Live, Laugh, Leave Me Alone
by Harper Ford
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Pub Date Sep 25 2025 | Archive Date Not set
Avon Books UK | Avon
Description
**Available to pre-order now!**
LIVE, LAUGH, LEAVE ME ALONE is a hilarious and relatable exploration of what it really means to 'live your best life', perfect for anyone who has rolled their eyes at a wellness influencer, and then wondered if they should drink that green juice anyway…
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Lucy is fifty, frazzled and fed up. After spending half her life working, she’s tired, and her idea of inner peace involves a sofa, wine and a takeaway.
But when her boss announces his retirement, Lucy gears up for a well-earned promotion – that is until Tara, her annoyingly perfect colleague, swoops in, dazzling the CEO with her #BossBabe energy and commitment to a wellness bootcamp so hardcore it sounds like a cult.
Desperate to compete, Lucy lies about joining the same program — even though her body feels more landfill than temple. Now she’s trapped in four weeks of ice baths, crystals and green juices… not to mention jade eggs in unspeakable places.
As the wellness madness escalates and rivalries flare, Lu starts to wonder if she actually might be growing as a person – or if that’s just the kombucha talking? And why can’t she shake the feeling that maybe Tara isn’t as perfect as she seems?
LIVE, LAUGH, LEAVE ME ALONE is a hilarious and relatable exploration of what it really means to 'live your best life', perfect for fans of Marian Keyes, Alexandra Potter and Fiona Gibson.
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AUTHORS LOVE HARPER FORD!
‘A gloriously uplifting celebration of middle age. I loved it.’ Katie Fforde
'Bloody brilliant! All the Bridget Jones romance drama with added hot flushes and feminine rage!' Helen Fields
'A hilarious take on the pressure cooker of midlife…I loved it!' Fiona Gibson
'A joy of a book…like a hug from a friend!' Kate Galley
'I LOVED IT!' Amanda Prowse
'Very relatable and a reminder of the power we have as women when we come together.' Jo Middleton
'Blisteringly honest and laugh-out-loud funny!' Aliya Ali-Afzal
'An absolute gem!' Rosie Hannigan
'Like having a rant with your best friend.’ Helga Jensen
'You'll devour it in one sitting!' Annabel French
‘Hilarious, hopeful and relatable!’ Rosie Wilby
'A joy from first page to last!' Catherine Balavage
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READERS LOVE HARPER FORD!
'Harper Ford is back with her no-nonsense, straight to the point writing, It's another hoot of a book!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Made me laugh more than any book I have ever read!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'This will be an important book to many, many women!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Absolutely raced through this irreverently funny, clever and thoughtful book. A whip smart novel with a clever heroine!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘Better than Sex and the City!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A heartwarming and relatable romance novel that celebrates second chances!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘A fabulous, funny five-star read for me!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘It felt like I was listening to my best friend.’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
‘It’s so empowering!’ ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Absolutely brilliant, truly capturing the trials and tribulations of the Perimenopause and Menopause.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Wonderful characters – just ordinary women struggling with everyday problems' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'Brilliant. Heart warming and inspiring, with a sprinkling of wonderful humour too.' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
'I wish this book had been about when I was going through this era of my life!' ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Available Editions
EDITION | Ebook |
ISBN | 9780008763107 |
PRICE | £2.99 (GBP) |
PAGES | 384 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews

Lucy (or as her boss has always mistakenly called her Lucia) is fifty three. She’s the HR Director of insurance firm Beane & Company and she’s alone. Divorced. Her mother, sister and family moved to New Zealand several years ago. Her job has become her life and she is on track for the COO position. On track until her boss retires and a new, dynamic chief executive is appointed. With him comes Tara, new legal services director, expected to become - you guessed it - COO. The race is on. Tara wants the company to feature wellness and she’s going to a wellness boot camp? Lucy will too. What follows is a very funny, part satire, part exposé of the wellness industry that leads to a totally unexpected, satisfying conclusion. Love, Laugh and Leave Me Alone is a quick, delightful read with an endearing character (Lucy) and a somewhat endearing one (Tara). Enjoy! 5 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley, Avon Books UK and Harper Ford for this ARC.

Hilarious & heartfelt, this book had me laughing out loud from start to finish! Lucy's journey is a brilliant, & at times poignant, exploration of what it truly means to 'grow as a person.' Harper Ford has crafted a timeless, hilarious story that will resonate with anyone navigating the absurdities of modern life. This is the perfect read for those who have ever felt the pressure to keep up, who prefer a good book over a bootcamp, & who believe that true inner peace might just be a glass of wine away.

Love the chatty style of writing. Meet a new friend Lucy otherwise known as Lu.
Working hard as HR director, alone since her divorce and her mum, sister and her family emigrated to new Zealand. Seven years since her beloved dad died and still missing him every day.
The CEO announces his retirement, bringing in a new CEO and his sidekick.
Battle between Lu and new director Tara for the title of COO.
Twists as battle lines are drawn but can they see each others good points for the good of the company

Clever, smart and rip roaring laughter is what I got out of this book. It's a relatable look at a woman's life and explores how to get the most out of yourself. I laughed so hard at times that I had to stop or I was in danger of having a accident and no one wants that!

This was such a fun read. It's the perfect read for the over 40's (which I am) and I could find myself agreeing with the main character. I loved the author's writing and I found myself laughing at times. The story was also heartwarming. Overall, a brilliant read that I highly recommend to other readers. I look forward to reading more by the author.
💝 Thank you to Netgalley for the arc ebook copy of the book in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book! I thought it was so funny and filled a void from one of my fav authors Sophie Kinsella. Lucy was such a fun character and I could relate so much to her situation. It was so funny to see her go on this wellness journey and that others peoples lives aren’t always as perfect as we think
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