Middle Ageish

Starting Over #1

by Shirley Goldberg

Sunny Chanel's marriage is circling the drain when her husband marks his colonoscopy on the calendar and ignores their anniversary.

With divorce papers instead of roses on the horizon, she says "au revoir" Paris and croissants, and "hello" cheap New Haven apartment and ramen noodles.

With the encouragement of her friends, Sunny jumps into online dating, twenty-three years and twenty pounds after her last date. To her surprise she discovers dating might require a helmet, and occasionally armor to protect her heart, but after years of being ignored, her adventurous side craves fun and conversation.

She’s middle-aged not dead. Then suddenly, on the way to reinventing herself, life takes a left turn when the one man she can't forget calls with an unexpected request.

Genres: Womens Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 26, 2020

About the author

Shirley Goldberg is a writer, novelist, and former ESL and French teacher who’s lived in Paris, Crete, and Casablanca. She writes about men and women of a certain age starting their lives and loves over. Her new books Hot Greek Summer and Wrong Wrong Right are coming March and May 2026.

Middle Ageish, Eat Your Heart Out, and A Little Bit of Lust are all part of the Starting Over trilogy. They're humorous/romantic women's romantic fiction with a dash of rom com for readers who enjoy the mature hero and heroine. And "mature" is not a synonym for stodgy. As Sunny Chanel says, "I'm middle-aged, not dead." https://www.amazon.com/Shirley-Goldbe...

But wait, there's more! Middle Ageish, Shirley's take on starting over and dating in your middle ages has been revised and has a new cover––grab it everywhere.

Shirley's friends like to guess which stories from the novel are true. 

Shirley's website http://shirleygoldberg.com offers a humorous look at living single, cultivating men friends and dating later in life. .

Tune in and get ideas for your next read and links to book freebies and deals in Shirley's newsletter. Grab 'em whilst they're hot!

Shirley's characters believe you should never leave home without your sense of humor and she agrees.

Reviews

[Shelby *trains flying monkeys* · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Sunny's husband forgot their anniversary. He just can't seem to muster up any joy for their marriage anymore. Then comes the dreaded 'talk' where he just wants to separate. Sunny packs up her stuff from Paris and moves back to the US. Leaving her friends and everything behind.

Once back in America Sunny has to start over. She is living with a group of co-ed's and returning to school. Her and a friend decide to have a little contest about who can date at least 25 dudes from the internet.


We get to go on that journey with Sunny. I LOVE this part. I did the internet dating thing years and years ago and I met some weird asses. One of them took me to lunch and proceeded to tell me how his mom loved him WAYYYY too much. I had the waitress help me sneak out.


It was a pretty fun read. I liked Sunny. She is around my age so I could kinda relate to her but one thing is GIRLFRIEND!! Do not meet these guys at the drop of the hat wherever. There is some strange people on the internets. (Nevermind that I met my husband there)


Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.

[Yolanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a highly entertaining, laugh out loud, well written read. Not a book I would normally pick up, however having won it I decided to give it a try and am glad I did. The descriptions and dialogue are so well done that I felt I was right there with the characters. I am certainly happy I have been happily married for 47 years as I would not want to go through what single women go through if this is any example! Lol! Well done Ms Goldberg...A very entertaining story that I am more than happy to highly recommend to anyone who wants to have a good laugh and be totally entertained.

[Jean Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

On the heels of leaving a long, lacking marriage, Sunny and her friend decide why not jump into the deep end of dating and find some luster...with a pact to date 24 guys in 6 months, via online dating. This is a roller-coaster ride of starting over at age 50, including moving back home to the USA from Paris, finishing school, finding a job, finding a home that does not include half-her-age roommates, and of course testing the dating waters. From catfish to marlin, Sunny dates a variety of men--some potential keepers, some "what was I thinking?" fellas. Sunny is smart, witty, and easy-going. This was a fun read that I would put into the Rom-Com meets Women's Fiction market, because though there are some lighthearted parts, Sunny is numbed and a bit lost after years of withering marriage. When Sunny reaches a breakthrough and we can feel the depth of her losses and frustrations at starting over in middle-age, I find myself cheering for her to find her happily ever after. Good prose and dialogue, vivid setting and sense of place, and easy pace to keep you turning pages. Great debut from Shirley Goldberg and I look forward to reading more from her.

[Helen E · Rating 5 out of 5]

As I began “Middleagish” I thought "I 'm not sure this book is for me.  I've been married for fifty years."  I quickly changed my mind. It is a fun and funny book about the relationships of a middle age single woman and on-line dating.

The author’s descriptions of these experiences are priceless and very descriptive. It’s about taking risks, second chances, and starting over after divorce. I felt like I was there overlooking the situation. She explores feelings that are easy to relate to.

Anyone who is middle aged and single will be able to relate to the book. Anyone who is married will be entertained and glad they are done with dating.. It's a fast read and I recommend it to anyone looking for a reason to laugh. I loved the book.  

[Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is brilliant! It is so much fun to read and feel the main character come to life, after such a life changing moment. With middle age looming and everything being pulled out from under her, she finds a way, with the help of friends, to come back stronger and happier. I have loved her journey, through the laughs and the hard times, as it is written so real and fun.

The pace is excellent and very real. It makes it easy to truly feel the story come to life. I found it so easy to read and I couldn’t put the book down!

Overall, this is a brilliant read and definitely one to grab, especially with times being a little dark, as it will give you hope and happiness. I highly recommend this book!

[James Hanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I’ll look to like if looking liking move.” This quote from Romeo and Juliet resonates in Shirley Goldberg’s Middleagish. It is the story of Sunny Chanel, a fifty-year-old woman who leaves a dead-end marriage in Paris to seek true love and independence in New Haven. In her quest for love, she agrees with her friend, Dana, that each of them will date twenty-five men. Dana abandons the agreement when she finds true love on her first try, but Sunny ventures on, dating a parade of men who end up disappointing her. One lacks passion, another is a sex fiend, and another is unable to commit. Eventually, one gets the impression that Sunny is trying to catch a trout in a herring barrel. Will Sunny ever snag Mister Right? This question seems secondary to the touching optimism with which she pursues her dream. And so it is the chase, not the capture, that best defines her. Brimming with humor, vitality and wit, this book rates an easy five stars.

James Hanna, author of The Siege, Call Me Pomeroy, A Second Less Capable Head.

[Kath · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Ageish by Shirley Goldberg is a fun look at dating (especially on-line) for those who are a little more seasoned. I'm not quite yet at the same age as the main character, although I have gone through similar experiences in the "dating game". Shirley Goldberg puts an interesting view and quirky comedic value to her observations. Its nice to have a book where you're left wondering for more than half the story as to which "hero" will be the one.

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

[R.W. Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guy with a gherkin

I don't usually read romances with only one point of view, but I'm so glad I did. Sunny splits with her husband which liberates her, to explore online dating. She goes for the record in this hilarious romp. Meet the guy with a gherkin and you won't be able to get this story out of your head.

[Ally Swanson · Rating 5 out of 5]

---4.5 Stars---

This book was such a fun, exciting, entertaining, light-hearted read!!!

This book is about Sunny, who is starting a new life. After years of being ignored and discounted, she is divorcing her husband of 23 years and leaving Paris to move to the States. The sky’s the limit for Sunny for she is ready to get back to living her best life. Reconnecting with her gal pals encourages her to get back into the dating world and try online dating. But what follows leaves little hope for the dating scene as some of the craziest, silliest, weirdest, and just uhhhhh??? guys come out of the woodwork. They can’t all seriously be this bad, can they?!?! Sunny continues to work on rebuilding her new life and tries to believe that the right guy will come along when it’s meant to happen. But as time lingers on and loneliness feels even more deafening, she can’t help but wonder if she’s meant to be alone forever. However, someone unexpected is about to venture into her life and perhaps Sunny will finally get her muchly deserved HEA!!!

I really enjoyed every page of this book and even look forward to reading it again in the future – which is not something I do very often. As well as planning to send a copy to my mom, my best friend, for her to love too!!

This cleverly written story has many LOL moments that left this reader glad she was reading this book home alone so no one gave her weird stares when she couldn’t stop laughing lol!!

