Three Terrific Books For Galentine's Day

Reprinted from auburnpub.com

Valentine’s Day is February 14th but have you heard of Galentine’s Day? Fans of TV’s Parks & Recreation will recognize it as a holiday made up by the main character Leslie Knope to celebrate her friends. It took off in the popular culture and now is celebrated by many people every year on February 13th.

This month’s Book Report features some books that celebrate and honor female friendship and would be perfect gifts to give your best gal pals for Galentine’s Day.

Robyn Carr often writes about female friendships in her wonderful novels, and her latest is titled The Friendship Club. Marni hosts a popular cooking show on television filmed in her fantastic California kitchen (think Ina Garten). 

Ellen is the behind scenes person who does much of the creative cooking while Marni is the face of the show followed by millions. Marni is outgoing whereas Ellen is shy and has no interest in being in front of the camera. 

Sophia is their young college intern who is just starting a relationship with a man who showers her with attention, perhaps too much attention? Marni’s daughter Bella is awaiting the birth of her first baby, and is uncomfortable at the end of her pregnancy.

The four women bond together and help each other through the day-to-day of life. Marni and Ellen become concerned about Sophia’s boyfriend, fearing that he is trying to isolate Sophia. 

There is much to like about this story, and if you enjoy foodie fiction, your mouth may water at the descriptions of the food. It’s also nice to see that romance is not confined to young women, as Ellen and Marni are each delighted to find themselves in relationships with good men.

In a more serious vein, Kristin Hannah’s The Women takes the reader to the Vietnam War in in 1965. Frankie McGrath decides to follow her brother to war when she enlists as a nurse in the U.S. Army. 

Frankie is just 20 years old and has led a sheltered life, so life in a war zone is a complete shock. Her two bunkmates- Barb, a young Black tough surgical nurse and Ethel, who plans on becoming a veterinarian when she returns home- take Frankie under their wing and the three become inseparable.

Hannah does a great job putting the reader in Frankie’s shoes, we can feel the unbearable heat, the soaking rains that pour into her living quarters, and the confusion of being under attack from enemy bombs. Frankie goes from not knowing much to becoming such an outstanding nurse whom doctors trust her to do procedures. 

We also see the burgeoning anti-war movement growing back home through letters from Frankie’s mother, a conservative woman who doesn’t understand what is happening in her own country. 

When Frankie comes back home, she is lost and severely depressed. People spit at her when she arrived back in the U.S., and her service to her country is downplayed and even challenged by her father. She is told time and time again that “Women weren’t in Vietnam”.

Ethel and Barb reach out to Frankie when she is at rock bottom and the three women live together for awhile knowing that not many people understand what they went through, and trying to process how to move forward.

The Women is an emotional rollercoaster, and if you were a fan of TV’s China Beach or M*A*S*H, this is a book you won’t want to miss. 

When I think of the perfect Galentine’s Day read, Amy Poeppel’s The Sweet Spot comes to mind. Melinda’s husband leaves her for a hot young successful entrepreneur, Olivia loses her job at the entrepreneur’s fancy store after an unfortunate customer experience with Melinda goes viral, and Lauren designs ceramic pieces for the fancy store while trying to raise her three young children with her husband and deal with her mother-in-law (Evelyn, my favorite character) who comes to stay. 

How do these three women end up caring for a baby they are not related to? Well that is the question in this charming and delightful novel that is set in a fantastic New York City neighborhood that makes you feel like you’re sitting on the building stoop with these three women who form an unlikely friendship over a baby. The Sweet Spot will put a big smile on your face.

Happy Valentine’s and Galentine’s Day to all!

The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr- A-

Published by MIRA

Hardcover, $28.99, 336 pages

The Women by Kristin Hannah- A-

Published by St. Martin’s Press

Hardcover, $30, 471 pages

The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel- A

Published by Emily Bestler Books

Trade paperback, $17.99, 392 pages

The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr

The Friendship Club by Robyn Carr

Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778311881

Hardcover, $28.99, 336 pages

Nobody writes about female friendships better than Robyn Carr and her latest novel, The Friendship Club,  is a perfect example.

Marni hosts a successful cooking show on television. Like Ina Garten ( The Barefoot Contessa), the show is filmed in her own home, where she is ably assisted by Ellen, who has been with her for twenty years. Ellen is creative with food but has no desire to appear on camera, she is happy to leave that to Marni.

Sophia is interning with Marni and hopes to have a career in broadcast journalism. Marni's daughter Bella  is anxiously awaiting the birth of her first child with her husband Jason.

Although Marni has very successful career, her love life could use some work. She was widowed at a young age and now is divorced from her second husband after she caught him cheating on her. Ellen was a longtime caregiver for her seriously ill husband and is wary about getting into a new relationship. 

