Better Luck Next Time was such a fun and unique read. It is set during the 1930’s at a dude ranch in Reno, Nevada. It is narrated by Ward, who worked on the ranch as a cowboy. The ranch is where women came and stayed while waiting to get a divorce, which in Nevada took six weeks. I really enjoyed this book which I received from Netgalley for my honest review.

"It’s 1938 and women seeking a quick, no-questions split from their husbands head to the “divorce capital of the world,” Reno, Nevada. There’s one catch: they have to wait six-weeks to become “residents.” Many of these wealthy, soon-to-be divorcees flock to the Flying Leap, a dude ranch that caters to their every need.

Twenty-four-year-old Ward spent one year at Yale before his family lost everything in the Great Depression; now he’s earning an honest living as a ranch hand at the Flying Leap. Admired for his dashing good looks—“Cary Grant in cowboy boots”—Ward thinks he’s got the Flying Leap’s clients all figured out. But two new guests are about to upend everything he thinks he knows: Nina, a St Louis heiress and amateur pilot back for her third divorce, and Emily, whose bravest moment in life was leaving her cheating husband back in San Francisco and driving herself to Reno.

A novel about divorce, marriage, and everything that comes in between (money, class, ambition, and opportunity), Better Luck Next Time is a hilarious yet poignant examination of the ways friendship can save us, love can destroy us, and the family we create can be stronger than the family we come from."

I enjoyed this novel. It's fun. The tone is quite true to the upbeat fun portrayed in the late 30s/40s cinema. Narrated by Ward at the end of his life, it's a fun look back at his time on the ranch, and the life lessons he learned as a result. It's a quick read, very enjoyable. All the characters are great. Ward is a wonderful narrator, Nina's got enough gumption for everybody, Emily is the heartbreaker, and the minor characters are fully fleshed out, even in their brief appearances.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is about Dr. Howard Stovall Bennett III and the time he worked ar the Flying Leap, a divorce ranch in Reno, Nevada. Ward meets Nina and Emily at the ranch and through the course of the story falls in love with Emily. The characters are well interesting and well developed, but the delivery of the story is long and draw out. It was worth reading but I was tempted to give upn it along the way.

This historical novel is told as a recollection from a former ranch hand at a Reno divorce ranch. An enjoyable read with a cast of characters that plays out like a old movie. A good read!

“Better Luck Next Time” is an historical fiction novel set at “The Flying Leap,” a “divorce ranch” in Reno, Nevada in 1938, where women resided for the requisite six weeks to acquire Nevada residency for a quickie divorce. The novel starts out in 1988 with a mysterious interviewer posing questions to an elderly Ward Bennett about his time as a “cowboy” at “the Flying Leap” in 1938, where he was assigned to do various odd jobs around the ranch.

The interviewer shows Ward a photograph taken at the ranch of the residents and employees and Ward begins his narrative, reminiscing about a particular period of time when he, Nina, and Emily (temporary residents of the ranch) formed a threesome for various outings around the ranch and the nearby countryside. The characterizations were wonderfully fleshed out and the dialog was scintillating, capturing the essence of that time period. Ward is a witty and wise narrator who captivates the reader with his charming take on life at the ranch and in general.

Ward falls in love with Emily, whose daughter arrives at the ranch soon after, disrupting their burgeoning romance. The drama that ensues keeps readers guessing until the end regarding the conclusion to this romance. This is a delightful read with fascinating characters that will keep the reader enthralled throughout the narrative.

What great book! I enjoyed the story and it was very interesting. I also was about to learn a great deal about the laws in Nevada in the 30s. Emily and Nora and the lady who was running the ranch named Margaret and Max and it was these ladies had to stay there for six weeks so they could get their divorce how it all came together was unique. I enjoyed this read and am glad I got a chance to read it as an ARC!

Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to finish this one. This book reads like a long-winded, foggy dream. The way the characters are introduced (which there aren't even that many but I think the author doesn't introduce them well and for some reason they would not stick in my mind). The writing is confusing and I had to keep reading paragraphs several times before I could register what was actually happening. I think the author is trying to be "artsy" and just needs to get to the point.

A storyteller, Dr. Howard Stovall Bennett, III, (Ward) looks back on his life in 1938 with a glimpse of when he worked as a cowboy during the Depression at a place called Flying Leap which was a ranch for divorcees. While he was there, the cowboys looked after the women to take them shopping and made them feel good about themselves. Reno, Nevada was one of the few places women could get a divorce at that time and they had to be residents for six weeks. Most readers could guess ahead on what would happen with romance on the ranch even though it wasn't allowed.

There was a significant amount of research done to provide the reader the feeling that you were listening to a cowboy talk about his prior life. During the conversations with the ranch folks, they discussed all kind of things including books, actresses like Myrna Loy of the times, gambling and yes - shopping for cowboy boots. When Ward told the story in 1988, he said, "divorce isn't a big deal anymore." It makes one hope that women's rights will remain that way.

Thanks to HarperCollins Publishers and NetGalley for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson is an interesting historical fiction that takes the reader (well at least this reader) to a place I have never been before: a “divorce ranch” located in Reno, Nevada in the 1930s. I will let the reader find out more about the concept of the ranch. (Maybe I am the only one that didn’t know that Reno was known for “quickie divorces” at a time when divorce was difficult and most certainly frowned upon.)

I enjoyed learning the stories of Emily, Nina, and Ward. Their characters were endearing, I think, even more so because of their flaws and imperfections. I enjoyed seeing their reflections, growth, and changes. I also enjoyed the satisfying ending.

A memorable and unique read that kept me interested throughout.

4/5 stars

Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow and Custom House for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon and B&N accounts upon publication.

The real draw of this novel is the setting and though it was entertaining, it didn't have quite the heft or the hilarity I was hoping for. The framing device is incredibly hackneyed, seemingly without much self-awareness or even some slight differentiation that might make it go down more smoothly. The characters are alluring and their dialogue hits some of those good screwball highs, but deeper characterization or introspection is lacking.

Ward has his memory sparked by an old photo and tells the story of his time at a divorce ranch outside of Reno. The ranch caters to wealthy women who have to reside in Reno for 6 weeks to get a divorce. This is the last group when Ward was working the ranch and the interactions with them changed his life.

I think my love for THE WOMEN, by Claire Booth Luce, led to believe I would love this novel set in a Nevada divorce ranch, but I did not. I found it humorless and superficial. I simply couldn’t get through it, despite picking it up several times.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC