Lucy's Last Straw

by Debbie Viggiano

It was the toothpaste smeared around the sink that broke my marriage. As I rubbed it away AGAIN, I was reminded of everything else I’ve put up with these twenty-five years. My husband’s obsession with his pension, his ability to charm me into every single one of his ideas, never being taken on a romantic date, let alone ravished on the patio (like the woman who lives next door)… small things, but the realisation was huge.

Just when Lucy Jones thinks her marriage is about to screech to a halt over toothpaste, her husband, Leo, announces he wants to move to tumbledown (clapped-out) Rose Cottage, and Lucy knows she’ll be the one managing the renovations.

Then along comes gorgeous builder Will, ten years younger and the only person actually listening to Lucy. His twinkly eyes and blowtorch smile are causing Lucy to break out in a hot sweat – but is it love, lust or simply dodgy hormones that are causing her heart to flutter?

Lucy loves her husband, but everyone knows that little things build up. And then they explode. Can Lucy keep it together, or will there be one last straw she might not be able to get over?

Genres: Audiobook, Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

368 pages, Paperback

Published July 11, 2019

Reviews

[Kim ~ It’s All About the Thrill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! OMG I flew through this book in one day. I found it so entertaining and hilarious I just could not put it down. This is my second book by Debbie Viggiano and I must say I absolutely love her writing style.

365 days a year...for 25 years...that is 9,125 times of cleaning the damn toothpaste off the sides of the sink! Lucy was cracking me up as she came up with these perhaps "menopausal" thoughts as her life was quickly moving into another chapter. Her husband Leo of 25 years was constantly on her radar as every single thing he did pretty much irritated her. How much was actually Leo and how much was just Lucy's own issues as she realized she is fast approaching 50 and her children have left the nest?

As Leo pretty much forced Lucy into yet another adventure of renovating a new home called the Rose Cottage- aka the dumpy cottage he got for a steal, they hire a builder. This builder has more plans than just fixing up the cottage! Will Lucy be able to resist the attention of the younger hunky builder?

This book was simply adorable, funny, crazy and made me laugh. I literally found myself smiling and laughing at all the crazy situations. If you want a feel good read that you can't put down, grab yourself a copy! 5 fantastic stars!

[The Cats’ Mother · Rating 2 out of 5]

What can I say, this is another case of the right book for the wrong reader. I requested it from NetGalley, as it’s about a woman about the same age as me, which is not so common, so I thought I might be able to relate. Sadly, no.
I’m sure there are plenty of people who will love this story about rediscovering passion after a long marriage, but it just reminded me why I don’t read romantic comedies. I was promised heart-warming hilarity but instead had to push myself to get to the end so I could write it up and move on.

Lucy Jones has lived the fairytale happy ever after, with her handsome husband, Leo, who goes to work while she has a nice hobby job, even though she’s dispatched her three grownup children. When Leo announces he wants to downsize and do up a ramshackle cottage in the countryside, she won’t have a bar of it, but his sudden redundancy convinces her they have no choice. With her menopause approaching, she feels old and unattractive, but the handsome builder who arrives to do their renovation soon has her all aflutter. Will Lucy blossom with a new man, or remember what she liked about the old one?

One of my particular bugbears in fiction is women who got everything they ever wanted, but do nothing but complain about how boring their life is.
Lucy has let her lazy husband and spoiled kids get away with doing nothing her whole marriage, but now complains about having to do all the housework, especially when this involves cleaning up toothpaste mess. (Top tip for a happy marriage - get a job that pays enough that you can get a cleaner. Failing that, train your family properly from the start.) Even when her selfish bratty daughters move back in, she lets them walk all over her.

This is all told from Lucy’s point of view, and unfortunately I had zero sympathy, especially given the hypocrisy of falling in lust with your builder then complaining that your husband is charmed by another woman. I also didn’t find any of the jokes or situations remotely funny. There are terrible puns and Dad (or should that be Mum?) jokes all the way through that just made me cringe.
The outcome is completely predictable and I was uncomfortable with the reasons behind Lucy’s ultimate choice, again maybe it was supposed to be funny, but imagine the roles being reversed (no spoilers so I can’t explain.)
I didn’t really like any of the characters apart from Pip and BC.

