What a lovely book! Grace Flahive has created a world in the second half of the 2000's where queer retirement community exists in Florida ravaged by climate change. The story revolves around Hannah as she celebrates her last day. Chapters alternate between an hour of that day and a time in her past. The alternate timelines slowly reveal the events and people who led Hannah to her current reality. I loved the characters that surrounded her and the relationships they shared. If you can approach this book with an open mind, you will experience a sweet love story.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster / Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

DNF at 30%. I tried to read this book 3 separate times before deciding it's just not working for me now - if I ever am able to complete it I will come back and edit this review. The book is right up my alley - dystopia?? I generally love that.

The writing in this one is beautiful, and the whole premise is eerie and intriguing.

As so many people have already said, PALM MERIDIAN is a bit reminiscent of Virginia Woolf's MRS. DALLOWAY, especially as Hannah plans her party. The setting of the Florida retirement home and the main character being a lesbian in her twilight years were also big draws to the novel for me. I didn't fall in love with the novel like I thought I might. Part of it could have been trying to read this as the school year came to a close and not having the attention span I usually do. Regardless, we need more queer elders as main characters! Many thanks to author Grace Flahive for writing this book.

The narrative structure of Palm Meridian distinctly reminded me of Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. The narrative centers around the protagonist's party preparation with time jumps to flesh out her life and relationships with the people coming to the party. Perhaps this narrative resonance is not a coincidence, given the themes of queerness and voluntary end of life. While the narrative does center around Hannah, her life and her relationships, there are glimpses of POVs from her friends who are also largely millennials (or younger), queer, and navigating living in a new normal of climate extremes and related decimations. This is the kind of millennial literary work that I hope to read more of in the coming years. One that acknowledges our generation's unique range of decades lived through drastic global societal, technological, and geopolitical transformations, and the specific face of what it means for us to age, have agency in every aspect of our lives, and find meaning and beauty in found families in a decaying civilization. Yet, I kept hoping the author would allow for the supporting cast to be more equal perspectives of a wider range of lives having survived these decades and their unique turbulences. With a setting like this, it felt a bit neglectful to focus on one woman's (privileged) life and regrets of a lost love. I think the author did still manage to tell a very refreshing story of a future ahead of all of us, but narrowed the core scope of it in a relatively tropey love quadrangle way.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! This was a great story set in the future in Florida at a retirement home. It does go back into the past to tell Hannah and Sophie's story. Great feel good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

When I heard the premise for this book I knew I was going to love it. The way all these characters felt so complex but also like real people is brilliant!

I loved every minute of this book and would 100% recommend

This is so creative and quirky and sweet and fun and moving and beautiful. It’s 2067 and Hannah is a resident at Palm Meridian, a queer retirement community in south Florida. Rolling blackouts and loss of signal are par for the course due to extreme weather, so the residents have made their home with each other. Hannah has an aggressive form of cancer and has decided to end her life, so she is throwing a party to celebrate and say goodbye. We follow along as she prepares for the party and reminisces on the great loves of her life.

I read this on a long flight and apparently was scrolling on my iPad so ferociously that I sprained my finger (no lie) so you know I loved it lmao. But seriously, I loveeedd this book. I was sucked in right away. Hannah has such a self-assured voice, and the characterizations are so deft that I felt like I knew everyone already. The writing is so extremely vibrant, the dialogue sparkles, and the parallel timelines really work and are both interesting. I’m always impressed when a book about death can be uplifting and heartwarming, and this book really nails it. I found the earlier timeline way more interesting than I usually do - it was brimming with love and loss and life. Overall, this was a truly joyous read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster - Avid Reader Press for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

PALM MERIDIAN by Grace Flahive is kinda dark?

There’s a then-and-now setup in this book. The now portion is Hannah’s last day alive, and she’s going out with a bang. Recently diagnosed with a terminal illness, she’s throwing a big party at her assisted living home, Palm Meridian. And she’s invited the one who got away: Sophie. But as the night goes on, Hannah wonders if she’ll show up after their years apart — before it’s too late.

After realizing this wasn’t the pool read I thought it was, I switched to audio and listened during one long day of chores and errands. Nothing like pondering life’s mistakes and fragility whilst doing daily mundane tasks, right??? Also the quick listen made me feel like I was a part of the party, since the present timeline takes place within 24 hours.

