Having read A Grand Old Time, I just knew there had to be an adventure trip in this story. And there was. Georgie sets off with her sister and her Aunt on a runaway from Bonnie's awful husband Adie. He has got himself so deep into the underworld, owing money to a thoroughly bad colleague who is theeatening all their lives.
Promises promises, and dear Bonnie believes them all. She is obsessed by Adie and his promises.It takes her entire family, and a policeman to show her that there are better things ahead. But why oh why did the said bodyguard policeman open the door to the man who came to kill?
I did enjoy the writing of this book, perhaps not quite as much as A Grand Old Time, as I found it hard to relate to some of the characters, particularly Bonnie who just seemed self centred, and frankly, daft. Nan was as expected, a bit dotty and with constant Malapropisms, and Georgie tried manfully to cope with it all.
Judy Leigh is so accomplished and I hope one day to get to one of her readings.
Thanks to NetGalley and Elke from Harper Collins for approving me to read this book and review it.

I loved Judy Leigh's first book, and was really pleased when I was sent a copy of The Age of Misadventure. Unfortunately, it just isn't a patch on A Grand Old Time. The plot seems forced and I stopped reading when it took a particularly ridiculous turn (which I won't reveal as it would spoil the book for others). There just wasn't the warmth in the characters, and the sense of place was lacking. So disappointing!

The Age of Misadventures is very comical in so many scenes that you will probably laugh out loud. It is a semi-thriller wrapped up in the misadventures of four women relatives running from a thug. In it all is Georgie, standing tall to rescue her sister, Bonnie, from the mess her husband’s underhanded business has caused. Caught up in the drama are Jade, Georgie’s daughter, and Nan, Georgie’s eighty plus, hoot of an aunt. For a few spring weeks their lives are up ended as danger and more crazy misadventures combine.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I'm not sure about it. I think the plot is quite interesting although not totally original. My problem is I could not like any of the four main female characters, the three generations of a family. It means I was not interested enough in their adventures and I remained a little distant from the story.

This was the first book I read by Judy Leigh. I loved her writing style, her characters and the story. I thought this was my kind of book from the cover and I am so happy that I have found a new (to-me) wonderful author.

I adore stories with various ages of characters, especially if the story has a character of the older generation. This book has people with ages varying from 21 to 88 years old. I am so happy when an older person is valued and cared for by others and when it is such an important part of the plot of the story.

The story had me interested from the very beginning and kept me involved until it ended. The book was funny, intense and heartwarming.

At the beginning of the book, you know the characters on their surface; Georgie - a divorced 55 year old woman still unhappy about the end of her marriage and a bit stuck in her daily rut, Jade (Georgie’s daughter) - a young woman trying to be independent and pry herself away from her mother’s constant watching eyes, Bonnie (Georgie’s sister) - a vulnerable, kind woman being used by her no-good husband, and Nanny Basham (Georgie and Bonnie’s aunt) - an older woman of 88 years that is going day to day, surviving but not living anymore.

As the story progress, the characters become very multilayered and just as in real life, not what they seemed to be at the surface.

Georgie is the ever giving overseer of her loved ones, running herself ragged trying to be all to everyone, usually putting her own needs last. When Bonnie’s no-good husband’s latest deal goes sour, Georgie organizes a trip to give Bonnie some distance and the fact that it coincides with Jade’s moving to live with her boyfriend in a new area, all the better.

Unfortunately, the trouble follows them and a simple “girl’s trip” turns into so much more. All four woman grow in ways unseen before this trip. All four were strong before, but situations occur that make their strength come out full force.

This book was such an enjoyable journey. I am so happy to have found this author and this book.

I want to thank Avon Books UK, the author, and NetGalley.com for allowing me to read the ARC of this book. I hope in writing this review other readers will pick up this book to read.

I'm in two minds about this book: on one side it was fun to read and entertaining, on the other side at least one of characters grated on my nerves.
I can say I liked the style of writing, the humour and the female relationship.
I'd have preferred some more character building.
I will check for other books by this writer because it was a pleasant read even with the unlikeable characters.
Many thanks to Avon and Netgalley for this ARC

A story of family and strong women.. When Georgie's sister's sleazy husband gets involved in a dangerous situation Georgie decides she will do anything to save her. With their 88 year old aunt and her grown daughter Georgie and Bonnie set off on an adventure. The women learn about each other and when things get dangerous they realize how strong they are and that family is the most important thing.

Three stars.

Georgie is a divorced Liverpudlian single mother, a beautician whose business is in her house. Her daughter Jade is 24 years old and runs a personal fitness business from the basement. Georgie's younger sister Bonnie is married to slimy cheater called Adie, Georgie has tried to get Bonnie to leave him time and again but Bonnie loves him and believes him when he says he loves her. Added to the mix is Georgie and Bonnie's Aunt Anne, known always as Nan or Nanny.

When one of Adie's shady business deals goes wrong Bonnie and Georgie are threatened by a shady gangster so Georgie comes up with a plan to hide from Adie and his business associates by spending a few weeks in Brighton where Jade's new boyfriend, a Spanish footballer called Luis, lives. But travelling with your aunt, your sister and your daughter isn't always the Thelma and Louise road-trip it's cracked up to be. What with the moaning, the constant toilet stops, the sobbing and the sulking. Rather than bring the family back together enforced proximity seems more likely to drive them further apart. Until Adie's associates find them.

I have to be honest, I can't think of four more unpleasant women in one book who weren't serial killers. Bonnie is totally self-obsessed, a grown woman does not make a single cup of tea or coffee, or make dinner for any of the others for weeks and weeks. It all falls on Georgie. Despite being told by Georgie not to use credit cards so that Adie can't trace them Bonnie frequently goes out shopping buying make-up and other essentials. She also blithely tells Adie where they are hiding. Jade is 24 going on 13, I don't think I have ever wanted to reach into my Kindle and slap someone quite as much as I wanted to slap Jade for her constant criticism and moaning and blaming everything on her mother. Goodness only knows what a sweet man like Luis saw in her! Georgie is a 55 year old doormat, scurrying around trying to placate everyone and waiting on them all hand and foot. Then when she meets a man it's instalurve and she starts acting like a teenager, sneaking out and lying about where she's going. Finally Nan, her biggest problem was that she was clearly intended to be the comedy character but her constant malapropisms were wearing.

Overall, the plot was quite good, I liked the pace and the writing was good, although a little too much "I ..., I ..., I ..." for my taste but sadly the characters all seemed a bit two dimensional.