My Favorite Midlife Crisis

by Toby Devens

Dr. Gwyneth Berke has a perfect life...until one day she walks into her pantry, lets out a little scream of disbelief and begins the following

What to do when you find out that your husband is in love with your interior decorator, Brad (or, A Midlife Crisis Checklist):
--Get divorced (this is a must!)
--Quickly discover a lifetime supply of humor (this will also help with your children and your mentally deteriorating father)
--Stop sulking, show a little spirit and start a new life plan (also a must)
--Recruit your two very dear, newly single friends to help you with it
--Don't look back and enjoy the ride!

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Womens Fiction, Romance, Book Club

352 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2006

Reviews

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the main character Gwyn and her best friend Kat, but her other friend Fleur - her behavior was just a bit too much to take (maybe it is a Southern thing). If a friend ever talked to me the way Fleur sometimes talked to Gwyn I would not remain friends with her.
Nice, hopeful ending . . .

[Just - The romance reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

A satisfying read. The characters were amusing, and my heart really did go out to Gwyn with some of the struggles she faced, namely dealing with her aging father and fighting to overcome the scars of a horribly troubled relationship with her mother throughout her childhood. I wish the very ending was a little more definitive for Gwyn, but sometimes we have to take what we are given, which the author proved beautifully through the characters in this book. Overall, a good debut novel by Devens and worth the read.

[Angelina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What do you do when you have a perfect life- and uncover your husband's secret life? I found out what Dr. Gwenyth Burke decided to do. She is in her early 50s and dealing with dating craziness following a divorce. I tagged along with her two BFF's for the ride.

I snagged this bargain Amazon Kindle book and laughed out loud from beginning to end. This book was such a joy to read! So many memorable characters and quotable lines. I'm in my mid-30s and I related to this book a lot.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

About three women that are dealing with problems with divorce and dating again in midlife. Is it worth getting back in the dating game and get hurt all over again.

[Elsa Wolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first line made me think it was a sex novel, but it really isn’t. It’s about several middle-aged women and their pursuit of happiness. They have lost their husbands one way or another. The women support each other. I look forward to another novel from this author.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gynecological oncologist, whose husband dumped her for a man after thirty years of marriage, finds love, loss and self-acceptance along with her two best friends. At first I thought it would be predictable but it had a few good twists and I actually found myself tearing up at the end.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s not to love about these strong female characters?!

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I didn't finish this one, either. I hauled it around with me for two days and couldn't get past page 120. That's unusual for me, so after much debate, I have decided to shut it down. Too many books, too little time sort of thing. Why didn't this book capture my attention? Well, for starters its too cutesy. I'm thinking she is trying to be an older, more wise Jane Green or some such author, but you just can't do that. I think this book was truly trying to be something it wasn't - older woman going back out into the dating world, had friends who were doing the same, they talk about their miseries, but good grief, nothing was happening for 120 pages. Went on an online date, it was bad. Really? I was hoping for something a bit more cerebral. If the author had lost the cute and just been real, she could have pulled off an Elizabeth Berg. But what I got was a few old cliches and two days wasted time.

[Crysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favorite Midlife Crisis ( Yet ) was on my list to read for a while and I am certainly glad that I did. Toby Devens is a clever writer and her characters are deeply thought out and likeable.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about reading a book where the women were my Aunt's age, I certainly didn't want to think about her dating and sex life. But what I found in this book was that you get to really like the characters and their wisdom and restraint gained only through the years make them valuable to the story.

I came away from this book with a smile. It is certainly a good summer book. Put it on your list!

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book. A nice mix of empowered female characters. However it seems to fall right into the common problem of many books about women in the single world. It pushes the idea that women are incomplete with out a significant other. It also makes a few points about how women fall for the guy who will break their heart and still want to stay with him. Overall it was a good quick read and not bad if you want something not too engaging.

[Cindy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about three middle aged women (which I am member of this club) and their quest for romance while balancing careers, cancer and over indulged adult children. I think if the author had focused more on the friendships and the careers,and less on the token romance, there may have been more depth to the characters.
This book had its moments, but overall it seemed to be a cross between Sex and the City 50+ style and General Hospital. Not my favorite genre.

[Michelegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book so much. I drove my husband crazy with all my giggling, but it was such a witty, funny book.

Gwyn, whose husband leaves her for a man; her dad who has Alzheimers; Simon, who gives her the tingles and who she later finds out is giving a whole lot of other women the tingles, too; and her two dear friends and all their adventures.

It was a rip roaring good read.

[anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is well worth reading. there is a line in this book that made me perk up and LOL. i want to seriously print up this saying for all my girlfriends. what saying is it you might ask....you'll need to read the book. and than we can discuss. enjoy!!

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book just sucked. The Amazon reviews said it was funny, but it WASN'T! NOT AT ALL! Bleh. If it hadn't been a book club book, I wouldn't have bothered finishing it. None of the other ladies liked it either.

[Renee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started out a bit slow for me but got better about one-third in. I may have given it a higher rating if I was at the same age of the characters as I felt I could not relate to most of their feelings.

[Julaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was interesting to see the evolution of the women in this story.

[Crysta · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books of all times. I couldn't put it down and I knew from the moment I read the first page that I would be forever changed. It's a great book by an amazing artist.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boomer women, read this novel, you will totally relate to it!

[Ksab · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining,Interesting,well-written and ...timely!

[Alli]

I tried....really I did! I just couldn't get in to this one. Maybe I'll pick it back up sometime in the future and try it again.

[Ngchang · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good book, well written, and a fast read.

[Margot Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy, entertaining read. Very predictable. Couple of sex scenes to skip.

[Randi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really this was good, for those entering the 50+years it makes you realize how important certain things are and how some things are not.

[Paulamoney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written. Book about women. Quite enjoyable. Rings true to life.

[Heidi Barhydt · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't a fast read, but it was still a good read. The plot was a little slow, but the book had lots of humor and overall was a nice book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a light and fun beach read.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Always wanted to read one of these. It was ok. A fast,easy read with a predictable story line. kind of boring.

[Amanda Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, insightful, easy read. Even as a 30-something, I could relate. Enjoyed it.

[Jerri · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok

[Donna Kitchens · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars