Cover Image: More Than Just Mum

More Than Just Mum

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I really liked this book. There were numerous parts where I found myself actually laughing out loud. Hannah is an actually very relatable and likable character. Her dynamic and personality really keep you invested in the story. This is a great story that many mothers can relate to , where you are finding yourself among work, kids, marriage and changing day to day events. If you want a laugh and are feeling yoruself searching to find your true self, this will make you laugh and smile.

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This is well enough written, but I found the book a little too like real life. When I pick up a novel, I want escapism and to be transported into a world that's better than mine, rather than a peek at a harassed and tired mum's daily grind. It took a while to get going, too, with a good deal of scene setting where not much happened.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

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When reality hits you in the face....

Very realistic when it comes to having kids and how they don’t listen. Or even the changes in marriage after years of being together.

Well written and had some humorous parts.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

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As a mom of a near adult and another near teen parts of this book we’re definitely relatable in how Hannah deals with her kids. And it certainly had some funny laugh out loud parts. It was good but a bit slow.

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Thanks so much NetGalley for the ARC!

Fun and humorous story about a middle age woman trying to figure out her way in the world.
Its fun, its relatable and it was laugh out loud funny!

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Let me start by saying this book was absolutely hilarious, I haven't full on belly laughed like this for a long time. We follow the story of Hannah, she is such a relatable character, I absolutely adored her. Hannah is a married, working mum in her forties. She is a teacher and has a particularly hard time with her English Year 9 students. We see Hannah juggle all these different aspects of her life. Like a lot of families , money is tight so Hannah thinks of other ways to bring in more money into the family purse. She decides to put pen to paper and write a book. After all how difficult can it be? Hannah decides to tackle the erotica genre with hilarious consequences as she and her husband embark on 'research' for the novel.

This book is honestly so funny on so many levels, it also includes humorous insights into family life. This is my first read from this author , I can't wait for her next offering. Fantastic.

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This book was good-ish. I didn’t hate it at all, related to the characters, and completely was able to relate to the main character, but at the end I was just trying to get to the end.

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More Than Just Mum is a hilarious read that honestly makes you laugh in every chapter. A welcome surprise as this is not my regular genre and I flew through it, enjoying it perhaps too much!
Hannah is married to Nick, she is in her forties and is juggling a part time job as an English teacher for year nines with running the house and looking after their three children. We follow her inner struggles of not enjoying her job as she is really a biology teacher and feels she is struggling teaching English. Money worries as her eldest is off to university and realisation dawns that it’s an expensive journey. Hannah re-evaluates her life and decides to write an erotic book on her days off and this in itself is hilarious. Full of funny things but not going to spoil them as you need to read them first hand in the book.
I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperImpulse, Killer Reads and One More Chapter for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

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Hannah Thompson is a hard working Mum of three. She's found herself constantly putting her family first, sacrificing her own needs and identity and struggling to make ends meet. She wants to put herself first again and do something that is away from being a mum, a wife, a teacher. When inspiration strikes, she decides she is going to be a writer. And not just any writer, but take on the genre of erotic fiction. What ensues is a light-hearted story, that made me smile many times.

There are so many aspects of the character of Hannah that were relatable to me as a working mum. You can see the love and affection Smith has for Hannah in how she has crafted her - a generous dose of good humour, a big heart and so much reality.

This is a book to read when you want something easy, with a few giggles. Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

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I laughed out loud more times than I can count. While my kids are younger than Hannah’s, I do have three of them and felt so many connections to her as a wife and mother. Sometimes I, too, feel like that’s my only identity. This book was enjoyable to read and reminded me, again, what an honor it is to carry those titles. I loved Rebecca Smith’s writing, her storytelling style and her characters. I especially appreciate that Hannah’s husband, Nick, was portrayed as a true partner who was imperfect but yet so very supportive of his wife and her dreams. I feel like so many rom-coms feel the need to paint men in a negative light in order to elevate the heroine but that is absolutely not necessary. Having a strong, supportive male does not weaken a woman or decrease her independence, intelligence or power. Anyway...back to the review. The book moved at a fast pace and kept me engaged. I’d definitely recommend this book...especially to mothers who might just need reminding that they’re not alone out there and that raising children doesn’t mean you have to give yourself up completely.

I received a free digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

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This is a delightful (and accessible) book about a mother who is craving more out of life (which is entirely relatable!). The routine of lurching from one socially acceptable crutch (Wine Wednesday - we have it in this house too) to another (Fizzy Friday) is relatable. I laughed out loud more than once (embarrassing on the train, to be honest...).

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This really is laugh out loud, there is a story to it too, with wanting to know whether Hannah will finish her book and get it published, and if she will find another job. Hannah's life is so typical of any mum of teenagers that it is so easy to identify with. The hamster/rat part had me really laughing. Such a fun book, and a good read. #netgalley #morethanjustmum

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Cute chick lit and a quick read.

Hannah is 43, wife, mother of 3 and part time teacher and pretty fed up of her day to day life. She wants to be be ‘More than just mum’, but isn’t quite sure how to go about that.

Hannah is quite funny, but not hilarious in my eyes. Nevertheless, it was a fun read and I rushed through it and enjoyed also seeing how she and her husband Nick interacted with their kids.

