I loved this book which was full of humour
I loved the characters and the relationships between them
The book handles so difficult situations but it is dealt with sensitively

Although I missed the first book of this series, I jumped straight in with this offering from Murray. There was plenty of background given to the characters and I didn’t feel like I had not read the first story.

This was an enjoyable read that had me chuckling with Murray’s portrayal of the school run, school mums and the dreaded WhatsApp group. I think Murray expertly portrays this element of parenthood and it was something that felt more than realistic. Although some hyperbole was involved, I found myself cringing at how much I could relate to Saoirse’s experiences. This was the funniest theme of the story and I do wish Murray had added more of these chuckles along the way.

Not only do we see Saoirse’s juggling of parenting and working, readers witness how supportive Saoirse is of her friends. Here there are more tougher ideas explored and I thought this brought a different side to the narrative. From single parenting to marriage breakdowns, this book is not just the fun-loving story that I was anticipating. Adding a more sombre element to the narrative, this is why I was hoping for more comedic moments to lighten the atmosphere. On the other hand, I thought the portrayal of these struggles to be very realistic and my heart did break for some characters over the story.

Saoirse’s daughter, Anna, seems to be a force upon herself! I thought she was a right little madam and was exasperated by Saoirse and her husband’s parenting techniques. Too much emphasis was placed on putting Anna in front of the iPad to keep her quiet; she barely seems to be seen playing with toys but often watching screens in a quick method to keep her from disturbing the parents. It was funny in the earlier parts of the story but it did make me increasingly uncomfortable, especially combined with the amount of bribery and tantrums that are seen in between. I think Murray could have balanced this parenting out a bit more as this exaggeration made the story less entertaining for me.

The characters that surround Saoirse are all very relatable and I am certain readers will be able to identify them in their own friendship circles – I certainly could! Even though there are obvious backstories to some of the characters from the first book, I barely noticed because of Murray’s vivid characterisation. This added to the entertaining element of the novel and left me excited to see the next adventure of Saoirse and her family.

With thanks to Boldwood books and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Strange enough when I didn't like Book 1 of a series at all, and end up enjoying Book 2 - and it was the case here. I think the author and Saoirse themselves both found their rhythms here. The mums are over-the-top: we know it, so no need to go overboard. The kids are little things being tyrants and living in their own worlds: we know it, too, so no need to paint them like irredeemable brats. Saoirse is human and not super-mum: we also know this and we can now settle down to read about her life and all that's going on in it
And boy is there a lot going on! Funny at times, cringe-worthy at many others, but this one was a light and casual ride where Book 1 to me felt like a never-ending rollercoaster.
Not sure I'm really looking forward to Book3 now (if it comes!), but I'm tempted to take a look

In a sequel to Time Out, daughter Anna has now started grade school. I don't have children, but I could relate to the super judgy mom's in this story. This happens in the workplace as well. Such a fun read!

I didn't think I would like this book, but I really did. While at times the humour was more crass than I would like, the narrative of juggling as a mom was hilarious, and at times so outlandish it was relatable. It was a good light read, but reader be warned of the cursing and crassness found within!

With thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to reading this one, as a mother of three and an outsider at the school gate. I was hoping for some humorous similarities, an ability to relate and some good laughs. Unfortunately it didn’t really live up to expectations. I managed a few chuckles but that’s about as far as it went. That said, it was easy to read and I was able to zoom through it. Perhaps that’s partly because a lot of wordage went to unnecessary use and it was easy to skip words and here and there, but it was also because the story had a decent flow and plenty going on for such a small number of characters... it was a bit like watching a soap! The story line of the inventor in the boat was just weird!

I’d say it’s a quick easy read, a little like those free books you used to get on the front of magazines like Cosmo, but with less descriptive sex. It’s amusing at times and occasionally relatable if you take the exaggerations with a pinch of salt. It’ll do for a long train ride or the beach but I’m not inclined to seek out book 1 in the series. Light chic lit with some very odd characters. Hmm 🤔

The Juggle was my first introduction to Emma Murray’s novels and main character, Saoirse but I feel it can be read as a standalone if you’ve not read the previous novel, Time Out.

From beginning to end, I was hooked. There were so many laugh out loud lines and moments. Emma Murray is great at finding the humour in any situation. I am not a mother but even I found Saoirse relatable as she tried to navigate through the daily demands of life. We’ve all been that person who is trying to work out how and where they fit in, like our main character every time she enters the playground.

There were characters I loved and ones (Tania) that I wanted to slap. I also didn’t know what to make of Sebastian to begin with.

The writing style is conversational, almost like you’re having a drink and a rant/laugh/catch up with your best friend.

That is all I am going to say about the plot. I am really hoping this is a book you will add to the ‘to be read’ pile.

It’s a touching story that’s hard to put down. It’s about friendship, motherhood, relationships and having it all. Plus, it’s outright hilarious. You and Saoirse most definitely have a new fan, Emma.

