I really, REALLY enjoyed this book. Set in a Florida retirement community (Palm Meridian) for queer women in 2067, the world is in dire straits as a result of the climate crisis. Whilst parts of Florida are underwater, those that are still habitable are suffering from extreme temperatures.

The story focuses on the final 24 hours of our leading lady Hannah's life. As she comes to terms with her terminal cancer diagnosis and her decision to end her life before the disease can ravage her, the story goes back and forth from the present day and her 'leaving party' (for want of a better phrase!) and her past and the turns her life took until she found herself in Palm Meridian.

I loved the cast of characters in this book so much. Hannah is an enigmatically likeable character with such a lot of depth, and the supporting cast are wonderful. I love that Grace Flahive hasn't infantilised the older generation, and has instead presented them as vivacious, flirtatious and so vividly ALIVE. It doesn't feel like too grand a statement to say that she has managed to make the idea of getting older exciting.

This is a novel that manages to fill the reader with hope despite the state the world is in. There will still be love, joy and humour to be found when we all find ourselves 40 years in the future.

I truly loved this book. Although I struggle with the dual POV and the flashbacks, it is, in general, a brilliant read. I adore the characters and the friendships in it.

New Review - Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Palm Meridian is the debut novel by @graceflahivewrites and is set in the future in 2067 at the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort. The book follows the last day of Hannah's life. To mark the end of her life, she's throwing a party, but there is one person in particular she hopes will turn up, and that's her long-lost love, Sophie. Will Sophie turn up, and will Hannah be able to fix the past?

I absolutely loved this book, from the very first page to the very last. It is full of emotion, a bittersweet look back at life. I enjoyed how the book kept going back to monumental times within Hannahs life and explores the events that have shaped her. I laughed, and I cried. Once I started, I struggled to put this book down and finished it in two sittings. Such a powerful look into the fragility of life and the complexity of regret. I wholeheartedly would recommend this book no matter how old you are, there is a lesson to be learnt by anyone.

Thanks to @netgalley and @dialoguepublishing for letting me read and review this book.

#netgalley #netgalleyreview #palmmeridian #newreview #review #reviewer #lovedit #emotional #read #readingtime #books #bookreviewers #bookworm #bookstagram

A book like no other book. Absolutely loved the book, the exploration of the impact and relationships can have on you throughout your life and the celebration of life and the decisions people don’t often come to.

Really enjoyed the aspect of the book being set in the future too and the characters were absolutely lovely! Would recommend this book to anyone!

Irreverant, funny and absolutely worth picking up - this did not disappoint.

Flahive has managed to get the seriousness of humanity, loss, sociology and loneliness combined effortlessly with satire and reflection, creating an absurd satirical narrative about the end - or not - of ones life.

When I saw this compared to Grace & Frankie, I was desperate to read it. It has a wide cast of interesting characters and lots of LGBTQ+ representation which is great to see. There is a poignance to the plot and the way the ups and downs of life are reflected upon that made it more sad than I perhaps expected from the pitch but nonetheless, I enjoyed the read.

As Hannah, resident of a futuristic lesbian retirement home, throws a party to celebrate the end of her life, she reminisces on past loves, friendships and family. There's a lot to like here! Found family, portrayal of a climate change future that felt interestingly built, even entirely in the background and some compelling mysteries to unravel that kept me reading. Unfortunately I felt myself not quite clicking with this book this time. I can't quite put my finger on the disconnect but I think some of the characters just didn't quite ring true for me. Hannah and Esme were a real standout though and I loved how their relationship took center stage at times. Interested to see what Flahive does next and will recommend to those looking for a queer, quirky beachread.

What do you get when you combine dark humour, lovely characters, climate crisis, the year 2067 and a retirement resort for queer women?

Answer: Palm Meridian.

Set in the year 2067, the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort is a haven for queer women to live out their days by having the most fun possible. Whether it’s a book club, or hula hooping, there is something for everyone.

Hannah, our main gal has received a cancer diagnosis, and instead of letting it dictate when it will take her life, she has chosen to end her life the day after today. Today being her end-of-life party.

It’s no easy feat to write a novel set across the span of one day only but interspersed with the build up to the party and party itself, we learn more of Hannah and the way in which her life has led her to the resort.

I loved the humour, the warmth and abundance of support Hannah had through her friendships at the resort and the fact that these ladies are just living their best lives.

