Louis pondered, observing Greer's calm demeanor as she lit a cigarette with precision. In that moment, a revelation dawned upon her - perhaps they shared more similarities than Louis had initially perceived. Amidst the whirlwind of their intertwined lives, there lay a possibility, a faint glimmer of hope amidst the chaos.

Discover the riveting tale of this unlikely duo as they navigate through the complexities of their own divorces, forging a friendship that seems unbreakable... or is it? Will one of them betray the other, leaving everything in ruins, like embers drifting into the night?

This book captivated me from the start, evoking echoes of the timeless tale of Bonnie and Clyde. Yet, while the plot moved swiftly, I wished for more closure in its conclusion after the journey it took to reach its peak.

Eagerly anticipating more literary work from the desk of Rowan Baird.

In the event that it becomes absolutely necessary for a woman to divorce her husband, over the course of human history doing that was close to impossible until Nevada leveled the playing field. In the 1950’s women began to journey to the Silver State to begin a 6 week residency requirement at various “divorce ranches” before the desired divorce could be finalized. When Lois Saunders arrived at the Golden Yarrow Ranch, she meets women who, like her, seek to end a failed marriage. But when Greer Lang arrives she begins to examine more than her marriage, she starts to look at herself. Does she need more than a divorce to gain independence?

I’ve never heard of a divorce ranch! I asked my work friends and no one else had either. I love historical fiction books that teach me something new.

My expectation in this book was that a group of ladies going through a hard time would join together to get through it. Was that correct? Yes and no.

I can enjoy that the women were unique and I like that Lois (the main character) was kind of weird. But the relationships between the women were lacking for me. They mostly went drinking and were kinda mean to each other. I think if the book was more focused on each women’s journey the book would’ve been more entertaining.

But I understand that is my opinion and other readers might enjoy that the book didn’t follow the normal path to tell this story.

I love the book cover. It’s classic but stylish. The narrator, Bailey Carr, did a great job. She has a sultry voice that I felt fit the era perfectly.

Thank you to NetGalley, Rowan Beaird, MacMillan Audio, and Flatiron books for the opportunity to read The Divorcees. I have written this review voluntarily.

This was a book that was so beautifully written and about such ugly content. From a time when divorces were uncommon post war this book follows a group of divorcees as they navigate the last few weeks of the end of their marriages. The author used such unique and descriptive language that I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the audiobook. Although the characters were not overly lovable all of them were interesting and as a reader I nedded to know what happened next.

Real Simple describes this as a “moody, sexy and mysterious “ novel that is set in the 1950’s in Reno, Nevada where married women from around the U.S. could establish 6-week residencies to take advantage of the state’s lenient sucrose laws. Lois Sanders is a self conscious housewife from Chicago whose father funds her stay at the Golden Yarrow Ranch and expects her to return after her divorce, however she secretly dreams of an independent life. She soon becomes close to the mysterious Greer, the ultimate “cool girl”, who challenges Lois to assert herself in a man’s world.
I was intrigued by the novel’s premise, and enjoyed getting to know Lois and the other residents of the Golden Yarrow. I felt a sense of foreboding throughout and didn’t know exactly where the plot was headed. I listened to the audio version which I enjoyed, however it may have benefited from multiple narrators voicing the various characters. Consider this if you’re a fan of historical fiction and character driven novels. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/5

Thank you so much to NetGalley & MacMillan Audio for this advanced listen of this audiobook.

I truly enjoyed the narration of this book. The narrator did a fantastic job and kept me listening. The writing was fantastic, making it a great listen/read.

Very feminine vibes, as most of the story focuses on a group of women who are staying at a divorce ranch in Reno during the 1950s. I didn't know anything about divorce ranches before this book and really enjoyed finding out more about them.

I found the beginning to be a bit slow, however I was interested and entertained regardless.

Lois and Greer were both characters that I really enjoyed.

Debut by Beaird. Will certainly keep my eye out for some more.

Available March 19th 💕

The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird - I loved this book but the ending was underwhelming. It just kind of ended suddenly. I was really hoping for an amazing ending because this book was so good. Overall I did enjoy this book and loved the narrator.

Somewhere in the not so distant past is a world where women’s happiness is not their own. If stuck in an unhappy or even unsafe marriage, the only hope was a divorce in Reno, Nevada. And a six-week residential divorce ranch is the ticket to earn it. The Divorcées is a beautifully written poetically inspired novel filled with a quiet yearning and desperation to find oneself in a time when women were not independent from a man. The inner dialogue of our main character Lois is authentically vulnerable, always an outcast yet hopeful to find her voice and true connection with others. The arrival of a new woman named Greer both intrigues and inspires Lois to push new boundaries.

