Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up: The Funniest WTF AM I DOING? Novel of the Year (Confessions, 1)

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Join her for more laugh-out-loud lessons to be learned,truths to be told, adventures to go on and joys to discover. The first Confessions book was one of my favourites of 2021. It was so original and I absolutely loved it! So I squealed with excitement at being given a copy of the sequel. From that late urge to want motherhood to dealing with the beginnings of Perimenopause, friendships becoming fragile as everyone is dealing with their own issues and realising you might not actually have it all together, despite being closer to 50 than before. The author has done a stellar job in conveying these social issues through humour and I end this review with one line from the book -

More Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up" by Alexandra Potter is an absolute gem that had me hooked from the very beginning. Having thoroughly enjoyed the first installment, I was eager to dive into Nell's world once again, and I can confidently say that this sequel did not disappoint. Potter's portrayal of Nell, a never-married, childless, forty-something podcaster and obituary writer, is both hilarious and relatable. Nell is our forty-something protagonist, she represents so many women, in our different ways. She is intimidated by the yummy mummy brigade, she isn’t proficient at yoga, hates air-kissing and high heels. These character traits tell me she is definitely one of my tribe. Told in a diary style format by Nell (first person) be prepared to embrace what everyday life throws at you and how you deal with it . . . . . family,friends,laughter,sadness,gratitude. Then there’s the stigma of not being a mother, which is why Potter was adamant her heroine should remain childless. “Just look at how we talk about Jennifer Aniston, when from the look of things she has a fantastic life. But unfortunately women are measured by that.” Potter says she doesn’t personally mind the constant, casual questions about motherhood, “and I realise why they come up, socially, but I know that for a lot of friends who couldn’t have children those questions can be a trigger”. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love.

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Nell’ faces the dilemma that I, and so many other women arriving childless at midlife face. How the hell do we do this when everything around us has prepared us for something different? I have read all of Alexandra Potter's wonderful novels and not one of them has disappointed. Her writing style is casual, flirty, accessible... her books are an absolute joy to read, delving into the characters' thoughts and feelings in a way that not only has the reader relating to them, but fully empathising with them.

A novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here, and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies. At its heart, it is a love story, but it has many layers. There's romantic love for current partners, past partners, and lost partners, love for your friends, love for your children, love for strangers, and love for yourself. I've said it before that I'm not overly fond of books that talk about the pandemic, as I want escapism, I don't want to read about something I lived through. But Alexandra has found a balance here. She's mentioned it - as anyone would if their book is set during that time - but it's not a main plot point. It helps give context to a few things, but the story would equally be as great without it. May 9, 2023 ] ‘Calm After the Storm’ and other treasures to support your childless heart on Mother’s Day It's still as funny and as honest and as relatable. Bizarrely, I found it really moving. When you get these kind of haphazard rom-coms (a genre I will be trademarking) you expect them to be fun and silly and light-hearted. You don't expect to find yourself crying at them, which I did on several occasions. But not always at the sad bits. Yes, there were sad bits and that made me teary, but the pure hope running through the book is so moving too.Synopsis (It's a fiction book, so it helps…from Netgalley, the provider of the book for me to review.) No Job - not my fault. Had a job. Enjoyed it. Pandemic came along. Lost job. So instead I say I'm a writer, when really I'm a failed author pleading for someone to read my book.