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Single Mums' Mansion #2

The Single Mums Move On

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Can neighbours become more than good friends...

After her husband left her, Ali and her daughter Grace enjoyed living in what became known as 'the Single Mums' Mansion'. However, with her best friends Amanda and Jacqui moving on, it's time for Ali and Grace to make their own way. Thankfully, a chance conversation leads to them moving into the infamous South London gated community known only as The Mews.

In The Mews everyone lives in each other's pockets and curtain twitching is an Olympic sport. The neighbours are an eclectic bunch – from Nick the alleged spy, Carl the gorgeous but clearly troubled Idris Elba lookalike, to Debbie who is about to face the hardest fight of her life, and TV agent Samantha who is not as in control as she likes to pretend.

Each day brings another drama, but along with the tears, real friendships grow. And her neighbours' problems might unlock the key to something Ali has yearned for all along...

Based on a true story – you'll never be able to look at your neighbours quite the same way again...
Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes, Mhairi McFarlane and Helen Fielding.

322 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 18, 2019

153 people are currently reading
112 people want to read

About the author

Janet Hoggarth

25 books16 followers

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5 stars
208 (49%)
4 stars
139 (32%)
3 stars
53 (12%)
2 stars
12 (2%)
1 star
12 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
Profile Image for Nila (digitalcreativepages).
2,676 reviews224 followers
July 25, 2019
This was book 2 in the series, but that didn't disrupt my reading. I got the basic gist of book 1 and did not feel that the characters were strangers to me.

Janet Hoggarth did a fabulous job in endearing the characters to me. Ali and Grace knew it was time to make a new start and decided to move to the gated community known as The Mews with eclectic quirky characters. The neighbors were cute but so damn nosy.. I wouldn't be able to stay in such a place.

Both Ali and Grace were etched beautifully by the author, I could connect with them. Each one was interesting in their own way. The Mews had a lot of drama happening everyday, but it also forged strong friendships. Janet had made them appear real.

Emotions of love, laughter, happiness seeped through the story. There was warmth in their relationships, romance had its own sweet spot. A light fun easy-breezy read was this book.
Profile Image for booksofallkinds.
1,021 reviews175 followers
July 19, 2019
*I voluntarily reviewed this book from Netgalley.

THE SINGLE MUMS MOVE ON by Janet Hoggarth is a heartwarming and entertaining story of new beginnings and true friendship and I really enjoyed it.

'The Single Mums' Mansion' helped Ali and her daughter Grace find their feet when they needed it most but it is time to move on to new beginnings and when they get the opportunity to move into The Mews they jump at the chance. A community where everyone knows everything about each other, or think they do anyway, it isn't long before Ali is getting to know her new neighbours, some of whom are more friendly than others. But as drama unfolds, friendships will shine through the hard times, and Ali may just find happiness as she has never known before.

Engaging characters, a great plot, and a style of writing that lures the reader into this story on every page, THE SINGLE MUMS MOVE ON by Janet Hoggarth is a wonderful story that is sure to please fiction fans everywhere. While this book is a sequel, it can easily be read as a standalone which is exactly what I have done.

THE SINGLE MUMS MOVE ON by Janet Hoggarth is a moving and appealing story and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Erin Lewis.
6,267 reviews218 followers
July 5, 2019
4 Star Review The Single Mums Move on by Janet Hoggarth

Janet Hoggarth is a new author to me. This was an enjoyable read that I was able to lose myself in. I haven’t read the first book in this series, but I had no trouble reading as a stand alone.

The time has come for Ali and Grace to move out of the Single Mums Mansion and on to a new adventure. Moving to The Mews is an eye opening experience with neighbors who like to be up in each other;’s business constantly.

The story line was engaging and I found it an easy read. I received an ARC of this book through the publisher via Netgalley
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
131 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2021
It's just all a bit far fetched and easy? For a book about single moms there's very little parenting that happens. Also, poor Carl.
Profile Image for Katherine Hayward Pérez .
1,705 reviews79 followers
July 28, 2019
I adored The Single Mum's Mansion, which was a safe haven for single mums in London. I reviewed the book and was on the blog tour for it. I kept hoping there'd be a sequel, and this is it. The Single Mum's Move On follows Ali, a single mother and her daughter Grace as they try to find somewhere else to go after the other mums including Ali's friends Amanda and Jacqui, moved on.

During their search, they come across the opportunity to move into The Mews, a gated community in East Dulwich. There are so many characters here, some have happy lives, others have sadder ones but they all have one thing in common: a love of gossip.

