While humor is a significant draw, Grown Ups doesn't shy away from the challenges of marriage, self-doubt, and the emotional toll of motherhood. There's an audience for new mothers to connect with the main character's struggles and triumphs. However, you have to wade through a lot of self-deprecation and complaints, which may not be helpful if you're looking for commiseration. The humor is neither snarky enough nor original to be laugh out loud funny, and Saoirse's penchant for jumping to conclusions is tiresome. The novel is not as heartwarming or funny as expected.

A hilarious book about motherhood. I'm not a mother so some of the humour was a little lost on me, but I still found it a really enjoyable read.

Such a funny and relatable read. Can totally relate to this book about the “Joys” of motherhood, the chaos and the many up and downs of it all.

Such a good easy and funny read, would high recommend!

This was just the book I needed. A funny, honest and very relatable book about parenting. It wasn't all humor there were some serious moments too about the struggles of balancing being a parent, wife and a person trying to hold down a job. I listened to the audio along side reading and the narrator did an excellent job at capturing the mood of the book. I will definitely be reading the next one

Time Out is a funny tale of motherhood. The writing is sharp and witty, but it just didn't interest me. As funny as it is, it isn't my kind of funny.
DNF

A hilarious book about motherhood that I shared with my mommy friends. I have received positive feedback on this one. I am not a parent, but did find it funny at times.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to read and review this book.

After losing and replacing my broken Kindle and getting a new phone I was unable to download the title again for review as it was no longer available on Netgalley.

I’m really sorry about this and hope that it won’t affect you allowing me to read and review your titles in the future.

Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.
Natalie.

A fun and witty look at motherhood. Just the laugh-out-loud mom’s in the trenches need.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

While this book started out funny and very light, it started to go nowhere really fast for me, so much so that reaching the end, I kinda felt like nothing had happened despite all those pages having been written. I'm also a bit peeved when kids are made to be utter brats in stories about motherhood, so all things considered, I probably wasn't the best audience for this book as I had a hard time with those bratty kids and those mothers who seem to not be able to do anything about their child being the way they turn out to be

This book consists of 25 chapters that is split into 3 parts, this splitting into three parts is perfect for this book as it gives you a clear view of where the main character Saoirse grows. The character in herself is very relatable and as a reader you are able to see bits of yourself/ your views in the characters.
Now before I read this book I did see that someone described it as 'laugh out loud' now I wanted to make my own decision on this but as I read I had to agree with this comment. This book will have you giggling away to yourself from the very first chapter. One of the great things about this book apart from the laughing is that some chapter (clearly marked) take you into Saoirse past, which helps you as the reader understand the things she has gone through. The Author has used this as a great way to make you relate to the character even more and allows you to get more information on the background of the characters.
Overall I really enjoyed this book and found it to be well written. Not only that but this book really grips the reader and makes them want to read on. Once you start getting into this book you won't want to put it down until you finish it.

This is a witty and amusing look at the life of a parent which had me smiling, especially the parts where Saoirse read the latest postings from the local Mum's social media group. The 'Organics' Mums' responses were priceless. Beneath the surface of the humour. there is an important message about meeting others with kindness and offering the hand of friendship to people who may be lonely and under pressure.

Saoirse's relationship with her husband is under strain and although her husband, in her eyes, is full of irritating habits, it is interesting to hear her mother and Bea's take on him. You see that Saoirse's view of him may be a little unreliable. This is a fun read with a cast of slightly eccentric characters and some genuinely funny moments.

In short: A wry look at motherhood and marriage.
Thanks to the author for a copy of the book.

5☆ A Hilarious, Authentic, Relatable, Must Read!


Time Out is a hilarious, honest, relatable to mums and heart warming story of the "Joy's" of Motherhood!

Saoirse is Mum to 4yr old Anna and a ghost writer.
When her agent asks her to write a frank and honest book about Motherhood, she's apprehensive. But why can't she do it!
After all she is a Mum.

What follows next is delving into the trials and tribulations of Motherhood, dealing with fussy food, tantrums, social media mums groups, school, playground dramas and that's just the other Mums lol
Then there is hubby David who is a bit of an ass and seems to be great at doing nothing.

I loved the banter between best friend Bea and Saoirse, it was hilarious especially when they take on the "Organics "

I'm not a Mum but I can honestly see mums all around the world absolutely loving this book and nodding along at the ups, downs and chaos being a new Mum can bring. There is no manual to raising children.

Time Out was exactly what I needed right now, it's Hilarious, Witty, Brilliantly Written, Authentic, Compelling, Uplifting and so very relatable.
The characters are superbly written, and I really hope we get to read more from Saoirse.

