This review contains affiliate links, which earn me a small commission when you click and purchase, at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting my small business and allowing me to continue providing you a reliable resource for clean book ratings.
Five ladies in their 70s have become friends since attending a water aerobics class together, and when one gets engaged, they have a celebratory night out. When Jen’s fiancé decides to go to Las Vegas to enjoy a “stag week” with his grown son, the group concludes they might as well all go have a “hen week” in Paris. So the five take a flight from London into the City of Light, and it’s just the thing each of them needs.
Jen, the bride-to-be, is a widow who’s been lonely since her husband died; Rose is a widow as well, who teaches piano lessons and is trying to find her way without her husband; Pam has never been married but stays busy and fit and is very attached to her rescue dog; Tess is married to a man who’s gone most of the time playing golf; Della has had decades of happiness with her husband.
They eat good food and see the sights and have plenty of opportunities to get to know each other better, support each other in each other’s concerns, and just let it all hang out. They may be in the golden years of life, but they get to feel younger as they celebrate a new phase of life for one of their group.
Five French Hens is a serviceable story that gives a well-deserved focus to older women as well-rounded people and not just as secondary characters like beloved grandmas. It’s a bit predictable but a quick, easy read.
Rated: Mild. There’s hardly any profanity; no violence; there are occasional discussions about or references to sex that are a little bawdy. There are some references to infidelity and to a sexual assault.
Click here to purchase your copy of Five French Hens on Amazon.
