Last year, we met Kiki Carlow as she began planning her wedding to Thom, recording all the highs, lows and To Do lists in her diary. The Wedding Diaries was one of my Top Ten Chick Lit Books of 2012 so I couldn't wait to read the next instalment of Kiki's tale.
Kiki and Thom have only been married a couple of months when they discover they are about to become parents. The pregnancy wasn't exactly planned so the news comes as a bit of a shock. The timing isn't perfect; Kiki and Thom haven't had much time to enjoy their new married life and Kiki has just been promoted at work. But it has happened and the pair must get on with it, learning as they go along. As with The Wedding Diaries, Kiki records everything in her diary, from debilitating morning sickness, antenatal groups and the difficulty of squeezing all the paraphernalia that comes with a tiny baby into their one bedroom flat. After the birth, Kiki has to deal with lack of sleep, adopting the new identity of 'mum' and a stalker ex best friend.
The Baby Diaries follows the same format as The Wedding Diaries with diary entries, dialogue and To Do lists. Each new chapter begins with an exert about babies from classic literature and there are extra baby-related features at the back, from recipes, children's books and playlists for baby showers.
I was really looking forward to reading The Baby Diaries and I wasn't disappointed. In fact, I enjoyed reading The Baby Diaries even more than The Wedding Diaries and was sad to finish it. The Baby Diaries is packed with humour and witty observations. There are no rose-tinted glasses when it comes to pregnancy, labour and coping with a newborn.
It was great to catch up with some of the old characters from The Wedding Diaries, such as Jacki Jones, celebrity turned writer, Kiki's best friend, Eve and the staff at Polka Dots, the publishers where Kiki works. Kiki's parents and sister are back and it was great to see the interaction between Kiki and Suse again as I find their sisterly relationship hilarious. But as well as the familiar characters, Kiki's pregnancy introduces us to new characters, from the women she meets at her antenatal class to well meaning but useless health visitors.
The Baby Diaries is a fun book that I absolutely loved. Kiki is such a fantastic character - funny, clueless at times and endearing. I hope one day we'll get to see the insights of Kiki Carlow again.
Thank you to Avon for sending me a copy to review.
Sounds like an awesome story, especially for someone who have kids or are about to. :-)
ReplyDeleteIt'd be brilliant to read while pregnant! I remember reading Babyville by Jane Green for the first time while pregnant with my oldest so it's always special to go back and read it again.
DeleteI've heard so many great things about these books! And most people seemed to agree that the first book is even better than the new one. :) I think I'll have to pick this up soon.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it too :-)
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