It's Not All Downhill from Here by Terry McMillan. Y’all I ate this book up in less than a day! This character driven novel that had me smiling, laughing and on the verge of tears (I didn’t cry). McMillan brings us a set of characters that you will either love or hate.
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Our protagonist, Loretha, is trying to cope with the loss of her husband, Carl, passed away from a heart attack on her 69th birthday. Carl, is Loretha’s world, so you know his death crushed her. Odessa, Lo’s sister, is jealous of her success and pretty much is a financial leech. Jalecia, Lo’s only daughter is an alcoholic and into subscription drugs.

These two characters will have you cursing up a storm! Please don’t get me started. Ugh!
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Lo’s besties are riot! Sadie is having an affair with her pastor; Korynthia has a son who is in trouble with the law; Poochie is struggling with her health; and Lucky is overweight and in a dead-end marriage. Look, getting older doesn’t get easier, but it’s helpful to have friends support you through the tough times.
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With all the foolery going in this book, all you want to do is keep flipping the pages to find out what’s going to happen next. I wasn’t completely blown away by the writing, but I really did enjoy this read. Over all this was a 3.5/5 star read for me.

I loved Loretha's feisty character in this novel. Let's hope we have even more such older women protagonists in fiction. While the story starts off a bit slow, it picks up pace and gets us rooting early for Lo and the ups and downs she's dealing with. Her acerbic voice keeps us engaged and her insightful observations about everyone around her keep us well-entertained. Occasionally, there's a bit too much unnecessary digression but Ms McMillan cleverly makes this a necessary age-related character attribute that we soon come to expect and appreciate -- much like we would with an elderly, much-loved relative. All in all, this is a book worth spending time with. There are strong, resilient women like Loretha all around us. This book shows us how to pay closer attention to them rather than rendering them invisible simply because they're past a certain age.

An enjoyable read, Like many of the Terry McMillian novels there is a deeper meaning in the book. Love the fact that it focuses on women of color. Would definitely recommend.

I love Terry McMillan. She continues to gives us stories about Black women that are relate-able and so very much needed.

Its Not All Downhill From Here tells the stories of friends who are much older in life. We get their POVs as they go through retired life, death, dealing with not so good and good family, and walks down memory lane. INADHFM lets us know that women of a "certain" age don't have to "sit down". They can still enjoy life as they see fit. I enjoyed it for the most part. BUT, this story reads the same as her previous stories and that's what disappointed me the most about it.

I will continue to read Ms. McMillan because of my love for her and her love of Black women but I'm going to need for Sis to open them windows/blinds and gives us some new characters and....some new stories.

This book is for the die-hard fans, it truly is. If you're new to Ms. McMillan (I'm side-eyeing you), you'll enjoy it as well but I would recommend going back through her catalog and try some of her older works. But at the end of it all? It's Not All Downhill from Here is a Goodread.

I loved this book from front cover to back. I could relate to the older characters because I am of a certain age myself, lol. There were some parts where I felt it was a bit to clinical, but for the most part, I truly enjoyed it. The characters seem like people we know and love, and teach us valuable lessons of family, friendship, loyalty, love, and hope. It was a great reminder for me, especially with today’s current events that life is too short, you are never too old to try new things, or to start over again. I would recommend this book to everyone looking for a comfortable, “feel-good” read.

This is a coming of age novel but the age isn’t adulthood. It’s coming of age when the age before you means greying (and thinning hair) joint replacement, disease, weight problems, grandchildren, and problems with adult children. In It’s Not All Downhill from Here, Terry McMillan, using her signature laugh out loud humor to take aim at all these problems, introduces us to a sassy group of lifelong friends.

After feisty Lu, a beauty supply store entrepreneur, is hit by a sudden tragedy, her friends rally to support her. There’s Poochie, who takes care of her mother at the expense of her own health, Sadie, looking for love and finding problems, the statuesque hip hop teacher Korynthia and Lucky, who is deciding whether to stay or leave a troubled marriage. Don’t see the humor here? You will. Snappy dialogue and quick repartee move the story through travel, exercise , illness and diets. There’s sadness here too. No one’s life is without problems and these ladies have their share with siblings, addictions, troubled children, married men, and elderly parents.

I loved It’s Not All Downhill from Here! From the first chapter, I felt like Lu, Sadie, Lucky,
Poochie and Korynthia were my friends and all their relatives were also mine. The problems were real and I loved the wisdom that older age had given each of them. Definitely 5 stars.