I thoroughly enjoyed the entertainingly witty banter and the crazy mishaps that find Sunny and her friends!! There is so much humor found all over the pages that will be sure to bring a smile, a laugh, and an enticement for more!!

I really liked Sunny!!! She was smart, compassionate, caring, kindhearted, determined, driven, passionate, and thoughtful. Sunny is ready to start the next chapter of her life, as a divorcee after getting out of a hapless marriage of 23 years. I was proud of her bravery to get out of her tired marriage, to want to have a better life, and to work towards making her dreams come true. It was inspiring and motivating to see her accomplish so much!!

One of the best parts of this book was seeing all these silly, ridiculous guys that came across the dating market that really made dating life seem even more hopeless lol… I certainly remember those days… Not exactly the same as Sunny, as I am not a divorcee, or dating in the same age pool as her, but guys are guys, so it's pretty much close enough to the same lol… Plus, I've watched my mom, a divorcee, try getting back into the dating world and she hated it. So, I definitely commend anyone who can push themselves to try to get back out there. Love and life don't have to end at divorce (or a failed marriage) and Sunny does a great job of showing us that!!

I loved the deep-rooted themes in this book such as the second chances, new beginnings, starting over, rebuilding, etc. I strongly believe in second chances and even more so in starting over. So many people get tunnel vision of things being a certain way and once they're not they don't know what to do or if anything can be done and they just get stuck. Starting over and rebuilding - especially from scratch is not easy, but as someone who has had to go through it many times (long story) it is not only important, it can be the best thing for you!!

There are some predictable scenes. However, there are still a few unexpected twists and turns that you won’t see coming!

At this time, it does not seem like this book is part of a book series. This book can be read as a standalone.

All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book and would absolutely recommend it! I think all romantic women’s fiction readers and romance fans will like this book too! So, add it to your TBR List and get to reading - you won't be disappointed!

**Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book and have voluntarily provided an honest, and unbiased review in accordance with FTC regulations.**

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Star
I did enjoy this book and loved seeing the adventures Sunny went on, although there were times I found some of the things Sunny did/said/thought that just didn't seem to fit with the history we knew of her or to be honest her age of fifty. In saying that it was a good read with plenty of humor, obstacles, frustrations, new friends and many a date as we watched Sunny find her new self after her marriage drifts apart and she moves back home.

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

[N.N. Heaven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sunny Chanel's marriage is crumbling down around her shoulders and the last straw is her husband forgetting their anniversary. She calls it quits and leaves Paris for New Haven. She finds a cheap room to rent and decides to complete her degree. Her husband promises to take care of her financially but when her bank accounts dwindle down to nothing, she seeks a divorce lawyer's advice. With the nudging of her friends, she dives into online dating. Dating is more like negotiating world treaties than fun. Her friends encourage her to keep trying and to write down her experiences. The more dates she goes on, Sunny wonders if finding love is worth all the humiliation. Will Sunny be able to navigate her new life as a divorcee or will she be single forever?

Middle Ageish is a compelling look at seasoned dating and all the pitfalls that happen. Shirley Goldberg creates a modern-day Bridget Jones heroine who finds life a little too overwhelming. Sunny does have an overall positive attitude which carries the plot. The plot, on the other hand, confused me. The beginning was emotional and moved at a good pace but when it reached the middle of the story, it slowed to a crawl. Even the characters stagnated. The ending was a little surprising and not what I expected. I'm not 100% sure what the point of this book is. My honest opinion is it would've worked better as a nonfiction dating book. Fans of Cadance Bushnell, Helen Fielding and Sophia Kinsella will love this romantic women's fiction.

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in the hopes I'd review it.

My Rating: 4 stars

[Teresa Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

When your husband marks the date for his colonoscopy, but not your anniversary -- that's not a good sign. So, Sunny Chanel leaves her life in Paris and heads back home to New Haven to start over. She enrolls in school to finish her teaching certificate, starts looking for substitute teaching jobs, lives in a house with roommates, and investigates on-line dating. This is a fun ride with Sunny and her adventures in middle-age-ish online flirting, texting, meetups, and dates. Along the way, she finds a new invention of herself and maybe Mr. Right or at least Mr. Right now. Goldberg's Sunny is amusing, brave, and anyone who's been through a divorce can relate to her feelings of self-doubt and confusion in a new world of dating when its been 'twenty-three years and twenty pounds' since your last date.

