Mummy Needs a Break

by Susan Edmunds

A hilarious story of the ups and downs of unexpected single motherhood, the perfect laugh-out-loud romance for fans of Why Mummy Drinks, The Unmumsy Mum and The Not So Perfect Mum.

With a devilish toddler and baby number two on the way, Rachel’s big dream is to one day go to the toilet on her own. So, she’s surprised to discover that her husband has found the time to have an exciting affair while she’s been bringing up their family.

Suddenly, Rachel is left wrangling with a child who will only eat crackers and a 35-week bump. She knows even Mumsnet isn’t going to solve this.

What Rachel needs is a handsome, good-with-children, single man. But she can barely leave the house without a stain on her top and child on her hip. How on earth can she claim her life back, let alone thinking about dating?

What others are saying about Mummy Needs a Break:

Genres: Humor

316 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 8, 2019

Reviews

[MischaS_]

***Advance Review Copy generously provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.***


Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this, not even one bit. Rachel was annoying me so badly, I was dreading to turn another page to read more. After reading more than a couple of pages, I just wanted to chuck the book across the room (do not this if you're reading on an electronic device!). I did not find anything original about this story, seemed over-done and beaten to death.

I don't really get the "how to make" at the beginning of every chapter. Maybe it was supposed to make it a more "mummy" book. Maybe.

I may not be the intended audience for this book (however I usually like these, but lately all of them are starting to look the same), and since I was unable to read all of it or most of it, I won't rate this book, I'll only move it to my DNF shelve.

[Dash fan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4☆ An Uplifting, Fun, Humorous Must Read!

Mummy Needs A Break is an uplifting, very funny story about Family, Motherhood, Relationships and a cheating ex Hubby!

Rachel thought she had it all, the perfect Family, a baby on the way, a doting Hubby... But how very wrong could she be!

When Rachel finds text messages on her husband's phone from another women, she confronts him and eventually he admits to having an affair and he's leaving her.

Wow! Stephen is some piece of work!
He even kicks Rachel out of her home when she's heavily pregnant with his baby so he can move his bit of stuff in!
Hell No!!! I Would of kicked his Arse straight out!
That's the only thing that grated on me at times, was Rachel's lack of courage to stand up for herself and not just with her scumbag Hubby either. I guess thats where her Revenge came into play!

I loved the added lil craft projects at the start of each chapter, I'm a qualified nursery nurse and I loved making play dough, it bought back many memories.

Mummy Needs A Break had me giggling out loud, shouting at the book at times, melting my heart with lil Thomas quirks, and rooting for Rachel.
The Characters are relatable and very well written.
This is a story about Motherhood, Moving On, Second Chances, Revenge, Plotting, Relationships, Family and Drama.

So if you are looking for a Fun, Feel Good, Uplifting Read, with a Strong Female Lead, plenty of Humour, Drama and a dash of Romance, then you will love Mummy Needs A Break!

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



My Review is also on my Blog Website :-

https://dashfan81.blogspot.com/2019/0...

[Ahtims · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to the audio via storytel. Hadn't known of this book, saw it while scrolling past titles and started reading /listening on a whim.

Loved the narration , especially the effortless portrayal of Thomas, the 2 year old.

If I had read it , it would have been a 4 star read. An extra star exclusively to the narrative capability.
Story of a mom with a toddler ,in her mind thirties , who is pregnant for the second time , how her husband ditches her and how she makes a brace attempt to reconcile with it and take care of self and kids.

Rachel is a plucky woman, and I totally admired her despite her idiosyncrasies.

The supporting characters are also very nicely enunciated.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

It isn't intentional that I've been reading a lot of 'Mommy' books recently, but I've been enjoying those I have read and boy did I relate hard to bits of this novel.
A story about a heavily pregnant, mom-of-one-already, married woman who is basically dumped weeks before baby arrives, the main character Rachel has a lot of issues and emotion to get through.

Whirlwind toddler - check. Experiencing the whole newborn phase (not to mind alone) - check. Sleaze of a[n ex] husband - check. Flakey sister - check. Job that is just not sustainable with kids as the employer isn't flexible enough - check.

