As a mom who works as a writer, I could relate to Claire Casey's character and the stressful, overwhelming load of responsibility. Luckily, my husband shares the load in our household, but I could understand Claire's frustration with her husband not providing the support she needs. The depiction of household chaos and mom life is so well done. I also liked the comedic spin on the story—I love the term momcom because we moms can use a laugh— to lighten the mood, and I enjoyed Claire's flashbacks as she mulled over past decisions and what to do with her present situation, especially after running into an old flame.

Set mostly in 2024 with earlier descriptions of Claire’s dissatisfied life.

Everything begins to fall apart for Claire on 11th May 2024 when she arrives home after a work trip at 2am. She does not have her house keys, and her husband is fast asleep and does not hear her knocking on the doors and windows.

While waiting for her husband to wake up, Claire thinks about how dissatisfied she is with her husband, family and work.

Claire asks her husband to leave, but her life just gets more complicated until 4th September 2024, when everything falls apart.

I loved this. Full of twists and turns, as Claire tries to keep her boss happy, while dealing with complicated family relationships and difficult decisions.

At times it was too busy, and I would put it down for a few days, but always looked forward to becoming emersed in Claire’s crisis.

I loved the ending. Very satisfying.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher Severn House for a chance to review this E-book. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

This was a super fun read and I definitely enjoyed it as a pallet cleanser between the heavy fantasy books that I have been reading.
I did feel like I could relate to Claire and the dramas of her life as a married mother to three boys. I enjoyed how realistic her life was portrayed to be and that it wasn’t portrayed as a perfect family life that a lot of people show. It made me feel like a better person and that it is okay not to enjoy your life even though it appears that you have everything from the outside. I did want a little bit from her character development and maybe more about her husband. I felt like at points it felt like there was drama after drama where I would prefer a little bit more character development so that I could build up a stronger connection to Claire. I feel like this could have been a 5 star read for me if that was the case. I think the focus on her former lover was focused on a little bit too much in the middle of the book which made it drag.

As part of @bookloversthebuzz I was happy to read Claire Casey’s Had Enough. It’s a cute, funny “mom-com” about a middle-aged woman who, after re-connecting with her old college boyfriend, questions her life as a harried mother to three kids and an unappreciative husband. She wonders how she has become invisible in her own life.

The story was told over the course of a day with flashbacks to the past. Many parts were relatable and had several laugh-out loud moments, particularly at the beginning and middle parts.

A quick, cute, easy read, this one had vibes similar to Laurie Gelman’s Class Mom series.

Thanks to the publisher for the complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.

I didn't really like this book, and contemplated DNF'ing it several times. Yes, Claire is overwhelmed and gets no support from her husband. He legitimately makes her life harder by not fulfilling things that he promised her he would. I mean, at the very start of the book he promised to pick her up from the airport, then fell asleep and didn't do that, nor did he answer his phone or the doorbell when she eventually made her way home, forcing her to sleep in the back yard. And then tasks around the home that he says he'll "get to", go undone until they reach a crisis point. (Hey, shocker, you can't just ignore a slow leak in your bathroom if you don't want major water damage to happen to your home).

So, sure, Claire's husband is not a supportive partner. But she also makes some pretty dumb decisions that make her life harder. She spends so much time mooning over her old college boyfriend that she's recently reconnected with that she ignores responsibilities to both her job and her kids. When you have 5 minutes before you have to leave to pick up your kids from school, and the other kid currently has a lice treatment on his head, this might not be the best time to try dying your hair???

My other problem with this book was the difficulty in following the timeline. Rather than traditional chapters, the book is split into sections with a large heading of date and time. This is because the main action of the story happens primarily within one day, with several sections being flashbacks to earlier in Claire's life (mostly college). However some of the "present day" scenes start with a couple of sentences about what she's currently doing before Claire slips in to remembering something that happened a number of months/years ago, and so the timeline of that particular section doesn't at all match it's heading. This makes it really difficult to tell if, say, the conversation that is happening between Claire and her neighbour is happening in the present or the past.

My recommendation would be to save your time and read a different book.

Claire Casey’s Had Enough is a sharp, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt reminder that it’s never too late to hit reset on your life. I found myself rooting for Claire every step of the way as she rediscovered her voice and took charge of her happiness.

My review of ‘Claire Casey’s Had Enough’ by Liz Alterman, due for release on 3 June 2025, published by Severn House.

I found the book to be a light, easy read. Claire is relatable as a mum run ragged with trying to work full time in a job she dislikes immensely, organising her three children and trying to recapture who she was before marriage and children, desperate to be ‘seen’.

She procrastinates, goes off on tangents and makes mistakes, but ultimately learns the power of standing up for herself and saying ‘no’.

Recommended lighthearted read.

Claire Casey is very overwhelmed mom of three with a husband who is unhelpful to the extreme. After a particularly difficult night, she snaps and kicks him out. What ensues is a hilarious story of a single mom trying to juggle it all, who also has a big decision to make. Walking away from a marriage isn't as easy as it might seem.

I enjoyed this story of life and marriage and wondering what might have been. Claire is feeling invisible and like she has lost herself. The final straw is when her husband Paul forgets to pick her up at the airport and she has to find her own way home and sleep in the backyard. She wonders what might have been if she had made different choices. A college reunion and reconnecting with Alex, the ex that got away, has Claire remembering her younger self. But is she missing Paul and the life they have built together. She has to decide whether to see what might have been or to find a way to rebuild her marriage. It was easy to identify with Claire and her frustrations with her husband and feeling that her life was not what she planned. The lack of communication and miscommunication with Paul was annoying to read, not in a bad way, but I think I recognized it and maybe identified with it a little and I was uncomfortable with the recognition. The moments of Mom life daily chaos had me giggling at times. I recommend adding this book to your tbr, it publishes in June, if you enjoy books about life and family and relationships.

This story is so funny and relatable and an overall easy read. If you have ever just wanted to walk away from life for a minute, I think you’ll really enjoy this book!

It was so easy to connect with Claire. She is a little older (in her 40s) and has been so busy with work and her kids and her marriage. She is feeling a little lost and under appreciated and in some ways feels invisible. When Paul (her husband) forgets to get her from the airport, she feels done.

We follow along as she has a rollar coaster of emotions. She ends up at her college reunion and sees her old boyfriend and that really makes her look at her current life and ask what if. I really enjoyed the scenes with her friends!

No spoilers here, but I enjoyed the ending and am very happy for Claire!

Claire Casey’s chaotic day is as funny as it is frustrating, in the most relatable way. This book paints a very real picture of how much is expected from women, especially moms. I sometimes found myself overwhelmed by the number of characters and flashbacks, but honestly? That chaos kind of worked. Isn’t that just motherhood?

Even though the story takes place over just one day, it’s packed with moments that will feel familiar to anyone juggling a million things at once. Claire felt both frustrating and incredibly real. The writing is funny and engaging, which made it easy to keep going, even when the pacing felt a bit much.

It’s smart, funny and somewhat chaotic, just like life. Perfect for readers who enjoy books about messy, honest lives.

Review also shared on Goodreads, Storygraph and Fable.

Claire is frazzled, to say the least, and her frustrations were very relatable as an adult woman just trying to exist within the bounds and perils of society. I love that she snapped and rather than letting it break her, she chose grit. Also, I love a 2nd chance college reunion romance trope so that part was an easy sell for me. The book is told over one day, which moves the storyline quickly and helps to immerse you in the details of Claire's life. This was a fun, easy read that I think would resinate with women of all ages and backgrounds.

Claire Casey is all of us at some point in our lives.
I adored this. I felt her frustrations deeply and was cheering her on from the very first page.

Hilarious and relatable romcom of a mother who’s just had enough!
It’s a 4.5 star for me.

Exhausted, frustrated Claire, a mother of 3 with a procrastinator husband, and a mediocre writing job decides one day to change her life around.

Claire, after attending her university reunion and reconnecting with a former boyfriend, decides to put an end to her endless contemplation of the “what ifs.” Although I am not a mother myself, I can relate to the entire “what ifs” and her inner thoughts, which would likely resonate deeply with my working mother’s friends.

The book is set within a single day, primarily spanning Claire’s university days and early marriage. Liz Alterman cleverly portrays Claire’s inner conflicts in a comedic manner, making me laugh out loud.

Recommended for any woman who’s about to hit a midlife crisis, has had enough or is stuck with the thoughts of “what ifs”.

Claire Casey’s Had Enough will be out on June 3rd, 2025

Thank you NetGalley, Severn House and Liz Alterman for this opportunity!

I really enjoyed this book . It was different to her usual storylines but this made me laugh out loud several times so it was a welcome change,

To paraphrase Oscar Wilde, never love someone who acts as if you are ordinary. To Claire, that is actually how she felt as no one viewed her as a person with extraordinary talents as a writer and a loving mother and wife. She felt invisible. It is no wonder she found solace in Alex as he made her feel special. He made her feel worthwhile. He didn't leave her at the airport nor let his to do list continue to be incomplete. So to her, Paul took her for granted and left her to do everything with Max, Harry and Joe while he was the fun parent. As she heard him say to Alice, she was the boring one. Once separated, she began to bring Claire back. She found what she wanted and deserved and also how to say no to items she didn't want to do. At the end, Paul and Claire found their way back to each other. Marriage and partnership can't be taken for granted. I have to say that I loved the witty and sarcastic commentary as a bonus to the story. Great read.

I totally get where Claire Casey is coming from. She’s had it—her kids, her husband (who, let’s be honest, is just another kid), and a soul-sucking job. She’s done. And when her husband forgets to pick her up from the airport, that’s the final straw.

But walking away from a 16-year marriage? It’s not as simple as it sounds. As Claire works on reclaiming the person she used to be, an old flame resurfaces, and suddenly, she’s faced with a choice: risk everything for the unknown, or see if her life (with all its flaws) is worth rebuilding.

This book is a hilarious and painfully relatable rollercoaster of midlife chaos, rediscovery, and so much mom energy. If you’ve ever fantasized about running away from it all—or even just stealing five minutes of peace—Claire Casey’s Had Enough is the perfect read.

Claire is a typical mom. She loves her family, does most of the work, and needs to make some money and have a career of her own. This is very hard to accomplish without the help of the kid’s dad. Her husband has no interest in helping at all. She is exhausted and frustrated, to say the least.

She embarks on a work trip and tries to sort things out in her head. She is confused and not sure how to fix her dilemma. On this trip, a lot happens! What also happens is that our complex and deep character Claire, shares with us the most sarcastically funny things in her mind. I laughed out loud several times as well as truly felt her thoughts in my own life, at times!

Something happens with her job about three quarters of the way through. This was one of my favorite parts of the book. The way it all went down with the banter between Claire and her employer was epic! I wish I could share the quote but it would be a spoiler.

Alterman is a truly talented writer that makes the story flow seamlessly, all the while incorporating sadness, frustration, happiness, comedy and real-life issues all at the same time. To me, this is not always done so easily but somehow she accomplishes this, making her one of my auto-buy authors!

This book cleverly navigates the complexities of still being in love with someone while attempting to move on and date someone new. The emotional tension is palpable, and the author does a great job capturing the confusion and heartache that comes with unresolved feelings.

However, the “issue debacle” that caused the protagonist to go viral felt underdeveloped — it didn’t carry enough weight to justify the ripple effects it had on their life. A bit more depth here would have added stronger stakes to the storyline.

Additionally, I noticed a few mistakes throughout the book, which I’d be happy to share screenshots of if helpful. They didn’t take away from the overall experience, but polishing those details could enhance the reading flow.

Despite these points, the story’s emotional core and relatable struggles make it a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys messy, heartfelt romances.

Synopsis: Mother of three, Claire, is stressed and exhausted from juggling all her responsibilities – housework, childcare and working as a writer for Mamarama, an online women’s magazine. Married to Paul for 16 years, she still loves her husband but is frustrated and angry with his procrastination and failure to share the load. One day she wakes up and reaches the end of her patience, telling Paul to get out, which he obligingly does. Then Claire sees her old college flame at the 10-year reunion, the one that got away. Will Claire give the man she married a second chance, or start over with her old love?

Thoughts: Claire’s life is pure chaos. Her house is a mess, her son has lice, she is separated from her husband, and she is struggling to satisfy her overachieving millennial boss at Mamarama. If you have ever bemoaned the state of your life as a working mother and wife, you will probably be able to relate to Claire Casey. The author is able to encapsulate the frantic pace of working motherhood - down to combing through a child’s hair with a lice comb, plucking sweaty sports gear out of the laundry bin, and fobbing off pushy parent organizers trying to force others into baking cupcakes. It rings true, even if it exaggerates the chaos just a little. There is plenty of humour as well as poignant moments. I will admit I found it a bit stressful to read at times, or perhaps that was just my PTSD from child rearing. And Claire is a little too clumsy and hapless at times. However it is a fun read and bookish friends that enjoy something lighter with a bit of acerbic wit should enjoy this novel.