It is however well written, and I did enjoy the descriptions of the Kent countryside and cottage. It’s not too long and the dialogue was well done.
Please don’t let my antipathy for this genre put you off - I chose it because I was expecting something different, but it you enjoy this kind of frothy chook-lit then definitely give it a go. I’ll go back to my mystery thrillers and try to remember not to request anything with the word “romantic” in the blurb ever again.

Thanks to Bookouture and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this ARC.
All opinions are my own. Lucy’s Last Straw is published on 15th July.

[Robin Loves Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is Lucy and Leo Jones marriage broken? They have successfully raised their children and Leo is insistent on purchasing a small cottage. Lucy is hardly excited by the prospect. As a matter of fact, she isn't very excited about the marriage itself.

Concerned that she might be going through the change, Lucy has no idea where the extra energy might come from if they buy the cottage, as it will need a lot of work. From Lucy's first-person perspective, her thoughts and worries float through the pages.

With Lucy's thought process and humor liberally peppered throughout, this was a really fun read. I was rooting for Lucy to get past her current crisis and for her and Leo to be able to relight the joy they no doubt had once before. As if that was not enough of a challenge, when their children show up wanting to move back home, everything truly goes off the rails.

This is my second book by Debbie Viggiano and I really enjoyed it. I sat down and read it in one sitting in just a few hours. One of the draws was because as a mother with grown children in some ways I felt that I could relate to Lucy. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy has been happily married for twenty-five years and the children have left the nest. When her husband Leo announces that he wants to move to a dilapidated cottage Lucy couldn’t be more against it. However, she finds herself agreeing to the idea but remains overwhelmed … that is until hunky builder Will appears on the scene.

As soon as Lucy moves into Rose Cottage she finds herself in the middle of a building site. With Leo on a business trip to America and grown-up children who suddenly need a place to stay, Lucy doesn’t know which way to turn. However, builder Will is there to keep everything calm and suddenly Lucy’s hot flushes have nothing to do with the menopause!

I found Lucy so relatable and funny, she really is the lady everyone needs for a friend. Talking of friends OMG I loved Patsy the nymphomaniac cougar with a heart of gold. She likes a bit of patio action and I don’t mean gardening! Then there is arch rival ‘Symphony Sally’ the musician and man-eater who has her sights on Leo.

Lucy’s Last Straw is a really enjoyable read that is sure to put a smile on your face. If you’ve ever scrubbed toothpaste from the sink, seven days in a row, and it is driving you round the bend….this is definitely for you!

[Els · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are a lot of books that can put a smile on my face, but it’s not often that there is one that really can make me laugh out loud.

Humour does not mean the same to everyone, but this one was seriously hilarious to me. It had me sniggering more than once and people in my neighbourhood were often rolling their eyes and I saw them thinking : There she goes again. 🙂 🙂

I would not mind having Lucy for a friend. She is really someone I could relate to.

This story is about people focussing on the wrong things and getting so stressed about them that everything else seems to disappear in thin air. It keeps on escalating until it’s almost broken beyond repair and that’s when you seem you wake up and see the light again.

I can honestly say this was the funniest book I have read up till now this year. 5 stars

Thank you, Debbie Viggiano, Bookouture and Netgalley.

https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

[Frenchorchidea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am extremely happy to have read this new book by Debbie Viggiano! I abolutely loved "What Holly husband did", but I was disappointed by "The man you meet in heaven" and so I was a bit reluctant to read her 3rd one "Lucy's Last Straw" but I am very happy to report that this is one of the best book I have read in 2019! 5 stars out of 5 for me! This book is all about long marriage relationship. This book touches a very serious subject that everybody in a long relationship with someone may encounter at some point and this why it is so good. This book is also a lot of fun and laugh several times during my read. I really recommend this book by Debbie Viggiano, it's simply excellent!

[Gemma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a fun book.
Although I couldn't relate to Lucy I did find her very funny.
I enjoyed the writing style too.
This was my first book by Debbie Viggiano , I will definitely go and read her other two now.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book, all thoughts and opinions are my own

[Jennie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lucy reluctantly agrees to sell her home after she discovers that her and her husband’s finanacial situation has changed. As a whole, this wasn’t a terrible read, but as a woman approaching 30, I did find it difficult to relate to the scenarios discussed. Overall, 3 stars for me. Special thanks to NetGalley an the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Claire - TheBookendReviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of Debbie Viggiano that I have read and I wasn't disappointed. I'm glad I requested this from Netgalley.

