Confessions of a Forty-Something F**k Up

A Novel

By: Alexandra Potter

Narrated by: Sally Phillips

The inspiration for NOT DEAD YET, ABC’s “Most Watched Comedy Debut in More Than Four Years” (Deadline)

“The new Bridget Jones for our time.”—Telegraph

“Will have you laughing whether you’re twenty, forty, or eighty.”—Heat (UK)

A Zibby Magazine Top 10 Book of the Year

A funny and heartfelt novel for any woman who wonders how the hell she got here and why life isn't quite how she imagined it was going to be.

Meet Nell. Her life is a mess.

When her business goes bust and her fiancé with it, Nell's happy ever after in California falls apart and she moves back to London to start over. But a lot has changed since she’s been gone. All her single friends are now married with children, a sky-high real estate market forces her to rent a room in a stranger’s house, and everyone has seemingly perfect Instagram-ready lives. Starting from scratch she feels like a f**k up . . . a forty-something f**k up.

Landing a job writing obituaries, Nell meets the fabulous Cricket, an 80-something widow with challenges of her own. Together they begin to help each other heal their aching hearts, cope with the loss of the lives they had planned, and push each other into new adventures and joy. With Cricket’s help, Nell is determined to turn her life around. First, though, she has a confession . . .

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.

©2023 Alexandra Potter (P)2023 HarperCollins Publishers

Very good and funny

Better than I thought it would be. Found myself laughing out loud and definitely related to it.

Warm and Relatable

Loved the story, characters, narrator and setting. I found this story completely relatable and I loved Cricket!

So Enjoyable! Not Really Like The Show...

I never write reviews, but felt like this one needed some support for how wonderful it was. I took a chance and used a credit for this one as soon as it came out and so glad I did! I typically rely heavily on reviews before purchase a book, so I'm hoping this will help someone to pick this one up. The narration is absolutely phenomenal, and really brought the book to life. That is an essential for me. The writing is fun, with little nuggets of wisdom sprinkled throughout. It hit me just at the right time, as I'm experiencing grief at the moment after losing two people to cancer within a week. This was so beautifully done, not heavy-handed, And I was not at all triggered, rather I was comforted by this book. If you have watched the show"Not Dead Yet", which came out before the book, please be assured they're not exactly alike. The characters & situation are the same, but if you've seen the show, you know it's about her seeing the ghosts of people for whom she is writing obituaries. There are no ghosts in this one! Don't let that turn you off if you have seen it. just phenomenally clever, light, enjoyable read, with sprinklings of humor, touching relationships, growth, healing, and really telling it like it is, no matter your age. I really, really enjoyed this book and I've recommended it to several friends.

Loved this so much

Hit home for me in the best way possible. The characters were amazing… the type of people I’d want for my chosen family.

so good

I really enjoyed this book. Marvelous narration, excellent characters, engaging stories. I can't wait to hear the next one.

so damn relatable

I loved everything about this book. recommend for anyone feeling like life hasn't gone the way they'd planned.

Very relatable!

It was a such a sweet and funny story and it made me laugh out loud.

Enjoy

I didn’t know what to excpe t but enjoyed the character development. It may have been predictable but I still really liked how it played out

Fun, cozy, a bit of a Mess...And Not in the Ironic way

To start, it was a good enough novel to keep a 40 yr US born Male Fuck-up to keep listening to, al though I had to rewind it several times.
I think (like the protagonist podcast) A. Potter work a book for anyone that feels like a Fuck-up.
As the title says, 'fun, cozy (and I'll add: a consistent voice that allows the reader to connect with the protagonist and see themselves in there shoes) and a bit of a mess.
The mess was that, no real steaks or tension and the ending was completely obvious. It was a fine story that has some incouraging themes, but the set up and plot events leaves you feeling like Nell was just coasting through a bad year.
ALSO, the reveal of the details of her back-up drastically changed who you thought Nell was and her internal motivations. Or perhaps, the characters is just ment to be that inconsistent.
Simply put, the book would be stronger if re-ordered.
BUT it was good enough to keep me listening, despite the fact that TV show 'Not dead yet' is nothing like the book, except for the characters names and set up.

So Relatable

I loved this book and needed the levity as I too am feeling the mid 40’s WTF am I doing with my life thing. The characters are so fun and the narrator really brought them to life.