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Confessions of a Domestic Failure
From the creator of The Honest Toddler comes a fiction debut sure to be a must-read for moms everywhere
There are good moms and bad moms—and then there are hot-mess moms. Introducing Ashley Keller, career girl turned stay-at-home mom who's trying to navigate the world of Pinterest-perfect, Facebook-fantastic and Instagram-impressive mommies but failing miserably.
When Ashley gets the opportunity to participate in the Motherhood Better boot camp run by the mommy-blog-empire maven she idolizes, she jumps at the chance to become the perfect mom she's always wanted to be. But will she fly high or flop?
With her razor-sharp wit and knack for finding the funny in everything, Bunmi Laditan creates a character as flawed and lovable as Bridget Jones or Becky Bloomwood while hilariously lambasting the societal pressures placed upon every new mother. At its heart, Ashley's story reminds moms that there's no way to be perfect, but many ways to be great.
There are good moms and bad moms—and then there are hot-mess moms. Introducing Ashley Keller, career girl turned stay-at-home mom who's trying to navigate the world of Pinterest-perfect, Facebook-fantastic and Instagram-impressive mommies but failing miserably.
When Ashley gets the opportunity to participate in the Motherhood Better boot camp run by the mommy-blog-empire maven she idolizes, she jumps at the chance to become the perfect mom she's always wanted to be. But will she fly high or flop?
With her razor-sharp wit and knack for finding the funny in everything, Bunmi Laditan creates a character as flawed and lovable as Bridget Jones or Becky Bloomwood while hilariously lambasting the societal pressures placed upon every new mother. At its heart, Ashley's story reminds moms that there's no way to be perfect, but many ways to be great.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2017
About the author
Bunmi Laditan
15 books452 followersHello, my name is Bunmi Laditan. I am a writer living in Quebec, Canada by way of northern California. My writings include The Honest Toddler and Confessions of a Domestic failure and poetry such as Dear Mother and Dear God: Honest Prayers to a God Who Listens.
instagram.com/HonestToddler
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,084 reviews
November 18, 2019
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
I had originally planned on giving this 2 Stars because apparently I’m a nicer version of me in 2017 and I’m not handing out 1 Stars like candy, but simply taking a once-over of my notes and highlights has me looking a little like . . . .
I can’t remember the last time I read a character I despised as much as I did Ashley – and I’m someone who reads about rapists, murders and drug dealers on the regular, so that’s saying something. Ashley is the reason stupid bullshit like “Mommy Wars” exist. She is the epitome of why we can’t have nice things.
Ashley spends her days as an “accidental stay-at-home mom.” She bemoans the fact that she pretty much lives a real-life episode of Hoarders due to her lack of housekeeping abilities and can’t find time to shower or lose the paunch that’s forced her to only be able to wear yoga pants for the past eight months ever since her daughter was born, but somehow manages to make it toMichael’s Michelle’s crafts in order to drop $300 on the latest Pinterest craze or wile away the hours on social media . . . .
“What’s Facebook? It’s where moms like me post about how much we love the husbands who annoy the living bejesus out of us, and share expertly edited photos of our kids and generally talk about our lives like we’re living in an enchanted fairy tale blessed by rainbow angel unicorns. In short, it’s for lying. But I’m addicted.”
Sidenote: If you can relate to the above post and are on my friend list, please do me a favor and delete me. On the other hand, if you think Facebook is for funny cat videos and memes about how you want to kill your co-workers then please make sure we solidify our best friend status immediately.
When Ashley discovers an online competition being put on by the most successful mommy guru in all of the interwebs, she thinks that will inspire her to get her life together. I thought it would too, but unfortunately the “redemption arc” (if you can even call it that) was done at the eleventh hour and I spent the entire book screaming things at my Kindle such as . . .
Not to mention the mommy blog character reminded me of my arch nemesis . . . .
I’d rather be this lady and hang with the coolest of all faithful sidekicks, thank you very little . . . .
The only thing I had going for me was the hope that her bubble of bullshit would burst. Which OF COURSE it did, because this was the most basic effing storyline in the history of the universe where no one really has their life together and we all just fake it ‘til we make it so we should all support each other as women and kumbaya the fuck out of life and pleasegodgivemecancertosavemefromthisstupidity.
If this one works for you, great. (Don’t forget to see the above note about deleting and/or blocking me first, though). I had never heard of Bunmi Laditan before requesting this from the library (which I did courtesy of the catchy title on the GRspam recommendation pop-up). After taking a quick looksee at a couple of other 1-Star reviews, it appears her blog/Facebook/whatever she did before this book deal is humorous and not insufferable like this book. After reading Confessions of a Domestic Failure I really have no interest in looking into her any further, however. And also, to Jenny Lawson who blurbed . . . .
“Freaking hilarious. This is the novel moms have been waiting for.”
Really????
I had originally planned on giving this 2 Stars because apparently I’m a nicer version of me in 2017 and I’m not handing out 1 Stars like candy, but simply taking a once-over of my notes and highlights has me looking a little like . . . .
I can’t remember the last time I read a character I despised as much as I did Ashley – and I’m someone who reads about rapists, murders and drug dealers on the regular, so that’s saying something. Ashley is the reason stupid bullshit like “Mommy Wars” exist. She is the epitome of why we can’t have nice things.
Ashley spends her days as an “accidental stay-at-home mom.” She bemoans the fact that she pretty much lives a real-life episode of Hoarders due to her lack of housekeeping abilities and can’t find time to shower or lose the paunch that’s forced her to only be able to wear yoga pants for the past eight months ever since her daughter was born, but somehow manages to make it to
“What’s Facebook? It’s where moms like me post about how much we love the husbands who annoy the living bejesus out of us, and share expertly edited photos of our kids and generally talk about our lives like we’re living in an enchanted fairy tale blessed by rainbow angel unicorns. In short, it’s for lying. But I’m addicted.”
