I first stumbled across Andi Webb during the first lockdown of 2020. Mid-pandemic, like so many others, I found myself with extra time on my hands, so I decided to take the opportunity to spend some time looking for new bloggers to follow.

As soon as I found Andi’s blog ‘Diary of a Gay Dad’ I was hooked. At the time, Andi was just about to appear on English TV, on a programme called ‘Britain’s Best Parent’ where families were showcasing their different parenting techniques in a bid to win the title of ‘Britain’s Best Parent’.

Watching the programme and reading Andi’s blog’s made me sit back and watch Andi and his partner John in absolute awe. Not only were Andi and John doing a great job in bringing up their 5 children (yes you read that right…5 whole children!) they were also parenting alongside playing dog dad’s to their 2 beautiful Dalmations, Remus and Gracie.

Andi’s book, Eighteen Moons, takes us back to a time when the couple were just starting to consider family life. Andi takes us on journey through the world of surrogacy, travelling to India, Thailand and Nepal in a bid for himself and John to become fathers.

From the get go, nothing about Andi’s story is straightforward. At times, Eighteen Moons left me questioning how both Andi and John actually got through this challenging period of their lives without going completely crazy. I guess that when you want something so badly, you literally will go to the ends of the earth to get it.

This book made my heart race and equally, it made my heart ache. But it also filled my heart with so much joy.

Andi and John’s route to fatherhood is long, complicated and at times traumatic, yet when they are finally reunited as a family of 7, 9 if you include their 2 dogs, it becomes clear that it was all worthwhile.

Eighteen Moons was one of the best books I read last year. If you like your books full of emotion and drama, then this is the book for you.

If you’d like to find out more about Andi and his family, you can find Andi’s blog by clicking here.

His book is also available to purchase online via Amazon.

What were your favourite reads from 2020?