Cover Image: The B Word

The B Word

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Member Reviews

I must firstly apologise for the amount of time it has taken me to provide a review of this book, my health was rather bad for quite some time, something that had me in hospital on numerous occasions and simply didnt leave me with the time I once had to do what I love most.

Unfortunately that does mean I have missed the archive date for many of these books, so It would feel unjust throwing any review together without being able to pay attention to each novel properly.

However, I am now back to reading as before and look forward to sharing my honest reviews as always going forward. I thank you f0r the patience and understanding throughout x

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This book was a rather difficult read for me, as it features a few mental health issues that also affect me.

The ending is pretty bleak, and I don't know if that's a good thing about this book.

I found it hard to connect to Kate as we are in very different areas of our lives and want completely different things.

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This was an ok book - I finished it but didn’t set my mind alight, in fact it was a bit dull in places. The people didn’t really come to life and I found the whole concept a bit weird.

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This was a hard book for me to get through just due to the issues of anxiety and mental health. It was a little triggering for me. The ending really didn't work for me as there was a lot of questions that I had.

Thank you to the publisher and #NetGalley for the arc

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I had a hard time getting through this one. It wasn’t poorly written or executed it was overwhelming to read. The mental health, death issues can be triggering especially if you know them personally. It’s well worth it if you can handle the heavy nature.

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I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

Kate wants to have a baby - she knows her clock is ticking faster and faster it seems as she gets closer to 40. However, Kate has a lot of mental health issues that are impeding this process. Her closest confidant seems to be a woman in her 80's that truly supports her.

The book is a difficult read due to the anxiety/meantal health issues. I was hoping for a happy or not as sad ending, but it did not come. Life can be that way.

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Hang on is challenging type of read focusing a lot on grief, anxiety and low self esteem, obviously good mental health is preferable but the main character Kate seems set on a downward spiral following the death of her mum and the break up of her relationship to Carl and the fact that she is still childless whilst approaching her forties, despite the help of her counsellor, her friends Meg and June and her brother, Kate sets out to achieve her chance of motherhood with some rather unconventional methods!! This causes her more angst as she subjects herself to several indiscretions causing a rollercoaster of hormonal feelings.Will having this elusive baby make Kate happy and give her the life she wants or will she find contentment as she is?
The ending proved rather strange and I felt it left everything up in the air!
Thank you netgalley for this early read.

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At times this was a hard read, with a central character who has mental health issues.

I admit when I read that Kate worked in a bookshop, I thought I was going to love this book. Unfortunately Kate has fallen out of love with books and the bookshop she works in, so it wasn't the way I thought it was going to be at all.

Kate is desperate to have baby, but as she isn't in a relationship the tactics she resorted to in order to try and conceive were in themselves very desperate and worrying. We find that Kate has very deep anxiety issues and through the course of the book we see her thoughts written in her journal. They don't make for very uplifting reading and at times it was so sad.

When I thought there was going to be a little light at the end of the tunnel in the form of her elderly friend June, that was soon extinguished and left me feeling a little bereft on behalf of Kate. At times it borders on being funny except it's Kate's life and the depths she's sunk to.

I wasn't sure about the ending. I read it twice in case I had missed something, but I hadn't. It was disappointing from my point of view, but I suppose true to life.

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Kate is a desperate woman - desperate to have a child despite having no partner. At the age of 38 she still house shares with her brother and works in the bookstore where she has been for 15 years. But Kate is unhappy and thinks that a child will solve her problems. Even babysitting her boss's 4 unruly offspring doesn't put her off.

Kate seems to become more deranged as she tries to pursue her goal against all odds. She spends ridiculous amounts of money on "new age" treatments to promote fertility. She is anxious and unfulfilled. I'm sorry to say that I was unable to empathise with Kate and found her a rather sad character.

Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.

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I waited a bit before reviewing this book because it was definitely hard to get through. Although written well, it was such a deep look at mental health and how our decisions are a direct reflection of our mental state. I liked that the MC didn’t think she needed a relationship to be happy. It was nice to see she wanted something completely different and was dead set on getting it. We watch as she goes about it the entire wrong way and sort of loses sight of who she is. Even though it was uncomfortable to read at times it felt very authentic. The MCs actions highlighted that poor choices are hard for everyone but eventually we make our way through.

At first I wanted more from the ending, but after a few days I realized that sometimes we’re spoiled by books that wrap things up in a neat little package. Life takes its time to reveal all your truths and sometimes those truths come one by one. Slow progress is still a step in the right direction. This was very touching look at grief and mental health struggles that I thoroughly appreciated. Thanks to NetGalley and the Publisher for the read.

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Kate is desperate for a baby. She was advised not to have kids too early and as she got older she was told not to leave it too late. Her friends have children, one is even a grandmother! With her mother dead she feels having a baby to care for is the answer to fill the need of having someone to care for. She just needs to find someone. But is it the right thing?

I really enjoyed this book. I did feel sorry for Kate she seemed to struggle with her mental health and her fixation on having a baby without a stable relationship was her main focus. She had some good friends and helped her realise that one night stands were not the answer. It's a beautiful story that a lot of people could relate to. I just wanted to hug her.

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Kate recently lost her mother, which leaves her in a tailspin. She works in a bookstore, but is left wondering if this is all there is for her. She begins to think that a baby is exactly what she needs. Considering she doesn't have a partner, she goes on a mission to have one herself.

Kate gets in plenty of misadventures in this book and you really feel for her. She's struggling with her mental health and essentially lost in the world. It's definitely one that will speak to you personally because every single one of us have felt the same way at one time or another. I honestly thought this read would be funnier than it was. Doesn't make the story bad, just more of a you feel for her read. Four stars. Really good story and truly makes you feel like you're not the only one who's adrift in life. We all are in some way.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, Anniki Sommerville, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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Kate works in a bookshop and is desperately missing her mum who died last year. She is struggling with her mental health and finding her place in the world, sometimes leaving her in self destructive mode. She becomes obsessed with the idea of becoming a mum and is worried that her biological clock is ticking. Her elderly friend June is a constant source of support as is her younger brother George.

Just what does Kate truly want in life? Will a baby be the answer to all her problems?

A good real life read, you’ll find yourself wanting to hug and give Kate a good shake in equal measures as she barrels from one disaster to the next. I really felt for Kate as comes to terms with her life and what she really wants. A journey of self discovery and realising that all we truly want is to be happy.

Thank you to the publisher HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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