As I’m a huge fan of Harper North’s writing different genres under other pen names, I was excited to receive a surprise copy of her debut contemporary novel Divorced Not Dead. My enormous thanks to Gabriella Drinkald for sending it to me. It’s my pleasure to share my review of Divorced Not Dead today

Published by Avon on 28th September 2023, Divorced Not Dead is available for purchase through the publisher links here.

Divorced Not Dead

We’re going to need a bigger drink…

Meet Frankie: fifty, divorced and getting back on the horse.

After leaving Twatface – her husband of twenty years – she’s starting again from scratch. And when her son also flees the nest for university, Frankie decides it’s time to throw herself back into the dating game with a vengeance.

On best friend Bel’s recommendation, Frankie signs up to two dating apps: one for love, another for casual hook-ups (because why the f**k not?!).

However, as she navigates this new frontier of catfishing, kittenfishing, ghosts, GILFs and everything in between, she realises the whole dating thing has changed quite a bit – and it really is a bloody jungle out there…

Will Frankie find love on the apps? Or the perfect shag?

Or – if there’s any justice in the world – both?

My Review of Divorced Not Dead

Fifty year old Frankie is back dating!

I was struggling with a book that felt turgid and plodding so I set it aside and picked up Divorced Not Dead and was immediately transported into a witty, snappy (or should that be SnapChatty?) world that grabbed my attention and simply didn’t let go.

Now, let me say at the outset, if you are offended by frequent expletives and references to sexual activity, read something else! Divorced Not Dead is not the book for you. If, however, you want to read about the real life of a newly single woman who is learning to be herself in the dangerous waters of online dating, Divorced Not Dead is absolutely perfect.

I thought the quilting group and Frankie’s shop were inspired as they give a unity of place and character that anchor the narrative even as Frankie free-wheels through various dates and relationships. We get to know the members of the hotbed of quilters gradually at the same time Frankie does so that it feels like a true-to-life establishing of friendships. Despite Frankie’s manic and often self destructive behaviour, it is friendship that underpins the action in Divorced Not Dead, so that whilst her experiences are way beyond those of the majority of Harper Ford’s readers (I assume!), the story feels relatable and engaging for all.

And Frankie is a glorious creation. She’s a multi-layered and contrary mix of vulnerability and strength, diffidence and confidence that depicts her as a real woman. As she learns the terminology and practicality of online dating (and thank heavens for the brilliant glossary of dating terms at the end of the book) there’s wonderful humour. I found her repartee with the cat-fishing scammers hilarious. I have a feeling Frankie has encountered some of the men who turn up unannounced and unwanted in my own online (not dating) accounts!

Whilst the plot of Divorced Not Dead essentially revolves around Frankie’s relationships with romance at its heart, there’s a surprising depth too. Harper Ford explores coercive and controlling relationships, how we can lose sight of ourselves as we try to accommodate others, how financial insecurity impacts lives, and how true friendship endures. She also looks at post-natal depression, parenthood and body image but with a lightness of touch that never detracts from the enjoyment in reading the story whilst making it feel adult and mature too. This is a book that surprises as well as entertains.

Sweary, sassy and sensational, Harper Ford’s Divorced Not Dead will be a book that shocks some and amuses others. Some will no doubt feel it is not for them, but either way, it is not to be missed. I loved it! 

About Harper Ford

Harper Ford is an author, much of the time. She started out as a writer of historical novels, then found out she was funny during lockdown so decided to write contemporary romcoms too. She’s also a Fellow of the Royal Literary Fund, based at the University of Lincoln and has a Masters in Writing. She writes historical fiction as Rebecca Mascull and Mollie Walton.

For further information, visit Harper’s website or find her on Instagram and Facebook.