When I read the premise of this book, I got very excited, sadly it didn't live up to the hype. I appreciate some novels are a mode of escapism but frankly, this was baffling at times. Mary Mulligan is reflecting on her life, her husband seems more interested in golf and her only daughter has flown the nest. She decides to go to the dentist, have her wisdom teeth removed to help her go back in time to correct the mistakes that she'd done. Or were they a lear ing curve? I did like the authors portrayal of things not always being what they seem bit overall, just not for me. Thanks to Net galley for the advanced copy.

All my what-ifs got thrown out the window after reading this.

Housewife Mary Mulligan's life is not what she hoped it to be. With her daughter all grown up and no longer needing her and her once loving, attentive husband barely acknowledging her, she’s miserable. Then suddenly, she finds herself in her twenties again, bright-eyed as they come. She realizes everything she once took for granted and wishes she could take it all back. But will that be possible…?

The way this plot was so unique really had me in a chokehold just from reading the blurb! Honestly, I didn’t expect to love this; I just thought it would be a fun and enjoyable read, but it shocked me how much I actually felt about it! It was utterly enchanting, and I had the warmest sense of comfort while reading; I felt at peace wrapped in this amazing story. This was life-changing (for ME). I’m not even exaggerating!

At first, I didn’t like Mary AT ALL—but I think that’s the point. Her character development was so necessary, and it was done so well, I ended up really admiring her and wanting to hug her. I didn’t like Dean at the start either, but I grew to love him! Mary and Dean are both so lovable individually and together—one of my new favorite couples.

I’m in love with this whole story. I can’t wait to reread in the future!

4.5 ★

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘼𝙍𝘾!

I have to be honest, I was disappointed by The Mulligan Curse. The premise of the novel had such potential, but the execution of the story and the protagonist's personality continued to leave me annoyed the further along I read.

Mary Amato is living a less than desirable life, in her opinion. Her husband is inattentive, spending most of his time on the golf course, and her adult daughter is about to move to London and away from the family. When Mary has the chance to go back in time and possibly re-do some of the career and personal decisions she made in her mid 20s, the "Mulligan Curse" is born.

Again, an intriguing premise, however I found Mary to be whiny and incredibly egocentric, whether she is was living in her real timeline at 50 or her "do-over" in her mid 20s. The Mulligan Curse is an alright novel, but not one I would go out of my way to recommend to other readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the chance to read this novel.

Thank you to the author, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review. My apologies for the delay in posting, I had several familial health challenges to contend with in the past months.

I found the premise intriguing, but sadly the execution was lacking. The Mulligan Curse returns you to the same age you were when your biggest regret occurred, which leads to our female protagonist waking up as a 25-year-old in the same exact present-day timeline. Apart from the fact that this makes no sense whatsoever, the story becomes very repetitive and quite cloying from here on out. Sorry, this was not for me.

If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be? That’s the premise of this newest book by Diane Barnes. Mary is at a point in her life that’s inevitable. She’s fifty-four years old, happily married, has a grown daughter she adores, and has the love and support of many friends. Still, she can’t help but feel that something is missing. Her daughter is living her own life, she and her husband Dean are drifting apart, and she definitely is looking and feeling her age. She’s convinced that her path in life took a wrong turn many years ago leading her to this point. So when she finds herself transported back to her early twenties, she’s determined to make a different choice this time. Unfortunately for her, she’ll also have to give up the people she loves the most. This was a really good story for me. Great characters, easy to read, and it really makes you appreciate what’s right in front of you.

I love when authors get a weird little idea and run with it.

WHAT IF a girl finds out her dad was a magical creature vet?
WHAT IF we watched Jurassic Park through a queer, feminist lens?
WHAT IF you could go back in time with the extraction of your wisdom teeth?

Belief Suspension is one of my greatest spiritual gifts.

I loved the premise.
I loved the characters (even if I wanted to snap the husband’s putter over my knee).
I loved the internal work the characters did throughout.

I did not love how Darbi wasn’t clear that Kendra would be WIPED OUT OF EXISTENCE.

CLARITY IS KIND, DARBI. Read some freakin’ Brene Brown, why don’t you?

*cough*

Can’t wait to use our library’s Interlibrary Loan service to find this author’s back catalogue.

