I enjoyed this book. The story held my interest and kept me reading late until the night. I appreciated the deep-rooted friendship of the characters. I enjoyed catching glimpses of the evolution of their friendships throughout the story. The support the main characters gave to each other and their adult children was heartwarming. The flare and zest they displayed in their 60's and 70's personifies the term "growing old gracefully". It is nice to read a story where the characters are not only comfortable with their age and minor imperfections but relish in them.

McMillan has a formula for writing about groups of strong characters, usually women. It's not as fresh as in some of her earlier books but still entertaining. Aging, chronic illness, disease, depression and death could make this a complete downer but with zippy dialogue and colorful characters the story work. There is no digging deep in characterization or plot. Just stories we can relate to.

Copy provided by the Publisher and NetGalley

A lovely book of strong female friendships.As an older reader it really appealed to me.Loretha and her friends are 60 somethings and in different phases of their lives.Widowed,health issues etc.It was a story that was all too familiar..
It funny,it’s sad,it’s a wonderful joyride through the circle of life.
Thankyou Netgalley for this ARC

It's hard to give up on a book down so quickly, but I just couldn't continue. The main character is immature and petty. I couldn't handle a whole book told through her eyes. Also, the whole story was laid out in the first chapter. I knew exactly what's going to happen, all the story points bullet-pointed for lazy readers.

This was my fist McMillan book and I don't think I'm the intended audience.

I haven't read a book by Terry McMillan in a long time, but I'm so glad i decided to read this one. I loved this book!! Me being a 60 plus female, i could really relate to this story line. Very, very good read. Congratulations Ms. McMillan on a job well done!

“It’s Not All Down Hill From Here “ By Terry McMillan. I Had My Fair Share Of Terry McMillan Books But She Played Me With This One. Here I Am Riding On The 2 Train, It’s Chapter One & All Is Going Well. I’m Falling In Love With This Older Couple, I’m Thinking Yes This Is Right Up My Alley, Some Romance. BOY Was I Wrong. All It Took Was One Blue Pill To CRUSH My Heart In The First Chapter Can You Believe It. Like Dang Terry Couldn’t I Get Through A Few More Pages Without Some Let Down. I Kept Reading Because I Was Interested In Some Of Plots. But Girl, IT WAS Just Toooooooo Much Going On. The Books Didn’t Have To Be This Long And It Was Just A lot Of Fillers That Kept Dragging & The Book Ended POORLY. It Isn’t A Book Anyone Under 50 Can Relate To. I Wanted To Love It So Much But It Was Just A Big NO For Me.

I am a Terry McMillan fan and was glad to see a story with older women. I thought that was fresh and I enjoyed the friendship between the woman. But, there was a lack of tension that made this book feel like I was reading a diary. It stayed even-keeled most of the way true. However, Ms. McMillan tackled a lot of relevant issues.
Thank you #Netgalley.

I have not read a Terry McMillan book and a long time, and I am very glad I got the opportunity to read this one.
It’s Not All Down Hill From Here is a story about a woman named Loretha, lovingly nicknamed Lo, and her journey of learning to navigate life through a lot of major changes that happen back to back. Lo also is seemingly trying to balance out all of this while wearing many hats- mother, wife, sister, daughter, friend, grandmother, great grandmother, and business woman,
There is SO much going on through out the story that at times, I had to take inventory of my life! It really made me think about how I relate to and communicate with my loved ones during not only their troubling and sad times, but my own. I think this story does a really good job in showing the differences of how we process grief, loss, and pain. I love that McMillan found a way to lovingly handle delicate topics like depression and death , because they need to be discussed.
There were so many times while reading the book that I also felt really connected to the characters. In them I saw not only myself, but my mom, aunts, grandmother, and friends, Many tines throughput the book, I wanted to yell at Lo, and at others I was crying with and for her.
There is a lot to unpack from INADFH. I think this would be a really good book to read with a group of women from different generations. I definitely plan on reading this again!

I am old enough to have read Waiting to Exhale before Angela Bassett, with her killer arms starred in the movie of the same name. Like Exhale, McMillan's new book is a book about female friends dealing with personal and work changes together, just add about 40 years. This is still the story of long female friendships that last through health issues, deaths, strained relationships with parents, spouses, siblings, children, and grandchildren. What makes this a familiar McMillan book is the humor and sass of these women. They are trifling in a good way. They have tragedies in their life, but they are survivors. This senior citizen gal pal novel, coming out in March already feels like a movie.

I always appreciate an ARC. Thanks Net Galley and Random House.

But enough Black woman misery. I read this in Jamaica during my 50th birthday celebration with friends. We out here living out best and most productive lives. This is not my reality, and I felt nothing for these characters. Overweight, diabetes, broke, brokenness, and family succubi....nope.

