The Spa Break by Caroline James ~ a Review

by Susan Roberts

"Who cares about age?  It is just a number.  You can be old at thirty and young at eighty.  It's what's in here that matters.  Marjory tapped her heart."  (loc 2016)

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.

April 2022; One More Chapter; ebook (308 pages)
romantic comedy

A weekend at the spa will leave four old friends with a whole lot more than they’d bargained for…

A group of four friends makes plans to be pampered at a spa for a weekend to help celebrate a 70th birthday.  The rest of the friends are in their 60's so they've all lived their lives...but are they happy with their lives?  This is a funny and poignant look at coming of age in your later years and learning what you want out of life no matter what age you are.

Bridgette, Emily, Serena, and Marjory leave their families for a long weekend.  Most of their family at home are not happy with their decision and call constantly to tell them to come home.  The phone calls are upsetting until they all quit answering their phones.

• Bridgette is known in town as "Bossy Bridgette".  She is the oldest one of the group and is almost 70. Her husband Hugo insists that she come home and attend the birthday party that he's planned for her.  While at the spa, she relaxes and spends time in nature -- in the nude
• Marjorie has left her husband behind in town.  He spends most of his spare time involved with a group that races pigeons.
• Emily is divorced but she has two grown sons living at home that she pampers.  They also insisted that she needed to stay home to take care of them.
• Serena used to have a televised cooking show until she was replaced with a sexy younger woman.  She's bitter and trying to make the best of her life without being on TV.

All of the women are looking forward to their spa weekend and plan to sign up for as many classes as possible - yoga, massages, facials and all the rest keep them busy.  The more they relax, the more they get into other things that are totally outside their normal lives - nudity, Instagram, marijuana, male friends (or more than friends) and discover that over the hill certainly doesn’t mean out of the game…in any respect…

I always enjoy a book with older female main characters.  Not just 20 and 30-year-olds have problems.  As you age, the problems often become more difficult plus you begin to realize that you are basically invisible to the rest of the world.  These four women made me laugh and showed me that there is a possibility of life after 60 that is fun and satisfying.

Caroline James is a new British author for me and I plan to read some of her earlier books after reading and enjoying The Spa Break.

Buy The Spa Break at Amazon

Susan Roberts lives in North Carolina with her husband of over 50 years.  She grew up in Michigan but now calls North Carolina home. She enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with her family. She reads almost anything (and the piles of books in her house prove that) but her favorite genres are Southern fiction, women's fiction, and historical fiction. Susan is a top 1% Goodreads Reviewer. You can connect with Susan on Facebook.

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