Blog Tour: Widows Waive the Rules by Julia Jarman

 

Zelda, Viv and Janet are back, and this time they are taking a trip on Queen Mary 2 from the UK to New York. Zelda has managed to find an affordable repositioning cruise, to convince Viv to share a cabin and for Janet to join them, although she will be travelling in style in a fancy suite.

It wasn't easy to convince Janet that she needed to come on the cruise. She has recently lost her second husband and so, even with her luxury suite, she isn't always in a party mood. That isn't helped when they meet another woman, Primrose Carmichael, who seems to have a lot in common with Janet, including perhaps the same former husband!

Zelda and Viv aren't convinced that Primrose is telling the truth, and that she might be some kind of trickster and so they put on their sleuthing hats and try to find out once and for all what is going on. They are somewhat hampered by intermittent internet outages which makes finding documentary evidence of any kind difficult, a massive storm and more. Zelda is also a little distracted when she hits it off with one of the musicians on the ship, a blind cellist by the name of William and his guide dog, Billie.

This is the third book in the Widows Wine Club series, and for me, this is the best of the series so far. I enjoyed the dynamics between the characters, the setting on the cruise ship, and the quick visit to New York at the end of the book. I also really enjoyed getting to know William and Billie, and the work that they did in spreading the word about the important work of guide dog associations. My reviews for the first two books can be found here and here.

I have done a couple of cruises now. The first was with a friend and our boys, who had just turned 18. The biggest mystery for us was if we could find them on the ship and how much money they could spend on board over the course of 10 days. Those balloon glass cocktails are expensive!

My husband and I are going on our next cruise in a couple of months time. I hope it is a lot less eventful than the one in this book. 

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady's Book Reviews. Be sure to check out other stops on the tour shown below. Thanks to the publisher, Netgalley and Rachel's Random Resources for the review copy. 

Rating 4/5

About the book

Widows Waive the Rules

The Widows Wine Club of Viv, Janet and Zelda have navigated choppy waters before.

Having supported each other through the first shaky years of widowhood, the future was starting to look brighter. But when Janet is dealt another blow, it’s all hands on deck for the firm friends.

Deciding what Janet needs is a change of scenery, Viv and Zelda book a luxury cruise on the Queen Mary 2, heading for the bright lights of New York. And once on board, the women are entranced. A floating pleasure palace, the Queen Mary is just what the doctor ordered. From tai chi to dance lessons, cocktails to crafting, there’s nothing they can’t do to while away the miles at sea.

But when they are joined at their first supper by fellow widow Primrose Carmichael, the holiday takes an unexpected turn. Because not only does Primrose share Janet’s surname, but their late-husbands were both called Mal… As the similarities between the two women stack up, so do Viv and Zelda’s suspicions. Determined to get to the bottom of the mystery before they’re in sight of the Statue of Liberty, the friends are ready to waive a few rules…

Julia Jarman’s warm, wise and witty novels are perfect for everyone who believes age is just a number. Perfect for fans of Caroline James, Judy Leigh and Maddie Please.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/widowswaivetherules

About the author 

Julia Jarman has written over a hundred books for children, and is now turning her hand to uplifting, golden years women’s fiction. Drawing on her own experience of bereavement, female friendship and late-life dating, The Widows’ Wine Club will be published by Boldwood in June 2023.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: @julia.jarman.9
Twitter: @juliajarman
Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JuliaJarmanNews
Bookbub profile: @julia454

This week....

 

I'm reading

Last week I finished There are Rivers in The Sky by Elif Shafak. What an amazing author she is! There was so much in the book that I wanted to note down so I could remember it! I loved The Island of Missing Trees when I read it a couple of years ago and this one is right up there.

I them read Widows Waive the Rules by Julia Jarman for review which will be up on Wednesday. It's set on a cruise ship. Let's just say, I hope our cruise in March is a little less dramatic!

I am now reading Midnight in Paris by Gillian Harvey, who is pretty much an auto-read for me these days! This book is a bit different from her usual ones but it is really good so far! My review for this one will be up this week too!

