Aged to Perfection is a beautiful and fun story about finding love in less conventional ways. We follow our main character, Sophia, as she decides that she wants to find love (or at least maintain an active sex life), which, as she finds out, is not as easy for a sixty year old woman like her, as the men she meets are often very rude and dismissive of her age.

She has a variety of experiences with men from all walks of life, and faces a conflict within her own family (as well as her friend group) for this ‘new Sophia’, but ultimately she has a tight-knit circle of friends to stand by her, which I loved.

I thought the story was really interesting as older women aren’t often represented in the romance genre, so it was great to see Sophia’s experiences and how she handled things in her life. I loved her friends and how certain conflicts were handled throughout. It was a beautiful story of finding love and being true to yourself and I’d recommend it to any other romance fans.

Sophia is not looking for love but a year of fun and sex or at least she thinks she is. Can lots of dates and dealing with her friends and family help her find what she truly wants.

Wow this was such a good read. I will admit there were a couple of sections i had to skip because well they grossed me out. Feet related antics are not my thing, plus another scene which was too much. Beyond that the story is funny, heartwarming and joyful. There is a fair amount of sex mentioned in this but its not overly graphic and often quite humerous. I loved how it was divided up into months and built to a perfect ending. The poems were hilarious too. The fact she is an older woman, trying to live her best life just added to the story. The ending was so good and exactly how i was hoping it would end. A brilliant fun read.

In her debut novel Aged to Perfection, author Niloumar Lamakan celebrates the pursuit of passion in later life. When Sophia Stone finds herself single at sixty, a friend dares her to seek her soulmate by going on one date a week for a year. Being a woman who likes to push the limits, Sophia chooses to ignore the soulmate bit. Instead, she resolves to have lots of meaningless but thrilling sex. Her adventures on the mature dating circuit are hilarious and often ring true. Characters like Premature Paul, the Opera Buff and the Orgasm Expert are totally convincing.
Many humorous novels about women in later life focus on relationships with former partners or adult children. In contrast, Aged to Perfection gives a refreshing sense of liberation. Sophia’s ex is out of the picture and she is childless. Although this is not by choice, it does mean she has no boomerang kids to cramp her style, no bossy offspring telling her to act her age and no judgemental grandchildren. Sophia’s sex life is nobody’s business but her own. In addition, she is a successful interior designer. She can afford to travel on her quest for sensual pleasure, sharing comical anecdotes about her clients along the way.
Lamarkan narrates the story as a diary kept throughout a year. Most of the entries are casual and witty, but others are more serious. When Sophia is not engaged in bawdy carousing, she cares deeply for her close circle of friends, her lively eighty-year-old parents and her grumpy sister. When she says ‘I kept my feelings inside with a giant stopper of nonchalance’ it perfectly sums up her personality.
I recommend Aged to Perfection to anyone who enjoys a rude belly laugh.

I struggled a bit at first with Aged To Perfection though I admired the central character, Sophia Stone, who, at sixty, is determined to revamp her virtually non-existent sex life but without the complication of either a relationship or any romance. It was refreshing to see a woman of almost my age on the page as a central character and fun watching her go through her body checks and her various dates. There are plenty of light moments but there is also a sense of insecurity about Sophia. Her journey was entertaining and enjoyable.

This is the book i need being a Bridget Jones' Diary fan, this has scratched the itch that i have had since then. I love Sophia and how she gives her a new outlook into her life and dating status. We follow her as she set herself a challenge which a friend has suggested and how this goes over the year. We follow her as she meets new men and starts to find out what she likes and love. The author has created a main character who the reader is able to imagine and is realistic to read about. This is something which can sometime be missing in a romance .... Well Done

I loved having an older female character challenging societal assumptions about dating in later life.

Sophia is a successful businesswoman with a fabulous friendship group but she's avoided romance after a terrible betrayal. At a NYE party she vows to start dating again, but on her terms and just for fun. And to end the dick drought.

But dating becomes exhausting. There's opera man with a strange kink. Banana man, cement man and orgasm man who might fulfil her sexually, but whose conversational abilities leave much to be desired.

And then there's the Hot One. Who screams red flag, but who reels her in and makes her realise that deep down she longs for a deeper connection.

A light hearted story about being true to yourself, defying society's ageist stereotypes and being sexy and sassy at any age.

Aged to Perfection
by Niloufar Lamakan

I was eager to dive into this romantic comedy featuring a woman over 60, particularly because it was presented in the engaging format of diary entries. While I found the book didn’t resonate with me personally, as someone approaching that same age, I appreciate what it offers. The story centres on Sophia and her year-long journey through the dating scene after overcoming a betrayal. Although it may not have been my cup of tea, I have no doubt that many readers will find joy in it. wasn't for me I'm sure many more will enjoy it.

This is my first book by this author and I think I am a fan.

I need more romances for this cohort of age. I need to see love again later in life. Or this kind of romance at this point in a woman's life. I also LOVE to see older woman THIS glamorous.

It had some funny moments too, as these very real world and relatable moments happen so often, no matter your age.
Overall a great romance read!

Loved it! A Bridget Jones for the more mature woman! And no, not for those in their 40s… for those in their 60s!

It’s brilliant to see characters like this—finally, women of this age aren’t invisible. They know what they want, they’re beautiful, wise, and still open to new experiences.