I couldnt put this book down such a great book and extremely well written, such warm fuzzy feelings whilst reading it. I will definately be looking for more books by Emma. I was so emotionally connected with the characters.

Saoirse is juggling her 4-year-old's tantrums, the "school walk" and facing the Organics (the obnoxious moms who judge everyone else's mothering efforts and find them lacking; aka - the "mean moms"), her husband being laid off, and feeling pressured to take a lucrative ghost writing gig with an eccentric because of the pay check he is offering.

I had a hard time with this book for the first solid half. I was contemplating abandoning it (which I seldom do) but then I realized I wanted to know what Sebastian's invention was, if Saoirse would ever one-up the Organics, if David would build a relationship with his birth mother and find a job. I was more engaged toward the end of the book, and then I found out there was a previous book about Saoirse titled "Time Out" that would have probably filled in some of the gaps I was having difficulty connecting in "The Juggle." I definitely recommend you read these books in order. Also, the ending practically assures a #3 tale about Saoirse, David, and Anna.

Readers Advisory recommendation for those who like Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series.

Time Out left us with a jaw dropping cliffhanger so it was great to finally catch up with Saoirse in Emma Murray’s new sequel to find out how life has been treating her since then.

After this year more than ever we can all relate to Saoirse as she continues to try and balance motherhood with work, friendships and keeping her marriage on track.

Things become even harder when her husband David loses his job and she takes on the added responsibility of being the main breadwinner. Thankfully a job comes along that seems like the answer to all her prays but could it be too good to be true?

As you turn every page you wonder what ball Saoirse might end up accidentally dropping first which always leads to a hilarious encounter, usually at her expense.

The Juggle like life itself is full of really important emotional issues and some awful life changing moments all mixed in with the mundane and rawness of real family life. This includes everything from the politics of the school playground to even ending up at the police station.

The Juggle is a relatable and refreshing read that is jam-packed with life’s highs and lows.

The Juggle by Emma Murray

Mother of one, Saoirse is just about holding it all together - combining part time work, and the school run, while her husband, David, gets to focus on his career. But when David closes his job, everything changes.

A book that reverses the roles of marriage - Dad loses job - stays cat home to take care of their child. Mom becomes the breadwinner. They have to deal with some catty women at the school yard. I wasn’t overly fond of this book. The plot did not have any twists, turns, or surprises. The reading of it was very slow.

Thanks to Net Galley for sending me an advanced reader’s copy for review.

Enjoyable story with more than a few laugh it’s loud moments. The characters are easy to identify with and very likeable. There was a feeling of the story drifting about two thirds of the way through. I didn’t treatise there was book preceding this and this book could definitely be read as an entertaining standalone. Would definitely read more!

Thank you Netgalley

I have to admit it took me a while to get into this book. I nearly gave up, but at the end I was glad I didn't as it got better. The main character is a mum Saoirse , with a 4 year old daughter and a husband, who was the main breadwinner, but lost his job. Saoirse is more than happy to look for work and have a break from looking after her strong willed daughter and cooking. She finds work as a ghost writer, but not everything is at it seems. She doesn't really like the person she is working for. Her husband is enjoying his time and home and doing what he likes the best - cooking.
If you can't get into this book when you start reading it, don't give up and I'm sure you will enjoyed it.

Saiorse is a writer trying to make a living whilst supporting her out of work husband and young tantrum throwing child. She thinks some of her problems are solved when she lands a ghost writing job that advances her $50,000 even though her new boss has some odd ideas. Meanwhile she is also juggling the harsh school gate mums, her husbands hunt for his birth mother and her friends miscarriage. Hence “The Juggle.” An enjoyable story that most mums could relate to, trying to do everything for everyone. Looking forward to reading more from Emma.

A Sensational Sequel!
I can’t tell you how wonderful it is to be back with Saoirse in her world! The Juggle sees the domestic tables turned on Saoirse and David’s home life, when Saoirse gets an offer she cannot refuse to ghost write a book. Will Saoirse be able to pull out the stops and write the book on possibly the weirdest subject ever, or will she be derailed by the demands of family life, trying to impress her new friend Sho (a welcome antidote to the toxic Organics, terror of Woodvale) and also be there for the seemingly indestructible Bea? Find out in this brilliant follow up to Time Out.

I’m a huge fan of Emma Murray, and The Juggle is the sequel I’d been waiting for. It was an utter delight to hang out with Saoirse, Bea, and Saoirse’s Ebay entrepreneur mother again. Emma Murray’s writing is so deft: rib ticklingly funny and also heartbreakingly poignant at times that the reader is swept along with Saoirse and her cast of supporting characters as they navigate their increasingly hectic lives. It was a complete joy to be back in their world, and I finished The Juggle immediately wanting more. I think I said this at the end of Time Out, too, but I cannot wait for the next instalment!

