Three Books I Highly Recommend

Let’s start the New Year with three of my all-time favorite books. And they’re mine! I don’t self-promote too much, but I couldn’t resist celebrating myself. Here are each of my books, with reviews from readers! Enjoy!

The Golden Age of Charli- RSVP, Book 1 The Golden Age of Charli RSVP by Jena C. Henry is an enchanting, feel-good story. Chock full of savvy humor, this book is pure enjoyment.
The protagonists, Charlotte McAntic, aka Charli, and her golf-addict husband, Pud, take on retirement, and the tale that ensues is pure gold. Reading this book was like watching a reality show as the author leads us into the McAntic’s household and introduces us to every aspect of this newly retired couple’s life.

Charli tackles every situation with determination and a high dose of optimism, whether it is as simple as what to plan for dinner, or as complex as how to get her golf-crazed husband to spend more time with her and less time on the golf course. I won’t spoil the story for you and tell you if she succeeds or not.

Current retirees may just get a few new ideas from this book, those about to retire will get some experienced insights, and young people will learn that growing older is definitely not the end, but rather, the beginning of a new adventure with new challenges aplenty. Therefore, I highly recommend The Golden Age of Charli RSVP to people of all ages. I look forward to reading more about Charli as her adventures in retirement continue.   Carol Marrs Phipps

Book 2- Charli- BMI

The Golden Age of Charli- BMI, Book 2 I thoroughly enjoyed the second book in The Golden Age of Charli series by Jena C. Henry. When I sat down to think about why I enjoyed it I came to the conclusion it is because the author writes about real issues that happen in real life in a humorous and engaging manner. Not every writer is able to write about some of the more delicate subjects, like weight loss, while being able to keep it informative and entertaining. This author is such a skilled writer that she is able to write books that engage and entertain at the same time.

The second book in the Charli series finds Charli and Pud McAntic feeling a bit heavier than they would like to be and it spurs them on to start a weight loss regime which allows them to lose some of the pounds that they wanted to lose in order to live a healthier life. Charli always has to name her projects so this project was aptly named BMI.

Charlie and Pud hit some bumps along the way as many couples do during life. As their retirement continues they discover sides of each other that they had not seen before and the challenges continue for the couple as they navigate the sometimes choppy waters of being together.

Jena C. Henry has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is so easy to read and her character development leaves me feeling that I am a next door neighbor to the McAntics. I know them and love them because they are real people who are living real lives. So often humorous books lose the element of good writing because the author is trying to be funny. Not so with these books. The author has developed a writing style that is humorous but at the same time very well styled. It is a pleasure to read such well written pieces in a world where access to self publishing allows many to publish without proper editing. You won’t find bad sentence structure or typos in this author’s books. She has an eye for detail.

If you are looking for a fun series to read that will take you away for a few hours from your own stress filled life I would highly recommend this series. I won both books in this series in a blog giveaway and have loved getting to know this author. I was thrilled to see that this book mentions a favorite get away spot in Ohio on Lake Erie that we both love. I could not imagine a better way to write about a place that is so loved by so many and author Jena C. Henry shares so many of the touchstones of this charming place that anyone reading will immediately want to visit.

I am looking forward to the next in the series and can’t wait to see what adventures Charli and Pud will have in their next retirement story.   Beth Ann 

The Golden Age of Charli- GPS, Book 3 I always enjoy reading about the McAntics, since their lives so parallel my own. Learning how to navigate days when a person is no longer punching a time clock or waking up to an alarm can be trying and confusing, but Charli’s outlook on life always gets her through the tough times with a sense of humor. “Press on,” she tells herself, and she does.

In the third book in The Golden Age of Charli series, when an unusual and shocking event happens in her neighborhood, Charli mentions that “bad things comes in threes,” and she begins to worry what will come next.

I laughed out loud when Charli decided to make a “death notebook,” being guilty of something similar myself. “Pud and I needed to get our affairs in order. As the past three sad events had showed us, you never knew when something bad would happen.” It’s not that Charli is a pessimist, in fact, she is quite the optimist, but she wants to make sure her life is in order so her sons don’t have to go through what she had to when she deatl with her parents’ home and documents.

With free time that was never before available, Charli cleans closets, and organizes drawers and cupboards. All the while her husband Pud continues to play golf, seemingly unaware of his wife’s dissatisfaction with her empty, quiet house. Wondering what is in store for her she comes to this conclusion: “This is my looking year, so I’ll keep looking.” As she searches for something to keep her interested in life and make sure she is still a contributing member of society, she encourages her husband to join her, and through traveling and volunteering she forges ahead, and proves that life is not over after retirement, but only just beginning.

Life in The Golden Years of Charli:GPS is a surprising and funny romp through life, as Charli proves to us all that the golden years can truly be golden.     Marie

Stay Golden! Learn about me and my books, here on my website or on Amazon.