There are so many different fictional parent/mummy diary books at the moment, but this one does it so well.

There are parts that will have you howling laughing because they strike true and you recognise it in your own family, such as for me, the “marital we”.

So many times I recognised parts of my own day, people from school, children’s behaviour..in the characters in this book, and find myself nodding along at things that I’ve had happen. It can’t help but make you love it. It is so well observed and written and absolutely hilarious.

Laugh out loud funny and utterly relatable! I so enjoyed this story from Lucy Mangan and think it will strike a chime for almost all Mum’s out there!

If you love Lucy Mangan's non-fiction or her columns you'll love this book - it is so incisive but also so huge of heart. I was reminded in more than one place of the late, great Susan Townsend.

39 year old Lucy longs for a moment's peace with adored cat, Henry and a book, but life has other plans, in the form of her family. Verbose but lovely lawyer husband, Richard and children, sensitive and thoughtful Thomas (aged 8) and feisty and determined Evie (aged 5). Combining part-time working in the charity sector with keeping the house going, trying to find time for mum friends, whilst avoiding the cliquey, demanding and 'organic, no screens, perfect homes' PTA school mums, is exhausting. What follows is a year in her life, the highs and lows, hilarity and frustration and not nearly enough time for herself.

I need to start by saying I absolutely loved this because it could have been written about me and it is hilarious. I related to almost all of it, particularly the polar opposite, strong emotions your own children bring out in you. Whilst Lucy and her family are the most full-rounded characters, the supporting cast of family, friends and neighbours all contribute. Written in the form of Lucy's diary, it's like the reader is there with her.

- Lucy's views on marriage:

"The marital 'we' is one of the most cherished aspects of our life together. It's the opposite of the royal 'we'. The Queen's means 'I'. Richard's means 'You'."
And
"Tacit mutual deceit is a vital part of marriage and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

- Middle age and parenthood jealousy of those younger and child-free:

"Imagine being so young and energetic you still want to do everything together, doubling instead of halving your labour whenever you can."

- Trying to find childcare:

"We work long into the night. At one point Richard suggests having my implant removed. 'We'll just have another baby,' he says. 'And you'll get maternity leave. It'll be simpler in the end.'"

- Friend Claire has a newborn:

"It's just I'm very tired!...And I love him so much that I keep wanting someone to shoot at us so I can take a bullet for him and prove it. And at the same time I could leave him in skip and just go to bed'.' Lucy's reply:" 'That's okay. That's normal.'"

Middle-class motherhood in Britain today, observed astutely with affectionate humour. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read for mums and mum friends - hilarious, heartwarming and relatable. I'd love to read more of Lucy's life.

As a mother with two children the same age as the main characters, this book resonated with me in so many ways. At one point, I was crying with laughter. It was really well done and the author managed to avoid any cliches turning them into a humerous anecdotes with great characters. The only think I would have liked to see more of was a story line that built up to something; this book was more a collection of anecdotes but it was still really well done.

I am really sorry I so wanted to enjoy this book and the blurb about it sounded like is was going to be a great humorous read.

I found it repetitive and quite boring and did not finish it. I gave up just before the half way point.

I would like to thank Netgalley and Profile Books for my ARC.

Haven't laughed out loud at a book like this in such a long time! So relatable, it's actually given me comfort knowing I am not the only one who goes through things in our family unit similar to theirs.
I appreciate this was all completely fiction but it was clearly written with such experience - she'd never know otherwise! Hilarious and would 100% recommend!

Lucy Mangan gets wiser and funnier with age. She skewers the ability of men to get away with not having to think about most things. If you are familiar with Lucy's columns you may wonder how autobiographical the book is. I hope that Lucy is stronger and more assertive than her female lead Liz. I spent the whole book screaming at Little to give her smug, entitled husband a kick up the backside instead of fulminating behind his back. That is not to diminish the excellence of the writing. I don't know a single person who won't identify with this book. I shall be buying it for everyone I like.

