Emma is a newly-wed looking forward to some blissful years with her new husband, Mike, but everyone else expects her to have children. Emma is a teacher and so, in everyone's mind, she MUST want children.
However, Emma has never wanted children and has to convince her husband, her family and her friends that she's not cut out for motherhood.
Instead, Emma wishes to pursue her teaching career and help children with Special Educational Needspo, but her plans are thwarted and she has to make a decision which will affect her and her husband, Mike, forever.
Review: fabulously funny fiction! I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book for review, and I was really looking forward to reading it. Sometimes when you're really looking forward to reading something, it can be a let down, but this definitely was not. The first thing I really liked about this book was that it was set in a school. Immediately it conjured up vivid pictures in my head of my secondary school combined with channel 4's Teachers combined with the staff room in my own school, an interesting combination. Other books feature teachers and feature discussions they have in or around school but so many of the discussions in this book were in the school and covered aspects such a teaching children not as part of a whole class (exactly what I do) and also the problems of promotion when you have an issue with someone else on the staff. I thought it was really well written and could find no faults with that aspect of the book.
As well as the familiar setting I also felt like I knew the characters in the book, as well as taking on some of the personas from that channel four series, they also seemed to fit some of the personalities we all see in schools, whether we work in a school or just from our own experiences of school. I really liked Emma and found that she was a very realistic character. I have friends who, like her, are sometimes judged for their decision not to have children, or who have a desire to wait and I thought that other people's reactions to her decisions were equally realistic. I felt sorry for her in some of the discussions she had with people about her choices, and worried for her relationships with the lovely mike, who sounded just scummy, at some points in the book.
The rest of the characters in the book, bring in the real comedy aspect, which had me laughing out loud at points. They all have their quirks and play really strong supporting characters. I love the fact that Emma can't park, that Mike's mum gets a love life, that Emma's kids back her up no matter what, and that her boss always catches her doing something she shouldn't!
The ending of this book definitely leaves you wanting more, I defy anyone to read this and NOT be looking for more pages to find out what is going to happen, I really hope there is a sequel. The only really criticism I have for this book is just that, that there is not more of it. There could have easily been another 50 pages of more fun and frivolity and a definitely need to know what is going to happen next in the world of Emma and Mike, the teacher part of me also hopes that the kids in her class get on ok too, but that's another issue. This is a really fun read and definitely worth downloading. If there is any news of a sequel I will share it on the blog, so keep your eyes peeled!
I also hope to have an interview with this lovely author for you very soon!
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