I’m not sure there are many of us these days with friendships that have endured since childhood, but Lin, Minnie and Josie are the exception. We meet them first at Middleton Ferris primary school, delighted to meet their inspirational and thoroughly lovely new teacher, Miss Hamilton – and now, although Minnie has moved to Oxford, they meet up regularly sixty years later for regular lunch dates, and are as close as they ever were. Josie, recently widowed after a long and happy marriage, has just returned from a solo cruise – missing her husband being there to share all the new experiences, but making new friends. Lin has been married to Neil for almost fifty years – but she’s beginning to wonder whether he might be getting fed up with her not having a more exciting life. Minnie has stayed single, but very much enjoys playing the field – until she comes across a man who might just have potential to become someone special. And Miss Hamilton – they can now call her Cecily – is back in the village too, full of life in her nineties, joining them for their lunch dates.

It’s a fairly uncomplicated story, following their friendship as they join forces to support young Florence at a difficult time in her life and help Lin keep things together as she increasingly fears the imminent end of her marriage. But the whole book also paints a lovely picture of village life, with an established community that certainly has its share of the quirky, eccentric and different (every individual beautifully drawn) but can most definitely pull together when they need to.

And I must say I found the whole book totally delightful – although I will admit that the large cast of characters did make it a touch more of a challenge to keep track and differentiate between them until I was a little way into the story. I really felt for Josie, beginning to find her feet, but still waking to Harry’s smile from the photo on her bedside table – and really enjoyed her relationship with Fergal, a friendship frowned upon by some but that has also endured since their schooldays (even if his attendance was a touch sporadic, until Miss Hamilton’s intervention). Lin, it has to be said, did need rather a lot of support and reassurance – although I enjoyed the way her storyline developed, my sympathy was just a little strained at times – but I entirely loved Minnie and her plans for a romantic adventure (and her thoroughly lovely target too).

As always, there’s a great deal of humour – the running story of Nadine, the farmer’s much-loved pig, was just magic – beautifully balanced by the moments of seriousness and sadness, and with the next smile never too far away. And if the three schoolfriends have storylines that prove it’s never too late to live a little and look forward to a happy future, Cecily provides even more proof of that – she might be on a mobility scooter, but it’s certainly no barrier to living life to the full. The focus on family and friendship is simply perfect – and although life in Middleton Ferris might have its downsides along with its positives, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent there. This was yet another really lovely read from an author who unfailingly writes books that I enjoy – and one I’d certainly very much recommend to others.

Always a complete joy to read Judy Leigh’s books!! Wasn’t too sure at first but then became totally immersed into the lives of these lovely Silver Ladies and their community, had me on tenterhooks with all the shenanigans!!
Josie, Lin and Minnie have been solid friends since their time at primary school sixty years ago when they had the wonderful Miss Hamilton as their last class teacher. Sixty years later and life has happened for them all in different ways, yet when they meet with Miss Hamilton again there is fresh inspiration for their lives they had thought were at a dead end.
I just love the observation, sensitivity and intuitive depth to the characters and their lives. This is not just a book about the oldies! It’s inspiration for all ages, and all walks of life. There is a beautiful classless feeling!! Love all of Judy’s books and this one doesn’t disappoint!! A bit quirky in a fabulous way!!
Thanks to NetGalley and Boldwood Books for the early read! Hugely enjoyable and highly recommended!!

I have to say that I do struggle with books that feature large numbers of characters and they don't come much larger than in this story which did impact my enjoyment of the story somewhat. Nevertheless I did enjoy reading about a different generation to the oft repeated thirty somethings in so many books. Being of the older generation myself I found it quite refreshing, amusing in places and was kept interested by some of the mysteries waiting to be revealed. I hope to read more books about older people and their adventures so I look forward to more by this author. I just hope they have fewer characters as it may be just me but I do find it difficult to keep track of who belongs to who! My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a pre release copy in exchange for my review.

