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The Young Wives Club
by
Southern Living’s Best New Summer Books
In Toulouse, Louisiana finding your one true love happens sometime around high school. If you’re lucky, he might be the man you thought he was. But as four friends are about to find out, not every girl has luck on her side in this charming debut novel perfect for fans of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housew ...more
In Toulouse, Louisiana finding your one true love happens sometime around high school. If you’re lucky, he might be the man you thought he was. But as four friends are about to find out, not every girl has luck on her side in this charming debut novel perfect for fans of The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housew ...more
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Paperback, 309 pages
Published
February 14th 2017
by Atria/Emily Bestler Books/Alloy Entertainment
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3 stars!
The Young Wives Club is an entertaining, charming and relatable story of four friends from a small southern town. There are parts in this book that reminded me of a more grown up Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and I love that book!) These four friends are all connected and have different situations when it comes to their romantic life ...more

“You should never feel guilty about doing things for you. When you love yourself, it’ll be so much easier for you to love someone else.”
The Young Wives Club is an entertaining, charming and relatable story of four friends from a small southern town. There are parts in this book that reminded me of a more grown up Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (and I love that book!) These four friends are all connected and have different situations when it comes to their romantic life ...more

This came recommended to me from my local library. I didn't know what it would be about except for that the MCs would be married and young but I didn't expect them to be straight out of high school young.
This story is about a small southern town in America where four female friends are either married or about to get married. It started out very very slow and honestly I was judging all of them harshly. But as the story progressed, my view started shifting on some of the things and some of the ch ...more
This story is about a small southern town in America where four female friends are either married or about to get married. It started out very very slow and honestly I was judging all of them harshly. But as the story progressed, my view started shifting on some of the things and some of the ch ...more

Had a hard time getting into the narration and story since I couldn't relate to these really young women but it grew on me. This novel is about the lives of four young women, their close friendship, and love lives. I like how they help each other through their struggles and gain personal growth.
...more

Release Date: February 14, 2017
Genre: Women's Fiction
I really loved this book. Plain and simple. It's touching, inspiring, sweet, and one hundred percent charming. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed this novel was from a seasoned writer who has been writing books for years, but it's not. This is a debut novel from a woman who clearly knows how to write some of the best women's fiction that I have read in a very long time. With that being said, I have seen some very mixed revie ...more
Genre: Women's Fiction
I really loved this book. Plain and simple. It's touching, inspiring, sweet, and one hundred percent charming. If I didn't know any better, I would have assumed this novel was from a seasoned writer who has been writing books for years, but it's not. This is a debut novel from a woman who clearly knows how to write some of the best women's fiction that I have read in a very long time. With that being said, I have seen some very mixed revie ...more

Never has a book angered me like this one. The ending was the only reason why I added the extra star in my rating. More thoughts to come.
Update: I was eagerly awaiting this book after first learning about it on Netgalley. The cover is just gorgeous and I love a good wedding story. When I read that the book was about 4 young wives, I had in my head that they would be in their mid twenties. I had a REAL problem with the age of most of the main characters. 1 of the girls has just graduated high sch ...more
Update: I was eagerly awaiting this book after first learning about it on Netgalley. The cover is just gorgeous and I love a good wedding story. When I read that the book was about 4 young wives, I had in my head that they would be in their mid twenties. I had a REAL problem with the age of most of the main characters. 1 of the girls has just graduated high sch ...more

I read this book so fast! It's an easy, breezy read with great characters and a relatable story. Plus I seriously love that cover.
...more

I received a copy of this title from NetGalley. It does not impact my review.
I had such a hard time putting this book down! It’s a really character-driven story about friendship and relationships and learning from your mistakes. The chapters switch POV between four young women and the relationship and life troubles they face.
*While I don’t consider any of the below descriptions a spoiler, some readers might find it mildly spoiler-ish, so proceed with caution*
Gabrielle
Gabrielle was probably my fa ...more
I had such a hard time putting this book down! It’s a really character-driven story about friendship and relationships and learning from your mistakes. The chapters switch POV between four young women and the relationship and life troubles they face.
*While I don’t consider any of the below descriptions a spoiler, some readers might find it mildly spoiler-ish, so proceed with caution*
Gabrielle
Gabrielle was probably my fa ...more

