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The Mother-Daughter Book Club #6
Wish You Were Eyre
The book club says bon voyage to Concord and bonjour to France!
It’s a dream come true for Megan, who’s jet-setting to Paris for Fashion Week with Gigi. Meanwhile, back in Concord, Mrs. Wong decides to run for mayor, so Emma and Stewart team up to make her campaign a success. Jess and Cassidy are also hoping for victories, Jess in the a cappella finals with the MadriGals and Cassidy in the national hockey championships with her teammates. In the midst of it all, the girls—along with their Wyoming pen pals, who drop in for a visit over Spring Break—dive into Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre . Some real life romance follows, as Becca may have found a Mr. Rochester of her own.
And then there’s the matter of a certain wedding. The book club girls, their families, the British Berkeley brothers, and even Stinkerbelle will be attending the ceremony, which means there might be some bumps before the bride waltzes down the aisle….
It’s a dream come true for Megan, who’s jet-setting to Paris for Fashion Week with Gigi. Meanwhile, back in Concord, Mrs. Wong decides to run for mayor, so Emma and Stewart team up to make her campaign a success. Jess and Cassidy are also hoping for victories, Jess in the a cappella finals with the MadriGals and Cassidy in the national hockey championships with her teammates. In the midst of it all, the girls—along with their Wyoming pen pals, who drop in for a visit over Spring Break—dive into Charlotte Brontë’s classic Jane Eyre . Some real life romance follows, as Becca may have found a Mr. Rochester of her own.
And then there’s the matter of a certain wedding. The book club girls, their families, the British Berkeley brothers, and even Stinkerbelle will be attending the ceremony, which means there might be some bumps before the bride waltzes down the aisle….
442 pages, Hardcover
First published October 23, 2012
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2103 people want to read
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January 19, 2022
Peter Pan was right.
We all have to grow up sometime, and it's the worst, and we should avoid it at all costs and to the detriment of our values and relationships.
In this case, I am not talking (for once) about myself, but about a group of people who manage to accomplish the incredible task of being even more important than me.
Yes. I'm speaking of the daughter faction of fiction's Mother-Daughter Book Club.
There are seven books in this series, which in terms of its contributions to society rivals Shakespeare's complete works, and this is the penultimate one. (Did I write that whole sentence just for a chance to use the word penultimate? You decide.)
True to form, this one is less fun than the others. Whereas the other installments have the cutest littlest most childish problems that often don't even stick around for very long, this has pretty intense conflicts among family and friends and romantic figures, and they last the whole book, only to be unsatisfactorily finished in a frantic "oh god we have to tie up loose ends" kind of chaos at the end.
Which is kinda crazy when you consider this was initially the last book.
The kiddos are also Old in this book, which would be fine, except they still talk the same and act the same and by all standards have the same lives except for some implied kisses by boys they've been dating since the age of 12. And it's weird.
Past me here noted "can't wait to see where this goes in the next book," and I have an answer for her. Bad!
But we'll get to that later.
This was still the same series, for the most part, that I know and love, and had it actually been the last book I'm sure I would have been filled with nostalgic sadness and therefore rated it higher.
But since it's not, the only real compliment I have is that everyone in this hates The Scarlet Letter and they're right and they should say it.
Bottom line: Growing up is the worst!
---------------
pre-review
honestly, me putting off continuing this series for years only to binge read it when i finally restart is the most classic scenario i can think of.
update: only one left...then what will i do?!
review to come / 2.5 stars
clear ur sh*t book 52
quest 24: a book in a series
We all have to grow up sometime, and it's the worst, and we should avoid it at all costs and to the detriment of our values and relationships.
In this case, I am not talking (for once) about myself, but about a group of people who manage to accomplish the incredible task of being even more important than me.
Yes. I'm speaking of the daughter faction of fiction's Mother-Daughter Book Club.
There are seven books in this series, which in terms of its contributions to society rivals Shakespeare's complete works, and this is the penultimate one. (Did I write that whole sentence just for a chance to use the word penultimate? You decide.)
True to form, this one is less fun than the others. Whereas the other installments have the cutest littlest most childish problems that often don't even stick around for very long, this has pretty intense conflicts among family and friends and romantic figures, and they last the whole book, only to be unsatisfactorily finished in a frantic "oh god we have to tie up loose ends" kind of chaos at the end.
Which is kinda crazy when you consider this was initially the last book.
The kiddos are also Old in this book, which would be fine, except they still talk the same and act the same and by all standards have the same lives except for some implied kisses by boys they've been dating since the age of 12. And it's weird.
Past me here noted "can't wait to see where this goes in the next book," and I have an answer for her. Bad!
But we'll get to that later.
This was still the same series, for the most part, that I know and love, and had it actually been the last book I'm sure I would have been filled with nostalgic sadness and therefore rated it higher.
But since it's not, the only real compliment I have is that everyone in this hates The Scarlet Letter and they're right and they should say it.
Bottom line: Growing up is the worst!
---------------
pre-review
honestly, me putting off continuing this series for years only to binge read it when i finally restart is the most classic scenario i can think of.
update: only one left...then what will i do?!
review to come / 2.5 stars
clear ur sh*t book 52
quest 24: a book in a series
June 8, 2017
I like these books overall, and I really have enjoyed reading this series. But, there was one thing in this book that really turned me off.