It was funny from the very beginning until the end, and there were some laugh out loud moments which I loved. Perhaps the family didn't when I was reading this at 2am!

The novel unravels the life of a woman fast approaching fifty with added stresses from downsizing the house, children returning home and a husband working away.

The book if full of humour, encompassing Lucy's irritation, stress levels and menopause. Add brilliant characters and a relatable story and you have quite the book!

I really enjoyed this story which had me giggling away. I ended up reading this in one sitting, I just couldn't put it down. Thanks for one hell of a laugh Debbie!

Thanks to Netgalley, Bookouture and Debbie Viggiano for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Married over twenty years and now an empty-nester with her rescue dog, randy neighbor and husband who commutes to London to work, Lucy is finally feeling like life is settling: the kids are grown and don’t need constant management, she’s got more time to work on her small seamstress business, and perhaps there is time to just relax. Until her husband begins pushing for a ‘downsize’ as he’s worried about redundancy at work, and the cottage he’s chosen is little more than a project from the ground up. Aside from not wanting to move, Lucy’s finding that everything (and everyone) is looking to her to fix the messes – even when her husband says he’ll be there, he’s not, or he gets distracted, tied up or otherwise becomes ‘unavailable’ to help out. In fact, cleaning the toothpaste from the bathroom sink becomes her own little metaphor for the ills of her life and marriage, and it’s not being helped with her age (nearing 50), her hormones (the neighbor has suggested HRT) or her husband’s unusual attachment to the real estate agent and his ‘builder”.

Lucy is acerbic, self-deprecating and wholly honest in her own interior voice, and as a narrator she’s pretty wonderful. From those little annoyances that happen in a relationship of long standing, to the complete crossed wires in communicating when you hear your partner, but don’t really listen to the words. More importantly, Lucy and Leo are supremely well paired despite neither believes they have been heard or their needs met. And when the cottage becomes a reality, and Lucy finds the builder has her reverting to her fifteen year old self, things heat up a bit, with her regular (and very harmless) fantasies and imaginings. Everything comes to a head with Leo actually finding a new jo that requires he trains in the US for a month – the same month as the construction crew is set to work on their new cottage, with Lucy in residence. With her dog. Oh – and soon, one of her daughters who discovered her boyfriend was unfaithful, soon followed by the other daughter with her partner and all their stuff as they lost the lease on their place. From two neighbors with hot pants, a fairly regular dose of Lucy behaving inappropriately and further fueling gossip and speculation, a whole lot of laughs and a moment of clear communication – things do work out for the best – to everyone’s satisfaction. Clever, honest and fun, this is a story that feels very real while reading, as you simultaneously nod your head in recognition or shake in that “thank the gods I’ve not seen / done / dealt with that” moments – it’s a fun read.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all occlusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve already read three of Debbie Viggiano’s novels and enjoyed all of them so couldn’t resist this new one when I saw it on Netgalley.

It was funny from beginning to end. Certainly in this book, Debbie has shown quite an acerbic humour to her writing, especially when Lucy the protagonist is riled – which is often. As well as having been married for 25 years, with her three children grown up and all moved out of the family home and the menopause making itself known by way of hot flushes and feelings of being taken for granted and neglected by her husband, Lucy has a lot to put up with, or so she thinks anyway. Yet she soon finds out that leaving toothpaste smears around the sink and leaving the cap off the toothpaste is nothing compared with what her husband has in store for her next.

Faced with losing his job and feeling like he’s too old for all the stress of a job with responsibility, Lucy’s husband Leo announces that he’s been made redundant and as a result thinks its time he slowed down and got a local job with less traveling, and that he and Lucy should spend more time together. He also suggests the need to downsize to a smaller house and he has just the perfect place – Rose Cottage.

Lucy is reluctant to move, in fact she’s determined it’s just not happening. Apart from anything else she doesn’t want to leave behind her neighbour and friend Patsy. Nor does she want to move into a smaller and lets face it, falling down, ramshackle old cottage in the middle of nowhere, sharing her garden with the local farmers cows.

However, Leo persuades her to move, promising they’ll do up the house together and share romantic summer evenings on the veranda (yet to be built veranda) together.

