Beginnings - The Sullivan's Island Supper Club

Carolina Tales #1.5

by Susan M. Boyer

Beginnings - The Sullivan's Island Supper Club is a collection of scenes that explore how Tallulah Wentworth and Eugenia Ladson met Quinn Poinsett, Libba Graham, and Sarabeth Boone, and how the ladies, along with Birdie Markley and Camille Houston became The Sullivan's Island Supper Club.

These are scenes cut from the novel The Sullivan's Island Supper Club, and offered for readers who would like more background on the characters who appear in the Carolina Tales. If you've never read one of the Carolina Tales, I would encourage you to start with either The Sullivan's Island Supper Club or Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island and come back to these additional scenes later. I believe these will be most enjoyed by readers who are familiar with the characters and setting. I so hope you enjoy these glimpses into the formation of the supper club!

Genres: Mystery, Womens Fiction

86 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2024

About the author

Susan M. Boyer is the USA Today bestselling author of thirteen novels. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Subsequent books have been nominated for various honors, including Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Picks, the 2016 Pat Conroy Beach Music Mystery Prize, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize in Mystery & Detective Fiction.

Susan loves beaches, Southern food, and small towns where everyone knows everyone, and everyone has crazy relatives. You’ll find all of the above in her novels. She and her husband call Greenville, SC, home and visit the Carolina coast as often as possible.

Susan loves to hear from readers. You can reach her through her website: http://www.susanmboyer.com/

Sign up for her newsletter to get recipes from her books and to be among the first to hear the news when the next book is scheduled for release.

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I know how the Supper Club came together!

[Bridgette · Rating 3 out of 5]

This short one fills in the gaps in the series as far as how certain people met and are connected.

[Jennifer Ritter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginnings- The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club: A Carolina Tale, is an intermediary tale linking Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island and The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club and introducing the characters that will be seen later on and how Tallulah Wentworth and Eugenia Ladson first make the acquaintance of three of the younger women and, in a way, take them under their wings. This is an important link in the series to help with the understanding. I did enjoy learning about these characters and I do recommend this novella.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beginnings: The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan M Boyer should be viewed and read as an accompaniment if you have read Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island and offers a collection of interactions that delve into the origins of the beloved characters from the Carolina Tales series. It provides further background surrounding the key people, how they met and history of the quaint little island. The short stories provide readers with a deeper understanding of how all the characters met and how they all eventually formed the Sullivan's Island Supper Club. The small scenes give readers a glimpse into the group's dynamics and friendships.

I adore Susan’s characters and stories and this is an excellent supplement to her Carolina Tales Series to get a glimpse into their individual lives and how their every day experiences shape who they are together as a group.

What a wonderful little grouping of tales that will delight you and you won’t be disappointed!

[Wanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

To me, I’d rename the groups dinner club to Super club. Such a super group of ladies and their men. Supporting one another and always willing to reach out to the new neighbors coming onto Sullivan Island. The community they bring is so hospitable and welcoming.
The way Susan brought this book to us allowed us to great in-depth resource to each of these ladies. When starting a new series I have a hard time remembering who is who and who belongs to who. This allowed me to connect with each of them. Super characters with love for their island but can agree to disagree on tough topics.
Fish really showed up as a “having a back bone take charge kind of guy”. I appreciated that. I really look forward to more of the men stepping up for our ladies. Thank you Susan M. Boyer for another delightful read.

[Leslie Sherwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginnings #2 is a prequel for Sullivan Island's Supper Club #3 (after Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island #1) It includes the backgrounds, how some of the main characters met, and a little interesting history around Sullivan’s Island. Well written, of course, since it was written by Susan M Boyer. I gave it 4 stars because I love Susan M. Boyer, but took off 1 star because it was a little confusing reading it by itself. I do feel this addition should have been included in Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island, as a prelude, or epilogue in that book . I really loved the first book in the Carolina Tales series and I’m looking forward to reading The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, Book 2.

[Leslie Sherwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a follows Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. It is a prequel to Sullivan Island’s Supper Club. It includes the backgrounds, how all of the main characters met, and a little interesting history around Sullivan’s Island. Well written, of course, since it was written by Susan M Boyer. I gave it 4 stars because I love Susan M. Boyer, but took off 1 star because it was a little confusing reading it by itself. I do feel this addition should have been included as a prequel to Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. I really loved the first book in the Carolina Tales series and I’m looking forward to reading The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club, Book 2.

[The Mystery Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Beginnings" by Susan Boyer is a charming and heartwarming novella that offers a delightful glimpse into the origins of the beloved Sullivan's Island Supper Club. This shorter read, at just under 100 pages, provides a delightful prequel to the full-length novels, offering readers a deeper understanding of the characters and the formation of their enduring friendships.

The novella focuses on the early days of the Supper Club, exploring how these unique individuals first came together and forged the bonds that would define their lives. Boyer masterfully captures the essence of the characters and the spirit of the island, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere that will resonate with fans of the series.

While concise, "Beginnings" is a satisfying read that adds depth and richness to the world of the Sullivan's Island Supper Club. It's a perfect companion piece for fans of the series and a charming introduction for newcomers.

Rating: ★★★★☆

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[BHK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginnings: The Sullivan's Island Supper Club by Susan Boyer offers a small collection of scenes that dive into the origins of beloved characters from the Carolina Tales series. These short stories provide readers with a deeper understanding of how Tallulah Wentworth and Eugenia Ladson first encountered Quinn, Libba, and Sarabeth, and how they all eventually formed the Sullivan's Island Supper Club alongside Birdie and Camille. These deleted scenes give readers a quick glimpse into the group's dynamics and friendships.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am thoroughly enjoying the latest addition to the new Supper Club series by Susan M. Boyer! What an amazing group of characters! Set on beautiful Sullivan’s Island, a wonderful set of characters gathers monthly for fabulous suppers and what suppers they are. You really want to be part of this great group of people! Susan’s characters are so relatable and fun! This is an installment in Susan’s new series and is definitely one to start on now. You can absolutely start with this book, it’s fine stand-alone, but you’ll want to fully catch on these great books!

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fellow readers should definitely read this between Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island and The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club. It is a companion piece that does a great job explaining how all of the characters met and how the Supper Club was formed. I personally have always enjoyed reading and learning about the background of the characters that I'm reading about, so I was thrilled that Susan Boyer provided this entertaining and helpful bridge book between the two. I feel that other readers of the series will feel the same way.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's an absolute must-read in the Carolina Tale series. It tells the backstory of how Sullivan's Island Supper Club members meet and become friends. Best read between Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island and Sullivan's Island Supper Club. This is not a stand-alone.

These shorts left me smiling without fail. I received an ARC of this book.

[Linda Marlia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This nice little book is great fun for readers of Susan M. Boyer's Carolina Tales books. It's deleted scenes filling us in on details about the familiar characters in the stories. It's pretty meaningless to those who haven't read the books. If, like me, you have read and enjoyed them, you'll like this.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful edition to this series. It helps you get to know the characters in the series. You get to understand their motivations and what brought them to the island.

Thank you to the author and publisher for my ARC. All views are my own.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Background

Great addition to the books. Gave me a greater understanding of the island and surrounding areas problems. I have read all the books and enjoyed all of them immensely. The recipes are an added bonus though some sound pretty involved.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

This book was wonderful and helpful to get a glimpse of how the characters from the first book came to be. I really enjoyed their origin stories. It was a quick read and definitely worth it.

[Lori Bonkoski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gives you more background to all the characters in the Sullivan Island Supper Club. It is scenes that didn't make it into the third book. It's great to know the characters better and to learn who they are and how they relate to one another.

[Amy Nissen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for fans of Susan M. Boyer! A little peek behind the scenes; a fun up close and personal read with the snazzy ladies of the Sullivan’s Island Supper Club!

[Carla Little · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t what I was expecting based on previous works. I liked getting to know who all the characters were in this though it helps build the characters for the new series.

[Karen Manuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

very very short.

[Debbi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick read that gives a little insight as to how the ladies of the Sullivan’s Island Supper club met.

[Renae Dias · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very short book

This was a very short book. I wouldn't have bought it if I knew I would finish it in a few hours

[Roxanne Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I loved the little bits and pieces that were left out of the mother books, this one was just too short for a short story.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[Marti · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick read with background on the participants in the Sullivan Island's Supper Club. I hope this series continues.

[Katrina Murray-Hesterlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

🙏💐

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fun. I loved learning how each member joined the supper club and meet the significant others
It is always nice to get additional background. It helps you feel like you are a part of the group.

[Michele Davidson Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a companion piece to the Susan M. Boyer “The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club”. It contains more background on the cast of characters to its sister book. I recommend reading this after you have finished “Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island” and “The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club”. It adds a layer of depth to the already existing stories. I love reading expanded stories of larger books. My only complaint is that I wanted more!

[patt · Rating 5 out of 5]

First I’ll tell you that the reader should read Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island and/or The Sullivan’s Island Supper Club before reading Beginnings. Beginnings provides us with some background on characters you are familiar with from these other two books. It contains some scenes with the two women who started the Supper Club and then tells us how they met some of the other members. It was a fun, quick addition to the story.
I received an early readers copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Kathy Kennerley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it! This is a quick short story collection of Supper Club character introductions. It fits in anywhere you want in the series. I read it a bit after Supper Club at a perfect time when I was just beginning to miss these lovely ladies and their interesting lives. Great author!