Mary Mulligan has bad toothache, having her wisdom teeth out will fix it but her cousin, Darbi, warns her that a family curse means that by doing so she will be taken back in time to undo any regrets she has from past decisions. Apparently the teeth were causing her pain because of her unhappiness, but she didn’t feel she could resolve it, so happily went back to her 24 year old self to re-do the past. The story then unfolds with Mary in a world that she knows, but also no longer properly fits in.

Mixed thoughts on this novel, but overall I did enjoy it and happily read through to the end. Some things were a little predictable, but the storyline gives you a reminder to look beyond what we regularly gripe about in life, see things from another’s perspective and be grateful for our blessings. Not only that, if we are unhappy get on and try to resolve things rather than moan about them and think ‘if only’. So a good storyline with some likeable characters and a satisfactory ending.

Mary Mulligan is in a bit of a bad spot. Her relationship is meh, she didn't do anything with her career, her daughter is feeling smothered and moving overseas, and her wisdom teeth are hurting. Then she finds out from her cousin that if she has them taken out, the years will be erased to return her to the thing she most regrets - following her boyfriend instead of her dream job.

So she has her wisdom teeth removed, and finds 30 years erased - she's in the present time, but in a younger body with a career ahead of her.

Of course, she finds that having a chance to do it all over isn't all she thought it would be. Of course, she realises that her relationship was pretty great, and she misses her daughter.

I won't spoil it and say how it ends. I will say that this was a nice read and it was lovely to read the reflection on an actually quite good life.

A good, positive, feel-good story.

A middle-aged woman discovers that she carries a genetic marker that causes her to get wisdom tooth pain when she starts to regret the decision she made in the past. This pain would end up in an extraction and after the extraction she would wake up back at the age before she made the regretted decision.
I love a good time travel novel and this is a complicated one as although the main character travels back in
Age, she is still in the same universe as her friends and family who have not gone back in age . I think this is the first time that I’ve read it on novel that works quite like this. It adds an additional complexity as the main character then has to Ilavoid people who already know her as they would notice that she suddenly looking 20 years younger.
The author has a clear easily read writing style. The novel was a fun enjoyable read which I read in one sitting.
I think they book could write make a good TV series or film. I wouldn’t be surprised if the rights were taken up quickly.
I’d recommend this novel to lovers a quirky time travel concept.

I read an early copy of the novel on NetGalley UK. The book is published in the UK on the 4th of February 2025 by Lake union publishing
this will appear on NetGalley Goodreads and my book blog bionicSarahS books.WordPress.com after publication will also appear an Amazon UK

If you had the chance to go back in time, would you?

Mary Mulligan, the main character, is in her mid-50s. Her husband is always out golfing, and her daughter has just left home. Feeling downtrodden, she wonders why she chose to sacrifice her career to be a stay-at-home mom. The story follows her through her "family's curse," which takes her back to her 24-year-old self, giving her the chance to change history.

This book made me realize not to take anything for granted.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was about second chances and family bonds. It was a very easy read.

Thank you to NetGalley.co.uk and Lake Union Publishing.

Mary Mulligan, an unhappy, mid-fifties stay-at-home mom, gets a chance to go back and undo one of her biggest regrets through a strange family curse triggered by the removal of her wisdom teeth.
Mary’s journey of self-discovery goes to show that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.
The book is a charming, easy read, perfect for a summer holiday, and it raises interesting questions about life choices, making it a great pick for book clubs too📚

What would you do if you had the chance to go back and undo one of your life’s biggest regrets? Would you jump at the chance?

Well that’s what Mary did, without realising the consequences. Unhappy, mid fifties, stay at home mum Mary was given the opportunity to go back and make a different choice - in quite an unusual way I have to say! At first I thought the way she went “back” was so far fetched that I’d struggle to continue reading, but I’m so glad I did. However, the time travel to a different “time zone” confused me - it seemed odd that she was now 24 but everyone else was the same age.

