Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up is an easy, fun read about a woman (forty-something years old, of course) who feels like her life hasn’t got to where she thought it would be at this age. It’s probably no surprise (if anyone’s still with me :)) that I found the ending disturbing and symbolic. There were some awkward conversations at the beginning with her mother as expected because her mum was still holding out hope for Nell to patch things up with her fiancée.

But when she lands a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an eighty-something widow with challenges of her own, and they strike up an unlikely friendship. I would like to thank Tandem Collective UK, Pan Macmillan and Alexandra Potter for sending me a hardback copy of ‘Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up’ as part of the Tandem Collective UK readalong; I would also like to thank NetGalley for allowing me to access a digital copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review. A life affirming, insightful, savvy and meaningful contemporary fiction piece, I am very happy to send my full recommendation to Confessions of a Forty Something by Alexandra Potter. It's actually taken me months to review it because I had such a book hangover when it was done and I just wasn't sure what I was going to say except: READ THIS BOOK.All her single friends are now married with children, sky-high rents force her to rent a room in a stranger’s house and in a world of perfect instagram lives, she feels like a f*ck up. Worse still, all Nell’s friends seem to have moved on and settled down into marriage and motherhood.

I remember the plans that I had for my life ten years ago and not even one thing has happened as per that plan but my life took a completely different turn and I am still loving it. After reading the first book of confessions and loving it, I couldn't wait to read the sequel and I wasn't disappointed, it was like catching up with old friends who you haven't seen for a while. I’ve been a fan of Alexandra Potter’s for years now but have absolutely loved her last few novels, including the first Confessions book and One Good Thing. Everyone no matter what age you are needs to read this because it's true and we don't always feel like we have our shot together. But the most unexpected surprise is when Nell strikes up a friendship with an eighty something year old widow whose husband she’s writing an obituary piece about.Even though I knew from the start what may have been happening romance wise, it was still a satisfying read.

First of all, thank you NetGalley, Pan Macmillan, and Alexandra Potter for allowing me access to this e-ARC! But this book definitely reminded me of the things that I had laid out and thought back to where I used to think I'd end up ten years later and then ended up laughing because now I can't even imagine going by that plan. I was thrilled when I heard a second Confessions book was written and delighted to be approved by NetGalley to read and review! She’s just broken up with her fiance, moved back in with her parents, and hasn’t got a proper career to speak of.

I have to admit that I am probably not the intended audience for this kind of novel, as this may appeal more to women who are at a similar stage in their lives and of a similar age to Nell, but there were a lot of aspects of this novel which I really appreciated. We see a possible love interest develop through friendship and support, we cringe as Nell is taken for a ride with a poor love match and our hearts break as she works to understand what went wrong with fiance.

An editor, Nell secured a job with an old colleague crafting epilogues, and this is how she found a firm friend in Cricket, a newly widowed octogenarian. But sometimes, the book is as good as the original and you find yourself laughing out loud in public spaces and wondering and doubting alongside the main characters like you did in U. I totally agree one should never judge a book by its genre, it’s kind of not fair to the author, because after all isn’t it the editor/publishing house/agent that decide on the genre classification?Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up’ follows the protagonist, Nell, after her relationship with her fiancé breaks down, and she is forced to move back from San Francisco to London, with no job and nowhere to live.