I discovered Mary Catherine one day while scrolling through Instagram (@momlife_comics), and let me tell you, it was like a sign from the gods that we collided. Her words and insight on motherhood is like a balm to any mama’s soul. She sees you, makes you feel less alone and helps put a name to those icky feelings you have festering inside when you feel like you’re just in the thick of this thing called motherhood and you have nothing left to give.

Mama Needs a Minute! is a comic memoir that captures the all-too-relatable labor of love that is modern motherhood. I often find myself thinking I have dementia, but then remind myself that it’s just the invisible mental load that I am carrying. Mary Catherine gets it – and not just in words, but perfectly in images as well. Spousal resentment? Have that. Feeling like you’re drowning in laundry? I’m with ya. Always have an audience in the bathroom? Me too. I knew motherhood was going to be one of the hardest – and most rewarding – things I ever do in life, but some days I just feel like it’s impossible. And I just have one child.

This book feels like I am not alone. It’s filled with humor, astute observations, wit and warmth. I found that I wanted to devour it because I felt so seen, but I had to set it down because I found that I was getting heated at times because it was hitting a little close to home. Was I seething in the corner staring at my husband as he obliviously ate peanuts on the couch while there was a mound of dishes to be done? You bet. But, this book delicately reminded me that I need to do the work to communicate my needs or he’s never going to get off the couch and do.the.dishes.

I adored this book, and I think it would be perfect for any mom in the throws of motherhood. It offers a great message of “I see you,” which I think we sometimes need to feel.

Thank you to Mary Catherine Starr, Chronicle Books, and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of the book for an honest review.

This is the most relatable book I've ever read. The challenges of parenthood are so real, and so varied for everyone, yet so similar. It's great to be able to share in our misery lol

I originally thought this book was about just funny things moms had to deal with and it is in a different way. It’s a literal book about the author’s life experiences. Not what I was expecting but it was interesting to see a different perspective of how a book could be written.

3.5 ⭐️I was given the chance to read the ARC and I must say it was raw and very real yet funny at times lol. Sometimes I would go "YEP!" I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND! lol The comics really brought her points to life and made them enjoyable! We don't share the same views in some areas but this is her story/life that she wanted to share to maybe encourage those who do share those views.

I am a sucker for memoir-esque graphics about parenthood. It's a super niche topic, and I devour just about any book that fits this category. I love how there were anecdotes, tied in with some more harrowing moments of parenthood.

This is a funny story, but also very serious. It is the story of a mother who wants to do it all, know it all, be prepared, and a husband who figures it will all work out because it always does.


The book follows along as we see that the only way it will work out, is if the mother does do it all. She reflects in the story, that she should have planned better, that she should have brought in her husband sooner, that she shouldn’t have been quite so picky.


There is a great point, where her daughter says that she doesn’t want to play basketball, because she wants to do art. Her mother tells her she can do it all. The daughter says, no, that would be too much. And the mother realizes that she is right.


Sad at times, as we see the mother spiraling, but beautiful too, as she realizes what is going on, and brings her husband in as much as she can.


Much of this has been online, but this is the total collection, plus her thoughts on what she wrote about. Perhaps this is the book that expectant mothers should be reading. :)


Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review. This book will be coming out on the 11th of March 2025.

I originally picked this up expecting a cute little picture book and after that initial shock I quickly felt myself getting really into this.

This was a funny and clever reflection on what it is like to live in our current society as both a wife and a mother and all the "norms" (aka stereotypes, grievances, etc) that go along with it. I found myself often seeing a panel or so and screeched at just how much I agreed with what was on page. E.g. "YES, YES THAT!! That is EXACTLY what it feels like." or "OH MY GOD, YES!" There was a particular moment where I couldn't control my reaction at all when viewing the page titled 'What Labor and Birth Were Actually Like' and felt myself belly laugh so hard there may as well have been a sonic boom attached to the end of it.

I did feel particularly sad when it came to the more depressing societal double standards of men vs women and how women are expected to be the de-facto "main" parents and how that affects us emotionally and physically. I hate how true it is and appreciate commentary like this to help bring more awareness to it and hopefully change the cultural norms and expectations for our future daughters (and sons).

In the end I felt this was so relatable to so many women out there I cannot recommend this enough. The humor, cheeky satire blended in with truth was everything and went beyond my expectations.

"Sometimes the hardest part is letting go of my own need for control and trusting him to handle things in his own way (and if he doesn't, letting him deal with the consequences of his actions or inactions)"

Mama needs a Minute brings to light a lot of issues in motherhood and marriage that can be worked through as a team.

I liked the fun "comics" that went along with the different points the author was making. The examples of issues were so relatable and I enjoyed the real life advice.

This was a book Mom's should enjoy. I gave it four stars because it was a good read, with so much good information to take into account.

"Mama Needs a Minute!" had me feeling so many different ways. On one hand, if you read to break away from your everyday life, then DO NOT READ THIS. However, if you are looking for a relatable book, you want to stop feeling like you are all alone in your daily struggles and frustrations, if you sometimes just need to laugh at the daily ridiculousness and realize that you are not alone... in that case I 100% RECOMMEND this book. There were times I laughed because Starr's story was funny, or so relatable that all I could do was laugh. Sometimes the laugh was a "yep! I get it!". Then there were times where the words were hard to read because... Why does it have to be like this? Why is it so hard? Why does it have to be an argument instead of a genuine willingness to help? I am not even sure that I could rehash the whirlwind of emotions (good, bad, and indifferent) that I felt while reading this.

I felt this was well done, and it was structured in a way that we are reading a story, but it was broken up by little skits, or AIM messenger windows (which had me dying laughing), or candid conversations, and cute little pictures to illustrate... well... the Peanut Butter.

I would recommend this, and I will be gifting this for birthdays and holidays next year.