Dee MacDonald Rights delightful stories with engaging characters. This was a book that put a big smile on my face and swept me away into these characters lives. Tess and Orla we’re great characters and I enjoyed spending time with them. This was an upbeat heartwarming tale Full of heart and hope.

Tess and Orla are BFFs and own a dress shop for plus size women. Test the size she needs to make some changes before her daughter’s wedding including losing some weight and finding a date. Tess and Orla join a shady dating service and go on some pretty disastrous dates. There are some definite struggles when it comes to love and weight loss, but the friends are buy one another’s side. I really loved how supportive these ladies were of one another. I enjoyed watching Tess try to improve herself, but... I wish she could have come to realize she could do this without a man! Ugh too many times a woman improves her situation in a book by finding a man, I’m sure this is a personal pet peeve but still. I did however still truly enjoy this story, because these characters were so delightful.

An engaging story that will make you feel good! Live gloriously!

*** many thanks to Bookouture for my copy of this book ***

First, thanks to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read an e-galley of this book.

Tess and Orla have been best friends for many years. They are partners in a boutique where Orla does sales and Tess creates custom garments for plus-size ladies. They created this company out of necessity. Tess's husband left her for a younger woman, and Orla's husband passed away.

They are both in their early 60's, and decide there is more to life, and look into online dating services. Things don't go so well for Tess, and Orla seems to have found a gentleman or two that she might be interested in.

All the while, Tess's daughter is getting married, and has asked Tess to make her wedding dress, and Tess's granddaughter's (flower girl) dress. Tess decides she needs to lose 35 pounds so she can look good at the wedding because her ex-husband's new wife is younger/ thinner/ prettier.

Hilarity ensues as Tess meets new men, goes on vacation, tries to lose weight and get in shape, create her daughter's wedding dress......

This is definitely a case of false advertising: I was promised “A totally uplifting, heart-warming, hilarious page turner” by the blurb, but instead this was a boring romance in disguise, about a middle-aged woman’s obsession with losing weight and finding a man, and had it not been an ARC I would’ve given up by 20%.

Tess Templar, 62, makes bespoke outfits for larger ladies with her best friend Orla. Realising that she has gained a lot of weight herself since her husband ran off with a younger woman, she determines to get back in shape by joining a slimming club, get a tan by going on a cruise and find a date for her daughter’s wedding by registering with a dating agency.

I’m annoyed by this book because it was supposed to be about an older woman finding herself again, and the message that this can only be achieved through a man and being a size 12 was profoundly depressing. Tess is an amiable enough character but comes across as weak, vain and shallow. The mismatched dates she goes on were far from hilarious - and to portray callous alcoholic date-rape as such is pretty disturbing.

The Greek holiday where she supposedly has “the adventure of a lifetime” was just a series of food descriptions, with characters complaining about too much Greek food. She meets one genuine interesting man but he’s not attractive so is an object of pity.

I struggled to find a single funny moment in the whole book, and the positive outcome - Tess learns to be happy with herself - but only if she doesn’t gain weight - so much for body-positivity! The whole message of the book was undone by the ending - spoiler alert - she finds a man.

I’m sure there are plenty of readers who will love this. The writing is fine, the characters realistic and there is a standard Happy Ending, but this is not my kind of book and I didn’t like the messages it sent. I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I just could not finish this. The premise is great. Two mature women who are close friends for years and run a business together. I was greatly disappointed that Tess puts herself down because of her weight. Our culture is too full of body shaming and I couldn't get past this character's attitude toward herself. It turned me off reading anymore of the story and that is a shame.


#TheSilverLadiesOfPennyLane #NetGalley

Following Tess on her journey of self development and love was a real joy. I really laughed out loud at the description of the Slim Chance slimming club because it was so accurate; and it goes to show we're all in the same boat, fictional or otherwise, with the intent to improve ourselves, for no-one but ourself.

Her story is inspirational in the fact that, you can do anything you want if you set your mind to it, no matter how old you are, where you are in life's journey and what has happened to you in the past. Showing both the highest of highs and the lowest parts of loss, whilst being summarised beautifully.

The friendship between Tess & Orla is so uplifting because not only are they each others biggest supporters, they're so real with each other, showing that shared life experiences and honesty really do make a solid friendship. If I'm still lucky to have the friends I do now, in my sixties I'll consider myself very lucky indeed.

The writing style was so easy to follow that it was almost easy to believe I was actually with Tess on her journey throughout the book. It was really hard to put this down as something interesting seemed to happen in every chapter. I truly recommend this book because it was genuinely so funny and relatable.

Light-hearted and very entertaining, this is such a feel-good read!

