Enjoyed reading. Well thought out and shows many different aspects of life. Would recommend to friends and family.

Ill start by saying i had no idea that Dawn O'Porter the presenter had written a few books. No idea. So was thrilled to be given the chance to see if her books were as good as she is.


This book ends up pulling you in and making you feel all sorts of emotions, from happiness to frustration to embarrassment. Camilla, Stella and Tara are the three women we follow in the book. Three women who, really, are all a part of each of us.

Camilla has a blog and no desire to have children so she speaks about this freely. Thats something a lot of books usually dont talk about. Yes there are women out there who are desperate for kids (Stella included) but a lot of us dont. And we sometimes feel pressured or judged by other women for this. At times it can seem very much like us vs them and Cam is having none of it. Shes a proud feminist, she believes in women being able to do what they want without being judged and i wish more people thought like that!

Stella is desperate to be a mother. She craves it. She can't understand why Camilla wouldn't want to be part of the parents club. Stella has a lot to deal with as her best friend has just announced that shes pregnant and shes also dealing with the death of her twin, Alice, who died from ovarian cancer. Stella decides Tinder is her best option to find a man and get pregnant....because this is all Stella wants. She needs to be a mother.

Tara works for a production company and has a daughter. One night she ends up on a date with a guy and things seem to be going well. So well in fact, that the next day they end up sexting each other and Tara gets caught in a public place doing something private. She goes viral in the worst way possible and fears that this could bring everything in her life tumbling down.

Each of these women are us at one point of our lives. We have all wanted something so bad we would do anything to get it, we have all done things so embarrassing that we thought nobody would be able to look us in the eye again and sadly we have all, in some horrific way, been touched by the hands of that horrible C word. This book is about standing your ground, being true to who you are and believing in yourself. Its to empower us as women and let us know that we are never alone, even though it might seem like we are sometimes, and that things can get better.

Be you. Dont apologise, dont feel ashamed. Just be you. Dont follow the herd.

Loved this. Very different to my usual genre. The Cows follows three different women, in their late 20s, 30s and 40s.
Tara the working Mum.
Cam the feminist.
Stella the confused one.

We all will warm to their different characters and recognise and empathise with bits.

I loved this and I’m going to buy it for my daughter.

5 stars on Goodreads

Thank you to Netgalley and Goodreads for the review copies for an impartial and honest review.

I saw this title and it immediately reminded of an article I read a while back called "Milk: A Feminist Issue" which made me laugh and got me thinking so I was hoping that this book would do the same. It did but not in ways I thought.
Centering on three main female characters telling their own instalment of their story one after another, I was sucked in to the fast paced story line straight away. I loved the feistiness and courage of each woman (*spoiler*: despite one of them being ever so slightly mad...Possibly mad cow disease?! Don't worry, I'll move on...but it made me chuckle..).
The issues this book raises are astonishing and there are far too many for me to discuss here but I never felt that they were forced down my throat - in fact, I had a wry smile whilst every one was presented.
If you want to learn something whilst smiling whilst gasping with shock, I recommend this read (so much so that my reading group are all reading this month!)

I adore Dawn O'Porter but had never read any of her books before. I thought it would be in a similar style to Caitlin Moran, who I love, and I wasn't wrong.

This novel follows three women who are going through different types of hardships. Of course their paths cross eventually and drama ensues.

It's a very modern story and takes an almost-satirical look at how the world views women displaying their sexuality.

My favourite storyline was that of Tara, a successful TV producer with a young child. After a steamy date she ends up getting filmed doing something "indecent" in public. It quickly makes it way onto the homepage of the Daily Mail and we follow her trying to deal with the aftermath and protect her child.

The book discusses issues such as gender roles and the demand on women to have children. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

This was an OK book. The writing was quite good, but the story could have been a bit more interesting.

The Cows is a hugely entertaining read. It has a little bit of everything - serious issues & frivolous humour, tragedy & outrageous scenarios, tears of sadness & laughter, scenes that shock you and scenes that move you. It manages to have all these opposing and conflicting emotions going on in a way that doesn't undermine or minimise them - it actually gives them more affecting power. And I think this what makes The Cows so enjoyable - that it is intensely thought provoking about some profound issues but still enormous fun. The characters are a delight, just so engaging. I felt fury & pity for Tara, cringed at Stella, bonded with Cam - I felt attached to them all. The issues are so relevant i.e. single/working mums, childless women, shaming/judging etc & approached in a fresh & funny manner. The writing is light & easy but capable of packing a major punch. The twist genuinely knocked me for six. And despite the emotional trauma of Tara's "incident", I'm still sniggering about it days later! Funny, touching, real, relevant and with a satisfying and, thankfully, inkeeping ending, I would highly recommend it. What a ride!