In every book of the series, the author consistently praises every single book mentioned and puts on a pedestal every author. In this book, even Cassidy, the reluctant reader, loves Jane Eyre. But, for some unknown reason, the author totally pans The Scarlet Letter. She could have simply not even mentioned The Scarlet Letter, but she seems to have gone out of her way to discredit it. Not a single character likes it - not the daughters, not the mothers, and not even any of their counterparts in Wyoming. What's the deal?! What does the author have against The Scarlet Letter? Both Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter were required reading in my high school days, and as I recall, neither was especially well-received, but The Scarlet Letter was probably the less unpopular of the two simply because it had an edginess to it. Does the author object to the fact that rather than the more innocent variety of romance as seen in other book club books, The Scarlet Letter deals with the more mature topic of adultery? Was the author trying to make some kind of morality statement?! Hester Prynne may not be as proper as the other female heroines the club has met, but she is certainly a strong character - something I would think the book club members would appreciate! The Scarlett Letter is even oftentimes considered an early feminist piece, certainly worthy reading for modern young women and appropriate content for students studying classic American literature, despite the author's grievance. I seriously wondered why the author would so uncharacteristically reject such an important piece of writing - and then I realized that all other book club books were written by women! Does the author have something against male writers in general, or against Nathaniel Hawthorne in particular? Whatever. I think her blanket disdain for The Scarlet Letter was unfair - the characters never even tried to justify their dislike of the book - and out of place for a series that not only celebrates literature in general but specifically focuses on strong women in literature. For a series that is supposed to encourage young readers to discover strong female characters in literature, the author really does a disservice by turning her young audience off from The Scarlet Letter.
Okay, rant over. Now about the book itself...
After six books with variations on the same themes, I think I just got tired of the Mother-Daughter Book Club formula. Once again, the first adjective that comes to mind in describing this book is "over-the-top". I could accept a circle of friends that included a former supermodel, a former soap opera star, and a millionaire software entrepreneur. But now we have a group of high school sophomores that include a professional fashion designer, a published author and mayoral campaign manager, a nationally competitive singer, and a player on the nation's top girls hockey team!? Who would have thought that in the end, the most relatable and down-to-earth character would be Becca Chadwick?!
Once again, one of the primary conflicts stems from a new girl in town with whom the girls do not get along. Once again, the girls deal with their social frustrations by engaging in a mean-spirited prank. It's lame that the girls in this series pine for kisses from their boyfriends and wonder what their boyfriends are up to instead of just initiating kisses themselves and simply talking to their boyfriends. It's lame that the girls think second cousins have no right to be friends (re: Simon and Sophie), even though it's already been established that Annabelle and Tristan have a close relationship.
I have to admit, though, I liked the way the book ended with Megan's sentimental round-up of Mother-Daughter Book Club moments. Despite all that I've complained about above, I think the book - and presumably the series - ended on a high note. There is a sense of finality at the end of this book, though I had originally expected the series to take the girls all the way through senior year in high school. But like I said, I think all the familiar themes have been exhausted, so if this is the last book in the series, that's just fine with me.
In every book of the series, the author consistently praises every single book mentioned and puts on a pedestal every author. In this book, even Cassidy, the reluctant reader, loves Jane Eyre. But, for some unknown reason, the author totally pans The Scarlet Letter. She could have simply not even mentioned The Scarlet Letter, but she seems to have gone out of her way to discredit it. Not a single character likes it - not the daughters, not the mothers, and not even any of their counterparts in Wyoming. What's the deal?! What does the author have against The Scarlet Letter? Both Jane Eyre and The Scarlet Letter were required reading in my high school days, and as I recall, neither was especially well-received, but The Scarlet Letter was probably the less unpopular of the two simply because it had an edginess to it. Does the author object to the fact that rather than the more innocent variety of romance as seen in other book club books, The Scarlet Letter deals with the more mature topic of adultery? Was the author trying to make some kind of morality statement?! Hester Prynne may not be as proper as the other female heroines the club has met, but she is certainly a strong character - something I would think the book club members would appreciate! The Scarlett Letter is even oftentimes considered an early feminist piece, certainly worthy reading for modern young women and appropriate content for students studying classic American literature, despite the author's grievance. I seriously wondered why the author would so uncharacteristically reject such an important piece of writing - and then I realized that all other book club books were written by women! Does the author have something against male writers in general, or against Nathaniel Hawthorne in particular? Whatever. I think her blanket disdain for The Scarlet Letter was unfair - the characters never even tried to justify their dislike of the book - and out of place for a series that not only celebrates literature in general but specifically focuses on strong women in literature. For a series that is supposed to encourage young readers to discover strong female characters in literature, the author really does a disservice by turning her young audience off from The Scarlet Letter.
Okay, rant over. Now about the book itself...
After six books with variations on the same themes, I think I just got tired of the Mother-Daughter Book Club formula. Once again, the first adjective that comes to mind in describing this book is "over-the-top". I could accept a circle of friends that included a former supermodel, a former soap opera star, and a millionaire software entrepreneur. But now we have a group of high school sophomores that include a professional fashion designer, a published author and mayoral campaign manager, a nationally competitive singer, and a player on the nation's top girls hockey team!? Who would have thought that in the end, the most relatable and down-to-earth character would be Becca Chadwick?!
Once again, one of the primary conflicts stems from a new girl in town with whom the girls do not get along. Once again, the girls deal with their social frustrations by engaging in a mean-spirited prank. It's lame that the girls in this series pine for kisses from their boyfriends and wonder what their boyfriends are up to instead of just initiating kisses themselves and simply talking to their boyfriends. It's lame that the girls think second cousins have no right to be friends (re: Simon and Sophie), even though it's already been established that Annabelle and Tristan have a close relationship.
I have to admit, though, I liked the way the book ended with Megan's sentimental round-up of Mother-Daughter Book Club moments. Despite all that I've complained about above, I think the book - and presumably the series - ended on a high note. There is a sense of finality at the end of this book, though I had originally expected the series to take the girls all the way through senior year in high school. But like I said, I think all the familiar themes have been exhausted, so if this is the last book in the series, that's just fine with me.
January 18, 2016
It is Spring Break at the Mother Daughter Book Club and while the girls are reading Jane Eyre as their final read in the book club, things are beginning to get chaotic in their lives. Megan's world gets turned upside-down when Annabelle Fairfax's cousin Sophie who is apart of the Exchange student program at her high school is picked to live with her family and the green monster of envy begins to seep its way into her as she is taking away her family and kitten. To make matters worse, her mother decides to run for Mayor of Concord. Will she succeed and will the mother daughter book club be able to solve Megan's problem while they are dealing with problems of the heart and more? Read on and find out for yourself.
This was an amazing conclusion to the Mother Daughter Book Club series. I enjoyed reading about Megan, Cassidy, Jess, Emma, and Becca through all of their ups and downs in school as well as their love lives and friendships. If you guys would like to check this series out for yourself, the books are available wherever books are sold and be sure to look for them at your local library as well.
