I've come into this series having not read the first book, but this did not detract from my enjoyment.
Three childhood friends now in their forties continue to go through experiences together, including menopause and impending grandparenthood.
In this story, we have the POV of two of the three women, Niamh and Becca. Laura, the third, is with them throughout, but not a main character.
Becca is a single parent, having brought her twin boys up to adulthood, and they have embarked upon the first step in independence by starting university. However, one of them is in a situation. His girlfriend is pregnant.
She is Niamh's daughter, who is also going through a tough time at work and handling her ever-changing hormones.
This situation could break the fragile bond of friendship, but that is where this story shows the strength of such relationships.
The ladies go on a special retreat, designed for women of a certain age, where they learn more about themselves and when to accept and stand up for themselves.
I love a midlife story, being a woman of a similar age, and knowing that such strong friendships exist, it is great to read about them, too. Also, being aware that life doesn't end just because you are in that midlife time, is key.
A great story, with Many thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for an ARC.

Stuck in the Midlife with you by Freya Kennedy

Becca and Niamh have been best friends since they were at school and are now in their forties. Niamh is struggling with menopause symptoms, her job and marriage. Becca has a new job and relationship but lacks self belief. Both are shellshocked by the news that they are going to be grannies! Can a retreat in Donegal show them and their other friend Laura the way back to their fabulous forties?

This was a lovely, heartwarming story - the friendship between Becca, Niamh and Laura is wonderful and so relatable. Loved the references to Derry, music, TV programmes and so on, and the humour. Very highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Becca Burnside is back for the second book in Freya Kennedy's The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club series. I really enjoyed the first book so I was excited to read some more of Becca.

Becca's life has been turned upside down when one of her nineteen-year-old twins announces that his girlfriend is pregnant. To make things even more exciting the girl friend is the daughter of Becca's best friend Niamh. Becca and Niamh are both thrown with the news and are not sure how to react.

Becca has gone out on a limb and applied for a new job as a writer for a popular magazine. The publisher has asked Becca to take her two best friends and go on a weekend retreat for women and write a story for the magazine about the experience.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 mainly because it was great to have a second installment of Becca Burnside. I think many women will find her relatable.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read the first book in this series and flew through it. This book was just the same. Becca and her besties are back at it, suffering through the worst of perimenopause and trying to stay sane through the constant upheaval of their lives.
I'm perimenopausal myself and the things these women went through hit it on the head. I laughed and literally cried along with the characters as they tried to cope with life while feeling out of control of their own bodies.
Freya Kennedy has an amazing knack for being realistic, hilarious, and heartfelt in her writing and I love to just gobble up these stories of women in their forties.
I hope this series will continue for a long time. All of the characters are wonderful. The situations they find themselves in are so realistic and also entertaining.
Another five star entry in the Fabulous Forties Club series.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

Becca and Niamh have been best friends for ages.

Becca has a new job, and she’s asked to go on a retreat, she decides to take her friend with her and her other friend. On arrival, it’s nothing at all like they thought it would be. But, whilst the three of them are there, they each found out a lot about themselves and their lives, which helped them make some decisions about things.

In doing this, they realised that no matter what age you are, your life could be wonderful.

When they leave, they are changed within themselves to how they were when they arrived.

I recommend this book.

I loved the previous book in this series and the sequel did not disappoint. The characters were fun and interesting.

Good read , took me a while to get into it , but once I got to grip with the main characters it was very enjoyable. I did love the retreat , it made me laugh but had its serious side too.

This was a fun and timely read for me (I'm a bit older than the main characters, but recently started on HRT, which is mentioned quite a bit in the book).

Becca, Laura and Niamh are all navigating midlife in different ways. Niamh perhaps is struggling the most, with her physical symptoms and job as a teacher. Becca, mother of teenage sons, is trying to build her career as a journalist. When Niamh's daughter Jodie and Becca's son Adam, both students, announce they're having a baby, it's a shock to everybody.

It was a fun and enjoyable read, particularly when the three friends go on a menopausal women's retreat Becca's been commissioned to write about. I kind of want to read that article!

Great to catch up with Becca, Niamh and Laura again as they enter the next phase of their lives. Again hope there is a sequel.

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for allowing me to read an ARC of Stuck in the Midlife With You by Freya Kennedy, in exchange for my honest review.

A heartwarming, heartfelt, and relatable story told with love, frustration, and witty banter.

I would love to have a friendship like this!

I look forward to reading the first book, "The Fabulous Forties Club", and more by Freya Kennedy.

