Available: The unfiltered and empowering new memoir for women about sex, dating and divorce after 40

by Laura Friedman Williams

If you’d told 46-year old Laura Friedman Williams that in a few years she’d be having some of the best sex of her life with men who were not her husband, she’d have laughed in your face.

She was a happily married stay-at-home mother with three children and plans to grow old with her husband. Sure, their sex had become a little formulaic, and yes, their life together mostly revolved around their kids, but whose doesn’t?

Then came the shocking, utterly clichéd discovery of his affair.

Five months of emotional turmoil later, Laura found herself single for the first time in 27 years and with two choices: to eke out her existence, or reinvent herself. A little encouragement from her friends and one astonishing one-night stand later, she realised that she had a sexual appetite she’d never explored, and that being a mother didn’t mean she had to ignore it. She could be independent, a good mother, and have a great sex life all at the same time… couldn’t she?

From G-spots to bald spots, dirty talk to dating fiascos, Available is the unflinchingly honest, empowering, and humorous true story of a life turned downside up.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Divorce, Self Help, Audiobook

432 pages, Paperback

First published June 10, 2021

Reviews

[Lula · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to read Available. I think it's such an important conversation to have. We don't really talk about sexuality post 40 years old and Available pitched itself as an honest and humorous portrayal of sex as a divorced and middle-aged woman.

There was a lot to like in this book. Laura is a frank and open narrator who is happy to share both the ups and downs of dating and sex, and seeing her come back to life after a traumatic and unexpected breakdown of her marriage was inspiring and affirming.

However at times, privilege seeped from Laura's words. I didn't enjoy the casual judgement of men based on their cheap furniture or living situations. It felt snooty and out of place and deflated the hopeful feeling of the book.

I found it difficult to connect to Laura. While she spoke candidly about desire, sex and emotions, at times it felt less authentic than I would have liked.

It's also interesting to note that most of the men feel very much like scenery. Their sole purpose is to further Laura's story and it can read as a little bit flat and self-indulgent at times.

I'm glad the book exists and will hopefully lead to more women feeling able to speak openly about sex, romance and relationships. But I hope it is handled in a more authentic and personal way than this memoir.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had me laughing out loud and cringing for Laura as she recalls the period in her life, after her divorce, when she discovered her dormant inner sex goddess by simply playing the field.

I absolutely adored how open she was about these encounters. The afternote includes a message by Laura, which states she was worried that maybe she'd been too open about this time in her life, but I don't think this is ever possible. Why shouldn't we be able to talk about sex freely?

The title clearly emphasises what this book is about, it makes it clear from the cover that there are obviously some explicit details throughout, however, there is perfect balance of openness without being too much. Laura also writes frankly about the serious side of "free love" such as the importance of safe sex, STD testing, and making sure her friends knew where she would be for the evening, for her personal safety. She also covers how she set her own boundaries as well as not ignoring red flags of potential partners. All of which equally paramount.

This is a book that I will be recommending, and will be no doubt be talking about for some time with my like-minded social circle. This isn't just about sex, this shouts empowerment, liberation and personal growth throughout!

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Collins UK, Harper Fiction, for the gifted digital edition of this book, in exchange for an honest review.

[Chrys · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, but I found it very frustrating. Maybe it's because I'm nearly 50 and long term single, but her success rate is unbelievable. She's either not written about the awful dates or she's just been incredibly lucky. She comes across as very privileged, both in terms of looks and finances, and the fact that she can orgasm at the drop of a hat!!
So it's definitely a case of hats off to her, I am in awe of the ease with which she approaches the world of dating and it's an entertaining read, but I think I'm a touch jealous.

[Christyan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am extremely sex positive and an advocate for women exploring and discovering themselves without shame, however this book is problematic and should be approached as a cautionary tail, if approached at all. It begins innocuously enough, relaying anecdotes of a woman's foray into navigating dating and sex after many years of marriage. I fought to ignore all of the signs of the author's privilege- numerous vacations, copious amounts of free time during the day due to her ability to be a stay-at-home mom, a newly decorated apartment in New York City as well as a country house. I found my thoughts straying to the vast majority of divorcing women who are working outside of the home, trying to usher their children through trauma, dealing with a bitter, possible vindictive and abusive, soon-to-be ex-husband, struggling financially, etc. But I decided not to hold that against the author, and just gave myself over to focusing on what interested me- How someone in their 40's coming out of a 27 year marriage navigates the new realities of dating after being out of practice for years. It's a completely different world now.

