There's a certain type of story or book that I classify as a "Good Housekeeping" tale. This moniker comes from my childhood, when I would read stories from my mother's magazines such as Redbook and Good Housekeeping. I haven't read either of those magazines in many years, so what I remember from way, WAY back then may not still hold true, but this is my memory: Redbook stories were often edgy, with subjects and endings that didn't conform to a set pattern, and although certainly not what I would call risqué, the themes were definitely adult. I loved them. Good Housekeeping stories, on the other hand, were usually much more predictable. The stories were mostly wholesome, romantic, boy-meets-girl type of tales, with tied-up-in-a-neat-little-bow endings. Entertaining enough, but a little boring and often sweet enough to set your teeth on edge.

Can you tell where I'm going with this? This was my first Elizabeth Berg novel, and it's going in the "Good Housekeeping" stack. But don't get the wrong idea. I really did like the book. It was well-written, it kept my interest, and I finished it quickly. It was just slightly too sweet and neat for me.

I didn't realize that this was number three in a series until after I had read it. To the author's and the book's credit, it was a good stand-alone story, with no need to know anything about the previous books to make this one readable.

The story is set in the small town of Mason, Missouri. Several women from the town, ranging in ages from their 20’s to their 80’s meet once a month to have dinner and dessert and delight and disarm each other with secrets they want to “confess.” These confessions include predictable situations such as marriage woes and other “normal” indiscretions. A couple of admissions are a tad heavier and sometimes funnier. But the Confession Club isn’t really the focus of the book. The lives of the group members, their loneliness, their family problems and their love stories, or lack thereof, are the main themes.

My favorite part of the novel revolved around a homeless man named John and his background. I found his story to be touching and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the author didn’t delve deeply enough into John’s particular situation; there were teasers, but nothing substantial. He was a veteran with PTSD, yet this was glossed over so lightly, when it could have been a strong, substantial storyline itself. Ah, but that’s not the Good Housekeeping way. That would have made it hard to tie up everything in a neat package with a sparkly, sugary bow.

I know I’m being extremely critical of a good, decent book. And I certainly don’t want to spread any negative vibes about Good Housekeeping magazine; it was, and still is, I’m sure, a wonderful publication, with much to offer besides my memories of stories from 55 or so years ago!

I think this would be a good beach read, and I greatly appreciate Ms. Berg’s use of the English language. She is a wonderful writer, even if her story was not my style. I doubt that I’ll read any of her other books, but I do recommend this one to those who don’t want to dig too deeply into a topic. If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would. It’s certainly better than a 3 star, but I just can’t push it up to a 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was so happy to hear that Elizabeth Berg had written a third novel that takes place in the wonderful small town of Mason, Missouri! The Confession Club is a treat, filled with quirky, warm and complicated characters who are just trying to do their best. In this book, the baking teacher, Iris Winters, is the focus character, but she is accompanied by some of the old regulars from Arthur Truluv and A Night to Remember. I hope she keeps writing these, because I definitely have not had enough yet! This book is probably best enjoyed if read after the first two, but it actually completely stands alone. Can't wait to recommend this to readers!

Inviting characters, each flawed in some way yet they band together to share their shames, bad deeds and help each other be free—to be who they truly are. The women Berg writes about are always strong and smart. This is one of the most unusual plots I’ve ever read

Fans of Elizabeth Berg will enjoy this third book in her Arthur Truluv trilogy. While I have loved the previous books, I find that I liked, not loved, this one. The premise appeals to me- women listening to and supporting each other. I believe in confession and absolution and that is what this little community is all about. There was, however, no depth or follow up to any of the confessions. Some of those stories could well hold this book together.
Instead, the author continued to follow the lives of previous characters, Maddy and Iris, as they struggle to find love and home and self.
The author does find unique and interesting characters for us to meet along the way. The old hippie in Las Vegas probably deserves her own book!
Berg is an amazing author and this is a perfect summer read.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

I was excited to read this book based on the description, I liked the idea, but it wasn't a major part of the story like I thought it would be. I felt myself disappointed.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy free of charge. This is my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced read in exchange for this review.  I am a big fan of Elizabeth Berg's work.  Arthur Truluv was one of the sweetest stories I have read in a long time.

The Confession Club is about a group that hosts a supper club.  Over time, the club turns into the women sharing their confessions.  Iris and Maddy are invited to join, and this book is more of their stories and what they are escaping from.  I found the book to be charming.  However, I was disappointed at the ending because it left me hanging!  Still, a good read although it lacks some of the magic that Arthur Truluv had.

As this is a book in a series I did feel a bit lost not having read any of the previous books, and not really being familiar with the characters or the town. That being said I enjoyed the story - and the idea of Confession Club. The characters were well developed and I enjoyed their interactions. A heartwarming story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

I was disappointed with this book. First, I didn't find that the Confession Club was actually a huge part of the storyline. I was ready for a story about women building friendships through the sharing of stories, but the club was really minor plot point. Also, I was not excited to find some of the same characters from the Arthur Truluv books. I enjoyed the first two books with these characters, but am just not that interested in their journey at this point.

