I didn’t realize til after I started that this was part of a series, but I read it just fine not having read any of the others, so I can safely say it can be read as a stand alone. You may benefit from some backstory of the characters, but nothing is lost in this new adventure they go on.
The widows set off on an adventure on the Queen Mary 2, bringing them to New York just in time for Christmas. The author does a fab job of setting the scene on the ship and all it has to offer. Janet is grieving the loss of her second husband and Zelda and Viv get her to agree rid the cruise to lift her spirits. Soon after they get onboard, Primrose latches into them. When she begins talking about her life, the ladies realize something is very wrong so they go into detective mode to try to solve the mystery that surrounds Primoses’ story. . The widows are forced to use modern technology like IT and social media as methods of sleuthing. We see how money corrupts people and how love can happen at any age. These women know how to live life to the fullest and care immensely for each other.
This was a fun, lighthearted story with friendship at its core. There’s enough mystery to keep you guessing but there’s also romance when one of the widows meets a blind man and his guide dog Billie on board. Being a member of the over 59 club myself, I love that the characters are older-made them even more relatable. I will be looking for the next books in the series.
Thanks to Boldwood Books, Rachel’s Random Resources and NetGalley for this eArc in exchange for my review.

Julia Jarman’s *Widows Waive the Rules* is a charming and witty tale of friendship, resilience, and a dash of mystery. The adventures of Viv, Janet, and Zelda aboard the luxurious Queen Mary 2 are filled with humor, heart, and delightful surprises. The camaraderie between the widows is heartwarming. With its vibrant characters, clever plot twists, and the glamour of a transatlantic cruise, this book is an absolute joy to read. Perfect for fans of feel-good stories with a touch of intrigue!

Widows Waive the Rules by Julia Jarman is a charming novel that follows Janet, grieving her second husband’s loss. Friends Zelda and Viv take her on a Queen Mary II cruise to New York, but unexpected drama arises when fellow widow Primrose reveals striking links between her late husband and Janet’s first husband. As secrets unravel, the widows work together to solve the mystery and restore Janet’s happiness.

The book masterfully blends humor, mystery, and heartfelt friendship, with vivid descriptions of cruise ship elegance and engaging characters. It’s a celebration of resilience, love, and living life to the fullest.

Another fabulous adventure with The Muscateers, this was quite an exciting read on the high seas with Janet, Viv and Zelda and not forgetting Billie the gorgeous guide dog. From the UK to America, lots of fun and adventure is to be had, can't wait for the next one

I laughed my way through as I read this in one sitting! These ladies are just so much fun to read about and I sincerely hope the author keeps this series going for years to come!

Another compulsive read from an author who seems to do no wrong. I absolutely devoured this one… You will want to clear your afternoon to read this one straight through!

Love the idea of having a friendship group as sleuths as we only really see individuals or duos. And they did make me giggle. A power house of a group. And really liked how utterly supportive they were for eachother. Then there is the mystery which was a great one to try and solve along the way with the group.
I didn't know of this author or that there had been previous. So I'm now on my way to learn more about this fab group of woman in authors previous. Bit I e joyed it wholeheartedly as a standalone and my first entry to the group.

Widows Waive The Rules by Julia Jarman is a wonderful contemporary novel that I absolutely loved. The book is part of The Widows Wine Club series but can be read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed meeting up with familiar faces.
Once more the widows are off on an adventure, travelling from Britain to New York on the Queen Mary II, arriving in time for Christmas. With comprehensive descriptions from the author, we share the experience of life on board the Queen Mary II – from staterooms to ballrooms, pubs, restaurants and on-board entertainment, there is something for everyone.
Planning for the trip began in the summer sunshine as the friends wanted to bring some life back into their recently widowed for the second time friend. “Grief doesn’t make you immune to grief. It piles it on, so you start to think life isn’t worth living.” Depression has robbed their friend of life as each day she is merely going through the motions.
Everyone needs good friends. Friends who support each other through all the seasons of life and who will go the extra mile.
Super sleuthing was called for as an unscrupulous character has tried to throw a spanner in the works and disrupt the life of one of their own. Modern methods, requiring the us of I.T. skills and social media are employed to solve the mystery.
We see just how low a family will stoop in order to meddle in the lives of those they are supposed to love. And how the love of money corrupts people.
Love is not just for the young. Love happens even for those in their twilight years.
Widows Waive The Rules was a delightful light-hearted and fun novel. The characters know how to live life to the full. They care deeply but also know how to have fun and realise that life is for living.
I always look forward to following the Muscateers on their adventures and look forward to many more books.
I received a free copy via Rachel’s Random Resources. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Widows' Wine Club, I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to read and review the next book in the series. The book picks up after Janet has lost Alan, her second husband, and is struggling to deal with life without him. Determined to raise her spirits, Zelda and Viv offer to take her on a cruise to New York on the Queen Mary. Although reluctant at first, Janet comes round to the idea and the three head off on their voyage of a lifetime.

However, when another widow - Primrose - latches onto their group, things start to take a turn for the worse. Primrose has some secrets of her own and when she starts to talk about her own late husband, it becomes clear that there are striking similarities between Primrose's and Janet's first husbands. As these revelations start to unravel Janet's new-found happiness, it is down to the widows to solve the mystery and put Janet back on track.

