This is a story about life really, family, friendships, community. It is a warm and heartfelt read and I really enjoyed reading it. The characters felt real to me, like they could be friends or neighbours, the pacing was perfect and helped me to keep up and learn about all the characters in the book.

This is a beautifully written book and so easy to read. Once I started it I couldn't stop as it kept me engaged throughout. It is a cute book, there is some humour and it was fun to read. But I must say the ending fell short as it was almost like the book/story just stopped. A bit strange. All in all a good read so I give it 3 1/2 stars.

Thank you NetGalley and The Book Guild for giving me the opportunity to read adn review this book.

A fabulous feel good read beautifully written and totally captivating- I read it in one sitting and will definitely be reading it again. A brilliant cast of characters and plot that kept me hooked from the first word to the last. I love romance books but think even a non- romance lover would enjoy this one. Highly recommend, would happily give it 10 stars and can’t wait for her next!

Beth is 50 years old and worn down by life's competing demands, as so many of us are by that point. On her own with 3 teen step-children and her toddler biological daughter after her husband unceremoniously left her and the children behind, Beth is struggling to soften this blow for them. Rick is a 54-year-old London doctor suffering from burnout, whose life has suddenly turned chaotic after a medical mistake leads to a malpractice lawsuit. At a low point in his life he's forced to retreat, heading for the country to fix up a house left to him by his uncle. There he meets Beth and their complicated lives start to intertwine in unexpected ways, at a time when both of them sorely need the support of another person.

The author does a great job blending action and exposition, and the main characters pull you in. The step-kids are stereotypically bratty a lot of the time (with one of them being consistently unlikable), but it was a good way for the reader to sympathize with Beth initially. The plot itself also draws you in, there are several plot lines going on and they all have some level of tension. I liked Rick and Beth together but found some of their interactions and misunderstandings unnecessarily frustrating as plot devices. The piling on of worsening problems got to be a bit much after a while, and it pulled me out of enjoying the story about halfway through. I'm sure it was meant to provide necessary obstacles so overcoming them would be satisfying. But it really just made it hard to stay optimistic for the main characters, even though you know it's the kind of story that ends well. The romance aspect of the story wasn't heavily emphasized, but that worked okay since each of them had such dramatic problems to resolve for themselves. There was just a lot going on in this story but thankfully it has a satisfactory conclusion.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars. Readers who like women's fiction with multiple active plot lines and a gentle romance will enjoy this book. This is a new-to-me author; this book is the beginning of a series, and it was engaging enough that I would probably read the next in the series.

I really loved this book; it featured great characters and an engaging plot that kept me invested from start to finish. Each character felt well-developed and relatable, making it easy for me to form connections and truly root for them throughout their journey. The plot was intriguing, and I found myself genuinely hoping for a happy ending.

The pacing of the story was excellent, allowing for a seamless flow that kept my interest high. The author skillfully balanced several plot points, weaving them together in a way that felt cohesive and well-structured.

However, the only drawback was the ending, which felt a bit rushed compared to the rest of the book. While I appreciated the resolution,Overall, despite the slightly hurried conclusion, my enjoyment of the book far outweighed this flaw.

I recommend this to all romance lovers. I received an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was excited to read a mid-life romance as these days I related to it more than the early twenties stuff. Beth was an interesting character, whose ex-husband is a definite prat. I also am keen on small town romance. I don't know much about rural England but it was interesting to go there in this book. Rick's predicament was also pretty intriguing with the twitch star. I think the kids were written well.

My problem is with the pacing in this book. It was uneven. Parts dragged and then the ending was... pop! Done! Happily ever after! I got whiplash. I could have used another 2 chapters with more on the relationship development and tying up the loose ends, including Rick's son, cause otherwise what is the point except as a red herring? Unless the second volume the author talks about is David and Rose falling for each other and the point was to lead to a second novel?

This book had a lot of potential but it wasn't all realized. Like the stuff with the dad was unfinished. And I liked Beth so I could have used more of her story. I would read another book by this author, 3 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Book Guild Ltd. for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Oh this book is just absolutely darling! One of the best books I've ever read. It was just wonderfully written, and such a beautiful story. I loved it!

