The M Word

Roberta is a fantastic character. I loved her. She makes my whole family life feel normal. There are a lot of highs and lows going on in her life and I have to say I enjoyed being on the ride with her through it all.

I really enjoyed finding out more about Roberta’s mum’s past. Was really fascinating seeing how children were separated during the world war and how it affected the person that she went on to be and being able to read the letters along with Roberta made for some emotional reading in part.

If anything Roberta’s relationship with her mum, siblings, children, it was almost like reading about any one of us. There is so much to relate to of not feeling good enough, being taken advantage of. For me this made her story really hit home and a lot of it I could empathise with. Thankfully the being single and dating I don’t and if Roberta’s dates are anything to go by, if I ever did find myself single again, I would make sure to stay that way!

The M Word is a story that every woman should read. It is an endearing and humorous read that takes a light hearted look at life, love and getting older. Not sure if there is going to be any more books as how things are left there is certainly lots of room for another one. Everyone certainly needs Roberta in their lives, even if it’s only in small doses 🙂

An interesting and funny novel that I flew through. It was a enjoyable read and I would recommend it to others.

I LOVED Roberta and felt sad when the book ended because I felt like I'd lost a witty, darkly hilarious best friend. I immediately related to her so much, and felt the author did an amazing job of portraying Roberta's complicated (to say the least) relationships with her sister, mom, and everyone else in her life. I really felt for the stresses she was going through, and was constantly rooting for her to find some happiness and peace. At the same time though, after reading some of Roberta's train wreck dating experiences, I was hysterically laughing and also thanking my lucky stars that I'm not single and navigating the dating world in this era or Tinder and PlentyofFish. Lol.

I loved the mystery presented at the beginning of the book, when she goes to the hospital to say goodbye to her mother and is then led on this wild discovery of family Roberta never knew about. I wont go into detail to avoid spoilers, but I loved this aspect of the story.

Overall, The M Word was a super quick-read, really funny and tender at the same time, and I'm so glad I read it. I definitely recommend!

First I want to thank netgalley and the author for an advance copy of the kindle version of this book! I absolutely loved this book! I fell in love with Roberta the main character right away! She’s moody funny and lives quite a life! The books starts with Roberta’s mother dying but before she dies she tells her about some letters Roberta needs to read! Roberta finds out her father wasn’t her father and that her mother hid quite a bit about her child hood and Roberta’s as well. Roberta is going through menopause her family life is very chaotic and she’s trying to find love and joins matchmaking websites, you will be laughing. Get ready for a wild ride . I loved this book! I finished this book in a day and now I miss reading it! This book is a great summer read!

4.5 M is for Magnificent Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Roberta is the latest addition to my book BFF list, loved her! This book was such a perfect portrayal of life when you’re knocking on the door of 50... filled with humor and insight... this Book really gives you a real look into a real family with real issues....

Roberta does not have a filter, and that did add to a lot of humor in this book.... nobody was unaware of where they stood with her... 99.9% of her relationships were pretty darn dysfunctional! A mother who never had a kind word for her and carried a huge secret that might have made things easier to understand... a sister with a martyr complex and sticky fingers... three kids who don’t appreciate her.... it’s a wonder she got up in the morning😂

Some of the best parts in this book involved Roberta trying to re-enter the dating scene... from her adventures on Tinder to hilariously disastrous speed dating.... A plethora of really, really, really, BAD dates! All this just confirmed that I am completely brilliant not to re-enter the dating scene!😉

There is a bit of a serious side to this book... Roberta found out a secret her mother had been keeping from her... after her mother’s death Roberta found out through letters left behind that she wasn’t exactly who she thought she was.... I have to say I had a strong dislike for Roberto’s mother in this book, however these letters did humanize her a little...

Absolutely recommend to all Who enjoy a real story filled with humor with a splash of history...

*** many thanks to Bombshell Books for my copy of this hilarious book ***

Well The M Word got off to a flying start based purely on the pink cover, you can’t go wrong with pink! Dip inside with trepidation as we meet Roberta, the name in itself throws off a tough image who won’t take fools lightly (sorry to any Roberta’s reading just my opinion) and you will soon be agreeing with me. I was a bit wary of her to begin with, she struck me as somebody who took pleasure in either belittling people or simply being a grumpy mare.

But as the title hints at, Roberta is of a certain age whereby she finds everything and everyone a pain in the butt. Beware the menopausal woman! As the story begins to take shape I warmed to her a little bit especially after her mother died, although Roberta gives the impression that mum was a harridan. It’s when she finds some letters written by her mother we really get an insight into the family life.

While Roberta was weaving her way through the daily trauma’s of coping with family she kept going back to reading and the letter aspect was one of my favourite parts of the book.