Tess and Orla have both been unlucky in love; with their joint business venture the friends have moved forward with their lives, but both of them dream of having a bit of romance. With her daughter's wedding approaching, Tess despairs of the extra pounds she has gained and decides to do something about it. Orla's not so bothered about her weight gain, but persuades Tess to join her in a bit of internet dating .. and so the fun begins!

As someone who is currently losing weight, this book is right up my street! Tess's determination to shed the pounds is inspiring, especially as she has an honest approach to it. The series of dates she embarks upon creased me up! Between herself and Orla, they 'match' with a wide variety of the male species and it makes for great reading. I smiled and grinned my way through this story, with the occasional grimace thrown in for good measure. Dee MacDonald's writing is well-paced and the story flows beautifully, keeping the reader's attention throughout. I certainly feel I want to read much more from her, as this one certainly brightened my day. I cannot find fault, and am very happy to give this novel a full five stars.

My thanks to publisher Bookouture for my copy via NetGalley. All opinions stated here are entirely my own.

2 stars
The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane
byDee MacDonald
This book is advertised as a hysterically funny and feel good book, I just did not find it amusing. It was hard to slog through it. The book just seems to try to hard to be funny and witty. I found the writing to be just okay. I, unfortunately was just not a fan of this book. I do not recommend and I will not read this author again.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. The views given are my own. #TheSilverLadiesofPennyLane #NetGalley

Hi, Dee Macdonald strikes again with this wonderful ‘ feel good’ book about Tess and Orla, 2 friends who for various reasons are now ‘ looking for love’.....they decide to join an online dating agency where ‘ a match is guaranteed’ within 6 meets or your money back and also gives them access to go on a Greek cruise with the online group
The 2 friends also run ‘ Curvaceous’ a bespoke ladies dress shop for the ‘ larger woman’ and they both also join a slimming club in readiness for meeting the men and the cruise
As always this author immediately makes you LOL with her writing and you easily ‘become friends and get to know’ the main characters, not an easy thing to do with characters but its always the way with her books
The ‘dates’ are hilarious and the cruise enjoyable as we set sail round the Greek Islands and interspersed with the comedy and story was some great descriptions of the islands and history ( non boring! )
Again, as always with this authors books, mixed in with everything else are some poignant lessons and situations which just fit right and make you think
I was cheering for Tess and Orla at the end and especially Tess when she attends her daughters wedding and was a great satisfying last few pages.....I hope their will be more about these 2
I really love Dee Macdonalds ability to tell a story, tell it well and have me laughing out loud, fabulous all round
10/10 5 Stars

I think my trouble is that the author put the bar too high with her first book, The Runaway Wife which I thoroughly enjoyed. Since then I haven't been able to find the same feeling with either of her next books.
Being a lady of a certain age myself I generally like reading about more mature ladies, but in this case I could not like either of the heroines very much.
There were interesting twists of the plot, but again I found the end unbelievable. So, I am afraid this novel is not going to be one of my favourite books.

Everytime I see the cover of this book, I start humming the Beatles song. So, thank God it’s not an audio review. LOL. I would not want to put you through this. 😉

What I like about this author’s books is that she puts the more mature people in the spotlight. These people often have been through a lot and might have let themselves go for a while. But it’s not because you are over 50, 60 or older, you are doomed to be alone for the rest of your life or you don’t want to look your best.

Can they be as naive as someone much younger? Sure thing and there are always people, no matter their age who (try to) take advantage. Do you have to blame yourself for being taken advantage of? Maybe yes, you should be a little more critical, but it still does not give the other person the right to treat you the way they do (did).

Is it unusual to say oh, I really should not to this or that, but doing it anyway in the meantime? No, because when you take a moment you will probably realize you have done it yourself on one (or more) occasion(s).

Society often dictates things and you feel obliged to follow through, but there is nothing wrong with being selfish from time to time and do something you feel good about even though others might not agree.

Look for a new partner (or not), go on a diet (or not). It does not matter as long as you feel it’s the right thing for you, go for it. That the lesson I have learned here.

I enjoyed this book. Is it laughing out loud? Maybe not, but it made me smile nevertheless. Is it feel good? It certainly is. The road to happiness is a rocky and twisty one, but if you do not give up, you will reach your destiny. 5 stars.

Thank you, Dee MacDonald, Bookouture and Netgalley.

The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane: An absolutely hilarious feel good novel by Dee MacDonald, is my first book by this author. I enjoyed this book, but I did not find it funny. Tess and Orla are best friends and partners in a dress making shop, and are looking for love. I like the finding herself of Tess's story, but did not enjoy other aspects of the book.

I reviewed a digital arc provided by NetGalley and the publisher. Thank you.

2 friends Tess and Orla in their 60s having a dress making shop for plus sized women, soon get into losing weight and finding a man for themselves using an online dating portal.

The book started off sweet. But there was an underscore of women not accepting their bodies, which I didn't like.

The story had its cute scenes, but nothing which spoke of strength. I have liked author Dee MacDonald's previous 2 books where the main character was strong and her own person. In this, Tess came across as more desperate to get a guy. She slept with two of the men from the online dating site on their first date. One was non consensual when she was drunk and not in her senses, but she justified it.

I skim read the rest of the book as this was not how I wanted the book to be. It didn't fill me with hope and pleasure. It left me with only one thought

I don't want to become like Tess when I get to be her age!!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely adored this book! I adored Tess, I adored the friendship, I adored the story!! I enjoyed that this was a true womans fiction book. In fact, the characters are actually in their 60s and own a shop. Both women are now single after losing partners. Tess now wants to get back in the dating game and decides to sign up to a dating agency (which I loved for a 60 year old to do!). Its such a charming story and I really enjoyed it.

When I saw the title of this book, I thought it would be a fun, light read that ideally would make me laugh. I am sorry to say it wasn't so. This book is about an older, divorced woman, Tess, who is worried about how fat she's getting and how she might not have a date for her daughter's wedding so she and her friend sign up for a dating app.

Half the book is about how she mustn't eat all the food she's eating and how the woman who runs the sessions at the WW-like place where she goes tells her (and others) how they must never be ok with being fat. There are at least a hundred mentions of how she shouldn't eat this or drink that and then another as many of how such and such food is worth it or oh well she's on vacation, blah blah. In this day and age of body neutrality and body positivity, this alone drove me insane.

But then as tying your worth to food wasn't enough, the main character goes on these disastrous dates, at two of which she drinks too much to the point of not being at her right mind. At one of which she has sex without remembering that she does. Only to find out later that the guy is a player and does this all the time (this being getting women drunk and having sex with them.) I am pretty sure we call this non-consensual sex. As if the fact that she experiences this isn't enough, when her supposed called friend finds the same man in the app, she doesn't even warn her to not go there. This is friendship?

Tess and her "friend" Orly talk unkindly to each other all the time, they put each other down, they are snide and catty. All of which might be real-world but none of which is "hilarious feel good." And even as Tess starts to feel better about herself, the fact that it's 100% correlated with a man and with looking thinner, made me so disappointed. The only person I maybe liked was Shirley but of course she was one of the smallest characters in the book.

Overall, for me, this book was neither funny, nor feel good.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Losing weight and finding a man might not be the current life goals everyone has but you know what- Tess is in her 60s and if that's what she wants right now, that's what she should do. Tess has been through a lot and now she wants some fun AND she wants to look good when her daughter gets married. Her adventures in dating can apply at any age- some of them are funny and there's one that's not good at all (McDonald should have thought a little more about that one). Her cruise with her friend Orla is the best part of the book. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

I struggle with this one and the stereotypes given throughout the book. It tried to make rape seem normal I felt. This was one book that I did not finish.

Tess and Orla are “ladies of a certain age”, both in their early sixties, both overweight, and both have had lives that didn’t quite follow the paths they hoped for as children. Now living in the same neighborhood and co-owners of a shop that provides bespoke clothing for ‘heavier ladies’ the two friends are in a rut. A weekly luncheon date to an all you can eat restaurant, working in the shops and a general feeling of malaise has hit the two – and while Orla is decidedly determined to find a new man and companion, Tess is still caught in a spiral of loneliness, grief, overwork and a bit of depression. And, she’s not without reason: her husband of many years traded her in for a younger, slimmer model, she battled through breast cancer and gained several pounds on her road to recovery. Just when things were bleakest, she met David, and three years on he was in a car accident, leaving her with no partner in her life and missing his ‘love her for who she is’ that David so epitomized. It’s time for a change and her daughter’s upcoming wedding feels like the kick start she needs. Lose weight, find a dress and a date. Simple? Not so much.

With a serious nudge from Orla – the two join an online dating site dedicated to the senior set, and Tess pushes the two into a ‘slimming club’ as she wants to lose 2 stone. Six opportunities Tess is given for her investment of £150 guarantees her ‘vetted’ interesting men, with a money back guarantee. Orla is a bit more ‘free’ with her advice and history, and while Tess is quieter and much more malleable, she agrees to go along – a cruise through the Greek Islands is the mid-point break that will take them out of the horrid English weather and give her a pick-me-up with another set of ‘places to visit of her bucket list. With a rather strident leader in the slimming club, and the recognition that Orla really isn’t the most positive helpmate she has, not to mention the piles of designing and sewing that she has to get through for the ladies she creates clothes for – things are busier, and fitting in the ‘dates’ keeps her hopeful, if not entirely enthused, about the whole thing.

