An interesting take on life and love. Clare is married to Rupe whois 20 years older. When her daughter Ellie becomes engaged to 42 year old Tom, much nearer in age to Clare than herself, her mum can't pinpoint why she is against the relationship. Tom is attractive and with a good going career. Anna, Ellie's work colleague is almost 60 with an 86 year old husband, Jeremy, and she too is feeling unsettled. At times funny, at times poignant, this was a lovely read. Clare's family problems with her sisters were very much a reflection of real life too. The one constant in the story was Ellie's spoilt brat behaviour! Tom was way too good for her. #netgalley #oldenoughtoknowbetter

Meet three women, united by work, family ties and their relationships with much older men.

Ellie is a young twenty-something teacher at the Margate Academy (teaching English to overseas students) who has recently moved in with her boyfriend Tom, after a short romance, who is in his mid-forties.

Clare is Ellie's mother. She is in her early fifties and married to Rupert who is about to celebrate his seventieth birthday. Since Rupert retired he seems to have lost that vital spark that drew Clare to him, his phenomenal drinking gets on her nerves and all he seems to do is pontificate and alienate their son whilst doting on Ellie. Clare has two sisters: Fig, who has two children and a husband working in Dubai; and Angie, a civil servant with a chip on her shoulder.

Anna is Ellie's colleague at work, about to celebrate her sixtieth birthday she is married to Jeremy, a retired doctor in his mid-eighties who is becoming increasingly infirm. Anna and Jeremy never go anywhere anymore and Anna's social life revolves around her colleagues at the school, at sixty Anna feels in her peak and not ready to sit quietly in a rocking chair waiting to die.

In their own ways Clare and Anna try to dissuade Ellie from entering into a relationship, and getting engaged, with a man so much older. Ellie challenges them both, why are they are trying to put her off when the two of them have done exactly the same?

I find myself faced with a familiar problem, how to describe a book classified (by me) as Women's Fiction? What is this book about? Marriage, families, children, careers? Yes to all of the above. It's also about finding a new balance, relationships change over time and it's about finding your new normal. Often with Women's Fiction I am left with a feeling of dissatisfaction because there is no closure, no HEA. Not so in this case, at the end of this novel our three lead characters have gained a new perspective on their lives.

Overall, I really enjoyed this and would definitely look out for more books by this author.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

This was a lovely story about friendships, relationships and love. When I started it I expected it to mainly be about Ellie a young woman in a relationship with Tom who is quite a bit older. In the end it turned out the story was more about her mother Clare and her colleague Anna, both of whom were married to men quite a bit older. Anna’s husband was 26 years older than her and by the time she is close to 60 the challenges this brings are quite eye-opening, but also sweet and touching and a reminder to enjoy the good times and remember them when times may not be as good.

The story and events were entertaining and I loved the setting in Margate, a small coastal town.

I would like to thank the author, the publisher HarperCollins UK and NetGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Really enjoyed this wise tale of two families where there is an age gap in the marriage which works!
Multi generational family story with funny well observed relationships and characters.
Clare is married to Rupert, Anna is married to Jeremy, based around the Thanet area of Kent. I'm not giving much away as I really enjoyed how the story unfolded. There are reflections of the strength and depth of what being a woman is in modern life and within our families.
Deep, moving, intelligent but most of all real.
Highly recommended
Thank you for the opportunity for an early read to NetGalley

A story with interconnected characters and storylines that gradually come together as the story develops. The common denominator is couples with a significant age gap between them and what happens as they get older, especially where the age difference was significant.
I'm a few years older than my wife so this doesn't really affect us, however we have known couples where this is a factor and the potential downfalls. I thought that the story gave a largely positive view of such relationships, whilst acknowledging consequential problems. It's not a light read due to the subject matter and I did end up dipping in and out of the book, but is certainly worth reading.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

This story is told through the point of view of three women, Clare, Anna and Ellie. Clare and Anna are middle aged and married with men that are couple of decades their senior. Anna's husband Jeremy is getting old and frail. Clare's husband Rupe has just retired and drinks heavily. Clare's daughter Ellie has just met Tom, who is twenty years older. We get to be part of their lives for a couple of months. All of the three women contemplate their lives and relationships. What is it like to be in your prime while your husband is aging and getting decrepit? Is there something that needs to change?
This is a real feel-good story. All characters are lovely, even though some of them may appear quite brusque at first. Family and friends are important and I was keeping fingers crossed that everything would turn out well in the end.
I like the writing style and how the author uses words. It's like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a comfy sofa.

A cute title and subtitle and a darling cover entice the reader to experience the charms of a family and their friends and acquaintances as they sort out their marriages and relationships. Several couples and their friends and acquaintances as they sort out their marriages and relationships. Several couples are involved in "May-December" marriages and romances. In real life, a great difference in age can be a challenge. So, how do our characters fare in this light-hearted story?

The story takes place near Margate, England and involves three sisters and their families. The matriarch and mother of the sisters, Meg, was my favorite character- she tells it like it is. While I appreciated the humor and romance of the book, I have to say that I thought the characters were mean and awful. One of the most poignant scenes in the book still lingers with me- an 86 year old husband has done his best to prepare for his much younger wife's birthday. He waits for her alone in a dark kitchen, while she dallies and flirts at a work happy hour. After being a faithful, loving and capable husband, his only fault is that he has grown old.

I recommend this book as an easy summertime read and I'd be interested to know if you agree with my assessment of the characters! Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter for an advance review copy. This is my honest review.

Old Enough to Know Better
By Jane Wenham-Jones
Old Enough to Know Better is OUT TODAY and if you fancy a lovely light read, with a fascinating bunch of characters, then look no further. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I can’t say I really related to any of the characters as my husband is only three years older than me, but I do think age is just a number and many couples with big age gaps have very happy marriages. I’m sure it must feel difficult at times in the later years of the older partner’s life though when the younger partner isn’t ready to just exist at home for the rest of their days. Clare and Anna both have older husbands, and both love them dearly, but they are starting to struggle a bit and are finding themselves in an increasingly low mood. I did feel for them both. I loved Anna’s husband though, he’s such a sweetheart. Clare’s not so much! I really didn’t warm to Ellie either (Clare’s daughter). She’s a Daddies girl and is really quite awful to her Mum at times which I found quite sad. She’s quite immature and I was surprised she had managed to find herself a successful older boyfriend, especially one closer to her mother’s age. I was very keen to find out how that would all work out!
I really enjoyed the relationships and friendships throughout this book. Every character adds depth and, in many cases, warmth to the story.
I loved the emotion, the drama, and the laughs.
I very much recommend.
**Many thanks to the author and publisher for my review copy via NetGalley**

This is my second Jane Wenham-Jones book and, based on her writing and subject matter, I’m pretty sure I’d love to be friends with her.
Old Enough to Know Better introduces three women in relationships with older men -mother Claire, daughter Ellie, and friend Anna. Ellie’s relatively new relationship starts the two older women re-examining their own situations. I didn’t love Anna. I thought she was pretty awful to her husband, who’s only fault seemed to be his age, which he obviously couldn’t control and she’d clearly always known.
Overall, though, this book hits of some tough & hot topics and Wehnam-Jones writes her characters with quick, quirky whit. I found myself relating, sympathizing, and laughing out loud at times. I’d definitely recommend this to fans of chick lit, female empowerment, love stories, and friend/family dynamics.

A story about Ellie, Clare and Anna taking stock of their lives and reviewing where they stand within their relationships with much older men.

All the women are realising they still have a life to live and enjoy, but their partners' ages highlight challenges it creates for them as a couple. The narrative is entertaining and certainly made me laugh a time or two as the highs and lows are navigated. However, one sad aspect really struck a chord… it resolved in a positive way but brought to our attention how actions can have heartbreaking consequences if not handled in a compassionate way.

This is a novel that makes you think beyond the pages in a; what would I do in this situation? It certainly gives pause for thought and leaves a lasting impression after finishing the last page.

