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Peg, Unhinged
Not yet published
Expected 21 Apr 26A humorous beach read of midlife, menopause and metamorphosis.
Peg is good at a lot of things. Selling beachfront homes. Raising two kids. Holding her life together with duct tape and dark humor. What she is not good at is menopause, divorce, or watching her soon-to-be ex flirt with women half her age, especially when one of them works in her office.
As hot flashes, brain fog, and emotional landmines take over, Peg finds herself unraveling in increasingly hilarious and inconvenient ways. Her kids are drifting away. Her marriage is in ruins. Her once-unshakable confidence is cracking. And yet, somewhere between a screaming meltdown on the beach and a disastrous real estate showing, Peg starts to realize something unexpected: this breakdown might also be a breakthrough.
Funny, raw, and deeply relatable, Teri M Brown explores midlife, reinvention, and what happens when a woman finally stops holding it all together—and starts becoming herself.
Peg is good at a lot of things. Selling beachfront homes. Raising two kids. Holding her life together with duct tape and dark humor. What she is not good at is menopause, divorce, or watching her soon-to-be ex flirt with women half her age, especially when one of them works in her office.
As hot flashes, brain fog, and emotional landmines take over, Peg finds herself unraveling in increasingly hilarious and inconvenient ways. Her kids are drifting away. Her marriage is in ruins. Her once-unshakable confidence is cracking. And yet, somewhere between a screaming meltdown on the beach and a disastrous real estate showing, Peg starts to realize something unexpected: this breakdown might also be a breakthrough.
Funny, raw, and deeply relatable, Teri M Brown explores midlife, reinvention, and what happens when a woman finally stops holding it all together—and starts becoming herself.
- GenresWomens Fiction
ebook
Expected publication April 21, 2026
About the author
Teri M. Brown
9 books131 followersBorn in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown came into this world with an imagination full of stories to tell. She now calls the North Carolina coast home, and the peaceful nature of the sea has been a great source of inspiration for her creativity.
Not letting 2020 get the best of her, Teri chose to go on an adventure that changed her outlook on life. She and her husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to
Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. She learned she is stronger than she realized and capable of anything she sets her mind to.
Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and
mentoring others.
You can join her newsletter list and get her exclusive list The 10 Historical Fiction Novels That You’ve Never Heard of That Will Bring You to Tears: https://deft-pioneer-4478.ck.page/d5f...
Not letting 2020 get the best of her, Teri chose to go on an adventure that changed her outlook on life. She and her husband, Bruce, rode a tandem bicycle across the United States from Astoria, Oregon to
Washington DC, successfully raising money for Toys for Tots. She learned she is stronger than she realized and capable of anything she sets her mind to.
Teri is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author who loves word games, reading, bumming on the beach, taking photos, singing in the shower, hunting for bargains, ballroom dancing, playing bridge, and
mentoring others.
You can join her newsletter list and get her exclusive list The 10 Historical Fiction Novels That You’ve Never Heard of That Will Bring You to Tears: https://deft-pioneer-4478.ck.page/d5f...
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
As Peg approaches middle age, her life is becoming chaotic. Her subpar husband has decided to leave and seek divorce. Her kids, in late high school and college, are approaching more independence and want little to do with her. A new colleague in her real-estate firm begins stealing her work. All these dynamics compound to bring out the worst in Peg. A drinking habit increases, and she makes the mistake of driving to the store to buy more wine after drinking a bottle. She’s driving off her friends and clearly needs a new equilibrium. Menopausal symptoms seem to amplify each mistake and certainly don’t help rein her worst impulses. What is to become of her?
She does find redemption… eventually… but she must first learn some truth-telling. She also needs some perspective. Thankfully, a mandatory community service project at an abused women’s shelter brings just that. She sees women whose lives have fallen apart due to no fault of their own. Only these women have less resources than Peg does. She also learns to learn from their resilience instead of viewing them as charity cases or victims.
