really have much to do with that.
I couldn’t help but feel that the story began in the wrong place, that maybe we spend too much time reading about these women until they create their own book club. I think there could’ve been more tension and friction generated from the bad mothers’ book club, but it would’ve needed to be earlier in the plot.
I couldn’t help but feel that the story began in the wrong place, that maybe we spend too much time reading about these women until they create their own book club. I think there could’ve been more tension and friction generated from the bad mothers’ book club, but it would’ve needed to be earlier in the plot.
March 3, 2023
This book is basically “Why Women Kill” meets “Big Little Lies” but without the whole murder aspect. So in other words, I loved it!!!
I picked up this book because the title grabbed my attention and I did in fact thought there was going to be a murder involved but there wasn’t but that didn’t really matter because the book was so good.
Maggie is definitely the one character that stood out to me the most, I enjoyed her storyline the most as well. I loved the other female characters as well, excluding Eve for obvious reasons.
Overall, it’s a good dramatic book that was so fun to read and get into each storyline. 5/5 for sure!
I picked up this book because the title grabbed my attention and I did in fact thought there was going to be a murder involved but there wasn’t but that didn’t really matter because the book was so good.
Maggie is definitely the one character that stood out to me the most, I enjoyed her storyline the most as well. I loved the other female characters as well, excluding Eve for obvious reasons.
Overall, it’s a good dramatic book that was so fun to read and get into each storyline. 5/5 for sure!
December 23, 2020
Fun, 3.5.
February 6, 2021
A great light reading funny book. A book club is formed because all they see is the "Perfect Mom"s" at their kids school. The story is about the club they start for themselves and is about friendship/support. Along the way they find the truth of what they thought were the Mom's with their perfect lives.
March 16, 2021
Entertaining and quick read about the importance of friendship and motherhood. How we help each other through the peaks and troughs of life.
June 14, 2021
An easy and entertaining read with lots of relatable sections. There were loads of spelling and grammar mistakes in the edition I read. 3/5
February 14, 2025
This book was so funny and such an easy read! I loved it!
April 29, 2019
ARC received from Hachette Australia for an honest review
The Bad Mother's Book Club is my first Keris Stainton, and it won't be my last.
This book is kind of like Big Little Lies meets Bad Moms at the school pick up line.
Whilst there some book clubbing involved, it is more about he mothers, their lives and how things are not necessarily greener on the other side.
I completely adored some of the characters, some I just detested, and then there were those in the middle whom I wasn't sure, and could have fallen either way. I liked that we got them all in one novel, as we do in real life.
I liked being taken on the journey of Emma, Jools and Maggie (along with some other secondary characters) as they face the trials and tribulations of life, love, friendship.
Oh, and I neeeeed to be part of this book club.
I laughed, I got angry, I got frustrated, but mostly I smiled.
This is a fun, quick read that I look forward to going back to read again in the future.
The Bad Mother's Book Club is my first Keris Stainton, and it won't be my last.
This book is kind of like Big Little Lies meets Bad Moms at the school pick up line.
Whilst there some book clubbing involved, it is more about he mothers, their lives and how things are not necessarily greener on the other side.
I completely adored some of the characters, some I just detested, and then there were those in the middle whom I wasn't sure, and could have fallen either way. I liked that we got them all in one novel, as we do in real life.
I liked being taken on the journey of Emma, Jools and Maggie (along with some other secondary characters) as they face the trials and tribulations of life, love, friendship.
Oh, and I neeeeed to be part of this book club.
I laughed, I got angry, I got frustrated, but mostly I smiled.
This is a fun, quick read that I look forward to going back to read again in the future.
July 9, 2019
Earlier this year I decided I wanted to be in a book club. I couldn't find one, so decided to start my own. A few school mums came along and although it's only early days, so far things are going well. So when I saw this book in Big W it felt like the perfect fit for our fledgling group.
The Bad Mothers' Book Club is the story of 3 women, the only thing they have in common is being mother's to similar aged children. Emma is a stay at home Mum, married with 2 kids. Maggie has a daughter and an unhappy marriage. Jools is a mother of 3, married to a football player.
These three women are very different and yet their lives interact through their children's school.
I found this book a lot of fun. It was easy reading, not heavy and over the top. There were laugh out loud funny moments that I think most mothers can relate to. It made the novel feel real, these women feel real, because their experiences are ones other mothers share.
Although the title alludes to a book club, it's not a book about books or with heavy literary references. It's more a passing reference, and not really what defines the book.
One thing particularly liked is that the way the women were perceived at the beginning wasn't necessarily true. And isn't that the case for all of us? We see people in the school yard, make assumptions about who and what their lives are. This book peeled back the layers into the women behind all that. That blog or person in the school yard who's life seems so perfect from the outside - is that really the reality? It's intruiging to think about, and to deconstruct those assumptions that we've made.
