The Middle-Aged Virgin

The Middle-Aged Virgin #1

by Olivia Spring

‘Absolutely hilarious! A wise and poignant novel.’ The Writing Garnet

Sophia Huntingdon seems to have it all: a high-flying job running London’s coolest beauty PR agency, a lovely boyfriend and a dressing room filled with Louboutins.

But when tragedy strikes, Sophia realises that rather than living the dream, she’s actually an unhappy workaholic in a monotonous relationship, with zero personal life. Her lack of activity in the bedroom is so apparent that her best friend declares her a MARGIN, or Middle-Aged Virgin—a term used for adults who have experienced a drought so long that they can’t remember the last time they had sex.

Determined to transform her life whilst she’s still young enough to enjoy it, Sophia hatches a plan to work less, live more and embark on exciting adventures, including rediscovering the electrifying passion she’s been craving.

But after ending her fifteen-year relationship, how will Sophia, a self-confessed control freak handle navigating the unpredictable world of online dating?

If she does meet someone new, will she even remember what to do? And as an independent career woman, how much is Sophia really prepared to sacrifice for love?

The Middle-Aged Virgin is a funny, uplifting story of a smart single woman on a mission to find love and happiness and live life to the full.

Genres: Chick Lit, Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary

469 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2018

About the author

Olivia Spring is the bestselling author of fifteen romantic comedy and women’s fiction books.

Whether you want to fake date a hot Hollywood movie star in London, jet off to Paris with a handsome billionaire, enjoy some sun, sand and sea with a gorgeous Spanish DJ in Marbella or attend a castle wedding in the South of France, Olivia’s books will help you to escape reality and transport you to a dreamy romantic location. No ticket or passport required!

Olivia was born and raised in London and divides her time between the UK and Spain.

When she's not writing new steamy romcoms, Olivia can be found reading on the beach, enjoying cupcakes and cocktails and of course, seeking inspiration for her next book!

For exclusive updates, join the Olivia Spring VIP club at
https://www.oliviaspring.com/

Reviews

[Obsidian · Rating 1 out of 5]

So first rule of romance novels is what? You have to end with either a Happily Ever After or a Happy For Now. If you don't, it's not a romance. And this book was not a romance. I ended up feeling beyond annoyed through most of this book and wish that I had DNFed it. I loved Spring's other book so I thought I would enjoy this one. Nope, the main characters becomes man obsessed to the point that I wondered what she did at her job. And then seems to throw her entire sense of self away for some dude who has more problems than Jay-Z. And due to the plot that is not resolved, we know it's not a freaking HEA or HFN. Bah.

"The Middle-Aged Virgin" follows almost 40 year old Sophia Huntington. Sophia is the owner of one of the hottest PR agency's in London. She has an awesome home that was designed by her boyfriend of 15 years. Sophia though has a change of heart after a long-time friend passes away. She realizes that she needs more out of her life and makes a list of things she wants to accomplish. And one of those things is to experience passion again. She breaks up with her boyfriend and then decides to take an Italian cookery course. While there Sophia finds herself obsessing (no other word) about the Italian chef Lorenzo.

I don't want to give too much away but honestly Sophia really sucks. She finds out that Lorenzo maybe had a thing with a woman who helps run the B&B that they are staying at and the people she meets seem way too invested in her hooking up with the guy. In fact, I found mostly all of the secondary characters off-putting as hell. And then Sophia starts obsessing over Lorenzo. If you end a 15 year relationship why in the world would you want one with a man that doesn't live near you. And then Lorenzo runs hot and cold so Sophia tries dating other people but still focusing on Lorenzo. I just found myself bored by her. Roxy appears in this one (she was in the last book I read) and honestly she was the only one making sense. Sophia was being an idiot about a guy she didn't know a thing about.

The writing was endless. I got tired of reading about her clothes, her shoes, her hair, her nails. And then the flow was just awful. Sophia jumps to one guy, another guy, and then back to guy number 1, I just didn't care. For someone who was so accomplished she was a mess in her personal life. If she actually had spent more time with her family her godson or just doing other things besides dating and having bad sex in some cases I think I would have cared more.

The book's ending was ridiculous as hell.

[Kaisha (The Writing Garnet) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All reviews can be found on my blog at https://thewritinggarnet.wordpress.com

Snigger! Cobwebs....dry spell....so many things in this book that I would associate with myself, and not spiders or the weather. 'The Middle-Aged Virgin' is absolutely bang on in terms of its references to modern-day society. I mean, the main character, Sophia, is worried that she is merely settling. She may have confidence where her work is concerned, but if you were to put her personal life in the spotlight, Sophia would melt like Olaf from Frozen! I must say that I am incredibly envious of Sophia's shoe collection, especially the Louboutins - shoe goals right there!!

