This book had so much more heart that I thought it was going to have. It really pulled me into the story and I was rooting for Penny, she was really dealing with a lot.

"The Mother of All Problems" by Nancy Peach is a heartfelt and engaging novel that explores the complexities of family, motherhood, and the enduring bonds that tie us together. With wit, warmth, and keen insight, Peach crafts a story that resonates with authenticity and humor, capturing the joys and challenges of modern family life.

At the heart of the novel is the protagonist, Annie, a relatable and multifaceted character whose journey of self-discovery forms the emotional core of the story. As she navigates the ups and downs of motherhood, marriage, and career, Annie grapples with the universal struggles of balancing competing demands and finding fulfillment amidst the chaos of everyday life. Peach's portrayal of Annie is both nuanced and empathetic, allowing readers to empathize with her triumphs and tribulations.

One of the novel's greatest strengths lies in its exploration of the complexities of mother-daughter relationships. Through Annie's interactions with her own mother and daughter, Peach delves into the joys, frustrations, and unconditional love that define these pivotal bonds. The intergenerational dynamics are portrayed with authenticity and sensitivity, adding depth and richness to the narrative.

Peach's writing is infused with warmth and humor, making "The Mother of All Problems" a delight to read from start to finish. Her sharp wit and keen observations of human nature add a layer of depth to the story, creating moments of levity amidst the poignant moments of introspection. The dialogue is crisp and authentic, bringing the characters to life and drawing readers into their world.

Another standout feature of the novel is its vividly drawn setting. Peach captures the essence of small-town life with vivid descriptions and atmospheric detail, transporting readers to the quaint English village where Annie's story unfolds. The sense of place adds depth and authenticity to the narrative, grounding the story in a richly realized world that feels both familiar and enchanting.

In conclusion, "The Mother of All Problems" by Nancy Peach is a delightful and heartwarming novel that celebrates the complexities of family, love, and resilience. With its relatable characters, engaging plot, and witty prose, it is sure to resonate with readers of all ages. Peach's insightful exploration of motherhood and relationships offers a poignant reminder that, despite life's challenges, the bonds of family and love endure, making this book a must-read for anyone who has ever navigated the joys and struggles of modern family life.

Penny Baker is a stay at home mom, trying to hold it all together with 3 children and a dog, has learned her dad has had a stroke. She now has to take in her mom for what she thinks in just a few days. She quickly realizes it will be longer when her mother starts to show signs of dementia.

While the plot is interesting to and probably more relatable to moms going through the same stages of parenthood, I found it a bit dragged out. Thank you to Hera Publishing, NetGalley and Nancy Peach for the ARC.

This book had me laughing from beginning to end! The humor was clever and witty, with jokes that ranged from subtle to slapstick. Each page was packed with hilarious moments and memorable characters that kept me entertained from start to finish.

Penny, the protagonist, is a relatable figure for many middle-aged women who juggle multiple responsibilities, including caring for aging parents. The book deftly blends comedy and pathos, capturing the struggles and joys of being part of the "sandwich generation." As Penny cares for her mother, who has dementia, and juggles her other responsibilities, readers experience moments of laughter and tears. The story offers a realistic portrayal of the challenges faced by caregivers while also delivering messages of hope, humor, and the importance of self-care. It sheds light on the realities of dementia caregiving while emphasizing the need for support and acknowledgment of one's own limitations. Despite the heavy subject matter, the book is uplifting and leaves readers feeling seen and understood.

I received The Mother of All Problems by Nancy Peach as an ARC and asked to review for my honest opinion.

Oof. I related to this book so much when my life was just go go go all the time juggling family, school, work, relationships and so much more. One of the book's characters also has dementia that the main character, Penny Baker deals with and this is handled very well in the writing. Nancy Peach did great at describing how it can be to be a caregiver for a family member with dementia and how to make the best of the time you have with your loved ones. It's also a great reminder to remember to ask for help when you are at wits end dealing with everything thinking that you can't ask anyone for help. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hera Books for the ARC. Also thank you to the author, Nancy Peach for the amazing writing and great read! Looking forward to reading some more of your books!

This book was so good!! Now, I’ve never experienced motherhood or even anything remotely close responsibilities that Penny had, I really felt myself empathising with her and womanhood in general. With how she handled every curveball life threw at her, I was once again amazed at how strong us women are.
Penny, 42, juggles herself between her marriage, kid and parents who need her. Her father ends up hospitalised after an accident so she ends up taking her mother, who has dementia, to her house. Even though she had plethora of responsibilities, she didn’t hesitate to take her mother in for care. In this book you’ll find telltale signs of real motherhood which is carefully handled with humour. This book was so entertaining and heart touching but also sends a powerful message.
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC of this book🫶🏻

Excellent and authentic narrative around a regular family with the maternal grandmother having Alzheimer’s. The author did a wonderful job of not being condescending or judgmental - everything was very natural and real. A few times I caught myself skimming over wordy pages of non-essential description, but I would do it all over again, because this book is so good.

I really enjoyed this book! As a mum of three myself main character Penny's grapples with parenthood and playground politics really resonated with me!

The story also has a more serious side, revealing the struggles and heartache of coping with and coming to terms with an elderly parent with dementia and another suffering the after effects of a stroke.

Simulteonously funny and heartbreaking, this is a great read. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Book review✨By Nancy Peach .
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Overview of book:


When did having it all become doing it all?

Penny Baker is coping. Just about.

Three kids, one dog, one lovely but sometimes oblivious husband. Tick, tick tick.

She is even managing to hold her own among the competitive school mums - if you don’t look too closely. But when she finds herself also caring for her elderly mother, diagnosed with dementia, the household is thrown into disarray and Penny finds herself stretched to breaking point trying to meet everyone’s needs.

