Review of Forty Love by Jane Costello

This charming British-set novel takes a fortysomething widow facing empty nesting, hormonal changes, and professional uncertainty and opens up friendship, competition, and a new path forward through a recreational tennis league, new and old friends, a supportive brother, and an old crush.

Jules is a fortysomething widow, single mom, and a busy buyer for a chain of lifestyle stores. She's lived next to the local Liverpool tennis club for years but hasn't played since she was a young woman--when her early love for the game was crushed before she ever became comfortable playing.

A run-in with her old school crush Sam, her daughter's move from home, and stress and uncertainty at work, along with the beginner-team's desperate need for players, lead Jules to reluctantly decide to give tennis another go.

The new source of friendship, challenge, release, confidence, and time with Sam might just offer Jules a new beginning she didn't know she could even hope for.

This is charming and satisfying; Jules is a sympathetic character searching for answers as to how to live the next chapter of her life. Her life is appealingly complicated, and she doesn't magically have all the answers. The character of her brother is wonderful; her tennis friends and the descriptions of their matches are lovely; and her second chance at love is sometimes fumbling but always adorable and one to root for. Sam isn't perfect, but he is perfect for Jules. Jules's various challenges aren't too easily resolved, but I had faith that all major solvable issues would be addressed in the end.

Forty Love is a rom-com with depth, my favorite type.

I received a prepublication audio version of this title courtesy of Libro.fm and Zibby Publishing.

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The author has written about 15 other novels, some under the name Catherine Isaac.