The funniest book I’ve read in a long time, it actually made me laughed out loud more than once. It also made me smile, tear up and nod my head an awful lot. It was like the author read my thoughts on how I feel about being a mum, a wife, a daughter and a friend.

Every women needs to read this book, it’s inspiring in many many ways!

After dedicating her life raising her children, Cathy decides it's time to get her life back. Her husband has other ideas, deciding he wants to retrain and imagining what a great idea it would be if Cathy went back to her old dreary accounts role.This funny uplifting follows Cathy's quest to get her life back.

This was a real laugh a minute book/ The characters were lovable, crazy, familiar and oh so easy to relate to. The diary starting off with the January blues and the fact that any goals are usually broken very quickly touched my heart as I sure that it did most other people. The end of the year was sad but so warm with death being written about in such a warm, sincere, understanding and emotional manner. I could relate easily to the book club and loved the descriptions of their meetings.
The story centres around the motivational aims of a wife who is devoted to her family and her older parents but gradually sees that there is more to life.
Highly recommend this book as being an amazing book to cheer every woman up, for fathers to realise what the home can be like and for teenagers/children to understand the family as a unit with everyone playing a part.

I had a really good time reading this book! It was funny and so close to reality that sometimes it felt annoying. However, I didn’t regret a bit reading it and I enjoyed every little bit of it. It might not be me at the main character’s shoes, but I could totally understand her and relate with some aspects of her personality or experience. I don’t have teenage kids, I can actually cook and my husband is not working out of town all the time, but I could see where Cathy stood and what her issues really were.

Becoming a stay at home mum, either by choice or because life happened is not an easy job. People may assume this is an easy part, but I can say that it doesn’t work the same for everyone and maybe some people are not really born to it. Cathy Collins is a woman who at some point in her life, lost her job but git a husband. She stayed at home, raising her children, and when that was possible again she started working as a freelance accountant, contributing her little amount to the household. They never had a money issue, as her husband had a really good job as a consultant on a big firm, making enough money for the family but also having to be away from home many days a week. Until some day he becomes sick of it and wants to turn to teaching. This midlife crisis he’s going through, makes the family’s and especially Cathy’s life upside down, as it would mean that Cathy should find a job to make up for the lost income while her husband will go back to the university to study on his new career path. But this is not what Cathy wants. Nobody asked her if she wanted to go back to a full time job at a sterile environment, only because a well paid life coached suggested it to her husband.

Till that point, Cathy was really upset with the motivational diary that her older sister had sent to her from LA as a Christmas present. It was easy for Lizzy to set goals like ‘run a marathon this year’ because she had a well organized life in California and she didn’t have to care about two teenagers or her parent’s life and prosperity. She was not the one that had to go cleanup toilets because her parents were going to have visitors; Cathy was. With all that in mind and her husband’s bombshell, Cathy actually decided to use that motivational diary, adjusted to her life and goals she could possibly achieve. And just like that, she started actually caring for herself.

As it happens to many women that become mothers, the priorities in her life had changed. Her children and her family came first and since she had nowhere to go and she was also not going to be seen by anyone, Cathy had stopped taking care of herself and her body. Her husband was away most days of the month, so she didn’t need to look pretty for him, she didn’t care looking pretty for herself either, so she neglected her appearance, her body, herself as a woman. She was the second to three sisters and from what she could see, the ugliest of all. So, her self esteem was a bit low for many years. She was not good at cooking, she could not handle her teenage children and therefore she felt she was a terrible mother. That didn’t do any wonders with her self esteem either!

She was not looking for a compliment or a lover. She wanted to be happy with her family and actually feel useful. Given she was at 48 years of age, she felt that she was running out of time, Menopause was coming quickly and she had to take that into account as well, if she didn’t want to hit the bottom. That diary was only an excuse to actually make a change in her life for the better. I loved how she finally was able to tackle all the issues that made her life unhappy, one by one. After she made her mind, she stack to it and she followed her plan, as vague as it might have been.

I also enjoyed reading the characters of her teenage kids. The love life and insecurities of a fifteen turning on sixteen year old girl as well as her son’s view of his future after school. It was a delight reading the parts were Freddie was coming in the picture and a lot of fun as well!

“The Wife Who Got a Life” comes out on April 29th in UK. Keep your eye out for this one if you’re looking for a fun read!

Thank you to NetGalley & HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction for an advance copy of this book. The views expressed are my personal and honest opinion.

