Why Mummy Swears – Gill Sims

*I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley.  The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*

 

Blurb: Why Mummy Swears is the much anticipated new novel from Gill Sims, author of the hilarious Why Mummy Drinks and online sensation Peter and Jane.

It’s every parents’ nightmare – the start of the school holidays – and instead of sitting in the sun, reading a book over a cold, crisp glass of Pinot Grigio, Mummy has two bored moppets to attend to. After frantically booking sports camps, child minder slots, not to mention time off work, Mummy is exhausted. But this is only the beginning…

After being dragged to join the school’s PTA in the new term by an annoyingly kind-spirited neighbour, Mummy is stuck with organising the Christmas Fayre and pleasing all the overly disapproving parents. In combination with getting to know her father’s surprise new glamorous (and much younger) wife, and being forced to spend more time with her narcissistic mother, life isn’t cutting her much of a break. What more could possibly happen?

 

Why Mummy Swears is the second novel by mum-blogger Gill Sims, and is even better than the first.

Obviously if you’re already a fan of the ‘Peter and Jane’ blog then you already know what you’ll be getting: rambunctious moppets, Gadget Twat, Judgy dog, and Wheeler-fucking-Dealers make their usual eleventy billion appearances, requiring lashings of wine and sneaked choccy biscuits.

This time the main plot focus is on Ellen attempting to regain some sort of life outside of motherhood, whilst juggling the demands of school, children, husband and work, and various family dramas.  And as usual, Sims totally nails it and manages to do so in an entirely relatable and hilarious way.  In addition, Sims gives us an accurate and scathing look at the differences between men and women in the home and workplace, but in so entertaining a way that you only realise after the fact that she snuck the lesson in, like celery in a shepherd’s pie.

I hate spoilers so will just say that the ‘Sarah’ storyline was a particular highlight for me and raised a good few giggles; I was incandescent with rage over the half-term holiday events (to the point that I transferred some of it to my own bewildered husband, with some poisonous looks and pointed comments); and I blubbed far worse than any graduate’s mummy over the nice-lady-with-the-car bit (you’ll know when you get there!).

It helps that I thoroughly agree and identify with Ellen’s parenting style (and general approach to life), and find Gill Sims’ writing skilful and upliftingly light-hearted.  Also, and this is fairly important…I am NOT offended by swearing!  Especially not when it is realistic and in context, as here.

Recommended if you have your own moppets and a sense of humour!

 

   Jane has obviously point-blank refused to take part in any such babyish activity as being read to in the evening, and so we compromised with her promising to read something herself instead, which I felt was a perfectly reasonable offer, until after two chapters she announced that Anne of Green Gables was stupid and boring and why was Anne always wittering on about imagination and I shouted that Jane had no soul and was clearly a changeling as no child of mine would speak thus of Anne Shirley.  Now I pretend not to know that she is watching YouTube make-up tutorials instead of wandering the enchanted lanes of Avonlea with Gilbert Blythe (who I still totally would, incidentally).

– Gill Sims, Why Mummy Swears

 

You can find more from Gill Sims at her blog here or follow her on Facebook and Instagram.

Why Mummy Swears releases on Amazon on 12th July 2018.

Check here for my review of Gill Sims previous book Why Mummy Drinks.

 

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