Playgroups and Prosecco: The (mis)adventures of a single mum

Jo Middleton

Mar 2019 · Random House

About this ebook

A hilarious and totally relatable book about the adventures of a single mum, for fans of Catastrophe and Motherland. Readers of Why Mummy Drinks, Unmumsy Mum and The Single Mum's Wish List will love this debut novel from parenting blogger Slummy Single Mummy.

'You'll end up warming to Frankie so much that you'll be wishing you could crack open a bottle of prosecco with her in real life!' MIKE GAYLE, bestselling author of The Man I Think I Know
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January 3rd
Jaffa Cakes - 7. Times I was forced to watch a small child do a dance involving a dusty piece of ribbon found under the sofa - 4. Inappropriate thoughts about Zac Efron - undisclosed.

Single mum Frankie’s whole life revolves around her kids. But when your toddler has a more active social life, something has to change. Forget ‘me-time’, Frankie would settle for some adult conversation, and watching something other than the Disney channel.

The local playgroup may be ruled by Instagram mums with perfect husbands but Frankie accidentally forms a splinter group of single parents. After all, Mummy really needs a playdate of her own. (Now pass the prosecco.)

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WHAT READERS ARE SAYING

'As a mum of three I could totally relate to this novel on so many levels' - Titian

'Hilarious - made me laugh out loud' - Dominique

'Lots of funny anecdotes parents will recognise!' - Claire

'With shades of Bridget Jones, Frankie stumbles through life as a single mum' - Ann

'A very funny and realistic look at motherhood' - Katrina

Ratings and reviews

3.5 Stars Let's deal with elephant in the room first. This novel is clearly inspired by Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary, there is no getting away from it - the diary format, the little synopsis at the start of each entry detailing alcohol imbibed, jaffa cakes eaten etc.. The only real difference being that this heroine is divorced, has 2 children and definitely doesn't live in London. Replace big pants and a pole at the Fire Station with swimwear and a 3 Year Old in a changing room and voila you have Playgroups and Prosecco. There is the unfulfilling job, the dating struggles, honestly all the way through I kept seeing the parallels to Ms. Fielding's book (I've never seen the film because there's something about Renee Zellwegger that creeps me out). That said it is a mildly amusing book - not laugh out loud funny but enough humour to raise a wry smile. Most of which, for this reader, was centred around the hiding of treat foods from the fruit of your loins. Admittedly I didn't go so far as hiding Elizabeth Shaw mints in packaging in the bathroom cabinet but if I'd thought of it I definitely would have done it. It doesn't bode well when you can't remember the main character's name and I couldn't, I just had to whip the book out to remind myself she was called Frankie. Maybe this is because she narrates the whole story so her name doesn't crop up that often in the text. Maybe it is because it is now 3 days since I finished the book. Who knows? Let's just say I can't really remember any of the character names except for the awful Cassie from Busy Beavers Playgroup, not even the children - was the oldest Lily? Some fairly decent situational set pieces are to be found in the book. The horrors of the six week summer holiday. The soft play centre that is something from a nightmare. The incessant need for a 3 year old to have your attention on them at ALL times. Despite the premise of the book being about a single mother I have to say Frankie's family sound pretty much perfect; the relationship between teenager and toddler is close and loving and there is no real friction with the divorced father. Frankie also seems to have really good support from him and soon makes friends with other mums. None of the isolation and claustrophobia that seems to be common for a lot of women in this situation and yet Frankie still seems to feel put upon rather than counting her blessings. Moderately fun and, as it is written in diary form, with really short sections it is very easy to pick up and put down. You can read an entry or two whilst waiting for the kettle to boil. Nothing outstanding but it will raise a wry smile or two and is perfect reading for anyone who struggles to cram reading time in to their day. THIS IS AN HONEST REVIEW OF A FREE COPY OF THE BOOK RECEIVED FROM READERS FIRST.

What an honest, down-to-earth read .. and SO FUNNY! Since splitting with husband Ian, Frankie is on her own with toddler Jess and teenager Flo. It's hard to please everyone at the same time (never mind ALL the time) and this is her diary of 2018; the highs, the lows, the daily wine and jaffa cake count . . . What a great read! There's no whitewashing here; Frankie isn't perfect but she is refreshingly honest and I suspect that deep down all mums can identify with 90% of her life. The sad, the funny and the downright cringeworthy moments are all here, and it is an introspective and intelligent read. I've loved every single thing about this one - her kids, her friends, her job, her search on Tinder and the interactions with the ex, as they work hard together to stay friends. And yes, that is possible! This is a very easy read; easy to lift and lay - but why would you want to put it aside? Pulled in from the very first, I have laughed and cried along with Frankie and the predicaments she has been in, and I've been royally entertained. Such a fun read, definitely well worth a full five stars and a hearty recommendation! For a debut novel, it is awesome and I'm really looking forward to hearing more from Jo Middleton.

Literally had me laughing out loud at points, especially as I can identify with so many of Frankie's plights. Wonderful light hearted, easy reading. What will I unwind to in an evening now, please let there be a follow up! Pretty pleased with a Jaffa on top!

About the author

Jo Middleton has been blogging at SLUMMY SINGLE MUMMY since 2009. She has two daughters and lives in Somerset. You can find her on twitter, instagram or at www.slummysinglemummy.com