This was a lovely, light-hearted read with friendship at its core. The bond between the widows is so strong and this comes across clearly throughout the story. The attention to detail is brilliant - from the description of the opulent Queen Mary to the relationship between blind cellist Richard and his guide dog Billie. The mystery has enough twists to keep you guessing and changing your mind as more details become known.

A thoroughly enjoyable read. Thanks to the publishers and Net Galley for this advance copy.

Delightful adventure sprinkled with careful sleuthing by this group of friends. They want to raise the spirits of friend Janet after her recent bereavement. They set off on a cruise to New York but are beset by a mother and daughter determined to upset the apple cart for Janet and set d it bts in her mind about her first and unhappy marriage. Her trusty friends turn into diligent sleuths to save her from ruination

An enjoyable tale of three widows enjoying a transatlantic crossing on the Queen Mary 2 whilst investigating a mystery that involves one of the trio. I liked the characters and the romance between Zelda and Richard the cellist and his lovely guide dog. An enjoyable easy read.

✨4 stars ✨

This was the first book that I have read by this author after receiving an ARC via NetGalley and I really enjoyed it! Upon further research I think this is a sequel of sorts to one of this author’s previous books, however this did not take away from my enjoyment of this book and the story and characters. Therefore, I’d definitely say you could jump straight into this!!

The plot follows three best friend, Janet, Viv and Zelda as they journey on a cruise across the Atlantic Ocean as we see what they get up to on the luxury adventure. However, their travels are interrupted when they are joined by Primrose and then a mystery unfurls from there.

I really enjoyed the exploration of friendship especially with the characters being older so I would really recommend this as the mystery kept me hooked through to the end.

I received an ARC from the publishers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

Janet is dealing with the grief of losing her second husband Alan unexpectedly. In the hopes of raising her spirits,
Zelda and Viv convince her to embark on a cruise aboard the QM2. Things are going well until an encounter with
another passenger starts Janet doubting the validity of her first marriage. The three are aided in their investigation
by Richard, one of the musicians on board. A delightful addition to the series.
#WidowsWaivetheRules #BoldwoodBooks #NetGalley

This book was full of mystery. Lots of twists and turns. It’s a very humorous book. Lots of sad moments as the characters are widows. . I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

A cute little read that I very much enjoyed.
I love how the author described the Queen Mary 2.
She’s described the ship so well that I felt like I was on board with Zelda, Janet , and Viv.
I really enjoyed in getting to know these wonderful ladies and by the end of the book I felt like they were my friends lol.
Sometimes I giggled at them and other times I just shook my head.
The mystery man was what kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next.
I agreed with Janet. I won’t say why cause I don’t want to give anything else away.
I really enjoyed this story and hated to see it end.
5 stars from me for this cute and funny read. I highly recommend it!
My thanks for a copy of this book. I was NOT required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

An enjoyable easy read if you suspend all disbelief in the plot. Zelda and Viv persuade their recently widowed friend, Janet to go on a trans-Atlantic cruise to New York. Despite asking for a table for 3, Primrose pushes her way onto their table. Her husband, now deceased, was Mal Carmichael the same name as Janet's first husband. Was Carmichael a bigamist and is Primrose entitled to some of the considerable wealth that he left to Janet. Rather than tell Primrose to go through Janet's lawyer, they spend much of their cruise on the internet trying to find out if there is another explanation.
I gave a generous 4 star rating as it was enjoyable despite spending most of the book tut-tutting the ridiculous plot lines.

This is my first book by Julia Jarman featuring Viv, Janet, and Zelda. As someone who enjoys cruising, I appreciated the author's attention to detail as she described each deck and ambience of each area. One of the only reasons that I couldn't give 5 stars is that I found Janet's character somewhat tiring. I felt Viv and Zelda's frustration and it progressed throughout the book. All in all, a worthy read.

A light hearted feel good story. Three good friends going on a trip but targeted by a women and her scheming daughter.
Is what they are saying the truth? Was Janet's husband married when he married her? Now deceased and not able to answer questions, did he lie and make their long standing marriage bigamous as well as cruel and unhappy?
Trying desperately to uncover the truth whilst sailing to New York.
Friends supporting each other.

This is certainly a lively adventure, and one I enjoyed since I’m not one who enjoys cruising! This cruise
would be the exception with all of the lively and bright descriptions of the QE2 from top to bottom ~ it
seems to be just fabulous, decadent and supremely comfortable, until the ladies arrive to take their
places at their promised ‘table for 3,’ when things are going to clearly run to foul and the wild adventure
on the high seas begins.
Having not read the previous books left me with catching up and having to just accept things about the
ladies that likely have great beginning stories, but, honestly, it was just as much fun.
Richard is clearly a new character and I cannot wait to see him in the next book. I hope that the
interesting misunderstandings will remain in the background, but with these ladies, we’ve no way
to know!. Even not being a cruiser, I might just hop on to spend a week with friends like these!
This is a hit and I highly recommend it to everyone !
My thanks to Boldwood Books via NetGalley for the download copy of this book for review purposes.

I had high hopes for this novel but it is just okay. The writing is rather scattered but a decent story shines through.