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Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

Completing the Puzzle by Amanda Egan

I received a copy of Completing the Puzzle in exchange for an honest review. I have read Amanda Egan’s two previous novels, Diary of a Mummy Misfit and The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit, and enjoyed them both. This book is not in the Mummy Misfit series, but introduces a new cast of characters. Fee Crawford, a middle-aged mom to twin boys and a faltering marriage, starts to feel her life is incomplete. When her husband Hugh finally confesses why he has been distant lately, Fee’s life is shaken up, and heading for change. When she meets the vet in town, things start to look up. But with her twin boys, her father living under roof and chasing the housecleaner, and an overly-dramatic best friend constantly popping in, Fee isn’t sure her puzzle will find that missing piece.
I enjoyed the quirky humor that Egan brought to her first two books, and though I might not always understand the dialect being a US reader, it still gives me a chuckle as I Google terms. I thought the first half of the book was very solid, and enjoyed getting to know Fee and her family. I thought her twin boys were charming each in their own way, and the twist with Hugh was an interesting one. Through the second half of the book, I actually felt like I was reading a different novel. There are lot of big storylines and plot twists written in, and sometimes I felt like I was being led in all different directions, and it got to be a bit much. There also started to be a lot of foreshadowing in the second half of the book that I didn’t find in the first, so that really made it seem like I was reading two different novels. Overall I still enjoyed the story and thought Fee was a fun MC, but I think the plot could have been a bit tighter.
[Rating: 3.5]

September 5, 2012
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The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan
Chick Lit Review

The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit by Amanda Egan

The Mummy Misfit is back! Amanda Egan follows up from Diary of a Mummy Misfit and brings us the continuing tale of Libby, Ned, Fenella and some very wacky yummy mummies. I really enjoyed the first book, and was looking forward to the sequel. In the first book, Libby and Ned were always scourging around for money, and they were ecstatic when they were able to get their son Max into a private school, thanks to the sponsored funding. The story ended with Libby inheriting a huge sum of money from a deceased relative, and also finding out she is pregnant.
The Darker Side of Mummy Misfit starts back up with Libby and Ned in a happy marriage, pregnant with second child and Libby being happy she is with child the same time as her bff Fenella. They now have money and can afford to put Max through private school without receiving donations, and actually donate themselves now to another family in need. All is well – until Libby miscarries the baby. The miscarriage devastates Libby, throws her friendship with Fenella through a loop, and causes strain on her once blissfully happy marriage. Libby starts testing dangerous waters with another man, pulling away from Ned without even knowing why she is so unhappy. She journals her way throughout, trying to make sense of where her life is going, and wondering if she will ever be as happy as she once was.
Again, I happily read about Libby’s journey, laughing at times when the crazy mom’s at the school went a bit berserk with all their Botox, and feeling sad about Libby’s miscarriage. This book got a lot deeper than the first, definitely showing a “darker side” to Libby, one that was full of pain, neglect, guilt and remorse. I liked that the book wasn’t a downer though, there was always enough going on that would perk me back up and keep me focused on the positives. I thought this was a very worthy sequel, and both books should be checked out!
[Rating: 4]

August 1, 2012
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