“Warms my soul… such a joy to read… like a breath of fresh air.” Jaffa Reads TooMeet Phoebe, who’s 28, and Laney, Dot and Maggie, who are 68, 78, and none of your business.Together they’ll prove that age doesn’t matter when it comes to friendship, togetherness and an unquenchable zest for life.The residents of the Happy Home for Ladies have a big problem. Terrence, the owner’s mean-spirited … a big problem. Terrence, the owner’s mean-spirited father, is about to move into their famously all-female senior living home. Far from coasting into their twilight years, these women have a lot of living to do. And they’re planning to do it where the toilet seats stay firmly down.
The home’s chef, Phoebe, is desperate to help her friends plot to keep the all-women community that means so much to them. It’s become her life raft, too. Her job might be the only thing that finally makes her parents proud. If only Phoebe’s (probably hopeless) love, Nick, wasn’t lining up on the other side of the battle.
The stakes couldn’t be higher for everyone. Unless the home’s owner can improve business by moving men in, he’s going to close it down. Then the women will lose everything.
Meet your new best friends in this gorgeous, uplifting and hilarious new romantic comedy with all the camaraderie of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and life-affirming joy of The Rosie Project. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand, Sophie Kinsella and Matchmaking for Beginners will devour this book!
“Satisfying self-discovery and a sweet journey to love.” Publishers Weekly
“So engaging and witty” Sophie Kinsella, #1 New York Times bestseller
“A funny, feel-good romcom… the perfect read to curl up with.” The SUN, the UK’s biggest newspaper
“The perfect way to lose yourself! ” Debbie Johnson, winner of the RNA’s Contemporary Romantic Novel of the Year 2017
What readers are saying
“What a refreshing change to have a story with older folk in it! Great fun to read… I enjoyed every page of this gentle, lovely story… everything a chick lit should be… very, very enjoyable.” Author Lilac Mills
“Will make you smile and make you think about old age in a new way that is refreshing and welcome. I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish.” Books of All Kinds
“A fun rom-com page turner … I think this may be my favourite Lilly Bartlett novel. A wonderfully entertaining rom-com that kept me hooked till the end.” Sally Akins
“A brilliant romantic comedy … great characters across the generations! … plenty of surprises… enthralling and inspiring.” Splashes into Books
“A fun, uplifting read… warm likeable and easily recognisable characters, great comedic scenes… I loved this story of friendship, of comradeship, of new beginnings. Lilly Bartlett has created another wonderful tale filled with lots of fun, laughter, tears and love.” Krafti Reader
“Oh this was a fun book to read! All’s well that ends well — it’s just getting there that causes a whole lot of laughs!!” 5 Stars Miki’s Hope
“Quirky characters, plenty of laughs, and a lot of feel good moments… a sweet setting… the pacing was great… a very enjoyable chick lit read.” Chick Lit Plus
“A sheer and utter delight of a story!” 5 Stars Mrs Mommy Booknerd
“Filled with fun, laughs and feel-good moments. The heart of the story is full of hope.”
Lis, Netgalley
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“The story had me hooked from the very beginning and I found it difficult to put down.”
Suzy, Amazon
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“A fantastic, warm-hearted, lovely book about friendship.”
Natasha, Netgalley
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“Sweet story with some bite!”
Sally, Amazon
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“The right mix of heart-warming, poignant and very funny moments.”
Gemma, Netgalleymore
Seemed an interesting premise, but the characters were not well-realized, the plot was thin and abruptly-finished, and the writing was generally weak.
Cute, fast read.
Loved this book
Cute storyline
Cozy, believable, and heartwarming. My kind of chicklit.
What a refreshing change to have a story with older folk in it! Great fun to read… I enjoyed every page of this gentle, lovely story… everything a chick lit should be… very, very enjoyable.
The Not so Perfect Plan to Save Friendship House by Lilly Bartlett is a light feel-good story that has something for everyone. This is the first book I have read from this author. I will be looking for more of her work to read. It is well written makes your smile throughout. I really enjoyed the fact that the main characters are of the older persuasion. This book has awesome characters, humor, romance and just a bit of everything to keep you interested.
This is a feel good, laugh out loud funny book about geriatrics in Britain. The British sense of humor is in full form and lovely as women in a retirement home fight to keep men out. But more than that, Maggie, Dot, Lainey, and Judy are women with skills, lifestyles, professions, and senses of humor to deal with their aging bodies and minds.
There is June trying her best to keep the women happy, fed, and cared for even as her boss, Max, tries to undercut the home. Then there is Phoebe, the cook, best friend of June, and deeply lusting for Nick. Nick is the all around good looking male, helping the women with exercise, dance, games and listening.
The only problem seems to be Terence, Max’s dad, as he lives in a cottage right behind the home. It seems Terence likes to “water” the shrubs while the ladies are outside. Rough, gruff and maybe just needing attention, Terence is foisted on the ladies by Max.. .the home will now have men living in it!
Roll up your sleeves, grab the kleenex, and laugh hard as the ladies fight back with dreadful food, naughty buns decorated with a cherry (oh my!) and so on.
Phoebe tells the tale of the home, her love of cooking, her relationship with her dead mom and taking on romance. She does it with her head held high as she attends the homes bookclub while they read about Mr. Darcy. Phoebe deals with the surprising death of her mom, her Dad’s loss, and her jealousy of her brother Will….all while yearning for love, cooking up a storm and seeing for herself the damages if old age. The relationship between Maggie and Laney is wonderful.
For a swell time, good humor, insight into the older generation, and a feel good book….check this out.