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Faking It
Meet Hannah Thompson: wife, mother, teacher and… secret erotica author?
My Guilt List:
1. If we have a date night then I’m always asleep before it’s halfway through and honestly, if I had to choose, I’d rather have a hot bath and read my book than engage in any other nocturnal activity.
2. If we do actually have you-know-what then it’s not unheard of for my mind to wander… and I’m not talking about sexy things – I’m talking about what food there is in the fridge and when the car is due for its next service.
3. I am struggling to write about anything that could be classed as even a little bit sexually adventurous which is a problem when I’m supposed to be an erotica writer and I am speaking at Sex Con in exactly one month.
With a book to publicise, Hannah has no choice but trade her M&S cardis for S&M parties, and become her writing alter-ego. What could possibly go wrong…
My Guilt List:
1. If we have a date night then I’m always asleep before it’s halfway through and honestly, if I had to choose, I’d rather have a hot bath and read my book than engage in any other nocturnal activity.
2. If we do actually have you-know-what then it’s not unheard of for my mind to wander… and I’m not talking about sexy things – I’m talking about what food there is in the fridge and when the car is due for its next service.
3. I am struggling to write about anything that could be classed as even a little bit sexually adventurous which is a problem when I’m supposed to be an erotica writer and I am speaking at Sex Con in exactly one month.
With a book to publicise, Hannah has no choice but trade her M&S cardis for S&M parties, and become her writing alter-ego. What could possibly go wrong…
400 pages, Paperback
First published August 7, 2020
38 people are currently reading
349 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 180 reviews
July 30, 2020
I JUST COULDN'T LIKE IT
Not the theme, not the pace, not the characters, not the fluff and not the plot.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Theme: The middle aged mother who finds herself and her sexuality while still being the perfect mother... Yawn. Haven't we seen that trope before?
Pace: The beginning was dreadfully slow. I was tempted to DNF it multiple times because it just didn't pick up.
Characters: There were hardly any memorable characters except for the main character, Hannah. And she only sticks out for the wrong reasons. I really disliked her inability to see herself as a sexual being as well as a mother. To me that notion is horrible outdated and needs to be dispelled, not elaborated upon.
Fluff: There were just too many unnecessary fluff scenes that didn't move along the story or the plot. If you cut all of those, you would end up with a book half as long.
Plot: I would have liked this story so much more, if all of the Mother-Hannah had been cut away and the sole focus had been on Hannah becoming her alter-ego, Twinky.
Twinky: Now that we're on the subject - I hated the pseudonym Twinky. I simply couldn't take it seriously. It was so obviously a pseudonym.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Not the theme, not the pace, not the characters, not the fluff and not the plot.
👎 WHAT I DISLIKED 👎
Theme: The middle aged mother who finds herself and her sexuality while still being the perfect mother... Yawn. Haven't we seen that trope before?
Pace: The beginning was dreadfully slow. I was tempted to DNF it multiple times because it just didn't pick up.
Characters: There were hardly any memorable characters except for the main character, Hannah. And she only sticks out for the wrong reasons. I really disliked her inability to see herself as a sexual being as well as a mother. To me that notion is horrible outdated and needs to be dispelled, not elaborated upon.
Fluff: There were just too many unnecessary fluff scenes that didn't move along the story or the plot. If you cut all of those, you would end up with a book half as long.
Plot: I would have liked this story so much more, if all of the Mother-Hannah had been cut away and the sole focus had been on Hannah becoming her alter-ego, Twinky.
Twinky: Now that we're on the subject - I hated the pseudonym Twinky. I simply couldn't take it seriously. It was so obviously a pseudonym.
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
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Blog Post: 23 Little Known Facts about Jane Austen
May 28, 2020
Faking It by Rebecca Smith is a lighthearted, slice of life romp that is the perfect emotional escape. Warm and relatable, this one will have you laughing out loud, and likely more appreciative than ever of your own less than outrageous life.
Hannah Thompson is trying to juggle it all. She is a wife, a mother to three children, one of whom has recently left for university, a teacher, and an aspiring writer of erotic, but tasteful, fiction. Fearing that her hectic but average life is not providing enough fodder for her racy novels, Hannah attempts to leave her comfort zone to adopt an alter ego, one who is not afraid to take the occasional walk on the wild side.
This is a fun read, and the perfect distraction if you are seeking some levity in this time of fear and uncertainty. Recommended for an amusing escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC.
Hannah Thompson is trying to juggle it all. She is a wife, a mother to three children, one of whom has recently left for university, a teacher, and an aspiring writer of erotic, but tasteful, fiction. Fearing that her hectic but average life is not providing enough fodder for her racy novels, Hannah attempts to leave her comfort zone to adopt an alter ego, one who is not afraid to take the occasional walk on the wild side.
This is a fun read, and the perfect distraction if you are seeking some levity in this time of fear and uncertainty. Recommended for an amusing escape.
Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for this ARC.
July 1, 2020
Hannah is a mother of three with a loving husband. Before the story starts, we know that she took the terrifying leap to publish her first novel, and it's one she doesn't want her kids finding out about because well, it's erotic.