This was an amazing conclusion to the Mother Daughter Book Club series. I enjoyed reading about Megan, Cassidy, Jess, Emma, and Becca through all of their ups and downs in school as well as their love lives and friendships. If you guys would like to check this series out for yourself, the books are available wherever books are sold and be sure to look for them at your local library as well.
February 2, 2013
Hmm. Well. Not too good, not too bad. For Home for the Holidays, I didn't like it the first time, and then I reread it and began to like it. I reread this one, and it still just struck me as cheesy and super unrealistic.
Like how everything ties together perfectly. If you go back and look at all the descriptions of Sophie before, she's obviously not trying to be nice.
Also, Heather Vogel Frederick has a lot of errors in all her books. Like, when Jess's goat Sundance has a kid, Jess names it Sunbeam. But then in the next book, its name is Cedar. Also, Sugar and Spice were given to Jess and her mother TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME for Valentine's day, but then in Wish You Were Eyre Jess says that one of them was there before, and the other one came later.
Sorry for that rant.
But yeah, also how each of the girls (besides Becca haha) even some of the Wyoming girls and Savannah, are obsessed about one thing and are really good at that one thing, and know exactly what they want to do with their life. I mean, come on. Stop being so good at stuff. :)
Ok bye
Like how everything ties together perfectly. If you go back and look at all the descriptions of Sophie before, she's obviously not trying to be nice.
Also, Heather Vogel Frederick has a lot of errors in all her books. Like, when Jess's goat Sundance has a kid, Jess names it Sunbeam. But then in the next book, its name is Cedar. Also, Sugar and Spice were given to Jess and her mother TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME for Valentine's day, but then in Wish You Were Eyre Jess says that one of them was there before, and the other one came later.
Sorry for that rant.
But yeah, also how each of the girls (besides Becca haha) even some of the Wyoming girls and Savannah, are obsessed about one thing and are really good at that one thing, and know exactly what they want to do with their life. I mean, come on. Stop being so good at stuff. :)
Ok bye
July 21, 2018
I loved this book!! It's a whole lot better than I remember XD
The first few chapters I was like ehhh *shrugs* but it got much better after that.
This is just such a good, clean series!!! I don't think I'll ever get tired of them! After I re-read the last book, I think I'm just gonna turn around and read them again XD
I feel like it's kinda of silly but I really like
Anyway this was a great book!!! :D
Also I'm ashamed because I've only read like 2 or 3 books so far this month D: To be fair though, I've been pretty busy between house-building preparations, (actually I haven't been doing any of that, our architects have XD but my family has had several long conversations about various things on the subject of house building ;) ), birthdays, the normal craziness of life, and, of course, CAMP NANO! I am so close to finishing my novel!!! :D
I also loved that Megan finally got to go to Paris, that was fun to read. And I liked that not everyone liked her fashion sense too, that seemed to make the story more real, y'know?
And the last chapter was pretty much perfect, I loved it! Especially the wedding! :)
This was a great book, five stars!
P.S. Becca found Mr. Rochester!! XD
The first few chapters I was like ehhh *shrugs* but it got much better after that.
This is just such a good, clean series!!! I don't think I'll ever get tired of them! After I re-read the last book, I think I'm just gonna turn around and read them again XD
I feel like it's kinda of silly but I really like
Anyway this was a great book!!! :D
Also I'm ashamed because I've only read like 2 or 3 books so far this month D: To be fair though, I've been pretty busy between house-building preparations, (actually I haven't been doing any of that, our architects have XD but my family has had several long conversations about various things on the subject of house building ;) ), birthdays, the normal craziness of life, and, of course, CAMP NANO! I am so close to finishing my novel!!! :D
I also loved that Megan finally got to go to Paris, that was fun to read. And I liked that not everyone liked her fashion sense too, that seemed to make the story more real, y'know?
And the last chapter was pretty much perfect, I loved it! Especially the wedding! :)
This was a great book, five stars!
P.S. Becca found Mr. Rochester!! XD
February 22, 2020
Love this series and have every intention to reread them all in the future while also reading the books that they talk about in their club!
November 5, 2018
When I picked up this book, I didn’t realize it was the last book in a series. The Jane Eyre reference interested me, and I didn’t even check what the whole story was about. I decided to read it anyways, without knowing what happened with the characters beforehand. I probably wouldn’t recommend doing that, but for someone purely interested in reading this book for the Jane Eyre content, I found this a very enjoyable read.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club includes a core group of characters who all seem well written and fleshed-out. Each chapter in the book in from the point of view of one of the daughters, and they each have their own parallel drama to relate. The book is full of light-hearted teen drama and angst - from jealousy and insecurity to studying for tests and participating in school events. The events unfold during a year in the life of these girls - and I loved how well the author involves the reader into their lives. This book reminded me of when I was a teen and of the kinds of books I would read at that age. After a few chapters, it was also easy for me to understand who the characters were, and their individual quirks.
The book also managed to immerse me thoroughly in the setting. The story takes place in Concord, but one character travels to Minnesota, while another visits Paris. Their experiences there were so well described that I felt like I was there too. The author obviously did her research on these places. It was nice to reminisce on my time in high school, while also getting a sense of travel while reading this book.
The book club is reading Jane Eyre in this story, and the references to Jane Eyre is light, but enjoyable. This book seemed more of a way to introduce new readers to Jane by referencing the strength of her character and the backstory of the Brontes. The girls in the book remember Jane’s strong moral fiber more than once to help themselves get through some issues, and with one character she meets her own “Mr. Rochester” with a secret in his room.
I found this book an extremely fun and light-hearted read - perfect for teens, and a delightful homage for anyone fond of Jane Eyre.
The Mother-Daughter Book Club includes a core group of characters who all seem well written and fleshed-out. Each chapter in the book in from the point of view of one of the daughters, and they each have their own parallel drama to relate. The book is full of light-hearted teen drama and angst - from jealousy and insecurity to studying for tests and participating in school events. The events unfold during a year in the life of these girls - and I loved how well the author involves the reader into their lives. This book reminded me of when I was a teen and of the kinds of books I would read at that age. After a few chapters, it was also easy for me to understand who the characters were, and their individual quirks.
