The Supper Club

by Sophie King

One dinner table. An unlikely group of guests. A recipe for disaster?

Lucy's infamous dinner parties were always the talk of the town, but after her husband's death, they've become few and far between. When she gets engaged to her new fiancé, Mike, she decides what better way to introduce him to her friends than by reinstating their supper club.

But a lot has changed in the last six years.

Lucy's best friend, Maggie, must face sitting at the dinner table with her husband's new model girlfriend in tow.

Now a mother, so much of Chrissie's life revolves around changing nappies and mindless baby TV that she worries if she'll still be good company.

The only single one of the group, Jenny is not interested in finding a man and wishes her older sister would stop trying to set her up with the handsome new neighbour.

Perhaps Lucy has bitten off more than she can chew with these dinner parties, but what's a little wine among old friends anyway?

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Audiobook, British Literature

Audible Audio

First published September 4, 2008

About the author

I've written six novels, including the bestselling The School Run, and The Wedding Party, which was nominated for Love Story of the Year by the Romantic Novelists Association.

Reviews

[ReadAlongWithSue ★⋆. ࿐࿔catching up · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book has been (apparently) out for sometime so I assume it’s a relaunch. That being said, if you are a regular reader of Sophie Kings books make sure you’ve not read it in a previous cover.

I quite enjoyed this story. I like a book like this which holds more than romance and has some depth to it. And this book definitely has that.

A lot of these characters add a lot of flavour to the mix too whether you love them or hate them or indifferent.

Romance, lies and drama, it’s all here.

A 3* enjoyable read.

It did slump a bit but got going again quite soon.

There were a few “ohh dear” moments from me gasping and shaking my head but on the whole I enjoyed it.

The narrator did a good job of bringing it all to life.

[Dun's · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a novel about dinner parties and reminds me of the UK TV show “Come Dine with Me”.

Instead of taking turns to host strangers in one’s house and then scoring each other points at the end, The Supper Club consists of (supposedly) good friends who alternately host each other. The guests come with their own baggage, from a recently broken up couple to a tired mother questioning her sanity to a single woman with a complicated relationship with her older sister. Overall, this was a light reading with some funny moments.

There were some parts in this book that sounded outdated and made me go huh. I then learned that the book was originally published almost 2 decades ago and got republished. The narrators/POV often changed so suddenly, literally in the middle of a page. Not sure if that’s an ebook issue, but certainly made the reading experience a bit awkward. 2.5 rounded up to 3 stars.

[Irishbookmammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Supper Club by Sophie King is a complex, layered read that delves into the tangled webs of friendships, relationships and personal circumstance. Although I initially struggled to keep track of the large cast of characters, none of whom are particularly likeable in the traditional sense, once I found my footing I was drawn into their interconnected lives.

King offers an intriguing social insight into how people become entangled through work, partners and friendships, even when their connections are far from perfect. The relationships felt messy, real and relatable, which made the narrative compelling even when the characters themselves were frustrating.

It is definitely a slower start, but if you enjoy character driven novels that explore the complexities of human nature and social dynamics, The Supper Club is worth sticking with. A solid 3.5 to 4 stars for me.

[Della · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Sophie's best by far. A tale of six friends who judging by their attitudes & personalities are lucky to have even one. Full of whinging irritating middle class un-likeables, I am pushed to pick my least favourite. They are the sort of people who if they moved unto your street, you would move out. No sure if this was a deliberate ploy by Miss King or not.

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this easy listening humorous lighthearted relatable book. By the book description it appears the story will be solely focused on dinner parties however its more than this and actually goes into the lives of each character and how they are all entwined with each other.

The story explores various areas of family dynamics that many of us can and may relate to in one way or another from rasing children to managing business, family dynamics and ao much more. Early on it was a little difficult to follow who is who with so many different characters who all interlink in various ways by the end of the book there are a few little plot twists that bring it all together that I didn't see coming which was a nice surprise as it wasn't predictable!!!

The narration was very well done in that all characters were brought to life in their own individual ways making it easy to differntiate between them all and a pleasurable listen.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Audio UK for the opportunity to listen to this book in return for an honest review.

[Chanel Lindsay]

DNF'D - NO RATING.

