Member Reviews
Another great book by the bestselling author Fiona Gibson. I have been reading Fiona Gibson books for many, many years now and really love them all. This one is simply no exception. It really will take you on an emotional journey. You will laugh, cry and smile along with the amazing characters in this book as you take them and their story into your heart.
So who are the characters in this book?
Well in this book we meet 50 year old Jen who has been made redundant from her dream job as a flight attendant. This is the story of her life, her, family and how she is trying to find herself once again after her life has completely changed.
In the latest book from Fiona Gibson we meet fifty-year-old Jen, suddenly made redundant from her dream job as a flight attendant.
Now grounded indefinitely, this is the story of a woman finding a new balance and direction in her life. Having never had any substantial romantic relationship, her daughter persuades her to try online dating, with some hilarious results.
Jen was totally relatable and often funny, and I really liked her progression from desperately polite to assertive as the story progressed.
I also thought the storyline about her mother was sensitively written and very moving and liked all of the supporting characters, especially Rod and Sally. If I have one teeny tiny gripe, it's that I would have LOVED to read a bit more about Jen and her ultimate 'match' (no spoilers), as I really loved him. Despite having a significant dating component to the plot, I would class this more as contemporary women's fiction than rom-com.
I would say, despite Jen's age, this is so well written that it could still appeal to a younger adult audience.
Overall Rating: ❤❤❤❤
Heat Rating:
Emotional Rating: 😂😂😢🥰🥰
*I WILL ADD MY REVIEW TO AMAZON UK ON PUBLICATION DAY*
Jen is 50. She's been working at her airline job for the past 30 years. She has been laid off. She's having trouble finding a new airline job. Her daughter, only child, is grown. She's trying to occupy her time so she decides to try dating. She never really dated her daughter's dad. She's stayed single for a really long time. She also discovers that she has to use the vacation she won from her previous job by the end of the year. She goes on many dates trying to find the one.
This is a romance book but also a story about a woman finding herself. I love that she's in her 50's. It shows it's never too late to find love, a new job, take adventures, etc. I liked this book. I wish there was a bit more conflict and a little less lull sometimes. It wasn't as funny as I hoped. I still enjoyed it and recommend it.
Thank you to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC!
I couldn't get into this book!
I have nothing truly negative to say. It was cute, and the writing style was fine, but it moved very slowly for me and I just could not bring myself to keep reading. Although I like that the main character was older (49 as opposed to 20s or 30s), it might have been part of the reason why I couldn't connect with her.
Thanks so much to Avon for approving me to read The Woman Who Took a Chance by Fiona Gibson.
I have read a few of Fiona's books and they are perfect if you need an easy and uplifting sort of read.
This definitely had the feel good factor and I really enjoyed it.
It was refreshing to read a rom com featuring a slightly older lady as the main character rather than the obvious 20-30 something and that made a nice change. I actually loved the character of Jen and her foray into the world of online dating was such a fun premise to the storyline. Some of her early dates really made me chuckle. I liked that parts of the book were fun and lighthearted but it also showed a more serious side to trying to move on after a big life change (Jen gets made redundant from her job at the start of the book).
The characters were warm and felt so true to life which gives great testament to Fiona's writing.
I devoured this over one weekend and loved every moment.
This book was cute, witty and fun! I loved the characters and felt so invested in each and every one of them! It was relatable and heart warming. Loved it!
A-bit difficult for me to get connected to the characters as I begin to read this book. It is a interesting storyline of a women in 50s tapping on the online dating which play a center stage in this book. This book is a about Jen, who was been made redundant. She finds that she have a lot of time alone and unsure how to spend it alone. With some persuasion from her daughter, Hannah she signs up for online dating site. The book continue with the story about her countless dates which come across as hilarious but not so much to Jen.
Overall, it is a slow start at the beginning but it’s accelerated fast towards the ending of the story which make a reader rather disoriented with the book.
👩Lovely, winsome take on a woman's upheaval at 50👍
4.5🌟 stars
I loved the principal character, Jen Morton. This story depicts her going through real, stressful issues yet the undertone is positive. Some LOL descriptions of online dating fiascos provide comic relief as she deals with sudden redundancy at 50 and a mother with a deteriorating hold on reality.
Jen could allow her loss of a job she'd held for 30 years to defeat her. Instead, she soldiers on, finding a few new friends, a stronger body and sense of self, and a caring man along the way. Rod and Harvey, Hannah and Sally were also great characters.
Gibson's writing style is simple, straightforward and whimsical at times. All qualities I like in a book but her biggest achievement is in creating a real, living, breathing woman with all of her quirks, insecurities and strengths, who makes it work!
Thanks to Avon Books UK and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.
Beautiful!!
The storyline was practical and felt so real and well written...
Though the MC is 50 and the book deals with several issues, most ages can relate to the book in many ways.
It was heavy at times (it deals with some heavy aspects and though I did not bawl my eyes out, I felt stabby & teary at different points) and funny and warm most places.