This book had me quite literally laughing out loud throughout the whole thing! It was fun to read about an author writing a book as well as about a mom figuring out how to raise her teenagers into grown adults, and most importantly to watch what felt like a very real account of a loving marriage. While being hilarious, there are also many moments that were heartfelt and again, felt so real rather than like a fantasy version of what reality should look like.
Get ready for LOLs, I highly recommend this book!!
This book had me quite literally laughing out loud throughout the whole thing! It was fun to read about an author writing a book as well as about a mom figuring out how to raise her teenagers into grown adults, and most importantly to watch what felt like a very real account of a loving marriage. While being hilarious, there are also many moments that were heartfelt and again, felt so real rather than like a fantasy version of what reality should look like.
Get ready for LOLs, I highly recommend this book!!
June 19, 2020
This was rough.
Honestly, it's not the level of finish I'm used to for an ARC so I'm hoping that this is a pre, pre-release and it will still go through a professional editor and formatting. Besides the numerous grammatical errors, the formatting was all over the place. Words had random spaces or none at all. Paragraphs were broken up all weird with hanging words. It made it extremely hard to get through.
And then there was the story itself. I kind of expected more about the MC and her "self-discovery" but really, it was a lot of cringy dialogue and not very likable characters. I guess I should have seen it coming when the daughter full-on goes disrespectful hyena in the 1st CH and the mom does literally nothing about it and is all "oh honey what's wrong?"
I also don't really like that the author played into the "shame" of being a romance/erotic author. It's like we jumped back in time. Yes, there are some people who still view romance as beneath, but hello, it's made a lot of strides and is one of the most-read genres. I just don't like how this book perpetuates that negative view. Even the MC is ashamed of it.
In the end, I didn't walk away from this book satisfied and I hope that it's pulled together a bit tighter before release.
Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy.
Honestly, it's not the level of finish I'm used to for an ARC so I'm hoping that this is a pre, pre-release and it will still go through a professional editor and formatting. Besides the numerous grammatical errors, the formatting was all over the place. Words had random spaces or none at all. Paragraphs were broken up all weird with hanging words. It made it extremely hard to get through.
And then there was the story itself. I kind of expected more about the MC and her "self-discovery" but really, it was a lot of cringy dialogue and not very likable characters. I guess I should have seen it coming when the daughter full-on goes disrespectful hyena in the 1st CH and the mom does literally nothing about it and is all "oh honey what's wrong?"
I also don't really like that the author played into the "shame" of being a romance/erotic author. It's like we jumped back in time. Yes, there are some people who still view romance as beneath, but hello, it's made a lot of strides and is one of the most-read genres. I just don't like how this book perpetuates that negative view. Even the MC is ashamed of it.
In the end, I didn't walk away from this book satisfied and I hope that it's pulled together a bit tighter before release.
Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced copy.
July 13, 2020
[Thanks Netgalley for the ebook. This review is my honest opinion but just another opinion, you should read this book and judge it by yourself]
1'5 estrellitas
Pues nada, otra portada colorinchi que esconde un libro que no.
Como casi todos los libros, tiene un punto de partida muy atrayente (una profesora de más de cuarenta años, casada y con hijos que esconde de casi todos su identidad oculta como escritora de novela erótica), pero la historia tiene un desarrollo malo, centrándose más en contarnos su vida que en los malentendidos y situaciones graciosas que puede dar la ocultación de su identidad secreta. La protagonista ha conseguido caerme mal y eso hace que sea bastante complicado que el libro me guste, pero creo que lo peor es esa especie de vergüenza que ella tiene casi constantemente por escribir ese tipo de literatura. Pretende ser graciosa y no lo es en ningún momento. Una pena.
--------------
Sadly this book wasn't for me.
Although the plot seemed attractive (a forty-aged woman married and working as a teacher that has written an erotica book with a pen name), the development isn't. I thought it was going to be something funny, full of misunsderstandings due to Hanna's secret but, although some parts are funny, what we really read it's Hanna's daily life, a not very charming one (as almost every normal life, haha).
I think one of my problems with the book was that I didn't like Hannah, specially I didn't like the way she treated her husband. And the main issue for me is that Hanna's shame about being a romance/erotic writer. She's a young and modern woman that has a very supportive husband by her side that encourages her writing carreer but she's constantly shaming herself for something that she like and gives her joy. I didn't like it at all.
But the story has good things and potential. I couldn't connect with the story but I encourage you to read the book and create your own opinion.
1'5 estrellitas
Pues nada, otra portada colorinchi que esconde un libro que no.
Como casi todos los libros, tiene un punto de partida muy atrayente (una profesora de más de cuarenta años, casada y con hijos que esconde de casi todos su identidad oculta como escritora de novela erótica), pero la historia tiene un desarrollo malo, centrándose más en contarnos su vida que en los malentendidos y situaciones graciosas que puede dar la ocultación de su identidad secreta. La protagonista ha conseguido caerme mal y eso hace que sea bastante complicado que el libro me guste, pero creo que lo peor es esa especie de vergüenza que ella tiene casi constantemente por escribir ese tipo de literatura. Pretende ser graciosa y no lo es en ningún momento. Una pena.
--------------
Sadly this book wasn't for me.
Although the plot seemed attractive (a forty-aged woman married and working as a teacher that has written an erotica book with a pen name), the development isn't. I thought it was going to be something funny, full of misunsderstandings due to Hanna's secret but, although some parts are funny, what we really read it's Hanna's daily life, a not very charming one (as almost every normal life, haha).