But the further I got into the book, I became increasingly unable to ignore the internalized misogyny of the author as she betrayed herself over and over again by allowing herself to be tricked, taken advantage of and bullied by the men that she was supposedly having light-hearted flings with. Two instances that stand out include a man who repeatedly demanded that she provide him with the name of the other man that she was seeing. I was appalled when she acquiesced to this completely inappropriate request. However the point at which I almost turned off the audiobook came near the end when she relayed the events of a "date" that she went on that should have included a trigger warning. She allowed herself to be lured back to a man's apartment as a repeatedly baited and switched her with one location after another as they went in search of coffee. Throughout the entire incident, she clearly relays that she was aware of what was happening, but chose to continue to play dumb and follow him until she finally ended up back at his house where she admits that she was afraid that he would rape her if she didn't agree to have sex with him. And, despite the disgust that she says that she felt from start to finish, she "consents" to intercourse not once, but twice before escaping his apartment.

The final betrayal of herself (and women in general) in each of these situations is how she handles communication with these men afterward. The content of the text messages she sends them is laughable and completely dishonest. She chooses to stroke their egos and fails to call them out on their predatory and dishonest behavior by saying things like, "I really enjoyed our time together, but I don't think that we have a future." WHAT? How about, "Your behavior was frightening and predatory. Don't ever contact me again." Pandering to men's egos by refusing to call them on their b.s. doesn't help any of us, sister.

So, while some people choose to see this as a triumphant tale of a woman taking back her power and living unapologetically, I just found it sad and disturbing. In one of the final chapters of the book, Friedman describes herself as "empowered" and "feminist." I think that she needs to re-examine her embodiment of both of these words before she can claim them. She tolerated way too much disrespect and set the bar incredibly low- to the point of endangering herself and others. I wouldn't be as critical, perhaps, if she hadn't made that claim. If she relayed these experiences as the fits and starts of "getting back out there" after marriage, so be it. But this is definitely not the series of triumphs that it's touted to be, and certainly not the work of a feminist.

[Sarah Faichney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura Friedman Williams is a GODDESS! In "Available" she beautifully articulates the myriad feelings surrounding betrayal and the break-up of a long-term relationship. Laura's account of her ensuing sexual encounters is relatable, empowering and life-affirming. I loved reading about her (sometimes hilarious) escapades. I particularly loved her wee, wise Mammy and all her sage advice. "Available" is realistic and uncensored, illustrating the ways in which Laura made the best of a bad situation. Now, she lives by her own rules and standards and AMEN TO THAT, SISTAH! Also, thank you for speaking out about cumbersome strapless bras!

[Helen Latto · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable insight into the life of Laura after she finds out that her husband of 27 years has cheated on her, they then split up whilst working their best to maintain a healthy relationship and family dynamic for their 3 children; Laura goes on a quest to find herself again. Laura's liberational tour is filled with amusing and insightful experiences as she gains more perspective about what she wants from life along the way.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been thinking about what to write in this review for 2 days now. I was sent this book as a gift and as I had just finished my previous read I decided to start straight away.

Reading a memoir about someone who has found out their husband has had an affair and their subsequent separation doesn't sound like a fun read but this was more about the author discovering herself after the event.

Part of me wasn't sure what to make of the book but then I'd find myself picking it up to read more and more. Escapism, I suppose. Much like how you'd watch reality TV to pass the time.

The author does say at the back of the book she hopes her children and parents don't read the book. Personally, I'd be hoping my kids' friends didn't read it... but that's just me!

As a divorcee with 3 children, I can say that the author's experience has been very, very different to mine. Personally I had younger children to nurture along with the need to work to pay bills.

An interesting romp of a read. Not for people who would be put off by graphic descriptions of sex.

[Molly Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

So many women are faced with suddenly finding themselves starting over in their late 40, early 50's but no one ever really write about that and when they do it is all about finding love again. In this what Laura finds is herself, he own sexual agency and prowess and eventually a realization that monogamy and goal orientated love is not what she is looking for. Along that way it details her dating triumphs and mishaps and shines a light of female sexual desire and reconciling the roles of a sexual woman and a Mother.