Think Middle-Age-ish Sex in the City - with internet dating..... A fun read.

[Bev · Rating 4 out of 5]

Living happily is the best revenge
This story is a great romantic comedy about Sunny Chanel (such a cheerful name). She was married to Laurent (who is half British and half French), and living in Paris (lucky girl). Her husband had shown little interest in her or their marriage. On their 23rd wedding anniversary, Laurent asked Sunny for a separation. And she immediately started making plans to move back to the States.
The plan is for Sunny to move back to Connecticut with her parents and complete her studies. However, she discovers her parents are moving interstate to Arizona to live closer to her sister. So this will call for a slight change of plans for her.
Sunny struggles financially as Laurent is slow to give her the money she needs and is owed. But she has the support of two very good friends Isabel and Dana. Her and Dana decide to try online dating, and make a pact of sorts. Sunny has a terribly first online meet, but perseveres.
There are ups and downs with each man she interacts with (and those interactions are at vastly varying levels too), and each one teachers her something about herself – as do the therapy sessions with Magda she ends up having too. She’s learning as she goes. It’s emotional but very entertaining.
From the first date she had with Luke, I could feel there was something special about him. I liked the way he described the wine as “a mellifluous funky flavour, redolent of the vineyards of Sicily”. Sunny also found it endearing and memorable. I really can’t put my finger on it, but there was just something about him. Maybe it’s his commitment, charm, perseverance, honesty and way he kisses and touches her? As Isabel said, Luke really IS besotted! It’s a beautiful thing.
I imagine it takes real guts to put yourself out there, especially in the realm of online dating these days. I fully applaud her efforts of getting out there and trying to gain some clarity, risking her heart, and growing her (dare I say it?)… resilience ;)
The only disappointing part of the book was that it ended! I was nowhere near ready to say goodbye to these wonderful characters! I would like to know (no, actually I NEED to know) how the trip to Paris goes, how the meeting of Luke and her friends and her ex-husband goes, and details on the hotel they stay in with Pluto. I can only imagine how this would all pan out, as my mind and heart wonder through the streets of Paris, one of my favourite cities in the world.
I cannot WAIT to read more books written by this author! I give this wonderful book four and a half loving stars. And to finish off… “Le plaisir de l’amour est en aimant” – GREAT quote!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Teri Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this book and I feel like Sunny Chanel is my good friend! She's looking for what we all want--someone who's genuinely interested in us. And she's left a cold marriage to see what the world has to offer--at 50 years old! We get to go along for her rollercoaster ride as she follows her heart through the online dating scene. With angst and humor in equal measure, and plenty of life observations that go straight to the heart, this superbly written romp had me turning the pages to see who would win Sunny over. A fun, sweet read.

[KL Cassanello · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny's husband announces that he wants a separation on the morning of their 23rd wedding anniversary. Knowing where this is headed, and having been in denial of their growing apart, she leaves Paris, moves back to Connecticut, and heads back to school for teaching certification. She and Dana, her study partner who's also newly divorced, they dip their toes into the world of online dating, making an agreement to date 25 men in the next six months. This was a wonderful book to read, fun and witty. It's a bit long-ish, but it moves right along, never dragging. I was actually glad to see Sunny leave Laurent and begin a new life. That she goes through so many changes in such a short period of time is a testament to her strength, resilience and sense of humor. It's quite an interesting group of men she ends up dating. And by interesting, I mean that some of them are interesting in a good way, but many of them are interesting in that "omg what was I thinking" way. I love Isabel, such a great friend who tells it like it is, and gives Sunny a swift kick in the rear when she needs it the most.

