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beate251's reviews
201 reviews
Skip to the End by Molly James
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Amy has a strange talent - if she kisses someone for the first time she gets a premonition about how this relationship will end. She has a big circle of friends and no one seems to find that in any way strange. Then, at a wedding she kisses three guys but gets so bladdered that she can't remember much afterwards - just that one of them is the one she is going to grow old with. I'm not a big lover of weddings and the first quarter of the book takes place at one so for me it really picked up after that.
To be honest, it's extremely clear from the off who the lucky guy is, but it's fun watching Amy try and find him. The nice thing about this book is that it's not just about the search. Amy has a life full of friends, costume parties, marketing pitches, and looking after her Mum who has early onset dementia.
This book is like a warm hug. The characters are loveable and the story well-rounded and interesting. So many romances try so hard to have believable love stories, and this one manages it effortlessly. A fabulous, fun summer read.
I have read Molly James' new novel, "One Day to Fall in Love", before I read this, and it's even better - her magical realism stories are clearly ones to watch!
On a side note, there were some silly grammatical errors which I feel should have been spotted - laundry shoot instead of chute and emotional ringer instead of wringer, but not enough to hamper enjoyment of the story.
"When nothing goes right, go left!"
To be honest, it's extremely clear from the off who the lucky guy is, but it's fun watching Amy try and find him. The nice thing about this book is that it's not just about the search. Amy has a life full of friends, costume parties, marketing pitches, and looking after her Mum who has early onset dementia.
This book is like a warm hug. The characters are loveable and the story well-rounded and interesting. So many romances try so hard to have believable love stories, and this one manages it effortlessly. A fabulous, fun summer read.
I have read Molly James' new novel, "One Day to Fall in Love", before I read this, and it's even better - her magical realism stories are clearly ones to watch!
On a side note, there were some silly grammatical errors which I feel should have been spotted - laundry shoot instead of chute and emotional ringer instead of wringer, but not enough to hamper enjoyment of the story.
"When nothing goes right, go left!"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcohol, Dementia, and Medical content
Seven Summers by Paige Toon
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
That's just great. The first review on here I read is giving the entire plot away. Haven't you heard of spoilers? It works like that: spoiler inbetween <> then text then spoiler inbetween </>
See? Not difficult!
Anyway, Liv and Finn apparently love each other but Finn lives in LA and refuses to permanently live in Cornwall because ofsome tragedy to do with his mother . He just swans in every summer for a few weeks. Liv refuses to leave Cornwall because of her Down's Syndrome brother who apparently needs her after their parents' death , a fact he is entirely unaware of. So after seven summers of back and forth that are neither fish nor fowl but just make everyone miserable, she meets lovely Tom but of course Tom has an obscure heart condition. However, at least he wants to spend his life with her. What is Liv to do?
Normally I love Paige Toon's books but I couldn't get on with this one. There was just too much grief, and jumping back and forth between past summers and the present didn't aid the story. Who were we meant to be rooting for, Finn or Tom or both or none of them?
And that epilogue - 30 pages long and in those pages it basically contained another 14 years. Without that epilogue the book would have worked for me but the epilogue made me angry.
Liv was grief-stricken and whiny through most of the book but Finn clearly didn't deserve a seventh chance after he'd broken her heart so many times.
Anyway, Liv and Finn apparently love each other but Finn lives in LA and refuses to permanently live in Cornwall because of
Normally I love Paige Toon's books but I couldn't get on with this one. There was just too much grief, and jumping back and forth between past summers and the present didn't aid the story. Who were we meant to be rooting for, Finn or Tom or both or none of them?
And that epilogue - 30 pages long and in those pages it basically contained another 14 years. Without that epilogue the book would have worked for me but the epilogue made me angry.
Liv was grief-stricken and whiny through most of the book but Finn clearly didn't deserve a seventh chance after he'd broken her heart so many times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Cursing, Medical content, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Death
Sorry for the Inconvenience by Farah Naz Rishi
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.0
I picked this book as my Amazon First Read for June 24 because it sounded the best of what was on offer. I didn't realise it's an autobiography and if I had I might not have chosen it. There are two problems with autobiographies - they talk about real people who might object about how you talk about them because the second problem is that you will only ever get one side of the story. I was actually hoping that none of her family are still around to read this utterly selfish account - I can't understand why someone would think they'd come across well as the narrator here.
Looks like I got my wish.
