Customer Reviews

The Future Widows' Club (Signature Select)

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Having read romance novels for much of my adult life, it's hard for me to find anything that doesn't seem like the same tired old thing. Ms. Nelson's book, however, was refreshingly different, and just plain fun to read with all the elements of a good romance.

The Future Widow's Club is a must read! I loved the sassy secondary characters. As clever and engaging as the plot and premise were, it was the hero and heroine's long lost love that touched me the deepest. Don't miss this book!

Jolie Marshall's husband Chris sure fooled her. He came along at just the right time when she was nursing a broken heart and conned her into her marrying him. Since then he's managed to steal most of her mother's life savings. She can't divorce him until she gets enough evidence of his adultery and other dirty dealings. Meanwhile, she's found an outlet to help her keep her sanity while she's waiting, The Future Widow's Club. The FWC is a place where she and other wives can come and plan for when they can finally be free. After all, why settle for half when you can have it all? But when Chris is murdered, her affiliation with the FWC may not be a good thing.

The detective on the case is Jake Malone, the man who broke Jolie's heart and sent her straight into Chris' arms. Jake knows he made a terrible mistake when he let Jolie go and he's suffered watching her in a horrible marriage. Now that Jolie is free again he wants a second chance. But as long as Jolie is a suspect in her husband's murder he is unable to become personally involved with her. Once she's cleared Jolie better watch out, because Jake is determined to correct his past mistakes and get Jolie back where she belongs, with him!

I couldn't stop laughing while reading The Future Widow's Club! From the moment Jake and Jolie share a scene together, the chemistry and emotion is obvious and I became thoroughly engrossed. Plus the mystery about who really killed Chris is extremely well done. I will be looking for more in future from Rhona Nelson who I foresee quickly becoming a must-read author. Humor, suspense, and a well-written love story: The Future Widow's Club has it all!

Melissa
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Jolie Marshall is living for the moment that she can divorce her husband Chris. He is abusive, cheats on her, and has stolen money from her mother and other investors in their software company. He has the money to pay them all back, but puts in in off shore accounts instead. Jolie is slowly putting together the money to pay off the debts and compiling evidence to use in her divorce case. She married Chris on the rebound, when her boyfriend since third grade, Jake, got cold feet on the subject of commitment. Her father had just died and she wanted more from the relationship, Jake decided to concentrate of his career with the Sheriff's Office instead. Angry, Jolie went on vacation by herself and came back with Chris, to her eternal regret. A support group of sorts, The Future Widows Club, asks her to be a member. They look forward to the death of their spouses. They arrange the funeral, pick out an outfit, and most importantly, buy a hat. The meetings once a week are a godsend for these women, being the only place where they can be open about the problems in their marriages. Unfortunately, shortly after Jolie really gets into the spirit of the FWC, her husband is murdered, and his penis cut off and missing. More unfortunately, Jake is the detective assigned to the case. She never fell out of love with him and he apparently feels the same way. In spite of an ironclad alibi, she really LOOKS guilty.

I loved this book!!! The members of the FWC are very vivid and funny. The author enabled you to really get into the story. You get annoyed at Jake, hate Chris, and feel sympathy for all the future widows. I will definitely be looking to read more books by this author.

In Moon Valley, Jolie Marshal regrets marrying charming SOB Chris who embezzled money from their company leaving friends and her mother potentially in the lurch. When she can pay back her "creditors", she will divorce Chris, who she married when vulnerable following the death of her father and rejection by her boyfriend Jake, who was not ready for a wife.

The Future Widows' Club invites Jolie to join their group. Finding solace, she agrees and begins following some of the rules like taking out life insurance on her spouse. However, someone was irate when they shot Chris in the heart and cut off his penis. Could it be Sheriff Dean who has pictures of his wife with Chris? Or Police Officer Jake who is livid that this worm hit Jolie, the woman he still loves and regrets he let down? Or perhaps the grieving widow who just took out insurance on the rat?

THE FUTURE WIDOWS' CLUB is a strange dark humorous romance with police procedural elements to add excitement to the question of who killed Chris. The story line initially appears to be one of an abused spouse but switches gear once the merry widows invite Jolie to join. Rhonda Nelson writes a strong satirical dark look at society that accepts plenty of abusive "values" under the label of protecting the family.

Harriet Klausner