I love a good women's fiction, second chance/starting over in midlife book. Throw in strong female friendships, a book club, insights into small press publishing/writing, single parenting and a bit of romance and this book really hit all the sweet spots for me!! Good on audio too! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

Steam level: kissing only

This book has my heart! I went in to reading this book with very little knowledge of the premise of the book because I really loved the book cover. After diving in and reading, I fall in love with the characters as well as the story itself. If you are someone who loves books and loves themselves, then I definitely think you should pick up this book.

I was really excited to read this lite women’s fiction story. It was a palate cleanser in between all the romance and thrillers I’ve been reading lately. But, it fell flat for me. It had all the potential to be a great read: starting over, bouncing back from betrayal, meeting new people, new career ventures, facing fears and a fun new book club! It was just blah and dull. It started strong but I quickly lost interest in the ladies and their lives. I wanted so much more to pop off on Karissa’s end, especially with her ex-husband and fake friend. I was happy that Margo, Alice and Josie had happy-ish endings, but it was nothing exciting.

I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and all opinions expressed are mine.

This is an ode to bookclubs and their impact on individuals .The book is about Karissa and her daughter who are starting a new life away from the drama that is her ex husband in Puget and Alice who is grieving the love of her life and Margot who us dealing with the challenges of life .The book club starts as something they do and becomes a lifeline of sorts for these women birthing friendships and a support system. It is a hug in pages .

The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts is a fun romance. Karissa’s husband cheated on her with her best friend so she packs up her daughter and they move to a new town. In her new town, Karissa and three other women form a book club. The other women have their own issues as well. Alice is still grieving from losing her husband. Margot is laid-off from her job and is having difficulty finding another one. Josie is estranged from her daughter. The four members become friends as their lives begin to change.

I truly enjoyed reading The Best Life Book Club. I was sad to finish the book. The story is full of humor, romance, and adventure along with a few plot twists!

Really cute, but a little predictable. My favorite part of the book is the neighborhood interactions, even when it was hard for Karissa to put herself out there again. I like how this is an easy and fun summer read. Love how differently the book club views their books but still keeps coming together. Even though Josie is very grouchy, I still enjoyed her (while maybe not as appreciated by Margot).

This was a nice summer read book with some great characters. Light, fun, romantic - great for a book club to discuss. Enjoyed the different characters. Really enjoy this author.

I loved this book! Very sweet and wholesome. I love reading books that are centered around books (specifically book clubs or book stores) and love a grumpy/sunshine trope.

There was nothing not to like about this one. Friendship, some romance stories, books, the beach. It was all good. The friendship carry the story here, as well as the sister relationship. I really enjoyed it!

I was not familiar with any of Sheila Roberts previous books so I was not sure what to expect. I found the premise for this story to be one that I would typically enjoy so I was excited to read The Best Life Book Club.

Karissa is ready for a fresh start to her life after she discovered her husband and next-door neighbor who was her best friend, are having an affair. Karissa along with her daughter move to a quaint town of Gig Harbor.

Karissa soon discovers that her neighbors, Alice and Margot, are also in need of a life makeover. Along with Alice's older grumpy sister, Josie, the four start a bookclub.

I felt like between each lady's life and problems, Karissa's work setting, and their bookclub that there was too much going on and not enough depth. I got to 60% and I was not enjoying this book at all.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I think this is a perfect example of a three star. For every exciting and genuine character, it was neutralized by a dull, underwritten character. For every interesting plot point, there was another I simple couldn’t get invested in. For every nuance and dynamic obstacle, there was an overdone trope or unrealistic portrayal. The book didn’t allow the best parts of it to really thrive, but that also meant it didn’t let the worst parts of it to sink the ship. A perfect, middling, average read.

The story follows 4 women, brought together by Karissa, who was recently divorced and moving to a new town. Her new next door neighbor, Margot, is dealing with recently losing a job and an overbearing, nagging, mom. Alice, neighboring Karissa on the other side, is grieving her husband who she lost two years ago as it continues to affect her everyday life - namely her ability to drive without an unbearable panic attack. Then we have Alice’s sister, Josie, whose strong personality is putting her at odds with her adult daughter. They form a book club and read through a great range of novels - growing and learning along with the authors they read - and with some fun references for all of the book fans!

I will say that I did feel rather cozy throughout the entire read. While there were flaws, and it wasn’t the MOST cozy read, there was a softness and heart to it that I really appreciated. There were some deeper themes explored, and due to the range of characters - all in different life stages - we really got to see a variety of friendship-filled, family-loving, empowering moments.

There are several romances, and no spice - if that’s your jam! There are several religious mentions - but it’s not overbearing at all, I was just surprised not often reading openly Christian books - if that’s not your jam.

A huge thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC copy!

The Best Life Book Club is a sweet ode to friendship and books. I enjoyed getting to know these characters, and by story’s end wished I could join their club. A lovely light poignant read.

