Back in 2009, I thoroughly enjoyed Fiona Gibson's novel Mummy Said the F Word. Fiona's hilarious take on the realities of motherhood was heart-warming as well as funny, and so I was delighted when news came of her next offering, Mum on The Run. With another mum for a heroine, Mum on the Run, which was released yesterday, this time comes away from the magazine world and into the shoes of a runner.
Laura's determination to win back the attention of Jed and finally see the return of a trim, toned body leads her to take up running. Soon, whilst on a shopping trip that ends up going embarrassingly wrong, she meets Danny in a coffee shop. Flattered by his attention, she tries to forget him. That is, until he turns up at the local running club she's just joined...
With Danny as her new running partner, Laura wonders if she'll ever match up to the practically perfect Celeste, which doesn't seem likely when a visit to a get-together at Celeste's house turns out to be a disaster involving pee-soaked dresses and over-excited children.Throughout this book, I couldn't help but feel for Laura. At the beginning her confidence is shot and her husband might be having an affair. Laura's incredibly likeable, and her children too, especially the cheeky Grace.
Admittedly, I found that the plot wasn't really original, and I found it quite predictable; the mum who feels frumpy, the love is withering, so she attempts to change her life and up comes a charming man which makes her question her relationship. Not to say that this isn't realistic, but it's a plot frequently used and I did correctly guess the outcome of the novel early on.That said, despite this aspect, Fiona's snappy writing is wonderfully unique and so funny that I couldn't put it down, even though I'd already worked out what was going to happen. Her style is addictive and Laura's embarrassing moments made it even more excellent (loved it when Laura decides to buy sexy lingerie in Tesco!)
Despite not being a mother myself, I loved this book, just as I loved Mummy Said the F Word. I'd highly recommend it to friends, with kids or without. Fiona has a charming way of conveying modern motherhood in her novels in such a fun way, and the running aspect makes it more interesting. (How many of us have decided to keep fit and kept up the regime?)
Having waited for Mum on the Run for quite some time, I'll give the honest truth: it's brilliant! I'm already looking forward to Fiona's future work. And I might make use of that recently-purchased running gear...
Rating: 5/5
