Source: Publisher
Description: 1956: On idyllic Balboa Island, just off the California coast, life seems peaceful and welcoming. But when the lives of three women begin to unravel in shockingly different ways, an unlikely friendship―and the game of tennis―may be the only thing that can save them.
Milly Kinkaid's plan to fix her crumbling marriage seems to be falling apart before it even begins. She believed that moving her young family from Hollywood to Balboa Island might entice her increasingly distant husband to come home earlier after work. Instead, he's barely coming home at all.
Society matriarch Sylvia Johnson and her husband have been pillars of their community for decades, and have just recently begun a new business venture: The Island Club, a place for members to swim, play tennis and dine in style. But when she learns that he has been risking their financial security and putting their family's future in grave danger, she's not only poised to lose the club, but the entire community she holds dear.
Meanwhile, standoffish loner Adele Lambert's entire world is on the brink of being destroyed if the dark secrets of her past and her hidden identity is revealed. Twenty years ago, she ran from a shameful scandal and left behind the only thing she ever loved. Now, terrified that the anonymity she's spent decades guarding will be exposed, but desperate to stay afloat, she risks everything to return to the game that brought her to her knees all those years before.
Set against the sun-drenched beaches of Balboa Island, with its prim and proper 1950s facade, The Island Club is a story of love, loneliness and the lies we tell ourselves―and what can be gained when the truth is finally revealed.
Genre: Fiction
Why I Picked This Book: I've read another book by this author and enjoyed it - plus the blurb really appealed to me.
My Impression: This author has the fantastic ability to really make settings and characters come to life. I could visualize the island and the club and all the characters who made up the world of the book. I didn't always like the characters. They made decisions that didn't make sense or their reactions were emotional and sometimes a little petty (or in some cases way more than a little). But Sylvia, Milly, and Adele all felt like real people.
The story was at times frustrating, at times sad but always real. All three women are somewhat powerless in steering their lives but are all doing the best they can with mixed results. Sylvia's situation and her husband's attitude especially were absolutely maddening even though I was very much rooting for her. I connected the most with Milly but was interested in all the characters.
This was interesting and very readable book with characters that feel very real and a world that comes alive. The story isn't always easy but it's always interesting. This is an author I'm looking forward to reading more from.
Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Yes! I've enjoyed both books I've read by her and am looking forward to reading more of her books.
Would I Recommend this Book? I would - especially if you enjoy reading stories of women's lives.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
Would I Recommend this Book? I would - especially if you enjoy reading stories of women's lives.
* I received this book in exchange for an honest review. As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *
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