However, having laid out all potentially stereotypical tropes, the novel manages not to be the cliché I half expected. Too often books or stories with a Mum as the main character trot out the same ideas but thankfully I never felt Edmund's main character straying into that territory. It was realistic (for the most part) without being tired.

I empathised with her frustration at the Taz-like two year old and the juggling of said toddler with a needy newborn. I sympathised with her plight of having to deal with the awkward husband and his new gal pal and though I most certainly did not agree with how the character dealt with the situation at times, I appreciated that at least she had the decency to be ashamed and own up to her mistakes.

Her potential new romance as a single mum of two may have been a bit too convenient, but in the grand scheme of the novel if a woman ever needed a distraction, it was this character.

Enjoyable and I will definitely have a look at some more titles by Susan Edmunds.

[Agi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rachel is married to Stephen, they have a 2 - year - old boy already and she's about to have their second child, when she discovers that her husband's been having an affair. Confronted, Stephen admits and leaves Rachel, leaving her alone to cope with Thomas, who can be a bit of a handful, and all the things new baby. What is Rachel going to do? Will she manage on her own?

Despite the inviting, colourful cover, funny title and synopsis I didn't find this book funny, to be honest. I rather found it sad and not too uplifting and it disappointed me a little because I was expecting another hilarious, light - hearted read in succession about modern family and parenting full of ups and downs. There were moments it felt too chopped, with one things barely happening, then ending and suddenly changing to another thing, lacking in supporting details.

Stephen was some piece of work, even I must admit it - the author has managed to write one of the most dislikeable characters ever. I mean, leaving your pregnant wife for another woman is one thing, but then kicking her out of their home, with a toddler?
I had problems with the main character, I simply couldn't warm to her. I couldn't understand some of her decisions and I think she was too old and too smart for this kind of revenge that she cooked up. Of course, she's doing her best to raise her children, she struggles but never gives up and it deserves a standing ovation - but still I couldn't warm to her. I needed more development, more feelings.
Actually, all the characters were too wooden for my liking, and one thing that annoyed me incredibly was Rachel's two - years - old son who was talking like an adult - there was nothing charming in his character.

This was a book that simply didn't work for me - I am sorry for this, I really am, but such things happen. It could be w great story about second chances, moving on, getting strength but for me it lacked in execution and fleshed out characters. Don't get me wrong, it had potential and its moments, and I will be for sure reading more from Ms Edmunds - I liked the writing style, it was chatty and welcoming and easy to follow, and please, do not feel put out by my words, this book already has some brilliant reviews so simply give it a go if you're looking for a light, entertaining and quick read.

