Yet again the author has given us an accurate account of the trials faced by women the world over only this time its in the life and trials of a new mother. When you find out you’re pregnant you generally have at least seven months to get used to your body and hows its evolving. Then bang the baby is delivered and almost immediately you have a body that is as alien to you as the new being nestling in your arms. The author gives us a warts and all look at what to expect from being a new mum. The ups and downs, from their first smile to the baby that won’t sleep through the night. Even down to the thought of piles that no one really tells you may happen after a birth, there is no subject that is taboo to the author. As Beth stumbles her way in a fog of tiredness we relate to every little detail of her life. With a humorously realistic touch that makes you smile and laugh out loud the book is a perfect gift for any parent to be.

Don't you just love a book that's sweeps you away from where you are and transports to a sunnier happy time. Well this book is the perfect escape. Curl up and enjoy. This romantic comedy. I loved it.

Beth and Will have always been seen as being the 'cool' couple, the ones that are always up for partying and love nothing more than spending all of their time together. However, that quickly changes on the arrival of their first child. Joe is a gorgeous baby boy who has well and truly thrown all of their routines out of the water. 
This story portrays a realistic insight into the first year with a baby. All the feelings that the couple go through as the story progresses really hit home with me, especially as I have only just got past this first year hurdle with my own daughter!.
Full of humour, love, and realistic characters, this story well and truly had me hooked from the start.

Beth Callaghan and her boyfriend Will have started on their momentous parenthood journey. Newborn Joe is a source of wonderment and confusion as they suddenly find themselves adapting to their new roles. But can their relationship cope with the pressure and changes a baby brings...?
OMG I snorted with laughter soooo many times while reading Did My Love Life Shrink In The Wash? Author Kristen Bailey has such a down to earth way of writing and her turn of phrase is just magically and wickedly funny. Her brilliant way with words frequently made me chuckle as she brought back memories of childbirth and the early day with a baby: she describes postnatal girl bits resembling a dropped lasagne!!! Hahaha, other mums will appreciate that one as I did!
Beth is a fab lead character. She is kind, funny and loyal which makes her hugely appealing to us as readers. I think non-parents will laugh increduloulsy at the events and descriptions, whilst parents will nod along in understanding of the reality of having kids.
The relentless monotony of early motherhood is handled comically but the emotional side is not forgotten. The feelings of inadequacy and even the grief for the 'old me' are realistic and a little heartbreaking. A confused sense of identity and 'losing yourself' was portrayed accurately and sensitively despite the comedic tone of the book overall.
Family and friendships are strong themes throughout the book. I didn't realise until the end with other book blurbs that this is actually the third book to feature the Callaghan family so I definitely want to catch up with their antics! This therefore works perfectly as a standalone novel.
Did My Love Life Shrink In The Wash? was an absolutely wonderful book. It has a genuine warmth that makes it extra special.

Beth and her partner Will have been the ‘cool ones’: always willing to go to the next rave, spending time together and enjoying one another’s company. But the arrival of their first child, Joe, a beautiful little boy who doesn’t understand that nighttime is for sleeping has disrupted what little routine they had. What follows is an honest, heartfelt and quite humourous tale of baby’s first year, the pitfalls and insecurities, and a bit of the past coming into new light for everyone.  We’ve met Beth briefly in her sister’s stories, and yes, Lucy – the youngest and perhaps most out there of them is ever-present in this one.  

While Beth juggles the home front, Will is struggling to get established in his new job at a new architecture firm, which means a long commute, longer hours and plenty of ‘after hours’ get togethers – leaving Beth stuck in the house, or only seeing her septuagenarian neighbor for tea and ‘human contact. A celebration lunch brings Beth and little Joe into the notice of an art director, who then wants to cast Joe for an up-and-coming rapper’s album and bring Joe into the world of “model babies’.  While Beth isn’t particularly interested in it all, the getting out is good, Joe is the ‘perfect’ baby, and she’s brought into several new situations.  

