Cover Image: The Big Five O

The Big Five O

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Member Reviews

Just goes to show life doesn't have to end when you get to 50.
Brilliant read I throughly enjoyed it.
Fantastic author

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This was a light fun read - made me chuckle. I turned 50 quite recently and quite pleased that nothing like this ever happened to me - and thankfully no party. This is a perfect book to curl up with on a dreary day to cheer you up.

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This was a middle of the road read for me... not terribly invested, but did want to finish, so 3 stars out of 5. Thanks for the opportunity.

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Great summer reading about four women turning 50 many of us have been there and I am sure you can relate to some parts of this book. It's warm and good reading for many.

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This was a great book about a group of friends planning to celebrate their 5oth birthdays with a big party. They are all hiding degrees of secrets and issues from each other and are unaware of some of the problems their friends are having whilst trying to give an aura of perfect lives.I got caught up in all their lives and really enjoyed the book.

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This book was REALLY cute. Fast-paced with a lot going on, which made for a great, quick read. There was a bit of mystery and romance and quite a lot of depth, actually, with illnesses, addictions, financial issues, etc... which was a pleasant surprise. Great, really fun dialogue amongst this group of empowered female friends. Anyone can find a character to relate to- if not more than one. I’d recommend this to any of my girlfriends (and their mothers). An adorable book.

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Friendships and secrets always get my attention in a book. 4 best friends approaching their 50th birthday soon decided to have a party. But even life long friendships always have those tiny little secrets that you never wanna tell each other. These women did too. And one of them had a deadly secret. Faye, Charlotte, Sherie, Roz were the best of friends, but each had a life a bit separate from each other. Some were secretive, some open.

My first book by Jane Wenham-Jones, this book captured me by its sweet premise. The women were varied in nature, but warm with each other. Their men may not have been loyal, but they were committed to each other. They were both believable and likable.

I did have problems in keeping them in line in my mind initially, but as the book progressed, their personalities too blossomed.
The book was humorous at some points, and warm at most. The story was both inspiring and uplifting and had me turning its pages till I got to the end.

A sweet read, I must say!!

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I really enjoyed this book. It was told in a familiar, warm, and continually engaging way by the author (of whom I have not read a novel before but will certainly do so again in the future on the basis of this novel!). Great characters, structure and comedic essence. Really enjoyed it- despite not being in the age range of the subject matter! Thank you!

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I love a book with older characters - I'm getting up there so I love to be able to relate.. I love books with strong friendships - it helps me strengthen my own. For the most part, I loved Fay ad Roz - their spunk and situations were hysterical - completely relatable. Charlotte was a smidge annoying with the drinking and accusing her husband of the affair, but I get it.. Sharie, on the other hand, was the most frustrating - too stereotypical with the devotion to her cat, too obsessed with getting older, and not happy enough with who she was as a person but this is a great summer beach read - light, fluffy and touching.

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I enjoyed this book so much
There were funny moments as well as some touching moments
I just loved this book and will definitely read more by this author

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This is a new to me author. I love Sophie Kinsella and Jenny Colgan, so I decided to take a chance. I'm so glad that I did! I enjoyed this book so much. The four main characters are approaching their 50's. In fact, the book starts off with them planning their mutual birthday party. They all have something going on in their lives that they haven't shared with the others. All four were believable characters and when you're in that age group, very relatable. Roz was worried about money and making ends meet & her daughter is at that fun age of 15. Fay's ex-husband left her so she was having a fling with a younger man. Charlotte was worried that her husband was having an affair & Sherie was insecure about aging, worrying that no man would find her attractive. There were several funny moments and a few that were touching. I just really loved this book and will definitely read more by this author. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

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I really enjoyed this book
The four friends were very different but all gelled well
The interaction with the different personalities really worked
Heading towards the big 50 myself it was enjoyable to read but very true
The stories for each of the ladies worked well and kept my interest all through
This is the first book I have read by this author but will be checking for more

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If you're looking for fun, lighthearted summer read, this book may be right up your alley. The characters are well-developed, the story is appealing , and the dialogue is engaging.

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An easy to read fun book ideal for holiday or just when one feels the need for a touch of lightness and the need to escape. The plot is about four women about to hit 50 and planning a joint party but, as with all groups of people there are plenty of secrets underneath the surface to keep interest, one of which keeps the reader guessing as to which character the story line relates to. The characters are easy to relate to and, personally, having grown up in East Kent the places are very familiar.

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Beautiful book, I absolutely loved this title, so much that I had to buy the other book in the series! Such a lovely story!

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A lovely, good, easy read. Four friends are approaching 50 and the story of their lives is a great summer read.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

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Four friends all approaching fifty. They are lifelong long friends and know each other inside out. right? Well yes. And also no. This is a very easy to read story of everyday women and how they manage the curve balls that life throws at them. It’s really enjoyable and a story about the human condition, the dynamic between friends and love, support and companionship. It’s fun, funny and heartwarming!

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I so enjoyed this book. I love the author's writing style and find it so easy to immerse myself in her books. The women central to the story are such interesting characters and their lives cover such a range of situations women find themselves in as they hit the big five-0. Their stories made me giggle and snort in a very unladylike manner one minute and then well up and reach for the tissues the next. Definitely worth setting aside an afternoon for, you'll be so glad you did.

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Four close friends are approaching their fiftieth birthdays, and they are planning a joint party.

Each of them is hiding a secret from the others. Fay claims that she kicked her husband out but that’s not quite what happened, Roz is desperate to make ends meet and takes up some work that she’d rather nobody knew about, Charlotte is wondering if her husband is wandering again, and Sherie doesn’t want a man getting close. In the days leading up to the party, and even on the day itself, the secrets start to come out. Can their friendships withstand what’s revealed?

I got into this book straight away, so I knew that I’d love it and have trouble putting it down! Highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperImpulse for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

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This book was excellent! Totally kept my attention and I wanted to find out what would become of the main characters. Highly reccomended.

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