This feels like an overlong AITA post in which the OP is certain everyone will agree with them as it's always everyone else who is in the wrong.
Poor Stephen, who has always been by her side, moving for her, converting to Islam for her, telling her he loved her, marrying her purely so she could profit of his health insurance, and what did she ever do for him? Write sentences like "I moved to Philadelphia." Not we, I. She moved without him. I couldn't believe her selfishness. "Stephen understood." No offence, Stephen, but what do you see in that woman? She went on a writing course when her father had terminal cancer. She shouted at her mother on her death bed. She moaned about the fact her mother used her money on herself instead of giving it to her. The only thing the author did right was deciding not to have kids because she doesn't think she'd be a good mother. Too right she wouldn't!
I thought this book would detail her unconventional love story with Stephen but she never really talks about her feelings for him or what kind of marriage they established at the end. She only ever tells us what he did for her, which is, as we learnt, a lot.
Believe me, I understand difficult parents, and Asian immigrant ones seem to be among the most difficult, but she happily took their money for three years of law school, only to jack it in before the last hurdle. Even I would have said, take that last bar exam and you will always have something to fall back on, but she couldn't be bothered, and enabler Stephen probably even encouraged her. Infuriating.
This feels like an overlong AITA post in which the OP is certain everyone will agree with them as it's always everyone else who is in the wrong.
Poor Stephen, who has always been by her side, moving for her, converting to Islam for her, telling her he loved her, marrying her purely so she could profit of his health insurance, and what did she ever do for him? Write sentences like "I moved to Philadelphia." Not we, I. She moved without him. I couldn't believe her selfishness. "Stephen understood." No offence, Stephen, but what do you see in that woman? She went on a writing course when her father had terminal cancer. She shouted at her mother on her death bed. She moaned about the fact her mother used her money on herself instead of giving it to her. The only thing the author did right was deciding not to have kids because she doesn't think she'd be a good mother. Too right she wouldn't!
I thought this book would detail her unconventional love story with Stephen but she never really talks about her feelings for him or what kind of marriage they established at the end. She only ever tells us what he did for her, which is, as we learnt, a lot.
Believe me, I understand difficult parents, and Asian immigrant ones seem to be among the most difficult, but she happily took their money for three years of law school, only to jack it in before the last hurdle. Even I would have said, take that last bar exam and you will always have something to fall back on, but she couldn't be bothered, and enabler Stephen probably even encouraged her. Infuriating.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, Grief, Medical content, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gaslighting
Minor: Sexual assault
The High Life by Helen Bridgett
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Thank you to NetGalley and Joffe Books for providing this as a Read Now choice.
This is the third book in the charming Mercury Travel Club series.
This time, Angie has to fight off a rival travel agency that resorts to underhand methods to steal their customers.
She and co-owner Charlie try to do this by bidding to invest in a resort on Formentera. The blurb goes on and on about a road trip through Scotland - this only takes place for a few pages towards the end of the book so I have no idea why the blurb and some reviews wax lyrical about it. It disappointed me greatly as it sounded such fun and I thought it would cover most of the book. There is also very little romance. It's all about the travel agency against the rival business, so the title makes very little sense.
Angie is exactly my age, and she felt like a friend from the beginning of book 1 so it was lovely to spend some time with her again. The cover is gorgeous, the writing is humourous, and the book is full of quirky, lovable characters. I enjoyed this story about a middle-aged woman and her new life and work after divorce, but after the first two the content of this last installment somehow fell flat for me. Angie's friend Patty is the standout character and goes a long way to making the book funny.
Also, again - "stewardess" is an outdated term that has been replaced by the more gender neutral "flight attendant".
This will be a Kindle Unlimited release, and if you always wanted to own a travel agency, this is the book for you.
This is the third book in the charming Mercury Travel Club series.
This time, Angie has to fight off a rival travel agency that resorts to underhand methods to steal their customers.
She and co-owner Charlie try to do this by bidding to invest in a resort on Formentera. The blurb goes on and on about a road trip through Scotland - this only takes place for a few pages towards the end of the book so I have no idea why the blurb and some reviews wax lyrical about it. It disappointed me greatly as it sounded such fun and I thought it would cover most of the book. There is also very little romance. It's all about the travel agency against the rival business, so the title makes very little sense.
