Wine in my Sippy Cup

by Deborah Dove

A sophisticated, put together career woman prior to having kids, now Liz Cartwright is lucky to go to the bathroom by herself, much less get out of the house wearing matching shoes and a clean shirt. While she is preoccupied with the sometimes mind-numbing responsibilities of motherhood, her husband is becoming increasingly distant and preoccupied with work, giving Liz the distinct impression that she is losing her husband along with her sense of identity. Armed with a book on spicing up her sex life purchased at a sex toy party and the help of her three best girlfriends, Liz embarks on an all-out attempt to rejuvenate her marriage and find personal fulfillment.

However, things in Liz’s life have a tendency to fail with hilarious results, and her attempts to woo her husband are no exceptions. Despite numerous setbacks—a pantiless tennis court seduction gone awry, a stolen vibrator and an unfortunate incident involving a thong—Liz is determined to reclaim her romantic mojo, until a chance encounter with her first love and a hobby that inadvertently turns into a job opportunity make Liz reevaluate what love inside marriage means and the price she is willing to pay to reclaim her sense of self-worth.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Humor, Contemporary, Ebooks, Womens Fiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published October 29, 2012

About the author

Deborah Dove has wanted to be a writer ever since she wrote her first story about a runaway candy cane in second grade. To that end, she always did her English homework first, and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in English in 1990.

Since then, she has worked as a freelance writer and has written for numerous magazines, newspapers and businesses. She also writes a blog here: http://www.lightonthelampstand.com/

In 2006, she won the American Cancer Society's Texas Media Award for best magazine feature story. Wine in my Sippy Cup is her first novel. It is availabe through Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009Z2188W

Deborah lives in Texas with her husband, three children, a cat, a dog and a fish.

Reviews

[Nancy Stopper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every stay-at-home mom needs to read this book. I laughed out loud in a number of places, but the reality is that this our life for so many of us. The author explores the feelings every mother feels wondering if she's lost herself in her spouse and her kids and the feelings she feels when she gets affirmation for who she is as a person herself and not "someone" (you'll understand that when you read the book). It's a reminder that no marriage or family life is perfect - but it's important to find the perfect life for you. A must read!!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG one of the most hilarious and relatable books about motherhood I have read (ok, all except for the part about almost having an affair with an ex, but that part added intrigue). If you work full-time, you probably won't relate like I did, but if you gave up a career when you started your family and you've been struggling to find yourself ever since, this one's for you! Five stars.

[Becky Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book....being a mom and staying at home I could relate a lot with the main character. I laughed out loud many times and I don't know how any times thought " how did the author get into my life?" Or " omg that's so me".

Definitely worth the read, especially if you are a busy mom....

[Kim Kiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book!! It was so good that I read it in a couple of hours. The characters are real and so easy to relate to. Great job Deborah Dove!!

[Lizz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, a laugh out loud funny book. The author totally captures what it's like to be a stay at home mother with all it's highs and lows.

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad little novel to pass the time

[Joanne Knouf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It brought back memories of being a young mother with three kids. The joy of each birth and looking into each babies face and you instantly knew they were born with a piece of your heart. It was also a reminder about how easy it is to lose yourself in being a mother and how important it is to love yourself. I love the quote about marriage being like a quilt and each square is made up of all the Little moments stitched together.

[Angie · Rating 4 out of 5]

(4.5 Stars)

What a terrific read. Liz, her friends and her family are all great characters and are relatable and likeable. But the real gem is the story itself that follows Liz's journey to self-discovery which is fraught with mishaps and many ha-ha moments. This is the first book I've read by Deborah Dove, but certainly not the last.

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice humorous read, it was long enough to be satisfying without overstaying it's welcome and I really did like the end it was a good place for the story to finish.

[Kathy Underwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

Nice touches of humor, mixed with a genuine perspective of what it means to be a woman in our culture.

[Nicole Selley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is easy going, fun and very relatable. Google’s laughs to be had for sure.

[Eri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lighthearted and funny. A nice read for when real life is stressful.

[Sherrie Gallegos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story but has a few grammatical errors.

[Patricia Keelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was looking for something light and found this book. Although it's somewhat out of my normal reading lane, I picked it up. And loved it. It is delightful. Read my full review on my website.
http://patriciakeelyn.com/2018/05/124...

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually a big fan of chick lit but needed to "cleanse my reading palate" from my usual favored mystery genre. I have to say this was quite the gem.

Protagonist Liz Cartwright struggles to find her own identity while raising three young children pretty much single-handedly while her husband works long hours. She has a tight group of female friends that meets regularly for a drink and to discuss life, family, and sex.

The books opens with Liz and her friends at a home party that she was talked into going to in which articles designed to "spice up" one's sex life, are shown and purchased. Liz has been trying to bring back the spark in her own marriage to overworked Scott who barely seems to notice her.

You can't help but laugh when Liz finds herself in more than one compromising situation as she tries to follow her book's suggestions on how to make her marriage sizzle. There is something to be learned from her friend Angie as she shares later on of a recurring dream of hers.

This was a great funny read and I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author has written.

