I’ll tell you now that when you start reading More Than Just Mum, it will seem familiar. You’ve met these characters before, you think. There’s Hannah, the hard working mother, her husband Nick and their three children, dog and hamster. The genre of bored middle aged housewives and their struggles has been overworked, you think. Stop right there. More Than Just Mum, Rebecca Smith’s debut novel, is different. Do not put it down. Please, please, please don’t put it down.

Hannah, the before mentioned hard working mother, worries about her relationship with Nick which has devolved into a “whose turn is it to take the trash out” thing and her children, who are discovering social media, sex and drugs, although the youngest boy is still focussed on his pets. Because Hannah thinks she may lose her job teaching English to rowdy 14 year olds, she decides to write a novel. Inspired by a lunch room discussion of Fifty Shades of Grey, she begins… I wish I could describe to you what comes next but I don’t want to spoil one of the funniest books I have ever read.

Rebecca Smith has produced a real gem with vivid characters, laugh out loud moments and endearingly touching family scenes. More Than Just Mum is a gift. Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Impulse and Rebecca Smith for this ARC

Hannah Thompson is in her forties, married, has three children and is a biology teacher turned into an English teacher to a class nine students more interested in writing on each other's clothes with felt - tip markers than learning about George Orwell. At home, her eldest son Dylan is soon off to University, the middle one, Scarlet, not only bothers her parents about her name all the time (have you noticed the single "t"? Exactly!) but also asks rather suspicious questions about specific crimes and the youngest Benji loses his hamster. Hannah and Nick try to not only to tame this chaos but also desperately need money. As an avid reader, Hannah decides to write a book and channels her inner E.L. James, writing erotica and researching some of the scenes on her husband... Can Hannah make it to Wine Wednesday?

It was probably one of the funniest books out there about motherhood, and what's more, this humour didn't feel forced, no, it run smoothly and naturally and this is what makes the book so brilliant. I loved how the author always found humour, even in the most dull situations but without being patronizing.

Hannah was a great character, and if you're a mother yourself you're so going to completely understand her and relate to her. She was actually my hero, juggling everything that comes her way, but still with her dreams, ambitions and with finding the courage to fight for her dream come true. And she's not alone in all of this, as she is supported by her lovely, though rather clueless husband Nick, who's always ready to help, even if it's about trying new positions from Kamasutra for Hannah's book, and her children who were brilliant and written in a great way, especially Scarlet with one "t", but all three of them were really well developed: Dylan spends a lot of time in his room revising (albeit with his new girlfriend) and the lovely Benji is still the baby of the family, and even though he's the patsy of his siblings, he's still innocent and all he wants to do is play. I loved Hannah's relationship with them, it was so natural and I would love to stay as cool as she was in some of the more burning situations with my daughter. She treated her children also like partners, depending on their age of course, and I could really put myself in her shoes, and my daughter talks also so much, and Hannah had it thrice multiplied. They are dysfunctional, full of flaws but it makes them so true to life and I really wouldn't have wanted them different - they had me in hysterics, honestly. The banter, the interactions between them were not only incredibly funny but felt so natural and real.

The author is such a great story - teller! Her voice is distinctive and funny, and she describes Hannah's life so well, vivid and colourful, with all its ups and downs, but making all the small details of daily live double interesting.

"More Than Just Mum" is an absolutely brilliant read to lighten up your day. And for me this book has ticked all the right boxes: humorous insights into real life, where the sink is full of dishes? Check. Lovely kids that are in turn absolutely charming and the next second whiny and argumentative? Check. Forgetting world Book Day costume? Check. Ordering take - aways because you can't be bothered about cooking? Check. Rebecca Smith has written a book about me, ha - mum, wife, daughter, friend, teacher - how funny that usually all the scrummy mummies are teachers, no? Ladies - we are not ALONE! We all make mistakes, our children will do whatever they want, no matter what we say, we are absolutely not in control but it's not the end of the world! And there is always place for love, friendship and fun. It was a warm, witty and laugh - out - loud story not beating around the bush what it's like to be a mum and that I can't recommend enough!

