Nothing is stronger than the power of female friendship. When a group of women gets together to share a meal, gossip, work on a hobby, or connect over life experiences, something magical is created. A mutual sense of community and sisterhood can form a family of confidants and supporters who are prepared to handle anything life throws at them. If marital troubles, career challenges, world issues, or internal conflicts arise, these ladies are ready to tackle them — together.
These six women’s fiction titles feature groups of women that support, uplift and have fun with one another.
Ladies’ Night by Mary Kay Andrews
A cheating husband isn’t easy for anyone — especially Grace Stanton, who launches her husband’s fancy sports car into the swimming pool when she finds out about his infidelity. But actions have consequences, and rarely for the men. Grace is locked out of her home, her finances, and even the lifestyle blog she runs. She retreats to her mother’s run-down beach bar and braces for the rest of her life, starting with court-mandated group therapy.
The three other women in her weekly “divorce recovery” group are suspicious of the “divorce coach” leading their sessions. So, they take matters into their own hands and start having their own “Ladies’ Night” sessions at the beach bar. With the incomparable friendship of three women who get her, can Grace find the strength to move on? A combination of humor, heartache, mystery and unforgettable friendship creates this story about finding closure and taking control of your life.
Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent
In this bright and witty debut, we are introduced to four women who could not be more different. Three are grieving the loss of their mutual friend, Molly, who ties the group together in more ways than they could have imagined. Up until the funeral, none of them liked each other, and hoped to never have to see each other again. But when Molly’s mother calls them together to present “gifts” Molly left behind for them, everything changes when they see the cryptic notes and a deathbed request that the women have Sunday brunch once a month for a year.
Only to honor Molly’s memory, and out of curiosity, do they go through with this request. Slowly, the three different women learn to appreciate what connects them. One friend struggles with social anxiety, the other with fertility, and the third with her mother’s memory loss. Together, they can get through the hardest parts of life as they grieve, laugh and overcome — and look forward to their monthly brunch date.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club by Diane Bergner
Julia Wild’s transition from attorney to fundraiser for an affluent performing arts center was supposed to bring her everything she wanted. But when she catches her boss in bed with one of the arts center’s most high-profile married donors, she begins to doubt herself. Suddenly, giving up the courtroom for her dream job doesn’t seem like such a good idea.
When work gets even more complicated, and Julia grows ever dissatisfied in her marriage, she finds solace in the Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club — a place for her and her friends to come together to dish about all of life’s woes.
With a group of strong women by her side, cocktails, gossip, and lunch, Julia is ready to tackle life’s challenges. Should she give in to temptation and chase after a handsome billionaire, or should she repair her marriage? Only her closest friends can give her the support and space she needs to decide on the right path forward, through the wreckage.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
Dele Weds Destiny by Tomi Obaro
In Nigeria, three college friends were once inseparable, despite their differences. A complicated yet enduring friendship held together by love and loss is tested when thirty years later, Funmi, Zainab and Enitan reunite for a wedding.
Through cheating, abortions, police violence, familial troubles, and racial differences, these women have experienced the highs and lows of life. When Funmi’s daughter’s wedding rolls around, the women leave their lives behind for the special weekend in Lagos. Quickly, it becomes clear that something isn’t right, and these old friends must navigate their complex relationships to figure out the next steps. With the wisdom each mother has gained, they must come to a decision. Across all of the decades of their lives, the author explores the intimacy and steadfast devotion that bind these three women in friendship.
Nightingale by Tony Lopes
Life in the Savannah Valley has the potential to be different from anything Adelia ever dreamed of. On the surface, it looks picture-perfect. But when she arrives in the retirement community, she feels like an impostor. The rich locals don’t take kindly to a woman who they don’t think belongs among the wealthy.
Adelia craves something more that can help prove her worth to the community, and her past as an art teacher is just the thing. With access to numerous affluent art collectors, her careful detection of an expensive forgery, and the chance to repurpose an empty room in the art center, Adelia is ready to make an impression. A group of fashionable and clever women works to help set Adelia up for success when they throw a gala that nobody will forget. Warm, generous and intelligent women form this close-knit group of friends who want nothing more than to help one another succeed, even though they come from different backgrounds.
(Read the review on BookTrib)
Pieces of Happiness by Anne Otsby
It’s never too late to start over — so when Kat extends an invite to her four friends to live on a cocoa farm in Fiji, they’re ready to commit to a new adventure. The chocolate business gives these five lifelong friends the chance to reconnect and retire into a life away from men and the burdens of everyday life.
With children up and gone, husbands passed, financial troubles, or a distance from what makes them happy, these women know it is time to start fresh. A chance to reclaim their identities or refashion a new one in another country is more tempting than a bite of chocolate. In paradise, surrounded by ocean and cocoa trees, the women become close as sisters as they find new joy in life, and get to know one another all over again, in close proximity.
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