A genuinely unique and refreshing story and one it was great to read . Starting again in your 40s is not unusual, but its a situation that is not spoken (or indeed written) about enough. I loved the author's honesty and clear, no nonsense style. I found a couple of grammatical issues which grated - cliche vs cliched for example, but they might simple be proof errors. I'll definitely be recommending this one to friends.

There were some gems in here for me - brutal statements about motherhood vs being an individual woman with needs - but the protagonist’s life was so far removed from mine and her voice so clinical that I struggled to relate. I finished the book but did find myself skimming at times.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This is a book about a woman rediscovering dating after 20+ years married. She has three children and is trying to navigate both online dating and meeting men in bars. The book is quite explicit but not overly gripping. I think this would definitely appeal to someone in the same situation.

Available is a memoir following one middle aged women's adventures after the breakdown of her 27 year marriage. Although she is devastated by her husband's infidelity she sets out to rediscover her sexual appetite in a curious and very open way. It is a very individual approach and not everyone will relate to her choices, but it is her way of coping and moving forward. To be honest I did loose my enthusiasm and interest just a little bit as she worked her way through her numbered dates and her sexual experiences. It was a little cold and desperate, and not always believable (it was easy to forget who each number related to). Maybe something had been lost (or added) in the editing process to make it more marketable. I did like the way she lived for the day, and was open to trying anything, and it was very refreshing to not have any body hang ups or too much focus on the middle aged physique. Even though the sex was graphic I felt the spark was missing, but maybe that is just a reflection of the situation, and the process of healing. A good read and funny in places. Definitely a book of our times.

When Laura’s decades long marriage ends because of her husband’s infidelity, she is devastated.
Alone with three children, she starts dating. This frank and no-holds-barred tale of her sexual exploits as she seeks to discover a new life, is absorbing and often surprising.
Laura herself is likeable and really grew on me.
She refers to her lovers by number which I found a little jarring but also protects their identities.
The sex is very graphic - sometimes a little too much information - but it’s also good to see a relatively older woman wholly enjoying sex.
It’s also the story of a lost marriage - a union that was expected to last forever - and Laura’s journey to heal from it and find a part back to herself.
In summary, I was a little apprehensive at first but ended up rooting for Laura. A tale of modern love for our times. Recommended.

An enjoyable insight into the life of Laura after she finds out that her husband of 27 years has cheated on her, they then split up whilst working their best to maintain a healthy relationship and family dynamic for their 3 children; Laura goes on a quest to find herself again. Laura's liberational tour is filled with amusing and insightful experiences as she gains more perspective about what she wants from life along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this book. Read it really quickly. I love Laura's down-to-earth writing style as she tells of her adventures dating - and having a lot of sex - following an unexpected marriage breakdown.
I liked less the details about her domestic situation but maybe that's because although I'm around Laura's age, have also been divorced and also done a lot of internet dating, I don't have children so perhaps someone who does would relate more to these parts.
I also found it slightly difficult to relate to the men having numbers - nicknames would have worked better for me. Particularly after one section where she digressed into reminiscences and then went back to the story and I got a bit confused about which man was which. Numbers are less easy to remember than names.