The Banned Books Club
Brenda Novak
September 17, 2024

Gia Rossi was counting on getting a scholarship when she graduated. In her senior year when she handed in her final English project. Her instructor gave her a D. It caused her grade average to drop but being a straight A student she could not understand the score. Her teacher said her paper was not up to par. She argued with the man about possibly giving her a C but nothing persuaded him. She made an appointment with him to discuss it, do revisions. He set up a time for him to meet with her at his home. Aside from feeling it improper, she felt it was the only way to get her grade lifted.
This set the beginning of Novak’s story of two family's history.
The Banned Books Club will be published by MIra of Harlequin, Inc on September 17, 2024. I was able to read the ARC of Brenda Novak’s latest novel via NetGalley. It was an excellent selection. She gave us a complete journey of Gia’s life after leaving her home in Wakefield, Iowa. She returned to help with her mother who was dying of cancer. Her sister, Margot needed her help with this family misfortune but no one knew that she struggled with her husband and hoped to leave him for her protection as well as that her two young sons.
The story was well written and gave us the background of Gia’s high school assault. It had been years since she returned home but with her mom’s illness she needed to be there. She didn’t feel she could not be there to say final goodbyes and share her love.
Another stand alone from Novak that hits home with her readers. Enjoy!

Thanks to NetGalley for this advance reader copy.
I have to let it out. It never left my mind that the title of this book is so wrong. As a librarian, I feel like every third book coming out has the keywords Library or Librarian or Books or Banned Books, or Book Club etc in the title just to get us to read there book. I get what the author was trying to do here, as it was explained on the very last page - kinda. But to be honest, I would have much more enjoyed the book if my expectations were in check about the banned book club thing. I spent every page until 75% looking for more about the book club and it was distracting to me. Ugh.
It felt icky to me how the two characters fell into a relationship and I spent all of the time in the book more interested in Margot's story so I am sad to say I can't recommend this book.
2* but I'll round up to 3.

I absolutely loved this book. I went in blind so the title was slightly misleading but other than that this book was perfect.

Two different sisters going thru two completely different life events. One who was running away from her past and one who needed to escape from the present all while going thru a major family event.

This book has a little bit of mystery and romance. Everything you would expect from a Brenda Novak title.

This book is emotionally loaded with several sensitive subjects. Gia left her small town 17 years ago after a scandal that divided the town. Now she’s back because her mother is ill and her family needs her. She has to face the demos she left behind. The story was interesting, yet to me didn’t really match the title. There is a banned books club but it doesn’t get much mention.

I went into this book thinking it would be a light, easy read about a book club. It was so much more than that.

Sisters Margot and Gia are in very different stages of life; with Margot dealing with serious marital issues, and Gia carving her own path away from her hometown and her past trauma. They’re brought back together because of their sick mother who may not make it past the winter.

While Gia’s back in town, she decides to plan a reunion for her Banned Books Club from high school, but a former club member has her feeling uneasy because of their shared history; both of their families had to deal with the aftermath of a scandal. In the midst of it all, an unexpected romance blooms, and it shakes up the whole town.

The story is complex and told from three points of view, and dealt with many tough topics. The writing was done in a way that made you really feel for the characters and how they’re navigating through it all. It was a bit repetitive in the first half while they try to decide who’s telling the truth, but when things start to unfold, I found myself fully immersed and wanting to know more.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper 360 for the ARC of this book.

This book was compelling, I had to finish it find out what happens to sisters Gia and Margot and their mother who are all dealing with traumatic issues. However, it is only tangentially related to a Banned Bookclub so the title is misleading. I cannot say it exactly recommends small town life.

Gia and Margot are sisters who love one another, but they have some issues. Margot has been in their hometown for years, with the responsibility of taking care of their elderly mother. Gia left town years ago, shortly after she accused one of her teachers, Mr. Hart, of sexual misconduct, which got him fired. She also started a Banned Books Club. Now, all these years later, Margot asks Gia to come back and help her with mom's care. She does, but it seems that no one in town has forgotten or forgiven her youthful misadventures. A great sister's story with lots to say about current social issues!