A lovely humorous take on the life of a mum of 3 kids with all its bells and whistles.

My first book by author Rebecca Smith, and I was smiling/laughing my way at the antics of this family. The main character mum Hannah was etched in a detailed manner. Losing her job, becoming a part time English teacher and looking after 3 kids and a husband, she had to find her humor, else go bonkers. Fast.

I loved the way the author wrote the incidents in Hannah's life. They were the perfect snapshots where I got to see her life. Some of the incidents were so real, not that I am admitting to the disaster with the wax strip. But you know what I mean. And then Hannah decided to write a book. Genre: Erotica... Yes... The research led to some hilarious moments of being made fun by the entire family... Sometimes, some books do remain on kindle.

Situations in this mum's life were tough, and it was wonderful to see her rising above it and find solution, at least try to find one. Some battles were not worth fighting/arguing for especially with teens. Every line was written with a honest heart. I loved seeing this mum finding her way out to be more than what she was.

A sweet humorous read. Definitely worth a look into. One needs laughter in life.

I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it! I laughed from beginning to end. I loved the Thompson family and felt that they were extremely relatable and well developed. I would recommend for those looking for a fun and light read.


Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins – One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of the book.

A hilarious but oh so relatable tale of balancing motherhood with life.
Hannah and her husband have three children, and come to the realisation that in order for their eldest child to be able to go to university, their income has to increase. As Hannah is only teaching three days a week on a temporary contract that means she has to come up with a plan for her employment.
And so commences a hilarious venture into EL James's territory whilst placating the awful Miriam and braving the abysmal Year Nine Class C, which is infamous in the school. All this has to be done alongside her wife, mother and daughter duties.
The writing is great - it flows along and you find yourself chortling at scenes and recognizing either yourself, your partner or your kids (& pets!) in various scenes.
The characters are well-written - I especially loved Scarlet (with one 't') - she is sassy and all her various questions regarding the legality of various scenario's really bamboozle Hannah and make both Hannah and the reader wonder what exactly Scarlet is up to. Sadly, this particular story-line is not explored and the reader is left to make up their own mind as to what Scarlet's antics are by using her questions and the comments others make to Hannah about Scarlet.
In the end though, Hannah discovers that there is so much more to herself than "just mum".
Its really a perfect holiday read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

Alright, I'm of two minds with this book:

A: I relate to the main character a little too much, age-wise and place in life. The characters are believable and hilarious, all the way through, and the scenes when she is testing out some of her research are hilarious.

B: I felt the plot dragged a little at first, and was muddled, but once it picked up I could not stop laughing.

This book is good for a laugh about what it's like to be middle aged, a mum, and at a crossroads in your life. Sometimes, you just have to take life by the throat and determine what you want from it, what it needs from you, and just roll with the punches.

Funny and totally relatable, this is the tale of Hannah (and her family) as she sets her life in a new direction. She's teaching a subject she doesn't like, her kids are teens, and she's not relating as well as she once did to her husband Nick. So what does she decide to do? Why write a book of course. Not just a book, but a book of sorta soft erotica. SO, of course she needs to work on this with her husband. Smith's a good storyteller- she highlights not only the fun parts of life but also the more widgy parts (those teens in particular). Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

If you are looking for a fun and entertaining read that will make you laugh (even on a train full of people that then turn to look at you in a weird way, true story!) then you should pick up Not Just A Mum, the fantastic debut novel by Rebecca Smith.

The protagonist is Hannah Thompson, in her forties, married, three children (two teenagers and one adorable ten-year-old boy), a biology teacher turned into an English teacher to a class of students who are more interested in pulling each other’s chairs than in learning about George Orwell. She is a voracious reader and aspiring author and she decides to start writing erotica, but sex scenes are hard to write when she blushes just thinking about them…

As much as her work life is far from dull, her family life is even more noisy and interesting: her oldest son, Dylan, spends a lot of time alone in his room “revising for the exams” with his new girlfriend; her daughter Scarlet wants to change her name to Scarlett with two tt, she wants the fridge full of cucumbers, and she has her own ideas about feminism; luckily, her ten-year-old son Benji is still innocent and all he wants to do is play. And then, there is her husband, Nick, supportive, always ready to help and experimenting new positions to help Hannah write her erotica book.