Thank you Sheila Roberts, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really enjoyed The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts. I did have a little trouble getting into the story, but stuck with it and am glad I did. The story takes place in Washington State, with the main character, Karissa Newcomb, having to move herself and her daughter from their home in Seattle because she is getting divorced. She moves to Gig Harbor, which is a much smaller town, where she is starting over with a new job and in a new house. The main story is about Karissa and the friends she makes and starts a book club with. Two are her neighbors, Alice & Margot, and Alice's sister Josie. All four women are sort of trying to move on from involuntary changes in their lives. Josie is widowed, and her only daughter is not speaking to her, Alice is also widowed, but has a fear of driving that keeps her from being able to be 100% independent. Margot, who has been divorced for 10 years, has gotten laid off from her job and the job search is frustrating her. The women decide to start a book club and each take turns picking what book they read & discuss each month. What I liked best about this book, is how their book club picks influenced them in each of their lives. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for sending me this ebook advanced copy to review. #TheBestLifeBookClub #NetGalley

The Best Life Book club truly feels like a hug or snuggling up under a cozy blanket. This is definitely a refreshing feel good story with a bit of romance. Even though the story begins seemingly centered around Karissa separating from her husband amid an affair, quickly other characters are introduced amidst her move. The odd pairing up of book club members allows for almost a “Golden Girls”-esque dynamic that is both loving and comical. There is such good character development here where I was really invested and interested in what was going on in each characters’ lives and rooting for them to overcome their unique challenges they were facing. I will definitely miss checking in on this group but was very satisfied with the ending. I really enjoyed seeing each characters’ growth throughout. Sheila Roberts does an excellent job of creating characters that you can’t help but fall in love with. I recommend this as a good beach read this summer or even a nice cozy fall read by the fire. It will warm your heart.

Thank you Sheila Roberts and NetGalley for this ARC!

The Best Lufe Book Club was a sweet story. But a little too slow and predictable for me. My favorite story line was the cantankerous Josie meets the curmudgeon Gerard. Otherwise the characters needed to be fleshed out more or have less of them.

This book made me feel as if I was hanging out, right along with the characters. You come to know them, love them, and even see Romance for one of them.

I loved how we get a peek into each characters lives, struggles, and how they got to where they are today. The book club was not just a book club, but so much more for these ladies. It was a place of solace for them. The genuine friendships in and the bonds they formed were beautiful.

Shelia Roberts doesn’t incredible job with her character development. This one is a slower paced book written in third person point of view. This would be a great book to read with your group of friends. There is a readers guide with discussion questions at the end of the book, loved that! There’s also a wonderful quote at the start of each chapter that I really enjoyed.

3.5 stars rounded to 4

The Best Life Book Club is an endearing and heartwarming read. It is a story of found family & friendship, overcoming fear & moving on, falling in love & taking a leap of faith. I love books about books and this one did not disappoint with the book club meetings that I wanted to be a part of. The characters are all so different from each other but so fun and enjoyable in their own ways. Each character’s story was interesting so there were no parts of the story that felt boring or slow for me. There is so much happening in this book that I truly think it would appeal to every reader.

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The Best Life Book Club by Sheila Roberts ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A wonderful story of starting over and getting over pain and hurt from moving miles away from your home, life, friends to the unknown. Karissa packs up her life and her daughter after her cheating husband is having an affair with the neighbor. leaving everyone and everything behind. Learning to trust again is not ever easy. But they finally find away to heal and move forward to being happy again.
I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.
Thank you NetGalley for the advanced copy for my honest opinion.

Super cute! I enjoyed the natural progression of the women, their growth, and how their book club picks made differences in their lives. I found the characters relatable, especially in how your community and relationships shape you and empower you. Highly recommend for a light-hearted read that cuts out on a lot of the somewhat tedious dramatic elements other books in this genre tend to throw in.

Sheila Roberts newest women's fiction book is centered around Karissa Newcomb and her daughter who moved to a new town to start over after a particular devastating divorce and Karissa struggles to let her guard down after she was betrayed so horribly by her husband. A fresh start, a new job and soon new friends as her neighbors make her and her daughter feel at home in their new home and city. I love this author's past books and found her newest book, THE BEST LIFE BOOK CLUB, to be full of heart, friendship and more within the pages. It started out slow for me to get into the book but by midway, I was thouroughly enjoying the characters immensely and found myself rooting for everyone to get their own happy ever after. The writing is swift and entertaining, filled with some intriguing though at times predictable moments but that didn't lessen my enjoyment of the story of Karissa and her new friends adventures.

The reader meets Karissa, her daughter, Macy, with her neighbors, Alice, Margot and Alice's sister, Josie, soon all become close friends and when they start a book club the fun begins even as each character finds their own issues coming unpacked and learn how to jump start their lives in a way that brings them happiness...if they are brave enough to grab a hold of it. I got to admit, I loved Josie the most. She had a caustic wit about her that hid a tender heart and had me snickering several times throughout the book. Margot and Alice are really fun and interesting women that befriends Karissa and her daughter. What I loved the most about these characters are how they built up one another whenever the other was beaten down with insecurity and doubts. That tribe of friends was a perfect for me to rally behind as they learned to find joy and purpose again as their lives moved in ways that left them wondering what was going on. The books they read and discussed became part of their story individually and collectively which made me eager to see within the story if these characters took heart to what they learned from them even as they scoffed over it all in private. The author does an amazing job in keeping each character unique and so different from one another that I never felt like they were just 'dialing it in' so to speak. The characters were wildly entertaining and kept my attention through out the book.

THE BEST LIFE BOOK CLUB is more than a story about friendships but about each person's journey in life as it tosses curveballs that can make those weaker curl up and whimper. Ms. Roberts delivers a powerful story about the magic of friendship, family love and more as each of the main characters finds their true purpose in life and a friendship that delivers more than a superficial moment of emotion but a richer and much deeper love between all four of them that makes the reader keep reading till the very end. This is such an uplifting story that I was sad to see it end. I can't wait to see what else the author has in store for her readers as we discover Gig Harbor and the residents there that make me long to visit. If your looking for a perfect spring book club book or read, then I highly recommend THE BEST LIFE BOOK CLUB that delivers, laughs, promises, friendship and more within its pages.