The Old Ducks’ Hen Do by Maddie Please is a really fun contemporary novel that I thoroughly enjoyed.
The characters are all in their sixties showing that life is for living. “Life is what you make it.” You are never too old to have a fresh start or to have fun.
Ten days in Mallorca for a hen do really invigorate the characters. Their villa is next door to a male group of twitchers, all over sixty. Together they have fun and characters who have been dormant for years, begin to blossom.
A chance meeting with an old sweetheart, sets a heart a flutter, as the years just peel away. Like a vintage wine, age has improved both of them.
All the characters are delightfully drawn. They know how to have fun. This light-filled atmosphere illuminates’ lives. Easy banter volleys backwards and forwards between the characters. It is also highly amusing.
I absolutely loved The Old Ducks’ Hen Do. It made me smile as I watched lives bud and blossom.
Maddie Please writes in a very personable style. It is easy to empathise and relate to her characters – although not the scene on the nun’s private beach! Got to read the book to see what I mean!
Grab life with both hands and really live it!
I will leave you with my favourite quote:
“Fear is temporary, regret is forever.”
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources for a blog tour. A favorable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

A refreshing read with characters in their 60s and what a rambunctious lot they are! I found genuine laugh out loud moments whilst reading about their antics.
Denny attends her step sisters hen do in Mallorca and bumps in to her ex from 39 years earlier. Bruno was the love of her life until he went awol or did he?
A great read with thanks to netgalley and boldwood books for my advance copy.

So much fun spending time with the Old Ducks. Staying in a Mallorcan villa soaking up the beautiful scenery and glorious sunshine enjoying life until Denny finds out a past love of hers is staying in the villa next door with friends.
So the fun begins.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

The Old Duck's Hen Do was such a quick and entertaing read. It is a continuation of another novel of Maddie Please's, however, I didn't feel as if I needed to read or even know what the other book was about to be able to follow this one or enjoy this book.

Denny is retired and learns that her older step sister is engaged to get married. Juliette plans a bachelorette trip to Mallorca. Here Denny runs into an old flame.

Denny gets a chance to find out what happened with her ex and finds that there is still something burning for him in her heart.

It was so much fun following the Old Ducks around Mallorca and I found myself laughing out loud at parts.

I give this book 4 stars and I am even going to go back and read The Old Ducks' Club.

Thank you NetGalley and Boldwood Books for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review

This story was very entertaining read. The older main characters in the story were fun to get to know. And, all the mischief they get into!
The setting is on the Spanish Island of Mallorca.
The romance is slow burn which was a bit frustrating at times. I did enjoy the humorous aspect of the story.
Overall, a nicely written story about friendships and being 60+ Old Ducks :)
Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I remember seeing the first book mentioned when it was published in 2021, and I've been meaning to try this series ever since. I somehow never actually picked up the first book, but I still couldn't resist getting a copy of book two as it sounded like such a fun read. Then again, I do always have a weak spot for both a story with an older main character AND a travel element... And The Old Ducks' Hen Do has plenty of both. I'm glad that I decided to read this title, because it turned out to be a very entertaining ride indeed.

First of all I have to say that while technically The Old Ducks' Hen Do is a sequel, it can very easily be read as a stand-alone. True, there are some references to the first book (which only made me want to go back and read it even more to be honest), but there is no vital information missing and this sequel has a different character in the spotlight. The story is mainly set on Mallorca, and I just LOVED this setting. There are so many descriptions of the Spanish island, and it makes me wish I could jump on a plane and visit. I also loved how the island wasn't just a simple backdrop, but played a more active role throughout the plot. All those food descriptions made me hungry though, and especially craving Greek/Spanish food.

The Old Duck's Hen Do is without a doubt Denny's story even though she isn't the one getting married. While I'm not a big fan of the whole miscommunication trope and their lives could have been so different if they had just tried harder to communicate, I did like the whole second-chance romance vibe. The romance itself was quite slow to develop, which could become a bit frustrating... But thankfully there were plenty of hilarious moments to distract you from that. Oh yes, the Old Ducks are so much fun to spend time with, and there are many moments that will bring a smile to your face.

