The Life Makeover Club: A humorous and heart-warming women's fiction novel

by Juliet Madison

A humorous and heart-warming story about following your dreams and embracing the unexpected...

The lives of three very different women are about to change in fun and surprising ways when they join an exclusive coaching THE LIFE MAKEOVER CLUB. But transforming their lives and achieving their goals will prove much more complicated than they thought...

Glamour girl Miranda has a ticking biological clock due to a medical issue and is on a deadline to meet her ideal man and have a family before it becomes impossible. Can the club help her through the maze of disaster dates and boost her self worth to find the love she seeks?

Fitness fanatic Gina is trapped in a toxic marriage and unfulfilling job, desperate for freedom to follow her dreams and live the life she deserves. Can reaching out for help through the club give her the confidence and strategies to leave her old life behind and start anew?

And frazzled young mother Cara is searching for purpose beyond motherhood, keen to discover her own identity after a whirlwind romance and three children. With her time and energy limited, will she find calm in the chaos and a way to bring her creative dreams to fruition?

Life Coach to the Stars Liz Ashford is determined to help them succeed. Through her one-of-a-kind club and its monthly meetings, over the course of one year these new friends will discover secrets and strategies, deal with life-changing challenges, and be encouraged to step outside their comfort zones to create the lives they’ve dreamed of.

408 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 3, 2024

About the author

Juliet Madison is a bestselling and award-nominated author of 20 books with humour, heart, and serendipity. Writing both fiction and self help, she is also an artist and colouring book illustrator, a mind/body/spirit coach, and a writing course creator.

With her background as a naturopath and a dancer, Juliet is passionate about living a healthy and positive life. She likes to combine her love of words, art, and self-empowerment to create books that entertain and inspire readers to find the magic in everyday life.

Juliet lives on the picturesque south coast of NSW, Australia, where she spends as much time as possible writing books, drawing, teaching online courses, being with family, and as little time as possible doing housework.
She is represented by literary agent Joelle Delbourgo, and has been published by Escape Publishing-Harlequin/Harper Collins Australia, Sourcebooks USA, Dover Publications, Diversion Books, Bloodhound Books, and Once Upon a Book Club.
Juliet loves to interact online with readers and writers. You can contact her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JulietMadison..., instagram http://www.instagram.com/julietmadiso... and through her website http://www.julietmadison.com

Reviews

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always enjoyed Juliet Madison's novels, so I was thrilled over the chance to read The Life Makeover Club: A humorous and heart-warming women's fiction novel and started devouring it not too long after I received a copy. This was a novel Juliet wrote when she was just starting out and is finally publishing it now. I am so glad she put it out into the world, as it is a great story and all the characters are sympathetic and relatable, even when I had nothing in common with some of them. I just cared so much about them and couldn't wait to read more whenever I had a chance!

There were times I would email Juliet because something in the story struck a chord with me or because I got so angry about one of the situations and was so worried for the character involved. I don't want to say too much more as to not spoil anything. I just really liked this novel overall and encourage you to read it. Especially if you feel like you are in a rut and need a little kick to get going again, even if it's with a small change in your life.

One part of the story reminded me of this post I wrote a long time ago. Even though my kids are teenagers now, I still wouldn't mind having this experience! 

A while back, Sara and I wrote about mental health over at Chick Lit Central and this novel made me want to share the post again, as this story addresses the topic a lot. 

This delightful and inspiring novel is available tomorrow, so be sure to add it to your autumn (or spring, in Australia) TBR!

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Gina: Andrea Demetriades
Cara: Samara Weaving
Miranda: Katie Stevens
Pete: Nathan Parsons
Marvin: Daniel Webber
Liz: Miranda Otto

Sue (Miranda's mom): Gia Carides

Originally posted at Chick Lit Central.

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TW: emotional abuse, miscarriage, death of parent

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Life Makeover Club is a fabulous novel by Juliet Madison.
What do you get when you take a group of women, who are complete strangers, and put them together with a life coach to the stars?
You get diversity, secrets, fear, confusion, tears and laughter.
Three of these women - Cara, Gina and Miranda - are the main focus of The Life Makeover Club. As they progress through 12 months of The Club, each woman grows into her true self.
The supporting characters from The Club, and in Cara, Gina and Miranda's lives, also find themselves having their own transformations.
I found myself relating to the main characters at various times throughout the novel.
Cara's feelings of tiredness and stress; Miranda and her various mishaps; Gina and her various feelings about her life situation. Each one spoke to me, in many different ways.
I loved the feeling of camaraderie that grew throughout the novel. The support the women provide each other is a wonderful undercurrent of the story, and something that we all deserve and crave at one point or another.
Thank you, Juliet, for another beautiful novel.
When can I sign up for The Life Makeover Club??

