This style of book is not normally something that i would be interested in reading but i thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very light hearted and had so many funny laugh out loud bits. Really enjoyed the style of writing.

I loved this book. I have nothing negative to say about it. An easy read, with a humorous tone. Cathy's great. This is, in the main, an upbeat book. There are some sad parts, realistic parts too, but it was something I looked forward to reading each day. With thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It was refreshing and so much fun to read The Wife got a Life whose characters are mature and know their minds; and can still have a laugh.

This was a different genre to my normal psychological thriller preference however the blurb intrigued me so I was grateful to be given the opportunity to read it. I found this book to be very relatable and at times made me laugh out loud. Perhaps we should all have our own "motivational diaries" particularly at the moment!

This book was quite funny. But, that may depend on the reader - the bits I really chortled at, then read out oud to my husband, were met with a blank silence. Why is that funny? He eventually responded. But it was, and most women of a certain age will think so too.
Anyone woman who is that age, anyone who despairs of living with teenagers or set-in-their-ways partner will find something in this book to resonate, and if you are looking for a lighthearted, fun read, then I recommend this to you.

Utterly brilliant, entertaining and rib-tickling, this book really cheered me up.
It is a classic take on the "fed up housewife" trope but please don't let that put you off, the way you really get to know Cathy, her adventures whilst pursuing her "life goals" for the year, her hilarious family and wonderful friends, really gives an uplifting and life-affirming read.

The Wife who got a life by Tracy Bloom a funny four-star read. This will have you snorting with laughter its so funny, but its also touching and heart braking in ways that not everyone will understand, as its one of those, you have to have lived it to get it, and some of these I have lived through so they resonated and some I hadn’t so they didn’t, but all the same I could understand where Cathy comes from, especially the sister gift, but with me it’s not a sister, I shouldn’t bash her as without the gift would the story have been so good that’s the question.

Cathy decided to take care of the children while her husband earns good money at a firm that often send him travelling.
What Cathy not did was:
- learn to cook. It's almost she's proud of it that she can't cook, so many times she mentions it. How difficult can it be to take a simple course or just try and follow simple recipes?
- teach the children that it would be nice to help out by once in a while take care of the cleaning of their own rooms. Let alone she taught them it would be nice not to see their mother as a housekeeper.
- learn about the workings of her own body. How can a 48 year old woman not be aware about the workings of the pill?

For 89 pages, I've seen Cathy whining about her life. I've seen her complain the family never eats a meal together. Well, she should have taught her family that it is nice to have meals together instead of throwing something inedible on the table and then allow the children to take a plate with food to their room. Teenagers can be difficult, yes, but the way Cathy's children see her and talk to her is horrible. She should have taught them manners long ago. She complains about her husband when he decided he wants to think about changing careers, so he can be more at home with the family. Poor man...

89 pages of whining and complaining. I'm proud I even made it this far into the book. I wanted to read it because I really liked the description. I hoped for an uplifting story with sympathetic characters. Instead, it made me almost depressed.

Thanks to Netgalley for this review copy.

This book is funny, totally relatable and made me laugh out loud, shed a tear in parts as well as the ‘Yes I can identify with that’ moments.
Cathy is married with 2 teenage children but when her sister Lizzy sends her a motivational diary for Christmas Cathy is not impressed. She decides however to write a few goals such as get a life outside the family and agree who will clean Mum and Dad’s toilet!
Cathy is someone who I would like to have as my friend, honest, caring and can kick backsides when needed.
Mike, Cathy’s Husband works away a lot but is having a bit of a crisis in regards to wanting to change from a well paid job to life as a teacher expecting Cathy to go back to work full time but Cathy has just taken on additional work with a company full of youngsters who make her feel good in her work.
Dealing with her children’s young love and GCSE and going to University struggles are just a few of the things Cathy is dealing with but she has a number of friends around her that are also dealing with their own troubles, which I have to admit brought a tear to my eye.
She also has her Sisters and parents, although they bring their own issues into the mix.
After reading this I am definitely going to set up some motivational happiness goals to achieve and of course one of those goals will be to read more Tracy Bloom books!
Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction for the opportunity to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review, which is completely my own.

A bit different from my usual read but thought on the strength of the blurb it was a chance worth taking. As a middle woman myself I can understand Cathy's disquiet of her life and achievements. What have I done? where is life taking me?etc.. To Cathy the answer was a game plan and her aims were obtainable.
Each month she approached a goal with determination and humour but there was sadness too which always compliments humour so it doesn't turn too silly or unbelievable.
In a light-hearted way its a challenging read as it made me think about revaluing my life.
An easy life affirming read

I love Tracy’s book & I really enjoyed this one too. Lots of humour in it. Highly recommended by me.

So this book is quite different from what I read normally and I found it quite engaging. It is quite funny at places but it also drags a bit. I have teenage children and I dont take any rubbish from them so that kind of irritated me a bit. But a good read.

Very uplifting and enjoyable read. I'm one of the women like Cathy - wife, family and home, no time for myself. The way she tackle the problems are very life-affirming and all the family benefit.

