I liked <i>How to Make Time for Me</i> more than I thought I would. I’m definitely not at a point in my life where I understand everything that Callie is going through, but I really felt a sense of care for her every second I spent inside her head. Her chaotic life is one you can feel viscerally, knowing all the good but also the pitfalls that come with her situation.

And I really appreciated it. I adored her push forward attitude, had real fun with her love interest, and saw a plot that engaged so many different layers to a single mother’s life that I can’t help feeling impressed with the author’s writing abilities.

All of that said, though, I don’t know if this is a book I would ever come back to. It doesn’t stay with you long after you’ve read it. You don’t miss the characters desperately or wish you could have spent more time with them. Rather, you’re just happy with where they end up and ready to move forward to something new.

Which I suppose is great in its own regard.

I don’t have a lot to say about the narrator. She did a good job and is surprisingly memorable, but nothing blew me away or anything.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aria Publishing for access to the audiobook of How to Make Time for Me by Fiona Perrin in exchange for an honest review.

CW: misogyny, see full list on StoryGraph

Callie Brown, a single mother to three children has her world upended when her ex-husband and his new wife begin fighting for custody of his biological son because they wish to move him to South Africa for better educational opportunities. In the midst of starting a legal battle where she has little ground to stand on, Callie starts dating.

Um.....first of all, the title of this book has absolutely nothing to do with the plot or content. Based on the title, I was led to believe that this was going to be a story about a middle aged woman finally learning to set boundaries and meet her own physical and emotional needs. We all know that this is a common struggle for single moms. I hoped this would be a story of growth for Callie, but alas it was not. The implied message that Callie was going to begin doing things for herself was only true in the sense that she started dating. And the man she was dating was an absolute asshat.

I gave this book two stars because the central conflict was actually quite interesting. It was genuinely enjoyable for me to think through the ethical and legal implications of this situation. Callie is neither the biological or legally adoptive parent or guardian of her son, but he does call her mom, considers her to be his mom, and she has been the only significant caretaker in his life. Additionally, the son is 16, so his agency and choice is taken into account, but he is caught between his two parents. It was a complex problem. I wish the whole of the book could have been focused on this conflict and that the book would have been marketed as a literary fiction rather than a contemporary romance.

Narrated by Imogen Church ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This narrator was brilliant!!

Story by Fiona Perrin ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Oh my God!! How have I never heard of this author before!! The way she writes is my internal thoughts and sarcasm.
I can't wait to start How Not to Get Divorced next.

Enjoyed this one. Got it on libby as the approval was way too tight from.when approved and how qyick it archived which ia unfortunate wish there would be 2 to 3 weeks minimum . Great narration and great story. Definitely recommend.

The audio narrator is amazing. She does a Fanta job at conveying the emotions and voice of each character.

The author does a good job at character development throughout the book. She takes a light hearted approach to many difficult topics, while seamlessly moving the plot forward. Definitely a great book for people who are dealing with or who have dealt with teens. This story will make you feel like you are not alone.

Callie is a single mum of two teenage girls and also a full time parent to her ex’s teenage son. After being run down by her neighbour on his bike she spirals into the fact she feels invisible after making no time for herself. A few tricky situations later and she finally realises why she needs to make time for herself.

This was a lovely, heartwarming read with enough family drama to keep you reading. Callie is an incredible mum and her character was so loveable, and I imagine relatable to anyone who has kids.

I couldn’t get over the fact she is actually called Calipso and it irritated me every time I heard it! With that aside, I would recommend you read this book - particularly if you are looking for a palate cleanser.

Callie is one of the most relatable main characters I have read in a while. She doesn't have it all together and doesn't pretend to. Her heart is so big, she's adopted everyone and they all become part of her family, making her have to take care of everyone and have no time for herself. She finally comes into her own and stands up for herself, meeting a few new friends along the way. I laughed so much through this book and really enjoyed it. I recommend it for a vacation read or when you need a good laugh.

Narration was well done, all the different accents were amazing.

