Title | The Woman who Upped and Left
Author | Fiona Gibson
Publisher | HarperCollins, Avon
Publication Date | 25th February 2016
Source | Review Copy
Rating | 3/5
**The laugh-out-loud bestseller is back with the only book to buy this Mother’s Day. Perfect for fans of ‘Outnumbered’ and Carole Matthews, Fiona writes about life as it really is.**
Forget about having it all. Sometimes you just want to leave it all behind.
Audrey is often seized by the urge to walk out of her house without looking back – but she can’t possibly do that.
She is a single parent. She is needed. She has a job, a home, responsibilities…and a slothful teenage son’s pants to pick up.
But no one likes being taken for granted – Audrey least of all – so the time has come for drastic action. And no one’s going to stand in her way…
I heard great things about this book and I was really drawn to the title because it sounded so fun! The cover is gorgeous!
Audrey has one of the most annoying teenage sons I have ever read about! He really grated on me and I just wanted to shout at him so much! He is the stereotypical lazy, self centred teenage boy ever!
However, saying that, The boy came good in the end - thankfully.
Audrey is a school dinner lady, and she has won the Dinner Lady of the Year award which gives her a prize that has options. Should she take the £5000 cash (her son would LOVE that!), or should she go away for a week and learn how to cook french cuisine with a celebrity chef?
Well, after some oohing and aahing (and getting a list of "things I need" in her birthday card from her son) she decides to go for the latter option. She meets some really interesting characters, gets flirted with the by chef and even gets herself tied to the bed posts much to her alarm!
The trip away gives Audrey food for thought and she questions her life and whether it's going in the direction that she actually wants it to. And with the right people.
There were a few aspects to the story that really grated on me, but I can see how they would be funny and highly entertaining - I was just I guess feeling so much empathy for Audrey that I didn't find much of it funny - at the time. I've already mentioned her son and his lazy ways. Well that gets worse. But she is also dating a guy who arranges to meet her on Motorway Service Station motels for a fumble. Its the only dates they really have. She discovers her has a notebook in his car with details of Junctions and Motorway numbers and initials next to it - Her son explained it to her because she found it confusing **Shocked face & combined eye roll**. Next on my list is that her son gives her the list of things he needs in HER birthday card, and whilst she decides to go for the week away rather than the cash, it really bugged me that she felt the need to leave cash on the table for her lazy son, and go out and do the food shop for him. And whilst she's driving there she wonders if he'll be OK and should she go back and be with him. I wanted to shake Audrey so hard!
OK so his girlfriend finds out she's pregnant whilst she's away BUT.... still. He can look after himself! I won't even mention the fact that this is the same son who microwaved his t-shirt to dry it!!
The book has a whole load more twists and turns in it and if I were to fully divulge it all I would spoil it for you. I already feel I've given far too much away, but I haven't. I promise. There is still the guy at her other part time job - the gardener, the old lady she cares for, the guy she meets on the cookery course, the BHS jewellery, and so much more!
I think you would really enjoy reading this book, even if you get as infuriated as I did, it was still a really good read and I would definitely read more of Fiona's work having never read any of her books before this one.
The thing with book reviews, it's all about the readers perspective, so whilst parts of it annoyed me, you might find yourself crying with laughter! So all I can say, is that if what I've written intrigues you, then go grab yourself a copy and enjoy!
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