These are lovely, honest and ‘feel good’ stories that leave you feeling a little less alone or remembering that first sleep deprived year of parenthood. Fortunately for Beth, she’s got a family who is very supportive and involved, and the return of her favorite sister Grace with a surprise of her own just brings the family (and their quirks) into focus. Easy to read as a standalone story, you’ll want to grab the others in the series because these sisters are as fun as they are fierce: the family connections, love and determination to find a ‘new normal’ for everyone involved is pure fun and entertainment. I love the series, the sisters and the laughter – read this in one night – then grab the others – you won’t be disappointed.  

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own responsibility.  

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aQM /” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Initial Thoughts: I realized this is the third book in a series but was happy to learn it can be read as a stand-alone if you haven’t read the first two books.

Themes, Elements & Review Notes: Themes of navigating through new parenthood and new experiences. Major theme of the importance of communication in relationships. Theme of the importance of family and support.

Format warning to alleviate confusion: I found the format of the chapter titles a little confusing at the beginning because I thought the year was referring to the time in the story rather than the year of the song title itself.

Review Note: The story was slower-paced than I was expecting for a rom-com, however it had some really fun situations and thoughtful perspective on parenthood and relationships.

In a Nutshell: Leisurely-paced rom-com about navigating parenthood and relationship woes. Tip: start with book one (Can I Give My Husband Back?) to enjoy the full Callaghan gang from the beginning!

Kristen Bailey is back with a hilarious, believable and uplifting new novel that will make readers scream with laughter: Did My Love Life Shrink in the Wash?

When Beth Callaghan found out that she was having a baby, she knew that her life was about to change, but she never imagined – not even in her wildest dreams – just how much her whole world was going to be turned on its head, thanks to a tiny little infant. Beth knew that as a mum her entire life would revolve around her baby, but nobody had mentioned just how exhausting and tiring motherhood could be! Luckily for her, Beth has got her partner Will who is more than willing to lend a helping hand and be there with her every step of the way. Sure, they seem to have been blessed with a child who seems to be allergic to sleep. But with Will by her side, Beth is sure that she can do anything…or can she?

Beth has kissed goodbye to her old life. What’s the point of going to a nightclub if you’re going to fall to sleep headfirst in your cocktail? But despite the sleepless nights and the fact that she cannot remember the last time she kissed Will, let alone did anything remotely physically with him, Beth is confident that she can get through anything if she has Will in her life. After all, the two of them have weathered many a storm together and always managed to triumph against all the obstacles standing in their way, so she is sure that she and Will will get back to their old lives in the not too distant future. Until, the last thing she ever thought would happen happens: Will decides that he has had enough and walks out on her and their child!

Having been – literally – left holding the baby, Beth is all on her own now. Can she cope with all the stresses and challenges of being a single mother? Or should she kiss her sanity goodbye and curl up in a dark corner with her child’s favourite cuddly toy?

Kristen Bailey’s Did My Love Life Shrink in the Wash? is a superb feel-good read fans of Sophie Kinsella and Milly Johnson will love. Kristen Bailey deftly and effortlessly juggles humour and pathos in a zesty-paced page-turner that has at its heart a brilliant heroine readers will simply adore. Beth is a wonderful character and somebody women everywhere will relate to and empathize with. I loved her wit and her strength and by the end of the book, I was reluctant to say goodbye to her as I felt as if she had become a good friend.

Smart, sharp, sassy and uproariously funny, Kristen Bailey has penned another winner with her latest novel, Did My Love Life Shrink the Wash?

I started reading this book, and thought, maybe not my thing, but I was wrong.  This book is funny, poignant and a real commentary on the pressures of every day life.  I really enjoyed it!
Beth has a baby.  And anyone who had had one too will relate to the tale of Joe's birth, which is just the start of the story of Beth and Joe and Will, her partner.  They navigate the pressures of the first year, pressures that everyone can relate to and try to hang on to the time that they remember when they partied like there was no tomorrow.
The cast of characters from 5 crazy sisters, the work husband, the pensioner neighbour and Beth's nemisis from highschool are all so relatable.
Although this is a light easy read, it is also a very emotional one, and very real.  I would have no hesitation in recommending it as something to snuggle up with.