Review
The Young Wives Club follows four friends - Laura, Madison, Claire, and Gabrielle - from a small town in Louisiana who are all young and at various stages in their relationships and dealing with all sorts of issues ranging from their families to their jobs to their future in general. I saw kind of mixed reviews for this before I started it so I was a little hesitant but I really wound up really enjoying it.
Friendships. While there are some romances and what not in the book a lot of the f ...more
The Young Wives Club follows four friends - Laura, Madison, Claire, and Gabrielle - from a small town in Louisiana who are all young and at various stages in their relationships and dealing with all sorts of issues ranging from their families to their jobs to their future in general. I saw kind of mixed reviews for this before I started it so I was a little hesitant but I really wound up really enjoying it.
Friendships. While there are some romances and what not in the book a lot of the f ...more

I've decided not to finish this book. There is a scene in an early chapter where one of the wives wants to "seduce [her husband] in his sleep", "waking [him] up to feel him inside her".
This is not sexy, this is not romantic, and, in fact, made me feel very uncomfortable.
I understand that this character is having trouble connecting with her husband sexually, but the fact that her mind went here and not to self-satisfaction is disturbing.
I think we have to be very careful when scenes like this are ...more
This is not sexy, this is not romantic, and, in fact, made me feel very uncomfortable.
I understand that this character is having trouble connecting with her husband sexually, but the fact that her mind went here and not to self-satisfaction is disturbing.
I think we have to be very careful when scenes like this are ...more

In retrospect, it's fair to say I wasn't the target demographic for this book. It's not that it's about "young wives" that's the problem. It's that the oldest of these young wives is all of twenty-one years old. The youngest is eighteen, dropped out of high school to marry her quarterback boyfriend who was headed off to play football for LSU, and has now realized, after more than a year of marriage, that maybe this wasn't such a great idea. Maybe she wanted, for instance, to finish high school a
...more

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I originally purchased this book as one of my "pre-wedding pump up" novels that I was planning on reading leading up to my own nuptials. I was drawn to the colourful cover and the cute synopsis. Friends navigating their marriages through ups and downs. I could get behind that.
Now that I have finished this book, I realize that my choice to add this one to my TBR pile was a
BAD IDEA. This book was brutal.
I don't even know where to start with the issues I had with this novel. The characters were ...more
Now that I have finished this book, I realize that my choice to add this one to my TBR pile was a
BAD IDEA. This book was brutal.
I don't even know where to start with the issues I had with this novel. The characters were ...more

I was interested in reading this book but highly disappointed. The characters were not well developed, and at times, you would learn a lot about a character's day to day activities and then the author would jump to months ahead. It was a book about four (barely out of high school) teens/young adults who got married / were getting married. Not a book I would recommend to others.
...more

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I first picked this one up. I was a bit apprehensive because sometimes books that have more than one or two main characters, don’t have good character development. If they have a big cast of characters, it can be confusing to try and keep track of everyone. With too many characters, I find it can be difficult to connect with each one and get invested in their outcome.
Not the case with this book. I could not put it down.
Pennell drew me in right from the beg ...more
Not the case with this book. I could not put it down.
Pennell drew me in right from the beg ...more

Hold on folks.... I may get a bit rant-y here.
I was drawn to this book by the cover and the tag for fans of The Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housewives ( speaking some of my love language!)
I was charmed by the prologue- the town sounded like a town I knew, a town I may not live in, but a sister town. I settled in for some cute reading and happily propped my feet up.
And then....
I knew the girls were young. I got that spoiler alert from the title. I knew that each of them was ...more
I was drawn to this book by the cover and the tag for fans of The Divine Secrets of Ya-Ya Sisterhood and Desperate Housewives ( speaking some of my love language!)
I was charmed by the prologue- the town sounded like a town I knew, a town I may not live in, but a sister town. I settled in for some cute reading and happily propped my feet up.
And then....
I knew the girls were young. I got that spoiler alert from the title. I knew that each of them was ...more

