An absolutely relatable read! Many have called this the middle aged Bridget Jones, and rightfully so.
Nell is returning to London after following her now former American finance' to Los Angeles. Her life now not recognizable to her vision of what it would be. Single, in her 40's, no kids and no job. It is only made worse by the fact that her best friend seems to have replaced her with a newer, richer model.
Nell finds a flat to share with a persnickety married man who offer cheap rent if she will take care of his dog on the weekends, but he insists the thermostat be set on an arctic temperature throughout the winter, She finally lands a job writing obituaries, which leads he to meet an 80 something woman named Cricket. Cricket lives every bit of life and insists that Nell do the same. Add in a typical family drama and you have a recipe for a truly fun read!
Readers of Gail Honeyman's Eleanor Oliphant and Elle Cosimano's Finley Donovan will defiantly love this book.

My thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Publishing for the ARC of this book.

The first third of this book I thought was a non-fiction book not a fiction/romance novel, not because it wasn’t good but honestly because I could have written it from the pages of my own life it was so incredibly relatable. By the second third of the book, while not quite my life, but still just as genuine I had texted half of my girlfriends and a few relatives and told them that as soon as they could, they needed this book in their lives. To be honest I am still writing the last third of my own book so I can’t quite compare on that level but I was hooked. As someone who’s father passed away as a young adult, and doesn’t consider myself to be very emotional I was moved to tears by the advice the main characters dad gave her in the garden and can only believe my own dad would have said something similar to me as well along the way. This book isn’t just for the 40 something f**k up but the 30 something, 50 something and whatever something f**k up that has ever paused along the way as we have bumbled through life and wondered what the hell ever happened that we landed where we did because surely this wasn’t quite how we thought it would end up. It’s not bad, but it’s not where we quite meant it to be either. And to be honest it was the exact book I needed to read at exactly the right moment I needed to read it. Brava to the author for penning something about life when you aren’t still 30 and fabulous but still trying to find your way long the path when others seem to have things figured out; there are more and more of us than you think!

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the novel until the ending. Omg! Unexpected. It broke me.

Nell Stevens has just moved back to London after several aspects of her life imploded. Her relationship with her long-term boyfriend ended just as their business also failed. She has come back to England at age 40 and starts by taking stock of where she finds herself vs. where she envisioned herself to be at this age. Her friends all seem to be living enviable lives with stable relationships, children, and large houses. Nell has what little she owns in boxes when she finds a room to rent online. Thank goodness Edward, who owns the flat, is only there on weekends. He is very fastidious about the rules for the shared living space and often resorts to "correcting" Nell on everything from what she puts in the recycling bin to how much toilet paper she uses. Still, he's gone most of the time and the rent is cheap, so Nell doesn't have much choice but to grin and bear it. At least her living arrangement also came with Arthur, a large and overly friendly dog that Nell is tasked with caring for in return for reduced rent. Nell reaches out to former contacts in a desperate attempt to find a job, and his equal parts grateful and dismayed when the only job she's offered is writing obituaries. Her first assignment includes interviewing the 80-something widow of a recently deceased man. He turns out to have been a famous playwright and director, and Nell is impressed by his widow Cricket's energy and friendliness. The two women, as some of the only "singletons" they each know, strike up a friendship and also embark on other projects together. Nell tells her story in monthly installments, starting in January soon after moving back to the UK and feeling depressed about how her life has turned out. She eventually starts a podcast (after learning Cricket is a big fan of podcasts) about how she feels inadequate and like a failure compared to everyone else. Will Nell ever find her own place/a decent job/a stable relationship/2.5 kids (the clock is ticking!)?

The story was enjoyable as Nell navigated her life when everything was falling apart. There are plenty of platitudes sprinkled throughout at Cricket gives her advice and she learns that not everyone's life is as pretty on the inside as it appears on the outside.

Confessions of a Forty-Something F**K Up was a funny, positive read! At times it did feel a bit long, but the characters were well developed and it kept me engaged and entertained! I would recommend this when you're looking for something lighter. There were some heavier moments as well. This is not in my top list for the year, but I don't regret reading it!

With relatable characters, a well-crafted plot, and a poignant message, this delightful and impactful novel reminds us that life rarely goes as planned. Potter's writing captures the essence of human vulnerability and resilience, offering a must-read for those who have ever felt lost.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. Cannot wait for it to be released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

Promising start, but I shortly lost interest and never got back on track for me.

I really liked this story and the plot. I identified a lot with the main character!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

The premise and pull quotes drew me in but unfortunately I did not find Nell or her friends (other than Cricket) very charming or Nell's observations funny. The writing style did not work for me.

I do see this story resonating with readers looking for a lighthearted Bridget Jones-esque read with hashtags and diary-like musings.

