Book Review | Milked - Living Life With Joy

Milked by Lisa Doyle

Publication Date: November 21, 2014

What’s the Story?

By and large, Amanda Keane makes pretty good decisions. Okay, she might not have the best taste in men, but she’s got great friends, a good job, and an independent spirit. That is, until her 30th birthday ushers in a whirlwind romance with a sexy Irish musician who leaves her, not at the altar as she imagined, but accidentally pregnant. And when he disappears, she’s downsized out of a job, her apartment is robbed, and lapsed health insurance coverage leaves her with a C-section to pay for, Amanda is launched headfirst into the life of a broke single mom. But her friend and uber successful ob-gyn, Joy, clues her in to an unlikely temp position with one of Chicago’s celebrity elite that just may be the answer to all her woes. Or could it be just the beginning?

It’s with serious trepidation that Amanda embarks on her surprisingly lucrative new career: underground wet nurse to the offspring of Chi-town’s rich and famous. Amanda must quickly understand how to live at the whims and mercy of the one percent as she deals with the irony of nursing – and loving – someone else’s child, while still making ends meet for her own daughter. And then there’s Cute Daycare Dad (aka Dan), who’s obviously interested in her. But can she afford to tell him what she really does for a living? Is her new job (something she thought went out with the 19th century) a shameful thing? Just another way of selling her body? Or does it have something to teach her after all?

A novel of motherhood, its many demands, and all the little triumphs along the way, MILKED is a warm and witty debut about making tough choices and traveling the roundabout road to happiness.

My Review

I’ve been looking forward to reading Milked since I heard about it a few weeks ago online. The illustrated cover is adorable and the book description sounded entertaining. I’ve never heard of a wet nurse, maybe it’s because I’m not a mom or maybe it’s because it’s not exactly the most common profession nowadays, but either way it intrigued me. I have to say I was more than satisfied with the novel; it’s a funny read that literally had me laughing out loud from page one.

Amanda Keane doesn’t have the best luck when it comes to men and her love life has been less than thrilling to say the least… that is until she meets a gorgeous Irishman, but in the wake of their relationship, she’s left with something that changes her life for good. When a string of unfortunate events happen (and a handful of fortunate events too), she finds herself as a broke, single mom at the age of thirty and she struggles to get her life under control. Amanda’s character is relate-able and extremely likeable and you can’t help but root for her every step of the way.

Having no other options but to take advantage of the only thing she seems to be good at, Amanda is able to use her own life experiences to her benefit to not only make money, but also to help other women in the beginning stages of motherhood. Although she became successful in an unconventional way, she learned important lessons and a lot about herself in the process and I truly love what she ends up doing career-wise at the end of the book. I always promise no spoilers, you’ll have to read the book to know exactly what I’m talking about, but believe me, you’ll love it!

There were quite a few things about the novel that I absolutely loved and have to share with you. First of all, I loved the relationship that starts to bloom in her life and especially loved the unexpected ways that her life takes a turn for towards the end of the novel and the way that she takes control of her life. Next, I have to say when I first read the title of the book, I thought it was a bit random until I read the description on the back. The title ‘Milked’ is hilariously on point for the story. Milked is a beautiful story about the things people will do to care for and take care of the people in their lives. Fabulous fiction debut novel that will tug on your heart strings, yet at the same time, it will bring lots of laughs along the way!

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

I was given an e-book copy via Kim Nash in exchange for an honest review as part of the blog tour for Lisa Doyle. Receiving novels free of charge in no way reflects on my honest opinion and no monetary compensation was provided for my review. Writing a review is the best way to say thank you to an author. I encourage you to write reviews and share them on sites like Goodreads and Amazon so that your fellow readers can see what you think!

About the Author

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Lisa Doyle

Lisa Doyle is a communications manager and freelance writer based in the Chicago area. A native of Hinsdale, Illinois and a graduate of Miami University, she spent several years editing business-to-business publications for the personal care industry before moving to the nonprofit sector, and currently works in advocacy for homeless families at Bridge Communities in Glen Ellyn, Illinois. She has written for major beauty trade publications (Global Cosmetic Industry, Skin Inc, Salon Today, Modern Salon, Renew, Suburban Life) and is a contributor to WOMEN REINVENTED: TRUE STORIES OF EMPOWERMENT AND CHANGE (LaChance Publishing, 2010).