3★
“ ‘And I’m not sure that playing with cigarettes is a good idea,’ added Ziggy, congratulating himself on his calm understatement. His mother would be proud of him. Although even she might let loose a few choice swear words at this scenario.

‘Oh, no need to worry. I took the lighter away from her,’ said Daphne. Was she joking?”

Poor teen-aged dad, Ziggy. He’s sole-parenting his baby daughter, while trying to finish school, and he needs an emergency babysitter. His mum’s at work, and kindly old lady, Daphne, offers to stay with Kylie for a little while. Until now, she has successfully avoided having anything to do with babies.

“Still, it couldn’t be that hard to keep a tiny human alive for an hour, could it? Her father, Ziggy, was only a child himself, and he seemed to manage it.”

Of course, Daphne’s had no experience. We learn early on that she’s had a colourful life, but it’s not until much later in the story that she reveals the full extent of it.

On her seventieth birthday, she resolves to meet people, get out and about, and ends up at the local community centre. Janine, in her fifties, is setting up a new group for seniors and has great plans for activities.

The centre is an old building in need of serious renovation, so the local council reckons it’s cheaper and easier to demolish it. There you go – they have an instant project. Protest!

There’s a children’s playgroup in the same building, so the author puts them all together in an effort to lobby the powers-that-be.

Meanwhile, there are some family dramas going on. Janine is facing marital problems and Ziggy is doing his best to avoid the local thugs.

“It was impossible to survive on Ziggy’s estate without pledging allegiance to one of the rival gangs, who found the local teenagers useful as lookouts, messengers and couriers.
. . .
Being found carrying one of Floyd’s packages might not land him in an adult prison, but it would most definitely lose him custody of his daughter.”

I found this slow-going, and had it not been a NetGalley preview, I probably wouldn’t have continued, but it kept me interested just enough to see where the author would take her characters. As it turned out, there weren’t any surprises, just a bit more back story and some humorous pranks which I did enjoy.

I like heartwarming stories, and I don’t mind some corniness, but this missed the mark for me. I know it has plenty of enthusiastic fans, so I suggest that anyone reading this should read some of their reviews and don’t be put off by mine. It is mostly light-hearted fun.

Thanks to #NetGalley and Random House Bantam for a copy of #HowToAgeDisgracefully for review.

Loved this Clare Pooly. They are so warm and comforting. Set in London . Daphne is approaching 70 and finds herself at a loose end and joins the local senior citizen club. Who would have thought it?

Really enjoyed this story, and appreciated the vast array of characters, especially the older characters who were so well fleshed-out. A really lovely, fun slice-of-life novel.

Too much happening at the same time, too much exposure with too many characters on the page in one go, POV that keeps hopping around, and then the characters themselves who weren't really likeable once in their POV... To much accumulated on the 'Not for me' side for this one, sadly.

I absolutely fell in love with all of the characters! It is so wholesome, funny, cute and simply everything I needed to read on my holidays. I highly recommend this book if you want something light-hearted that will make you laugh, and also reflect a bit on how we treat older people sometimes.

What a fantastic book! Clare Pooley’s writing just gets better and better. I loved the variety of characters, their backgrounds, different generations and life stages. When you laugh out loud several times during the 5 page prologue, you know it’s going to be a good book.
Daphne - what a character! We all need to be a bit more Daphne and master the art of not giving a ****!

I loved this book. The characters are hilarious, and the story is completely satisfying - a real feel-good book.

Oh this was so joyful!!!

It's been too long since I've read such a feel good book.

How to grow old Disgracefully is a glorious story about a handful of delicious characters who come together by chance and become friends while getting involved in hilarious shenanigans.
My dad lost his wife 18 months ago and life is very lonely for him but this year he's bravely joined a bereavement club and met some wonderful new friends, this book resonated with me for that particular reason. Lonely souls who are forced into the community and end up making wonderful friendships.

This story is not only full of entertaining hilarity but also compelling storylines... If you need an uplifting chuckle of a read then grab this beauty!

This is the second book I've read by Clare Pooley and I love her writing...I also have another of hers on my tbr shelf so I can't wait to read that soon...

For me Clare Pooley can do no wrong!
She creates characters that really pull at the heart strings, and I didn’t see how this was going to end. Brilliant- just brilliant 🤩

A great cast of characters and a delve community-led issues, as you can expect from Clare Pooley. Her characters are brilliant and there's always an uplifting message, without being 'cheesy'. Thank you, Claire!

Another winner from this author who really knows how to make a great story with a very eclectic group of people. Old age people who refuse to take up age appropriate activities at the community centre band together to help save their centre from being sold off. Along the way they have their own issues to deal with, some very chequered past history, and also helping a young single father escape the clutches of a local gang. Daphne is the grandmother everyone will want, or want to be, such a vibrant feisty character. Well written story and interesting characters with a good mixture of funny moments and real emotion.

I love the seniors in this novel: they're alive, bizarre and enjoy the freedom given by being of a certain age.
It's well plotted, compelling, and solid. Loved it
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This was such a lovely and light-hearted read.
I do hope I'm like the main characters when I'm older.
It's a reminder not to judge a book by its cover and to remember that everyone, not matter what their age, had value.

I’ve been trying to write this review for weeks. It feels like whatever I write won’t do it justice. Every little detail matters. It’s such a delicious book! A family of quirky characters that are so themselves, so real. Clare Pooley has created yet another world that’s a privilege to be part of. It was so deeply immersed in the joy and love for these characters that I had to take breaks from reading to tell whoever was around me about it. Once I put it down, I couldn’t quite tell whether I had read a book or watched a film. They were so present to me, so full of life and humanity. One of my favourite reads of the year so far!

I really enjoyed this story of smashing stereotypes, ageing and grow old disgracefully. The characters were well written and the author managed a balance of humour and emotional, tender moments. Definitely one to read.

I absolutely adored this book. It smashed all of the stereotypes, made me laugh out loud and was one that I couldn’t put down. Daphne was just fantastic, as were all of the others. I would have liked to hear a bit more backstory on ruby and Anna but otherwise it was just perfect.

This is a lovely read, I found it a bit cutesy in parts but overall I enjoyed the humour and loved all the characters and the idealism of the situations. I found it easy to get to know all the characters but ultimately Daphne is the star! Everyone needs a Daphne in their lives!

Really enjoyable, funny book!

Compelling read with relatable characters who I was rooting for.

I was sad when it ended because I want more!

First of all thank you for approving my request!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The authors writing style had me hooked throughout this book.

I didn't want it to end, a book I really couldn't put down.

This is absolutely hilarious, I loved how the book neatly started in the midst of the action and the way the narrative flitted between the characters. The story unites generations and whilst there is some heavy material covered (drug gangs, divorce etc), the overaching humour and friendships makes this book a winner. Highly recommended!

**Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an advanced e-copy of this book. All opinions are my own **