From there, life or God or the universe takes its course. Oppressive circumstances rarely compound forever, especially to someone willing to make the most of their opportunities. She finds compassion – mostly for herself – and a resolve to rebound. New friends rally around her to teach her new perspectives. There’s even a spark of a new love interest in her fate! Menopause, an easy target to blame, becomes something that she can deal with instead of a dominating adversary.
This book is light enough to keep the pages turning quickly while meaningful enough to avoid becoming mere fluff. It’s an easy summer read by the pool, on a vacation, or at the beach. (And yes, the novel’s setting is in a beach town.) It’s a redemption tale more than a romantic comedy, but it has all the signs of a classical comedy: a positive, happy outcome at the end! For readers who are always looking for a little self-improvement along with a page turner, Peg, Unhinged provides good fodder to inspire the heart.
She does find redemption… eventually… but she must first learn some truth-telling. She also needs some perspective. Thankfully, a mandatory community service project at an abused women’s shelter brings just that. She sees women whose lives have fallen apart due to no fault of their own. Only these women have less resources than Peg does. She also learns to learn from their resilience instead of viewing them as charity cases or victims.
From there, life or God or the universe takes its course. Oppressive circumstances rarely compound forever, especially to someone willing to make the most of their opportunities. She finds compassion – mostly for herself – and a resolve to rebound. New friends rally around her to teach her new perspectives. There’s even a spark of a new love interest in her fate! Menopause, an easy target to blame, becomes something that she can deal with instead of a dominating adversary.
This book is light enough to keep the pages turning quickly while meaningful enough to avoid becoming mere fluff. It’s an easy summer read by the pool, on a vacation, or at the beach. (And yes, the novel’s setting is in a beach town.) It’s a redemption tale more than a romantic comedy, but it has all the signs of a classical comedy: a positive, happy outcome at the end! For readers who are always looking for a little self-improvement along with a page turner, Peg, Unhinged provides good fodder to inspire the heart.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is the perfect mid-life, laugh out loud, I can totally relate to her beach read! Peg might be hitting rock bottom in her midlife and yet she does still have everything going for her. It seems though that lately her life is being driven by this wonderful thing called menopause that all women deal with at some point in their life. She's lost her job after assaulting another employee, her youngest went to live with his father her ex, who has no qualms about being seen with younger women at the local bars, she can't seem to get control over these hot flashes that leave her feeling like she needs a shower, and now she is on the hook for a DUI. How can everything seem to be going so wrong? Doesn't anyone else understand that she isn't herself, she can't control what her body is doing and her ex is doing everything in his power to prove she is the unstable one when he's never held a solid job in his entire life! When she gets assigned community service and chooses a local shelter, she meets many who have lost everything compared to her and yet they are still happy, moving on and trying to get back on their feet without complaining about how hard they have it. What may have been a terrible event in life, may have also been what has saved her and made her realize she hasn't lost it all, but maybe this is life showing her the next phase of her life is for her to take control of. I really enjoyed Peg's character, she was super relatable even at times when you wanted to yell at her. This was a fun beach like read and I enjoyed the storyline, message within and how relatable it was. Thank you to the author for the complementary ebook. This review is of my own opinion and accord.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Peg’s life is a total mess. She is approaching middle age, her husband has left her, a pretty young girl is threatening to take away her title of best real estate agent and dating her ex, and to top it all off she is in menopause and having hot flashes, anger issues and a genuine dislike of the changes that are taking place in her body. Even though the book is initially filled with negatives, I have to tell you that it was a fun read. Peg’s conversations with herself and with God and the way she sometimes looks at life are hilarious.
I started this review with all of the negatives in Peg’s life but as she begins to realize that she is enough, that she shouldn’t believe everything her mind tells her, and that she is loved she realizes that she needs to be kinder to herself and that the changes that happen during middle age are not all negative – in fact some of them are real life changing positives.
