It started off with a husband having a midlife crisis and the marriage splitting up – which felt incredibly similar to a previous book- in fact it all had an air of similarity to previous books. I know authors often have a ‘vibe’ but this felt a bit repetitive.

Viv was nice.
Viv’s daughter was nice.
Viv’s husband was a bit of a dick, but a wet, pathetic dick not an offensive dick.
Viv’s son was mentioned – but never really fleshed out.
Viv’s relationships with her neighbours were explored, and Viv was a bit of a wet blanket with them – and was also a bit of wet blanket at work. (Just realised wet blanket is a sort of pun on the menopausal hot flushes she was having at night – this wasn’t deliberate!)

The storyline built up to a big event – and potential romance – but both were a bit dull.

I persevered – and the book was ‘fine’. Inoffensive, easy to read, but just a bit dull.

I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve read some books I’ve loved recently – but it all just seemed a bit bland and done before and predictable.

If you’re after an easy read that is in no way taxing, then maybe this is the book for you – but didn’t really float my boat at all. Sorry!

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for my advance review copy though!

DNF @ 30%. Not for me in any way, shape or form and I’m not spending any more time on this even thinking up a review.

I don’t normally think of books as being aimed at a particular age range but it didn’t resonate with me, nor was it amusing. At first I thought “great a story not set in London” but as the story unfolded I kept forgetting because it felt like any big city.
The plot was disappointingly weak, full of characters I wasn’t bothered about.
I guess the message is that there is life after the menopause and separation but it didn’t appeal to me.

A well-written book! I'm usually not a fan of the first person narrator, but in this case, it works! Read this book if you need a laugh, but be warned, there are some sad moments too.

Viv is suddenly faced with being a single mom of her seven-year-old when her cheating husband leaves her for his fellow doctor/mistress. Stuck in a going-nowhere job that makes “food pellets” and impending menopause hot flashes, Viv begins to regain confidence with the help of her good friends and an opportunity to share her friend Penny’s nostalgic fashion line in hopes to revive the line and the local museum’s relevancy.

This book is not another mid-life, woman who has been jilted story that I was expecting it to be. The story of Viv’s second chance at a new life played by her rules and not by a picky husband is a charming read and a great example of female empowerment wrapped up into lemony goodness.

Review will be up on my Instagram channel @tamsterdam_reads on March 5th.

This book was a great read. The heroine, Viv, is going through the menopause, in a job she is over qualified for that was meant to be a stop gap. She has two children, 7 year old daughter Izzy, who loves cooking and a much older son, Spencer, who has left home. Her husband Andy, is a doctor and the same age as Viv, 52. Quite early on in the book Viv finds out that Andy has been cheating on her and he leaves as he tells Viv he is in love with his girlfriend. Fortunately Viv has supportive friends and the book shows how she grows in strength after her husband leaves. Along the way there are tears but there’s also a lot of fun as you see the character develop and what she achieves by the end of the book.
I have never read any books by Fiona Gibson before but I will definitely be looking out for her books in the future.

Viv's Big Decision....
Thanks to a husband in the throes of a mid life crisis and a tacky affair with a colleague our protagonist, Viv, finds herself reluctantly back in the land of singledom. Faced with a choice of sitting back and doing nothing or proactively putting herself first, Viv needs to make a decision fast. Fun and frothy but endearing too this is an enjoyable, escapist read in the true tradition of Fiona Gibson.

When Life Gives You Lemons by Fiona Gibson is an interesting read that portrays highs and lows of the challenges of life. The story is told through one protagonist with many multiple characters. The story had some stand out characters.
Review copy received from the Publisher via Netgalley

A very true to life look at the sudden breakdown of a marriage and how to pick yourself up again. With kids, a job, friends, and a project to throw herself into, not to mention the arrival of a very handsome man, Viv takes those lemons life has thrown at her and squeezes the life out of them. She's pretty good with eggs too! I was rooting for her from start to finish. Loved it.

Having read books by Fiona Gibson before, knew this would be a great read. The title fits the story perfectly. Great to get to know Viv the main character who decides to get on with her life & change it for the better with passion & determination. Highly recommend it

Fiona Gibson is a writer of instant-classic women's fiction. This book is all about the journey that needs to be taken when your whole life is upended.

Viv finds herself divorced and has to to rebuild her life and rediscover herself after years of being a wife and mother. She now finds herself single, and she struggles to adapt and make it all work. We read all the myriad emotions that Viv experiences, and Fiona Gibson expresses Viv's emotions very eloquently.

A fine work of women's fiction, a quick and easy read. Great for summer at the beach or pool.

I really enjoyed this book, even more so as the main character was a fifty-something menopausal woman rather than the usual perky 20/30-something. I loved reading about Viv reclaiming her life and setting herself on a new path after being being treated so badly by her cheating husband, having her self-esteem stomped on and being called amphibious.
When life gives you lemons slice them, put them in a G&T and read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers ____ for sending me an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I mainly requested this book due to it being set in Glasgow and while I enjoy books set in Scotland in general, Glasgow has a really special place in my heart. However, I am much younger than the main character Viv and so once I started reading wondered if I would keep going as she was at a totally different point in her life to me. One grown up son (who's almost my age) and an "accidental" daughter aged 7, as well as going through the menopause with a less than sympathetic husband. 

Although she is getting through life, it is not how she imagined it would be, in a job that was meant to be stop gap but she is still in 5 years later, Viv is happy with her lot and bumbles through life. Enjoying her chats with Penny, an older lady who she met in the park but who has had a wonderful life. That is until "Viv's husband Andy makes his mid-life crisis her problem" and she finds out by accident that he has been having an affair. What makes matters worse is that the affair is with a colleague who is a similar age so totally appropriate for him. 

The book then follows Viv as she puts her life back together and figures out how to be single after 25 years with Andy always around. 

I really enjoyed the second half of the story as it showed Viv finding herself and realising that her life with Andy hadn't been perfect. 

I really fell in love with the characters and felt the author did a good job of giving them enough background without it being too much. I was slightly disappointed by the lack of mention of Glasgow however, since that was one of the reasons I picked the book but it does not take away from the story at all! I think I would definitely read more from this author and I would love a follow on from Penny's point of view!

Worth to be read but I can say it was a novel that kept me plugged! I like heart-warming stories about life and it's challenging moments - or better say crises as in this one middle age crisis hits, but at the same time I'd expect more! So just 4 stars from me! I'd love to read more from this author in the future

Always enjoy Fiona Gibson books. Guaranteed an excellent story line and relatable characters. This book did not let me down. Stuck in a dead end job, stuck in a rut at home. Life changes quickly and you adapt. Supported by friends of various ages and backgrounds. You are cheering on the main characters.
Would like to read a second book to follow on from where this one finishes.

When Viv's husband goes through a mid-life crisis and has an affair, Viv is initially devastated and wants him back. She's also going through menopause and raising her seven-year-old daughter. This witty book is all about how Viv gets her groove back! I enjoyed this book as a light read - parts of it had me laughing out loud! I might rate it 3.5 stars but decided to round up.

A great read.

Viv finds out her husband is having an affair, and when he leaves her she has a chance to live the life she wants.

Loved the scenes with Izzy, especially the cooking!

Another fun cozy story by this author. I really enjoyed the characters and storyline as well. Great for a winter read.

Charming and heartfelt, When Life Gives You Lemons is a good first purchase for adult fiction collections. Sure to leave readers smiling

Thanks to netgalley for a chance to read this book.

Good book about Viv and her life when she finds out her husband is having an affair and how she deals with getting on with her life and how she deals with all it throws at her whilst looking after their daughter Isla.