Author: Wendy Wax
Published: May 18th 2021 by Berkley Books
Format: Kindle, Paperback, 384 pages
Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: My thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
First Sentence: I read somewhere that the very first "book club" (female discussion group) took place in 1634 on a ship sailing to the Massachusetts Bay Colony when a "religious renegade" named Anne invited a group of women—no doubt exhausted from the voyage and in dire need of a break from their husbands and children—to talk about (and apparently critique) the sermons given at weekly services. (Which was nowhere near as relaxing as, say, a conversation about Bridget Jones's Diary or Where the Crawdads Sing.)
From the Publisher: On paper, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara have little in common – they’re very different people leading very different lives. And yet at book club meetings in an historic carriage house turned bookstore, they bond over a shared love of reading (and more than a little wine) as well as the growing realization that their lives are not turning out like they expected.
Former tennis star Jazmine is a top sports agent balancing a career and single motherhood. Judith is an empty nester questioning her marriage and the supporting role she chose. Erin’s high school sweetheart and fiancé develops a bad case of cold feet, and Sara’s husband takes a job out of town saddling Sara with a difficult mother-in-law who believes her son could have done better – not exactly the roommate most women dream of.
With the help of books, laughter, and the joy of ever evolving friendships, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara find the courage to navigate new and surprising chapters of their lives as they seek their own versions of happily-ever-after. (Berkley Penguin)
My Opinion: After reading a couple of negative reviews, which seems to be my current MO when picking a novel, I decided I was only going to give the book a quick couple of chapters and then put it aside. I couldn’t put it down. From the beginning, I fell in love with all the characters, except for the cheating husband but no one would like him. There is the prerequisite humor, the heartache, the bonding of unlikely friends, and the realizations that life does go on.
As for the ending, I wasn’t too thrilled, but as I thought about it, I’m not sure how it could be different. There were too many independent storylines that needed to meld and by doing it the way it unfolded, as farfetched as it was, Wendy Wax brought them to the needed conclusion with just enough breathing room to keep friendships intact.
There is a possibility The Break-Up Book Club can be a jumping-off point for the ladies like 10 Beach Road was for Madeline, Avery, and Nikki, but we will have to see what Wendy has in store.
From the Publisher: On paper, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara have little in common – they’re very different people leading very different lives. And yet at book club meetings in an historic carriage house turned bookstore, they bond over a shared love of reading (and more than a little wine) as well as the growing realization that their lives are not turning out like they expected.
Former tennis star Jazmine is a top sports agent balancing a career and single motherhood. Judith is an empty nester questioning her marriage and the supporting role she chose. Erin’s high school sweetheart and fiancé develops a bad case of cold feet, and Sara’s husband takes a job out of town saddling Sara with a difficult mother-in-law who believes her son could have done better – not exactly the roommate most women dream of.
With the help of books, laughter, and the joy of ever evolving friendships, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara find the courage to navigate new and surprising chapters of their lives as they seek their own versions of happily-ever-after. (Berkley Penguin)
My Opinion: After reading a couple of negative reviews, which seems to be my current MO when picking a novel, I decided I was only going to give the book a quick couple of chapters and then put it aside. I couldn’t put it down. From the beginning, I fell in love with all the characters, except for the cheating husband but no one would like him. There is the prerequisite humor, the heartache, the bonding of unlikely friends, and the realizations that life does go on.
As for the ending, I wasn’t too thrilled, but as I thought about it, I’m not sure how it could be different. There were too many independent storylines that needed to meld and by doing it the way it unfolded, as farfetched as it was, Wendy Wax brought them to the needed conclusion with just enough breathing room to keep friendships intact.
There is a possibility The Break-Up Book Club can be a jumping-off point for the ladies like 10 Beach Road was for Madeline, Avery, and Nikki, but we will have to see what Wendy has in store.
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