3.75⭐️

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts is a charming story that revolves around themes of friendship, community, the healing power of books and most importantly, starting over.

As the story begins, newly divorced Karissa Newcomb moves into her new home in Gig Harbor, Washington, with her nine-year-old daughter. Karissa’s move from Seattle also involves a new job at a publishing house. Karissa is welcomed to the neighborhood by her kind neighbor, Alice, a widow in her late fifties and forty-year-old divorcee Margot, who is out of work after being laid off. Karissa finds herself enjoying their company and they eventually start a book club along with Alice’s cantankerous older sister Josie. Needless to say, with each of the members facing their own set of difficulties, their discussions about the books they read soon turn into heartfelt conversations about their own lives with each of them sharing their own troubles and wisdom, inspiring one another to effect positive changes.

The author does a wonderful job of depicting female friendships – the camaraderie between the friends and how they support one another – with kindness and honesty. Each of these women is quite different –in terms of both life experiences and personality - and it was fun to see how they grew to respect and care for one another. It was interesting how each of their own life experiences and varying perspectives helped the others deal with their own challenges. I enjoyed the descriptions of Karissa’s experiences at work and the peek into life at a publishing company. The romance angle in the narrative is light and does not distract from the primary narrative, which is a plus point for me.

The author touches upon several sensitive themes – infidelity, betrayal, bereavement professional struggles and complicated family dynamics, among others, with heart and humor, making for a light-hearted read despite the heavy themes. I would have liked had these topics been explored with a bit more emotional depth. The ending was a bit too neatly tied up, but that was to be expected.

Overall, with a cast of endearing characters and engaging storylines woven into a fluid narrative, I found this to be an entertaining and heartwarming read.

Many thanks to Harlequin Trade Publishing for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own. ( )

This is such a sweet, wholesome book, full of new beginnings, friendship, and love. Each chapter opens with a beautiful, inspiring quote, and really sets the tone for what's going to happen in the chapter. Each woman is dealing with her own problems, but together there's a bond of friendship, started with a mutual love of books. It's more difficult to make friends as an adult, and it was wonderful to see these friendships form and grow with women close to my own age. I was glad we got to follow the women separately, getting to see things going on first hand, instead of relying on them sharing everything later. By the end of the book, I felt I knew them (and the romantic interests), like I would if we were just becoming friends ourselves. If you're looking for a good cozy read, make sure you grab this! ( )

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts
Contemporary chick lit, and romance.
Karissa Newcomb and her daughter move to Gig Harbor for a restart. Karissa is freshly divorced and hoping this new town will re-energize their lives. She meets Alice and Margot in her new neighborhood and realizes they could all use a boost. Since they all love reading, they form a book club and invite Josie along and soon the four have formed a special friendship.
Each of the women have their own lives, loves and problems, but together, they support and listen.

It’s difficult to find new friends over school age and this book is a great proponent of finding and creating your own circles that can add to the richness of your living. Three romances, lots of extended family and issues. One book club.
It’s a wonderful story that had me laughing and crying along the way.
I had an ebook and a paperback to follow the different women and their storylines. I’m not sure an audiobook for this one would be an effective method given the multiple couples.
The chapter headings are supposedly quotes from books that may apply to the chapter itself but they are, in fact, totally fabricated by the author. Many of the quotes are spoken from a recurring character from prior novels. Kind of an Easter egg for the readers.
Engaging and endearing.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley. ( )

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts is a story about a fresh start, trust, friendship, and feeling better about yourself. I have been reading Sheila Roberts novels for seventeen years, and this is the first story by Ms. Roberts that I did not find to be an enjoyable reading experience. The point of view switches between the characters. The switch is abrupt (can change from one paragraph to the next). The bouncing around can give you whiplash (and it can be hard to tell who is currently speaking). It is also hard to keep the women and their journeys straight. With the various storylines and characters, I found there to be plot holes and missing details. The romance between Karissa and Edward felt forced and rushed. Personally, I wish the story had focused on the women and their journeys. I did not feel that romance was needed. I liked seeing the women come together. They encouraged and helped each other. Together they created something special. I enjoyed the book discussions and the book references. I could tell that the author is familiar with Gig Harbor, Washington based on her beautiful descriptions. The depictions allowed me to visualize the town. The Best Life Book Club had an ending that will leave you smiling. Better times were ahead for Karissa, Alice, Margot, Josie, and young Macy. ( )

Once again, a book about books and book clubs and a job with a small publisher is always going to be a fun read for a reader! ( )