Sidenote: If you can relate to the above post and are on my friend list, please do me a favor and delete me. On the other hand, if you think Facebook is for funny cat videos and memes about how you want to kill your co-workers then please make sure we solidify our best friend status immediately.
When Ashley discovers an online competition being put on by the most successful mommy guru in all of the interwebs, she thinks that will inspire her to get her life together. I thought it would too, but unfortunately the “redemption arc” (if you can even call it that) was done at the eleventh hour and I spent the entire book screaming things at my Kindle such as . . .
Not to mention the mommy blog character reminded me of my arch nemesis . . . .
I’d rather be this lady and hang with the coolest of all faithful sidekicks, thank you very little . . . .
The only thing I had going for me was the hope that her bubble of bullshit would burst. Which OF COURSE it did, because this was the most basic effing storyline in the history of the universe where no one really has their life together and we all just fake it ‘til we make it so we should all support each other as women and kumbaya the fuck out of life and pleasegodgivemecancertosavemefromthisstupidity.
If this one works for you, great. (Don’t forget to see the above note about deleting and/or blocking me first, though). I had never heard of Bunmi Laditan before requesting this from the library (which I did courtesy of the catchy title on the GR
“Freaking hilarious. This is the novel moms have been waiting for.”
Really????
May 23, 2017
I am just going to come right out and say it: I did not love this book. I do, however, love Bunmi Laditan and her honest take on the world. So I was sorely disappointed to find between the pages a spiritless novel nowhere near the level of clever wit that Laditan employs in her well-known Facebook posts. I struggled to find it entertaining. Maybe I was having a day, but I didn't crack a smile once. Reading it felt like a chore and I was glad to be finished with it. I feel like I might be a tad too critical here, but let me explain...
Ashley Keller was once a career girl who now struggles with the daily demands of stay-at-home motherhood. Her unrealistic expectations of mom-life have left her frustrated, confused and depressed. She embarks on a (ridiculous) Motherhood Better boot camp hoping to transform herself into something other than a hot mess. (At this point I am rolling my eyes pretty hard already.) And that's it. That is the whole storyline. Ashley trying to be what/who she thinks everyone is expecting her to be.
While I completely understand how hard this scenario can be – I do not buy how completely out of touch Ashley is with the basics of living in a house. (This struggle takes up an inordinate amount of time and pages). She seems so helpless and disconnected, it begs the question: Who cleaned her house, washed her clothes and made her meals before she became a mom? The whole 'cleaning the house', 'making the food ' and 'washing the clothes' gig seems as alien to her as having a baby around 24/7. The moments that I could relate to Ashley were completely overshadowed by her whininess and self-occupation. I felt like I wanted to shake her by the shoulders a couple of times and say 'Get a grip lady!' “Stop worrying about your one stretchmark!'"If you have too much crap on the carpet then throw some stuff in the garbage for Pete's sake!'' Anyway...
While the pressures of the 'mom world' are all too real, I found the constant parodies left a bad taste in my mouth. Sleep deprivation, loneliness, a messy house, missed meals, doubt and anxiety, marital tension, negative body image - these are all very real issues that are and should be highlighted and talked about more often. Laditan uses her Facebook posts to bring these issues to the fore in a witty and relatable way. However, the book felt like one post that was stretched to 366 pages. At some point, the humour wears thin. We all laugh because it's true. But at some point reality just isn't that funny anymore.
Overall I found all the characters to be unlikable. I did not feel like rooting for any one of them. They were hollow and one-dimensional; stereotypes of what we think all people are like. At no point did it seem that any of them developed or grew in character. While I am sure there will be plenty of people who will love this novel, I just can't recommend it. If you want to read about someone who is a relateable, likeable hot mess then Bridget Jones would be a better fit.
Ashley Keller was once a career girl who now struggles with the daily demands of stay-at-home motherhood. Her unrealistic expectations of mom-life have left her frustrated, confused and depressed. She embarks on a (ridiculous) Motherhood Better boot camp hoping to transform herself into something other than a hot mess. (At this point I am rolling my eyes pretty hard already.) And that's it. That is the whole storyline. Ashley trying to be what/who she thinks everyone is expecting her to be.
While I completely understand how hard this scenario can be – I do not buy how completely out of touch Ashley is with the basics of living in a house. (This struggle takes up an inordinate amount of time and pages). She seems so helpless and disconnected, it begs the question: Who cleaned her house, washed her clothes and made her meals before she became a mom? The whole 'cleaning the house', 'making the food ' and 'washing the clothes' gig seems as alien to her as having a baby around 24/7. The moments that I could relate to Ashley were completely overshadowed by her whininess and self-occupation. I felt like I wanted to shake her by the shoulders a couple of times and say 'Get a grip lady!' “Stop worrying about your one stretchmark!'"If you have too much crap on the carpet then throw some stuff in the garbage for Pete's sake!'' Anyway...
While the pressures of the 'mom world' are all too real, I found the constant parodies left a bad taste in my mouth. Sleep deprivation, loneliness, a messy house, missed meals, doubt and anxiety, marital tension, negative body image - these are all very real issues that are and should be highlighted and talked about more often. Laditan uses her Facebook posts to bring these issues to the fore in a witty and relatable way. However, the book felt like one post that was stretched to 366 pages. At some point, the humour wears thin. We all laugh because it's true. But at some point reality just isn't that funny anymore.
Overall I found all the characters to be unlikable. I did not feel like rooting for any one of them. They were hollow and one-dimensional; stereotypes of what we think all people are like. At no point did it seem that any of them developed or grew in character. While I am sure there will be plenty of people who will love this novel, I just can't recommend it. If you want to read about someone who is a relateable, likeable hot mess then Bridget Jones would be a better fit.
May 15, 2017
As a long-time follower of Bunmi Laditan on Facebook, I knew more or less what to expect with Confessions of a Domestic Failure. If you are new to Bunmi's writing, you're in for a treat. Bunmi is refreshingly honest and funny, and although this book is a work of fiction, it mirrors her personal sentiments about the ridiculous expectations of motherhood and how the race to be the "perfect mom" is the biggest crock of all.