So – Dee MacDonald gives us Tess – someone you would want to have in your corner. A fresh breath of air with her willingness to be open to change, and her determination to move forward. It seems as if she should have leaned many of these lessons before, but let’s be honest – you never see the need for big changes in your life until you are pressed, and often changing one thing brings clarity to all the other things that need work (or change because of the first). And that is just what happens for Tess… from disastrous dates with men who, let’s be honest, either weren’t vetted all that well, weren’t compatible with her life and beliefs or simply preying on the ‘availability’ of women over 60 who want a relationship, it took her some time to decide that she needed to be the primary concern in her life. The weight loss and her struggles with it are familiar to many, as is her discovery of the positives that came from it in terms of feeling better, being able to wear clothes hanging in her closet that were long abandoned, and (best of all) the increase in her self-esteem and recognition that all the changes may have started out as ‘for something” but really have come to being for her…… Not a perfect story by any means, and some truly horrible men that she met in her ‘dating’ with situations not necessarily dealt with in a ‘modern sensibilities’ way, her determination to get her refund, enjoy the wedding and move forward in her life while maintaining those changes in herself, her diet and her attitude are wonderful to behold, and done with a grace and humor that draws readers in. It’s never past time for a change and redirect, and Tess discovers it just as we do…

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-ao2/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a.>

I liked this book: it's funny, entertaining and engaging.
I loved the plot, the fleshed out cast of characters and I laughed out loud more times.
It's the first book I read by this author and it won't be the last.
Recommended!
Many thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was my third book by this author, and after reading the blurb I knew it was a book that I was going to enjoy reading. I have enjoyed the previous books and this one follows the same type of storyline as those did. Orla and Tess are in their early 60’s and have been friends for most of their adult lives. They own a dressmaker’s shop, catering for the larger lady, on Penny Lane. Whilst the shop is doing fine, they both want more from life! So, they join a slimming club to lose weight, a dating agency to find love again and book themselves on a singles cruise around the Med!

Aren’t Tess and Orla wonderful characters! They’re such likeable characters and you can’t help but relate to them in some way! Both have broken relationships behind them and when everyone else has let them down, they were always there for each other! I love their exploits in the weight loss club and on the over 60’s dating scene and hope that when I get to their age I have their views on life!

Both ladies were both an inspiration but Tess in particular became my favourite! I did want to tell them that they didn’t have to lose weight to attract a man and that the right man would love them no matter what they looked at, but that would have led to a very boring story! I can also understand how Tess wanted to look and feel fantastic at her daughter’s wedding as she has to stand next to the new thin wife of her ex-husband! The story does go to show that losing weight and finding love is never easily, but particularly more so when you reach a certain age.

This was a delightful read with lots of laugh out loud moments. It also has some more serious and tender moments, which were written so well and the switch between tears of laughter and tears of sadness was done beautifully! Tess and Orla’s story had its ups and downs, but made a lovely heart-warming read! Would definitely recommend!

The Silver Ladies of Penny Lane is a delightful story about two friends, Tess and Orla, who own a plus-sized dress shop for women. It was a light, quick read, and I enjoyed getting to know two women in their 60s who were ready for love and adventure. The book follows the women on their dating and dieting escapades, which are hilarious, disappointing and upsetting. The story was well written and fun beach read.

That being said, there were some serious flaws in the story. First, Tess’s date with Andy, the hotelier and “serial seducer” created a huge issue for me. He targeted her from the beginning as the victim of his date rape, plying her with numerous drinks and taking advantage of her when she was too drunk to give consent. Not only did Tess blame herself for being taken advantage of, she did not warn Orla, who revealed that she was going on a date with the same man! The line, “Tess decided to say nothing” ruined the book for me. I understood when she didn’t tell her immediately, as she was ashamed and embarrassed. But the fact that she didn’t warn her friend before she was put in the same position was unforgivable. That is not a real friendship!

The other flaw, in my opinion, is the fact that so much of the story revolved around the fact that Tess needed to lose weight in order to find a man and be happy. She spoke repeatedly about her insecurities, and concluded that in order to become more confident, all she needed to do was lose weight. For me, this viewpoint really took away from the story, and missed an opportunity to portray post-menopausal women who are not the “ideal weight” as complete and happy women.

I started off really enjoying the book and ended up disappointed with the arc of the story.

My thanks to NetGalley for an Advanced Readers Copy of this book. All opinions are my own and not biased in anyway