Angie is exactly my age, and she felt like a friend from the beginning of book 1 so it was lovely to spend some time with her again. The cover is gorgeous, the writing is humourous, and the book is full of quirky, lovable characters. I enjoyed this story about a middle-aged woman and her new life and work after divorce, but after the first two the content of this last installment somehow fell flat for me. Angie's friend Patty is the standout character and goes a long way to making the book funny.
Also, again - "stewardess" is an outdated term that has been replaced by the more gender neutral "flight attendant".
This will be a Kindle Unlimited release, and if you always wanted to own a travel agency, this is the book for you.
Funny Story by Emily Henry
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This is an utterly unbelievable story about two people whose partners hook up with each other so they try to fake do the same to make them jealous but end up spending so much time together that the question isn't whether they will get together but when.
I also didn't like all the baggage they brought with them - I don't want an entire book to act as therapy for two characters who have family issues and/or suddenly discover they have put their own life on hold for someone else.
All in all, not Emily Henry's best book. I've finished this three days ago and I have already forgotten most of the plot. What's left is an overwhelming sense of "please both go find a good therapist!"
I also didn't like all the baggage they brought with them - I don't want an entire book to act as therapy for two characters who have family issues and/or suddenly discover they have put their own life on hold for someone else.
All in all, not Emily Henry's best book. I've finished this three days ago and I have already forgotten most of the plot. What's left is an overwhelming sense of "please both go find a good therapist!"
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship
Close Knit by Jenny Colgan
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for this ARC.
I love Jenny Colgan's books and have read them for years, whether it's the early standalones, the series with the sad immigrant doctor on Mure or this book's predecessor, Summer Skies, which detailed pilot Morag's romance with ornithologist Gregor.
The action takes place in Carson, a small town near the sea in the north of Scotland, in the beautiful Highlands, described so vividly, that I, a content Londoner, immediately wanted to move there, for the views, the animals and the close-knit community.
Morag is still in this book quite a bit as new boss of Gertie Mooney, 30, naive daydreamer and knitting enthusiast who hates her old-fashioned name but finds much needed self-confidence with her new flat and new job at the airline as maternity cover for Nalitha. There are plenty of other lovable side characters like all the women from the Knitting Circle - or should I say Knitting Coven? There is mother Jean, grandmother Elspeth and Majabeen whose name immediately made me think of the German cartoon series Maya the Bee (die Biene Maja). I'm sure that's quite unintentional but you can't help your childhood heroes!
As love interests, we meet Calum Frost, rich owner of the airline, and Struan McGhie, dishevelled teacher and musician, and old flame of Gertie's.
Gertie's love language is knitting things for people - socks, sweaters, gloves, scarves, you name it. Unfortunately, it looks like not everyone appreciates the sentiment, and she has to be talked down the ledge when she behaves like a love-sick teenager.
This is a gentle, character-led story which bumbles along quite nicely until the daring mountain rescue in the snow that covered the last 30% of the book and meant I couldn't put the book down until everyone was safe, even silly Mrs McGinty. It was heart-warming to see Gertie find unexpected bravery when she hadn't even flown before!
Jenny Colgan's writing is so descriptive and evocative, I was shivering on my warm sofa while reading the snow storm scenes. I also learned a few new words, like stocious and bampot!
What I love is that Jenny Colgan never just concentrates on a couple of main characters - we meet the whole eccentric community to really round out what it's like living there.
As a small niggle, I have to object to the use of the word "stewardess". It is old-fashioned and generally no longer in use as it's been superseded by the more gender-neutral "flight attendant".
This is a funny, uplifting easy read that will steal your heart completely. I will always read everything Jenny Colgan writes as she has an effortless writing style that gives her wonderful characters enough space to shine while still making sure there is a plot.
"Love wasn’t about grand gestures and showing off; like stories or daydreams. Sometimes love was just about joy, and togetherness, and itself."
I love Jenny Colgan's books and have read them for years, whether it's the early standalones, the series with the sad immigrant doctor on Mure or this book's predecessor, Summer Skies, which detailed pilot Morag's romance with ornithologist Gregor.
The action takes place in Carson, a small town near the sea in the north of Scotland, in the beautiful Highlands, described so vividly, that I, a content Londoner, immediately wanted to move there, for the views, the animals and the close-knit community.
Morag is still in this book quite a bit as new boss of Gertie Mooney, 30, naive daydreamer and knitting enthusiast who hates her old-fashioned name but finds much needed self-confidence with her new flat and new job at the airline as maternity cover for Nalitha. There are plenty of other lovable side characters like all the women from the Knitting Circle - or should I say Knitting Coven? There is mother Jean, grandmother Elspeth and Majabeen whose name immediately made me think of the German cartoon series Maya the Bee (die Biene Maja). I'm sure that's quite unintentional but you can't help your childhood heroes!