The writing is open and honest and often times very raw and VERY relatable. I too have done the, sleeping with a guy so you can get out there, scenario. It is not something men ever experience but it is a common story for many women. There are also some laugh out loud moments too, probably most notably the dogs! (I won't spoil it, you will have to read it)

If you are in your 40's or 50' and starting over, heading out dating and/or exploring open relationships then this is totally for you and if you are a younger woman, then read it too and be mindful. You never think you are going to be Laura or me but chances are many of you will be. Find you voice now. Be yourself now. Don't wait.

Definitely one of my top reads of 2021 and I am going to telling all my friends to buy this book.

[The Contented · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful

426 whole pages of absolute drivel.

Although she does have a story to tell, and that was the substance of the FT Review, there is nothing redeeming in her telling of it. Just awful.

I had to go back and bump up the score of another book I had rated one star, as this one was so bad. It belongs in a category all of its own

Could someone unpublish this?

PS. An honest, authentic telling of the breakdown of her marriage would have been sufficient. But pages and pages and pages of boredom later - it was all too much.

[Julia Beck · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book worth the listen. I would have missed so much of the nuance of Laura without her voice sharing her story, her adventure in the most intimate of ways. I wonder if it would be OK to send this as a welcome back gift to my many newly single friends? While I am not sure I agree (nor do I have to) with the path, I deeply appreciate her thinking and careful consideration of her herself, her expectations and her role in her own life story.

[Robert Schneider · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a middle-aged man who made a similar journey before eventually settling down and remarrying, I found Friedman's cerebral, witty, and sex-positive account both illuminating and immensely entertaining. She writes with the delight and intellectual curiosity of a libidinous extraterrestrial from an advanced civilization on a fact-finding mission to Planet Earth. This memoir is a triumph and I hope she follows it up with a second installment!

[Ellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved 🥰:
- a really raw & honest telling of dating life after a divorce
- loved the ethical non-monogamy that was discussed and experienced in the book
- some funny laugh out loud moments that made for an easy read

Drawbacks (for me personally)🤷🏻‍♀️:
- there were one or two moments I felt that Laura came off as cold which made me root for her a little less but overall not enough to find the story unlikeable

Range & Rep:
Non fiction memoir
Poly rep

[Olivia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Absolutely dreadful. I feel utterly sad for this woman and how pathetic she is. She reeks of desperation and her sense of entitlement throughout the book is a bit disgusting. I keep cringing at the thought of her poor, poor children reading this book. How could someone who claims they are such an amazing full time, stay at home mother do something so awful to her kids? Shameful…

[Penny · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am just going to say it, I hated this book. I don't know why I punished myself by insisting on finishing it once I had started.
I could not relate to or identify with anything about the author. She is hugely privileged but it's not only how she lives, it's also how she behaviours and thinks that are just mystifying to me?

[Lucy]

I love a memoir. I really do. In fact, I have a list of favourite memoirs you’re welcome to take your pick from if you click right here! When reading this type of non-fiction I spend most of my time oscillating between feeling giddy that I’m being given so much insight into someone’s life and cringing at the thought of ever putting myself out there to the same degree. With fiction you’re able to seamlessly blend reality and imagination to produce some kind of truth without the reader knowing quite how much of the actual you they’ve encountered. With memoir, so we assume, everything is as close to truth as it can be.

This is particularly relevant in Laura Friedman Williams’ Available because it’s about her rediscovering her sex life in the wake of her husband cheating on her, followed by their divorce. By this point Friedman Williams is in her forties and what seems to begin as a way to make herself feel a little better becomes a bona fide adventure in sex. It’s not until she begins telling her friends about her encounters that they encourage her to start writing everything down and then, later, to write a book. There’s a section right near the start where Friedman Williams describes talking to her mother about deciding whether or not to go ahead and write this book. She covers the potential embarrassment of sharing this information with the world, the fear that her kids or perhaps her father might pick it up for a read. In turn her mother, who she says she’d hoped would talk her out of the idea, persuades her to go ahead. There are moments while reading when I think Yeah, go girl! It’s fantastic to read about a woman - and the men she’s with - in her forties - and older - enjoying an exciting sex life. It’s great to read about a woman who feels like she’s given much of her life over to her husband and kids getting the opportunity to find what she enjoys again. But there are also moments where I cringe, where I realise I know more about her body and experiences than I do about many of my closest friends, that I’ve been given this information so freely. I also think it’s flagged up the more prudish side of my nature, the side that echoes (mostly) older generations’ opinions that this stuff should be private, that sex shouldn’t be pursued quite so aggressively, that hooking up with two men on the same day is outrageous. If anything though I quite liked that it was all at odds with my personal feelings, that I continually felt uncomfortable and was forced to confront that rather than giddily gliding along on her adventures.

