I've been invited by author Heather Moore to review the Newport Ladies Bookclub series, which she cowrote with these lovely authors:
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Heather Moore, Julie Wright, Annette Lyon, and Josie Kilpack
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This is the First Book in the series
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The first book in the series is Olivia. This one is written by my friend Julie Wright, who I adore. I'll try not to be too biased in my review.
Here's the book blurb:
The Robbins household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time, family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity, always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a unique and vibrant individual. Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence, and while her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled family needs.
Now for my review!
Olivia is a delightful book that made me teary-eyed at times. I was immediately drawn into the story by the main character and her plight and could sympathize with her, though at times I wanted to shake her and wished she'd stand up and do more to help herself like she did for everyone else around her. I was glad when she joined the book club and started doing something for herself to better her situation. I wasn't sure how the author would pull off a realistic and satisfying ending. I had to keep reading to find out how it turned out. And I wasn't disappointed. Things were resolved in a way that felt believable. If you want to read a heart-wrenching, but uplifting story, I recommend reading this book.
Here's the book blurb:
The Robbins household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time, family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity, always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a unique and vibrant individual. Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence, and while her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled family needs.
Now for my review!
Olivia is a delightful book that made me teary-eyed at times. I was immediately drawn into the story by the main character and her plight and could sympathize with her, though at times I wanted to shake her and wished she'd stand up and do more to help herself like she did for everyone else around her. I was glad when she joined the book club and started doing something for herself to better her situation. I wasn't sure how the author would pull off a realistic and satisfying ending. I had to keep reading to find out how it turned out. And I wasn't disappointed. Things were resolved in a way that felt believable. If you want to read a heart-wrenching, but uplifting story, I recommend reading this book.
Go to writingsnippets.com for my writer's group's podcast interviews this month with Heather Moore, one of the authors of Newport Ladies Bookclub, and for a chance to win one of her books.
Thanks for the review. I think Julie Wright does a fantastic job of drawing readers into her characters. I need to get my hands on a copy of this.
ReplyDeleteyou can borrow my copy if you want.
DeleteCAN YOU ADD MY BLOG TO YOUR BLOG LIST? I WILL DO THE SAME?
ReplyDeleteSure thing. Thanks!
DeleteThanks for the awesome review. It means a lot to me that YOU like my book since I adore you too :)
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading it and what it meant to me a the time I read it. Well maybe I can sometime in person.
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