Confessions of a Domestic Failure is about the type of mom that I was (cough, cough, *am*) when my babies were younger. Basically, it's about a hot mess of a mom who loves her baby fiercely, but is so sleep deprived and so zombie-like that she can't seem to remember which way her pants go on in the morning (aka, night... because, you know, she slept in those same pants).
This book is funny, so funny and so like my own experiences that I wanted to laugh, cry, and cringe all at the same time. It is a combo motherhood solidarity book and a comedy of errors, and I think that it will really hit home with all of the overworked, exhausted, lonely, smart moms out there. I got exactly what the author was doing with this story, and I was pumped to go along for the ride.
Truth be told, I think I would have liked this story even more if I wasn't so familiar already with the author. A lot of the book sounds like stuff that Bunmi talks about on a daily basis, which is great (and I love her for it), but it wasn't as much of that "new" or a surprise factor for me.
Still, I love Bunmi's voice and I think she should absolutely keep cranking out these types of stories. Moms, like myself, will eat them right up.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
Confessions of a Domestic Failure is about the type of mom that I was (cough, cough, *am*) when my babies were younger. Basically, it's about a hot mess of a mom who loves her baby fiercely, but is so sleep deprived and so zombie-like that she can't seem to remember which way her pants go on in the morning (aka, night... because, you know, she slept in those same pants).
This book is funny, so funny and so like my own experiences that I wanted to laugh, cry, and cringe all at the same time. It is a combo motherhood solidarity book and a comedy of errors, and I think that it will really hit home with all of the overworked, exhausted, lonely, smart moms out there. I got exactly what the author was doing with this story, and I was pumped to go along for the ride.
Truth be told, I think I would have liked this story even more if I wasn't so familiar already with the author. A lot of the book sounds like stuff that Bunmi talks about on a daily basis, which is great (and I love her for it), but it wasn't as much of that "new" or a surprise factor for me.
Still, I love Bunmi's voice and I think she should absolutely keep cranking out these types of stories. Moms, like myself, will eat them right up.
*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*
April 28, 2019
3.5 stars: The title of the novel says it all: “Confessions of a Domestic Failure” is as fun and silly as the title.
First time mother, Ashley Keller, is the mother we all relate to. Her husband is building his career and never home. Her mother-in-law is a critical nightmare. All the mom’s Ashley notices seem blissfully perfect with adorable children and perfect lives. Meanwhile, Ashley can’t make it out of the house with clean clothes and brushed hair.
Mommy blogger Emily Walker announces that she will be running a “Motherhood Better Bootcamp”, and Ashley signs up and gets chosen. What follows is Ashley entertaining the reader with relatable mishaps. This is a laugh-out-loud story of Ashley trying to become the domestic Goddess that is unachievable.
Author Bunmi Laditan hits it out of the park with a satirical look at the pressures of being the perfect mother in our opinionated society.
First time mother, Ashley Keller, is the mother we all relate to. Her husband is building his career and never home. Her mother-in-law is a critical nightmare. All the mom’s Ashley notices seem blissfully perfect with adorable children and perfect lives. Meanwhile, Ashley can’t make it out of the house with clean clothes and brushed hair.
Mommy blogger Emily Walker announces that she will be running a “Motherhood Better Bootcamp”, and Ashley signs up and gets chosen. What follows is Ashley entertaining the reader with relatable mishaps. This is a laugh-out-loud story of Ashley trying to become the domestic Goddess that is unachievable.
Author Bunmi Laditan hits it out of the park with a satirical look at the pressures of being the perfect mother in our opinionated society.
April 29, 2019
Reading this book brought out a lot of emotions that I really didn’t expect. One of the more interesting emotions was anger. Anger that social media/TV has brought us ALL to think that we are all failures, not just mothers. And we are failures at everything. (Remember Martha Stewart?) I never thought my attempts at homemaking/gardening was good enough after I saw her on her program!
Now we are doing the same thing with mothers, and social media is preying on their insecurities. It’s quite sad when you think about it.
However, this book did make me laugh (a lot!) and then get angry when Ashley started with her trying to hide things from people, and David was really not much better.
It was wonderful to see that these paragons of motherhood were not the perfect icon’s that everyone thought they were.
This is a light humorous read that is just perfect for bringing to …well, wherever moms can go to get a few hours peace and a nice glass of wine!!!
I really liked the HEA since it was practical and not as cliched as it could have been.
*ARC
Now we are doing the same thing with mothers, and social media is preying on their insecurities. It’s quite sad when you think about it.
However, this book did make me laugh (a lot!) and then get angry when Ashley started with her trying to hide things from people, and David was really not much better.
It was wonderful to see that these paragons of motherhood were not the perfect icon’s that everyone thought they were.
This is a light humorous read that is just perfect for bringing to …well, wherever moms can go to get a few hours peace and a nice glass of wine!!!
I really liked the HEA since it was practical and not as cliched as it could have been.
*ARC
May 24, 2017
Cute!
Really illustrates the absurdity of how some people chase that elusive, albeit superficial, image of domestic perfection; reminds me of many suburban moms I know! Nice people, but....
Really illustrates the absurdity of how some people chase that elusive, albeit superficial, image of domestic perfection; reminds me of many suburban moms I know! Nice people, but....
June 2, 2017
Ashley Keller was an up-and-coming marketing exec before she unexpectedly got pregnant right after her wedding to her husband, David. Now she’s at home, trying to figure out how to take care of her baby, her house, her marriage, and herself at the same time. Like most parents, she’s struggling. In an attempt to become a more balanced and “put together” mom, Ashely joins the Motherhood Better boot camp, run by uber-popular and successful mother extraordinaire, Emily Walker. (Think Martha Stewart meets Gwyneth Paltrow.) Inevitably, Ashley’s experiences during boot camp do not go smoothly, and the end result is that all the moms in the group, Ashley and Emily included, are forced get real about who they are, what they are capable of, and how they will choose to interact with each other going forward.