This is a book about sex and dating after divorce, and although it delves pretty deeply into these, the author also shows us her relationship with her soon-to-be ex-husband as well as documenting the fall out of the break-up on their children. We see tears, tantrums, attempts to hang out as a ‘family unit’ at important events, therapy sessions, emergencies and the constant support of her group of female friends. All of this information is pertinent as what Friedman Williams is really trying to navigate is the intersection of being a mother and being a person in her own right. She claims she was perfectly happy in her marriage, that being a mother is her most important role and the life they’d built allowed her to always put that first. Post break up she feels guilt for wanting to explore these other facets of herself and I really felt for her, impressed at how tenaciously she worked to find a respectable balance.

OK so, the meaty part of this book is exactly what’s euphemistically suggested by the juicy peach emblazoned upon the front cover. There is sex, there is a lot of it and there’s quite a lot of detail. The men Friedman Williams sleeps with are mostly referred to by number (#1, #2 etc.) but we do usually also learn their names and a little about them. I’m not sure whether the numbering system is just to help us keep track of where we are in her sexual timeline or if it’s there to simplify the encounters that aren’t as successful as the others. It might even simply be a nod to the way in which her journey begins as a sort of challenge to herself. The appetite that the author has for sex, particularly as she approaches her first conquest, felt in many ways like the kind of libidinous drive we attribute more to men. Indeed, most of the partners she writes about also comment on it, either delighted by it or in fact a little put off, #5 tells her, ‘I was really surprised the first time we had sex by how quickly you moved. I was put off by it, if we’re being honest.’ Friedman Williams is ‘taken aback, seeing now that what I had thought was a sexy, bold play was interpreted by him as aggressive and unseemly’. Everyone, and women in particular, is raised with certain beliefs about sex, what’s appropriate, what’s dignified, what will make sometime value you as a person and not just a sex object. Many of the ways that Friedman Williams behaves after her divorce would fall into a camp more in line with #5’s opinion and yet why? Everyone is an adult, everyone appears to be getting what they want and having a good time! There’s one moment in the book however where I do question a decision she makes that feels more like something I might have tried when I was a teenager. Even while I respect her for sharing it truthfully, and even though again no-one seemed negatively impacted by it, I must admit I do feel some discomfort.

It’s worth noting that Friedman Williams seems to have an extremely high hit rate with her sexual encounters. If the dates she shares in the book are really the only ones she goes on then, more often than not, both she and the man are attracted enough to each other to have sex. And the sex, even when it’s disappointing, still seems to be pretty good! She orgasms without fail, the phrase ‘toe-curling’ is often used and everyone seems pretty satiated afterwards. It surprised me because I don’t think that’s the experience of most women. For a start, most women do not orgasm through penetration alone, first-time sexual encounters are not often feted for being earth-shatteringly, compatibly fantastic and if I was entering near-strangers’ homes I’m not sure I’d be as relaxed as she seems to be. I have to assume however that these genuinely are her (very delightful) experiences because, when something does go wrong, she’s just as honest about that. Her encounter with #2 seems almost entirely driven by her, with the man playing a hopeful but nervous role in a hook-up that is ultimately a bit of a mess. It’s the darker, more uncomfortable meeting with a man called Kevin who manipulates the date and behaves in an emotionally detached way that I thought she wrote about extremely well. In the middle of a streak of pleasant encounters, Friedman Williams ends up at the home of a man who instigates sex she doesn’t really want but has anyway. It’s a messy situation. In no way does he threaten her and she’s well aware that she entered his home out of choice. But the way he’s behaved up to this point also gives her pause to wonder quite how much he cares about how she feels or what she wants. ‘Sex’ she writes ‘has been purely fun and joyous and liberating and toe-curling and energizing and fulfilling and transcendent these past two months, but now the ugly side of it is lashing its forked tongue at me: asymmetry of power, physical vulnerability, fear, mistrust, revulsion.’ Thought I’m not pleased the author had this encounter, the reminder that sex and humans have the ability to hurt acts as a reminder of why her personal journey is, in many ways, extremely brave.