The Single Mums Move on is a story of heartbreak and sad times but also of hope and how to get your life back on track again. I identified with Ali at the uncertainty she went through, of learning who she could and couldn't trust. There were some laugh-out-loud moments and some nerve wracking ones and I felt so bad for Grace when she had to leave the ice cream at the supermarket.I identified with Ali all the way through due to her feelings of being alone and that it was her and Grace against the world.

Janet Hoggarth has a gift for creating a great cast of characters (and there are a lot in the Single Mums series so far). Fortunately, as with book 1, there's a helpful "Cast of characters" section at the beginning of the book which outlines who everyone is and what their role at The Mews is, and some anecdotes about the characters.

5 stars. I wonder if there'll be another book in the series? If there is, I'll be ready to review it!

Thanks to Janet Hoggarth and Aria for my ARC in exchange for an honest and volunrary review and a slot on the blog tour for the title.

Enjoyable, emotional funny real and relatable, this is a must-read if you are looking for a gripping novel about starting over. Book 1 is excellent too but book 2 can be approached as a standalone. The books are based on a true story and that makes me love them even more. I always want to search out the true story they were inspired by!
Profile Image for Jane Hunt.
Author 3 books117 followers
July 23, 2019
I enjoyed the first book in the single mums series, but for me, this one is even better. This is Ali’s story, although Amanda and Jacqui are featured. Ali is stumbling out of, yet another terrible relationship, Amanda suggests, there is a pattern to this self-destruction, and maybe she needs to be single for a while, to find out who she is, and what she wants out of life.

When it looks like Ali and Grace may have to take refuge with Amanda, a lifeline from an unexpected source, brings them to ‘The Mews’, an enigmatic gated community in South London. The characters that live there are beautifully flawed and realistic and their lives make Ali realise that she’s not the only one with problems.

The friendships that follow, are full of love, laughter and sadness. Ali finds a way forward and romance in an unexpected place, The story flows well, and the ethos of the community, is addictive, making me read this story in one sitting.

I received a copy of this book from Aria via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
Profile Image for amanda.
359 reviews27 followers
August 29, 2019
I saw Single Mums in the title and knew immediately that this was the book for me. Single mommyhood representation whoo hoo!

This is the second book in this series and usually I have a thing about reading books out of order but with this book I didn’t feel lost at all. Instead I laughed a lot the entire read through and immediately went to hunt down the first book at my library..

This was a fun quick read with a host of zany and hilarious characters. The plot is original and held my interest with witty commentary and nail biting situations. It was also so nice to relate to the protagonist and her single momhood. This book reassured me that although things get rough there is always ALWAYS a solution. Even if that solution is by simply laughing.

Thanks very much to the publisher and Netgalley for my Arc.
Profile Image for Steph Leeson.
653 reviews13 followers
July 21, 2025
I love Janet Hoggarth! I am so happy I finally listened to this audiobook. Penny Andrews is a priceless side-splitting narrator. Hoggarth's dry, witty humor with Andrew's performance is a pairing that is impeccable. The Mews is a place I wish were real. I would move there in a heartbeat!
The star of the show is Ali. She is the daydreaming, dramatic, loyal, kind friend every person wants in their corner.
All of the characters in this book range in age. Multi-POVs, and everyone is lovable! Normand, Nick, Jo, and Francesca, to name a few. I am now going down the Hoggarth's rabbit hole and listening to the rest of her novels. Moderate swearing. Moderate sexual references. Not actual sex. Ages 17+
Profile Image for Gaele.
4,076 reviews85 followers
August 19, 2019
Ali and her daughter Grace used to live in the house that became the “Single Mums’ Mansion” and now as Jacqui and Amanda have moved on with their lives – she’s in need of something new and stable for the two of them. While she loved the sense of community in their small attic room, she’s also wanting to take more control of her life, and stabilize the relationship between Grace and her father. A chance meeting leads to her viewing a house in “The Mews”, a gated community in South London. The house is perfect for the two of them, and the fact that it is gated means that no one can “surprise’ visit them, or that Ali’s last disastrous boyfriend can’t appear and worm his way back in.

But with all of the wonder that is The Mews, there are issues: neighbors that seem to see and hear (and know) everything, one that she only spots behind a twitching curtain and another who is impossibly brusque and sharp – contrasted with the very flamboyant orchestrator in Jo as well as a handful of people who are also undergoing great change, it will take a bit of getting used to before Ali can actually move forward with the positive changes she wants to make in her life, and be less apt to diving headfirst into the worst possible options.

