When Sophia, almost sixty, realises that her boss, Lucian, has been using her, having an affair with her and others, with zero intention of leaving his wife, she decides to quit and go for a break to beautiful Rhodes, in Greece. Being the kind hearted and people pleasing woman she, Sophia agrees to complete editing Lucian’s book while on holiday!

She lands in beautiful Rhodes and is starting to settle in when she gets disturbed by her noisy neighbours, a group of older women also on holiday, singing and partying late into the night. Upset with them at first, she is soon swept into their group, The Old Duck’s Club, as they call themselves. With their encouragement, she starts to let her hair down and slowly come into her own.

I loved the transformation of Sophia Gregory from a woman who has always put the happiness of others before herself – first her husband, then Lucian – she blossoms into someone who learns to stand up for herself and realize that she deserves to have fun too. Her three neighbours – Juliette, Kim and Anita, she realizes have their own problems with love and family. By the end of the story, each of these ladies decide to change things in their lives and learn to be true to themselves and their needs. Great characters in this story and the theme of women redefining themselves comes through very strongly.

I love Sophia’s thoughts here as she thinks about how she and the other women have been taken for granted by husbands, lovers and children. Was this what happened to women when were considered to old to be models, sports stars of that new thing that I didn’t really understand – influencers? Did we just become someone’s wife, partner, mother, someone’s carer? Not actually important in our own right? I think most women around the world would identify with this.

The Old Duck’s Club has a lot going for it – a beautiful setting, wonderful characters, humour, hope for change and romance. I absolutely enjoyed it.

This was lots of fun to read- a real light-hearted trip across to sunny Rhodes. The central characters are all quirky and larger than life and intent on growing old 'disgracefully'. I enjoyed seeing how Sophie learnt so much about herself and what she wanted for her retirement and it certainly wasn't a closing down of her horizons. There is humour and romance to be found in abundance.

It is quite refreshing to read a book which features older characters in such a positive way. I also enjoyed the glimpses you got of their lives back in Britain. Going away enabled them to step out of the roles which their families and friends were putting them into and to live for themselves, just for a few weeks. Friendship is of course centre stage throughout and you felt the genuine affection between them all. Theo's family also are a source of great humour. They seemed to pop up throughout the story and know exactly what has been going on!

Thanks to the publishers for a copy of the book

I have read and enjoyed a couple of Maddie’s books now. I read the synopsis for ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ and it certainly sounded like the sort of book I have come to expect from Maddie- a funny, feel good, heart warming, romantic comedy. I couldn’t wait to start reading ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ and so without further ado, I grabbed my Kindle, grabbed a cup of tea and settled down for a fun afternoon full of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ but more about that in a bit.
I loved the character of Sophia Gregory and I warmed to her pretty early on the in the story. To start with she seems a bit too serious and unable to have fun. I soon came to realise that Sophia is hurting emotionally and mentally and she needs to heal. Sophia was in a relationship with somebody but he was married and despite his promises he hasn’t left his wife. Initially Sophia is a bit of a doormat as people treat her like dirt but she still goes back for more. I hope that makes sense. In a way Sophia has been that bothered about keeping everybody else happy that her own happiness has been forgotten. That soon changes when she meets up with the three ladies from the apartment next to hers, who sound like a real hoot. I hope at their age that I am still up for partying all night and growing old (slightly) disgracefully. Does Sophia prioritise her own health and welfare? Does Sophia find romance? Does Sophia get the happy ever after ending that she so deserves? Well for the answers to those questions and so much more you are just going to have to read the book for yourselves to find out as I am not going to tell you.
It took me a little while to get into this story but as soon as I met the three ladies from next door, that was it and I was away as it were. To say that reading ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ became addictive is a massive understatement. I would pick up the book only intending to read a couple of chapters to fill in the odd half hour but I would become that wrapped up in the story that I would still be sat there reading over an hour and several chapters later. I was enjoying the story that much that I lost all track of time and just how quickly the pages were turning.
‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ is extremely well written but then that’s true of Maddie’s other books too. She certainly knows how to grab your attention from the start and draw you into the story. I love the way in which Maddie describes her characters so vividly and realistically that they seem to come alive and seem just as real as you and I. I loved the way in which Maddie made me feel as though I was part of the story myself. ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ is so funny and I found myself chuckling away to myself practically all the way through the book.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed reading ‘The Old Ducks’ Club’ and I would recommend it to other readers. I will certainly be reading more of Maddie’s work in the future. The score on the Ginger Book Geek is a very well deserved 5* out of 5*.

