4 Star
“What do you need a boyfriend for? You’re a mum.”
Fiona Gibson returns with a laugh-out-loud read, sharply observed and full of dating disasters.
Three blind dates
Two teenage boys messing up her plans
And one man who'll melt Alice's heart.
'You need to get back in the saddle…' Alice despises that phrase. She's fine being single – with two slothful teenage boys and a meringue business to run, she has enough on her plate without negotiating the troublesome world of modern dating.
However, Alice's three best friends have other ideas. Each one will present her with an utterly delicious, eligible man – all Alice has to do is pick her favourite.
Kathryn - 4 Star
Take Mum Out is a funny novel about a single mum who has been persuaded by her friends that it's time she gets out and starts dating again. Trouble is that she's not all that keen on "getting back in the saddle " and only agrees to being set up to get them to give the whole notion a rest. Of course her friends are lovely and have the best intentions but none of it really amounts to a successful dating situation- funny for us, not always so funny for Alice!
I generally like Fiona Gibson’s novels because she tends to write things that are amusing without being too sappy and brings in female characters that have universal appeal. Sometimes I get the impression that she doesn’t want us to take ourselves too seriously and provides a lightness and fun that is simple enjoyment. At the same time her stories are realistic and heart-warming.
I really enjoyed the role of the boys in Take Mum Out. The teenage son played a unique role though because his growing up actually gave Alice a different way of looking at herself. Though she didn't feel she needed to start dating-the fact that she has a son almost ready to turn into a man made her realise that her own life could start to take shape again. Soon she would have time to be her own self once more and that quip from her child “What do you need a boyfriend for? You’re a mum?” says it all- time to take back her life. I actually found myself interested in her ex, more than I think was intended, because he seems (in the present) to be quite likeable and sorted, made me wonder just how much he’d changed since they were together. Not that he was completely on top of things!
All in all Take Mum Out is fun and sweet and very hopeful. I enjoyed it – a great summer read!
Thank you to Harper Collins UK for our review copy. All opinions are our own.
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