Clever, with a cast of characters that feels daunting at first, until Hoggarth gives us enough information and interactions (both first and third-hand) to let them all become clear. Every person that we encounter will provide a new step in growth for Ali, and whether the interactions start positively or with a bit of ‘what did I do’ groans the next morning, it is a group of people that you WANT to get to know and would love to be a part of the scene. There are moments to love, laugh at and with Ali, and even want to give her a good shake: all tempered with the good-natured and often firm hands of those around her – pushing her into healthier (physically, mentally and financially) choices for both she and Grace. Come join The Mews and see just how much a community and change can do for a life.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed
Profile Image for Grass monster.
580 reviews17 followers
July 19, 2019
The Blurb :
After her fiancé left her, Ali and her daughter Grace enjoyed living in what became known as 'the Single Mums' Mansion'. However, with her best friends Amanda and Jacqui moving on, it's time for Ali and Grace to make their own way. Thankfully, a chance conversation leads to them moving into the infamous South London gated community known only as The Mews.
In The Mews everyone lives in each other's pockets and curtain twitching is an Olympic sport. The neighbours are an eclectic bunch – from Nick the alleged spy, Carl the gorgeous but clearly troubled Idris Elba lookalike, to Debbie who is about to face the hardest fight of her life, and TV agent Samantha who is not as in control as she likes to pretend.
Each day brings another drama, but along with the tears, real friendships grow. And her neighbours' problems might unlock the key to something Ali has yearned for all along...
Will these single mums be able to move on from life in the mansion?

My Thoughts :
I didnt know this was a sequel but as I knew it could be read as a standalone I wasnt bothered about not reading the first book.
Here we are back with Ali and her daughter Grace, after living in The Single Mums Mansion they have not decided its time to move on and into The Mews. The only downside is that its a very close community with everyone knowing everyones business and a lot of interfering goes on between the neighbours. As Ali and Grace settle in and get to know some of the neighbours, some nice and some not so nice, we have a few treats and laughs in store and some romance thrown into the mix aswell.
I really enjoyed getting to know Ali and Grace, Ali is a real fun character and I could easily have her as a friend. This also has great supporting characters added in, which I enjoyed getting to know along the way.
Janet Hogarth writes well and keeps the reader engaged at all time. Its an easy read with some great descriptions. One that you can just picture yourself right there in the scene.



Profile Image for Rebecca.
109 reviews8 followers
July 17, 2019
I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I hadn't read the previous book The Single Mum's Mansion so I was a little apprehensive going into this book. I was worried in case I couldn't gel with the characters or found some of the plot lines confusing but I needn't have been worried - it was fine. The author did give a semi background of the characters so you could go into the book having not read the previous one but she didn't go into it too much so that those who had read the previous book didn't have their experience marred - sign of a good author there, giving just enough information needed.

I liked Ali as a character, she reminds me of many of my female friends, struggling to find themselves after the end of a long term relationship and kissing many frogs along the way. The story started well but when it really came into its own was when she and her daughter Grace moved to the Mews.

The Mews is so well described, I could just imagine it in my mind and all the characters were realistic and vibrant. We were dealt with some surprises about some of the characters along the way and they really helped the storyline along.

There is a love interest (or two) in the book and I did find myself rooting for one rather than the other. It did seem like I wasn't going to get my wish but all came good in the end.

This was a really great read and perfect for by the beach or pool if you are going away this summer.
Profile Image for Grace J Reviewerlady.
2,136 reviews105 followers
July 18, 2019
Having really loved The Single Mums Mansion, I was thrilled to bits to get the chance to read the sequel - and it's every bit as good as I had hoped!

Single parent Ali needs to find a new home; the time to leave the mansion is now - but where will she find somewhere perfect for both her and daughter Grace, and at a rent she can afford? A chance encounter leads her to find her new home in The Mews, a gated community bursting with new people to meet. What does the future hold for them both?

