Name: In a Book Club Far Away
ISBN: 9781982148096

Tif Marcelo

"From the author of Once Upon a Sunset andThe Key to Happily Ever After comes a heartwarming women's fiction about three Army wives--and estranged friends--who must set aside their differences when one of them sends out a cry for help"--

In a Book Club Far Away

Kristen Claiborn

I absolutely loved this book! It took me almost a year to convince myself that I really should join the Book of the Month Club and this book helps me to realize what a good choice I made. This one came in my second ever shipment and I recall being so happy to open that blue box and lovingly lift (that's a lie, I pretty much dropped them) them out of the box. I couldn't wait to dive in, but I had a few books from the library I needed to finish first. I'm very impatient. 
 This book actually reminded me a little bit of a TV show I used to love called Army Wives. While I am not now, nor have I ever been, married to anybody in the military, nor was I in the military myself, I am well aware of how friends can make your life so much better (usually). This book helps show that friends are the family we get to pick out ourselves. I loved how much these women were willing to put aside to help each other out, and how affirming they are towards each other. It's such a heart-warming story.

Kourtney

This is a story of friendship throughout the years of 3 Army wives, brought together by a fateful book club meeting. After getting very close, an incident occurs that drives the wedge between 2 of the friends, and it’s up to the 3rd to try and bring them back together. Meanwhile, all 3 have struggles they are going through in their own lives.

I really liked reading about women both in the army, and supporting spouses or partners in the army, as this is not something I see very often. The chapters go back and forth between present day, when one gets sick and puts out an SOS to her friends to help her heal, and the past, where we slowly learn of the incident that drove them apart.

Usually I’m ok with time jumping chapters, but for some reason while I was reading this, I got confused. I found the character of Regina, who was harboring grudges the whole book, was very immature. To me, she never had a reckoning she needed. She treated people horribly instead of looking in the mirror, and everyone was ok with that? Yeesh.

This is a nice calm read - no major twists and turns, no gut churning emotions. There’s a tiny twist at the end, but you get a sneaking suspicion it’s coming about halfway through.