This book is almost a mid life crisis for a group of close women friends, complete with HRT patches and lack of confidence. The story has got a strong plot of the women’s lives and how they deal with family, children, their own parents and how each are each other’s life rafts. The best part is the day to day description of what emotions run through life and how friends become the ones that people rely on, and who are there to help with the confidence, with the life changing events and with the things that we really don’t want to face up to on our own. This was a hopeful book with a wicked sense of humour.

This was a great book full of heart, humor, growth, and friendship. The situations and characters in the book were very relatable. This author did a wonderful job with this story!

This would make a good tv series.

Those of us who have survived the menopause without complaining (too much) or committing murder, will understand Becca and Niamh's experiences and sympathise. Readers at present going through ‘the change’, the room's not hot, it's you. For anyone younger, this is Nature’s little joke.

My one criticism, the first part of the book mostly consisted of the women wailing about their menopause symptoms.

3.5* Enjoyable, with plenty of amusing events. Did I finish the book? Yes. Would I read it again? No.

A copy of this book was generously supplied by ​​​Boldwood and NetGalley, this review is my personal, unbiased opinion.

Becca's decided that she's going to turn her life around especially with her new job. She's got a budding new romance with Conal and then her son drops a bombshell that his girlfriend is expecting a baby. His girlfriend is Becca's best friend Niamh's daughter. Her new job offers her to go on a weekend retreat so she asks her 2 friends to go with her

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for this ARC.

This is the sequel to The Fabulous Forties Club in which 46 year old Becca Burnside's adventures with her gal pals Niamh and Laura started. She fell in love with Laura's brother Conal and then her 19 year old son Adam announced that he and girlfriend Jodie, who is Niamh's daughter, are pregnant.

This book continues a fairly bumbling plot in which the trio try to find themselves at a weekend menopause retreat in a luxury yurt, in order for Becca to write about it for a new magazine job. The romance with Donal continues at a sedate pace, Daniel the spaniel gets walkies, the pregnancy is a big topic, and all three try to find out what to do with their lives and careers.

There is a lot of inner monologue that doesn't drive the story forward but the family dynamics and female friendships at the midlife point, between teenagers and parents that are getting on, are very well observed as well as heartwarming and humourous. Read if you like uplifting stories about middle-aged women and their family and friends.

f you're looking for a charming, funny, and uplifting read, Stuck in the Midlife With You by Freya Kennedy is exactly what you need. This delightful story takes you on a journey of self-discovery, personal growth, and love—all with a healthy dose of humor.

Kennedy brilliantly captures the essence of midlife, balancing the challenges and joys with wit and heart. The characters are relatable, endearing, and bring so much warmth to the story, making you root for them through every twist and turn.

Whether you're in the mood for a feel-good romance or a story that celebrates second chances, Stuck in the Midlife With You delivers it all. It's a perfect choice for anyone seeking a lighthearted yet meaningful escape.

Becca starts a new job, and her life is going well until she learns her teenage son tells her his girlfriend is having a baby, the mother of the teenage girl is Becca's best friend. can their friendship survive a baby?

Story of three friends, Becca, Niamh and Laura now dealing with menopause, a daughter's unexpected pregnancy, changing relationships and a death of a parent. When the three women go on a finding one's inner goddess, the three become more focused taking time for themselves and the life they want.
#StuckintheMiddleWithYou #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

This was a cute story that I easily connected with. I had a teenage son while in my 40's. He was a great kid too. But he wasn't perfect either.
I loved this book with every passing minute and I hated to say goodbye to these wonderful characters.
The cover of this beautiful story is what made me want to read it. I'm so very glad that I picked it up. Very enjoyable.
I couldn't put it down until the wee hours of the morning lol. I didn't want to leave.
5 stars for making these characters seem realistic and relatable. I highly recommend.
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All expressions are mine.

I hate to give a negative review to a new book, but this one just never caught my attention. Maybe it's because I'm on the other side of menopause, maybe it's because I no longer have teens, but I honestly could not get past all the whining in this book.

