CLP Blog Tour: Tales from the Laundry Pile

I couldn't be happier to be kicking off the CLP Blog Tour for Kathleen Kole's novel Tales from the Laundry Pile. I've read and enjoyed all of Kole's previous novels and I'm happy to say that I really liked her latest as well!

Here's the synopsis:

Claire Jamieson has moved back home to Boxwood Hills... And, she's not alone. Trailing behind her overworked laundry basket is her husband and their energetic twin boys.
Claire had always thought that once she'd left the nest, she'd never return. Now that she has, she's wondering what type of bird that makes her... Cuckoo?
When she has a moment to pause and catch her breath, she'll let you know.

I was really looking forward to the fact that this book would be set in Boxwood Hills because I was sure characters from previous novels would make appearances. Happily, I was right! Claire becomes good friends with Jessica (from Dollars to Donuts) and Thomas (who, I believe, appears in a couple of books) plays a hilarious role in the story. I couldn't wait for Thomas and Josephine (Claire's mom) to meet because I knew the result would be amusing. I also loved all the scenes with Thomas and Claire's twin boys. He's such a rough-around-the-edges character that it was sweet and funny to read as he interacted with four and a half year old boys.

I felt like I was constantly giggling throughout this novel. There were so many scenes that were ridiculous (in a good way) and had me laughing out loud. That being said...the novel was all fun and games. Claire had a lot of issues to work through that all stem from needing to be perfect and have everything in order. She has an incredibly judgemental mother in law (ugh, that woman drove me up the wall. I wished I could give her a talking to on behalf of Claire.) and her own mother appears to be flighty and unconcerned about appearances and consequences. Claire had a great support system though. Jake seems like a fabulous husband and father and Jessica turned out to be an amazing friend. I have to say, though, that it was sometimes hard to read about how uptight Claire was in the beginning. Maybe it's because I just couldn't understand how she'd demand perfection when she has twin boys. This was a minor issue though and I really liked reading about how Claire changed herself for the better.

Tales from the Laundry Pile was a really enjoyable read. It's not my favourite of Kathleen Kole's (that honour goes to Favorable Conditions) but I still liked reading it. Check back on Thursday when Kathleen stops by with a great guest post!

Happy reading :)