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

[Isabell · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting read. I did find myself rooting for Rachel for most of the novel after what her husband did. She lost most of the sympathy points though with her “revenge” on Alexa (too far imo). Interesting characters throughout and worth a read even if some aren’t particularly likeable.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the synopsis for 'Mummy Needs A Break' and I knew that this was the sort of book that I needed at the moment. An escapist, fun sort of read that would distract me from the pain I was in and at the same time, it would make me chuckle. This book proved to be those things and more. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book but more about that in a bit.
I couldn't help but take to Rachel from the first moment I met her. She's a busy career woman, who already has one child (or two if you include her husband) and she is very heavily pregnant with a second child (or third if you have included the husband) on the way. She discovers that her husband, who she thought was busy working to provide for their future, has been busy but not working, more like having it away with another woman. He leaves the family home and she is left to pick up the pieces. He thinks that life with his mistress is the way to go. It was at this point that I would have quite cheerfully jumped inside the pages of the book to run after her husband with a pair of very blunt and very rusty scissors to cut a certain part of his anatomy off. Rachel is better off without her cheating scumbag of a husband. I felt as though Rachel had become a very good friend and of course I wanted to defend and protect her as much as possible. Rachel does what she has to to get by and I was keeping everything crossed that she would eventually find the happiness that she so deserves and that her cheating ex-husband would take a very long walk off a very short pier. Does she find happiness? What happens to her cheating ex-husband? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you will just have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
I have to be honest and say that to start with, I wasn't sure if I could read this book. I don't mean that to sound critical of the book or of the author but I know somebody called Rachel, who has been left on her own with two children after her husband decided that life with his bit on the side was preferable to living in the family home. In other words, the story felt a bit too close to home. However, I thought that I should give the book a chance and I am so glad that I did, because I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It didn't take me long at all to get into the story and pretty much by the end of the second page, I knew that this was one book I wouldn't be able to put down. So it proved to be. Reading 'Mummy Needs A Break' became a serious addiction and I could not bear to be parted from the book. I think part of the reason for my addiction is the fact that the characters seemed so realistic and I had to taken to the fictional Rachel so much that I just had to keep reading to see what happened and to learn how the story panned out. I binge read the book over the course of a day but I was so enjoying the story that much that I failed to notice how quickly the time was passing nor how quickly the pages were turning. All too soon I got to the end of the book, which I was most disappointed about. I wasn't disappointed at how the story ended but I was enjoying the author's writing style, the characters and the storylines so much that I just wanted the book to continue on and on and on.
'Mummy Needs A Break' is well written. Susan certainly knows how to start a story with a bang and grabs your attention from the outset and she keeps that attention all the way through the book. She has created such relatable characters that you can't help but take to most of them and you can't help but want the best for them. I found myself chuckling along as I imagined in my own head, some of the shenanigans that Rachel and her children got up to. 'Mummy Needs A Break' has the perfect mix of drama, seriousness, romance, hope and with a large dose of humour. Sometimes you need the humour to help you get through the tough times. I have certainly found that to be the case.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading 'Mummy Needs A Break' and I would definitely recommend it to other readers. Reading this book was most definitely a pleasure and not a chore. I can't wait to read what Susan comes up with next. Here's hoping that we don't have too long to wait. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

[Nicola Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mummy Needs a Break is a bit different to the kind of books I normally read but I enjoyed it for its light-heartedness, albeit with some more serious issues running through it.

Rachel is married to Stephen and is about to have their second child when she discovers that he's been having an affair. Their son, Thomas, is a bit of a handful and so the thought of coping with him and a new baby is daunting but she has no choice. I really felt for Rachel, particularly as Stephen is very irritating and shows no remorse for his behaviour and the position he leaves her in.

Somehow she keeps muddling through life, even when it keeps throwing more and more at her, such as problems with her job, having to move back to her parents' house etc, and I was really pleased at the inner strength that she showed.

I had to smile at some of Rachel's revenge acts on Stephen and his new partner, Alexa. They were a bit naughty and one in particular was really bad, but I did understand how she might be feeling about the pair of them. I thought she was actually quite lucky to be rid of Stephen to be honest! I didn't find this book to be laugh out loud funny but it did amuse me on occasion. I particularly liked the parts featuring Luke, a man that Rachel meets at a kids library sing-a-long group. I remember those kinds of groups well but I don't remember the hot bloke running them!

This is a fun read and Rachel's chaotic life makes for an amusing storyline at times. I really liked the little 'how to make' projects at the beginning of each chapter acknowledging that trying to do such projects with young children often ends in a mess. Mummy Needs a Break is an easy and quick read, with a very satisfying conclusion.

[janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers Avon Books UK for the ARC.

Sadly I found this book lacking, it just didnt grip me in the way I really hoped it would.

Even though I found it funny at times, i just got bored! Takes a long time to get into it and once you do it just seems to 'plod along'.

[Sally Tyrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Susan Edmonds is a new author for me, I had high hopes for this book thinking it would be like other parenting books such as why mummy drinks and the unmumsy mum, although enjoyable and funny and very easy to read it left me wanting more! Many aspects were easy to relate to such as the daily struggles of a heavily pregnant mum, coping with a newborn and a toddler etc etc! Throw into the mix a husbands affair, having to move back in with your parents,a revenge act with consequences and a new love interest and you have a nice easy read perfect for holidays or dipping in and out of!
Thank you net galley for this early read and introduction to a new author x

[gifta alvina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dont get fooled by its cover. I thought I would read a funny story talking about mom with two kids struggle and how she could juggle her routine and find the humor in it. Turn out, it gets ugly like 10-20% to the book.