I have absolutely loved reading this book, an addictive feel good book about a group of friends who regularly meet up for lunch. Josie, Lin and Minnie went to primary school together and have remained the best of friends for sixty years. Back in primary school little did they know of where their lives would take them, but they loved being in Miss Hamilton’s class. Years later, school days well forgotten life has been hard for the ladies. Josie is recently widowed, she lost her beloved husband, Harry just over a year ago. Lin is about to celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary to her beloved Neil and Minnie is still loving the Oxford academia life and had remained single. The ladies regularly meet up for lunch and it’s at these lunches that Miss Hamilton or as she now insists being called, Cecily returns to their lives on her mobility scooter. Cecily cannot wait to reunite with her pupils and decides to embrace the village of Middleton Ferris once more with her love and songs.

With Lin and Neil about to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Neil starts to keep secrets and starts lying to Lin about his whereabouts. Is her marriage in trouble ? Is he having an affair ?

Josie has just returned from a cruise on which she went alone in memory of her beloved Harry, he always wanted to go on a cruise and what a fitting way to remember him by doing something he would have loved. On her return, Josie is starting to feel so alone, they never had any children so now it’s just her, her friends mean even more too her. Will Josie find love again ?

Minnie has always loved her books, her life is mainly spent learning more about the romans or languages. Until harsh words from her sister make her rethink her life. Would it be so different falling in love.

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is brilliant for a feel good read which you can quickly get engrossed into. I hope some day that the villagers of Middleton Ferris return.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me access to this book.

Judy is a master at writing books starring the 'older' generation. This one is fun, emotional and well planned. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

4.5/5 stars!

Okay, so… this one has a really large cast of characters, which (due to my mild dyslexia) can be a bit of a problem for me. That isn’t Leigh’s fault, of course, but it did make this book a bit harder for me to read (but I’m sure it won’t bother most other readers). You see, because of this disability, I have a hard time keeping a large number of names and people straight. I suppose I should have made a list to keep by my side, but who wants to stop reading to jot things down – you know what I mean? I also noticed that Leigh does very little in describing how each of these people look. She does mention certain characteristics for most of them, but I found I wasn’t able to picture most of their faces. This may be the reason why it took me a while to figure out who was whom, and where each of them fit in.

That aside, Leigh starts out with a group of elementary school classmates, most of whom are still living in the village where they went to school. Leigh then slowly brings in practically every resident of the community, along with their old teacher, who has just moved back. What starts out as occasional intimate lunches with just four of them, also expands to include others. Plus, each of them has their own stories to tell – they’re widowed, divorced, or never married – and as the book progresses, we find out more about each of them. Leigh moves her focus from one to the next, so that we get a well-rounded story, and overview of the whole village. One other thing that was difficult for me was that Leigh doesn’t give headings to her chapter to indicate who is the focus, just numbers. That might have made things a touch easier for me, as well.

What Leigh is a master of is developing backstories for each of her characters, and winding several plots around the basic idea of these lunches. While it might have taken me a bit of time to match the names to these stories, the stories themselves were very clear and diverse. I particularly liked how Leigh empowers the women in her books. Sure, they might have some romance in their lives, but that’s not all they are. Even the women in this book who don’t really have much of a life outside their homes, don’t immerse themselves solely in their marriages. All of them keep up their separate relationships with their good friends. Obviously, the main group of women are of an age when, if they had careers when they were younger, are now well into retirement age. Leigh gives them active lives, and through their friendships and community, they never seem bored (even if one of them does get a bit depressed from time to time, which is only to be expected).

The biggest thing I took away from this book is that the idea of living in a small, British village, with a close-knit community, sounds really lovely. In today’s totally messed up world, the thought of simplifying life to just living among a bunch of good, friendly people, is terribly inviting. Now, if only this village was real, I swear I’d start looking for a cottage to buy there! This is something Leigh has done to me before – make me want to visit or move to one of her locations. That’s why I can very warmly recommend this novel (which did evoke a couple giggles and choked me up a touch at the end) with a healthy four and a half stars out of five! They call this a feel-good novel? Yes, it very much is just that!

