I absolutely loved this book!!! It was laugh out loud funny and just a fantastically heart-warming read. I was so upset to come to the end of this book and will definitely be re-reading shortly. I recommend this to everyone regardless of whether you are a parent or not.

Loved this it made me laugh constantly from page one and was just the tonic after a day with the kids haha! It’s my life in a book and probably lots of mums lives in a book and it was bloody good fun! She reminds me of Fiona Gibson’s books the fish finger years & mummy said the f word!

An absolute corker of a book a must read if you’ve got kids and they’re anything like my two!!! 😂

What an enjoyable read! At times I felt like I was reading my own life story. Laugh-out-loud funny and very true to life! Well, mine anyway!!

In a completely different vein, Sophie also read Why Mummy Drinks by Gill Sims. In all honesty, Sophie usually avoids chick/yummy mummy/mom lit like the plague, but she was curious about this particular book because it was written by the author of Peter and Jane–one of her favorite (NSFW and completely swear-filled) Facebook pages.

On the Facebook page, Mummy regales readers with hilarious, laugh out loud stories of her days with Daddy, Judgy Dog, and her two Precious Moppets Peter and Jane. These days usually start out with Mummy attempting to get her family to take part in lovely British middle-class activities such as strawberry picking, going to the beach, or decorating the Christmas tree. By the end of the day, Mummy and Daddy have often had a huge row, the children are attempting to set fire to something, the dog is unimpressed, and Mummy is consoling herself with a very large glass of gin–or five. Each post is timed to match with what parents are likely to be doing in the real world (back to school, Easter egg hunts, summer vacations etc) and are often shared around as they reflect how many parents are feeling on the inside during these events–usually wanting to tear out their own hair in frustration.

Sophie was curious how this style would translate to the much longer format of a novel over a brief Facebook post. First, and most obviously, the laughs don’t come nearly as often. Trying to keep the same pace as a Facebook post across an entire book would be impossible, and so the book takes a more relaxed approach. The story is set across a year in diary format and draws obvious comparisons to Bridget Jones’ Diary–not least from the slightly overweight, heavy drinking, British female protagonist, now named Ellen. The book also moves away from having Peter and Jane being the center of most family dramas by bringing in an array of relatives and friends–Ellen’s rich and posh sister Jessica, her hippy commune living sister-in-law Amaris, and newly single best friend Hannah.

Sophie regularly found herself laughing out loud at the book, particularly over specific scenes that reminded her of her own family–trying not to drift off while her son recites a litany of Pokemon facts being a prime example. She was, however, unimpressed with one of the main plot points, which seemed to strongly suggest that money is the key to happiness. A sudden windfall halfway through the story dramatically changes many family dynamics, and suddenly having the money to go on weekends to London–traveling first class, staying in an eye-wateringly expensive hotel suite, and buying designer shoes–is portrayed as depressingly vital in keeping Ellen’s relationship with her husband Simon on solid ground. This aspect of the plot aside, the book was good fun and frighteningly accurate at times, although it hasn’t convinced Sophie to start reading mom lit just yet.

This is a comic insight into the life of a middle class family and the travails of life that disrupt all efforts to be more organised. It is written in the form of a diary, Ellen is a woman looking to change her mess of a life with her recalcitrant young children, Peter and Jane, and her tech obsessed husband, Simon, and family dog. Her turning 39 awakens all her insecurities and fears about the process of aging, she is determined to be more fashion conscious and improve her image, and be the more perfect and organised mother. So she draws up plans, gives us insights into how her actual life has been. Like all the best laid plans, they scarcely survive the realities of life. There are the stresses of the school gate mummies, Lucy Atkinson's perfect mommy and The Coven, always perfectly turned out, with whom Ellen can barely compete. Although the occasional Dad at the gate sends hearts aflutter.