Thank you Avid Reader Press for giving me access to this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Oh. My. Gosh. This book was a RIDE, and I mean that in the best way possible! It had ups, downs, twists and turns. It was what I was expecting and not what I was expecting simultaneously. I genuinely loved every second of this book though, and honestly want MORE! The characters are hilarious and charming, the plot was steady but had surprises, and the ending just blew me away. This is a book I'm going to be thinking about long after finishing it. I'm so happy I decided to read this, and I definitely recommend it!

The concept of this book was so exciting and unique that I had to get my hands on it. I loved the writing, the constant metaphors might be too much for some readers, but I found it easy to relate to and understand the characters. While this wasn't my favorite read, I did enjoy the story and appreciate the advanced copy!

Set in the near-future when half of Florida is under water, a group of queer elders are living out the rest of their days at the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort. They're basking in the sun, navigating juicy drama, racing golf carts, and finding love later in life. One of the residents, Hannah, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and opted to have a physician-assisted death. Hannah's friends at the resort are throwing her an end-of-life party and Hannah is hoping to see her long-lost love before she goes.

The incredible premise for this book is what drew me in and it did not disappoint. We dive deep into Hannah's past from her childhood, to her successful career, to meeting the love of her life, and finally to the present at the end of her days. The wide cast of quirky characters who made me laugh out loud more than once helped soften the blow of this emotional story. I really enjoyed this one about the spectrum of love, loss, friendship, and the little moments that make up a life.

Palm Meridian absolutely captivated me from the very first line. The author has a remarkable gift for crafting attention-grabbing opening sentences that immediately pull you into the story world, and this book is no exception. I found myself completely hooked from page one.

What I loved most about this novel was the incredible tone the author maintains throughout. There's something magical about how they balance the weight of mortality with such vibrant, life-affirming energy. The writing manages to be both deeply moving and genuinely funny, creating this perfect bittersweet atmosphere that feels authentic to the human experience.

The characters are absolutely phenomenal. Hannah Cardin is such a fully realized protagonist – complex, flawed, and utterly real. Her journey through her final day is both heart-wrenching and inspiring. The supporting cast of residents at Palm Meridian each feels like a complete person with their own rich histories and personalities. The author clearly has a deep understanding of human nature and relationships.

The time jumping structure was brilliantly executed. Moving between Hannah's present-day farewell party and memories spanning decades never felt jarring or confusing. Instead, it created this beautiful tapestry that shows how our past experiences shape who we are in our final moments. The pacing was perfect – each flashback revealed something new about Hannah's character while building toward the emotional climax.

This book celebrates queer love and aging in such a beautiful way, creating a vivid portrait of a community that's often overlooked in literature. It's a story about second chances, forgiveness, and finding joy even in our darkest moments.

A truly memorable read that will stay with me for a long time. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys character-driven stories with emotional depth and beautiful prose. (4.5/5)

In Palm Meridian, time dances in flip-flops and glitter. This radiant novel imagines a queer retirement haven in 2067 Florida, where the tide may be rising, but the spirit never sinks. At its center is Hannah Cardin, facing the end with grace, mischief, and one last hope for love to circle back, even after four decades of silence.

Spanning a single sun-drenched day and a lifetime of memory, this book is a celebration of chosen family, late-in-life joy, and the beautifully messy business of saying goodbye. Bittersweet but buoyant, it reminds us that even on the brink of farewell, life still has room for surprises and maybe, even forgiveness.

A dazzling, heart-soaked sendoff. You'll laugh, cry, and want to call someone you once let go.

Thank you NetGalley for this digital copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Palm Meridian is such a lovely blend of fun and celebration mixed with grief and mourning. While I enjoyed the book overall, it still fell a bit flat in certain aspects.

What I enjoyed though, first off, was the plot. I loved the idea of a queer women retirement home, in the middle of an apocalyptic Florida. Like — hell yeah. I also love loved the back and forth between timelines; I thought Grace Flahive did a wonderful job marrying both parts of Hannah's life together. Also – the prose was beautiful. There was such colorful imagery and almost a lyricism to Flahive's words—I loved it.

I think where the novel fell short, is ultimately were some of the characters. Flahive introduces us to a *lot* of characters (obviously, it's the end of Hannah's life), but with that big of an ensemble, it was hard to get invested in all of them. Even when they are supposed to be incredibly important to her. I also struggled with staying engaged for parts of the novel—mostly in the early hours before Hannah's party and a bit in the middle.

