Thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I was a big fan of Elizabeth Berg's earlier work, but haven't enjoyed her as much recently. I was excited by the chance to try one of her novels again when I was given The Confession Club. I do think she is a talented writer, but I have struggled to connect to her characters and story the way I used to. I found this title to be an enjoyable, easy read but it wasn't anything I'd run out and tell friends about. I liked the idea of a women's club where they could get together and share their insecurities, their struggles, and secrets in a safe, comfortable group. I did find it strange however that they focused only on revealing secret sins and mistakes. It seemed like a strange way to highlight the purpose of the group. Luckily, most of what was revealed did fall more into what I expecting and resulted in women sharing their insecurities and struggles- sometimes following an action they took. Some were personal about their self-worth, others regarding their relationships. I liked the women coming together to strengthen and support one another. I found the romance between the main character and a homeless man who was squatting in her town to be odd in how quickly it developed and grew. He did have an interesting story though and I quite enjoyed his character. Overall, this book had good characters and a nice story. It just fell a little short of being great to me, but I enjoyed the read.

I highly enjoyed this story which is book #3 in a series- however, I did not know that going in and have not read the other two but found no problem keeping up with the characters or the plot so this could stand alone- though people have said reading the other 2 books first gives you more insight into the town and community and people in it.
The Confession Club is as it suggests- a group of women meet monthly to chat...with their discussions focused on personal confessions- with members rotating who confesses to something each month. The purpose is to support one another through their confessions and be a neutral sounding board.
I enjoyed the premise and the idea behind the book and found myself a little jealous I could not move to this fictional town of Mason and share in this experience. Elizabeth Berg is a beautiful writer whose themes often center around friendship so I am easily drawn to her work. This is a light and easy read with a beautiful ending.
I will be going back to read the first two books and will look forward to book #4 in this series if there is one!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this ARC. I loved Mason #1 and #2 and was super excited about #3. It did not disappoint. I have enjoyed watching Maddy grow into a remarkable young woman and mother. I love the new characters and miss the ones woh left us in the earlier books. Can I also ask how do I get an invite into the Confession Club? That group of women! Oh I would love a group of women like that. I love that these women lift each other up and keep each other's secrets. I want to live in Mason. This book in particular made me feel especially close to my best friend who lives in rural Missouri. I did not want this book to end. And what an ending! I hope it means #4 is coming. If you have read this series, don't miss out on this 3rd installment. If you haven't, go read it now so you will be ready for this one to come out.

This book continues tracing the lives of the people in Mason, Missouri, started in Berg's novel, The Story of Arthur Truluv. Once again, the format consists of chapters as vignettes, each focusing on a resident of Mason, usually a member of the eponymous women's group. Iris and Maddie may be remembered from earlier books, and grab our particular attention because of the conflicts they are dealing with within themselves. Iris's relationship with a handsome and mysterious stranger adds some spice to the story. Once again community and relationships are portrayed as affirming, and Arthur Truluv's gentle spirit is almost tangible.

I must admit I did not finish this novel. I was very intrigued by the premise. Each meeting, a member must confess to what they perceive as a sin, whether it be a recent one or in the distant past. I grew tired by the "club" members predictable reactions to the revealed secret. I never felt as if I was, as the reader, in the same room and experiencing the conversations. In not having this connection, I just got bored . It struck me as being well written with great word choices but the execution was not successful for me.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 because it’s Elizabeth Berg, one of my faves. I am never sorry to have read any of her works. I didn’t realize that this was a continuation of the Trulove novels which I so enjoyed, when I requested it from NetGalley. These are about some of the people mentioned in those novels and the continuation of their stories, and some new characters as well.

The Confession Club is a group of women in Mason, Mo. who meet weekly for socializing. It turns into a confession club when one woman confesses to something that has been bothering her and it’s decided that that will be the topic for the meetings, rotating around to each member of the club. I found their stories entertaining and as I have come to expect from Berg, a few gems of wisdom tossed in. I highlighted several statements I want to remember. I particularly liked how one woman defined how she wants to exit this world with a party and how she will choreograph it all if she gets the chance and whenever the time comes. Brilliantly, I thought.