A wonderful follow-up to the original, this novel is packed full of fun and laughter! With an influx of fabulous new characters as well as the originals still in the picture, there are so many opportunities to giggle and grin and author Janet Hoggarth didn't miss a single one. A great mix of fun stories along with covering a couple of serious subjects, the words just flew by - this is such an easy read. Each character is beautifully crafted, easy to picture and completely believable. The setting is superb, the writing flows easily and it's such a joy to read from beginning to end. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the character descriptions at the start; too many details about those I hadn't yet encountered and in all honesty I just skipped on by. It didn't affect my enjoyment in the least though, and this is a super five star all-encompassing read.
Profile Image for Jackie Wright.
6,623 reviews137 followers
August 13, 2019
This is a new author to me and I really enjoyed this entertaining, engaging read and I will certainly be looking at other books by Janet Hoggarth. This may be 2 in the series but it can certainly be read as a stand-alone as you can see see from my rating I had no problem getting into the story.
Ali and Grace are about to make their own way in life it’s time to move on and a chance meeting leads them to The Mews a South London gated community. Everyone lives in each other’s pockets at The Mews and the neighbors are an eclectic bunch but there is never a dull moment, a different day a different drama, tears are shed and laughter shared as friendships are formed .....
This is an entertaining read with some quirky characters and I’m sure you will love it
1,121 reviews2 followers
March 30, 2023
Ali and friends made for delightful company driving to and from work. Although the story is largely Ali's, her new neighbors in the mews all get their chapters, and stories as well. Trying to keep her head above water, and a roof over her and Grace's heads gets more complicated when her agent (also her ex-partner's fiancee's good friend) bolts, with several months' pay owed to Ali. Everything and maybe everyone gets sorted out, as online dating apps prove their utility (or, not), neighbors have hidden-behind-the-walls secrets, and what begins as a lark (a vlog) may become Ali's path to solid employment and steady paychecks.

The novel begins and ends with email exchanges, which I initially thought were from the neighbors themselves, but realized at the very end are (mostly) not.
11.5k reviews197 followers
July 10, 2019
It takes a village, doesn't it? Ali and Grace move to the Mews, a community of eclectic, quirky, and entirely relatable people. You might recognize one or more of these characters- because they seem to real. This isn't heavy lifting but there are some troubled souls and secrets. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This would be a great novel for travel or the beach- it's got a good heart.
1 review
July 24, 2019
Excellent writing once again. Not to be missed

This is the second book that I have read by this author. Please read single mums mansion first as sets the background for this book. The book was a good easy read, at times rather emotional as made you realise that this story could be about any single mum out there. MIss you laugh out loud and cry but worth a read. Enjoy
Profile Image for Lorraine.
42 reviews1 follower
September 2, 2019
After Ali and little Grace left Amanda's home to begin a new chapter on their own in the gared community of The Mews, new friends are made and different obstacles of life put in the path of Ali and her friends. Like a soap opera in a book but a very easy read and entertaining with a feel good ending.
Profile Image for Vikkie.
520 reviews35 followers
May 19, 2019
I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review. I hadn’t read the first book, but this was an enjoyable read. I found the book easy to read, plot was simple to follow and I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for Michaela.
1,549 reviews10 followers
February 8, 2024
I enjoyed this - if was a little predictable but loved the weed smoking elderly lady. With a son who works for the CPS 😂

The vlog idea was brilliant. And I’m glad it mostly worked out.

I would defo read more from this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Tina.
29 reviews
June 8, 2024
Disappointed

I loved the first one , this I felt had to many characters I couldn’t keep track of them all and to many storylines
I struggled to finish to be honest ( as I will never not finish a book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
11 reviews
October 14, 2019
Had me crying with laughter

Another brilliant story I love this book as much as the first one and hope there are many more to come
Profile Image for Bianca.
96 reviews6 followers
October 23, 2019
I loved this as much as The Single Mums Mansion. I literally laughed out loud too many times! Janet's writing style gives me all the feels.
Profile Image for Kate.
554 reviews8 followers
March 27, 2020
Truly wonderful

This made me laugh out loud throughout, it was also wonderfully sensitive in places getting the balance just right. A great read to escape with.
Profile Image for t m joseph.
7 reviews
May 10, 2022
Brilliant author

Really enjoyed the first book so thought id read the 2nd n its another good read fantastic sequel loved the idea of a map single mums can have fun too
1 review
March 20, 2024
It's a nice wee burger. A feel good book that made me laugh out loud a couple of times
Profile Image for shaun and Samantha mccluskie.
16 reviews
August 17, 2020
Omg !!! Amazing

I'm not really a reviewing person ..but I just wanted to say I loved this book just as much as the first one ... I didn't want it to end .. please say there will be another book would love to read more about the mews
If I could give more stars I would x
Profile Image for Savannah.
336 reviews27 followers
January 30, 2022
I went into this book unaware that it was part of a series, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment! This was a great look at motherhood and the strong bonds between women. The support network these women have created it admirable and I can't believe this is based on a true story!
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