As for her dipping her toe into the online dating scene, well you know that can only result in mega catastrophe’s, the humiliation yet side splitting laughter making really shows what a fabulous talent the author has. Either she has done her research incredibly well, has actually suffered the ordeal of Tinder or has an enormous imagination I don’t know, but no matter how single I ever become I would never subject myself to that … great fun to read about, bit like car-crash TV but that’s as far as it goes.

The whole basis of the story was fairly believable and it’s nice to see that most families can appear dysfunctional to outsiders lol. I think it will put the fear of god into women about to hit the menopause but thankfully due to extreme ill-health I was put into surgical menopause early so I don’t have to dread those moments! Every dark cloud has a silver lining etc

By the end I was glad I read The M Word it really is a mix of humour and raw emotion. Brilliant I will keep an eye on this author in future.

I read and reviewed voluntarily but thanks must go to the author, publisher, netgalley and Sarah for my copy and inviting me to take part in the blitz.

Thanks to Netgalley for my copy. 4.5*

Roberta is a mouthy ballsy sarcastic menopausal mother of 3 adult children. Roberta visits her mother just before she dies and is told to read the letters. She then discovers a whole heap of long buried family secrets which explains her cold and mean tongued mother.

Roberta meanwhile is dipping her toe into online dating and the descriptions of these dates had me laughing out loud. The rollercoaster of her life is hilarious and her dirty mouth and sarcastic manner get her into a whole heap of trouble. I loved her brutal honesty and her dysfunctional relationships with just about everybody including her children. She does not make it easy for people to like her never mind love her.

I look forward to the next in the series!

It is rare to find a book so difficult to put down outside of the thriller genre but I had no difficulty at all in reading this cracking little book in one sitting. It is so funny that I couldn't contain my laughter and I felt as if I was completely attuned to Eileen Wharton's prosecco-style humour (sparkling and dry, get it?).

In fact, I felt as if Eileen Wharton knew me personally as I recognised so much of myself in the book; does the 'M' in The M Word perhaps stand for Michelle? I couldn't believe that both Roberta and I have an office bitch mug and anyone who knows me will have heard me referring to 'meat' sausages as being made of hooves and @rseholes, which is pretty much how hotdogs are described in this book. So it was with tears of laughter streaming down my cheeks that I read most of The M Word, but life isn't always a comedy so Roberta also has many of the ups and downs of every day life to deal with.

Roberta is such a fabulous character; she is so honest and outspoken that you can't help but immediately love her. It's quite sad at the beginning when Roberta finds out that her mother, Alice, is dying but when she visits her for the final time it is clear from their constant sniping at each other that they don't have a traditional mother/daughter relationship. With her dying breath, Alice drops a bombshell and tells Roberta that the letters will explain everything. As we read these heartbreaking letters with Roberta, we learn a lot more about Alice and why she was never able to show Roberta how much she loved her.

When her husband, Andy aka Knobhead, ran off with Terri-Ann from Thomas Cook, Roberta is encouraged by her hilarious friend, Tammy, to try internet dating. This had my kindle shaking with laughter as Roberta went on one disastrous date after another in her attempt to show her boss, Mick the dick, that she could get a hot date for the company ball. Roberta has no idea that when Mick asked her if she was taking a date to the ball, he was hoping she'd say no so he could go with her. Awwwwww. I had my fingers crossed for those two as Mick is completely smitten with Roberta but she's too insecure to see it.

I could write so much more about this book as I think it's brilliant; it is perfectly balanced with seriousness and humour and also contains a variant of my favourite Geordie word ever: claggy (meaning sticky). I loved the witty hashtags sprinkled throughout, like #sickasachip and #datingdisaster which you could imagine Roberta using on social media if she's one of those people who document every minutiae of their lives online #asifanyoneisinterested. I will also never look at a bottle stopper in the same way ever again...and again it reminded me of a funny day in my life when one of my colleagues in a design business asked me if I though his sculpture looked like a 'bottle stopper'. He didn't say bottle stopper, but if you read The M Word you'll know what I mean! I didn't even know what it was! #shelteredlife

I abso-blooming-lutely recommend The M Word: it's fresh, honest and filled to the brim with sparkling dry humour. It's so good I definitely want to read it again!

I chose to read an ARC and this is my honest and unbiased opinion.

5☆ Kept Me Smiling

The M Word is a heart warming, witty yet fun read, it kept me smiling just what I've needed the last few days.

Eileen has written a Compelling quick read that kept me turning pages and giggling the whole way through.

The story is written in Roberta's voice.
After her mother passes away she leaves her daughter a pile of letters.
As Roberta starts to read the letters she starts to uncover secrets of her mother's past.

I loved the letter writing. It was mixed with Roberta's diary which really showed her vulnerable side.
I also adored getting to know her mother, the letters were fascinating and I found myself turning pages to discover more.

The M Word, has a good dose of humour, Mystery, intrigue, the characters are witty and relatable.
The story is engaging and draws you in.
I highly recommend this adorable book.