I have decided to name myself as an honorary duck. I may have to lie about my age a little but I want in on the love, friendship and shenanigans of these wonderful ladies.
I adored this novel and the character (most of them). Sophia was a character I didn’t completely warm to at first but as she gained confidence and began to figure out who she was I loved who she grew into. She was initially prickly and frustratingly blind to a lot of things but as her journey progressed, she softened and opened up to more things.
The friendship between Sophia and The Old Ducks was so heart-warming and inspiring. I loved learning about each Duck and their stories and how supportive and non-judgmental they are. Their thirst for fun and adventure and zest for life was so much fun to read about it. They brought Sophia back to life and taught her to start trusting and living again. For me this was the highlight of the whole book.
I’ve never been to Rhodes but Maddie’s vivid description of the streets, sights and food have made this a must on my destination list. It was a wonderful backdrop to stage such an uplifting tale and it worked perfectly.
This was a great book to escape into for a few hours and was a lot of fun to read.

What a super, fun read! Just the thing to put the sparkle back lockdown.

Newly single and fast approaching the big 6-0, Sophia is dismayed at her reflection in the mirror and decided that a sunny break on a Greek Island is just the ticket. Settling in to her holiday home and looking forward to a quiet break, she didn’t bargain for her neighbours; Juliette, Kim and Anita – known as the Old Ducks’ Club – are also on holiday, but quiet is the last thing they want for their two weeks. And what’s more, they want Sophia to join them. Joining in with these three women, Sophia begins to live her life again and when she meets her neighbour, Theo, she wonders if it’s too late for love . . .

This is a terrifically upbeat read! Set in beautiful Rhodes, I rather fancy staying in Sophia’s apartment myself; living in Scotland I’m getting quite desperate to sit outside with my coffee of a morning. A gorgeous setting to which the author does full justice and a cast of beautifully created characters all add up to making this a fabulous read – exactly what’s needed as so many are dreaming of heading off on holiday. I just have to mention the bright, cheerful cover of this one; doesn’t it just make you want to pick it up? A thoroughly delightful read from beginning to end, this is one I’m happy to recommend. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy and to Rachel Gilbey for my spot on this tour; this is – as always – my honest, original and unbiased review.

A great cast of quirky and middle aged characters, lovely settings, an engrossing plot.
Had a lot of fun, rooted for the characters and loved this heartwarming story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Beginning a New Life at Sixty
This is a heartwarming story of a woman finding herself at age 60. She dumps a boyfriend, takes a trip, meets friends, and re-discovers who she was 40 years earlier. This story just sang to me, in part because I sort of did the same thing. The plot is good and fresh. Her characters are not stereotypes, they are fully developed and will remind you of people you know. This is a feel-good story with no surprises. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

My thanks to #Netgalley and #Boldwoodbooks for allowing me to review this book.

I absolutely loved this lighthearted and lovely book with its laugh out loud moments.
Lots of lovely escapism, a touch of ‘Shirley Valentine’ and a happy ending what more can you ask for.
Ideal for a summer read or a curl up book for winter a reminder of summer’s past or holidays to come.

The Old Ducks’ Club is a lot of fun to read. The women in this book have so much fun in Rhodes I felt like I was the older one! Saying that, it gives me a good feeling that life doesn’t end at a certain age and there are still plenty of adventures ahead!

The only main character in this book really is Sophia. I’m still not sure what I made of her. It’s good that she mellows out over the course of the book. At the beginning, she is quite uptight and snooty. However, that does make her character more interesting and I appreciate that the author didn’t try to make this book too sugary sweet. Saying that, I just couldn’t really connect with her and that took away from the book slightly for me.

I think this will be a good holiday read (if any of us get to hit sunny Rhodes this year!) If not, it’s good for the soul anyway.

