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starshine1's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
2.0
A light-hearted but over-the-top and, in my opinion, unrealistic adventure of some 70-something ladies on a hen do in Paris, and the antics they get up to. I didn't really like the idea of Eddie proposing to Jen after them only knowing each other for 2 months or less, without him even saying that he loved her, and him then going off to LA to gamble, but only prepared to spend the basics on a wedding. To me, it seemed obvious he had ulterior motives or was not really a good guy and he was also misogynistic. Only one of her friends seemed to have any doubts about the wedding initially and she was told that she was being too negative by the others. This happened at the start of the book, so why did I continue? Mostly because it was free on Audible and I thought it would be light-hearted, which it was, but I can't see many over 70s having that amount of energy! I honestly didn't warm to any of the characters at all. Most of them didn't seem realistic or didn't seem to have much intelligence.
I like the idea of older women having an adventure and there seem to be a few more books available with a focus on this, and authors who focus on this, Judy Leigh being one of the key ones. (I enjoyed The Getaway Girls by Dee MacDonald in which 3 older women journeyed across Europe and in which there was a little mystery or two). I *may* read/listen to another book by Judy Leigh where the beginning/sample is more appealing to me and hopefully I will enjoy it more.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol and Infidelity
Minor: Misogyny
sarah984's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I thought the concept of this book was super fun, a group of friends in their 70s on a girls’ weekend in Paris, but the execution just didn't work for me. Everything magically worked out so well for everyone that it felt way too convenient (I wound up suspicious of a bunch of apparently well-meaning characters for this reason) and the lighthearted prose would sometimes veer dramatically into really dark subject matter for no real reason. Also the fortune teller was ridiculous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol
Moderate: Infidelity, Rape, and Racism
Minor: Animal cruelty, Death, and Medical content
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