The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach - #BookReview #Blogtour

 

I was in the middle of downward dog when my father called. Bendy Lydia hates it when somebody's mobile goes off in yoga class and, despite being contorted into a particularly improbable configuration, she managed to convey her displeasure through nostil flaring and deep exhalations alone. She is an immensely talented woman in this regard - if I ever tried to demonstrate how annoyed I was by snorting and sighing, I'd probably sound like a pantomime horse.

***

Penny Baker is coping. Just about.

Three kids, one dog, one lovely but sometimes oblivious husband. Tick, tick tick.

She is even managing to hold her own among the competitive school mums - if you don’t look too closely. But when she finds herself also caring for her elderly mother, diagnosed with dementia, the household is thrown into disarray and Penny finds herself stretched to breaking point trying to meet everyone’s needs.

Can she make the new family situation work? And is there any chance of finding some space in it all for herself?

Fans of Milly Johnson, Gill Sims and Alexandra Potter will adore this funny, relatable and uplifting read.

***

There are very few books which I award a five star rating but I wholeheartedly do with this book without any hesitation.

The main character, Penny, is the epitome of the sandwich generation. She has children and elderly parents to care for and has to cope with the pressures that this situation brings. Many of us have found ourselves in a similar situation and therefore, Penny is a character with whom it is easy to identify with. 

It is an emotive yet hilarious book to read. It evokes both tears and laughter at different points and the author has written a novel which is charming whilst simultaneously dealing with difficult topics. Dementia is not an easy topic to write about in a  humourous way but Ms. Peach has successfully done so sympatheticly. At no point does she laugh at her characters but deals with them sensitively and in a way which is humourous and witty. 

What this novel does so successfully is to highlight the importance of family and friends and how there are times in life when we really need this support system. The author depicted her secondary characters superbly and in each of them the reader can acknowledge that they have come across such people in their own lives. We've all known a Tiggy or a Lindi at one point or another. Couple the strain of trying to hold everything together with the pressure of social media and it can cause an explosive situation for a person who is desperately trying to be all things to all people as Penny was.

I was delighted to read that there will be a sequel to this book, and I am certain that I will be first in the queue to get my hands on a copy. In the meantime, I shall be reading the author's previous book, Love Life in the near future.

ISBN: 978 1804366295

Publisher:  Canelo Hera

Formats:  e-book and paperback - this is currently available on kindleunlimited

No. of Pages:  400 (paperback)

About the Author:

Nancy Peach is a writer of women’s fiction, a mother of three, and an owner of various ridiculous-looking pets. She is also a practicing doctor working for the NHS and a national cancer charity, and has been writing (in a terribly British, embarrassed, secretive way) for as long as she can remember. Nancy’s debut, Love Life was published in 2021. The Mother of All Problems was long-listed for the Comedy Women in Print prize.

(ARC and all media courtesy of Rachel's Random Blog)

(all opinions are my own)

The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub - #BookReview #BlogTour

 

I suppose if this were a proper book I'd begin it something like, "Miss Lydia Bennet, youngest of five daughters to a father hopelessly entailed, had few advantages in life, but not too few to squander." That sounds fine, and important, and promises that no matter how exciting the story may become it will all resolve with a tidy boring moral at the end. That is why Kitty and I prefer to skip the last chapter of novels.

However, that bit about squandering isn't true. Oh, I daresay many in Meryton would whisper that I had indeed squandered all my advantages of birth and position; and Lord knows I have shed many a tear over it...

***

Miss Lydia Bennet may be the youngest, but what she lacks in maturity and responsibility, she more than makes up for in energy, fun - and magic.

In this exuberant reimagining of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Lydia Bennet puts pen to paper to relate the real events and aftermath of the classic story from her own perspective. Some facts are well known: Mrs. Bennet suffers from her nerves; Mr. Bennet suffers from Mrs. Bennet, and all five daughters suffer from an estate that is entailed only to male heirs.

But Lydia also suffers from entirely different concerns: her best-loved sister Kitty is really a barn cat, and Wickham is every bit as wicked as the world believes him to be, but what else would you expect from a demon? And if you think Mr. Darcy was uptight about dancing etiquette, wait till you see how he reacts to witchcraft. Most of all, Lydia has yet to learn that when you're a witch, promises have power . . 

Full of enchantment, intrigue, danger, and boundless magic, The Scandalous Confessions of Miss Lydia Bennet, Witch, has all the irreverent wit, strength, and romance of Pride and Prejudice - while offering a highly unexpected redemption for the wildest Bennet sister.

***

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is one of my favourite books. I am always a little hesitant to read books which move the story on in one way or another, although I have read some that make an excellent job of it, The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow springs to mind of an excellent example of this. Sadly this is not always the case.

However, Melinda Taub delivers a book based on the youngest Bennet sister, Lydia, and takes the story off in a direction that is both fun and amusing. This is an entertaining romp of a story centred around witchcraft in Recency England. 

It is very much a book that does not take itself too seriously. Austen purists may not care for the liberties taken with the characters. However, read as a book that is intended to be read as a lively, witty and enjoyable retelling of a familiar story, it cannot fail to please.

The author has taken a familiar tale and spun a whole new perspective of the story from it. The characters are all recognizable from the original story, but seen through Lydia's eyes we observe a very different perspective. 

Pride and Prejudice is a book I re-read often. However, I will never be able to look at Kitty Bennet in quite the same way again. I shall say no more as I would hate to spoil your own discovery and enjoyment of Kitty's place within the family.

Happy reading!

ISBN: 978 1529426243

Publisher:  Jo Fletcher Books

Formats:  e-book, audio and hardback

No. of Pages: 400 (hardback)

About the Author:

Melinda is the former head writer and executive producer of Full Frontal with Samantha Bee and was the co-producer of the 2020 Daily Show special on the life of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The idea for Lydia Bennet came to her when she was Sam Bee's head writer during the Trump years and, often stressed and sad, all she could read were her best-loved books - Pride & Prejudice being high on the list.

(book courtesy of the publicist)

(all opinions are my own)