The description of The Mid-Life Trials of Annabeth Hope drew me in. The overly bratty kids landed this book in my DNF pile. Life is just too short to finish mediocre books.

Annabeth Hope has been left by her husband to look after his three teenage children from his first marriage and their young daughter in a ramshackle farmhouse in the New Forest, with no job and no child support she has been quietly selling off shares left to her by her parents to pay the mortgage and keep them fed, along with the menagerie of animals her family have gathered. However, her stepchildren are hostile, she doesn't really have any friends in the village, and life is getting on top of her.

Rick Mahon is an over-worked and harassed London GP. A walk-in patient to whom Rick prescribed medication mixed it with recreational drugs and is in a coma, he is a semi-famous Tik-Tok gamer with a high social media profile. There is no evidence that Rick warned the patient not to take any other drugs with his medication and the patient's mother is all over social media declaiming Rick. She is threatening to sue which could ruin Rick and destroy his career. Counselled by his partners to leave London and let the furore die down (paparazzi are trying to force their way into the surgery), Rick decides to decamp to the property his uncle left him in the New Forest.

Rick first meets Beth when he gets lost in the New Forest and comes across her trying to change a flat tyre. Later they discover that they are neighbours. Despite the immediate attraction neither of them has the bandwidth for a relationship, yet they keep getting thrust into each other's paths.

I loved this, but yet again I felt the ending was too abrupt and if I'm being really picky everything miraculously resolved itself a little too easily, but it was a fun read, reminiscent of Katie Fforde.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley.

3.5 stars rounded up. Cute romantic comedy with endearing characters and a satisfying ending. Thanks to netgalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Abandoned by her husband, coping with three step children and a 3 year old. Can life get any more difficult?
Hounded out of his GP practice by the press, edited social media making him public enemy number one.
Escaping to a cottage in the New forest. To a property left to him, next door is the unraveling family.
Making friends, escaping the press, finding solutions and understanding that life can get better.
Will make you smile 😁

BLOG TOUR REVIEW

Review for 'The Mid-life Trials of Annabeth Hope' by Alice G May

This may be the first book I have read by this author but it most definitely will not be my last!!

This book has fantastic evocative descriptions that set you straight in the scenes. The cover, title and synopsis suit the storyline perfectly.

Where the heck have you been hiding all my life Alice!!! Love, LOVE, LOVED this absolutely gorgeous page turner!! An absolute must read!!!

OMG!!! I absolutely LOVED this gorgeous page-turner and I cannot WAIT to get stuck into the rest of Alice's books if this one is any to go by and if they are even half as good as this one they are guaranteed to be epic!! In this gorgeous storyline we meet Annabeth Hope who is a single mother of 4 ungrateful children, 3 of those are stepchildren, after her ex abandoned her. She is constantly struggling with the house, the finances, her smallholding, her rescued llamas and life!!!! Things go from bad to worse with a leaking roof about to come crashing down and to add to that she then has a new neighbour moving next door!!! The new neighbour being our other protagonist Rick Mahon. Rick is a burnt out doctor from London who has headed to Southampton to try and hide from the problems of a malpractice case. Rick wants to hideaway and Annabeth does not want any distractions but when sparks fly between them can they make it work and help each other out with their problems? Grab your copy of this absolute beauty to find out for yourselves and I guarantee that you will fall ion love!! With a gorgeous storyline ram packed with family, finding yourself, friendship, life problems, animals, second chances, community, warmth, joy, happiness, stress and everything you could ask for and much more what are you waiting for?? Any books that involves around animals and especially rescue ones is a HUGE bonus for me!!! I am a MASSIVE animal lover and all my pets have been rescues to then volunteering in rescues, working in rescues and now running my own little cat rescue (Golden Oldies Cat Rescue And Hospice which you can look up on Facebook if you are interested) so this book was a huge must read for me immediately!!! I really did absolutely love this unique, stunning page turner from the first page to the very last and cannot wait to get my hands on the next book by this incredible author!!! Alice's excellent writing skills and evocative descriptions drops the reader straight into the middle of Annabeth and Rick's lives leaving them smelling the fresh New Forest air, feeding the menagerie of animals, relaxing and having a gorgeous holiday in the stunning countryside!!! I absolutely adored the cosy rural town vibe and I loved getting to know each and every one of the characters !! I was absolutely hooked throughout and could not put this down. I told myself time and time again I would just finish the chapter and then go to bed but something happened each and every time meaning I just had to read just one more, and then another until before I knew it I had completely devoured the book in one sitting. I genuinely felt like I had gone on holiday with Annabeth and Rick and was devastated to come to the end of my holiday, returning back to reality and having to 'unpack my suitcase'!! It really is just amazing and I absolutely love it and I really cannot compliment this book enough!!! This book is just what the doctor ordered for my own stress and each page I read I could feel myself relaxing more and more!!! This is one of those books that are very easy to read and perfect for any reading situations whether you are laying on a beach or curled up in front of a fire. It really does not matter where or when you are reading it as Alice will pick you up and transport you straight into the New Forest where everything around you will come to life. It is an absolutely ideal read for anyone who is looking for a gorgeous and relaxing read that will have you hooked from beginning to end. I absolutely LOVED the realism of this storyline which made it so easy to picture everything that was going on which had been helped by Alice's fantastic evocative writing skills. I cannot wait to get hooked into more of Alice's books so I hope she is busy writing her next one!! This is definitely one of those books that will turn a frown upside down and make life seem a lot brighter. It is packed with fun, animals, friendship, a huge breathe of fresh air and everything you could ask for in a fantastic feel good book. Grab your copy today and fall in love with 'The Mid-life Trials of Annabeth Hope' yourself!!