Read if you love:
Community spirit
Found family
Wild parties
Love

I loved this book but I can't quite put my finger on a main reason for this. The characters are all great and as an older woman it was lovely to read about older people enjoying life (and sex)
The setting is a retirement complex for gay women in 2067, when cataclysmic changes to the surrounding environment of Florida have occurred due to climate change but I'm not sure how or why any of that was relevant other than for the fact that euthanasia is now available.
It was a heartwarming read in that friendships were very important but the ending was rather sad.

This was everything I needed and more. Its been a week and I’ve yet to formulate more coherent thoughts. I see a reread in my near future.

We follow Hannah, who is at a retirement resort for queer women in Florida in 2067 and she is going to throw her goodbye party.
The chapters alternate between the present and past, where we learn more about Hannah's life.
The story is about friendship, relationship, break-up, death and secrets.
Hannah is waiting for her the love of her life who she hasn't seen in forty years to show up. In the meantime she discovers that her best friend has kept a secret from her, concerning her ex girlfriend.
I really like following the events of Hannah's past and present life.
The characters were all lovable.

The ending was so sad but I enjoyed this book!

I really wanted to love this one but sadly, it fell a little flat for me. Billed as a rowdy queer romp at an end-of-life party in a retirement home set amongst a dying planet, while this was a quick and well-written read, it was very superficial. Many of the characters lacked the depth to be truly engaging, the big secrets were revealed early and were a bit of a wet fart, and I found myself frustrated and disbelieving that fourty years would pass and the lives of several key characters essentially stagnated. There were so many missed opportunities to expand the story: Florida dying, how all these queer retirees ended up here, Hannah’s miraculous yet paper-thin world-changing business, her childhood best friend. The humour was there, but everything else was lacking.

Palm Meridian offers an intriguing premise and promised Grace and Frankie vibes. It's set in a Florida retirement resort for queer women in 2067, where residents embrace life with vigour despite the world's climate challenges. The novel centers on Hannah, who, facing a terminal diagnosis, has chosen a medically assisted death. The story unfolds over a single day as Hannah throws a farewell party, to reconcile and make peace with her past and go out with a bang.

While this setting offers potential for rich storytelling, for me, the execution falls short. The narrative's attempt to blend humour with poignant moments often feels disjointed. The futuristic backdrop, meant to add depth, sometimes distracts from the core emotional journey.

I also found the pace felt quite slow and once I put the book down I struggled to want to pick it back up again. So, in conclusion , Palm Meridian has a compelling concept but it didn't quite land for me as much as I wanted to love it.

Thank you to Dialogue Books and Netgalley for providing me with a copy to read and review.

This book's post-apocalyptic setting drew me in straight away. It's set in 2062 in a Florida retirement resort, with a group of elderly people who are living their best lives even though most of Florida is underwater, and inaccessible from the rest of the US.

The story centres around the final days of Hannah Cardin and how she is trying to make peace with her life and choices. It also includes chapters based on pivotal past moments of her life. It's really interesting take on the future from an LGBTQIA+ lens.

As Grace Flahive's first book, it's outstanding, and I would definitely read more by this author.

Thanks to Grace Flahive, Avid Press / Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for this ARC, in return for an honest review.

This is, I believe, Grace Flahive's debut - and what a debut! It's about to come out in the UK (not sure whether it's out in the US), but it's definitely worth picking up and Grace Flahive is one to watch!

The setting is just fabulous - it takes place at Palm Meridian Retirement Resort in Florida, 2067, and this particular retirement home is exclusively for queer women! It sounds like an absolute riot there; I loved the idea of these people in their 70s, 80s and 90s having full out parties basically every night, and just LIVING, getting round their mobility issues, medication etc very deftly - the virgin cocktails flow just as freely as the regular ones at Frankie's, the bar there, and everyone very kindly looks out for each other (except, perhaps, when they're too drunk - which, it's implied at least, happens quite a lot!).

The entire book is set over the course of a single day: the day before Hannah, our loveable MC, is going to die. Because she's had a diagnosis of terminal cancer and she's opting for euthanasia. What do you do at Palm Meridian when you're going to die? Host a fantastic all day/all night party, of course! Not just her closest friends are invited, but the whole community at Palm Meridian because - well, we want everyone to have fun, right? Hannah sees her childhood friend, Luke, for the first time in a few years, has great fun with Esme who she's known most of her life, and parties <i>really</i> hard with all her fantastic queer friends from the resort.

But she really, really wants to see Sophie. Sophie is special. Without spoilers, I won't say why - but they haven't seen each other in years. Hannah knows she's got her invite and didn't reply, but <i>of course</i> she's coming. It's Sophie - she does things on a whim, she's going to turn up because... well, she's Sophie. Right?!

