Heartwarming and funny story of Lucy, a professional cellist and mum to a newborn and 4 year old, coming to terms with her son's possible ASD, and now living in London, having been born in Northern Ireland and brought up in Wales.

Since her husband is also a professional musician, they are used to working hard to build their careers and being asked to work at short notice. But whilst it was tough the first time, now Lucy feels at breaking point.

With her husband suddenly on a 3 week tour in America, and already juggling 2 children alone, one of whom she suspects may be on the autism spectrum, Lucy is reminded that she has a prior booking to perform a fiendishly difficult solo cello piece with a choir in less than a week. She has already been forced to turn down work, but with no one willing to take her place at such short notice, she has no choice but to make it happen somehow.

She's comprehensively destroyed the only toilet at the venue whilst getting ready for her concert, she's worried she's blown her son's chances of making school friends before he's even started, and her relationship with her husband is falling apart under the strain, with him seemingly oblivious to how much she is struggling. Through it all, Lucy hangs on with the support, love and humour of her brilliant best friends.

Such a relatable, heartbreaking yet funny read! As a mother of two I really enjoyed this book. I also found the parts dealing with parenting a child with autism really interesting.

If you like mumfiction then this is definitely worth a read. It was an enjoyable and relatable story if motherhood and the joys and struggles that come hand in hand with it. This book had a big focus on the autism spectrum which I think was explored well and I imagine alot of people will be able to relate to what Lucy is going through. It made me laugh in places as well as being able to nod along and know what Lucy is feeling. If you want a book that will hit home and make you chuckle then pick this up

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily.
Lucy's life as a renowned cellist has changed dramatically since the birth of her 2 sons and her husband Ed is far from helpful and supportive. The author's descriptions of events and emotions were very funny, although I thought so much swearing was unnecessary. The couple of twists at the end were predictable, but the revelation about Ed brought pathos as well as some relief for Lucy.
I enjoyed this realistic take on a contemporary family's issues, and think it will be popular with many young mums, if they can find the time to read it!

What a lovely book, full of happy and sad days with a child with autism.

Lucy was a musician until she become the mother of 2 boys. Stanley is 4 and likes body parts and his alphabet. He’s intelligent and Lucy knows something is up, after many appointments with doctors, he’s diagnosed with autism. She also has a baby boy and a husband Ed who’s a musician. The story is going to be familiar with many parents with autist children. They will be able to relate and it’s good that’s the author could write with having similar experiences. She knew what she writing about and it showed.

A great book, that’s full of laughs and the reality of a mummy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for a copy.

This was a surprisingly good read which made me laugh and cry. I loved the development of the characters, and the journey Lucy goes on. I loved the details of Stan's behaviour and the way Lucy's love for him shone through the pages. I thought the depiction of the journey into motherhood and the shifting priorities that brings were gently and sensitively played out on the pages. The only thing I wasn't so sure of was the amount of alcohol references and descriptions, they weren't out of place but jarred with some of my own experiences and expectations. Wonderful ending, having guessed some of the plot tie-ups, it all came together in a. big smile.

Honestly, I found reading this book a bit odd. Not in a bad way though. The reason I found it odd is that it has no real solid plot to speak of, it's just a walk through the daily trials and tribulations of a mother with two small children.
Despite the lack of defined storyline, I found the book instantly relatable. Within a couple of pages, I was rooting for Lucy and invested in what was going on in her familiarly hectic life. She feels like a mate that you could chat to down the pub, or meet up for coffee with, and at times I felt like I was reading my own mind. The character was written with warmth and honesty, both of which fed into the fact that I felt a kinship with her rather than feeling like she was moaning about everything in her life; a fine line to walk, but one that was walked well in this book.
Similarly, I instantly connected to the gorgeousness that is the character of Stanley. The precocious little toddler is so well-written that he steals the show from the minute he appears on the page. His journey throughout the book is, at times, hard to read and gut-wrenchingly challenging, but the author has done a wonderful job at showing the complexity of having a child on the autism spectrum. It's not something I knew much about before reading this book, but I now feel more informed and empathetic. My favourite part is how she captured the reality that the diagnosis is just that, a diagnosis. It doesn't change her relationship with her son at all, and actually serves to give her more confidence in her parenting. It packed a surprising emotional punch; it was beautiful and affirming.
It was a very funny, brutally honest look at parenting, especially in the first year of having two children (something I'm in the depths of right now and so really enjoyed reading about). There were a couple of moments of toilet humour that felt a little unnecessary, but otherwise I laughed and grinned my way through the whole thing.
Totally recommend for anyone who is more interested in talking about parenting for what it really is than living up to the Instagram hype of "modern parenting".

Katy Cox is the author behind “Carry on Katy”, a comedy blog known for its focus on parenting an autistic child and her debut novel expands on this, following the lives of Lucy Wright, husband Ed and their two sons, one of whom Lucy realises is autistic. Thirty-three-year-old Lucy is a professional musician but after nine years and two children with husband Ed, she has lost sight of the woman she once was and is starting to feel overwhelmed. Four-year-old Stan is a little bit different to other children his age and Lucy can no longer bury her head in the sand. He’s fiercely intelligent, very particular about routines and the way he likes things and is also obsessed with letters, numbers and body parts. Stan also has trouble socialising and frightening meltdowns that can turn heads. Ed’s passive-aggressive mother, Judith, is quick to advocate “tough love” and tell Lucy that she shouldn’t pander to Stan but Lucy has long suspected there might be something more significant behind Stan’s behaviour after Dr Google led her to the term Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

I expect most readers will have an understanding of the autism spectrum given how many families it affects, so what Lucy faces is unlikely to surprise or enlighten many, but I expect it to be deeply reassuring for those who recognise their own family life reflected in the Wright’s struggles. From having to prepare for handling party games that Stan won’t always win to drawing up bullet-pointed lists for babysitters and attention grabbing violent meltdowns, Lucy faces it all on the road to acceptance and ultimately embracing Stan’s differences. The novel could have really overegged the portrayal of Stan’s autistic traits and it is to Katy Cox’s credit that this is very much a realistic story of wider family life with autism. What is patently obvious from the first chapters are the similarities between Ed in childhood and Stan, Ed’s difficulty communicating and the lack of support that Lucy receives from him in regard to their joint parental responsibilities.

The novel is written in the first-person by Lucy and was rather hit and miss for me as I found it frequently tipped over into too sweary and crude and jarred with how sensitively Cox handled every aspect of Stan’s autism and how honest she was about Lucy’s vulnerability as her family threatens to fall apart. Despite not particularly warming to Lucy, her struggles with Stan and her growing recognition about where his autism may have come from do make her an extremely relatable character. Although the story itself isn’t uproariously funny it is gently amusing and very fast-moving with short punchy chapters that make for an easy, albeit predictable read. A solid mummy memoir but I wanted more of a focus on the autism aspect and less of Lucy getting drunk and her whole comedy show.

M is for Mummy is written from the perspective of family woman and renowned celloist Lucy, we spend weeks in her shoes witnessing how her life has changed since starting a family with her husband Ed, she has gone from being a “yes” musician to having to arrange childcare and keep her (and her families) life in order whilst also trying to still play concerts and gigs as her cello is her passion.

“No more comparing, no more despairing”

This book gave me every single emotion possible; I was howling with laughter (especially at the IKEA scene with her and Ed, never has there been such truer representation!) plus there were times I bawled my eyes out (such as Stanley declaring that Lucy is the femur - no spoilers you will understand when you read) and I felt Lucy’s frustrations with life with this idea that she has to mingle with the "Starbucks” mums and that she needs to diet to lose the “baby fat”. There are times that this book just made me feel completely seen, as a mother of two young boys
myself (with the first being assessed for autism) this book was such a lightbulb for me, being able to validate my feelings and realising that I am not alone with all that I am going through, and I truly appreciate the author for that.

There were a couple of points in the book that I struggled with, the church faeces scene cringed me out, and I was a little uncomfortable reading that, as well as calling the more petite woman at the slimming class “skinnies” but other than that this book is a fantastic read and I would definitely recommend it to others, those that are parents and even those that want to become parents, because believe me being a
parent is not all sunshine and rainbows, and I love the fact that the author includes the lows of family life, especially with a child with ASD, ad unfortunately there are still individuals out there who cannot comprehend the idea of ASD and just accuse young
children of having tantrums, and I like the fact that the author approached this issue in the book in a more productive manner.

A message from a mum reader:
“Autism is a spectrum – a huge spectrum at that. I’ve spent countless hours educating myself about it and I’ve learnt that no two autistic children are the same"

Thank you to
the author for this quote, it completely stuck with me, as I have been self-obsessing over just how many traits my son portrays, and spend hours convincing myself "maybe it is just behavioural problems” so to read this has helped me realise that actually he does display some autistic traits and the more I brush them off the less
chance of a diagnosis, so thank you Lucy!

A funny, heartwarming depiction of family life. Definitely resonated with me as a mum of a 4-year-old son; I identified with Lucy on so many levels, it made me laugh and it made me think.
I read it very quickly because it was written very well and very entertaining. The only thing keeping me from giving 5 stars is that I thought some parts were a bit exaggerated, maybe for a comic effect, but I found it a bit too much.

Overall, a great lighthearted book that I recommend.

Lucy is juggling her career as a cellist with life as a mum of two boys.
Her eldest Stan she is certain is on the autism spectrum and her youngest Jack is a baby. Her mother-in-law is disapproving and judgy as hell while being in complete denial that she had raised a man child (goodness me, Ed's husband was so freaking selfish and annoying!) I loved Lucy's relationship with her best friends Jen and Charlie.
This book was brilliant. It had me howling with laughter and at times sobbing. A brilliant portrayal of a child with autism, the struggle to obtain a diagnosis and the judgy mum club.
Thank you to NetGalley and Atlantic Books for the eArc.

I absolutely loved this! I could related to so many things this author wrote about it really made me smile at every page.
First from this author for me and definitely in my favourites list!

This book is excellently written and described but I just couldn't get into it when reading. I normally like this genre however it is not my favourite. For someone who loves this genre, you would love this book without a doubt.

This started out as a laugh out loud mummy memoir which had me chuckling along as the realities of birth really resonated with me but then it explored what it is to have a child that does not fit in with societal norms. Lucy is a cellist with two young children trying to juggle a return to the fickle world as a self employed musician and looking after a demanding child and baby. Stan is a delightful four year old that immediately had my heart refering to his parents as 'Excuse me'. He is fixated on number and letter puzzles in any language an obviously bright child but one who has real touble socialising and managing his emotions. Her love for her son and husband is evident as she tries to find answers that will help the family navigate daily life. This was really well written with relatable characters as well as balancing the humour with serious topics. I read this incredibly quickly as I just wanted to keep reading which is always the sign of a good book.

A book full of laugh and cry moments . She is a mother of two beautiful and amazing boys . She is a cello player who has almost a year to perform because she is busy with her kids . She is seeing her eldest to strangle with everyday issues and she is almost certain that he has autism spectrum disorder . She is trying very hard to be there for him and understand him . I loved her relationship with her besties .
I received this book from net galley and the publisher as an ARC. Thank you! All thoughts and opinions are my own

I really enjoyed this book, it brought back memories of when my children were little and you could relate to what the mum is going through. was funny to read

From the second I discovered this book existed, I had a feeling I was going to love it, and I wasn't wrong, although love isn't a strong enough word - it's a wonderful book.

I always enjoy reading books featuring young families and seeing how they cope and within the first few pages I was laughing with that opening, and then as we meet Stan, I found him incredibly endearing to start and very loveable.

In fact I'm really really hoping this may be the start of a series, because I already need another fix of Stan, and I love baby Jack too, and seeing just what may happen next with Lucy and Ed. I enjoyed seeing their ups and downs, and also the various situations Lucy gets herself into.

There is a lot of humour to be had with this book, as well as a heart meltingly perfect finale that was unexpected in its nature but just worked for the characters.

It is also though a look at parenthood when one of your children is clearly a bit different from the average child. It was fairly obvious to me what the diagnosis would be for Stan, but he is just a loveable boy, and Lucy is doing her best to understand him, that he really is just Stanley.

From having worked with some children a bit like Stanley I get the feeling that this is rather authentic, and all the concerns Lucy expresses are realistic and valid. I find all of this made them very relatable too, and something that parents will especially enjoy reading, as I suspect they will see elements of their own experiences reflected in this.

This is one rather special family that has wormed its way into my heart, and I really want more from them, A very entertaining debut novel, from an author I will certainly be keen to read more from.

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

In a crowded market, this book stands out. as the family faces more than the usual number of challeges. I also loved the fact that 'Mummy' also has a job that she enjoys and is good at and the value of her working outside the home is explored in a non judgmental way. I found the book a little too long, and I could have done without the surprise pregnancy but the end was genuinely moving.

I loved the narrative perspective of this book. The frustration that Lucy constantly feels is palpable and I'm sure every reader will be shouting in their heads that it isn't too hard to see where her son's autism has originated! However, it's a happy book too. For those who don't have family members on the spectrum, it's a good way of communicating those challenges in an entertaining but sensitive way. I thought it was a great read - well written and observed and really engaging.

M is for Mummy was a great read that really grew on me. At the start I thought the author was trying too hard to be funny and I was worried that it was going to irritate me right till the end but, as the story progressed it settled down into a very engaging read.

Stan is a star and because I'm also watching Young Sheldon, I had a picture in my head of what he would look and act like. He was so endearing with his grasp of numbers and anatomy. The author did an excellent job of describing how difficult life can be as a mother to an autistic child and she did it with good humour and a lot of patience.