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The Midlife Plot Twist: How to Reboot Your Life Without Burning It Down Even If You Really, Really Want To
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26It’s not a midlife crisis—it’s a midlife plot twist! Packed with honest, insightful, and deeply relatable advice for anyone who has reached that middle point of life, this humorous and practical guide rejects the outdated cliché of the midlife crisis, instead offering a fresh, empowering vision for any woman in her 40s or 50s looking for reinvention, courage, and clarity.
Welcome to midlife—where your body is totally unpredictable, your career is ever-evolving, and your search history now includes, “Can I pull off bangs at 45?” This is not another menopause book; this is also not a book about how to “manifest,” “visualize,” or “self-actualize” your way into a better life. This book is for those of us who burst into our 20s with only a Cosmopolitan magazine education about how to be a grown-up and have now reached that middle stage of life and are wondering what’s next.
The Midlife Plot Twist is for women who are truly ready to figure out what they want that second chapter of their life to look like. This is a smart, funny, and deeply relatable guidebook for women trying to navigate every part of their life with humor, honesty, and heart. From forgotten passwords to rediscovering passions, it’s a laugh-out-loud reminder that the middle years aren’t something to survive—they’re something to celebrate. Using expert advice, exercises, and analysis to help readers figure out how they landed where they are now, authors Lindsay Goldwert and Gabrielle Moss offer practical information and guidance about values and goals as it pertains to love and sex, money and career, and friends and family. Part pep talk, part permission slip, and 100 percent relatable, readers will laugh, nod, and feel seen. Because if midlife has taught us anything, it’s that the only way forward is with grace—and a great sense of humor.
Welcome to midlife—where your body is totally unpredictable, your career is ever-evolving, and your search history now includes, “Can I pull off bangs at 45?” This is not another menopause book; this is also not a book about how to “manifest,” “visualize,” or “self-actualize” your way into a better life. This book is for those of us who burst into our 20s with only a Cosmopolitan magazine education about how to be a grown-up and have now reached that middle stage of life and are wondering what’s next.
The Midlife Plot Twist is for women who are truly ready to figure out what they want that second chapter of their life to look like. This is a smart, funny, and deeply relatable guidebook for women trying to navigate every part of their life with humor, honesty, and heart. From forgotten passwords to rediscovering passions, it’s a laugh-out-loud reminder that the middle years aren’t something to survive—they’re something to celebrate. Using expert advice, exercises, and analysis to help readers figure out how they landed where they are now, authors Lindsay Goldwert and Gabrielle Moss offer practical information and guidance about values and goals as it pertains to love and sex, money and career, and friends and family. Part pep talk, part permission slip, and 100 percent relatable, readers will laugh, nod, and feel seen. Because if midlife has taught us anything, it’s that the only way forward is with grace—and a great sense of humor.
240 pages, Paperback
Expected publication September 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 13, 2026
My real-feel right now is 2.5 stars, but I can imagine a world where a decade from now, this could land much higher. It’s a book that I believe can only truly be appreciated when you’re at a crossroads reflecting and considering options. For someone not quite at that point in the journey (although I’m in my 40s), this read feels hypothetical and falls flat. For those trying to figure out how to chart a path forward, it would be much more rewarding - provided that you want a humorous, light-hearted, casual tone. If you’re looking for a delivery packed with gravitas for a message about the midlife experience, this won’t be for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I am, objectively, the exact target audience for this book. Mid-40s, married, two kids, and recently laid off after 20 years in the same job, so I really thought this one was going to land for me. Unfortunately, it just didn’t.
The tone was the biggest disconnect. It leans heavily into quirky and playful, which I understand is meant to feel approachable and reassuring. But for a topic that feels pretty weighty and uncertain, that tone didn’t quite work for me. I found myself wanting something more grounded and a little less “we’re all a mess, it's fine!”
That said, it’s not without merit. There is clearly a lot of research here, and I did appreciate the inclusion of real stories from women who have navigated big life pivots. Those moments felt the most useful and relatable, like glimpses of what the plot twist can actually look like in practice.
The structure also didn’t fully click for me. Each section includes reflection questions and exercises, which I know will appeal to some readers, but it felt a bit too loose for where I am right now. When I think about rebuilding, I am not necessarily looking to journal my way through it.