I found this a really easy read, perfect for a summer beach holiday and read it so quickly. It definitely made me think about my own life choices over the years and if I would make the same choice as Mary. It would be a good choice for a book club as it would raise so many questions.

A sweet book, with a cute message behind it to see the positives in life - a lesson most of us could do with being reminded of!

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Mary is fifty-four years old and suffering from empty-nest syndrome. Should she have made different decisions in life? Maybe becoming a stay-at-home-mom wasn't the right decision after all? Fortunately, the family curse can help her here. All she needs to do is have her wisdom teeth extracted and she gets a chance to live her adult life anew. She gets thrown back in time to the point she's been mulling over and can make different decisions now with the full knowledge of her old/already lived life.

We need more books with (peri-)menopausal female leads. But can we please see strong women who support each other?

Mary was naive to think that she could travel back in time to try this other life on for size and then come back to her actual life with a golf-obsessed husband and a daughter in college. Mary's cousin Darby, who told her about the curse and that she had travelled back in time herself, deliberately kept information to herself, which felt like a very malignant plot device.

I gave up on the book at about 50% because the story was predictable from the start and I lost interest.

If you had the chance to go and in time, to be able to undo one of your major regrets, would you?

Fifty-four year old Mary Amato has been suffering with her wisdom teeth for a little over a week now, and she wants them removed. Her cousin, Darbi, has advised her not to get them removed due to a family curse... If she has them removed, she could end up going back in time to when she made a mistake in her life, that caused a regret.

Mary thought it was a silly joke, however, after her dental appointment, she woke up as 24 year old Mary Mulligan - before she was married. What made it even more peculiar, is that the year she returned to her younger self was the same as the year 54 yr old Mary lived, and nobody knows who she is.

As Mary tries to understand what has happened to her, and with the 'not so helpful guidance' from Darbi, she quickly realises that her biggest regret wasn't a regret at all.

Can she ever get back to being her older self, back to her husband, and back to her daughter, who doesn't exist in this new life?

A magnificent book, well written and truly thought provoking. I don't cry with books, but the final chapter did bring a tear to my eye.

Highly recommended 👍🏻

I wanted to love this book but I just didn’t. I had a hard time really relating to any of the characters and ended up skimming the last 30%.

This book follows the story of Mary Mulligan who becomes a victim to a family curse which allows her to go back in time to undo her biggest regret in life. However, sometimes we have to see what we have in front of us and appreciate that maybe the grass isn’t always greener on the other side.

A heartwarming story that teaches the values of not taking life for granted and that there is beauty in the everyday. This book is an easy read that is light and funny. Very enjoyable!

Well, this didn't work for me.
Sadly, I didn't connect or even care for the main character; the time travel aspect of this book didn't make me feel invested in anything that was going on, and the writing style, even though it wasn't bad in my opinion, it wasn't enough to make me engaged in the narrative, either.
I'm sure this book has its own audience. I'm just not part of it.

The Mulligan Curse serves as a reminder to cherish our loved ones and communicate our needs openly. It explores themes of regret, second chances and the importance of appreciating life’s small joys.

Having only recently read a different time travel book, I enjoyed that instead of travelling back in time to when she was 24, Mary continues to exist in the same “time zone” but in an alternate universe where she is a younger version of herself. It adds a unique and intriguing layer to the narrative.

The Mulligan Curse is an enjoyable, easy read with a satisfying ending. It’s only three stars because Mary’s lack of intelligence is irritating, as is the fact that her cousin didn’t give her the full details before having her wisdom teeth removed!

This book's exploration of regrets, dissatisfaction and appreciating what one has through the protagonist's journey was truly thought-provoking. It made me question my own views on past decisions, and reminded me to look at the positives . While some parts were a bit difficult to get through, the overall story was so engaging that I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mary is fifty-four, perimenopausal, her daughter has left home, and her husband spends all of his free time playing golf. Reflecting on her life decisions, Mary is filled with regret for the opportunities she didn't take in her youth, and finds herself wishing she could go back in time to do things differently. The opportunity to do just that presents itself to Mary in the form of the Mulligan Curse, a family curse whereby Mary can revert to her younger self, before her regretful choices were made, by getting her wisdom teeth removed. A nostalgic Mary takes her chance, but returning to her youth brings with it unexpected challenges and tribulations that leave Mary asking herself what matters most in life, and where true happiness lies...