As love interests, we meet Calum Frost, rich owner of the airline, and Struan McGhie, dishevelled teacher and musician, and old flame of Gertie's.
Gertie's love language is knitting things for people - socks, sweaters, gloves, scarves, you name it. Unfortunately, it looks like not everyone appreciates the sentiment, and she has to be talked down the ledge when she behaves like a love-sick teenager.
This is a gentle, character-led story which bumbles along quite nicely until the daring mountain rescue in the snow that covered the last 30% of the book and meant I couldn't put the book down until everyone was safe, even silly Mrs McGinty. It was heart-warming to see Gertie find unexpected bravery when she hadn't even flown before!
Jenny Colgan's writing is so descriptive and evocative, I was shivering on my warm sofa while reading the snow storm scenes. I also learned a few new words, like stocious and bampot!
What I love is that Jenny Colgan never just concentrates on a couple of main characters - we meet the whole eccentric community to really round out what it's like living there.
As a small niggle, I have to object to the use of the word "stewardess". It is old-fashioned and generally no longer in use as it's been superseded by the more gender-neutral "flight attendant".
This is a funny, uplifting easy read that will steal your heart completely. I will always read everything Jenny Colgan writes as she has an effortless writing style that gives her wonderful characters enough space to shine while still making sure there is a plot.
"Love wasn’t about grand gestures and showing off; like stories or daydreams. Sometimes love was just about joy, and togetherness, and itself."
Things We Do For Love by Miranda Dickinson
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to NetGalley and HQ for this ARC.
Lucie Hart is a struggling actress living in Stratford -upon-Avon, working three jobs, one of which is doing al fresco monologues from famous Shakespeare plays for a very small theatre company.
Theo Larkin is a disgraced Hollywood actor who has been given a last chance with an RSC production of Hamlet in Stratford. One day, he gatecrashes Lucie's monologue and speaks Petruchio to her Katharina. It's such a success that the Garden Players manager hires him for the rest of the summer, casting the two of them in dialogues of some of the most famous Shakespearean couples.
The story is told in alternating dual POV, showing their growing chemistry on and off stage, as witnessed by friends and managers.
Then my most hated trope of miscommunication and misunderstandings hits when Lucie's horrible ex Duncan throws stones into the love story, not unlike in a Shakespeare play.
I very much liked Lucie and Theo, but I have to admit that I didn't understand enough of the Shakespeare characters to truly appreciate the story. The constant rehearsals in the middle left me a bit bored but the ending made up for it.
This is well-written and the acting world in Stratford-upon-Avon is portrayed beautifully, but maybe you get more out of it if you know your way around more Shakespeare plays than I do. Though I did surmise that Theo's rivalry with Gabriel Marley should remind us of Shakespeare's rivalry with Christopher Marlowe.
It is funny, romantic and light-hearted but also quite predictable. I loved feisty Lilia and her Boys!
Lucie Hart is a struggling actress living in Stratford -upon-Avon, working three jobs, one of which is doing al fresco monologues from famous Shakespeare plays for a very small theatre company.
Theo Larkin is a disgraced Hollywood actor who has been given a last chance with an RSC production of Hamlet in Stratford. One day, he gatecrashes Lucie's monologue and speaks Petruchio to her Katharina. It's such a success that the Garden Players manager hires him for the rest of the summer, casting the two of them in dialogues of some of the most famous Shakespearean couples.
The story is told in alternating dual POV, showing their growing chemistry on and off stage, as witnessed by friends and managers.
Then my most hated trope of miscommunication and misunderstandings hits when Lucie's horrible ex Duncan throws stones into the love story, not unlike in a Shakespeare play.
I very much liked Lucie and Theo, but I have to admit that I didn't understand enough of the Shakespeare characters to truly appreciate the story. The constant rehearsals in the middle left me a bit bored but the ending made up for it.
This is well-written and the acting world in Stratford-upon-Avon is portrayed beautifully, but maybe you get more out of it if you know your way around more Shakespeare plays than I do. Though I did surmise that Theo's rivalry with Gabriel Marley should remind us of Shakespeare's rivalry with Christopher Marlowe.
