I settled down to read this book in pleasurable anticipation because I had read the previous one and enjoyed it then, bham! Off we went on a roller coaster ride of emotions that made me feel a little uncomfortable if I'm honest, the controlling Monty made lovely Libby feel like she was losing her mind! Well done Julia on tackling this kind of behaviour

I hadn't read the first one in this series, but I quickly slipped into the group dynamics of the four widows and their friendship in the face of widowhood and learning to love and live again. The caring nature towards each other, their 'rules' to keep each other safe on new dates and their monthly 'Muscateers' meetings were a joy to read. It was so lovely to see how the four women supported each other.
The book centres on Libby, the mostly recently widowed, and her journey. Her growing confidence attracts a predatory male who, from her point of view is caring and loving - the other 3 widows are not so sure! Whilst dealing with an increasingly controlling relationship and a fair amount of gaslighting, Julia Jarman manages to keep the tone light-hearted enough to be an enjoyable read, especially as the other 3 (iwth the support of Nikos) come to her rescue! A great read full of warmth - you'll wish you were surrounded by an equally supportive group of friends!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **

Three widows befriend a fourth widow. Only relatively recently a widow. The motto is that the first year is hard.
Libby by chance meets an old college acquaintance. Swept off her feet. Is this the start of a new relationship or a conniving fraudster?
The friends are divided in opinions and actions.

This was a charming book that I really enjoyed! A story of grief, friendships, and moving on. Monty is the WORST. There are some heavier topics involved so be aware of that.

When I finished this book I found that it was the second in a series but it certainly didn't detract as I hadn't realised! The book was a little slow and wordy in places, focusing on Libby who has just lost her husband but gets bowled over by underhand Monty, a blast from the past. Beneath some 0f the lightheartedness there are the quite serious issues of gaslighting and subversive abuse. I did get rather annoyed by Libby at times as she was so taken in and trusting of Monty, so a lot of the book was a little predictable when it was pretty obvious of Monty's motives. I think I would like to have got to know the other female characters a little better namely Zelda, Viv and Janet but think I shall have to read the first book to do that. A good holiday read to while awhile a summer's day with

Libby, a recent widow, has a wonderful support group of friends - they call themselves "The Muscateers," and meet regularly for lunch to support each other through their grief. One evening, at the theater, Libby runs into an old acquaintance from drama school, Monty, who charms her. Libby's friends are wary of Monty's intentions, especially after Libby informs them that Monty is moving in to her home with her! Is Monty too good to be true? Is Libby ready for a new relationship, not even a year after her beloved husband's death?

Special thanks to Net Galley and Burwood Books for the Advance Reader Copy of this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Widows on the Wine Path was a very entertaining and cute book that had a little bit of everything in it. We follow Libby as she joins Viv, Zelda, and Janet as part of the widows support group (with a lot of wine) called the Muscateers. While there’s some sorrow the widows take on supporting each other through grief and making things lighter was refreshing. When Libby gets caught up with obvious gaslighter and just shady guy Monty, the widows are there to suss out the truth and we embark on an adventure with them. I loved the lightheartedness and how it balanced out the bits of tension. Recommended!

I really enjoyed this book, which is mainly about friendship amongst older women. I found the story compelling if a little uncomfortable, (because events took a more sinister turn) to read at times. I loved the descriptions of the meals when the friends had their regular meetings, and the plot continues at a good pace. I will definitely be recommending this book to my friends, and it should provide some great discussion points for book clubs.

I received this ARC from Blackwood Books on Netgalley for honest feedback.

This novel touches on subjects such as loss and abuse/gaslighting.

Libby loses her husband of 30 years. She meets Zelda, Viv, and Janet, or the Muscateers as they've dubbed themselves. They embrace Libby with open arms, as they have all been widowed as well, and they help give support to each other.
Libby and Zelda were supposed to go to a theater showing one evening, but Zelda had to cancel. Libby ends up going, and meets Monty Charles. She realizes she has met him years ago, when they both were in school together, and she leaves completely smitten with him. They start going to Thursday shows together, but Libby s friends are quite suspicious of him.
Monty does a lot of questionable things, but always seems to have an excuse, which Libby believes each time. After a trip to Greece ends up not being what she was told, she must find a way to get home, and free from Monty. Her friends come to her rescue, and Libby finally realizes what Monty actually was.

This is the second book in the series. I read it as a standalone not knowing it was part of a series, but I will go back and read the first one to get a better picture of these characters and what they were doing before this book.

I really enjoyed this book. I really enjoy the characters and how they rallied around Libby who lost her husband.

It balanced some heavy topics in a tactful and well-balanced manner which I really appreciated.

Libby's husband of 30 years has passed away, and she is feeling lost and lonely, when she meets, Viv, Janet and Zelda. They met at a support group for widows, and ran away from that group and started The Muscateers , a lively widows' wine club. They welcomed her to the group, and knew the first year of widowhood, was the year of making mistakes, and they are determined to protect her.
She went to theatre by herself, and met a man from her past, Monty Charles. There are red flags from the beginning, and her friends try to warn her, but she ventures out to move forward in life. This is Libby's story, that will take you through her journey of navigating widowhood, and all that happens. Her friends, are there for her, her brain is trying to give her warnings, and there is Monty. You will have to read the book, to know her journey and where she ends up, and it is a wonderful story. I liked it because sometimes I could see the smallest detail, didn't feel right to me, and I have never been a widow, but have been married for 30+ years, and if the day comes, I will have a better understanding.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