[Allison Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightfully diverse range of female characters join facilitator Liz for her year long Life Makeover Club, and we meet each participant and their lives in the opening chapters.

Over the course of the following year, events mould and influence, priorities shift and well, things happen! Whilst a couple depart, some participants absolutely transform. I most enjoyed getting to know Cara, a doctor’s wife with three young children; Gina, married and trying to conceive; and Miranda, searching for her Prince Charming and the perfect job. I also really enjoyed Liz’s caring mentorship of the group.

The graduation evening is the perfect adieu to our friends in the club; what a great finale after a year of change and growth! I’m a fan of Juliet’s writing; she has that knack of just knowing what readers need. This book is an uplifting celebration of sisterhood and self love, and is highly recommended!
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Thank you for the opportunity of reading this ARC, in exchange for my honest review.

[Jaclyn Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I took my time reading this book, because from the very beginning it felt like a book that should be slowly enjoyed. There were so many relatable parts in the book and some good advice thrown in too. I highly recommend this book.

[Ashly Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this author on Facebook and read the blurb and thought what the heck, I’ll give a try. I thought her writing was beautiful. A 12 month program to have the life you want. The women go through real life issues and but as they go through the program they each end up where they should be. This book gave me a lot to reflect on and has amazing advice. I enjoyed her book and look forward to more work from her.

[Trish Drinkwater · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful, inspiring book! Complete strangers become firm friends and lifestyle changes are made. I just loved the chapters beginning with a beautiful quote, many from Grandma Joy.
"YOU are the writer of your own life story. Get a pen, turn the page and start writing."

Cara is creative with little opportunity to create. Gina is married to a nightmare - he actually wants to know if she'll be cooking his dinner when she has a screaming migraine! Miranda is on a man hunt with possibly limited time for children through health issues. I loved the way she says, "The thing about exercise is it only works if you do it." The way these women, along with Rebecca, Molly and others work through their issues and benefit from the Lifestyle Makeover Club is delightful, entertaining and thoughtful.

"You yourself, as much as any body in the Universe, deserve your love and affection." Budda.

The year long makeover club changes personalities and their families and leaves the reader with a sense of purpose and reflection that will continue long after the story is finished. I LOVED it. Another Juliet Madison masterpiece.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think after reading this women of all ages and stages in life will want to be a part of The Life Makeover Club. It's a group of women coming together to be coached by Liz to makeover their lives. We focus on three of these women and they are all the most relatable characters I have ever met. I particularly enjoyed reading about Cara I think maybe because she has everything that I really want for myself but the strange thing is I didn't feel jealous but instead I felt pure joy. The eventual camaraderie and support that the women provide for each other is what I think we all need and it was heartwarming to watch it develop. This is definitely my favourite book by this author and not what I was expecting although it is so much more. I laughed and smiled as I joined the group of women in their transformations and I wanted to be a part of their close knit group.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story and a self-help book in one!

The Life Makeover Club follows the lives and stories of three women who make the decision to sign up to celebrity life coach Liz Ashford’s Life Makeover Club, each hoping to find the answer that will help them change their lives around.

Juliet’s writing is extremely strong and each of the three characters are wonderfully and uniquely developed, and even the very first scene had me tearing up. Some of the scenes towards the end had actual tears rolling down my face!

Full of heartwarming stories, powerful motivational quotes and the inspiration to the reader to get up and change their own life around, this was a unique and wonderful book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading!

[Em Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a story of women. Career women, mothers, wanting to be mothers, family, love and hope. It’s wholesome and heartfelt with being too much. These characters are so relatable. I think I can identify myself in each of them and their struggles. The story builds at a lovely pace and we really get a sense of the characters’ worlds. Ultimately it’s a story of hope and appreciation for life, for focussing on one’s passions and making choices to prioritise them. I will read more from author.

[Kim Davidson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading this story. The characters are so real and as they come together in the group they start to find themselves.
These incredible ladies draw you into the club with them and it honestly feels like being part of a sisterhood.

[Sarah Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspiring novel about a group of women wishing to improve their lives. Some of the ladies are looking for career changes, some relationship changes and others, a combination of everything. Delightful and inspiring.