May 9, 2023 ] ‘Calm After the Storm’ and other treasures to support your childless heart on Mother’s Day Nell’ faces the dilemma that I, and so many other women arriving childless at midlife face. How the hell do we do this when everything around us has prepared us for something different? A novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here, and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies.

First of all, thank you NetGalley, Pan Macmillan, and Alexandra Potter for allowing me access to this e-ARC! The inspiration for NOT DEAD YET, ABC’s “Most Watched Comedy Debut in More Than Four Years” ( Deadline ) Of course, I realize this is just a new stage of life, and one that–if all this midlife stuff is to be believed–I should be embracing. But what if you’re not ready for this new stage? What if you haven’t even reached the old stage yet? Even if you’re not sure about having kids it’s comforting to know you’ve got options. No one wants to be The Woman For Whom Time Ran Out. You want to be the one making the decisions. Sitting on the fence is one thing, but what happens when the fence is taken away from you? Do you jump off joyfully or fall crashing to the floor?”

Mothers & Childless Daughters – a very hot topic for our next free Fireside Wisdom with Childless Elderwomen webinar Confessions of a forty-something f##k up is the story of 40 -something Nell Stevens who at the very outset of the book asks herself — ‘How the hell did I get here?’ She has just returned to the UK after her life and relationship in California have fallen apart. Her friends in the UK have moved on with their lives, they are married, have children and she no longer seems to have anything in common with them. Her financial situation is dire enough for her to flatshare with eco-conscious Edward and out of desperation, she has taken up a job writing obituaries to make ends meet. Three woman who join together to rent a large space along the beach in Los Angeles for their stores—a gift shop, a bakery, and a bookstore—become fast friends as they each experience the highs, and lows, of love. I highly recommend this book, it is for every one of us, for the ‘outcasts’ like me (childfree by choice, gasp!) who try to walk life through a different path than one that is deemed acceptable, or for someone like you who may have achieved the so-called ‘milestones’ in life, is considered a ‘success’ by society but like Nell’s friends in the book may feel like a f-up nonetheless. The story of Nell Stevens’ struggle through her imperfect, messy life doesn’t just make brilliant fiction, it’s turning into a cultural revolution!' – Matt Cain

Watch now] ‘Challenging the Lazy Stereotypes of Childless Women in Fiction and Films’. A free World Childless Week webinar: Thursday 14 September 2023, 7pm BSTThe author has done a stellar job in conveying these social issues through humour and I end this review with one line from the book - FREE: REGISTER NOW] Why do we need role models of childless elderwomen? Join us for our December 2023 ‘Fireside Wisdom with Childless Elderwoman’ session, Wed 20th December, 8pm A book begging to be read on the beach, with the sun warming the sand and salt in the air: pure escapism.

I loved the way Alexandra Potter incorporated the pandemic into the start of the novel. It was the perfect way to have Nell reevaluate herself after finding peace with her life in the first novel. It reminded me of how much our lives got completely tipped upside down thanks to COVID-19. WATCH NOW: Fireside Wisdom with Childless Elderwomen. What does it mean to be a ‘Radical Old Woman?’ [Recorded 21 June 2023]In this hilarious, un-put-downable follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a Forty-Something F## k Up, now the basis for the major TV series called Not Dead Yet, there are laugh-out-loud lessons to be learned, truths to be told, adventures to go on and joys to discover. Alexandra Potter is a British author, whose first novel ‘What’s New, Pussycat?’ was published in 2000, a week before her 30th birthday and immediately made the top ten. She has since written twelve novels of romantic comedy including ‘Be Careful What You Wish For’, ‘Me and Mr Darcy’ (which won Best New Fiction Award at the Jane Austen Regency World Awards) and ‘Love From Paris’ which was shortlisted for the RNA Comedy Award. Funny but layered, light-hearted but surprisingly deep, this is a perfect and inspiring new year read' - Red FREE: REGISTER NOW] Gateway Women Masterclass: ‘Reclaiming Your Childless Festive Season!’– Sat 8th December, 7pm UK (and recorded)