It's 2067 and Hannah is living in a retirement community for queer women in a mostly climate- change-destroyed Florida. However, that is where the dystopian aspect of the book ends. Hannah has chosen to end her life after a cancer diagnosis and is throwing a huge party the night before. The book alternates between 2067 and the stages of Hannah's life. I was expecting more laughs from this book but in a lot of ways the 2067 queer retirement community felt like a fairly unimportant part. This book about lost love could have been set in the present day with very few changes.

Thank you Avid Reader Press for this arc.

I'm getting older and thought that a book about 70 somethings in a retirement home bravely living large and facing old age would be affirming. Instead I'm afraid I find this book a little depressing.

The book starts well but I kept losing interest in the chapters focusing on the past and the more of these that showed up, the slower the pace of the book seemed to be. I like parts of it but just not enough to keep going. DNF

Unfortunately this one was not for me. The concept sounded intriguing but from the beginning I felt like I was thrown in the deep end with no bearings. I like an unusual premise, but I'm not the audience for Palm Meridian

Let’s talk about Palm Meridian, a book that came in with a disco ball, a death date, and an introductory letter from the editor that basically whispered “hey babe, what if climate collapse was real but so was joy?”

And for most of this ride? I was OBSESSED. Like, top books of the year, screaming-from-the-rooftops, tell-all-your-friends level obsessed. I wanted to move to this weird, wonderful queer retirement utopia immediately. I wanted to high-five every podcasting lesbian on the lawn. I wanted to live in this book and never leave.

The writing? Stunning. Whip-smart, tender, funny as hell, and so full of heart it made me ache. Grace Flahive’s voice is it. The residents of Palm Meridian were technically retired but spiritually feral, and I loved every minute with them. The community, the friendships, the weird little rituals and deep, simmering love between women who have lived—YES. Inject it.

BUT THEN.

Something happened in the back half of the book - a major plot point that made me want to bite a pillow and scream. I wanted to love this book unconditionally, and I came so close—but that one frustrating choice left me emotionally frayed and a little bit feral.

And the ending? Still got me, even if I was side-eyeing it through my tears. Flahive knows how to hit a note bittersweet enough to punch you in the teeth and kiss your forehead at the same time.

Despite the rage (and oh, there was rage), I still adored this book. The joy and heartbreak and community and queerness of it all—the sheer hope of imagining a future where we don’t fade, we flourish? I’d read ten more set in this world. Tomorrow, preferably.

If you want a book that makes you laugh, cry, want to start a commune, and scream “WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT” into the void—welcome to Palm Meridian. Thank you to Avid Reader Press for the free ebook to review.

I've heard that books featuring lesbian love with characters over fifty are not great sellers. I don't see why not. The "Palm Meridian" cast will make you eager to retire at the old folks' home in Florida, complete with golf carts and apocalyptic weather as a backdrop.
There is a lot of emotion here that follows Hannah's life from the start. She has always lived an exciting and interesting life full of love. Her time at the "Palm Meridian Retirement Resort" is no different. As her loved ones gather to throw her a "going away" party (she's set to die the next morning), we meet a line-up of friends that runs the gamut from ex-lover to sensitive young employee. The star of the show, however, is Sophie, the love of Hannah's life. They haven't seen each other in a while, but Hannah's sure she'll be there.
As I said, lots of people, lots of emotion, and a person's entire past. It works, and it's the type of book you don't often get to read. I appreciated the silliness and acknowledgement of elder sexuality, but sometimes the writing was too much, trying too hard. I don't think most people will have a problem with that. I hope this is a best seller!
#NetGalley

Palm Meridian is one of those quietly stunning debuts that sneaks up on you and stays with you long after you’ve finished it. Grace Flahive writes with such care and precision. Her prose is lyrical without being showy, and the emotional undercurrents run deep.

The setting is so vivid it almost feels like a character itself: sun-soaked, a little dreamy, and full of subtle tension. I really appreciated how Flahive lets the story unfold slowly and naturally. It’s not about big twists or drama, but about the small, intimate moments that shape who we are and how we relate to the people around us.

The characters felt honest and real, and I found myself thinking about their choices and relationships even after closing the book. There’s a quiet confidence to the writing that I loved. Flahive doesn’t over-explain, and it makes the emotional impact hit even harder.

If you’re into character-driven stories with poetic writing and a strong sense of place, I highly recommend picking this one up. I’ll definitely be looking out for whatever Grace Flahive writes next.

***Thank you to the publishers on NetGalley for my eARC. My thoughts are my own and are based upon a pre-published iteration of the book.***

Let me start by saying that I really loved the premise of this story. It sounded so funny, and I was eager to start reading. Once I started, it felt so slow that I wasn't looking forward to picking the book up.

I did keep reading and I think this book just wasn't for me. Funny at times but the writing just didn't stick with me and ultimately fell flat to me.

Thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for a copy of this ARC.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

I was drawn to this book based on the plot. It was unique, and I especially loved the setting—a retirement resort in near-future Florida is such a cool place for a book to take place. Unfortunately, I struggled to get through this book. While it was not a bad book, I did not connect with the characters or the pacing.

This book was not for me, but I am sure it will find its audience.

*2.5*

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was alright. I genuinely had a hard time connecting to the writing and the characters, and I had to force myself to read at some places. I love the concept and it had an interesting dark humor that helped, but overall, it just didn’t keep my attention.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author, for an ARC of this book, in exchange for an honest review.
The premise of the book drew me in but once I started reading it, I just couldn’t get into it at all.
I wish the author, publisher and all those promoting the book much success and connections with the right readers.