I can absolutely see this working for someone who wants a gentler, more guided approach to figuring out what’s next, especially if you like a lighter tone and built-in prompts to help you process. It just wasn’t the right fit for me at this moment.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
The tone was the biggest disconnect. It leans heavily into quirky and playful, which I understand is meant to feel approachable and reassuring. But for a topic that feels pretty weighty and uncertain, that tone didn’t quite work for me. I found myself wanting something more grounded and a little less “we’re all a mess, it's fine!”
That said, it’s not without merit. There is clearly a lot of research here, and I did appreciate the inclusion of real stories from women who have navigated big life pivots. Those moments felt the most useful and relatable, like glimpses of what the plot twist can actually look like in practice.
The structure also didn’t fully click for me. Each section includes reflection questions and exercises, which I know will appeal to some readers, but it felt a bit too loose for where I am right now. When I think about rebuilding, I am not necessarily looking to journal my way through it.
I can absolutely see this working for someone who wants a gentler, more guided approach to figuring out what’s next, especially if you like a lighter tone and built-in prompts to help you process. It just wasn’t the right fit for me at this moment.
I received an ARC from NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When life gives you lemons, just yell "Plot twist!" and go on about your day. However, this is not how easy it is to deal with life's misadventures, especially when you have hit a milestone such as midlife. This book gives practical advice for those who are now entering their forties and fifties and feel like a big change needs to be made.
While I appreciate that this is tailored to the elder millennial crowd (and it has plenty of 90s references to remind you), it appears to give the same advice as any other self-help book. And it's good to remember that most self-help books are specifically targeting upper middle-class married with children women who want to use self-help advice as an excuse to make the changes that they wished they could but used every other excuse in their lives to hold them back. In short, this advice is general in a way that anyone could use it, but practically the only people that will use it are those who have a safety net (spouse, robust savings account, etc.) and can afford to massively blow up their current lives to chase what they really want.
*Book provided by NetGalley
While I appreciate that this is tailored to the elder millennial crowd (and it has plenty of 90s references to remind you), it appears to give the same advice as any other self-help book. And it's good to remember that most self-help books are specifically targeting upper middle-class married with children women who want to use self-help advice as an excuse to make the changes that they wished they could but used every other excuse in their lives to hold them back. In short, this advice is general in a way that anyone could use it, but practically the only people that will use it are those who have a safety net (spouse, robust savings account, etc.) and can afford to massively blow up their current lives to chase what they really want.
*Book provided by NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thanks to NetGalley and Running Press for the advanced reader copy.
This is exactly the kind of book to buy, put on your self, and dip into specific chapters when needed. I didn't find every chapter relevant to my situation, but I did find the authors' writing to be clear and straightforward in talking about the questions/concerns that often come up for women in midlife (relationships--romantic, family, and friends; health; money and debt; career). I especially appreciated the stories from real women in each of the sections, as they illuminated both that these issues are prevalent across age and race, and that even when someone gets what they want it can be complicated. This is one I'll probably get in hard copy when it's out.
The Midlife Plot Twist is out September 15, 2026
This is exactly the kind of book to buy, put on your self, and dip into specific chapters when needed. I didn't find every chapter relevant to my situation, but I did find the authors' writing to be clear and straightforward in talking about the questions/concerns that often come up for women in midlife (relationships--romantic, family, and friends; health; money and debt; career). I especially appreciated the stories from real women in each of the sections, as they illuminated both that these issues are prevalent across age and race, and that even when someone gets what they want it can be complicated. This is one I'll probably get in hard copy when it's out.
The Midlife Plot Twist is out September 15, 2026
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Being in my mid forties this book grabbed my attention when it was offered by #NetGalley. It was written with I feel like a humorous tone which also sounded appealing but the way it was written felt more scattered and I found myself skipping over a lot of the reader shared stories as they just started to feel repetitive and were all a mess kinda way which just didn’t feel connected. It seems lots of research went into the book which was appreciated while reading but just didn’t connect to book like I thought I would.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m not usually into self-help, but I really liked this one. It was a little (a lot) irreverent, so I wouldn’t recommend it to my grandma, but honest, funny, and totally relatable. It felt life-affirming and hopeful. (Thanks NetGalley for the ARC)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews