Yorkshire born and raised, Alex currently lives in South-West London with Mr California and their Bosnian rescue dog and when she's not spending time writing or travelling, she's spending far too much time on Instagram being reminded that she should be exercising regularly, drinking enough water, practising mindfulness and feeling blessed. I found the beginning of the novel to be a little slow, as it took me a while to get into the writing style and the author’s frequent use of hashtags which I found a little annoying.

Laugh-out-loud funny and painfully relatable, Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up is a celebration of friendship and a reminder that while life doesn’t always go according to plan, it doesn’t mean you can’t find happiness. After reading the first book of confessions and loving it I knew I had to read this one and quickly. And who is desperately trying to figure it all out when everyone around them is making gluten-free brownies.She sets out by writing 5 things she’s grateful for (well just one for now, she’ll have to work her way up to 5). Michaelides takes a literary turn in his latest novel, employing an unreliable narrator, the structure of classical drama, and a self-conscious eye to dismantling the locked-room mystery.

Now, I wrote something about the horrors of dating in your late thirties which I doubt will ever see the light of day. If I could put those things aside it would be a 5 star read for pure entertainment (and a few emotional tears). Despite being full grown (not even young) adults, they still bicker and tease each other constantly. I normally listen to classics or police procedurals, but was intrigued by the title because I happened to be feeling a bit like a forty-something f**k up. I have read countless books about mothers - post natal depression, mums struggling to cope, mums struggling with society’s expectations to be perfect.

The atmosphere of the novel, set mostly on this wild Greek island, echoes strongly the classical tragedies of Greece. I felt so many different emotions on each page like I laughed, cried (actual tears), felt sad, felt annoyed and related that I feel such a mess writing this review. Potentially a few triggers so worth looking in to but really enjoyable follow up and would highly recommend. I also really liked that one character, who I definitely thought was going to play a more significant role just because that’s what always seems to happen in books like this, actually didn’t. I liked the introduction and the way in which the author has read the book, and I want to read more to see how her life progresses.