I loved Peg as a main character. This was really a coming of middle age book – when she began to look at the positives in her life instead of the negatives – her attitude toward her friends and family and most importantly toward herself began to change and she became a much happier and contented woman. There are parts of this book that most woman who are facing middle age can connect with – life is not always kind to us when we age. What made this book such a great read was that Peg’s conversations with herself were often very funny and there were several times that I laughed out loud at her thoughts and thought process. I’d like to met Peg in real life – I think we could be great friends
I started this review with all of the negatives in Peg’s life but as she begins to realize that she is enough, that she shouldn’t believe everything her mind tells her, and that she is loved she realizes that she needs to be kinder to herself and that the changes that happen during middle age are not all negative – in fact some of them are real life changing positives.
I loved Peg as a main character. This was really a coming of middle age book – when she began to look at the positives in her life instead of the negatives – her attitude toward her friends and family and most importantly toward herself began to change and she became a much happier and contented woman. There are parts of this book that most woman who are facing middle age can connect with – life is not always kind to us when we age. What made this book such a great read was that Peg’s conversations with herself were often very funny and there were several times that I laughed out loud at her thoughts and thought process. I’d like to met Peg in real life – I think we could be great friends
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received this book from the author, but this is my unbiased review. This novel is narrated by Peg, a self-deprecating real-estate agent who provides a vivid example of the concept of “raging hormones.” As Peg struggles with menopausal hot flashes, weight gain, and brain fog, she is also confronted with a series of small and larger catastrophes. Her husband leaves (doing her a favor although she is slow to realize it), her children are unsympathetic, and her friends seem more concerned with their image in the community than with Peg’s plight. She hits nadir when a sly and ambitious younger agent at the office poaches her ex and her listings. Peg periodically complains to God and asks for guidance, but of course her journey must be one of self-realization. Gradually, she stops pitying herself and starts using her considerable organizational smarts to help others. Her life then veers back on course, promising to be better than the sales-driven, frantic existence she had previously identified as success. The author’s tone is light, often finding humor in Peg’s trials, despite tackling some heavy subjects, including alcohol abuse and violence between partners. The humor and promise of a happy ending kept me reading despite the dread of following Peg through months of emotional pain. Book clubs should enjoy this novel, especially if members are midlife women who enjoy main characters of a certain age who find life balance and new relationship beginnings.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A middle-aged real estate agent’s carefully constructed life unravels, and forces her to rebuild from the inside out in Brown's latest novel. Peg McMann is not where she expected to be at this stage of life. Her husband has left, her children offer little sympathy, and a younger, ambitious colleague is circling both her career and her ex. With menopause comes an unwelcome trio of hot flashes, mood swings, and mental fog, leaving Peg unsettled, reactive, and reexamining the very foundations of her identity. To those around her, she still projects control and competence. However, beneath the surface, she is coming undone.
Told in a sharp, self-deprecating voice, Peg’s story balances chaos with humor. Her ongoing conversations with both herself and God are witty, candid, and often laugh-out-loud funny, offering relief amid the heavier themes of divorce, aging, and self-worth. Brown captures the dissonance between outward appearances and internal struggle with authenticity and compassion. When everything seems to unravel—her career faltering and her personal life uncertain—Peg begins to shift her perspective. Moving beyond self-pity and impossible standards, she starts to rebuild her sense of self. What emerges is a gentle, realistic path toward purpose and inner balance. With equal parts humor and heart, the novel portrays midlife as a space for growth, where discomfort and uncertainty give way to renewed strength and clarity. A definite winner.
Told in a sharp, self-deprecating voice, Peg’s story balances chaos with humor. Her ongoing conversations with both herself and God are witty, candid, and often laugh-out-loud funny, offering relief amid the heavier themes of divorce, aging, and self-worth. Brown captures the dissonance between outward appearances and internal struggle with authenticity and compassion. When everything seems to unravel—her career faltering and her personal life uncertain—Peg begins to shift her perspective. Moving beyond self-pity and impossible standards, she starts to rebuild her sense of self. What emerges is a gentle, realistic path toward purpose and inner balance. With equal parts humor and heart, the novel portrays midlife as a space for growth, where discomfort and uncertainty give way to renewed strength and clarity. A definite winner.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I couldn’t put Peg down
I begin by saying this, I am a heterosexual male who should have no natural desire/reason to read a book about a woman going through menopause. Now that I have that out of the way, I’ll say this, I read this book in two days! It was so much fun.