I think one of my problems with the book was that I didn't like Hannah, specially I didn't like the way she treated her husband. And the main issue for me is that Hanna's shame about being a romance/erotic writer. She's a young and modern woman that has a very supportive husband by her side that encourages her writing carreer but she's constantly shaming herself for something that she like and gives her joy. I didn't like it at all.
But the story has good things and potential. I couldn't connect with the story but I encourage you to read the book and create your own opinion.
September 21, 2020
This is one of the most hilarious books I've read recently! I absolutely loved it!!
Hannah, 44, is a lot of things: by day, she is a wife, an English teacher, the mother of two teenagers and a 10 year old... and by night she is an erotica writer. Can she combine her two lifes without collapsing?
I adored Hannah from the beginning, as she is both funny and relatable. I couldn't stop laughing out loud at some points of the book (ok, I laughed out loud through the entire book; people stared). I can't wait to read Rebecca's other book, "more than just mum".
** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. **
Hannah, 44, is a lot of things: by day, she is a wife, an English teacher, the mother of two teenagers and a 10 year old... and by night she is an erotica writer. Can she combine her two lifes without collapsing?
I adored Hannah from the beginning, as she is both funny and relatable. I couldn't stop laughing out loud at some points of the book (ok, I laughed out loud through the entire book; people stared). I can't wait to read Rebecca's other book, "more than just mum".
** Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. **
June 9, 2020
I recieved an ARC of this book through Netgalley in Exchange for an honest review. Either way my opinions are my own.
This is a lighthearted book, and a perfect escape from the current situation of the world. The main thing that attracted me to this book was that I thought it would make me laugh a lot and it would be enjoyable, and I am glad I was right, I laughed so hard.
Our main character Hannah attempts to juggle everything going on in her life, between being a wife and mother, but also a teacher and an aspiring writer.
This is a lighthearted book, and a perfect escape from the current situation of the world. The main thing that attracted me to this book was that I thought it would make me laugh a lot and it would be enjoyable, and I am glad I was right, I laughed so hard.
Our main character Hannah attempts to juggle everything going on in her life, between being a wife and mother, but also a teacher and an aspiring writer.
June 23, 2020
Cute, funny, and relatable. A bit forgettable but an easy read in one night book. And the writing is good.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
dnf
July 1, 2020Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
Hannah Thompson is a wife, mother, teacher and secret erotica writer.
This synopsis initially made me so excited to read this book and about Hannah's life. Whilst reading, I was shocked that Hannah was a mother of 3, in her 40s. Perhaps it's because I have never read from a protagonist of this demographic and I don't tend to reach for books with them in, but I did not finish this book. I DNFED it around the 30% mark for several reasons. The biggest of which is that I just felt incredibly disconnected to the characters and Hannah's perspective. I didn't really enjoy reading about her interactions and this made it hard to get through.
However, I do like Rebecca Smith's writing style. It is fast paced and does have some good elements of humour. This book just wasn't for me.
Hannah Thompson is a wife, mother, teacher and secret erotica writer.
This synopsis initially made me so excited to read this book and about Hannah's life. Whilst reading, I was shocked that Hannah was a mother of 3, in her 40s. Perhaps it's because I have never read from a protagonist of this demographic and I don't tend to reach for books with them in, but I did not finish this book. I DNFED it around the 30% mark for several reasons. The biggest of which is that I just felt incredibly disconnected to the characters and Hannah's perspective. I didn't really enjoy reading about her interactions and this made it hard to get through.
However, I do like Rebecca Smith's writing style. It is fast paced and does have some good elements of humour. This book just wasn't for me.
August 3, 2020
So I'm going to start off this review with a rant. I'm one of those readers that pick books on Netgalley and in stores based on the cover. I've never read anything by this author before so I had no clue that this book was part of a series until after I finished the book and was reading the author's note. I went back to Goodreads and noticed that it's not marked as the second book in a series but it is. Netgalley also didn't say anything about it being book two in a series either. Somewhere the system has failed to mark this book as book two.
Moving on with this review I really didn't enjoy this book. The characters weren't for me. I loved that Hannah was an author but that was all I liked about her. Hannah is such an annoying character. Her and her husband have such horrible spending hobbies I was so scared that they were going to end up losing their house or something. They had so many issues with their marriage but that wasn't every talked about and was chopped up to be just him worried about what she was going to say when he didn't get a job contract. Hannah doesn't know how to parent her children at all. Her oldest daughter Scarlet is even more annoying than her mother. She is constantly lying and saying her mom is boring and has no life just because her mom is in her forties. There were times in the book where Hannah finally talked to her children as a parent. Where she actually stuck up for her self and talked to her mother about things that was bothering her. But each time she stuck up for herself she was proven to be in the wrong. I wished that the author would have given her something to be right about.
