3 Stars! Funny at times and very relatable. It was a bit long and the first part was a bit whiney and turned predictable and a tad boring at times that had me skimming through but still an entertaining book with funny stories. Everyone feels like an F up at times and this book helped me feel not so alone in my F’d upness.
*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review.*

Who hasn't thought at some time that life just didn't turn out the way you imagined? I think we all do. This book looks at that very situation with a good deal of humor and some insight into finding happiness.

Description:
Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.

When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell's happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, a sky-high real estate market forces her to rent a room in a stranger’s house, and everyone has seemingly perfect Instagram-ready lives. Starting from scratch she feels like a f**k up . . . a forty-something f**k up.

Landing a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an 80-something widow with challenges of her own. Together they begin to help each other heal their aching hearts, cope with the loss of the lives they had planned, and push each other into new adventures and joy. With Cricket’s help, Nell is determined to turn her life around. First, though, she has a confession . . .

Laugh-out-loud funny and painfully relatable, Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up is a celebration of friendship and a reminder that while life doesn’t always go according to plan, it doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness.

My Thoughts:

I picked the book up because, of course, the title caught my attention. Then when I read the blurb I just had to read it. I found Nell to be relatable and likeable. The friendship with 80+ Cricket was heart-warming and upbeat (I liked Cricket immediately). The story kept me engaged and it certainly wasn't boring. I loved the humor. The characters were well written and so was the plot. The book helps with viewing life as never perfect, but there is still happiness to be found.

Thanks to Harper Paperbacks through Netgalley for an advance copy. This book will be published on September 5, 2023.

DNF at 30%

This book seemed interesting from the outset but I can't help but feel that Nell has too many hardships in one book. I couldn't see a practical way to resolve everything for her to get to where she felt better about herself.

The last straw for me was her horrible friends and her brother. Just one of those things would have been enough conflict but both? Too much.

Had promise but ultimately not for me.

This book was an interesting read because of the format. It is like a podcast, so reading it was a little different, but I enjoyed it. There were many funny moments, but as a thirty something with no child, I can see how this book may not sit so well with certain audience. Overall though, I think this is still a good read because it talks and eals with things like not have the perfect marriage or kids when you're at the age to have kids. Nell, the main character, shows how her friendships and other relationships outside of a romantic one can help with these things. Also, most people look down on those who still share a living space at Nell's age, but I thought it was hilarious reading how she deals with her flatmate. If you need a good belly laugh, this is definitely it. We all have a friend like Nell or want/need a friend like Nell to bring some laughs into our lives.

I really enjoyed this one. I'm a fan of diary-style books, so this one worked well for me. A positive for me was that the main relationship focus wasn't romantic relationships but friendships. I loved the strong friendship that developed between Nell and Cricket. The whole premise of this book, of feeling like you're not where you should be in life compared to your friends/others, is so relatable.

This book was the inspiration for "Not Dead Yet" and I really enjoy that show, so I was pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to read the next book!

Thank you, Harper Perennial!

This is such a perfect book! I laughed so much and I could relate to it 100%. This book reminded me how important is to have great friends in our life. Fans of Bridget Jone’s Diary will for sure adore this book. Thanks NetGalley and Pam Macmillan for letting me read this advance copy of Alexandra Potter’s novel.

Just reading the title I was hoping yo love this book. I was not disappointed. I love a book that has realities in it, but still a bit of the magical fiction. Nell has very relatable and I want a Cricket in my life. This was my first read from this author and I cannot wait to find more!

Re-Print/Re-Issue

I'm not sure how I feel about this novel. I don't know if I should be offended or jump up and down with glee. I suppose I could say I'm a 65 (soon to be 66) year-old f**k up since I never had kids. But I know I'm not. I have to question why age 40 seemed to be the catalyst since I found my 40's to be the best years of my life---but that is just me.

What I didn't like was the angst. I understand why it was needed; I grasp the fact that it is used to get the point across that Nell felt like a failure because she didn't have what she thought was 'the' perfect life. And for this, I blame the internet! For the first 3/4 of the book, I just felt so totally depressed both for Nell and for myself! If it wasn't for 80-something Cricket and Nell's landlord Edward, I might have given up on this book before I finished.

What I did like was Cricket-I adored her. She proves that with age comes wisdom and belief in yourself. You still may f**k up, but it is on your terms now! The ending was a little pat, one that could be seen a mile away, but I applaud the author's trip down this road.