The book also managed to immerse me thoroughly in the setting. The story takes place in Concord, but one character travels to Minnesota, while another visits Paris. Their experiences there were so well described that I felt like I was there too. The author obviously did her research on these places. It was nice to reminisce on my time in high school, while also getting a sense of travel while reading this book.
The book club is reading Jane Eyre in this story, and the references to Jane Eyre is light, but enjoyable. This book seemed more of a way to introduce new readers to Jane by referencing the strength of her character and the backstory of the Brontes. The girls in the book remember Jane’s strong moral fiber more than once to help themselves get through some issues, and with one character she meets her own “Mr. Rochester” with a secret in his room.
I found this book an extremely fun and light-hearted read - perfect for teens, and a delightful homage for anyone fond of Jane Eyre.
July 7, 2024
3.5⭐️
June 27, 2025
I absolutely love the Mother Daughter Book Club! It’s like my childhood! I’ve read every book over ten times at least! 🥹
March 12, 2013
Although I relished the references to one of my all-time classic reads, Jane Eyre, and enjoyed the idea of a Mother-Daugher Book Club, allowing mothers and daughters to bond through literature, there was too little of the book club in this title, to my way of thinking. I'd have forgiven that if all these girls hadn't been such super-achievers. It's not that I have anything against superachievers, mind you. I simply found it hard to believe that these five high school sophomores had already accomplished so many of their life ambitions already. One leads her hockey team to a national victory; another helps her madrigal group take second place in the nationals. Another one blogs and designs a clothing line that actually sells enough to earn her money for her college fund while still another girl has already written and published her own book. Add to all that overachievement, a grandmother who owns and runs her own bakery/coffee shop, a mother running for town mayor, a school newspaper editor or two, and it's easy to feel overwhelmed. The girls' fathers and brothers are nice enough, but they don't play very big roles in this title, and their boyfriends seem to exist in order to provide just the right amount of drama and tension. The author does a good job of portraying how girls can misunderstand each other and how important family and friendships can be, and I'm sure fans of the series will be said to see it come to a close with this, the sixth title, but I just kept shaking my head at the waste of money--a Hummer rented for a sixteenth birthday party, after all? I did like the message of empowerment, though, as the girls used Jane Eyre as inspiration to act bravely by "getting their Jane on," as they affectionately described it.
December 31, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Wish You Were Eyre is the 5th book in the mother daughter book club series. Unfortunately, it is the last, and I will miss all the characters. What I enjoyed about not only this book but the whole series was that I really knew and understood every single character. They were well developed, well described, and I kept wanting to read more.
In Wish You Were Eyre, Megan Wong and her grandmother Gigi get to go to Paris over spring break. Megan being a teen fashion designer, her dream is finally fufilled. Meanwhile, back in Concord Massachussettes, Sophie Fairfax, related to Annabelle Fairfax (the evil, bratty snob that related to the family that had done the house exchange with the Hawthornes a few years back), comes as a foreign exchange student from France, and has to stay with the Wongs. She is a big disrupt to everyone, and especially to Emma, who feels Sophie is stealing away Stewart, her boyfriend. In addition to that, Mrs. Wong is running for marry, and there's also a marriage twinkling in the possibilities. All through this, the girls maintain in their Mother-Daughter book club. I would recommend this book to people who have already read the rest of the books. This was a "good-read".
In Wish You Were Eyre, Megan Wong and her grandmother Gigi get to go to Paris over spring break. Megan being a teen fashion designer, her dream is finally fufilled. Meanwhile, back in Concord Massachussettes, Sophie Fairfax, related to Annabelle Fairfax (the evil, bratty snob that related to the family that had done the house exchange with the Hawthornes a few years back), comes as a foreign exchange student from France, and has to stay with the Wongs. She is a big disrupt to everyone, and especially to Emma, who feels Sophie is stealing away Stewart, her boyfriend. In addition to that, Mrs. Wong is running for marry, and there's also a marriage twinkling in the possibilities. All through this, the girls maintain in their Mother-Daughter book club. I would recommend this book to people who have already read the rest of the books. This was a "good-read".
February 9, 2013
This book tells a story about a mother-daughter book club who has five main characters. Each chapter is about a different girl. This book has some drama when an exchange girl from Paris moves into Megan's house because GiGi invited her in. The mother-daughter book club is reading a book by Charlotte Brontë called Jane Eyre. The author tells a wonderful tale of five girls each looking for thier "Mr.Rochester." I absolutely am in love with this book! I highly suggest if you like books that have different plots, friends working together, and a hint of drama
November 6, 2012
IT WAS GREAT! I cried (just a little) when I was done.
December 30, 2012
This last volume of the Mother-Daughter Book Club series has the girls, now sophomores, reading Charlotte Brontë's classic
Jane Eyre
. This series has been very fun to read, despite how improbable and unrealistic some aspects are (with the girls getting book deals, fashion lines, etc.). Of course most of those things could happen, but it's a bit of a fantasy how frequently they do happen in this series. Still, I love the series' focus on close-knit families, small town community, homey details, loyal friends, and—of course—some of my favorite books. (Speaking of which, this volume includes several references and tie-ins to the Betsy-Tacy series, which the club read in the last book. There is even a trip to Mankato!)
There was a lot I enjoyed about this story, but also a few things which I didn't care for. I don't feel any of these things warrant forgoing the book, but I do want to bring them up.
For starters, the girls are now older and most of them have boyfriends. This book includes several kisses and references to kissing, which is probably pretty standard for the genre; I just find it a little silly. To their credit, most of the boyfriends in this are very nice, gentlemanly guys. Plus, I believe the intended age bracket for this series is around middle school, so other than a few kisses things do remain relatively innocent. There is also a bit of that attitude of "maybe we won't be together forever, but let's just have fun while we are." I dislike it when dating is encouraged as a sport, and I feel like there is increasing pressure on kids to pair-off earlier and earlier. I just don't see the point in pursuing all that perfectly avoidable heartache in high school, and it all just feels kind of shallow to me. I might be over-thinking this a bit, as most parents or readers probably would not have any issue with this aspect of the book, but I just wanted to mention it.
