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Never Too Late
Decades ago, a shotgun wedding locked Edith into a life with a husband she’s not sure she ever loved. At sixty-five, she feels like a ghost in her own life, wondering where all this came from: the scornful husband, the mercenary brood of grandchildren, her well-meaning but controlling daughter-in-law. Then one Christmas morning Edith wakes to find her husband dead, and the role she played for so long crumbling. Gray-haired, but by no means done with life, Edith has a chance to discover the woman she could have been.
Soon questions arise about her husband’s death, and papers discovered in his pockets send Edith unraveling secrets of the man she thought she knew. Edith’s son Brian is the focus of her life, but he may not be as perfect as she thought. Revelations that he might be cheating shock her. As Edith investigates the mysteries of her family, she may just find who she truly is.
Soon questions arise about her husband’s death, and papers discovered in his pockets send Edith unraveling secrets of the man she thought she knew. Edith’s son Brian is the focus of her life, but he may not be as perfect as she thought. Revelations that he might be cheating shock her. As Edith investigates the mysteries of her family, she may just find who she truly is.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 14, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
October 10, 2015
Never Too Late is the story of re-awakening, learning about oneself, family and moving forward.
Edith woke up Christmas morning to a dead husband. She was nearly 70 years old and had been in a loveless marriage since the beginning. She had a son, Brian, a daughter-in-law that she didn't really like, two grandchildren that she really didn't know and very few friends.
After the funeral she found an envelope that was her husband's. It had many mysterious receipts in it that she wanted to investigate. Kathleen, her daughter-in-law offered to help and for the first time Edith genuinely takes the time to get to know her. They become friends. All is not well with Kathleen and Brian either.
Secrets can be very destructive. Edith always felt her husband kept things from her and now finding this envelope proves that he did. Brian is keeping secrets from Kathleen.
Edith in trying to learn about her husband and make changes in her life and relationships discovers that he had a whole other life and that she didn't really know him at all. She encourages her son to reveal his secrets to his wife so that their marriage can be saved and not be a repeat of Edith's.
Edith is learning not only let go of the past and move forward but she is getting to know herself too. I found the story good but at times I felt it got a little slow in some places. The main characters were well developed and the reader can certainly see where they are coming from in relation to what is going on at the time.
I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes. If you want to learn more about Jo Barney check out http://www.jobarneywrites.com/
Edith woke up Christmas morning to a dead husband. She was nearly 70 years old and had been in a loveless marriage since the beginning. She had a son, Brian, a daughter-in-law that she didn't really like, two grandchildren that she really didn't know and very few friends.
After the funeral she found an envelope that was her husband's. It had many mysterious receipts in it that she wanted to investigate. Kathleen, her daughter-in-law offered to help and for the first time Edith genuinely takes the time to get to know her. They become friends. All is not well with Kathleen and Brian either.
Secrets can be very destructive. Edith always felt her husband kept things from her and now finding this envelope proves that he did. Brian is keeping secrets from Kathleen.
Edith in trying to learn about her husband and make changes in her life and relationships discovers that he had a whole other life and that she didn't really know him at all. She encourages her son to reveal his secrets to his wife so that their marriage can be saved and not be a repeat of Edith's.
Edith is learning not only let go of the past and move forward but she is getting to know herself too. I found the story good but at times I felt it got a little slow in some places. The main characters were well developed and the reader can certainly see where they are coming from in relation to what is going on at the time.
I received this book free from the publisher for review purposes. If you want to learn more about Jo Barney check out http://www.jobarneywrites.com/
September 22, 2015
I received a copy of this via NetGalley in return for a fair and honest review
This book had such a powerful beginning that it proves extremely difficult not to be immediately drawn in, and the continued intelligent writing makes sure you are kept guessing and almost living Ediths' life until all the secrets are revealed by the end.
The start is when Edith reaches over to wake Art up on Christmas morning so they can get things ready for their normal family christmas with the grandchildren, but she finds him dead. Immediate panic sets in, soon to be overtaken with an almost robot like trance of thinking of getting through Christmas Day without telling the family and sorting it all out later and that is when we beginning to go on Ediths' journey of remembering life with Art and the misery it caused her. It's a heartbreaking story at times but as she remembers things, she then tries to move on and it's fascinating to see her gain strength as time passes. But then things begin to crumble again when she starts to learn through her daughter in law that history may be repeating itself and her son is seemingly living a secret life too. Edith has already begun to try and dicover the secrets Art kept from her, she finds receipts and clues in his old clothes, and now it seems she may soon learn what her son Brian is trying to keep too.
