Forty Love

by Jane Costello

It's never too late for a comeback!

Single mum Jules lives next to a tennis club, but has no plans to play. Especially when her old school crush, handsome doctor Sam Delaney, returns from the USA thirty years after leaving and starts displaying a killer forehand in direct view of her bedroom window. Despite what she tells her personal trainer, Jules finds exercise as difficult in her forties as she did as a teenager.

But when she's hit by an unprecedented wave of anxiety - brought on by the perimenopause and her 19-year-old daughter's solo trip around the world - she's in urgent need of a distraction and rashly agrees to join an amateur women's tennis team. They are desperate for players. The fact that she can't really play doesn't seem to matter.

As rallies are hit and friendships are formed, Jules is astonished to find herself in the grip of a passionate, all-consuming relationship . . . and not only with the tennis. Problem is, will these sexy encounters she keeps stumbling into with Sam put her on course to a devastating double fault?

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

I’m the internationally bestselling author of 15 novels, five of which have been published under the name ‘Catherine Isaac’.

The latest of my ‘heartwarming and hilarious’ romantic comedies is ‘IT’S GETTING HOT IN HERE’, the first book I’ve written that has a 40-something main character. My novels have been translated into 26 languages, selected by the Richard & Judy Book Club and I’ve been honoured to win a Romantic Novelists’ Award - twice!

I was born in Liverpool, where I still live with my husband and three sons. When I’m not writing, you’ll usually find me on the tennis court, wishing I’d started to play about 25 years before I did.

Reviews

[Tanmeet Samra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review. I’m giving this book 3.5, 4 stars rounded up. It’s a single POV book and while I do enjoy dual POV books, I think this books does really well with the single POV of the FMC. I appreciated that the main characters are a bit older in life so it added some level of maturity which can be lacking in some books and there was a healthy balance of the relationship side for the FMC and her personal side with friends and family. There was no heavy drama and I think it’s because of the maturity of the characters. However, this book wasn’t serious, it was still a light read and I enjoyed the tennis plot as well! This book was balanced out very well.

[Trina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up. Thank you to NetGalley and Zibby Publishing for the ARC.

I really like that it is about a woman in her late forties trying to move forward after grief. The boyfriend sounded like a dream man--intelligent, talented, kind, athletic, and hot! The story itself was just nice...nothing that felt outstanding, but in a way that was a perk because it felt quite believable. Pick up when you want a low spice, realistic romance.

[Sylviane BM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Je remercie NetGalley pour ce SP. Bien que le livre sorte en mai 2026, il fallait bien le lire avant, non?

Pourquoi je l'ai choisi? car la couverture parle d'elle même: du tennis. Du tennis je fonce!

Roman de deux points de vue, à la 1ère personne. Et là où ce roman est différent des autres lectures qu'on trouve, c'est que les personnes sont matures, donc à peu près de mon âge avec une héroïne préménopausée, veuve et mère de famille. PArfois cela fait du bien de lire ce genre de romance car parfois lorsque c'est à la fac je ne m' y reconnais plus, lol (oui les mentalités ont évolué par rapport à ce que j'ai vécu).

Pourquoi du tennis? car notre héroïne va se retrouver dans un club de tennis (tennis qu'elle avait pratiquer ado) et retrouver son crush de jeunesse, Sam, qu'elle avait perdu de vue.

Un slow burn, sans drama, avec de l'humour, de l'amitié, sans prise de tête, même si on sait que la vie n'est pas rose. On le voit lorsque Jules parle de son mari et Sam , de sa mère.

Un roman donc sans prise de tête, avec du tennis. Parfait pour une lecture de détente, avec des personnages qui ont chacun leur importance. Bien sur des choix devront être faits: Jules va -t-elle saisir cette nouvelle chance avec Sam? Va-t-elle penser à elle, alors que sa fille est à la fac? ça il faut le lire pour le découvrir.

[☆Laura☆]

Jules Lawrence acaba de quedarse sola por primera vez en casi dos décadas. Su hija Frankie ha partido a recorrer Europa antes de comenzar la universidad, dejándola enfrentando el temido título de madre nido vacío. A sus cuarenta y siete años, Jules es una mujer organizada, responsable y controladora… cualidades que se desmoronan en cuanto se encuentra sin su rutina y sin a quién cuidar.

Lo que comienza como un torbellino emocional, una llamada frenética y un pasaporte olvidado, la lleva a un inesperado reencuentro con el deporte que abandonó en su adolescencia: el tenis. Entre el caos emocional, los chats familiares llenos de cariño y drama, y un grupo de amigos que la empuja a vivir otra vez para sí misma, Jules descubre que quizá la vida después de los cuarenta puede ser más emocionante, complicada y divertida de lo que creía… especialmente cuando un misterioso jugador de tenis entra en escena.


——

Una comedia romántica sobre reinventarse, sanar, dejar ir y aceptar que nunca es tarde para empezar un nuevo capítulo, ni para volver a enamorarse.



Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest opinion

[BookThot · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t often pick up romances centered on women in their late forties, which is exactly why Forty Love stood out to me. It explores what it means to start again after years of putting others first, and that emotional core felt very genuine.

The story focuses on quiet rediscovery. New routines, new connections, and the question of what comes next when life finally slows down. The pacing is gentle and unhurried, and while it takes a bit to settle in, it becomes an easy, comforting read once it does.

The romance itself is soft rather than dramatic, fitting the overall tone of the book. This isn’t a high stakes, wild passion story, but one that leans into warmth, support, and emotional safety. Supporting characters are present without feeling like devices, and conflict is intentionally minimal.

Overall, Forty Love is a calm, comfort novel about starting over later in life. A lovely read, regardless of your mood.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity!

[Angela Owen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jules is a perimenopausal single Mum whose only daughter has decided to go travelling around Europe. Needing a distraction from her anxiety she decides to join the local ladies tennis group and her life slowly begins to change for the better.

I loved Jules as a character and it was nice to read a book with an older character especially one who was struggling with the dreaded menopause. I found her a really relatable character and I enjoyed seeing her deal with her everyday struggles and just managing normal life.

I loved all the other characters especially the gorgeous Sam and her brother Jeff and the great friendship group she had as the story progressed.

A great 5 star read with a great bunch of characters and plenty of drama.

Thanks to NetGalley, Jane Costello and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

[Fleurtje Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start with saying how awfully nice it is to read books with slightly less than mainstream characters (people being gay or neurodivergent, someone struggling with perimenopause) being a part of it without this being a theme! There is no such thing as normal, right?

Jules had her fair share of difficulties so it was nice to see there were people caring for her and cheering her on. That said, this cozy book was a bit too good to be true, there wasn't a single disagreement, no words of unkindness, nor lack of support.
For me personally, a feelgood book has more substance when it is not this far distanced from the real world.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of the book.