#Bookreview – No sex please, I’m menopausal by Stevie Turner

What Amazon says

After going through the menopause Lyn finds that she no longer wants sex. This is unfortunate, as her husband Neil still does. When he discards her after 35 years of marriage like an old worn out shoe, Lyn moves to Cornwall to start a new life. However, new friends are hard to find, and she feels lonely. On the spur of the moment she decides to join an online dating site, ‘MatchULike’, just for companionship. Amongst the peculiar people she meets is Peter; shy, and conscious that his ‘gentleman’s’ operation has rendered him an unattractive prospect in the marriage stakes. Lyn makes a friend of Peter, but when Neil gets to hear about the friendship he realises too late that there is more to a relationship than just sex, and he suddenly starts to appear back on the scene and wants to turn her life upside down all over again!

My review

I found this book to be a very amusing take on menopause and its unfortunate side effects. Lyn has been married to Neil for twenty-nine years and, despite fertility treatment, they have never been able to conceive. Lyn’s life revolves around caring for her husband, who she loves very much, and their lovely home. Lyn is going through menopause and suffering from various uncomfortable side affects including hot flushes and a loss of interest in sex, which has become painful and unappealing. Lyn has decided against using hormone replacement therapy as there is cancer in her family and she is concerned about the link between HRT and various cancers. Neil is not understanding and is most unsupportive of her problems.

Neil starts behaving a little strangely and coming home late, but Lyn is not really suspicious until she accidentally discovers a pair of someone else’s lacy pink panties in her husband’s van. When she confronts him, he confesses that he has been having an affair with a younger woman. Lyn reacts badly and destroys all his clothes before packing up her things and leaving to their holiday cottage by the sea to get away from him and decide on the way forward.

The pair decide to get divorced and Neil moves in with his new girlfriend, giving Lyn the holiday house and their house in Surrey, which she can sent out and earn a living from. Lyn has not worked for many years. Lyn starts painfully rebuilding her life in a new place and trying to find companionship.

The author explores modern platforms like internet dating sites and the threats they pose in an interesting and informed manner. She also introduces the complexities of modern society with all its different and interesting people such as lesbian women, a woman born with the mind of a man who undergoes a sex change, men who have testosterone coming out of their ears and think that all relationships are just about sex, men going through manopause and even and elderly ex-military gent who has never had the time or inclination to marry and is lonely and looking for companionship. I loved all these interesting characters and, while I didn’t necessary like all of Lyn’s decisions along the way of her rebuilding exercise, I realise that you do have to be true to yourself and that acting out of pity or due to a need for security is not necessarily going to bring any of the involved parties happiness.

The characterization of Neil is intriguing as initially, he is the guy you love to hate with his selfish behaviour and lack of understanding about his wife’s circumstances. As the story progresses, the reader realises that there is more to Neil than meets the eye and wonders if he can redeem himself.

A thoroughly enjoyable book that will entertain male and female readers of all ages.

Purchase No Sex Please, I’m Menopausal