Hattie, oh Hattie you are not alone. but thankyou for making us smile.
Nancy has bought us a warm and funny read. one that has that ability to weave wit throughout. but also somehow get to the heart of the matter and also the heart of us readers.
the big changes in life can feel hard. in this current culture where fake videos is always we see online from curated individuals. where people always seem to just show their "Best selves" and often not even their real selves. it has never felt more like the world is moving in and when you arent that feels like the loneliest places to be. you see everyone else has it together and you don? yeh, it can be and feel tough.
i think if you have children so much of yourself and life morphs into just being for them. when they leave then you are left with who are you? with a partner its now just you both, do you even like each other!? and on your own it can really feel like you are free or it can be scary as hell. neither is right or wrong. and once again we are reminded what importance there is to have support systems. always having those around you who care, those who will navigate times like this with you. and if you are with a partner to always reach out to them.
what Hattie's mum got up to added another layer of warmth. my own grandparents didn't even know what i meant when i said "click the close button" when talking of the internet never mind online dating. i dont even want to walk the bridge of imagining if my own mother would want to do dating apps. i might regress into a weird teenager about it no matter how supportive id like to be!
Nancy has done such a beautiful job of making us laugh but also making us a little cry cry too. and adding them gem that is Meredith was a star of an idea. she was awesome.
there is so much kindness and care written in Nancy's characters. like she was writing for them but also for us. it was a sincere and beautiful read. one that makes you smile from the inside out and somehow feel comforted and like someones there for you if only to write it.

My Big Fat Empty Nest was a warm, funny, and surprisingly relatable read about motherhood, change, and figuring out who you are when everyone around you is moving on. Hattie’s emotional spiral over her daughter leaving for university felt both chaotic and painfully real, while Meredith’s internet dating adventures added plenty of humor and secondhand embarrassment.

Beneath the comedy, the story carries a lovely message about rediscovering yourself in midlife instead of getting stuck in everyone else’s journey. A charming, lighthearted read with heart, humor, and a lot of “please don’t let my mum download dating apps” energy.

This book was so unique and I'm really grateful for the opportunity to read it! I really enjoyed all of the characters but I especially loved Hattie. As a mom myself who hasn't quite reached this phase of life, it was easy to imagine how hard these moments are as parents and how hard you have to work to remember who you are as a person when your child leaves home. I think her journey was emotional but full of grace and I loved the connection her and her husband maintained throughout the book. Oh, and Granmerry Meredith is an absolute gem of a character!!!!

4.7 A refreshing and delectable read that brilliantly captures the emotional roller coaster of motherhood, and of womanhood through a multigenerational portrait. The character arcs of the secondary characters alongside Hattie's own growth were the cherry on top.

I absolutely loved this book! Raced through it in a night!This was my first time reading a Nancy Peach book and it wont be the last! I cried with laughter at some parts during this book but I also cried as well. Knowing at some point my daughter who's my best friend will move out!
I want to be like Meredith, she honestly cracked me up with her escapades. I loved the library part as I work in a library and see it all! A library isn't just about books any more it's a community, a safe place. I felt the book portrayed that well.
I loved all the characters and I saw myself in Hattie in so many ways!
Highly recommend

My Big Fat Empty Nest is one of those novels that wraps you in a gentle, knowing hug while also nudging you to laugh at the sheer chaos of life’s transitions. Hattie, at forty‑seven, is teetering on the edge of a new chapter she never quite prepared for, and there’s something wonderfully relatable about the way she unravels—messily, tearfully, and with a sense of humour she doesn’t always mean to have.

Her daughter Layla’s calm, capable glide into university life only sharpens Hattie’s own wobble, and the contrast is both funny and quietly touching. And then there’s Meredith, Hattie’s mother, diving headfirst into online dating with the enthusiasm of someone who has absolutely no intention of reading the warning labels. Watching Hattie try to hold everyone else’s lives together while hers feels like it’s slipping through her fingers gives the story its warm, lived‑in charm.

What I loved most is how the book balances comedy with genuine emotional depth. Beneath the mishaps and mortifying moments is a tender exploration of identity—who we become when the roles we’ve clung to shift, and what it means to start again when everyone around you seems to be doing it better. Nancy Peach writes with a light touch, but there’s a sincerity threaded through every scene that makes the humour land even more beautifully.

