A Novel by Lisi Harrison, Gallery Books, October 2017.
* An e-copy was provided by Gallery Books and Edelweiss for an honest review.
The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB, by Lisi Harrison, is an awesome story, and one I had to keep reading till the very last page. It’s funny, witty, poignant and inspiring.
The point of view varies among several characters but is mostly through M.J., short for May-June, who faces a career crisis while navigating a young relationship with adventurer Dan. She’s floundering, trying to decide what to do in her life. All she’s done since her family died three years before is work. She has no friends and a non-existent social life, so she flees New York City to try out a new life with Dan in Pearl Beach, California.
Jules plays the perfect wife while working as an event planner at a cushy resort in Pearl Beach. She enjoys her job and the nice villa provided as part of her employment, but it’s an hour away from her husband. She doesn’t like being put into the position of single mom to their difficult 15-year-old daughter Destiny.
Britt is frustrated with her slacker husband Paul, who lays around all day smoking weed and watching TV. She’s tired of putting in long hours as a realtor to support him and their twins. Wanting a more exciting life, she considers having an affair.
Sexpot Addie wants to travel anywhere away from Pearl Beach. She’s tired of the day to day monotony of her existence, using sex as a temporary reprieve from her unfulfilled wanderlust.
They are all invited to join the Dirty Book Club, started in the 1960’s by four women who were desperate to spice up their lives. The original book club ladies read books considered salacious in their time (think milder versions of Fifty Shades of Grey), met once a month to discuss how the stories could improve their lives, and shared their problems and joys. Now widows, they’ve all moved to France. They hope the younger four women continue the club and form the close bonds of friendships they still rely on.
Pros: This is a well-written story with themes of love, abandonment, commitment, unfulfilled dreams, and friendship. Though there are some stereotypical situations, they are presented in a fresh way. The characters are interesting with unique quirks, and there’s a good balance of dialogue and description.
Cons: The book starts a little slow but definitely picks up by the third chapter. And though some readers may not mind, I’m not too keen on more than two points of view to tell a story.
Summary:
THE DIRTY BOOK CLUB is an entertaining and engrossing story primarily about love and friendship. If you like character driven stories, then this one’s for you. It’s perfect for the beach, on a weekend getaway, or anytime at all. I recommend it for ages 17 and up.
If You Like This, You Might Like: THE CLIQUE SERIES and PRETENDERS by Lisi Harrison, SUGAR by Kimberly Stuart, LOST ALONG THE WAY by Erin Duffy, THE DIRTY GIRLS SOCIAL CLUB by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
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