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Yours, Mine, Ours
The new No. 1 bestselling novel from the author of About Us, Seven Letters and The Baby Trail
_______________________
What's another branch on the family tree?
Things are finally looking up for Anna. Seventeen miserable years of marriage to man-child Connor have left her drained and ready for a new start. So when they separate, she couldn't be more thrilled to move in with James, a handsome lecturer who is everything her ex-husband is not: kind, thoughtful, and above all, reliable.
But Anna and James's kids hate living with the loved-up couple and the new set-up. Their teenage daughters - one a studious high achiever and the other a cool rich girl unbothered by grades or exams - have nothing in common. And Anna's wild football-mad nine-year-old son declares war on bookish James.
Nobody said step-parenting was easy; Anna and James are about to find out exactly how complicated it can be. With exes, new partners-of-exes and money all in the mix, home life is fast becoming a minefield and their new-found happiness hangs in the balance. Do they have what it takes to make their blended family work?
________________________
'Yours, Mine, Ours is her best to date . . . a hopeful book, full of love' MARIAN KEYES
'A great read, lots of twists and turns, lots of humour' CLAIRE BYRNE
'A story filled with heart and wit. It's impossible not to root for the characters' RACHAEL ENGLISH
'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant . . . I was on the edge of my seat to know whether it would all work out in the end . . . Sinéad is a true national treasure' CLAUDIA CARROLL
_______________________
What's another branch on the family tree?
Things are finally looking up for Anna. Seventeen miserable years of marriage to man-child Connor have left her drained and ready for a new start. So when they separate, she couldn't be more thrilled to move in with James, a handsome lecturer who is everything her ex-husband is not: kind, thoughtful, and above all, reliable.
But Anna and James's kids hate living with the loved-up couple and the new set-up. Their teenage daughters - one a studious high achiever and the other a cool rich girl unbothered by grades or exams - have nothing in common. And Anna's wild football-mad nine-year-old son declares war on bookish James.
Nobody said step-parenting was easy; Anna and James are about to find out exactly how complicated it can be. With exes, new partners-of-exes and money all in the mix, home life is fast becoming a minefield and their new-found happiness hangs in the balance. Do they have what it takes to make their blended family work?
________________________
'Yours, Mine, Ours is her best to date . . . a hopeful book, full of love' MARIAN KEYES
'A great read, lots of twists and turns, lots of humour' CLAIRE BYRNE
'A story filled with heart and wit. It's impossible not to root for the characters' RACHAEL ENGLISH
'Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant . . . I was on the edge of my seat to know whether it would all work out in the end . . . Sinéad is a true national treasure' CLAUDIA CARROLL
448 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2022
48 people are currently reading
695 people want to read
About the author
Sinéad Moriarty
31 books496 followersSinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
After university, she went to live in Paris and then London. It was at the age of thirty, while working as a journalist in London that she began to write creatively in her spare time – after work, at lunch times … and, truth be told, during work hours.
After a couple of years toying with ideas, she joined a creative writing group and began to write The Baby Trail. The bitter-sweet comedy of a couple struggling to conceive hit a nerve in publishing circles. It was snapped up by Penguin Publishing in the UK and Ireland and has, to date, been translated into twenty languages.
Since writing The Baby Trail, Sinead has moved back to Dublin where she lives with her husband, two sons and baby girl.
Her second book A Perfect Match has been published worldwide. The US version of A Perfect Match is called The Right Fit. Her third novel – From Here to Maternity – is the third installment of the Emma Hamilton series. Her fourth book – In My Sister’s Shoes – is about two sisters who help save each other. Her fifth book has been published under two different titles: Whose Life Is It Anyway? in Ireland and Keeping it in the Family in the UK.
Her sixth book, Pieces of my Heart, about a family dealing with a terrible crisis, went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her seventh book – Me and My Sisters – went straight in at number 1 in the Irish charts and was nominated for an Irish Book Award.
Her most recent novel Mad About You is the fourth novel in the Emma Hamilton Series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
July 21, 2022
EXCERPT: Anna sighed. 'I wanted the three of us to spend some quality time together. I think we need to make the effort to get to know Bella better. You're kind of sisters now and I want you two to be friends.'
Grace turned to face her mother. 'Let's be clear, Bella and I are not sisters in any way whatsoever. If you want to get to know her better for James's sake, fine, but I don't. She is some random person who has been dumped into my life. I didn't choose her, and I don't want, or need, to be friends with her. How would you like it if I came home with an annoying, rude woman the same age as you and said, "This is Jane. You'll be living together from now on, and you must be sisters and best friends." '
ABOUT 'YOURS, MINE, OURS': What's another branch on the family tree?
Things are finally looking up for Anna. Seventeen miserable years of marriage to man-child Connor have left her drained and ready for a new start. So when they separate, she couldn't be more thrilled to move in with James, a handsome lecturer who is everything her ex-husband is not: kind, thoughtful, and above all, reliable.
But Anna and James's kids hate living with the loved-up couple and the new set-up. Their teenage daughters - one a studious high achiever and the other a cool rich girl unbothered by grades or exams - have nothing in common. And Anna's wild football-mad nine-year-old son declares war on bookish James.
Nobody said step-parenting was easy; Anna and James are about to find out exactly how complicated it can be. With exes, new partners-of-exes and money all in the mix, home life is fast becoming a minefield and their new-found happiness hangs in the balance. Do they have what it takes to make their blended family work?
MY THOUGHTS: Blending two families is not an easy task. Everyone comes with habits, opinions, preconceptions and baggage. Children don't like change, especially when it involves parents and living arrangements. Parents tend to be protective of their own children and perhaps a little critical of the stepchildren. Moving away from familiar surroundings and friends doesn't help either.
Welcome to Anna and James world. Anna was married to Conor, and she has struggled for years to keep her family together. James was married to Ingrid, a high-flyer in the business world. Anna and Conor have two children, 15 year old science geek Grace, and nine year old tearaway Jack. James and Ingrid also have a fifteen year old daughter, Bella, used to having the best of the best and denied nothing. Anna and James are blissfully happy, excited to be starting a new life together. Their children aren't.
This is, no doubt, a common story, one which we view from all sides. We are privy to the children's discomfort at Anna and James open displays of affection; their resentment of the new partner and their child/ren. We watch as Anna and James try to negotiate new common boundaries for behaviour between their new home and their old ones, negotiating not only with the children, but with their exes.
The stress, on everyone, is astronomical and something or someone needs to give.