Do you have a past decision you wish you could go back and change?⁣
⁣
Turns out Mary Mulligan’s wisdom teeth are the key to changing her biggest regret.⁣
⁣
When she gets the chance to go back 30 years in life to age 24 and choose the career she gave up - she jumps at it. But while she may be 24 again - the year is still the same. What’s not the same? Everyone and everything she knows. Turns out - her impact on the world was more than she ever realized.⁣
⁣
This was a creative look behind the veil of time and chance, with a fun twist on a family curse! Watching Mary face a different life - that she thought would be better but finds is not quite - was clever and unique narrative on appreciating a small but meaningful life. Because when you spend all your time looking back, you miss all that’s been right in front of you the whole time.

Fifty-something Mary is warned by her cousin, Darbi, that if she gets her late-erupting wisdom teeth out, due to a family curse, she will revert to the age she was when she had her one major regret. (Darbi returned to the time before she married her husband and is now happily living with her wife.)
For Mary, her big regret came at age 24, when she turned down a promotion to stay with her now golf-obsessed husband Dean. The woman who took her place ended up being a major TV anchor.
After Mary goes ahead with the teeth extraction, it’s still the present day but she’s become her younger self who’s up for that out-of-state promotion again. But Dean doesn’t know her and their daughter Kendra does not exist. Is this the moment Mary has been wishing for all her life or will she be left with an even bigger regret?
It was the intriguing premise that drew me to this book, and while I didn’t love the actual story as much, it did make you ponder about second chances and reflecting on your choices in life.

The Mulligan Curse by Diane Barnes was an engaging story.
I enjoyed everything Scott this book and it is definitely one to read.

I loved this book, I love books with time travel and this felt different to other ones I have read, the questions of why we made decisions / if they were worth the sacrifices was very compelling.

I have read mixed reviews on this book, and I admit that my feelings about it are somewhat mixed. Mary Amato (nee Mulligan) is in her early 50's with an adult daughter and husband Dean, but she harbours deep seated resentment that in her twenties she gave up her dream of being a TV News anchor to marry and have a family. Everything annoys her and she seethes every time she sees her former colleague Liz, now a famous anchorwoman, in the media.
Mary start to develop severe jaw pain, and finds out from a cousin Darbi, that there is a family thing called Mulligan magic that means if you develop painful wisdom teeth and have them removed your life resets to the age when you made a decision you now regret and you can start over again.
Mary is dubious, but with the pain proceeds to have her teeth removed and finds herself in the present day but 24 years old back where she started. It's a painful voyage of discovery for Mary, but she realises her priorities were all in the wrong places.
The story is quite unique, but some of the scenes, particularly between Mary and her cousin Darbi, were quite off putting for me. Mary is so wrapped up in herself that she doesn't heed anyone's warnings. It really is a book about the pitfalls of jealousy and resentment.
For me, still an enjoyable read, 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for the opportunity to read this digital ARC.

This book got me so mad. Enraged at the level of stupidity shown by the main character. Everything was so obvious, so clear, but no. She couldn't pause for a second and find a smart AND EASY solution (the one she finally choses at the end and that I had thought about AT THE VERY BEGINNING). Nope. And don't get me started with the incoherent and very detached behaviour she shows when she envisions her world without her daughter. The unbelievable level of denial and dumbness... I just couldn't. She is so self centered everything had to be about her and I don't think that changed a lot by the end. Oh yes, the end... shut up it's magic.
I am really mad and sad about this book, because the pitch was real good. Damn.

A fifty-four year old woman gets thrown back into her twenty year old life when she suffers from a family curse when she gets her wisdom teeth pulled. An engaging story of learning to appreciate a new life while struggling to let go of her old one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The story of getting a do over was very good. It was sort a Freaky Friday story of seeing things from another perspective.
I read an advanced copy, and I hope there was another editing pass to trim out a lot of repetitive mentions.
Recommend.
Review on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/210238526-the-mulligan-curse

I loved this read and breezed through in 24 hours. I am a sucker for any stories about time travel/alternate reality romance type stories and this fit the mold perfectly and differently than anything I have read before. Overall it’s hard to imagine facing the decision and option to go back to change the course of your life, but somehow this book made it feel almost possible. A great lesson in making the most of what life has given you.

**5-Star Review for *The Mulligan Curse* by Diane Barnes**

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

*The Mulligan Curse* by Diane Barnes is an absolute gem! From the very first page, I was hooked by its compelling mix of mystery, drama, and intriguing characters. The story follows the Mulligan family, whose generations are plagued by an ominous curse, and Barnes weaves this fantastical element seamlessly with the very real struggles of family dynamics, love, and betrayal.

