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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.
About the Author:
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). Doyle is represented by Claire Anderson-Wheeler of Regal Literary, Inc., a full-service agency based in New York.
Check out Lisa Doyle and Milked at the links below:
Author's Website
Publisher's Website
Book Buzz
Purchase Milked on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Our Thoughts
MILKED is about Amanda, whose boyfriend knocks her up and whose life knocks her on her ass. When Eamonn disappears, Amanda is left to deal with everything on her own and thru a twist of fate, ends up working for celebrities as a wetnurse.
This really, is what piqued my interest most about this novel: wetnursing. It's made a bit of a comeback in some communities. But Milked is also about breastfeeding and pumping to keep up supply, and taking care of babies. I didn't get much of a chance to nurse my own son (long story with the NICU nurses) but I did exclusively pump for well over 2 years for him. I also donated a lot of milk. There was much I could relate to with Amanda.
The book sucked me in quicker than I thought - it was actually hard to put down! The stories about Amanda's personal life with CuteDad as well as some of the crazy stuff she put up with from her celebrity employers is very entertaining. Then, near the end . . . she runs into the missing father. . . and for a few minutes you really don't know which way Amanda's going to go. Stick with CuteDad or bring her family together?
Another thing I really enjoyed about this book - no Mommy Wars. There is only one scene where Amanda gets huffy about her point of view, but realizes she's just put a very big foot in her mouth.
MILKED is a good, very enjoyable, quick read - great for any mom!
