Book Review: The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club by Freya Kennedy

I’m very excited to be welcoming Freya Kennedy to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her novel, The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club.

Becca Burnside isn’t sure where it all went wrong. How did she end up single in her forties, with the highlight of her weekend being a trip to Big Asda with her mum and the only chance of cuddles coming from her dog?

It’s fair to say that Becca’s life isn’t quite where she’d hoped it would be. She already knew that, deep down, but when she finds the time capsule she and her friends made as teenagers and remembers the hopes and dreams sixteen-year-old Becki (with an i) had for the future, she knows she has to do something, and fast.

Refusing to be controlled by her hot flushes and Unexplained Waves of Sadness, Becca is determined to turn things around – for Becki’s sake. But what will it take to prove there’s life in the old girl yet?

*****

Now in her forties, Becca is wondering how the most exciting thing in her life has become a trip to ASDA. After finding a time capsule and a letter from her 16 year-old self, Becca is determined to improve her life, hot flushes and menopause be damned.

Having been a big fan of this author’s psychological thrillers (where she writes as Claire Allan,) and The Hopes and Dreams of Libby Quinn, I was excited to be invited onto the blog tour for The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club,

First, I want to show some appreciation for the title. I love it. Haha.

I adored the premise of this book. This story had me feeling sad one moment and laughing out loud the next – there was a conversation between mother and daughter that was brilliant.

The plot unfolded well with plenty of surprises. I think we can all say that, at some point, we’ve sat back and assessed our lives and maybe found it wanting. It also had me wondering what my sixteen year-old self would have to say about current me. The mind boggles. Haha.

All the characters in this were great. Becca, Niamh and Laura each bring something different to the narrative. The themes include grief, aging and fractured friendships and all are handled well. The style of writing pulls you in until you can’t put it down.

This novel will have you feeling uplifted, crying, laughing and reflecting. Above all, it’s a wonderful story of self discovery, recovering lost friendships and realising that it’s never too late to have a little fun.

About Freya Kennedy –

Freya Kennedy is the alter ego for bestselling thriller author Claire Allan.

A former journalist from Derry, Northern Ireland Claire has published eleven novels. Now, as Freya, she is writing warm, funny women’s fiction for Boldwood.

Say hello to Freya via Facebook, X, Instagram and Bookbub. Click here to sign up to her newsletter.

The Fecking Fabulous Forties Club was released by Boldwood Books on 20th August 2024. Click to buy on Amazon UK and Waterstones. 

by

Laura

I’m Laura. I started Novel Kicks in 2009. I wanted a place to post my writing as well as give other writers like me the opportunity to do the same. There is also a monthly book club, a writing room which features writing prompts, book reviews, competitions, author interviews and guest posts.

I grew up by the sea (my favourite place in the world) and I currently live in Hampshire. I am married to Chris, have a cat named Buddy and I would love to be a writer. I’m trying to write the novel I’ve talked so much about writing if only I could stop pressing delete. I’ve loved writing since creative writing classes in primary school. I have always wanted to see my teacher Miss Sayers again and thank her for the encouragement. When not trying to write the novel or writing snippets of stories on anything I can get my hands on, I love reading, dancing like a loon and singing to myself very badly. My current obsession is Once Upon a Time and I would be happy to live with magic in the enchanted forest surrounded by all those wonderful stories provided that world also included Harry Potter. I love reading chick lit. contemporary fiction and novels with mystery.