If you are looking for an easy, light hearted, fun read that once you start reading be prepared to not put down then I can't recommend Time Out Enough!!


Thank you to Rachel Random Resources and Boldwood books for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Okay, so first things first, I'm not a mom in the traditional sense (I'm a "fur mom"!), but that doesn't mean this book didn't hit me just as hard! I mean really, as a child...time out's were viewed as things to be avoided, the result of causing too much trouble, the activity-less sentence those too young for bigger punishments were assigned while I diligently sat quietly wherever I was told too. Yep, I didn't really get time out's...though there was this ONE TIME, but that's a story for another post. Anywho...TIME OUT in the sense of this title isn't so much referring to that sort of activity, but rather someone actually taking time out from their everyday rat race to find themselves, reclaim the life they have lost, tackle that NEW THING that's come their way, and realize that sometimes life DOES suck, but in the end, it's really what we choose to make of the choices we're given that can change that tide.




Honestly? Sometimes I would kill (not really! Just figuratively!) for an actual TIME OUT. I mean, life gets scary busy with all the work obligations, family obligations, every-other-thing-that-pops-up-and-we-feel-compelled-to-say-yes-to obligations. It would be ABSOLUTELY LOVELY to have a Cube to hole up in (it's a gorgeous house on a cliff made mostly of glass and surrounded by stunning vistas, small towns, and good hearted people)...not to mention the FABULOUS support system our gal Saoirse has, even if she doesn't quite feel it at the start. Watching her struggles, listening to her inner monologue DYING to come out, seeing the constraints she put on herself loosen and her hair really come down was truly inspiring, uplifting, and a downright riot! Between the "adult words" aplenty (suppose to be good for the soul), the attraction that never should have been (really? He HAD to look like HIM?!), the Organics (let's just say it's sort of the mom version of Mean Girls), the riotous friends (especially Bea! OMG! She's a breath of fresh air!), and the book that may or may not end of being pitched as in thrown versus tried for, this story has so much going for it and then some!




So go ahead...cast aside your perfectly conveyed version of yourself for just a second and get down and dirty with a cast of characters that will accept you just the same!

The light- hearted, laid back blurb for Time Out had me requesting in from the publisher straight away.

Saoirse lives in London with her 4 year old daughter Anna and her husband is trying to juggle family life with being a ghost writer.

When her agent asks her to write about her experiences of motherhood, she's not sure she can do it, or what people will think.

She has tried various outlets in her attempts to find likeminded people in the same situation as her but so far has stumbled upon a forum for mothers which is of questionable help. A group for mothers and babies is not much help either and she seriously doubts whether she'll be able to find kindred spirits. That is, until she makes an unexpected friendship in Bea. Bea was amazing and someone I'd like to have known.

Time Out is laugh-out- loud, honest and at the same time, raw. I really liked Saoirse's take on life and how she analysed what life put her through. I was glad she was able to find support and friendship. I was rooting for her. Anna is loveable but is also a handful and her love of iPads and straight-talking attitude even at the tender age of 4 was endearing.

The pace of the novel is relaxing yet absorbing and I'm glad to have come across it. Time Out is the first novel I have of Emma Murray's and I recommend it to every woman, whether they are a mother or not, and also every man who wonders what motherhood is like for their wife or girlfriend.

Saoirse's account of her once-perfect relationship with her husband was riveting and it was eye-opening and upsetting all at once to be witness as to where, when and how the cracks started to appear. I felt for her and Anna.

Thanks to Emma Murray and Boldwood Books for my ARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

5 stars.

I'm not a mother, but for some reason I always really love reading from the perspective of one. Maybe it is excitement for the future? Maybe it is enjoying the freedom I still have, knowing I can sleep in till midday and not be woken up thirty times during the night? Maybe it's just because I say, "Oh my god, look how cute that baby is," whenever I see one far in the distance. I'm not sure. We always say we like narrators who are relatable, so it makes no sense that I have a connection here. But I do.

Saoirse (I love that name so much) was the kind of person I would love to be friends with. Although I don't have the same experiences as her and don't really know how accurate it is, it seemed so realistic and authentic, which made her all the more enjoyable to read. I think I would have enjoyed this even more if I was a mother myself, but don't go thinking you have to be one to enjoy it. We all go through periods of self-doubt, social media pressures, relationship struggles and friend woes so it is a book for any girl or woman, no matter your marital or maternal status.

