It's Not All Downhill from Here by Terry McMillan is a free NetGalley ebook that I read in late February.

The healthy, active inner and outer monologue of Loretha, her perspective on being elder, her relationship with her husband Carl and her extended family, while being straightforward and honest, and taking what happens to her with grace.

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.

What do you do when you’re living your best life and in an instant life as you know it has changed forever?

Loretha “Lo”, affectionately named, is happy where she is in life.  She has a husband who cherishes her, loyal friends and a difficult and sometimes loving family.  As her sixty-eight birthday approaches, she prefers to celebrate outside of the normal “past” celebrations, but when tragedy strikes her strength will be tested.

What I enjoyed about the story was the “seasoned” women.  Many books aren’t written with older women as the main character or characters.  I appreciated the relationship she had with her girlfriends and how well their characters’ were well-developed.  They were relatable characters.

I enjoyed the humor on almost every page.  There were several laugh out loud moments and head nods.  However, in Ms. McMillan writing style, there were moments of despair and tension.  From getting older and trying to handle and accept the change, family dynamics, mental illness, many other topics that people experience on a daily basis.  Then she takes those experiences and gives her characters strength and hope; to keep on striving for a better tomorrow.

Now, what I didn’t enjoy was all the whining and complaining which sometimes made it hard to enjoy what was being folded out in the story. A lot of repetitive situations that I resorted to skipping pages a couple of times only because I knew what was going to happen.

It’s Not All Downhill From Here isn’t as powerful as Ms. McMillan’s earlier books, but it was a quick, enjoyable read with a lesson or two to be learned.

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for this arc in exchange for my honest review.

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!

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!