As the hours tick by and Sophie doesn't appear, Hannah's anxiety rises and truths from the past begin to emerge...

There are extensive flashbacks to various scenes throughout Hannah's life, exploring her love life, her career, her friendships - and they're all engrossing, and tender. Sweet. Really sweet.

I realised partway through that Hannah is only a tiny bit older than me (I mean, we're basically the same age, and I feel so OLD now! *cries*), and I started wondering: wow, what will things be like if I reach that age? Will the world be like that? Will I find a magical Queer community too? There's a touch of dystopia to it - Florida is burning, so many people have had to relocate, and other (hotter) parts of the world aren't mentioned, so you can only imagine... I also wondered if I have the friends NOW to make up Hannah's party then - if that makes sense. At this point, I started comparing myself to her at every life stage, and the enjoyment soured a little, but that is completely personal.

It was a bit clunky to get into, and there were parts where I wanted more - this is a very short novel! It was very North America-centric; what was happening in the rest of the world? If Florida was that badly affected, then wasn't there a global crisis? I know that wasn't Hannah's story, but it feels like it would have deserved a mention... Still, a 3-star rating isn't bad (I'm quite harsh with stars); I enjoyed it a lot, mostly the fantastic celebratory Queer community.

Hope to hear more from Grace Flahive.

Funny, heartwarming, and full of charm, Palm Meridian is a vibrant queer rom-com that had me smiling from start to finish. Grace Flahive delivers iconic characters with sharp wit and real heart—each one bursting with personality and depth. It’s a joy to read something that balances laugh-out-loud moments with genuine emotion so effortlessly.

It's 2067 at Palm Meridian Retirement Resort, Florida, and the last day of Hannah's life. Tomorrow, as the sun burns the dew off the lawns, she'll close her eyes for the very last time.

But she won't be going quietly. Tonight, Hannah's throwing an end-of-life party: the drinks are on ice, and the palm trees are strung with lights beneath technicolour skies. And though Hannah has less than twenty-four hours left, she's holding out for one last, impossible thing...

Amongst the guest list is Hannah's long-lost love Sophie - the woman who Hannah can't forget, even after forty years. Hannah has to give her greatest love one last try.

Soon, the party is in full swing. Hannah waits nervously, unaware that before her last ever dawn breaks, a devastating secret will come to light. If Sophie shows, how can Hannah say goodbye all over again? And is there enough time to fix the past?

An old people's home for lesbians what fun! This book immediately grabbed me and from the start
it cracks along at a fair pace full off joyous enthusiasm
I quickly discovered, however, that there’s something not quite right the book is set in a dystopian future where parts of Florida are underwater because of climate change. I wanted to know more about this dystopian future and although it’s mentioned at times throughout the novel, it really doesn’t take upas much of the stories as I had hoped for being a big fan of dystopian fiction.
Without the dystopian element, the story stands up well on its own and it follows one elderly woman who has decided that she wants to end her life by euthanasia. Before this happens, she plans a huge party and we meet her at the beginning of the novel as she is getting ready for this.

As the story progresses we discover through historical flashbacks how she has ended up in the situation and we know more about her life and the lives of friends and fellow residents in the retirement community.
The author has a beautiful flowing writing style I particularly loved this sentence “ripples at age 19 and 26 and 34 seared through her hours skittering through her blood “

The author describes her characters in detail with such real touches that to be really know these people at the end of the novel
I read a copy of the novel on NetGalley UK in return for an unbiased review. The book is published in the UK on the 19th of May 2025 by Dialogue-renegade books.
This review will be on NetGalley UK, StoryGraph, Goodreads, and my book blog bionicSarahSbooks.wordpress.com. It will also appear on Amazon UK and Waterstones.

This was a brilliant debut! Such an interesting concept which drew me in immediately and I loved the setting of a queer retirement home in an almost inhabitable Florida in 2067. So beautifully written, yet so heartbreaking. Cried my eyes out after finishing it!

Thank you NetGalley for the early copy!

I received an advance reader copy of this book courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

3.5 stars
Palm Meridian was overall an enjoyable and easy read. Character development was quite good and the pace was excellent. I think the concept was great and fun, however, I personally do not enjoy miscommunication tropes (which this book relies heavily on) so this has decreased my rating.
I think it could be a 5-star read for those who enjoy this kind of trope or are not bothered by it.