It’s a cozy, heartfelt read about letting go, starting over, and finding yourself somewhere between your grown child’s independence and your mother’s romantic escapades. Warm, witty, and quietly reassuring, it’s the kind of story that leaves you smiling at the messiness of it all.

With thanks to Nancy Peach, the publisher and netgalley for the ARC

This book was literally like I’d written it myself. A story of a mother whose best friend has always been her daughter. The heartache of your best friend and only child growing up and needing you less and having to reinvent yourself. I felt it on all levels reading this book. It also gave me a lot to think about in how I deal with some things.

My Big Fat Empty Nest is a warm, witty, and deeply relatable look at a life transition that doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how emotional—and transformative—it can be. Nancy Peach captures the mix of humor, loss, freedom, and rediscovery that comes when the house suddenly gets quiet.

Through candid reflections and laugh-out-loud moments, the book explores what it means to redefine yourself after years of focusing on raising a family. There’s honesty here, but also a refreshing sense of possibility, as new routines, relationships, and perspectives begin to take shape.

Insightful, funny, and genuinely comforting, My Big Fat Empty Nest is the kind of book that makes you feel seen while also reminding you that this chapter can be just as full as the ones that came before.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC.

I ATE this book up! I finished it in one sitting! Such a fun freaking book. So realistic and relatable book. This book follows Hattie a forty something woman that has become a empty nester as her daughter is heading off to university but she is also now supporting her mother who is a widower. I enjoyed reading Hattie's journey . I feel like a lot of people could relate to this book. 10 out of 10

This was such a fun relatable book about that life after everyone flows the coop. I was laughing relating and enjoying every minute. You will too

My word—I consumed this relatable, realistic, and reassuring novel within 24 hours of receiving it! I’ve come to truly appreciate authors who write for “women of a certain age” because… that’s me. Stories like this reflect a season of life I’m living right now—one that often feels overlooked in favor of younger, more glamorous narratives. 💛

My Big Fat Empty Nest by Nancy Peach was a FIVE STAR read for me and my first experience with this author. I genuinely don’t know how I’ve missed her until now, but I’m so glad that’s changed—I’m already looking forward to reading more of her work!

Hattie, a forty-something on the brink of becoming an empty nester, is navigating one of life’s most emotional transitions as her daughter prepares to leave for university. At the same time, she’s stepping into a new role within her family—supporting her recently widowed mother after the loss of her father a couple of years earlier.

This “sandwich” stage of life felt incredibly familiar to me. It doesn’t arrive all at once—it builds quietly. You’re still raising your children, and suddenly you’re caring for your parents too, noticing small changes and shifting roles you weren’t quite ready for.

As Hattie moves through this shift, she begins to see her parents’ relationship more clearly than ever before—the unspoken strain, the imbalance in responsibility, and the emotional weight her mother carried for years. Now, for the first time in decades, her mother is learning how to live for herself again… and while Hattie worries, her mother is unexpectedly thriving. Her newfound independence—including a very active social life—leads to a few surprising (and at times humorous) moments along the way.

At the same time, Hattie’s own household is in transition. Her daughter struggles to find her footing at university, and her husband seems increasingly absorbed in his own world. Feeling untethered, Hattie takes a part-time job at the local library—what begins as a small step toward reclaiming herself quickly becomes something much more meaningful.

When budget cuts threaten the library, Hattie finds a renewed sense of purpose. With growing confidence and the support of a diverse and loyal community, she helps lead the effort to protect a place that has become a refuge—not just for her, but for so many others.

This was, without a doubt, a FIVE STAR read for me. I couldn’t put it down—not just because of the story, but because of how deeply it resonated. This stage of life can feel isolating at times, but this book reminded me that support is there—we just have to reach for it. And sometimes, in doing so, we find ourselves showing up for others in ways we never expected.

Thank you NetGalley, Nancy Peach, and Hera Books for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful novel ahead of its June 18, 2026 release. It was an absolute pleasure. 💛

Loved this book so totally realistic and relatable to any midlife woman myself included
Told in such a humorous witty frank down to earth way that totally epitomises the lot of a midlife woman also known as the sandwich generation
Trying to juggle elderly parents, menopause, empty nest syndrome and so much more.
Hattie demonstrates so aptly the struggles of losing your identity when your children fly the nest, parents age, relationship woes and dealing with the menopause
Letting go, managing change and enjoying the new version of yourself gives hope to the readers that you can come out the other side stronger than ever!
Thank you NetGalley for this early read