2/5 DNF

TRIGGER WARNING: RAPE

Tess and Orla are best friends in their 60s. They run a plus-sized ladies clothing boutique together and are preparing for a cruise around the Greek Islands. Tess is a widow who is looking for a new partner and Orla is always up for a good time. They have decided to join a weight-loss group and are both working on their new look.

I wanted to like this one so bad. I'm constantly looking for representation of older adults in books and was excited when I read the description of this one. But I could not get past the numerous problems and stereotypes that started from page one. My first issue with this book was the constant use of the word "normal". Whether the author was talking about body image or personality, everything was constantly compared to an invisible standardized "normal" that the reader is supposed to fill in. This is especially noteworthy anytime Tess and Orla are talking about their work at the clothing store. Time and again they talk down about themselves and their customers who are plus-sized and refer back to this idealized "normal" body size. There is only one character in the story, Shirley, who is supportive during conversations regarding weight-loss and acknowledges that Tess has been through a lot with losing her partner to an accident and a diagnosis of cancer. All other conversations about weight and weight loss are extremely negative, shaming, and not the least bit helpful for a fictional character or for the reader who may be experiencing similar things.

But by far my biggest issue with this book is the horrendous relationships that Tess has with the men she meets through a dating website and the conversations she has with Orla about these men. Tess is very uncomfortable with the actions of one of her dates and leaves the situation as soon as possible, yet when she describes what happened to Orla, Orla frames the entire situation as if it were Tess's fault. That the man wasn't "that bad" and she was overreacting. Which in turn makes Tess, who has horrible self esteem, question her own actions and clothing choices.

Fast forward to the next date with a new guy and she repeatedly tells him she doesn't want more alcohol. She is struggling to stay awake because she is so drunk. All she wants to do is go to sleep. And she wakes up in the middle of the night with him naked in her bed. WHAT. THE. HELL. After that point she falls back to sleep and wakes alone in her hotel room to a note from him saying "oh we both drank so much last night" and is immediately blaming herself.

That was rape. At the very least, let's categorize it as sexual violence. She was literally struggling to stay awake. Has only brief memories of what may have happened. And is too ashamed to talk to Orla about it. I can't even begin to describe how enraged that scene made me. And the entire thing was blown off as if it was a regular part of her dating life/something to be expected because she drank too much = victim blaming.

This is all magnified in my head as the worst possible content for a book when it isn't talked about in a way that calls it like it is and the character is an older adult. Older adults are already seen as asexual beings in general, but even more so when the idea of sexual violence against an older adult is brought up in regular conversation.

Now maybe later on in the book it would have been discussed. But I stopped reading at 35%.

I wanted to like this book. I liked Tess as a character. I liked that she was trying so hard to change the things she didn't like about herself, for herself, after spending years doing things for other people. But at some point it was too much and I gave up.

Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

On the surface, this is a quick and fun read, although it doesn't go very deep. While I enjoyed it, it bothered me that Tess is portrayed as seeing the solution to all her problems in losing weight and finding a man (in that order). She does accomplish both, but not before realizing that she needs to put herself first sometimes - and that she lost weight for herself, because she feels good about herself. The “finding a man“ thing is also a bit fraught, given her dating misadventures - including something that sounded disturbingly like date rape to me, but isn't unpacked any further. And while I enjoy a happy ending as much as the next person, the ending was very rushed and improbable.

Goodreads review here (direct link not possible): https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2749988267

Silver ladies of Penny Lane.

Tess Templar and Orla Regan, two friends in their early sixties run a small boutique for plus sized customers. Orla is widowed, and Tess divorced, and they both frequently find solace in food and friendship. As the years have passed, they have become almost as plus sized as their customers. Orla doesn’t mind the extra weight, but Tess has a daughter who is soon to be married and she is determined to lose two stone before the wedding. She’d also like to find a date for the wedding, as her ex will be there with his younger, thinner new wife. Tess and Orla join a dating service for the “mature” client. Orla is fairly lucky with her dating encounters, but poor Tess has many hilarious experiences.
Overall a cheerful read that illustrates romance can still be an adventure even for those over 60.
Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for an electronic ARC. I would recommend this book.