The children do not appreciate her healthy meals or her attempts to expand their cultural horizons with visits to Museums etc. or do extra curricular activities. Simon can barely cope with being in sole charge of Peter and Jane. She is reaching for that glass of wine more and more frequently. Then there is Christmas, with Simon and Ellen's sisters with their huge broods arriving, how to cater for this mass influx of mayhem and madness? Ellen has an idea for an App. This novel is particularly likely to be appreciated by parents who recognise the picture of middle class family life it portrays, the state of the marriage, yearnings for life before children, and how children dispose of plans adults may have for them. There are plenty of comic touches which will delight readers, although I did feel the odd irritation with Ellen now and then. A light and entertaining read. Many thanks to HarperCollins for an ARC.

Amusing story, predictable at times but funny. A story about love, jealously and family

Wow, that was a surprise. I've followed Peter and Jane on Facebook for a while and thought this was just going to be more of the same - something to dip into for a good laugh from time to time. But I didn't expect to find an excellent novel as well that I just didn't want to put down. There were certainly a lot of hilarious passages right through the book which frequently - and unusually- had me laughing out loud, but there were also much more thoughtful passages. The description of the ride on the top of the bus looking into the windows of the passing house was quite beautiful. It was also moving as were the parts about how the supposedly perfect, beautiful people really feel inside. That could help a lot of people who are struggling with their own self-esteem. There were some worrying passages, particularly with Gadget Twat, not least because I see a lot of myself in him - my wife might say she sees even more :) - but I think that they were necessary in the overall structure of the book. A very interesting writer and I look forward to seeing where she goes next.

A fun light read that was laugh out loud at times!
The book is the diary of the daily trials and tribulations of a ‘Ellen’ who’s a married working mum in her late 30s with two children under the age of 10. We follow her through the year and there are lots of situations that the modern working Mum can relate too. Ellen was a very likeable character and I enjoyed reading about her. I’m rating it as 4 stars as parts of the book did get tedious but I persevered through.

This is a lovely and extremely funny book!I was unaware of the Facebook blog, so I started reading it with no expectations whatsoever, and ended up laughing out loud more than once and enjoying every page of it! I can see from other reviews that the adventures of Ellen and her lot ring true with many other mums - I don't have children and still managed to enjoy the story and laugh on many occasions.
I would definitely recommend it!

I can't tell you how excited I was to find out that the woman behind the Peter and Jane Facebook page was publishing a novel. If you follow Peter and Jane you will already know how hilarious each post is as this exhausted mum tries to balance working, looking after the house and dealing with her 'precious moppets' and invariably ends each day with a drink of something and a photo of said drink - and Judgy Dog of course. The novel follows Mummy, Ellen, throughout a year and is written in the form of a diary as she tries to be more organised and less frazzled! 

This is one of the funniest books I have read for ages. Every page genuinely raises at least a smile if not a spluttering laugh! My own 'precious moppets' are now well past the age of Peter and Jane so I no longer have the morning rush of getting them ready for school, gently 'encouraging' them to find the clothes they say are nowhere to be found but are actually exactly where they left them and finding a crushed up note in the bottom of the bag advising that it is National Book Day and can they come dressed as an animal character from a book..... Oh yes, it's all coming back to me - I feel your pain Mummy! No wonder she mutters FML so often. Alcohol plays a large part in getting Mummy through her evenings, especially on FIAF. (I'm not going to say what either of those stands for but let's just say that one of the Fs features VERY frequently in Mummy's vocabulary!)

In the book Mummy is constantly thwarted in her efforts to have well turned out, well rounded children who she has delightful little chats with and goes on lovely walks in the countryside with. They won't eat her lovingly prepared healthy food, look in horror at the idea of improving visits to art galleries etc and Daddy (otherwise known as Gadget Twat) longs for a 'simple lasagne', little knowing how much effort it takes to make said dish. His plaintive cries when failing to cope with his little dears if Mummy is out for a while made me laugh and I think that many stay at home parents will recognise the other parent not really understanding just what they do all day with the children. It's not all sitting about having coffee with the other mums!