It is funny, romantic and light-hearted but also quite predictable. I loved feisty Lilia and her Boys!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Vanessa is a You Tube travel blogger, content creator and influencer and her next door neighbour Adrian is a criminal defense attorney. Both seem to have money coming out of their ears, which in Vanessa's case I simply don't understand - she makes a few videos and everyone throws money at her? Not believable. Anyway, she is looking after her tiny niece and after a 4am clash due to the crying baby they start spending all their time together until Adrian feels like a dad.
Abby Jimenez' books seem to have many similarities to each other. They all deal with difficult topics that are made worse by overuse of the miscommunication/ misunderstanding tropes, there is always a cute dog with a ridiculous name, a bearded man, the desire to have children, big feelings that border on obsession, and a couple of mentions of Nadia Cakes.
The characters are full of hangups about their families. Adrian hates his Mum's new husband who turns out to be his Dad, Vanessa's Dad is a hoarder, her brother a layabout and her sister a substance abuser. Her mother is dead and her other sister died from ALS. Vanessa thinks she has it too and thus she doesn't want Adrian to be more than a friend, which stands in direct contravention to her motto of not stressing about things until they are happening.
So in the first book we had "I can't be with him because I can't have kids", in the second it was "I can't be with him because he's famous" and now it's "I can't be with him because I'm dying". I mean, at least it's original.
I didn't like how the book essentially hammered home how Vanessa would die within a year and Adrian still didn't get it until very late because he didn't watch her videos, then he flipped out and demanded to have a say in how she dealt with it. It was all "I need, I need, I need." Totally selfish and tone deaf.
Also, everyone's problems seemed to get solved a little too neatly and quickly at the end. Hoarding is a mental illness. You can't overcome it in a few weeks with the help of a life coach.
I loved the click-bait chapter headlines, they were very authentic and funny.
The book is eminently readable and the big feelings will have many readers swoon. I think it's the best in the trilogy, but for me it's not up there yet with Just For The Summer.
Abby Jimenez' books seem to have many similarities to each other. They all deal with difficult topics that are made worse by overuse of the miscommunication/ misunderstanding tropes, there is always a cute dog with a ridiculous name, a bearded man, the desire to have children, big feelings that border on obsession, and a couple of mentions of Nadia Cakes.
The characters are full of hangups about their families. Adrian hates his Mum's new husband who turns out to be his Dad, Vanessa's Dad is a hoarder, her brother a layabout and her sister a substance abuser. Her mother is dead and her other sister died from ALS. Vanessa thinks she has it too and thus she doesn't want Adrian to be more than a friend, which stands in direct contravention to her motto of not stressing about things until they are happening.
So in the first book we had "I can't be with him because I can't have kids", in the second it was "I can't be with him because he's famous" and now it's "I can't be with him because I'm dying". I mean, at least it's original.
I didn't like how the book essentially hammered home how Vanessa would die within a year and Adrian still didn't get it until very late because he didn't watch her videos, then he flipped out and demanded to have a say in how she dealt with it. It was all "I need, I need, I need." Totally selfish and tone deaf.
Also, everyone's problems seemed to get solved a little too neatly and quickly at the end. Hoarding is a mental illness. You can't overcome it in a few weeks with the help of a life coach.
I loved the click-bait chapter headlines, they were very authentic and funny.
The book is eminently readable and the big feelings will have many readers swoon. I think it's the best in the trilogy, but for me it's not up there yet with Just For The Summer.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness and Chronic illness
Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Ableism
Five Days by Zoe Folbigg
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
Minnie and Jesse meet in a cafe by chance and as Minnie's therapist has just told her to make new friends, she suggests some platonic friendship dates, which is an intriguing if a little far-fetched premise. I think she actually calls them play dates, as if they were both five years old - just without any sleepovers! There are rules like no last names and Googling each other, and no exchange of phone numbers, which of course turns out to be troublesome.
The therapist also recommended running through a field as fun activity which made me immediately think of Theresa May who apparently likes to run through fields of wheat, and later they actually mention her! Made me snort in amusement.
Both of them have hangups - hers is a recent breakup and trying to get her acting career going, his is a dead dad and an unfaithful wife. Jesse, a font designer, has a 7 year old daughter who he tries to see as often as he can, and at the same time he is trying to illustrate a children's book he started with his Dad who was a popular thriller author.
There are flashbacks for both Minnie and Jesse that in my opinion could have been left out because we knew the facts already.