I'm always grateful for a depiction of older women who are still vibrant, who still have lives ahead of them. Terry McMillan always does a great job outlining the friendships. Unfortunately, her dialogue which has never been her strong point has gotten much clunkier through the years. I also think that Loretha is able to do an incredible job supporting her family monetarily, which must be wonderful, but at times really read like a fantasy. I'll always read McMillan's writing, but I much prefer her earlier work.

Sad then hopeful. Well written story on love and loss and going forth. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher!!

When I started to read It's Not All Downhill from Here, I was happy to see the main character, Loretha, was my age--just turning 68. The opening pages showed a woman very happy in her marriage. My thought was that this would be a great way to see the similarities and differences between my white affluent life and her African American affluent life. When her husband unexpectedly died at the end of the first chapter, I almost put the book on my Did Not Finish pile. But, as usual, Terry McMillan had already created characters who were so interesting and compelling, I had to read on.
Everyone past her 60th birthday starts to wonder how she will manage loss. Whether it is estrangement from a child or the death of a parent, partner or friend; loss becomes a constant partner as we age. It's Not All Downhill from Here is the story of Loretha's coping with loss and embracing hope. It's a good reminder that we continue to grow as long as we are willing to try.

Terry McMillan has such a way with words....and It’s Not All Downhill From Here is worth reading for a laugh, a cry, or a moment or two you can relate to.

As the book opens, Loretha is about to celebrate her 68th birthday and isn’t totally happy about what her husband has planned. She and her friends are in their late 60’s/early 70’s and it’s fun to join them as they live their lives (including tackling all the technology of today, such as Uber, GrubHub and dating apps).

With her trademark poignancy and humor, Ms. McMillan’s characters have real life experiences and there are storylines of aging, health problems, death, family challenges, and mental health. As with her other books, she does so in an entertaining way and there are a number of good messages for readers of any age.

Thanks to Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read It’s Not All Downhill From Here in exchange for a review.

Terry McMillan has been a favorite of mine since “Mama.” She’s an author I’m going to read with no hesitation; I don’t even need to know what the book is about. It’s worthy of a chance off the strength of her name alone.

So, when I heard “It’s Not All Downhill From Here” was coming out, I didn’t even read the synopsis. Just knew I was going to read it as soon as humanly possible.

This is why I had no idea what the book was going to be about as I cracked it open. Just that I expected it to be well done. I expected Terry. By a few pages into Chapter 1 I was laughing aloud (“Poochie has been old longer than the rest of us” and “I wouldn’t trust her with my stuffed animal.”) and self-reflecting (“I lie to myself about myself.”).

As I continued to read, I found myself going on the kind of ride I expect from Terry McMillan—a well-written, zinger laden, funny and sad and thoughtful jaunt through family and faith and love and mistakes and come backs and come ups. Every time I picked the book up it was like checking in on my elder aunts or Grandmother. A kind of “what are y’all up to today?” experience that made me look forward to the times in my day where I could curl up and read.

At its core, “It’s Not All Downhill From Here” is a story about a woman who finds herself in the twilight of life, both with and without things she’d never imagined—and how she navigates through it all. It’s also more than that. It’s a story of love and lost dreams and enduring friendship and rolling with the punches, the highs and lows, the hills and valleys of life.

A wonderful read.


Choose this one. You won’t be disappointed.

The characters were likable and interesting and the journeys they were on were captivating. It was hard to stay engaged and I kept wishing for more depth in the exploration of feelings about major life events. It turned out to be a light read and fun but not as nourishing as I had anticipated. I may have expected too much because of previous books.

I enjoyed this book so much. It was fast paced and I could relate so well since I'm in the same age group as the ladies. The storyline was great and so true to todays issues. Well written and believable. Can't wait to read her next novel.

McMillan knocks it out of the park again with a tribute to the trials of getting older and the power of a loving social circle. Addressing addiction, grief, and self-care, this is sure to become a book club favorite and a permanent fixture on holds lists.

Terry McMillan doesn't disappoint. Her signature brand of sisterhood and characters still shine bright in our modern landscape. I am grateful for her consistent adherence to these particular voices. I received an advanced reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley.

Just when I was wondering when we would next hear from this master storyteller, I saw that her latest was available in NetGalley. Loretha and her husband are long-married and still in love. They have a wonderful, financially comfortable life together in Pasadena. But all of that is shaken up when tragedy strikes. Loretha must find a way to live her life on purpose, and with the help of a colorful support system, we get to ride along as she does just that.

I usually inhale a terry McMillan book and this was not different. I could see and hear each character. Terry McMillan is a master at dialogue and her characters are always very real. This is a book that I highly recommend for book clubs and for the 'beach read' collection. This amazing author has done it again.