The second main thing that bothered me was how Megan handled her Paris fashion week critique of super-skinny models. I commend the author for even attempting to tackle this subject, but it is such a tricky issue, and I don't feel that it was addressed with quite the amount of delicacy and scope it requires. Posting photos of models stuffing themselves with macarons and writing phrases such as “Cheeseburgers for all” is really not going to help the issue. Also referring to someone as "too slender" implies that there is an ideal body type that should be achieved. People do come in different sizes! Simply having the extreme reverse attitude towards food and weight is not going to solve the problem. In her oversimplified assessment, Megan does throw around the cliché terms "normal" and "moderation," but she never addresses just how she defines them. Those two words can represent such a wide disparity of meanings. I'm probably a little too sensitive about this topic, as I've dealt/am dealing with an eating disorder myself. I just wish I had the eloquence to unpack and address my concerns in a lucid manner. As is, I can only flounder about trying to say that it just seemed like the handling of this issue—while definitely well-meaning—was also rather clueless.
Plot-wise, there were some elements of this book that felt like rehashing of previous storylines (e.g., Sophie—the antagonist that eventually comes around—is a lot like what happened with Becca and Savannah, respectively). I like how the Sophie thing turned out, though. The message was very affirming of the importance of family, and it also encourages one to see things from another person's point of view before judging or categorizing them. Like the previous books, the chapters are divided up with different narrators, and at times it seemed like some of the individual character's storylines went on hold until her next section. Also, I had a hard time believing that Rupert Loomis and his aunt came all the way from England just to deliver Emma a copy of her book . . . and that they just happened to come in time for Gigi's wedding. To me it seemed like a way to get them into the picture to tie-up their storylines. Along the same lines, what did the Berkleys and Annabelle do for two weeks in Concord before the wedding? Didn't they have school? That also seemed a bit like a deux ex machina. Speaking of puzzling plot devices, why did Courtney (Cassidy's sister) have mid-terms after spring break? And how did she manage to get out of them to come to Cassidy's game? Oh, and why was Megan so concerned about Sophie and Stewart? They are second cousins, for goodness sake! I know close cousins married in Jane Austen's age, but not today . . . do they? Also—and I'm probably missing something obvious here, in that prank they played (which, by the way, seemed pretty juvenile and mean), how do they know that the back of Sophie's shirt was even filmed? There are also quite a few other minor continuity errors, and some noticeable typos/editing errors.
To my delight, the author manages to mention a lot of the things I love about the eponymous Jane Eyre: her "moral courage" in "stand[ing] up to temptation," and “[h]er clarity of thought, strong conscience, and backbone”—to name but a few of the stellar qualities of Charlotte Brontë's strong, intelligent, and multi-faceted heroine. I also learned a few facts about Brontë's life and career.
Finally, I must mention what a cool idea the quilt Summer made for Gigi was, and what a great wedding gift. I now want a quilt just like that!
There was a lot I enjoyed about this story, but also a few things which I didn't care for. I don't feel any of these things warrant forgoing the book, but I do want to bring them up.
For starters, the girls are now older and most of them have boyfriends. This book includes several kisses and references to kissing, which is probably pretty standard for the genre; I just find it a little silly. To their credit, most of the boyfriends in this are very nice, gentlemanly guys. Plus, I believe the intended age bracket for this series is around middle school, so other than a few kisses things do remain relatively innocent. There is also a bit of that attitude of "maybe we won't be together forever, but let's just have fun while we are." I dislike it when dating is encouraged as a sport, and I feel like there is increasing pressure on kids to pair-off earlier and earlier. I just don't see the point in pursuing all that perfectly avoidable heartache in high school, and it all just feels kind of shallow to me. I might be over-thinking this a bit, as most parents or readers probably would not have any issue with this aspect of the book, but I just wanted to mention it.
The second main thing that bothered me was how Megan handled her Paris fashion week critique of super-skinny models. I commend the author for even attempting to tackle this subject, but it is such a tricky issue, and I don't feel that it was addressed with quite the amount of delicacy and scope it requires. Posting photos of models stuffing themselves with macarons and writing phrases such as “Cheeseburgers for all” is really not going to help the issue. Also referring to someone as "too slender" implies that there is an ideal body type that should be achieved. People do come in different sizes! Simply having the extreme reverse attitude towards food and weight is not going to solve the problem. In her oversimplified assessment, Megan does throw around the cliché terms "normal" and "moderation," but she never addresses just how she defines them. Those two words can represent such a wide disparity of meanings. I'm probably a little too sensitive about this topic, as I've dealt/am dealing with an eating disorder myself. I just wish I had the eloquence to unpack and address my concerns in a lucid manner. As is, I can only flounder about trying to say that it just seemed like the handling of this issue—while definitely well-meaning—was also rather clueless.
Plot-wise, there were some elements of this book that felt like rehashing of previous storylines (e.g., Sophie—the antagonist that eventually comes around—is a lot like what happened with Becca and Savannah, respectively). I like how the Sophie thing turned out, though. The message was very affirming of the importance of family, and it also encourages one to see things from another person's point of view before judging or categorizing them. Like the previous books, the chapters are divided up with different narrators, and at times it seemed like some of the individual character's storylines went on hold until her next section. Also, I had a hard time believing that Rupert Loomis and his aunt came all the way from England just to deliver Emma a copy of her book . . . and that they just happened to come in time for Gigi's wedding. To me it seemed like a way to get them into the picture to tie-up their storylines. Along the same lines, what did the Berkleys and Annabelle do for two weeks in Concord before the wedding? Didn't they have school? That also seemed a bit like a deux ex machina. Speaking of puzzling plot devices, why did Courtney (Cassidy's sister) have mid-terms after spring break? And how did she manage to get out of them to come to Cassidy's game? Oh, and why was Megan so concerned about Sophie and Stewart? They are second cousins, for goodness sake! I know close cousins married in Jane Austen's age, but not today . . . do they? Also—and I'm probably missing something obvious here, in that prank they played (which, by the way, seemed pretty juvenile and mean), how do they know that the back of Sophie's shirt was even filmed? There are also quite a few other minor continuity errors, and some noticeable typos/editing errors.