Can she make the new family situation work? And is there any chance of finding some space in it all for herself?
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I have questioned myself why I never read this book sooner, so relatable, some times life is not all easy sailing . Reading this book really hit home for me as my amazing mum held down 3 jobs , a house and looked after my grandad who had dementia also managing 2 children one in which was not easy may I say (me) lol.
I just kept thinking of my mum while reading this and wondered how she managed it all without any help .
This book is so heartwarming and cannot wait till the sequel comes out.
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Thank you so much @neverending_netgalley @netgalley @nancy.peach , for giving me the opportunity to read this .
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#wonderwoman #bookreview #bookblogger #booklover ##bookworm #books #booknerd

This is a thought-provoking and eye-opening look at dementia from the point of view of the caregiver. Dementia is a scary disease and this serves as a reminder that we’re all getting older and may have to juggle the myriad of duties that come with being a wife, mother, daughter, and caregiver. Penny manages to handle everything with a lot of humor and a little wine. I found this fascinating and somewhat relatable (despite not having nearly the number of obstacles Penny has) and Penny is a rock star (and since it’s based on Nancy Peach’s life, she’s a rock star, too). Highly recommended as a reminder that life isn’t always pretty but it’s always worth it.

Penelope (Penny), 42, has received a call from her father saying he tripped on the stairs and is now in A&E with a broken hip. Quickly, she arranges for someone to help with her three children while she heads to the hospital. There, she finds her father stoically handling his pain with the lovely stuff call morphine and awaiting surgery. Her mother has dementia and she has to take her home with her.

Penelope has three children: Maisie, 4, and going through a total monster stage. Her son, Tom, 10, is busy with football and picking on his sister, Grace, a sullen teen. Her husband, Sam, has a busy job and hates that he will have to help looking after the children while her father in the hospital. In addition to all of the chores and ill-behaved children, she is trying to care for her mother and keep an eye on her.

This book wants us to know how busy a mother of three can be especially as she is responsible for her mother with dementia. That last part is a very difficult one for carers. The dedication shown to her mother and others with dementia is well-depicted here. Running a home takes persistence and constantly having a running list of chores going in your head. I think Penny allowed herself to get wrapped up in school activities when she could and should have nixed that in the bud. The thing that I did not like was Penny taking her husband, Sam literally for granted. Sam was the one who went to work every day to earn the money for everything that was spent by the family. He was a good man but Penny forgot to show her appreciation for all of his dedication to his family. This made me growl. Wake up, women of the world. If you want to keep your marriage, you need to work at it.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow this book is hilarious, honest, touching and emotive. I laughed so much that I had tears streaming down my face and a pain in the belly. Though it is told with humour it also is about real life and how we sometimes get thrown into the madness of it and need help from friends and family to cope. Penny is a mother, a wife and a daughter and she is just about coping when her father has a accident and is hospitalized she takes her mother to her house to look after her as she has dementia. I think the cover of this book explains exactly how Penny is feeling and I loved that even though Penny has her own family to look after she didn't hesitate to step up and care for her mother. There is not a thing to criticise about this book as I think it is perfect reading. Everyone should read The Mother of all Problems!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Well, what a relatable book! As a mum of 2, Penny has my heartfelt sympathy!
I really was laughing out loud and crying at the same time but at the end of the day also full sympathising with Penny and just how incredibly hard it is trying to juggle motherhood, family life, a job, a relationship and life in general whilst trying not to complete lose your identity along the way (who am I actually?!)

Wonderfully written with an important underlying message, I look forward to reading more from Nancy Peach.

I really really loved this book, found it hard to put it down. As a busy mum of three, I could relate to Penny. There were moments of laughs and tears. Such a great read

Thank you #Netgalley for the copy!

Penny was already a busy mom trying to navigate life when she gets a call that would change her day to day life. When her father fell and was admitted to the hospital, she took over care of her mother who suffers from dementia. She had no idea all that would go into caring for her and keeping her safe, on top of caring for her three busy kids. We watch as Penny protects her mother but really struggles with how to balance throwing her husband to the side and not fully accepting the state that her mother is deteriorating. We watch the progression of how Penny copes and eventually thrives with her new situation. The book really shows what it goes into caring for someone with memory issues and the burden in can play.

Penny has a busy life that is just getting busier with her Dad in the hospital and her mom staying with her. The story of a woman who felt like she had to do it all on her own and how she built her village and found her voice.

The title of this book made me think this is my type of book and I was right! As a mum trying to balance everything and everyone is hard and so it is easy to relate to Penny. The book is easy to read with many laugh out loud moments and also some teary moments too. The emotions you feel reading this are so relatable yet with more elements added in for example throw in her mum with Alzheimer’s. You really feel for them all.
I’ll definitely look out for Nancy Peach as an author going forward! Would definitely recommend!

A realistic book about juggling responsibilities when in the sandwich generation. Penny has the lion's share of home and childcare at home, as well as keeping up with other mothers at the school gates. When her father has an accident, the responsibilities for her mother with dementia are also added to her workload. Well written, this is well researched and well written. It is written in a sensitive way but there are also moments of laughter .
A good read, thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

Great totally relatable read particularly for women of a certain age who are juggling running a home, child care, aging parents and still trying to be a wife and person in their own right!
Dementia is portrayed in a poignant sensitive manner but with snippets of joy, happiness and love that was truly heartwarming to read.
A wonderful realistic warts and all take on modern family life for the sandwich generation that I most certainly could relate to!
Would highly recommend this read
Thank you NetGalley for this early read