An entertaining read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
The Bad Mothers' Book Club is the story of 3 women, the only thing they have in common is being mother's to similar aged children. Emma is a stay at home Mum, married with 2 kids. Maggie has a daughter and an unhappy marriage. Jools is a mother of 3, married to a football player.
These three women are very different and yet their lives interact through their children's school.
I found this book a lot of fun. It was easy reading, not heavy and over the top. There were laugh out loud funny moments that I think most mothers can relate to. It made the novel feel real, these women feel real, because their experiences are ones other mothers share.
Although the title alludes to a book club, it's not a book about books or with heavy literary references. It's more a passing reference, and not really what defines the book.
One thing particularly liked is that the way the women were perceived at the beginning wasn't necessarily true. And isn't that the case for all of us? We see people in the school yard, make assumptions about who and what their lives are. This book peeled back the layers into the women behind all that. That blog or person in the school yard who's life seems so perfect from the outside - is that really the reality? It's intruiging to think about, and to deconstruct those assumptions that we've made.
An entertaining read and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend.
July 26, 2019
I wanted to enjoy this book a lot more than I did. It sounded great.
It wasn't at all funny but was wanting to try in places.
Too many characters to keep track of which meant that 3/4 of the book was just explaining who each person was so therefore it took too long for any real story to develop and then it wrapped up too quickly.
It wasn't at all funny but was wanting to try in places.
Too many characters to keep track of which meant that 3/4 of the book was just explaining who each person was so therefore it took too long for any real story to develop and then it wrapped up too quickly.
May 11, 2019
It won't change your life but it will give you a giggle ! A light hearted read about real mum stuff.
October 25, 2021
Här var mycket igenkänning om hur det är att vara mamma. Intressant om fördomar och hur vi är mot varandra. Jag gillade den verkligen - stärkande!
April 3, 2021
3.75 stars
When Emma leaves London for West Kirby near Liverpool with her husband and two children her life changes, but not for the better. Struggling to meet new people after commuting the ultimate faux pas against Jools Jackson (wife of a footballer and minor celebrity) on the first day of the school year, she’s lonely.
Emma’s not the only one struggling though. Whilst all the school mums look like they’ve got it together, each has a secret struggle. Some are far worse than others; but the only way they are coming to light and getting fixed is through friendship, laughter, wine of the Bad Mother’s Book Club. A place where judgment is not allowed and the reading of books is optional.
What an unexpected little gem this was! It was both laugh out loud funny but also very poignant in the sense that you should always be kind because you never know what battles someone is personally fighting.
I’d classify The Bad Mother’s Book Club as contemporary fiction with a side of chic lit. I’m fast becoming a fan of this genre as it generally comes with a healthy dose of laughter and the happily ever after you expect from chic lit without all the romance. Add this to a plot that moves at a good pace, is relatable and whilst somewhat predictable, still engaging; and you have a great read.
Whilst the plot was good, the characters were great. The mums made the book for me and I found them all relatable in their various ways and could picture my own friends as them. The fact that their lives weren’t perfect though, but that they got by with a little help from their friends; was what made the whole book funny and relatable.
Thank you so much @what_kt_read for bringing The Bad Mother’s Book Club to my attention, as I also enjoyed it. At 265 pages it’s a quick and easy read that you can devour whilst on holidays or on the weekend in one or two sittings. It’s a recommended 3.75 ⭐️ read.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
When Emma leaves London for West Kirby near Liverpool with her husband and two children her life changes, but not for the better. Struggling to meet new people after commuting the ultimate faux pas against Jools Jackson (wife of a footballer and minor celebrity) on the first day of the school year, she’s lonely.
Emma’s not the only one struggling though. Whilst all the school mums look like they’ve got it together, each has a secret struggle. Some are far worse than others; but the only way they are coming to light and getting fixed is through friendship, laughter, wine of the Bad Mother’s Book Club. A place where judgment is not allowed and the reading of books is optional.
What an unexpected little gem this was! It was both laugh out loud funny but also very poignant in the sense that you should always be kind because you never know what battles someone is personally fighting.
I’d classify The Bad Mother’s Book Club as contemporary fiction with a side of chic lit. I’m fast becoming a fan of this genre as it generally comes with a healthy dose of laughter and the happily ever after you expect from chic lit without all the romance. Add this to a plot that moves at a good pace, is relatable and whilst somewhat predictable, still engaging; and you have a great read.
Whilst the plot was good, the characters were great. The mums made the book for me and I found them all relatable in their various ways and could picture my own friends as them. The fact that their lives weren’t perfect though, but that they got by with a little help from their friends; was what made the whole book funny and relatable.
Thank you so much @what_kt_read for bringing The Bad Mother’s Book Club to my attention, as I also enjoyed it. At 265 pages it’s a quick and easy read that you can devour whilst on holidays or on the weekend in one or two sittings. It’s a recommended 3.75 ⭐️ read.
To play along with my book bingo and to see what else I’m reading, go to #ktbookbingo and @kt_elder on Instagram.
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