This is a fascinating book that deals with so many emotions of moving on, marriage, motherhood, feeling trapped, reliving past horrors and the pain that secrets can cause to a wide range of people. Really loved the touching, fun moments she has with her grandchildren too which lighten the mood and seems to jolt Edith into remembering not to wallow in the past too much.
highly recommend for all drama fans
This book had such a powerful beginning that it proves extremely difficult not to be immediately drawn in, and the continued intelligent writing makes sure you are kept guessing and almost living Ediths' life until all the secrets are revealed by the end.
The start is when Edith reaches over to wake Art up on Christmas morning so they can get things ready for their normal family christmas with the grandchildren, but she finds him dead. Immediate panic sets in, soon to be overtaken with an almost robot like trance of thinking of getting through Christmas Day without telling the family and sorting it all out later and that is when we beginning to go on Ediths' journey of remembering life with Art and the misery it caused her. It's a heartbreaking story at times but as she remembers things, she then tries to move on and it's fascinating to see her gain strength as time passes. But then things begin to crumble again when she starts to learn through her daughter in law that history may be repeating itself and her son is seemingly living a secret life too. Edith has already begun to try and dicover the secrets Art kept from her, she finds receipts and clues in his old clothes, and now it seems she may soon learn what her son Brian is trying to keep too.
This is a fascinating book that deals with so many emotions of moving on, marriage, motherhood, feeling trapped, reliving past horrors and the pain that secrets can cause to a wide range of people. Really loved the touching, fun moments she has with her grandchildren too which lighten the mood and seems to jolt Edith into remembering not to wallow in the past too much.
highly recommend for all drama fans
February 2, 2020
3.5 stars
When Edith wakes up Christmas morning, she discovers her husband of many years has died in his sleep. They were not happy in their marriage, as it had been a shotgun wedding after she’d gotten pregnant 47 years earlier. Now, Edith is discovering many secrets in her husband’s life that she had no idea about. Meantime, her daughter-in-law, Kathleen, has come to her with admissions that something is going on with Brian, Esther’s son, and his marriage. That is, Brian has been very secretive about things, and Kathleen thinks he’s cheating.
I liked this. It wasn’t fast-moving, but there were interesting family secrets going on to learn about.
When Edith wakes up Christmas morning, she discovers her husband of many years has died in his sleep. They were not happy in their marriage, as it had been a shotgun wedding after she’d gotten pregnant 47 years earlier. Now, Edith is discovering many secrets in her husband’s life that she had no idea about. Meantime, her daughter-in-law, Kathleen, has come to her with admissions that something is going on with Brian, Esther’s son, and his marriage. That is, Brian has been very secretive about things, and Kathleen thinks he’s cheating.
I liked this. It wasn’t fast-moving, but there were interesting family secrets going on to learn about.
October 1, 2018
A pretty good book, a little confusing in the middle, but generally a good story.
October 2, 2018
When Edith’s husband of fifty years, Art, dies unexpectedly, she’s left with many more questions than answers. Edith’s life with Art was loveless and abusive, and when she begins piecing together the clues that increasingly point to infidelity, Edith is angry that she remained in the marriage. Determined to find out the truth, Edith sets out to track Art’s final days.
There are so few books with older women in the main character role. When I saw this was a freebie I decided to go ahead and take a chance. Let’s just say I’m glad it was free.
Since it’s written in first person, present tense, I almost stopped reading from the start. I deeply dislike this tense and POV – I find it monotonous and stilted. But, of course, that’s my personal preference. There were, however, other issues for me.
I found several typos throughout the book and thought it should have been better edited. Missing words and other mistakes are distracting to readers. It made the book seem sloppy, in my opinion.
I worked out the story somewhat early on, but kept reading just to be sure. I found Edith to be a boring and irritating… not really a likeable character, in my opinion. The storybook ending seemed to be abrupt and too contrived. It was almost as though the author had enough and wanted to simply end it. I doubt I’d read more in this series.
There are so few books with older women in the main character role. When I saw this was a freebie I decided to go ahead and take a chance. Let’s just say I’m glad it was free.
Since it’s written in first person, present tense, I almost stopped reading from the start. I deeply dislike this tense and POV – I find it monotonous and stilted. But, of course, that’s my personal preference. There were, however, other issues for me.