Thanks to NetGalley and Saga Egmont Audio for an advanced audio book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars

Callie Brown has her hands full with twin 16 yo daughters, 14 yo step son Wilf, elderly parents that live nearby and need help, a job she doesn't love. I liked Callie and felt she was a real person dealing as best she can with a hectic life. Wilf has been living with Callie for eight years even though Callie and Wilf's father broke up ages ago. Wilf's dad and new step mom want him to move to South Africa.

As usual, Imogen Church does an excellent job narrating.


Note for the publisher: your description is way off base--parents don't live in, raffish ex is not ex-husband.

Thanks to Saga Egmont Audio and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Callie was a single mom to three teenagers, plus she takes care of her aging parents who live nearby. Then she bumps into a cyclist, who is attractive and a new neighbor who is interested in getting to know her better. It was a great audiobook.

I listened to the audiobook format of this book and it was most definitely one of those occasions where I absolutely loved the story (I had to get in the right head one for some of the language used as I’m probably older than the target audience) but the narrator completely turned me off.

From the opening line, I felt like she put so much drama into her narration and (in my opinion) was over the top in her speech. It meant that the story was almost acted out, rather than letting the listener use their own imagination to get used to the character themselves; I was very conscious of the narrator’s voice/expression and missed a lot of the story she was actually telling.

From a reader’s point of view, I loved the characters, the storyline and the way the plot advanced. But I do feel this is one I’d have preferred to read in print, had I been able to, because the narration completely ruined it for me. So it’s a definite recommendation for the book from me but a thumbs down on the audiobook.

I really enjoyed this light hearted read - which I would class as women's fiction - there is a little romance thrown in and some wry humour, which did make me smile at times. The characters are relatable and the plot is entertaining - ideal for wiling away a few hours without too much deep thought. I found this book to be an honest account of motherhood, family life, the challenges of second families and single parenting in general. I had the audio version of the book (a huge thanks to NetGallery and Saga Egmont Audio) and the narration is excellent, so I would highly recommend that version.

I loved this one! It was an adorable romance but also so much humor. It honestly flowed really well and kept me entertained the entire time! Loved all of the characters and their quirks too.

🌀Synopsis
Callie gets run over by a food delivery man, Patrick, but that’s not the worst part of her day. No, it gets even worse when she gets home and finds out her ex wants to take his son, who has lived with her for 8 years, and move to South Africa with his new wife.

Her son, Wilf, isn’t truly her’s. His mother died when he was young and Callie had been in his life so long she filled the mother role for him. In addition to her twin girls and elderly parents, Callie’s hands are beyond full. She’s forgotten how to make time for herself.

When she finally decides to put herself out there Wilf walks in on her mid-sex with a guy and he bolts. They can’t find him anywhere and take to every avenue to bring him home. There is her ex who commits to letting him stay and her neighbor, Patrick, who has a good friendship with him and is doing everything he can to help her.

When they finally figure out where he is and get him back they all commit to some changes and life ends up even better than before.

How to Make Time for Me by Fiona Perrin was a sweet and delightfully entertaining read with many scenes that had me laughing out loud. I loved Callie; she was endearing and relatable. This is the first book in a while that I took my time with simply because I didn't want it to end. I would love to read another installment of this family and their dynamics.

The book's description made it seem like a romance read, which it is not. It is more humor and contemporary fiction (my favorite genres). I also never saw Callie learn how to make time for herself, but I didn't even notice that until I was reminded of the title when writing this review.

Imogen Church was enjoyable to listen to. The voices for most characters were distinct, which I really appreciate with an audiobook.

Thank you to Saga Egmont Audio for providing me with an ALC.

As a book I’d class this as an easy read- funny and some more emotional parts. I liked the characters and the story arc.
It took a while to get used to the narrators voice- this is just personal preference though.

I knew I was going to enjoy this from the very beginning. The humor brought me right in. It's also totally relatable to think that you could literally get hit by a moving vehicle and have your family still ask what is for dinner. It's also easy to relate to being the "sandwich generation" of people who are taking care of their kids and their parents. I laughed out loud multiple times and found it to be an enjoyable read, just not something I was dying to get back to. I also thought the title was a little odd because it sounds more like a self-help book.

I listened to the audio version and loved the narrator. I did have an issue with one of the sections not working.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.