Yes, menopause sucks sometimes. Yes, teenagers are reckless and renowned for their terrible decisions (though honestly, the kids in this book are not nearly as reckless as their parents think they are). And yes, friends are the ones who are going to get you through all of these things. But I didn't enjoy listening to the women go on (& on & on & on & on & on) about these issues.

The characters were charming, at times, but those moments felt so few and far between. Life is too short to read books about people who are angry or dissatisfied about everything.

Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC.

“Stuck in the Midlife with You” is the second in “The Fabulous Forties Club” by Freya Kennedy. This book can be read as a stand-alone, which is how I read it. This book is really about family, friends, and issues of “being a woman of a certain age” (dealing with peri- and menopause). I think that if I’d read the first book I might’ve enjoyed this one more - as this wasn’t a bad book, but it took me a while to keep the characters separated. However, once the first quarter of the book had passed, for me that’s when the book found its groove and the story progressed nicely. This book was a fun ride - from the new job, changes in two of the women’s lives, and the inner goddess weekend. While the focus is on the females, for me at times the women did a lot of whinging and there was a LOT of discussion about HRT and issues with entering menopause. This wasn’t a bad book, but probably one I don’t need to pick up regarding the series. I found the writing was enjoyable and engaging. 3.5 overall.

Becca is happy she is in a new job, seeing a really lovely man and wants to make her forties better than ever. When Becca's youngest son reveals a shock piece of news how can Becca come to terms with it, thankfully her son's girlfriends mum is Becca's best mate so they both can through the next stages all together. On a weekend retreat they both need time away from the situation and to prepare for what is going to be happening very soon. It was a warm and funny read and comforting how the way best friends and family pull together in difficult situations. It is all about being open with the family to be able to plan forwards. This is book two in The Fabulous Forties Club series and I cannot wait to read book one now. I found it uplifting and such a fun book to read.

This is a fun read but with parts that really resonate with me as I’m in my late forties and reading about the things now going on in Becca, Niamh and Laura’s life highlights some of what I’m going through and how I feel. That said it’s told with great humour overall and offers a lot of positives as well as being sympathetic to the struggles. I love that things are moving forward really positively for Becca but it show a flip side to that in Niamh’s life so there’s some great balance and the changing dynamics in the families make for great reading too. This is much more than a book about menopausal women it’s about change and making changes and is a very uplifting read.

Another great read from Freya, following the three friends Laura,Becca and Niamh as they continue into their forties having to contend with ongoing menopausal issues, empty nest syndrome, elderly parents, relationship issues, and a very unexpected pregnancy!
Totally relatable to women of a certain age, told with humour, realism and graphic detail we are privileged to experience the next chapter in the friends lives.
Becca is finally finding the time to do things for herself, starting with a new job, this entails going on a retreat and taking both Laura and Niamh along for the ride as she collects material to write her first post in the new role and to have time away from the pregnancy situation for her and Niamh, things don’t get off to a great start but through exposure to new experiences and time to be themselves the outlook looks much better helping all three of them to move forward and make life changing decisions.
A fantastic read that will resonate with many and extolls the virtues of female friendship something that can never be underestimated, would love another book to get an insight into Niamh’s and Beccas new roles as grandparents as they continue to embrace midlife with all its challenges
Thank you NetGalley for this early read

Struggling with menopause and an unexpected pregnancy in the family. Life seems hard, thank goodness for friends.
A new writing job and a weekend away with besties helps to put a new perspective on things.
A story about friendship and conquering lifes hurdle's as you mature.

I just finished a new book. Stuck in the Midlife With You by Freya Kennedy was such a good read. Pick it up soon.

A lovely book which has some important messsges without being too preachy or taking itself too seriously. The characters are lovable and the way they relate to one another is warming and credible. Yes, I am absolutely in the target audience but I think the book holds appeal for a range of different age groups. If you like a laugh with your key messages, this is a great one for you.

Just such a relatable book for me. As a woman in her forties with a teen son I found this story to be captivating. Kennedy is a great storyteller and I enjoyed getting to read about the lovely characters she crafted. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.