Karissa, Alice, Margot, and Josie have all been through the wringer, but decide a book club would be the best way to escape the realities of their lives. Through the pages of the books they share, they find hope for themselves and a deeper connection with one another.

Highly recommend!

I really wasn’t the right reader for this. I found the plot and characters lacking and never managed to connect to the story.

While I didn’t enjoy this, I’m sure that fans of Ms Robert’s and many other readers will.




Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for the DRC

I enjoy stories with multiple POV characters. This one had four, and it seemed to be a bit too much for the author to manage appropriately. Things were choppy and scattered. It also felt like key plot points were missing. It was hard to connect with, or even like, the characters, particularly Josie. The romance angle felt forced, almost like an afterthought.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts.

This book is about starting over and second chances. The main character Karissa is dealing with betrayal from her husband and best friend. Karissa and her daughter Macy move from Seattle to Gig Harbor, WA to start over. In the beginning they are both dealing with being lonely and sadness of losing friends. Slowly they both find new friends.

The book dealt a lot with moving on, trusting others, feeling better about yourself, forgiveness, trying new things, standing up for yourself, and finding true friendships. Not everything turned out all sunshine and rainbows, but there were promises of better times ahead.

I am not sure if it was how the book was laid out in Kindle...but I had a hard time with how the book bounced from one person to the next. I felt like I was constantly in someone else head.

I might be biased, but I never tire of a book about books and book lovers. Because the characters were so interesting, this novel did not seem like a "template book" but felt fresh and I was able to invest myself into it.

Karissa and her daughter have moved into a new neighborhood after a divorce. As Karissa becomes friendly with her neighbors, Margot and Alice, she decides they should start a book club. Alice invites her grumpy sister, Josie, to also join. The ladies become close as the book progresses and help each other through tough times. Margot is unemployed and having a difficult time finding a new job. Alice and Josie are both widows and living on their own. Karissa, Josie and Margot find love by the end of the book and Alice concurs her fear of driving.

I enjoyed this book. It was fun to see the book choices each lady made for the monthly reads and how they each reacted to the monthly reads. I enjoyed watching the relationships between the ladies develop and change and also the romantic relationships develop throughout the book. Good job Ms. Roberts!

Unfortunately I was never able to get into the story. It took me a long time to finish even though I usually devour a book in a couple of days. Karissa goes through difficult times and finds some sweet friends along the way. The friendships were believable but every other relationship in this story felt forced and inauthentic.

I found “The Best Life Book Club” to be a sweet, cozy book that was pretty okay. The beginning really dragged on for me and didn’t catch my attention, but overall the book was fine. The POVs were sometimes a bit confusing and I didn’t love the overall structure.

Such a fun, uplifting read. I loved all the book references and always love a bookish themed book. The changing point of views wasn’t always as smooth as it could have been but I still loved it.

I thought this book was a little slow. I did enjoy the characters and I loved the last half of the book but it took me a bit to get to it. I would recommend this book, because maybe i was just having an off week,

It was easy to fall in love with the characters and dislike some of the other ones. The last half of the book i couldn't put down and I was very happy with the ending.

Thank you for allowing me to read this book for an honest review .

In a narrative rich with vibrant characters that exude familiarity, prompting a desire for camaraderie, and a plotline that captivates its readers from page to page. What originated as a simple book club endeavor morphs into a collective effort to forge paths towards a more fulfilling life. Karissa Newcomb, seeking a fresh start in a novel locale far removed from the heartache of Seattle, embarks on a journey to Gig Harbor with her young daughter in tow. Amidst the tranquil scenery of Puget Sound, she embraces a new role as an assistant at a local publishing firm, navigating the idiosyncrasies of her enigmatic boss and relishing the prospect of interacting with esteemed authors.

As Karissa settles into her new surroundings, she discovers kindred spirits in her neighbors, Alice and Margot, each grappling with personal turmoil. Alice, in mourning for her departed husband, grapples with paralyzing grief, while Margot contends with the aftermath of divorce and sudden unemployment. Together with the addition of Alice's prickly sister, Josie, the quartet embarks on a literary voyage through the avenues of self-discovery, laying the groundwork for transformative experiences and newfound aspirations.

I really enjoyed the literary allusions within this book, and quotes from other novels. It made it interesting and urged me to consider reading the other referenced books. At times however, there were abrupt shifts in perspective and story-telling which made it difficult to follow the story. I did enjoy delving into the lives of the 4 main characters and this enhanced my enjoyment of this novel.

This is a solid read by an excellent author. I enjoyed this story immensely. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was such a sweet book! I loved the characters, and their love story. The dialogue was realistic and enjoyable.

Thank you Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

The Best Life Book Club was a sweet novel about starting over, trust, and friendship. The characters were fun and engaging, and I love how they all made slight changes from the beginning (changes to themselves that were very believable!) I sort of fell in love with Edward and I hope he makes a reappearance in a future book by Sheila Roberts!

