Wow what an absolute gem of a story!
Absolutely beautiful, funny and well written.
The characters are so true to life you can believe they are real,
Cathy was the embodiment of every woman of a certain age and she dealt impending age and it’s downsides like a superstar.
I really enjoyed this book, it was a refreshing change and so easy to read.
This Author is definitely on my read more if list!

I didn't think I would particularly enjoy this book - I'm more into crime and psychological thrillers - but I have to say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT. Probably because the characters were of my age and I could really identify with some of the things they said.. Any book that brings up "School bag in hand" from Mamma Mia and how they can't listen to it because it makes them sad is going to go down well with me! Brilliant read - will be trying others by this author. Highly recommended.

Laugh out loud funny, poignant and I was able to equate with the situations. At bit difficult at one stage as I am in the same situation as Tania and Hazel but realistically the way it will be so thank you

This was a very refreshing book to read about mid life crisis’ and how a wife and mother decided to take control and change her own life. It was so true in numerous ways and ridiculously funny when Cathy hit the mark with her close girlfriends, husband and children.

I absolutely loved this book, particularly being of a similiar age to Cathy and the challenges that that ' time of life ' can bring. Honest, funny, easy to read and light hearted.

Cathy is 48 and when her sister sends her a journal for Christmas to enter her motivational goals for the year, Cathy is very sceptical. However she takes the challenge of a goal a month to see whether it improves her happiness.

Cathy battles with aging parents, s husband who appears to he having a mid life crisis, 2 children embracing teenage years alongside the threat of approaching menopause.

Over the course of the year, Cathy realises what is most important not only for herself but her friends and family.

Highly recommend this feel good book.
Look forward to more by this author.

A light enjoyable read much along the lines of Gill Sims' Why Mummy's Sloshed. The main character, Cathy, sets about dealing with a largely absent husband and two teenage children whilst dealing with her own issues in her late 40s approaching the perimenopause, the facts of which she seemed largely ignorant in this day and age. Humourous and warmhearted in this time of lockdown reading with totally relatable characters and issues plus the intergenerational relationships formed within any family and friendship groups. There are a few sad moments along the way, but then aren't there always in modern life

Such a good read. Genuinely I had fun reading this. Highly recommended and would happily reread in the future.

I absolutely loved this book and if I could rate it higher than 5* I would. There are so many similarities and relatable happenings within the story, it was as though the author had written about me lol. I think women of a certain age,(with or without the teenagers) could certainly identify themselves with aspects within this book. This book is warm & witty, emotional & real, its given me food for thought thats for sure. Highly recommended reading it.

A charming, uplifting story of a year of change in the life of Cathy, a middle aged mum of teenagers and a husband who is a workaholic. Her sister gives her a motivational diary for Christmas but irritated, she lists different personal goals. How she achieves them with mixed results is so relatable. There is laughter, tears and well drawn characters to become involved with. A real pick-me-up, a lovely book.
Thanks to HarperCollins and NetGalley for an Arc. I recommend it.

With thanks to netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest opinion
Not read any of this authors work this was such a hoot absolutely perfect for lockdown it really cheered me up no end and can highly recommend.

This is my first Tracy Bloom book and I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be looking out for more titles. A proper laugh out loud, down to earth read. Having just turned 50, I can sympathise with the main character Cathy, who reminds me of a grown up Bridget Jones.
A thoroughly enjoyable read for all ages, really uplifting, but with some sad tears at times too.

I was invited to read The Wife Who Got a Life by Harper Collins. I was unsure at first – did I want to delay re-reading Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies ahead of publication of The Mirror and the Light in paperback for what I dismissed as mid-life chick lit? Luckily, I removed the stick from my backside and jumped in. I've not read any of Lucy Bloom's previous books so I didn't know just how immediately engaging her writing is. I’m not a wife or mother but I am a late-forties perimenopausal Brit so plenty of this hit the spot. I read the first quarter in one go and if it hadn’t already turned midnight I might have kept going. And the following evening before I knew it was 1 am and I'd finished.
I got fully inside this story and the people in it; I felt as though I had known them for years. I enjoyed it on all levels: it made me laugh, it made me well up and I think I learnt a few things along the way. I might even set myself a happiness goal for each month of the year. But where to start? Going to bed earlier might help.