The plot of this book was pretty nonexistent. I personally feel like this book should have just been and epilogue for book one. I felt like the conflict for this book was that serious and the peak of the plot was more like a little tiny hill rather than a mountain top. The main thing of the book was that Hannah didn't want anyone to find out that she was an erotica write, especially her kids. I'm assuming that in book one she came up with her pen name that was one of the stupidest author names I heard before and it bothered me every time I had to read it. For her to be an author I felt like she knew absolutely nothing about writing a book. The whole time she's very serious about not being in person as her author persona, but when her editor tell's her to go to a sex con that it would help with her sells, we never get to see the outcome of it. Whether it helped her sells or not. Overall this book was not for me and had too much extra fluff and not enough plot to be considered a book. It should have been added to book one and been done with one book.
Moving on with this review I really didn't enjoy this book. The characters weren't for me. I loved that Hannah was an author but that was all I liked about her. Hannah is such an annoying character. Her and her husband have such horrible spending hobbies I was so scared that they were going to end up losing their house or something. They had so many issues with their marriage but that wasn't every talked about and was chopped up to be just him worried about what she was going to say when he didn't get a job contract. Hannah doesn't know how to parent her children at all. Her oldest daughter Scarlet is even more annoying than her mother. She is constantly lying and saying her mom is boring and has no life just because her mom is in her forties. There were times in the book where Hannah finally talked to her children as a parent. Where she actually stuck up for her self and talked to her mother about things that was bothering her. But each time she stuck up for herself she was proven to be in the wrong. I wished that the author would have given her something to be right about.
The plot of this book was pretty nonexistent. I personally feel like this book should have just been and epilogue for book one. I felt like the conflict for this book was that serious and the peak of the plot was more like a little tiny hill rather than a mountain top. The main thing of the book was that Hannah didn't want anyone to find out that she was an erotica write, especially her kids. I'm assuming that in book one she came up with her pen name that was one of the stupidest author names I heard before and it bothered me every time I had to read it. For her to be an author I felt like she knew absolutely nothing about writing a book. The whole time she's very serious about not being in person as her author persona, but when her editor tell's her to go to a sex con that it would help with her sells, we never get to see the outcome of it. Whether it helped her sells or not. Overall this book was not for me and had too much extra fluff and not enough plot to be considered a book. It should have been added to book one and been done with one book.
August 8, 2020
3.5 - 4 Star Review Faking It by Rebecca Smith
Rebecca Smith is a new author to me. Hannah Thompson is a wife,mother, teacher and an author of erotic fiction. She is also suffering from writer’s block and struggling to complete the book she is supposed to be promoting. Hannah decides to take a leap out of her comfort zone in an effort to get the words flowing.
As her children are older, Hannah hides the fact that she is an author, particularly because her book is erotic and this frustrated me a little as it give the impression she is ashamed of what she has achieved.
There were times throughout this book that I found myself laughing out loud, however there were times that I also struggled. I would have liked to see a less “perfect” balance between the mother and the author and perhaps it could have been played up more,but then that is just my opinion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
Rebecca Smith is a new author to me. Hannah Thompson is a wife,mother, teacher and an author of erotic fiction. She is also suffering from writer’s block and struggling to complete the book she is supposed to be promoting. Hannah decides to take a leap out of her comfort zone in an effort to get the words flowing.
As her children are older, Hannah hides the fact that she is an author, particularly because her book is erotic and this frustrated me a little as it give the impression she is ashamed of what she has achieved.
There were times throughout this book that I found myself laughing out loud, however there were times that I also struggled. I would have liked to see a less “perfect” balance between the mother and the author and perhaps it could have been played up more,but then that is just my opinion.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.
June 3, 2021
3 *stars*
It was okeish.
It was average for me, but I read it quit quickly. Plot wise it wasn't anything that caught me, but it's a very interesting concept. Needed some more spice to it! I'm a mom too, but maybe it wasn't the right time to read it. Will wait when i'm 44 years old (I'm 25 now) and maybe + 2 more children (I hope it would be only one :D )
It's good to know that me as a mom I'm NOT only a mom, but a wife to my husband and women to myself and I need to do fun things as well and not be ashamed of it. This book opened up a bit my brain for some thoughts about myself and yet again I'm happy that I read it at this time. After all I have a lot years till 44.
Thank you!
It was okeish.
It was average for me, but I read it quit quickly. Plot wise it wasn't anything that caught me, but it's a very interesting concept. Needed some more spice to it! I'm a mom too, but maybe it wasn't the right time to read it. Will wait when i'm 44 years old (I'm 25 now) and maybe + 2 more children (I hope it would be only one :D )
It's good to know that me as a mom I'm NOT only a mom, but a wife to my husband and women to myself and I need to do fun things as well and not be ashamed of it. This book opened up a bit my brain for some thoughts about myself and yet again I'm happy that I read it at this time. After all I have a lot years till 44.
Thank you!
June 18, 2020
Sequel to More Than Just Mom, comes Rebecca Smith’s newest release Faking it available on August 7th!
Hannah is a secret writer of a best seller erotica novel. She started writing for herself to remind her that she’s much more than just a mother to her three children, a teacher, and a wife. Upon meeting her publicists to talk about the release of a second follow-up book, they tell her she needs to loosen up and to put more comedy into her books that the readers can’t seem to get enough of. Then they tell her that she also has to come publicly forward to sell more of her books. But, how is Hannah supposed to do that when she feels like she’s lost her own identity?
Faking it by Rebecca Smith was fun and had the perfect amount of humor in it. The idea for this book was original and made for a cute read. I had no problem flying through this book!