Many of the sex scenes could be right out of a romance novel and, though intriguing and voyeuristic, it feels strange to imagine meeting this woman and to know her so intimately. I was more intrigued by her experiences of dating when the initial burst of sexual experimentation waned and these relationships became more serious. In particular I was struck by Friedman Williams’ attempts to work out what she wanted from a relationship, now that marriage, financial stability or starting a family were no longer considerations. The realisation that she could redefine what she wanted was joyful to see and how she communicated this to the partner we leave her with at the end of the book felt novel, modern and true to herself.

Though the book is full of these moments where consideration is paid to all sides of a situation and complicated issues discussed and navigated clearly, the one aspect that let the writing down for me was the quality of the dialogue. If speech marks hadn’t been used I would often have missed the fact that we’d even moved into speech at all as the tone remained consistent throughout. By this I mean I heard Friedman Williams’ voice rather than that of whoever was speaking and felt no real change in language, grammar, tone or pace. I read a lot of fiction and scripts so I’m hyperaware of the power and joy of dialogue and love to hear whatever’s being said in that person’s unique voice. In a memoir however I don’t think this is a huge concern as, ultimately, the story is the author’s and everything that’s said or done is filtered through her perspective.

I’m not sure what made me pick Available up but I’m glad I did. It hooked me in right from a rather epic first scene and though my attention waned a little in the family-oriented chapters that focus on the discovery of her husband Michael’s affair and the beginning of the breakdown of the marriage itself, I really enjoyed Friedman Williams’ navigation of life after marriage. There’s a moment near the end of the book where she reflects on the life she’s rebuilt for herself and it made me stop and think. There’s a lack of any hugely dramatic struggle in her life, she’s fine financially, her children are mostly happy and healthy and for the most part her co-parenting relationship with her ex is good. It would be easy perhaps to dismiss her emotional struggle, the pain she feels at the destruction of the life she thought she’d have forever, when other women in her position would unlikely have the time she has had to re-discover herself. I think though that there are lessons to be learned from her single-minded focus, her ability to move forward and her willingness to lay herself bare so we can learn from her experiences. The woman at the end of the book is different to the broken-hearted soon-to-be divorcee at the start, and there’s something so impressive about how - to be a bit cliched - she really did make the best of a bad situation.

[Daisy Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Available is a candid and incredibly open insight into one woman's life post-affair marriage breakdown. Laura was married for 27 years, and believed her and Michael were happy. So when she discovered he was in love with another woman, her grief was all-consuming.

As a glimpse of light returned a few months later, she decided she could stay bitter and stuck. Or she could embrace the freedom and opportunities for exploration that her new life presented her with. She chose the latter. In meeting new men she awakens a side of herself that she describes as insatiable. She wants to be seen, to be desired and to be touched. She learns a lot about herself, and reconciles her dual roles as mother, and woman. Recognising that it is more than ok to take care of her own needs, as well as those of her children, is a fundamentally life changing moment.

Written with wit, with candour and with compassion, I think this is a memoir that will inspire and comfort anyone who has reached a crossroads in their life.

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a debut by Laura Friedman-Williams, as I was reading this book it felt like I was reading a friends journal and wanted to just keep going. This book is definitely R rated but reading the book description I knew that, none of the language felt gratuitous.

Amazon synopsis
When her 22-year-marriage suddenly ended, 47-year-old mother of three Laura expected life as she knew it to be over. What she hadn’t expected:
· An incredible one-night stand
· A new-found sexual appetite
· Ten men in eight months
· That there is plenty of fun to be had after 40
From G-spots to bald spots, dirty talk to dating fiascos, Available is the unflinchingly honest, empowering, and humorous true story of one woman’s love life after divorce.

[Precious Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Fatima · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not at all enriched by this. Perhaps some unnecessary validation.

[Tuba Khalid · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to read something with more profound and practical aspects instead of one’s sexcapades.