I loved the premise of this book. As someone who has managed to keep friendships from my schooldays, this really resonated with me. I particularly loved the idea that because of living in the same village where they grew up, the friends also knew the boys from their school days.
Our main characters, Josie, Lin, and Minnie were firm friends despite Minnie having later attended the grammar school, reaching her potential and moving to Oxford. She’s single but has an amazing power over men, having them fall in love with her too easily. It’s a shame that she’s not interested in a long-term relationship.
Meeting regularly for lunch, the three friends are thrilled when their former teacher, Miss Hamilton, ‘call me Cecily’, moves back to the village and joins their friendship group. We learn that Josie has been a widow for just 12 months, and Lin is looking forward to celebrating her golden wedding anniversary, with husband Neil. If only he wasn’t acting suspiciously.
I’m not surprised, at all, by the fact that I loved this delightful book. There’s something rather special about Judy’s writing, and the way she can weave a seemingly effortless story is testament to her undeniable skillset.
The characters were all beautifully developed and I took to them all. That said, I had a real soft spot for Lin and found myself hoping that her suspicions about Neil would be misplaced. For me, the loveliest storyline surrounded Florence and her growing pregnancy. The way the characters gathered to support her was beautiful, and exactly the right tone for a book in this century.
If you’ve not read anything by Judy Leigh in the past, then this is a great book to begin with. There’s certainly plenty of life left in these Silver Ladies and also in their silver beaus

Nostalgia

We start this book meeting the characters as they prepare to meet their new primary school teacher. Miss Hamilton is a pleasant change from last year’s teacher, and the class has a memorable year.

Middleton Ferris is a small town, one of those whose residents grow up there and live there until they die. This means that the school children are peers and friends throughout their lives, and those lives often intersect. The 3 main characters, Lin, Josie and Minnie have started a monthly lunch routine that they fondly named The Silver Ladies lunch, where they catch up with each other’s lives and share secrets while supporting each other.

There are a lot of characters in this book and each has their own story. The ladies spouses, partners and friends, their teacher even moves back and becomes part of the story. The book is a fresh alternative to 20-somethings who are just embarking on their life journeys.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

How I loved this story!!. Judy Leigh writes a warm and comfortable tale, full of friends and their stories!!
The story starts with a classroom of children, tells you the links between each child and then zooms forwards to their twilight years. The loving links are still there and the bonds of friendship are stronger than ever...
I loved all the characters, especially Minnie, for how strong, determined and independent she was!. How I'd love to be like that!. Lin and Josie for the life long friendship that was still going strong many, many years later, and the class friendships that still linked most of the village together.. My final tribute has to be to Nadine, who seemed to chew, eat and flatten everything she could get her trotters on!!!.I
Now to some of the serious stuff that happened....Lin, she's scared there are too many changes happening as she and her husband Neil come closer to their golden wedding anniversary, Josie, recently widowed, embarks on a couple's cruise alone and survives to tell the tale, are a few to start you off. There's also a blast from the past, who comes flying past on her mobility scooter!!.
If you want a down to earth story, full of laughs and snorts, then this is the book for you!. Enjoy!!!

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

I love this author and this was a fantastic read.

The characters were all different in their own way and I enjoyed reading about their past when the three friends Lin, Josie and Minnie meet the teacher who taught them at primary school and how they became friends and they’d friendship lasted even after they left, the ways in which lives changed,

It was lovely to see what they still did together and the escapades they got up to

I loved the message this story gave, that is, life is for living and to make the most of it.

I highly recommend this book.

I really loved how this story had characters from all generations and how they are all linked. It starts with a group of school children and them meeting their new teacher Miss Hamilton. Fast forward 60 years and now in their 70s they are still living in the Middleton Ferris. The story really flowed and although the story centres mainly around Lin, Josie and Minnie, I felt that every character had their story told. This has friendship, romance and a real sense of community. There are various topics covered and some were more obvious than others. The way Judy Leigh describes everyone makes it easy to visual them and you get a sense of knowing them and what makes them tick. A great read.