Their dates are fun and imaginative - they make it as far as Paris and Provence where Jesse's Mum lives. The description of the landscape including the lavender fields is very evocative and made me wish I was there.
There is lots of talk about the apparently not well-known enough Bechdel test, and also a lot of swearing. The third-act breakup is annoying but then most of the time they are.
But all in all this is an eminently heartwarming and charming story with (on the whole) likeable characters, and you can't help rooting for them to get their second chance.
Just a warning: Maybe don't read this book while you're on a plane or about to get on one. You can thank me later.
"I want my time with you."
Minnie and Jesse meet in a cafe by chance and as Minnie's therapist has just told her to make new friends, she suggests some platonic friendship dates, which is an intriguing if a little far-fetched premise. I think she actually calls them play dates, as if they were both five years old - just without any sleepovers! There are rules like no last names and Googling each other, and no exchange of phone numbers, which of course turns out to be troublesome.
The therapist also recommended running through a field as fun activity which made me immediately think of Theresa May who apparently likes to run through fields of wheat, and later they actually mention her! Made me snort in amusement.
Both of them have hangups - hers is a recent breakup and trying to get her acting career going, his is a dead dad and an unfaithful wife. Jesse, a font designer, has a 7 year old daughter who he tries to see as often as he can, and at the same time he is trying to illustrate a children's book he started with his Dad who was a popular thriller author.
There are flashbacks for both Minnie and Jesse that in my opinion could have been left out because we knew the facts already.
Their dates are fun and imaginative - they make it as far as Paris and Provence where Jesse's Mum lives. The description of the landscape including the lavender fields is very evocative and made me wish I was there.
There is lots of talk about the apparently not well-known enough Bechdel test, and also a lot of swearing. The third-act breakup is annoying but then most of the time they are.
But all in all this is an eminently heartwarming and charming story with (on the whole) likeable characters, and you can't help rooting for them to get their second chance.
Just a warning: Maybe don't read this book while you're on a plane or about to get on one. You can thank me later.
"I want my time with you."
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity
Life Begins at 50! by
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.
Kate is nearly 50 and her life hasn't turned out how she wanted it. Her husband of 25 years has left her for another woman, her Dad has died, she is estranged from her mother and brother Jamie, her teaching career has stalled and her biggest grief is that she could not have children. She has such an ardent desire for a baby that she once tried to steal one and still beats herself up over it. The story of her miscarriages is told in flashbacks that I think aren't really needed to get the point across.
She does however surround herself with children. She used to work in a school as a TA and has acquired lots of godchildren. One in particular, little Elsie, spends a lot of time with her to give her young single Dad a break.
Then she meets the Saga Louts: Beryl, Winnie and Anthea, three elderly but very energetic ladies who take her under their wing. Best friend Sophie is always by her side too, and then she meets Milo, who has a similar story to hers - his wife has left him for another man. Then they realise what they have actually in common... Can they overcome that hurdle and can Kate stop wearing navy, I mean indigo?
This is an uplifting story of a woman who tries to get her mojo back with the help of her friends, family and a new man. It is quite predictable but it's a nice and easy read about friendship, forgiveness and second chances, without too much drama. I'm in my fifties myself, and it's great to see romances for characters my age. I loved little Elsie!
Kate is nearly 50 and her life hasn't turned out how she wanted it. Her husband of 25 years has left her for another woman, her Dad has died, she is estranged from her mother and brother Jamie, her teaching career has stalled and her biggest grief is that she could not have children. She has such an ardent desire for a baby that she once tried to steal one and still beats herself up over it. The story of her miscarriages is told in flashbacks that I think aren't really needed to get the point across.
She does however surround herself with children. She used to work in a school as a TA and has acquired lots of godchildren. One in particular, little Elsie, spends a lot of time with her to give her young single Dad a break.
Then she meets the Saga Louts: Beryl, Winnie and Anthea, three elderly but very energetic ladies who take her under their wing. Best friend Sophie is always by her side too, and then she meets Milo, who has a similar story to hers - his wife has left him for another man. Then they realise what they have actually in common... Can they overcome that hurdle and can Kate stop wearing navy, I mean indigo?
This is an uplifting story of a woman who tries to get her mojo back with the help of her friends, family and a new man. It is quite predictable but it's a nice and easy read about friendship, forgiveness and second chances, without too much drama. I'm in my fifties myself, and it's great to see romances for characters my age. I loved little Elsie!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Infertility, Infidelity, and Miscarriage