I found this novel fascinating from the beginning since I had never heard of these divorce ranches in Nevada. I was enjoying getting to know the women staying at the ranch and their stories, and then a mystery/crime aspect hit! I won’t give any away, but I really enjoyed how this was woven into the historical fiction story. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen to and review, “The Divorcées.”

I was happy to be given the opportunity to listen to this audio. I liked the premise, though the characters fell a bit flat for me. I think the narrator did a great job. The cover and premise are why I requested just a bit slow for my liking.
Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
2.75 stars

The narrative is set in the 1950s, an era when divorce was frowned upon. The women in this book withdrew to Reno, Nevada, to become guests at a divorce ranch, The Golden Yarrow. The women need to stay at the ranch for 6 weeks to gain residency in order to be granted a divorce.
The facility reminded me of a summer camp. Essentially, it's a summer camp for grown women.

The ranch is the designated place for women to find strength and empowerment in each other. To bond over their shared experiences and support each other through the difficult process of divorce. The ranch creates a network of support that will ultimately help them heal and move forward with their lives. It provides a safe space for these women to explore their own identities outside of their marriages. In a time when divorce was seen as scandalous and shameful, the ranch offers a sense of community and understanding. Where the women are able to build connections and find solace in knowing they are not alone in their struggles.

There are many characters in the book, but the storyline is set around Lois and Greer. Their characters gave Girl Interrupted vibes. Lois basically became Greer's little puppet, and Lois was thrilled to please Greer in an attempt to be accepted. Their dynamic was unsettling as Greer effortlessly manipulated Lois into doing her bidding. It was almost as if Lois was living in Greer's shadow, constantly seeking her approval and validation. The power imbalance between the two characters was palpable, creating a tense and uneasy atmosphere.

The book lacked an element of flair. It failed to hold my interest. I found myself speeding through the narration, waiting for something, anything, to happen to captivate me. I couldn't help but feel disappointed by the lack of excitement and intrigue in the story. It was a book that ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied and wishing for more depth and complexity.

Between a 2.5 or 3 for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for my ALC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 Stars

In 1951, Lois is bored and feeling trapped in her marriage so her father has sent her to an exclusive ranch in Reno, where she will establish residency for 6 weeks in order to obtain a legal divorce. Lois is awkward and lonely. Her days are spent horseback riding and swimming and her evenings are spent with the ranch owner as her father has forbidden her going out in the evenings with the other divorcees. That is until Greer, a new divorcee, arrives at the ranch. She enigmatic and a rule breaker, inviting Lois to join her and the other girls on their wild nights out to local bars and casinos. Lois becomes infatuated with Greer and is willing to follow any scheme she concocts.

I loved the premise of this book, a ranch full of women willing to risk societies scorn by seeking a divorce in the 1950s has so much potential. This did not succeed. The characters are paper thin caricatures and Lois is a is needy whiney and dull. The story is told form Lois POV but is very slow with no action or insight, she can't even explain why she wants a divorce. She has no growth and ends up as dull as she started. The author felt the need to add in a lot of references to the character's masturbation which had now purpose or relevance. Greer had more potential as a character since she was manipulating and puppeteering the women, but she needed something more to round her out. This book was boring and ridiculous, had it not been a review copy I would have gone DNF.

I had the audio version read by Bailey Carr, the narration was flat. I honestly do not know if it was the material or the narrator but I would not recommend the audio version.

I had high hopes for this book. The photo on the cover is enticing - woman in pool with sunglasses. And the description of a historical fiction piece where women awaiting a divorce have to spend 6 weeks biding their time at a ranch in Nevada. The book is actually quite a bit darker than the cover and summary lead you to believe, with Lois' near obsession with Greer. The story could have been quite shorter, with some of the descriptive language going on a bit too long. I still enjoyed learning about this period of time I knew nothing about before.

Rowan Beaird's "The Divorcees" starts slow and struggles to pick up momentum until the final stretch. While the ending offers a satisfying twist, it doesn't make up for the lack of substance in the majority of the book. Greer's character stands out amidst the flat narrative, but overall, the potential for engaging female friendships and self-exploration remains largely untapped. Despite the intriguing premise of divorce ranches, the story fails to deliver, leaving readers disappointed with its stilted pacing and sparse action.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

2.75 ⭐️ I thought this book would give fun and adventurous women in the 1950’s finally living a careless and free life after being married to the wrong man for too long. Instead it was eerie and a little bit weird for most of the book. I really enjoyed the parts at the ranch where we got to see all the women interacting and hanging out together and I liked the intrigue of Greer’s mysterious character.