The book is really well-structured, following the protagonist’s year filled with adventures—dating (with very mixed results!), messy yet meaningful family relationships, lifelong friendships, and unexpected new connections that add richness to life.

Funny, charming, and wonderfully insightful—a heartwarming reminder that age really is just a number!

Sophia is sixty, single, and sad. She is recovering from a messy relationship break-up that the reader soon realises involved more than one betrayal. This emotional love story explores complex familial and friend relationships. Sophia's dating quest provides an enticing mix of humour tinged with sadness. It's an easy, entertaining read with believably vibrant characters and scenarios. I like the immersive writing style that draws you into Sophia's emotional journey.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

I wanted to like this so bad but I couldn’t get past the first few pages. Maybe it’s because I don’t relate (yet). But the character was really annoying.

I really enjoyed this book. It was nice reading a romance book that focused on more mature adults. Age is just a number, just because you are older doesn't mean you have to stop living your life or looking for more. Having a sex life isn't just for the young and I love how this novel highlights that through the fur and charismatic Sophia.

I must admit that I struggled with this book. The main character is Sophia, a sixty year old struggling after her relationship finished. She decides to have a date every week for a year with the aim of having fun, rather than a relationship. Cue a series of sexy escapades, although these weren't too explicit for me I couldn't see myself doing the same. It does show how failure of any relationship can damage you, and, for me at least, it's missing the close companionship more than anything else. Although this book wasn't for me I'm sure many more will enjoy it.
I received an advance copy of this book from the publisher through Netgalley, however this did not influence my review of the book.

Sophia's going a date a day for a year, sounds fun? We will see - it's written diary styles which I know people either love or hate (i don't mind it ) there is a twist she's 60- most books don't have 6p year old being real live sexual beings so that was enjoyable and we meet a fun cast of characters with her friends and their stories within the diary- the book was good I liked it


Thank you netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review

I was excited to read a romantic comedy featuring a mid-life protagonist. Older female main characters, especially those over 50, are difficult to come by in the romance genre and, as a woman in mid-life herself, I always try to pick those books up when I see them.

Unfortunately, Aged to Perfection did not work for me. We follow a year in the dating life of Sophie, a 60 year-old successful designer, who is ready for fun after being badly hurt in her previously relationships. Except she's not, not really. Any hopes I had of an empowering, mid-life, sex positive story quickly went out the window. Sophie is riddled with anxiety, low self-esteem, and a number of other personality traits that make her feel more like a character in her twenties. At no point did I feel connected to her or her story. The book is written in a diary format which hindered the depth of storytelling and emotional connection to the character even further. I never felt Sophia's growth as a character either. Even worse, undercurrents of fatphobia throughout the book and a racist portrayal of her Filipino housekeeper pushed this story firmly into "would never recommend" territory.

Readers looking for an empowering story of a women in mid-life who knows herself and is ready to take on the dating world should look elsewhere. Only lovers of very, very flawed characters floundering through life might be satisfied with this story. Unfortunately, Aged to Perfection was less sexy or funny and more cringey for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advanced reader copy. Aged to Perfection releases February 7, 2025.

I wanted to love this, I’m 53 so hoped I could relate to the fmc but I found the descriptive elements of the storyline too much. I just felt too much and I’m open minded and love a good spicy book, this just didn’t feel relatable at all.

I love the idea of a lead female character being an older woman, who is not just the mother/grandmother character.
A book about a flesh and blood woman exploring life, herself and her sexuality over the course of a year. This is a fabulous book.
Do yourself a favour and read it.

I really liked the idea of an older woman romance. However, i just didn't gel with Sophia as the main character.
I liked how it was written in the daily diary type format. That was a really good way to set out her tales of her year of dating exploits. It's a format that I think works really well in this genre.
There were some really tough themes for the side characters, including cancer and cheating. They didn't add masses to the story of Sophia and could have been left out without much detriment to her. I did appreciate how the author showed that Grace's mental health was impacted after her treatment, though. I thought the side characters were really good and much more relatable than Sophia to me.
It felt like quite a long read, though it is not a hugely long story. I did have a cold when reading it, though, so perhaps it was just me!
The writing is done well, and most of the characters are interesting, so i would pick up more by this author.

Aged to Perfection
by Niloufar Lamakan

Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews

Genre: General Fiction (Adult), Romance, Women's fiction

I loved the sound of this, romance isn't just the province of the young, and Sophia sounded such fun.
Its a decent story, well told and interesting but...I just couldn't really engage with the characters. I found Sophia a bit shallow, and her friends were a strange bunch. Mind, so are mine but I like to think they are there for me when I need them. I didn't feel that with Sophia and her gang though. I ended up skim reading just to see the end.
Its not a book for me, its personal choice, we all want different things and this is perfect for many readers. I didn't dislike it, I just didn't find it held my attention, didn't let me get “lost” in the story.

Stars: Three, a great read for others but just an OK read for me :-(

ARC supplied by netgalley and publishers

DNFing at 15%. I was excited to read a FMC of a mature age navigating the chaos of the dating scene. I was intrigued by the diary entry format. It made it easy to get right into Sophia's headspace. However, her Sex and the City privileged and wealthy problems are not a story I feel compelled to spend more time with. Also, the author made a deliberate choice in portraying Sophia's housekeeper as a racist caricature. Will not recommend.