This book is the third in a series but you don't need to read the first two to pick this one up. It's not at all what I was expecting, but that's mostly my fault. I read the blurb back when I first requested the book but that's more than 24 hours ago so I totally forgot about it when I decided to read it. Based on the title you could be forgiven for thinking this is a lighthearted comedy, and it is pretty funny at first. But it takes a darker turn when Will abandons Beth and Joe, and Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her life.

I think where this book really shines is relationships. I don't even think the relationship between Beth and Will is the centerpiece of the book. There's a lot of focus on family and the bonds between sisters, friends who are as close as siblings, and neighbors who are there during the hard times. The characters show depth and growth throughout the story. Some parts even got me the tiniest bit emotional.

The writing style is enjoyable and the story has pretty good pacing. Despite the first person POV and the focus on Beth, the side characters do get their moments to shine. Lucy was one of my favourites, but I'm also really interested in Grace's story, and I hope she gets her own book eventually because I am really curious to know what happened to her and how she ended up where she is in this book.

Review has been posted to Goodreads and Instagram.

I need to give you a couple of warnings if you intend reading this book (which I highly recommend). Firstly, if you intend reading it on any type of public transport, be prepared to receive very peculiar looks from strangers, as you sit and laugh out loud, not only to yourself but to all who are within hearing distance! I read it on a plane while we were on our way to the coast in December, and my offspring claimed they had no idea who I was! Actually, it might be an excellent mechanism for social distancing: people will stay far away from you, and you’ll get the peace and quiet you need to read your book!

Secondly, don’t eat or drink while reading this book, unless you enjoy snorting food and beverages through your nose, or any other orifices! I’m serious! Don’t tempt fate!

If you’ve read any Kristen Bailey books before, you’ll know that no subject is taboo, and she continues in that vein here. Beth and Will are a happy-go-lucky couple, living the party life of drunken late nights, lazy weekends sleeping in and doing what they like, which is all well and good until one of them is pregnant – as these things go, it is as you guessed it, the female part of the couple. But they decide that they’ve had their fun, they’re a solid unit and this would be the obvious next step in their relationship … a baby! Yay! They’ve seen those around and they’re pretty sure they can handle whatever a small human throws at them.

Ha! They don’t exactly count on the fact that they have to do real life together with the tiny little person that now takes centre stage in it! Will has a demanding new boss who expects him to give his all to his job, and Beth finds herself spending more and more time having to navigate life with baby Joe on her own, on minimal sleep! It comes as a huge surprise to both of them that men and women land up approaching new parenthood very, very differently, and as much as they thought they were ‘in this together’ it starts to look like this might not be the case! With Beth’s large, loud, usually opinionated family thrown into the mix, life tends to get a bit messy! And of course, we also have Joe’s thoughts added for good measure too!

Bailey is a master at painting a bright, colourful tapestry of life in all its raw reality: the pretty, and the pretty ugly; the loud, the angry, the sad, the desperate and also the intoxicatingly, insanely, deliriously happy! It’s all here, laid bare for her readers to see, experience and identify with.

I adored Beth with all her insecurities. She’s just so natural and down-to-earth … so human! She’s very real, and her reactions when faced with her old school nemesis Yasmin are sure to bring back many memories of of being faced with schoolyard bullies and mean girls. I wanted to slap the woman, because there are far too many like her who so many of us have to face on an everyday basis … women who, whether intentionally or unintentionally just make other women feel small and insecure. And Beth is going out there and just doing her best … aren’t we all? This is a stark reminder that we all need to give each other a break! Kristen Bailey brings this message home loud and clear!

This is a fabulous, real, laugh-out-loud 4 star read.