Having read one other book by Teri M. Brown to this point, and recognizing her talent for storytelling, I decided to give this a try, and it did not disappoint. Peg Unhinged is a very fit title. I don’t know if all women struggle with menopause to this degree, but when her life falls apart, not just from that, but from a failing family, regrettable life choices, and more, you almost can’t help but sympathize and scream at her to come to her senses.
While I picked up on a strong moral sense that life isn’t over, even when the whole world, and you yourself are working against you, the characters in this story are what really drew me in. Teri has such a strong ability to put you in a person’s shoes, flawed as they may be, and make you really care about them.
As soon as I finished the book, I told my wife she needed to read it also. I’m telling you too, if you’re debating whether this book is worth spending a few bucks on to read, GO FOR IT! I read a lot of books and I don’t give this high of praise lightly. Thanks Teri for another great read.
I begin by saying this, I am a heterosexual male who should have no natural desire/reason to read a book about a woman going through menopause. Now that I have that out of the way, I’ll say this, I read this book in two days! It was so much fun.
Having read one other book by Teri M. Brown to this point, and recognizing her talent for storytelling, I decided to give this a try, and it did not disappoint. Peg Unhinged is a very fit title. I don’t know if all women struggle with menopause to this degree, but when her life falls apart, not just from that, but from a failing family, regrettable life choices, and more, you almost can’t help but sympathize and scream at her to come to her senses.
While I picked up on a strong moral sense that life isn’t over, even when the whole world, and you yourself are working against you, the characters in this story are what really drew me in. Teri has such a strong ability to put you in a person’s shoes, flawed as they may be, and make you really care about them.
As soon as I finished the book, I told my wife she needed to read it also. I’m telling you too, if you’re debating whether this book is worth spending a few bucks on to read, GO FOR IT! I read a lot of books and I don’t give this high of praise lightly. Thanks Teri for another great read.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Teri M. Brown has delivered the kind of book you tuck into your beach bag, or have on your nightstand waiting for you to unwind on a summer day. It's an easy read, but don't mistake that for shallow. This is a novel that gives you wit, charm, and laugh-out-loud moments.
At the heart is Peg McMann, a woman navigating the messy, often hilarious reality of a midlife crisis. Add a pending divorce, an empty nest, and menopause into the mix and Peg's journey becomes all the more relatable and entertaining. Brown captures the highs and lows with a light touch, balancing humor and honesty in a way that feels authentic.
What makes the book shine is Peg's voice. Her sidebars with God remind me of Judy Blume's famous pubescent angst novel "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." I don't think that is a coincidence. Peg - whose birth name is Margaret - is sharp, self-aware, and unintentionally funny as she questions life choices, or reacts to the absurdities around her. Her perspective keeps the story engaging and fresh.
Beyond the humor, the under-current of self-discovry gives the novel depth. Peg's journey isn't just about unraveling. It's about figuring out who she is now, at this stage of life, and what truly matters moving forward.
At the heart is Peg McMann, a woman navigating the messy, often hilarious reality of a midlife crisis. Add a pending divorce, an empty nest, and menopause into the mix and Peg's journey becomes all the more relatable and entertaining. Brown captures the highs and lows with a light touch, balancing humor and honesty in a way that feels authentic.
What makes the book shine is Peg's voice. Her sidebars with God remind me of Judy Blume's famous pubescent angst novel "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret." I don't think that is a coincidence. Peg - whose birth name is Margaret - is sharp, self-aware, and unintentionally funny as she questions life choices, or reacts to the absurdities around her. Her perspective keeps the story engaging and fresh.
Beyond the humor, the under-current of self-discovry gives the novel depth. Peg's journey isn't just about unraveling. It's about figuring out who she is now, at this stage of life, and what truly matters moving forward.