[Big Otter Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wine in my Sippy Cup by Deborah Dove
3 stars

Hilarious in places! A slice of her life, warts and all. If you have kids you will relate to some of the funny things that happen: wine in the lunch box, hiding in the bathroom just to get a moment of peace. There is the requisite "adult products party" where our narrator, Liz is of course at a loss to what all the excitement is about. Just a few of those formulaic ha ha but ho hum moments then the author gets into the actual meat of her story with an inattentive husband, crazy situation with her father-in-law and an old love resurfacing out of the blue. Once she stopped writing mommy lit with the focus on girlfriends & wine, this book got really interesting. Liz is struggling to be "someone" besides just mom & wife and this book takes us along on her journey. The way the story is wrapped up at the end was a little too pat but satisfying with no loose ends. Still and all for a first book, I enjoyed it and will be looking for more from Deborah Dove. 3 stars.

[Tammy Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was very timely for me currently being a stay at home mum of 3. The author captured perfectly the daily struggles of a stay at home mum and the struggles of a marriage trying to juggle career, 3 kids, household and maintain a love life. One aspect of the book left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth but I still felt that part was necessary to show how easily 2 people who love each other can go in opposite directions and quickly, if not careful. The book was very funny and witty and yet there was an underlying depth about one of life's biggest struggles and she adressed it beautifully.

[Sherry Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear this woman could be my sister... What woman in her ripe ole thirties hasn't taken stock of her life in an effort to find her place in this world. Liz is a stay-at-home mom with a lawyer husband. She feels like her husband is slipping away, along with her self-worth. Her attempts to get closer to her husband are bumbling and endearing. With each failure, she starts to feel like she should just start over. She questions her abilities as a mother, giving up her career and her marriage. But her love of her children and a little help from her friends grounds her and she comes back to reality with a new appreciation of her life. Loved this one!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute. Easy breezy quick novel to read -- I think what I liked about it most was she identified so many of the issues I did as a young mom. First statement that caught my eye was that boys were so different than girls. She said some of the same things I did! Then her comment about how, during her second pregnancy, she was so afraid she wouldn't love the second one as much as the first -- oh how I resonated with that....but then with the third, she knew she would love that one just as much because the heart expands. Oh my...resonated with that as well.... Being a mom -- a very tough job.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Except for some malapropisms from trusting spelllcheck to be an editor, the story is fairly well written and engaging. The temptation presented by Charlie is understandable but we as readers are given a picture of him neither he nor Liz really see. The one thing I didn't like was how easily the consequences of temptation were not only swept away but transferred onto a blameless party.

A spouse may be neglectful, but that's. not justification for breaking your vows.

Still, the message is clear and true. Take care of yourself first, then the kids, or you'll have nothing left for them and you'll resent them, besides.

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just what I needed - some great laughs to remind me that I'm not the only one who's ever had a kid on the floor throwing a temper tantrum while the other kid pulls down a display of tomatoes while every item tumbles out of my purse and the people in the store just stare and whisper to each other. This book had a lot of laughs along with a major dilemma thrown in - to stay in a marriage where your partner barely acknowledges your presence or take off with a long lost first love who has reappeared out of the blue. Good character development and good premise.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! So, funny...I was literally laughing the whole time. Loved her style of writing, the honesty....the plot as well as the ending. A book for pure fun, no great life lessons (well, actually, if you are married, it might really make you appreciate your imperfect mate and realize you aren't perfect either, so quit expecting perfection and be happy you have what you have)....just fiction at its finest. A quick read for when you don't want to think too much, but just need a good laugh!

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I love a good chick lit book as much as the next girl, and I wanted to love this one, but I didn't. It was just okay. The writing wasn't very good, and I just couldn't suspend belief enough for a couple of the plot points...a one year-old speaking in complete sentences? Someone mistaking a dildo for an egg beater? Giving a dildo as a wedding present to your father-in-law's new bride? I don't think so. It was fine for a fluffy read, and had some moments that were truly funny, but was definitely not fabulous.

[Jody Mahoney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is an easy read and not all that good but the last few chapters are a summary of why we all do this motherhood thing. Not that it said anything I didn't already know about myself but it's nice to know that I am not the only one going through the difficulty of being mid thirties, kids, hard times etc.

[Renea Landreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I laughed a lot reading this, but more importantly, I related to it on many levels. This book is a must read for any woman who has kids, or is thinking about having kids. It's especially a must read for any woman who has ever been a stay-at-home mom, or who is considering it. Wonderful book---I'll be looking for more by Deborah Dove!

[Flsunluvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't read the bio on the author but I feel like anyone who can write a story like this one has to have lived through at least most of it! There were parts of this story I feel like I could've written and other parts I wish I'd have the chance to live through! Funny and poignant - this is a must read for any woman - mother or not.

[J.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was enjoyable, but not the light-hearted romp I was expecting based on the title. There was a lot of wit and a lot of the parts of life, love and marriage that you don't like to think about.
Worth a read, but do keep in mind that while it does capture a mom's life with wit, it does touch on some more serious stuff.

[Denisele · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good. Predictable and some poorly edited sections (like most free Kindle books), but I think there is a lot of heart put in to displaying the emotions of wanting to be 'someone'. I can imagine a lot of mom's have the same emotions, whether they feel like they have lost themselves from staying at home or like they have lost their kids from having a full time job outside the home too.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like I would be fast friends with the author. Although not a stay at home mom, I found myself laughing and relating to her realization that she has lost her sense of self after having kids. I can appreciate the challenge of a relationship feeling stalled or in question at this point in life. And I empathize with decisions she makes.

[Ginny Yancey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five Stars All The Way

A must read for all Moms! The author put me through the whole range of emotions from frustration and tears to laughing out loud in public. The main character is flawed but good hearted and someone all Moms can relate to. One of those books you are truly happy to have read.