Sophia is excited about a new man in her life, but soon discovers that he is possessive and potentially dangerous. Marni had experience with that with her first husband and begins to worry about Sophia. Bella has concerns about her own marriage as well.

As the story progresses, Marni finds herself unexpectedly attracted to a new man in her life and Ellen's retired firefighter neighbor would like to start a romance with her. Marni jumps in with both feet and encourages Ellen not to let her past get in the way of a possible happy future.

I liked that we see relationships at all stages and ages- young Sophia, Bella and her husband as they await the birth of a baby, and Marni and Ellen in the 60s opening up their hearts to new possibilities. 

Robyn Carr's characters are always so interesting, and seeing older women excited about new romance is enjoyable and refreshing to read. And no matter how long ago you went through a pregnancy, you can relate to Bella's situation. Carr's male characters are well drawn and realistic too.

I enjoy foodie books, and reading about Marni and Ellen's recipes and Ellen's volunteer work feeding people fleeing wildfires was fascinating. The Friendship Club is a wonderful book to gift to your girlfriends on Galentine's Day, I highly recommend it.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on their Winter 2024 Blog Tours.

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr

Sunrise on Half Moon Bay by Robyn Carr
Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778310099
Hardcover, $27.99, 304 pages

When you want to tune out the news and get lost in a good book, Robyn Carr's latest, Sunrise on Half Moon Bay, is a great place to turn.

Addie is 32 years old, and has spent the last eight years of her life caring first for her father, and then her mother, who lived four years after suffering from a stroke. Now that both of her parents have passed, Addie has to decide what to do with her own life.

Her sister Justine is twenty years older, and was out of the house before Addie was even born. Justine is a successful corporate laywer, working long hours to support her stay-at-home husband Scott and their teenage daughters Olivia and Amber.

Justine and Addie had an agreement that Justine would pay Addie to stay home and take care of their parents, and Justine would pay all of their expenses, including a small stipend for Addie.

Justine has always been a take-charge, decisive person, Addie has been more deliberate. Caring for their ailing parents and an event from Addie's college days has made her reluctant to move forward with her life. She feels stuck, but doesn't know how to move forward.

Her lifelong best friend Jake has been a shoulder to lean on, but now even he has been urging Addie to do something- go back to school, maybe even start dating. And he wouldn't mind if he was the guy she would want to date.

When Justine's husband decides that he wants out of the marriage, she is blindsided. She always thought they were happy. Scott wants half of their marital assets and spousal support, which means that Justine's financial support of Addie is in jeopardy.

Addie and Justine's lives have been turned upside down, and now they have to take a hard look at what they really want out of life and how to get there. They haven't been close as sisters, but now they must figure out a way to pull together and build a new relationship with each other.

The sister relationship is the strongest element of Sunrise on Half Moon Bay. I loved watching Addie and Justine work their way back to each other, depending on each other to get through a new phase of their lives. Justine reevaluates her career situation and has to deal with a big change in her midlife, while Addie is starting a little later than most people at finding a meaningful job.

There is so much that people can relate to here- Addie sacrificing to care for her parents, Justine working long hours at a tough job to provide financially for her family, while still coming home to make dinner, do laundry and help with her daughters' homework. Even Olivia and Amber, having their lives turned upside down by their parents' divorce, are in a situation where many people have been.

I hope that we get to revisit Addie and Justine in a future Half Moon Bay book, I feel like they have become my friends.

Thanks to Harlequin Books for putting me on Robyn Carr's tour.

Robyn Carr's website is here.

The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr

The Life She Wants by Robyn Carr
Published by Mira ISBN978-0-7783-1967-2
Trade paperback, $15.99, 348 pages

My husband and I took a trip to Napa a few weeks ago, so I brought Robyn Carr's newest book, The Life She Wants along for airplane reading because it is set in Sonoma County.

Emma Shay Compton's marriage to big-time financier falls apart when he is convicted of bilking his clients (ala Bernie Madoff) out of their life savings. Emma is devastated by his betrayal, of which she had no idea. But many people and the media believe she is hiding money and so she is a pariah as well.

All she is left with is a few kitchen tools, and she moves back home to Sonoma County. Her father died years ago, and his second wife, who treated Emma badly, wants nothing to do with her. Emma tries to pick up the pieces of her life, starting with finding a place to live and a job.

Her old friend Lyle finds her a small guest cottage behind Penny, an elderly woman, who becomes Emma's friend. Penny's other widowed friends welcome Emma into their circle.

The only job she can get is working as housekeeper in a nursing home. But when her coworkers realize who her husband was, she loses that job.

