I love reading about people who are navigating the second half of life, so to have a main character in her 70s who runs an apple farm and business---sounded great. And there's a supporting cast of olders, which should have been perfect. Jeannie, who is divorced, lives with her mother and twin grandchildren in a sweet small town in rural England. The grandkids are about to leave for college, and Jeannie is tired. She's at a place in her life where she's not sure what to do. The business is too much; she's exhausted, but even the attentions of a new and compelling suitor can't bust her out of her rut. In fact, by the end of the book, I was frustrated with her dithering, and at the end, the decision is made for her, so the character arc isn't ideal. The author has a gift for descriptions, and the activities of the town centering on the orchard are interesting, but everything is written in a way that distances the reader from feeling attached. I wished I could have been more emotionally moved by the story--there was so much potential--but the author's style is to tell us what happened to the characters, without us feeling involved. So a mixed rating on this one.

This new to me author cracked me up through the whole novel! Now mind you, this book was funny especially when Aurora kept saying "bonked." Just that one word lol.
This novel was also about 2nd chances, friendships and finding love at any age!
Here's a favorite quote from the story;
"He'll have changed quite a lot," Danielle told Aurora. But then Aurora came back at her with this one;
" Maybe, but so have I. Maybe love is so powerful though that it lasts through storms and distance and passing years?"
I believe that it does.
I truly enjoyed this novel! It was hard NOT to laugh in some places!
Ruth kinda got on my nerves but once you got to know her she was alright. She sort of "grew" on me

I always enjoy Leigh's character rich stories of older women, but really just about friendship, love and living life. Focused around the women of a small book club and the village cider farm through one year full of change, this is one of her best.

This is another warm and uplifting read from Judy Leigh featuring a good mix of generations but especially five women in particular who are all struggling with love in their own way. Based in a village situated near a cider farm which is owned and run by 72 year old Jeannie who is long divorced but kept busy not just looking after the farm but caring for her mother as well as her teenage grandchildren she fails to consider her own needs. Aurora has never been in love since her teens and has compared all relationships since to that and all have been found wanting, Danielle has just separated from her terminally unfaithful husband who she still has to work with, Ruth has just never been lucky in love and Verity loves her husband but hates the man he has become. The women are all members of the local book club and a trip to France together deepens their friendships as well as providing plenty of adventures. Judy Leigh does a great job of giving these women a voice and I liked how each woman had a happy ending in their own way.

Many thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this novel. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. This book is due to be released on December 6, 2022.

As the story begins, we meet seventy-two-year-old Jeannie Sharrock. A lifelong resident of Combe Pomeroy, she runs her family’s orchard and cider business. Divorced from her philandering husband years ago, who has since relocated to Spain, she now lives with her ninety-five-year-old mother Violet, and her teenage grandchildren who stay with her while finishing up with school after their father, Jeannie’s son moved to Spain with his wife. Jeannie has a lot on her plate and does feel overwhelmed but tries to shoulder all her responsibilities with a smile on her face. She enjoys meeting up with her book club at the local library, hosted by Ruth, the librarian and retired university admissions officer who moved to Combe Pomeroy eight years ago. Ruth is lonely and yearns for new experiences, Verity is experiencing trouble in her marriage to Mark, Danielle is dealing with the breakdown of her marriage after her husband’s infidelity and Aurora still nurses a broken heart from decades ago. When a discussion on The Hunchback of Notre Dame leads to a short trip to France, the ladies of the group find some respite from their own troubles affording them time to ponder over their current lives and gain perspective on what they want for themselves in the future. Once back, each of them tackles their problems with a renewed zest, making changes with support from one another. We follow Ruth, Aurora, Verity, Danielle and Jeannie through several ups and downs, misunderstandings and celebrations, making up for missed opportunities and finding new ones, proving that you’re never too old to make new friends, find love or go on an adventure!

The Golden Oldies’ Book Club by Judy Leigh is a heartwarming novel about love and friendship, community and companionship, and of course how the love for books and reading can bring people together. I loved the flow of the narrative, the small-town setting and the cast of interesting characters. Violet is an endearing character whose love for telling jokes (some of those puns were hilarious ) results in some amusing exchanges with her daughter and her great-grandchildren. I also enjoyed the literary discussions among the members of the reading group and the heated exchanges between the misogynistic male participant and the female readers made for some interesting moments. Overall The Golden Oldies’ Book Club by Judy Leigh is a lovely heartwarming story that left me with a smile on my face. Perfect for those wanting a light feel-good read!

The last Judy Leigh book I read, The Highland Hens, made me sob. We’re talking proper ugly crying kind of sobbing. It was beautiful and gorgeous and lovely and everything positive, but man did it make me cry. Luckily, this one didn’t make me cry…I’m not sure I could have coped with that again.

Now this is only the second book of hers I’ve read so this may not be the case for the others, but for these two, I love how she puts older characters front and centre. She’s not afraid to make them the stars. Older people, particularly women, tend to be shoved to the side and made invisible. But these women are unapologetic and I love it.

I developed an apple allergy a number of years ago, and I don’t always miss them, but the description of the cider making and the apple orchard just sounds so lovely. I could smell it and remember the taste, I was so jealous of these fictional characters.

This one was a slow burner for me. It was pleasant enough, well written, well rounded characters, but it didn’t grab me quite as quickly as the last one, but it did soon win me round.

I didn’t get on with the scenes set in France - there was nothing wrong with them at all - but I definitely preferred the scenes set in Somerset. It just felt more homeless to me, probably because I’m a homebird - I’ll take rainy, snowy, foggy cold England over hot, sunny, sticky foreign climates any day.

Whilst it’s good throughout and I liked it for the most part, but by the end, I was absolutely loving it. And it has such a beautiful ending, for everyone.

I’ve always liked the idea of being part of a book club but I’m not sure I could cope with the inevitable arguments, I get very protective over books and authors that I like, but it would be a good way to discover books you wouldn’t choose otherwise….much like book Twitter has been.

I adore Judy’s work and she seems like such a lovely lady, and I can’t wait to see what she brings out next.

Last year at this time I read The Golden Girls’ Getaway by Judy Leigh and loved it, it was my first foray into this author’s books. I was really happy to get this one from NetGalley and Miss Leigh did not disappoint. I don’t know what it is but I just adore books with ladies of a certain age, who don’t act their age and are sometimes up to no good…in the best way possible.

This was such a hoot. In this one, we have Jeannie, Ruth, Aurora, Verity, and Danielle and we go through an apple farm season with them all. They go on a trip to France, enjoy their book club, work at their various jobs and deal with their families and neighbours all while trying to have a good time. I think my favourite character was Jeannie’s mother, Violet, she is ninety-five, feisty and fun and let’s not forget her jokes. (I love a good pun!) The characters in this book are relatable and the situations they find themselves in are true to life.

I loved this village and would love to live there and be neighbours with these ladies. I would so join that book club and give Matt a piece of my mind while I am at it. What I think is the best part of this book, or what I took away from it was the fact that female friendships are important, never act your age, and you’re never too old to try something new or find new love. This was the type of book that you want to hug when you’re finished reading it. My last review of this author stated I wanted to read more of her works and the feeling holds true after this one.

An enjoyable book,not really a page Turner, describes each character on its own a nice relaxing afternoon read,

This book is the definition of a warm hug, a warm cup of tea and a cozy blanket all wrapped into one.
This was sweet, free of gore/violence and a nice break from my more intense thrillers.

I absolutely love this authors books so I couldn’t wait to start this one. This was such a lovely read and made even better by the fact that it also featured a book club. I couldn’t put it down and read it in practically one sitting.

This author writes about real people and relatable issues and writes about the older age group warmly and with sensitivity and captures them perfectly and within her stories shows that you are never to old for love, second chances or starting again. There was a perfect mix of humour and seriousness and the characters were easy to warm to and their personalities emanated from the page and was easy to picture what they would be like in real life.

As always in this authors books there was also a sense of community and camaraderie between friends. This was the perfect feel good and uplifting read

Thank you netgaley for the arc of this fabulous read which comes out on 6 December.

There's nothing better than curling up with a warm cup of apple cider and reading a book like The Golden Oldies' Book Club by Judy Leigh. This is a lovely holiday read.

Synopsis:
The heartbeat of Combe Pomeroy is Jeannie Doyenne, owner of the local apple cider farm. The community is a big part of Jeannie's life, and she has many friends. In addition to caring for her very spirited, hilarious 90-year-old mother and her teenage grandchildren, Jeannie also needs some loving care. Has she finally reached retirement age? What is in store for her future?

As Jeannie and her friends navigate life in Combe Pomeroy, readers will enjoy the cozy atmosphere and humorous banter. It is a time of change and friends are put to the test. The year includes a French exchange trip with the book club and a number of glorious farm celebrations. Will some of the friends finally get the love they seek?

A fun reading atmosphere is created by the characters. The book is free of graphic violence. If you love books that leave you feeling warm and happy, this is the perfect story.

The Golden Oldies' Book Club is available on December 6th.

Thanks to Judy Leigh, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me. Your kindness is greatly appreciated!

@BoldwoodBooks @BookandTonic #TheGoldenOldiesBookClub @RachelsRandomResources, @NetGalley #NetGalleyReviewer #Blogtour @judyLeigh #JudyLeigh #JudyLeighBooks

This book was sent to me electronically by Netgalley for review. Enjoy…fiction at its best… talented author…quirky characters…