Milked
A Modern Mommy Tale with a Retro Twist
by Lisa Doyle
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Pub Date Nov 21 2014 | Archive Date Apr 16 2015
Description
By and large, Amanda Keane makes pretty good decisions. Okay, she might not have the best taste in men, but she’s got great friends, a good job, and an independent spirit. That is, until her 30th birthday ushers in a whirlwind romance with a sexy Irish musician who leaves her, not at the altar as she imagined, but accidentally pregnant. And when he disappears, she’s downsized out of a job, her apartment is robbed, and lapsed health insurance coverage leaves her with a C-section to pay for, Amanda is launched headfirst into the life of a broke single mom. But her friend and uber successful ob-gyn, Joy, clues her in to an unlikely temp position with one of Chicago’s celebrity elite that just may be the answer to all her woes. Or could it be just the beginning?
It’s with serious trepidation that Amanda embarks on her surprisingly lucrative new career: underground wet nurse to the offspring of Chi-town’s rich and famous. Amanda must quickly understand how to live at the whims and mercy of the one percent as she deals with the irony of nursing – and loving – someone else’s child, while still making ends meet for her own daughter. And then there’s Cute Daycare Dad (aka Dan), who’s obviously interested in her. But can she afford to tell him what she really does for a living? Is her new job (something she thought went out with the 19th century) a shameful thing? Just another way of selling her body? Or does it have something to teach her after all?
A novel of motherhood, its many demands, and all the little triumphs along the way, MILKED is a warm and witty debut about making tough choices and traveling the roundabout road to happiness.
Advance Praise
KIRKUS REVIEW
A single mother embarks on an unconventional business venture in Doyle’s debut novel.
Amanda Keane loves her life in Chicago and her career as an editor
at Fixtures magazine. For her 30th birthday, her friends treat her to an
evening at Daly’s, a local bar and restaurant, with a blind date.
However, the sparks truly fly when she meets Eamonn, the restaurant
owner’s nephew. He’s an aspiring musician from Ireland who’s spending
several months in the Windy City. But when Amanda discovers she’s
pregnant with Eamonn’s child, he disappears from her life. Shortly after
the birth of their daughter, Maddie, she loses her job at the magazine.
When her friend Joy, a gynecologist, suggests that she try working as a
wet nurse for wealthy mothers, she’s initially skeptical. However, with
a baby to support and bills to pay, she does so, working on a contract
basis for some of the most powerful women in town. Because of the
sensitive nature of her services, Amanda keeps the true nature of her
job a secret from her new boyfriend, Dan, a handsome single father she
met at Maddie’s day care. Amanda’s attempts to balance her work and her
blossoming romance are soon complicated by the demands of her job and
the reappearance of a person from her past. Doyle brings a quirky
premise to life with colorful characters and a brisk pace. The bright
Amanda is the strongest player here; although she’s occasionally naïve
when it comes to romance, her resourcefulness enables her to navigate
the secret lives of Chicago’s elite. Doyle also establishes a nice
contrast between the men in Amanda’s life: Eamonn is a charming louse
who appeals to Amanda’s fantasy of dating a sensitive musician, while
Dan and his son, Lucas, provide a strong sense of stability. Amanda’s
employers all come from diverse backgrounds, but each harbors intriguing
secrets. As Amanda’s journey takes her from the world of magazine
journalism to the world of wealth, Doyle’s pacing never misses a beat.
A fun, frothy read bolstered by a likable heroine and a snappy, fast-paced narrative.
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Available Editions
| EDITION | Paperback |
| ISBN | 9780985352080 |
| PRICE | $14.95 (USD) |
Featured Reviews
Bethany C, Reviewer
I would like to begin by thanking Net Galley and Simon and Fig for an advanced copy of this great book!
Amanda Keane is turning 30! No children, no real boyfriend to speak of, and has a great party planned to celebrate!
Then her life is turned upside down, she is waited on my this handsome, smooth talking Irish musician. They spend every waking minute together!
And then...she becomes pregnant...Oh Boy...He disappears back to Ireland and breaks their wedding plans and she is now a single mom with little money to speak of.
And then she starts her lucrative underground business of being a wet nurse, she works with high profile clients and can not disclose what she does to ANYONE! Not even Dan this handsome dad that she meets at her daughter's daycare. Could he really be falling for her? What will he do when he finds out what her real job is?
Life has its ups and downs and she seems to get by day by day and fiasco by fiasco.
Such a fun read from beginning to end.
Sarah Y, Librarian
I really enjoyed this book! An entertaining, light read that isn't too "fluffy" to be believable.
Meredith K, Librarian
Amanda Keane's life is a mess. After having a passionate affair with an Irish musician, she finds herself pregnant, alone, and unemployed. As a single mother, she is desperate to find work, but her only job prospect is to be a nanny/wet nurse for a wealthy family. She swallows her pride and tries to build a new career as a wet nurse.....
Milked is an enjoyable read. It's a chick-lit novel with a bit of an edge!
Autumn N, Reviewer
I received this book via NetGalley to give an honest review.
I saw this book was up for requesting. I read the blurb once passed it on over. Read it again a few days later and figured I would give it a try.
Being a mother who breastfed her children I was kind of wondering where this was going to go. You don't read to many books that have talk about breastfeeding in them so this was one that was a good read.
You have Amanda the main character who is a normal twenty nine year old until she hits her thirtieth birthday. Everything seems to be going good until she brings home the Irishman she met at the Irish pub on her birthday. Things seem to good to be true until he had to leave to go back to his home and she took the test that determines if she is going to be momma. When it comes back positive and she lets him know they make plans for the future, when he takes the coward's way out it changes everything for Amanda. She has to become a single mother and make things work. We watch as she struggles with losing her job and trying to find work all while trying to raise a baby. When one of her best friends lets her know that she can become a milk nanny for those that are famous she hesitates but then jumps right into it. Now I would have never thought people did this for a living but I could see it happening in real life. As she takes on this job she meets different walks of people while trying to take care of her own child who is growing up before her eyes. When Amanda thinks she may have met the man for her he doesn't know right away what she does for a living. She juggles her work as a so called nanny, a momma to her daughter and a girlfriend to Dan. It seems hard and we watch how Amanda holds it all together even when she loses the job as a milk nanny and picks up another client. Towards the end we see what happens when her daughter's father comes back into the picture and we see how she handles this encounter. We also get to see if she stays in this profession or if she decides to hang it up. This book is filled with humor and the struggle is real for a single mother. The plot is different than what I have read before. Amanda is a strong character and I was amazed at how she tried everything to take care of her and her daughter. I really enjoyed how she learned more about herself and what she ended up wanting in life.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1247480865?book_show_action=false
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/review/R30XOM9W0ZV3CL/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2AFUGDKGSTAAR/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm
Barnes and Noble (Autumn2): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/milked-lisa-doyle/1120729866?ean=9780985352080
Booklikes: http://anauling.booklikes.com/post/1144761/milked
Shelfari: http://www.shelfari.com/books/38723077/Milked-A-Modern-Mommy-Tale-with-a-Retro-Twist/reviews/4765575
Carley W, Reviewer
When I saw the blurb for this on Netgalley, I crossed my fingers that I’d get a copy. This topic has come up several times recently amongst my mom friends. Would you nurse a friends’ baby? Would you let someone nurse yours? As a single mom who had a very easy time breastfeeding, I can’t say I would turn down any opportunities such as the ones presented to Amanda. The plot was engaging and you were never left thinking why she chose to do certain things. You just wanted to cheer for her
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