Cover Image: Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up

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Member Reviews

Release date has been put back to January 2021 - pre-order it and note this down on your calendar! You need to read this book if you are under the impression that other human beings know what they're doing, and they've got their shit together.... they don't!! And we witness that realisation through the eyes of Nell, who is in her 40's and struggling with what life has thrown her way! It was touching, hilarious, so relatable ( a little too relatable at times worryingly!!), and was full of all those 'yes' moments that had me laughing and commiserating in equal measures!! A perfect read!!

Nell is back in London, after living the seemingly perfect life in L.A with her fiancee running their own business! But the business went bust and so did the relationship! So she know has to pick up with friends who have all moved on to different stages in their lives - the married, mortgaged, kids part of life - and she is feeling like an alien in their world! They have become part of the showy off brigade - comparing their lives, achievements, who is the busiest, possessions... you get the drift - while Nell is just left noticing all that is going wrong with her body now she's in her 40's! Why do our bodies do this to us??!!

But her life changes when she gets a job writing obits for a local paper and she becomes friends with one of the ladies she interviews and it's an extremely unlikely friendship with the wonderful Cricket! We all need to be more like Cricket! She has just lost her husband and Nell finds an instant connection with this woman, who has lived her life differently to those around her. She married late, had no kids but lived her life the way she wanted to. They both seem to inspire one another to move on with their lives and seeing them getting out and about together and have new experiences was just so wonderful and touching! They are both very good influences on one another! Cricket is also finding herself 'shunned' by old friends since the death of her husband - having someone single around couples upsets the balance - and it really showed up the insensitivities of others.

I adored the way this story is written - it showed the consequences of life's heartbreaks and the moments of joy that make it all worthwhile. The humour for me was spot on, I found myself laughing so often when a situation connected with my own experiences and using the month by month way of exploring the story allowed it to flow so well. When Nell starts up a podcast, really for herself, she doesn't expect it to connect with so many and thinks of it as just a way for her to unload all her feelings - I am sure many podcasts and blogs are all started with the same intention!

Nell shares the moments with her family and all that entails, the expectations, the disappointments and the joy! There's the competing with friends new friends, who just live to outdo you, the unexpected discovery when she helps Cricket clear out some old clothes, and the honesty of friends who let you into the secret that all is not perfect in their worlds too despite appearances!!

Loved it! Buy it!

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A nice story of a woman over 40 having to start her life again after losing her partner and business. She looks at her friends and thinks they have their lives all sorted and she is behind in the race of life. But by not she puts it all together with the b help of her new friend, an 80 something year old not afraid to try anything, and finds out her friends lives are not as perfect as Instagram portrays. A little too much self analysing, like a self help book in parts, but overall a good read

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Sadly this book did nothing for me and I didn't finish it. Maybe I'm well passed the "Forty-Somethings" and couldn't quite get it.

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This is such an entertaining read. Nell is a fantastic character. She's funny, loyal and resilient. Life hasn't turned out as planned but that's ok. While she is feeling a bit low and fed up with it, instead she's spurned into action, determined to find a job, to start dating and to focus on her lifelong friendships. Nell measures herself against her friends' successes and relationships and in comparison feels like she's missing out. Her friends are busy with their own jobs and families and new friends so Nell finds that she needs an outlet for her "confessions"; what she feels are her failures.

Birth, death, marriage, success, failure, loyal friends, enemies, ghosting(!), gaslighting(!), online dating and finding yourself among all that life throws at you... this book has it all.

Confessions(...) is fairly predictable to an extent but it's an amusing, light-hearted read without being overly trite. It's entertaining, enjoyable and had me smiling and giggling to myself all the way through. A very good book that I can definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Alexandra Potter and Pan Macmillan for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

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As soon as I read the blurb for this one it sounded like a book I would love and I am so glad I picked it up. The title pretty much sums the book up and it will make you laugh throughout.

