I really feel that The Banned Book Club is a misleading title because it is so much more than about banned books. This book deals with sister and family relationships, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, and some romance. I really enjoyed the story so much that I didn’t want it to end. The novel had great writing; one could picture each character and it was easy to read.

Wow, wow, wow!
What a powerful message. So many important topics approached and successfully discussed.
Loved every minute of this read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for a copy of The Banned Books Club in exchange for an honest review.

The book deals with some serious and deep themes, such as emotional abuse, sexual abuse, abuse of power, and gaslighting. I was surprised because the cover and title make it seem more lighthearted. IMO, it needs a different cover and title because of that and trigger warnings. I read the book quick because I was invested in the characters' stories but it was hard at times to read because of these serious matters.

It's a solid book that makes you care about the characters. The plot is well-developed. I would have loved a longer epilogue to see more of Gia and Cormac's relationship but I loved Margot's ending. Initially, I wasn't sure where her story was going to go. Yet, I appreciated the structure of the plot where Gia's story was the fulcrum for Margot's. We get 3 POV's in the book: Gia, Cormac, and Margot. The latter was a surprise, which told me that it was not just a romance. I wouldn't classify it as such, but rather a work of women's literature.

The "Banned Books Club" does not play a large part in the book. I expected it to be central to the story but it's more like a side character that I suppose helps the plot along - definitely, for Gia's backstory but it didn't seem relevant to me. The book would have been fine without the aspect of the Banned Books Club.

Angsty and so much more than I was expecting! There are certain books that grab onto your heart and pull on it very quickly when based on the blurb you weren't even sure you were going to like the storyline and this is indeed one of those. This book is about so much more than banned books, and the heart of the story is very attention grabbing and heartfelt. I loved Gia from the start and her connection with Cormac winds up being very endearing regardless of the drama surrounding them from the start. Her sister has her own problems and is guarding her secrets even from those who love her. The characters are attention grabbing, the turmoil is on point and the resolution to their problems is satisfying. I loved their story and highly recommend it to anyone who loves a women's fiction novel that is very family centric as life's problems and unresolved issues grab your attention and won't let go until that happily ever after comes along.

Thank you Netgalley and Harlequin/Mira for the chance to read The banned books club by Brenda Novak. I had read and enjoyed the author's romantic suspense series The last stand years ago, and so was eager to start reading The banned books club. I found the beginning a bit slow, as it seemed to be more about Gia's sister Margot, than Gia. The story picked up as I continued to read, and ended up enjoying the tale of two sisters; one who left home to run away from her past, and the other running away from her present life to get away from spousal abuse. While the story talks about the book club Gia created as a teenager, it is not the focus of the story. Overall a good story, but I felt the ending was a bit rushed.

This is an amazing story of sisters, family love, family drama, finding yourself, and finding love. I loved this story and it's characters so much I didn't want it to end. I would live to see a sequel in the future. Hint hint Mrs. Novak

It is always interesting to read about a book club in any story and any reader will surely love it. This story has the mystery and the romance aspect in it. It has a very interesting story and lovable characters and it is centered with two sisters named Gia and Margot and their everyday struggles in life. It is a solid four-star for me; I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to HTP (Harlequin Trade Publishing) and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Judging by the title I was expecting a book about books. However it was completely different and so good! I liked Gia, she’s tough even after everything that’s happened to her. Margot is too and deserves a lot of credit for what she did. It’s another good book by this author. Definitely recommend

This is not about a book club, nor about books in general- banned or otherwise.
Instead this is a tale of two sisters, one of which is back in her hometown dealing with a traumatic event from her childhood and the other is dealing with her marriage. Overall a good plot, but some of the dialogue was awkward and the romantic relationship was out of nowhere and strange.

This book was written really well. I was surprised to find out that it wasn’t just about banned books or a book club, but the true nature of human beings and how it takes courage to close the door to some of the things you’ve only ever known in life. The heavy topics in this book were touched on with sensitivity and understanding, which I appreciated. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book!

4 stars / This review will be posted on BookwormishMe.com and goodreads.com today.


I love Brenda Novak’s books. They are fun, engaging, and usually have a relevance to today’s world. Banned books have reached the forefront of our country again. So the fact that this book not only tackles the subject of banning books, but also sexual impropriety, I feel like it has a lot of relevance to our current world.

Gia left home after high school. When college wasn’t where she wanted to be, she escaped to Alaska to work on fishing vessels. The money was good, and it gave her the space and nature she needed to put her life back together.

But now Gia is back home in Iowa. Her mother is dying, and her sister had pleaded for help where her parents were concerned. Only Gia doesn’t want to be here. Too many bad memories. Too much scandal and drama. Too much.

Back in high school, Gia divided the town when she accused her Honors English teacher of sexual misconduct. She’s barely been home since, and when she has been home, she’s been in and out like the wind. But now she’s going to be home for an extended length of time. She’s the villain as far as Mr. Hart’s family is concerned. She’s not even sure how most of the rest of the town feels. And it’s weighing on her.

