The Old Ducks' Club

By: Maddie Please

Narrated by: Penelope Freeman

An uplifting, fun-filled read about golden girls behaving badly, from NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER Maddie Please

It’s never too late to teach an Old Duck new tricks!

Sophia Gregory has lost her sparkle...

Recently single and about to turn sixty, Sophia doesn’t recognise the old woman staring back at her in the mirror. How has life passed her by? A quiet holiday in beautiful Rhodes is the perfect chance for her to find herself.

Until she meets the Old Ducks!

Juliette, Kim and Anita are three friends who are determined not to grow old gracefully! Bold and brash, they are Sophia’s worst nightmare, until they make her an honorary member of The Old Ducks’ Club! Now dancing and drinking till dawn Sophia starts to shake off her stuffy old life and start living again!

And when she meets her gorgeous Greek neighbour, Theo, she thinks that maybe, if she’s just a little braver, she can learn to love again too...

A laugh out loud and uplifting story about the importance of friendship and always, always having fun!

Perfect for fans of Judy Leigh and Dee Macdonald

©2021 Maddie Please (P)2021 Boldwood Books

Critic reviews

"Sea, sunshine, romance and fabulous characters; Maddie's light touch and sense of fun will lift your spirits!" (Best-selling author Judy Leigh)

entertaining

A much fun story line for the most part, I could picture the faces and voices and scenes the author painted so perfectly.
Totally enjoyed!

Delightful story, heavy on the “light”.

When our news and life gets so very serious and heavy, pick up your device and listen to this story.

Good story with 60-year-old protagonists

This is a solid read. Written with 60-year-old protagonists, author Maddie Please taps into what life is like for women of a certain age (something that I have found difficult to find as everything seems written with 20-30-year-old protagonists).

Sophia finds herself in Greece working through a breakup with her married boss when she meets and befriends three women on holiday. The four become fast friends and delve into the ups and downs of life at 60: a divorce, too-needy children, an inattentive husband, and, of course, Sophia navigating the feelings of sleeping with a married man. When Theo, a native Greek, enters the picture, Sophia's life takes another turn on her journey to finding herself.

The Old Ducks' Club is a bit slow, even sluggish at times, but there is something about the honest way that Please addresses each conflict. There is no titillation or working up to a crescendo, it is just problems addressed head-on. For example, the three friends speak openly and honestly about how they feel about Sophia's affair, and she addresses them without excuse. The same rings true when Kim discusses how her adult children have moved back in with her and are taking advantage. I enjoyed how Please shows maturity in her characters. They make mistakes and have come to an age where they acknowledge them without further drama.

This is not a life-altering read, but shines some refreshing light to life as a sexagenarian.

Delightful!

I liked the down to earth telling of this time in the character's life. I was smiling, laughing, and perhaps shed a tear or two.

Yes, Please!

Listening to The Old Ducks’ Club, by Maddie Please, I felt as though I had gone on a carefree vacation to a Greek Isle, had an unexpectedly wonderful time with daring new friends, savored new flavors, had a chance to take stock of my life, and decide on some new directions to explore. I can’t wait for the next adventure!