I like books that are set around the relationships of mum's at the school gate. It can be just as hard to fit in and be part of the "cool gang" as it is to be a child. When Emma moves into town she is invited to join a book club. But it really is not for her! She feels she doesn't fit in and they are all better than her. So she decides to start her own. She makes friends with other women like her, they laugh, they drink, they swear but they also have their own issues. Who cares if they read the book as long as each of them are happy and a part of something,

Thank you Netgalley for the advance copy.

This book was light hearted and good fun, easy to read for a relaxing afternoon. Not the most memorable, but a few hours spent enjoying myself.

I enjoyed this book, it got better as it went along. An easy read about school gate friendships and relationships.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for letting me read this book in exchange for a review. I will be putting this review on Amazon too.

You possibly know by now my opinions on Keris Stainton, who is without a doubt one of my favourite writers (and someone I hope somebody will someday compare my books to if I’m honest), with books you absolutely lose yourself in, smiling, laughing and sometimes crying as you read. I look forward to each and every book and fly through them all.

So theres my intro. Now. I ADORED this book!! It is the story of Emma, who is trying to fit in as a parent in a school where there is a certain hierarchy that she has yet to learn. In this school the equivalent to the high school cool girls come in the form of a group that have a very select book club, led by the designer clad wife of a top footballer.

The book however comes from various viewpoints, as we follow the people from the book club, who are definitely not all they seem. Ironically this book reminded me of Big Little Lies, extremely ironic because (stops to assess situation and see whether should actually say this) I’ve never read the book, just seen the series (I know!)

With drama that had me catching my breath, comedy that made me snort so loudly, and vivid, excellent descriptions and show stopping romance and characters I absolutely flew through this book (half on Sunday, half Monday if you’re keeping track for the Hungry Readers Games 2020!), in particular hearting and savouring from the actual set up of their book club on. Cannot recommend enough! Thanks so much to Bookouture and Netgalley for the book in return for an honest review.

Rating 5/5

This was a very easy going read which I found light hearted and good fun.

There was darker themes sprinkled in, but I don’t feel they made an impact on the story too much.

It didn’t have the strongest plot, and it seemed to drip on a little but all in all it was ok for an easy going read.

This was a good light hearted read. A group of ladies with their troubles & issues who end up coming together. It was a good chick book which I not usually keen on but I loved getting to know the characters. They were all very likeable and they were portrayed just like everyday life that you would find at the school gates. Had it read within a few hours
Thanks @netgalley

I loved this! Such a great story of why we shouldn’t take people at face value, and that you never know what’s going on behind closed doors. It’s an easy read but there are some important stories as the women learn about each other as well as about themselves, and how they’re stronger together. Highly recommended for anyone feeling like everyone else has got their shit together (spoiler: they haven’t).

I needed a funny easy book because of these days and The bad mothers' book club was perfect. I felt this book like I was one of the characters mostly because I'm not a good mother neither. I'm a messy one. My house is a disaster and I always wear my pyjamas at home. So, yes! I'm one of them.

I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this book. It was a light read that made me smile. So if you're having a bad day just read this book. Especially if you're a mother and you can't keep your head above.

Thank you NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for an honest review.

This was perfectly enjoyable, I wizzed through. Not sure I will remember any of the story line in a month, but a pleasant enough beach read.

This is the first book I have read by Keris Stainton. An entertaining and humourous story of mums from the school.

I read the book quickly as a very easy read. With great Characters that were very relatable.
A good holiday read or to lighten home isolation.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review
#thebadmothersbookclub #kerisstainton #netgalley

Easy light reading, the story of the battle of the school gate, motherhood and marriage. It won’t set your world alight but a pleasant enough read that you can put down and back up easily.

This was a completely relatable and funny (in places) read. It absolutely nails the feeling of being a less than perfect parent/spouse etc and it was easy to fly through this book. Definitely recommended!

