Cover Image: The Age of Misadventure

The Age of Misadventure

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Member Reviews

I’d like to thank Avon Books UK and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read ‘The Age Of Misadventure’ by Judy Leigh in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

Family is very important to Georgie so when her sister Bonnie needs to get away from her husband Adie who’s involved in dodgy business transactions she comes up with the perfect solution and drives Bonnie and their Auntie Nan to Brighton to be close to Georgie’s daughter Jade and her footballer boyfriend Luis and enjoy some time together. When Georgie’s eyes meet those of a tall, dark and handsome stranger over the muesli shelf in the local supermarket this may well be a holiday she’ll never forget. But what starts as an adventure for the women soon becomes a nightmare when small-time gangster Duncan Beddowes leaves threatening messages for Bonnie as payback for Adie disappearing with his money.

‘The Age Of Misadventure’ is an engaging and lighthearted novel about Georgie who’s divorced and in her mid-fifties and the women in her family with ages ranging between 22 and 88. The story is part-thriller, part-drama with a bit of romance thrown in and I liked the style of writing which I found easy to read. It’s amusing and heart-warming and proved that even women over a certain age can have fun and enjoy life.

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A little slow to start but an enjoyable read once you get into it. Bonnie's husband, Adie, is a wheeler dealer who gets involved with a serious criminal. Adie absconds leaving Bonnie to repay his debt. Bonnie's sister Georgie takes control of the situation by disappearing with Bonnie, an aged aunt and her daughter to Brighton. It is just a matter of time before they are discovered.

Even though their lives are in danger, the book is more about relationships and attitudes to old age. Ignoring the implausibility of the plot, it is a good, light-hearted read with a touch of humour. An ideal holiday book.

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This book is a multi-faceted story; it is a thriller, a family drama and there's some romance thrown in for good measure. Although the basic storyline is a bit far-fetched at times this can be forgiven because of the way the author explores the relationships between 4 female members / 3 generations of a family. Secrets are unearthed and the true characters of some of the cast are exposed. There are tense moments, as well as happy and funny incidents. Throughout the story the characters grow, particularly Nan and Bonnie. Recommended.

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After reading too many books featuring 20-something leads, I was looking for a novel with a slightly older protagonist. "The Age of Misadventure" has four female characters, ranging from early 20s to 88, but the main character is Georgie, a divorced woman in her mid-50s. Her ditzy sister Bonnie keeps going back to her cheating husband, Adie, despite the fact that he is not only an unfaithful lover, he's involved with some pretty shady characters. When Adie goes too far and Bonnie is threatened by a gangster, Georgie grabs her sister and they go on the run, along with Georgie's daughter Jade, whose football-star boyfriend has a flat where they can hide out, and their elderly aunt. It's a great premise, and I liked the fact that Georgie is a no-nonsense Liverpool woman who is resourceful and determined to protect her family. But Bonnie keeps behaving like an idiot, refusing to lie low even though her life is in jeopardy, and Nan is kind of a cliché of a malaprop-spewing "cute" old lady. Eventually, when she meets a man, even Georgie makes some pretty bad decisions. "The Age of Misadventure" may be a comedy starring a woman in her 50s, but all too frequently I found myself wanting the characters to start behaving like grown-ups.

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I really enjoyed this book. I could relate so well to Georgie & Jade, and their mother/ adult daughter relationship. It was great to read a book with older woman as the main characters. It was funny at times, yet heartbreaking at times. Well developed characters. Looking forward to more of Judy Leigh's novels. Will recommend this to my book group.

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Oh dear! I didn’t enjoy this book and I was so hopeful that it would be a good read, not least as I’m a similar age to the lead character. However, despite reading to the end, it’s all a bit ‘non story’.
Georgie is divorced and runs a business in her home alongside her 24 year old daughter who also has a business in the house. Georgie’s sister is a shady property dealer that results in Georgie, her sister, her daughter and her ‘nan’ going on a road trip. I’m afraid I found the entire book flat and predictable.
I did progress to the end, but, only just and I’m afraid, overall, it wasn’t for me.
An OK read I guess.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview.

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I loved the writing style of this book. I warmed to the characters. They vary from the young to the old. This book was funny, intense and heartwarming.

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The story was ok. Based on the description I expected more. I struggled to finish it as I couldn’t get into it.

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Georgie a divorced mother runs a beauty business from her house and Jade (24) runs a gym in the basement. Georgie’s sister, Bonnie is married to Adie who is something less than honest and up to his ears in trouble. With danger threatening the family, Georgie packs them all into her car, plus an elderly friend Nan as she has nobody to care for her – and the four drive off on a circuitous route to escape the threat. First they drive to Edinburgh to put Adie (and those after him) off the track, but eventually they head to Brighton so that Jade can assume the role of WAG with the love of her life Luis.

Oh to be a business woman like Georgie. She can just leave her business in the hands of one of her employees for two weeks, even though she discovers that Adie’s ‘business associate’ is asking questions. Meanwhile Bonnie is doing her best to derail everything and doesn’t lift a finger to help. Jade, well she just wants to be with Luis. Nan – now she is amusing but still a liability. To add a bit of gloss to all this, Georgie meets a man and falls in love. It really is so likely!

I know that books require you to suspend your judgement and go with the flow but I just do not get it in this instance. I did read it all so there is something in it, but … To be fair, it is not to be serious literature, surely it is just a madcap little adventure and if that is your bag, it ticks all the boxes. No just mine I’m afraid, sorry.