I wanted to love this, but it fell a bit short, making it a bit lackluster. There are a lot of characters, as well as nicknames, which was a bit confusing at times. There was a lot going on, which made the story feel muddled in some places. Lin came across as annoying, so she wasn't my favorite. At the core, it's a story of friendship, love, and second chances, and I really liked the fact that the characters were older (as that's not typical in many stories on the market).

It is always wonderful to see the older generation get some attention in fiction. We are all aging and at one point we’ll be standing where these characters are but let’s hope we have the infectious humour, wise-old-owl insight and fireworks passion these ladies possess! Lin, Josie and Minnie have been old friends since Primary School. They each have had their share of trials but when the feisty, faithful and fervent ninety year old teacher glides back into town, and into their lives, new adventures begin to take shape over cups of tea. Cecily (Miss Hamilton) is quite the unforgettable character and her responses deliver lots of laughter and cheers with her unabashed attitudes and intended actions.

This is an endearing story about lasting friendship of old friends but it also about embracing new faces into their circle. And facing the challenges of life are not so bad when you have the support of friends and family. The future, too, is brighter with the help of many hands and giving hearts.

Josie has lost her husband and is still in mourning after a year but she takes a Caribbean Cruise and meets an interesting man who wants to write a book. He has lost his partner and is in deep sadness but Josie cheers him up. They share each other’s stories, receive comfort and bring a little joy back into each other’s lives.

Lin is getting ready for her fiftieth anniversary but discovers Neil, her husband, has been lying to her. She stumbles across evidence that raises hot relentless suspicion in her mind and she begins to imagine all sorts of things. Anger sparks, too. Has her husband betrayed her? Does he have another women on the side? Lin’s imagination runs wild and her friends try to help her remain calm. But her doubts about the sincerity of his love trigger a range of mixed emotions. The questions in her mind certainly have a field day with her! Later on, we discover his activity, as does she. And it will quite literally knock her off her feet!

Minnie loves her academic world of Oxford. She loves the smell, charm and wonder of books! They make ‘her heart race’. She drinks up the knowledge she finds between their covers. It offers her great joy. But with all she’s gained in these inanimate beloved companions, has she missed out on human love? It seems the more she distances herself from men, the more they pursue her? She is happier in the company of books. But has she sacrificed too much? Not everything. For she has solid friendships and reminds Lin and Josie of Miss Hamilton’s words written in their notebooks when they were primary students. ‘A good friend is like a four-leaf clover; hard to find and lucky to have.’ This line is a theme that resounds and reappears more than once in the story.

It is a lively slice of small town magic. A large number of characters keep you hopping and clearing the cobwebs from your mind. But I think besides Cecily, Dangerous Dave and his daughter Florence are my close favourites. How he graciously handles her predicament and how the community rally around to help her, is quite heart-warming. Florence’s unexpected news pulls the community together, gives them purpose, and proves to be the heartbeat of the story.

The Silver Ladies Do Lunch is a caring, cosy, characterful story full of wit, wisdom, non-judgemental attitude, support, charm and feel-good experiences. Troubles are softened by a great band of friends who rally around to buoy those who are disheartened, dishonoured and distraught. This novel offers a warm-hug-message to a world that often does not care about its neighbours. It shows us that offering a kind word and pitching in to help those in distress is so much more pleasing and rewarding than being judgemental. We are all on this planet together so why not be the best friend, family member or neighbour possible! 4 Strong Happy Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Many thanks to Boldwood Books & Netgalley for my review copy.

Judy Leigh scores another hit with this story about school friends all grown up. Minnie, Josie, and Lindy are school chums in the '50's in a small village in England. Their new teacher Miss Hamilton inspires them and their friends to reach for their dreams.

Fast forward 50 years, and the girls are now senior citizens. While Josie and Lin remained in their small village, Minnie has gone on to earn degrees and teach at Oxford. The ladies have christened themselves the Silver Ladies and they meet for lunch often. When their much-loved teacher Miss Hamilton, now an elderly retiree, moves to their village, life takes on a special glow. This book details the story of the ladies, the ups and downs of their lives as they all deal with late in life changes, and the stories of the men in their village, with whom they also went to school.