Things never quite work out the way husbands promise though do they?

As if moving house and having builders in isn’t enough to contend with, their children decide they need to move back into the family home, which now isn’t really big enough, and suddenly Leo seems to have women throwing themselves at him much to Lucy’s chagrin.

It’s a real laugh out loud book, that not only had me giggling away, but quite often nodding in recognition of some of the situations Lucy finds herself in. Will Lucy avoid the temptations of hunky builder Will Peters? Or might her husband Leo’s apparent antics drive her into the arms of her new admirer. You’ll have to read it to find out. There are some brilliant characters in the book – Hugo Price the estate agent, Patsy – Lucy’s neighbour, friend, confidante and adviser, and Symphony Sal – Lucy’s new neighbour Sally who seems to have taken something of a shine to Leo. I really enjoyed this book and it helped to cheer up what is becoming one of the most gloomiest summers we’ve had.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy Jones has been married to Leo for 25 years. When he comes home and announces that he is being made redundant and they should consider downsizing, Lucy begins to notice all the little niggling things about him that she’s never noticed before. He never takes her on a date, their sex-life is non-existent and he smears toothpaste around the sink! When hunky builder, Will Trent arrives on the scene, Lucy can’t quite work out whether it’s him that’s making her heart beat faster or her hormones! When Leo has to go away on training for his new job, can Lucy resist the temptation of the gorgeous builder…?

This book was so funny!! I really liked Lucy’s character and could feel so many connections to her! We’re more or less around the same age, both married and our hormones are creating havoc! I could fully empathise with her for letting all those little things get on top of her, and in my case it’s not just the husband doing them but the son as well!! I also loved her neighbour Patsy! Her sexual antics and advice were hilarious and I laughed out loud through her conversation about sex toys! At first I thought she’d be the kind of neighbour that you would hate to live next door to, but as it turned out she was a genuinely good friend who was always ready to lead an ear….!

Lucy’s infatuation came in the form of Will Trent, a builder 10 years her junior who they had hired to do work on the house. Now when we first meet Will it’s clear that he has been around the houses a few times with various women from the local area….but could we forgive him based on the fact that he’s charming, attentive and drop dead gorgeous?? Hell, yeah of course we could! I did honestly think that it wouldn’t take long for Lucy to have done the dirty deed with Will, effectively destroying her marriage, but the ‘will she, won’t she’ storyline is carried on a bit longer through the book, leaving more time for plenty of laughs in between.

The writing was wonderfully witty and the storyline grabbed me from the beginning. It took me through Lucy’s rocky relationship with her husband and children, a rollercoaster ride fuelled by 25 years of bad habits and hormonal changes! It also had a strong moral theme running through it that perhaps the grass isn’t always greener on the other side! A word of warning though, there are some references to sex, just in case you are offended by this. Would definitely recommend this book!!

[Trader (RedHotBlueReads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always intrigued with author's who write romantic comedy because I find it's not really easy to do, so when I saw this book available to review I thought I'd give this "new-to-me" author a try. I was also interested in the content, as I don't see a whole lot of romance that deals with a long-time marriage situation.

Lucy's marriage has been a happy one for the most part, with the usual irritations like cleaning up his nasty toothpaste for the last number of years. When Leo starts bugging her to sell the house where they've lived and reared their children to move to a fixer-upper, she doesn't understand why, until he comes home having been downsized in his job. Moving to the ramshackle cottage just turned from an option to a necessity.

With the new cottage home comes an aggressive female neighbor who just happens to have eyes for Leo, and there's a younger contractor hired to fix up the cottage that sets Lucy's blood afire, waking up long-thought-dead hormones. I found this to really be a story about trust and temptation and love, and what happens in a long-term relationship. I really enjoyed this part of the story and found it captured many of the emotions in a seasoned marriage.

Things really heat up when Leo goes to the US for new job orientation, leaving Lucy home with the contractor and Leo with just as much temptation. The situation is perfectly setup for Lucy and Leo to look away from the irritating toothpaste around the sink (metaphorically speaking) and be tempted to try something new and exciting -- will they is the question? I don't want to spoil anything, but I'll just say the ending warmed my heart big-time.