I found several typos throughout the book and thought it should have been better edited. Missing words and other mistakes are distracting to readers. It made the book seem sloppy, in my opinion.
I worked out the story somewhat early on, but kept reading just to be sure. I found Edith to be a boring and irritating… not really a likeable character, in my opinion. The storybook ending seemed to be abrupt and too contrived. It was almost as though the author had enough and wanted to simply end it. I doubt I’d read more in this series.
February 1, 2017
Great story but who edited this mess?
I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the way the book began. Almost as quickly, the sloppy editing began. I considered quitting as there are so many great story tellers who are more deserving. If you can make it past the glaringly sloppy mistakes with the language, it's truly a great story.
I was immediately drawn in by the characters and the way the book began. Almost as quickly, the sloppy editing began. I considered quitting as there are so many great story tellers who are more deserving. If you can make it past the glaringly sloppy mistakes with the language, it's truly a great story.
June 22, 2019
Weird. Not what I usually read. It's good, and I stayed up far later than I should have to keep reading... just one more chapter, I'd say after finding myself two chapters past the last time I decided to put it down. Saying that, I'm a bit annoyed at the end.
It's a story of a woman around 70 finding herself widowed after a very unhappy 50yrs of marriage to a very unhappy man after they got pregnant as teens. She realises there were things she didn't know about her husband, and more of the story unfolds as she goes on a hunt. She also makes a connection to the 'controlling' daughter-in-law, only to realise her son is not perfect, and his inability to deal with that is having a huge impact in all their lives.
Without leaving spoilers, the wrap up of the story thread is just eh. I was thinking that maybe it was a dream or perhaps she'd actually died and was just envisioning that on the way out. Even if it had been a clear cut conversation, I still would have wanted to see 'more'. Not just a 'that's everything and now we'll move on'. But I am a details reader and would always rather have things clearly finalised. People happy to read 'life's messy' and move on would be fine with it. I like messy lives, but rather a clear cut this is concluded or this is how it will be concluded.
0619
It's a story of a woman around 70 finding herself widowed after a very unhappy 50yrs of marriage to a very unhappy man after they got pregnant as teens. She realises there were things she didn't know about her husband, and more of the story unfolds as she goes on a hunt. She also makes a connection to the 'controlling' daughter-in-law, only to realise her son is not perfect, and his inability to deal with that is having a huge impact in all their lives.
Without leaving spoilers, the wrap up of the story thread is just eh. I was thinking that maybe it was a dream or perhaps she'd actually died and was just envisioning that on the way out. Even if it had been a clear cut conversation, I still would have wanted to see 'more'. Not just a 'that's everything and now we'll move on'. But I am a details reader and would always rather have things clearly finalised. People happy to read 'life's messy' and move on would be fine with it. I like messy lives, but rather a clear cut this is concluded or this is how it will be concluded.
0619
November 3, 2018
This book went in an entirely different direction than I expected. It got off to a slow and somewhat confusing start. In spite of this, there was something so compelling about the writing, I had to keep going. As I read, labels like gritty, sad, stark, heart-wrenching, raw, stoic, came to mind. It is sometimes emotionally brutal. It is a first-person story about a woman who, upon the death of her husband, begins a search to uncover answers to troubling secrets. In the process she comes to grips with her own culpability in a cold, abusive marriage and life of quiet desperation. I was struck by phrases such as “I search, empty-handed, for the time I loved him.” - “I accepted my loneliness, and then later, my own anger that festered under the surface of my days.” And, “I’m not breathing right, nervous as a spinning Roladex of silly jokes.”
Then about a third of the way in, it begins to sag a little as far as this level of intensity, but it is still a good story. She makes her painful way to self-discovery, repair of a damaged family dynamic, and learns to open herself to the possibility of a new and better life and love – never too late.
If it were not for some obvious editing issues, I would have given this book five stars.
Then about a third of the way in, it begins to sag a little as far as this level of intensity, but it is still a good story. She makes her painful way to self-discovery, repair of a damaged family dynamic, and learns to open herself to the possibility of a new and better life and love – never too late.
If it were not for some obvious editing issues, I would have given this book five stars.
June 5, 2020
Edith finds her husband, Art, of 40+ years dead in bed on Christmas morning. It quickly becomes clear that their marriage had not been good. They married because she was pregnant. Both feel they lost their dreams. They have 1 son, Brian.
Their is some evidence that Art may have committed suicide. Edith, with the help of her daughter-in-law start to got through Art's things to figure out what is going on. As she investigates Art's life and secrets, Edith finds herself and grows and changes.