I made up this whole intricate ending as it drew nearer but unfortunately what I thought was going to happen, didn’t happen and the ending left much to be desired.

I felt the parts I wanted more detail on, were too short and the parts that I didn’t think required all that much detail, dragged on for too long.

I loved stepping back in time to learn about how women were once again squirreled away to go about their dirty business of getting a divorce. The fine state of Nevada, and Reno specifically catered to helping women get out of unfortunate divorces. They simply needed to give one of a few reasons for the desired divorce.

We follow a few women as they socialize during their 6 week stint in Nevada biding their time.

I found the time period and subject matter interesting to learn more about. The fictional aspect of telling these historic points of time are always an enjoyable way to learn.

I thought the audiobook was well narrated and easy to follow.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the gifted ALC.

I found the premise of this novel to be very interesting. Historical women’s fiction focused on facts about hardships and normal life is often glossed over. How women were able to extricate themselves from unhappy or abusive marriages is not often discussed. For most this was an impossibility even in the mid-late 20th century. The Divorcées delved into this topic and yet didn’t. The reality printed here is for the 1%. Girls from extreme privilege could obtain a divorce by “living” in Nevada for six months. There is zero discussion about how this option is not really an option for most or what other women in similar situations did. This was a miss for me…another opportunity for privileged to shine and less intersectional discussion, unfortunately.

Lois is unhappily married and pretty much unhappily going through life. She has never felt she fits in and has a difficult time forming friendships. She attributes this to her mother and how she was raised, but this felt false. She also tells lies badly that are often found out. Her father sends her to the Golden Yarrow to stay for the requisite six weeks while her divorce is being finalized. Once here she finds her “people” with the other women, in particular Greer.

Greer is a natural born leader and manipulator. The girls quickly fall in line and begin acting out of character to gain her favor. This is particularly true for Lois. As the women navigate their divorces, they also idle their days away drinking and going to casinos in Reno. One truth or dare from the next they form toxic relationships. Greer is obviously hiding from her past and Lois is almost deliberately obtuse. A plan to escape her predetermined life goes awry and Lois was lucky to not get caught.

The rest of the story is moot and ends rather abruptly. I definitely was not applauding Lois in the end and yet I finished the story and found it mostly intriguing. There could have been so much more done with the plot to be more appealing. The audio production was well done and this helped retain my interest.

Feeling trapped in a loveless marriage, Lois heads to Reno for a no fault divorce. One of the requirements of the divorce is a six week stay at the ranch. While there Lois encounters other women getting a divorce but one fascinated her, Greer; a mysterious woman who seemed larger than life to Lois.
There are lots of characters in the book but unfortunately they are unassuming boring individuals. Greer turns out to be a manipulative liar and Lois just wants everyone to like her.
I thought the premise seemed interesting but as I continued to read it was just plain boring. There really was no storyline.
The narrator of the story was the best part!
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for my audio ARC.

The Golden Yarrow is the destination ranch for the 6 weeks one needs to wait to get a Reno divorce, at least if you are a woman in the 1950s. Lois ends up there after a very lonely childhood with her controlling father, and then marriage with a controlling husband. During her time at the ranch she is exposed to a wide range of women from many walks of life, including the most intriguing - Greer. Greer helps Lois realize that she can escape the life of expectations, and that there is a wide world out there, even if you are a divorcee in the 50s.

The premise of this one was intriguing, the execution not as exciting. The plot was a bit slow and the twist fell flat. I think it’s interesting that society sent women away when they didn’t fit into the roles created for them - ranches to get divorced and homes for girls when they got pregnant. I liked the characters, and the stories of how they came into themselves at the ranch away from men. These were women who were trying to figure out how to fit into their worlds without men, how do they define themselves? But in the end I didn’t love how the novel unfolded; the audio was really enjoyable however and I thought the narrator was wonderful.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC to review

I really was hooked by the topic of this book - divorce ranches where women could live for the time required to gain residency in Nevada in order to file for divorce there. What a fascinating work around to a system where divorces were hard to obtain (and also creates a world of wealth and relative luxury -- accessible only to the rich). With that said, I didn't really find Lois a compelling character and found this hard to get into. It moved a little slowly and seemed too much mired in privilege for me to really get excited about it. Despite my struggles, I think many historical fiction readers will enjoy this!