I loved meeting Nell as she moves back to London after the break up of her relationship. She feels like life isn't working out for her as it should and is constantly comparing her life to that of her friends.

This book deals with the very real reality of how we seem to feel the need to constantly compare ourselves to others and how photos on instagram aren't always the reality. I found from the first few pages I was keen to keep reading as I wanted to know what would come next for Nell as she was trying to achieve what she thought was expected of her at the stage of life she had reached.

A book to make you giggle, reflect and chat about with your friends as you read and can identify with what has been said. When reading not only do you get to meet Nell you get to meet her friends and see how their focus has changed since having kids with the daily trials of standing in the playground and the competitiveness of sports day.

A brilliantly light hearted read, I loved the style in which is was written with some swearing as you should be able to guess from the title, I will definitely be recommending it to my friends.

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I just loved Confessions of a Forty-Something Fk Up. A great read on the highs and lows of Nell Stevens and her life. It made me laugh out loud several times, good job I was reading this book at home and not on public transport!! Loved the friendship between Nell and Cricket. A thoroughly enjoyable book.

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I really enjoyed this book. Great characters and I really enjoyed the relationships throughout. especially the one Nell develops with Cricket. Well-written and amusing it's definitely worth a read.

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This book was a solid 5 stars all the way until the ending. I didn't think it was a necessary adding and felt it was just plonked there. It was confusing and didn't quite fit with the rest of the story. But other than the ending, this story is a hoot of laughs! This one will definitely tickle your insides. From the way the character talks to the unfortunate events - like 'shitgate' - and so many other things that are amusing, entertaining and great to read about.

I must, if you need a laugh out loud read, especially as the world is going down the sewer with this coronavirus pandemic, then this one is the one to read! It has definitely lifted my spirits in a such a dim time and I know it will help you too. It's lighthearted and fun, witty and gritty. I'm still laughing thinking about the adventures of Penelope Stevens.

Every character mentioned in this story had their own funny quirks, there own manner of laughs and each one complimented the other. Penelope, AKA Nell, is the main character, she the forty-something f*** up, and even though she's a little depressed and a little lost in life, she absolutely hilarious! All her friends; Michelle, Fiona and Holly, they're all the family-oriented lot, who seem to have it all together, they have their moans and laughs. I would have added Annabel to 'friends' but she wasn't really, and I wouldn't want to be friends with the uppity madam either. Then her landlord Edward, very 'save the planet' kinda guy, really funny and knows how to really bring out Nell's most witty side.
All these characters are incredible and added their own personal touch to Nell's story.

I feel, after reading this, I'm not scared to reach that stage in life now. You make it how you want it. So what if you don't quite have it together, your skint and have no job? Nell certainly made her life how she wanted it and it was great!

The author's writing style is fabulous! She definitely has a way with words and really brought these characters and the scenes all together and explode them from the pages. This author knows funny and she knows it well.

Overall, a book full of laughs and smiles, just a shame about the ending.

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I really enjoyed this book. It had me hooked from the first page and I couldn't put it down. The relationship between the lead character and Cricket, her elderly friend, was very heart warming and gave me hope that I would be able to find such friendship even at my forty-something stage of life. Recommended for an enjoyable reading experience.

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I thought this book might have been something to lighten up the spirits during the Covid pandemic but sadly it didn't do anything for me and I didn't finish it. Not for me .

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At times I felt this was something of a self indulgence for the writer. There were some great moments, the relationship between Nell and Cricket was beautiful. It was good to see how nobody's life is as we see it from the outside. I loved the idea of the podcast. The ending was very predictable, but nice nonetheless. #Netgalley #ConfessionsOfA40SomethingF**kUp

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Not a word I use often in my reviews but this novel is BRILLIANT! 

Nell Stevens feels such a failure. With a broken relationship, no money, moving back to the UK - to live with her parents, no less - and the big four-o on the horizon things just couldn't seem bleaker. She finds that her friends have all moved on - married with children - and the only home she can afford is sharing with a stingy landlord. But when you're at rock bottom, they only way is up! Right?

