Take Mum Out - Review

Review by Darcie Czajkowski

“Why d’you need a boyfriend? You’re a mum.” That’s what Alice Sweet’s thirteen-year-old son, Fergus, says when Alice comes home from a disastrous date. Alice agrees with her son, wondering if she shouldn’t be venturing into the dating world, even though she and her sons’ father broke up six years ago.

But Alice’s long-time friends, Viv, Kirsty, and Ingrid, think otherwise, each of them deciding to set her up on a date with a man of their choosing, a competition of sort. Alice gamely agrees, reasoning that her boys, Logan and Fergus, won’t be around forever.

First, there’s Giles, the intern at Viv’s work. He’s gorgeous and charming and those are good enough reasons to give him a chance. But what does he want with a woman who’s a staggering eleven years his senior? Is that his thing?

Then there’s Stephen, Kirsty’s clean-cut dentist who also happens to be a doting father to a young girl. He seems sweet if not a little aloof. But is he not interested in Alice or just ambivalent to dating in general?

Finally, there’s Charlie, Ingrid’s pick, whom she met at her gym where Charlie was writing an article on a thousand-calorie workout. His invitation to take Alice with him to Paris certainly piques her interest. But will his penchant for getting sloshed in the middle of the day send her running back to Edinburgh?

With each man so different from the next, which will Alice choose? Or will she choose none of them? Or perhaps someone else will catch her eye, like Pascal, the French owner of a shop in her neighborhood.

Fiona Gibson does a wonderful job of addressing the world of dating while raising two teenage boys mostly by herself. Gibson intermingles wit with spot-on dialogue, often times making me laugh out loud with Alice’s candid way of approaching life. Take Mum Out is an easy, comedic read, perfect for the beach or your next vacation. 

About the Author:

Fiona is an author and journalist who has written for many UK publications including The Observer, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Red, New Woman, Top Sante and Elle. She writes a monthly column for Sainsbury’s magazine and is a Contributing Editor at Red magazine.

Fiona lives in Scotland with her husband, their twin sons and daughter. She likes to draw, run 10k races, play her saxophone and lie in the bath with a big glass of wine, although not all at once.

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