The single mums secrets by Janet Hogarth.

I found the book a little difficult to follow as getting all the different threads pulled together with the views /stories of the characters.

There are a few dark moments story . A bit difficult to get it all together. From my view point not for the faint hearted. It would have been an easier read if it did not jump about so much

Was hoping, since I haven't read the previous books in the series, that I would still be able to get into this one. It was the case as much as it was not the case, too - I could follow Crista's story, but at the same time, the many stop-and-point moments towards what had happened before, who was who in the Mews and what had happened to them, bogged down the read and it stopped me from really enjoying the story as it kept pitting me back and forth up to a point where I didn't know if what I was reading now, this scene, is happening now or is a recollection from the past in the series. Really stumped my enjoyment, and further contributed to me not being able to connect deeply enough with Crista to root for her - fell like if it had been straightforward her story throughout, I would've had a better chance. But as such, I had a hard time even finding her sympathetic enough to continue reading with gusto
Probably a very good read for those coming from the first 2 books, but for me, was not a book I could get into as a stand-alone

DNF 24%
The premise seemed interesting at first, but fell flat. First of it wwas just one single mum, And then the narrator is from the sister`s eyes and i was kind of thrown off. But meh, the characters weren`t funny or interesting wich dragged the story down as well.

Overall a slow builder that I found quite difficult to get into. It wasn't quite what I expected and I found it difficult to follow the individual stories.

That being said, I appreciate Janet's take on important topics such as grief, loss, depression etc

Gritty doesn't begin to describe this book. It's billed as a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy, but it's got its foot more firmly in the women's fiction camp, as it deals with rape, infertility, grief, and addiction, and I don't think there was a great deal to laugh at.

It's also very graphic in places (childbirth) and sometimes a little crude.

That said, I thought the plot and the premise were good, and Christa, the main character, grew on me. She comes across as insular and unlikable in the beginning, but that's what story telling is all about - the growth and development of the people in it.

The message the book carries is one of hope, as all three of the main characters whose eyes we view their worlds through, move onward and upward. For that very reason alone, it deserves a read.

This was a book that certainly took you through a range of emotions right from the beginning.

The story begins at a funeral, and concludes with a birth. And in between we find ourselves embarking on an emotional journey with the characters navigating their way through love, loss and loyalty. The story had many underlying layers, which really pulled the plot together and gave the story a new depth.
An enjoyable read.

This was a bitter sweet story about love, loss and loyalty. It started with a funeral and ended with a birth, and in between was an emotional journey. I had trouble following the different threads as it jumped around rather, but there was a happy ending!

~ ARC received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ~

I've read this book in one afternoon, perfect choice for a summer day.
It has an air of soap opera, centered around single moms (obviously 😁). It has parts that were heartbreaking, it has funny parts and parts with a lot of hope.

“ A microcosm of modern society shoehorned in a small beige-bricked cul-de-sac where each person represented a certain demographic…” is how Janet Hoggarth describes The Mews, a charming neighborhood where everyone is a friend.

Christa, a physician, is housesitting in The Mews after separating from her husband Tom.She’s close to both her practice and her sister Louisa, a recent widow. Louisa is dealing with her own grief and that of her three young children so Christa’s frequent visits are comforting. The two women have been estranged on and off for years because of a traumatic event twenty years earlier. Carl lives across the street from Christa. His alcoholism nearly ended his first marriage before his wife died. Now he’s proud of his sobriety and maintains an easy friendship with Christa until a one night stand after a party changes that friendship forever.

The Single Mums' Secrets is delightful! It’s more women’s fiction than romance as it deals with some very serious topics. Although alcoholism, rape, abortion and infidelity are all part of the story, there are some real laugh-out-loud moments. This is a thought provoking, totally enjoyable book! 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Aria and Janet Hoggarth for this ARC.

This is fabulous! I loved the preceding two novels and think every reader should read these first so as not to miss out.

Life in the Mews continues; Carl is now beating his alcoholism and has a therapist who is helping him with his residual issues. Life is moving on for all the other residents too. Elsewhere, Louise is beating herself up over the death of her husband, and trying to face each day for the sake of her three children. Her sister, Christa, is in the midst of a relationship break-up and needs somewhere to live temporarily until the home they shared is sold and, as luck would have it, manages to get a new place in the Mews where she suddenly finds herself having a one-night stand with Carl; can they keep it to themselves?