This is a lovable and clean novel about people going about their lives and aging with grace, caring for each other and emulating the importance of friendship.

I received this novel from the publisher and from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Life is all about friendship. This is a story about being friends for half a century, supporting each other through thick and thin. An emotional, realistic, and heartwarming tale . I enjoyed reading this book so much.

I wanted to love this I really did, it had potential to be wonderful. Unfortunately it got a little meh. With so many main characters it became difficult to keep up with who was who, the nicknames , surnames , first names it was… ALOT. We start in primary school & move on to 60 ish years later when the friends are now elderly which is what drew me to this book. I thought it would be cute and wholesome which it was , but it dragged , there was too much going on and too many characters for me to really gel with them. Lin however infuriated me 🤦🏼‍♀️ such a whiny character ! All in all I can see people enjoying this but it definitely isn’t my favourite.
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Having read a few of Ms. Leigh’s books previously, I knew to expect quirky and heartwarming characters, and this book did not disappoint. Although the book begins in a Primary School classroom with Miss Hamilton as the new teacher for many of the characters in 1959, the majority of the book, while still taking place in Middleton Ferris, features the characters as grown, senior adults. Miss Hamilton also reappears as an elderly character often included with the Silver Ladies.

Lin, Josie and Minnie are the original Silver Ladies who do lunch, working through life’s challenges. Some of the men they went to primary with, such as Fergal Toomey and Dangerous Dave, now have grown children who also feature in the story, such as Dave’s daughter Florence.

There are romantic storylines for most of the characters, young and older, which drew me in, and humorous anecdotes aplenty. One of my very favorite “characters” is Nadine, the marauding and. beloved pig.

As well, the character tidbits the author feeds us are wonderful—such as that Minnie “adores” the smell or fragrance of books. Another example is that Minnie speaks through her letter slot, retired as she is, in order to deter the amorous Felix, telling him he’s “a fascinating man” for someone else. Perfection!

I am a devotee of Ms. Leigh’s books and The Silver Ladies Do Lunch was another very good one. Highly recommend. My thanks to #NetGalley and #Boldwood Books for an advance copy.

Cute, if naively romanticized. I enjoyed the premise and some of the characters but the story was forgettable. It was much less dramatic than the description lead one to believe, and I actually liked it better that way. It would be charming if some of the stock village characters were less repellent.

A charming book. Lovely to read. Like relaxing in your favourite chair with your favourite blanket. Take a sleepy Oxfordshire village, assorted characters in their 70's who have known each other since primary school and add into the mix the return of the inspiring young teacher they all loved when they were 11. The resulting story is a beautiful, gentle, caring read which encompasses all generations. Laugh out loud funny in places....Nadine the pig's antics for instance. A book which should appeal to everyone.
Thank you Netgalley, Boldwood Books and Judy Leigh for giving me the opportunity to read this book. All opinions are my own.

What a lovely story about the value of friendship and community. It's heartwarming to see how Lin, Josie and Minnie's friendship has endured since primary school and how everyone on the village has fond memories of Miss Hamilton.

Who has now moved back into the area, and soon becomes a friend to the Silver Ladies, joining them for their regular lunches.

I enjoyed getting to know all of our main characters, in addition to young Florence who has her own secret, and needs the support of the older women so much.

As I have come to expect from a Judy Leigh novel, this features the more mature in years ladies, living life to the fullest. I think if I have one ambition in life, it would be become like a Judy Leigh heroine when I'm older, still enjoying life, and in the case of this book, perhaps a lot like Minnie.

I would have loved a teacher like Miss Hamilton, Cecily, she seemed wonderful and so devoted to her pupils, and even in her nineties, she is still a fabulous woman, who is a role model to us all.

This was a character driven novel that had me wanting to know more about all of the characters plus those in the wider community, as we learn so much about all of them.

What a great place to live, and what an enjoyable story.

Thank you to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed honestly and voluntarily.