To my delight, the author manages to mention a lot of the things I love about the eponymous Jane Eyre: her "moral courage" in "stand[ing] up to temptation," and “[h]er clarity of thought, strong conscience, and backbone”—to name but a few of the stellar qualities of Charlotte Brontë's strong, intelligent, and multi-faceted heroine. I also learned a few facts about Brontë's life and career.
Finally, I must mention what a cool idea the quilt Summer made for Gigi was, and what a great wedding gift. I now want a quilt just like that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 3, 2025
Like I said, the 5th is the best, but they all so far deserve 5 stars!
June 10, 2019
It;s as good as ever. They really need to make a movie of the whole series. I would recommend people to start from the first book since it makes more since that way but there are enough details in each book to understand.
January 17, 2022
3.5 stars, rounded up.
While I still really liked this one, it’s my least favorite in the series. The girls are way too old for pranking and were quite catty toward Sophie. It also wasn’t as interesting to me, especially Megan in France, which seemed quite drawn out. This was still a fun read and I’m looking forward to picking up the last book hopefully soon.
While I still really liked this one, it’s my least favorite in the series. The girls are way too old for pranking and were quite catty toward Sophie. It also wasn’t as interesting to me, especially Megan in France, which seemed quite drawn out. This was still a fun read and I’m looking forward to picking up the last book hopefully soon.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 31, 2013
I don't read many continuing books in a series for review on Mother Daughter Book Club.com. My review philosophy is that if the first book in a series is strong enough to stand on its own, then it's a good choice for book clubs to read and discuss while letting individual members decide whether to continue with the series.
I occasionally make exceptions and the six-novel-strong The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick is one of those. How could I not read a fictional series about the very real life topic I dedicate my website to? And yet, I may not have continued if Frederick hadn't made it so easy for me to fall in love with her characters and want to continue to read their stories book after book.
With the release of last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, I am sure I will not be the only reader conjuring up images of what happens next with Emma, Jess, Megan, Cassidy and Becca as well as all their families. Alas, "next" will have to remain in my imagination.
That desire to follow characters through to the next step in their lives is the mark of a great series and a skilled writer who can bring the people in her stories to life. In all honesty and disclosure I have to say that I have come to call Heather Frederick a friend over the years she has been writing this series, but I certainly would not have continued to read and review them if I didn't believe they were a great choice for mother-daughter book clubs and young readers everywhere.
Frederick manages to capture the daily issues that pre-teens and teens may face while also giving readers things to hope for and dream about, like international travel, successfully identifying passions for careers, starting businesses, and more. She has a skill at helping her characters speak up for themselves and solve their problems, even if they stew in them for a while. Her latest installment and last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, is another delightful example.
Once again Frederick weaves the reading of a classic novel, this time Jane Eyre, into the story line of her modern-day girls living in Concord, Massachusetts. There are problems to be solved, misunderstandings of other people's actions and intentions, and strained mother-daughter relationships to be found for sure. But you will also find different characters of all ages exploring what it means to be in love, supporting their friends, exploring new adventures and more. It's a satisfying finale to a beloved series.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I occasionally make exceptions and the six-novel-strong The Mother-Daughter Book Club series by Heather Vogel Frederick is one of those. How could I not read a fictional series about the very real life topic I dedicate my website to? And yet, I may not have continued if Frederick hadn't made it so easy for me to fall in love with her characters and want to continue to read their stories book after book.
With the release of last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, I am sure I will not be the only reader conjuring up images of what happens next with Emma, Jess, Megan, Cassidy and Becca as well as all their families. Alas, "next" will have to remain in my imagination.
That desire to follow characters through to the next step in their lives is the mark of a great series and a skilled writer who can bring the people in her stories to life. In all honesty and disclosure I have to say that I have come to call Heather Frederick a friend over the years she has been writing this series, but I certainly would not have continued to read and review them if I didn't believe they were a great choice for mother-daughter book clubs and young readers everywhere.
Frederick manages to capture the daily issues that pre-teens and teens may face while also giving readers things to hope for and dream about, like international travel, successfully identifying passions for careers, starting businesses, and more. She has a skill at helping her characters speak up for themselves and solve their problems, even if they stew in them for a while. Her latest installment and last book in the series, Wish You Were Eyre, is another delightful example.
Once again Frederick weaves the reading of a classic novel, this time Jane Eyre, into the story line of her modern-day girls living in Concord, Massachusetts. There are problems to be solved, misunderstandings of other people's actions and intentions, and strained mother-daughter relationships to be found for sure. But you will also find different characters of all ages exploring what it means to be in love, supporting their friends, exploring new adventures and more. It's a satisfying finale to a beloved series.
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
November 5, 2012
This year the Mother-Daughter Book Club will be reading Jane Eyre. Not everything always goes smoothly for the girls, but they at least have their friends in the book club to help them through the storms of life. When Sophie Fairfax comes to live with the Wong's for a year jealousy flairs. The girls band together to pull off a prank that will put Sophie in her place, but will it backfire on them?
Emma is feeling that her boyfriend Stewart is paying too much attention to Sophie. When they both are enlisted to help Mrs. Wong campaign for mayor their time together is limited and both begin to feel the strain.
Jess has a sub in her calculus class who accuses her of cheating. At risk is her scholarship and her position as a soloist in her Madrigirls singing group.
Cassidy is not sure about her relationship with Zach. She likes him, in fact he is like her best friend, but she is not sure that she wants him as a boyfriend. As always Cassidy is the one to come up with the plan for Sophie's embarrassment.
Megan is feeling the most hurt by Sophie's arrival. Sophie seems to gain the attention of everyone she meets. Megan's mom and grandmother are among Sophie's fans. Even Megan's new kitten seems to like Sophie better than Megan! Megan is looking forward to her trip to Paris with Gigi. She can't wait to visit the fashion shows and see all of the sites of France.
