Coming Home
The Freshman Parents by Ko Porteous is an entertaining contemporary novel that gripped me from the start. It is the first book in the Empty Nesters series.
The main topic is that of being an empty nester. “What’s her point if not to parent?” Having had four children, I found the characters easy to empathise with. The feelings of emptiness and loss are very raw.
We see that attitudes need to change. “This is not the end of an era; it is the beginning of a new phase.” We need to move from a position of loss, to one of opportunity.
An online group for freshman parents is a life-saver as new bonds are formed. There are different styles of parenting. Nothing is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, just ‘different.’
The action is seen through two alternating points of view, both of whom are also battling loss. A widower of eight years after an accident robbed him of his wife; and a single parent whose partner left her for pastures new several years ago. Both need to learn to trust again.
We rejoice as fears are faced as we recognise the courage needed to do so, as characters come home.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Freshman Parents. It was a book that resonated with me, and was highly entertaining along the way.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.
JULIA WILSON
The Freshman Parents
They’re off for the time of their lives. But are you?
Book #1 in The Empty Nesters Series.
Single parent Heather isn’t neurotic (honest!) – she’s simply dreading the day her only child leaves for university – so her meticulous checklists grow longer by the hour. When she seeks advice on a parents’ forum, she clashes with Scott, a single dad whose “helpful” statistics and assertions about “helicopter parenting” leave her fuming.
Move-in day delivers the ultimate surprise: their daughters aren’t just roommates – they are self-declared “besties for life”. Suddenly, Heather and Scott are thrown into a begrudging alliance.
As they navigate the new status quo, Heather’s instinct to organise meets Scott’s philosophy of letting go. Their practical text messages about mattress toppers and emergency supplies evolve into conversations about dream jobs and bucket list aspirations. Despite their intentions to avoid relationships at all costs, unpredictable events keep throwing them together, meaning Heather and Scott find it increasingly difficult to ignore each other…
Pre-order Link
Publication Date – 10th July 2026
Author Bio –
Ko Porteous lived in a tiny fishing village in the north of Scotland before moving to Edinburgh aged 10.
Ko loves meeting people with interesting stories to tell and is constantly on the lookout for knotty story themes, particularly involving women navigating the messiness of life. She has worked as a Research Chemist, Assistant Chef, Teacher and School Leader.
As well as writing, Ko works as a Business Manager and provides listening services for a mental health charity aiming to reduce the number of deaths caused by suicide.
In her free time Ko loves to run, meditate and travel; preferably all on the same day.
Ko has been married for 25 years, has 2 children of her own and is now navigating her own empty nest.
The Freshman Parents is Ko’s debut novel and is the first in ‘The Empty Nesters’ series.
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