Very cute but ended rather abruptly with a predictable situation. Thank you NetGalley, Publisher Random House, and author Berg for the fun and enjoyment of reading this ARC. .

The Confession Club
Fiction, 304 pages, to be published 11/19/2019

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is the third, and most recent, installment in Elizabeth Berg’s ‘Mason’ series. In this story, what had started as a monthly ladies supper club has turned into a monthly ‘confession club’ where the members take turns sharing often embarrassing secrets with one another. In addition, several of the familiar characters from the past books return. Maddy and her daughter Lola return from New York as Maddy struggles with relationship issues with her husband. And Iris, while still teaching cooking classes, finds herself falling in love with a transient homeless man, named John.

I had high hopes for this book before starting it. The first installment in this series, “The Story of Arthur Truluv” was one of my favorite books the year it was released. But I found myself disappointed in this recent offering. The characters, especially the women involved in the confession club portion, were not well developed and the dialog between them felt very forced and unnatural. I never felt engaged with any of the characters and if I hadn’t needed to write this review for NetGalley, I probably would have abandoned the book.

Loved this book and love this author. I love the way she introduces characters. Elizabeth Berg never fails to disappoint!

Super-enjoyable and uplifting intertwining stories about women who have suffered deep loss, but problem solve through friendship, honesty and great food. Reading this book was like taking a bubble bath while sipping prosecco - - just what the soul needs sometime.

The Confessions Club
Elizabeth Berg
November 19, 2019

Joanie Benson and Gretchen Buckwalter started the confession’s club with thoughts of clearing the conscience of the friends and neighbors who joined. They thought it would be a bit like a book club. They could have a great dinner, dessert and plenty of wine or coffee. They started out meeting monthly but had such a good time that they upped it to twice a month then what the heck, once a week. It was Joanie’s turn and she planned on baking a black cake for dessert, it was something she saw from an Emily Dickinson play. Little did she know that the recipe was so involved. Once glancing through it she knew that she had neither the time nor the talent to produce such a treat by 5 PM that evening when the meeting started. She called on her friend Iris Winters who teaches a baking class. She convinced Iris to come over to bake it at her home while she readied her home for the meeting. After glimpsing into the recipe Iris suggested that she take the recipe and the items she needed to bake it back to her house. She would pick up the items she needed on the way home. Enroute to the store she took a drive through the country hoping to find lilacs to put in a vase on her table. She saw just the color, deep purple, on a large tree near an abandoned farm house. Store first, then back to cut the flowers.
Stopping at the farm house she looked around hoping it was indeed unoccupied. She didn’t want to be caught stealing. No one seemed to be around. She picked up the saw and started on a lovely bunch of purple. Looking down, watching carefully she didn’t see the man approach. He asked if she needed help. Well, that threw her. One never knows and she had left her phone in the car while dealing with the lilacs. He seemed the pleasant sort, nice looking and he said he didn’t mind. The house was not his, he was just living there for awhile. She presumed he must be homeless. Pleasant conversations lead to being caught by the blackening clouds. They were cold, wet and only partially through the flower collecting. John invited her in to dry off during the rain shower. At the old 50’s style table she sat in a wooden chair that was comfortable but had seen many people throughout its time. The sun returned and she finished putting the flowers into 3 large vases. He gave her his cell number with thoughts she might like to return. She wasn’t certain but they had become fast friends. Perhaps she could bring him out a supper and they could take a walk in the countryside.
Ms. Berg’s novel brought us close to Iris Winters. She was alone, renting a house from a friend. Most of her time was spent teaching her classes or doing research for them. She wasn’t a member of the Confession Club but when she had the cake baked she took it and her young landlady who had dropped by, to Joanie’s house.
The different characters in the story were humorus yet a bit sad. As usual in reading one of Elizabeth Berg’s books I was drawn into the lives of her many wonderful characters. I could not get enough of her stories within the book that revolves around the cast of the Confession Club. I laughed throughout finding many traits like some of the people that I know in my hometown.
The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg is published by Random House. It will be on the shelves November 19, 2019. I encourage readers of Berg’s books not to miss this one. If you have not read her, this is an excellent story, sweetly written.