Overall, I really liked this story. Told from Lucy's point of view, her little conversations with herself are some times funny, sometimes cute, sometimes cute and funny although not every one hits the mark. I liked it more when the characters in my head had a British accent which was a completely different reading experience for me.

I would definitely try out other titles from this author in the future.

An ARC was provided for review.

[loopyloulaura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lucy is 49 and menopausal. She is also hysterically funny and deeply frustrated by her husband Leo. Her children have flown the nest and her husband announces he is being made redundant and want to downsize.
Lucy longs to stay in the house in which she raised her children but reluctantly agrees with Leo. They move into a much smaller cottage that needs lots of renovation work.
Enter gorgeous builder Will and exit Leo who heads off to America for a new job, leaving Lucy in charge of the building work with handsome Will for company…
This is a funny book and the writing is very natural. I loved the inclusion of Lucy’s drunken rambles and saucy daydreams. How fantastic to have an older woman as a lead characer and make her funny and sassy. I really hope I’m like her in 10 years time, but could do without her husband’s toothpaste (in my house it is the children who get toopthpaste everywhere!)
I felt so incredibly angry with Leo for almost tricking Lucy into leaving her beloved home and then abandoning her while he chased his own ambitions. I could also see his point of view but the way Debbie Viggiano writes Lucy’s characters set us as readers firmly on her side.
Lucy’s Last Straw has a real mix of laughter and love as well as grief and angst at the changes. It is very easy to get swept along with the plot and characters in this light-hearted read. I think Leo needs to read my blog post about the work of being a wife and mother so he appreciates Lucy a bit more (or maybe he does by the end but I’m not spoiling the conclusion of the book for you!)

[Monica Mac · Rating 3 out of 5]

Crikey, where do I begin?? According to the blurb, this was a "laugh out loud comedy"....but unfortunately, I found myself giving out a wry chuckle here and there, and that was about it.

I wanted, desperately, to like this book. It had good bones and this could have been something really special, but there were so many shallow people in it and so many odd and unlikely scenarios that happened to Lucy and Leo, that I kind of lost the will to live, around half-way through. I had agreed to read this book, however, and I was curious to see how it ended, so I carried on.

Because I am much the same age as Lucy and also going through menopause, I thought there might be something in this story that I could relate to. But no, Lucy is a bit spoilt as well as being a pushover, her friend and neighbour doesn't seem to be all that supportive (umm, did you HAVE to spill all Lucy's dirty laundry in one go, just because you could??), and Leo seems a little long-suffering himself.

I found everything to be quite confusing and although I understand that if someone has been married for 25 years that some habits start to really grate on a person and that attention from another person is probably flattering, it was all kind of jarring for me, and Lucy's behaviour seemed quite childish.

Anyway, I can see by lots of good reviews that others really liked this book, I am sorry, but it just wasn't my kind of book.

3.5 stars from me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is my favourite book this year.

Thank you to Net Gallery for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

We follow the story of Lucy and Leo as they hit a rocky stage in their marriage. Now that their children have grown up and moved out, Leo decides he wants to move into a smaller cottage which will save them money in the long term. Lucy however has other ideas. Leo somehow persuades Lucy that it is a good idea and so they decide to move into this run down small cottage in the countryside. Just as they move in and renovations are underway, Leo takes off for a new job. In America! Lucy is left to ‘do up’ their new home alone, and without her husband by her side terrible things happen. Can Lucy and Leo save their marriage and will their home be a home when it’s finished?

This book had me literally LAUGHING OUT LOUD. Lucy is so relatable and is so funny! She truly reminds me of a mix between Bridget Jones and Miranda Hart. Just when you think things can’t get any worse, they do!

With a secret love interest, stray cats taking over the home, getting drunk in the bath and finding a cow in the back garden, Lucy’s life is starting to go downhill as she hits the big 50.

This book had me laughing, crying and rooting Lucy on all the the way. I loved it and recommend it for everyone!

[Mystica · Rating 4 out of 5]

After a number of very suspenseful reads this was a lighter read but the moral of the story was not light at all. It was couched in a very light hearted style in both language and setting but it undermined the very important part that marriage plays in society.

Lucy and Leo are married for 25 years. Three children who do not live at home and Lucy is now getting exasperated with Leo. His obsession with his pension, and then being made redundant overshadow their life and now he is insistent on moving to a derelict cottage giving up their big comfortable home because he feels that for just the two of them, the enormous house is too much.