Moriarty has written with empathy and understanding of a difficult situation, made even more so by the economic disparity between the households. Relationships are fraught, tempers and tolerance stretched, things said which cannot be unsaid.
The characters are well crafted; not always likeable, but realistic. Millie is the voice of reason, and a thoroughly likeable character. She and Grace were the stars of the book for me. A strong young woman, she knows what she wants and takes sh*t from no-one.
Yours, Mine, Ours is an honest look at the blended family. It's amusing in places, dramatic in others. It's sad, funny and enlightening.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#YoursMineOurs #NetGalley
I: @sineadmoriartywriter @penguinrandomhouseuk
T: @sinead_moriarty @PenguinUKBooks
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #romance #sliceoflife #womensfiction
THE AUTHOR: Sinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin General UK, Sandycove via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinèad Moriarty for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
Grace turned to face her mother. 'Let's be clear, Bella and I are not sisters in any way whatsoever. If you want to get to know her better for James's sake, fine, but I don't. She is some random person who has been dumped into my life. I didn't choose her, and I don't want, or need, to be friends with her. How would you like it if I came home with an annoying, rude woman the same age as you and said, "This is Jane. You'll be living together from now on, and you must be sisters and best friends." '
ABOUT 'YOURS, MINE, OURS': What's another branch on the family tree?
Things are finally looking up for Anna. Seventeen miserable years of marriage to man-child Connor have left her drained and ready for a new start. So when they separate, she couldn't be more thrilled to move in with James, a handsome lecturer who is everything her ex-husband is not: kind, thoughtful, and above all, reliable.
But Anna and James's kids hate living with the loved-up couple and the new set-up. Their teenage daughters - one a studious high achiever and the other a cool rich girl unbothered by grades or exams - have nothing in common. And Anna's wild football-mad nine-year-old son declares war on bookish James.
Nobody said step-parenting was easy; Anna and James are about to find out exactly how complicated it can be. With exes, new partners-of-exes and money all in the mix, home life is fast becoming a minefield and their new-found happiness hangs in the balance. Do they have what it takes to make their blended family work?
MY THOUGHTS: Blending two families is not an easy task. Everyone comes with habits, opinions, preconceptions and baggage. Children don't like change, especially when it involves parents and living arrangements. Parents tend to be protective of their own children and perhaps a little critical of the stepchildren. Moving away from familiar surroundings and friends doesn't help either.
Welcome to Anna and James world. Anna was married to Conor, and she has struggled for years to keep her family together. James was married to Ingrid, a high-flyer in the business world. Anna and Conor have two children, 15 year old science geek Grace, and nine year old tearaway Jack. James and Ingrid also have a fifteen year old daughter, Bella, used to having the best of the best and denied nothing. Anna and James are blissfully happy, excited to be starting a new life together. Their children aren't.
This is, no doubt, a common story, one which we view from all sides. We are privy to the children's discomfort at Anna and James open displays of affection; their resentment of the new partner and their child/ren. We watch as Anna and James try to negotiate new common boundaries for behaviour between their new home and their old ones, negotiating not only with the children, but with their exes.
The stress, on everyone, is astronomical and something or someone needs to give.
Moriarty has written with empathy and understanding of a difficult situation, made even more so by the economic disparity between the households. Relationships are fraught, tempers and tolerance stretched, things said which cannot be unsaid.
The characters are well crafted; not always likeable, but realistic. Millie is the voice of reason, and a thoroughly likeable character. She and Grace were the stars of the book for me. A strong young woman, she knows what she wants and takes sh*t from no-one.
Yours, Mine, Ours is an honest look at the blended family. It's amusing in places, dramatic in others. It's sad, funny and enlightening.
⭐⭐⭐.6
#YoursMineOurs #NetGalley
I: @sineadmoriartywriter @penguinrandomhouseuk
T: @sinead_moriarty @PenguinUKBooks
#contemporaryfiction #domesticdrama #romance #sliceoflife #womensfiction
THE AUTHOR: Sinéad was born and raised in Dublin where she grew up surrounded by books. Her mother is an author of children’s books. Growing up, Sinead says she was inspired by watching her mother writing at the kitchen table and then being published. From that moment on, her childhood dream was to write a novel.
DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Penguin General UK, Sandycove via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinèad Moriarty for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.
For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com
This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage https://sandysbookaday.wordpress.com/...
June 11, 2022
I’m sorry to say that I struggled with this book, especially the writing style which I found immature and childish in bits. I had liked the premise of the story and it does give real insight into a blended family but it would put anyone off ever doing it the way this is wrote, it all sounds so awful, maybe if the characters had been a bit nicer to take to, Jack is just awful and what he gets away with is ridiculous. Sorry but this just wasn’t for me, thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this early copy.
June 16, 2022
I was looking forward to reading this because I loved the author's previous books. Unfortunately, this was not one of my favorites. I would give it 2.5 stars. So many things bothered me in this story, probably because it reminded me of my childhood and not in a good way. I would have people with children read this if they were thinking about divorcing, so they know what not to do with their children. They should do the exact opposite of everything Anna and James did throughout the book. Did James and Anna think everything would be unicorns and rainbows? Anna left her husband and moves immediately in with James. She jumps from one problem into another. She moves her children in with a complete stranger. I don't know why she didn't get an apartment with her children and date James. No on got to know each other. James and Anna tried to force everyone to like each other. I HATED that they constantly referred to each other as step (mom, dad, sister and brother), they weren't married. Anna wasn't even divorced yet. Anna and James equally drove me crazy. Both made excuses for their rude/misbehaved children. James boohooing because they can't go out to dinner and have loud sex. Anna would allow Jack to get away with murder and then say he's only ten. He's ten, not five. He's old enough not to act like a brat all day long. Jack's birthday party was ridiculous. I would have have left Anna after she didn't seem to care that her son purposely shot her boyfriend. Also, the ball incident in the Science Gallery. I blame Anna. Conor didn't help with they way he acted. He was a manchild who didn't want to grow up and take responsibility for anything. Bella was just as bad as Jack. Milly and Grace were the best part of the book. They were the most sensible and could see how immature everyone acted. It's sad when a fifteen year old is smarter than the adults. There were some funny parts, like when Jacks walks into the bathroom to pee while James is showering.
Recommend giving the book a try. Even though it sounds like I hated the book, I didn't. I enjoyed the book but didn't like most of the characters and their actions. I hated how horrible everyone behaved. Look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin General UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Recommend giving the book a try. Even though it sounds like I hated the book, I didn't. I enjoyed the book but didn't like most of the characters and their actions. I hated how horrible everyone behaved. Look forward to reading more books by the author.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Penguin General UK through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
May 24, 2022
Anna and James meet over an injured foot and love blossoms. Though they each have a child/children, in their naivety they are sure things can work out and that they will all become one, big, happy family.
