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The Yoga Club

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Chatting it up with bendy WASPs is the last thing on Coco Guthrie’s mind during her 8:30 a.m. yoga class. Having made her fortune as the world-renowned inventor of Butt-B-Gone derriere cream, Coco still doesn’t feel like she belongs among the upper class— until she attends the swankiest Halloween soiree in Greenwich, Connecticut, where three of her fellow morning yogis shared her brilliant idea to appear as Sarah Palin. Soon it’s clear that a love of stretching isn’t all this accidental sorority—which includes a single mom with echolalia, an entertainment reporter who charms the pants off handsome stars, and a drama-prone producer with a taste for drag— have in common. When the four mischievous Sarahs wander away from the party to sneak a peek at the mayor’s neighboring estate, they are stunned to find him adorned in leather and latex, and rolling up a woman’s body in a Persian rug. To make matters worse, someone has spotted the spying Palins. Someone who threatens to expose their torrid affairs in business and the bedroom. Now the unlikely foursome must use all their wits and wiles to get to the bottom of the kinky crime. But will their budding friendship be strong enough to protect their deepest secrets?

338 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2011

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Cooper Lawrence

7 books4 followers

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5 stars
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36 (26%)
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45 (32%)
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20 (14%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
Profile Image for Cheryl.
6,608 reviews237 followers
January 7, 2012
Coco Guthrie is the owner of Butt B Gone. It is as you can guess from the name a butt cream for ridding you of your junk in the trunk. Coco is talked into attending a Halloween costume party. She goes as Sarah Palin. It seems that Coco was not the only one who decided to dress as Sarah. She is met face to face with three other Sarah’s. The others just so happen to attend the same yoga class that Coco does. They form a friendship. Coco and the other Sarahs decide to go over next store to the mayor’s house for a look. The women get more than they bargain for. They spot the mayor wrapping a woman’s body up in a rug. Now the women must try to keep themselves out of hot water before they end up wrapped in a rug themselves.

I thought this book sounded like a fun read. I was sure that I would find some laughs, which was what I wanted. While I did laugh a few times, I also found myself quickly getting turned off by the characters. In fact, I read a few chapters of this book during lunch and put it down. I only read about a third of this book and was done with it. This book could have been better, if the characters were not so stereo-typical and the story line weak. Another fact that I was disappointed in was that I thought this book was going to incorporate yoga I into it more than it did. There was just mention that the reason all of the characters became bonded with each other was because they all attended the same yoga class but that was about it. Overall, I was not impressed by this book and you should not waste your time or money either.
Profile Image for Amy.
67 reviews1 follower
May 30, 2018
This was possibly the worst book I have ever read. It was puerile and repetitive. The author did not seem to know how to get a point across other than saying the same thing (using slightly different words) over and over again. It is the most scatterbrained, infantile writing I have ever seen. Also, it has almost NOTHING to do with yoga (which is why I read the book to begin with!) and the parts that did involve yoga were offense to me (as a practicing yogi and yoga teacher). Do not waste your time!
Profile Image for Kathie.
140 reviews3 followers
March 23, 2017
Don't waste your time. It's rare that I don't want to finish a book but I stuck it out until the end and wish I hadn't. Vapid characters and story that could have been told in 150 fewer pages. I bought the book because I love yoga. Yoga takes a back seat in this story.
Profile Image for Lydia Laceby.
Author 1 book60 followers
July 18, 2012
Originally Reviewed at Novel Escapes

The Yoga Club is a who-done-it type read, except we know straight away who did it. There is a bit of mystery surrounding how the foursome will react and go about sleuthing and their adventure in doing so. Unfortunately this novel didn’t retain much as must interest for me as I had hoped and I found it confusing at times.

I had a difficult time believing the newfound relationship between this foursome. They met at a Halloween party because they were dressed the same– as Sarah Palin - and then even further when they all witnessed a murder that night (no spoilers here, it happens immediately) and are subsequently blackmailed to keep quiet so they maintain contact. There were never many bonding or get to know you moments and when they finally all sat down and ended up discussing things in their lives, which I thought was great and needed to happen – unfortunately, it happened much too late, near the end of the book, which didn’t really work for me. I wanted this scene much earlier to cement their newfound relationship. It may have made it more believable.