Well done Alice on an absolutely stunning page turner!!!This may be the first book I have read by Alice but I cannot wait to get hold of more books by this extremely talented author!!! Pick up this book and get lost in this absolutely gorgeous page turner!


The characters were all an eclectic mix and each one of them were realistic and strong. I was completely invested in them all. It also makes them more realistic, believable and made me feel even more for them than I normally would. I absolutely LOVED Annabeth who my heart completely went out to. I am a mum of 3 myself so know how hard life can be with children and to have children in the picture like hers made my heart ache for her. The fact that she is an animal lover too well i am just gutted than she only came to life when I was reading this gorgeous book as I would love someone like her in my life permanently and could really see us being friends! I absolutely LOVED watching her character and personality grow and develop throughout. I also really enjoyed getting to know Rick and seeing his interactions with Annabeth were brilliant, watching them get closer and friendlier put a smile on my face but I wont say any more about that! I also loved seeing how they interacted with the animals who all had their own cheeky little personalities!!! Each of the characters and animals are memorable and unique in their own ways and they are a group that I wont be forgetting any time soon!

Congratulations Alice on an absolutely stunning read that I just could not put down!!! I am absolutely mind blown that I have never read any of your absolutely gorgeous books yet!! I am looking forward to reading more of your previous and future books. I would absolutely love to see this book turned into a movie!!! Welcome to my favourite author list and here's to your next success 🥂

Overall an unputdownable, gorgeous, STUNNING page turning book filled with animals, family, friends and so much more!!

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The book is the first in a promising new series, whether it's a series with a continuation of Annabeth's story ot the beginning of a series set in the New Forest, I have no idea.

It's a heartwarming story of discovering your worth, second chances and comes with a cast of believable characters and has community spirit at it's heart.

Annabeth was one of those characters that I immediately took to heart. She tried so hard yet felt her best was never good enough. I think we can all relate to her and find a little piece of ourselves in her at some point in the story.

A pleasantly enjoyable read that I would wholeheartedly recommend.

The moment I read 'a herd of rescued llamas' in the description of this book I had to read it!

And I enjoyed that The Mid-life Trials of Annabeth Hope was about more than just romance in the air: it mentions lots of flavors of the human kind, it is about being kind and finding strength not to give up, about being good enough (for which I've got a special shelf here on Goodreads) and not fitting certain boxes - such as having a kid at 47.

A wonderful book set in the most idyllic setting ,family drama ,a doctor wronged ,a beautiful romance ,what more could you possibly need .I look forward to book 2 .