Thank you to NetGalley and Hansson Publishing for an E-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

We meet Helen, Caro and Kay who have reached their 50th birthdays and turn to each other and travel to Cyprus so that each of these three ladies can say goodbye to their first 50 years and come to terms with how they want to spend their next turns around the sun.

While I am not quite at my milestone birthday, I am rapidly approaching my 30th high school reunion and have been attending and planning this same birthday for some close loved ones.

What I loved about this book - we get to see 3 women that through choice and circumstance have arrived at a moment of introspection and despite sharing the past 30 odd years together - their lifestyles could not be more different. I enjoyed the rawness of seeing their feelings on the page and I definitely felt a kinship with one of these ladies.

What I felt discouraged by was I don’t think we really got to see Kay and I am not sure if there was enough transparency and vulnerability among these three best friends to understand how their friendship had persisted. Life is messy. Painful things happen. Friendship can and should be the the thing that keeps gas in our engines and our car on the road - no matter where our journey is taking us.

The Publishing Day is May 17, 2022 and this is the first book of a planned trilogy. If you are a woman of a certain age with a certain number of miles on your odometer - give this book a read!

Helen Winters is turning fifty and celebrating her twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. Helen has always put the needs of others before her own, so perhaps it’s not surprising that her husband, off scaling Mount Everest on his annual three-month “me time” costly junket, doesn’t have much time to spare his wife. Meanwhile, her adult son, still living at home, only wants his dinner on the table.

Feeling low, Helen is eager to accept her friend Caro’s offer to jet off on a holiday to Cyprus alongside their other lifelong friend, Kay. Helen, Caro and Kay each has her cross to bear, and while they soak in the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, they each ponder the life they’ve created, the choices they’ve made along the way, and their dreams for the future.

The story is told through the three women’s perspectives, although Caro and Kay felt a little underdeveloped to me, as did the interactions between these three friends. But the story touched upon many relatable issues and the barriers all three women face to achieving a happy (mid) life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this novel, in exchange for an honest review.

A highly enjoyable read, if at times thought provoking, about three friends who go on holiday to Cyprus. A easy read on the surface but one which makes you think seriously about the role of a woman as she ages, how easy it is to get lost along the way and give up on your dreams and ambitions in favour of pleasing your family.
Probably a book best appreciated by women who are familiar with the situation and can then appreciate the wit and the regrets all the more.
I would be interested in reading the second book in the series if it is published.

I walked into this thinking it was going to be a lighthearted story about three middle-aged ladies on a girls trip but it was so much more. Helen, Caro and Kay have been through a lot - and some of those things have been kept secret for decades.

A trip to Cyprus together is what they all needed…to discover themselves, put their own priorities first and help make some big life decisions. Their trip was full of humor but also some serious, friendship defining moments.

I am looking forward to where this trio heads next - and who may be along for the ride!

Thank you #netgalley for the chance to read #midlifeholiday!

When does a role become an all-consuming identity at the expense of an authentic life? This novel explores the complexities of adult life with some controversial elements that are sure to ruffle some readers’ feathers. I envision lively discussions of these characters choices as a book club reading.

Helen, Caro and Kay have been “best” friends since college although their life paths have taken them in different directions. Now turning 50, each woman is faced with the consequences of decisions they have made. Helen is deeply discontented in her marriage to a selfish, entitled man, accentuated by her children reaching adulthood. Caro, a brilliant financial consultant, has devoted herself to her successful career and discovers how loneliness pervades her life. Kay, a teacher, is on the brink of exhaustion from meeting the needs of her mentally-challenged 22 year old son, her aging parents and her students. When Caro invites her two friends to accompany her on a holiday to Cyprus, the three discover the fault lines in their friendship as well as opportunities for a hard look at their futures.

The book starts off a bit slowly, filling out the back stories of the characters. However, once the trio arrives in Cyprus the action picks up and builds to an emotionally explosive conclusion. There are elements of each woman’s life that I could relate to, particularly the need to reclaim or rediscover the passion and dreams of youth now tempered by hard-earned life wisdom. While there is some humor woven into the story, this is not a carefree, laugh-out- loud novel. It is a thought-provoking exploration of women at a turning point in their lives.

This is the first in a “Midlife trilogy.” I look forward to the next offering in the series.

My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This review is being posted immediately to my GoodReads account and will be posted on Amazon upon publication.

This book takes the reader on a vacation with three long time friends. They have been together through heartbreaks, miscarriages, marriages and divorces. They support each other, although they don't always agree. These women are all going through difficult times and facing major decisions. There are laughs and I enjoyed the enduring friendships but this is no light beach read. It will open your emotions and make it impossible to close the book.

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, Hansson Publishing and by #NetGalley. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A lovely story about friendship, life and love.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

This was a fun reading following Helen and her two girlfriends, all of which are experiencing their midlife crisis, turning 50. Each lady has her own private struggles that they choose to not make public. When her friend invites her for a week vacation to Cyprus, Helen was excited. On this trip we watch as each woman reflects on their life and what they want to change moving forward. For some that is leaving a marriage, having a baby, building their own life outside of caring for others. Each progresses at different paces and have both negative/positive feedback from each other.

I look forward to this series to see how the women progress after this Mediterranean vacation.

This was one of those stories that’s more than meets the eye. Seemingly it’s about 3 best friends taking a much needed impromptu trip. In reality it was so much more. I liked the exploration of adult friendships, marriage and women’s sense of self worth as we age. I binged it in one session and really enjoyed it.