Entertaining read with a twist in the story.

Phoebe is a chef at Friendship House, a female only senior living home.
All changes when the owner decides to let men move in, causing the women living there to campaign against it. Also interwoven is the story of Phoebe and Nick, who started working there recently. She wants them to be more than just friends and thought he did too, but has she messed things up?

Great bunch of characters!

Phoebe is a chef at all-female senior living home. She loves her job and she loves the home's residents, so when the new owner Max concocts a plan of opening its doors to male residents as well, together with her best friend June - and the women at home! - she decides to do something against it. She also works hard to make her parents proud of her, and there is also Nick - can there be a happy end for them?

Personally I had a problem with Phoebe. I just couldn't warm to her, and sadly it didn't change throughout the whole book. The way she was everywhere around the house was for me a little confusing because well, she was a cook, right, not a manager or something like this and I just couldn't stop thinking that she was just meddling, she just wanted to know everything. I could understand her being a part of the Book Club but her taking part in all the confidential meetings? For me - too strange. Also, I couldn't help the feel that she's very pushy, that she's expecting all people to like her and do as she wishes. The way she was around Nick - though it can also go the other way round because Nick was not much better - was incredibly childish, she was assuming things and she also was expecting things without telling a word. Phoebe's family was also not the most charming one, what with her father's first questions when she came to visit was what food did she bring this time for example. The whole thing with her mother who seemed not to value and appreciate her daughter's job - why can't you simply tell your daughter that you're proud of her, instead leaving her in the belief that she's a disappointment to you? Somehow strange, somehow not working for me.
The promised plan to save the Friendship House appeared on the pages somewhere around the middle - relatively late for my liking. Except for one or two chapters where the characters tried to sabotage the owner's new plan there was actually nothing more on this subject. Sadly - it could be brilliantly refreshing. Some of the things happened so out of the blue, like the chapter when Phoebe meets Bill - it happened so suddenly and only because it was needed for the rest of the story, to complicate things a little - so convenient.

The intrigue was such a great idea however it lacked in execution, but throughout we got to know the residents of the house much better - and it doesn't happen often but personally I think that the characters in this book were better developed than the plot - , together with their secrets and often poignant pasts. But there are also other things to keep you hooked to the pages, as there is are also some romances with happy - or not - endings, some broken hearts, some family secrets and lies.

It was this kind of book where - unfortunately - synopsis is better than the story. I loved this blurb and I started reading this book with great expectation, hoping for brilliant antics and fun. Maybe it's me, maybe I'm expecting too much but if a book doesn't work for me then it simply doesn't work. altogether it was a light and uplifting read about friendship and second chances, about accepting people just as they are. If you like your characters to be a little overdone and for the things to go smoothly with a few predictable twists and turns, then don't hesitate and go for this book. It has this feel - good factor to it and the background characters - the residents of the house - are wonderful, colourful bunch of characters, with their foibles and habits, that add tons of humour to this book.

My review has been posted to my blog & Goodreads.

Review has also been tweeted as usual.

Thank you! :c)

Phoebe finds herself stuck in the middle. Her mom's just died, things aren't working out with her love interest Nick, and now the retirement home where she works is in total upheaval over a plan to bring in male residents. The charm of this light read is in the characters, especially the older women, who have distinct and strong personalities. Laney, Dot, and Maggie will remind you of people you know. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A good end of summer read.

I have always enjoyed books by this author and thos ne didn't let me down at all it's well written and has warm characters and really makes you laugh as well so funny. It's only based around a few characters but they are all close friends and shows how they can pull themselves together. It's uplifting, funny, romantic and shows how a community can pull together and show their friendship.
Chef phoebe works in a senior living home and her mother passes away and she's always felt she let her mother down and she didn't do what they wanted her to do. She's desperate to help her friends in the living home as war is declared as a a males is moved into the home and it's been an all female home. The females aren't happy and she wants to keep the community together and make her parents happy so can she do it or not. She's also started seeing Nick but he's on the other side with the war so will it damage their relationship or not. The home owners need to improve business by moving men in otherwise all the woman will be evicted as well so will they let this happen or not. Will they all pull this together and all be happy or not.
A great read and very well written highly recommend reading this.