When Leo unexpectedly lands a job which involves travel, a nymphomaniac of a neighbour who decides that Leo is her next target and when Lucy meets Will the builder who ignites all her senses in the most irrational way , you do know fireworks are in the offing. Whether Lucy and Leo will let rationale and common sense prevail or go with the flow is the story.

Add to this the travails of three children who feel they have a right to tell their adult parents what to do, how to do and when to do stuff, you end up with a thoroughly modern marriage which has to be navigated carefully.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this was an entertaining read, I have to take issue with the author's portrayal of Lucy's horrible daughters. The daughter Amy is exceptionally cruel to her mother when she points out that "wrinklies" like Robert de Niro and Rod Stewart (pensionable age) can father children, but "face facts, regrettably you are definitely in the dinosaur department....unlike Dad, you can't have children any more, can you? Not even if you wanted to?" These comments are after Lucy has allowed Amy to move in because she couldn't be a self-sustaining adult. This is shameful and promotes the concept that women only exist to be birthing machines without any further value. Women should uplift each other, not tear other women down! Actually the other daughter is also a judgmental spoiled brat. Lucy should have never let her opinionated "adult" daughters move in. She should have encouraged them to create their own opportunities and solve their own problems - elsewhere.
The author's portrayal of the handsome builder is very entertaining as is Lucy's reaction to him, but the twist in their relationship was especially so - what a way to turn down the heat.
Overall this was a fun fast read, but not especially supportive of women.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

🏡 So much change; have Lucy and Leo come to a tipping point?🤔
4-4.5🌟 stars
Lucy and Leo's story got better and more frenzied as their midlife crisis progressed. I found Lucy, a woman approaching 50 and having trouble accepting her body's changes, a bit too whiny and passive aggressive at first but then she grew on me. As she bears the brunt of her husband's plans for their empty nest future, she really gets bombarded with one hit after another from family and strangers. By the end, I was still concerned about the way people, particularly her husband and daughters,took advantage of her, but was encouraged by Lucy's moves to express her feelings and stand up for herself.

With a good complement of secondary characters, of both the two- and four-leg variety, and a unpredictable exploration of a long-term marriage that has lost its sparkle, Lucy's Last Straw gives a sometimes comical, exasperated take on the challenges of maintaining a relationship.

I read a complimentary advance copy of the book provided through NetGalley; this is my voluntary and honest review.

[LianaReads blog · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, I’m much younger than the characters or couples in this book but I can easily see and understand what’s happening.
While I liked the writing style and the description of the country cottage, the characters left a bad taste in my mouth actually.
Firstly, the heroine is so stubborn to accept that she’s going through a phase in any woman’s life and she is definitely in need of help. Then she’s only complaining about having to do all the housework but she’s still not saying much to her husband. As a mother I understand that you’ll do anything for your children anytime but that doesn’t mean to let them get over you like you don’t even count.
The husband is a topical man with eyes for other women as well especially when your wife doesn’t pay that much attention to you anymore.
The ending was predictable for me and honestly I’m still a bit confused as to what I felt about the whole story.

[Angela Mellor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy’s Last Straw is a book that had me laughing along all the way and knew from the first chapter I was going to love it.
Lucy and Leo Jones have been happily married for twenty five years, two grown up daughters and a son at uni, life should be getting better but Leo decides its time to downsize as he gets hit with redundancy and Lucy’s life seems to become absolutely packed, being dragged in different directions whilst coping with the menopause. Daughters move back home, Leo gets a new job and leaves the renovations of the new house to Lucy as he jets to America for a month, the new neighbour seems to have designs on her husband and Lucy gets the hots for the builder.
This is a laugh out loud book, I loved Lucy and thought she was a great lead character. This isn’t usually the type of book I read but it was nice to have a break from thrillers and would recommend this.
I would like to thank Netgalley and Bookouture for this ARC I received in exchange for an honest review.

[Nicola Southall-Lowe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a light hearted easy read.

Lucy is 49, at the beginning of the menopause, her children have moved out and her husband is still driving her crazy leaving toothpaste smears in the sink!!

Her husband Leo thinks they should move out of the family home and into a little cottage that needs loads of work. Lucy isn’t convinced until Leo is made redundant and it seems the best thing to do.

