Thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for this ARC. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
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When I started this book, I was sooo bored and annoyed at the FMC, Jessica because she was just complaining and not doing anything about her situation. She's overwhelmed, but refuses to let her kids help and do chores, wouldn't tell her husband anything. However, things changed for the better(I did give 4 stars) a few chapters in.
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She had a 'life changing event' and that set the book in motion, I loved how she was determined to pursue her law school degree, getting a part time job in a law firm and going for tutorials, it takes a lot of strength for you to go back to school when you're older and I admire her for it.
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However, instead of her family members to be happy for her for breaking out of her shell, they were very selfish especially her kids. This woman has done more than enough for you, yet they begrudge her dream, they did not even offer to support her and help around the house, even though her kids, 17 and 15 years are old enough to take care of themselves. I was also disappointed in her husband, Mike he also refused to support her.
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While I do like the ending, I loved that her family apologized, and made amends and most importantly, she found herself. I just wished she had taken another option, but I'll manage this.
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I also loved her best friends, Diana and Rachel, they were the best, supporting her all through.
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One of the things that Jess learned is that no one is irreplaceable, no matter how much your life revolve around theirs, they'll survive when you're gone, so dear Mothers, learn to put yourself first when the situation arises and demand for action from your family.
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I definitely recommend this wonderful book

I was instantly drawn to this book as a mother who gave up her career to care for my family. I felt such a connection to Jess who wanted to run away from it all on days. Jessica is dealing with depression which is a big topic for moms and how hard getting into therapy and feeling lost and alone could have been incorporated more in the book as it is glossed over too quickly. I enjoyed this book a lot and it definitely made me evaluate my life a little.

The title I Used to be Fun appealed to be from the beginning since I very personally relate to that description. Just like the main character Jess, I'm a mother who is nearing middle age and has started to question what mark I'm going to leave on the world, if any. We follow along as Jessica tries to rediscover her own self worth after taking care of her husband and kids for nearly 20 years. I loved the premise of this but felt so frustrated with Jessica much of the time. I wanted her so badly to find her voice and stand up for herself. But I think this book portrayed what so many women go through as wives and mothers. I loved that it made me reflect on my own parenting and sense of self.

Thank you to NetGalley and Indigo Group for allowing me access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This was a quick read, cute story about a middle aged wife and mom realizing she has put her dreams on hold to take care of her family long enough and she deserves her own life and dreams. I loved seeing Jess take charge of her own voice and goals, finding ways to make a new normal work in her and her families life. She should have been more open with them, especially her husband, and not just dumped it all on them at once, but I she absolutely deserved a chance to finally reach some goals and have dreams of her own.
Her family does not treat her nicely at all. I did not like the way her husband treats Jess in the aftermath of her changes, especially the way he brings the kids in to it. I understood and empathized with his reaction when first learning of it, but then continuing to act passive aggressively and badmouthing Jess to the kids was not cool. And what was up with Jess’s mom and friends turning on her too??? like girl is saying how unhappy she is and she’s making changes to fix it and they can’t be supportive at all ??? have to ask how it’s going to affect everyone else, like that’s the problem ppl! I also didn’t feel like a lot of that was resolved well, like they all just kinda realized that Jess wasn’t doing anything terrible and just kinda were cool with each other again, no real or big conversation had. Therapy should also have been a bigger part of this story, it kinda came up at the beginning but I think could’ve been better more incorporated throughout the story.
Overall, I appreciated the honest look at what a long and mostly happy marriage and family can look like after almost two decades, showing that even the best of us can feel lost and alone when we still have a lot to be thankful for. I was very happy Mike and Jess stay together and work through this to be better partners for each other.
Thanks for the ARC!!!

This book is an easy/ okay read for me. My feels for the book is lighthearted because maybe I am not a mom yet and I haven't experience what the main character experienced in the book.

Thank you Netgalley and Indigo Group for the ARC

“My life feels like a test I didn’t study for.”

Somewhere along the way, Jessica Holloway lost herself. The girl who aced her law school exams, the girl who wanted a corner office, the girl who wanted to work for a Fortune 500 company is now married to Mike, an accountant, and the mother of two ill behaved teenagers. Her career consists of part time work at a paint your own pottery shop and volunteering at thankless PTA fundraisers. She’s depressed, frustrated and lonely so she makes an appointment with a therapist. What follows is the funniest job interview ever! It’s a life changing meeting, possibly not for the best. Jessica figures out what is important and what makes her happy in this must read domestic comedy/drama.

Melanie Summers is a gifted storyteller. Jessica is everywoman of a certain age. Her story swings between heartbreaking and laugh-out-loud funny as she tries to understand how to get what she wants and whether it is what she already has. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley, Indigo Group and Melanie Summers for this ARC.