Oh, what a tired, tired concept for a book. I am so over these cliche mom characters: In one corner you have the basket case new mom who is wholly incapable of taking care of even minor household tasks in any way! In the other corner you’ve got a super mom with five kids who makes homemade everything, has amazing sex with her husband every night, and still has time for a full-time job as a wildly successful blogger! In the battle of moms, who will win?!!!!
Please. Been there, done that. Like, a million times over.
The main problem with this story concept is that it essentially requires the characters to be one-dimensional. Most women aren’t complete disasters, and most aren’t Mary Poppins perfect either. Reality is somewhere in between. Which means that in order to keep this extreme and adversarial story alive, author Bunmi Laditan has to build it around self-absorbed, unrealistic, and irritating characters who basically just sit around and create drama for themselves.
The only time the characters demonstrate even a twinge of depth is at the very, very end of the book when all the women suddenly discover that, wow, maybe our assumptions and judgments of each other were wrong. I guess we ALL have strengths and shortcomings as moms. Who would have thought?! LADY POWER!!
I wasn’t familiar with Laditan before reading this book, but, ironically, she is a very popular “mom blogger” with a healthy online following. I went and read parts of her blog after I finished this book, and I actually do think she is an entertaining and engaging writer. Unfortunately, I think this may be yet another situation where a blogger–whose writing style is perfect in bite-sized, easily-digestible blog posts–can’t translate that humor and likability to a longer format like a novel. So many of the reviews for this book are gushing, but, yikes, Confessions of a Domestic Failure is just not for me.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
Oh, what a tired, tired concept for a book. I am so over these cliche mom characters: In one corner you have the basket case new mom who is wholly incapable of taking care of even minor household tasks in any way! In the other corner you’ve got a super mom with five kids who makes homemade everything, has amazing sex with her husband every night, and still has time for a full-time job as a wildly successful blogger! In the battle of moms, who will win?!!!!
Please. Been there, done that. Like, a million times over.
The main problem with this story concept is that it essentially requires the characters to be one-dimensional. Most women aren’t complete disasters, and most aren’t Mary Poppins perfect either. Reality is somewhere in between. Which means that in order to keep this extreme and adversarial story alive, author Bunmi Laditan has to build it around self-absorbed, unrealistic, and irritating characters who basically just sit around and create drama for themselves.
The only time the characters demonstrate even a twinge of depth is at the very, very end of the book when all the women suddenly discover that, wow, maybe our assumptions and judgments of each other were wrong. I guess we ALL have strengths and shortcomings as moms. Who would have thought?! LADY POWER!!
I wasn’t familiar with Laditan before reading this book, but, ironically, she is a very popular “mom blogger” with a healthy online following. I went and read parts of her blog after I finished this book, and I actually do think she is an entertaining and engaging writer. Unfortunately, I think this may be yet another situation where a blogger–whose writing style is perfect in bite-sized, easily-digestible blog posts–can’t translate that humor and likability to a longer format like a novel. So many of the reviews for this book are gushing, but, yikes, Confessions of a Domestic Failure is just not for me.
ARC provided through Amazon Vine.
May 19, 2017
I listened to the audiobook version of this which may have affected my rating. Ashley is a bit too much like the main character in the Shopaholic books - too much of a hot mess for me to deal with. Like when her husband confesses that money is an issue, she charges $8,000 in furniture. And keeps buying clothes. And getting cafe coffees. She joins a gym and doesn't go and the complains about being overweight. Sometimes listening to the book I wanted to be like "Just fold your damn laundry! WTF!" She needed to grow up quite a bit throughout the book and I don't feel like she really had a great "come to Jesus" moment at the end where she realized what a hot mess she's been. It had funny parts but there were also so many other parts where I just wanted to be like "Jesus, Ashley, get your shit together."
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 27, 2017
Pure gold. I have never felt so understood and validated while laughing so hard.
June 2, 2017
I love Bunmi Laditan. Her Facebook posts are witty and gutsy. Hers is a valuable and important voice on motherhood. Unfortunately, this book wasn't great.
While there were elements that were certainly relatable, it centered so much on the external and daily slog of motherhood rather than the emotional growth and journey that also goes with it. I wanted to like Ashley, but there wasn't much there to hold on to. Sure, let's talk about what it's like to be a career woman who decides to stay home. That's a GREAT premise. But it is nothing without substance. The most intimate detail we learn about Ashley and who she was "before" was that she was super into minimalist furniture. Why was there nothing else about her that we could hold on to? She wasn't a complex character, just a messy, tired mom. Laditan's writing assumes we'll like her or relate to her so hard that more development wasn't needed. While I want to see my experience reflected, moms are also women and women are also people and people are complex. Ashley is one-dimensional and that does a disservice to both Latidan's writing and message, as well as stay-at-home moms everywhere.
As for the plot, it read more like a cheesy movie than a novel. I have nothing against cheesy movies, unless they are trying to pass as a book. Points for a few laugh-out-loud moments, though.
I hate to be critical of a writer I so admire, but this just wasn't a win for me and I can't say I recommend it.
While there were elements that were certainly relatable, it centered so much on the external and daily slog of motherhood rather than the emotional growth and journey that also goes with it. I wanted to like Ashley, but there wasn't much there to hold on to. Sure, let's talk about what it's like to be a career woman who decides to stay home. That's a GREAT premise. But it is nothing without substance. The most intimate detail we learn about Ashley and who she was "before" was that she was super into minimalist furniture. Why was there nothing else about her that we could hold on to? She wasn't a complex character, just a messy, tired mom. Laditan's writing assumes we'll like her or relate to her so hard that more development wasn't needed. While I want to see my experience reflected, moms are also women and women are also people and people are complex. Ashley is one-dimensional and that does a disservice to both Latidan's writing and message, as well as stay-at-home moms everywhere.