I went through quite a journey with this book. To start with, I was tempted to just stop reading it. I found the characters unbearably irritating and the situations they were in banal. It follows three women, Tara — a single mum, TV producer, Cam — a feminist lifestyle blogger, and Stella — processing the death of her mum and twin sister to cancer. Some people might love this, but I personally enjoy characters a bit further from everyday life.

Just as I was about to concede this wasn’t for me, I hit the incident that gets the plot rolling, and I was reluctantly hooked. I was swept up, but a little resentful about it. By the time I got to the end, however, I had to admit I was impressed. You have to wade through a lot of seemingly nice characters judging others for how judgemental they are, before their character arcs finally deliver them a bit of self-awareness; but in the end it's a cleverly done book with a lot of heart and empathy and some thoughtful reflection on modern feminism.

I had t read anything by Dawn O’Porter before but kept seeing things about this book so really wanted to read and I loved the cover, it grabbed me. I thought I would love it. The first 10% I wasn’t convinced and wasn’t sure I liked it at all and nearly gave up....but then I just got into it and did end up loving it. The characters are great even though a little far fetched at times. It did get a little ridiculous but I just couldn’t put it down. I was shocked in parts. I’d say more of a holiday read but if you’re going to the beach, go grab a copy.

This is my first book by Dawn O'Porter and it all honesty I wish I read more of her books sooner!

The Cows is a story of three women lives experiencing a not-so-normal life. We follow Cam a modern feminist expressing her opinions of a childless life, Stella who has a hidden agenda and Tara a full time working single mum. Their seperate lives are bought together in a major, controversial headline. We see the hardships and stugglrs they encounter as these modern women face against typical female stereotypes and see how they react to these issues and what will become of them and their legacy once they've gone.

The writing of this book was fluid straight from the start. As you kept reading you experience the same emotions as the characters portrayed - pity, humiliation, stress, sadness, loneliness and hope. Just when you think you have the storyline sussed out- BAM- Dawn gives you a major plot twist because this isn't a happy fairytale where everyone will end up happy straight away. The characters are like us, normal humans beings struggling with day-to-day issues. A fantastic book you should read! (After reading the book I also tried to google the howitis.com website- sadly it doesnt exist :( )

Sharp and no-holds barred. I am a fan of Dawn, but haven't yet read her YA books, so this was my introduction to her as a writer. Following the lightly interweaving stories of approaching middle-age women - all very different, but on the same journey to finding comfort in their lives and their own skin. Frank and forthright (a bit like Dawn herself, I think) the book deals confidently with issues with abortion, cancer, one-night-stands and masturbation (obviously, as this is the "wanking on a train" book). Trigger warnings if you are a bit sensitive, but as I am definitely not I laughed, cringed and welled-up and thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

LOVED this book. I found each of the stories each gripping in their own right. I found this book heart warming and funny throughout. Well done Dawn O'Porter, a great read.

After hearing the author on several chat shows I was interested in reading her new book. However I couldn't get into it and was so disappointed. Not quite what I was expecting.

Interesting, hilarious and sometimes shocking. Thoroughly good read and I could not put it down. I loved the mix of characters and the way their lives eventually intersect. Brilliant!

I absolutely loved this book! It is very well written and had many laugh out loud moments.
I will be recommending it to all my friends.

Poorly written and too on-the-nose with its rather obvious and uninteresting politics. Bland characters, dull story – The Cows is rubbish.

Not really sure what to make of this novel. I felt like it was trying to be relatable but the ridiculous lives of the women in the book were really hard to relate to at all.

I'm not sure I would ever buy this type of book, but it made a change to read something seemingly light hearted. It actually provoked an argument in my head which I wasn't expecting, and although I wanted to finish the book I did struggle towards the end. The three women annoyed me in different ways, none of them good.

I really shouldn't like this book but I do . Dawn O'Porter captures the time and place expertly and the characterisation is great. Three women, each not fully satisfied with either what they do or how they are perceived. none of them connected at first but all of them eventually finding something in the others to help themselves. It is raw at times, very emotional but at others it made me laugh out loud. It speaks out about the power of friends, family and belief in yourself. I think there is something for everyone in this book

I have also posted to Amazon waiting publication

Really enjoyed this - the characters are relatable and the writing style relaxed and easy. Not a gripping read of sorts but a relaxed, holiday read with some thoughtful and well-rounded characters.