
Marlene Hauser
Marlene Hauser is a professional writer based in Oxford, UK
where she lives with her husband and teenage son. She served as editor of the Writer’s New York City Source Book and originated the television film Under the Influence, going on to serve as Associate Producer and Technical Consultant.
Marlene holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University and has received numerous awards, including a residency at the Millay Arts Colony in Upstate New York.
Marlene's Latest Novel

Marlene’s latest novel, Mine is now available to order.
About Marlene Hauser’s Latest Book:
MINE
High-powered Sophie Taylor thinks baby-making can happen on the fly. Managed alongside work, marriage, an MBA and travel, she decides to launch Project Bébé. Successful at everything, Sophie expects and always scores one hundred per cent. That is until the shocking failure of one fertility treatment after the next.
As the heart-breaking reality of infertility sinks in, Sophie owns up to another almost unspeakable loss and faces difficult decisions when she’s targeted as the love interest of a high-powered financier. Through a colleague, a mother of four, she learns that motherhood is not all it’s cracked up to be. Just as Sophie feels satisfied with the advantages of a childfree lifestyle, a fateful meeting changes everything…
Tucker returns to Estonia and their limited contact limits the baby project. At forty, Sophie is convinced she will get pregnant naturally, so she concentrates on her studies and, although challenged by a younger woman, graduates as valedictorian. She returns to Tallinn but is unable to find a job. When she’s offered a desirable position in London, she moves there and deals with another competitive woman and an amorous boss.
This happens against the backdrop of fertility tests, hormone shots, disappointment, and ultimate joy.
What an amazing story! Sophie is a modern, driven woman with a successful career. She has delayed having a baby assuming she would be as successful with pregnancy as she was with finance. Marlene Hauser has delivered the story of everywoman. It is a must read. 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Guild and Marlene Hauser for this ARC.
It was interesting to read about adoption that was not based in the US.
Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.
Latest Blog
Fertile Infertility
Big and bold: please pre-order, read, review and share MINE, my third novel, with your community! Thank you.
Having just returned from the Oxford Literary Festival, the London Book Fair and the Chipping Norton Literary Festival, I have learned one lesson: connect with your social media community about your novel and ask those in your community to connect with their community about your book, and so on down the line.
Recent Posts
Geraniums
A poignant exploration of family, identity.
“Geraniums” by Marlene Hauser is a captivating novel that delves into family dynamics and human nature. Hauser’s immersive writing style allows readers to step inside the minds of her characters, experiencing the events of the novel firsthand.
The characters in “Geraniums” are a triumph, with complex individuals who elicit a range of emotions from the readers. The protagonist, Lily, leads us through her family’s dysfunctional and abusive life, revealing the depths of human behavior. Hauser skillfully portrays the internal struggles and motivations of characters like Jack and Emma, evoking both loathing and sympathy. The novel reminds us that we should not be quick to judge or measure others, as circumstances can shape even the darkest of actions.
Hauser’s exquisite prose creates an intimate and intense reading experience, where every word counts. The novel explores themes of strength, resilience, loyalty, and success, reminding us that life’s complexities can be found within its pages.
Geraniums is a beautifully written and compelling literary fiction that I thoroughly enjoyed. Marlene Hauser has a style that ensnares the reader because of her ability to step inside the minds of her characters and enable the reader to experience, through them, the events of the novel. There’s a painterly writing style too, with descriptions that place the reader at the heart of the narrative.
The plot is elegantly wrought, with Lily’s perspective leading the reader through the events of her family’s life in such a realistic way that it is clear any generic family could be just as dysfunctional, controlling and abusive as Jack’s so that Geraniums makes the reader realise that we never truly know those around us or understand quite what they may be capable of doing.
Right from the start, I was entranced with this gripping and moving novel. Impossible to put down. The author writes with a compact and easy-flowing style. The story hurtles along at a quick pace. And long after reading this, I was left contemplating the unsettling impact of this brilliantly revealing novel.
Wonderful characters that have you fully invested in their journey from page one.
Narrator Lily’s triumph against all odds is very moving and had me weeping out loud at points.
Highly recommended.
There is an attempt to be generous and to try to analyse the dysfunctionality sympathetically which gives significant depth to the novel. I particularly liked the descriptions of the various cultures the family lives in over the years and found it added richness to the story. And I was taken back in time by the closely observed and very poignant description of life in the 60s. Overall, despite some of the horrific events in the book the story is a very positive, life affirming one.
I was happy to have had the opportunity to read ‘Geraniums’ and will watch out for future novels by this author.
Novels by Marlene Hauser
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