The theme for my read on a theme bookclub this month is 25. I have chosen to listen to the audiobook of The Truth by Terry Pratchett. It was published in the year 2000, so is 25 years old, and is the 25th book in the Discworld series. This one has a different narrator to the one that does Hogfather, which is the book that I have listened to in the lead up for Christmas for the last 4 years at least.

I made an impulsive decision to join a chapter a day readalong for War and Peace. Now I have to come up with some kind of system to make sure that I read a chapter everyday!


I'm watching


Not a lot!

Life


Robert is now back at work, and I am starting to turn my thinking towards trying to find a new job! I could get used to this easy life, although there are some days when I feel a bit lonely, especially on the days that Robert goes into the office. We don't sit and talk all day when he is working, but I can hear his voice in the background while he is on calls. For the most part though, I really enjoy not being stressed, and doing bits and pieces here and there, reading, blogging, etc.  I do miss the structure of working though.

 
I did go and see Dear Evan Hansen with a couple of friends. I really enjoyed it, and found it very powerful and moving! I am now listening to the soundtrack on repeat. I am doing this thing this year where I am creating a Spotify playlist for anything musical we do during the year, so I need to pick a couple of songs to go on my playlist, but I can't decide which one. Each concert we go to we will pick a song or two and slowly build the story of our musical year!

Posts from the last week


Top Ten Tuesday: Most Anticipated New Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025
Blog Tour: A Love Like No Other by Kate Frost
Silos, Sculptures, Scenery and so much more - The Silos

Weekend Cooking: Best of 2024

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Statistics for December and the whole year!





I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date and Sunday Salon hosted at Readerbuzz

Top Ten Tuesday: Greece or bust!!

 

 

  

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's theme is Characters I’d Like to go on Vacation With (Pretend you’re going on vacation and can bring 10 of your closest friends with you. Pick your vacation spot and tell us who you’d like to bring! Bonus point if you tell us why. Or maybe you like the idea of traveling in small groups, so plan 10 trips or 5 trips!).

As is my tendency, I am twisting the topic a little bit. I actually started this post for last week's freebie topic but ran out of time to finish the post and then I looked at this week's topic and went....that works!

I do read a lot of books set in France, and quite a lot set in Italy as well, but just recently I have read a couple that were set in Greece, so that is my theme this week - Books Set in Greece.

Summer at the Santorini Bookshop by Rebecca Raisin - I really enjoy reading Rebecca Raisin's writing, particularly her descriptions of food, books and locations and this was no exception. (review)

Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman - I read this a couple of weeks ago. A fair portion of the book is set in Greece! (review)

Under a Greek Sun by Mandy Baggot - I have read a couple of books by Mandy Baggot. A lot of her books are set in Greece. (review)

The Forgotten Palace by Alexander Christie - This is a multi timeline story set in Crete. It also tells the story of the minotaur from Greek mythology (review)

The Thread by Victoria Hislop - I  have read several of Victoria Hislop's books and enjoyed them all. (review)

The Maverick's Greek Island Mistress by Kelly Hunter - Ah, those wealthy Greek shipping billionaires who just need a wife! I don't read a lot of Mills and Boon but I will occasionally make an exception for Kelly Hunter.

The Clover House by Henriette Laziridis Power - I read this years ago and had forgotten all about it. (review)

A Greek Island Escape by Kate Frost - I will be reading this in the not too distant future.

The Captive Sun by Irene Karafilly - Another book I read years ago and had forgotten about. (review)

YiaYia by Anastasia Miari - This is a Greek cookbook that I bought earlier this year. I haven't cooked much out of it yet. This was a selection of the Jamie Oliver Cookbook Club.

And it's not just movies. Over the weekend I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3. It wasn't a great movie but the scenery was stunning

Have you visited Greece, or have you only visited through the pages of a book like me?

Blog Tour: Widows on the Wine Path by Julia Jarman

Last year I read and enjoyed Julia Jarman's book The Widow's Wine Club. Whilst she had written many many childrens books but this was her first book for adults. I really enjoyed it so I knew that I would read the next one. The premise is that a group of strangers meet and bond over the fact that they are now widows. They become known as The Muscateers.