Well, there is certainly plenty happening in this one! Janet Hoggarth really knows her stuff, creating a vibrant community each with their own issues to be getting on with but supporting each other too. But this isn't just a tale of problems - it's the type of book where one minute you're almost in tears, the next moment you using your tissue to mop up tears of laughter and your other half is looking at you strangely across the room! A beautiful mixture of angst and happiness, all written in an easily flowing and enticing manner which just drew me in very quickly. Funny, entertaining and such an excellent read, I recommend this to everyone who like their romantic comedies with a healthy dose of realism and easily earning 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Everyone's got secrets... but not everyone can keep them!

Recently widowed Louise is facing life as a single mum of three. As her sister Christa keeps telling her, the tragic accident that claimed the life of her husband was just that: an accident. So why does she feel so guilty...?

At long last, Carl's winning the battle against his demons; he's in therapy, he has a new girlfriend, and he loves life in The Mews where he's surrounded by friends who feel like family. But then he gets some news that will change his life forever...

Christa can't have kids and she's okay with that – even though her (ex)boyfriend suddenly isn't. A one-night stand with her gorgeous neighbour Carl is the perfect way to move on... until it results in a shocking surprise.

If she's going to face her new future head-on, Christa must finally deal with a long-buried secret from her past... but she's going to need all the help she can get. Can the residents of The Mews pull together to make sure everyone gets their happy ending?

Will these single mums be able to move on from life in the mansion?

This book for me was very slow in the beginning and I struggled to keep all the characters straight in my head.
As the book progressed it got better and I was really invested in how the sisters story unfolded.
This was an enjoyable read that dealt with grief and loss, while showing you the power of friendships.

Louise, Christa, and Carl all have a say in this novel about three people who find themselves in positions they never anticipated. Louise is a new widow coping with three kids and guilt about the last conversations she had with her husband before he was killed in a car accident. Her sister Christa has struggled with infertility; it meant the end of her last relationship. But, surprise, a one night sea with Carl, their neighbor who has his own issues, finds Christa pregnant. A joyful but much worried over pregnancy for sure. How these three form a new family, along with other residents of the Mews is at the root of this novel. It's a positive read, which is just what I needed today. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

Thanks to the author and publisher for the eARC of this book, which will be available to purchase on 6th August.

The story follows several characters as they navigate the often rocky terrain that is the life of the single parent. There's Louise, who having been recently widowed, is trying to adjust to life with her two grieving children whilst trying to get through her own feelings of loss... and guilt.

Christa is Louise's sensible sister, who was told long ago that she can't have children and seems to have made her peace with that, despite it leading to the break up with her long-boyfriend. A one-night stand with her gorgeous neighbour Carl gives her the chance to move on... and a lot more than she bargained for. In order to cope with the shock of the present, she must come to terms with trauma in her past.

Carl is finally feeling in control of his life, his addiction and his body. He has a girlfriend too and it looks like they have a future together. Until he receives some news that will blow his mind...

I didn't realise before starting this book that it is part of a series, including The Single Mums' Mansion and The Single Mums' Move On. There were a few references which I didn't quite grasp, which I gather relate to events from previous books, but it definitely didn't spoil my enjoyment of this novel.

There were parts where I laughed out loud, especially during Carl's pep talks with his non-compliant penis! I felt the pain of Louise's shock and grief, as well as the vacuum which comes after a funeral and the support and understanding can dry up. Much of the story was told from Christa's perspective and I struggled to identify with her, possibly due to her seeming lack of emotion at times. However as her past was explained, I found myself empathising with and understanding her more.

All in all, this was a relaxing read and if my towering TBR pile allows it, I may go back to read the previous books in the series too.

Janet Hoggarth's The Single Mum's Secrets is a beautiful novel. The stories of these single mum's are so wonderfully interwoven in a realistic way. The best part?- Everybody has a happy ending!

This book was a quick easy read. Although there were a few twists in it the story overall was quite predictable and did not keep me interested.