This is basically about how appearances can be not was things really are. Nice book about an older woman.
Their is some evidence that Art may have committed suicide. Edith, with the help of her daughter-in-law start to got through Art's things to figure out what is going on. As she investigates Art's life and secrets, Edith finds herself and grows and changes.
This is basically about how appearances can be not was things really are. Nice book about an older woman.
October 17, 2018
This was a good book about a woman who lived her whole life in a loveless marriage and finally managed to break out and do some things for herself after her husband died. We find out that she was and is an overprotective mother, and along the way we find that everyone makes mistakes, nobody is perfect, there is always room for improvement and change, and love DEFINITELY means having to say you're sorry. I thought it was a great story about the woman and her family and her journey of discovery.
January 14, 2019
It is good to read a story from the point of view of someone who is older.
Edith wakes to find her husband dead, but chooses to ignore the fact and progress with a family Christmas day and deal with Art’s death later. An intriguing beginning to a novel.
This is an interesting reflection on a life where neither party has really communicated for years. Edith rediscovers her past through the new perspectives she is uncovering and realises the faults were as much hers as her husband’s.
The ending was a bit twee but overall an interesting look at life.
Edith wakes to find her husband dead, but chooses to ignore the fact and progress with a family Christmas day and deal with Art’s death later. An intriguing beginning to a novel.
This is an interesting reflection on a life where neither party has really communicated for years. Edith rediscovers her past through the new perspectives she is uncovering and realises the faults were as much hers as her husband’s.
The ending was a bit twee but overall an interesting look at life.
September 27, 2018
4 stars
Finally, an author who writes about senior issues. Love, loss, family , disappointment, all issues that effect the senior population daily. The book was good and many of the issues written on these pages I have experienced first hand. However, there are relevant matters that apply to all generations of women. This would have been a five star, however it needs more editing work.
Finally, an author who writes about senior issues. Love, loss, family , disappointment, all issues that effect the senior population daily. The book was good and many of the issues written on these pages I have experienced first hand. However, there are relevant matters that apply to all generations of women. This would have been a five star, however it needs more editing work.
March 17, 2019
Never Too Late is about a woman with an extremely negative mindset becoming a more satisfied and positive person. When I began reading this book I did not think I would like it. In the first chapter her husband dies, before too long her son and daughter-in-law are having serious problems. But, it turned out to be a very interesting and well written book, which is why I gave it 5 stars. This is the first book I have read by this author, but it won't be my last.
June 26, 2019
I really enjoyed this book. It starts really strongly, with a bit of an eyebrow raiser, then delves deep into the life of the main character- Edith, a lady who has lived most of her life in an oppressive relationship and has a sudden change of gear. We join Edith at the reboot moment of her life, and stay with her while the dust settles and all the pieces slowly drop into place. I love her growth and development.
July 31, 2023
Very messy life
Edith tries to wake up her husband on Christmas Day to find out that he has passed away during the night. Their marriage was messy and full of anger, regret, and no love. As it turns out Art's death left lots of questions and few answers. Edith begins to look at all the clues and follows them to some unexpected conclusions. A very interesting read that deals with all the messiness that families and marriages can be.
Edith tries to wake up her husband on Christmas Day to find out that he has passed away during the night. Their marriage was messy and full of anger, regret, and no love. As it turns out Art's death left lots of questions and few answers. Edith begins to look at all the clues and follows them to some unexpected conclusions. A very interesting read that deals with all the messiness that families and marriages can be.
May 28, 2017
I thought this was going to be a more saccharine predictable story than it turned out to be. And while the protagonist lived all her adult life in an unhappy marriage, in the end she takes responsibility for the choices she made. So it's not a "done her wrong" story either. I'd be interested in more by this author.
September 27, 2018
No forward movement
I did not dislike the book just felt it was rather boring. Mothers cannot fix everything and they must learn when to stop. The focus could then have been her own life to come rather than the past again. There was no forward movement on the main characters part. As a how to sort problems it worked.
I did not dislike the book just felt it was rather boring. Mothers cannot fix everything and they must learn when to stop. The focus could then have been her own life to come rather than the past again. There was no forward movement on the main characters part. As a how to sort problems it worked.
September 30, 2018
She knows what being old is.....
I had to laugh out loud when I read about the soap under the sheet. The little things that happen on a daily basis when you reach those years past 60. I enjoyed the humanizing that took place to tell a believable story of a family with unspoken problems.
