“An outrageously funny, heartbreaking read – when Ruby finds out she has cancer on the brink of her 50th birthday, she decides to start living instead of complying…
Ruby has always been the generous mediator among her friends, family and colleagues, which is why they’ve all turned up to celebrate her 50th birthday.
But after too many glasses of champers, Ruby takes her moment in the spotlight to reveal what she really thinks of every one of them. She accuses her husband of having an affair and lambasts her mother for a lifetime of playing her three daughters against each other – it’s blisteringly brutal.
As the stunned gathering gawks at Ruby, the birthday girl reveals that she has terminal cancer, and has cashed in her life savings to take her two estranged sisters cruising into the sunset for a dose of HRT – Husband Replacement Therapy. But is Ruby being courageous or ruthlessly selfish?”

Having just turned 50 and with 2 sisters myself – I felt I had to say yes to an advance review copy of this! (Although thankfully I got through my 50th without a cancer diagnosis or upsetting anyone, despite too many glasses of champagne!)

I have to say when I started the book it felt incredibly similar to another Kathy Lette book I read recently, and whilst the wise-cracking humour was amusing – I wasn’t sure I could cope with something almost identikit – group of middle aged women against the entire male population. I almost gave up – but I’m glad I didn’t – as once the sisters were back from the cruise the book improved dramatically and had much more interesting storylines.

It looked at sibling relationships as well as romantic relationships, plus parental ones both as the parent and as the offspring. I also loved the setting in Sydney (having lived and worked there for a few months back in 1999 – it will always have a special place in my heart)

Overall I enjoyed the book – and I think most women of a certain age would! (But I won’t be booking on a cougar cruise any time soon!!)

Thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for my ARC – and it’s out NOW if you fancy the sound of it!