As for the plot, it read more like a cheesy movie than a novel. I have nothing against cheesy movies, unless they are trying to pass as a book. Points for a few laugh-out-loud moments, though.
I hate to be critical of a writer I so admire, but this just wasn't a win for me and I can't say I recommend it.
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July 23, 2021This pains me to not give this book 5 stars.
I read and chuckle at her Facebook posts. I like that she is so real with anything she writes, but I couldn't love this book.
I actually saw a little of myself as a first-time mom in the character of Ashley, but maybe now that my youngest is going to start Kindergarten, I just don't feel like a hot mess or think it's remotely funny anymore. Because it's kind of not.
There's been a fad of what I call "out shitty mothering" going on. If a mom posts on FB that she had a rough day, there is another 500 moms that chime in on how awful they were at parenting that day, partly to make themselves feel better rather than encourage others. I guess I'm just officially over it. At what point is the hot mess not funny and just sad?
That's how I felt by about page 100 in this book. I wanted to yell, "Aw come on! Get your shit together." Because by page 100, it wasn't cute.
The book has a few redeeming qualities and the character isn't 100% annoying. New moms with babies may really need this book. It just didn't knock my socks off like I thought it might and that's ok.
I read and chuckle at her Facebook posts. I like that she is so real with anything she writes, but I couldn't love this book.
I actually saw a little of myself as a first-time mom in the character of Ashley, but maybe now that my youngest is going to start Kindergarten, I just don't feel like a hot mess or think it's remotely funny anymore. Because it's kind of not.
There's been a fad of what I call "out shitty mothering" going on. If a mom posts on FB that she had a rough day, there is another 500 moms that chime in on how awful they were at parenting that day, partly to make themselves feel better rather than encourage others. I guess I'm just officially over it. At what point is the hot mess not funny and just sad?
That's how I felt by about page 100 in this book. I wanted to yell, "Aw come on! Get your shit together." Because by page 100, it wasn't cute.
The book has a few redeeming qualities and the character isn't 100% annoying. New moms with babies may really need this book. It just didn't knock my socks off like I thought it might and that's ok.
July 9, 2017
I received a copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads giveaway program in the hopes that I would leave an honest review.
This book pissed me off because it nails everything that is wrong with the way the average parent uses social media. And I get it, people don't want to air their dirty laundry for their friends to see, but most people's use of social media gives the impression that their lives are picture perfect all the time, and that's just possible. This story has the added element of self-reporting in an attempt to win a contest for being the most improved mother, which is obviously going to lead to a lot of alternative facts via creative truth-telling. At no point in Ashley's reports on her progress did she directly lie, but every single report was far from the actual truth, too.
I largely related to Ashley, because I myself am a hot-mess mom. Sure, you can regularly eat off my floors, of course the menu changes from day to day, and some of the items may be a bit past their prime, but the option is there. Unfortunately my kids are 6 and 8 now and past the putting-everything-in-their-mouth stage, so food on the floor stays there way longer than it used to. My entry for a housework challenge would read something like, "Well, I'm exhausted now, but after today, you could eat off my floors!" because that implies that they are clean and sterile as they should be, and it's not an outright lie because you could absolutely snack on some floor-Cheetos at this very moment.
Read the rest of the review on my blog. --> http://justanothergirlandherbooks.blo...
This book pissed me off because it nails everything that is wrong with the way the average parent uses social media. And I get it, people don't want to air their dirty laundry for their friends to see, but most people's use of social media gives the impression that their lives are picture perfect all the time, and that's just possible. This story has the added element of self-reporting in an attempt to win a contest for being the most improved mother, which is obviously going to lead to a lot of alternative facts via creative truth-telling. At no point in Ashley's reports on her progress did she directly lie, but every single report was far from the actual truth, too.
I largely related to Ashley, because I myself am a hot-mess mom. Sure, you can regularly eat off my floors, of course the menu changes from day to day, and some of the items may be a bit past their prime, but the option is there. Unfortunately my kids are 6 and 8 now and past the putting-everything-in-their-mouth stage, so food on the floor stays there way longer than it used to. My entry for a housework challenge would read something like, "Well, I'm exhausted now, but after today, you could eat off my floors!" because that implies that they are clean and sterile as they should be, and it's not an outright lie because you could absolutely snack on some floor-Cheetos at this very moment.
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June 18, 2017
God. That was horrible. Ashley was utter nonsense. My eyes almost bled. Never again.
June 13, 2017
I so wanted to like this book but I ended up returning it after a few chapters. If started out funny but the longer I had to read about Ashley (the main character) whining and moaning about what a terrible mother and housekeeper she is and how slovenly she's become the less funny it became. I'm not perfect by any measure but dang. This was just wallowing in mediocrity. How hard is it to get dressed? And when does NOT getting dressed stop being funny and start being a very cry for help? Or at least just downright irritating? Like...grow up and do the dishes instead of complaining ad nauseum. No wonder the character had no friends. Luckily I had bought the Kindle version so I could easily return it.
I love Bunmi's writing, usually. I bought her book, "Toddlers are A**holes" and laughed all the way through it. I just didn't think this was a very entertaining effort.
I love Bunmi's writing, usually. I bought her book, "Toddlers are A**holes" and laughed all the way through it. I just didn't think this was a very entertaining effort.
May 7, 2021
Social media humorist Laditan's fiction debut is cute and funny, and will strike a chord with moms everywhere. Ashley is totally relatable, and her exploits could be those of nearly any woman who strives to be "as good as" everyone else. The book takes much too long to get past the phase of Ashley not measuring up to everyone around her, which makes the tale more depressing than it should be. Overall it's a worthwhile read for every mom who feels like a failure and needs to know she's not alone.
