This was a fun read, with a lot more twists and complications that I thought it would have! While I enjoyed the back and forth between the husbands and wives (before and after (trying not to spoil!), I could have done without the F bomb being dropped so frequently. This is one of my pet peeves when I read a book - mainly that I can understand when language plays an integral part in the scene, but overuse of any foul language just doesn't sit well with me as I feel it takes away from the storyline overall.
That being said - I loved the message the Padma's character relayed as well as Hector and Brenda's characters (which once you read it, you'll understand is doubly interesting due to their character "traits" let's say?). I would recommend as it was a fun read overall and I LOVED that the author answered ALL of the questions by the close of the book! Thanks for that Sue Hincenbergs!! And thanks to NetGalley for this unedited proof version ~ 4.25 stars (only taking away for the language).

What a fun story!

A group of friends, long married and a little tired of the spouses conspire to rid themselves of their mundane lives. What they don't know is that the husbands have a plan and the wives have a plan.

Without giving anything away, this is a fun story with a few chuckles. There is a little sadness to the fact that all the couples have been married for decades and are now looking for ways out of their marriages.

I loved the humor in this book and that it didn't take itself too seriously. The various viewpoints as we get to know the backstory of character is so well done. I was intrigued to know how one of the storylines would play out (but I dont want to ruin anything) and I loved the underlying bit of mystery. I love books like this and I am so glad I read it!

Okay this was fun. I saw this recommended if you loved Sylvia’s Third Act, which I did, so I had to read it. This was like The Golden Girls meets Desperate Housewives and I loved it!

I found this book by Sue Hincenbergs a darkly funny, twist-filled debut novel that blends cozy crime, domestic suspense, and razor-sharp humor. Three lifelong friends—Pam, Nancy, and Shalisa—are staring down a bleak retirement after their husbands lose their savings in a failed investment. When one of the husbands die in a crash, one wife cashes in on a massive life insurance policy, the other wives get the bright idea to hire a hitman to off their husbands to cash in on their policies. What they didn't know, the husbands have the same idea. The drama! The tea is piping hot!

Thank you to NetGalley, William Morrow, and Harper Collins for this feel good ARC!

This book is well plotted with strong characters. I enjoyed the pacing as it kept me fully engaged until the end. This is a great summer read.

The Retirement Plan is a rather tongue in cheek mystery that serves a mix of lighthearted and dark humor.

Pretty silly but entertaining enough. I wouldn’t recommend buying but if you stumble upon it, it would suit you well on a vacation.

Darkly funny, twisty, and full of scheming spouses. When their golden years start looking grim, these wives go full rogue to collect on their husbands' life insurance. But the husbands? They’ve got a backup plan… if they can survive long enough to use it.

This one was WILD—in the best way. Twists, humor, revenge… I ate it up! Definitely a favorite.

Sue Hincenberg’s The Retirement Plan is a cheeky, feel-good gem that combines witty dialogue, genuine heart, and just the right amount of sass. Its playful take on second-chance beginnings and reinvention makes for an undeniably charming and addictive read. I couldn’t help but cheer for these characters as they leap into new chapters of life with humor and boldness. A delightfully uplifting escape that’s perfect for readers craving warmth, fun, and a reminder: it’s never too late for a fresh start.

Have you ever been married long enough to imagine what life might look like if your husband suddenly passed away…. and what you’d do with the life insurance? Yeah, me neither 😅… but the characters in this book certainly have. What they didn’t expect, though, were the schemes their husbands were secretly cooking up on the side. Because in this story, everyone is hiding something.

I loved how the author balanced sharp wit with suspense, unexpected twists, and even a touch of romance. While the plot feels far from anything that would actually happen in real life, that’s exactly what made it so quirky and fun. And honestly, every character here is just morally gray enough that they seem to cancel each other out, in the best way.

*Thank you to Sue Hincenbergs, William Morrow and Netgalley for the digital copy. I am freely leaving my honest review.

The Retirement Plan is an absolute delight—a fun, lighthearted read packed with misadventures, misunderstandings, and laugh-out-loud moments.
The high jinks are nonstop, making it hard to put the book down. The misunderstandings between characters add a layer of charm and chaos that keeps the plot moving briskly. The characters were quirky and lovable, and their antics made for a super entertaining escape. Definitely a feel-good, fun time!

Fast, funny read. I actually thought this was very enjoyable and quite different than most other books. Highly recommend

This one surprised me. It's cozy, funny and full of twists.

Cozy mysteries often rarely surprise me with their twists. They're nice to read but not always full of suspense and the mystery factor can be low. But this book reminded me of "The Thursday Murder Club" series with its heart, mystery and banter,

I think the last quarter drags a tad bit too long but I enjoyed reading the book (I don't want to give anything away). I'll be checking out more from the author, who is also in her sixties like the characters.

Thanks to Netgalley & William Morrow for the e-copy!

This was such a funny cozy mystery! This story follows a group of four best friends who are now 60 years old. They love their husbands, but they also are sick of their lives and the dead end they've all approached. The four husbands are also best friends and had a failed investment that left all the couples without any retirement funds. The husbands have a plan, but so do the wives. This was a comedy of errors type of book and so fun. I also loved Elmer the dog! I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves The Golden Girls or Finlay Donovan books. Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for this eARC.

The Retirement Plan offers a clever premise with a mix of suspense, dark humor, and a touch of satire that makes for a mostly entertaining read. Centered around a group of retirees who band together in a surprising scheme. I enjoyed most of the characters - each one is a retiree and I felt there was enough backstory to make their motivations believable. Some witty, dry moments that were fun. The pacing starts strong and is intriguing. About halfway through, some twists felt a bit far-fetched and it started to fall flat. Overall, it is enjoyable and a little different than your normal crime/mystery.

This book just kept getting better! I honestly didn’t see some of the twists coming. This was such a great book and I loved the ending

So many characters! Four couples who’ve been lifelong friends, their kids and partners, the barber and his wife, Padma who runs the casino, her mother, the matchmaker, Padma’s many dates… and I’m probably still forgetting someone. Padma’s storyline didn’t really connect to the main plot—it felt like setup for a future book.

That said, if you enjoy a light and humorous mystery, this is a fun and entertaining read. I’m looking forward to reading more from this author..

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

It's giving Good Girls x Golden Girls. A fun read!

Thank you, NetGalley and William Morrow, for the ARC.

This was very enjoyable.

The characters were amazing and a great amount of detail. The backgrounds were all there. From their relationships to their marriages and all the in between.

The story itself was a little predictable but still very enjoyable. A few laugh out loud moments as well.

Definitely will recommend

Thank you NetGalley for the copy

This book was kindly provided by Netgalley for my honest review. I loved the women in this book. Even though they were flawed almost to the point of being unlikable (they did want to kill their husbands), they were all incredibly fun to spend time with. It was fun to watch how things played out and to see everyone's rationale for their behaviors, even the husbands, who were arguably not the best spouses in the world. Hector, the barber, was a wonderful and complex character. And the ending was fantastic. The way that everything was tied up at the end was amazing. I would love to read more by the author and hope that she comes out with something again soon. I would definitely recommend this to any of my woman friends (especially those who, like me, are middle-aged).