This book deals with the complexities of a blended family and the worries and conflicts such an arrangement can bring. Whilst it does highlight such circumstances, I’m not sure that this is the right platform, as, even if Anna and James hadn’t moved in together so quickly, the absolute awfulness of all the characters, with the possible exception of Milly and Grace who are too goody, goody, would have made everyone’s life a misery. The characters were domineering, spiteful, rude and downright obnoxious, and this really spoilt the story for me. It was also written in childish language at times, and not always for the children!
Not one for me, with apologies to the author.
2.5*
Thank you NetGalley.
This book deals with the complexities of a blended family and the worries and conflicts such an arrangement can bring. Whilst it does highlight such circumstances, I’m not sure that this is the right platform, as, even if Anna and James hadn’t moved in together so quickly, the absolute awfulness of all the characters, with the possible exception of Milly and Grace who are too goody, goody, would have made everyone’s life a misery. The characters were domineering, spiteful, rude and downright obnoxious, and this really spoilt the story for me. It was also written in childish language at times, and not always for the children!
Not one for me, with apologies to the author.
2.5*
Thank you NetGalley.
June 8, 2022
Firstly thank you to NetGalley and SandyCove for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, full of many interesting and annoying characters and with plenty of drama, it was very easy to read and I was quickly immersed in it. When I'm into a great book I don't want to put it down and do anything else, so this was me, late into the night. As much as I enjoyed it, the reason I never gave it full stars is because too many of the characters really annoyed me, they were hateful people and I didn't always enjoy reading about them.
I really disliked Anna, she meets James and after a short time they move in together and that means blending their families, Anna's two kids, Jack who is nine and Grace who is fifteen and James's fifteen year old daughter Bella. It's a recipe for disaster. The problem lies in the age old hurdle of trying to discipline your partners child, when really you don't have the right, or do you! Then there's parents different sets of rules and how they bring up their kids.
Yes James does indulge his daughter and she wasn't always the nicest to Anna, being fifteen she should know better, but he did have words with her and didn't always let her away with things. Whereas, Anna let Jack away with EVERYTHING, he was a nasty spoilt little brat and he may only have been nine/ten, but he knew right from wrong. She indulged and petted him and excused his behaviour. Letting a nine year old sleep in your bed every night so your partner has to sleep on the sofa is just ridiculous. All of Anna's family could see how Jack was behaving and pulled him up on it, but Anna kept on making excuses for him. She drove me insane and I really hated her. Her attitude towards Bella was so two faced, she was nasty to that girl at times, all because she was older than Jack and should know better. According to Anna that is!
Anna's ex Conor was another ar**ole, a really nasty childish one. His attitude towards James made everything worse and didn't help Jacks opinion of him. Conor was so self centred and blamed everyone else for everything that happened in his life. I rejoiced when Grace stood up to him near the end and really let him have it. He had that coming to him long ago.
Actually, on reflection I only disliked Anna and Conor! I wasn't overly fussed with Jack, yes he's only a child, but he was a spoilt brat. He did redeem himself at times though, whereas his parents never really did in my opinion.
Overall, it was entertaining and full of the drama that comes with trying to blend families together, the many battles and uphill struggles to be encountered. Perhaps if the parents had been a bit more willing to actually discipline their children, many of the pitfalls could have been avoided.
Oh and what really confused me for a while and then irritated me every time it was used, was the calling of them step mother/father and step brother/sister. I was unsure where I'd missed them getting married, but they weren't. So why were they referring to each other as step parent and step siblings???? Everyone said they had jumped into it all a bit too soon and I think they were right. They weren't a step family yet and putting all that pressure on themselves, especially the kids, was insane and ridiculous.
I really disliked Anna, she meets James and after a short time they move in together and that means blending their families, Anna's two kids, Jack who is nine and Grace who is fifteen and James's fifteen year old daughter Bella. It's a recipe for disaster. The problem lies in the age old hurdle of trying to discipline your partners child, when really you don't have the right, or do you! Then there's parents different sets of rules and how they bring up their kids.
Yes James does indulge his daughter and she wasn't always the nicest to Anna, being fifteen she should know better, but he did have words with her and didn't always let her away with things. Whereas, Anna let Jack away with EVERYTHING, he was a nasty spoilt little brat and he may only have been nine/ten, but he knew right from wrong. She indulged and petted him and excused his behaviour. Letting a nine year old sleep in your bed every night so your partner has to sleep on the sofa is just ridiculous. All of Anna's family could see how Jack was behaving and pulled him up on it, but Anna kept on making excuses for him. She drove me insane and I really hated her. Her attitude towards Bella was so two faced, she was nasty to that girl at times, all because she was older than Jack and should know better. According to Anna that is!
Anna's ex Conor was another ar**ole, a really nasty childish one. His attitude towards James made everything worse and didn't help Jacks opinion of him. Conor was so self centred and blamed everyone else for everything that happened in his life. I rejoiced when Grace stood up to him near the end and really let him have it. He had that coming to him long ago.
Actually, on reflection I only disliked Anna and Conor! I wasn't overly fussed with Jack, yes he's only a child, but he was a spoilt brat. He did redeem himself at times though, whereas his parents never really did in my opinion.
Overall, it was entertaining and full of the drama that comes with trying to blend families together, the many battles and uphill struggles to be encountered. Perhaps if the parents had been a bit more willing to actually discipline their children, many of the pitfalls could have been avoided.
Oh and what really confused me for a while and then irritated me every time it was used, was the calling of them step mother/father and step brother/sister. I was unsure where I'd missed them getting married, but they weren't. So why were they referring to each other as step parent and step siblings???? Everyone said they had jumped into it all a bit too soon and I think they were right. They weren't a step family yet and putting all that pressure on themselves, especially the kids, was insane and ridiculous.
May 7, 2022
I love moriarty’s style of writing and how she makes the relationships in her stories so believable. I enjoyed this and seeing how a blended family struggled to adjust to the new norm, it gave me a different perspective on how tricky this must be for 2 families to come together. I did feel that Connor’s unlikeability could have been scaled back a little as I found his sections and interactions difficult to read as I disliked him so much. However I did like this book and would recommend to others. Thank you for the arc
June 15, 2022
Yours, Mine , Ours is another fantastic read by Sinead Moriarty. I have to admit that I’m usually a psychological / crime thriller type of reader but once I hear this author has a new book out it’s a definite must read for me. As soon as I’d finished the first chapter of this book I just knew I was going to love it. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to find out what was going to happen. This book made me laugh in places and at times made me cry. Just an absolutely wonderful read .