When Ashley Keller stepped away from her career to be a stay-at-home mom to her daughter Aubrey, she didn't realize it would be quite as difficult as it turns out to be. Her days are exhausting, and although she adores Aubrey, Ashley feels like she cannot figure out how to pull it together. Ashley's idol is mom-blogger/author/perfect mom and wife Emily Walker. Ashley tries to emulate Emily, and is excited to find out she is accepted into a "Mommy Boot Camp" run by Emily to help improve her skills. Yet again, Ashley doesn't feel like she does things as well as everyone else, but she is going to try, even if it means sacrificing her principles just a bit.
June 15, 2017
This book was so very funny yet at the same time all together too true! The main character Ashley was so relatable. My baby is 18 now and I still felt such a kinship with first time mother Ashley. I laughed out loud and loved the whole thing.
October 2, 2017
"To gluten!" 🥂😆
This was a really fun read! Laditan - of Honest Toddler fame - imparts a satirical spin on mom life while simultaneously tackling some very real issues faced by new parents. As a SAHM myself, I found the main character Ashley particularly relatable and I loved her dearly. I enjoyed the heck out of the audio. The narration was perfect!
This was a really fun read! Laditan - of Honest Toddler fame - imparts a satirical spin on mom life while simultaneously tackling some very real issues faced by new parents. As a SAHM myself, I found the main character Ashley particularly relatable and I loved her dearly. I enjoyed the heck out of the audio. The narration was perfect!
May 11, 2020
This was such a fun read!
June 26, 2017
Hmmm...I'm torn on what to rate this book. I think I've decided on 3.5 stars. Here's what I liked:
- The humor (at times; sometimes it was annoying, but we'll get to that later); I've read quite a few of Bunmi Laditan's blog posts and they're often pretty funny, so I figured that would come out in her novel, and it did.
- The narrator/protagonist, Ashley (again, at times; and again, sometimes she annoyed me); she was what you might think of as a typical working-woman-turned-stay-at-home-mom. Some of her experiences were super relatable, and she was fairly likeable.
- The relationship between Ashley and her husband, David; I feel like it was fairly authentic. They love each other, but with a new-ish (8 months) baby in the house, they don't necessarily understand what each other needs anymore. Some of their arguments and issues were glossed over, but in general, they were addressed, and Ashley and David worked through them in what I thought was a pretty normal way.
All that said, I felt faintly annoyed pretty much throughout the entire book. I've been trying to figure why exactly. I think part of it is because the book felt like an amalgamation of every stay-at-home-mom stereotype in the book. I'm not a SAHM, so I don't know, maybe every single stereotype is actually true for SAHMs, but it just seemed a bit much. Mounds of laundry covering the entire living room? Check. Mom wears same sweat pants 7 days in a row? Check (Okay, fine, I can't fault her for that; I work from home and I do the same thing). Kid wakes up way too early ever single morning? Check. Husband works late every night and mom feels unsupported and alone? Check. Pushy mother-in-law tries to tell mom how to raise her child? Check. I could go on and on. And again, I realize that these things are stereotypes because they've happened so often. And I realize that I'm not a SAHM, so I don't know what it's like. And I realize that some of it was played for laughs. But reading about it was just one thing after another. I just wanted to say, "Enough already!"
It's also possible that my annoyance came from having to live inside Ashley's mind. She was sweet and she loved her daughter and she was doing her best, but holy moly, she annoyed me sometimes. I think it was the whole thing of how much she cared what other people thought of her. WHO CARES WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK??? Stop trying to be a perfect mom! Geez Louise. Who cares what people post on Pinterest or Facebook? Who cares if your mother-in-law thinks you can't cook (I mean, it's annoying, but don't shrivel up and become a doormat!)? Who cares if you don't breastfeed (I know, I lot of people care and think it's their business if other people breastfeed or not, but just do what you need to do and don't worry about them). Do I just live in a different world than her or what? Because I bottle-fed my baby and never once did ANYONE EVER say anything to me, "Oh you should really be breastfeeding." Now, it could be that I don't worry about the Pinterest and Facebook stuff because I'm kind of crafty myself, so I enjoy making Pinterest-y stuff. So I'll give her that. I suppose I don't know what it feels like to see all the crafty stuff other people are doing, and not be able to do it myself. But just her overall lack of confidence was SO grating. Her mother-in-law comes over and starts making noise intentionally to wake up the baby so she can play with her, and Ashley just says, "Sigh." You're the mother, tell the MIL to knock it off and to stay out of the house during your baby's naptime!
And don't even get me started on the way she gave in to her daughter's every whim and then wondered why her daughter was so whiny and clingy. ARGH.
Basically, this entire book brought out my judgmental, self-righteous side (which sadly does not really need much help to be brought out; it's always right there near the surface, waiting to break through at any minute). I won't go into all my thoughts, because honestly, it would make me sound like an unfeeling jerk. Suffice it to say, this book pushed some buttons.
After that rant, I feel like I should bump it down to 2 stars, but I really did enjoy reading it for the most part. And there was a least a little character growth by the end that left me with a more pleasant impression of the entire book.
- The humor (at times; sometimes it was annoying, but we'll get to that later); I've read quite a few of Bunmi Laditan's blog posts and they're often pretty funny, so I figured that would come out in her novel, and it did.
- The narrator/protagonist, Ashley (again, at times; and again, sometimes she annoyed me); she was what you might think of as a typical working-woman-turned-stay-at-home-mom. Some of her experiences were super relatable, and she was fairly likeable.
- The relationship between Ashley and her husband, David; I feel like it was fairly authentic. They love each other, but with a new-ish (8 months) baby in the house, they don't necessarily understand what each other needs anymore. Some of their arguments and issues were glossed over, but in general, they were addressed, and Ashley and David worked through them in what I thought was a pretty normal way.