This book really tackles the tough stuff. Facing up to your past. Facing up to bullies and demons. Standing up for yourself and your integrity. Learning to forgive and learning to love again. It’s a wonderfully written novel that was easy to breeze through. Perfect for the upcoming fall days and nights. Enjoy.

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak is a powerful and emotionally charged novel that dives deep into the complexities of family, forgiveness, and the search for truth. Gia Rossi's return to her hometown is a compelling mix of confrontation and healing, making for an engrossing read that keeps you hooked. Novak's portrayal of Gia's struggle—dealing with past trauma, family dynamics, and community conflict—feels incredibly real and raw. The tension between Gia and her former teacher, Mr. Hart, adds a layer of intense drama that will have you flipping pages to see how it all unfolds. The Banned Books Club itself serves as a poignant backdrop, symbolizing the clash between censorship and the right to speak out. If you're drawn to stories about personal redemption and the power of standing up for what's right, this book is a must-read. Novak's writing is sharp and gripping, making this novel both a heartfelt and thought-provoking experience.

Main Characters:

-- Gia – 35 years old, started a Banned Books Club during high school, accused her high school English teacher of sexual misconduct, left home at 18, owns a helicopter sightseeing business in Idaho
-- Margot – Gia’s younger sister, married to Sheldon, stay-at-home mom to two sons who are 8 and 6, asked Gia to come home to help with their mother who is dying from cancer
-- Cormac – local veterinarian, went to high school with Gia and Margot, his father is the teacher Gia accused, he has always stood by his father and thinks Gia lied about his father
-- Luisa and Edith – Cormac’s younger sisters, Luisa works with Cormac at the veterinary clinic, they also think Gia lied about their father
-- Sheldon – Margot’s husband, owns a local construction business that he inherited from his parents, verbally and emotionally abusive, seems to be having an affair with his high school girlfriend

Trigger warning: emotional/verbal abuse, molestation

I really wanted to like this book. Based on the description, I thought it would have a whole lot more to do with the book club, but it feels like the author worked in the “banned books” part just to make it more tantalizing.

Gia’s favorite high school teacher, Evan Hart, taught English and helped her start up the Banned Books Club. The basis of the club was that the book selected each month had been banned in the past—for example, The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird. During her senior year, Gia received a D on a paper. She reported Mr. Hart for sexual misconduct, claiming that he offered to change her grade in exchange for sex.

When the case went to trial, Mr. Hart claimed that Gia came on to him to better her grade. He was found guilty, went to prison, lost his job, and his wife divorced him. Seventeen years later, he rarely shows up for work and drinks his day away. Cormac, Luisa, and Edith never believed Gia and have bad-mouthed her for years for ruining their dad’s life.

Because of all the animosity toward her, Gia dropped out of college and left town shortly after she turned 18 and never looked back. She visits occasionally, only staying for a few days at a time. She still runs the book club from high school with her friends Sammie and Ruth, meeting virtually once a week with a handful of the remaining active members.

Margot pretends her marriage is happy, but she is plotting to leave Sheldon. He’s planning a hunting trip, and she convinces Gia that their mom and dad need her because her mother doesn’t have much time left. This part is true. But the other part of it is that Margot secretly plans to disappear, so she needs Gia to come home.

First, let’s talk about the fact that the story has nothing to do with the book club. The only reason it seems to be a plot point is so that the club can have an in-person reunion while Gia is in town, and it’s the scene for a confrontation. It could just as easily have been a dinner with friends. Wakefield, Iowa, is apparently a very small town, and word gets around about everything, so we don’t really need the book club reunion. It could have been a Halloween party, an early holiday party, anything really.

In terms of storylines, Gia’s story is the division in the town over who believes her and who doesn’t and everyone coming to terms with the truth. Margot’s story revolves around her plan to leave her husband. Usually books with intertwined stories go back and forth between the two throughout. While we get pieces of Margot’s preparation to leave early on, her story really doesn’t kick into gear until after Gia’s story is nearly resolved. It almost felt like two books of a series put together into a single book.

From a characterization perspective, the people in this town still act like teenagers…seriously. Gia left 17 years ago, and people still ostracize her. And the gossip…good lord, the gossip. Did you hear? Did you see? Did she tell you? Did you know? I have heard that word gets around in small towns, but these people act like they are still in high school trying to get someone they don’t like in trouble.

***SPOILERS*** SPOILERS***SPOILERS***

There are also a couple of critical things that I find hard to believe, but I have to reveal more of the plot in order to share them.

Gia’s parents are friendly with the Harts in the present day. Cormac lives in the house behind theirs, and they regularly talk to Luisa and Edith. Once Gia is back in town, the Harts want to force Gia to retract her accusations. Gia’s parents don’t try to convince her to make a retraction, but they don’t come to her defense either. And the fact that they are friendly with the same people who are bad-mouthing her just rubs me the wrong way. When Gia confronts her mom about whether she believed her when she was in high school, her mom tells her she didn’t want to believe it could happen. So she just pretends like it didn’t?!?