Thank you very much to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I loved this book! It had some great laugh out loud moments and some sad moments but it was like looking in someone's real life. It was completely swept away in the story. Loved this. This is what we all fear if we have to start over again.
I just reviewed Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up by Alexandra Potter. #ConfessionsofaFortySomethingFkUp #NetGalley
[NetGalley URL]

Nell is a forty-something year old book editor who leaves her California home after the breakup of her five year relationship. She returns to the English home of her parents with no idea of what to do with her life. As readers, we get to live in Nell's world for the next year as she searches for answers on how best to live life, until she realizes that maybe there are no answers. Maybe you just go with the flow and see where life takes you.

Although I felt the story bogged down a bit in the middle, I otherwise really enjoyed this book. It's full of great humor and good life lessons. I even highlighted several passages, which is unusual for me. Thanks so much to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the chance to read and review. (Not sure why this is supposedly pre-published since my google friends tell me the book came out in 2021, but oh well, not complaining. I always love a good free read. :))

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advance reader copy. The title of course called my eye, and of course I was looking for something maybe a little light hearted compared to what I’ve been reading lately.. This book was hard for me to follow and I’m not sure why I typically can adjust the any book.. I really wanted to love the book and laugh and enjoy it, but at times, I was trying to analyze what the author was saying. I could not mesh with the words written.

Happy beginnings, something I've never truly thought about but a great way to look at things.

This book was a little vacation for my brain. I've never been to England but it seems lovely based on all I've seen in movies and read in books and this book was no different in that regard.

This book was cute and definitely made me laugh a few times. Nell is every woman at some time in their life. We all feel like we're failing (and maybe we are). Family, love, career, friends, etc., all the things, all the failures.

Honestly, this book reminded me a lot of the new show "Not Dead Yet" and I like that show so much!! Imagine my surprise when I look up the info on that show and it's based on this book!!

Lots of things in the show are different than the book though so that's something to note. There are no ghosts visiting her in the book, she's older in the book, etc.

In thinking about it I think I prefer the show over the book which rarely happens for me. I might recommend the book but it was only ok for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this e-ARC.

The title and cover caught my eye immediately and obviously as a 40 something I was intrigued! I feel like we've all felt like Nell at times!

I loved all the characters especially Cricket and loved her backstop!

I did feel like it dragged on a bit however so that's why my rating is 3 stars

“The trifecta that is cheese puffs, a can of gin and tonic, and gallows humor.”

I received this book as a NetGalley e-ARC and I am SO happy that I did.

This book had me laughing out loud, reflecting on my life, and making me realize I’m not alone in the way I feel.

I adored the characters, even the ones I was meant to hate, because at the end of the day, we know them and they’re going through things too. I challenge you not to find someone you know reflected in one of these characters, you won’t be able to.

The life lessons you learn in this book while laughing it off with the main character and learning from her dear friend Cricket are just incredible.

I cannot say enough good things about this book. I’ll be buying it hard copy as soon as it’s published and wish it all the success on its US release!

Great. Now I need to see a chiropractor since this had me nodding my head in agreement for basically hours on end.

Chick lit? Yes.
Modern day Bridgette Jones Diary? Undeniable.
Funny, witty, relatable? Check those boxes too, ma'am!


Nell has retreated back to the UK after her long term relationship, business and vision for the future went kaputs. She's 40 something and this wasnt the plan! Her friends are married with kids, her parents rented out her old bedroom as an Airbnb and she's living with a guy who has very particular demands on what she can and can't do. Mostly can't.

Thank goodness Nell has found a small job which led her to form a very special friendship with an older widow. It's because of this friendship that she's starting to find herself again. And that includes sharing how she feels like a 40 something f*ck up in her new podcast because she knows she can't be the only one that feels this way. (She's right)

This was a light fun & easy read.

Thanks NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for this e-ARC so that I may share my honest feedback and review.

Funny and lighthearted. Too predictable for my taste though. Honestly I got quite bored and was just glad that it was over with. I’m not 40 yet but I still wanted to give it a read. I just don’t feel connected to the characters.

I realize that I read this book a year or so ago, so I am quite confused why it is on Netgalley. Possibly being republished? I don't remember all the details to see if there are any differences between the previous one I read.

However, I do feel that this book was a bit too long. 400 pages of Alexandra was a bit much for me. I also felt that the book could have used a bit more humor to balance the greif and complaints.

All in all, definitlely confused why I re-read a book, and it did not gain a better rating than the first time I read it.

As a woman in her 40's, I can certainly emphasize with the feelings that Nell has in terms of pursuing the life she thought she was supposed to have versus the life she actually wanted. We have all been heartbroken and jobless and unsure of what the next steps will be. Those levels of lacking self-confidence are truly exacerbated by posts on social media about how truly blessed and full of love for their perfect life. But as Nell can't to realize, we are all much stronger than we give ourselves credit for. Through her interactions with Fiona, Holly and Michelle, she realized that no one truly knows what to do all the time. Like Annabel said, we are all ducks at times. One of my favorite parts besides all the witty humor was her interactions and life lessons learned from Cricket. She was certainly a formidable woman who took risks. Once Nell put herself out there and said yes, her personal life in deepening her love with him and her family as well as her professional life with her podcast and play far exceeded anything she could imagine. This book is very insightful and inspiring.