What really stands out is Barnes' ability to create a world that feels both magical and grounded in reality. The rich, atmospheric writing pulls you into the Mulligan family's history, and you can't help but become invested in their fates. Each character is complex and multidimensional, and the emotional depth of their journeys makes this much more than just a tale of curses—it's about the choices we make and the consequences they bring.

Barnes’ pacing is perfect, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as secrets are revealed and the mystery unfolds. The twists and turns in the plot are both surprising and satisfying, and the ending is nothing short of brilliant.

*The Mulligan Curse* is a beautifully crafted novel that combines supernatural intrigue with rich, heartfelt storytelling. I highly recommend this book to fans of mystery, family sagas, and those who appreciate a deeply immersive reading experience. Diane Barnes is an author to watch!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy of The Mulligan Curse by Diane Barnes in exchange for an honest review.

I was immediately drawn to this book because of its clever title. In golf, a “mulligan” is a free shot or a redo after a bad shot, and the concept of a second chance in life perfectly ties into this theme. It set the tone for what I hoped would be a fun and reflective story about the choices we make and what we'd do with the opportunity to change things.

The hook definitely got me. As a mother, and as someone who finds Sylvia Plath’s fig tree metaphor in The Bell Jar very relatable, I was drawn to the idea of "picking a different fig". That said, I did have some reservations going in. The protagonist, Mary, transforms from her fifties back to her twenties, and I wondered how the author would balance the stark differences in mindset and experience between these life stages, in the same person.

The story had a lot of heart and presented relatable emotions, especially around themes of regret and self-discovery. However, I had some issues with the execution. The plot twists weren’t as surprising as I’d hoped, and while I’m not opposed to unlikable characters, I found it difficult to root for Mary at times. Her decisions often felt frustrating, and the setup of the story was occasionally confusing, which made it harder to stay immersed.

That said, the book offers some thought-provoking ideas and emotional depth. It delves into the “what-ifs” of life and the consequences of our choices, which is something many readers will connect with. While it wasn’t a perfect read for me, those who enjoy introspective stories about second chances and self-reflection may find something meaningful in it.

you had a chance to do over your biggest regret in life, would you? When faced with this question, not quite even believing it could be true, Mary Mulligan takes the chance at a redo only to face unintended consequences.

I loved the concept of this story. Anything that involves alternate reality or time travel is a book I’ll pick up. This book held my interest, but it wasn’t what I expected or wanted from it.

I was confused (and still am) by the setup - instead of jumping back in time the FMC wakes up significantly younger but in the same year as her present life. That felt odd and as if there should’ve been more unintended consequences, but it all resolved too perfectly.

The repetitive nature of the “I’ve lost my husband and my daughter” got old really, really quickly. Plus, the FMC’s cousin Darbi was kind of the worst and really added to the frustration of the FMC and frankly me as a reader.

More could’ve been done with this premise but it fell flat, which is a bummer.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to listen to an advanced copy.

I really enjoyed this second chance novel and I loved the magical realism aspect of it. Mary is unhappy with her life and contemplating the road not taken when she gets the opportunity to go back and make a different choice. Known as The Mulligan Curse the downside is your life from the point you return to up to the present is gone. I loved seeing the growth in Mary and the realization that she actually loves the life she had and the people in it. I listened to the audiobook narrated by Alex Picard and it was a fantastic way to enjoy this charming novel.

In this novel, we follow Mary, a woman in her fifties, who is unhappy with the way her life turned out. She regrets stepping away from her career as a reporter to devote her time to her family. Her wisdom teeth suddenly start to hurt and her cousin tells her of the family curse: if you have your wisdom teeth removed, you go back to the decision you most regret making and get the chance to do things differently.

I loved the premise of the book, but the execution didn't really work for me. First of all, she doesn't actually go back in time but instead finds herself in her younger body in present day with her past job, flat and friends, and no one remembers any differently. This didn't make logical sense to me. I also found the main character hard to emphasis with as she was so self-centred, ignoring anything people said that didn't suit her and throwing her life away only to decide she wanted it back. It felt as though she wanted everything at the same time, and her sudden change of attitude at the end didn't fit her behaviour throughout the book. I also struggled with the repetition, in some parts nearly every paragraph had her saying how excited she was to go back to her real life!