Turning Forty By Mike Gayle

[amazon_link id=”0340918535″ target=”_blank” ][/amazon_link]’Turning Forty’ is the sequel to ‘Turning Thirty’ by Mike Gayle.

Matt Beckford is a high flier. He lives in London with the woman of his dreams, a Porsche in the driveway and a job that requires him to spend more time in BA’s club lounge than his own lounge. But sixth months before his fortieth birthday, Matt’s wife unexpectedly calls time on their marriage and he is left with no option but to move back home with his parents in Birmingham. Running out of money and friends he can rely on, things are looking bleak. Can he turn his life around before the big 4-0 arrives?

I like Mike Gayle, I like his books purely because they are honest and frank reading about how not everything in life is plain sailing and sometimes bad things can happen, but you have you wise up and try to work through it no matter the consequences. Take the lead character Matt in ‘Turning Forty’, his marriage has just ended so he returns home to Birmingham to try to start a new life there with the aid of his slightly overbearing mother, quite a laid back father and his former teenage idol, though mishaps, failed relationships and a constant countdown to his fortieth birthday, we join Matt on this unfortunate adventure. I thought Matt was a remarkable character that I found I developed an unlikely kinship with, as I approached my own 30th birthday with a mixture of fear and excitement, I did regularly find myself reflecting on where I am in the world, just like Matt so I can entirely sympathise with the character.

Other things that I enjoy with Mike’s books is how wonderfully gifted he is at creating likeable male and female character that you can easily relate to and feel empathy towards, I also enjoyed how effortlessly the story flowed along with a cleverly written plot filled with engrossing scenarios that made the book impossible to put down.

With one of the most attractive covers of 2013, Mike has successfully created a story about love, heartbreak and the pressure of life whilst injecting a harsh dose of reality. ‘Turning Forty’ is a witty and poignant story that is perfectly blended with just the right amount of humour and sensitivity to make for enjoyable reading.

You can buy [amazon_link id=”0340918535″ target=”_blank” ]Turning Forty on Amazon [/amazon_link]and is available to buy from good bookshops.