In this book, The Muscateers are back! Zelda, Viv and Janet have continued to meet on a regular basis and support each other through times of joy, time of triumph and tribulation. Now though, they have a fourth member. 

Libby has been a widow for around a year after losing her husband of over 30 years, Jim. Her mother has dementia, she spends some of her time caring for her granddaughter, and of course there are the regular meetings of the Muscateers. One of her favourite places to meet her friends is at The Olive Tree, which features totally delicious sounding Greek food!

Whilst going to a show at a London theatre, Libby runs into an old crush who she originally met at drama school. Monty is handsome, charming and it doesn't take long for Libby to fall for his charms. Soon she is regularly travelling to London to see more shows and spending more and more time with him.

Zelda, who is also one of Libby's neighbours, is concerned, especially when the relationship starts to escalate quite quickly after a slow start. Soon Libby is missing Muscateer's catch ups, and when she goes on holiday to Greece becomes increasingly difficult to get hold of. 

Libby was undoubtedly vulnerable, and this is something that can make someone like her an easy target. And  as she starts to be separated in various ways from her friends and family, that vulnerability is exposed.

In some ways, there isn't a lot of subtlety in the characterisations, but is the kind of story that you hear about regularly in real life. I don't know if you have ever watched one of your friends meet someone who causes everyone around them to be concerned. I have, so I really related to the concerns that were being expressed by the Muscateers. It can be very difficult when you try to share your concerns and they fall on deaf ears and you have to sit back and wait until you are needed.

This is a book about a very serious subject and yet it is still surprisingly readable. I loved the friendship between the women, some of the food mentioned in the story sounded delicious and take me away to Greece!! I did find it kind of meta that the author referenced one of her own kids books in the story, but that book deals with the subject of dementia so it was relevant to the story

In the acknowledgements, the author mentions that the next book will be called Widows on the Waves. I am already down for that book!

Thanks to the publisher, author and Netgalley for this review book.

I am sharing this review with the New Release Challenge hosted at The Chocolate Lady's Book Review Blog

About the book

Widows on the Wine Path

Viv, Janet and Zelda know all about facing the wobbly first year of becoming a widow as their friendship was forged when they ran away from the same dreary support group. Forming instead the much more lively widows' wine club – The Muscateers – they welcome new member Libby with open arms.

Libby feels lost without Jim, her husband of more than thirty years, but the warmth, friendship and fun the women wrap her up in inspires her to begin to look to the future. When a solo trip to the theatre brings a blast from the past back into her life, things are looking up.

But as cravat-wearing, smooth-talking Monty Charles sweeps Libby off her feet, the women of the Muscateers smell a rat. They know only too well that the first year of widowhood is prime for making mistakes, and they’re determined to protect their friend. And as Monty soon finds out to his cost, never underestimate a Widow on the Wine Path…

Julia Jarman is back with her latest big-hearted tale of love and laughter, friendship and finding your feet. Perfect for all fans of Judy Leigh, Maddie Please and Cathy Kelly.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/winepathsocial

About the author

Julia Jarman has written over a hundred books for children, and is now turning her hand to uplifting, golden years women’s fiction. Drawing on her own experience of bereavement, female friendship and late-life dating, The Widows’ Wine Club will be published by Boldwood in June 2023.

Social Media Links  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julia.jarman.9

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JuliaJarman

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jarman6745/

Newsletter Sign Up: https://bit.ly/JuliaJarmanNews

Bookbub profile: Julia Jarman Books - BookBub

This week...

I'm reading

Last week I mentioned that I had started reading The Chocolate Factory by Mary-Lou Stephens. I didn't make a huge amount of progress as I realised that I have some books that I have to read pretty quickly so I had to put it aside.

I therefore ended up starting Widows on the Wine Path by Julie Jarman which is a book that I need to review later this week.

The program for the Melbourne Writers Festival was announced last week. I ended up getting tickets to see Toshikazu Kawaguchi talk about his series that starts with Before the Coffee Gets Cold. I have listened to the first three books on audio so once I bought tickets to see him it seemed like a good idea to make sure that I had at least listened to the fourth book, Before We Say Goodbye. I therefore started listening to this after I finished my last book.