Widows On The Wine Path by Julia Jarman is a wonderful, contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the second book in the series and can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend reading the previous book first, for continuity of character and maximum enjoyment.
This is a book about friendship between four widows. We meet three in book one, but now Libby is newly widowed. The first year is the hardest, one needs love and support. It is also the year in which one is most vulnerable and needs the help of friends in order to navigate the waters of widowhood.
The four friends meet regularly. In order to keep each other safe, if one of them is going out, they let the others know where, who with and for how long. Safety checks are wise.
We meet an unscrupulous character who preys on the vulnerable. The unsuspecting character finds herself gas lighted, but is clueless at first. Those on the outside can see what is happening. Bit by bit her freedom is eroded but she is blind to this. Her self esteem is questioned as it plummets. The holiday of a lifetime soon becomes the stuff of nightmares.
All for one and one for all! No one is left behind when the muscateers ride into town.
All the characters were well drawn and realistic. The ‘good’ characters were warm, welcoming and loyal. The pantomime villain of the piece elicited ‘boos’ in my head each time he appeared!
The tone is light-hearted despite some really heavy and serious themes. This juxta-positioning works well, making the novel a palatable and enjoyable read.
I love the widows series from Julia Jarman as we witness what friendship and love is all about.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Libby is the newest member of the Muscateers - she and three other widows come together to support
each other. When Libby gets involved with an old acting acquaintance, each Muscateer has differing
opinions of the relationship. Each Libby decided the relationship wasn't working, Monty would do
something that made her second guess herself. In the end, the Muscateers had her back and enablesLibby
to reclaim her life.
#WidowsontheWinePath #NetGalley

When I heard Julia Jarman was back with a sequel to The Widow’s Wine Club, I was very keen to review it.

I liked how the group supported Libby and their meetings as The Muscateers, talking about love, life and everything in between over lots of wine. I wasn’t sure about Monty, and I felt the theater scenes fell flat and weren’t that visual.

The pace was very quick, which was good, but as more characters were introduced, it felt very chaotic and I was pulled out of the story. I felt confused as to who was who, and even what was going on at times. The main characters are very well created, as they were in the last book and the wine bar was such a fun atmosphere. The book is very wordy, and not all parts of their conversation captured my interest.

I also felt there were points where nothing much happened and the story became too drawn out. This, unfortunately, made the entire book too long in my opinion.

There were a few moments that made me smile.

Thanks to Julia Jarman, Boldwood Books and Rachel’s Random Resources for my eARC in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

3 stars

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Libby is feeling lonely after losing her husband. She meets a group of women who are going through the same thing. With these women she will regain her life. I liked the characters in this book.

I couldn’t wait to start this book as I loved the first book in this series The Widows Wine Club.
This book didn’t have as much content as I would have liked from all the previous characters as it focused more on LIbby but it was still an excellent read.
I must have felt every emotion reading the story it had so many highs and lows and focused on some serious issues but it still had moments of comedy.
A great sequel and I’m hoping there will be more books in the series.
Thanks to Netgalley, Julia Jarman and Boldwood Books for an advanced copy in exchange for an unbiased and honest review.

You'll frequently be moved from grins to anger, laughter to tears, and everything in-between. There are tense moments, too, that will have you cheering on Libby, who you'll want to give a high five and hug at the end. In other words, this book is a bit of an emotional roller-coaster but it's a delightful ride. Although I haven't read the intro book for this series, thist worked well as a standalone. Libby, the central character here, is a new addition, one full of promise but, oh, my, the obstacles she allows to get in the way. That need to feel loved is strong. So, do I need to tell you there's a handsome man who sweeps Libby off her feet and away from the protective group of friends she has made since becoming a widow. The Muscateers together and are a strong force, a group that has each other's back even when it comes to what many of us would consider going the extra mile. I liked them all, even when wanting to shake some sense into Libby for missing so many signals.

I won't detail the plot. It's far more fun to experience the highs and lows and catch up on who is who as you go, after all, so read the blurb. I do admit that at times I found myself skimming, a sign either the book wasn't holding my interest in sections or my impatience to reach the hoped for happy ending. Maybe both. It also took me awhile to sort out which of Libby's three friends was which personality, so to speak, and there were a few coincidences that seemed unlikely but, hey, were possible. Hence the 4 rating. Overall, however, aside from Monty being a jerk, everyone else was interesting, likable, and well-rounded although we didn't really get to see much from the Muscateers individual lives. I hope to find time to read the first book soon however, since that one focused on them and the original formation of the group. Their "one for all, all for one" camaraderie is both inspiring and telling. They bring different life experiences and skills, Libby's writing skill for instance. As someone who has experienced a family member with dementia, I appreciated that aspect being included as it is something many encounter or worse, experience as they age. Let's just say, I also plan to get my hands on the author's children's book, "Lovely Old Lion" soon, a guide for children on navigating that difficult to understand, even for adults, aspect of life.

Bottom line, this book will make you think, not to mention provide some very basic red flags to notice when engaging in new relationships. Libby is lucky to have so many who have survived loss and know what she's going through and are there for her. Zelda is the dominant force this go-round and we do get her viewpoint interspersed throughout the book. Mistakes are made, scary ones, but inner strength, having friends, and, I guess you'd say, having beloved ol' friends who know the right people save the day. Thanks #NetGalley and #BoldwoodBooks for this sneak peek. I absolutely loved the ending.

Loved this book. Four widows come together for monthly meetings to eat good food, drink good wine and share supportive words for each other. Ups and downs as the newest member navigates through breaking into the world of dating. These women are a force to be reckoned with. Very well written book. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review. #WidowsontheWinePath

I don't think I am the right demographic for this book. I found it incredibly mundane and boring and the diologue diffuclt to follow. I also realized after starting that there is a book that comes before this one. Perhaps if I had read the first book I would have been able to connect more to the story and the characters, but unfortunately this just wasnt a book for me.

I enjoyed the first book and definitely enjoyed the second! These women had me laughing and crying in both books. They are hard to get into and read at first , but definitely worth the investment.!