Lucy Sweeney is a full time mother to three boys. Lucy's mantra to mothering seems to be deal with it as it comes. She has a laundry pile that rivals small mountains, a car that doubles as a waste dump, and wears tartan pyjamas on the school run.

No, Lucy is not your domestic goddess. With secret credit card debt, masses of unpaid parking tickets and constantly losing things including passports, credit cards and contact lenses, she is a one-woman disaster zone.

Barely managing to make it through the days against the challenges of Alpha Mum (a highly organised competitive mother at the school), Yummy Mummy No.1 (high fashion, tiny waistline), while her architect husband Tom fights their possible financial ruin by travelling back and forth to Milan to run his library project. The only help Lucy has is from her mother-in-law Petra, who has unfortunately passed her obsessive comulsive need for tidiness and organisation onto her son, and cannot help but make Lucy feel inadequate (mother-in-laws are like that aren't they) even if she doesn't mean to.

When Petra drops the bombshell that she's moving to Marrakesh to live her new lover, it's just one in a chain of events that are making Lucy's life even more unsteady and unstable. Between the ever-growing feeling of restlessness she feels and her uncontrollable attraction to Sexy Domesticated Dad, how will Lucy hold her life, and her family together?

We're also introduced along the way to Lucy's best friends and their tangled love lives, and Lucy's family, with it's mixed views on family, motherhood and work.

I found the first few chapters were me basically trying to get inside Lucy's head and identify with her. In this sense the first few chapters were not as easy reading as some books where there is an instant connection. However, once I was involved the story became more and more gripping, with funny moments and heart wrenching simple moments every mother can identify with.

The guilt that comes along as part as package is investigated thoroughly in this book, along with the mixed feelings and emotions we go through as our children grow up. It was very true in this sense. Also the concept of marriage and how it works long-term, the pitfalls of possible adultery and how it affects all parties involved.

Apart from us both being mothers, the other way I most identified with Lucy was that we both find it too easy to see other peoples point of view, even during bad behaviour on their part. This can be a curse as well as a blessing.

I found this book was very clever in that it was a light hearted but touching story, yet it also addressed the deeper issues connected with family and personal relationships without being too heavy.

It is well worth a read, although the author is new to me, I would certainly look out for further works on her part, and this book will remain part of my collection.


Info on Fiona Neill (Author)

"Fiona Neill is a features editor for the times magazine and author and creator of the hugely popular slummy mummy column". (Taken from book).

Juding by the critical acclaim on the book and the fact it is a Top Ten Sunday Times bestseller, it seems I'm not the only one to like it. Therefore, I have no qualms in recommending to all fans of chick-lit!

Available on Amazon for £3.86 new or used and new (marketplace) from £0.01 (both paperback) it seems a bargain. Think I paid around £3.80 in Tesco though and you could always try the library which is of course free.
ISBN: 978-0-0995-0288-3

As far as I can tell this is her only novel to date, so lets hope she keeps up the good work.

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