The happy ending wasn't as perfect as some would have liked, but I think it strengthened the book. It would have been too much had Nell's life turned into that false interpretation of what a happy life should be.

This book is a little deep to be a typical beach read, but it is still worth it.
*ARC supplied by the publisher Harper, the author, and NetGalley.

I am turning 40 this year and was so excited for this book! It was really funny at parts, but I just could not relate to Nell and her journey. I definitely would love to read another novel by this author, loved her writing.

I was so excited to read this book after absolutely loving Not Dead Yet with Gina Rodriguez. And this book did not disappoint. What a wonderful read that I can definitely see my patrons LOVING.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian for my Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for my honest review.

Unfortunately, this one was not for me. I was hoping with an older MC I would be able to relate but I really couldn’t. It wasn’t as funny as I anticipated either.

It has such a great premise and I may end up picking this one up again?

I loved this book! The TV show Not Dead Yet is loosely based on the characters in this book, but I loved the book even more than the show. It was sweet and funny and had me laughing out loud at certain parts! This book is a great fun summer read. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Everyone seems so perfect when you feel like a f**k up. Though reality is never as it seems.
Lovely story, hated the ending.

A totally relatable and fun read for anyone who has ever felt that life didn’t turn out the way they thought it would.

“Hi, and welcome to Confessions of a Forty-Something F##kUp, the podcast 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.”

Nell is forty-something, single, and has recently moved back to London from sunny California after losing her business and her fiancée in one fell swoop. Single, jobless, and without a place to live, Nell is overwhelmed by how together her friends all seem to have it with their perfect husbands, beautiful children, and decorator homes.

With a loan from her father, Nell finds a flatshare and eventually begins a new job writing obituaries, where she meets Cricket, an octogenarian with an infectious zest for life. The friendship with Cricket is one of the best and most life-affirming parts of the book.

Over the course of a year, Nell finds her way, discovering that the path to a happy and fulfilling life doesn’t have to look the way you thought it would.

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperperennial for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Came for the hilarious title, stayed for the relatable content. I expected the book to be funnier or with more sarcastic wit with a title like that, but still enjoyed the book. Nell (our MC) and the choices she makes made her someone to root for. The side character were well developed - except for Holly. I kept forgetting who she was. Overall, the story and message were really fun and I especially loved Cricket.

My one gripe with this (no spoilers), is the ending. Some might appreciate it, but I think it cheapens the message.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I didn't realize I had already owned this book prior to being greenlit for the eARC, but regardless of that - I really enjoyed this one! As someone who is just about to turn 30 this year, I feel like I'm stuck in-between the obvious years of my youth and my now, far more "adult" life. It's tricky, realizing you still know so little about the world despite also feeling like maybe you've seen too much. I thought this book was hilarious and filled with so much heart; definitely a solid read for anyone who feels a little lost in life.

This book was as funny as it was charming, and I really enjoyed it. It was a little predictable, but I did still enjoy!

I loved this book - I absolutely loved it. As a forty something, it was exciting to have a book that centered a 40-something woman. Nell is stuck. She thought she had things figured out, and then, they all fell apart. She takes a job writing obituaries, and this begins a new path - one that again I just loved reading about. As part of her job writing obituaries, she meets Cricket. I loved this friendship and how Cricket's grief and wisdom and joy are interspersed throughout Nell's story. I could continue to say in different ways what a joy I found this one to be. It was jut the kind of book I needed in my life. I was excited to see there's going to be a second book soon because I need to know what's next for Nell. Thanks to NetGalley for the copy!

I’m 41 so this book title was intriguing to me. I often feel like a f*ck up. But this was really about f*cling up in the sense that you have nothing to “show” for your life even in your 40s. No kids, no partner, no house, no job. So yeah, pretty grim.

I enjoyed Nell’s story. I was a little confused about the format. Was the whole thing the podcast? A diary? I forgot that the podcast was even a thing for most of the book. I had a feeling about the ending early on but still found it enjoyable. It was long though. Probably a little too long.

Thank you to NetGalley for the copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you netgallay and to the publisher for this arc copy. I had no idea i would love this book as much as i did. I did not want to put this one down.im usually into horror/thriller books and this was a 5star for me . i think theres something for everyone to kind of relate to something in the book. I loved how the author when into every month of the year. This is one of my top books of the year so far i have to look up other things this author has wrote im very curious.