I have mixed emotions on the ending as well; aspects I thought were done well and then others I felt were rushed.

Overall though, I am excited to see what else Flahive writes + I did truly enjoy reading Palm Meridian.

3.5 stars but rounded to 3.

Real Rating: 4.25* of five

The idea that people born in the 1990s will be retiring to (surviving) Florida in 2067 feels...exuberantly optimistic...but I'll go with it. More especially I'm thrilled at the notion of the right to die being well established in this future, and the existence of queer elder spaces is just ordinary, and hell! sign me up!

Of course I'd be well into supercentenarianhood in 2067, the year the book's set, which ya know what, maybe not so much, thanks anyway.

The point of this story is satisfying to me, the way at the end pf life one wants to take stock and to see what can be fixed among the innumerable errors we've made. Sophie, our PoV character's "one that got away," is invited to Hannah's end of life celebration. We see their relationship in flashbacks, which does not add suspense in the usual way...we know the relationship collapses...but does make Hannah's desire to see Sophie again before she chooses to escape the awfulness of her end-stage cancer more impactful.

It's really moving in a quiet, contemplative way. Wrenching losses remembered, not lived through in real time...choices muffed, but long ago...people loved and cherished for an entire lifetime who only know the event we're reading about and the actors in this present resolution as names, or as their survivor selves. It's poignant, it's moving, and I think it's done very well indeed.

It is not a Big! Dramatic! Finish!

I wouldn't've liked the read had it been so. I did very much wish I'd felt the flashbacks into Sophie and Hannah's early relationship in the 2020s had somehow sowed seeds for their world of 2067. I get just how spoiled a readerly reaction that is, yet as it is the flashbacks don't do more than tell me how awful the two people were in their youth. It isn't all that interesting, that point, and the net result is to take more away from the effect of the read than add to it.

I'm not at all trying to discourage you from reading the book. I hope you will because the imperfect future ahead of us is so hopefully presented in Hannah's story. It's got lots of problems, but when has the world not had problems? Have you not yet had enough of doomscrolling?

If so, come to Palm Meridian, settle in, and be told that the world will muddle through, that we will manage somehow to lovve and care for each other, and make it work as best we can.

Thank you to Netgalley and Avid Reader Press | Avid Reader Press / Simon & Schuster for an early copy of this book in exchange for a honest review. I loved this book and read it in one day! I loved the storyline and the characters. I thought the characters had great growth. I would definitely recommend this book.

Palm Meridian ticked all the boxes for me. I am always looking for a great bookclub recommendation and I believe this will be one of my favorite this year. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I know I was not disappointed. I laughed, I cried, I was transported to the Palm Meridian as I read this book.

If you knew you only had one night left on Earth, I can’t imagine a better way to spend it then a blow out party with all your best friends, except maybe sending also an invite to who got away that you never fell out of love with. Who knows if they may show up?

This debut novel is beautiful: equal parts hopeful and heartbreaking. I turned the last page with tears in my eyes and joy in my heart. A lovely book about friendship, love, and saying goodbye, I can’t recommend this one enough!

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

While this is a story that covers tough topics like terminal illness, assisted suicide, and the one that got away, PALM MERIDIAN is also a tale of queer elder joy

I LOVED this from the jump!! It was hilarious, it was gut wrenching, and it made me hopeful that in all of the world’s chaos, there are queer elders who make it to their 70s and 80s. I look to this dynamic in the future so I can see and be one of those elder queers

I could (and honestly might) write an essay about this book on my Substack because of how invested I am in the future of queer elders and queer elder joy, since this post can only be so long. Thank you SO MUCH to Avid Reader Press for giving me an e-ARC of this. It’s probably my favorite read of the year so far 💕💕

I was very intrigued by the premise and loved how this kicked off, but at some point my excitement for this book began to wane. I made it to about 35% and while we've been introduced to many characters in both timelines, I feel like not much has actually happened. I started to have to make myself pick the book back up because it wasn't holding my interest. After a few attempts, including trying the audiobook, I decided not to force it. Maybe I'll pick it up again one day and it will hit differently, but I am DNF it for now.

Thank you for the opportunity to read and review this title.