Nice easy read with nice characters - took me a while to realise the twist about one of them, but overall I enjoyed it.

Three single Mums, single for very different reasons: George, Frankie and Katie are thrown together unexpectedly and they strike up a friendship over food!

Picnic's in particular.

George has the most passion for food and her picnics are second to none, made because she is lost when her son starts school. It is her skill and talent that leads all of these women to come up with a unique twist on their little club.

Katie still cannot understand why her husband left her with two teenage children. When he comes to pick up the children, the tension is thick and Katie just cannot bring herself to sever the ties to bring the marriage to an end. With the strength of these new friends and a helping hand from an unexpected source, Katie can move on.

Frankie is still dealing with the fact she has twins and no husband to help her, why did he have to die? To make their lives perfect she is doing everything she can but forgetting to look after herself in the process. That is until she meets Katie and George.

Told from the perspective of each of the main characters, we get to see the friendship develop and how being a single mother has defined them and how they try to break away from that definition and become their own person and identity again.

A book that explores strength of female friendship and the need for that interaction, the male characters are secondary to them all. Whilst at times it perhaps did not hold up with enough depth to some of the characters it was a good read, to while away a few hours.

I hadn't read a Jennifer Joyce title before, but I will definitely be reading more. Whenever I was torn away from this book I couldn't wait to get back to it. I loved the development of the friendship between the women and their individual stories of motherhood. As a Mum I could identify a lot with some of the situations the characters found themselves in and the way they were written was very true to life, especially the mummy guilt! I will be recommending this book to Mums and non Mums alike!

Brilliant tale of friendship, I really enjoyed this book, and read in one sitting - oerfect easy beach read. .

I have always enjoyed this author’s writing and TSMPC is no exception.

It is a little more melancholy at the start than her previous books, so took me a while to get into it. But once I did, it was light, friendly and warm. A supportive network is established and Frankie, Katie and George balance each other out well.

Add a couple of gorgeous neighbours and a brother plus a scoundrel of a dog called Jake and the story all comes together.

Perhaps it came together a little too neatly and perhaps it could have benefited more character insights beyond the female leads, but it’s a charming book and perfect for the beach.

4* a lovely read

Get your picnic baskets, cooler bags and lunchboxes out from the back of the cupboard because you're going to want them after reading Jennifer Joyce's latest book! It's packed (get it) with everything you could possibly want for a summer read; wonderful friendships, dreamy romance, cute kids and delicious food!


'The Single Mums' Picnic Club,' follows the lives of Katie, Frankie and George. All single Mums trying to make it through divorces and heartache on top of raising kids. When they all meet each other on the beach, they fall into a habit of meeting to chat over food, something George absolutely loves preparing. Over her special picnics, the three women learn about each others lives, talk about how to move on and the different men that have wandered into their lives. The more they meet and the more ideas George comes up with for the picnics, the more they start to move on, grow, bond and make each others dreams a reality.

Talk about #grlpowr!!! I adored the friendship that Frankie, Katie and George had. They are role models and perfect examples of true friendship and women being there for and supporting one another. Each woman was strong, brave and charming in their own way. I enjoyed that they each had their own unique talents, that fit together and bought the group closer, like they were meant to find each other and be in each other lives. I got excited waiting to hear what George had cooked up for each picnic. It literally made me want to make more of an effort to do these things myself. We did once have an Italian beach picnic and it was so much fun. There is something magical about packing lots of yummy food into one box and taking it somewhere different to enjoy, while sat on a cozy blanket!

Not only were the ladies fantastic in this book, but the men were too. Each man that the women met had one wonderful, wonderful thing in common: they were all nice, responsible men. Yes, no ones perfect, but boy sometimes you just want a nice, reliable guy, who is generally a good person. It's not all about the bad boys. The men in this story were sweet, caring, fun and sexy because of it. No games, no nonsense, just grown up, honesty. It was refreshing and put a smile on my face while reading.

As with every Jennifer Joyce book I have read, I sank effortlessly into the pages of this book and let the writing take me on a journey. There's always a sense of warmth and easygoingness (yes, I just made up a word and I'm keeping it) when reading her stories, which is why I always know I have to read what's next. 'The Single Mums' Picnic Club,' is a superb summer read that will have you whipping up treats and buying a picnic basket, if you don't already own one! Enjoy!!

When Katie, Frankie and George meet by accident on the beach it is the start of a great friendship.... they are all single mums who have lost their confidence..... especially in men! Arranging to meet up regularly they set up the picnic club with delicious lunches supplied by George......... So good that she should be making a living at it! When the three of them start meeting men they are all very wary of the dating scene but can they be won over?

A lovely easy reading book with great characters and lovely friendships being created.... and I especially loved Jake the dog..... he could have been modelled on my own dog! Perfect light summer read

A light and lovely summer read! Three single mothers, each with a specific skill set, join together to form a new business offering picnics and other catering services. Romance, humour and yummy food make for an entertaining read.

Katie, Frankie and George meet each other purely by chance; each finding themselves as single parents but for very different reasons and through no fault of their own. A friendship is struck from day one, and they each provide the others with the support and encouragement they need to deal with what life has thrown at them. It's wonderful to see them become stronger and forging forwards with self-assurance, spreading the net of friendship ever wider.

Jennifer Joyce writes fabulous rom-coms; she has a real insight into her characters and they are beautifully developed. The plot is entirely believable and, set in a seaside town, this is a light and entertaining story with some considerable depth to each woman, showing the flawed side of them as well as the face they show to the world. Exciting, funny and entirely plausible this is a genuinely entertaining novel, and one I have looked forward to and devoured with relish.

I can certainly see why this is being advertised as an uplifting summer read - it really is feel good fiction, with new friends, new romances, good food and picnics!