All that said, I felt faintly annoyed pretty much throughout the entire book. I've been trying to figure why exactly. I think part of it is because the book felt like an amalgamation of every stay-at-home-mom stereotype in the book. I'm not a SAHM, so I don't know, maybe every single stereotype is actually true for SAHMs, but it just seemed a bit much. Mounds of laundry covering the entire living room? Check. Mom wears same sweat pants 7 days in a row? Check (Okay, fine, I can't fault her for that; I work from home and I do the same thing). Kid wakes up way too early ever single morning? Check. Husband works late every night and mom feels unsupported and alone? Check. Pushy mother-in-law tries to tell mom how to raise her child? Check. I could go on and on. And again, I realize that these things are stereotypes because they've happened so often. And I realize that I'm not a SAHM, so I don't know what it's like. And I realize that some of it was played for laughs. But reading about it was just one thing after another. I just wanted to say, "Enough already!"
It's also possible that my annoyance came from having to live inside Ashley's mind. She was sweet and she loved her daughter and she was doing her best, but holy moly, she annoyed me sometimes. I think it was the whole thing of how much she cared what other people thought of her. WHO CARES WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK??? Stop trying to be a perfect mom! Geez Louise. Who cares what people post on Pinterest or Facebook? Who cares if your mother-in-law thinks you can't cook (I mean, it's annoying, but don't shrivel up and become a doormat!)? Who cares if you don't breastfeed (I know, I lot of people care and think it's their business if other people breastfeed or not, but just do what you need to do and don't worry about them). Do I just live in a different world than her or what? Because I bottle-fed my baby and never once did ANYONE EVER say anything to me, "Oh you should really be breastfeeding." Now, it could be that I don't worry about the Pinterest and Facebook stuff because I'm kind of crafty myself, so I enjoy making Pinterest-y stuff. So I'll give her that. I suppose I don't know what it feels like to see all the crafty stuff other people are doing, and not be able to do it myself. But just her overall lack of confidence was SO grating. Her mother-in-law comes over and starts making noise intentionally to wake up the baby so she can play with her, and Ashley just says, "Sigh." You're the mother, tell the MIL to knock it off and to stay out of the house during your baby's naptime!
And don't even get me started on the way she gave in to her daughter's every whim and then wondered why her daughter was so whiny and clingy. ARGH.
Basically, this entire book brought out my judgmental, self-righteous side (which sadly does not really need much help to be brought out; it's always right there near the surface, waiting to break through at any minute). I won't go into all my thoughts, because honestly, it would make me sound like an unfeeling jerk. Suffice it to say, this book pushed some buttons.
After that rant, I feel like I should bump it down to 2 stars, but I really did enjoy reading it for the most part. And there was a least a little character growth by the end that left me with a more pleasant impression of the entire book.
May 6, 2017
This is a book for the moms of the world! It is very funny, very true and it made me laugh out loud so hard that I woke my kid up, and it as worth it! If you have spent sleepless nights up with your baby followed by days fueled by caffeine, if you have found yourself in love with but puzzled by this new role in life, if you have found yourself admiring the likes of Martha Stewart but eternally bewildered by her, if you have found modern motherhood expectations sometimes a bit too much and wondered why "everything is a thing!"*, or if you have ever been tempted by the crafts on the *devil's playground* (Pinterest, I'm looking at you), then you will enjoy this book.
Quick gist- Ashley, mom of Aubrey, struggling to find her way as a stay at home mom enters a Motherhood Better Contest run by a blogger/crafter/talk show host/mother of five empire/business woman she deeply admires (seems to be inspired by Martha) to help her become the "perfect mom".
The book is touching too, and I love that it is easily set up of a sequel that Laditan says she started to write already.
I am excited for Laditan who wrote on her FB page about how this is the book she wanted to write, she wrote it for the moms of the world, and she broke out of the niche that the publishing world tried to box her into as the author of the satirical Honest Toddler, and her inspiring words to aspiring authors.
**quotes attributed to two of my favorite moms in our not so official "mom tribe" lol.
Quick gist- Ashley, mom of Aubrey, struggling to find her way as a stay at home mom enters a Motherhood Better Contest run by a blogger/crafter/talk show host/mother of five empire/business woman she deeply admires (seems to be inspired by Martha) to help her become the "perfect mom".
The book is touching too, and I love that it is easily set up of a sequel that Laditan says she started to write already.
I am excited for Laditan who wrote on her FB page about how this is the book she wanted to write, she wrote it for the moms of the world, and she broke out of the niche that the publishing world tried to box her into as the author of the satirical Honest Toddler, and her inspiring words to aspiring authors.
**quotes attributed to two of my favorite moms in our not so official "mom tribe" lol.
June 5, 2017
I love Bunmi Laditan's sense of humor but this book bordered too far into absurdity for my tastes. Ashley Keller is a moron of Shopaholic proportions, unable to do anything at all grown up, spending money recklessly and basically constantly complaining about everything and lying to everyone. Motherhood is hard and often hilarious, but I just found the main character so unlikable I couldn't get into this book. I liked the skewering of the perfect Pinterest-y moms but I just couldn't find myself rooting for Ashley. She needed to ask for help and stop reacting so much to everything. It was OK.
March 27, 2018
Maybe it's because I'm not a mom but I could not connect to this book. I found it annoying and the ending seemed incredibly contrived. If this had not been a bookclub book, I would not have bothered to finish it.
August 12, 2018
This isn’t my typical reading material but it was recommended by a few mama friends. Sure, the author nails down parenthood from the women’s perspective, but there are some over-the-top statements in there that grated on my nerves.
It started strong, I liked the humour but the more I read the more I got turned off. Don’t get me wrong, some parts are definitely hilarious but some are boring and downright depressing. It’s also super repetitive, with the author stating the same things over and over again.
After a little while it turns into a big pity party and it feels like I’m reading some Facebook post about someone whining about their life. It becomes heavier as well, what with all the self-loathing and incessant failures; it’s like Ashley is good at nothing and she hates herself and her life. Pretty sure that’s not how the author meant for the character to come out but that’s how she came across to me.
I’m not much into chick-lit but I felt this lacked substance. The entire thing revolves around motherhood and Ashley’s failures, immaturity and insecurities in her role as a mother. You don’t get to witness her grow into a more confident and stronger woman; you read about her rants and how miserable her life is and then when she overhears something she finally realizes that her life is normal enough, but that happens near the end only.