As I mentioned, I laughed, a lot! Hannah is hilarious… she is one of these characters that it’s always likable and engaging, even her classes often take a fun turn. The story is told from her point of views so I sympathized with her as she tried to control a class of hormonal teenagers, as she struggled with her children growing up, and as she tried to find a new path in her life that satisfies her.

Not Just A Mum is so well-written that I was surprised to learn that it’s a debut novel. Captivating, refreshing, and riveting, it’s a book I will keep recommending!!!

I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book. From the very first page to the last this novel was absolutely hilarious and so real. And what surprised me most that I was not able to guess where this story was heading at. The book features the day to day life of Hannah Thompson who is struggling with . . . well, practically everything.
Rebecca Smith for sure is a gifted writer finding humour even in tragic situations. If you are a mother, you are going to find yourself in here. If you are a daughter like me, then you will feel a new appreciation for your working moms. If you are a teacher (again like me), you are going to find a comrade here, exclaiming loudly "Yes, that's what it feels like" (mimicking Loki of course).
Hannah is your everyday mother trying hard to make ends meet with her part-time teaching job. At school, she is tortured by her class nine children and back at home, she needs to finish this marathon with three children who in my opinion talk too much. Her husband is supportive and helpful, but sometimes nothing is enough. Her life, on the whole, is pitiful and at the same time, outrageously funny.
So pick this book to lighten up your moods and if not Hannah, you definitely will like the children; Scarlet with one 't' is my favourite but it is hard to choose. Surely a must-read!

This was my first book by this author, It was pretty enjoyable. I would give this book a 3.5 star rating! It was a pretty Quick and easy read!

This is a cute story of the life of a Mum and the challenges she meets each day with her family. Even though our family loves us they tend to run us through the wringers. Hannah Thompson has a teaching job that she doesn't enjoy. She starts to look for other jobs that could pay more since her oldest son is heading to university next year.
A comedy of how life really is instead of sugar coating it.

Laugh out loud funny in parts this book was just what I needed. A warm, witty and disturbingly accurate depiction of what it’s like to be a mum of 3, with a great husband, a less than satisfying job and concerns over money.

Hannah is a part time English teacher, whose eldest son is about to go off to university. Amidst worrying about the additional financial costs, she has a 16 year old daughter asking increasingly more suspicious questions about very specific crimes, a 10 year old with a missing hamster and a class of year 9’s that no one in the entire school wants to be stuck with - it’s no wonder Wine Wednesday’s have become a necessity!

Ah this book was so much fun to read and spoke to me in so many ways. I really felt like I could relate to Hannah and her family. They are dysfunctional and unorganised but I loved that they were shown “warts and all”, from last minute World Book Day costumes to beans on toast for tea. I felt their characters complemented each other perfectly and found their bickering and banter highly amusing.

As well as being a story about the challenges of life and motherhood, it’s also a story about growth and discovering yourself. Hannah realises there’s more to her than just being mum.

4.5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (rounded up to 5)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Harper Impulse, Killer Reads and One More Chapter) for providing a copy of the book for review. All opinions are my own and provided willingly.

I loved this book, it was a real laugh out loud read. It was good to read about a couple who still had a good relationship even after 20 years and 3 kids. I thought Hannah was hilarious especially when she constantly jumped to the wrong conclusion. I don't want to spoil the book for other readers so I won't give away any of the best lines, suffice to say that there are some really witty one liners. I'll be looking out for this author in the future.
Review posted on Goodreads and Amazon

When I saw this book and read the synopsis I knew that this was a book I wanted to read. I want to pat my past self on the back because this book was everything I didn’t realise I needed in my life.

I absolutely loved the Thompson family, especially Hannah who is doing her best juggling everything life throws at her, all the while being unsure about her career and how quickly her children are growing up. The characters were very well developed and honestly had me in hysterics! Their dysfunctional but I wouldn’t have wanted them any other way.