After 17 years, Cormac asks his mom why she divorced his father because he starts to wonder if they made a mistake all those years ago in calling Gia a liar. Could they have been continuing to victimize her all this time? His mom says she didn’t have any proof, but she had her suspicions and gives Cormac a laundry list of things that didn’t sit right with her.

I understand not sharing her suspicions with her kids when they were teenagers, but they have been bad-mouthing Gia for years. There should have come a time when she pulled her kids aside and said, “Hey, I don’t think your dad is who you think he is and here’s why.” At least let them make an educated choice to hate Gia. When Cormac asks her why she never said anything before, her response was that none of them asked.

Finally, once everything comes out and Evan basically admits what he did, Gia just seems to forgive and forget what everyone else in town said about her. Everyone is town suddenly sees the error of their ways. Gia sells her business, moves back to Wakefield, and opens a bookstore called Banned Books Shoppe. She and Cormac fell in love while she was staying with her parents.

Margot’s husband goes to jail for breaking into her parents’ home and attacking Gia, so she’s able to get a divorce pretty easily. While she was in L.A. (where she disappeared to), she met someone and has a budding relationship by the end of the book.

And I guess they all lived happily ever after?

DNF at chapter 4.

This book was literally so boring and so difficult to get into. I like dual POV but I do not need the POVs to be changing in every paragraph.

I wasn't grabbed at all by any of the characters and there are just way too many books for me to waste my time.

Thanks netgalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

2.5 stars
The title was a bit misleading. The “banned books club” part made up about 3 % of the book; the other 97% was family drama, with some romance thrown in.

Trigger Warnings:
Sexual harassment by a teacher of a minor child; spousal abuse

Steaminess Rating:
❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥
(Check my profile for my “Steaminess Rating” chart!)

*I received a digital copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are strictly my own.*

I have to say, I went into this book blindly after its title intrigued me. Unfortunately, the title was a little misleading and it turned out to be a mix of a mystery and a little bit of romance.

I liked that it was fast paced and managed to finish it in a day. However, the multiple POVs were a little bit confusing at times (although that may be because of the page layout of the ARC). I also thought the storylines were rushed and the plot felt underdeveloped.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I did not finish this book. I tried on several occasions to get into this story but it did not happen and at 40% I decided to stop trying. The title is very misleading. It has little to do with banned books. I also couldn’t connect to any of the characters and the two story lines did not interest me. However I do appreciate NetGalley for the opportunity to try this book. Just because it wasn’t for me doesn’t mean that someone else won’t love it!

Wow..
This book is 5/5! I haven't given a 5 in a while it feels!
Thankful for the opportunity to read this before it's release from HarperCollins Publishing and to the Author Brenda Novak
I loved the story of this book, the meaning behind it. The turns had me on the edge of my seat at times. I felt like I could connect to multiple characters, understanding their battles and how they all come together in the end. The dual POV was interesting but I enjoyed how they all worked together. It really felt like a TV show switching to each character. I fully agree with reading banned books and plan to read those and encourage my kids to ask well!

Let me start by saying this: the cover is very deceiving compared to what you are about to dive into. This book had me on the edge of my seat once Gia went back home to see her sick mother. I had to know how everything would play out. I did predict some things as the story went on, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It evoked strong emotions, leaving me heartbroken and angry as I read more about Margot’s story with her husband and her plan to free herself from her situation, as well as her sister Gia’s situation with her old school teacher. Both women were strong and went through so much throughout this book, and they both even have a HEA. I couldn’t put this book down, and this is my first read by this author. If you love suspenseful and emotional reads, this is the one.

Thank you, NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing, for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you @NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the Advanced Readers Copy of The Banned Books Club.

This is my first read by @authorBrendaNovak and The Banned Books Club certainly will not be my last. Definitely a new auto-buy author for me.

Set in Wakefield, Iowa, Gia, head-strong and anything but soft spoken returns home after leaving town promptly at 18. Margot appears to be leading the “perfect” life. Both sisters, come together to care for their ailing mother.

Upon Gia’s return to the small town, she thought it would be a good idea to reunite with the Banned Books Club members from her time in high school until she quickly realizes the town is still upset from a past scandal that involved her and her former teacher, Mr. Hart who was also a member of the previously formed book club. Over time, the Banded Books Club members take sides between Gia and Mr. Hart. True colors begin to show in the town of Wakefield. Is everything as it always appears?

What I liked: The Banned Books Club flowed with ease. I was able to easily distinguish between many well-developed characters. I enjoyed the controversy within the town of Wakefield. There were twists and turns that kept me engaged and wanting to read more—a bit of mystery between the pages. I liked that the book touched upon more difficult issues that are relevant to today’s society such as: sexual misconduct, domestic violence, verbal abuse, harassment, and bullying to name a few. I could definitely see a possible sequel to The Banned Books Club narrating further what sisters Gia and Margot are up to. Phenomenal read.


What I didn’t like: The title was a bit misleading. Although, it did set the premise to the story. The story was so much more than about a banned books club.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You should read if you like:
✨Family drama
✨Small town scandals
✨Small town life
✨Relationships