This book is hysterical! I read the summary and knew I would enjoy it. I love stark honest yet humorous books about the early days of motherhood and how life changing it is. I remember those early days not having a clue what side was up and was always asking for the manual that would tell me what to do. I was in stitches laughing in many parts, but also felt compassion and emotional in other parts. The book really does cover the variety of real life experiences, struggles, rewards, and roller coaster emotions of being a new mom while still juggling life and other relationships. The book opened with a little too much sex talk for me (I guess I am a bit of a prude sometimes), but then once it got to the labor part, I was thoroughly enjoying it and I was hooked. I haven’t read the other books in this series but I definitely am going to! I can’t wait!

When I’m hankering for a reality check with humor and love, I reach for Kristen Bailey. Her crazy funny and no-holds-barred honest moments with the Callaghan sisters hit close to home. They are a close-knit family dealing with their everyday lives like troopers. Meg, the eldest, is the “ringleader spokeswoman” from Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life?, Emma is the put-together doctor with a crap ex-husband in Can I Give My Husband Back?, Grace is the sensible sister who is a widow, Lucy is the fun wild-child, Beth is the nice sister and newly single mother without a clue.

This is Beth’s story about an unplanned pregnancy, a cute baby with a winning smile, and an AWOL father. She is a phenomenal mom dealing with many changes with her life and body and finding the time to make new lifelong friends who have her back as she tries to understand why the man she loves leaves her.

As for Beth’s boyfriend, Will. He makes some stupid choices that make him look very bad and he will have to work hard to become the man and father that Beth and little Joe need. 

Who wouldn’t love Beth’s amazingly supportive family, the Callaghan collective, who each give her heartfelt and much-needed advice? In addition, her friends, old and new, are so important to her mental health and her self-confidence. 

The laughs are loud from Beth’s outrageous and bittersweet birthday party to Lucy and Beth exercising in the park. The tears are real with Beth’s emotional turmoil and Will’s honest apology letter. The ending is HEA with a loving and necessary gesture from Beth’s dad.

I recommend this lovely, humorous, realistic story about the challenges of motherhood/fatherhood. 

Thank you to Ms. Bailey for giving me the opportunity to read this book with no expectations of a positive review.

Thanks to the publishers for sharing this one. Kristen Bailey is one of my new favourite authors. :) I loved the honest descriptions of birth and new motherhood in this one. My full review appears on Weekend Notes.

Favorite Quotes:

Another wave of pain strikes me and I bellow out some feral crescendo through the ward. Wolves in London Zoo howl back in reply.

Midhusband Joe continues to talk from in between my arched legs. His face and the giant lamp down there are slightly disconcerting, like he’s mining for something.

And who calls a baby Leonard? That’s just cruel… And he wasn’t good-looking. Face like a cabbage. She’s just inviting that kid to be beaten up when he’s older.

‘Do the stretch marks ever fade?’ I ask. ‘Mine are dark red, I look like a tiger.’ ‘Own them. They’re your new warrior stripes.

Swimming?’ ‘Then I’d have to do my bikini line.’ ‘No, you don’t. I swim at the lido near Emma’s and there’s a lady who goes out with full pits and fanny. It sprouts out like alfalfa.’

‘Sean also looks like the sort of man who wears bad shorts in summer. Am I right?’ ‘Cargo, knee-length. Sometimes the ones with the zips so he can add some length if the weather gets cooler.’ ‘If you married that, I’d voice my objections at your wedding, just so you know.’


My Review:

Maternity, birth, and baby issues aren’t my jam and topics I typically avoid in my book selections.  But I couldn’t seem to pass this one up as I had read and delighted in the previous books in this series.  Needless to say, I have few regrets after diving into this riotously amusing tale and am just as enamored with this author’s clever wit and irreverent humor as I was before. I cackled and giggle-snorted at the outrageous scenarios and sharp visuals her wily and cunning selections of words conjured in my cranium.  My face is actually a bit tired from smirking.  As there are five oddly captivating and quirky sisters in this family, I will be eagerly awaiting the next sister’s odyssey.  