Her life then takes a turn.
Her husband finds a new job, her younger builder is extreme attractive and her daughters both suddenly need their Mom.
Will life ever be the same again?
Do her and Leo really have a great marriage or has it become stale? Is the grass greener on the other side?

The book is funny and made me cringe for some of the situations Lucy found herself in.

A great book to make you laugh. A fabulous holiday read.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Debbie’s books, so I was really looking forward to this one. As usual, I was hooked in from the first few pages and didn’t want it to end.

Lucy and Leo live in a house that’s too big for them, now that their children have grown up, so Leo tries to persuade Lucy to downsize. Not just downsize, but to a dump that needs lots of work doing to it. There are several great characters but nobody is what they seem, or doing what other people think they’re doing. Lots of getting the wrong end of the stick, and lots of laughing out loud.

I’ll never look at a tube of toothpaste in the same way again :-)

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture for an advance reader copy in return for an honest review.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMGoodness- what a treat for those of us who have been married as long as Lucy (or in my case, longer). It is the toothpaste in the sink that can make you nuts because it's the littlest thing and something you can focus on when everything else is going a bit wonky. Lucy is faced with moving and renovating a cottage and she honestly doesn't want to. Her husband Leo is a good guy at heart but now she's annoyed with him because he's taken off again leaving everything in her lap and there's Will, the gorgeous and nice guy. She's got a good friend in Patsy and a new pal in Sal. This is a chuckly book, with good characters and a light heart. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. A nice read for a lazy day.

[Kirsty Wenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such an enjoyable book to read. There were many moments throughout the book that had me grinning and I did indeed laugh out loud when I got to the scene where Lucy visits Will's house. The author has assembled a great cast of characters for this story. Lucy is very relatable. I felt her frustrations and irritations as she negotiated the changes in her life when her husband, Leo, convinces her to sell up their family home and move to a cheaper fixer-upper, which Lucy is then left to manage when Leo lands a new job and must go to America for a month for training. Enter a new neighbour with a questionable reputation, a spunky contractor, and Leo's new personal assistant, Lucy and Leo's two grown up daughters and a bloody cat, and you have a very entertaining tale indeed.

[Sue Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucy and Leo have reached that point in the marriage where you've settled into a comfortable future. But, like for so many marriages, sometimes the best plans go awry. The kids come back, the too big house is sold, but now you have a houseful, jobs change and everyone seems to have an opinion. Cap that off with hormonal changes and misunderstandings, and you have a book filled with humor, but also with reality and so many truths. I love the way this book spoke to situations that I've seen in my own life, and it was handled in a realistic manner. Thank you to the author, #Net Galley and #Bookouture for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

[Stacey Plumb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of the characters really remind me of people I know. I chuckled throughout for this reason - especially when the big Will reveal arrived 🤭.

I like the way this is written, it definitely touched a few of my buttons and it’s incredibly accurate when she includes the need for affection and attention. When you get comfortable in a relationship and the compliments dwindle, it’s nice to hear it even if it is from someone else - although it’s a million times more spine tingling and fanny fluttering when it comes from the one you love.

Pleasant book - but I didn’t like the ending. It felt a little rushed. Lovely read though. Would definitely recommend it for light laughs and a little zing.

[Kim · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this but it just didn’t work out for me. Honestly the only character I cared for was Patsy, everyone else was blindingly fake and just annoying. If Will had been more...well endowed would Lucy just have gone for it? I feel like the answer is yes and the only reason she went running back to her husband was due to a split decision to use the bathroom and end up shocked that a single man has toothpaste in the sink basin.

Just not for me I guess.

My copy was provided by NetGalley for review all opinions are my own.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny book about the trials and tribulations of a woman dealing with her husband getting made redundant, grown kids coming back home, fixing up an old cottage, dealing with menopause, etc. Basically, a real life plot line and the moral is to keep working on your marriage even when he drives you insane!

[Mindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, I picked this book up because it was only 99 cents on Amazon, it had a high 4+ rating on Goodreads, and it was described as "a feel good, laugh out loud romantic comedy." I did not really enjoy it. There were no parts where I laughed out loud (I'm not even sure there were many parts where I laughed at all). It had promise but it just fell flat for me.