" The Confession Club " by Elizabeth Berg. Tentative publication is November 2019.
From Supper Club to Confession Club ....a delightful, heartwarming and bittersweet story. From sharing recipes to sharing secrets in Mason, Missouri. This is an adult novel interwoven with intimate and shared stories of childhood shoplifting, parent/child conflicts, new love, lost love, the survival and sadness ,in today's world, of a Vietnam veteran, fears, frustrations and dreams. An easy read.

This book just isn’t for me. While I enjoyed the idea of the confession club, I feel like there was so much thrown in that didn’t go along in any other parts of the story and everything had atoo happy of an ending for me. I would still recommend to other readers based on the preferences.

For lovers of Berg’s Story of Arthur Truluv or Night of Miracles, The Confession Club is the third in this really sweet trilogy. With just a couple of recognizable characters from the first two books, this one can stand alone as a character driven story about recognizing people’s worth and how to find love in the world. Just what I needed after a couple of darker books.

I will admit that when I heard the title I thought The Confession Club would be about some deep dark secret keeping a group of friends together. Maybe murder, intrigue, and thrills would surround some crazy act that is told in a hushed whisper after too much to drink. Then, I read the synopsis.

The Confession Club was nothing like I thought but still everything that you could want in a book. A heartwarming story about lovely women in Mason, Missouri who start a dinner club, that turns into a confession club when one of the women shares an intimate confession. The women are empathetic and supportive and quickly realize their group is a safe place to talk. As I read about the confession club, I was jealous that I didn’t have one in real life. The community and friendship the women shared was lovely and heartwarming. Hearing what each woman was going through made me connect with the characters and invest in their stories.

Elizabeth Berg is a fantastic writer and her characters worm their way into your heart. The story is really about the characters, and the part of life they are in and what they are dealing with. There are so many important points brought up, especially thoughts on forgiveness, friendship, and taking chances in life.

This book was a great break from the thrilling type of book I thought it was, and I’m so happy I gave it a chance. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Random House for the opportunity to read this lovely book. I will be posting my review on my bookstagram @bookarethemagic, goodreads, and amazon near the publication date.

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to preview this ARC of The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg.

Rather than forming a book club, like many women do, this rogue group decides to have a "confession club" instead. And it's exactly what it sounds like. Every meeting one of the members must confess to something that they have done. Sometimes the confessions are banal, sometimes they're shocking, and they're mostly all heartwarming.

This book focuses on a few main characters. An older divorced Iris who has just met a mysterious and handsome man, who also happens to be homeless. And Maddy, who is taken in by Iris after separating from her husband, her past, and her issues. And how through each other and their confession club, they're all able to find resolution and contentment.

I do love an Elizabeth Berg. She has such a sweet and quiet way of writing a story that doesn't feel too syrupy or manipulative. The characters are so funny, I can practically hear their conversations and smell the confections over which they confess. I highly recommend.

I had high hopes for this book but I feel like it fell flat for me. I couldn't really connect with any of the characters and found the storyline to drag a bit.

Another wonderful novel by Elizabeth Berg. A group if small town women meet for what started out as a supper club, but turned into a “confession club.” They each take a turn confessing to something they have done that they regret (or not) or are ashamed of, or perhaps, proud of. In the process they find acceptance, forgiveness and improve their understanding of themselves. The relationships are lively and true to life. Very highly recommended.

Elizabeth Berg’s novels are always uplifting and hopeful and “The Confession Club” is no different. My only “complaint” with this novel is that it didn’t keep my attention and primarily I think that’s because this book is geared to a slightly older audience. Definitely a novel that can be enjoyed by all, but I think a certain age range would most connect with this story and these characters.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44108420

Elizabeth Berg's, Confession Club is the third novel in the Arthur Truluv stories. This book is wonderfully written and charming with memorable characters. I loved it! I am anxiously awaiting the next installment of the town of Mason. I refuse to believe there won't be another book! 5 BIG stars!

First of all, I must say I have always loved Elizabeth Berg’s writing. Never Change is high on the list of my favorite books ever. Lately I’ve been somewhat disappointed. While I did enjoy Arthur Truluv, I am not happy about the last three books. Okay- that said, I found The Confession Club hard to read. I even had a difficult time remembering who was who. It was not the writer of her earlier books which had sentences that brought tears to my eyes. I liked The two main characters but had a hard time with both of them. I was in college when Vietnam took place. Yes I may have been somewhat sheltered but I have never met anyone with PTSD. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

As always, a wonderfully, funny and poignant women's novel from Elizabeth Berg. She never disappoints. Her characters are like long, lost friends and I adored the love interest.

I was absolutely thrilled to receive this advance copy. I have been reading Elizabeth Berg‘s books since her first one came out. She’s one of my all-time favorite authors. The Confession Club did not disappoint. . I was so happy to return to Mason Missouri. It felt like I was going home to visit old friends. I read this book on the week of the San Antonio, and Ohio mass murders. It was exactly what I needed. Her books are soothing, they are therapeutic. They are quite simply wonderful. I am hoping there will be another sequel, because these characters have so much more to teach us. The plot was excellent, you can see how people have moved forward in their lives, and I love the fact that all these women had the faith to confide in each other. I cannot thank you enough for this advance copy. Elizabeth please keep writing.