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for an honest review.

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I am undecided about this book.
It is very funny in parts, with Nan stealing the show. However, I found the plot a little far fetched and the characters selfish and irritating - it was not a book which gripped me from start to finish.
Having said that, the storyline theme of family and the choice to become a strong woman is well depicted.
Having read and enjoyed Judy’s first book I look forward to reading her next.

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I was looking forward to reading this book after thoroughly enjoying A Grand Old Time but I didn't enjoy it as much. I didn't really take to the characters and the story was rather beyond belief in places. The main character, Georgie was quite irritating and more than a little controlling in her own way wanting to be over protective of her family,. She became more annoying near the end when she went against advice putting everyone's life in danger, I will say no more as I hate giving too much away in reviews. There was one outstanding character, Georgie's Aunt Nan, brilliant mix up of words and here was one feisty old lady determined to enjoy herself!

Despite all the book is quite comedic and it is a good read and thoroughly entertaining in a lighthearted way.

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A interesting story of good over evil, and how family matters. The characters are relatable and believable. Not sure that the baddie would get so close nowadays, but who knows. I really enjoyed the story, but it did not hold my attention enough to read it from cover to cover in one day.

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This was a a roadtrip you wouldn't want to go on your own but would love to laugh about it in the pub if it happened to someone else.
There's a lot of slapstick and crazy situations in involved - do you really need to do a detour to Edinburgh on your way from Liverpool to Brighton? And how many times does a bunch of (largely(women have to stop for a wee break. Actually that last one is kinda true if my friends are anything to go by haha

The plot is mixed - one character is moving to Brighton to be with their Spanish boyfriend and so all the friends and family want to go and see them but there's a crook after one of them so they head to Brighton partly to lie low.as well.

It's all very Carry on to Brighton but in a good way! I could hear the cartoon chase music as I read. It's light reading and a bit of fun.

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If you enjoyed “A Grand Old Tour” you certainly won’t be disappointed when you read “The Age of MisAdventure”. Georgie Turner, divorced, runs a successful beauty salon from her home in Liverpool, tries hard to find time for her daughter, Jodi, her ageing Aunti Ann (known to all as Nan) and her sister, Bonnie, married to Ade - a man Georgie loathes. Ade gets involved in a very dodgy business deal with a rotten crook, which gives Geordie the chance to gather Bonnie under her protective wing. Jodi announces that she has fallen in love with a Spanish footballer and is going to move to Brighton to live with him in his upmarket apartment. The dodgy crook wants revenge and Georgie decided that it would be best for Bonnie, Nan and her to take Jodi to Brighton and to lie low there until things calm down. Reluctantly Jodi agrees and they head off to Brighton, via Edinburgh - yes, Edinburgh! Nan takes to the high life in Brighton like a duck to water, but puts the family in danger after an innocent encounter with the crook , leading to police protection. Meanwhile Georgie has found love and life gets complicated. A really enjoyable read with a lot of laughs.

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Great book which had me in fits of laughter. Fab story and great characters which may me feel like I was on an adventure with them

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Loved A Grand Old Time, but this one was just ok. I found the plot a bit too far fetched and unrealistic. As a Liverpudlian, I found some of the "Scouse phrases" used a little contrived and not very authentic..

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I struggled with this book. It seemed on the one hand rushed, with little to no meaningful character development considering we are meant to learn about this family of women. Yet at the same time the story drags. As much as I enjoyed the previous book with an elderly character, I really wasn't taken with Nan and her word substitutions. The older character mixing up words felt like a bad old sitcom. 'Crusty Asians" was a hard pass.

I wish that I had found one person in the book to care about but unfortunately this one didn't hold my interest at all.

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From the blurb I thought this would be a really good read. It was okay,took me a little while to get in to. Felt it was all a little contrived. Quite entertaining and some amusing moments. Felt the characters were a little superficial along with the storyline. I did finish it but it was a chore rather than a pleasure! Sorry.....having read other reviews might try Judy Leigh's first novel

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This book pulled me in from the very first page. I loved the new relationships that developed within the story and the stronger bonds that developed within the family.

Nana mispronounced sayings had me giggling throughout, imagining being pulled through a dance floor by an asthmatic bloodhound although the best was kept until near the end with lacy wedding night negligibles, a boa constrictor ( aka feather boa) and Digestion charges in London.

This is a good old fashioned belly laugh, strong storyline, good writing full of British humour and you can’t help but cheer for the characters and hope everything works out in the end.

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I absolutely adored this author's first book A Grand Old Time, so I was delighted to receive an arc of this book. I loved the premise of the story, a road trip with four generations of women from the same family, There was plenty of comedy and the characters got up to all sorts of mischief which was great fun, but I felt parts of the book fell a little flat. When the women are all in hiding, the villain of the piece seems to constantly be around but even with two police officers guarding them, and him making contact with the women, they never seem to be able to catch him, even opening the door to him at one point. As police offers and bodyguards they really don't do very well! Also, Bonnie was the most spoilt, airy fairy character ever, she infuriated me! I know it was all supposed to be humorous but it seemed a bit ridiculous at times. I feel like the book was perhaps trying to cover too many genres.
However, I do like the style of writing and especially the way the author writes about the older generation and I did love the character of Nan, so I would definitely read more of her books.

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