Cathy Collins is 48, married with two teenage children, Freddie and Kirsty. Mike, her husband is a successful management consultant. We join Cathy as she ponders on her Christmas present from her LA based sister – a motivational diary. How very LA! Disappointment doesn’t get near what she feels. The structure of the book follows Cathy through the months and the decisions she selected to motivate her.

I absolutely loved this book. No doubt about it – Five stars – doesn’t even get near it at least a 6 out of 5! Sorry, I am getting carried away with the exclamation marks. I loved Cathy, adored Freddie – he is going to turn into one brilliant young man. He is funny, clever. Mike is clueless, nice but clueless, in a mid-life crises he has found a life therapist who is supporting his wish to become a teacher while Cathy can take on the corporate world in his stead. Like a lot of men, he does not see what it takes to run a home, keep all the balls in the air and see to everyone’s needs. Everyone, includes Cathy’s parents, and her two sisters; one cannot help with Mum and Dad because she is LA based and the other one is now a single mother and is too busy – dating and such like.

Ms Bloom has captured the essence of women’s concerns, menopause, periods, children, age, clothes, style and the Domestic Resentment Situation (you will have to read it to find out what this is. What it is – is brilliant. A really positive lift to the spirit guaranteed. Perceptive, funny, just fabulous.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

When Cathy Collins husband, Mike, drops a midlife crisis bombshell, Cathy decides it's time to take control; of her life. No more laundry, teenage tantrums or housework. After years of putting herself last, she's going to be first for a change.

Cathy Collins is given a motivational diary from her sister at Christmas. Cathy reluctantly starts using the diary to record her year. Mike, Cathy's husband, is having a midlife crisis. They have two teenage children, Freddie and Kirsty. This is quits a heart-warming and entertaining book. The characters are believable and relatable. Freddie was my favourite character. This was a refreshing read from the books I normally choose.

I would like to thank #NetGalley, #HarperCollinsUK #HarperFiction and the author #TracyBloom for my ARC of #TheWifeWhoGotALife in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly a big thank you to the publishers for my copy to review on netgalley. I have loved Tracy’s other books so was excited to read this.

I binged in one go and loved it! Funny, witty and so relatable as a mum.

Heartwarming and a sheer delight to read. Deals with sensitive tough subjects as well as the comedic everyday moments .
Guaranteed to make you smile and perfect escapism .

Published 29th April

Cathy is a 48 year mum of two teenagers. She’s not unhappy as such but life has got stuck in a rut that she doesn’t like. She’s gifted a motivational diary by her glamorous, self disciplined sister. Cathy dislikes goal setting due to the feeling of failure for not achieving goals such as training and then completing a marathon. Instead she sets herself some unusual goals to tweak her life.
She’s fast approaching the ‘m’ word and in one of many laugh out loud moments, breaks the taboo of discussing it rather than hiding away and needing a therapist to get through it.
It’s a light hearted funny read with some heart tugging moments that many can identify with and maybe even realise that there own life experiences aren’t that bonkers after all. I found it so insightful that it could have been written about me!
Thank you Tracy Bloom, I shall come back to your books and thank you Net Gallery for this review copy.

Anyone who has ever started a new year with a list of motivational goals to achieve will have huge sympathy for Cathy Collins who seems to be at a bit of an emotional crossroads in her life. She has two teenage children who seem hellbent on being as awkward as possible, and Cathy's lacklustre husband, Mike, is determined to 'find himself' by contemplating a dramatic career change. Add all these ingredients into the mix and what pops out is a fun and, at times, quite poignant look at the minutiae of family life.

The story takes us through each month of the year as Cathy sets off on her own set of personal motivational challenges, and as everything is told from her particularly zany perspective, there's never a dull moment. Cathy is a breath of fresh air, she is filled with angst one minute, particularly about growing older, she's forty-eight, and is then gloriously funny as she attempts to make sense of her, somewhat, complicated life as a wife, mother, daughter and sister.

The author writes with warmth and wit about Cathy and her family, who, it must be said, are not always a very likeable bunch, and there were definitely times when I wanted to give them all a bit of a talking too, especially the teenagers who could have been a bit more helpful towards their mother. I did feel quite sorry for Mike, Cathy's husband who seemed to be floundering around on the edge of family life, but overall, I enjoyed watching how the year unfolded for all of the Collins family.

The Wife Who Got A Life makes you smile but it also alludes to some quite serious family issues which although presented in a light hearted manner are no less pertinent. It's a nice, easy read, perfect for a relaxing afternoon spent reading in the garden.

Funny, entertaining, truthful sort of Bridget Jones diary with Cathy, husband Mike and 2 teenagers 16 & 17.

Still not sure if I would call it 'chicklit' as it seems more than that?

Thanks to Net Galley and Harper Collins UK for the chance to read and review.'

Tracy never fails to write a good novel. A great incite into life as a mother and all the calamities she has to deal with that eats into any confidence she has in herself. Cathy eventually decides to take a new path and reinvent herself.

Cathy embarks on a year using a motivational diary that was gifted to her. It is thoroughly entertaining covering all emotions. What a journey she had and many lessons and life changes occurred. She might be middle aged but her life is far from over. Let the journey begin-hold on tight.

Enjoyed reading this, entertaining, lives are true in a lot of this book, Tracy writes so well, you can't go wrong with her books. 4 stars, thanks Tracy.

Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for this ARC.

Calling all mothers, daughters, wives and sisters who are all doing a fantastic job of muddling through life, deflecting teenage tantrums, working, running the household, caring for elderly parents, maybe humouring a partner experiencing their own midlife crisis Tracy Bloom has penned this book for YOU!! Written with a wicked, wry and self deprecating humour this is the literary equivalent of meeting your closest girlfriends for a coffee and a gossip,bemoaning your idle partners and offspring, probably mentioning the dreaded M word once or twice and generally offloading your stresses and worries onto those who know exactly where you’re coming from. After all we’re all in the same boat and after yet another depressing Christmas, shopping, cooking, eating and wrapping Cathy Collins is in a slump. Receiving a motivational diary as a gift from her Californian based sister Lizzie further fans the flames of discontent. New Years resolutions aren’t a top priority for Cathy who has no intention of running a marathon or climbing Mount Everest, just getting through the year relatively unscathed is a bonus. After all what’s the point of listings goals that will be impossible to achieve? But on reflection maybe scaling down the list to include more manageable achievements is just the kind of motivation that is required to see Cathy stumble her way through another year of not entirely harmonious family life. In a diary style narrative that will appeal to fans of Sue Townsend and Helen Fielding, I laughed until my sides hurt, nodded my head in acknowledgment of familiar situations and even shed a tear or two as Cathy embraces her year of changes,including “secure my son’s future ie put a rocket up his arse” and “reduce my carb footprint (that will be carbohydrate as well as carbon)” She certainly gives NY resolutions a glorious makeover and if you’re in need of cheering up Cathy Collins brings some magic to the mundane, transforming family chaos into cracking comedy.

So, so, so funny, I genuinely laughed out loud for the majority of this blooming marvellous, inspirational diary that sees Cathy taking back control of her life. So many of us will recognise the battles Cathy faces, this super woman who over the course of the year outmanoeuvres her kids and husband in ways which only someone of her age and life experience can, although mother Judy may prove a harder nut to crack! A wonderful wife, mother,daughter, sister and friend (but terrible cook!) Cathy is a great role model for every woman spinning so many plates at once. Both smart and sassy, I loved how Cathy’s subtle yet cunning plans to shift the balance of power in this family dynamic come to fruition. Steering husband Mike, who’s undergoing his own midlife crisis, and son Freddie towards sensible life choices whilst allowing them to believe their decisions are of their own making is sheer comic genius and ingenious to boot. By the way, I want to clone Freddie for being one of a kind and comfortable in his own skin, a great example of raging teenage hormones and a devil may care attitude. A cheeky lovable chappie who is simply irrepressible! Also navigating daughter Kirsty through the relationship minefield, and negotiating “the chat” to alleviate DRS (domestic resentment situation) whilst adopting an unusual strategy to cope with the fact she’s no domestic goddess in the culinary department by employing catering student Robbie, Cathy proves she is a problem solver of the highest calibre. This woman is a master manipulator but in the nicest and most hilarious of ways. Her endeavours to shake off her mumsy image and be down with the cool kids after accidentally bumping into hipster graphic designer Toby from the mustard factory are comedy highlights in a book worth its weight in gold for all the laughter it inspires. This woman knows how to kick ass!! Sorry, but there’s no escaping the mentioning of the M word, discussions around which are just so real, refreshingly honest and hysterical.

As Cathy and her family head towards another Christmas the narrative loses some of its comic sheen instead focusing on the friendships that help Cathy through her life affirming year and with that comes more poignancy and a sadness that leaves you feeling quite emotional. These scenes serve as a reminder of the value of good friendships the older we get, a reflection of the ups and downs in life we all encounter yet Cathy deals with this all head on, her smile more or less remaining intact. I’m sure (or hope) we all have someone like Cathy in our lives who manage to lift our spirits; I know I do and my life is richer because of that friendship.