May 2, 2022
This took me a short while to get into it, but once I did, I was fully immersed and really enjoyed. Puts a spotlight on complicated family relationships and handles the subject with a certain amount of diplomacy. Complex characters which make for more interesting reading.
Good read.
Good read.
July 22, 2022
Chock full of drama, Sinéad Moriarty's Yours, Mine, Ours is a truly terrific read. Anna, who is one of seven siblings, has been married to Conor for seventeen years but a change is long overdue. When they separate and she moves in with lecturer, James, whose ex-wife is Ingrid, the children - Anna's teenager, Grace and ten-year-old Jack as well as James's teenage daughter, Bella are far from happy...
In this tale about blended families, the characters are well crafted. They are not necessarily likeable and are frequently annoying but they are realistic. Yours, Mine, Ours made me sad, laugh, and stirred up feelings of frustration, hope and excitement and I felt as though I was in the pockets of the families throughout all of the occurrences. Though occasionally slow-moving plot-wise the characters were strong enough to hold my interest and I was rooting for a good outcome for everyone involved. Well worth a look.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Penguin General UK, Sandycove via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
In this tale about blended families, the characters are well crafted. They are not necessarily likeable and are frequently annoying but they are realistic. Yours, Mine, Ours made me sad, laugh, and stirred up feelings of frustration, hope and excitement and I felt as though I was in the pockets of the families throughout all of the occurrences. Though occasionally slow-moving plot-wise the characters were strong enough to hold my interest and I was rooting for a good outcome for everyone involved. Well worth a look.
I received a complimentary copy of this novel from Penguin General UK, Sandycove via NetGalley at my request and this review is my own unbiased opinion.
June 7, 2022
The story
Anna has left her lazy husband Conor and is moving with her daughter Grace and son Jack to live with her new man James and his daughter Bella. The new blended family is a disaster. Bella isn’t used to Anna’s parenting style. Jack is a boisterous 10 year old who repeats his father’s words about Anna and James. Only Grace holds in her thoughts to avoid conflict.
My thoughts
I really struggled with the poor choices most of the adults in this story made. As a mom to a ten and seven year old and child of divorced parents, I can’t think how pulling your children out of a family home and straight into a blended family would ever be anything but an emotional disaster. While I was reading this, I was really trying to think what the author is trying to say, and it kind of shines a spotlight on a “what not to do”. There are two characters that stand out for me, Grace and Milly. Both are wise beyond their years, thoughtful and emotionally savvy. The two redeem the rest of the bad behaviour.
I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
Anna has left her lazy husband Conor and is moving with her daughter Grace and son Jack to live with her new man James and his daughter Bella. The new blended family is a disaster. Bella isn’t used to Anna’s parenting style. Jack is a boisterous 10 year old who repeats his father’s words about Anna and James. Only Grace holds in her thoughts to avoid conflict.
My thoughts
I really struggled with the poor choices most of the adults in this story made. As a mom to a ten and seven year old and child of divorced parents, I can’t think how pulling your children out of a family home and straight into a blended family would ever be anything but an emotional disaster. While I was reading this, I was really trying to think what the author is trying to say, and it kind of shines a spotlight on a “what not to do”. There are two characters that stand out for me, Grace and Milly. Both are wise beyond their years, thoughtful and emotionally savvy. The two redeem the rest of the bad behaviour.
I read an eARC copy courtesy of NetGalley and the publisher.
June 8, 2022
I really enjoyed this, such a lovely read, I couldn’t put it down. It made me cry, laugh, feel frustrated and hopeful. The story pulls you in from the start.
Anna and James meet and fall in love after previous relationships ended and decided to move in together with their children to become one big happy blended family.
I enjoyed the style of writing, how the relationships in the authors story are so believable and at times relatable. The characters are well written, some more annoying than others. I enjoyed reading how a blended family struggles to adjust to their new norm and the difficulties the two families face when they come to live together.
It’s a great domestic drama with a storyline that so many people can relate to. I definitely recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #PenguinGeneralUK #SinéadMoriarty for an ARC of #YoursMineOurs in exchange for an honest review.
Anna and James meet and fall in love after previous relationships ended and decided to move in together with their children to become one big happy blended family.
I enjoyed the style of writing, how the relationships in the authors story are so believable and at times relatable. The characters are well written, some more annoying than others. I enjoyed reading how a blended family struggles to adjust to their new norm and the difficulties the two families face when they come to live together.
It’s a great domestic drama with a storyline that so many people can relate to. I definitely recommend.
Thanks to #NetGallery #PenguinGeneralUK #SinéadMoriarty for an ARC of #YoursMineOurs in exchange for an honest review.
April 12, 2022
Sinead Moriarty.
Yours, Mine, Ours.
In my opinion, Ms Moriarty has written one of her best books with Yours, Mine, Ours. I don’t think there is a person in the world that can’t relate to one or all aspects of this book.
The world today, is made up of different family combinations. Whether it be man and a woman. It could be 2 Mums or 2 dads. It could be boyfriend/girlfriend. It could be separated wife and boyfriend. Separated husband and girlfriend.
Here is the recipe for this book.
Meet Anne and her children…Grace and Jack.
Meet James and his daughter Bella.
Throw in an estranged spouse called Conor.
Add in an ex-wife called Ingrid.
Stir it all together with a large Irish family and you have a recipe for something special.
Ms Moriarty examines how split families and new families come together in this book. We see how Anne and James are a couple and their children combine to become a new blended family. What Ms Moriarty manages to do with this book, is write this in such a way, that you can relate. I found myself reading and wondering how I would react as Anne. Remembering time I’d had in a similar situation….I’ve been an ‘Anne’ (without the children).
This book is written in a delightful way. It’s honest. It’s funny. It’s witty. It’s drama. It’s refreshing. Its emotional. It’s all those things and more. To be able to pull it all together in one book, so beautifully, is perfection. To be able to show the trauma of marriage breakups, the emotions of new relationships and the opinions of a large family all in one set of pages , it is a gift.
Sinead Moriarty, thank you for what I consider your best yet.
Yours, Mine, Ours.
In my opinion, Ms Moriarty has written one of her best books with Yours, Mine, Ours. I don’t think there is a person in the world that can’t relate to one or all aspects of this book.
