Delighted to include this title Novel Encounters, my column highlighting the month’s most anticipated fiction for the Books section of Zoomer, Canada’s national lifestyle and culture magazine. (see column and mini-review at link)

3.75/5
Okay, but I was totally digging the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort! If this great sense of community is what I have to look forward to in my 70s, I'm all in! I love the vibrant lives these friends have created for themselves! There was just so much love!

Through dual timelines with flashbacks, we follow Hannah's journey as she builds a life, finds love, and forges fierce friendships.

I was in tears as I finished Palm Meridian. I couldn't have imagined just how much Hannah's story would affect me. Just like real life, this book is full of love, joy, friendship, and heartbreak, and I can't believe it's over.

"Hannah felt herself smile.
She'd had so much fun being alive."

Read this if you like books with:
• Fabulous friendships
• Dual timelines
• Reflections on life
• Florida vibes

Many thanks to @avidreaderpress for the complimentary copy! Thoughts and opinions are my own.

Hannah has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. She is having a party on her last day of life before she goes to her appointment at the hospital to end it all the next morning. At this party she is hoping to have one last chance to see her one true love whom she hasn't seen in 40+ years. The invite was sent out, but will Sophie show up? With every other chapter shining light on her past, we get a look at what led Hannah to where she is at now... waiting and hoping.

What I loved: The author did a fantastic job of describing time and place. I really felt connected to where the characters were because of the author's descriptive writing style. It was really lovely and well done. The writing was great.

What made this a three star read for me: The story itself didn't fully grab me and it took me longer to get through than I would have thought it should. The ending was the pivotal moment we were all waiting for and, though it was impactful, it felt like it took too long to get there.

I believe this is a debut and I'm keeping this author on my radar for sure! Overall, really touching read that may have you shedding a tear at the end.

I loved the premise of this story, but it wasn’t what I was hoping for. The author’s writing style is very descriptive and filled with over-the-top wacky metaphors. I think it was supposed to be funny, but it frequently felt overdone and exhausting. I rolled my eyes more than I laughed.

I liked the strong friendships, but I found most of the characters either too silly or overly dramatic. For characters who are supposed to be full of life and aging vibrantly, they seemed overly fixated on sex, gossip, and frivolity. I wanted to experience their joy, but this wasn’t a form of joy I could relate to.

The main conflict seemed to be about something that happened among friends decades ago, but I didn’t see it as significant enough to cause such an uproar. And I can’t conceive of someone pining for a lost love for 40 years without ever attempting to reach out to that person. How could you love someone so deeply and never call, write, or text? And have these people never heard of social media?

The story is told in a dual timeline (one covering the main character’s last day at a retirement resort, and the other spanning decades of her life) that built tension. The ending was sad but sweet. I’m sure some people will love this novel, but it just wasn’t for me.

This might appeal to fans of women’s fiction or stories centering elderly queer women and strong friendships.

I received a free ARC via NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.

PALM MERIDIAN is a bountiful book filled with so much life, fantasy and alternative families that it is difficult to pinpoint the genre. The book is packed with well-placed reflections on mortality and the joy of life. Author Grace Flahive has created characters that jump off the page and take up residence in readers’ minds. As our main character, Hannah, prepares for her planned death, her friends, lovers and neighbors prepare to celebrate her in one final party. The year is 2067 and much about her world is decidedly different than present day. Yet the humans who populate this world are as relatable and real as any today. As the party begins, readers learn about Hannah’s life through flashbacks. This is a gem of a book that raised questions I continue to reflect upon. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A retirement community consisting of queer women in Florida 2067 plan a party for resident Hannah. Fun and spirited the party will be the perfect final goodbye to Hannah. She has disclosed she has terminal cancer and wants to end her life her way with dignity.

As the guests arrive, reflections of her past are revealed. She has remarkable accomplishments in her life. A successful business she co-owned with her childhood friend, Luke. Despite its success, the one longing desire is to see the love of her life again. The longing is palpable. Sophie was sent an invitation, but she hasn’t returned the rsvp. Time is running out.

Equal parts heart wrenching and heartwarming. This creative and fresh take on romance is packed with emotion as well as humor. I’m looking forward to the next book by Grace Flahive.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an early copy.

🌴 New Book Release 🌴

🐊Palm Meridian🐊

In 2067, with Florida partly underwater, Palm Meridian Retirement Resort remains a lively haven for women enjoying their later years. Residents dance, compete, and live boldly despite age-related aches.

Hannah Cardin, a ten-year resident, is preparing for a medically assisted death after a terminal cancer diagnosis. Before it happens, she throws a wild farewell party, inviting friends and her long-lost love, Sophie.

As the party unfolds and Sophie’s absence looms, Hannah reflects on her life and their past romance. But when a hidden secret emerges, Hannah must rethink her final choice.

Set over one day and spanning decades, Palm Meridian celebrates life’s unexpected, vibrant moments.

This book was such a different story with the assisted death topic. I was surprised death wasn’t more of a topic, but only once is it talked about as the story offers flashbacks to the earlier years of Hannah’s life.