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The pace of this book was honestly breath-taking. Hannah is a part-time English teacher, a mother of three and a wife of Nick. Her days are filled with children, work, friends and worries about her oldest son Dylan leaving home for university and how to make ends meet. The children are a handful. Especially Scarlet, who would like to add another t to her name.
So Hannah, who is only working three days a week, decides to write an erotic novel inspired by The Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. She has always wanted to write a novel but then life happened. And this being a humorous book everything does not go as smoothly as intended.
I liked the characters. They all felt like real people. Scarlet is my favorite with her snarky comments. The ending came too quickly. There are loads of things I would love to know. Maybe there will be a sequel?
Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter for a copy of this book

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As always, a copy of this book was provided by the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. This does not effect my opinion in any way.

More Than Just Mum was such a pleasant surprise in terms of my end of the year reading. I've been having more misses than hits as I tackle my backlist, and I am so glad my luck has finally looked up. Due in part to its sheer hilarity (seriously, I was snorting in laughter at different points and I am proud that I didn't choke on something whilst doing so because Rebecca Smith kept the funny coming) and its likable charm, and the connection readers are able to form with its writing, More Than Just Mum has got to be one of my favourite novels of this last month.

At first glance, I wasn't expecting this to be more than a fun and fluffy romp of a novel. I love being smacked down a peg when it comes to assumptions, and judging books by its cover, because this was (ahem) more than just a quick read. Not only did Smith incorporate many stunning and light qualities within More Than Just Mum, it felt very much so like truth of life reflecting back to us.

Some of the best pieces of fiction are those that are able to bend into something that is equal parts real and unreal. Something that is equally escapism or a way to connect with something you've felt. More Than Just Mum will bring joy to its readers and many mothers will be quick to spy parts of themselves, or their lives, in our leading lady, Hannah.

I found the novel itself to be a great balance of honesty and humor; of family and work, and much more. There's a little something for everyone in More Than Just Mum that will keep you in place for the day. Side effects may include adoring these characters and breezing through the novel. When I finished, I sat back for a minute and was a little disappointed with how quickly I finished it.

The only (!!!!!!!!!) downside to More Than Just Mum is that I felt some things were left a bit unanswered. Or, at least, when it comes to my personal preference, I wanted just a little more to wrap things up. (This could be just me being greedy. I was an only child, after all.) Beyond that, I can't say enough good things about this novel and it left me feeling bubbly!

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Hilarious at every turn and relatable in so many ways, MORE THAN JUST MUM by Rebecca Smith is the must-read book for every mother out there who just feels like they can never get it right.

Hannah Thompson is a wife, a mum, and a part-time teacher so life is pretty busy. Scrap that, life is crazy and Hannah is fed up with everyone dropping the ball and expecting her to have all the answers. With so many balls in the air, it is natural to drop one every now again but Hannah feels like she has lost them and hasn't a clue where they are hiding. She adores her kids but sometimes they drive her crazy, and then at work, she has to deal with other people's little terrors, and while her husband is caring, she could do with a little more of something from him to help her keep her sanity. And as usual, they need more money - a lot more money. So Hannah has decided it is time to make a change. She has ambitions, she has dreams, and she is determined to make her family realise that she isn't just 'mum' but her own person too, and it's about time they sat up and took notice.

MORE THAN JUST MUM by Rebecca Smith will make you shake with laughter and sympathise with the craziness that is life and is sure to please all fans of humorous fiction everywhere. The characters are realistic and while there are plenty of mishaps, drama, and misunderstandings, you never lose sight of the fact that they are a family who love each other no matter what. I wasn't sure what to expect with this novel but I really enjoyed it and I look forward to more from Rebecca Smith.

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Hannah Thompson is a mum of three, a wife to Nick and recently appointed part time English teacher after cut backs in the Biology department.
With the job at risk, Hannah decides that maybe teaching isn’t for her and starts to explore her options. After a recommendation from friend Cassie, Hannah reads the famous Fifty Shades and after a few glasses of wine decides that she could write something far better.
Hannah Thompson is no longer just mum but future erotic fiction writer.

I really liked this novel but I didn’t love it. At some points I felt the book centred more on the novel Hannah was writing, rather than focusing on her being a mum or teacher. I enjoyed the chapters that explored the other characters and would have loved to know more about teenagers Scarlet and Dylan.

Overall it is a good read and is written with great humour. The author explores Hannah’s character thoroughly and you really get a sense of her multidimensional personality. Although personally I would have liked more exploration of her role as a teacher.

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3.5 stars
I can easily see myself in this story although I am younger and working but have two children.
I laugh out loud many times, I felt her struggle in so many moments and I love the kids, each one with their own personality and so reliable.
But for as great as the writing was, the great mixed of characters and the story overall, I just couldn't get to like Hannah. There's something I just can't put my finger on it but I cannot get her close to my heart.
I will recommend this book because the story overall is very good and interesting.

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Hannah Thompson loves her family but needs to be more than just mom sometimes, a lot of people will relate well to this book! Hannah is a bit overwhelmed by parenting and trying to make some extra money, so there are a lot of funny things taking place at home. Funny and light read!

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This book was a funny read that was very entertaining!! I had a little trouble getting into it at first but at the 30% mark the story picked up and ended up enjoying it very much! By the 60% mark it had me laugh out loud and I was totally engrossed in the story!

It was relatable but with added unexpected bits. I loved the main characters and couldn’t wait to know what was going to happen next!

I would recommend checking this one out if you’re looking for a fun read!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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