The world today, is made up of different family combinations. Whether it be man and a woman. It could be 2 Mums or 2 dads. It could be boyfriend/girlfriend. It could be separated wife and boyfriend. Separated husband and girlfriend.
Here is the recipe for this book.
Meet Anne and her children…Grace and Jack.
Meet James and his daughter Bella.
Throw in an estranged spouse called Conor.
Add in an ex-wife called Ingrid.
Stir it all together with a large Irish family and you have a recipe for something special.
Ms Moriarty examines how split families and new families come together in this book. We see how Anne and James are a couple and their children combine to become a new blended family. What Ms Moriarty manages to do with this book, is write this in such a way, that you can relate. I found myself reading and wondering how I would react as Anne. Remembering time I’d had in a similar situation….I’ve been an ‘Anne’ (without the children).
This book is written in a delightful way. It’s honest. It’s funny. It’s witty. It’s drama. It’s refreshing. Its emotional. It’s all those things and more. To be able to pull it all together in one book, so beautifully, is perfection. To be able to show the trauma of marriage breakups, the emotions of new relationships and the opinions of a large family all in one set of pages , it is a gift.
Sinead Moriarty, thank you for what I consider your best yet.
May 2, 2022
It's a long time since I've read anything by Sinead Moriarty and I did have my doubts about this at the beginning, as it was written in quite a prosaic style. However as the story developed it did start to take hold of me.
It's a story about the pitfalls that can occur with blended families, and certainly doesn't gloss over the difficulties when kids are not on board with what the parents want. Anna, finally free of her terrible toxic ex Conor, has fallen in love with James and they want nothing more than to be together. But while Anna's teenager Grace is relatively chill about the whole thing, ten year old Jack and James's teenage daughter Bella are much less so (not helped by bitter, angry Conor constantly dripping poison into his son's ear).
I did feel for Anna's situation, desperately trying to make things work for everyone, even if she was her own worst enemy at times (that children's party.... oof.) There are some fun side characters, particularly Milly, and Bella's work-obsessed mother and stepfather.
A good read which makes it clear there are no easy answers to some situations. I guarantee that most readers will want to punch Conor in the face on occasion - I don't know how Anna managed not to. (However, the "child goes missing" - not a major spoiler as it's not a huge part of the story - has really become a cliché of family drama type stories.)
Many thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy - I enjoyed it a lot.
It's a story about the pitfalls that can occur with blended families, and certainly doesn't gloss over the difficulties when kids are not on board with what the parents want. Anna, finally free of her terrible toxic ex Conor, has fallen in love with James and they want nothing more than to be together. But while Anna's teenager Grace is relatively chill about the whole thing, ten year old Jack and James's teenage daughter Bella are much less so (not helped by bitter, angry Conor constantly dripping poison into his son's ear).
I did feel for Anna's situation, desperately trying to make things work for everyone, even if she was her own worst enemy at times (that children's party.... oof.) There are some fun side characters, particularly Milly, and Bella's work-obsessed mother and stepfather.
A good read which makes it clear there are no easy answers to some situations. I guarantee that most readers will want to punch Conor in the face on occasion - I don't know how Anna managed not to. (However, the "child goes missing" - not a major spoiler as it's not a huge part of the story - has really become a cliché of family drama type stories.)
Many thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy - I enjoyed it a lot.
April 15, 2022
I enjoyed this book even though I found some of the characters really irritating. Anna's ex Conor need someone to kick him into the middle of next week but it was actually Anna herself who annoyed me the most. She allowed Conor to behave childishly and never really took him to task about the rubbish he was filling their son's head with. On the other hand poor James never got a chance, he wasn't even 2nd best he came about 6th in her priorities. She also let Jack away with too much and babied him terribly.. I really liked both Bella and Grace and Milly was brilliant.. I thought the book was saved though by Anna's sisters Angela and Anita. Their dry humour and caustic put downs, especially where Conor was concerned were inspired. I'd love to see them feature in other stories.
April 19, 2022
Thank you to Sinéad Moriarty and NetGalley for a free copy of the book for an honest review.
I was excited about reading Yours,Mine,Ours even before reading the blurb as I've read About Us by Sinéad previously and absolutely loved it. I'm pleased to say Yours, Mine, Ours did not disappoint and I devoured it within 24 hours.
I loved all of the characters, and felt like I got to know them all including the side characters. My favourite characters were Grace and Bella who's development we really got to see and I felt their stories were wonderfully captured.
Yours, Mine, Ours made me cry, laugh, feel frustrated, hopeful, excited and it felt almost as if I was with them throughout all of the events.
Sinéad wrote an AMAZING book which was so easy to get lost in!
I was excited about reading Yours,Mine,Ours even before reading the blurb as I've read About Us by Sinéad previously and absolutely loved it. I'm pleased to say Yours, Mine, Ours did not disappoint and I devoured it within 24 hours.
I loved all of the characters, and felt like I got to know them all including the side characters. My favourite characters were Grace and Bella who's development we really got to see and I felt their stories were wonderfully captured.
Yours, Mine, Ours made me cry, laugh, feel frustrated, hopeful, excited and it felt almost as if I was with them throughout all of the events.
Sinéad wrote an AMAZING book which was so easy to get lost in!
April 12, 2022
This was a fabulous look at life as a blended family as Anna and her two children move in with her new partner James and his daughter and soon discover that just because they love and appreciate each other it doesn’t mean that their children will feel the same. I loved the different personalities in this not to mention the complexities their blended family brought, it was good to also read the perspectives of Anna’s former husband and James’s former wife which added another layer of complication but also an interesting dimension. I admit there were times I wanted to yell at Anna about how she handled so,E situations but I guess that’s quite reflective of how real this story felt!
May 5, 2022
A great domestic drama. James and Anna have found happiness after bad marriages. Both have children and decide to move in together blending two families. Whilst the parents are excited about the new life the children have different opinions and different parenting styles. A book that brings you into the relationship and frustrates you in a good way as it is well written. Humour, tears, love and loss read as a real life story.
October 18, 2022
DNF for me, I guess I'm not the target readership. Never having been part of a blended family, I just wanted to shake everyone except Grace who was the most mature of all despite being a teen. So many 5* ratings, i'm obviously the odd one out.
August 3, 2022
Anna, married to ‘good for nothing’ lazy Connor for seventeen years, most of which was torture. Connor being disinterested in working and lacking any ambition meant that Anna was working a lot harder to support their family. They have two children together Grace and Jack. Grace being a teenager and a head full of sense can see that her Mum needed to get out of the toxic environment with her Dad. Anna makes the tough decision to leave.