I'm watching

We didn't watch too much in the last week, but we did sit and watch John Farnham: Finding the Voice. It was a really interesting story about a man who rode the ups and downs of fame. It's hard to believe there was a time when he wasn't a national treasure, but there was 

Life

We went away for the Easter long weekend to visit some friends who live in a town called Yarrawonga which is about 3 hours away from our house. It is located right on the edge of the Murray River. 

I like to take my time and see what we can see when we are on our way somewhere. Along the way this time we stopped in a town called Shepparton which has a number of painted cows in a park. There are apparently around 90 in the region, but I contented myself with just looking at these ones. Here are just a couple.

On Friday night, the local yacht club was having a fundraiser for the Children's Hospital, so we sat on the banks of the river, had a few drinks, listened to music and watched the sun go down. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

On Saturday we went to a nearby town called Rutherglen for lunch at a nice winery, some wine tasting and more, and then Sunday we went to a couple of local markets and then spent time in the pool!

I did just have a blogging disaster over the weekend. I was about 45 minutes away from home when I realised that I hadn't even thought about taking my laptop with me. I had been so tired on Thursday night that I didn't just finish off my Saturday post so  I thought I would just use the Blogger app to just do the last bit. That was a mistake. That removed all the photos and added in about 50 paragraph lines for each time I wanted a break. Oh well, my plan is to repost the post in a couple of weeks time!

Posts from the last week

Top Ten Tuesday: Book to Screen

Weekend Cooking: Figolli

I've linked this post to It's Monday, what are you reading? as hosted by Book Date

Blog Tour: The Widows Wine Club by Julia Jarman

 

Earlier this week, I did a Top Ten Tuesday post where I listed ten books with yellow covers! Somehow, I didn't include this book even though I knew that I was reading it this week! My excuse is that I have it on my Kindle and therefore the cover is in black and white!

Originally I was planning to have this as my Weekend Cooking post for today. After all, with wine club in the title that kind of indicated that there might be something about wine in the book but, apart from occasionally mentioning wine, there really wasn't, so I had to rethink. Somewhat strangely, I was actually reading two books with wine in the title in the last week, which is more wine than I actually drink!

Zelda, Viv and Janet meet in the most unfortunate of circumstances at the funeral home where they are making arrangements for their husband's funerals. When they are all invited to join a bereavement support club which meets in their town, they meet again. They take one look at the group and agree it is not for them. Instead, they become the Three Muscateers.

The book follows the three very different women as they navigate life on their own, from family dramas to deciding if they want to take another chance at love, health issues, and for some of them, learning things about their past that change their perception of their lives.

Each of the women have their own interests, but there were times where I was left wondering which one we were talking about as I tried to keep up with the chopping and changing between their stories. Through their various interests we learned about gardening, New Zealand, and a search for a wartime GI.

Julia Jarman has published more than 100 children's books but this is her first book for adults. I do hope she writes more.

Thanks to the Rachel's Random Resources, the publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

Rating - 3.5/5

About the Book

The Widows’ Wine Club

The beginning of Janet, Viv and Zelda’s friendship could not have been less promising…

Navigating their new lives as widows, the three women venture to the same dreary bereavement group in a chilly church hall. But what bonds them is not their shared predicament, but instead how quickly they all decide to flee the depressing gathering, choosing instead to share a bottle of wine. The Three Muscat-eers is born.

The women may be down but they’re not out; in their sixties but certainly not past it. They agree a mission: to find fulfilment as single women and recover their joie de vivre. And as they start to feel ready to face the world again, the friends support each other to dive headlong into new hobbies, new adventures, and even to dip their toes into the wonderful world of dating again.

When one of the ladies gets life-changing news, there’s only one thing for it. The Widows’ Wine Club closes rank, and it’s ‘one for all and all for one’. Because when they stick together, there’s nothing the friends can’t achieve.

Purchase Link - https://mybook.to/widowswineclubsocial

About the author

Julia Jarman has written over a hundred books for children, and is now turning her hand to uplifting, golden years women’s fiction. She is now drawing on her own experience of bereavement, female friendship and late-life dating.

Social Media Links –

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julia.jarman.9/

Twitter https://twitter.com/JuliaJarman