I like to go into books blindly, and I had this one in my possession a bit before I got to it so when I started reading I didn’t know what the book was about and I was pleasantly surprised by the ride it took me on. The title is what caught my attention originally because so many books that I read at school and that I still about to this day are banned books now! And I feel like this books is one of those books I’ll still think about 5, 10, 20 years from now. It was such a good story filled with dealing with anger, compassion, grief, the past, strength, hardships, family love, rivals, trials and tribulations of life. I think I was about 20% into the book when I was hooked and NEEDED to finish this book and find out how it ended. Definitely recommend people give this book a read!

Gia has a wonderful life in Idaho with a thriving business, so when her sister Margot asks her to come home to Iowa to help with their mother's illness, Gia reluctantly agrees. She comes back home to the members of the "Banned Book Club", to the teacher she accused of molesting her -- an event that had repercussions for Gia and the whole town -- and to her sister who is dealing with an abusive marriage.

There is a LOT going on in this novel. The "banned books club" piece is a small, almost insignificant piece, so people picking up this book based on the title might be disappointed, but the book is well worth the time. The characters are well written and compelling. I was so sympathetic to Gia and her sister, Margot. They are both dealing with issues that are relatable and their reactions are realistic and believable. I really liked the character of Cormac (yes, named after the author) and his dilemma over his feelings for Gia and his loyalty to his family. This could have been a sappy story about redemption and forgiveness, but instead it's a story about real people trying to deal with and overcome issues. While it's not the best book I've read, it is well done and worth reading. The characters react with realistic emotions and actions and the ending is believable and still touching. A good book!

I went into this book blind thinking it would have more to do with banned books. However, it ended up being a story about having integrity despite what others may think and being strong while going through hard things.

I admired the strength of the characters as they went through their own trials. People don’t realize how scary emotional and verbal abuse can be and how dangerous it can be to leave.

Some notes of things I hope are fixed in the book before printing
- easier distinction of when points of view are changing to another person. In my copy it changed one line to the next so I would have to realize it was a new person and go back to the beginning of that perspective.
- a few times throughout the book, Evan Hart was called Mr. Evans instead of Evan or Mr. Hart. I assume a name change had happened and this was caught.
- when Gia pokes Sheldon’s eyes, it says she dug her thumbs into her eyes. I figured it out, but wanted to report just in case.

Overall this was a great book and I plan to share it on my Instagram on sept 16th

Thank you to Harlequin Books, MIRA and NetGalley for this eARC.

The title is a bit misleading as this novel has less to due with banned books and more with women's domestic issues. Gia Rossi is from a small town in Iowa. An incident occured when Gia was in high school that lead to the dismissal of a favorite teacher, Evan Hart. Gia left town after graduation and is only back seventeen years later because her mother is dying. The Mr. Hart and his family remained in town, proclaiming his innocence. Cormac Hart is beginning to doubt his father's version of the events and sympathizes with Gia. Meanwhile, Gia's sister, Margot, is planning her escape with her children from her controlling and verbally abusive husband.

There is a lot going on in this novel. While fairly predictable, it will hold your attention and is a quick read. This would make a great book club book.

loved this mystery and keeping secrets and the different point of views. Also loved trying to figure out who did it . I enjoyed the mystery behind it.

I thoroughly enjoy reading Brenda Novak's book, but there were some issues with this one. First of all, the Banned Books Club title doesn't fit the book at all. It really has more to do with how society treats victims of sexual and domestic violence and abuse, as opposed to how society tries to silence writers of uncomfortable topics. I see what Novak was trying to do. Both of these topics need more representation in literature, but I just don't feel like the title adequately fits the novel.

The ending was a bit rush, but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the character development of her protagonist, as well as her voice in speaking up.

I have always enjoyed Brenda Novak's books. The Banned Books Club did not disappoint. It took a few chapters to pull me in but once I was hooked, I couldn't stop reading. While the book does have a book club regarding Banned Books, the book is more about how victims of sexual assault and domestic violence are treated when the tell their story. The title Banned Book Club is a commentary on society's refusal to address issues of sexual assault and victim blaming. The book also explores family ties and how big events can bring you together or rip you a part.