I loved reading about not only Hannah’s life but her close friends as well in both the past and present. So many lovable side characters, but that plot twist at the end of the book threw me! Never saw that plot twist coming!!

My only complaint is that I wish the chapters were longer so we would stay in the past longer so there wasn’t as much back and forth!

I also enjoyed that the setting is dystopian. I’m confused as to why this was done, maybe because of the assisted death being legal in Florida when today there are only a few states with legalized assisted death. Overall, I definitely recommend this unique queer story.

4⭐️
1🌶️

Author: @graceflahivewrites
Publisher: @simonandschuster
Out today!!!

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @graceflahivewrites for sending me this e-ARC for my honest thoughts!

The year is 2067 at Palm Meridian, in Florida, a retirement home for lesbian, trans and bi women. One such resident is Hannah who after a fatal diagnosis has chosen to end her life. This is her story flipping back and forth between present day and important events in her existence. Building up to a big farewell party,as raucous as her, with loving friends and a few secrets.
There was so much enjoyment in this community living in the shadow of drastic climate change. Watching nature taking back Florida and the changes in lifestyle was always on my mind. Even though it was an end of life it managed to be joyous
Thank you netgalley and Simon & Schuster for this arc

This is a book I will remember for quite a while. It is one of the best I've read this year. Events in this book take place over a single day interspersed with snippets from the 70+ years of the main character's life. By the end, I felt as if I knew every character and was on the emotional ride they experienced that day. I found myself completely invested and anxious as more was revealed. The storyline is unique and the writing is full of vivid imagery. I highly recommend this and look forward to what other works come from this author.

I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Palm Meridian is a retirement community for queer women in northern Florida - the only part left in 2067, after the rest has succumbed to rising waters and climate change.

Hannah, a resident there for the past ten years, is planning the party to end all parties for herself and her friends because, well, she is dying. In fact, after receiving a fatal cancer diagnosis, Hannah has decided the day on which she will die - the morning after.

Told over the course of one day in the present, as Hannah and her wild cast of friends prep for the shindig, interspersed with stories from seventy odds years worth of highs and lows from her exceptional life, we wait along with the gang for the arrival of Sophie.

Sophie was Hannah’s one true love.

But as the morning draws nearer and a forty year secret is revealed, Hannah has some difficult decisions to make.

There’s a lot of humor and hope in this big hearted tale of what it means to love, to give over to the unexpected and relish in it.

I found it to be a little over the top and repetitive at times, but Hannah is the most winsome character, and I fell in love with her. Ultimately it will break your heart, but isn’t that what it means to love?

I saw a review that said, “This book emotionally destroyed me and I’ll be crying for the foreseeable future,” and that’s right on the money. Thanks to Avid Reader Press and Simon Audio for the gifted copies — I’ll be sending my therapy bills to you this week.

Quick summary because the cover is a little deceiving: Set in the year 2067, the book takes place over the course of one day at a Florida retirement resort for queer women — the last day of Hannah’s life. After receiving a terminal cancer diagnosis, she’s decided on a medically assisted death, set for tomorrow. It’s a day of preparations and celebrations as her friends throw her a great big beautiful end-of-life party.

The story moves between scenes at the party and flashbacks from Hannah’s past. The structure works so well — the current-day chapters are hilarious and tender, even though they’re set at her pre-death party. The flashbacks aren’t overly sad, though they do explore some tough moments in her life.

I loved this book. Most of it is actually delightful — funny, touching, full of joy — but the last few chapters are devastating. It’s a book about finding joy in life as it’s ending, and there’s something so beautiful (and so profoundly sad) about that. If you’re looking for something unique, quick, and emotionally resonant, give this one a shot.

Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive is a captivating and heartwarming tale of rekindled love, enduring friendship, and the richness of a life well-lived, all set against the vibrant backdrop of a Florida retirement resort. This delightful summer read promises to engage and entertain, inviting readers to explore the complexities of relationships and the joys of second chances.

This Canadian-born author's debut features rich, descriptive language; deep love of multiple types; unabashed joy; heartbreak; betrayal; and a bit of regret. Main character, Hannah, is an accomplished scientist, stemming from her lifelong desire to fix things. Climate crisis is a major theme of the story, which is told during one day at the end of Hannah's life, bolstered by flashbacks of 70-plus years. The supporting cast of characters includes Hannah's parents, who were academics; childhood best friend/later business partner, Luke; college-and-beyond friend, Esme; love of Hannah's life, Sophie; and various staff and residents of the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort—itself practically a character—in which Hannah lives after she retires, including a married couple: small Eileen and tall Eileen. The Florida resort residents are living their biggest lives—under horrific circumstances—right up until their very ends.

It's not surprising, given the environment of the story, that it includes dark—even morbid—humor, as well as a touch of self-deprecating humor. LGBTQ representation includes *at least* lesbian, bi, and trans folks.

I became so invested in the storytelling of Hannah's life that Palm Meridian made me cry. Thus, I awarded the book two little rating bumps, just during the time it took me to review my highlights and notes.

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.