The Undercover Mother by Emma Robinson @emmarobinsonuk @bookouture #blogblitz

Delighted to welcome you all to my stop on the blog blitz for the feel-good comedy The Undercover Mother by Emma Robinson. My thanks to Kim Nash at Bookouture for the opportunity and my review copy, which I received via Netgalley.

Author : Emma Robinson
Title : The Undercover Mother
Pages : 287
Publisher : Bookouture
Publication date : March 20, 2018

Jenny has too much on her plate: literally – she’s only pregnant with one child but she’s already eating for three. Not to mention trying to juggle her future life with a baby, a nightmare boss, a know-it-all sister, and a bizarrely laid back husband.

She used to be famous for her ‘Single Girl About Town’ journalism. But not only is she bored of parties, she also hasn’t been single for years, and is now 8½ months pregnant.

So when her boss hands her column to a younger colleague, Jenny panics and proposes instead writing about being a clueless new mum. Surely people will find her new friendship group fascinating? Even if the only thing they have in common is that they all had sex around the same time 9 months ago…

Like – what’s the deal with scary Gail’s mystery husband? How is posh mum Antonia already out drinking when Jenny can barely make a cup of tea? Why isn’t sweet-natured Ruth answering any phone calls?

And if her readers aren’t quite hooked yet, maybe Jenny will just have to be more liberal with the truth. After all, none of the other mums will read it… will they?

Something a little different on the blog today. Sometimes I find I need to step away a little bit from the gritty crime and dark thrillers I normally gravitate towards and The Undercover Mother seemed like a great alternative. Granted, this is so incredibly far removed from my usual choices, you may well wonder if there’s something not quite right with me. Fear not, all is well! Better yet, within the space of a few pages, I already knew I’d made the right decision when I could feel my spirits lift and a big smile settled itself on my face.

Jenny used to write a singles column called “Girls About Town” for a magazine. The problem is, Jenny isn’t single anymore and is also preparing for the birth of her first child. So when her column is handed over to a younger colleague, Jenny tries to convince her boss she could write about motherhood instead. To find inspiration, Jenny joins an antenatal class where she meets four other women who couldn’t possible be more different from each other if they tried. There’s Naomi, the hippy earth-mom; Gail, the fierce business woman; Antonia, the well turned-out snobbish one who seems to have it all and finally Ruth, who’s been struggling to get pregnant for years.

Now, I admit I thought I would struggle with this story as I’m not a member of the mum club and never had the desire to join up. While I am familiar with sleepless nights due to being an insomniac, I’ve never changed a diaper nor have I thankfully ever been the victim of misdirected projectile vomiting. But somehow, I found myself totally able to relate to Jenny and her circle of first time mothers. Not everything is all roses and sunshine. Sure, there are moments where I chuckled and snorted rather un-lady like but there were also times when I felt quite a huge lump in my throat.

From unplanned pregnancies to having to throw your carefully written birthing plan out the window, from exhaustion to mishaps, from trying to juggle it all and think you need to be perfect at everything, to realising your live has changed forever, … this story has everything and these five women will somehow find each other, despite their differences. Mothers everywhere will undoubtedly be able to relate and some things will surely bring back fond, or less fond, memories. If like me, you’re not a mother, worry not as I’m feeling pretty confident you will be as entertained as I was.

The Undercover Mother is a funny feel-good story about pregnancies, motherhood, friendships and finding the best of friends in the most unusual places. I thoroughly enjoyed the time I got to spend with all of them and I do so hope there will be a follow-up at some point as I would absolutely love to know what happens to all of them next.

The Undercover Mother is available for purchase!

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Goodreads

Emma Robinson thinks of herself as one of the ‘Bridget Jones generation’ – who are now grown up and having children – and writes novels for women who feel the same.

She also has a blog, Motherhood for Slackers, which takes a humorous look at parenthood, and includes poems such as ‘Dear Teacher’ about her son starting school which has been shared around the world. Emma is an English teacher and lives in Essex with a patient husband and two children who are an endless source of material.

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