Lizzie was an army child. She went on to marry an army officer and believed a life or routine and order would follow. But after 34 years of, relatively, happy married life she received the bombshell that her overweight, balding husband was leaving her for a Polish woman 20 years her junior.
Within a month Lizzie was single, penniless, about to be homeless and very, very angry. It was also becoming obvious her mother was fast heading towards full dementia. The stability and help that Lizzie had hoped to give her aging parents was heading out the window, along with her husband’s clothes and possessions.
After the sale of her home, Lizzie moves into the spare room of her daughter Lucy’s flat. A situation somewhat complicated by Lucy, at the same time, setting up a sex party business. For the next six months Lizzie shared the room with condoms, sex toys and champagne. When life could not seem to be any stranger, Lucy then decided to sign her mother up on Times Encounters, an on-line dating service. And then the fun really began.
It was time of chaos, laughter, tears and a lot of very interesting encounters.
Review
I've really struggled with this book. There was certainly chaos and some laughter but overall I just found it terribly depressing.
I believe the book is partly based on the author's own real life experiences and at times that came through, as the detail was so real it had to be taken from real life. That for me was the problem, it was just too real. If you have ever met or cared for someone with dementia you may wish to read about it in a book covering the subject but not in what purports to be a laugh a minute novel.
Lizzie has been married for 34 years when her husband leaves her for a younger woman in a very harsh and brutal way. I did enjoy some of the revenge she exacted, but most of it came over as a long moan about her circumstances. Justified moans I agree, but just boring and unsettling to read about.
Meanwhile her Mother's behaviour becomes erratic and it was obvious what her diagnosis would sadly turn out to be. Some of the events that are described made me want to cry rather than laugh out loud. Once Lizzie began online dating things got a little more comedic.
Overall I found the writing style to be a little long winded and brusque. Almost like pages from a diary.
I'm giving this book 3 out of 5 stars. My thanks to netgalley for the ARC to review.
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