Rachels is cheated by her husband when she was pregnant with their 2nd child, the husband cited that Rachel seems do not have time for him thus the affair.

As the story progressed you will root for Rachel, even though she done some questionable unethical act, but we will still like her and hate her husband and the mistress.

All in all it is quite enjoyable read.
Thank you netgalley for providing the arc

[Angie F · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always maintained that the measure of a good book is how involved the reader feels with the characters. That being the case this book could not score any higher. From the outset I was inwardly shouting at the heroine, telling her not to let her cowardly excuse for a husband get away with treating her so badly. I was cheering her on when she decided to stand up for herself and sighing in frustration when she couldn't see what was under her nose. All in all it was a great book which I would highly recommend.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yikes! Rachel's pregnant and has a toddler AND her husband is a cheating rat. What should she do? What would you do? You might not do what Rachel does but you'll forgive her because, well, things are crazy at her house. This has humor and pathos and a good character who you will root for. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a quick read perfect for a lazy afternoon or travel.

[Tika · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really have any feelings either way about this one unfortunately. It was ok, though I didnt particularly like the main character, I didn't feel that she particularly likeable. I did feel for the character and there were some funny parts. The book is very easy to pick up and put down as the chapters are relatively short, and it isn't too long.

3.5☆

[Amanda]

Pregnant with a toddler and you catch your husband cheating! Can't imagine what you would do in that situation? Well neither did Rachel. She ended up back in her childhood home with her parents, her two children, and her sister who also moves in. This book puts a humorous spin on an unfortunate event.

Thank you #Netgalley

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. This was a thoroughly enjoyable book. It was a nice easy read that I found I couldn’t put down and I read it in a couple of sittings. Will definitely be looking out for more by this author in the future

[Celia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This well-written book was an occasionally heart-rending story about the immediate aftermath of divorce with young kids - it has many light-hearted moments too, and a great hopeful ending. I really related to the mother-of-young-kids pressures!

[Cristie Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect chick lit! I loved the premise and the characters were well developed! I recommend this for anyone looking for a light and fun read!

[Pepa reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a mother I felt really connected to reach loved the book light reading kinda of book

[Minnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.
Story was captivating, but there was a few niggles in the execution.

[Jenny Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I couldn’t resist the title of the book!

I’m not sure it was all that funny… it was quite enjoyable albeit a bit unrealistic at times! She’s a better mum than me if she can get out for a run as a single mum with two kids, then get to a cafe for 8am for brunch (isn’t that breakfast?!) where they eat brownies (at 8am) then go home after ten minutes with no apparent complaints from the kids!!

Anyway that aside it was a perfectly enjoyable read though nothing particularly unusual. I would like to read her other novel.

[Bmonica · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author describes this book as a funny, laughing out loud romantic comedy, however the situation that the main character finds herself in its far from funny and her actions and reactions aren't hilariours either. Being a mum of two little children I can relate to some extent to Rachel so I enjoyed reading it and I wanted to know what was going to happen, but I found it quite sad......

[Louise Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book however I wouldn’t say it was hilarious I actually felt sorry for the main character. There were a couple of paragraphs which were repeated, it was a little annoying to have those errors it just seemed lazy to not have checked over the final kindle version before publishing.

[Jemma Ward-Slack · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's described as laugh out loud, romantic comedy. But I didn't find it hilarious or laugh out loud. It was a good, enjoyable read, but certainly not something I would recommend if someone asked me for a book to laugh at.
Being the mum of a young child, I felt for the main character, in all that she had to go through.
But I was disappointed as it wasn't the sort of book I thought I was picking up

[Coyney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading it.

[Amy Blaskett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was such a good book, page turner and was read in one afternoon

[bookramblings1. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite what I expected but I loved it all the same.
So real. So repeatable. So current.
Excited for spring to see where this will go next.

[Helen Purchon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this. Read it in about two weeks. Can't wait for her next one out in April. Mummy's should read this.

[Shruti Bhandari-Kothari · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun book with a lot of positive and inspiring nick nacks.
A lot of amazing recipes at the beginning of each chapter

[Sandra Vernal-sawant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun casual read.