I was sent an uncorrected advance proof of The Age of Misadventure by Judy Leigh to read and review by NetGalley.
This novel is an easy chick lit holiday read. It tells the story of a family of women, each with their own personal issues, who end up going on the run and into hiding together. Written in the first person, the story is quite amusing but rather repetitive in places and I personally think that the book would have benefited by being written from a third person perspective. Also the fact that the women didn’t have to want for money during their escapade lessened any tension surrounding their plight. I quite enjoyed this novel but I have to say it’s not a patch on the author’s previous book A Grand Old Time.

This was a real let down with only one really good character who just happened to be the oldest.
The rest of the characters were like wet fishes and totally unbelievable.
Far better stories to read than this.

This is a nice, easy read with a good, multilayered plot and some great characters; I loved Georgie and Nan in particular. At times, the plot becomes a teeny bit far-fetched, but hey, it's a novel! I could imagine this book being made into an entertaining TV programme or short film.

This is my second book by Judy Leigh, and I'd happily read further titles.

My thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for an ARC in return for my honest review.

Georgie is 55, long divorced, and happy on her own...... her family give her enough problems without a man to add to it! When her younger sister Bonnie finally realises what a rat she is married to Georgie decides to pack up her family, Bonnie, her daughter Jade and Nan and take off to the coast and get away from everything, but who will find them and what problems will it cause!

A lighthearted fun book, a bit far fetched in places, but some good humour and characters..... not all likeable especially Jade..... but overall easy read

Not a bad read, not as good as her first one, took a while to get in to and wasn't too keen on a couple of the charecters, thought the story was a little far fetched, but did keep me interested until the end and came to a satisfying conclusion

3.5*

Cliché plot. True to life, vivid characters that you can easily like/empathize with. Plus Judy Leigh's gorgeous writing style is very much present. All in all not as good as her debut novel but still an enjoyable read.

Good read, complex and interesting charatcers, didnt end the way i thought it would, i really enoyed it.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC,

This is the perfect book to read when you don't want to think! You just want to laugh and feel good.
Granted at times it came across as an over the top thriller that I couldn't quiet take seriously! I wound up reading the whole book on my flight to FL.

"You know that big clock on my mantelpiece, the loud one that keeps ticking away all the time, tick-tock? You don't expect it to stop but one day it will tick and then it won't tock. Or it'll tock and then it won't tick again."

Reading this book, I had feared that being a 21 year-old, I might feel a sense of disconnect with the protagonist and most other key characters being in their fifties and beyond. But I didn't. I so didn't.
There are few novels as aptly named as The Age of Misadventure. It was an misadventure in all, but one that shows that the best adventures are a miss.
I opened this thinking it would be a chick-lit, cosy mystery as I needed a change of pace. But this story was so much more than that. It was a beautiful tale of bonding of three generations of women separated by opinions and years of routine, but still interwoven by the bond of familial ties and people past.
Georgina, our protagonist is the eldest of the two sisters, and the glue that holds three generations of women together. She is caught between concern for her daughter, sister and last surviving Aunt while constantly swatting away the chance at love after being betrayed by her ex-husband of about twenty years.
Sometimes, the dialogues, the details and the general pace of the story towards the beginning got a tad bit tedious. But then it kicked off and never slowed down. Overall, it was a very comfy read, filled with laughs, giggles, and fond relatibility with the anecdotes and experiences of the characters.
There was no magical ending here, nor any incredulous, unrealistic love stories. It was a smooth natural tale of self-love, love for family and plenty of naughty bit and pieces that left a warm fuzzy feeling in me throughout!

