A year after discovering that her husband no longer loves her, Dr Annie Templeton wakes up with a sudden relish for singledom. However, she soon realises that being single in your fifties is very different from being single in your twenties.

How, she wonders, do people of my age – with careers, adult children doing unwise things with unwise people, parents going gaga, and friends falling ill, or in or out of love – ever have the time and energy to find a new partner?

My Review

A trip to Venice to celebrate the 30th anniversary of your first meeting is not the ideal time to be told by your husband he’s found someone else, (though that is not to suggest there is an ideal time), yet this is what happened to Anne. This is the opening sequence of the book and sets in motion Anne’s shock re-emergence into singledom. Worse still it appears she is now an acronym – a SWOFTY – a Single Woman Over Fifty.  Being single was bad enough as a teenager, when you thought you knew the rules, but now it appears the rules have changed and Anne is thrown in at the deep end.

I thoroughly enjoyed Anne’s journey as she tried to find her way back into dating as well, as well as coping as a partner in a GP’s practice; juggling friend’s illnesses; crises and family traumas. It was a refreshing change to read a rom-com aimed at a more mature market and it worked well.

I loved the character of Anne, she’s very warm, caring and yet also adventurous (once she’s warmed to the idea). Like most of us, whatever age, new challenges also bring with them inbuilt insecurities and fears, yet being older I’d like to think we’re more able to acknowledge them as Anne does. However age also brings with it roles and responsibilities that are not so easily shaken off – unlike an unwanted wife! Anne is a mother to adult girls, who still expect her to dance to their tune when they need her. She also has a father with dementia (and a secret lover it transpires) and a best friend who has her own troubles.

Whether Anne finds her Mr Right, you’ll need to find out for yourself, but I’m sure you’ll enjoy following her search. It’s a realistic journey with lows and highs, and lots of warmth humour ( and yes, sex) along the way.

I received a copy of this book from the author for review purposes

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