This was a really interesting premise - following the women who travel cross country to fulfil a six week residency requirement to obtain a divorce. The women all go on personal journeys of self discovery which are entertaining enough. But it felt like this book barely scratched the surface of any of the issues it began to explore. Maybe it was just the first person narrative style that didn’t allow the story to delve into the background of the other characters. There were some inconsistencies with Evelyn as well she goes from discussing her own arrangement to see a local lawyer and then becomes suspicious of a fellow divorce seeker having an appointment for example.

fast read, loved the location and general setting, interesting and followed-through plot lines!

gonna record a podcast episode on it & update the link here :)

Evelyn Henderson goes against social norms of the 1930s and decides to divorce her husband. She put up with a loveless marriage, but when she found evidence of his deception she decided to divorce him. Evelyn got on a train to Reno. She needed to stay there for 6 weeks before she could obtain her divorce. This was quite the adventure for a proper, refined lady from New Jersey. Evelyn made new friends, did things she would never have done and became a different woman. She attended dances in town and started to have feelings for a handsome cowboy. All of her adventures were set against the backdrop of Reno in the 1930s which is a history lesson in itself. All of the characters were very interesting and their stories were intriguing. I highly recommend this book. It is a great story about female determination. It should also make women who read it thankful for the freedoms we have now that women did not have in the 1930s.

I really enjoyed the historical aspect of Six Weeks in Reno. The author does a great job of showing the life of the six-weekers, who were coming to Reno for divorces in the early 1930s. Some of the women have experienced abuse and infidelity in their marriages, and Evelyn has been living in a loveless marriage with a husband who seems to have given up on life. I thought the book did a great job showing what the time in Reno looked like for these women. They were building relationships with one another, with the owners of the ranches that they stayed at, and for some, the cowboys that were there to show them a good time. There is also a side story of real estate fraud, that was taking place in the growing city of Reno during this time, that I thought was a nice addition to the story.

As far as Evelyn's character, I did feel sorry for her. She had been pushed into a marriage to an older man, by her mother. And after living with his failure to secure a job after so many years, and a secret that Evelyn has discovered, she decided it is finally time to take control of her life. For me, personally, I struggled with connecting to Evelyn. I felt like she was shallow and snobbish for most of the book, but she was also kind at times. I just didn't feel engaged with her as the FMC, as I find myself doing in other books.

The story does become a bit repetitive with the characters daily routines, but overall I found I just really loved the historical fiction story, and learning more about what was happening with the divorce laws for women during this time period.

I started reading this book as my first ARC of the year, but it ended up being the last ARC I finished. Thanks to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for providing this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is truly a women’s fiction novel. As a fiction lover, I’ve always had a soft spot for stories that delve into women’s emotions, struggles, and resilience. Often, in women’s fiction, I notice a tendency for characters to be portrayed in extremes—either too soft or too tough. However, this book offered a more nuanced exploration.

When I first came across the title and description, I assumed it might be a daily diary-type book. But as I began reading, I realized how wrong I was. So, what is it about? Well, to know that, you’ll have to read the book! The story revolves around Evelyn Henderson, who, in 1931, decides to restart her life in Reno after being stuck for the past 20 years. Despite opposition from her sister and maternal family, she courageously pursues this journey of self-discovery.

The plot was engaging, and there were some unexpected twists that made the book more enjoyable. However, at times, I felt the narrative included excessive detail in certain scenes. For instance, the author described environments and objects to the smallest detail, which occasionally made the reading experience feel tedious. While the intention was likely to immerse the reader in the setting, it sometimes felt unnecessary. Overall, this book paints a vivid picture of a woman’s journey in the 1931s, highlighting the challenges, emotions, and resilience of women during that time.

I enjoyed reading this book about a short period in women’s history where they could travel to Reno, NV and get a divorce after a six week stay. The characters came for a variety of reasons and each had their own hopes and dreams for the future. It was interesting to view the area when it was still a budding gambling town in contrast to the cowboys and ranchers who first came to the area. It was a quick read that I finished on my flights to and from my destination.
#womenshistory #SixWeeksinReno #NetGalley

I loved this, it was creative and thought provoking. The writing was strong and the voice was distinct.

I read Six Weeks in Reno through NetGalley and appreciated the historical setting of the early 1930s, focusing on women seeking divorce. The author effectively captures these women's struggles, especially through Evelyn, who is trapped in a loveless marriage.

The friendships formed among the women and their interactions with ranch owners and cowboys added depth to the story, while the subplot of real estate fraud provided an interesting twist. However, I found it challenging to connect with Evelyn, as she often came across as shallow and snobbish, making engaging with her journey hard. The repetitive daily routines also slowed the pacing.

Despite these issues, I enjoyed the historical aspects and insights into divorce laws for women during this time, making it a worthwhile read overall.

I heard about divorce ranches randomly a while back so when I read the description for Six Weeks in Reno it peaked my interest! I have been wanting to read more historical fiction books especially about the forgotten parts of history 😱

The author does an amazing job describing the lives of all the different six-weeker women who were coming to Reno for divorces during the 1930s! A lot of women’s reasons for divorce was abuse, infidelity or both. I liked how with the main character Evelyn we had to figure out her reason for coming to Reno along the way 🤫

It was also interesting to see the lives of the ranchers! Renting out rooms to the six-weekers helped them survive and even thrive during the Great Depression. I was not expecting for there to be some cowboy romance also 🥰

The timeline is focused mainly on Evelyn’s time in Reno but it does jump back to her past of meeting her husband, her family and why her marriage broke down 😬 I do wish we got to see more of what happened after she returned home. As divorced women would be treated as social pariah in their communities 🫣 I would definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in historical fiction that focuses on women’s lives!

Six Weeks in Reno is out next year on 4th March 2025. Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the arc!

I really enjoyed this novel and think it would suit some of my book club ladies. Reminded me of the Secret Life of Bees crossed with A Time of Fog and Fire.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing and Lucy H. Hedrick for an advanced copy of Six Weeks in Reno. My opinions are my own.

Set in the early 1900s, this book follows a woman named Evelyn who seeks a divorce but must travel out west to Reno, Nevada for six weeks to secure it. You not only see how this divorce process affects Evelyn but a group of women she’s met along the way.

Evelyn does come off as snobbish during most of the book, but she is kind and goes against her beliefs throughout the book. She is in a loveless marriage to an older man who “can’t find a job” during hard times. Not only do you get to discover what all has pushed her towards a divorce, you see how Evelyn changes.

I loved how Evelyn learned that sometimes it really does take a community. You don’t have to experience your life struggles by yourself. Throughout Evelyn’s life, she’s always done what was expected of her, but by going out to Reno to divorce her husband, she fully developed into a new woman. A woman who discovers her true value. She finds herself stumbling upon courage she never had before. She finds herself discovering healthy friendships that have been lacking her entire life.

I found this book is so inspirational. Many women feel disgraced when they face a divorce. This book helps you realize, you only get one life. Do you choose to be complacent or to face the unknown and live a life you choose for yourself?

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a wonderful book. I enjoyed it from the very first page!

I found the premise super interesting - I wasn’t aware of the history behind this historical fiction. It’s refreshing to get a HF pick that isn’t all about Europe in WW2.

This was a very interesting read! I think my main complaints were the amount of characters was hard to keep track of at times and the first person narrative made the story drag a little bit. But overall I enjoyed it and thought it was a fascinating peek into a part of history that we don’t hear a lot about!

This was a wonderful and thought-provoking Woman's fiction read! It takes you on a journey that makes you reflect on yourself.

Thank you Netgalley, Lucy H. Hedrick and Lake Union Publishing for giving me an ARC of this book!

Lucy H. Hedrick is known as a non-fiction author who delves into 'how-to' guides for saving time or money. Six Weeks in Reno is Hedrick's first fictionalized novel. The book is set in the early twentieth century when the US had conservative values (e.g., prohibition and women's rights). The main character, Evelyn Henderson, hails from an affluent family, she is married and has two children. However, Evelyn is heartbroken about her marriage. Throughout the novel, Evelyn's marriage is explored, but not in great depth. The story is primarily set in Reno, Nevada, the US' divorce capital, during the early twentieth century. Readers will meet several six-weekers- a woman trying to escape a dangerous or unfulfilling marriage. They are called six-weekers because Reno law requires a six-week residency to fulfill the divorce request. Readers will learn about the requirements and how some women didn't have all the necessary paperwork. Readers will also explore Reno from Evelyn's eyes. As a conservative woman, she's shocked by the frontier town, from alcohol consumption to gambling. She's sometimes in precarious situations with her fellow six-weekers despite receiving warnings from the ranch owners (the hosts to the six-weekers). I liked seeing how Evelyn slowly evolved, and I am curious about her life after divorce. My criticism lies in the lack of character development and the flow of the story, it felt chunky. The book became a bit repetitive with the characters' daily activities; this time could have been better used in fleshing out the characters' development—also, some of the storylines needed to be better connected to the plot. For instance, I wondered whether real estate scams were a common issue for six-weekers. I appreciated that the author wrote about divorce from a woman's perspective during the early twentieth century, but the book could have been improved with a good edit.

Six weeks in reno is a short novel about resilience, hope, growth, friendship and so much more. We follow Evelyn and through her eyes also some other woman during Six weeks in reno. A lot happens, some of it happy and some of it sad.

Quote: To hell with the confines of convention! And whose conventions are they anyway?

I did like the book and the story it told. I was happy to see the growth of not only Evelyn but the woman around her. I loved how we saw the friendships grow. That was my favorite part. The plot was quite good, enough happened. And each event taught something. A big positive for me as well is the historical accuracy. This is something I do really expect from historical novels as this and it delivered.

Now for the negative points. My biggest problem was the writing style. The author write non fiction books before this one and I can tell. It was a lot of tell, no show and we were a bit to much in the head of the MC. Conversations didn't really flow beceaus Evelyn had a paragraph of dialog in her head between most sentences. The writing style made it difficult for me to get into the book and the toghter with the plot that took a while to get started.

The big plot twist about her husband I also guessed from the beginning

I really enjoyed this book. From the beginning I found it engaging. It was challenging, 90 years later, and on a different continent, to relate to the lives of these women, and yet the themes of misogyny, and fraud are still in play in 2024.

I found it well written and well edited. And I liked that it wasn't all perfectly 'wrapped up' at the end.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the Preview copy.

After two decades in a loveless marriage and with her two children finally in college, Evelyn has found a way out.

Reno - just six weeks as a residence will grant you an uncontested divorce, so Evelyn boards a train bound for the frontier, Unsure and shaky she slowly makes friends and meets women from different backgrounds but who all need a divorce and quick!

Depression era Reno is a far cry from Evelyn's previous existence, and she blossoms under the glare of the sun and that of a cowboy who takes a shine to the buttoned up church fearing woman.

An uplifting tale of a woman embracing her new found freedom and forging her own future.

I like the concept of this book but I overall did not love it. It was a bit slow in the beginning and took me a while to get into. I appreciate that there is need for detail and background, but I found it to be a bit too much. It took me a while to get through this because of the slow pacing.