The Old Ducks Club by Maddie Please is a hilarious and heart-warming story of four 60ish women making changes in their lives because they are just plain sick of the lives they have. For Sophia, the heroine of the story, it means selling her house on Oxford and buying one in Rhodes, and traveling, as well as falling in love. For the others, it means a new love for one; making her husband get out and do things with her for another; and for the third, making her 30ish children move out of her house and take care of themselves. It all began when Sophie rented a house in Rhodes for a month. The other three arrived the next day and rented the house next door, and drank and partied in the hot tub until 3 am. Sophia was very put out so the next day she determined to go over and ask them to stop. Instead she joined them. They called themselves the Old Ducks Club and she became firmly a member. Their landlord was called Theo and the second night he came over and asked them to stop. And so began a very entertaining two weeks for the members of the Old Ducks Club.

This was a very entertaining book, full of woman talking about the things women talks about: you know, the first morning the husband of the married one called to say he couldn't find clean pants. They drank, they saw the sights, they shopped. She fell in love with Theo. But, it wasn't like it had been before. This relationship made her feel strong and independent, not the opposite of those things like others had. She learned about a co-dependent relationship and saw she had been living in one, but she knew she was done now. It was a coming-of-age novel about a 60 years old woman and it was wonderful. This is a book all women, 50-90 should read and learn from. Plus, it was funny. I wholly recommend it.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of the Old Ducks Club by Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #netgalley #theoldducksclub

I loved the characters in this book. Sophia is a great heroine. She is a likeable and admirable character, who it is easy to identify with despite the fact she is double my age. She comes across as someone who is guarded, a little lost but also fun-loving and loyal.

As soon as we met the Old Ducks, I could sense that these were going to be a formidable and feisty group with a huge dollop of girl power. I wanted to be in their group! I loved reading the scenes of them lazing in the hot tub, drinking prosecco and laughing at each other. It really lifted my spirits.

There are so many gorgeous descriptions in the book which give it a lovely, escapist feel. From the food, the scenery, to the boat trips and the landscapes, it really does give the reader the sense of being in Rhodes too.

On the surface, in many ways, this is a light hearted and fun novel about friendship, romance, independence and holidays. However, there are some really important topics also discussed, including identity, self confidence, the battle with loneliness and the need for being ‘selfish’ in order to establish self-care and distance yourself from absolute twerps like Lucien. In this sense then, it is beautifully written and the rawness and honesty with which the author writes actually made me quite emotional at times.

Theo, as a complete opposite to Lucien, makes a great hero. He too, has his own concerns that make him a realistic character, but overall he is caring, giving and protective, which is exactly what Sophia needs. But when Lucien turns up realising he’s been an idiot, who will she choose? This section of the book definitely had me hooked as I needed to find out the outcome!

Overall, this has been a thoroughly enjoyable, thought-provoking and uplifting read that I would recommend to fans of Milly Johnson and Judy Leigh.

Sophia was going to be 60 and didn't recognize the woman she was, and that is what led me to want to read the book. I think a lot of women think that way, and I am one of them. Sophia decided to go on a holiday to Rhodes, and it was there that she met Juliette, Kim and Anita, who were in their 60s too. They were the Old Ducks Club and wanted to feel alive again, have fun, and were there for two weeks. At first Sophia wanted nothing to do with them, but it wasn't long before she joined them in the hot tub, drinking wine, and having fun hanging out with them.
Sophia didn't like the man next door who owned the houses that her and her new friends were renting. As she got to know him, and it seemed like since meeting her three new friends, she had allowed her mind to open and accept new things. Sophia was liking the person she was becoming. She was coming alive and living life again.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

Ok-where can I sign up to become a member? These 3, now 4, friends have a connection that is simply marvellous. Although, I must say that they are all far from old. There's so much life, love, laughter and sheer zest for life that they'd put women half their age to shame!

This is such a lovely story of new beginnings, new (and old) friendships, and discovering what's really important in life. Each of the women have very distinct personalities, and following their collective and separate journeys was a delight. Add a wonderfully considerate and somewhat gentlemanly bore interest for the main character, as well as the most glorious location and descriptions, and you have one of the nicest ways to spend a few hours.

When you read this book you need to be prepared to be envelopes in the beauty of Rhodes, it’s a perfect escapist read.
Sophia travels to Rhodes and soon comes across three neighbours who refuse to grow old gracefully and just want to have a bit of fun while they can.
It was a wonderful, heartwarming story, mixed in with some very funny moments that keeps you engrossed right until the very end...

Thank you Netgalley, Maddie Please and Boldwood Books for the ARC of The Old Ducks Club. This is my personal review.
I read the synopsis of what the book was about, and I really thought it would give me few hours of escape. I was a bit disappointed that it did not give me the fun escape I was looking forward to. I just could not get into the characters to even feel much of anything for them. I did love the setting of the book but not much else.

Thank you NetGalley, author Maddie Please, and Boldwood Books publishing for giving me a free arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
4 stars
If you are looking for your next summer vacation/beach read look no further, this book is for you.
This story swept me away to Rhodes, Greece as well as the descriptions of food and scenery.
Sophia was perhaps the character I took to the most. She was a well developed character and demonstrated so much growth and self awareness as the story progressed. I loved the concepts of the Old Ducks, which were a supportive group of women who vacation together when they want to escape their lives in the UK. I enjoyed all the entertaining situations Sophia and the group found themselves getting into during their time together in Greece. The night club scene was the best!
Theo was an interesting love interest for Sophia! I appreciated how much she was willing to let herself enjoy a friendship with a man rather than jumping right into a romantic relationship. I loved all their day trips around Rhodes. These scenes were full of breathtaking details that made the reader feel they were really there.
Lucian, Sophia's slimy ex, made me so angry whenever he made connect with Sophia! But I was glad to see her step back from the toxic relationship with him and find what she really wanted out of her life even if it meant starting something new at 60. The writing was well done. I also enjoyed seeing an older character find a fresh start and plan for the rest of her life that will bring her happiness. It just goes to show it is never too late to start anew! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to those who are looking for some light hearted summer vacation escapism! I can't wait to read more by this author!

This book took me an absolute AGE to read. It just was not my cup of tea which is such a shame as I really wanted to enjoy it. The main character was stuck up and really rather boring as all she kept going on about was that she hoped she gets friends and her life gets better but honestly it was such a long winded novel. Half the time I just wanted to skip the chapters.

Such a shame!

What a lovely read!
I loved how the character of Sophia evolves during the story, and especially enjoyed the idea that your new life can start at any moment, even on your sixtieth birthday.
There are some laugh out moments, but also occasions to think about what it means to really live your own life, not just let it "live you".
Maddie Please is a new author to me, but I will certainly look out for other books of hers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Old Ducks Club would be a lovely beach or vacation read. The setting in Rhodes, Greece, the description of the food, and the scenery, are enticing and bright. This is the first book by Maddie Please that I have read. I found her writing style to engaging and I loved that Sophia was on the verge of 60.

When Sophia needs to get away from the end of a bad relationship, she heads to beautiful Rhodes, Greece to escape. There, she meets the vibrant Old Ducks who are old friends and are living life to its fullest while escaping from their own lives back in the UK. After a rough start, Sophia embraces the group and the supportive connection they provide.

This book is funny and light. Sophia's relationship with ex Lucian and new beau Theo is not the whole story. The story is more about Sophia's own transformation. Thank you, NetGalley for the Arc. I just reviewed The Old Ducks' Club by Maddie Please. #TheOldDucksClub #NetGalley

This book is described as a laugh out loud story and I couldn’t agree more. I was transported to the Island of Rhodes which I last saw with a group of girlfriends in the mid 80’s. This virtual trip was equally glorious.
It’s refreshing to read about women ageing with style, not so much growing old disgracefully but you get the gist, I’m sure. Although I’m not yet in my sixties, I’m certainly over fifty, and still have plenty of mischief in me.
A few days shy of her sixtieth, sees a devastated Sophia pack her bags and head to Rhodes for a month-long break. Betrayed by her married lover, she is determined to finish editing his latest book whilst enjoying the sunshine. She doesn’t expect to encounter noisy neighbours or a gorgeous admirer.
The Old Ducks are former university friends Juliette, Kim and Anita who have remained close and have no intentions of allowing life to pass them by. They are the perfect tonic for Sophia’s heartache and the soon welcome her into their special brand of high jinks.
This is a truly heart-warming story which certainly kept me hooked until the end. The Old Ducks are easily identifiable as I think most women have examples of these kind of friends. I certainly do. It was a pleasure to see Sophia cast off the burden of her past life and discover that it’s never too late to make a change.
Of course, Sophia needs to find closure from her former life to allow herself to move into the potential that the future holds for her. The chance to confront her selfish former lover brings more hilarity as she is able to see him in his true colours.
I thought this book was an absolute treat and will certainly recommend it to like minded women.