Big, fat MEH!
It started strong, I liked the humour but the more I read the more I got turned off. Don’t get me wrong, some parts are definitely hilarious but some are boring and downright depressing. It’s also super repetitive, with the author stating the same things over and over again.
After a little while it turns into a big pity party and it feels like I’m reading some Facebook post about someone whining about their life. It becomes heavier as well, what with all the self-loathing and incessant failures; it’s like Ashley is good at nothing and she hates herself and her life. Pretty sure that’s not how the author meant for the character to come out but that’s how she came across to me.
I’m not much into chick-lit but I felt this lacked substance. The entire thing revolves around motherhood and Ashley’s failures, immaturity and insecurities in her role as a mother. You don’t get to witness her grow into a more confident and stronger woman; you read about her rants and how miserable her life is and then when she overhears something she finally realizes that her life is normal enough, but that happens near the end only.
Big, fat MEH!
February 19, 2018
I picked this book on a whim from a thrift shop and immediately purchased it when I read on the back that it was a mixture of Becky Bloomwood from Confessions of A Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella and Bridget jones.
Confessions of a Domestic Failure was exactly that. It's about a mummy named Ashley who seems that she can't win anything. While she loves her beautiful newborn babe, it comes with the stress of doing the dishes, cleaning the house, and taking care of the towering piles of laundry. Not to mention, she has a husband that needs to feel love and supported to. The book felt like a big dedication to mums out there. It was like someone yelling at the top of their lungs to all the mums that YOU'RE NOT ALONE. WE FEEL THE SAME WAY. WE FEEL LIKE FAILURES TOO.
With social media on the rise and misleading photoshopped photos, nobody can be the perfect mom. I loved the sheer hilarious events that happened and also the witty dialogue. Although I don't relate it to Ashley that much because I'm not a mom, I still very much enjoyed it.
Confessions of a Domestic Failure was exactly that. It's about a mummy named Ashley who seems that she can't win anything. While she loves her beautiful newborn babe, it comes with the stress of doing the dishes, cleaning the house, and taking care of the towering piles of laundry. Not to mention, she has a husband that needs to feel love and supported to. The book felt like a big dedication to mums out there. It was like someone yelling at the top of their lungs to all the mums that YOU'RE NOT ALONE. WE FEEL THE SAME WAY. WE FEEL LIKE FAILURES TOO.
With social media on the rise and misleading photoshopped photos, nobody can be the perfect mom. I loved the sheer hilarious events that happened and also the witty dialogue. Although I don't relate it to Ashley that much because I'm not a mom, I still very much enjoyed it.
![Profile Image for Natalie [genreneutralreader].](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1429327064i/17277003._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
November 4, 2018
This book was not high literature, but absolutely hysterical if you are a mom to young children. Ashley Keller is the antithesis of the typical Instagram-perfect moms paraded before is daily. While her life might not be an exact mirror image of each of ours, every mother will be able to find something to which she can relate in Ashley’s story. Confessions of a Domestic Failure is a quick read that will leave you smiling. Loved it.
October 14, 2018
3.5 Stars
This is a cute, funny chick-lit novel written for those not-so-perfect moms. It was very predictable, but I still found it an enjoyable audiobook. I would recommend this to fans of Sophie Kinsella's over-the-top stories.
This is a cute, funny chick-lit novel written for those not-so-perfect moms. It was very predictable, but I still found it an enjoyable audiobook. I would recommend this to fans of Sophie Kinsella's over-the-top stories.
December 4, 2023
DNF. I didn’t get very far into this one before I stopped. Yes, motherhood is hard, crying babies, lack of sleep, haven’t taken a shower in days, stretch marks, etc but the author’s whining and complaining trying to be funny take was annoying.
February 8, 2018
Not being a mom, I had not previously heard of Bunmi Laditan, but honestly, I don't think there are too many of us who work full time and try to manage adulting that can't relate to at least some of what she writes about! I found myself identifying a lot with that feeling of always being behind, never quite catching up, wondering where the time went and why my ever-growing to-do list seems to be multiplying as I sleep (fitfully, at best).
I sympathized with Ashley in the beginning, mainly because of similar things I'd heard my mom friends express, especially first-time moms, but after a while her whining started to get to me. I also thought David was a dumbass and that trying to start a new business when your wife wasn't working was a pretty stupid decision. The boot camp thing was pretty ridiculous but I did like the way everything ended. Life lessons learned are never a bad thing, and there were enough laughs along the way to counter Ashley and David's dumbassery and make the book enjoyable. It also made me once again realize what a waste of time social media can be and how things aren't always (or probably ever) what they appear to be. Good reminder to anyone who reads someone else's blog or Facebook page and thinks "I must be a total loser, my life doesn't look like that!"
Neither does hers, dude. You're fine. Just do you.
I sympathized with Ashley in the beginning, mainly because of similar things I'd heard my mom friends express, especially first-time moms, but after a while her whining started to get to me. I also thought David was a dumbass and that trying to start a new business when your wife wasn't working was a pretty stupid decision. The boot camp thing was pretty ridiculous but I did like the way everything ended. Life lessons learned are never a bad thing, and there were enough laughs along the way to counter Ashley and David's dumbassery and make the book enjoyable. It also made me once again realize what a waste of time social media can be and how things aren't always (or probably ever) what they appear to be. Good reminder to anyone who reads someone else's blog or Facebook page and thinks "I must be a total loser, my life doesn't look like that!"
Neither does hers, dude. You're fine. Just do you.
November 4, 2018
This was super cute! Quick, funny read - recommended!
February 4, 2019
Ashley Keller, a hot mess mama, triumphs over the perfect mothers who do it all! The story was far-fetched in that no one is as inept as Ashley purported to be. She had a mother-in-law who was only too happy to tell her what she was doing wrong and a name-stealing sister who appeared perfect. It all worked out in the end, naturally, with Ashley being rewarded for being "real".
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