It’s Not All Downhill From Here by Terry McMillan is an excellent book that brings the reader into the middle of a warm embrace that is comprised of a wonderful collection of a group of girlfriends (pretend sisters as well as real) of “old” souls that are truly young at heart.

This is the second book I have read by Ms McMillan, the first being “Waiting To Exhale”. This was one of my favorite books growing up and I am so surprised I waited this long to bask again in the glow of a great, feel-good read. I am so glad I came back home.

I know I just met all of these ladies, and gents, but I really felt I was a part of their family as time went on. I cheered with them during their triumphs and successes, I cried with them during their frustrations and losses, and my heart burst with pride when I was able to see their transformations, their awakenings, their acceptances, and finally their love for each other and themselves to end up in happiness.

I loved Loretha Curry, her best friends: Poochie, Korynthia, Lucky, Sadie, her Ma, and her family: Odessa, Cinnamon, Kwame, Jackson, and even Jalecia and Peggy ( I am so glad how things ended up with them). I loved all of their faults, strengths, weaknesses, and their successes. Every one of the characters were real and passionate, and perfect for this book. I loved every one’s journeys, and so glad that they were able to support and love each other. I thought the names of Pretty and Handsome were endearing. I even loved B.B. King and Billie Holiday. They made this story extra sweet.

I thought the concepts that were central to this journey: love, loss, family, friendship, perseverance, acceptance, forgiveness, loyalty, hope, and life were the perfect themes to remind everyone: that life is too short, you are never too old to try new things and start out again, you are never alone, life is a journey best spent with those we cherish and love, and there will always be a way home.

Excellent, excellent, excellent. 5/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and RandomHouse/Ballantine Books for this excellent ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N (posted under Rachel_Denise on 3/31) accounts upon publication.

There is nothing like a sudden change of plans that makes you re-evaluate what you're doing for the rest of your life. For 68-year-old Loretha, it is the unexpected death of her husband to make her put things into perspective. She has to summon all her strength and push on with the help of lifelong friends. Lo is determined to prove her good-intentioned mother, her jealous twin sister, her estranged daughter and everyone else that it really isn't all downhill after a certain age and circumstances.

By the third chapter, the book had me asking aloud, "damn, is it all downhill from here?!" It was too early in the story. But oh how I appreciated the timing of it all. McMillan's writing style remains the same in that she covers an extended period of time but only highlights the major moments. No mundane or unnecessary chapters. No filler paragraphs. And it didn't feel like big plot holes or character development jumps. Like a true friendship, you can go weeks without speaking but catch-up like you never missed a beat.

The women in It's Not All Downhill From Here go through some shit. Death, addiction, age, illness, parenting and unconditional love. Yes, it's a lot but also what makes it a good novel. This is what grown black women go through every single day. We carry the weight of the world and our families. We often put others' needs before our own. As an unfortunate result, we neglect our own health and goals in the process. Does it mean life goes downhill when we reach a certain age? No, and Lo proves it between these pages. I appreciate McMillan's writing characters that grow along with me.

Bookhearts, you have one week to gather your coins and settle in for this new novel! I would not call it a page-turner but more like a steady read. There were times I wanted to yell at a character to stop procrastinating, stop bullshitting, ask and accept help, or reach through the ink and shake some sense into her. And at other times, I could read with background noise and not miss much. I recommend It's Not All Downhill From Here for close girlfriends and female book clubs. You will most certainly relate and have a good long conversation about friendship and life's unexpected trials.

Happy Early Pub Day, Terry McMillan! It's Not All Downhill From Here will be available next Tuesday, March 31.

LiteraryMarie

This is classic Terry! I'm so glad I was able to be honored to read this selection. Terry gives us all of the classic feelings as far as prose and allows her readers to be consumed by the lives of her characters.

This book was okay. Terry McMillan can, and has done better when it comes to crafting relatable stories. It was nice to hear things from the perspective of an older generation. Overall, while the book tended to drag here and there, it was a decent read.

It's Not All Downhill from Here, from Terry McMillan, is a story about finding yourself again after an unexpected loss, with help and laughter from some lifelong friends.

