But I Smile Anyway…

So Happy to be on the Blog tour for the debut of Ko Porteous and her book, The Freshman Parents, the first in the Empty Nesters series.

The Blurb

They’re off for the time of their lives. But are you? 

Book #1 in The Empty Nesters Series.

Single parent Heather isn’t neurotic (honest!) – she’s simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university – so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice on a parents’ forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad whose “helpful” statistics and assertions about “helicopter parenting” leave her fuming. 

Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren’t just roommates – they are self-declared “besties for life”. Suddenly, Heather and Scott are thrown into a begrudging alliance. 

As they navigate the new status quo, Heather’s instinct to organise meets Scott’s philosophy of letting go. Their practical text messages about mattress toppers and emergency supplies evolve into conversations about dream jobs and bucket list aspirations. Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing them together, meaning Heather and Scott find it increasingly difficult to ignore each other… 

Purchase Link: https://amzn.eu/d/0dbgIz37

My Review

The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I cannot explain just how much I enjoyed reading this as a woman of a certain age.
The story covers two single parents whose daughters are off to university, and the all-encompassing worry that surrounds that, from two very different perspectives.
The story begins with a Facebook group-style chat for parents whose children are going to university for the first time, where our two main characters meet and clash.
Heather is a character I can relate to (not the single-parent bit, though!). A mother who only wants the best for her child, but as the sole caregiver so far, she finds it hard to let go totally.
Scott is a single father who feels he has equipped his daughter with everything she needs to be independent and a true life decision-maker for herself.
They clash over mattress toppers at first, then, when the girls start university and are in the same accommodation block, tensions simmer as the two parents meet.
There is midlife, and then there is MIDLIFE. These two are both there, and it is fantastic to read how they navigate their different parenting styles and the needs of their children, who grow close and have to spend more time together.
Slowly, layers are unravelled, and you get to see the true reason they parent the way they do, and there is a bit of an enemies-to-lovers romance going on.
Heather and Scott’s characters go on a journey as they learn to live and love a little again.
I was invested the whole way through, and loved the little Facebook updates which echo the concerns of many parents as their children leave home for the first time, as well as giving a bit of a giggle with some questions and answers.

About The Author

Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.  

Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.  

As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.  

In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.   

Ko has been married for 25 years, has 2 children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.  

The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.  

Social Media Links –

www.koporteous.co.uk

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