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laura thought she was happily married,she and her husband Michael had been married twenty seven years.a normal long marriage.Then one day her world fell apart he had been having an affair her marriage was over,Laura shares with us the new world of dating online never ending variety of available men.She shares her lively sexual life her sometimes hilarious encounters .
Laura is so open so honest it was a raw honest conversation with a bff.I really admire her honesty her desire to enjoy life after divorce.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I needed this book in my life. As a recently separated woman who has started dating the last few months this book was SO SO SO relatable. I laughed out loud and felt my heart swell up many times while listening to this book. It was great on audible. Highly recommend. Even if you aren’t separated yourself and don’t plan to be, I guarantee this book will make you smile and give you insight into how to support your divorced friends through dating.

[Rhian Eleri · Rating 4 out of 5]

It takes someone very ballsy to tell the world how they were cheated on by their husband of over 20years. Let alone tell the world what turns them on in the bedroom!
Laura tells us the very sexy truth (and sometimes messy and very un-sexy) about life as a woman in her late 40s, after marriage.

She was happy, sex with her husband was great. Family life was ticking on perfectly, until... Matthew was caught with his pants down.

This is when life for Laura started to turn.
Here was an encounter of her exploration of sex, her body, her needs.
Her use of 'numbers' as reference to her men was a statement in itself and I rather liked it! In fact, number 1 was my favorite, and the romantic in me wished he made a come back later in the book. But, if this was chick lit, he may well have! I kept having to remind myself that this was a very true story, right from the horses mouth.

I admire Laura's confidence, and bravery for sharing such an intimate part of her life. I find it amusing that my blog tour stop for this book is one day after my 8 year wedding anniversary. (For anyone wondering, it is a very fulfilling and happy marriage, but if things go wrong, I have this book for reference 😂)

[Helene Passy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐⭐️️
Sin rating: Clear ✅

A heart-throbbing mesmerising and uncensored story of dating in your 50s, not for the faint of heart.

After 27 years of marriage, author Laura Friedman Williams discovers her husband’s affair and finds herself at a crossroad: forgive him and move on, or reinvent herself. Following encouragements from her friends, she decides to start dating and discover a world she’d never explored before.

I devoured this book. Quite simply. In this difficult retelling of what dating looks like in your 50’s, Laura gets lost and finally finds herself again. It is not an easy or nice story to read and this search for an identity is paved with failures and deep wounds... But it’s also a beautiful tale of personal growth and empowerment.

Side note: I appreciate how this book makes a big emphasis on safe sex. Something so often ignored in books, yet so important!

[julianne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Laura Friedman Williams memoir Available is not for me.

I tried and tried to read it but I just wanted to cringe at the thought of her children reading it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Issa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such an anticipated read for me. I loved the idea of reading about this woman who following the demise of her marriage started to find herself again, for herself and not for a man. Not only that, but I just knew this book would be honest, upfront and funny.

And I was right! The chapter 'Never come between a Man & his Dog' had me absolutely creased with laughter.

Laura also has such a great way of conveying her emotion throughout this book. Early in the book, she makes a decision to get dressed up and go out alone, as I was reading, I could feel the anxiety she must have felt putting herself out there for the first time.

While the book is overall very sex positive, Laura touches on some more serious topics. In chapter "Number Four (and a half)" Laura talks about the time she slept with a man, not because she wanted to but because she didn't know how to get herself out of the situation. She talks about the shame she felt afterwards and her fear that if she declined, she would have been as seen as a "tease". She acknowledges that sex can sometimes be a double edged sword and I think this was such an important observation and I would imagine there are a lot of people who could relate to this experience.

The chapters jump between Laura's life as a newly single woman and her family life. It was a great mix and I thought they balanced really well.

I think this would be an amazing book club book (maybe not your average bookclub😂). Definitely a great read for anyone, everyone could get some enjoyment from this!

It's funny, heart warming, upfront & honest. Such an enjoyable read. Reading this feels like your talking with a friend.

4 stars!⭐

Thanks to instabook to tours, Laura Friedman Williams & Borough Press for a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mikel Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think this book is just about lots of casual sex after learning your spouse is having a long-time affair, you're wrong. It's much deeper than that.