Second, none of the plot seemed plausible, or at least it didn’t come across that way because I have read many novels that have convinced me of the impossible. How were they discussing the murder all over town, in restaurants, at yoga and over their phones, even though they think they might be bugged? How did the mayor’s assistant not realize who CJ was? How did that ending even happen?

The characters confused me too. At first I thought they were young, in their early twenties, based on their actions and dialogue. I had to piece together their ages from the various childhood references – Scooby Doo, G-Force, Transformers and Popeye and then the comment ‘I saw more action in the 80’s’ which really confused me because I was fifteen in 1989. These characters didn’t speak like anyone I converse with and they certainly didn’t act like anyone I know either, so I immediately assumed they were younger. Nope. They were in their late thirties, which I discovered deeper into the novel, after having clued in from the many cartoon references.

The dialogue was mostly flat or forced, but it did contain a few rare gems which made me laugh though. There was some repetitiveness throughout that irked me, as did the name dropping that occurred in this novel. I’m not one for the gossip rags or entertainment television, so maybe that’s why, but I didn’t love the associations with all the famous people and suspect it will date this novel quickly.

The ending? How it everything gets resolved didn’t seem even remotely possible. If you’re looking for a bit of a silly, maybe fun read if you love celeb gossip with fairy tale like plausibility, then pick this one up. But be prepared to suspend your belief.
Profile Image for Nancy.
1,121 reviews424 followers
December 9, 2011
Wow. I hate writing a negative review. Fortunately, Cooper Lawrence already has a lucrative career as a celebrity reporter and radio show host.

Although the title indicates Yoga is a big part of the story, it is not. The story and conflict is weak and doesn't drive the story. Character development is shallow and stereotypical. The basis of the story is that Coco Guthrie, a successful marketer of her slimming cream, Butt B Gone, finds herself at a costume party dressed as Sarah Palin. Then she finds herself standing with three other Sarah Palins and they suddenly decide to go check out the mayor's monstrosity. While peeking in the windows, they see the mayor, Mayor Quilty (looks like Guilty) in an S & M garb dragging around what appears to be a dead woman dressed in similar garb. He gets a look at the Palins, sees their pictures in the paper and they each get an anonymous government issue stationery blackmail. The other thing they have in common is that they are in the 8:30 yoga class.

Here are the players:

Bailey: Stereotypical rich girl growing up with old money. She's a gossip reporter and dishes on celebrities. She's also a bit of a slut. She has slept with just about all of Hollywood. Her character gives secrets about stars, interviews, and the ins and outs of the rich and famous.

Olivia: Stereotypical scientist and single mother. She is absent minded yet highly intelligent but poor social skills. She is estranged from her mother and raised by her father with her brother. She has no fashion sense, she's shy and likeable.

CJ: Stereotypical gay guy. He knows all about fashion and critiques everybody's choices. He is not completely "out" yet he engages in A LOT of sexual activity while claiming to be secretive since his father is running for governor. He makes the most disgusting, lurid, and sexually explicit comments and jokes. He is a man's man whore.

Coco: Like Chanel? Really? From New York, poor girl makes it big.

The bulk of the book is sexual dialogue, occasionally discussing the case. They seem to be sexually experimental Scooby Doo gang, working a case between sexual conquests. In detail.

Who would like this book: A quick, easy read, providing light insight to the rich and famous and then those from Greenwich who are ultra so. Also written for the sexually curious. I didn't find it tintillating but I guess someone else might. Anything goes and all taboo subjects are fair game.

I found it highly disappointing. Not my kind of book.
Profile Image for Mary Gramlich.
514 reviews38 followers
December 6, 2011
THE YOGA CLUB by Cooper Lawrence
12/11 - Gallery Books – Mass Market Paperback, 336 pages

Is it possible to have too many friends?