Having met the most wonderful man James and promptly fallen in love she decides to take a leap of faith and move in together. Along with Grace, Jack and every second week James’ daughter Bella.
Can they overcome all the fighting and obstacles and make their new family work?
The most wonderful story told about the amalgamation of two families and their respective lives.
Told from the perspective of the whole family at one point or another. A highly emotive read that captures the complex nature of families very well. I didn’t always like all the characters especially the children.
Bella, a confused teenager was actually quite pleasant and underneath it all very well mannered. As was Grace, however Jack was completely obstinate for a ten year old. I realise this was his Dad, Connor projecting his feelings and ten year old Jack didn’t understand why his parents had split in the first place.
Moriarty never fails me to capture the raw and real side of family life in all her books, most of which I have read. Another fabulous book to be added to everybody’s tbr.
Having met the most wonderful man James and promptly fallen in love she decides to take a leap of faith and move in together. Along with Grace, Jack and every second week James’ daughter Bella.
Can they overcome all the fighting and obstacles and make their new family work?
The most wonderful story told about the amalgamation of two families and their respective lives.
Told from the perspective of the whole family at one point or another. A highly emotive read that captures the complex nature of families very well. I didn’t always like all the characters especially the children.
Bella, a confused teenager was actually quite pleasant and underneath it all very well mannered. As was Grace, however Jack was completely obstinate for a ten year old. I realise this was his Dad, Connor projecting his feelings and ten year old Jack didn’t understand why his parents had split in the first place.
Moriarty never fails me to capture the raw and real side of family life in all her books, most of which I have read. Another fabulous book to be added to everybody’s tbr.
April 16, 2024
Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinéad Moriarty is a light, humorous read set in Dublin and examining the challenges of a blended family. Anna has at least left her dead-beat husband, Connor, to live with new love, James. Anna and James are very much in love but living in a small house, further away from work and school and with their respective children proves to be a bigger challenge than they'd anticipated. Not at all helped by Connor's constant put downs of both Anna and of James. Nor is it easy for the children - sensible Grace, exuberant Jack - and moody, entitled Bella. As the new family limps from one disaster to the next, the negative attitudes of all around them begin to drive a wedge between Anna and James, threatening the life together they dreamed of.
Yours, Mine, Ours explores a common situation for many - with shared custody, critical and angry in-laws as well as hostility towards stepparents and difficulties of discipling the other parent’s children . Sinead Moriarty does an excellent job showing the reality while adding humour to the situation in this fast paced, engaging narrative of family drama.
Yours, Mine, Ours explores a common situation for many - with shared custody, critical and angry in-laws as well as hostility towards stepparents and difficulties of discipling the other parent’s children . Sinead Moriarty does an excellent job showing the reality while adding humour to the situation in this fast paced, engaging narrative of family drama.
September 1, 2022
I persevered with this book and there were parts that I thoroughly enjoyed but I have to say that on the whole I found it fairly depressing and the characters not very likable. It wouldn’t stop me reading other books by this author as I have really enjoyed others.
August 2, 2022
Sinead has done it again. I love her ability to create relatable characters in her stories. She writes with such easy. Thanks for another great story to feed my imagination.
April 19, 2023
What a lovely read, I love Sineads writing, this was my first book by her but she captured this story perfectly. A most enjoyable read.
October 8, 2024
It dragged on a bit...
August 21, 2022
Although the storyline wasn’t a bad one, I just did not like any of the characters - they were just all rather annoying which made it difficult to enjoy more
September 6, 2022
Unfolding from multiple perspectives Yours, Mine, Ours by Sinead Moriarty explores the complications of blending families, especially when navigating step-parenting, and co-parenting.
There aren’t really any surprises in this book. Having fallen deeply in love, Anna and James are excited to be starting a new life together, and are sure that their respective children, 15 year-old Grace, 9 year-old Jack, and 14 year-old Bella will quickly embrace the merging of their lives. Neither are prepared when their dream of a happy family rapidly becomes a nightmare.
There’s plenty of drama as the children make life hard for Anna and James, putting a dent in their bubble of bliss. While Grace, a science geek, is willing to give the situation a chance, James’s spoilt daughter Bella doesn’t like sharing her father, and refuses to give Anna an inch. Jack, egged on by his immature father, Conor, is absolutely awful to James, and because of her guilt, Anna excuses his bad behaviour, which becomes a wedge between the couple.
I wasn’t very fond of Anna, though I had some sympathy for her, I found her lack of self awareness in several situations is irritating. James, a university professor, is a fairly bland character, though I admired his patience with Jack, and Anna. Conor, Anna’s ex, is an absolute douche who embraced every stereotype of toxic masculinity, while Bella’s mother, an ambitious career woman remarried to a wealthy hotelier, is focused on the wrong things when it comes to her daughter.
As you would predict, after tantrums, tears, break-ups and make-ups, it all works out in the end.
Moriarty writes well, there is genuine warmth, angst and humour in the story, but there was just not anything unique or particularly memorable about it for me.
There aren’t really any surprises in this book. Having fallen deeply in love, Anna and James are excited to be starting a new life together, and are sure that their respective children, 15 year-old Grace, 9 year-old Jack, and 14 year-old Bella will quickly embrace the merging of their lives. Neither are prepared when their dream of a happy family rapidly becomes a nightmare.
There’s plenty of drama as the children make life hard for Anna and James, putting a dent in their bubble of bliss. While Grace, a science geek, is willing to give the situation a chance, James’s spoilt daughter Bella doesn’t like sharing her father, and refuses to give Anna an inch. Jack, egged on by his immature father, Conor, is absolutely awful to James, and because of her guilt, Anna excuses his bad behaviour, which becomes a wedge between the couple.
I wasn’t very fond of Anna, though I had some sympathy for her, I found her lack of self awareness in several situations is irritating. James, a university professor, is a fairly bland character, though I admired his patience with Jack, and Anna. Conor, Anna’s ex, is an absolute douche who embraced every stereotype of toxic masculinity, while Bella’s mother, an ambitious career woman remarried to a wealthy hotelier, is focused on the wrong things when it comes to her daughter.
As you would predict, after tantrums, tears, break-ups and make-ups, it all works out in the end.
Moriarty writes well, there is genuine warmth, angst and humour in the story, but there was just not anything unique or particularly memorable about it for me.
August 3, 2023
I hated this book with a passion. The characters are infuriating, the dialogue between the characters is sometimes so ridiculous and unrealistic that it's almost funny, and the ending just feels like when you clean up your room by randomly shoving all your stuff in your wardrobe.