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

[Charlotte O'Shay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buckle up for a wild ride. Middle-age-ish is a rom-com romp of middle age dating complete with all the swipes, texts, and angst you could ever desire.
Sunny Chanel, I love that name, wants more than a tiny distracted slice of her husband’s time. When she finally has enough of Laurent’s inattention, on their wedding anniversary no less, she decides it’s time for a change. The soon-to-be divorcee ditches her French husband and his perfect, family-owned Parisian apartment in favor of returning home to Connecticut. She’ll start over after 23 years of marriage. She aims to find a substitute teaching position in the states as she was an ESL teacher in France.
The fun begins when she decides (with the help of her remarried bestie Isabella) to enter the shark infested waters of the dating pool once again.
What sets this story apart is Ms. Goldberg’s superlative writing. The dialogue is spot on and the glorious food descriptions so real you can taste the scallions in the cream cheese. Ms. Goldberg goes for the laugh most of the time but the reader can still feel Sunny’s real anguish as she seeks a new life, finding a (shoddy) apartment with much younger roommates and gains the teaching credits she needs to work in the states.
Then there are the dudes and the dates. I will leave you to enjoy the vignettes of the men Sunny dates in her quest to begin again before finding a hopeful new beginning and a well-deserved HEA.

Recommended for all with a sense of humor and a zest for life.

[Niki Skopelos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sunny Chanel appears to have it all. A handsome French husband Laurent, a beautiful home in a coveted area of Paris, a great job and plenty of friends. But in her heart, she knows that all isn't as rosy as it seems. She's tired of the way Laurent has grown so cold and uncaring, even forgetting their 23rd wedding anniversary. So she's only mildly surprised when he tells her that they should spend some time apart for a while. He would like to reassess his life.

Sunny decides to move back to her parents' home in Connecticut and start a new life. But when she' calls her parents to give them the news, they excitedly tell her that they sold the house and are moving to Florida. They are tired of the cold winters.

Undaunted, she moves back and leases an apartment with three other girls who are looking for a roommate. And she goes back to school, hoping to become a certified French language teacher. Both of those changes in themselves are challenging for any age, but especially for 50-something Sunny.

With her friend Isabelle's encouragement, she decides to try online dating. Goldberg does an excellent job of putting us in Sunny's shoes and giving us a taste of dating in the 50s. And as the old adage goes, you need to kiss many frogs before you find your prince. So Sunny dates all types of men, many of them having their own baggage. But through those experiences she grows and becomes a better version of herself. Then one of the first men she dated comes back into her life, after ghosting her for months after their first date. They immediately have the same connection, but Sunny fears he will disappear again.

This is an entertaining book that had me thinking about life in the 50s. We think we will have it all figured out and settled by the time we're in our 50s. We think we will be confident and self assured, but this book shows that even in middle age, we are hardly settled and we certainly have more to learn about ourselves and our lives. I think this is a great book, especially for anyone in their 50s who is wondering if there is more to life.

Thank you to Netgalley and The Wild Rose Press for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an unbiased review.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunny’s adventures with dating after divorcing her husband of 20 some years is a sweet, funny look at the perils of starting over and finding love again. Each time Sunny went on a date, I couldn’t wait to see if it would turn out to be a quirky encounter that would have me laughing or one that would have me wincing and telling her to run the other way. This book had so many feels and was written to make you laugh and cry along with the characters.

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

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story! It was such a relief to read about another aspect of life, rather than just the handsome alpha billionaire and the beautiful, gutsy but poor female lead. Shirley tackled another topic. Divorce and the middle-aged woman. The loneliness, insecurity, uncertainty of life at that age and the struggle, the determination and finding your way out of depression and the unknown. The story is about Sonny, who after more than 20 years of marriage finds herself, alone, underqualified without a clear direction. Having to get used to that there is no ''we'' anymore and the decisions you make will not be for a unit but for yourself alone. She returns to America from Paris and has to find her own feet. As a bet, she begins internet dating and develops something akin to a crush on a couple of men and writes a diary about her disastrous dates. One, in particular, Luke, threw her confidence back when after a great first date Luke ghosted her for several months. I found the book such a page-turner, a very interesting topic which in my opinion is grossly under-represented by authors. Finding a life partner is hard even when you are young, beautiful and full of vitality. Try to imagine how hard it is when you are middle-aged! All is not lost for Sonny and Luke though and the reader gets an HEA as you can't help but root for them. The novel was very well written, the story flows effortlessly and was well edited. I highly recommend this book with an unusual storyline, I'm sure many will emphasize with the characters.