Coco, Bailey, Olivia, and CJ met by coincidence and became friends by choice. A poor costume design and overly curious nature has them witnessing a murder and subsequently getting blackmailed to keep it quiet. Someone with power knows how to use their secrets against them to make the whole incident go away. These four may be home based in Greenwich but could not be more diverse in their personalities, sexual orientation, upbringing, and life style choices. Friends are people you can always count on to have your back and watch out for you if they can stay focused long enough to make that happen.

Yoga is the balancing act and overall grounding for the group who now have to figure out a way to solve a murder, not get killed, and still be home for dinner. Everyone may be up for a game of sleuth, but not one of them wants to be six feet under as a result of such ideas. The police will not help so relying on one another becomes critical and going forward these four become more than friends as they decide how to get everything resolved.

As you watch relationships start from the first meeting, others collapse under the strain of obligations, and one struggling to survive you see the individual expectations change and expand. Nothing in life is perfect but if you give friendship a chance, it could be close to perfection.

What an incredible and delightful read from page one to the final sentence. This book is as heartwarming as it is exciting and mysterious. We all have friends that fill a need for us in one way or another and this book shows how critical those relationships are and how you have to keep working at them so you don’t lose them.
Profile Image for ILoveBooks.
977 reviews10 followers
December 10, 2011


This book is a good read for readers who find it hard to enjoy hardcore mysteries. The plot line was fairly interesting, a little hard to get into, but overall fine. The events were fairly fast-paced, they depended a lot on the dialogue to drive the story. The dialogue was one of the best parts. The author does a good job of engaging the reader through the characters, the gossip is juicy and the stories the characters have to tell are "pinky promise" worthy.


There were four main characters. each fitting into a stereotypical role. CJ is gay, yet not fully "out." He likes to say he's careful with who knows what and what he does, but his character is very promiscuous and blatant. His mannerisms were great though, the reader can actually picture this character in his/her head while reading. Olivia is portrayed as the scientist with no social skills. She doesn't seem to have her feet firmly on the ground, her head's in the clouds. Bailey is a gossip reporter and incredibly promiscuous, though she might say that is part of the job. Coco made her money from Butt-B-Gone cream and behaves like one might suspect "new money" might. The characters could have been a little more developed beyond their veneers, but they were certainly entertaining.


The events were fairly fast-paced. The ending could have been more unexpected, many events were predictable. This book is a light read and good for a car ride or long commute, recommended to adult readers.
Profile Image for Melissa ♥ Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf.
299 reviews94 followers
January 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this highly entertaining lighthearted read. Cooper Lawrence strikes just the right balance between chick lit and cozy mystery while having a great deal of fun. All of the characters are larger than life versions of themselves…caricatures if you will… which I assume is Cooper’s point. We can poke fun at them while still being able to relate to them which I found to be a great feat. I enjoyed getting to know each one as the storyline unraveled.

And I will warn you that the plot does unravel quite slowly. While there is a mystery at it’s core…that is not what this story is all about. The crime that the four “Sarahs” witness is merely the device that draws them all together and allows us insight into each of their lives and the developing relationships between them.
That is the core of this book…the friendship building. We all know how difficult it is as adults to find and develop lasting new friendships…and this book explores that conundrum while also having a lot of fun with stereotypes.

I’ve seen a few negative reviews and I fear that perhaps those readers just took this book a bit too seriously. The characters are exaggerated, they are superficial, they do take actions that make the reader want to reach through the pages and slap them…but it’s all part of the hilarity of the story. This book contains very little mystery…and also very little yoga...but plenty of fun!
Profile Image for Mary  BookHounds .
1,303 reviews1,966 followers
January 7, 2012
MY THOUGHTS

LOVED IT

Coco made her money through a cellulite cream, Bailey is a celebrity reporter and sees quite a bit of action, Olivia is a shy geek and CJ is not quite out of the closet. The group meet at Yoga and become fast friends all deciding to go as Sarah Palin for the Halloween soiree in their Connecticut town. So when they get to the mayor's house and find him in kinky attire and rolling up a body in a carpet, I guess you could say things get strange. Now the group is being threatened by someone that will expose all of their dirty secrets unless they remain quiet about the crime.

