Published By: Aria
Pages: 288
Released On: 31/08/2023
It’s never too late for one last adventure…
Constance Fitzgerald may be approaching 70, but she’s never been one for putting down roots. She’s spent her life untethered and free, but when she finds herself newly engaged and a soon-to-be grandmother, Constance is forced to accept it may be time – perhaps – to settle down. Until a chance encounter throws open a window to her past, and Constance decides to head to the Highlands to find an old friend…
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Aria for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I LOVED Kate’s previous book, The Second Chances Holiday Club, and so was super excited to receive a digital copy of her new book. And the fact that it has ‘The Golden Girls’ in the title makes me extremely happy, as I automatically assumed there would be a Rose, Dorothy, Blanche, and Sophia in it. Side note: The Golden Girls is one of the greatest sitcoms ever made.
I love how passionate and capable Kate Galley is at writing older characters. They rarely get their time in the spotlight but she continues to give it to them and in such a perfect way. They’re not secondary characters, they’re not characters to whom things happen. They grab life by the wotsits and do what they want to do. I was going to say they don’t just sit there with their knitting patterns, but that wouldn’t be quite true where this story is concerned – it’s not really a spoiler, but Connie does a lot of knitting.
It really is a beautiful story. Connie is a fabulous main character in so many ways, and the second main character of Alex does wonders working off of Connie. Together, they make for a really entertaining, warming, and inspirational story. There are a number of other characters, some of more importance than others, but for me, this is Connie and Alex’s story and that’s where my focus remains.
It is exactly what it says on the tin: it’s a road trip. The setting and the camper van become as much of the story as the plot and the characters. The trip takes in everywhere from Inverness down, and it’s just so lovely, and I can really see the appeal of just taking to the open road, ending up where you end up.
I know there’s only been two books so far, but Kate has very quickly become one of my go-to authors for happy, warming, cosy and very real stories. It is very real, the characters are flawed, they all have their pasts and their secrets, relationships are fraught, and friendships are tested, just like in life, nothing is ever perfect.
It isn’t 100% happiness though. In order to see the sunshine, we need to get through the rain. And Kate has done that here. There is a lot of rain in this book, and this sometimes means Connie is not the happiest main character you could have. But that then makes the happier moments even better.
I read it in less than 24 hours. It flows so well and it is just seamless to read. When it comes out I will be buying copies for friends of all ages. It is more than jut a fun road trip novel of two old friends. It has got so much more depth than that. It may focus on people in their later years, but I think it’s a universal story of lost love, friendships, passions, and joy.
Books By Your Bedside 