Review of advance copy received from Author
A woman’s carefully constructed life comes undone and reassembled in Brown's sharp, darkly funny meditation on midlife, identity, and letting go. Peg is a successful real estate agent and mother. But as menopause descends, bringing with its hot flashes and emotional whiplash, her husband of nearly three decades walks away, her children drift beyond her reach, and even her workplace becomes fraught with rivalry and humiliation.
Brown charts Peg’s unraveling with biting humor and unflinching honesty, from disastrous affirmations to a primal, sand-streaked meltdown on the beach. The story shifts between Peg’s present-day chaos and moments of reflection, balancing humor with a quiet sense of loss. The people around her, especially her unreliable ex and the younger coworker nipping at her heels, bring out the generational and emotional tensions she can’t ignore. In the end, the novel makes a gentle but clear case: falling apart might be the only way forward. A candid, relatable portrait of a woman discovering that losing control may be the first step toward reclaiming herself.
Brown charts Peg’s unraveling with biting humor and unflinching honesty, from disastrous affirmations to a primal, sand-streaked meltdown on the beach. The story shifts between Peg’s present-day chaos and moments of reflection, balancing humor with a quiet sense of loss. The people around her, especially her unreliable ex and the younger coworker nipping at her heels, bring out the generational and emotional tensions she can’t ignore. In the end, the novel makes a gentle but clear case: falling apart might be the only way forward. A candid, relatable portrait of a woman discovering that losing control may be the first step toward reclaiming herself.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I loved this funny, heart-warming book! Teri M. Brown is a master at taking several serious (what could be depressing) subjects and showing the reader a lighter side to the characters dilemma.
Peg is a middle-aged woman and menopause has taken over her life. She sticks her head in the freezer to stop hot flashes, she sleeps through her alarm, and she worries incessantly about her new weight gain. Before menopause, Peg was a very successful real estate agent, always organized, and the breadwinner for her family. Now she feels like she’s falling apart. To add to the trauma menopause is inflicting on her mind and body, her unemployed husband thinks she’s crazy and has left her, taking their son with him. Throughout the novel, as Peg makes life-changing mistakes, she leans on friends, finds new solutions she would never have thought, and learns to love herself again.
I highly recommend this wonderful, relatable (especially, if you’ve been in Peg’s menopause shoes) book!
Peg is a middle-aged woman and menopause has taken over her life. She sticks her head in the freezer to stop hot flashes, she sleeps through her alarm, and she worries incessantly about her new weight gain. Before menopause, Peg was a very successful real estate agent, always organized, and the breadwinner for her family. Now she feels like she’s falling apart. To add to the trauma menopause is inflicting on her mind and body, her unemployed husband thinks she’s crazy and has left her, taking their son with him. Throughout the novel, as Peg makes life-changing mistakes, she leans on friends, finds new solutions she would never have thought, and learns to love herself again.
I highly recommend this wonderful, relatable (especially, if you’ve been in Peg’s menopause shoes) book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
You don’t have to have experienced menopause to appreciate Peg, Unhinged, with its laugh-out-loud scenes, groan-inducing bad choices and, ultimately, sympathetic protagonist. But if you have suffered through hot flashes and foggy brain, you’ll appreciate it all the more. Peg’s “change of life” encompasses more than hormonal havoc as she wades through the morass of divorce, trying to figure out if she’s happy or sad about the general situation, and through job upheaval and issues with friends. All of these trials are, of course, intertwined, and partially caused by Peg herself.
Her regular chats with God are where we learn what Peg’s really made of, for those are where she is the most honest with herself, much more so than with her friends, colleagues or romantic interests. “God” becomes the sounding board she needs to probe her thoughts and actions, face up to reality, and find the backbone to make a fresh start.
Her regular chats with God are where we learn what Peg’s really made of, for those are where she is the most honest with herself, much more so than with her friends, colleagues or romantic interests. “God” becomes the sounding board she needs to probe her thoughts and actions, face up to reality, and find the backbone to make a fresh start.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Peg, Unhinged is a contemporary story that features a woman who is overwhelmed by life and her menopausal symptoms.