This adorable Chick Lit Cozy, is a quick and chatty read, perfect for a dose of lighthearted mystery. I adored CJ with his witty remarks and almost felt sorry for Olivia and her issues, but she is the quiet strength in this group. Bailey almost stole the show with her quips though. I really enjoyed this quick read and if you enjoy Josie Brown or Debra Galant, you will love this author as well.

Profile Image for William Bentrim.
Author 59 books76 followers
January 21, 2012
The Yoga Club by Cooper Lawrence

Four costumed Sarah Palins bond when faced with adversity after witnessing a heinous crime.

Ms. Lawrence background and exposure shows in this book. The characters, their behavior and the setting are so far beyond the bulk of the population that is smacks of fantasy or Science Fiction.

The plot and the characters could be lifted from practically any supermarket tabloid. The sad thing is that due to the antics of the wealthy and famous it is hard to not take the plot and characters as somewhat realistic.

I find it hard to believe that people behave the way the three Jills and a Jack-eline behave but apparently some folks do behave and live that way.

The book is practically a travelogue to another dimension beyond belief or at least as far as afternoon Soaps. I suspect it will be a huge hit with tabloid buyers and beach readers. I also suspect that most guys would find this a difficult read.

For the appropriate audience, I recommend it.
Profile Image for Lorri.
178 reviews5 followers
February 6, 2012
This is a fun, light-hearted book that you will be able to finish in no time. Once you start reading, you won't want to put it down until you find out what happens anyway! The four Palins show up at a Halloween party and decide to go next door to see an art piece at the Mayor's house. While there, they look in his window and see him dressed in leather and his tighty whities leaning over a young woman who isn't moving.

The next day they think it was all a dream and have nothing to worry about, but change their minds quickly when envelopes arrive at their homes containing information that can ruin them. They can either agree to keep quiet or try to prove a murder has taken place and maybe lose everything in the process. There are a lot of funny celebrity stories throughout that will also have you laughing.

This post was written for the sponsor who provided the complimentary product for review in exchange for my honest opinions.
1 review
December 28, 2011
I bought this book on an impulse and didn't expect to like it as much as I did. I thought the dialogue was funny and quick, plus it reminded me of Sex and The City (which I love!) I was immediately drawn in by the characters and had fun getting to know them and following their stories.

I didn’t care as much about the murder mystery aspect of it because the four friends were so enjoyable to spend time with. Their lives felt real to me and I was eager to see where it all ended up.

I was thoroughly entertained!! The book was really fun and I had a few good laughs. It's a fun book, not to be over analyzed. If you do, you don't get it……It's a yummy box of cupcakes, not a bowl of Brussels sprouts!
Profile Image for Vanessa Booke.
Author 49 books712 followers
January 7, 2012
The Yoga Club by Cooper Lawrence was not like anything that I was expecting. I struggled through the entire reading process and found myself repeatedly bored with the storyline. The characters were flat and extremely superficial. What bothered me most about this book is that the characters were stereotypical, they had no depth at all. I honestly felt no connection to the story, Lawrence's characters or the situations they found themselves in. Overall, The Yoga Club was not my cup of tea. I would have to completely disagree to it being compared to Sex & the City & Janet Evanovich. If you're looking for a quick and easy read with some superficial relationships including sex then you might like this book.
Profile Image for Heather.
220 reviews10 followers
December 19, 2012
This was a nice break in the middle of the Steve Jobs biography. At a Halloween party, four people (from 8:30 yoga class) come dressed as Sarah Palin, then wander next door to peek at a statue in the backyard of the mayor's house. They witness the mayor dressed in leather and he seems to be rolling up a woman in a rug. He spies them, but they run, and try to decide if they should call the police. The next morning, a photo from them at the party runs in the local newspaper with their real names. They start an unusual friendship, and try to figure out what to do next.

