A version of this review previously appeared in Shelf Awareness and is republished here with permission.

Liz Astrof is an executive producer and sitcom writer, plying her trade on several hit shows (The King of Queens; 2 Broke Girls), so it's no surprise she has an exceptionally funny and charismatic voice. Sadly, Astrof's history also lends credence to the theory that great comedy has its roots in tragedy.

Astrof doesn't mine devastation just for laughs. Her candid essays in Don't Wait Up address life's ordeals with acerbic wit, but never reduce her experiences to a laugh track. The humor is there to break the emotional fall, as the pieces run the gamut from farcical--when her family takes on a pet turtle ("The Year of the Turtle")--to mind-bogglingly horrific.

In "Happy New Year," Astrof discovers she had a twin who died in utero. That unbearable notion created a moment of sympathy for her mother, a "hateful, filthy, horrible witch of a woman," only to have her father explain, "Your mother's problem wasn't that your sister died.... Her problem was that you lived."

Whether overtly or latently comical, each essay finds her mother's scarring impact lying in wait, fostering Astrof's "stay-at-work mom" mentality. A demanding career means Astrof doesn't "have to be home for a lot of the bad shit like homework and dinnertime." Jokes aside, she's terrified of messing up her kids. Her writing evidences a deep love and humanity, however squirm-inducing and disconcerting the journey. Written with a sharp pen and an open heart, Astrof's work is heartbreakingly poignant and funny as hell.

STREET SENSE: These essays from television writer Liz Astrof reveal humorous and challenging aspects of her family and career as influenced by her monstrous mother. There are pieces and aspects of pieces that will speak to most anyone, and there are some tough and well-earned laughs along the way.

A FAVORITE PASSAGE: Every Mother's Day, I'm reminded of what a...unique mother I had. There isn't a single card that captures my experience. And the dread I feel about that while heading into my local Rite Aid is profound. To be fair, it would be hard for even the most seasoned card-poet to find decent couplets for "Even Though You Left When I Was Five, You Continue to Haunt Me." Or "I Know You Never Wanted Children, But..." Or "My Kids Can Never Have Enough Clothes or Shoes Because I Had to Share Mine With Your Ventriloquist Dummy." That said, I'd settle for a simple "On This Day and All Days, I'm Terrified of Becoming You." It wouldn't even need to rhyme.

COVER NERD SAYS: I appreciate this cover more than I'm drawn to it. I do love the subtitle, which made me want to read the book all the more. How many moms would make this confession (when I would venture almost all feel it at one point or another)? This endeared me to Astrof right off the bat. For whatever reason (read: my own OCD and sense of minimalism), I think this would have been stronger without the photographs. Let's be honest, you either have no photos or 845 photos on your fridge. And if you have two, they are at right angles. I've now disclosed too many of my psychoses and I'm going to quit while I'm only this far behind.

Witty and hilarious, but also a truly emotional and cringeworthy real story.

I didn’t know what I would get when requesting this and went in blind, only reading the brief description. I’m oh-so glad to have received this copy.

I love 2 broke girls. So the moment I saw that "Don't Wait Up!" was written by Liz Astrof, I had to read it. It was amazing. This is a witty, funny and crazy memoir. I was gripped on to it from the very beginning. From the trip to the Great Wolf Lodge to her struggles faced during her childhood, I could connect with this hilarious and upsetting (at some moments) autobiography of hers. I'm glad that I picked this one up.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I can't say enough good things about this book--it is incredible. I laughed and cried and thoroughly enjoyed reading Astrof's memoir. She details her journey through working in comedy and becoming a TV producer, focusing on her childhood and how that has affected her view of having and raising kids.

I don't have kids myself, but I found so much in Astrof's story to relate to--the Great Wolf Lodge story was hilarious (it is a horrendous place) and I am so glad to not be the only one to be horrified by it. Mixed in with her humor, however, are heart-breaking stories about her rough childhood and the trauma she experienced, and how afraid she is of passing that down to her own children. This book is filled with heartfelt, genuine stories that so many readers can connect to.

Like all well-crafted memoirs, each chapter is its own story, but they work together to show a bigger picture of Astrof's life and her thoughts about life. I enjoyed this book so much and definitely recommend it if you're a fan of memoirs. I'm excited to see how the audio version will turn out, because I think it'll be stellar.

Don't get this book if you are afraid to giggle uncontrollably or let loose with a few swears once you look up the price of a Cartier Love Bracelet.

Don't Wait Up by Liz Astrof is a fun, crazy, surprising, and quite real look into the life of a successful writer of comedy TV shows. Liz was the Executive Producer of Two Broke Girls and is a self proclaimed "Stay at Work Mom." This book showcases her life not only as a professional woman but that of a mom who is worried about screwing up her kids, her life, and everything else. Astrof is incredibly easy to relate to and makes even the most difficult truths about her childhood and struggles with grace and humor.

Each chapter is its own story although they all manage to weave together to paint the picture she finishes in the final pages. She is self deprecating but honest about her scars and insecurities, which would help any mom see a little bit of herself written here. There were some shocking and sad moments as well as some laugh out loud ones.

Who will enjoy this: Moms with a snarky sense of humor, moms who worry about everything and need to see that there are others like them, people that like a good laugh, people that want a quick but engaging read.

Who will not: There are some triggers here related to Astrof's childhood with an absent and abusive mother and some readers might have difficulty with it. Sanctimoms and perfect moms. People that don't care for profanity (it isn't a large portion of the text, but it is there). People that don't like reading someone's thoughts that might ramble and go on some tangents- If you like a sentence to go from A to B immediately, this might be a tough read for you. The Author's brain doesn't work that way and neither does her story- But the story about Tim Allen trying to kill her would not be the same without it.

My only real complaint seems to be an editing one that I imagine will be fixed from the advanced copy I read. When discussing an on and off relationship with an ex, the name of said ex changed from "Andy" to "Rick" and back again which was obviously confusing.

If you need a laugh pick this one up.

I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I REALLY wanted to like this book. I also like having a career and it can be easier than being a mother so I get where she's coming from. But I think this author just gets too anxious about nothing. Like, are you new here? Indoor water parks are going to be crazy and busy and loud during Spring Break. I thought this might be some coping tips or helpful insight into being a successful working mother but it was more like, buckle up for a freak out about nothing.