Honest, funny and full of the frustrations of parenting small children while trying to juggle life, work and any semblance of self. Thoroughly enjoyed. Evie may be small but she is a masterpiece.

The Raw Unpredictability Of Life.…
A portrait of family life in all its’ raw unpredictability in this genuinely amusing, witty and often thought provoking novel from Lucy Mangan which will resonate with so many and relate in the same way. A gloriously uplifting and rather joyous read.

'Are We Having Fun Yet?' is not the most original of stories and immediately brought the TV series 'Motherland' to mind as well as the 'Why Mummy' books. That being said, the characters were all very likeable, particularly the children Thomas, Evie and David. There were occasions where I laughed out loud, more so towards the end of the book, however there were also paragraphs I skipped over as I felt there was a lot of irrelevant information and details included.

Overall, I didn't dislike the book and can see it being popular with those looking for an easy holiday read.

A pale imitation of “why mummy drinks”. Despite an appealing blurb, the writing is passable and the humour flat. I really wanted to like this book but could not find any redeeming qualities.

It was a good book that I think most people would like. It would be nice to read other titles from this author. Well written. Good work!

A really enjoyable and funny book. The telling the story through diary entries was great. The author brought back so many memories of running a household, juggling childcare and generally getting through this time. Would recommend this book for anyone.

An absolute blast of a book. I laughed out loud at this on many occasions. I can't help thinking of Bridget Jones, similarly this is diary format, a year in the life of charity worker Liz, married to barrister Richard, with 2 young children. Liz is essentially negotiating marriage, friends, school playground/politics, and friendships, it is credible, human, realistic and more importantly the funniest thing I have read 📚 for years. A must read for those raising young children whilst juggling your way thru life, family and friendships. (less)

This is a warm, funny, sharply observed and generally enjoyable read. I would have preferred a little more in the way of plot - not a huge amount happens, really - but the characters were great and I was happy to spend time in their company.

Are We Having Fun Yet is the diary of a year in the life of Liz, her barrister husband Richard and young children Thomas and Evie.
Relying on the assistance of an efficient and always- available mum and the weekly coven meeting of her girlfriends, she bounces off the walls, hurdling the obstacles of a garrulous, useless-at-home husband, the unusual traits of her children and the ever- present pressure of play dates organised by the PTA yummy mummies.
The strength of this read lies in the well-observed characters and of course, the entertaining writing style. Oh, to figure out how to stand up for yourself in the face of unfair criticism the way Liz is doing and become an expert in survival techniques for when doomsday happens soon. There is however a fine dividing line between being in love with Richard and bemused by Evie and wanting to murder them both.
The year might have gone slightly quicker for Liz than it did for me, but this read is funny and thoughtful and many, many will love it even more than I did.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This book diaries a year in life of Liz, the working mother of 2 young children. The reader is introduced to Liz's parents, sister, friends, neighbours and other mothers and children throughout the course of the book.
There are many comical moments, and readers are likely to identify with at least some of the feelings and thoughts expressed by Liz as she travels through her fraught life.
The language used throughout the book is typical of modern writing, reflecting that used by the majority of young people; there was frequent use of swear words and slang words / expressions. This does not appeal to me as an older reader, but I am sure that many younger people will find this intuitive novel very funny.

My thanks to NetGalley and Souvenir Press for a copy of “Are We Having Fun Yet ?” For an honest review.

This is my first Lucy Mangan book and I loved it !
The book was a delight from start to finish , really witty and well written .I loved all the different characters, and they were very realistic and relatable.
I cannot recommend this highly enough.and can’t wait to read more by her.

Thank you for sharing this book with me. I love Lucy Mangan's magazine articles so wasn't expecting this kind of book. (I haven't read her earlier novels). It is well-written. This isn't my favourite genre, but I only stuck with it because of the author, and quite enjoyed it. There were parts that made me laugh out loud near the end.