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Verdict: A laugh-out-loud British rom-com in which a grumpy 62-year-old divorcee and the sunny widow who was once her best friend end up sharing a room at a Lake District seniors’ retreat — adored by its readers for the banter and mayhem, with only small quibbles about a one-week romance and an unneeded villain.
Best for: Readers who want both heroines over sixty, grumpy/sunshine comedy and friends to lovers.
Heat level: Mild (no formal rating; readers describe kisses and chemistry)
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.2/5 — a 4.57 Goodreads average across 51 ratings and 4.8 stars across 49 Amazon ratings)
Tropes: Both 60+, grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, rekindled friendship, late bloomers, sharing a room, rom-com, series starter.
Paper Daffodils is Titania Tempest’s 2023 debut contemporary lesbian romance, the first Dawn & Rosie Adventure. Divorcee Rosie Bishop does not want to be on a Seniors Retreat in the Lake District, and she is determined not to have a good time — until she finds herself rooming with Dawn Clermont, the spirited widow who used to be her closest friend.
It holds a 4.57 average across 51 Goodreads ratings, with 89% of them four or five stars and none below three, and 4.8 stars across 49 Amazon ratings. The author’s site lists a 2024 Goldie Award for debut novel from the Golden Crown Literary Society.
What Is Paper Daffodils About?
Since her husband left her a year ago, Rosie has been existing rather than living — not seeing friends, letting her daughter do her shopping. A week at a retreat is her daughter’s idea. Then she discovers her roommate is Dawn, her college roommate and best friend, whom she has not spoken to in about twenty years.
Rosie’s armour of bitterness is no match for Dawn. Dragged through a whirlwind of adventures and betrayed by her own sense of humour, she cannot stay sullen. As their friendship rekindles, something draws them closer than ever — but is a romance worth risking the friendship they have just got back?
What Makes This Mature Romance Work
- Comedy: Reader after reader says they laughed out loud at the pair’s scrapes — kayaking, shopping, hunting for a waterfall.
- Banter: Silly, affectionate jokes between two old friends that stay fun rather than grating.
- Grumpy/sunshine: An organic dynamic between prickly Rosie and irrepressible Dawn.
- Honesty about ageing: One reader praised the book for not shying away from the physical realities older women face.
- Setting: The Lake District scenery is richly described.
Book Synopsis
Is it ever too late for a love story? Dawn Clermont certainly doesn’t think so. Rosie Bishop absolutely disagrees. The last place divorcee Rosie wants to be is on a Seniors Retreat in the Lake District, but an unexpected reunion with an old friend thwarts her plan not to enjoy it.
Her armour of bitterness proves no match for the spirited widow Dawn. As Rosie clings to the remnants of her sarcasm, something about Dawn draws her closer than ever before — but is budding romance worth risking their rekindled friendship?
My Review
This reads, as one reviewer put it, like a British TV comedy about older characters having hijinks and falling in love, only sapphic. Rosie’s depression and sarcasm are the engine, Dawn’s warmth is the fuel, and the retreat supplies the set pieces. Under the jokes there is a real story about two women who spent their adult lives married to men, lost each other for twenty years, and get a second chance at something they may have felt all along.
The criticisms are minor and few. One reader felt the characters seemed older than sixty, another found the wit occasionally too acerbic and thought the antagonist was unnecessary, and the romance happens within a single week. There are no two-star or one-star ratings on Goodreads, but with 51 ratings the readership is still small.
My honest note: If you want a romance that makes you laugh and stars two women in their sixties, this is a gem.
| Element | In Paper Daffodils |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Rosie Bishop (62, divorcee) & Dawn Clermont (early 60s, widow) — former best friends |
| Core tropes | Grumpy/sunshine, friends to lovers, sharing a room, late bloomers |
| Setting | A seniors’ retreat in the Lake District, England |
| Heat level | Mild — kisses and chemistry, per readers |
| Length | 230 pages |
| Series | Dawn & Rosie #1 — followed by Show Me Joy |
| Content notes | Depression, divorce, widowhood; readers also flag domestic abuse, stalking and injury |
How Spicy Is Paper Daffodils?