First of all, Elizabeth Berg is a great story teller and this book is no exception. I'm from Missouri so when I read the description I knew I wanted to request it. Its a modern story with some more traditional characters. I really enjoyed the concept and the writing. I would recommend!

Another lovely read from Elizabeth Berg. It is always a joy to visit Mason in these books, the characters are very comfortable and real. As usual I felt this book was too short, and would have loved to stay in Mason longer.

The confession club is a great concept, I think more folks could benefit from having a support group such as this one. Some of the confessions had me in stitches laughing.

I look forward to visiting Mason again in the next book.

I have enjoyed Elizabeth Berg's books for years. This book, and series it is part of, are some of my favorite books she has written. I love how she helps you to get to know the characters and like that this series is focused on the town so you meet new ones while getting to visit ones from previous books to catch up.

Fun read with a group of women who form a Confession Club. Is it good therapy..maybe yes. Confess little things and big things.

Book 3 in a series but honestly each can be a stand alone. I’ve loved Elizabeth Berg’s writing for many years. Her characters are the people we know in our own lives who share matters of the heart. The women in The Confession Club reveal to one another without judgement what they could tell no one else. We all should have friends like this & I’m so thankful for mine. ✨❤️ 📚 #fallreads

"The Confession Club" is the third book in Elizabeth Berg's "Mason" series, and hopefully not the last. Though this book can be read as a stand-alone novel, I do suggest reading the other two books first, as they add depth to the characters and to the story. It is a quick read and is a perfect way to spend a chilly, rainy afternoon inside.

In a nutshell, "The Confession Club" is about a group of women who meet monthly, in a manner similar to a book club. However, instead of discussing a book, each month one of the women shares a personal story that she feels the needs to confess. The other women do not judge the storyteller for her "sin," but rather comfort and support her. Dovetailed with the stories of the Confession Club is the plot line of Iris, who teaches baking classes and John, a homeless Vietnam Veteran who wanders into Mason. We also learn more about Maddy and Nola, two familiar characters from the other books of the series.

The three books of the "Mason" series are so heartwarming and lovely. I wish Mason was a real town so I could move there. "The Confession Club" is beautifully written and richly detailed with characters who come alive. Elizabeth Berg's books always make me smile and leave me with a warm feeling. I identify with her characters and her themes of friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, and the willingness to take some risks in life. Berg remains one of my favorite authors and I look forward to reading more about the residents of Mason soon!

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and to Elizabeth Berg for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this lovely little book. Five stars all the way!

I am already a huge Elizabeth Berg fan, and this book is just another in a line of great books. She continues the story from the Arthur Truluv book. The women of the book have a Confession Club where they share confessions of things that happened, or things they did that no one else knows. Other characters from the previous books are also mixed in as a sort of sequel. As always, very well written.

Great story, magnificent characters, incredible relationship between women.
Elizabeth Berg packs a lot into her books without over-filling. She explores some interesting concepts and seasons it with humor snd tidbits of wisdom.
I had not known this was the third of a series when i began reading. Im looking forward to going back and starting with the first....at the top of my “ to read” pile.
Thank you netgalley for the complimentary digital copy and for re-igniting my interest in this author. All opinions are expressly my own.

I hadn't read the other books in the series and I don't think you need to to be able to follow this one. It was a lovely tale set in a small town with charming and neighborly people. My favorite parts were during the confession club meetings themselves when we got to peek into each member's life and see the love and care they had for each other. It was an enjoyable look into human nature. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House for allowing me to read this book early in exchange for an honest review.

Another charming story from Elizabeth Berg, wise and witty and sweet. She writes with such depth and care, that the characters truly come to life, and you'll wish you had friends just like them. I didn't love this one as much as the Story of Arthur Truluv, but it's still a wonderful story. As always, her main core of characters, all friends and neighbors, take care of each other as they each live their lives and deal with whatever comes their way. And along the way, they learn about love, compassion, and redemption, and the importance of friends. And if they're lucky they will get a second chance at love. You can't go wrong with Elizabeth Berg, her novels always make me smile. Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for the e-arc! Her books are a pure pleasure to read.