Becca has been working at Gigi's tea house to help her family with their finances while her father is out of work. Becca wonders if there is a Mr. Rochester "out there" for her somewhere.
I've come to love all of these girls! They and their mothers make me laugh. Sadly this is the last book in The Mother-Daughter Book Club series. I have to say that if it had to be the end of the series I am quite happy with the wrap-up. Although I was kind of hoping that the author would carry the series through the girls' senior year. But alas, that is not to be! I've enjoyed each book in the series. I have loved reading each girls story and how they have grown up throughout the series. I found the writing refreshing in each book without any need for adding sexual situations or language to taint the quality of the stories. I had borrowed the first few books from the library, but went ahead and bought all of them last year so that some day I can pass them on to my grand-daughters. The Mother-Daughter Book Club is one of my favorite series and I will miss them very much.
Emma is feeling that her boyfriend Stewart is paying too much attention to Sophie. When they both are enlisted to help Mrs. Wong campaign for mayor their time together is limited and both begin to feel the strain.
Jess has a sub in her calculus class who accuses her of cheating. At risk is her scholarship and her position as a soloist in her Madrigirls singing group.
Cassidy is not sure about her relationship with Zach. She likes him, in fact he is like her best friend, but she is not sure that she wants him as a boyfriend. As always Cassidy is the one to come up with the plan for Sophie's embarrassment.
Megan is feeling the most hurt by Sophie's arrival. Sophie seems to gain the attention of everyone she meets. Megan's mom and grandmother are among Sophie's fans. Even Megan's new kitten seems to like Sophie better than Megan! Megan is looking forward to her trip to Paris with Gigi. She can't wait to visit the fashion shows and see all of the sites of France.
Becca has been working at Gigi's tea house to help her family with their finances while her father is out of work. Becca wonders if there is a Mr. Rochester "out there" for her somewhere.
I've come to love all of these girls! They and their mothers make me laugh. Sadly this is the last book in The Mother-Daughter Book Club series. I have to say that if it had to be the end of the series I am quite happy with the wrap-up. Although I was kind of hoping that the author would carry the series through the girls' senior year. But alas, that is not to be! I've enjoyed each book in the series. I have loved reading each girls story and how they have grown up throughout the series. I found the writing refreshing in each book without any need for adding sexual situations or language to taint the quality of the stories. I had borrowed the first few books from the library, but went ahead and bought all of them last year so that some day I can pass them on to my grand-daughters. The Mother-Daughter Book Club is one of my favorite series and I will miss them very much.
November 12, 2012
I am in the acknowledgements which means that this book is awesome!
Okay since that does not constitute a book review or anything except gloating I will review the book. The girls are reading Jane Eyre and there is excitement in Concord, there is a French exchange student Sophie who comes to stay with Megan and her family. Each of the girls learn a lesson relating to Jane Eyre. Megan gets to go to Paris with Gigi for Fashion Week and the descriptions of Paris made me miss it so much. I also loved Becca's trip to Minneapolis and Mankato.
I like the progression of Becca's character and that she really has become less of a brat as the years go by. I love the literary names of the characters that we run into.
This really is a great series of books. It is a great way to get girls interested in reading the classics mentioned in these books too.
Okay since that does not constitute a book review or anything except gloating I will review the book. The girls are reading Jane Eyre and there is excitement in Concord, there is a French exchange student Sophie who comes to stay with Megan and her family. Each of the girls learn a lesson relating to Jane Eyre. Megan gets to go to Paris with Gigi for Fashion Week and the descriptions of Paris made me miss it so much. I also loved Becca's trip to Minneapolis and Mankato.
I like the progression of Becca's character and that she really has become less of a brat as the years go by. I love the literary names of the characters that we run into.
This really is a great series of books. It is a great way to get girls interested in reading the classics mentioned in these books too.
October 26, 2012
I've enjoyed this whole series, but this one the most, since it includes references to so many of my favorite things--Jane Eyre, Betsy-Tacy, The Wizard of Oz. and the idea of the "After Library."
March 24, 2016
TOO MUCH BOY GOOSHINESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
January 31, 2017
This book is great! I read it twice!
August 22, 2023
yesyesyesyesyes and megan wong on theme
January 26, 2025
Huh.
I know that it’s not entirely fair to criticize an author for how they portray things like relationships or interpersonal dynamics on the premise that they have some sort of obligation to show their readers what’s “right” or “wrong.” Even in young adult/middle grade fiction I do think that it’s important to highlight nuance and create dynamics that aren’t explicitly laid out in terms of morality.
But at the same time…there’s something so WEIRD to me about Heather Vogel Frederick writing a seven book (!!!) series where every single one of her main characters, at some point, lets a man walk all over her, receives horrible relationship advice from her friends, and then (bizarrely) gets fixated on some kind of potentially romantic vibe between the guy she’s interested in and his own cousin.
The Mother Daughter Book Club is one of those series that’s just much stronger in its first few installments than it is at the end. Sure, the girls are a little juvenile and petty in the first couple of books, but the focus of the novels is on their friendships, navigating the complicated social world of middle school, and figuring out who they are amidst expectations from their family and peers. But by the time that the girls are in high school, some of the coziness and cheesy girl-power friendship is pushed aside in favor of 400 pages of poorly constructed relationship drama.
No one ever COMMUNICATES anything!! Emma spends most of the book frustrated with her boyfriend and actually at zero points has a genuine conversation with him about his behavior. Even her advice from her friends more or less boils down to “wait for him to notice you’re mad at him.” Like girl, get up!! Notice that you’re being treated poorly and flattening yourself because of it! It makes for a very boring and drawn-out romantic subplot but it also (more importantly, imo) pushes a really strange depiction of straight relationships as being emotionally one-sided and of (young) men as absolved of wrongdoing by virtue of being emotionally unintelligent and drawn to flashy objects.
I think I decided to finish rereading the series out of a weird sense of completionist obligation, but as the series progresses I really find myself less and less likely to ever dream of recommending these books to their actual target audience.
Boo. Tomato tomato.
