MotherFaker by Anna Brook-Mitchell

Meet Barri Brown. Respected teacher. Upstanding citizen of Guernsey. Down for a bit of law-breaking . . .

Barri is preparing for a year's paid maternity leave but there's a catch:

She isn't pregnant.

With seven foam bumps, a wardrobe full of smock dresses and a great pregnancy heist planned, all Barri has to do is blag it until she can disappear for good, without getting caught and being sent to prison for fraud. Child's play.

But can she really get away with telling the mother of all lies?

---

A clever, cosy adult novel about bluffs, found family, and the audacity of living life on your own terms.

Pre-Reading Thoughts

The blurb promised a heist disguised as maternity leave, some moral grey areas, and plenty of situational comedy. I was expecting laughs, some tension around “will she get caught?”, and a look at unconventional families.

Post-Reading

As I thought…
Barri Brown is a delightfully grounded protagonist. She knows exactly what she wants (no children, thank you very much) and the narrative respects that choice completely - no moralising, no lessons about her eventual “true calling.” Her found family - especially the teen she fosters - is lovingly portrayed, without needing to turn her into a cliché or force her into a traditional maternal arc. The Guernsey setting is charming, photogenic, and almost cinematic in how the story moves through it.

It surprised me by…
How consistently funny and tense it managed to be. I found myself cringing and laughing in equal measure, rooting for Barri to pull off the maternity leave heist while also enjoying the smaller, quieter victories of her everyday life and relationships. The comedy comes naturally from her cleverness and from the world around her, not just contrived situations.

Overall Thoughts

MotherFaker is cosy fiction with bite, adult humour, and heart. It’s a celebration of agency, found families, and the joy of bending rules without losing your humanity. Perfect for readers who like their comedy smart, their stakes personal, and their characters unapologetically themselves.

Vibe Check

• Colour Palette: soft pastels, ocean blues, sunny Guernsey streets

• Soundtrack: playful jazz, soft acoustic guitar, waves lapping at the shore

• Season: spring or summer, full sun and sea air

• Mood: mischievous, warm, quietly triumphant

• Scent: salt air, coffee, freshly baked scones

Tarot Pull

Page of Wands (Light Seer’s Tarot)
In the midst of a dynamic majorette routine, this card reflects Barri’s energy, cleverness, and flair as she navigates her audacious maternity-leave heist. Bold, resourceful, and delightfully mischievous, she’s fully in control of her performance - turning risk into triumph with panache.

For Fans Of

Adult cosy fiction with wit, heart, and a heist at its centre - think clever protagonists, unconventional families, and photogenic settings begging to be adapted for TV or film.