This was the first book by Terry McMillan that I've read (I did watch and enjoy the movie adaptations for her earlier books). While I'm happy to see a story with a cast of older women, the pace of the story felt slow and was difficult to work my way through. There did seem to be a handful of extraneous characters that didn't further the story well, either.

Many important issues were touched on in the book, including family issues, aging, addiction, mental health, obesity, and death. Despite this, the story was slightly predictable and the overall mood of the book felt more somber than hopeful.

I think that I'm just not the target audience for this one. I did appreciate the different issues raised, and the bonds of lifelong friends. They're survivors and supporters, and have each other's backs. It's a feel good novel about true friends, but overall it fell a little short for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Fans of McMillan will immediately recognize her style and the characters which populate this book. That's not a bad thing, especially if you're close in age to Lo (in particular). Think of this as McMillan's earlier characters growing older and dealing with the challenges that come with being over 65. Things weren't perfect for them before and they aren't perfect now but Lo, like some of us, has learned a lot over the years. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Lo's life and the lives of her friends may resonate with you.

This is my first Terry McMillan novel, and I enjoyed it! The ladies in It's Not All Downhill From Here are sassy and bicker nonstop - and yet they're there for each other (whether or not the others want them to be). The book is a little superficial sometimes - more fashion,beauty, and fitness than I like to read - but underneath that are a set of caring characters who are all trying to make it through as they approach 70 years old and have various illnesses, estranged family, and deaths of people they're close to.

Just finished this read and I must say that I was thoroughly impressed being that this was my first Terry M. novel (like I expected anything less lol). It definitely gave me classic Terry McMillan vibes through adapted movies though (Waiting to Exhale, How Stella Got Her Groove Back) so I'm not sure if maybe this is just McMillan's "thing". The story is through the eyes of Loretha, a woman in her 60's with a loving husband, kick ass friends, and a thriving business. But like everyone else's life, there are setbacks during the course of life..illness, death, and family that you love but may not like! I like that Terry did not portray life as perfect and gave us real life scenarios that we all go through as we age and she did have a few shockers in the mix. It actually started rather slow for me, but maybe because I'm just in my early 30's (shrug). No spoilers here. Bottom line, if you're looking for classic Terry, this is your read. I'd definitely recommend to my older population of reader friends.

In IT'S ALL DOWNHILL FROM HERE, McMillan explores the life of Loretha and 68-year-old woman who feels her life is over after her husband dies. But her friends will not allow her to give up. they push and prod Loretha out of her comfort zone and slowly but surely make her embrace life once again. Along the way, she meets a son she never knew she had, tried to heal her broken relationship with her wayward daughter, make peace with her sister and maybe, just maybe, find love again. this book was not at fast-paced as some of McMillan's prior books but she still managed to create a world that the reader can fully inhabit. By the end, I felt that I knew Loretha inside and out and that her friends and family were mine as well.

OVERALL - I loved It’s Not All Down Hill From Here.
I wish I could read It’s Not All Down Hill From Here again for the first time. There were scenes and lines that made me sit there and cry. Or laugh. Or cheer. Terry forced me to feel the characters' emotions. I'll be thinking about Terry's latest book for a long time to come.

It's Not All Downhill From Here is a true delight! Terry McMillan introduces the reader to a group of older black women whose friendship and loyalty to each other warmed my heart. While I have seen several of the movie adaptations of McMillian's work, this was my first foray into reading one of her books. From the moment I started reading, I knew this book was going to be something special.

Loretha Curry serves as the main character and her personality leaps off the page. With a booming beauty supply empire, tribe of fiercely loyal friends (who seem more like sisters), and a husband who she loves, this sixty-seven year old woman is a force and an absolute bombshell. However, an unexpected loss shakes up her world, and Loretha has to contend with change in various aspects of her life. Her journey to find health, happiness, and a new normal are inspiring, as is the support she receives from her family and friends.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House book for an Arc of this book for an honest review.

It's not all Downhill from here deals with the main protagonist Lo and her life and family and friends. This group of women are in their late 60's and are dealing with death, depression, sickness, etc.

I felt like some of the book was really rushed and I wanted to get to know the characters better.

I enjoyed the characters, their development, and the issues they faced. I enjoyed a story about people I could relate to. As with every boo I've read by this author, it left me feeling like I learn something bout myself.

I had not read other books in this series- and honestly didn’t realize it was a series. I think that would have probably added to it but it can easily be read alone with no background knowledge. I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it!