Author: Poppy Dolan
Publisher: Canelo
Publication Date: June 2018
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Buy The Book: Amazon | BN | Audible
Description: Stevie’s life has changed beyond recognition since having her first baby. Stevie loves being a mum, but between the isolation and being vomited on five times a day, she really wishes she had someone to talk to.
With husband Ted working hard to keep the family afloat, Stevie really doesn’t want to burden him with her feelings. Turning to the internet, Stevie starts the anonymous First-Time Mum blog and blasts the rose-tinted glasses of parenthood right off her readers.
In the real world, Stevie meets the formidable Nelle and gorgeous Will, along with their own little treasures, and starts to realize that being a ‘perfect mum’ isn’t everything. But when the secret blog goes viral, Stevie must make some tough choices about who she wants to be, and whether she’s ready for the world to know the truth…
My Thoughts: Confessions of a First Time Mum by new to me author Poppy Dolan introduces us to former PR executive Stevie and her day-to-day struggles and challenges with being a first-time mother. That, in and of itself, doesn’t sound all that exciting and interesting, or easy to relate to for people who have not experienced parenthood. The wonderful thing about this book is it is easy to relate to Stevie as we all have been in her place, striving to succeed in a world where most days are an uphill climb, trying to make ends meet and bring each day into some sort of semblance of balance and structured order.
I thought Stevie was a riot and her PR background really came into play when she decides to start a blog to strip bare the fantasy of parenthood with the brutal and sometimes horrifying reality of being a first-time parent. The constant crying; the demonic projectile vomiting; the poo explosions; the post-partum saggy bits of skin and what the heck happened to my breasts!?
Stevie feels like she is travelling this road by herself; that she has somehow lost herself and her self-worth along the way. She doesn’t feel like she can talk to her husband and forget about making any Mom mates as they will most likely run screaming in the opposite direction. Fortunately, Stevie does meet and make friends with other parents and even discovers that she still has a lot of talent in promoting not just herself, but also her friends and helping to organize a parent’s festival.
In addition to a plot that flowed smoothly and characters that were easy to empathize with and relate to, I had the added benefit of listening to the audiobook edition narrated by Lizzie Wofford. If, like me, you are a fan of audiobooks, the narrator can make or break the story. The pairing of Poppy Dolan’s books with Lizzie Wofford’s narration is brilliant. On the page and in my ear, they both bring these characters to life and provided many hours of laugh aloud moments.
My Final Verdict: I loved this book and highly recommend it to readers who like stories that center around really flawed characters who are trying their best and sometimes get it wrong, but don’t give up. I also highly recommend this book to readers who love stories that give them stitches from laughing so hard or draws them so fully into the story, they feel like they know these characters and are right beside them every step of the way.
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of Confessions of a First Time Mum from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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