Ending the Summer with Some Island Escapades!

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

One of our members read a favorable review of Mary Kay Andrews latest novel, “The Weekenders.” So, we picked it for our August meeting.  A good time for a fun read.

The protagonist, Riley Nolan Griggs, is expecting her husband to meet her and their daughter on the ferry to their Belle Isle, North Carolina vacation home.  He never shows up.  Furious, Riley calls and texts him throughout the ferry ride.  No answer.  Then, to make matters worst, she bumps into Nate, the guy who so unceremoniously dumped her years ago.  

When they get to Belle Island, Riley’s husband isn’t there.  This was the weekend they were supposed to tell their 12-year-old daughter, Maggy, that they were getting a divorce.  Riley doesn’t want to tell their daughter by herself and face her wrath.  Maggy is such a daddy’s girl, Riley knows she will blame her for everything.

When Riley and Maggy arrive at their island home a notice of foreclosure has been posted on the door and the locks are changed. So, begins the downward spiral of misfortunes that befall Riley and her family. 

There’s a whodunit component to the novel and, of course, romance.  Most of us enjoyed the book.  If you’re looking for the depth of a Pat Conroy novel, this isn’t for you. But it’s a perfect book to take on vacation, or if you want something lighter to read.

It’s a little light on book club discussion, but we talked about finances and each spouse’s responsibility to know what’s in their joint bank accounts, plus a few other domestic issues.

Rating: 6.5

The Sweetheart Deal

For our April book club we chose a romance novel by Polly Dugan.  She is a childhood friend of one of our members and we like to support local authors.

A sweetheart deal in the business world is an abnormally favorable contractual arrangement and that definition fits with this story perfectly.  It’s revolves around Leo McGeary, his wife, Audrey, and his best friend, Garrett. 

During an evening of hard drinking, Leo forces Garrett to sign a scrap of paper that states that Garrett will marry Audrey in the event of Leo’s death.  Garrett doesn’t want to sign it, but Leo persists.  Leo is a firefighter and knows the odds of something happening to him are higher than the average person, and with three sons to raise, Leo wants to make sure his family is taken care of.

The inevitable happens and Garrett quits his job at a college in Boston and moves in with Audrey and her sons in Portland to finish the addition that Leo had started in their home.  Garrett and Audrey’s friendship grows and complications set in with Audrey’s sons and with Garrett’s unease about the scrap of paper Leo had him sign, which he brought with him from Boston. (more…)

May 2015 Book Club Meeting

pink heart and bowWe went out to Tabor Tavern Inn for dinner, cocktails and our monthly book club.  So much fun!  I started off with a pink cosmo to salute our romance pick for the month.  Our book was Susan Mallery’s novel “Three Sisters.”

Actually, the novel was more of a chic lit/romance/beach read all wrap up into one.  See my review on the right.

Romance readers like happy endings and this novel ties everything up with a big pink bow.