Mild. Romance.io has a single rating and no steam level. Readers describe adorable kisses and chemistry one called “nice and spicy,” but no one describes explicit scenes.
Content notes submitted on StoryGraph include domestic abuse, stalking and injury, each flagged once. Rosie is depressed at the start of the book after her husband leaves her.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you want two funny, feisty heroines over sixty finding each other again. It is on our mature lesbian romance and women over 40 lists.
You may want to skip it if: sharp, sarcastic humour grates on you, or you want a slow burn over months.
In short: A warm, very funny love story proving it is never too late.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (September 2026)
This is an indie debut with a small, enthusiastic readership, and a web search surfaced no Reddit threads. On Goodreads the split is 66% five stars, 23% four and 9% three, with no ratings below that. StoryGraph has only ten reviews, averaging 3.89. It is on Kindle Unlimited, and we could not find an audiobook.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The humour first. Second, the banter. Third, heroines over sixty. Fourth, the friends-to-lovers payoff.
What readers argue about and complain about: A quick, one-week romance, above everything. Second, an unnecessary antagonist. Third, wit that is sometimes too sharp.
The comparison worth making first: For another funny romp with older heroines, try Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure. For a short, sweet romance between a 65-year-old and a 70-year-old, see In the Twilight Hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old are the heroines in Paper Daffodils?
Both are in their early sixties; Rosie is 62, according to reader reviews.
Is Paper Daffodils a late-bloomer romance?
Yes. Both women were married to men for their whole adult lives, and reviewers hint at unspoken feelings back when they were college roommates.
How spicy is Paper Daffodils?
Mild. Readers talk about kisses and chemistry rather than explicit scenes, and there is no meaningful romance.io rating yet.
Is Paper Daffodils on Kindle Unlimited?
Yes, at the time of writing it is on Kindle Unlimited, or $5.32 to buy. We could not find an audiobook.
Did Paper Daffodils win an award?
Yes. The author’s site lists a 2024 Goldie Award from the Golden Crown Literary Society in the debut novel category.
If You Loved Paper Daffodils, Read These Next
Try Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure for a Victorian revenge comedy, In the Twilight Hours for a campground romance, or Golden Years and Silver Linings for a fifty-year second chance. For more, browse our mature lesbian romance list, our late-bloomer lesbian romance list, or the full Book Reviews archive.
The Bottom Line
Paper Daffodils sets out to be a funny, heartfelt romance about love after sixty, and its readers say it delivers on both — a rare book people describe as making them grin from start to finish. What holds it back is only a quick timeline and a small evidence base. On Kindle Unlimited, it is an easy yes. Check Paper Daffodils on Amazon →
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, Paper Daffodils ranks as an excellent mature rom-com — joyful and award-winning, with a small readership so far.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ 4.57 average across 51 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ 89% of Goodreads ratings are four or five stars
- ✓ No Goodreads ratings below three stars
- ✓ 4.8 stars across 49 Amazon ratings
Romance ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Friends to lovers
- ✓ Rekindled bond
- ✓ Believable chemistry
- ✓ Happens within a week
Characters ★★★★☆ 4.2/5
- ✓ Grumpy Rosie
- ✓ Sunny Dawn
- ✓ Feisty, independent
- ✓ Feel older than 60 for one
Writing ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ Laugh-out-loud comedy
- ✓ Witty dialogue
- ✓ Rich scenery
- ✓ Occasionally too acerbic
Emotional Impact ★★★★☆ 3.9/5
- ✓ Feel-good
- ✓ Depression lifted by friendship
- ✓ Late-life discovery
- ✓ Touching
Heat Level — not rated
- ✓ No meaningful romance.io rating
- ✓ Kisses and chemistry
- ✓ No explicit scenes described
- ✓ Mild
Ending ★★★★☆ 4/5
- ✓ Happy, per readers
- ✓ Issues resolved with care
- ✓ Sequel continues their story
- ✓ Villain gets embarrassed
Re-read Value ★★★★☆ 4.1/5
- ✓ On a reader’s reread pile
- ✓ Quotable one-liners
- ✓ On Kindle Unlimited
- ✓ No audiobook found
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