The book is really about trying to adjust after a life-changing experience in marriage. It's informative, and sometimes it's tragic. It's witty, and sometimes it's funny. Overall, it's an enjoyable debut book written by a highly-skilled first-time author.

It's almost a case study in coping with the shock and pain of learning that your spouse has been cheating on you for a long time, has fallen in love with someone else, and wants out of the marriage. The impact can rip a family apart and leave deep wounds with ugly scars. The author's struggle to cope with the daily responsibility of raising three children is full of tension. Her ensuing divorce probably resonates with anyone in a similar situation, regardless of gender. It did with me.

Yeah, the author tells almost everything about her sexual encounters, identifying her many lovers by numbers rather than using names. Sometimes, sharing the encounters revealed almost too much information (TMI) for me, but they were always entertaining and intriguing. Truthfully, I had no idea so many people had so many different personal (quirky?) preferences about having sex.

Disclosure: Laura Friedman Williams is one of my writer connections on LinkedIn, and I bought the Kindle version during a 99-cent price discount promotion. We follow each other on Medium, where she posts articles with follow-up insights about how she is recovering after her divorce ended 27 years of marriage. You can see her articles at https://laurafriedmanwilliams.medium....

[Silvi · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖 Available 🖋 Laura Friedman Williams
Laura is a woman whose peaceful and happy life has been swept away by the tornado of reality. Coming out of the eye of the storm she finds pain, loneliness, anger, rage, accusations, but also a lot of support, happy moments and love ...
After 27 years with the man of her life, she discovers that she is not the only woman in his. When she finds out about her husband's extramarital affair, she feels used, rejected and with a broken family.
But a divorce can't cut and dislocate what has connected them for so many years - like 3 children, two homes, friends, even a shared Netflix profile ...
Laura is desperate, feeling hopeless, but she also has the courage to move on instead of drowning in tears because she realizes that divorce is a terribly painful end, but it is also a new beginning ...
This is a biographical book of an ordinary woman, whose story can happen to anyone, because no one is insured against the potential breakup of the family ...
Despite the provocative cover, the book is neither vulgar nor particularly erotic, on the contrary, it is spicy, funny and real, written with Laura's memoirs about her new life as a free woman ...
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Favorite quote:
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I've always been too worried about how I would look in the eyes of others, even if they were unlikely to meet me again, but it was at this point that it occurred to me that I should worry less and live my life; I should care about how I see myself in my own eyes, not how people who don't even know my name see me.
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[Lea McKenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of [Available] by Laura Friedman Williams in return for an honest review. The book is a memoir of the author who, after 27 years together, discovered that her husband was having an affair. Laura decides that her life had become predictable and boring, so she determines that the next portion of her life will be more adventurous. To that end, she signs onto some social media dating sites and sets out to meet men and have sex. These portions of the book tend to be very clinical and lack emotion, but since it is an experiment for her, maybe that is to be expected. Because Laura is still the custodial parent for her three children, it is interesting as she tries to find a balance between her needs and those of her children. Probably that, more than the sex scenes, was the most unsettling part of the book because it was an aspect of divorced/separated life that I had not considered in detail. The other aspect of the book that I found remarkable was the candidness with which the author relates her escapades. I got the feeling she was definitely truthful, maybe just not very emotional as she related her story and observations. The book held my interest, and definitely made me think more deeply about the woman making major life changes in the middle of her life.

[Kira Bingemann · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was interesting to read Williams' story of sudden divorce and her many sex-capades that followed. I think for women who've been through or are facing divorce and still have kids to care for could benefit from hearing how other women have forged ahead both as mothers and newly-single women who thought they would never date again. However, I am not sure that her story is SO unique that it merited a published account, and there are many dialogues and details that seemed mundane and unnecessary.

I also had mixed feelings about the very graphic accounts of every single sexual encounter that she had. Some were definitely more worth sharing than others! It's great to feel like we women in our 50s can still date and have a sex life; however, she made it seem awfully easy and fun and I think most women in her situation would have more pressing issues to focus on, namely money and facing the prospect of supporting oneself, paying for a divorce and keeping our families afloat. I had the impression that money was not an issue for her at all. That said, I admire her courage in telling literally her whole post-divorce story, as a divorcee with kids myself, and won't deny that I benefitted from hearing ALL about it.