Thank you to @Netgalley for allowing me too read this early readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
Hannah is a secret writer of a best seller erotica novel. She started writing for herself to remind her that she’s much more than just a mother to her three children, a teacher, and a wife. Upon meeting her publicists to talk about the release of a second follow-up book, they tell her she needs to loosen up and to put more comedy into her books that the readers can’t seem to get enough of. Then they tell her that she also has to come publicly forward to sell more of her books. But, how is Hannah supposed to do that when she feels like she’s lost her own identity?
Faking it by Rebecca Smith was fun and had the perfect amount of humor in it. The idea for this book was original and made for a cute read. I had no problem flying through this book!
Thank you to @Netgalley for allowing me too read this early readers’ copy in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
August 22, 2020
3/5 stars
I thought this book was cute, I didn't completely love it but that is a purely personal preference. I enjoyed the characters and found the story to be very funny. Everything felt very realistic and I think that's part of what made me enjoy the story. Overall a very cute, fun, easy, and funny chick-lit book. I recommend picking up a copy.
I thought this book was cute, I didn't completely love it but that is a purely personal preference. I enjoyed the characters and found the story to be very funny. Everything felt very realistic and I think that's part of what made me enjoy the story. Overall a very cute, fun, easy, and funny chick-lit book. I recommend picking up a copy.
June 18, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
1 Star
This book was hard to get through. The dialogue is cheesy and the ‘jokes’ just don’t hit. The author tried too hard to fit impressive vocabulary into the book and it just doesn’t work. I don’t like how Hannah is filled with all of this shame about being a romance novelist. It felt like going back in time 40 years.
All of Hannah’s relationships were terrible but her daughter was truly awful. Everything about Hannah is unlikable from the way she parents to the way she thinks to the way she writes.
Honestly, the whole book just misses the mark.
1 Star
This book was hard to get through. The dialogue is cheesy and the ‘jokes’ just don’t hit. The author tried too hard to fit impressive vocabulary into the book and it just doesn’t work. I don’t like how Hannah is filled with all of this shame about being a romance novelist. It felt like going back in time 40 years.
All of Hannah’s relationships were terrible but her daughter was truly awful. Everything about Hannah is unlikable from the way she parents to the way she thinks to the way she writes.
Honestly, the whole book just misses the mark.
June 8, 2020
This book is absolutely bloody brilliant! I loved all of it! The Protagonist is a 44 year old mother of 3, an English teacher and on the side, an erotic writer. Super easy to read, moreish, laugh out loud, feel good! My friends will love this when it comes out!
Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and give an honest review on this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and One More Chapter for the opportunity to read and give an honest review on this book.
July 31, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for this early review copy of Rebecca Smith's newest novel, Faking It, coming out on August 7th!
Full review HERE
I did NOT know that this was second in a series and I am so mad that I missed out on the first book! However, I was 75% through with the book when I realized and I was able to read this as a stand alone.
All I can say is this book is HILARIOUS! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book and was entertained the entire time. There was not a single moment where I was not laughing or enjoying myself reading this. It is a typical British comedy, that deals with the taboo topic of sexuality and sexual intercourse. I was literally LOL'ing from the first page to the very last, and that is impressive.
I loved reading about Hannah's growth in regards to owning her sexuality and identity. She goes from being very timid to being very open about talking about life, sex, and her own experiences. I felt like she truly flourished as a character throughout the entirety of this novel. I think that the message that Hannah and this book represents is that women should feel empowered when they talk about their sexuality, and not be ashamed to speak about sexual fumbling they may encounter or the daily run of their "boring" life. Women should be able to have open conversations about how to spice things up in both the bedroom and their parenting and life. You see her go through a lot of missteps as she is working on her journey to self-discovery and being able to have an identity outside of being a mom, that her life is not over or boring because she is a mom. I'm not a mom myself, but I am sure that is a lesson all moms need to be reminded of sometimes, it makes us human.
Full review HERE
I did NOT know that this was second in a series and I am so mad that I missed out on the first book! However, I was 75% through with the book when I realized and I was able to read this as a stand alone.
All I can say is this book is HILARIOUS! I thoroughly enjoyed every page of this book and was entertained the entire time. There was not a single moment where I was not laughing or enjoying myself reading this. It is a typical British comedy, that deals with the taboo topic of sexuality and sexual intercourse. I was literally LOL'ing from the first page to the very last, and that is impressive.
I loved reading about Hannah's growth in regards to owning her sexuality and identity. She goes from being very timid to being very open about talking about life, sex, and her own experiences. I felt like she truly flourished as a character throughout the entirety of this novel. I think that the message that Hannah and this book represents is that women should feel empowered when they talk about their sexuality, and not be ashamed to speak about sexual fumbling they may encounter or the daily run of their "boring" life. Women should be able to have open conversations about how to spice things up in both the bedroom and their parenting and life. You see her go through a lot of missteps as she is working on her journey to self-discovery and being able to have an identity outside of being a mom, that her life is not over or boring because she is a mom. I'm not a mom myself, but I am sure that is a lesson all moms need to be reminded of sometimes, it makes us human.
May 10, 2021
This is a brilliant, laugh out loud, roll your eyes, at some points rather cringeworthy, but completely and utterly brilliant!
What a wonderful way to spend your time, between the pages of this book. It turns out this is a sequel, but I've not read the first and I wasn't lost at all. It easily can be read as a standalone and I was shocked to discover how quickly I came to care about this family of characters.
There was even a chapter rather early on that I felt on the verge of tears along with the characters, because the emotion of the situation just caught me so unexpectedly, and that to me is the sign of excellent writing.
And wow Hannah has a double life as a debut humour / erotica author, and is now trying to discover her inner sex goddess in order to write the sequel. She is also trying to keep the truth from her children and people she works with.
Omg so so many completely hilarious moments in this books, as well as those that I'm sure everyone will be able to relate to.
Its' about family life, about being more than just how you are perceived by your family, and doing something just for yourself. It's about finding your inner sex goddess, and some incredibly amusing writing about the real realities of sex.
I'm so hoping there will be another book, as there is a germ of an idea between Hannah and the other guests at her "gathering" that I would love to see them develop as would brilliant.
From the opening chapter which is written with just the right amount of double entendre to the eye opening finale this is pure comedy gold! I loved every last moment of this story, and my only regret is that I didn't discover this author with her first book! Ah well, I eagerly await finding out what she writes next!
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
What a wonderful way to spend your time, between the pages of this book. It turns out this is a sequel, but I've not read the first and I wasn't lost at all. It easily can be read as a standalone and I was shocked to discover how quickly I came to care about this family of characters.
There was even a chapter rather early on that I felt on the verge of tears along with the characters, because the emotion of the situation just caught me so unexpectedly, and that to me is the sign of excellent writing.
And wow Hannah has a double life as a debut humour / erotica author, and is now trying to discover her inner sex goddess in order to write the sequel. She is also trying to keep the truth from her children and people she works with.
Omg so so many completely hilarious moments in this books, as well as those that I'm sure everyone will be able to relate to.
Its' about family life, about being more than just how you are perceived by your family, and doing something just for yourself. It's about finding your inner sex goddess, and some incredibly amusing writing about the real realities of sex.
I'm so hoping there will be another book, as there is a germ of an idea between Hannah and the other guests at her "gathering" that I would love to see them develop as would brilliant.
From the opening chapter which is written with just the right amount of double entendre to the eye opening finale this is pure comedy gold! I loved every last moment of this story, and my only regret is that I didn't discover this author with her first book! Ah well, I eagerly await finding out what she writes next!
Thank you to One More Chapter and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
June 25, 2020
I decided to just use the summary that I first read about this book, because it was what made me desperate to read it. This sounded life it could be funny, charming, thought provoking…. and just a really, really good time. As I had been in an emotional funk for some time and hoped that a good laugh would pull me out.
This was not that book. While there were some pretty hilarious parts, I found the main character to be far too unlikable. It became the job of her family and friend to keep the book on a more interesting and funny keel. As I did receive an uncorrected proof we aren’t going to get into all the typos that jerked me out of the story line- those will no doubt be taken care of before the book goes on sale. One thing I will say, though, is that the author seemed to sometimes choose words that made her sound more intelligent…. and sometimes I felt like they were misused. For instance, she tried to say that Hannah feels like her book is ‘zeitgeist’…. really? Let me lay out the Merriam-Webster definition:
Definition of zeitgeist
: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.
Following this, Free love would be Zeitgeist of the 1960’s. Is she really trying to say that her first book is the embodiment of the current times? It seems overly egotistical even for this character. Honestly, the book was cliché and cringy with pockets of hilarity. Think Mean Girls meets How Stella Got Her Groove Back (only she didn’t). Also, I understand that her writing as Hannah- especially the more sexually explicit scenes-are supposed to be bad, but I am fairly certain my cat could write better sex scenes (Not Maude, but Boo- she’s definitely the sexy one). For me, this was a two star book. It wasn’t bad, per se… it just couldn’t keep my interest and didn’t live up to my expectations.
On the adult content scale, there was some coarse language and very mild sexual content. While it’s really very tame- even a bit boring- I would still say older teens and above. Let’s give it a four.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!
This was not that book. While there were some pretty hilarious parts, I found the main character to be far too unlikable. It became the job of her family and friend to keep the book on a more interesting and funny keel. As I did receive an uncorrected proof we aren’t going to get into all the typos that jerked me out of the story line- those will no doubt be taken care of before the book goes on sale. One thing I will say, though, is that the author seemed to sometimes choose words that made her sound more intelligent…. and sometimes I felt like they were misused. For instance, she tried to say that Hannah feels like her book is ‘zeitgeist’…. really? Let me lay out the Merriam-Webster definition:
Definition of zeitgeist
: the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.
Following this, Free love would be Zeitgeist of the 1960’s. Is she really trying to say that her first book is the embodiment of the current times? It seems overly egotistical even for this character. Honestly, the book was cliché and cringy with pockets of hilarity. Think Mean Girls meets How Stella Got Her Groove Back (only she didn’t). Also, I understand that her writing as Hannah- especially the more sexually explicit scenes-are supposed to be bad, but I am fairly certain my cat could write better sex scenes (Not Maude, but Boo- she’s definitely the sexy one). For me, this was a two star book. It wasn’t bad, per se… it just couldn’t keep my interest and didn’t live up to my expectations.