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

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story of leaving the past and starting over with your life. Sunny leaves her marriage behind and decided to date multiple men to find the one for her. Will she end up finding herself after all this time or just a bunch of disappointments? Cute and funny story of staring over

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

[Leslie Will · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Agish was a great read with a wonderful, and flawed, heroine! Lots of fun, interesting characters, and more about online dating than I ever thought I would know! The author immediately put me into the story and I kept turning the pages wanting to find out more about this interesting middle aged woman who is going forward in life while remembering all the good things she learned in getting to be middle ageish. A sparkling debut I received an ARC copy of the book and am posting an honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A starting over rom com. There’s some humor in the situations that Sunny finds herself but you also sense the struggle she feels in starting over and being back out in the dating scene. A good read look forward to more from this author. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Romana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a refreshing read. I like the age group Shirley writes about some very funny moments that Sunny has along the way. Definitely and easy light read.

[Mid-LifeGoddessBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Middle Age-ish is a sweet and funny trip thru the crazy that is midlife on-line dating – what could go wrong? Our practical middle age heroine Sunny ends a 23 year marriage and life in Paris in the beginning few chapters and heads back to the states to start her newly single life. She takes on the adventure of an on-line dating warrior. I love that she has great girlfriends that add support and encouragement along with their on-line dating strategies. I was getting a more mature “Sex in the City” vibe with her friendships which was super fun for the midlife ladies.

Sunny agrees to a challenge of 25 meetups. Her co-challenger is a newly divorced girlfriend as well – who ends up with a first meet winner. Sunny’s various dates are categorized and summed up in numbers. “You’ve reduced your meets to numbers?” “What’s the point in names? I’m not seeing any of these guys again, and you just get confused.” There are a few of these guys that we get to know: Frank, Donald, Noah, and Luke all have various meetup connections and relationship ups and downs.



We get a comical look at the dating obstacle course that is finding the perfect midlife connection. Sunny works thru her divorce, completion of her teaching degree and buying a new home all while navigating these dating difficulties. She falls for one guy and it ends badly – sending her to therapy on the advice of one of the early meetup candidates. Sunny eventually finds her “one” and comfortably settles down with her happily ever after.

This book starts off a little “stiff” in terms of Sunny and her ex’s sudden separation. It almost turned me off from the book – but hang in there! I am so glad that I continued reading to finish the story. After having completed the book – I appreciate that we did not get dragged thru a nasty divorce and Ms. Goldberg spent more time on all the hi-jinks of midlife dating apps. Middle Ageish is an entertaining romantic comedy with lots of charm and lovely characters that we need in our midlife world.

I received a free copy of this book from the author thru Netgalley in return for an honest review.

[Jamie Bee · Rating 1 out of 5]

Didn’t Work For Me

I so wanted to like this book. As soon as I read the book's description, I thought I would find it to be a fun chick-lit tale about a woman now divorcing and dating again in middle age. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I hoped. For one thing, it so bothered me how she kept obsessing about her excess 10 pounds. With all that women have to do in their lives and with all the value we offer to the world and those around us, is that what we must focus on or shame ourselves about? Aren't we, or shouldn't we, be beyond that? Especially in fiction, which is not an inherently visual medium except what we imagined within our own minds' eyes. Can't a woman just be normal sized and be okay with it? As someone who went through a midlife divorce like the character, I did not think that part of it rang true. First, I wanted to see more about what his issue was with their marriage and their combined issues. I felt like the author just glossed over this, and what the husband said was ridiculous. He was a cardboard character. For all the author showed with the husband in Paris, she just should have started with the heroine’s new life in the States. If the Paris scenes are a part of the setup, then it should be important to the heroine's character and plot as the story progresses. Otherwise, they are superfluous. Second, the way she acted with the whole dating things just didn’t sit right with me. Finally, the author tried too hard at humor, particularly in dialogue, but for me, it fell flat. I found myself more annoyed with this book than enjoying it.

I received a free copy of this book, but that did not affect my review.