First let's talk about the characters in the book. Anna and James decide to get together, but they both have children. Anna has Jack and Grace, while James has Bella. Bella was bratty and rude towards Anna, but Jack was on a whole another level. While Bella just swore around Jack and told Anna to stop bothering her, Jack was on another level. He shot a BB gun at James on his cheek (nearly shooting his eye), accused and framed James of kidnapping him, made James sleep on a small couch for 4 months, humiliated James in his workplace by breaking something and then not apologising for it. All the while, James and Anna made excuses for their children due to their age ("she's just a teenager... etc." and "he's only 10...etc.").
Although the children (apart from Grace) were objectively the worst part of the story, the parents were not much better. Bella's biological parents were James and Ingrid. James was impatient with Jack and made excuses for Bella's behaviour. Ingrid was never really there with Bella and put immense pressure on her (though this was glossed over at the end). Jack and Grace's biological parents were Connor and Anna. Connor was a man-child, he was never really present for the kids as well (except when they wanted to play) and incited conflict between Jack and James. Anna made excuses for Jack's insane behaviour, was impatient with and sometimes even deliberately wanted to make Bella angry. One specific interaction between the parents just wanted to make me laugh out loud. Ingrid and Dennis (her new husband) gave Bella VIP Harry Styles tickets for her birthday. Unfortunately, James also got her Harry Styles concert tickets, but regular ones. For some obscure reason, James and Anna blamed Ingrid and Dennis? They said that Ingrid and Dennis should have told them what they were going to give to Bella... well, why didn't you guys tell Ingrid and Dennis? How is it Ingrid's fault for accidentally choosing the same present as you? This whole situation was so comically unbelievable.
The issues never really get resolved tbh (at least to me it didn't feel like it). James and Anna tried a half baked attempt at making their blended family work but in the end, they split up. Finally, they only got together because the children were tired and sad of seeing their parents being miserable without one another (essentially guilt tripping them tbh- they were obviously crying in their rooms, they looked like ghosts and they didn't eat... anyone with a brain could see what was going on, and they said they didn't want the kids to feel upset?).
Honestly, the whole story felt like a parody of stories that ends with a happily ever after. You get a bunch of characters doing some questionable stuff, but that's ok, because the characters will still end up happy in the end.
If I could, this book would only get a 0.5/5, and that still feels generous.
First let's talk about the characters in the book. Anna and James decide to get together, but they both have children. Anna has Jack and Grace, while James has Bella. Bella was bratty and rude towards Anna, but Jack was on a whole another level. While Bella just swore around Jack and told Anna to stop bothering her, Jack was on another level. He shot a BB gun at James on his cheek (nearly shooting his eye), accused and framed James of kidnapping him, made James sleep on a small couch for 4 months, humiliated James in his workplace by breaking something and then not apologising for it. All the while, James and Anna made excuses for their children due to their age ("she's just a teenager... etc." and "he's only 10...etc.").
Although the children (apart from Grace) were objectively the worst part of the story, the parents were not much better. Bella's biological parents were James and Ingrid. James was impatient with Jack and made excuses for Bella's behaviour. Ingrid was never really there with Bella and put immense pressure on her (though this was glossed over at the end). Jack and Grace's biological parents were Connor and Anna. Connor was a man-child, he was never really present for the kids as well (except when they wanted to play) and incited conflict between Jack and James. Anna made excuses for Jack's insane behaviour, was impatient with and sometimes even deliberately wanted to make Bella angry. One specific interaction between the parents just wanted to make me laugh out loud. Ingrid and Dennis (her new husband) gave Bella VIP Harry Styles tickets for her birthday. Unfortunately, James also got her Harry Styles concert tickets, but regular ones. For some obscure reason, James and Anna blamed Ingrid and Dennis? They said that Ingrid and Dennis should have told them what they were going to give to Bella... well, why didn't you guys tell Ingrid and Dennis? How is it Ingrid's fault for accidentally choosing the same present as you? This whole situation was so comically unbelievable.
The issues never really get resolved tbh (at least to me it didn't feel like it). James and Anna tried a half baked attempt at making their blended family work but in the end, they split up. Finally, they only got together because the children were tired and sad of seeing their parents being miserable without one another (essentially guilt tripping them tbh- they were obviously crying in their rooms, they looked like ghosts and they didn't eat... anyone with a brain could see what was going on, and they said they didn't want the kids to feel upset?).
Honestly, the whole story felt like a parody of stories that ends with a happily ever after. You get a bunch of characters doing some questionable stuff, but that's ok, because the characters will still end up happy in the end.
If I could, this book would only get a 0.5/5, and that still feels generous.
September 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this, what I will say is that is a bit repetitive, but I guess that's what it's like in real life so perhaps not totally untrue! Very much the same things happening but I suppose that happens!
This story focuses on blended families. Anna, who has children Grace and Jack. She has split up with her husband Conor, and is moving in with James and his daughter Bella, who is 15, the same age as Grace. Bella's mum Ingrid is living with a very wealthy man, Denis, and Bella is used to finer things and lots of money, where spending 2 weeks with her dad and Anna in Dublin is not great. In a house shared with a girl the same age as her but completely different, and a young boy set to cause trouble at every turn, things don't go smoothly.
The children have not responded well to the move, especially Jack and Bella. Grace seems fine with it, while she doesn't hate Bella and James, she is mostly keeping sweet for her mum's sake. Jack seems to be causing trouble all over the place, he blames Jack for splitting his mum and dad up, and he absolutely hates Bella. James struggles to get to grips with dealing with Jack, being a young boy and frankly, a little terror. It's harder for everyone than they thought. Bella pushes her luck with Anna a lot, Jack causes mayhem all the time and after Anna throws a party for Jack at home, and Conor attends, and helps Jack to cause mayhem, making him the cool dad in Jack's eyes, this is where James gets mad. It's James' house after all and it's being destroyed by Jack and his friends under his dad's instructions!
Conor is struggling being on his own in a small apartment after Anna left him, but Anna tried to make it work for years but with Conor being lazy and not working often, not helping out, everyone knows they are best apart. Until Conor meets Milly, he is desperate for Anna to go back to him with the kids. Once he meets Milly, things change and she is a welcoming input to the children as well who really like her, and she seems to encourage Conor to turn his life around.
Anna and Jack really want to be together but as time goes on and it seems nobody can get along, they decide to take a break for a month, no contact, to see if they can return. I really enjoyed the ending of the story what the children did, I thought it was a really nice touch for the ending, and shows that perhaps sometimes blended families can work, despite a lot of rough patches!
