Why I picked up this book:

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Okay, let’s be super honest . . . I practically grabbed this book out of Lara’s virtual hands when she contacted me to say NetGalley had the book. I’d read her first book Girlish and absolutely fell in love with both the story and Lara’s voice. And since this next book is about motherhood and dating, of course that’s just another reason for me to be all in.

This review may contain spoilers.

Mama, Mama, Only Mama

Being a single mother means relaxing your cleanliness standards. A lot. Being a single mother means missing your kids like crazy when your ex has them, only to want to give them back ten minutes after they come home. Being a single mother means accepting sleep deprivation as a natural state. Being a single mother means hauling a toddler, a baby, and a diaper bag while wearing high heels and a cute skirt, because you never know when you’ll meet someone. Being a single mother means finding out you are stronger than you ever knew was possible. Since birth, Lara Lillibridge’s children wanted, “Mama, Mama, only Mama!” whether they were tired or just woke up from a nap—whether they were starving or had just finished a bowl of goldfish crackers. Over ten years later, not much has changed. Between hilarious episodes and candid stories, Lillibridge offers the bits of advice and enlightenment she’s gained along the way and never fails to commiserate on the many challenges that come with raising children in a non-nuclear family. This creative, touching memoir will resonate with single moms everywhere, whether solo parenting is new territory or well-trodden ground for them. Written in the style of a diary with blogs, articles and recipes tucked between the pages, Mama, Mama, Only Mama follows Lillibridge and her two children, Big Pants and Tiny Pants, out of divorce, through six years of single parenting, and into the family blender with a quasi-stepfather called SigO. Complete with highly useful recipes such as congealed s’more stew, recycled snack candy bars, instant oatmeal cookies and a fine chicken casserole that didn’t pass Tiny Pants’s “lick test,” Lillibridge grows into her role as mother, finds true love, and comes to terms with her ex-husband.

Once again . . . 5 stars for Lara!

What I loved:

Lara’s book is so spot on about what life is like as a single parent. I spent 13 years as a single parent and every struggle is real. This story brings readers into a heartwarming tale of love for your children while you ponder different ways to strangle them. Children set their own rules, and Lara rips the band-aid off to show parents that no household is the exception to the rule.

I think what I love most about this story is that every parent can identify with the struggle of raising children, whether they’re a single parent, married, or another family member just trying to get those little beasts to adulthood. From popcorn in every crevice of the couch to the artistry of crayon drawings on every wall, Lara nails it and gives hope to all the parents and guardians of the world that we’re not insane, just raising a different species.

Sometimes books are a little too real:

The book is brilliant, so I’ll only say this – if you’re a parent who has raptor-toddlers in your home, pieces of this tale can become a little too real. I had to set it down once or twice, not because Lara’s voice isn’t magnificent, but because as I read about spills on every counter my children were downstairs spilling on every counter. Sometimes we’re still in it and can’t escape.

Overall:

I’d highly recommend this book for anyone, honestly. If you’re a young couple thinking of having kids, or a single mom who is ripping her hair out, you’re not alone. Every parent’s struggle shines through this book in a raw and humorous tale, and you may even find a few new favorite meals from the intermittent recipes on how to save one’s sanity.

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