What a lovely, really funny book! A well-written book that made me laugh a lot of times! I found it very interesting and insightful in its description of family dynamics. I thoroughly enjoyed all the characters. I found them all warm and kind people. I highly recommend it!

Thank you so much for sending this book. I laughed out loud and totally recognised Cathy and could identify with all the scenarios. The way the menopause is discussed is exactly how my friends and I discuss it and yes laughter and sadness do go hand in hand and this is shown with the friendships formed in the book club. I loved 'the chat' and I'm sure every woman can identify. I also will be finding out if I have any local student chefs! Genius!!. As a mother of two teenagers this totally hit the spot and I will be recommending this book to my friends.

This is the first book by Tracy Bloom that I read and I thoroughly enjoyed it! It's a light-hearted and easy read, even if some storylines did bring me to tears, a great read for this cold time of the year and a perfect distraction during lockdown.

The book tells the story of Cathy, a woman in her late forties, and her relationships with her husband, teenage children, neighbours, sisters and parents. It all starts when Cathy receives a motivational diary from her sister that she doesn't really want to use. After her husband announces his big news, she finally decides to write down her own goals for the year and to journal her life.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Thank you to the publisher who kindly offered me an e-copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I adore all of Tracy's books they bring so much fun and joy.

This follows a year in the life of Cathy 48 who is given a motivational diary from her sister.

Full of laugh out loud moments we all can relate to.

I really enjoyed reading this and making me smile during this 3rd lockdown, Just what I needed.

When I realised that the ARC I'd received from Harper Collins was the latest book from Tracy Bloom I was delighted. This author wrote the very entertaining No-One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday - read it, you won't be disappointed.

The Wife Who Got a Life is very funny and thought provoking, telling the story of Cathy Collins aged 48, married to Mike for 20 years, mother of two teenagers, attempting to manoeuvre her family safely through life.

Cathy receives a Christmas gift of a diary with motivation advice from her successful older sister. Ignoring the unwanted advice, Cathy treats the diary as a journal, starting with brief and infrequent entries. As time passes she writes more regularly and in greater detail about her life in general, family, friends even her own ambitions. Each month she tries to accomplish a personal goal in an attempt to develop her own identity.

Very funny, with a few tears, thoroughly recommended.

ARC generously supplied by the publisher Harper Collins and NetGalley, this review is my honest opinion and completely unbiased.

This book should be required reading for all perimenopausal women whose lives are subsumed by their family’s demands. Follow the year that Cathy decides to set some goals and rediscover a love for life, a rekindling of self worth and love for her family. Laugh out loud funny in places, poignant and sad in others this was a fun read that rang some bells with the situation lots of middle aged women find themselves in. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for a arc in exchange for an independent review.

This is a book full of warmth, love, tears and laughter. It is a handbook for every mother of teenagers. It is a book for every woman who, seeing something dropped on the floor, knows that she is the only one who will pick it up! It is a book for every (un)dutiful daughter to aged parents, yet the daughter who does it all.
Almost every woman will empathize with Cathy as she stumbles through the maze of life and at midlife takes stock of what has been and what might still be to come and will rejoice with her as she takes charge of her own life and fashions it to give her a life she could only once have dreamed of.

Loved this book.
A story (mainly) of Cathy who is approaching menopause with dread.
The book tells of her relationships with her sisters, her children and her husband.
She starts the year with lack of purpose and lack of motivation to do anything. She feels undervalued, without purpose and in many cases overlooked.
By the end of the year she has a new job - high importantly, she found for herself - a renewed relationship with her husband and children not to mention her sisters and is ready for the next year.
The book is well written and the characters warm and appealing. Relationships at all levels are realistic and draw you in.
I've thoroughly enjoyed this pre release copy and highly recommend it.