The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr
Publication Date: January 23rd 2024 by MIRA
Pages: 336
Source: Publisher
Rating: ★★★★★
Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | Bookshop.org
My
Thoughts:
Marni McGuire is a famous cooking show host, married twice, widowed and then divorced, she is now happily single. Her life is filled doing a job
she loves, cooking and styling food, with her best friend and production
manager/chef, Ellen, and regular visits with her sister and daughter. Her pregnant
daughter, Bella, worries that her mother isn’t as happy as she could be though, and arranges a date for her. However, Marni strikes up a friendship with a man
on her own and the sparks of chemistry fly between them.
Bella, Marni’s daughter has her own issues being overloaded
with pregnancy hormones, her emotions are all over the place and her marriage
is suffering because of it.
Marni’s best friend, Ellen, married later in life to an older
man. He suffered an aneurysm two years after, severely crippling him mentally
and physically, and she ended up a caregiver for many years before he died. Widowed
and happily single as well, she’s surprised when her neighbor, a retired
firefighter, invites her over for dinner.
Sophia, Marni’s college intern has found herself in a
passionate relationship that quickly turns into a frightening situation when
the guy turns obsessive. She’s reluctant to share, feeling embarrassed and
somehow responsible, but Marni, Ellen, and her father, Sam all step in to help.
I was frightened for her and all involved!
The Friendship Club was part women’s fiction, part romance, with
a surprising amount of suspense thanks to Sophia’s storyline! I loved the
strong, supportive female friendships portrayed here, as well as the two mature
romances! Don’t even get me started on all the mouth-watering food mentioned! There’s
a reason Robyn Carr is so popular. Her stories are completely engrossing from
the first page, and I was fully invested as these women navigated the ups and
downs in their lives!
4 Stars
Excerpt:
Book Summary:
Four women who work on a popular cooking show band together when they discover the youngest member of their group has an abusive boyfriend. The Barefoot Contessa meets Big Little Lies in this drama-filled novel about the power of female friendships.
Marni McGuire is the host of a popular television cooking show and leads a very happy life. Twice married, she has been widowed and divorced and now, in her mid-fifties, she enjoys being a successful single woman. But Marni's daughter Bella, who is pregnant with her first child, is convinced that Marni is lonely and she is determined to find a new man for her mother. To humor her daughter, Marni goes on a series of terrible dates. Marni's best-friend and colleague from the cooking show, Ellen, is a widow who has no interest in meeting anyone new and the two women have discussed the challenges of marriage and the joys of being single. But, while Ellen is adamant she wants nothing to do with men, Marni has to admit to herself that she would like to be with someone but only if he is the right fit.
As Bella's pregnancy progresses she admits to her mother that she has some concerns about the state of her own marriage, and all three women are concerned that the young intern on the cooking show is caught in a toxic relationship.
Marni and Ellen are determined to guide the two younger women to have the strength, confidence and support to improve their situations and the women gather regularly to talk about the important issues in their lives.
When Marni and Ellen each unexpectedly find themselves falling for new men in their lives the younger women help them navigate the dating world.
Together these four women form a strong bond of family and friendship that will anchor all of them as they navigate the challenges and celebrate the joys of life.
About the author:
Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than sixty novels, including highly praised women’s fiction such as Four Friends, The Summer That Made Us and The View from Alameda Island, as well as the critically acclaimed Virgin River, Thunder Point and Sullivan's Crossing series. Virgin River is now a Netflix original series. Robyn lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit her website at robyncarr.com.
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