Customer Reviews

The Other Mothers' Club: A Novel

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I loved this book. I don't normally write reviews, but I thought it would be only fair for such a unique book. I am reviewing the book as a custodial stepmother. There aren't too many of us around, for a variety of reasons, but even less resources. I know this is a fiction book, but it spoke to me on so many levels. It clearly articulated the many difficulties I have felt in my own life adjusting to life as a custodial stepmom, as well as remembered the children, and even, through Clare, the difficulties of a bio-mom letting go of her child to a stranger. It covers all levels of the stepmother development, some more than others certainly, from the first introduction to the children, to what happens when you go from Dad's "friend" to the outsider in the home he's created. I highly recommend it as a good read, and just as a way for stepmothers to read something where someone else has obviously been in their shoes and can write what they themselves may not be able to say.

had interesting parts, other than that, super dull. the characters didnt always make sense & i couldn't tell who was who half the time. and it was kind of depressing. i'm not gonna lie, i bought the book cuz i saw it at target & the cover was cute. i will NEVER make that mistake again!!!! not woth the time

It was really nice to read a full stepmom-experience story. There were multiple simultaneous stories from other women in stepmom situations, and the comparison was pretty dead on. If you're a stepmom yourself, you'll disagree with and have your own take on everything, but that doesn't make the story any lesser. Every stepmom's experience is different, and the best thing about this book being fiction is it means that it's not telling you *how* to be a stepmom. It's more like a story-led discussion on what it's like. It was great to be involved in a story that I specifically related to, knowing that it wasn't real or an advice book. There should be a lot more like this book coming, as blended families make up half of families now. There's a huge increase in stepparent and stepmom non-fiction books, so hopefully this book will spur some more fiction.

This chick lit novel focuses on young women navigating the rocky terrain of stepmotherhood. At the center is Eve, a magazine editor who has fallen in love with a widower. Her new boyfriend comes complete with three children and a family home replete with relics of the deceased and seemingly saintly first wife, Caroline. Through her best friend Eve discovers that plenty of other women share her situation, her fears, and her problems. Five of them form a support group, and the book chronicles their meetings and individual histories.

Generally, this is a well-written book, though the plot is quite predictable. It is unlikely that any reader will be surprised by the book's ending. I was quite sympathetic to Eve's plight, especially as I thought she was poorly treated, both by her best friend and her boyfriend, Ian. While Ian's devotion to his children is admirable, there is a crucial point in the story where his complete abrogation of responsibility to Eve was appalling. Likewise, Eve's best friend Clare is so bitter that she sometimes seems to be a caricature. Ultimately I'd classify this as summer beach reading. It's not deep, but it is well-written, and definitely one of the better books of its genre.

I adored this book. I enjoyed reading a story from a perspective we rarely read about.

Eve falls in love with Ian, a widower, but is unprepared to cope with the challenges of living with his three children. She turns to her best friend Claire, a single mother with a teenager. Claire has Eve speak with her sister, Lily who is seeing someone with a young daughter. Next thing you know, the Stepmothers Support Group is formed and two additional members are added. The women met at Starbucks to discuss the challenges that they are facing being a stepmother. Eve struggles to get Ian's oldest daughter Hannah to like her, or at the very least, not hate her. She is also coping with living in a house where another woman still has a very large presence. Claire struggles when her ex, Will, appears wanting to met the daughter he abandoned some 14 years ago. The other women have their own stories, but the plot revolving the characters of Eve and Claire was most defined.

Even though Baker's book is about the challenges facing mothers/stepmothers, at its core it is really about women and friendship. You don't need to be a stepmother or mom to appreciate this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good summer read.

In London, Eve Owen and widower Ian Newsome meet over a magazine review she is doing on his book re his late wife. They fall in love, but she is totally unprepared to deal with his kids (twelve years old Hannah, eight years old Sophie and five years old Alfie).

Her best friend school teacher Claire Adams is a single mom of thirteen year old Louisa so she listens to Eve's woes of becoming a stepmother. Clare helps and soon the two BFFs forge the Stepmothers' Support Group. Clare's younger sister Lily joins them as she is dating a single dad with a toddler. Mandy becomes a member as she struggles to merge two families with teenagers in both into a cohesive unit. Finally Mel's boyfriend has a tweener.

This is an intriguing look at the not wicked stepmother as the club members want loving relationships with the offspring of their significant other. Clare and Eve are fully developed but the rest of the ensemble pale in comparison as there are too many characters with too many issues to keep score. Still readers who enjoy a well written family drama will appreciate The Stepmothers' Support Group as the women want to do their best but don't always succeed.

Harriet Klausner

This book was just ok for me. It took some time to get into and some of the characters weren't developed very well. By the end, I really didn't care if any of the couples ended up together.