It is early 1951 and Lois Saunders is sent to a divorce ranch in Reno, Nevada by her controlling father in order to obtain a divorce in six weeks. Here she meets several young women, all wealthy who are attempting to do the same thing. Lois is an odd duck, introverted and extremely naive for a woman her age. She has always had difficulty making friends. Early on during her stay a new comer arrives named Greer Lang and Lois is immediately drawn to her. Greer is beautiful and oozes self confidence and awareness, something Lois desperately wants for herself. They strike up a friendship and Lois feels more and more self confident the more time she spends with Greer. But as the weeks go by Greer seems to exude a strange strong hold on Lois and invites her to do things she would never have done before such as drinking and gambling. Lois seems to have developed a girl crush on Greer, not in a sexual way but as an influencer. The stakes rise when Lois realizes she will not be getting any financial support from either her soon to be ex husband or her father. She will have to either return to her oppressive fathers home and marry again or make her own way in the world. Greer appears to offer her a chance to make her own life for herself, but at what cost. Is Greer really the person she claims to be. This story was quite interesting to me, the time period, the constraints on single women and how women were supposed to behave politically and domestically. Clearly a very oppressive time for women. I would classify this novel as historical fiction with a bit of coming of age. Recommended with four stars.
Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for the chance to listen/read an ARC version of this novel.

This book was very appealing for me starting with the title. This story is about a ranch dedicated to women going through divorce in the 1950s. You can get a divorce if you're unhappy in marriage, but you have to spend time at the "Divorce Ranch" with other women going through the same. Honestly, that's all I really know. I tried so hard to enjoy this book. I listened more than once to many of the chapters and I tried to love Lois, Greer and the rest of their ranch mates. But I just didn't. I didn't love the writing, the story or the characters. I struggled through this entire book and had it not been an ARC, I would have DNF'd it after the first few chapters. There wasn't much going on in this one and it was very slow paced. All of that being said, I do see it has several five star reviews, so let's just say it wasn't my type of read. I think I was expecting it to be something it wasn't. I will still recommend to others who enjoy slow paced novels.

This book was really good. Definitely not what I was expecting from the blurb. I am from the Reno Nv area and it was nice to get a book cast in that area that was accurate. I never thought about a place of refuge to be able to obtain a divorce but could totally picture that there. I liked how all the women talked and were able to discuss their plans and see how different their paths moving forward would be. I liked the characters and how they interacted. That ending was crazy from what I was expecting I was waiting for one thing and got a totally different outcome. I would 100% read this book again.

I liked the narrator, the story was smooth and easy to listen to.

Thank you to @NetGalley for letting me listen to the advanced audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

The book sounded interesting, women during the 1950s living at a ranch for 6 weeks in Reno Nevada, so they can divorce their husbands. What mischief would these newly single women get up to? The first chapter really got me hooked, however the book fell flat. The twist at the end was also a let down. I was really disappointed but I know its the authors first novel so I would try them again.

The audiobook reader had 4 seperate times where a different author would read only one sentence.

“The Divorcées” by Rowan Beaird is a captivating novel set in the glamorous and dizzying world of 1950s Reno. At the Golden Yarrow, a respectable “divorce ranch,” lonely Lois Saunders finds herself among other women waiting out the six weeks required for divorce. When enigmatic Greer Lang enters her life, Lois’s world cracks open. The novel explores female friendship, desire, and freedom, with a riveting plot that unfolds like an old black-and-white film.

3.5 stars. The ending was meh but the rest of the story was very good. In 1951, it's never a good idea to get divorced but luckily, Reno, NV has the best "divorce ranches" around. Lois Saunders, after 4 miserable years with her husband, finds herself on a train to the Golden Yarrow, the "best" divorce ranch in Reno. She still has trouble making friends, however, until Greer Lang shows up at the ranch. Beautiful and mysterious, Greer has the other ladies wanting to please her, and Lois most of all. But is Greer as wonderful as she seems? Could Lois, in her search for independence, be making a terrible, desperate mistake in befriending Greer?

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audio e-arc.*

I enjoyed this book a lot! The ending was interesting, I guess it leaves it open for my own interpretation.

2.5 of 5 stars.
I am indifferent about this book. It wasn’t bad but it also did not capture my attention & hold it.
It seems to exist simply to exist and give people something to read while they are waiting to get over a really excellent book they just completed.

Love the time period, 1950s. Love the topic, the taboo of divorce and how women had to deal with it. The setting, Vegas. And then the whole story intertwined amongst the mysterios guests. Its a page turner and very well written.

The Women is one of my favorite movies of all time. The Misfits isn't one of my favorite but it is Marilyn so I watch it. This book makes me think of both of those movies, with more character development than The Misfits and less pretension than The Women. Set in the 1950s, we meet, Lois, the main character seeking refuge in Reno for six weeks so that she could obtain her divorce. She's living at a ranch with many other women waiting the time for their divorce to come through. She meets some women that become temporary friends and one day a new woman arrives...Greer. Greer shows Lois a life she never dreamed of, a way she could live alone after the divorce is complete and how to be a strong woman. Then Greer tries to destroy Lois. Lois will have to become strong and independent all by herself.

I very much enjoyed this one!

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. It sounded like a great journey for a woman in the 1950’s. But Lois came across as unlikeable to me with very few redeeming qualities. The story dragged on.
Check out other reviews. There are many higher reviews posted so don’t just go by my opinion.
Many thanks to the author, Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Ugh the ending of this book left me disappointed. I really enjoyed reading it though! I was fascinated to learn all about divorce in the 1950s and the lengths women would go through to make it happen. The book largely centers around a ranch in Reno where women could go for 6 weeks at a time in order to apply for a divorce. Life on the ranch was really interesting and hearing how the women would pass their time waiting to be granted a divorce. I just wish there was more of a resolution at the end! I enjoyed the book but wanted it to wrap up the storylines a bit more.

Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book!