Set on a coastal island area along the US Eastern Seaboard, this story is about family, relationships and the dynamic of both old and new friends. Peg is a successful real estate agent, but everything comes tumbling down when her husband leaves. With a mix of rampaging hormones, hot flushes and brain fog, Peg’s life hits some deep lows.
The story has humour and fun alongside the mid-life crisis which Peg faces. I’m sure that many women who have experience of the menopause will find points to nod along to in this story. I don’t want to give away too much of the main plot, but I particularly enjoyed the parts that extended to the local women’s shelter. I must also mention the beach setting; this was a real delight. I could easily imagine living happily in Peg’s neighbourhood. Perhaps I would meet Peg on a morning beach stroll and become one of her new friends.
Set on a coastal island area along the US Eastern Seaboard, this story is about family, relationships and the dynamic of both old and new friends. Peg is a successful real estate agent, but everything comes tumbling down when her husband leaves. With a mix of rampaging hormones, hot flushes and brain fog, Peg’s life hits some deep lows.
The story has humour and fun alongside the mid-life crisis which Peg faces. I’m sure that many women who have experience of the menopause will find points to nod along to in this story. I don’t want to give away too much of the main plot, but I particularly enjoyed the parts that extended to the local women’s shelter. I must also mention the beach setting; this was a real delight. I could easily imagine living happily in Peg’s neighbourhood. Perhaps I would meet Peg on a morning beach stroll and become one of her new friends.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I’m a big fan of Teri M. Brown, and when I received an opportunity to get an advanced copy of Peg, Unhinged I couldn’t wait to get started reading it. All her books are outstanding, but I believe this is my favorite. In this book, Peg is slammed headfirst into a perfect storm of marital collapse, career calamities, crumbling finances, and the relentless tide of the “big M” (menopause). In her frantic, half‑prayer‑half‑complaint conversations with the Divine—similar to Margaret’s in Judy Blume’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret—Peg fluctuates between disastrous missteps and soul‑searching epiphanies. You’ll find yourself laughing, gasping, and ultimately cheering for Peg’s journey toward growth, redemption, and self‑acceptance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
With her new women’s fiction title, Peg, Unhinged, author Teri M. Brown promises readers “a humorous beach read of midlife, menopause, and metamorphosis.” This book delivers on everything promised—and more. Like all the best beach reads, Peg, Unhinged doesn’t just offer laughter and levity. While narrator Peg makes her way through some very serious problems, stumbling constantly along her rocky path, we smile at her foibles—but we alternately tear up, cringe, worry, and root for her to turn her life around. I thoroughly enjoyed this satisfying and fast-paced story of midlife reinvention and the value of friendship. The only drawback: Like a balmy day at the beach, it was over much too soon.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Peg is a delightfully flawed character. She makes mistakes (sometimes huge ones) and makes plenty of wrong assumptions about life the people around her, but that only makes her feel so human. I found myself lost in her story and forgetting that she's a fictional character. As her life falls apart around her, she's forced to finally do some honest soul-searching and figure out what she truly wants. The story is a real rollercoaster with moments utter embarrassment, delicious triumph, hormone-fueled rage, and the joy of self-discovery all rolled into one.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Peg is going through it all – divorce, getting fired, menopause. In this humorous look at how life seems to conspire against us just when we become our own worst enemy, Teri M. Brown creates a character who is hard to forget. Peg goes from being a real estate powerhouse to someone so scattered she makes some truly awful decisions. Despite this, Peg uses her humor and grit to pick herself back up and learn what is truly important about life.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Funny tale of Peg, who is going through menopause, and her whole life is changing in front of her. Her husband left, her kids are distant, and her life is falling apart, including her realtor job which she’s great at. Not to mention the hot flashes and brain fog. A relatable, funny look at one woman's life as she deals with all that menopause can throw at a woman and she works through it with the help of unexpected friends and one hot man. Five Sweaty Stars!
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews