This appealed to me with its promise of a hilarious insight into online dating. And, it was certainly enlightening - a real how-to or how-not-to guide - but sadly it also confirmed all my preconceptions about dating apps. I did also find it annoying that despite wanting to rediscover herself after a long, lonely and emotionally abusive marriage, Frankie fell for Stef after just a few weeks and one encounter. It was quite a difficult read too with long chapters and long monologues plus a LOT of swearing. I'm not opposed to swearing but it was definitely overdone (although apparently reduced from the 545 swear words in the first draft) and seemed largely just for the sake of it. That said it was funny, apt and insightful too. I particularly liked the wisdom that "the only way to predict the future is to create it."

I am delighted to have ended what has been a difficult year with a book which has really made me laugh out loud and Divorced (Not Dead) ticked all the right boxes. It’s sassy, irreverent, gloriously funny, but also wise and absolutely wonderful.

Fifty year old Frankie Brumby is newly divorced from her coercive husband of two decades when, on the advice of her best friend, she enters the tricky waters of on-line dating. With her dating profile established and her confidence hovering around zero, Frankie soon discovers that there is a lot more to learn about this online dating malarkey. With a whole new online language to learn, and some pretty disastrous dates, Frankie eventually starts to have more fun than she could ever have imagined.

Whilst I laughed out loud at the online dating references, and learned things I had no idea about, the crafter in me thoroughly enjoyed the interaction with the wonderful characters who join Frankie at her weekly quilting group which shows the versatility of this talented author who can deliver two aspects of the same story, one filled with warmth and empathy and the other with a more ribald look at the vagaries of life. And then there’s Stephan, who adds a whole different dimension to the story, and who had me on his team from his first appearance.

Divorced (not dead) is absolutely fabulous, from start to finish, with a minor caveat that if you’re offended by the frequent use of the F-word or mild references to the sexual shenanigans of a newly divorced fifty-something then maybe this isn’t the story for you …however, if you love a rom com with a fair amount of sass, with a brave and bold heroine who fills your heart with delight and a cast of quirky characters who make turning the pages such a joy then, I am sure, this story will entertain you as much as it did me.

I am Frankie. 50, divorced and back on the dating scene. Her ex is Twatface. Mine is Cheating B*****d.
Her forays into internet dating I can so relate to. Even the chats with friends have so many parallels with my life.
That’s what I loved about this book. A hard subject that has a funny side and at times uplifting. An entertaining read.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to see an ARC.

This is a twenty first century comedy of manners about a fifty something menopausal woman re-entering the dating scene following her divorce. I found it well observed and quite amusing but the humour got a bit tedious after a while - maybe too much to sustain for the whole novel. Quite a nice light read, but not especially memorable, though I’m massively in favour of seeing more female heroines on the wrong side of fifty.

With thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

It's quintessentially British and the humour is spot on. The characters are strong and follow the story nicely. When I read the title I didn't know what to expect but it was a good fun surprise.

This book is really a "how to do"online dating book. Frankie ditches her dying marriage just before christmas, she doesn't love him, he is dating a neighbour behind her back and had remortgaged their house in a dodgy scheme leaving them both with nothing after the sale of the house. Fortunately Frankie has inherited some money from a relative and 2uses this as start up capital for her own business, running a quilting shop in the old town of Lincoln.
This book follows her journey through dating apps and friendly advice as she starts to build up her business, her self respect after being in a relationship with a dominant man and exploring different sex and dating options.
Perhaps a little too long in places, a little repetative and very keen on the F*** word, the book mostly kept my interest. I liked the character development, the advice from Frankies best friend Bel (and the quilting club) . Was not convinced by Gita & Zuzana's stories . I also liked that Frankie develops more self assertion as the book goes on.
Amusing on the whole and a good documentation of a middle aged women re-entering the dating market.
Thanks to Net Galley for the ARC

Frankie has left her husband of 20 years. Not a decision she’s taken lightly but she’s had enough of his lies and financial misdemeanours … her bestie (and new mum) Bel persuaded her to sign up to some dating apps to get herself back out there…

The first encounter of online dating and Plenty Of Fish is hilarious. I’ve never personally used this way of meeting me, so it’s an entertaining education!! If what Frankie experiences is close to what really goes on, I don’t think I’d take any of the men on the dating apps seriously!

I love Frankie’s friendship with Bel. They just bounce off each other but they listen and counsel on each other’s problems and predicaments. To be fair, some of Frankie’s actions are led by Bel’s sometimes stoned, sometimes super tired advice!

Divorced (Not Dead) is a fun read, it had me chuckling most of the way through. Obviously there were some sobering moments to add that bit of balance to the light hearted narrative. Ford took me on a journey of rediscovering life and its ups and downs as a singleton. Brilliant book!

Newly single Frankie finds herself on the dating scene again. Many a false start along the way. Will she get the man of her dreams or find herself single?
Lots of laughs throughout . Perfect easy read.

An enchanting journey through vividly imagined worlds and compelling characters. This fiction gem weaves a tapestry of emotions, adventure, and unexpected twists that kept me eagerly turning the pages. The author's masterful storytelling evokes a powerful connection, making this book an absolute delight to read. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a captivating escape into a richly crafted story!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers and of course the author for gifting me this advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I found this book really funny and definitely descriptive - the author did not hold back on character opinions when it came to Frankies ex husband haha. Definitely shows the funny side and the horrors of dating in the current times especially when having to venture out after many years.
Good for people who want an older MFC and someone that doesn't mind a bit of foul language!

Honestly… I was glad when it was over.

The plot started well but from midway it just fell apart. The narrative became repetitive and I couldn’t stand main character Frankie. There was such an arrogance about her that just irritated me.

I didn’t like the cheating, the swearing was unnecessary (f**k was written 199 times) and the weed smoking was a bit weird.

It was dubbed as a hilarious debut - I don’t agree. It tried too hard and fell flat.

"Divorced Not Dead" by Harper Ford is a witty and entertaining rom-com. Ford's storytelling is humorous and engaging, with relatable characters navigating the ups and downs of post-divorce life.

Not bad but not a book I would recommend. Found it hard to warm to Frankie and the up down relationship between her and Stef got tiring after a while.

2.5 rounded up to 3.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC, this is my unpaid, unbiased review

A great read following Frankie Brumby as she ditches her horrible controlling husband and re-discovers herself at 50, in the world of dating apps and a whole new world of dating rules and language!

Frankie is a great character, funny and sweary and loyal to her friends, trying to get to grips with online dating with some expected hilarious results! I like that the author has taken the time to tackle the not-so-good bits too though and we see Frankie struggling at times with the dating world.

It is great to have a story based on someone over 40 finding themselves single again and figuring out what they want and how to find it, with all the bumps and twists along the way. Life and love never runs completely smoothly and it is great to have an entertaining character who experiences all of that in a realistic way.

I enjoyed learning a bit about quilting and thought the hotbed of quilters characters were well-drawn and a great addition to the story, helping support Frankie on her journey but also challenging her at times and helping her see and understand different perspectives from her own.

Everyone should have a Frankie in their life! An enjoyable read, great for taking on holiday.

I wanted to like it but didn’t find it as funny as I expected. It felt more like a guide to all the many and varied dating apps rather than a novel at times. How lucky , though a little unbelievable, that the members of Frankie’s small quilting group managed to cover such a wide range of sexual preferences ! I can see from reviews that lots of people found it hilarious but just not one for me.

The idea of dating in today’s society is absolutely terrifying but this book is not only hilarious it’s quite heart warming too. It’s no my normal genre but thought I would give it a go and it was so worth it.

I’m a big Rom-com fan and this ticked all the boxes. Loved it. It’s hilarious, it’s scarily truthful in places, you’ll love this book from the very beginning to end. Would love this on audiobook!

Frankie is just out of a very toxic marriage and with the help of her friend Bel she launches herself into the dating app game. She then has to navigate ghosting, one night stands, lies, catfishing etc as she meets various candidates. This is all whilst building her quilting business.
The were plenty of laugh out loud moments in this book, Frankie didn't always take herself seriously and could be quite sarcastic as a character. There is plenty to unpack in this book, from 'slut shaming' to cheating, it wasn't always easy to read.
I struggled to get behind the romance element in this one and there were parts when Frankie was messaging with random men that I skimmed over, but overall I liked the message, the strong female characters and the friendships between them.

🎧📚 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 🎧📚

DIVORCED (NOT DEAD) by
📝 #HarperFord @harperfordauthor
🗣️ @avonbooksuk

#DropTheSynop 👇

Meet Frankie: fifty, divorced and getting back on the horse.

After leaving Twatface – her husband of twenty years – she's starting again from scratch. And when her son also flees the nest for university, Frankie decides it’s time to throw herself back into the dating game with a vengeance.

On best friend Bel's recommendation, Frankie signs up to two dating apps: one for love, another for casual hook-ups (because why the f--k not?!).

However, as she navigates this new frontier of catfishing, kittenfishing, ghosts, GILFs and everything in between, she realises the whole dating thing has changed quite a bit – and it really is a bloody jungle out there...

Will Frankie find love on the apps? Or the perfect shag?

Or – if there’s any justice in the world – both?

🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚🎧📚

I really loved this one 😍😍😍

I'm familiar with the author but in historical fiction genre, so when I heard she'd reached over to the Rom-Com side I couldn't get to it fast enough.

Frankie, Fabulous Frankie, I think everyone should have one she was 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 good. After twenty years with the same 'Twatface' aka her husband very aptly renamed, it was time to unleash the beast, as it were. And unleash she did. We went with her on disastrous dates, felt her pain when the ones that weren't terrible turned out to be Twatface's further down the line, the hilarious replies to catfishers, the use of the C - word now and again then moving on to the 'will they - won't they?' sitch' with Stef, some guy she took a shine to the night he tipped up at her Quilting class and subsequently became a prominent feature.

The quilting class, now I mention it, was quite cute too, lots of different personalities floating about here made for all the more lol's in the book.

I hear there's a follow up coming? I sooo hope this is true!

Oh and actress Lesley Sharp narrating = 👌👌👌👌👌

An absolute definite Must Read!

- Leanne 😁

Divorced (not Dead) by Harper Ford already came with a catchy title that had me intrigued. One read through of the blurb convinced me that this was a book not to be missed. With a high bar set, I am pleased to tell you, Ford’s creative writing did not disappoint.

Frankie Brumby finds her life tipped upside down and absolutely pooped on when she decides enough is enough and calls time on her marriage. Taking a leap of face, she buys a niche shop and moves into a pokey little flat, blowing all her savings. Egged on by her best friend and son, Frankie decides to learn how to date again, some twenty years after settling down with her husband. Times have changed and navigating the new world of dating apps and a string of men proves to be an illuminating experience for both Frankie and I.

It was a joy watching Frankie’s character grow from a naive woman full of regret, to a confident woman with newfound friends, a business, and an opportunity to discover what love really is and how it should feel when you meet someone deserving of your time, even if they are not the ‘one’. Her character was well written, as were all the characters in the book, both primary and supporting, which is a rare experience in fiction. Everyone had their own distinct voice that I’m certain would be identifiable even without setting who was speaking at the time.

Watching unsuccessful dates unfold was both comical and heartbreaking at the same time because it was hard not to root for such a lovable, transparent person. It was also interesting reading about different labels relating to gender and sexuality, which gave the book a modern tone. This was essential given it is said post covid.

Several subplots competed for attention including seeing other characters and their love lives and a mother dealing with postpartum depression. Each was entwined within the main story beautifully and helped the momentum of the book. It also served as a vehicle to lead characters into conversations that might not have been had.

All in all, the book was fresh, novel and had a large dose of fun, frolics and escapades that kept the page turning. It contains a lot of swearing, too much to keep track of, and for this reason, the book is suitable for adults only. Women, in general, would love this book. There are several strong, independent female characters that don’t submit because that’s what society expects of them, and so they are seen as positive role models. The only sore point was the errors, which I hope will be ironed out by the next print run. There were several instances, particularly toward the end of the book, where there was no space between a period and the start of the next sentence, and an instance where a sentence failed to make sense because it was missing a word. Mark my words, this is an author to watch out for in the future.