Thoughts

The premise of this book really intrigued me - anyone child-free by choice has to admit that in their selfish moments they envy the time off work that parents get. Oh, I'm well aware that it's no holiday, particularly maternity leave, but it's still time not in the office.

The book is like a sitcom where each scene is just so clear in your head. Author Anna Brook-Mitchell is an actor and filmmaker, and that screen experience really comes across in the prose.

The scene that has stuck with me is when protagonist Barri Brown is confronted about faking a pregnancy, which she vehemently denies, only for the cupboard to burst open and the foam bumps to fall out. Or the moment she lets rip at her colleagues for holding a baby shower she doesn't want, only to turn round and see it's actually being hosted for someone else.

There are some moments that went too far for me - lying to the child who witnessed a knife going into the fake bump was a bit much. And like all frustrating sitcoms, I wish she had just spoken to someone towards the end, rather than allowing herself to get shut off again. A simple conversation would have fixed things so much sooner.

You have to be aware that the book is about pregnancy, fake and real, from start to finish. Barri makes a point early on that whatever happens, she draws a clear line at not faking a pregnancy loss, and that's reassuring for readers as well as the characters involved. There's a subplot of coercive control in there as well, but it's worth a reminder that this is a comedy first, so although there are dark elements, it's not a heavy piece of work.

This is Brook-Mitchell's debut novel and I would be very keen to read the next one. The humour was great and the ending was warm, but the knife and the lack of communication annoyed me, so this gets a 4 out of 5.

Rating: 4 / 5