This is exactly what I needed for a lockdown read in the sun, and I'll be passing my kindle to my own mother soon for her to read it too. It is hilarious and touching and light. The things the others mothers said were priceless. I loved seeing the value of true friends and the strain that kids put on relationships, and it kind of does show that there is no one way to navigate motherhood. And, more importantly, no one gets it right all the time.

Full review on The Writing Finch.

If there's one thing that I like doing, it's discovering new authors. Emma Murray is certainly a new author for me but having enjoyed reading 'Time Out' as much as I did, I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future. Overall I enjoyed reading 'Time Out' but more about that in a bit.
I have to be honest and say that it took me a little while to get into this book. I was feeling tired when I started to read the story and I was finding it difficult to concentrate for any length of time. I do think that the fact I am neither married nor a mother might have had something to do with it too as I found it a bit difficult to relate to Saoirse's story. However, once I got to the end of the first 50 pages or so, I was 'into' the story. I had to binge read 'Time Out' over the course of a few days. Boring things like life kept getting in the way. The pages turned quite quickly and I seemed to motor through the story. This was a fun, uncomplicated and light hearted read.
'Time Out' is well written. The author has one of those writing styles that is easy to get used to and easy to get along with. In fact reading this book felt more like a chat between friends rather than a book. I hope that makes sense. Emma drew me into the story eventually and I genuinely felt as though I was part of the story myself. I chuckled away to myself on more than one occasion whilst reading 'Time Out'.
In short and overall I did enjoy reading 'Time Out'. People with children will particularly enjoy 'Time Out'. I will definitely be reading more of this author's work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek board is a very well deserved 4* out of 5*.

Emma Murray's Time Out is hilarious and heartwarming. It's a funny, possibly exaggerated, yet honest look at how outrageously hard it can be to keep it all together while being a mom. At the same time, this book is a reminder of the importance of a support system: old friends, new friends, parents, and sometimes even a kind word from a stranger.

There is a fun surprise near the end; I probably should have seen it coming, but I didn't, and I loved that.

Moms of all ages and levels of parenting experience will enjoy this book. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for sharing an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was really keen to read this book but to my display it was slow and nothing really happened. I just felt it was more a biography of a writer putting together a synopsis. Shame. The characters had potential but unfortunately they just stayed as 2 dimensional characters on a page

I really related to the Saoirse, the main character in this book. I loved her humour, her insecurities, her strengths, her flaws and of course most importantly how she formed a fantastic friendship over a morning bottle of Prosecco.

There are so many laugh out loud moments in this book especially involving ‘Vale Mums ‘ the local facebook group. I’m sure so many of us can relate to playground politics or know someone from the perfect parent brigade.

This book covers everything from the realities of motherhood to the impact it can have on relationships and friendships. A lot of relationships have been under more strain since lockdown so anyone can find something to relate to regarding Saoirse’s marriage and friendships even without kids involved.

I really enjoyed getting to know the variety of characters in this book and found Saoirse’s interactions with her own Mum to be so true to life and brilliantly written.

This book takes place in both Ireland and London and had some great emotional and surprising twists and turns that I really enjoyed.

A relatable, real and refreshing read.

Thank you to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for my review copy!

I loved the honest description of a new mother’s struggle with sleep deprivation, isolation, resentment, and judgmental people, including other new moms.

This is just the sort of book which gladdens my heart because I’m sick of the “Motherhood is bliss!” brigade.

I could wholeheartedly relate to the snobbish, competitive new mothers who would rather die than admit that they were struggling, too.

I have also faced the brunt of uppity mothers who think their word is the last word in parenting, and the author cleverly calls such people the “Organics.”

“Don’t you EVER judge a sleep-deprived mother for giving her tantruming toddler a lollipop.”

I can also relate to the loss of self-esteem that a new mother faces.

“Ordinary, boring mum who has made zero impact on the world. It’s hardly the most flattering description, is it?”

And also the resentment she faces when she sees that NOTHING has changed in her husband’s life.

“More resentment built as I watched him enjoy his usual forty-minute shower-and-shave routine when I would be lucky to have a shower at all.”

Part I of the book is amazing with its description of how a new baby places undue stress on a marriage to the point of breaking.

Part II is where I felt the novel faltered because the plot was running away with no clear direction.

The plot regains its footing in Part III, with the grandmother delivering some hard truths about how social media is a poor substitute for the community support that had been present earlier.

The writing style clearly conveys the semi-hyper mood that Saoirse is in all the time, which to people without young children, may seem irritating or maddening. That’s what happens the first few years into parenthood and I’m glad this book doesn’t sugarcoat it.

I don’t think everybody can relate to this book, especially those who have not been around small children. But for mothers of babies and toddlers, this is the book that needed to be written!