This book started off a bit slow, and was hard to get into it. Once I finally did I did enjoy it. The story line was quite unique.

Really good read. Would recommend to friends and family. I could sympathise with characters (important for any fiction novel!) and looked forward to picking it up and reading the next few chapters! Interesting plot line and a good ending. Will look out for more novels by the author. Thank you.

This book wasn’t for me.
I found the beginning confusing. It was hard to try and figure out who was who and what their story was.
It was definitely a slow burner, that for me never really picked up.
The book covered lots of emotive subjects such as becoming a widow, drug and alcohol abuse, adult friendships, love, loss and guilt but it was all a bit confusing and I struggled.

Thank you to the Author, Publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

“A RomCom about being a single mum in Britain!” I say, “Sign me up for ALL of that!” And that’s where things get a little problematic. First of all, there is only one single mum in this story... and she’s a newly single stay at home mom because her well-paid husband just died. As a single mum myself, I feel that a large part of her storyline consists of dealing with the grief and loss of loved one more so than coping with the demands of single motherhood... AND her storyline was my favorite part of the book.

The first person narrator of this book, is actually the sister, who is NOT a mother, albeit she does have a secret. This character is so hard to like and I just can’t understand why the story of a grieving family is told through her eyes. It is unsettling and leaves me to question, “Why do I care what you think? Let’s get back to Louise.”

And then there’s Carl, the full cast of characters that live in this house called the Mews, and every extended relative one could find all thrown in to this story that is being told by the wrong perspective . They are more cringey and less funny.

I hope there was a prequel to the story that I must have missed. At this point, all I can do is ask, “What’s relevant?” and “Where are the single mums?”

This delightful book is not your typical romance offering where everyone ends up in the perfect happily ever after, but rather it reflects the messiness of real-life and the myriad of ways we now create and live with what we call ‘family.’

Loosely created with some of the characters found in previous books, (The Single Mums' Mansion and The Single Mums Move On) this story focuses on Louise and Christa, the first unwillingly becoming a single mother by virtue of her husband dying and the later believing herself to be infertile discovers the shock of a lifetime in the shape of two little blue lines on a stick. Based mainly around the infamous South London gated community known only as The Mews, this story focuses on the journey both women take in dealing with grief and guilt and grappling with pregnancy and impending motherhood. Louise has never wanted anything more than the perfect husband, family and home, but having the holy trinity isn’t all it is cracked up to be, with a husband more committed to the golf course than to his wife and children. Louise has touted the idea of a trial separation to Nigel and then the unthinkable happens and he is killed in a horrific car crash, leaving her very single and alone with three children, but the truth of her situation is not one that she would like to be made known publicly. Christa has spent her adult life protesting that she doesn’t ever want children and her long-term partnership with Tom even breaks up over the issue because he suddenly really does want a family. But a one-night stand with neighbour Carl leads to the shocking news that not only has her dodgy ovary decided to work and release an egg, but it's been fertilized and gestating quite nicely thank you very much. But Christa feels separated from both the father of her child and her pregnancy, not feeling an overwhelming sense of love for her unborn child and a painful secret from her past will reveal why and on top of that, despite all of Christa’s medical training, pregnancy and life do not follow a smooth path.

This story is refreshing in that the happily ever after the finale is not so obvious with everyone ending up with the man of their dreams and the perfect life such endings that run of the mill romance novels suggest. Both women are in their early 40’s, making them unlikely heroines in today's romance market where the trend feels as if every character seems to be late 20’s or mid 30’s. Both the major and minor characters are relatable, well crafted and likeable. There are portrayals of the neighbours who you wish you had and despite the mess that is apparent, it is the story ending you hope for.

In spite of being marked as a rom-com, this is definitely not a laugh out loud book. Rather it is a serious and unflinchingly realistic look at death, depression (in adults and children), the effects of alcoholism, infertility and miscarriage and the confusion that general life throws a person’s way. There is romance woven through the story, but its not the main star of the novel, rather a nice accompaniment to the main course of watching women grow and change during the road of life. Please don’t misunderstand, it’s not an overwhelmingly heavy book, it just isn’t a rom-com.

This book is third in a series but successfully leaves the reader wanting to read the other two books to catch up on all the characters stories.