And, score! I have two new additions to my Brit Words and Phrases list with norks – which are a woman’s breasts; and gubbins – which is a multitasker of a word as it has several meanings which include scraps, useless bits and pieces, gadgetry, and a foolish person.  For most women of my age, norks are generally gubbins.

I found the beginning of this book very slow. Not much was happening, and I understand it was a family drama of sorts, but I wasn’t sure how it was going to go for me. 

I found myself reading along and getting very into the book. I was laughing with Beth, and I found myself crying with her too. I really felt for her and everything she was going through and I found I couldn’t put the book down. The struggles of becoming and new parent, and dealing with life and love and making ends meet. It was so real and so raw. I really did find myself enjoying the story. 

I love the Callaghan’s.

This is my first book from Kristen Bailey. I didnt realise it was a series but I understood everything that was going on so it doesn't matter if you read the other two.

This series is about the callahan sisters. This particular novel is about Beth and her long term boyfriend Will who after a drunken night and a missed pill becomes pregnant.

This book is hilarious, quirky and fun. The awkward moments shenshares about parenthood are what some parents in real life must feel.

Highly recommend this story.

This is book 3 in the series but the first book I have read by Kristen Bailey. I am hooked! I loved this book. It can easily be used as a stand alone. I am looking forward to reading more in this series. Kristen writes from the heart. The lighthearted warmth of this novel along with humour grabbed me right from the start. Topics of motherhood, relationships, body imagine makes it feel so real and relatable. I have two kids and felt like I went back in time to my first born. I could totally relate with Beth on so many levels. She is a great character and I felt for her all the way through this book. The ups and downs of motherhood, a rocky relationship as Will is just "so stressed & really scared" that his first reaction is to run. All the sisters are so likeable and shows great family dynamics. This series is a lot of fun. I really felt like I was reading a book by Sophie Kinsella. I give this book a 5 stars.

Funny, lighthearted read which had me laughing out loud with the honesty and chaos of childbirth while also caring for kids and having a marriage. I adored the relationship she had with her husband and with her best friend Paddy. A really fun read that was a nice escape from the mostly suspense/thriller I read.

Having really enjoyed Has Anyone Seen My Sex Life and Can I Give My Husband Back, I knew I just had to get this book too. I love the Callaghan sisters, brilliantly true to life characters. I really enjoyed Beth's story, but also how each installment has funny references to the other books. 
Reading these books is like checking in with a friend,  whom you love dearly but don't get to see often, you just pick up where you left off. 
At one stage I realised I was crying (happy tears) and I had to flip back a page to see what prompted the sudden outburst!! 
I especially enjoyed the first few paragraphs, and I laughed out loud so many times. 
The only downside is now I have to wait for the author to write the next book.

Yet another five star novel by the incredible @kristenbaileywrites 

The one thing I love most about Bailey’s writing style is how REAL everything is. Within this novel, she explores pregnancy, motherhood, family life, relationships, body image with such a refreshing air of realness which you don’t often find in fiction. 
Add in an abundance of laugh out loud humour, and characters which are incredibly likeable, and yet again she is on to a winner here! 

I absolutely loved this book. Beth asks questions which I imagine (though I am not a mother) many mothers have wondered when things got tough - “it’s normal to wish your baby came with a snooze button, right?” being just one of them! 

This novel is lighthearted and warm, though it tackles some challenging topics really well. You find yourself really routing for Beth and Will. 

What I really loved whilst reading this novel, is how Bailey explores how motherhood changes women. From the body changes, to the way women almost mourn the life they used to have, with less responsibility. And I think Bailey really challenges societal views on these topics, and makes you feel that it is okay to have the wobbly bits, the sad days, the sleep deprivation, to have no clue what you are doing sometimes. And despite the perfect images you see in the media, this side of motherhood is real. And the ‘perfect parent’ does not really exist, but as long as you try your hardest, you will be enough 💜