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honeydew7's review against another edition
funny
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
rob13's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sarahs_bookish_life's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
This is the second book to feature the women in the old ducks’ club but can still easily be enjoyed as a standalone as we follow the newest member, Denny, and the rest of the women for a hen party in sunny Spain.
As with all this author’s books, she creates the most idyllic settings and the villa and surrounding area had me fully in holiday mode and ready for packing my bags and booking a trip abroad. The women are a great bunch who you feel like you’ve known for years within the first few chapters. Along with the women, we get to meet a group of men who are also on a stag do of sorts as well as a bit of bird watching!
What follows is a fun and highly entertaining read where the two groups spend time getting to know one another as well taking in the sights. I love how the author makes light of the characters worries as we all have them and most times we are over thinking them instead of just biting the bullet and facing them head on.
The Old Duck’s Hen Do was a great read with plenty of laugh out loud moments that literally had me doubled over. I love the friendships and the emphasis of how you are never too old to fall in love again. Life certainly doesn’t stop when you get to a certain age and it should be compulsory to have time away with your friends as it is definitely good for the soul. Joyously uplifting!
leona_omahony's review against another edition
5.0
The Old Ducks Hen do is the second book in the old ducks series but it can easily be read as a standalone. Oh my goodness I loved this book so very much. Denny who is in her early sixties has recently retired and has just been invited to her stepsister Juliette’s hen party in Majorca. There’s absolutely nothing to stop her from going as she is now retired so the world is her oyster. Denny gets the surprise of her life when she arrives at the Majorcan villa they are staying in and who she sees leaves her positively dumbstruck for a while. The story mainly revolved around Denny but the other female characters we were first introduced to in the first book of the series but this book clearly explains who they all are. One of the things I Ioved about this book was the more mature lady element and it goes to show that women over a certain age can still have lots of fun and laughter. Packed full of humour but also there was a slightly serious side to this read in parts which made the book all the more poignant and interesting. I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending this book and I really hope there will be a third book in the series as I want to find out more about The Old Ducks.
yvo_about_books's review against another edition
4.0
Finished reading: November 7th 2023
"It's so easy to always say no, it's much more fun to say yes sometimes."
*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Boldwood Books in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***
I remember seeing the first book mentioned when it was published in 2021, and I've been meaning to try this series ever since. I somehow never actually picked up the first book, but I still couldn't resist getting a copy of book two as it sounded like such a fun read. Then again, I do always have a weak spot for both a story with an older main character AND a travel element... And The Old Ducks' Hen Do has plenty of both. I'm glad that I decided to read this title, because it turned out to be a very entertaining ride indeed.
First of all I have to say that while technically The Old Ducks' Hen Do is a sequel, it can very easily be read as a stand-alone. True, there are some references to the first book (which only made me want to go back and read it even more to be honest), but there is no vital information missing and this sequel has a different character in the spotlight. The story is mainly set on Mallorca, and I just LOVED this setting. There are so many descriptions of the Spanish island, and it makes me wish I could jump on a plane and visit. I also loved how the island wasn't just a simple backdrop, but played a more active role throughout the plot. All those food descriptions made me hungry though, and especially craving Greek/Spanish food.
The Old Duck's Hen Do is without a doubt Denny's story even though she isn't the one getting married. While I'm not a big fan of the whole miscommunication trope and their lives could have been so different if they had just tried harder to communicate, I did like the whole second-chance romance vibe. The romance itself was quite slow to develop, which could become a bit frustrating... But thankfully there were plenty of hilarious moments to distract you from that. Oh yes, the Old Ducks are so much fun to spend time with, and there are many moments that will bring a smile to your face.
This story isn't all fun and romance though, as there is also some attention given to more serious topics including age discrimination, infidelity, toxic relationships and abandonment. As a whole the plot still felt mostly uplifting though, and I liked how everything was wrapped up in the end. The plot did feel a tad overlong, but that might just have been the reading slump talking... It was still quite easy to just keep turning those pages.
If you are looking for a fun and uplifting contemporary romance with a sunshine setting and older main characters, The Old Ducks' Hen Do fits the bill! I'm definitely going back to read the first book soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail
nickimags's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was such a fun book! I loved every single minute of it and laughed out loud a lot!
The story was told from Denny’s point of view, who as the synopsis above says has recently retired and is a bit bored of her new life. However, things begin to change for her when her stepsister invites to Mallorca on her hen do.
I really liked Denny. She was a real woman with doubts and fears, especially when she spots Bruno, her old boyfriend from university staying in the villa next door. All her feelings come back and she’s not sure what to do with herself, especially as it’s not all happy feelings! Fortunately the other ducks on the hen do are great fun and a great distraction from worrying about the Bruno situation.
I loved all the women in this book they were such fun, making me laugh out loud as I read about their antics and hilarious observations about life. There are so many great moments in this book, including a wonderful scene involving nuns and skinny dipping at a local beach!
Highly recommended if you enjoy romcoms and uplifting reads.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy via the NetGalley app.
The story was told from Denny’s point of view, who as the synopsis above says has recently retired and is a bit bored of her new life. However, things begin to change for her when her stepsister invites to Mallorca on her hen do.
I really liked Denny. She was a real woman with doubts and fears, especially when she spots Bruno, her old boyfriend from university staying in the villa next door. All her feelings come back and she’s not sure what to do with herself, especially as it’s not all happy feelings! Fortunately the other ducks on the hen do are great fun and a great distraction from worrying about the Bruno situation.
I loved all the women in this book they were such fun, making me laugh out loud as I read about their antics and hilarious observations about life. There are so many great moments in this book, including a wonderful scene involving nuns and skinny dipping at a local beach!
Highly recommended if you enjoy romcoms and uplifting reads.
Thanks so much to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my copy via the NetGalley app.
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