This novel was an absolute hoot! OMG...I laughed out loud SO many times and it's been a LONG time since I read a book that did that. This is so hilarious

If you need a book to lift the spirits then look no further. Any woman that is menopausal, peri-menopausal middle-aged or even just female will crack up and relate so much to the very real characters in this fun novel.

This does not let up on the humour from the get-go. No mushy bits here, just quick wit and very funny outbursts and plot. I was hooked from page one and read this over a few hours. I was actually laughing out loud much to the amusement of my two cats. I could relate SO much being 46 and menopausal and a woman! The author has really just tapped into real people, real characters that are incredibly likable and you end up feeling like you have a new friend at the end of the book with the main character.

This is very sparky writing, quick-witted and sharp. It doesn't miss a beat and is a perfect summer read. There are some interesting threads running through the book that collide at the end, I didn't expect the few shocks and surprises, they were an added bonus. One of the best books I have read this year in this genre and it has found its place in my Longlist of Top Reads of 2018! 5 huge stars from me. Honestly - do yourself a favour, grab this book, your favourite tipple, a comfy seat and just enjoy.

I was extremely privileged to have been asked to be a Beta Reader for this book in it’s original incarnation in the middle of last year, so was happy for Eileen that she had a publisher for it, and also that it was one I deal with for blog tours so I could agree to be on this brilliant tour to promote the book.

The book isn’t one I would normally read but it did sound very interesting and funny when pitched to me last year that I thought I would give it a go. I’m glad I did as it had a lot of funny moments in it, but also some heartfelt ones which were well written.

The book follows Roberta as she writes in her diary, whilst also thinking she has hit the menopause. The humour which Roberta writes throughout her diary is extremely funny and makes you fall in love with her and hope that everything turns out ok in the end.

Some of the funniest bits of the book involved Roberta going on dates and hooking up with people on social media and tinder for blind dates, with the expected results. The way these are written imply to me how well Eileen has done her research on this, I’m guessing a lot of it is from people’s personal experiences as they are very funny and plausible from what people have told me.

I am really glad that I took a chance on this book as I loved it and can highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you so much to Bloodhound Books and NetGalley for this absolutely fantastic book by Eileen Wharton.
Oh god where do I start. I adore Roberta and her rants and her hatred of everything. Her failed dips in the pool of relationships. It literally cracked me up reading about her escapades. The scenes in the Crown hotel absolutely first class. As a woman currently going through the menopause I totally identified with her, She tells it as it is and to hell with the consequences. However saying that deep deep down ,she has a heart of gold somewhere!!! The scenes where she reads her mothers letters really pulled at my heart strings and went someway to explain her mam and why she was the way she was. Beautifully written. Being set up in the Newcastle area I could picture the places described. If you want a laugh out loud but sometimes touching read pick up a copy and enjoy. Bloody marvellous.

I wasn't sure what to think of this book in the beginning. It seemed all over the place, but as I got into the book I enjoyed it. I liked the multiple timelines and the letters. This book was funny and had a bit of a mystery. I would recommend it.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I loved The M Word. Roberta, is such a loveable, funny character and I can not wait for the next installment.
This book is a laugh out loud, lighthearted book of a woman going through the Menopause, mid life crises and the mental stress of looking for love or is she?

The m word by Eileen Wharton.
Roberta gets a call from her sister Felicity.  She says their mother is dying and only has days to live. So Roberta goes to see her mother in hospital. They have a talk and her mother tells her about some letters she wants her to have. Then she dies. When she gets home she starts reading the letters.
Omg an absolutely fantastic read with brilliant characters.  I loved Roberta and her friend Tammy.  I loved how they spoke with each other. This was a refreshing change for me. I do hope there is more to come from Roberta.  5*.

I enjoyed the book and the relationship Roberta had with her own mother and her children. I would recommend it as being worth a read.

The M Word by Eileen Wharton.
The M word is a great read. A book to get lost in, a book that holds so much truth in it. It's a great story to follow, yet it's a story most women of a certain age will relate to.
It's fun, it's honest, thought provoking, it's a bloody great read.
Filled with Laugh out loud moments, just be careful where you are when you read this book, you may end up sat on bus with quite a lot of folk giving you funny looks like I did. On the plus side the lady next to me actually asked what I was reading, and she got off the bus with a piece of paper with the title and author to go buy the book. lol
'Roberta Gallbreath is middle aged and menopausal. She dislikes her children, detests her ex-husband and despises her colleagues.'
Now how many of us can this relate to, lol.... I thought Eileen had secretly been watching my life in parts of this book. Although as a mother I must say I don't dislike my child. lol.
Roberta is on a journey to find herself. A great and interesting character I loved following every bit of her journey. She's an amazing funny character, that seems to just say things as it is.
I'm thinking maybe dr's should give this book out to people who go to get their HRT tablets. Anyone going through the Menopause should read this. lol..

A great read that the author has managed to get it all just 'spot on'