Beneath all the witticism lie pearls of wisdom about the number of ways any of us can implement small changes, prompting massive positive impacts in our everyday lives. Cathy’s list is testament to the fact motivational goals don’t necessarily have to be of the unrealistic unachievable variety (like running a marathon!) Small steps can still move mountains in the long run! I was team Cathy all the way through her year of putting herself at the top of her agenda, above all her family’s needs, thinking about her own happiness for once, for sticking two fingers up at the M word and showing how as older women we can all be fabulous, feisty and fun!! Every female approaching a certain age or already stuck in the throes of a midlife meltdown should read this novel just to reassure themselves we are ALL making it up as we go along. A perfect pick me up tonic where the only hot flush in sight is the warm healthy glow you get from laughing your socks off. 10/10 for keeping it real! My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read.

This is the first book I have read by Tracy Bloom and it certainly won’t be the last!

Cathy is a married mother in her 40’s, and she suddenly finds herself taking a step back and looking at her life and realising that some changes are definitely needed. Luckily Cathy has a rather supportive Husband, who encourages her to take a leap and embark on a new career. Making a year plan to turn her life around, Cathy has her mind set on making these changes happen.

One of the things I loved most about this book is how all of the situations that Cathy faces are so relatable and oh so believable – especially as a mother myself, I could picture a lot of the scenes playing out perfectly. Although some of the changes that Cathy sets out to make are big, there are a fair amount of those every day, minor changes that make one heck of a difference to a persons life too.

Tracy Bloom has such a wonderful writing style that really pulls the reader in to the story and keeps you well and truly invested to the very end. The characters are realistic and well fleshed out, each of them having their own struggles and life choices to make along the way. The entire story flowed beautifully from start to end, with the perfect concoction of humour and wit as the story progresses.

There is so much more I could say about this book, but I refuse to give away any spoilers as this is one of those books that has so much to offer!. It is certainly a story that many will be able to relate to in one way or another, and I know for certain I will be telling others about this marvellous story!.

Tracy Bloom books are a joy to read and this was no different. Cathy is easy to relate to for people of a certain age. Midlife responsibility’s of management husband, teenage children and elderly parents have left little time for herself. This book follows her for a year trying to reclaim a life for herself as well as keeping everyone else happy. This book is a great read and will have you laughing as well as crying.
Thanks to Netgalley, Tracy Bloom and Harper Collins for the early ebook copy.

A poignant, heartwarming and well written story that talks to your heart and makes you root for the MC.
I loved the plot, rooted for Cathy and found this book engrossing and entertaining.
I read other story by this author and liked them, hope to read other soon.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I love Tracy’s writing style as it is so easy to read and just really relaxing and her characters are developed well.

This story is about Cathy, a 48 year old, that has decided to get a life using a diary for goals for the next year. Some of her thoughts and actions are quite ridiculous and it’s hard to believe that someone got to that age without learning certain simple things that you would think even her 15 year old would understand. It reminded me a bit of Sophie Kinsella’s Shopaholic series. I used to love them, but then I guess I outgrew them, so perhaps in a different stage in my life I would have loved this book too. I am also a mother and 10 years younger than Cathy, so I understand some of her frustrations especially regarding teenagers, but would definitely handle things differently.

I especially liked reading about her relationships not just with her husband and kids, but also with her parents and sisters and the women from her book group.

Overall a well written story and nice style so I will look for more books by Tracy Bloom, even if this one wasn’t entirely my cup of tea as I could not relate to Cathy.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Comforting, warm, funny and endlessly entertaining, The Wife Who Got A Life hits the spot in so many ways. I loved it - it was an absolute tonic from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Many thanks to Harper Collins, to Tracy Bloom and to NetGalley for letting me read and review this smashing novel.

Aw this was really good! I love the main character Cathy's transition throughout the year, it wasn't your usual misery read about a downtrodden middle aged woman, this was joyous! Cathy was doing pretty well with her life anyway, it just needed a few tweaks along the way. Good fun, feel good read. Although I couldn't quite understand her obsession about the menopause, she hadn't even reached that stage yet. Her teenage kids were very realistic, the scenes where she was trying to find the secret entrance to the club via a sink had me howling laughing! Who hasn't sat outside a venue waiting for their child getting more and more angry when they should have been sleeping for a couple of hours already!