This story isn't all fun and romance though, as there is also some attention given to more serious topics including age discrimination, infidelity, toxic relationships and abandonment. As a whole the plot still felt mostly uplifting though, and I liked how everything was wrapped up in the end. The plot did feel a tad overlong, but that might just have been the reading slump talking... It was still quite easy to just keep turning those pages.

If you are looking for a fun and uplifting contemporary romance with a sunshine setting and older main characters, The Old Ducks' Hen Do fits the bill! I'm definitely going back to read the first book soon.

I love all of Maddie Please’s books, and this one doesn’t disappoint. It is an entertaining, witty and affectionate tale of a hen party, and the stags next door! Although it continues the story of The Old Ducks from a previous novel, it reads equally well as a stand alone book. I particularly liked the descriptions of food, wine, and the beautiful scenery. Having read it on a couple of grey November days, it has made me long for sunshine! It would certainly make a great holiday read.

First off, let me say that it was refreshing to see characters that were over 50 for a change. That in itself made it catch my attention, and then while reading there were loads of funny moments and lots of lovely, supportive bits that just made this a sweet tale about aging, regrets and second chances.
A group of lifelong friends who lovingly call themselves “The Old Ducks” are gathering together in Mallorca for a hen party week to celebrate the upcoming marriage of one of their own, sixty-four year old Juliette, the stepsister of the main character, Denny. Denny has recently retired and is feeling a little bit lost as she’s never married or had children so she doesn’t know what to do with all her free time, so this trip comes at a good time for her.
Soon they discover their neighbors at the next villa are a group of male birdwatchers, and surprisingly, one of them turns out to be Denny’s university boyfriend that ended without any closure, a thing that has haunted her ever since. Now Denny finally has a chance to figure out what happened with Bruno after all these years, and in doing so, realizes that the flame that once was is still burning.
An enjoyable read from start to finish and a reminder that possibilities are endless no matter your age.
Thanks to Boldwood Books and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed the last book I read by Maddie Please, Sunrise With The Silver Surfers . I love how she concentrates on writing contemporary fiction and romance with older main characters. It’s important to not forget a segment of a population that’s very much alive!

If you’re an American and wondering what a Hen Do is, it’s a Bachelorette Party, or in this case, a Bachelorette vacation. Imagine being recently retired, your older stepsister is getting married, and you head off for a vaca, only to run into the man who broke your heart at university. That’s just what happens to Denny, who never married and always wondered what happened between her and Bruno because the relationship ended abruptly.

There’s no way to avoid the ex, as he and his stag party are staying at the villa next door. The groups end up mingling together a few times, and slowly, slowly, Denny and Bruno open up to each other about their lives after they parted ways. Neither one has been lucky in love, and as much as Denny is still attracted to Bruno, she’s full of fears that she somehow doesn’t deserve a happy ending. You can almost feel all her doubts jumping off the page.

While this book is the second in a series about Old Ducks, I did not feel as if I missed anything by not reading the first book in the series. I loved most of the ducks, and especially enjoyed the humor drawn throughout the book. I’ll definitely be checking out this series again!

I received a copy of the ebook from NetGalley and Boldwood Books; I am leaving this review voluntarily.

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A big thank you to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the eARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. I enjoyed this book, probably because I am older and can relate to some of the issues. A hen holiday that shows how important the support of good friends can be. Super relatable and fun. Pretty quick read. 4 stars Well worth a read, I would recommend.

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

What a wonderful book to read, it made time stand still all the while I was cheering the old ducks on!

Absolutely loved this book!

The authors writing style is amazing!

I look forward to reading more from them!