Very enjoyable read.
This story focuses on blended families. Anna, who has children Grace and Jack. She has split up with her husband Conor, and is moving in with James and his daughter Bella, who is 15, the same age as Grace. Bella's mum Ingrid is living with a very wealthy man, Denis, and Bella is used to finer things and lots of money, where spending 2 weeks with her dad and Anna in Dublin is not great. In a house shared with a girl the same age as her but completely different, and a young boy set to cause trouble at every turn, things don't go smoothly.
The children have not responded well to the move, especially Jack and Bella. Grace seems fine with it, while she doesn't hate Bella and James, she is mostly keeping sweet for her mum's sake. Jack seems to be causing trouble all over the place, he blames Jack for splitting his mum and dad up, and he absolutely hates Bella. James struggles to get to grips with dealing with Jack, being a young boy and frankly, a little terror. It's harder for everyone than they thought. Bella pushes her luck with Anna a lot, Jack causes mayhem all the time and after Anna throws a party for Jack at home, and Conor attends, and helps Jack to cause mayhem, making him the cool dad in Jack's eyes, this is where James gets mad. It's James' house after all and it's being destroyed by Jack and his friends under his dad's instructions!
Conor is struggling being on his own in a small apartment after Anna left him, but Anna tried to make it work for years but with Conor being lazy and not working often, not helping out, everyone knows they are best apart. Until Conor meets Milly, he is desperate for Anna to go back to him with the kids. Once he meets Milly, things change and she is a welcoming input to the children as well who really like her, and she seems to encourage Conor to turn his life around.
Anna and Jack really want to be together but as time goes on and it seems nobody can get along, they decide to take a break for a month, no contact, to see if they can return. I really enjoyed the ending of the story what the children did, I thought it was a really nice touch for the ending, and shows that perhaps sometimes blended families can work, despite a lot of rough patches!
Very enjoyable read.
July 5, 2022
🐚 𝐀𝐑𝐂 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐖 🐚
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: single mom, single dad
This book is a roller coaster of emotions, and it is full of drama.
Sinéad Moriarty shows how two separated families come together. We meet Anna and James who are a couple and their children who are trying to become a united family. Anna has two children, 9-year-old Jack and 15-year-old Grace, and James, a 15-year-old girl named Bella.
This book showed me another perspective of the single parent trope. In most books with this trop, children are very sweet and have an immediate connection with love interest, but here everything is different. You have to be patiently loaded because everything will surely annoy you, especially Anna's apologies for everything her son does because he is only 9 years old and that he is "traumatized" by the separation between her and her ex-husband. I mean, okay, I understand he's 9 years old and he's definitely affected by this situation but she doesn't have to say this EVERY TIME to James when a conflict arises between him and Jack. Nor did the conflict between Bella and Anna irritate me as much as Anna's apology to James for ANYTHING Jack caused.
I don't even want to talk about Connor. He is an ASSHOLE and only at the end of the book he changes his attitude.
These are the only things that irritated me, but otherwise everything was ok. I really liked how the author portrayed this situation and showed that not everything is easy when you try to unite two families, with different growth styles and rules.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin General UK, and Sinéad Moriarty for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀: single mom, single dad
This book is a roller coaster of emotions, and it is full of drama.
Sinéad Moriarty shows how two separated families come together. We meet Anna and James who are a couple and their children who are trying to become a united family. Anna has two children, 9-year-old Jack and 15-year-old Grace, and James, a 15-year-old girl named Bella.
This book showed me another perspective of the single parent trope. In most books with this trop, children are very sweet and have an immediate connection with love interest, but here everything is different. You have to be patiently loaded because everything will surely annoy you, especially Anna's apologies for everything her son does because he is only 9 years old and that he is "traumatized" by the separation between her and her ex-husband. I mean, okay, I understand he's 9 years old and he's definitely affected by this situation but she doesn't have to say this EVERY TIME to James when a conflict arises between him and Jack. Nor did the conflict between Bella and Anna irritate me as much as Anna's apology to James for ANYTHING Jack caused.
I don't even want to talk about Connor. He is an ASSHOLE and only at the end of the book he changes his attitude.
These are the only things that irritated me, but otherwise everything was ok. I really liked how the author portrayed this situation and showed that not everything is easy when you try to unite two families, with different growth styles and rules.
Thank you NetGalley, Penguin General UK, and Sinéad Moriarty for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 8, 2022
After 17 years of an unhappy marriage, Anna finally leaves husband Conor and moves in with James, but both have “baggage” - Anna has two children, Jack and Grace and James has a teenage daughter called Bella.
The “blended” family isn’t exactly the Brady Bunch that Anna and James had hoped for - the kids hate living in their new set up but just how do they all live together in harmony?
I absolutely loved this book but I think it resonated with me, because I am a Step Mum, and when I first met my partner’s daughter she was a teenager and my own son was Jack’s age so there were a few similarities, but not that many and my son certainly didn’t share our bed!!
Anna’s ex husband Conor was an absolute idiot, a man-child and I hated him from day one as he used his children to get back at Anna, and his behaviour at Jack’s birthday part was just unforgivable.
Anna also annoyed me at times as she was constantly making excuses for her sons behaviour and she should have put him in his place from day one and set the boundaries. However, Anna’s sisters were great at telling her a few home truths and making her see reality.
I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to finish, I want all the characters to be in my life forever…their stories rolled off the pages and into my heart!
A perfect book to read on the beach, or a long flight and just sitting on the sofa.
The “blended” family isn’t exactly the Brady Bunch that Anna and James had hoped for - the kids hate living in their new set up but just how do they all live together in harmony?
I absolutely loved this book but I think it resonated with me, because I am a Step Mum, and when I first met my partner’s daughter she was a teenager and my own son was Jack’s age so there were a few similarities, but not that many and my son certainly didn’t share our bed!!
Anna’s ex husband Conor was an absolute idiot, a man-child and I hated him from day one as he used his children to get back at Anna, and his behaviour at Jack’s birthday part was just unforgivable.
Anna also annoyed me at times as she was constantly making excuses for her sons behaviour and she should have put him in his place from day one and set the boundaries. However, Anna’s sisters were great at telling her a few home truths and making her see reality.
I couldn’t put this book down and I didn’t want it to finish, I want all the characters to be in my life forever…their stories rolled off the pages and into my heart!
A perfect book to read on the beach, or a long flight and just sitting on the sofa.
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