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The Single Mums' Secrets by Janet Hoggarth
Blurb
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?
Review
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.
About the Author
Janet Hoggarth has worked as a book-seller, a children's book editor, and a DJ with her best friend (under the name 'Britney and Whitney'). She spent her childhood making comics and filling notebooks with stories. In fact, her old boss at Bloomsbury thought she had such a talent for writing, he asked her to write a joke book, which she did with her brother.
Janet lives in London and draws constant inspiration from her three brilliant children. Gaby's Angel is her first book for Oxford University Press.
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