I received an electronic ARC from Harlequin Trade Publishing through NetGalley.
Novak tackles abuse and sexual assault with a soft touch that, sadly, offers a clear look at how victims are often treated. Two sisters face different situations but both have suffered and not been believed by some. Gia was brave enough at seventeen to face her teacher in court and describe what he did to her. She has wrestled with what happened and it has definitely affected her life all these years later. Margot is married to an abusive man and has made a plan to take her children and escape. Both have had to deal with the families of their abusers accusing them of lying. As the story unfolds, readers see how they cope and the thrive. We also see an unlikely love story unfold for Gia as she falls in love with the son of the man who assaulted her. The Epilogue is satisfying even with the emotions surrounding its setting.
The title is a bit of a stretch though the club does meet and several banned books are discussed throughout.

What a great book that tells a story and also touches on the topic of banned books. Interesting story lines that keeps you involved and turning the page!

1.5⭐️ thank you NetGalley and HA for this advanced ebook.

I originally was drawn to this book because of the title. The topic of banned books is definitely prominent in the world today and I was curious to see an authors approach to discussing it. Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.

I’ll start with what I enjoyed: it had a good mix of classic characters of mystery, romance, and litfic books. I think the premise of the story was intriguing.

However… this story wasn’t executed well in my opinion. So many plot points felt underdeveloped and messy. Truthfully, I also don’t feel that the topic of SA and DV was approached with the sensitivity that it deserves. Additionally, the dialogue felt so unnatural. Like painfully so. And that detracted from the emotional connection the characters. Lastly, this book quite literally has nothing to do with banned books other than the mention of a Banned Books Club that came up minimally.

Overall, I don’t think I’d recommend this book to any one of my reader friends.

The Banned Books Club is the first book I’ve read by this author. The title intrigued me since it’s a hot topic across the country. The core of the book doesn’t deal that much about banned books but it does set the premise for the story. The author thoughtfully explores the topic of sexual misconduct by a teacher and the lives of both the teacher as well as his student 17 years later. It’s a book where the present and the past powerfully collide. The issue of mental abuse by a husband is thoughtfully written into the story. Both Gia and her sister Margot are strong women as they move forward with their lives. Although these are topics might not be for everyone, the author writes them in such a way that you can’t put it down. It’s thoughtful with romance intertwined!
Thank you to HQ and NetGalley for an advanced ebook. All opinions are my own and I will be enthusiastically recommending this book!
#TheBannedBooksClub #BrendaNovak #NetGalley

The title, The Banned Books Club, intrigued me to try this new novel by Brenda Novak. Although I had heard of the author, this is the first book of hers I've read.
It has very little to do with banned books or the book club; it's more of a family drama and romance. The story is told from multiple viewpoints, but the two main characters are Gia and Margot Rossi. Gia left her small town of Wakefield, Iowa, at age 18 after a traumatic experience that destroyed lives and turned her into a pariah. Her favorite high school English teacher molested her, and she reported him. There was a very public trial; he was found guilty and fired from his job. His wife divorced him, and he became a drunk. But he's always maintained his innocence. His children and many of the townspeople stood by him. Even Gia's family and friends had their doubts that she was telling the truth.
When the story opens, their mother is dying of cancer, and Margot begs Gia to come home to help care for her in her last days. Gia agrees and hopes she can repair their relationship.
Margot has an ideal life on the surface. Her husband, Sheldon, is a pillar of the community with a thriving family business, and she has two well-mannered boys. But out of the public eye, her controlling husband is verbally and emotionally abusive. Margot has an ulterior motive for begging Gia to come home; she has plans to run away with the boys and cut all ties to her hometown making it harder for Sheldon to find them.
Once Sheldon realizes Margot has taken off, he blames Gia and starts harassing their family.
As Gia tries to navigate the gossips and haters, she strikes up an unlikely friendship with Cormac Hart, her teacher's son, and the two fall in love.
I liked the characters, and it's a pretty good story with an underlying message. However, there were times it moved slowly because there was so much repetition. Also some head-hopping and a lot more telling than showing. Although there are a few triggers, I hope this book won't be banned!

Brenda Novak writes compelling women’s fiction and this book is no exception. This was an interesting topic to explore and the author handled it well.