Why Mummy Drinks is due out just in time for the October half term holiday - not that any Mummy will have time to read it then as she'll be busy occupying her little darlings - ie spending a fortune on visits to museums, leisure centres, cinemas and so on - but do buy it anyway to read when you get a spare minute. It's a book that's easy to dip in and out of with its diary style entries. I am sure that any parent will recognise themselves or their children in the book though I'd just like to point out here that I definitely did not have the copious amounts of wine and gin which Mummy drinks. Oh and eleventy billion is definitely my favourite number!

Ellen and Simon plus their two children sound like so many families that we all know. - but what goes on behind closed doors? Ellen often feels fed up and cross with Simon who is always too tired to help out in the evening or at the weekends, despite the fact that Ellen also works part-time. Like any youngsters, the children squabble and don't do as they are told. Ellen's best friend's husband has left her too and all the other mothers at the children's school seem to be coping perfectly. Is it any wonder that Ellen likes a glass (or two) of wine, sometimes with her best friend but sometimes alone. Simon's family turn up for Christmas and the home becomes a madhouse, but Ellen plods on, and has a few interesting encounters along the way. This is a good, light-hearted read that develops right the way to the end - an enjoyable read.

Loved, loved, loved this book! I had never laughed so hard in my life whilst reading. This candid account of parenting shows the highs and lows of parenting whilst restoring your faith in yourself as a parent. A book definitely worth reading if you are a parent struggling with your chaotic life!

Well it is good to know I am not the only one! This book is so true to life that it has made me feel a million times better about myself! Gills Sims has written this in a really true to life format where you empathise with the main character throughout, at no point did I feel she was in the wrong!

A great read for all mums at the very least but a great learning curve for some of the dads out there too ;-)

This is the first book I have read of this author and I found it to be an entertaining read. I think parents from all walks of life can relate to the goings on of the mum in this book. I will look to reading more from Gill Sims.

I loved this book. Okay it was never ever going to improve my mind, but what it did do was make me laugh and make me laugh out loud.
The characters were funny - slightly over the top but funny all the same and being a 40 something year old woman I could totally relate to the lead character in this book even down to the names she calls her husband.
Perfect escapism and would highly recommend to all my girlie friends.
As a mother, wife, and friend to others I have found myself in the lead characters shoes on many occasions.

Being a huge fan of the facebook page Peter and Jane I was excited when I saw this book available for review on Netgalley. Within minutes of it arriving on my kindle I had started it. 
​Anyone who follows the page will love this book. It's hilarious in parts. It is just so much 'real life, the ups and downs of parenting and being a grown up. Trying to get it right when you know it's all wrong. Trying to smash parenting in a pretentious middle class way, and failing miserably. Trying to be a very good responsible adult is more difficult that people realise. 

​Two children, a dog and a gadget T&*t of a husband. How wonderful life can be. 

​Most parents/couples will relate to almost everything in this book. And I had just read the chapter about getting the little ones ready for school before I woke my little one up, and no matter how organised you try to be there is always something you are racing around the house looking for at the last minute. 
​This book highlights some of the nightmares and of course the fun times parents can have with young children. It's told in a way you just can't help but laugh and enjoy it. It also highlights being a grown up, and that isn't always fun is it. 
​It's a great story to follow. 

A truly fantastic funny read. If you are a parent, overworked, Not enough hours in the day, at the end of your tether and need to put a smile on your face then this book needs reading. Its one of those books that at regular intervals you have to stop and say to whoever is nearest to you, 'ahhh just listen to this'. lol lol lol
Spot on, and honest encounter of bringing up children and family life in general. Being a mother, wife and general everything. There may also be drink involved occasionally. Ok there will be drink involved and it's more than occasionally. 
​Maybe if I'd read this before becoming a mother I may have seriously thought of finding a contraception that liked me. Although then I just wouldn't have understood the book anyway lol.
​Again I can't say enough how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. 
Please note: This is not a how-to guide. It probably a more how not to. But don't take it to seriously. lol