I have complicated feelings about this. I like that it tries to be about strong women learning to stick up for themselves and figure out what they want. I didn't like over simplified story lines that all wrapped up neatly. I didn't like the way it was written at a sixth grade reading level. I really didn't like how at the end of the book the author includes a note about how people who live in small towns have stronger communities than any big city. Ok, you also have more racism and bigotry so it
...more

Apr 13, 2017
Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com
rated it
it was amazing
Shelves:
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#FirstLine ~ Prologue: Two thousand , one hundred and fifty-four people live in my town.
This book was a delightful debut. I always love when I read a new author and fall in love...it makes me so hopeful for the future of literature. There is so much talent out there and I am glad these new writers are getting these stories out and sharing them with the world. Pennell is a writer to watch. I have a feeling we will be seeing more brilliant books from this new and fresh voice in literature. The You ...more
This book was a delightful debut. I always love when I read a new author and fall in love...it makes me so hopeful for the future of literature. There is so much talent out there and I am glad these new writers are getting these stories out and sharing them with the world. Pennell is a writer to watch. I have a feeling we will be seeing more brilliant books from this new and fresh voice in literature. The You ...more

The Young Wives Club is a charming and entertaining novel that I couldn't put down. It was a fun and easy read, and I loved how it followed many characters throughout the story instead of just one main character. The leading ladies not only held my attention, but they kept me from paying attention to anything else! This is definitely a read in one sitting kind of book. so be prepared to ignore everything you're supposed to do for the next 12 hours if you decide to pick it up. Don't say I didn't
...more

I liked Julie Pennell's book about growing up in the south and having women friends. These four women have so much in common and yet are so different that their friendship is solid and fun. Their advice to each other is spot on. I think my favorite lady was Gabrielle, she had the most to gain and the most to lose in her life. The story line of this book was simple but the characters made the most of it. I think the message of relying on yourself, have some good friends and don't tempt fate came
...more

Normally I don't judge a book by its cover (especially one this gorgeous) but my high expectations were exceeded once I began flipping through the pages. Despite having little in common with the four main characters, as in location, age and life experiences, I found myself relating to each one in a different way. As a young wife myself, I completely identified with a lot of the struggles the girls face throughout the novel and whether I agreed with them or not, I found myself rooting for them th
...more

I am all for a good chick-lit, but this wasn't good at all. I could barely make myself get through it and finally quit halfway through.
...more

First I thougt it will be a story claiming similarities to "First Wives Club" (also a major movie with Goldie Hawn, and a wonderful Bette Midler). Reading a short comment of "Young Wives Club" I do not change this opinion: their men are some bad men.
But reading I love this book.
Four girls of Louisiana start their life, get married. Friendship should be for ever, even though life becomes hard. ...more
But reading I love this book.
Four girls of Louisiana start their life, get married. Friendship should be for ever, even though life becomes hard. ...more

They compare this to divine secrets of the ya ya sister hood... doesn’t come close. I wanted to love this book but all the characters just annoyed me and I didn’t care enough about them to care what they were going through. I feel like someone out there could relate to them but just not my kind of book. Sorry!

Four women friends in a small town, each with their own set of issues in their relationships, find out what they truly want for their lives. An delightful, entertaining debut book narrated by Rebekkah Ross
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Julie Pennell was born and raised in Louisiana. After graduating from college, she headed to New York to work at Seventeen magazine. She currently lives in Philadelphia with her husband and two young sons, and is a regular contributor to TODAY.com. Her writing has also appeared in The Knot, In Style, and Refinery29. She is the author of The Young Wives Club and Louisiana Lucky.
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