Thank you again for the ARC!

This was a really cute very slow burn Romance but at the same time so much more. The friendships made in this book were so fun to watch unfold and I loved the mix of personalities. Not only were friendships blossoming but you got to see each character grow! The only negative I have on this one was the way it would switch from one point of view to another. It felt abrupt and I felt like it would have maybe been better if they were split up by chapters because each group of characters had their own things going on on the side. Thanks so much to Netgalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the opportunity to read this great story!

In her heartwarming and uplifting novel, The Best Life Book Club, Sheila Roberts weaves a tale of friendship, resilience, and the transformative power of literature. Set against the picturesque backdrop of Gig Harbor, Washington, the story follows three women as they navigate personal challenges and find solace and inspiration in the pages of books. Karissa Newcomb, a single mother fleeing the pain of betrayal, embarks on a new chapter in her life in Gig Harbor. She takes a job as an assistant at a small publishing company, where she meets her gruff but enigmatic boss. Meanwhile, her neighbors, Alice and Margot, grapple with their own demons: Alice struggles with grief and PTSD after losing her husband, while Margot grapples with the aftermath of divorce and unemployment. As fate would have it, these three women, along with Alice's prickly older sister Josie, are drawn together by a shared love of reading. They form a book club, seeking solace and companionship in the written word. As they delve into the lives and experiences of literary characters, they find parallels to their own struggles and begin to find new perspectives and hope for the future. Through the power of storytelling, The Best Life Book Club provides an escape from the characters' troubles and offers them a fresh outlook on life. They learn to confront their fears, embrace change, and forge unbreakable bonds with one another. With each book they read and discuss, they take steps toward healing, self-discovery, and building the best lives they can. Roberts' writing is warm and empathetic, capturing the complexities of human emotion with grace and sensitivity. She skillfully weaves together the individual narratives of the four women, creating a tapestry of shared experiences and growth. The Best Life Book Club is a celebration of friendship, the transformative power of literature, and the resilience of the human spirit, leaving readers inspired to embrace their own journeys with newfound courage and optimism.

What a lovely story about healing, hope, and friendship! Easy read. Relatable characters. Multiple story lines.

I want to start by thanking net gallery and the publisher for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.


This is the second book by Sheila Roberts that I've read, I liked this one much more than the last :)
This is perfect for book lovers, and has the second chance trope. Very cute clean book.

Sheila Roberts' "The Best Life Book Club" offers a heartfelt journey of friendship and the transformative power of literature.

Through the lens of four women navigating life's challenges, the novel explores the complexities of relationships, loss, and personal growth.

At the heart of the story is Karissa Newcomb, a newly divorced single mother who finds herself in a new town. Reluctant at first, Karissa discovers companionship among her diverse group of neighbors, united by their shared love for reading. As they form a book club, the chosen texts become more than just stories—they become guiding lights along the paths through their individual struggles.

From the beginning, the characters feel relatable, drawing readers into their lives with authenticity. Karissa's journey, in particular, resonates deeply, mirroring the complexities of modern motherhood and the quest for belonging.

While the characters and their romantic dilemmas are compelling, some aspects of the storytelling feel rushed, particularly in the resolution of each storyline. The neat tying up of loose ends may leave readers craving more depth and complexity, especially in Margot and Josie's arcs, which could have benefited from further exploration.

Another critique lies in the narrative structure (in the eARC I received), which occasionally falters in distinguishing between the various points of view. Clearer markers or identifiers would enhance the reading experience, preventing confusion as the story shifts, often, between characters.

"Here's to our book club. And to books, and the lives they change." 

If you enjoy reading books that are book-centered, then “The Best Life Book Club” is for you. There are also a list of fun questions at the end to further connect you with the story.

I finished this book, because it was a short and sweet read, but I definitely wouldn't read again. Four women, three whom are neighbors, form a book club where they read various (hokey sounding) books and also Jane Eyre. Karissa, who is new to Gig Harbor, falls in love with her new boss despite any build up of backstory or anything other than the most cursory interactions. Alice learns to drive again after a scary experience. Margo develops an app because she can't get hired after a layoff. Josie falls in love with a curmudgeon. This book maybe had promise but everything seemed half-fleshed out with weird Christian undertones. There were just so many FAST plot swings - Edward was cordial but not overly so to Karissa, and by the end of the book was declaring his love for her. All of the women wrote a book together and it was immediately picked up by Karissa's publisher employer and published.

Positive points for setting - I love Gig Harbor and now want to visit again. I also enjoyed Karissa's relationship with her daughter, as her daughter grapples with the ramifications of divorce. Alice reminded me of my old neighbor, who loved the energy of being around younger folks while dealing with her own life trials and tribulations.

I truly wanted to like this, but it just felt so incomplete, plot wise.

I LOVED the title and idea for the book. This is the 1st book by this author I've read, and it didn't read quite as smoothly as the lighter reads I tend to recommend in my shop, but happy to have it on the shelf.