It's a cute book (although I was a little annoyed with all the celebrity name dropping)...it really was a perfect book to break up the 600+ Jobs biography.
Profile Image for Jen.
1,574 reviews
February 12, 2014
I struggled with much of this book, able to read only one chapter at a time for much of it. I thought the concept was cute when I picked it up, but it sort of felt like one of those made-for-TV movies starring nobody recognizable that you stop on, and then just keep watching because there's nothing else to watch/do.

I really appreciated how it ended, though. I didn't see that little twist coming and thought it brilliant! I think Olivia was my favorite of the "Sarah Palins", and I loved the echolalia bit. I enjoyed CJ, too, mostly. Coco and Baily weren't really relatable and I got tired of the celebrity insertions.
Profile Image for Marquina.
Author 1 book3 followers
October 16, 2011
I suppose I should have expected it, but the book reads like it's ready to be made into a made-for-TV movie. The characters are more interesting than other books of this genre, such as Chasing Harry Winston - I didn't care about the characters in that book whatsoever, but this fluffy murder mystery is entirely mild and without a single heart-pounding moment. The Hollywood ending is entirely predictable.
5 reviews
August 8, 2016
I paid $2 for this book and that is too much. I should have read the about the author blurb at the bottom back cover. The book is full of celebrity and designer names that I don't know and they distracted me from the plot. The characters are flat, we all knew who Bailey was going to end up with and the jumping POV within the same page was startling. The book came off to me as shallow and snobby like most of the characters.
106 reviews3 followers
July 8, 2018
I read this book when it first came out and I liked it, but didn't think it was spectacular so I gave it a 3-star rating. I decided to re-read it today since the story begins at a Halloween party and I love reading Halloween themed-mysteries during the month of October. This time I really enjoyed it; therefore, I am increasing my rating to 4-stars. It's a quick read and a really fun book with interesting characters.
Profile Image for Rachel Feldman.
87 reviews6 followers
March 31, 2012
Fun the idea of a plot, and the characters seemed unique for the first chapter. But, it is horrifically vapid. Terrible writing, ridiculous name and event dropping. Annoying, even for a chick lit book. I doubt this novel would have been published if the author wasn't in the entertainment industry. Lawrence should stay with what she knows, which is not fiction writing.
Profile Image for Sharon.
65 reviews
January 20, 2025
Not what one would expect from a yoga club. No Namaste in this novel. Debut novel that does show a lot of innocence in her writing. Entertaining mystery slash romantic suspense. When four people meet and find out they have a yoga class in common, they think how nice. Then, and when they decide to snoop at the most eccentric home in Greenwich, things get interesting.
Profile Image for Amanda.
679 reviews9 followers
January 24, 2012
Book #10 of 2012

This was another of my "just picked it up at the bookstore" books. It sounded like a cute and funny book. Instead, I found it terribly inconsistent, swinging between self-centeredness one minute and strangely deep introspection the next. Not my cup of tea at all.
481 reviews
March 22, 2012
Every now and then you just want a mindless fluff book. This is definitely that. It tried a little too hard to be racy. It wasn't a mystery, as much as a girlfriend book. It was fun, it was fluff. A beach book.
Profile Image for Autumn.
341 reviews1 follower
August 12, 2016
It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't my kind of mystery. I'm sure there are a lot of people who would like it, just not me. There were some really funny bits in it though.
Profile Image for Pam.
250 reviews9 followers
July 21, 2012
The biggest issue I had with this book was all the celebrity name dropping. It got really annoying after the first few chapters
Profile Image for casey.
229 reviews
February 6, 2012
Not bad, not something I would normal read but not bad. I will see what else this author writes about.
Profile Image for Angelica Taggart.
Author 2 books18 followers
February 3, 2012
This is definitely a light read ... a totally different genre for me, a chick mystery I suppose. Very shallow but fun. I laughed out loud a few times :)
Profile Image for Cheryl.
167 reviews
May 27, 2012
Character CJ brings this up a star; very little yoga
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