I can see why Sophia chose to end the relationship that she has had for most of her adult life, but I can also see why she chose to settle. Not that that makes it a nicer thing to do, because it doesn't. Settling just because, is not fair on all the people involved, but because starting again comes with a lot of uncertainty and fear, settling becomes the safest option all round. 

'The Middle-Aged Virgin' will certainly have a lot of readers nodding their heads in agreement at some of the things Sophia's best friends, Roxy and Bella, come out with. That said, I couldn't help but feel that some of the storyline was a little bit padded with information that wasn't overly relevant to the bigger picture. Don't get me wrong, it was lovely to find out more about Sophia and what made her tick, but there were times where I did feel as though the storyline was missing the point.

I'm not saying this book wasn't enjoyable, because oh it was! It's also absolutely hilarious! I just think that some things could have been a bit more defined, but obviously that is my opinion.

It wasn't until I finished reading Olivia Spring's debut, that I realised that the author had incorporated an important message into it - don't settle for second best, grab life by the youknowwhats, and refuse to life your life the way that someone else wants you to. Live life for you. Eat the last cookie. Spend all day in your pyjama's. Remove toxic relationships from your life. Embark on new challenges, even if it is taking the stairs instead of the lift. But, most importantly, never give up on the things that make you happy, and never keep hold of the things which don't make you happy, any longer than absolutely necessary.

So yeah, Olivia Spring is a very wise author, and yes I got all of the above from reading 'The Middle-Aged Virgin'! I am incredibly impressed by how the author incorporates such important topics into a laugh out loud, chilled and magnetic story, making her characters come to life in such a relatable and realistic manner. The main character may be forty, but I think that the scenarios written in this book would be great lessons for women and males of all ages.

A diverse, wise, poignant, and sniggerific novel which made me ensure that I kept my duster handy...you know, just in case!

[Hannah Clarke (Love Books Actually) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly a huge thank you goes to Olivia Spring for reaching out and asking me to read and review her debut novel 'The Middle-Aged Virgin'
The synopsis sounded right up my street, the book cover with it's happy yellow is very eye catching and definitely a book I would have picked up myself in the book shop.

The book is centred around Sophia Huntingdon, after hearing some sad news she decides that her life needs a makeover and some drastic changes need to happen. Sophia decides to create an action plan of things to change and do over the next year before she hits the big 4 0! One of the biggest changes was ending her fifteen year relationship with Rich who Sophia decides is not 'The One'.
We then follow Sophia on her new adventure to find love, passion and happiness. Along the way there are lots of highs, lows, yummy food, Italian men and lots of OMG moments...

The story throughout was good, I wasn't able to guess the ending and due to a few twists near to the end it kept me guessing right up to the last page however I must admit that I struggled to warm to Sophia. I found her to be quite shallow and at times selfish, I found myself getting frustrated with some of the choices she makes and at times wanting to jump in the book and give her a slap! I found it hard to relate to her, but I did find her personality change throughout the book and the Sophia we meet at the start is not the Sophia we leave by the end.

Some of my favourite scenes from the book were between Sophia and her two closest friends Roxy and Bella. The friendship circle was very true to life and reminded me of my own group of friends. True friends who might not agree with everything you say or do but support you throughout the decisions you make. Sophia, Roxy and Bella meet on a regular basis and over food and drinks they put the world to rights and discuss everything... and I mean everything. From careers to men to fashion to lady gardens! Yes! I mean everything! LOL

Overall the storyline was good and I would be intrigued to read a follow up on Sophia and what happened next!

I think Olivia Spring is an author to watch, with the right amount of comedy, romance and friendship I will be looking forward to her next read!

[Barbara Beggs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd book ive read now by the lovely Olivia Spring and honestly I have two more to go and cant wait to pick them up. One thing about these books is that they are so easy to read, they suck you in from the start and have you wanting to read them every second of the day.
So here we have the lovely Sophia who decides to call time on her long term relationship with her partner of several years, she goes through tragedy and then decides to make a list of things she wants to achieve to get her life back on track and to stop her workaholic tendancies

And don't get me started on the lovely Lorenzo :-) I will leave this one for all the ladies to find out in the book... Lorenzo, oh lovely Lorenzo.


Much like Love offline this book had me cringing, had me laughing out load, had many corny moments but one thing I loved about it was I cared for all the characters and I was rooting for Sophia the whole way through. I cant wait to read the next book in the Mingle Boxset.

[Anitajt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A whirlwind of a story, Sofia and Rich have been together for 15 years, she is a successful business woman but fears life and true love is passing her by.
Rich is safe but not The One.
There ensues a chaotic adventure of eventually life changing proportions and hopefully a path to happiness. If you want a story that makes you laugh out loud this is for you. I must admit that it took me a while to like Sophia, but once you understand and get over the fact that her rich, successful life doesn’t automatically make her happy like we think she ought to be, she grows on you. Enjoy.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for sending me this copy to review.