Overall, a heartwarming read.
I've read a few books by Fiona Gibson and I have to say that this is probably my favourite of her books.
It's light and perfect to get you out of a reading slump. I have to be honest, it had a bit of a Bridget Jones feel about it, I love Bridget Jones so this wasnt a bad thing.
It does discuss some serious subjects but keeps it quite light and subtle in the way they are handled.
The ending caught me completely unexpectedly but I think it was a fitting ending.
Thanks Netgalley for an early copy of this book
50 year old Jen is made redundant from the job she loves as an air hostess with Budgie Air and life as she knows it is thrown into turmoil. With time on her hands she stops to re-evaluate everything, from her platonic relationship with her daughter's father Rod, to her mother's increasingly eccentric behaviour, her fitness and even her non-existant love life. She discovers that the dating scene has changed dramatically in the past 20 years and is more about apps and algorithims than chance encounters in the frozen aisle ofthe supermarket. Will she find love and someone to share the holiday prize she won through work before it expires? A fun and fast read :)
This novel is set in current times so is easy to relate to. Jennifer has been an air hostess for nearly 30 years but when the airline she works for goes under she is left unemployed. Her redundancy payout is pathetic and she feels that she has no useful skills, but she is forced to join the ranks of jobseekers as she has no savings.
This a story of re-invention as Jennifer is persuaded to try online dating, in addition to job hunting. The book is about family, friends and new adventures. Recommended.
Thanks to Net Galley and the publishers for the opportunity to review this book.
I really tried to like this book but it wasn't my type of book and I couldn't finish it. I really enjoy the premise of the story and I had high hopes for it. I like how it was written and second chances. 3/5
Thanks to Netgalley and Avon for the advanced copy.
This was the first book I read by Fiona Gibson and certainly not the last. the book appealed to me because it was about a 50 plus woman entering the world of online dating, which is something I doubt about. The book is funny, warm but sometimes a bit slow. What has been beautifully described was the medical side of her mother. Very loving. All in all... online dating or looking closer? I do not know yet., but really enjoyed this romantic novel.
Thanks netgalley and Fiona Gibson for the Arc in Exchange for an honest review.
This book made me howl with laughter its such a lovely uplifting book and I would recommend it to everyone to read
with thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the arc of this book in exchange for this honest review
Enjoyed the start of this and then felt that there was a bit of a lull. Expected a bit more, but was fun and easy reading.
The perfect reverse holiday romance! Ex-air hostess Jen proves it’s never too late to date as she heads online to find the perfect chap to take to on a Santorini holiday prize…
I expected this book to be uplifting and, with its hooky premise, to have some good twists and turns on Jen’s dating journey - and I wasn’t disappointed! I chortled my way through and enjoyed the cast of characters I met along the way. What I particularly loved was Jen’s sense of humour and great one liners. She was a warm, appealing protagonist and the ending had some satisfying developments too. I’d recommend it to any romance reader who’s also looking for an uplifting, funny read.
Huge thanks to the author, Fiona Gibson, and publisher, Avon, for this advance review copy. Views my own. 5*
Another great book by the talented Fiona Gibson. Jen is an flight attendant who finds herself single, with too much time on her hands when the company folds and she has a small redundancy payout to keep her going until she finds a new job. Encouraged by her daughter she dips her toes into online dating. Loved this book and the way Fiona introduced you to the suitors who Jen was getting to know. Each chapter left you wanting to read more and more.
💭 ᴍʏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛꜱ:
This was quite a quick read. The insights to all these dates made me laugh out loud so many times. This felt more like 50 stories in one, which with the short chapters made it a quick read. But as the main storyline was a bit in the background it was a bit of a slow burn at the same time. I really loved Jen and how she’s coping with the setbacks that life is giving her. However, I did guess the endings which didn’t give me the satisfying ending I would have hoped. But it was still a very enjoyable and quick read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🤓 ʀᴇᴀᴅ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ:
Dating life
A look inside the Airline industry
Short chapters
ꜱʏɴᴏᴘꜱɪꜱ:
𝘔𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘑𝘦𝘯. 𝘍𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘵. 𝘔𝘶𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯-𝘶𝘱 𝘥𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦.
𝘈𝘨𝘦: 𝘍𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘺 (𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘱)
𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯: 𝘖𝘯𝘦
𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘶𝘴𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴: 𝘡𝘦𝘳𝘰 (𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥)
𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩: 𝘛𝘰𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦
𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘤, 𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦-𝘪𝘯-𝘢-𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱: 𝘛𝘸𝘰
𝘕𝘶𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘳 𝘙𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘺: 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘶𝘯𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘶𝘵…
Jen's world turns upside down in a moment when she's made redundant from her job as a flight attendant but it turns out that is the best thing that could have happened to her. At her daughter's urging, she tries on line dating- there are some quite funny scenes and exchanges- but that's less the focus that Jen's discovery of who she is and who she will be. No spoilers from me. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC. A good read.