You’re never too old for a brand new adventure!

Synopsis

Sixty-nine-year-old Fliss has lived a life!

A career running her own successful business, a beautiful home, a wardrobe full of designer clothes – Fliss has everything she ever wanted. So why does she feel so lonely?

Sixty-six-year-old Shirl didn’t expect to be looking after a baby again, let alone a grown woman who should know better. But with her daughter Gemma struggling to adapt to motherhood, and her boss Fliss increasingly reliant on Shirl to run her life, Shirl never gets a moment to herself.

Fliss might not be great at life’s chores, but she is great at seizing opportunities, so when the chance for a jaunt to France’s beautiful Brittany comes her way, she decides it’s just what she and Shirl need. And as the sun-soaked town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer begins to work its magic on the women, they realise there’s another way to live.

From cake-laden patisseries, to joyous local fetes, from food, views and beaches to die for, to a community quick to embrace them, not to mention some rather fine French men for company, perhaps it’s not too late for Fliss and Shirl to embrace a new adventure and look forwards to a totally different future.

My review

Fliss ran for years a very successful business, but now at the blessed age of sixty – nine, she feels suddenly lonely. The nights filled with cocktails and men aren’t giving her a good feeling anymore.
So when she has the opportunity to spend some time in the town of Plouvannec-Sur-Mer in the French Brittany and staying at an old friend’s place, she grabs it with both hands.
She also decides that Shirl needs to come with her.
Shirl, who works for Fliss, and is looking after her daughter Gemma’s baby, for sure also needs some Shirl – time.
Enjoying the good life, surrounded by new friends, both Fliss and Shirl start to think about their future and that perhaps it’s never too late to start to live again, and have a brand new adventure…

Even if the world of Judy Leigh’s books are far from my own, as I could be the daughter of her main characters, I always enjoy reading her books. In a way they always have an inspiring affect on me, making me believe that age truly is just a number and that nothing is impossible!

Fliss and Shirl couldn’t be more different from each other. Fliss has lived the good life, and she still enjoys her cocktails and her men. She doesn’t have any worry in the world.
But we also see in her case, that no matter how glamourous a life can look like, it can also be a very lonely one.
And Fliss slowly starts to understand this, when she realizes that in fact she doesn’t have any real friends.

On the other hand we have Shirl. She is working for Fliss, going along with all Fliss’s spurs of the moment. But we also she that she is truly a Mama – bear. Even if her daughters are adults, she cannot ever stop worrying about them.
Especially Gemma causes Shirl a lot of extra worries, as Gemma is struggling with being a young, single mother.
Shirl is also the kind of person that tries to calm and comfort people, what we see clearly when Gemma believes that she is a bad mother.
But even if Shirl is a delightful person, at moments I also thought that she could have been a little stricter, and not just go along with things.

I found it great to see how ‘employer and employee’ are just more than that, and in fact are friends, even if they haven’t labelled each other as that. But in everything that they do, that they see, even offering advice, it’s clear that it’s a real friendship between this so divers pair. It was even sweet to see how closer Fliss and Shirl are getting, and this holiday only reinforces their bond.

And I liked it to see how Fliss had absolutely no issues with sharing her wealth with not only Shirl, but also with the new friends she has made in Plouvannec-Sur-Mer.

Of course I had several laughs too, especially when Fliss is acting like Fliss is used to. Some moments she is being over the top, acting as a real diva. But as a reader you can quickly see behind the façade, and you see in fact a Fliss that has her own issues, problems, and doubts.

There is also the fact that often we get a wrong impression of people, and that we must take the time to get to learn someone. Because what we may think of someone, isn’t always how that person truly is.

As I said, this book also works inspiring. Because we see not only Fliss and Shirl, but also all the other characters in it, realizing that there is so much more to life and that they aren’t living their life at the fullest. And it may look a bit scary, to make big changes, and step away from the life you are accustomed to. But isn’t it a waste when you let fear just live your life, but not live it at the complete fullest?

It takes courage to start a new adventure, no matter what age you are. And I feel that Fliss and Shirl both are people to use as an inspiration. While it all may start as a holiday for some much needed
me – time, can turn into a real eye – opening experience and life – altering adventure!