Melanie Lynne Hauser

I picked this book up from my library on a whim, and at first I was sure it wasn't going to be much more than a laugh. As I read, I found myself enthralled with the story, intrigued by the plot, and falling in love with the characters, especially Birdie - though it certainly was very humorous.

This book is a quick, fun read not only about becoming a superhero via chemical fumes, but also about learning that there is a little superhero in all of us, especially if you're a mother.

In this sequel to Confessions Of A Super Mom, Birdie is back and she finds her superpowers are developing into more than she can handle. Her kids are still teenagers you can tell because anything she does they are embarrassed by. She is finally revealing her relationship with Carl just as her ex Dr. Dan has thoughts to rekindle their marriage. All that and cleaning supply mascots like Mr. Clean are coming to life and helping her fight her new nemesis.

I loved this book just as I loved the show more first book. The celebrity appearances like Ryan Seacrest and the scrubbing bubbles were hilarious. Just like Confessions Of A Super Mom, I can see this as a movie, with Drew Barrymore as Birdie. She is sweet, a little klutzy, and so relatable. The way the characters work through their problems internally also gives you the chance to work out your feelings about the things the characters and their decisions.

I am sad I finished the series. I hope maybe there will be more books in the future but I kinda doubt it.

Still, one of my favorite authors whether she goes by Hauser or Benjamin. Really hope one-day Supermom comes back or maybe I get her powers. Lord knows my place needs it. show less

Summary: Super Mom has a new villain to face as she saves Astro Park again.

The Take-Away: As an unplanned sequel, requested by her publisher, Hauser does an excellent job of developing her characters. Super Mom, aka Birdie Lee, is getting remarried while her ex-husband is divorcing his second wife -- the one he left her for. Oh yeah, something is suspicious with the new baseball diamond for the Little Leaguers. Do they really need a domed field, while the pep bands' uniforms are practically show more rotting around them? (That's my speculation.)

My favorite scene takes place at Birdie's ex-husband's -- Dan -- house. Dan has purchased, through a charity auction, a cleaning from Super Mom for Birdie. Since Birdie is Super Mom, she convinces him that she, Birdie, doesn't want the prize and he should accept it for himself. Then she, as Super Mom, can snoop through his house. While snooping and questioning Dan, Birdie confronts her conflicted feelings. Should she get back together with the father of her children? Should she marry Carl, her nerdy admirer? Not only is the house cleaned when she is done, Birdie uncovers what she came for.

Recommendation: Check out Confessions of Super Mom, the first title, then grab this one. show less

Confession: this book is unabashedly corny, sometimes even a little painful, but cute.

The title sums of the novel pretty well - a mild-mannered grocery clerk and divorced mother of two blends all her cleaning chemicals in a battle against the Stain of Unknown Origin. Instead of killing her, the combined fumes endow her with super-mom powers such as shooting cleaning fluid from her wrists like Spiderman, sponge-scrubber hands, and attuned "Mommy Senses" that tingle when a child is in danger. show more Yes, it's mildly insulting to stay-at-home-moms, and made me cringe more than once. (I'd off myself if I ended up with those powers. Ugh.) However, it's an obvious tribute to comic book heroes and never takes itself seriously. It's designed to be a fun, breezy read, and it mostly is. The villains are obvious from the get-go (the main one shares the name of another famous super-villain) and the heroine's son bears the name Martin Stanley Lee. There's a love interest, a super-plot that imperils children (oh noes!) and accusations of perversion that make absolutely no sense. But it's okay. Kinda. Sorta. I just wouldn't want to be seen reading it in public.

This is by no means a keeper, but I don't want to burn it, either. For a send-up of superheroes, I would rather read Jennifer Estep's Big Time series (of which I have read Hot Mama); those are wittier, and more original overall. show less