What a great character for a book, Annie makes you laugh out loud, and see yourself in her life and antics. She had the shock of her life when her husband says that he wants a divorce and this book takes you through her trying to understand and then heal. The book is light and fluffy and I believe that it was intended to be that way. While I enjoyed it, I usually read books that have more meat to them. This book did exactly what it was supposed to do and it did it well, it just wasn't to my preference.

I tend to read a lot of dark, creepy and thought-provoking novels so a bit of light relief is always welcome. I knew that this feel-good book would fit that bill perfectly so I was really happy when I was accepted for it on NetGalley. It’s also my first foray into the fantastic list by the brand new female-led independent digital publisher Hera Books.

Annie Beaton has just turned 50 but the big day itself brings an abrupt sacking and a divorce request from her husband Joe. So Annie packs up her stuff, her two kids, sassy nine-year-old Izzy and boisterous five-year-old Ben and moves an hour outside of the city to her aunt’s beautiful country home. But navigating unexpected single motherhood in a new town comes with more than a few speed bumps and potholes. How on Earth is Annie supposed to channel the sunny outlook that her aunt’s self-help books bang on about?

Izzy has one of the foulest mouths I’ve ever read in a nine-year-old but she still somehow feels realistic. I have no doubt that pre-teens are extremely rude to their parents, especially when they’re dealing with huge upheaval. Annie deals with a huge amount of self-hate, which is what triggers her positivity journey. This is perpetuated by her own ingrained judgements of single motherhood. To her, the divorce means she has failed on some level and she has to teach herself that there are other ways of living a happy life.

She has more than a few setbacks on the way but she’s mature enough to know that things will get better, which reassures the reader that they will. However despite being an older woman who has been through a lot, her self-awareness isn’t great. She somehow manages to speak her mind without meaning to or without even realising! I did question the authenticity of this but Annie comes across as such a bumbling, clueless middle-aged woman that it isn’t entirely unbelievable. My mum is only a little bit older than her and she occasionally says things under her breath that she didn’t mean to, so I can definitely buy it!

The fact that Annie is learning about self-love and letting go of the past at 50 is so refreshing. I’ve not read many books with middle-aged protagonists at all but stories that carry a message of positivity normally centre around young fledgling adults. When I think about it, the self-love movement is a pretty recent thing and is mostly embraced by younger generations. There are probably so many women of Annie’s age who have never really taken the time to be single and give themselves and each other some well-deserved credit for everything they’ve managed to achieve.

I also loved the fact that it ends on a note of self-sufficiency. I thought I’d be able to predict a romance towards the end but it leaves the reader on a very strong feminist high. Annie can stand on her own two occasionally-wobbly feet and make a new life for herself, which is bound to give everyone the hope and inspiration that they can too.

Funny, sweet and in some ways undeniably unique, Annie Beaton’s Year of Positive Thinking is a great read for those looking to make positive changes to their life this year. I’d say it’s also a must-read for every older woman who is still to discover the magic of self-acceptance and living her best life.

This is such a fun read .. with more than a few strands of truth!

Annie Beaton heads to work on the day of her 50th birthday, only to get fired. Can the day get any worse? Well, actually, yes it can .. when her 5 year old mentions her hairy chin then her husband drops the 'I want a divorce' bombshell. When you're at rock bottom, there's only one way to go . . but it's hard, so very hard.

Annie's story is both heartbreaking and entertaining; I've been a single mother although, in my case, it wasn't that much different as my then husband was absent for six days each week anyway. But for anyone used to two parents raising their children, it's a big shock to the system to suddenly be solely responsible for absolutely everything! Mink Elliott has her finger on the pulse with this one, and packs so much into this book. Annie, like most of us, isn't perfect but she does love her kids and does her best for them. Full of humour and crazy situations - which most of us can identify with - and an honesty which few are capable of, Annie kept me entertained, causing me to (yet again) disturb my other half as I shook with laughter in bed whilst he was asleep! Not only funny, but with a good story to boot, this is a novel I'm happy to recommend and give four stars to.

My thanks to publisher Hera for my copy via NetGalley, and to Book on the Bright Side for my spot on this blog tour. As always, this is my honest, original and unbiased review.

Thank you to Netgalley, author and publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm simply torn. On the one hand, I really like Annie and her inner dialogue. I loved and sympathized with Izzy and Ben. I really enjoyed the premise of this book.
However, I'm left wanting more. I want to know what happens with her blog, with George and james. How did things with Joe end? As much as I enjoyed this book, I'm sadly left with a sense of "that wasn't enough"....

Funny, but a bit too slapstick in parts. I liked Annie, but her ramblings did irritate me from time to time. Her daughter, though 9, was far too mean to her mother. Things seemed to go a bit too well for Annie until near the end, so perhaps a tad unrealistic. I didn't like talk of the dog being re-homed - Annie should have thought things through! But it made me laugh in parts, it was great to read about an older woman (who had kids later in life too), and by the end I was eager to find out what happens next. The way this has been written, and it is a little light on plot, leads me to believe there'll be a sequel. Thanks NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, when Annie turned fifty she thought it would mark a moment in her life, she was right, she was fired from her job and her husband Joe said he was leaving and wanted a divorce. I really felt sorry for Annie but as the story of her and her husband unfolded it became understandable. When Annie's aunt offered her and her two young children her place to stay at, in the countryside while she was out of the country, she jumped at the chance.
So begins Annie Beaton's year of positive thinking where she would turn something negative into something positive. Annie is, let me say, a little dippy, which gave the book some pretty hilarious situations. She continually moaned about the lack of money and I continually shouted get a job.
She has little common sense, getting a pedigree dog that she had time to train, a son that lacked reassurance and a daughter that needed to be treated like a nine-year-old, not an older sister. I had to laugh as the situations were very funny that she got herself into, she was learning, she was changing and she was finding herself.
The story spans over a year, everything has changed. It just took a lot of 'positive thinking' and a lot of hard work. There was more to Annie Beaton than I ever thought there was.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.

This book is hilarious! I have not been able to put it down. Poor Annie, hits a big milestone birthday and then her world begins to crumble.
This is a new author for me, which always makes me a little nervous but this one definitely has not disappointed.
I have been pulled into the story from the very beginning and I have literally belly laughed on a number of occasions. This is such a fun and happy read, I finished the whole book quickly.
This is a book guaranteed to not disappoint.
My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Ah, life!! And it got to Annie on her 50th birthday, fired from work and husband wanting a divorce... Sheesh, not a good way to start the new decade, was it? She moved out to the country to her aunt's home to start anew. Along came her resolution to start positive thinking.

My first book by author Mink Elliott, and a fun read it was. One of those lighter ones that worked to soothe the mind. The writing had a bit of humorous self-deprecation in it which made me smile. Annie's actions had me warning her, but she quite never heard me. A few of them made me feel - been there, done that.

The writing was quite different, it felt I was having a live conversation with her, without me needing to give my opinion...like ever... 😂 The only niggle I had was the daughter got away with calling her mom - fat cow - and other names without being reprimanded or taking to task. Which 9 year old kid ought to be allowed to say that?

The rest of the book, mainly Annie's antics had me smiling and groaning at times. The book was a fun light read which I could finish in a couple of hours.

Annie is a 50 year old woman who struggles with her weight and career and then her husband reveals that he wants a divorce. She takes off to the countryside with her two kids in tow and her new life is obviously very different than her old one. I would have liked to see Annie grow a little bit more. The characters were a bit mean for my taste.

Off to a great start which had me laughing out loud and loving the voice. But then this same voice became grinding and turned Annie into a character who was no longer sympathetic and who I couldn't root for any longer and frankly started to dislike. Sadly, I couldn't like this story because I ended up not liking the protagonist at all

Thank you to Hera Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a light and fun read, I enjoyed the humor of the protagonist - although I could have done without the veer toward slapstick at times - but was a bit disappointed at the lack of forward movement in the plot. Overall, a satisfying if not very deep read.

This book was a pleasant read and I suspect I invested more in the character and her resolutions due to the time of year I read this- between Christmas and new year. Overall an ok read but it lacked a bit of oomph for me I feel I wanted more from and for Annie.

The style is breezy and conversational and Annie is quirky and fun, however, I do not think I am the intended audience for this novel. I think older women or moms would be more appropriate. I couldn't relate to Annie and found the storyline pretty boring. Also, it's 2020 I don't think she needs to use the 'r'-word to describe her lack of technology knowledge.

A light, cute read that was amusing for the most part. I liked the main character, although she did verge on annoying fairly regularly. I'm not one for waffling on like her, the inner dialogue that she didn't realise she was saying out loud on more than one occasion. Annie is pretty selfish all things considered.
I think it has set the scene for a series of books but really was a bit weak on plot- Middle-aged mum of two, newly divorced but handled it pretty well really, moves to the countryside where she had to become part of the community, I was expected a bit more drama or something. I couldn't stand the daughter character - a madam and I didn't like how she was allowed to get away with it. Frustrating.
I see the potential here though.. by the end of the book I had an interest in what would be happening next for Annie and co.

Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

This was a great book to start the year on, it was full of laughs and really removes the tension from a couple with children splitting up. I think there still, even now, is a lot of stigma around being a divorced single mum and I love that this tackled it head on and shows readers that sometimes its actually the start of a better life and not a terrible life ending drama!

I really liked the character of Annie Beaton and would love to see what else she gets up to in the future. I also enjoyed the writing style as the author has the character speaking directly to you, it made it engaging and fun.

Thanks to Sarah/ Book On The Bright Side Publicity, Hera Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchanges for an honest review.

This was a great book to start the year on, it was full of laughs and really removes the tension from a couple with children splitting up. I think there still, even now, is a lot of stigma around being a divorced single mum and I love that this tackled it head on and shows readers that sometimes its actually the start of a better life and not a terrible life ending drama!

I really liked the character of Annie Beaton and would love to see what else she gets up to in the future. I also enjoyed the writing style as the author has the character speaking directly to you, it made it engaging and fun.

Thanks to Sarah/ Book On The Bright Side Publicity, Hera Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchanges for an honest review.

A wonderful read Annie had me laughing hysterically falling in love with her,her thoughts life her go get it attitude.So entertaining so well written.#netgalley#herabooks

Thank you to #netgalley for letting me read and review “Annie Beaton’s Year of Positive Thinking”. This was such a cute book and so fun to read. It reminded me of Bridget Jones Diary (for 50 year olds!). She definitely turned her life around and had fun doing it. Highly recommend!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for honest review. I really enjoyed reading this in a tough season - it was lighthearted and full of comedy. There was a fair amount of swearing and innuendo, but the story was relatable and enjoyable.

A quick read with a fun character. I found the writer's style really enjoyable and liked this story more than I expected. Change and moving forward are central themes