On the adult content scale, there was some coarse language and very mild sexual content. While it’s really very tame- even a bit boring- I would still say older teens and above. Let’s give it a four.
I was lucky enough to receive an eARC of this book from Netgalley and One More Chapter in exchange for an honest review. My thanks!
July 21, 2020
Disclaimer: I've received a copy of this book thanks to Netgalley, all opinions are my own.
There's something about Faking It that kept me hooked to the story. Maybe it was the realness of this family or maybe it was general interest in how all this would unfold but there was definitely something there. I almost marked this as a do not finish on multiple occasions but I was very invested in the story and the life Hannah was living.
This book may be about a mother of three who has a secret identity that writes erotica, but the story focuses a lot more on her everyday life and happenings with her family. I will say the second half was better for me than the first, it's where things really start to unfold.
The characters are alright, nothing spectacular but not awful either. Again, it's a very lifelike feeling novel with real characters and life experiences.
Overall. I did end up enjoying this read but it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I feel like if I were ten years older and had kids I may have connected to it better, but I'm not and I don't and most of it fell flat for me.
There's something about Faking It that kept me hooked to the story. Maybe it was the realness of this family or maybe it was general interest in how all this would unfold but there was definitely something there. I almost marked this as a do not finish on multiple occasions but I was very invested in the story and the life Hannah was living.
This book may be about a mother of three who has a secret identity that writes erotica, but the story focuses a lot more on her everyday life and happenings with her family. I will say the second half was better for me than the first, it's where things really start to unfold.
The characters are alright, nothing spectacular but not awful either. Again, it's a very lifelike feeling novel with real characters and life experiences.
Overall. I did end up enjoying this read but it wasn't as good as I was hoping it would be. I feel like if I were ten years older and had kids I may have connected to it better, but I'm not and I don't and most of it fell flat for me.
August 7, 2020
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
Ugh. This book was just painful. It started out pretty interesting, but honestly, I got very annoyed with Hannah very quickly. The fact that she was SO embarrassed by talking about sex or thinking about sex irritated me, especially given the fact that she had already written an erotic book. I don't like the idea that a woman can't be a mom and older AND feel sexual -- I feel like that trope has been done to DEATH. She was constantly being embarrassed about things that were perfectly normal. I really wish that her husband had been involved in her attempts to push herself out of her comfort zone and figure out what she wants, but he was barely involved. And how many times could she possibly jump to conclusions about something? The author apparently loved that technique in her writing because she used it ALL THE TIME. I just wanted to scream at Hannah to let people finish talking before jumping to conclusions. You would think she would learn her lesson. I honestly had to force myself to finish this one.
Ugh. This book was just painful. It started out pretty interesting, but honestly, I got very annoyed with Hannah very quickly. The fact that she was SO embarrassed by talking about sex or thinking about sex irritated me, especially given the fact that she had already written an erotic book. I don't like the idea that a woman can't be a mom and older AND feel sexual -- I feel like that trope has been done to DEATH. She was constantly being embarrassed about things that were perfectly normal. I really wish that her husband had been involved in her attempts to push herself out of her comfort zone and figure out what she wants, but he was barely involved. And how many times could she possibly jump to conclusions about something? The author apparently loved that technique in her writing because she used it ALL THE TIME. I just wanted to scream at Hannah to let people finish talking before jumping to conclusions. You would think she would learn her lesson. I honestly had to force myself to finish this one.
August 14, 2020
I didn't know this was a companion novel until I had already started it. I do think it can be read as a stand alone but just be aware that it has characters from another book.
In this book we have Hannah. She's middle aged with three kids. She is attempting to write erotica. The problem is her editor thinks the sex scenes are hilarious... They aren't suppose to be. Sp Hannah sets out to learn to be sexier. The problem here is that she doesn't take it seriously. Hannah basically slut shames anyone who reads erotica the whole time. She makes her husband uncomfortable and she fights with her kids... This is pretty much the whole book. Slut shaming and arguing with her kids.
I also do no see how this can be labeled as a typical romance. She's already married and nothing really changes there. She's just an erotica writer. There were some funny parts but for the most part this book was a let down. I honestly felt a tad attacked because I read a lot of the things Hannah was shaming. The more I think about it the more I want to lower my star rating.. but I'll leave it.
In this book we have Hannah. She's middle aged with three kids. She is attempting to write erotica. The problem is her editor thinks the sex scenes are hilarious... They aren't suppose to be. Sp Hannah sets out to learn to be sexier. The problem here is that she doesn't take it seriously. Hannah basically slut shames anyone who reads erotica the whole time. She makes her husband uncomfortable and she fights with her kids... This is pretty much the whole book. Slut shaming and arguing with her kids.
I also do no see how this can be labeled as a typical romance. She's already married and nothing really changes there. She's just an erotica writer. There were some funny parts but for the most part this book was a let down. I honestly felt a tad attacked because I read a lot of the things Hannah was shaming. The more I think about it the more I want to lower my star rating.. but I'll leave it.
August 6, 2020
Sadly, this book was not for me. I disliked the characters, the pacing, the theme and the plot. I really wanted to like this book but it just did not work for me, I even contemplated if I should DNF the book a few times. Not everything about the book was bad, I did really like how easy it was to identify with the main character, Hannah. Further, the book was quite funny at times, it included some feminist ideas, and positively discussed female bodies and sex.