I was so thrilled to read this, but honestly it fell a bit flat for me. It was very character driven and felt a slow. I think the author did a phenomenal job with the actual writing, but the story wasn't as intriguing as I'd hoped. I think the setting and idea is so interesting, and I did enjoy learning a little more about the Divorce Ranches. I'd say if you are a big fan of women's fiction or character driven stories, this would be a great read for you!

I will say, the audiobook was truly wonderfully done and went a long way towards making the slow story more enjoyable!

An interesting look at 1950s life for women looking for a divorce and the 'ranches' they stay at in Reno while waiting out the legal waiting period required to file. This was a story of female friendship, women taking back their agency and an unexpected Ocean's eleven type casino con game that goes wrong. Good on audio narrated by Bailey Carr and recommended for fans of books like Shoulder season by Christina Clancy. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF at 50% for me. I did not find myself connecting to the characters or the story.

This is a story about women who live together in Reno, NV while they wait to be able to have a divorce- 6 weeks. I tried to follow this story and like it, but the ending left you wanting. It didn't really feel like an ending to me. I enjoyed the narrator, and the concept of the story was good, but it just fell flat for me.

Thank you for the ALC for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Divrorcees" by Rowan Beaird. I heard buzz about this book a few months ago, and was excited to received the ALC. The story of women heading to Nevada to create a six-week residency to pursue a divorce and all living together at a "ranch" provided an interesting female story and the historical premise of divorce. Unfortuntely, the story missed the mark for me. I found it slow, and I never became invested in the characters. It is hard for me to say why. I don't usually reach for historical fiction. I had hoped for more character development or more action-neither rang true for me. I listened to the end, but even the ending was underdeveloped.

Overall, I enjoyed "The Divorcees." However, I felt the book started off very slowly, and it took me quite a while to get fully interested in the story. While I found Lois's perspective unique for her time, I also found her generally to not be a very interesting character. In the meantime, she's surrounded by other women whose stories were so much more fascinating to me - Mary Ellen who was escaping an abusive husband, Bailey, who arrived and never left, and of course, Greer, who cloaked herself in mystery. In comparison, Lois's story was the one I was almost the least interested in. I think there's a lot to enjoy in this book, and it serves up an interesting slice of history, I just wanted more from it.

The Divorcees AUDIO by Rowan Beaird is, more than anything, a coming-of-age novel featuring a cast of characters but focusing on Lois Gorski. Remember, this is 1952 and the world is a different place, especially for women. Lois has gone to Reno to establish residency at one of the many guest ranches there for that purpose. It had all been arranged by her father, who had purchased the plane ticket, paid the ranch’s fee, and sent her with $100 for six weeks. It was a different time. At the ranch Lois met a variety of women, each with her own story. Each seeking a divorce. She was not accepted at first, which had always been the case for her: the girl overlooked. Her issues with her husband were not nearly as serious as some who had been abused or worse. She simply didn’t want to be controlled any longer, first by her father and then her husband. One night a woman named Greer arrived. At first they didn’t see such of her but as she slowly left her room, it was Lois she spent time with. Lois she slowly confided in, sparingly. As it turns out, Lois was being groomed.

A story without much point, this progress slowly along the six-week timeline as Greer challenged Lois more and more, bringing her out of her shell. A good thing in many ways. She and Greer were going to go to San Francisco after this was all over. She didn’t want to return to her father’s house. Lois was a well-written, classic character, relatively typical of the time. Lois made it to California. To say much more would be a spoiler. It was in an interesting listen.

The narrator is Bailey Carr who did a credible job. It is a slow-moving book so the fact that Carr got me through it is enough said.

I was invited to listen to The Divorcees by MacMillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
#Netgalley #MacMillanAudio #RowanBeaird #BaileyCarr #TheDivorcees

It turns out that The Divorcees was not a book for me.

As many reviewers have stated, pacing is extremely slow. Not much of anything is happening in the story. But the lack of forward momentum wasn't my main issue.

At its core, this book is a character study. And for that to work for me, I need to be emotionally invested. I wasn't.

Everything remains at a surface level. The story is told from Lois’s POV, and even her internal chatter is shallow.

What we have is a lot of society talk, women being fake, and a grownup mean-girl vibe. I needed more depth, more complexity, more connection.

Ultimately, I was bored, and I don't do well with bored.

DNF at 30%

I listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Bailey Carr, does a great job, so don't hesitate to try that format if the premise appeals to you.

*Thanks to Macmillan Audio for access to an early copy of the audiobook, via NetGalley.*