4 Stars

Desperately Seeking Sixty-Nine is the first book in The Green Room Chronicles series by J.D Frettier. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book because I had never read any of Ms. Frettier’s stories before now, and when I researched her (ok, I admit it- I stalked her?) to see what else she has done, this appears to be her debut novel? If that’s the case, what a brilliant introduction- as well as a superb and polished debut.

Even though this is a novella sized story, there is nothing lacking in the content. There was quite a lot to the storyline, and I never felt like I was missing information or that the story was rushed or cut short in any way like some novellas can be. It is a very quick and easy read and when the end came I wanted more, not because it was lacking, but because I enjoyed the story.

We meet Bonnie who had died after a kinky night with her beloved husband of 47 years. She is met at the “Pearly Gates” and introduced to ‘The Green Room”, by her best friend Dee- who had died 8 years earlier. The Green Room is the waiting room/checkpoint where souls are held till they are assigned to go to heaven, or hell. Bonnie has time to do some reflecting on her life- and we tag along as she remembers it all. Her soulmate Peter and how they met at Woodstock, their time at college, moving into a Hippie Commune, then the birth of their children, working, and her life up till having the fatal heart attack. She tries to come to terms with leaving her soulmate behind- and worries about things that she didn’t do- especially about whether her children will discover her stash of sex toys. As she is reminiscing, Dee shows her all the wonders The Green Room has to offer- and so her ‘adventure’ begins….

As you can probably imagine, there were quite a few laugh out loud moments to be had throughout the book. But there were also some more thought-provoking elements too. The storyline is very original, clever, and quirky. The characters are well developed and endearingly zany. I loved the ‘energy’ they gave the whole storyline. This is a character driven story, and the characters are definitely the real gems here.

A light-hearted, fun, and slightly tongue-in-cheek look at the afterlife!

I’m ready to jump into the next book ASAP!

Thank you, Ms. Frettier!