I fit into the demographic of 'woman of a certain age' so I'm a target reader for this novel. Only, this wasn't a good fit for me. I wholeheartedly applaud any author writing fiction with middle-aged protagonists but I prefer to read stories that make me forget about age-induced scenarios, not remind me of them. I know I'm probably in the minority and this is purely my thoughts on the topic, therefore I feel confident most readers won't share my attitude or concerns.

Overall, Old Enough To Know Better is a well thought out and charming novel for those who like and appreciate a narrative that embraces their age.. warts and all.

3.5 stars

***Review copy received courtesy of One More Chapter via NetGalley***

The story of three women, two friends and a daughter all either married to or dating older men. A lovely story about family, friendships and choosing a path that makes you happy. An enjoyable read.

Families. Complex, difficult and wonderful all at the same time. A lovely feel good read touching on the complexities of age gap relationships, multi generational female familial relationships and intricacies.

Thank you NetGalley and One More Chapter/HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. for a copy of "Old Enough to Know Better" in exchange for my honest review.

The story explores older partners and those relationships, people's reactions to them. The story is about 3 women. Clare and her daughter Anna, and Anna's co-worker Ellie. Ellie is about to marry Tom who is 8 years younger than her own mother.

In real life I would've felt for these women and their sorrows, yet in a book? Well, not in this story anyway.

What about the colleague at the charity shop that Clare ran into at the grocery store? She seemed to be under her husband's thumb. And what about Tony being homeless? Those were way more possible interesting storylines, at least for me.

And then I was wondering about diversity... everyone is either happy and healthy or unhappy yet healthy - apart from those being older. A bit weird to read for me as a chronic.
Plus: Nikhita with her controlling family was perhaps also a bit stereotypical?

A lighthearted fun book featuring Clare, Anna and Ellie and the everyday ups and downs of being in love with an older man.

A good story with likeable characters which was an easy and enjoyable read.

Anna and Clare both know what it's like to be married to a man who is 20 years older, There are good times, for sure, but there' also a divergence now in how they live their lives as their husbands have slowed down. Clare's daughter Ellie is about to do the same thing, and her mother isn't happy about it. This is funny in spots but it's also quite poignant. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.

This delightful book is based on the lives and relationships of the three main female characters. It also touches on the relationships of their family and friends. Anna and Claire both married med 20 years older then themselves and are now facing what this difference means when the are 50 and 70 in one case and 60 and 80 in the other. Ellie is in her 20’s and when she brings an older man home her mother doesn’t approve. This causes many problems.

The author has created a bevy of unique female characters and relationships. It is easy to feel for each of these people and to understand how they feel as their relationships go through the stages. The author touches on teen heartbreak, gay/pan sexual love, may to December romance with dignity and honesty. We read about every stage of love and the book left me feeling content with my life. A lovely book with a well devised storyline that will have you laughing at some spots and crying at others.

Thank you to Harper Collins UK, One More Chapter and NetGalley for allowing me to read this beautiful book.

I really enjoyed this book. It wasn’t exciting, possibly a little slow, but in a good way. The story gently unfolds and is a great one to read when relaxing (would be even better reading it whilst on a beach). I loved the characters, although some were rather slimy and not very likeable, and where the story was set. I’ll be recommending this book to family and friends.

Old Enough to Know Better by Jane Wenham-Jones appealed to me with the cover's premise of funny and uplifting fiction for women. While it did deliver in this respect, I was not as engaged with the story as I had hoped to be.

This is the story of Clare, Ellie, and Anna, three women who have each chosen to be with men significantly older than themselves. The ways in which the difference in years becomes more evident and problematic as we age is the primary focus of the novel, and each woman finds herself reflecting on some difficult choices. The nuances of a May-December romance makes an intersting subject, opening itself to limitless scrutiny and storytelling. Unfortunately, I just didn't connect with this one, though I will certainly look for more from this author in the future. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for an ARC.

Really enjoyed this book. It was so interesting and light hearted. I live this type of book as it lifts you up whilst you are reading. My thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.