Well, what can I say about this absolute gem of a book? I just loved it from the first page to the last. In fact, I loved it so much that when I had read the first few pages and realised that this was the second book in a series, I quickly bought the first book, Time Out, and read it before continuing on with this one. This book is perfectly fine as a standalone, but I just really wanted to see what had gone on before, and I was so glad I did, because I enjoyed both of them so much.

This book is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. In fact, I’d recommend that you be very careful if you’re reading it in public. Saoirse is a great character, she’s caring and funny. honest and self-deprecating, and a really good laugh. She and her friend Bea are a great pair, though there are some tough times for them in this book. I love the character of Saoirse’s mum too, who is a real Irish Mammy, without being stereotyped. All the characters are so authentic, you feel as if you know them. The dialogue is so real too, as a fellow Dub I really appreciate the sense of humour and the phrases that we use.

As an insight into motherhood, this book is both hilarious, and all too true! The school mums’ WhatsApp group is just brilliant, with the barely concealed competitiveness and sniping.

When I turned the last page I was so sorry that it was finished, and we are left with a bit of a cliffhanger too! I only hope that Emma Murray is a fast writer, because I can’t wait for the next one.

Women everywhere will find pieces of themselves in Emma Murray’s hilarious, astute and immensely enjoyable new novel The Juggle.

If multi-tasking was an Olympic sport, Saoirse would win gold every time. The mother of one is juggling the demands of motherhood with her part-time job and she is just about holding it together. With her husband David focusing on his career while she looks after their child and their home, Saoirse has become an expert at juggling a million and one balls – until the rug is well and truly pulled from under feet when David makes a shocking announcement that turns her entire life upside down: he’s lost his job! What on earth are they going to do now? With bills to pay and a child to feed and clothe – not to mention keeping a roof over everybody’s head – Saoirse cannot afford to panic or wallow in self-pity so she decides to take the bull by the horns and become the main breadwinner while David takes a more active role at home. After all, how hard can it be? However, Saoirse soon realises that having it all is not as easy as she had initially thought…

There never seem to be enough hours in the day to do everything and with her hours at work increasing, her time at home seems to be decreasing to such an extent that she never sees her family. But could Saoirse’s luck be about to change? When a new client offers her a life-changing sum of money, Saoirse thinks that finally all of her woes are coming to an end and that she will be able to hold her head high at the school gates and look the over-achieving mums in the eye without feeling inferior. But just when Saoirse thinks that she can have it all, she gets a massive shock when she realizes that taking your eye off the ball will have shocking repercussions and consequences nobody could have possibly foreseen.

Will happiness and fulfillment ever be within her reach? Or is Saoirse destined for disappointment?

Every single woman in the world is going to relate to Emma Murray’s brilliantly funny and immensely realistic novel, The Juggle. Sharp, witty and a book that will have readers laughing and crying, The Juggle is a terrific read about having it all, keeping far too many balls spinning in the air and the plethora of miracles women are expected to perform on a daily basis while holding down a job, bringing up kids and having dinner ready on the table all while looking stylish and fabulous with a home straight out of a lifestyle magazine that is so acutely and believably written that readers will feel as if Emma Murray has an insight into their mind and soul.

Superbly told and with a brilliant heroine, Emma Murray’s The Juggle is a fantastic read women of all ages are going to love!

It may be unfair, but any book centered around a mother who’s trying to balance kids and career will be compared to the grandmother of Mom Lit, Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It. Although it’s been more than twenty years since I attempted this high-wire act myself, I loved Pearson’s book (and especially its sequel, How Hard Can It Be?) so much that I’ll look at any novel with a similar plot. (I may be the only person looking forward to the COVID versions of this story.) My latest read in this genre, Emma Murray’s The Juggle, doesn’t have the gravitas of Pearson’s work, but it’s an enjoyable escape all the same.

For the rest of the review, click on the link below.

This is a warm and witty sequel and has all the qualities which I enjoyed in Time Out. Saoirse's observations in the school playground are as cutting as ever and I was delighted to see that 'The Organics' had not changed one jot. Having read that Emma has been a ghost-writer, I did wonder how many of her writing experiences were based on real life!

There are different types of friendships on offer in the story and some of the characters are hard to read. Are they sincere or not? There is also the issue of adoption beneath the surface and the complicated reactions of all parties. I did love watching Saoirse's child, Anna, and her reactions to events.. She is a great source of humour! I'm sure that all Mums will find plenty to relate to in the juggle that Saoirse's daily life has become!

In short: A romcom which quivers with energy!

I am sorry to say but I expected more. Being a single mum with the full-time job I remember only to vividly the times when my daughter was 4. I was doing home renovations, while working full-time and battling cancer. Yes, I had help, but I raised help as well. I was looking for a light, fun read about the times we (mums) all went through: schoolyard mothers' bullying, fussy eating, juggling all the responsibilities and trying to keep sane, but...

I could not identify with any of the characters. And could not see humour in any of the interactions.