My favourite quote on feminism and sex: ''They (women) are every different size, shape, colour and age. They come from every walk of life. And none of them will stop fighting for equality and fairness until we live in a world where it is okay for a mother to own a vibrator.''
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
My favourite quote on feminism and sex: ''They (women) are every different size, shape, colour and age. They come from every walk of life. And none of them will stop fighting for equality and fairness until we live in a world where it is okay for a mother to own a vibrator.''
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
May 30, 2020
I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Hannah's success in writing an erotica novel threatens to throw her life into chaos and alter her identity as a woman, a teacher, a wife, and a mother.
This is my kind of chaos, actually. So many chicklit novels focus on falling in love and settling down - and a lot less on what comes after. Despite not having read the first book, I easily connected with Hannah and her family. Hannah herself was very relatable (if a bit frustrating as a character at times) and I was highly entertained by her attempts to find her inner Sex Goddess (the sex party just about had me in hysterics). I also found this book to be surprisingly empowering.
Hannah's success in writing an erotica novel threatens to throw her life into chaos and alter her identity as a woman, a teacher, a wife, and a mother.
This is my kind of chaos, actually. So many chicklit novels focus on falling in love and settling down - and a lot less on what comes after. Despite not having read the first book, I easily connected with Hannah and her family. Hannah herself was very relatable (if a bit frustrating as a character at times) and I was highly entertained by her attempts to find her inner Sex Goddess (the sex party just about had me in hysterics). I also found this book to be surprisingly empowering.
dnf
December 8, 2020Thank you to the publisher for sending me a copy via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I'm not going to give this one a rating. DNF @ 30%
It just wasn't for me. I'm a lot younger than the protagonist in this one and I just couldn't connect to any of her problems. It took me a while to try and get into the book, and so I put it down for a while to maybe go back to it later, and it's been weeks and I haven't even tried to go back so this was a DNF.
I thought it would be a fun and funny story about a romance author, and the beginning was really slow to get to this plotline. There were other plotlines with her family that seemed more important, and I just couldn't connect to the main character.
I'm not going to give this one a rating. DNF @ 30%
It just wasn't for me. I'm a lot younger than the protagonist in this one and I just couldn't connect to any of her problems. It took me a while to try and get into the book, and so I put it down for a while to maybe go back to it later, and it's been weeks and I haven't even tried to go back so this was a DNF.
I thought it would be a fun and funny story about a romance author, and the beginning was really slow to get to this plotline. There were other plotlines with her family that seemed more important, and I just couldn't connect to the main character.
June 1, 2021
Where do I begin? I had no idea this was a sequel so that was my own mistake not checking that out. I didn’t need to read the first book to understand the family and Hannah’s life as a mother and novelist. Sadly, I struggled to get through to the end of the book. What was supposed to be funny was painful. I didn’t care for Hannah and she was the main character. I wanted to see more interactions between her and her husband. The only part of the book that was humorous was the girls night in. Overall, this wasn’t the book for me but if you’re a fan of hers you may love it.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
I received this ARC from the publisher and Netgalley for my honest review.
July 20, 2020
Slow to start, this book did win me over in the end. What kept me reading to get to the end? The humor. I always enjoy sarcastic characters and this part did not disappoint. However, the lead was a bit boring and the plot just didn't capture my attention enough. In the end, it wasn't horrible, but it isn't something I will read a second time.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.
Thank you Netgalley for allowing me to read this and give my honest opinion.
August 13, 2020
I think this was just a case of this book is not for me. There is something to be said about too much realness in a book that bogs you down with the nitty gritty of day to day life.
I also thought I was getting a romance with a heroine who writes erotica but needs help. I instead got a heroine who is married and their relationship didn’t make me want to read any more about it.
I don’t know about you but when I start a book I need a strong hook or I just won’t finish. I DNF’d at 10%.
I also thought I was getting a romance with a heroine who writes erotica but needs help. I instead got a heroine who is married and their relationship didn’t make me want to read any more about it.
I don’t know about you but when I start a book I need a strong hook or I just won’t finish. I DNF’d at 10%.
July 16, 2020
Hmmm, this was just not what I was expecting which let me down. When I read the blurb, I was like yes, I need a good funny book that I could connect with, aaaannnnd this was not it. I wondered if I was just in a funk, because I had covid and it was pretty difficult at times but that wasn't the case with this book. I was sad I tend to reread books if I enjoy them and if I have restart the book a couple of times I know that that book is not for me, and guess what that was this book. I could say more, but why the gist is that I wouldn't recommend or read again.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..(netgalley) voluntarily reviewed with my own thoughts and opinions.
July 17, 2020
ARC from Netgalley for an honest review
I thought I would totally connect with the heroine but she was just constantly whining about everything. It was difficult to read as the plot almost did not exist and I did not find anything funny. It was like going through the diary of a really boring person who wanted to become more interesting but constantly failed.
I thought I would totally connect with the heroine but she was just constantly whining about everything. It was difficult to read as the plot almost did not exist and I did not find anything funny. It was like going through the diary of a really boring person who wanted to become more interesting but constantly failed.
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