Cathy Collins, 48, is given a ‘motivational diary’ for Christmas by her LA based sister. So glad she’s not my sister!!!! However, we do have to thank her for providing us with a smart and fun read! Cathy takes us through her year.

First of all, what a perfect lockdown read. It has some very funny laugh out loud moments, some where you just smile, the occasional choke down a tear but overall, it’s life affirming! Cathy is a great character, she’d be and is a great friend, a fantastic mum, wife, daughter and sister. She can kick it when she needs to and give a hug as appropriate. The much derided diary which she so reluctantly begins to use to record her year leads to much life stocktaking, she assesses what’s important and it leads to positive change. Her husband Mike is in midlife crisis and at times I so want to wring his neck but he does come through and the Domestic Resentment Situation reaches a resolution. His lack of listening skills totally resonates. 🙄. Her teenage kids are so well portrayed especially Freddie, I love Freddie - what a great guy! Kirsty, can you teach me and your mum how to do cat-lick eye liner please? Thanks. The book is honest, easy to read, it’s well written, it cheers you up as it contains so much warmth, it feels authentic and even manages to make the middle aged lady M word entertaining! I absolutely love the end. What a great way to end the year and the book, keep dancing Cathy. If I could pick my end of year dance partner, I’ll have Idris Elba please. I wish!

Overall, Cathy might wear sensible shoes, elasticated waist trousers and 80’s makeup but she’s highly entertaining, warm hearted central character for a refreshingly fun read.

With thanks to NetGalley and especially to HarperCollins:Harper Fiction for the much appreciated widget for an honest review.

This book is so full of warmth and humour and was perfect for a weekend pick me up. After years of the ups and downs Of busy family life, Cathy’s husband drops a New Year bombshell. This is an absolute bombshell for Cathy, whose life has been a whirlwind of school drop offs and housework. His mid-life crisis is the catalyst for Cathy’s new project - she is going to take action now and begin her middle-aged mission; a checklist of things to do now and prepare herself for mid-life. She wants to take control of her life and shape her middle aged instead of letting it shape her!
I loved the diary form of the novel - each short chapter is perfectly bite-sized and I found myself having to keep reading just one more section. As a result it had great pace and the motivational aspect was great too. I guess I am middle aged at the age of 47 and it was certainly reminiscent of a few conversations I’d had with myself. She was an easy character to relate to. She didn’t take herself too seriously either which I loved. She was very down to earth and prone to using humour to cope with life - I should probably say that as I read this list of characteristics to my other half, he thought it could have been someone describing me. I felt such a connection with her and that kept me reading. She’s a character people will want to spend time with.
Of course there are serious aspects to the story, just as in any life and they’re taken seriously. However, the book seems to teach that it’s best to meet life with a sense of humour, plenty of energy and a knowledge that it’s the small things that don’t cost anything, that are the most important. All In all this was an uplifting novel that depicts peri-menopausal women as far more powerful and interesting, than society’s ‘over the hill’ attitude suggests. I think it’s a great, uplifting and quick read.

This feels quite a way from my demographic (20-something, single, no kids, what Cathy would describe as a ‘cool, hip job...’) however I did enjoy Bloom’s previous novel ‘No one ever has sex on a Tuesday’ so I wanted to give this a go. It’s interesting to see well-being and self-care in the form of Cathy’s monthly goals, as it’s so often endorsed by a younger generation. Her tackling this alongside family responsibilities, sister squabbles and ageing parents show that it’s never too late to make changes to make you happier in your life, day-to-day.

There are plenty of references to modern-day language or technology, courtesy of Cathy’s two children which makes it feel relatable to the current time. The addition of other characters - although it sometimes feels like checking boxes with a lack of exploration of their backgrounds - cover a multitude of angles, including LGBTQ relationships, suffering from depression and the struggles of menopause. As an overall plot, it’s easy to read and uplifting.

Relatable and easy to read book.

The writing is engaging and enjoyed learning about the characters and their relationships.

Definitely worth a read.

Cathy is a middle aged ,bored housewife, rapidly approaching the menopause with 2 teenage children to cope with and a husband who works away most of the time. He drops the bombshell that he wants to retrain as a teacher and she will have to increase her workload, change her job and become the breadwinner of the family. How can she stop this happening? Hilariously written, true to life, the best book I have read for ages.

I was uncertain at first, but after the first chapter, I was hooked. Cathy is in her late forties and is adrift. Her elder sister who lives in America is trying to motivate her to set goals that don't seem relevant to Cathy. So Cathy writes her own list which doesn't turn out as planned but ends up with Cathy living a more focused and happier life. Cathy is a great character, amusing, flawed (she can't cook), but she is very easy to identify with.

This is the first Tracy Bloom book I have read. I found the main character, forty something Cathy, completely relatable. It’s a laugh out loud book something we all need to do more of these days. It should be handed out as a morale booster. I absolutely loved this book andI read it in double quick time. I’ll definitely read Tracy’s other books.