I USED TO BE FUN

Author: Melanie Summers
Genre: Domestic Fiction, Humour
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 / 5
Format: Ebook

SYNOPSIS
Jessica Halloway isn't happy with her life as a mom of two ungrateful kids, an extremely busy husband and a job which is not true to her identity and calibre. She wants more from life and in her quest to find her identity she makes some life-changing discoveries that rock her marriage.

#bookhoarderreviews
Jessica Halloway represents every woman at some point in their lives - unsatisfied, clueless, searching for her true identity and vying to fulfill those dreams that were left half-way through while trying to make everyone around them happy.

Usually, women give up on their professional aspirations because they have to attune themselves to married life, kids and their never-ending requirements. In all of this she becomes the sacrificial lamb and by the time she realises, it is either too late or too difficult to move out of that comfort zone. Moreover, she is judged, has to justify and beg for support from everyone around, in case she decides to get back to her dreams.

The story is all about Jessica's journey from accidentally realising that she has some unfulfilled dreams to paving her own way through the ups and downs and finally finding her true self.

Through her story, the author has not just analysed the entire life of an aspirational yet ever-sacrificing wife and mother but has also touched upon the way relationships change when a woman gives preference to herself. The reactions of friends, children, all other family members and colleagues were so on point and realistic that I forgot I was reading fiction. Everything in the book was absolutely resonating.

Coming to the writing style, it was very witty and hilarious without a dull moment. I loved the little quotes mentioned at the beginning of every chapter. They were fun to read and matched the story very well.

I loved the fact that the author refrained from completely showing the family and friends in bad light or Jessica to be completely correct. I loved how they all came to the resolution at the end. It was practical, realistic and a win-win situation for everyone.

The author took up a serious issue to weave a story and I loved the treatment given to the entire situation. It was neither too solemn nor trivial. It was a perfect blend of sincerity towards the theme along with sprinkles of humour and wit to keep it entertaining.

Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I enjoyed reading the book.

Unfortunately this book missed the mark for me, but I can see why others would enjoy it.
I think I may not be at the point in my life where this would be an engaging story line for me, it was mostly frustrating.

At point it was funny as the synopsis implies, which was why I was originally was interested. However, as the story progressed I became more and more annoyed with Jessica’s continual forgiveness for the way she is treated.

The writing itself was wonderful and I would be interested in seeing what the author does next.

Jess or Jessica is a mom who has done everything for others. She feels she has settled in life and isn’t doing enough for herself. After getting in a car accident, she decides she is finally going to put herself first. Her children and husband are furious and think she is being selfish. They learn to navigate the new normal, as Jess finds out who she is and who she wants to be. I found this novel to be interesting, frustrating and inspiring all in one. I also would have liked to learn more about what happens in the end. I rate this a 3.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Xpresso Books for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I found the book to be really engaging at first, but increasingly frustrating as the story went on.

The absolute relatability of the main character, Jessica, and her season in life, was uncanny. The amount of flack that she took for changing her life and pursuing her dreams made me pretty angry, but not as angry as how the story ended. I was not prepared.

I think this was a great way to take a peek into a mid-forties suburban privileged housewife's life and how she feels, but I felt unfulfilled. I think the writer had a great way with the mix of seriousness and humor, but I wanted more.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
What a cute and funny book. I look forward to reading more from this author. This was a light and fun read. I loved Jess, the main character.

I Used to Be Fun is a funny story that follows Jess, a forty-something mom of two. She has devoted her whole life to her family, foregoing a career and the fun things she used to do.

Now she’s a mostly SAHM, working a part-time job she hates, while her kids are in high school. She feels as if something is missing in her life.

After a cringey mishap to a therapist’s office, she gets into a car accident, and has a total change of heart. And I mean total. Back to law school she goes, and she doesn’t care who she neglects in the process.

I started out really enjoying this book. Jess is, I think, a good portion of moms out there. She feels overlooked and unfulfilled. I related to this story very much. She has hilarious escape daydreams, wonderful inner monologue, and righteous anger.

By the end of the story, however, I was unhappy. I felt as if the story needed to end happily and so the author made it happen, even unbelievably. Everything seemed to work out in the end, which to me, was very unrealistic. I also did not enjoy how she was very unsupported, but just easily forgave everyone. A lot of people treated her very unfairly.

Overall, I think it was a good look at parenting and prioritizing oneself.

A thank you to Melanie Summers and NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Jessica, or Jess to her friends and family, is desperately struggling with her painfully ordinary life. She sets out on a mission for self-discovery but does so like a wrecking ball. Without any input, communication or much thought at all, Jess over commits herself to her plans, spreading herself even more thin than she was before. I was as frustrated with Jess as her children and Mike were initially, but not nearly as hateful or condescending as they were. Though her family was disapproving, I was taken back by some of Jess’ actions, such as intentionally not signing “love mom” and smiling to herself imagining their hurt reactions.