A thoroughly entertaining read with more than a touch of humour. This book is the second in a series, I haven't read the first but I don't think it detracted from my experience. Following three long-term friends, Becca, Niamh and Laura as they hit their menopausal mid forties with very relatable family problems. A fun light read overall.

a brilliant book by a fab author who knows how to write for whatever characters and audience she is writing for.
this is the second in this series and is just as fun and witty as the previous. you leave this book each time feeling warmed and all giggled out. and there is a uprise in your mouth where the smiles have more than threatened to appear a fair few times as you read.
Freya has written with such honesty about a certain age of woman. and its not all pretty but neither is it all messy. and with this age can come the best of friendships. the best of learning to just blooming love yourself. and a final peace to just be who you are whoever that is.
thats not to say the our clan arent up for some challenges even amongst the friends. but come on. these woman can do it...cant they?

Freya Kennedy's Stuck in the Midlife With You is a heartwarming and refreshingly honest exploration of friendship, family, and the unexpected twists of midlife. .At the heart of the story is Becca Burnside, a woman determined to redefine herself in her forties. But life has other plans when her son drops the bombshell news—his girlfriend is pregnant. As if that weren’t surprising enough, the expecting mother is none other than the daughter of Becca’s best friend, Niamh. What follows is an emotional rollercoaster as the two lifelong friends navigate the joys and fears of impending grandmotherhood while trying to keep their bond intact. Kennedy’s writing shines through with humor, warmth, and an unfiltered portrayal of midlife reinvention. She skillfully crafts characters that feel authentic, making Becca and Niamh’s journey both relatable and compelling. The book is packed with heartfelt moments, witty banter, and the kind of life lessons that remind readers that change—no matter how daunting—can be a beautiful thing.

Brilliant!!! Honest, disturbing, funny and emotional. That’s a tall order but Freya delivers. This brought back memories- the hot flushes at the most inopportune times. Mood swings that no one could understand and the concentration issues! The tip of Becki’s iceberg? This had me remembering, laughing and shedding a few tears. And yes, being thankful for my friends and my (almost always) patient hubby Tgis one gets five stars

This was a fantastic read, I could imagine exactly what the characters looked like and wanted to be in their group! It was honest and funny and I couldn't wait to read this book every day!

Enjoyable sequel. So many reminders of the ‘joy’ of being a woman of a certain age! Loved the jellybean chapter - this happened to me 22 years ago. A thoughtful and often funny story from one of my favourite Boldwood authors.

Menopause is no walk in the park, and on top of that life has thrown the main characters some curveballs as well. However, I was not very keen on the incessant complaining in the first part of the book. Still, it was heartwarming to see the strong bond between these women and how their friendship supported them along the way.

This book follows the lives of long-time friends Laura, Becca, and Niamh. Now in their forties, the trio faces a fresh wave of midlife turbulence—ranging from menopause and empty nest syndrome to aging parents and the emotional shock of an unexpected pregnancy.

Told with candid detail and compassion, the book doesn’t shy away from the raw, sometimes chaotic realities of growing older, but instead celebrates the resilience and strength that can come with it—especially when bolstered by enduring female friendships.

Becca takes centre stage this time, beginning a new chapter in her life with a job that leads her and her friends on a quirky retreat. What begins as a rocky getaway evolves into a transformative experience, pushing each woman to confront her own struggles, rediscover her identity, and make bold life decisions. It’s a touching reminder that growth doesn’t stop at forty—and neither does fun.

At its core, this novel is a tribute to the power of shared experiences and unshakeable bonds. With sparkling dialogue, authentic characters, and emotional depth, Stuck in the Midlife With You will resonate with readers navigating the challenges (and unexpected joys) of midlife. Here’s hoping there’s more to come—especially to follow Becca and Niamh into their next role: grandparenthood.

The journey of life in your 40s. Becca and Niamh are best friends and now they are women of that certain age. Becca's new job is sending her on a weekend retreat, so she takes Niamh and another friend along. It was nothing like they expected, but they did learn a lot, got some insight, and made some decisions for themselves. They needed to think about themselves, do things for themselves sometimes, and life could be exciting at any age. Whether it be 16 or in their 40s. They share with us from the women of a certain age to who they became after going to the weekend retreat, and thinking about what they wanted to get out of life. It was a fabulous story.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

Honest and very true story with up and down emotions of menopausal women in their mid-forties, Stuck in the Middle with You is a fabulous telling of the struggle of three friends all caught in the grips of midlife crises. The story boldly expresses their emotions of anxiety, joy, fear and others that they experience and face. A getaway weekend to a women’s wellness retreat begins the steps to wholeness again.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.