Review for A Midlife Holiday by Cary J Hansson

Helen, Carol, and Kay are all leading their own lives but still manage to find the time to tend to the friendship they’ve held onto since college. And though they’ve managed to hold onto it thus far, the status quo of middle age and various responsibilities ends up pushing each of them into taking an international trip together. Each woman has her own reasons for going and a different goal of sorts to obtain during that vacation. There are ups and downs of course, but that ongoing thread of companionship drives A Midlife Holiday.

The majority of the story takes place during a week-long trip to Cyprus, but the backdrop of the relationship between the main three characters spans more than half their lives. That connection is powerful and real, and not something I see often enough between women across all forms and media. The fact these women are seen as past their prime by most of the world is even more of a rarity. There is quite a bit of self-deprecating humor but given the context, it never felt overdone.

While I definitely had my favorite character among the three, each of them was someone I wanted to root for and wanted to see more of. I was even cheering for the women through some decisions I wouldn’t normally be condoning at all, but it was just that hard not to want to see the characters succeed. The characters are just that relatable! My only complaint is that I feel one of the trio didn’t quite get to shine as much, so I’m hoping the sequel will address that more. The supporting cast is also spectacular, especially the staff at the hotel in Cyprus.

If you enjoy strong, real women who shouldn’t be written off because of their age, this is a must-read. My closest comparison to anything like it would be The Golden Girls but aged down some. The strength of the friendship and the humor were just that strong!

A Midlife Holiday is available to buy on Amazon, or you can visit the author’s website here.