[Shuhada Ramli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Middle Ageish
Author: Shirley Goldberg
Rating: 5 stars

Middle Ageish is a so-called "starting over" to a new living for a broken-hearted wife who bravely divorcing her husband and taking a new step to finding her happiness. She made her decision after a long time ignored by the husband and when she feels like the marriage is not worth trying anymore. All I could say is, this is a relatable story and I can feel how frustrating life is for Sunny to live with her selfish husband. She made a wise decision to leave the unhappy life that she had with Laurent. The story did not focus on the previous marriage but it is about Sunny's new life.

Being divorced is not easy. What made it easier is when you have strong support around you - either family or friends. Sunny was so lucky when her friends pushed her over to experience with new life. Date while you can until she meets the right person.

What I like about the story is Sunny is not teaching me about men. It's about letting go and move on. In one of my highlights, I love this paragraph. It said, " It's was never about men. It's about letting go. You need to let go. Forgive yourself for whatever it is you think you should have done better from your ex-husband to what's his name? Billy? Jose? It doesn't matter. Forgive yourself and move on." Life is beautiful when you let go of your past and move on.

Another thing that made me had great chemistry with this book is the slow and steady pace of the emotion. Whenever I read it, I didn't feel sad or mad. I feel like I am going through the journey with Sunny. The author made me feel like I am inside the book and see through everything. I feel happy when Sunny enjoy her day sad when Sunny was hurt.

It's an awesome second chance of getting the happiness that you want. It is never too late to find happiness.

The dislikes? Nah... I enjoyed it too much til I couldn't find one part to feel disliking the story. It's fun, entertaining, funny sometimes, and I enjoy reading this so much. I rate this book as 5 out of 5. Our opinion may vary, you have yours and, I have mine!

Thank you, NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

#ReadersofMalaysia #BookReview #Bookstagrammers #BooksofInstagram #Humor #Romance #WomensFiction

[Anastasia Abboud · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful book! Sunny, the main character, is endearing. You want to root for her, hug her, be her friend. Her journey is hard -- she’s put to the test time and time again – but she never gives up. Middle Ageish is heartwarming, funny, and a little heartbreaking at times. It feels real, and that’s exactly what makes it a pleasure to read. Despite the ups and downs (so many), Sunny is determined to start over. She stays true to that goal no matter what happens. She’s not a superhero. She makes mistakes. But she learns to forgive herself and others. She’s tough yet vulnerable, hurt but hopeful, and while she struggles with anger and bitterness, she does not let them win.

She earns/deserves every good thing that happens to her.

I enjoyed the story and the characters. Thank you, Shirley Goldberg!

[Librarian Judith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fun book that I stayed up way too late reading! Sunny's husband asks for a separation, and Sunny insteads opts to move back to the US from Paris, asks for a divorce, and starts her life over with the help of friends and an intenet dating site.

What follows is a fun trip with Sunny as she tries to work her way through dating 25 men on a contest with her best friend. And, boy, does she meet some doozies!

There are some laugh-out-loud moments and a lot of head shaking at the guys she meets along her journey, as well as be with her on her journey of finding out who she is without her husband.

4 stars and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

[Kirstie Barr · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divorcee over 50 trying to navigate newly single life, a move from Paris, finding a new job & a house!

Witty & touching. Shows how the world of dating has evolved now that everything seems to be about online dating. Some of Sunny’s ‘meets’ were hilarious! The guy throwing the mushroom though 😂 Some of them seemed like they had real potential then were a total let down.

Glad she found her way into teaching again, found her dream house & a few new friends along the way. Her and Luke were adorable 🥰

Really enjoyed this book.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A look at love and starting over when you're middle age-ish...

When Laurent, her husband of twenty-something years asks for a separation on their anniversary, Sunny Chanel packs her belongings and returns to her roots, an apartment of her own and the friends she left behind when living in Paris.
I'll admit this one took a while to grab me, but once the hooks were in I was laughing, crying, and drinking along with Sunny and her (mis)adventures getting into the dating scene.
With ups, downs, and a few doozies in the dating mix this was an enjoyable rom-com ride.