Told from three alternating focal points, we really get to know George, Katie and Frankie and their assorted children. They meet one cold day on the beach and all being single parents that are newish to Clifton on Sea they bonded and started to have weekly picnics.

Their children are all different ages and each of them is single for a different reason, and they are all positive they don't have the time nor energy for romance!

One of the comedic stars of this book has to be Jake, a loveable dog that keeps getting himself into scrapes and kept making me laugh and smile.

We also learn about the ladies families, and some of their pasts are far more serious in tone, understandably.,and gives a good rounded idea of who they are.

I loved the picnics, and the various theme ideas and assorted food on offer. George is one cooking dynamo.

All three mums are wonderful women and I really enjoyed getting to know them, and escaping into their lives for a few hours.

The Single Mums' Picnic Club is a great holiday read for the summer or at any time. It is a joy to have read it.

Thank you to Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Really enjoyable read. I liked how there were different chapters from the three main character's point of view, with some surprises along the way.
The book portrayed a great friendship between three women all at different ages and at different stages of their life and relationships.

Looking forward to reading more from this author.

Three single mums meet by chance and George who loves catering for people suggests that they have a picnic at her beach hut. The picnics sound wonderful- a bit different from my quick dash round the supermarket sandwich aisle before a day out! I do love the ideas of picnics and own more than one wicker hamper and this book has encouraged me to unearth one and plan a lovely picnic of our own. One of these books where you wish you were there with them

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The story of three single mums who meet by chance and forge friendships. All three from different directions united by their relationships with their children and each other.

Fantastic book. I loved every minute and definitely an authors back list I will be reading as well as future books. The penny dropping moment was artfully played out and the story as a whole is entertaining and heart warming. Thank you for a fab read!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a great summer read about picnics, seaside and friendships. I found myself daydreaming of long sunny days down by the beach with a picnic hamper by my side.

A lovely book about the power of friendship. Three women meet by chance, each one a single mum coping with individual difficulties. They meet on a regular basis offering each other support while enjoying delicious picnic lunches provided by one of the mums, George. It was easy to imagine the beach and the houses they lived in and the circumstances they found themselves in. An easy read with a feel good ending.

Three single mums meet by chance and George who loves catering for people suggests that they have a picnic at her beach hut. The picnics sound wonderful- a bit different from my quick dash round the supermarket sandwich aisle before a day out! I do love the ideas of picnics and own more than one wicker hamper and this book has encouraged me to unearth one and plan a lovely picnic of our own.

As they are all lonely they take it it turns to provide a picnic- unfortunately the other mum's are more like my attempt and they decide that George should take charge.

I love the friendships in the book and the way that they help each other through various challenges and disasters. I loved the descriptions of the places that they meet up, including the houses and the way the picnic club comes into being. I would absolutely love to live by the sea and be able to contact George to deliver my very own picnic along with gingham blankets and oodles of ginger beer like my very own Famous Five adventure.

It's not often I read to similar books back to back, but although my last two have the same sort of title, they are very different reads.

Katie, Frankie and George meet each other purely by chance; each finding themselves as single parents but for very different reasons and through no fault of their own. A friendship is struck from day one, and they each provide the others with the support and encouragement they need to deal with what life has thrown at them. It's wonderful to see them become stronger and forging forwards with self-assurance, spreading the net of friendship ever wider.

Jennifer Joyce writes fabulous rom-coms; she has a real insight into her characters and they are beautifully developed. The plot is entirely believable and, set in a seaside town, this is a light and entertaining story with some considerable depth to each woman, showing the flawed side of them as well as the face they show to the world. Exciting, funny and entirely plausible this is a genuinely entertaining novel, and one I have looked forward to and devoured with relish.

My thanks to publishers HQ Digital for approving my copy via NetGalley. This is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Loved this book. So easy to read. The characters were so easy to relate to and likeable. A well written book. I would recommend this book as a good book to read over the summer.

4 stars

This was a very different genre from the past books of Jennifer Joyce that I've read. The author has a knack of making me snort laugh in her books, but this one was a bit on the serious side. Probably because it tried to combine three women, all single mums, either by choice or forced into by circumstance who after a chance meeting become great friends, build solidarity and work on something they are all passionate about. All this while navigating their personal problems and trying to do the best by their children.

Consequently the laughs were less, but the story was deep. Especially that of Frankie. It took awhile for this book to kick off, I am not a fan of multiple POV books but you have three protagonists here and they were all smart, wonderful women.

Frankie's story and her past was deep and hence the emotions resonate more with me. George was the most realistic and her finding her passion was the most enjoyable. I ran a bit hot and cold with Katie, because hers is your typical scorned woman whose husband leaves behind the family because of an affair story. We've read many versions of this and Katie trying to empower herself was a hit and miss for me. Her love interest, made it a bit worthwhile there (you can guess the person before she realizes it) but it had some of the jokes of this book.

Frankie is the sort of go-getter whose life goes into a tailspin after the tragic past and her struggles to gain back control over her life, the health of her stubborn mother and her past made for an investing read. This entire book could have been about her and I would have still read it. George on the other hand is the oldest and she only has a bit of confidence issue which she easily overcomes over the course of the book. Her passion for picnics and catering and all things event planning was interesting to read.

The male characters unfortunately, didn't linger too much. They played the part and Jack was by far the most interesting for me. I liked Frankie's mother and the children at different age groups were all a delight to read.

This book is sort of good tribute to single, working mothers everywhere and the strongest point is the female solidarity and friendships. The book could have had more depth in terms of character building but overall it made for a pleasant read

Thank you Netgalley and HQ Digital for this copy which I reviewed honestly and voluntarily. This was my fourth book of the author