We’re delighted to be sharing Laura’s thoughts about 45 Things To Do Before You’re 45.
A fun and relatable story that explores motherhood, careers, friendship, and marriage.
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- Publisher : Fox & Ink Books
- Publication date : 26 Mar. 2026
- Language : English
- Print length : 428 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1917894031
- ISBN-13 : 978-1917894036
Meet Charlie; unfulfilled and perimenopausal, Charlie’s suburban life is a far cry from the Manhattan glamour she once dreamed of. Her husband is incapable of talking about anything other than his latest Ironman challenge, her sex life consists of fictional encounters with Hollywood stars, her kids need constant management, and to make things worse, her optician has just prescribed her reading glasses. Oh, and she can’t stop crying at TV adverts…
In the hope of re-discovering her sense of self, Charlie begins writing a list: 45 things to do before she’s 45. Eat an oyster, Take up parkour, Read War and Peace, Take ecstasy, Try stand-up comedy, Go to a sex club.
Determined to complete them all, Charlie embarks on a chaotic odyssey through her own spectacular midlife crisis, challenging herself to become the person she wants to be. But what happens if we’re not that person? How do we learn to let them go? Or does something else have to give?
45 Things To Do Before You’re 45 Review
The novel follows Charlie, a woman approaching her 45th birthday who finds herself reflecting on her life so far. As she begins experiencing the early stages of perimenopause—though she’s reluctant to admit it—she creates a bucket list of 45 things to achieve before she turns 45.
Charlie isn’t always easy to like. She can be self-centred and, at times, quite unkind to those closest to her. However, this feels very much like the author’s intention—highlighting the pressures and emotional lows many women face, and how these struggles can affect the people around them. As the story unfolds, Charlie begins to recognise that her actions have consequences, often with upsetting results for both herself and others.
I really enjoyed the fast pace of the story, and there are plenty of moments that feel funny and light-hearted. It’s an easy, engaging read—perfect for enjoying in the sunny weather.
Author Info
After a brief (but fun) stint working in television and as a primary school teacher, Julia decided to take her writing dreams more seriously.
She lives in South-West London with her family and ragdoll cats (Billy and Nora) and spends her time writing, reading, dreaming of holidays and watching too much reality TV. She aims to write the kinds of books that will have people laughing out loud – and crying – on their commute. Her young adult novel, HEXED, was nominated for the Laugh Out Loud Awards, and its sequel, TWICE HEXED won the children’s category at the Isle Of Wight Book Awards.
45 THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOU’RE 45, is her adult fiction debut.