I feel like this book is one that a lot of people can relate to, no matter what age you are. This book is scarily realistic and relatable in the sense that Hannah is struggling. She makes mistakes, she hasn’t got full control over her life and her teenage children will do whatever they want, no matter what she says.

This is a book about self-discovery and honestly, after reading this book I felt like I could accomplish anything. I loved Rebecca Smith’s writing style and cannot wait to dive in to any of her future books! So, if you’re looking for a light, funny and relatable book this year then this is the book for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins – One More Chapter for providing me with a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

ARC: More Than Just Mum is about Hannah, a mom to three who also works part time as an English teacher. She begins to feel underappreciated and wants a change. In an attempt to find herself she writes a book and sets out to get it published.

I really enjoyed this book! It was very engaging and I couldn't stop reading. The characters were very developed and well written. It was very easy top picture exactly what was happening and what the characters were doing.

I highly recommend this book! It is a very light read. I will definitely be buying a copy of this book as Christmas gifts for my friends!

A great lighthearted book with engaging characters which was an enjoyable and entertaining read. First book I’ve read from this author, I look forward to her next one.

Meet Hannah Thompson, 43-year-old mother and part-time English teacher. She wants to be more than just mum and she wants a job she actually likes. So she tries to write a realistic romance novel. She tries. And that's it. That's the book.

Weird pacing, forgettable characters and an utterly forgettable plot. Insofar as there is a plot, because nothing happens in this book. I think it's supposed to be funny, but the humour is so forced that it misses the mark completely. Maybe it's me. Maybe this book would be funny to me if I were the forty-something mother of three ungrateful and irritating children and I had a husband who never really seems to be involved with any household chores or raising the kids. Maybe then it would be a funny book.

There were a few loose plot threads concerning the two eldest children that could've turned this story around, but unfortunately they were ignored.

More Than Just Mum is a book for mothers everywhere. If you're feeling lost among the reams of demands for fundraising and school events, your teens are driving you crazy or your little ones are running you ragged, not to mention your love life is a little stale and your job doesn't fulfil you anymore, this is for you. It's believable, well written and laugh out loud funny.

More Than Just Mum, Rebecca Smith

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult)

This is classic chic lit style, humour, pathos and a good dollop of real life. I so identified with Hannah at times. I too have been wife, mother, auntie, daughter and somewhere in the middle of that Jeannie, Me, was submerged. You have to fight to keep that, and Hannah's trying hard, but life has the habit of throwing spanners just when you think you're getting somewhere.

Having said that I struggled with this at times. The beginning almost had me giving up, it felt too much like forced humour and I just hate that. Certain parts had me thinking of a mental visual from the old TV game shows “Clap Now!!” It seemed to be written for the purpose of humour, rather than the humour falling naturally from the content. I stuck with it though and that side of things certainly improved for me, I had tears from laughing at some parts, having been through very similar. Bringing up teens is one of life's Big Experiences, and its laugh or cry many days. Laughing is better....aided by wine of course.

What really brought this down though was for me it lacked focus. I felt there were lots of little side issues that cropped up but went nowhere, and there wasn't really an overarching plot that ran the course of the novel. It seemed more a series of little ones that sometimes were completed, but more often just left hanging. I wasn't really sure where the story was going, and TBH it just felt like I was reading a few months from a typical family life. Works for some of course, but for me I needed that main plot, needed to know what was the point of the novel, where was the story going. As it didn't have that, the ending felt a little flat. Yes, one biggish plot gets wrapped up but so much was just left unfinished.

Stars: Three, a fun read, and some parts really made me smile, snigger, reminded me of my time with teen and preteen kids, but overall for me it felt a little lacking in direction.

Arc via Netgalley and publishers

More Than Just Mum follows 43 year old part-time English teacher and mother of three, Hannah Thompson. She is fed up with teaching a subject that wasn't her specialty and parenting teenagers so she tries to reinvent herself. Channelling her inner E.L. James, she attempts to write a Fifty Shades-esque book.

Although the book is funny in parts, I felt like it just trundled along and there was no real chase or climax.