Emma reconnects with Adam, the brother of her former best friend Riley. Riley and Emma had a big falling out in high school and haven't spoken since then. Adam gets Emma a job with Riley, who has her own successful cleaning company.

The Life She Wants is a wonderful story of female friendship that you don't frequently see. Riley and Emma are very wary of each other, unable to forget the past. I love the character of Riley, how she overcame her life's challenges to build her own successful business. Riley and Adam's mom is a great character too, one who did a terrific job raising her kids, and is a good grandmother.

I admit to tearing up more than a few times reading The Life She Wants. Carr's writing hits your heart, and her characters' grit and grace win you over. There are a few hot sex scenes and you hope that love eventually wins out.

While sitting on the plane, the man next to me said "Is that Robyn Carr's newest book? I've read all of her books- I love her!" I have to admit that one took me by surprise.

I recommend Robyn Carr's The Life She Wants to anyone who loves a good story about female friendship, and if you like Jennifer Weiner's books, give Robyn Carr a try.

Four Friends by Robyn Carr

Four Friends by Robyn Carr
Published by Robyn Carr ISBN 978-0-7783-1681-7
Trade paperback, $14.95, 370 pages

I don't read many romance novels, and I associate Harlequin Publishing with that genre. But over the last few years, Harlequin has branched out with their Mira imprint to publish books that will appeal to a wider audience.

Last year at the Book Expo of America, Jason Mott's novel, The Returned, was one of the books getting a big push. There were huge banners and lots of Advanced Reader Copies given away. I read and liked that one, the story of people who died and came back years later with no explanation. ABC turned the book into a TV series now running titled Resurrection. (My review of The Returned is here.)

Now comes Robyn Carr's latest novel, Four Friends, which tells the story of, yes, four friends. Geri and her husband Phil are very busy, with two full-time, all-encompassing careers (she works for Child Protective Services and he is an assistant district attorney) and three teenage children. They don't always have time to do everything they want, but they have a solid marriage- or so Geri believes.

Andy is Geri's best friend and is on the verge of her second divorce, this time from a hot younger guy. Her son is Geri's son's friend, but he has been very distant lately, something she attributes to her marital problems with a guy he doesn't really like. Her second divorce in ten years has left her depressed.

Sonja is a curious mix of Type A control freak and New Age yoga instructor. She forces Andy and Geri to power walk every morning, and has always been there for her friends with a friendly shoulder to lean on, and taking charge when they need help with anything. She keeps her wealthy, older husband George on a tight leash, monitoring his diet and stress levels to keep him healthy, but she is unaware that he is deeply unhappy.

BJ is the newest woman in the neighborhood, a single mom with two young children. She keeps to herself, running alone every morning, but occasionally she can be encouraged to join the ladies in their early morning walks. There is a mystery to her, but one that most readers can at least in part guess.

Their worlds seem to come apart one summer when Geri learns that her perfect marriage may not be so solid. Maybe because I have been married as long as Geri, I was most involved in her story. I felt that Carr delved most deeply in her character, and she realistically portrayed the challenges of balancing a marriage, raising teenagers and having a demanding career. And she wrote a few very hot sex scenes for this long married couple.

Andy finds herself inexplicably attracted to the man remodeling her kitchen- fifty-three-year-old, balding, not-turn-your-head-attractive Bob. Bob and Andy get to know each other with their nightly chats, and everyone can guess where this is headed, but it is sweet watching it happen. If you don't root for Bob, well, I don't want to know you.

Sonja is stunned when George can't take anymore New Age nonsense and leaves. She completely falls apart, and it is up to her friends to put aside their problems to come to her rescue. It takes awhile, but eventually we get to Sonja's backstory and the reason for her control issues.

Mysterious BJ has a fascinating story, but perhaps because she is the one furthest from the circle, we don't find out as much about her as the others, until the end of the story. I liked BJ, she has good intuition, and a prequel or sequel with her character would be interesting.

Watching these four women help each other and deal with issues on their own makes for a terrific read. I was drawn into their lives, and felt like I could be watching their stories play out from my window in their neighborhood. Some characters are given more time than others, as there are too many characters to give all equal time. (Bob and Geri's mother-in-law were two of my favorites.)

The author clearly believes in counseling; many of the characters go into marital counseling, psychiatric counseling, and group counseling. At times, it seemed to be that everyone was in counseling.

This would be a good book club pick. There are many issues at play here- domestic abuse, depression, marital infidelity, divorce, raising teenagers, menopause, and keeping secrets among others- enough to keep a lively talk going, and there are discussion questions at the end to guide you.

rating 4 of 5

Robyn Carr's website is here.