I had to laugh out loud when I read about the soap under the sheet. The little things that happen on a daily basis when you reach those years past 60. I enjoyed the humanizing that took place to tell a believable story of a family with unspoken problems.
October 2, 2018
A lot of drama
I was tempted to stop reading after a couple of chapters. The bad language was unnecessary and the story line was dark and too emotional. I guess there are families with this kind of drama in their life on a daily basis, but I don’t feel comfortable reading about it. I will try another book by Jo Barney to see if this type of story line is in all of her work.
I was tempted to stop reading after a couple of chapters. The bad language was unnecessary and the story line was dark and too emotional. I guess there are families with this kind of drama in their life on a daily basis, but I don’t feel comfortable reading about it. I will try another book by Jo Barney to see if this type of story line is in all of her work.
October 19, 2018
A fun story
I liked everything about this. Edith wakes up to a dead husband and nothing is predictable after that. As she goes about finding out who her husband really was, she dyes her hair, makes friends with her daughter in law, meets a man- and so much more. It's an enjoyable read.
I liked everything about this. Edith wakes up to a dead husband and nothing is predictable after that. As she goes about finding out who her husband really was, she dyes her hair, makes friends with her daughter in law, meets a man- and so much more. It's an enjoyable read.
November 5, 2018
I really wanted to give this 5 stars, but there were some editing problems that prevented that. I would recommend this for folks that enjoyed “A Man Called Ove”. I personally preferred the female perspective, and loved the quirky characters that make you love them. It does give you a happily ever after ending, unlike Backman’s novel, but it seemed realistic as well.
November 23, 2018
Initially very interesting, but I lost interest quarter way through and felt like the novel didn’t know where it was going. I could have forced myself on, but I wasn’t enjoying it anymore and I need something to keep me interested in my current tired slump. I liked the idea and the elderly main character. Perhaps it would have improved further in.
November 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book! I got it for $1.99 from Book Bub & didn't know what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. I was drawn into the family drama and rooted for the character of Edith, who was stuck in a loveless marriage and dealing with the grief and guilt of the death of a husband she hardly knew. I'll definitely check out more by this author.
July 25, 2019
I really enjoyed "Never Too Late" by Jo Barney. It's about the Finlay family and sort of early on in the book the patriarch of the family (Art Finlay) dies. As the story unravels more about Edith, Brian, Kathleen and even Art is revealed. The book is full of drama and all of the makings of a unhappy marriage coupled with lots of secrets. You won't be able to put this one down. Enjoy!!
January 22, 2020
A starkly honest book about a woman who wakes up beside her dead husband. And proceeds to find out there are mysteries in his last months which she doesn't know because she has become to despise him and their life. It gets even more complicated as pieces are discovered - - very real, very serious, and very engaging read.
May 9, 2020
I started reading this book, but it took a while for me to get into it. I rated this book ok because it was slow paced but I kept picking it back up because I had to know how it ended and I didn't want to cheat and go to the end of the book. The story made me wonder how well we really know the people around us.
February 18, 2017
A great read! A coming of age story, in a way. Highly recommend!
I loved this book. Complex characters, storyline was enthralling. A woman of a certain age finding herself and her family and beginning her next chapter.
I loved this book. Complex characters, storyline was enthralling. A woman of a certain age finding herself and her family and beginning her next chapter.
March 19, 2017
Thoughtful, nuanced story of a widow searching for the secrets in her husband's past to understand a marriage that became loveless. She also faces changes in her relationships with a daughter in law and grandchildren. About time a story is told with empathy from this time of life.
September 24, 2018
Too late!
Lost its way! Ok book, but I found I wavered lost the rythem of the book, and lost the story, if I read it again I might be able to pick it up from where I wavered and hopefully like and get engrossed in the book. Sorry!
Lost its way! Ok book, but I found I wavered lost the rythem of the book, and lost the story, if I read it again I might be able to pick it up from where I wavered and hopefully like and get engrossed in the book. Sorry!
October 2, 2018
Secrets and changes
This is an interesting book that portrays some changes that a widow might make, even without trying to discover her late husband's secret(s). There is a lot of self discovery going on as well, and a roller coaster of emotions, and finally a coming to terms with herself, and the choices she made.
This is an interesting book that portrays some changes that a widow might make, even without trying to discover her late husband's secret(s). There is a lot of self discovery going on as well, and a roller coaster of emotions, and finally a coming to terms with herself, and the choices she made.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews