The Silver Ladies Do Lunch

by Judy Leigh

Join me in Middleton Ferris in Oxfordshire to enjoy a story of friends.

Meet the Silver Ladies—four ladies of a certain age: Josie, a widow of only one year; Lin, married to Neil who is devoted to her regardless of her lack of culinary skills; Minnie, the Doc Martin wearing, single, retired professor; and Cecily, their former teacher who taught them the importance of friendship.

Look in on all their childhood friends who still, along with many of their children, populate the little town.

Listen in on their opinions.
Cheating men: “all men who cheat are pigs.”
Charred food: “It’s burned to a cinder.” “I like my food well done. It’ll be all right—with ketchup.”
Unwed mother: “When will people learn that a pregnant woman is not a target for gossip? It’s a baby we’re talking about here.”
Passage of time: …everyone was so much older now, yet time had passed so quickly and she felt no different. It didn’t make sense.
Aging: “I hate getting older…there’s so much prejudice about aging—and so many problems.”
Friendship: “A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.”

Relish the way their attitudes about friendship overflow the little group to affect so many other likable characters in the small town from Odile who runs the café to Dangerous Dave, the accident prone mechanic and his daughter Florence who was deceived by a charmer.

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch has a lot of characters, but the important ones rise to the top. Relationships and circumstances tie them to the more minor characters as various threads emerge. When the author switches to a different thread, the reader becomes anxious to find out what happened to the characters in the previous thread. Never fear! Author Judy Leigh will not leave you hanging for long. I love the way she skillfully provides tension by alternating storylines.

This is my first read of this author who has written many books about women of a certain age. I will return for more of her stories that provide both depth and humor.


I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 4/5

Category: Women’s Fiction

Notes: Standalone

Publication: 6/2/2023—Boldwood Books

Memorable Lines:

Miss Hamilton read clearly, her voice comforting, and all around the classroom eyelids grew heavy, faces puckered with smiles as everyone drifted into a wonderful world of imagination and hope, where friendship was everything.

The first scent of dusty pages and old tomes or the inhalation of a crisp new book made her heart race, and she was ready to delve inside and fill her head with the knowledge stuffed between the pages.

The sight of the Thames twisting into the distance always thrilled her. Minnie liked unfathomable depths; it was like knowledge, it intrigued her, there was always more waiting to be plumbed, to be discovered beneath the smooth surface.

I wanting this book to read like and episode of The Golden Girls. Alas, it did not. It was a light comedic book with cute "old lady" characters, but was lI had trouble connecting to any of them or their quirky stories. That said, it was a quick read. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

"Friends show their love in times of trouble,
so we share lunch as friends."


It's a quote shared with this group of friends by their favorite teacher in primary school, Miss Hamilton. She was a breath of fresh air in the stagnant school house, and while they were originally dreading their prospects for the year, she turned their frowns upside down in a hurry, while creating memories and habits that would influence a lifetime. Meeting her then was fortuitous, but meeting her once again many (many!) years later was a blessing in disguise...as was "meeting" this "class"...

It's a tale with multiple storylines that all intertwine in some fashion, but it works. You get to know Josie as she's celebrating her anniversary...solo, thanks to life's cruel swipe of fate...but stalwart in belief that keeping her beloved in her heart will help keep her in love through the coming years. We greet Lin as she's burnt her other half's birthday dinner, and, like the Shania Twain song, he pretty much says mmm, I like it like that. They've been together forever, but she's recently had reason to worry that maybe all isn't quite as it seems. Being introduced to Minnie was like greeting a best friend. She understands the beauty, wonder, and power of the written word, loves nothing better than to escape between the pages, and won't be told how she feels..."...a romance takes two people, Felix, and you are just one...". These ladies have a lot of ups and downs about to come round, but one things they can always count on is each other. The bonds of their friendship run deep, and come heck or highwater, they will be there for each other.

Honestly, I've loved all the books I've read thus far from this author, and this one is no exception. The characters are further in years, but that doesn't negate the story or the experiences...they just have more life under their belts, wisdom to share, and laughs to be had! I felt inducted into the 'Silver Ladies' group, and honored to meet this wildly amazing trio, as well as the rest of their community that end up being honorary members by story's end. There's a lot of heart and heartache, but you can bet everything will come out tip top if these ladies have anything to say about it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read/review The Silver Ladies Do Lunch by Judy Leigh in exchange for my honest review and opinion. This is a lovely read that makes you feel warm and happy. I loved it and love anything by Judy Leigh.

When I am looking for a fun, entertaining story containing mature female characters, I know I just need to pick up a Judy Leigh book. The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is a story of three friends who went to primary school together and are still friends 60 years later. They all took different routes, with Josie now a widow, Lin marrying another classmate and getting ready to celebrate her 50th anniversary, and Minnie who became an academic, teaching at Oxford and never marrying. They still meet up for Lunch regularly to share what is happening in their lives as well as their concerns where they offer advice and support. They are in a bit of a rut, when their teacher, Miss Hamilton shows up in their village with her purple mobility scooter and sense of adventure. Will she get the women to leave their comfort zone.

This was another fun story by Judy Leigh. I loved learning about these women and their lives. Being a widow in my 60s, I enjoy reading about women who don't let the grass grow under their feet and still enjoy life. We all have doubts as these three do, but is is great to see them support one another and be willing to try something new. This book is character driven and what wonderful characters Judy Leigh has developed. They are women I would like to be friends with. They have the normal flaws (jealousy, doubt, loneliness etc.) which just makes them more realistic and relatable. This one didn't have the wild adventures that are in her other books, but it was still a wonderful story with themes of friendship, following dreams, family, and living life to the fullest. If you like books with women of a certain age, then I recommend you pick up The Silver Ladies Do Lunch.

When Lin, Josie and Minnie left Miss Hamilton’s class at Middleton Ferris County Primary School, sixty years ago, they could only dream about what the future had in store for them. The one thing they knew for certain was that their friendship would thrive. Now in their 70’s these friends still have each other’s back. When Miss Hamilton suddenly reappears in their lives they are all happy to welcome her. Josie still hasn’t accepted her husband’s death, Lin hope her marriage makes it to their 50th anniversary and Minnie has toured the world and is visiting her friends. I love this book and the fact that the ladies are older and have much insight into life. I hope it will become a series. Many of Ms. Leigh’s book have older main characters.

I have read other books written by Ms. Leigh and have always enjoyed them. This was no different. It's an engaging book with relatable characters and well described scenes.

Judy Leigh’s books always leave me feeling hopeful, inspired and happy and her latest charming novel, The Silver Ladies Do Lunch, is no exception.

Lin, Josie and Minnie had met at primary school in Miss Hamilton’s class sixty years ago. A lot has changed in the intervening decades, however, the one constant for all three women has been their friendship which has sustained them through some good times and bad. The last couple of years have certainly posed plenty of challenges for the three of them. Widowed Josie is mourning the loss of her beloved husband who died suddenly over a year ago and left her heartbroken and devastated. Lin is about to celebrate her fiftieth wedding anniversary, but she cannot shake off this feeling that all is not right with her marriage as her husband has started keeping secrets from her. Finally, Minnie has dedicated her entire life to her job in academia, but as fulfilling as her life in Oxford has been, with no family of her own, she has started to wonder whether it’s all been worth it.

The three of them are at a crossroads and wondering what the future holds, when Miss Hamilton – who now insists they call her Cecily – glides back into their lives. Cecily might be ninety, but she is full of spirit, vim and vigour. Still looking wonderfully graceful and elegant, Cecily inspires them to stop wallowing in the past and to embrace the future because life is for living and with good friends by your side, the world is your oyster and nothing is is impossible.

Judy Leigh gets it right every time! The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is a fun and feel-good read that is just terrific. As always, Judy Leigh’s characters are real women facing problems and issues we can all relate to and sympathize with. Lin, Josie, Minnie and Cecily are flawed, human and complex characters readers will cheer on in their quest for happiness and fulfilment and they are protagonists who will leap off the page and straight into everyone’s heart.

A fabulous tale about enjoying life, friendships and not letting age dim one’s spirit, The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is another winner by Judy Leigh.

How utterly refreshing to read a book that is based on older charcters. I am in my 50's now but could absolutely resonate with all the main charcters.

I loved this story, i thought it was fun and funny and highly entertaining. Gread read, keep them coming!

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch by @judyrleigh

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“Friends show their love in times of trouble, so we share lunch as friends.”

The Silver Ladies are a group of friends who have stayed friends since primary school. Lin, Josie, and Minnie. Who regularly catches up and has lunch at Odile's Cafe. (Love that Odile is an anagram of oldie 🤣)

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch follows the lives of Lin, Josie, and Minnie. But, also, we get to know the other characters who live in Middleton Ferris. A small community where everyone has grown up together. I could relate so well to the relationships and goings on in Middleton Ferris. Purely because I'm from a small town, I've kept in touch with my school friends. And, we basically all still live and know everything about each other.

Judy Leigh has a great knack for bringing a community to life through her words. There are so many characters to get know in the story, but it's so easy to keep track of what's going on. You actually feel like you are a resident of Middleton Ferris.

I loved getting to know everyone. Florence's story and how she deals with her issues with the help of Adam. Oh dear Lord, everyone needs an Adam by their side. Dangerous Dave, Neil, Fergus, and David, the list of people I could talk about, is endless. And I enjoyed being a part of their lives.

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is a great story, and characters show resilience in the face of troubles. Friendships are at the heart of the story.

"A good friend is like a four-leaf clover ; hard to find and lucky to have."

#thesilverladiesdolunch #rararesources #bookreview #booktour #bookrecsofinstagram

Judy Leigh seniors are always a pleasure to read and I hope to become like one of them. i loved these ladies and loved this story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book was a little bit slow to get started for me. But once it got going, I was pulled in and loving the “silver ladies.” The endearing friendship of these ladies was fun to experience and I loved seeing them bring new faces into their group. Each of the characters was dealing with different aspects of life. You experience so many emotions … from loneliness to finding true love. There are a lot of issues being handled within the lives of this special group, including a possible marital affair. I loved seeing how the community pull together to help one of the young women in their town without judgment. And her father’s support was a pleasant surprise. This was a a warmhearted look at how we can work together as friends and neighbors … making a difference in lives by being gracious, positive, and caring. I ended up really enjoying getting to know all of the characters and hated when the book ended and I had to say good bye.

Thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

This is a cute cozy read about friendship community and belonging.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book in return for a fair and honest review.

As with many of this author’s books, it’s a pleasure to read a book with middle aged to senior characters. Minnie, Josie and Lin have been friends since elementary school. Living in a town with most of the people they went to school with creates a special bond. There are the usual misunderstandings and gossip when a town is so close knit. Heartwarming characters in a lovely story, creating a true sense of friendship. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Judy Leigh has given another book using the older ladies who have been friends for over 50 years. This takes us through their lives , but in a fun way, they go through all the things that we all do as we age. They make the most of their lives with fun and laughter , enjoying every moment that they can. Great read, one that I will be re-reading later. 5 stars.

What an absolutely heart warming story about lifelong friendships set in a wonderful community in a delightful village. The central characters are strong but gentle who support each other through life's ups and downs as well as supporting others in need. This was such a great story that I would save and read again

This one was a great read for those who love the Golden Girls. A group of older ladies share lifelong friendships. Really cute.

The Silver Ladies do Lunch is cute. I expected a Hallmark movie type feel, and it was undoubtedly there, but I also felt like it could have been a bit shorter. It dragged a bit in the middle and felt like many things were over or unnecessarily described. At times I found myself skipping a few sentences at a time to continue to pick up the dialogue. It's a great book to pick up if you want something light and fun that doesn't require a lot of effort to follow.

This book was adorable and would be absolutely perfect for a book club. I think a lot of people will love this one!

And yet another great book by Judy Leigh and one I thoroughly enjoyed. This is the way I want to live, the friends I want and so it transports you on a journey with these three wonderful women.

This is a book of fun, humour, craziness, friendship and of course memories. It is so well written you just sit back and go for a ride, you laugh, you cry, you gasp. It is that kind of book. I just couldn't put it down.

And having loved Judy Leigh's previous books I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. These books are for the young at heart, those who want to live, love and enjoy life and to always remember the gold old days! Wonderful!

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. A