I know that it’s not entirely fair to criticize an author for how they portray things like relationships or interpersonal dynamics on the premise that they have some sort of obligation to show their readers what’s “right” or “wrong.” Even in young adult/middle grade fiction I do think that it’s important to highlight nuance and create dynamics that aren’t explicitly laid out in terms of morality.
But at the same time…there’s something so WEIRD to me about Heather Vogel Frederick writing a seven book (!!!) series where every single one of her main characters, at some point, lets a man walk all over her, receives horrible relationship advice from her friends, and then (bizarrely) gets fixated on some kind of potentially romantic vibe between the guy she’s interested in and his own cousin.
The Mother Daughter Book Club is one of those series that’s just much stronger in its first few installments than it is at the end. Sure, the girls are a little juvenile and petty in the first couple of books, but the focus of the novels is on their friendships, navigating the complicated social world of middle school, and figuring out who they are amidst expectations from their family and peers. But by the time that the girls are in high school, some of the coziness and cheesy girl-power friendship is pushed aside in favor of 400 pages of poorly constructed relationship drama.
No one ever COMMUNICATES anything!! Emma spends most of the book frustrated with her boyfriend and actually at zero points has a genuine conversation with him about his behavior. Even her advice from her friends more or less boils down to “wait for him to notice you’re mad at him.” Like girl, get up!! Notice that you’re being treated poorly and flattening yourself because of it! It makes for a very boring and drawn-out romantic subplot but it also (more importantly, imo) pushes a really strange depiction of straight relationships as being emotionally one-sided and of (young) men as absolved of wrongdoing by virtue of being emotionally unintelligent and drawn to flashy objects.
I think I decided to finish rereading the series out of a weird sense of completionist obligation, but as the series progresses I really find myself less and less likely to ever dream of recommending these books to their actual target audience.
Boo. Tomato tomato.
July 13, 2023
12 yr old me was a tween chick-lit addict and the mdbc was my bread and butter. i've read the first five books so many times that the spines are falling apart and i kind of feel like i grew up with them. to me, it's the series that truly got me into reading.
this is my first time reading the sixth book and i can honestly say i'm torn about it. obviously there's so much nostalgia attached to these characters that i instantly feel happy reading about them. but on the other hand, this is such an imperfect ending to their story.
pros:
- everything about megan in paris was perfect, the fashion the people the blog posts!!
- i loved gigi's whirlwind romance, i thought it was so sweet and so her
- emma and jess' friendship continues to be my favourite thing
- cassidy's arc with zach was so funny and so true to character ,, and her rlship with courtney is so lovely!! surprisingly i'm a #tristanfan
- cassidy concord hockey gurl is so cool. why doesn't she just date hannah california surfer gurl, i feel like she would be much happier that way
- not the ending i wanted but it fit all the same
- the jane eyre backbone references!!
- jess calculus cheating madrigals solo was so fun i love her and savannah
cons:
- emma and stewart and sophie love triangle ... wtf??? emma and stewart is really the only relationship i believed in (besides clementine and stanley) and to have them in such an unbelievable situation that stretched for the entirety of the book ........ ugh
- also i hate the whole sophie plotline. it's so out of character for them and feels like a flimsy way to throw a mean girl into the story
- WHY IS MEGAN SCARED SIMON LIKES HIS OWN SECOND COUSIN
- also WHY DOES EMMA KEEP REFERRING TO HER OWN BROTHER AS THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND
- becca's entire characterization in this. also why is she the only one with non-superficial issues. also all her problems being solved the instant she falls for the snake guy like bffr
- simon and megan + darcy and jess is sooooo insane like u cannot look me in the eye and tell me those pairings would have lasted more than a few months
- all their decisions felt a little juvenile for their age. i think my ultimate problem is that the characters of the mdbc didn't grow up with their readers too
this is my first time reading the sixth book and i can honestly say i'm torn about it. obviously there's so much nostalgia attached to these characters that i instantly feel happy reading about them. but on the other hand, this is such an imperfect ending to their story.
pros:
- everything about megan in paris was perfect, the fashion the people the blog posts!!
- i loved gigi's whirlwind romance, i thought it was so sweet and so her
- emma and jess' friendship continues to be my favourite thing
- cassidy's arc with zach was so funny and so true to character ,, and her rlship with courtney is so lovely!! surprisingly i'm a #tristanfan
- cassidy concord hockey gurl is so cool. why doesn't she just date hannah california surfer gurl, i feel like she would be much happier that way
- not the ending i wanted but it fit all the same
- the jane eyre backbone references!!
- jess calculus cheating madrigals solo was so fun i love her and savannah
cons:
- emma and stewart and sophie love triangle ... wtf??? emma and stewart is really the only relationship i believed in (besides clementine and stanley) and to have them in such an unbelievable situation that stretched for the entirety of the book ........ ugh
- also i hate the whole sophie plotline. it's so out of character for them and feels like a flimsy way to throw a mean girl into the story
- WHY IS MEGAN SCARED SIMON LIKES HIS OWN SECOND COUSIN
- also WHY DOES EMMA KEEP REFERRING TO HER OWN BROTHER AS THE PERFECT BOYFRIEND
- becca's entire characterization in this. also why is she the only one with non-superficial issues. also all her problems being solved the instant she falls for the snake guy like bffr
- simon and megan + darcy and jess is sooooo insane like u cannot look me in the eye and tell me those pairings would have lasted more than a few months
- all their decisions felt a little juvenile for their age. i think my ultimate problem is that the characters of the mdbc didn't grow up with their readers too
November 1, 2020
3.5 stars
This series continues to be very sweet. I don't think I will be picking up any more in the series, as these do tend to follow a formula. Still fun, but I am going to call it here.
This series continues to be very sweet. I don't think I will be picking up any more in the series, as these do tend to follow a formula. Still fun, but I am going to call it here.
December 23, 2021
The perfect traveling book
March 26, 2022
I've really been enjoying this series. I'm sad I'm almost done with it.
September 5, 2020
Great book. Loved it, can’t wait to read The Mother-Daughter Book Camp. So good. Best one yet I would even say.
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