I was apprehensive about the premise of this novel, but upon reading, my scepticism fell away and I instead felt real sympathy for Mary, and intrigue at the decisions she would make. The perspectives of menopausal women aren't explored enough in literary fiction, so Barnes' exploration of the emotional turmoil of getting older was a welcome addition to this novel, and had me rooting for Mary in the early chapters.

That said, as the novel progressed, I became increasingly frustrated by Mary's character, and disengaged from the novel as a result. Barnes writes Mary as having an absurd level of naivety; when struck by the curse, Mary takes a painstaking amount of time to accept what has happened to her, and is in complete denial for the story's entirety, first that she has reverted to her younger self, and second that she cannot return to her previous life. It is clear from the start that there is no known way for Mary to reverse her decision, yet the character constantly speaks of what she will do once she 'gets back to [her] old life,' completely ignorant to her cousin Darbi's poorly concealed knowledge of the contrary. The writing becomes very repetitive in this way, with Mary's constant reflections on her past life becoming tiresome. I found the lack of common sense given to Mary's character, and the repetitive nature of Barnes' writing, really frustrating, and I quickly lost interest in the outcome of the novel as a result.

Similarly, I found cousin Darbi's behaviour throughout the novel impossible to believe. First, that Darbi didn't do more to stop Mary from having her wisdom teeth removed, despite knowing that Mary's daughter would be wiped from existence (merely texting her at the dentist before the procedure, really?), and second, her elusiveness after the change, and decision to lie about her ability to go back. There was no logical reason for her to behave this way, other than to add an element of intrigue to the novel. As with Mary, the unrealistic nature of Darbi's character was distracting and limited my ability to engage with the story itself.

Overall, I was disappointed by this book. The plot was pretty predictable, with no shocks or surprises - the overall message is sweet, but it is a message at the centre of countless existing stories, adding nothing new - and the novels characters were unrelatable with unrealistic behaviours. The improbable premise of this novel required a strong delivery to get the reader on board, and unfortunately, I think Barnes missed the mark.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing access to this ARC.

I enjoyed the storyline for this, the "what if" and thinking about what I would do in the same situation. Saying that, I found the main character incredibly annoying and self centred, refusing to consider others viewpoints, sulking, not listening... I would have preferred a bit more of a comeuppance for her. The end, where everything goes back to normal and suddenly she appreciates her life again felt a bit pat.

Not a bad book, well written and easy to read. Good for taking on a summer holiday and lounging by the pool with.

Before anything, I would like to thank Diane Barnes, the publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I decided to read this book because "Shrek Forever After" is one of my favorite movies, and the plot seemed similar enough. It didn't disappoint and I did have a similar experience to the movie.

I didn't care enough about the characters, since I didn't get to know as much about them, and I disliked many things. However, overall, it was a good experience and I enjoyed the reading.

**Pros:**
* I got emotional many times while reading. I finished the book literally sobbing, and it broke me for a few minutes. I had to take a break to stare at * a wall and breathe.
* A lot of the characters are unique and lovable.
* The message in the book is great, and I like how Mary was able to find a balance between prioritizing herself and the people she loves in the end.

**Cons:**
* Mary is insufferably dumb. The things she says and instantly regrets make absolutely no sense.
* Also, her assumptions make no sense. No rational person would assume the things she does without further evidence.
* Her assumptions are used as a plot device to create mystery, but it is all predictable and unnecessary.
* So many sentences are repeated that I feel 50% of the book could be removed to avoid the same sentence appearing twice.
* This is probably because of my early copy of the book, so it won't be considered in my evaluation. Still, I thought it was important to point out that there were a lot of typos and a few grammatical mistakes that the author might want to check before the book comes out.

Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. This review can also be found on Goodreads.

Mary Mulligan unknowingly suffers from the Mulligan Curse. As she begins to regret her past decisions, her wisdom teeth begin making their appearance, causing her significant pain. Despite her cousin Darbi's pleading she does not remove the teeth, Mary does anyway. When she wakes up...she's no longer in her fifty's with a husband who irks her and a grown daughter moving across the globe. Mary is in her early twenties with the opportunity to change her biggest life regret. The catch? Her precious life never existed.

The Mulligan Curse serves as a wonderful reminder to never take those we love for granted. Life can change in a dime, and it is too short to harbor any regrets and not speak up about what you need. Mary's adventure through the past and the lessons along the way are endearing and enlightening for any reader, but especially for anyone who is feeling a bit lost.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this book, with my honest review below.

The Mulligan Curse was a joy to read and kept me engaged throughout. We follow Mary, who is middle aged and feeling every minute - her daughter has left the nest and her husband doesn’t seem to be as into her as he is golf, not to mention things aren’t in the same places on her body they used to be. When Mary disregards her cousin Darbi’s warning about a curse attached to removing her wisdom teeth - something else causing her pain - she finds herself stuck in the Mulligan curse. While it may not seem a curse to many, being able to be 24 again and try to fix her life’s biggest regret, Mary soon finds the grass isn’t greener on the other side.

I loved this story of regrets and the realization of the impact you may have on the people around you and not realize it. Mary was well written and her conundrum had me laughing and feeling sentimental. This is a great book to pick up, especially if you find yourself too often wondering what could have been.

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews

Summary
Mary is disappointed by life - she's not the media star she could have been, her husband prefers golf to conversation, and her daughter is reluctant to spend time with her. When her wisdom teeth suddenly start coming in, she learns that, by having them removed, she could get a chance to start all over again.
Review

The blurb for The Mulligan Curse suggests that it won’t offer many surprises, but I thought it indicated a certain charm, and I thought the wisdom teeth were an interesting twist. By and large, it provided just what was on the label – a charming, familiar, and harmless quick read.

The prose is good, the book moves quickly, and the characters are largely relatable and engaging. However, while the plot twists were mainly as expected, protagonist Mary never really does seem to learn much about herself. She rues her decision to change her life, realizing that she was somewhat selfish – and she continues to be selfish. To be fair, I don’t think that’s what the author intended us to take away, but I had trouble getting past it. The principal point of this trope is to learn to appreciate what you have and Mary does that, but a secondary point is usually to learn from your mistakes, and there I think Mary fails. It was a minor irritant, but one that troubled me more and more as the story went on. For just one example, Mary just seems to take it for granted that she knows her husband will be happier (if less successful) in their initial life than in the alternate one. She never asks him.

I hoped for a little more from the plot. Yes, the idea was familiar, but at the halfway point, I suddenly realized just how closely the whole thing was following the It’s a Wonderful Life template. I think there was room to venture a little farther afield. I found the sudden discover of a key letter disappointingly ‘lucky’ and anticlimactic.

The book also leans a little more heavily into a very specific audience than I think it needed to. Nothing wrong with that per se, but I thought Barnes could have opened up the story a little bit and made the story more broadly relatable.

All in all, a fun, quick, easy read, though more traditional in approach than I’d hoped for.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

Barnes' strength lies in her characters. Mary's journey is relatable, filled with the anxieties and desires we all grapple with – the fear of missed opportunities, the longing for a different path. But it's the supporting cast, particularly her family, that truly shines. Their reactions and growth alongside Mary add depth and emotional resonance to the narrative. However, if you're looking for a light and breezy escape, "The Mulligan Curse" might surprise you. The humor is subtle, and the story tackles themes of regret and the weight of the past quite honestly. There are no easy answers here, and Mary's journey isn't a fairy tale.