I passed my forty somethings some time ago, but Alexandra Potter has hit the nail bang on the head with this novel. It's fresh, funny, and entertaining but more than anything it has a big dollop of truth mixed into every chapter! Don't we all think our friends have it all together, whilst we are struggling to get out of bed in the morning? I have loved everything about this book; the characters are fabulous - especially Cricket; the children are a great addition to the story, as is Arthur, and Nell's relationships with her own family rings true. An absolutely terrific story which will have you wiping away a tear one moment and chuckling the next. Unlike other novels with a similar type of synopsis, this isn't a glossed-over version - this is as truthful as it gets! Beautifully written, and one I really couldn't put down. Definitely a five star read, and worth each and every sparkling star!

My thanks to the publishers for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

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I absolutely loved this book. I’m a forty something mix of Nell, Fiona, Michelle, Holly and evening Annabel.
The book wasn’t what I expected...it was better. I’ve loved all of Alexandra Potter’s books and this one is no exception.
We are all winging our way through life thinking we are the only one who doesn’t have their life sussed out. We look at our friends and colleagues and think they have it all, but dig a little further and they probably feel the same about us.
For every 20 something, 30 something or 40 something who thinks ‘it’s just me’, read this book... you’ll laugh, possibly cry, you’ll want to throttle at least one person in it but ultimately, you will get lost in a book that so many of us will relate to in more ways than one.

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I am sorry I have been unable to read this book as it hasn’t downloaded properly so parts are missing. I will give 5 stars as parts I have able to read are excellent.

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I really really loved this book!! Absolutely not what I expected at all in a good way. As a 20 something F up, I did consider whether this book was for me but I'm not sure I enjoyed it any less than I would have if I was older. I found it very uplifting, but not in an overwhelming way. Some parts were quite cringe but I honestly can't say I minded as they were so few and far between! Very easy read, would be he perfect beach read if an of us were getting our summer holidays this year!

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I'm 30, so not quite the age of the protagonist, but my life certainly isn't where I expected it to be so I thought this would be a relatable read!

Nell has moved back to the UK after a difficult break up. She's renting a room and trying to rebuild her career. All while her friends are getting married and having lots of children in their (seemingly) perfect homes with their perfect husbands.

The book follows Nell over a year as she tries to sort out her life. I enjoyed the writing style of the book and knew it would be a light read. I also really liked the characters (Cricket was a hoot!) it just felt way too long. Even with more light-hearted books I still like to feel that there's a point to the story and I just couldn't see where this was going. The concept was of the podcast was really nice and I wished it had focused more on that, instead of it just being randomly mentioned. It also wasn't clear exactly which of the extracts were being featured in the podcasts which meant the reactions of listeners couldn't be fully appreciated.

I still would recommend this, especially if you're in your thirties or forties. The focus on female friendships was a nice touch and very relatable.

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I'm certainly in the obvious demographic for this story, being a single forty-something myself, but I do think it would appeal to most ages.

I went in expecting a light and fluffy rom-com. We definitely got the comedy, I found myself laughing out load numerous times, but with only a smattering of romance. What we got was a fun but heartfelt story about friendship, family and finding your place in the world even if it isn't the 'norm'

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I could really relate to this book and laughed out loud at some of Nell’s tales as either I or my friends have experienced most of them at some point! Loses one star though as the ending let it down, I found it really confusing.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel in exchange for a review.

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This book was an absolute delight. Yes, it was somewhat predictable, but if you want a funny, lighthearted read you don't need to look any further.

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What an absolute breath of fresh air during uncertain times. A gem of a book that I could definitely relate to (it's an age thing) I absolutely loved Edward right from the very beginning. I so need to read a sequel (fingers crossed)
100% recommending this to my friends

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