A few scenes and relationships were anticlimactic, including the Thanksgiving dinner scene and Winnie and her mom's attempt at reconciling. Jess and Aaron’s relationship started off on such a high then was totally dismissed. There was no real closure on this relationship except that he eats messily.

I thought the analogy of the moldy cheese as it related to Jess’ marriage was fantastic and thought-provoking, “one tiny dot appeared and nothing else needed to be done to ruin it forever. Just add time. No effort required, and before you knew it, the entire thing would be covered in green and white spots”. A couple of scenes in particular made me chuckle aloud, including the lawyer jokes and when her “toes were being crammed in heels like passengers on a Tokyo subway train during rush hour”. I liked Jess’ moms final lecture about her people pleasing tendencies and trying to undo 46 years of parenting in one go, but it felt rushed and a bit out of character. Her mom seemed more old school and she was suddenly speaking to modern trends. This book is a good reminder that even as adults and busy parents, you should prioritize your own happiness and interests, stretch your limits, and find the beauty in your ordinary life.

Thank you NetGallery for providing me an advanced copy of this book to read. I enjoyed it in just a couple of days.

This cover is SO fun and I am SUCH a fan of Melanie Summers. I've read a few titles from her and I have loved them all. The only piece of this book that troubled me was the age of the FMC. She is a little older than me and a wife/mom so those pieces were hard for me to connect to. But regardless, I was still able to dive into the story and really enjoy it.

This book needs to be read by every mom and or housewife out there. It so funny and so completely true!! It had me laughing out loud.
Loved this so much!!
I just reviewed I Used to be Fun by Melanie Summers. #IUsedtobeFun #NetGalley
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This story was refreshing and frustrating in equal measure – it gets off to a weak start, improves considerably in the mid sections, and then finishes tamely.

Jessica Holloway feels lost – not sure what purpose in life she is fulfilling, quite typical in mid-life. She is in her late 40s now, but had at one time thought of becoming a successful lawyer. She did well on her LSAT – being in the top 5%, but got married and the responsibilities of managing the house and teenage kids is taking a toll. Her relationship with her husband Mike has been good and her kids Winnie & Noah are doing ok as well. Jess does some volunteer work at the school which does not excite her, and feels something is missing in her life. She visits a therapist Dr Fern, who suggests it may be a long process to improvement and she feels disillusioned after her first visit. After many weeks, she decides to give it one more shot and books an appointment with Dr Harris. She enters an office located next to his by mistake and a hilarious conversation ensues where she is mistaken for a job applicant. She considers pursuing some of her earlier ambitions, however late it may seem to others. While a few friends support her, many including her entire family feel it is a foolish move, which will only strain their finances.

Till about 25% of the book, there was very little to look forward to and I found it very boring. After that, the tensions build up within the family and I liked the mix of humour, hope, despair and resolve in these mid sections. The aspect I liked here was that the scenario felt very real & likely. The story in the later sections tapers down the tension as expected, and while it can be regarded as an ending which addresses Jessica’s mental state, it is a low energy finish.

My rating: 3.5 / 5.

The only thing bad about a Melanie Summers novel is that I go through them too fast! This story resonated with me at this time in my life. Middle aged, almost an empty nester with 2 teens, bored in a thankless, dead end job, dreaming of something more, something that my younger self imagined. Jess is unfulfilled in her life. Not unhappy, but not happy either. When she tries her hand at carving out a path to follow her dreams, she finds her husband, children, and even her best friend are not on board with her new plans. Jess is a relatable character, a friend I would like to have brunch with. Melanie Summers never fails to disappoint. Read this one in just 2 days!

this book gave me the feels. i was drawn by the title of the book and then i was sucked in completely. really liked this and want to find more of her books.

As a mom, the subject of this book really hit home, because I’ve definitely been in the MCs shoes several times, but I just could NOT get into this! It seemed to drag and as much as I wanted to invest in this character who I felt a kinship to, I just couldn’t. Unfortunately this wasn’t for me.

I was given an ARC by NetGalley and Xpresso Book Tours. All opinions are my own.

DNF.
I tried. I really tried. I got 24% through the book and couldn’t stomach it anymore.
The premise of the book sounded great, funny even. But I could not get over the self-pity, loathing and disgust from the main character for this long. From the book outline, the character appears to make a break through to take back her
life, but 1/4 through and I have not experienced any improvement.
Perhaps at a different time in my life I would have enjoyed it. This book did really sound enjoyable and up my
alley, but we just didn't jive.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher and authors for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.