I’m going to start by saying, I understand why all the other mothers hate her, because I hate her too. I don’t know if this was the authors intention, but I hated her enough to keep reading.

Florence is an ex-girlband member that is still striving for that tiny bit of success. A single mother, waking up each day to a can of Red Bull (completely relate), and taking her son to a private school that couldn’t be further from her social class.

The first part of this book reminded me of the ‘Why Mummy...’ series by Gill Sims. A mother feeling out of her depth with the other ‘yummy mummy’s’ at the school who flaunt their husband's money and thrive for PTA meetings.

However, after a classmate of Florence’s son Dylan goes missing whilst on a school trip, Florence finds herself doubting the innocence of her ten-year-old and finds herself willing to do anything to prove his innocence.

Florence is unlikeable for more reasons than just her ability to ostracise herself from the other mums. She is simultaneously both a terrible and amazing mother. I mean, I hated her, and her actions, but the lengths in which she goes to for Dylan made me doubt her poor decisions. She seems to be trying to balance her old-life of drinking and one-night stands with being a responsible mother in upper-class London.

However, the missing boy, Alfie, is the heir to a frozen-food empire, whose parents Florence seems to have a complicated past with. It isn’t until she meets Jenny, another mother who seems more relatable to Florence and a likely friend, that they decide to take the investigation into their own hands. Except, Florence is hiding her suspicions of her own son’s involvement as her and Jenny work to find another suspect.

The first part of the book was hilarious in a Why Mummy drinks way, and about halfway through I began to get bored and my hatred towards the main character became more valid. It wasn’t until the final part of the book that things started to pick up, and it became less of a comedy and more of a thriller. The plot twists and involvement of other characters as Florence spends her time investigating missing Alfie had me gripped.

This wasn’t the way I thought this book was going to go, and it pleasantly surprised me. If you like a good mystery, with drama and a character that you’re bound to hate, I’d recommend All the Other Mothers Hate Me.

Thank you NetGalley and 4th Estate for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

Absolutely brilliant, loved it. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an advance copy, I will definitely be recommending.

Florence is a bit strange, and certainly not the most typical mother, but when the boy who has been bullying her son Dylan suddenly disappears she realised that trying to find what actually happened to Alfie might be in her own interests.

But does she really want to know? Dylan has his own issues, after all...

This is a book without the most likeable protagonist, but it is highly entertaining and packs in a lot of humour. If you like quirky social commentary, this one might well be for you. It gets 3.5 stars.

Love the narrative voice, love the name and love the cover. Looking forward to reading more from Sarah Harman.

OH how I loved this book.

It has a sense of humour and is very very good.

Florence Grimes son Dylan is implicated in the disappearance of the boy who relentlessly bullies him and Florence has decided to investigate what really happened.

Dylan is a complicated child and Florence is not all that serious either. She really does have some issues and I am not quite sure I liked her.

It is a brilliant read and a book I am ready for my friends to read so we can laugh and discuss..

I really enjoyed this! This book feels like if ‘How To Kill Your Family’ (Bella Mackie) and the ‘AGGGTM: As Good As Dead’ (Holly Jackson) had a kid. I loved all the plot twists which made it impossible to stop reading. I do think that Florence is a train wreck and definitely unlikeable at many points due to her parenting choices, but she makes a great main character.

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

Sarah Harman’s *All the Other Mothers Hate Me* delivers a captivating plot that balances mystery with a sharp look at the pressures of parenthood. Florence Grimes, the struggling protagonist, has her hands full when her son Dylan is implicated in the disappearance of his bully, Alfie Risby. Forced to step up and investigate despite her lack of skills, Florence has to confront her insecurities and her past mistakes.

While the plot is intriguing, Florence’s character may be divisive, especially for readers who value responsibility in a parent. Her immaturity and habit of shirking challenges can be frustrating, particularly for mothers who might relate more to the other school moms who judge her. Nonetheless, Harman succeeds in portraying Florence’s flaws in a way that feels realistic, even if she’s difficult to root for. For readers who enjoy layered characters and a suspenseful story, this book is worth a read—even if Florence isn’t entirely likable.