I received this book "The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane" from NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own. This was a quick read and just okay. You got to know Tess and Orla. I really didn't find it "hilarious" but was fun to see where these dates would take them. I didn't care for the date where Tess was drunk and pretty much forced to have sex - um yeah that is rape. I thought for sure the story would take some type of turn where her ex-husband would want her back. He kind of drifted out of the story. The end was predictable.

I received a free copy of THE SILVER LADIES OF PENNY LANE by Dee MacDonald, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. Tess, along with her best friend Orla, runs a bespoke dress shop for plus sized patrons. Lately, however, Tess realized that she’ll soon have to shop at her own store. Lonely since the death of her lover and wanting to look attractive at her daughter’s wedding, Tess joins a weight loss group and an online dating agency. This is the story of all the disastrous dates and ordeals Tess goes through to obtain her goal weight and find her next true love. Orla is in the background as an overall bad friend: a saboteur of diets, that person who insists the only problem with Tess’s love life is that she’s too picky (the men being unpleasant, gay, rapists, or married have nothing to do with the bad dates-it’s all Tess’s fault), and the person who can always be relied upon to make Tess feel even worse about herself than she already does.

I didn’t like this one nearly as much as THE GETAWAY GIRLS. It was entertaining, but treaded shallow waters. Tess hung her happiness on being thin and half of a couple. Tess never considered cutting Orla loose even though Orla seemed to be an awful friend. One of the dates pushed alcohol on Tess until she passed out and then had sex with her; this is rape, but it was glossed over, and Tess seemed pretty okay with it because she vaguely recalled that she might have enjoyed the encounter.

#TheSilverLadiesOfPennyLane #NetGalley

Description
Tess and Orla have been best friends throughout most of their adult lives. So when life gave them lemons and their loved ones let them down, they pooled their resources and bought a dressmakers shop on the corner of Penny Lane. And they’ve been doing just fine ever since.

But one day, while studying her tired eyes and shapeless figure in the mirror, sixty-two-year-old Tess realized that she doesn’t want her life to be just fine anymore. She wants it to be extraordinary. For as long as she can remember she’s put everyone else first. Now she wants to rediscover herself – and experience the kind of whirlwind adventure that will have the power make her smile when she’s confined to the armchair of a retirement home.

With the encouragement of fun-loving and quirky Orla, Tess joins an over-the-hill dating agency and the two friends book a singles cruise around the Mediterranean. And that’s when their adventure of a lifetime really begins…

A totally uplifting, heart-warming, hilarious page-turner about embracing the moment, learning to love again and the joy of second chances. Perfect for fans of The Kicking the Bucket List and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry.

I ADORED The Ladies of Penny Lane!! It was brilliantly funny, entertaining and Orla and Tess I was so connected with I felt tears as well as laughter. NO spoilers, but these ladies had me not wanting this to end. It is a thought-provoking good time. I was honored to get an advance copy from the publisher and NetGalley. I never felt as full as this one did for me.

The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane by Dee MacDonald is a delightful, light-hearted look at family and friendship, and finding a second chance at love as a woman 'of a certain age'. Tender, poignant and laugh out loud funny, this is a most enjoyable read.

Tess and best friend Orla are women who find themselves alone after years of marriage. Orla is widowed and Tess has lost her husband to a younger woman and, later, her partner to a fatal accident. The women join MMM Hearts Club, which caters to lonely singles in their senior years. Matched with a variety of hilariously unsuitable men, Tess wonders if she will ever find a connection again. A Greek cruise with Orla offers a glimmer of hope in the dashing Sanjeev, but as a rose among thorns, is the doctor simply too good to be true?

This is a lovely novel that is both heartfelt and funny. I could really empathize with the struggles that Tess faces, and I admired the way that she persevered in her quest for love, despite the many setbacks she endures. I very much look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for this ARC.

I really enjoyed this book and I would highly recommend it. It has a great story line, excellent main characters and it is a real page turner. I read this book in one sitting and the hours just flew by!