Perfect Mayhem And Perfect Mishap By Aimee Horton

Perfect Mayhem and Perfect Mishap are the first instalments of Aimee Horton’s series about Dottie Harris, who, after spending her twenties building up a career and marriage, decides to start a family in her thirties. The books tell of her pregnancy, birth, and the ups and downs of being a new mother.

Perfect Mayhem is written entirely in Facebook-style status updates. I’m not used to reading like this, and initially found it difficult to read. But once I got into it, I found myself wanting to read more. The character of Dottie is smart, funny, and honest about what pregnancy and first-time motherhood is like. The status updates made me feel like I was friends with her and was reading her Facebook page. As it turned out, having those short snippets into Dottie’s life, made it easier to connect with her and her children when it came to the second book.

Perfect Mishap is a short novel that carries on where the first book left off. As Dottie and her soon-to-be family of five have just moved house, the newest addition makes an unexpected, early arrival and not all goes to plan. Dottie struggles with making new friends in the area, especially with a newborn, a toddler, and a school-age child. I connected with Dottie on many levels; having children often makes it so difficult to connect with other people sometimes.

Overall, I really enjoyed the books. They were very good for a bit of light reading, although kind of predictable. However, the predictability didn’t stop me from wanting to keep reading and I read the second book in a matter of hours. I quickly built up an affinity for all of the characters, willing Dottie to stay away from certain ones, while empathising with her throughout sometimes misled choices and decisions.

I would recommend this book to mothers of all ages who like a quick chick-lit type read. It’s perfect for reading with small children, as it’s so easy to pick up where you left off if you get (inevitably) interrupted.

Rating: 4/5 :)

Nadia is an old school Punky Mom who lives in the UK with two kids and her boyfriend. She is craftier than a crafty ninja and enjoys Netflix and Bullet Journaling. You can find her on Etsy.

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