77-year-old Hannah is throwing a party the night before she's due to die. Everyone from her queer retirement resort, her oldest friend, and (hopefully!) her long lost love, will be in attendance.

Told in back and forth time jumps from Hannah's last day and back to important periods and events of her past, Palm Meridian is a beautiful novel about love and friendship. The writing was lush and lovely (though to this America reader it was a bit jarring for a novel set primarily in the USA/Canada to have British spelling for words like tire/tyre and maneuver/manoeuver).

A darkly hilarious, unapologetic celebration of life and friendship, this book paints a world where Disney has crumbled and unpredictable storms are the new normal.
At its core, it’s a story of taking chances when time is running out.

Hannah, a resident of a vibrant retirement community for queer folk in Florida, is facing her final days with congestive heart failure. She decides that she will throw the ultimate farewell party before her pre-arranged appointment for medically assisted death. Her friends rally around her, indulging in every last cup of coffee, ignoring sunscreen (because why bother when cremation awaits?), and embracing the raw beauty of their decades-long friendship.

With biting wit and an unfiltered lens, the story unpacks the joy and heartbreak of saying goodbye. It is a fiercely real tribute to love, friendship and living on your own terms.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avid Reader Press for the chance to read this debut novel by Grace Flahive. It was full of personality and such a fun read.

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley. It takes place in 2067 in Florida when part of the state is submerged in water, mail delivery is sporadic, and so is electricity. I enjoyed reading those elements intertwined with Hannah and her retirement home lesbian friends getting in a party mood as she has a farewell to life party since she's going to be euthanized tomorrow. All of the different feelings assail Hannah as she hopes that her long-lost love Sophie will come to the party. As the timeline jumps back and forth we find out about the extraordinary life Hannah had. A joyful book despite the sadness of her terminal cancer.

“What Hannah and Sophie were feeling wasn’t new to them. They’d simply only now found it. Here you go —- this is yours. It always has been.”
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Palm meridian is a retirement home for queer women set in future dystopian Florida, where the state is halfway underwater and similar issues arise all around the coastal America. It is Hannah’s last day on earth as she has been diagnosed with terminal cancer 3 months prior and has decided to go forward with assisted euthanasia. On her last day on earth, her retirement community throws her a party and she decides to invite her life long best friend she hasn’t seen in several years as well as her first love that she hasn’t seen in over 40 years.
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Palm meridian is full of eccentric queer older women, they never have a dull moment in their lives and reading about them I felt my heart was so full. This book grapples with age and the inevitable looming of death over you and all of your loved ones. It also deals with love and the complications that come with it. The story line is split between modern day (Hannah’s last day on earth) and a timeline of Hannah’s life leading up to her living at this retirement community.
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If you want you’re heart pulled out and stomped on, this is a perfect book to pick up. It is definitely giving a beach read vibe but with a gut wrenching ending. I got hooked the last 40% and could not put the book down until I ended it.
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My only qualm with this one is the dystopian underwater Florida thing wasn’t really fleshed out and probably could have had this book without any of that detailing. Maybe it was to talk about the current crisis our planet is in but that wasn’t discussed either, just felt a little out of place.

Such an unusual premise! It is 2067 and Hannah has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She has had a good life, but also one full of heartbreak. She decides to throw a party on her last day on earth and celebrate with her friends. Will the celebration be threatened when her childhood friend shows up, harboring a secret? The story alternates from present day to decades earlier as Hannah experiences her professional successes and great love. I think readers looking for a bittersweet and hopeful read with a creative plot will enjoy this.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

This book was simply phenomenal! I loved the premise, the frantic energy, the grasping of it. It was a remarkable character study and they were all such fully fleshed out people! The plot was heartwarming and heartbreaking all at the same time and I dearly loved Hannah. It was not able to be put down and i voraciously tore through this story. It was absolutely magnificent!

DNFed, really great concept but the writing style wasn't for me unfortunately, a bit too fluffy/cutsey in terms of language. Too slow to get going as well. I think a lot of people will like it but just not to my personal taste.

Palm Meridian is heartfelt and bittersweet debut and I really enjoyed learning about the characters and setting in the retirement home. The focus on the bittersweet parts of life, death, love, friendship, and family was well done in my opinion.

The pacing was slow for probably about the first half of the novel, it took a while to get into the story but I quite enjoyed the exposition of the different characters at the retirement home and in Hannah’s life. So I can forgive the slow start. It was worth the despite some of its weaknesses as it was overall a fun read.

Okay I'm getting sick of writing "it's not you it's me" on my reviews, but once again I'm afraid I have to... I was so drawn to the concept of this one, it sounded sweet and endearing and fun and quirky. I loved the cover art, and thought this would be a quick and easy read. Unfortunately I struggled from the very beginning. I just could not connect to the writing style here. I don't really know why, and I'm definitely in the vest minority, but this one just didn't grab me at all...

This was a unique read! Set in a queer retirement home near Orlando in 2067, the book follows Hannah, a successful businesswoman who’s been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She’s preparing for her assisted death but not before throwing herself one last party.

The story jumps between the present (2067) and different points in Hannah’s life, exploring her relationships and career. I really liked the concept, but the pacing felt slow, and I didn’t feel fully invested until about 65% in. Once things picked up, I enjoyed it much more.

Overall, a good read but definitely one that requires some patience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!