This was a brilliant read, an excellent story line and very amusing The characters were will portrayed and I just loved the Aunt, a good relaxing read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

What a shame; I enjoyed Judy Leigh’s first book, but this one was a complete disappointment.
Bonnie: vacuous spoilt shopaholic
Nan: trying (unsuccessfully) to channel Terry Pratchett’s Nanny Ogg
Georgie: supposedly the smart one, driving from Liverpool to Brighton via Edinburgh to put Bonnie’s philandering husband and the mobster who is chasing them all off the scent. Yet doesn’t have the nouse to confiscate Bonnie’s credit card and phone when she makes traceable purchases and tells the husband where they are. Not even on the second occasion. Or the third.
Beddowes: stereotype gangster
Marcus: stereotype Mills & Boon hero.
Jade: petulant brat, but at least I can sympathise with her eye-rolling at everyone else’s idiocy

Had this been written as a farcical comedy, the idiocy with which they all stumble from one disaster to another might have been entertaining. As it is, the book is just a catalogue of how not to go into hiding when a murderous gangster is after you. The significance of the bracelet could not have been more obvious if Bonnie had been walking around with a neon sign above her head, and yet none of them thinks to give it a look to work out why it’s so important?! At every turn, the characters’ actions are totally implausible, but they have to be to drive the story along, otherwise Bonnie, Georgie and Nan would have been tucked safely away, untraceable, and the police would have just caught Beddowes, rather than letting him into the flat (?!!!) to attack everyone.

The writing style is creative writing course writing by numbers, and I ended up speed-reading the book just to get the irritation over with. Not good for the blood pressure.

A suspension of disbelief is really necessary for this book. However, if you can manage that, this quite a fun read. Ideal holiday reading

I don't know whether this story was meant to be a thriller but I couldn't take it seriously. It was almost farcical at times but great fun to read. There were some tense parts but even those were almost funny. Overall it was a great read and I do love happy endings.

This book was a light read which was enjoyable whilst on holiday. I can’t imagine anything like this happening but maybe I read with some naivety. It was a pleasant way to wile away a few hours.

I liked this book. I found it a bit slow going in places but I still wanted to read to the end to find out what happened. I probably liked it more as it was partly set in my neck of the woods and I could imagine the action taking place.

I'm not sure I agree with the strapline - "The new, most uplifting feel good fiction book of 2019!" But I did enjoy the book, and I did laugh out loud in places. However I got bit caught up in the dangerous, dramatic elements with Georgie, Bonny, Aunt Nan and Jade hiding from gangsters. Most of that part was fairly ludicrous in hindsight and more funny than anything. Really, this book had it all: danger, suspense, humour and romance. A good all rounder. The relationships and family dynamics among the women was a delight and it was lovely to see Aunt Nan developing. Although all I could picture with her green woolly hat and outrageous take on life was Catherine Tait's Nan from her TV show! It was also a lesson in not writing off the older generation and thinking because they're old and frail they're not wanting to get out and enjoy life. I would enjoy seeing this brought to life on the small screen. #theageofmisadventure #netgalley

I loved this book and read it all from start to finish in one evening. I totally adored Nan and think every family should have a character like her in them.

A funny yet at times sad, romantic caper that will keep you turning the pages non stop it is so enjoyable.

I am sorry to say that I found this book unconvincing and somewhat silly. Who on earth goes to Brighton via Edinburgh and Northampton, whatever the circumstances? . The characters are irritating and I did not find the story particularly funny.

Georgie at 55 and feeling very single sees an opportunity to reunite the women of her family, who seem to have drifted away from each other. The timing is perfect as her younger sister’s husband has finally been seen for the cheating rat that he is. All very upsetting for Bonnie but something the rest of the family had suspected for a long time. Then there is ‘gran’ who really is her aunt and one of her daughters. So these four Liverpool ladies of very varying ages get in Georgie’s car and head to the south coast for a little recreation. The Sussex girls have seen nothing yet in comparison to this motley crew.

There are as many unlikable characters in this story as there are loveable ones. I think if I had been Georgie I would have been dropping a couple of them off at the services and taking off myself! Sometimes you just can’t get away from your problems, or in this case someone else’s, as trouble was not far behind them. At times the story is chaotic but laced with humour too. You don’t mess with Georgie or her family!

The story began well, lulled a little but really picked up and made up for it as it raced towards the end. All in all it was entertaining.

Such a fun story! These feel good novels are the best thing! This was a great read and will be perfect for a beach read and book club. Loved the setting.