Unfortunately I really didn't like this. The main character was just really unlikeable. I just couldn't get round the lengthy descriptions of brands, all the preparation for a man and also the lazy use of the 'omg I like things a certain way so I have OcD. I'm SOOOO ocd!!'

Also to say the character was middle aged she read like a 20 year old. Not for me I'm afraid

[Keely · Rating 1 out of 5]

After reading Only when it's love by the same Author, which I thoroughly enjoyed, I was really disappointed in this book. It started off fine but as the story progressed, my dislike for the main character, Sophia, grew. In my opinion, its always important to like and care for the main character. By the end I did not really care what happened to Sophia at all, such was my dislike of her.

I found the second half a chore to read, it took me a month! Most unusual for me as I often read a book in 4 or 5 days, sometimes quicker. Its such a shame as after reading Only when it's love, I had high hopes for this book.

[Natasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not what I expected at all. Neither the hero nor heroine were virgins. The author does try to imply that one of the heroine’s boy toys might be a virgin. He wasn’t.

After being in an unsatisfactory relationship for over a decade, the heroine sets out on a quest to lose her “marginality.” She seemed more like a horny woman who was teetering on a midlife dating crisis as she prepared to turn forty. Lorenzo should have been more likable. As he was presented, he was a sleazy, untrustworthy hero. I couldn’t suspend reality enough to buy his bullsh@t.

[Dan Mercer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written

This story was very boring and not well written. The characters were strange and didn't act like real people. They needed to be more fully developed.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sophia appears to have it all. She has a thriving public relations business and has been in a long-term relationship with a decent guy. She's busy all the time, jetting around the world for her clients. After the death of her good friend and mentor, Sophia realizes that she is not living as full of a life as she could. She is a workaholic, and there has been no spark (and no sex) between her and her boyfriend for a very long time. She decides to change this and writes herself a new life plan.

How will Sophia's business fare when she decides to change things? Will she find passion (one of the items on her list)? Will she be able to fulfill her new plan?

This book follows the well-trodden path of certain chick lit novels. A woman, whether by choice or circumstance, decides to strike out on a new and potentially frightening course to see what more life has to offer her. The book had interesting secondary characters, and Sophia’s new life had all sorts of twists and turns that I enjoyed reading about. Her reactions were sometimes funny and sometimes sad.

There were some odd tense and voice shifts in the section where she is writing her plan for her new life. The book is written in the past tense, and this part shifted into the present. In this section, too, it felt like the wall between reader and character was knocked down unintentionally by using *you* or making it seem as if Sophia was speaking directly to us, the readers. I found these two things a bit jarring in an otherwise enjoyable book.

I received a free copy of this book, but that didn't affect my review.

[Brad Borkan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunningly great book -- fun, inventive, entertaining & 100% enjoyable

Middle Aged Virgin is a truly wonderful book.

Sophia is a modern woman looking for love after the breakup of her long term relationship. Supported by an inventive and entertaining cast of friends, lovers & others, Sophia navigates the challenging world of dating. Set in London (and occasionally Florence), the author brings Sophia and the other characters to life in a way that makes this book a joy to read, and difficult to stop thinking about.

I bought it, started it, and was immediately hooked. I read the entire book in the space of 4 days because it was so easy to feel like Sophia was a friend – a real person, like all of us, who has a mix of successes and challenges in her life. It was uplifting with the way Sophia adapted to all her situations with a sense of humour, playfulness and never-give-up attitude. A good lesson for all of us.

I seriously could not put this book down. Every available minute I had for 4 days was spent reading this book. I found myself waking up early just because I wanted to learn more about Sophia and her adventures.

At times it is laugh-out-loud funny; other times poignant, down to earth and warm-hearted. There is also a real message to this book that relates to something we all seek – happiness, fulfilment, friendship, love and family.

[Vikkie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I had no idea that I’d love this book as much as I have. I’m not sure I can write a review to do this one justice. It’s been utterly impossible to put down and has made me laugh out loud on a number of occasions.
This has been a great lockdown distraction read. This is filled with funny, entertaining and completely relatable moments. I am gutted I have to wait for the sequel now! I can’t wait to see what is next for Sophia.
This book is filled with friendship, which has been lovely to read about. There have been moments where I have related characters to my friends and the advice they would give. There has been romance which is always good, plus the book has allowed me to visit the beautiful Tuscany.
I cannot say anything negative about this book, any book that I manage to devour in just one sitting is usually a good one. This is my first read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. This is a book I would highly recommend if you are looking for the perfect escape.
This is completely different to anything I’ve read previously, but it is definitely one that fans of Sophie Ranald and Sophie Kinsella will enjoy.
You cannot help but be attracted by the gorgeous summery yellow cover. I instantly felt connected with this book based on the colour scheme (I make all my titles on PowerPoint yellow with a red font) and I can tell you that you definitely will not be disappointed with the story.
I’d love to be able to give this book ten shiny stars because it has been an utterly fantastic read.

[Rosie Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Middle-Aged Virgin is a light romantic comedy.

Sophia is nearing her fortieth birthday and, after the death of a dear friend, she decides to make some radical changes to her own life before it’s all too late. She currently owns a successful top London beauty PR agency, and she has enough money to fill her wardrobe with designer clothes, but her love-life is stagnant. See here for full review https://wp.me/p2Eu3u-bHZ

[Eva · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried but after 2 weeks I gave up

I really tried since I hate NOT to finish a book I started reading. I usually finish a book within 2 days if it captures my creative juices but after chapter 6, I gave up. Too much scene description for my taste. The main character is an intelligent successful woman but sometimes she didn't come across as such. Perhaps by chapter 3 the adventure part of the story should begin.

[Jineen Uhren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really fun read!

This story has you routing for Sophia to end up with true love all the way through! Although traumatic, some of the things that happen to her on the path to love most women can relate to...at least one of her tragedies! Enjoy this fun, romantic and sometimes tear jerker read!

[Elvira · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a fun and quirky book to read it had me at time giggling like a teenage girl and at others feeling her pain when she realizes how much of her life has passed her by while building her career. If you like a good chick flick book this one is a good one to grab.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hayley Richell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Olivia for contacting me and asking to review this book ready for then sequel!
I read two of her books last year and this one follows the path of being a book that I just couldn’t wait to find out what happened next!

Sophia is the main character and after experiencing a death of a close friend gives Sophia the chance to majorly change her life by making an amazing plan and experiencing her life without her long term boyfriend.
Some on the things on the list are: going on a holiday alone, experiencing different food and choosing different items on the menu, experience some passion and to not always put work first. Combining all these things, Sophia books to go on a cookery holiday in Italy.

I won’t spoil anymore details, just to say this is a really good book and kept me wanting to know more. To see how Sophia gets on with changing her life by doing things outside her normal comfort zone.

[Emma Mcvittie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy read,decent plot,some laugh out loud moments and a whole lot of sex.I found Sophia a bit self-centered and a rubbish friend was always all about her was possibly a little much will they\won't they going on.Ending was slightly disappointing as I've now had to purchase the second book because even after saying all that I'm now invested in her life.

[Brenda · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read Ch 1-4, 45.

It was just too boring and unengaging to continue. Nothing about this book drew me in. There was nothing interesting about the main character and the ending does not seem like a HEA or HFN, you have to read the sequel (presumably another 45 chapters!) to find out where the relationship went.

[Miriam · Rating 4 out of 5]

From time to time , I like to read something lighthearted and from the blurb, I knew this would be one I would enjoy, there were some laugh out moments and some that made me smile, Sophia did annoy me occasionally but that doesn’t take away from the storyline and the ending had me slightly cheering for them .

[Ashleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every minute of this story is filled with happy humor. I completely fell in love with these characters!
I laughed, cried, and cheered my way through this amazing book, and cannot wait for more by this author!

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teri Ruscak · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Middle-Aged Virgin: A Chick Lit, Romantic Comedy Novel: Newly Single And Seeking Spine-Tingles...
Olivia Spring
Book one in the pair of novels. A fun read that I read cover to cover!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[claire chedzoy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not funny! Not in the slightest!

Main character was so.badly written! Full of ego! I couldn't warm to her! Only got 4 pages in and then gave up I should of listened to the other reviews. How is this book funny? I don't get it. 😕

[Lisa Mullender · Rating 4 out of 5]

Saucy read

I enjoyed reading this book. The first few chapters I wasn't sure if I would enjoy it but then got more interesting. It was a lot saucier than I expected especially the sex descriptions. I feel I would like to read the next book in the series to see what happens next

[Ejatu Bah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this I wonder if Olivia Spring had When Stella got her groove back? The main female character makes me think of this movie. I think that of you are thinking about reading this keep in mind that it is a finding yourself with a little romance novel.

[Nancy Trudgeon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

Enjoyed this book very much. Lot,s of lol moments. Would like a book two. Will look for more Books by this author.

[Becky Pratt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic!!

I very much enjoyed reading this book! I love a good comedy, with both ups and downs in the story line! I can't wait for your next book!

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun and entertaining read! I wasn't feeling great and was looking for something uplifting. And this book was exactly the right choice. I really enjoyed it.

[Alexandra Lorena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

Definitely recommend, easy and quick to read. Left me up late nights anxiously reading Sophia's dates and adventures. A must read!

[Jennifer Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t really enjoy this book, too much back and forth and I really hated Lorenzo.