A heartwarming story with realistic themes. It always helps when you warm to the characters. Would recommend.

A captivating read about life, death and everything in between. This book pulled at my heartstrings and made me appreciate the people around me more!

Read reviews of And Then There's Margaret and some of them were not real happy with the character of Margaret. Margaret is a character all right but she definitely made the story interesting. I myself love the story and would recommend it as a story to read.

This is one of those books that I really had to let soak in. Allie is a complex middle-aged woman who is dealing with many relatable issues that life throws out. Her mother in law Margaret is a night-mare. Poor Hank is stuck in the middle in a no win situation between the two woman he loves. Although I wish Hank would have stuck up for his wife, Aliie more, Allie is equally to blame in the tension between the two women. There were some funny, ridiculous moments as the story plays out but I wouldn't say it was a laugh out loud book. It was an enjoyable read and when it ended I couldn't help but think if only the conclusion made at the end happened a lot sooner a lot of heart ache would have been spared. I received a complimentary copy of this book through It's a quick read and I recommend giving it a go. NetGalley and the publisher. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I didn’t care much for Margaret or Allie but I thought the plot was interesting and well written.
Many thanks to Black Rose Writing and to NetGalley for sharing a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you to Black Rose Writing and NetGalley for an e-ARC of this novel in exchange for a review. This novel released on July 21, 2022.

This book was funny and made me happy I don't have a mother in law like this. I didn't want to out it down so I could find out what happens

Really good book. The plot was well-written and engrossing. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Allie is a woman living the normal midlife woes. Marriage, teens, and of course in laws. Namely, her overbearing and over reaching mother-in-law, Margaret. In the wake of her father-in-law’s passing, Allie finds herself thrust into close quarters with Margaret. What started as “She shouldn’t be alone.” quickly turns to “When’s she going home?!” While Allie tries to navigate her own mid-life struggles, she also attempts to avoid being caught in the same room as her mother-in-law.
This was a quick and funny read. For any woman approaching mid-life, you will find this book both relatable and lighthearted. I think we can all relate to Allie in many ways. I felt like we were at times living parallel The author did a wonderful job in that regard! I found the first 2/3 of the story to be very entertaining while also developing the character herself. I found myself smiling as I picked this up to read. But I wouldn’t say there was a plot with much depth. There was a moment in the last few chapters of the book where I thought we were going to good a really good look at who Margaret was, but it was only a quick glimpse. It left me wanting just a little more. I enjoyed how the story wrapped up in the end but I found it a little fats. I could have just as easily enjoyed reading more about how Margaret and Allie’s new dynamic grows over time and how Allie’s new adventure pans out. Overall it was an enjoyable read that I would recommend to friends looking for a lighthearted quick read.

I am always into reading stories about family dysfunction but I am not so sure about this novel. I couldn't get in to the novel at all. The writing style was really off putting.

This is a very funny humourous book about a dysfunctional family. I did enjoy it and laughed out loud a few times. What I didn't like was the length of the book as it was repetitive and I didn't feel for any of the characters but it was a fantastic storyline. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.#netgalley #andthentheresmargaret

And Then There's Margaret by Carolyn Clarke is a novel about a dysfunctional family with toxic relationships and the overstepping of boundaries.

EXCERPT: I unzipped my coat and stuffed my hat into my coat pocket, without taking my eyes off her. 'What happened?' I asked, certain I didn't want to know.

She paused before she replied, her head falling. 'It was an accident, of course - she was trying her version of resuscitation on George. We couldn't get her off him.' Helen managed to keep a straight face. 'She's a feisty old girl. Anyway, don't be alarmed if you see blood on the sheets.'

'Sorry, Helen,' I said. 'I hope she hasn't caused too much trouble around here.'

She let out a little sigh. 'It's okay. I know it hasn't been easy for her.'

'Yeah, I know . . . but I'm sure it hasn't been for the staff either - so thank you.' I gave her a quick but heartfelt hug before motioning Cameron to follow me down the hall.

'YOU MAY NEED TO CONSIDER HAVING HER STAY WITH YOU FOR A WHILE,' Helen called out.

I froze in my tracks, squeezing my eyes tight. What?

ABOUT 'AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET': Marriage and midlife can be difficult. But when you add a controlling, manipulative and self- absorbed mother-in-law into the mix, things can get worse-much worse. Toxic, even.

When Allison Montgomery's beloved father-in-law and long-time confidant passes away, her mother- in-law, Margaret, 'temporarily' moves in. From rearranging the furniture and taking over the kitchen, to undermining and embarrassing Allie at every turn, including funding her daughter's escape, throwing a hissy fit at the mall, and publicly equating Allie's glass of Chardonnay to full blown alcoholism, Margaret turns Allie's life upside down causing her to bounce between a sincere desire to support her grieving mother-in-law and an intense urge to simply push her out of the nearest window. Feeling annoyed, trapped and even a little childish, Allie struggles to avoid a complete meltdown with help from her fearless and audacious best friend, a plan for reinventing herself and enjoying a second act, and, yes, a few glasses of Chardonnay. Along the way, Allie discovers the reasons behind Margaret's attitude toward her all these years. Does it help? Maybe...

MY THOUGHTS: Poor Henry (Hank) is the meat in the sandwich here! I felt so sorry for this man. He's rather a sweetie. Neither his mother, Margaret, nor his wife, Allie, are particularly nice people.

Margaret is manipulative, critical and, at times, downright nasty. But, to be honest, I think her character was a little over done. Who is going to go into their son's home and move the furniture? Really? And logistically? I can't even move my own furniture without help.

Allie is old enough to realise that you never try to come between a man and his mother. Most men are well aware of their mother's shortcomings but, hey, it's his mother. She's the one who loved and raised him, instilled his values, so she must have done something right. Have a laugh with him about her. If she wants to do your housework, tell her to knock herself out! I'd be damned grateful if my mother-in-law wanted to do my housework. I'd happily let her. And wander off to have wine with my friends while she did it. But I would set boundaries for her. Interfering with the raising of Allie and Hank's children is definitely off-limits. But that's something to tackle as a couple, and Allie and Hank don't seem to have great communication. I found Allie to be quite a miserable, whiny character. I didn't much like her.

No wonder poor Hank has a heart attack!

The ending was unrealistic, and felt forced and rushed, although the book was more than long enough.

I was expecting a humorous 'mother-in-law from hell' romp. I was disappointed. I didn't find this at all funny. In fact, I thought it was rather sad.

⭐⭐. 3

#AndThenTheresMargaret #NetGalley

I: @carolynclarkeauthor @blackrosewriting

T: @CarolynRClarke @brwpublisher

#contemporaryfiction #familydrama

THE AUTHOR: Carolyn Clarke is the founder and curator of Henlit Central, a ‘life and lighting’ blog for women over 40. “And Margaret” is her first novel. She has been teaching English for over sixteen years and has co-authored several articles and resources. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with Toni, her two daughters, and Sophie, a bulldog.

DISCLOSURE: Thank you to Black Rose Writing via Netgalley for providing a digital ARC of And Then There's Margaret by Carolyn Clarke for review. All opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own personal opinions.

For an explanation of my rating system please refer to my Goodreads.com profile page or the about page on sandysbookaday.wordpress.com

This review is also published on Twitter, Amazon, Instagram and my webpage.

I received a complimentary copy of this book "And Then There's Margaret" and all opinions expressed are my own. Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I didn't find it funny or amusing. I tried but this was a did not finish.

And Then There's Margaret is the story of "Allie" and her disfunctional family, particularly here mother in law, Margaret. After the passing of her beloved father in law, Margaret moves in with Allie and the family and makes their life a living hell. Constantly belittling and correcting everything they do, over stepping her boundaries and sticking her nose in everyone's business soon has Allie at her wits end and the house turned upside down.

I was pretty excited to read this one, and while it started out with some promise, it quickly took a nose dive for me. After reading about 25% of the book, I got so tired of Margaret's rude and disrespectful behavior that even as a reader, I was irritated, let alone how the character of the book was supposed to function with that type of behavior. It also made the main character, Allie, annoying to me as well. I felt like all she did was run away and drink The book got very annoying and monotonous very quickly for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for my opinion and review.

We've all heard the horror stories about mothers-in-law but Margaret would take the cake for the absolute worst. The story is told through the eyes of the daughter-in-law who isn't 100% innocent in the development of the bad relationship. The time period covered is right after the death of the father-in-law who was a saint and shows how the relationship affects how the whole family reacts during the grieving period. I can only say that I'm so glad both of my mothers-in-law were the polar opposite of Margaret. I highly recommend this book.

I enjoyed this book and read it quickly. Alli has had trouble from her mother-in-law right from the start of the relationship with her husband. As the book starts, Margaret's husband, George passes away. He has been the buffer in the relationship between Alli and her m-i-l . Margaret moves in with the son, Alli and family and is interfering with family life and plainly giving her opinions about almost everything.
Mostly well told, funny and realistic. I felt that it lost a little momentum when Alli was indecisive about her future career plans, though it did pick up again.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

It was a great book! I highly recommend it. I have lived with my Mother in law before. It is not easy.

There are always points of disagreement within any family, BUT, when Allie's mother in law moves in with the family after her husband's death, disagreement seems to be the only interaction between the two women. Carolyn Clarke keeps the story line moving in high gear as we try to keep up with Allie, a character that I recognize in many of my friends as we reach "that age" and start to wonder what the next stage in life holds for us. AND THEN THERE'S MARGARET gives us both sides of the coin toss, a loving family and an in law that we love to hate. A very entertaining story line set in a recognizable community and populated with human egos and hurt feelings. The writing is so well done that I finished the book in one afternoon/ evening and was sorry to see it end.

Highly recommend if you want a fun, easy read with lovable characters.
The book cover is eye-catching and appealing and would spark my interest if in a bookshop.