This is the story of three women (and their friends) as they deal with motherhood, husbands, and always trying to fit in and be perfect. Emma has moved to Liverpool with her husband and their two children. She thought this would be the start of a new life for them, but her husband works long hours and her children aren’t settling in school as well as she hoped. Also, it’s hard finding new friends so maybe she should join Jools’ exclusive book club.
Jools knows everyone is jealous of her, with her perfect body, her footballer husband, their children and their beautiful house, but her life is far from perfect and she is doing her best to keep her secret hidden and the illusion up.
Maggie is unhappy with her life and her marriage but she is not ready to admit it, not even to herself. The book club is her chance to relax, but why is Jools keeping her at distance?
Addressing both funny and more serious themes, this is a story about family and love, but, above all, about friendship and parenting that makes for an enjoyable and entertaining read.

I really enjoyed this warm and funny book focusing on a group of mothers whose children all attend the same school. I loved the way the different main characters developed throughout the book, they were all very different but as the book progressed you get to understand more about them and the way they are and the way they react to things. A really good reminder that what you see on the surface of someone can be very different to what's actually going on in their life.

A warm and realistic novel about a group of women facing the trials and tribulations of life and learning about themselves and their strength in the process. An inspiring feminist fiction title in Keris Stainton's inimitable voice. I really enjoyed this one!

I really enjoyed this book about a group of mothers at the same school, all which do like reading.

Yet although there are some book club meetings featured, this story is about so much more than that.

It shows just how different people are coping with being parents, the challenges they face in parenting, professional and personal lives.

There are many moments that will make you laugh, and then there is Jules' much more serious story line.

I adored Sam and Rosie, Emma's two children, who are worlds apart, with individual personalities, and who both get rather a starring role in this book.

The Bad Mother's Book Club is a fun story, that was reasonably quick to read. It was the first book I have read by the author, and now i am wondering why on earth that is!

Thank you to Netgalley and Trapeze for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

This is my first book by Keris but it won't be my last, I'm quite a slow reader with it taking me a week or more to finish a book well I flew through this in four days! I am not a mother but love books about mums and clubs so this was the perfect book for me.

This book had a whole host of characters- some you love, some you hate and some you are a bit in the middle with and to be able to make all those types of characters in the same book takes skill. I enjoyed reading about the trials and tribulations of Emma, Maggie, Jools lives and how they managed to deal with friendship, love, marriage, health and even though this book dealt with tough subjects it was funny too. i am looking forward to book two and hopefully many more to come.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publisher for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

I received an early preview copy of this book from Netgalley in return for an honest review.
I like to read books about Mothers who are not perfect, and have everyday struggles. I find them to be more realistic about parenting, and the problems that occur.
I found this book hard to get into at first, as there were several mothers, and it was difficult to work out which one the book was writing about. There was a good range of characters, each had different problems that they were trying to keep hidden.
The book behind with Emma, who has just moved to Liverpool,bored and lonely, she tried to seek out friends at the school gates. This starts off badly, but she sees a way in, through Jools, who is the head of the PTA, and very glamorous. Jools has an exclusive bookclub, which Emma is desperate to join, as she sees this as a way of becoming popular. As things start to go wrong, Emma finds out that she is not the only person with problems, and maybe there should be a new book club instead.
This book has a lot of funny moments, and if you have ever been a Mother at the school gate, you will definitely recognise some of the character types. There is also drama, and a lot of secrets.
The book was not bad, but I found it didn't keep my attention, it was difficult to follow in places. If you like books about realistic parenthood, then this is worth reading.

It all begins with a book club. An exclusive book club with four women, lives entangled with their own fair share of secrets and skeletons. Emma has just moved to West Kirby, from London, determined to have a better life for her husband, her two children and herself. But it's not easy settling in, finding a social life and getting her children settled at their new school.

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into this story, the first few pages flit between different POVs and I found it hard to grasp whose voice was whose. But as the story found its rhythm, I began to care about the characters and what would happen to them.

If you've ever struggled through the daily school run, found yourself in a new place or if you like exploring family dynamics - this book is for you.

Good book, great read.
Highly recommend it.
Thank you to both NetGalley and Orion Publishing for my eARC in exchange for my honest unbiased opinion and review.