Have downloaded the “prequel” to this after enjoying it so much!
Life has been dull and grey for many of us recently & this really picked me up from a bit of a slump!
I now aim to be able to find some “mid life ducks” and live life to the full too :D then I’ll no doubt become an “old duck” and stay young at heart.
Really enjoyed this read, regardless of it not being my “usual”, I didn’t want to put it down at all 👍

A fun and enjoyable novel as a group of older friends head out to the beautiful island of Mallorca for Juliette’s hen do. This novel had some great characters and it kept me entertained throughout. I look forward to reading more from this author. Thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books and the author for the chance to review.

The Old Ducks' Hen Do by Maddie Please is fun and uplifting. It makes the point that women over 60 are not finished with their lives, goals, or love.

There is life after 60, and Denny has been invited by her sister, Juliette, to a hen do with the Old Ducks. When they arrive at their destination, there are a group of men next door. The two groups meet up and have some fun, adventure, trying new foods, and are all enjoying themselves. One of the men in the group is Denny's old boyfriend, Bruno, when they were at University.
Denny starts to come out of her shell, and one thing she has learned from her sister and her friends, is life is for living, and she is going to live it.
They go shopping, and she saw a postcard that said, fear is temporary, regret is forever. She bought the postcard, knowing it was a sign. As their vacation was slowly coming to an end, there were decisions to be made. Bruno asked her to stay a few days longer, so they could talk, and reminisce. The postcard was the deciding factor in her answer.
This was a story that made me laugh, inspired me, and enjoyed going along on their adventure.
I received an ARC from Boldwood Books through NetGalley.

This was such a fun book! I loved every single minute of it and laughed out loud a lot!
The story was told from Denny’s point of view, who as the synopsis above says has recently retired and is a bit bored of her new life. However, things begin to change for her when her stepsister invites to Mallorca on her hen do.
I really liked Denny. She was a real woman with doubts and fears, especially when she spots Bruno, her old boyfriend from university staying in the villa next door. All her feelings come back and she’s not sure what to do with herself, especially as it’s not all happy feelings! Fortunately the other ducks on the hen do are great fun and a great distraction from worrying about the Bruno situation.
I loved all the women in this book they were such fun, making me laugh out loud as I read about their antics and hilarious observations about life. There are so many great moments in this book, including a wonderful scene involving nuns and skinny dipping at a local beach!
Highly recommended if you enjoy romcoms and uplifting reads.

A good premise but it just dragged. The main character was hard to like for me and the story just dry. Not for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and found it refreshing to read about ‘older’ women having a good time and romance. I found this to be witty, fun and heartwarming but also realistic. Denny is retired and when her step sister invites her to her hen holiday with the rest of the Old Ducks she doesn’t expect to find that her lost love is staying in the villa next door. This had a real sense of friendship, second chances and the message to not let age stop you from doing what you want! Thank you to Netgalley and Boldwood Books for the ARC

I have now read several of Maddie Please’s books featuring “older women” in their 60’s to early 70’s and have enjoyed them all. This one is in many ways a sequel to The Old Ducks Club and includes a number of the same characters in the earlier book—Juliette, Sophia, Anita and Kim—but also features a new one, Denny (Denise) Lambert, recently retired and a bit bored. Denny’s step-sister Juliette calls to tell her she has gotten engaged and invites Denny to join a ten-day ”hen holiday” in Mallorca.

The ladies are a fun-loving group determined to continue to live an enjoyable life and soon sweep Denny into their adventures. In Mallorca, The villa next door turns out to be occupied by dedicated male bird-watchers, one unhappily married, one engaged, and one, Bruno, who was Denny’s university boyfriend of long ago. Though not a bird-watcher, he joins his friends on their holiday as he lives not far away..

The “hens” get into adventures, big and small, awkward and not and gradually give Denny a sense of needed female friendship. There is romance aplenty for these ladies “of a certain age” who are determined to live life to the fullest. The author drops amusing truths along the story, such as when Denny realizes “so we really are the older generation now, aren’t we?”

This book will mostly appeal to the more mature lady and gently teaches some great lessons on enjoying life at any age. My thanks to #NetGalley and #Boldwood Books for an advance copy. Highly recommended.