I couldn't finish this one! I read about 40% and just couldn't read anymore. Full of unlikeable characters and an uninteresting story that was all over the place.
It briefly explained the 'supper club' premise early on, but then very quickly abandoned that. The character, and story development throughout the book were basically non-existent. I don't know if it got better towards the end, but I doubt it.
I still have a few of Sophie King's books on my Kindle, so I'll give them a go, but this one was definitely not for me.

[Femke Allemeersch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leuk, luchtig en ontspannen boek. Leest vlot

[izahG maiW · Rating 2 out of 5]

Een hele grote wat ben ik aan het lezen en waarom doe ik dit mezelf aan.

[Tamara van Roon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erg vermakelijk en leuk weer eens een andere schrijfstijl!

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Light hearted and uplifting.” Did not get uplifting until 86% in and was never light hearted. It felt more like a thriller than anything. Good idea but needed better execution

[Jo Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. A fun easy listen with excellent narration. The idea of a travelling supper club is hellish to me. It was also pretty hellish for the attendees of each supper, tied into each though, are family dramas, lost loves, affairs, betrayals, lies and everything else life throws up.

I note on here that there are reviews here as far back as 13 years ago. I can only assume the book is having a relaunch, it perhaps a follow up is due?! Keen to find out.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Audio U.K. for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook in return for an honest review.

[Crisanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did. I love how we got to see the perspectives of 4 women living different lives. But I felt the chapters ended quite abruptly and it was like reading a series of cliff hangers rather than a single book. An interesting (if slightly predictable) story nevertheless!

[Geraldine · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love a good "soap opera", this is the book for you. If you love multidimensional characters, pick up this book and start reading. I really liked it because it has real stories that are like "slices of life". It was definitely a good read.

[Sonja Charters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read and so not at all what I expected.
As you know, I often go into books blind and just get drawn in by the covers and tag lines, so this was ana unexpected joy.

We meet Lucy whose dinner parties used to be famous around town - but since her husband died, the parties fell by the wayside.
Now engaged to new boyfriend, Mike, Lucy decides to reinstate the supper club, but with so much changed over the years, things don't always go smoothly!

I absolutely loved all the groups of friends and family.
We meet each couple at the party over the first few chapters and then each character develops over the course of the book.
As we learn more about the backstories and take a leek into their current lives we also see how the relationships have developed and morphed over the last few years.

The interactions between the different groups were complex and at times, quite hilarious.
The humour injected into each meeting really took the edge of the underlying stresses and strains within each of the couples relationships and I loved how this began to ripple further afield.

At first, I have to admit to finding it hard to keep track of who was who and in which relationship, because a lot of them overlapped - some friends, some family, some ex partners etc etc - but after the initial few meetings and a bit more info on the individuals, it was brilliant to see how each was interwoven within the whole group.

I loved every single character (maybe not all initially and I did go off a few in the middle...but) overall, each had a fascinating story to tell - with some secrets thrown in there too.
Utterly relatable and told in such a way that you couldn't help become totally invested in each of the couples' lives.

A really enjoyable read and my first by this author. I'll definitely be looking out for more in the future!

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A dramatic story following a wide cast of characters presented using the POVs of several unique women!

I listen to audiobooks whenever I can at work. It’s not nearly as often as I used to be able to, so I always really value an audiobook that instantly captures my attention and doesn’t make me feel regret at choosing it. This most assuredly fit those criteria! Within the first few moments, Lucy had me wanting to know more about her life and her heart behind the supper clubs. All the individuals are varying degrees of flawed, and, honestly, it was really (REALLY) hard to like some of them. In spite of that, I was truly invested in all of their stories and was eager to see where they’d end up. There was just enough humor, a whole lot of heart, and more drama than some seasons of reality TV.

I will say this was ever so slightly different from what I expected. I’m not sure if I just misread the blurb, but I thought the suppers would be the primary setting for the novel. While the suppers were a feature, significantly more time was spent in the moments between the gatherings. This was not a massive problem as I was very interested in the lives of the group, but it did take me by surprise.

All-in-all, this was a very solid 3-star read for me. It’s not one that I’ll read again, but I will likely read more Sophie King in the future!

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie King, and Bonnier UK Audio for allowing me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review!

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

The central theme of "The Traveling Supper Club" is the village tradition of monthly supper parties which serve as a quaint background for an interesting exploration of interwoven lives. Lucy's intentions to make her fiancé known and lighten Chrissie's friend burden as well as a probable matchmaker role for her sister Jenny unfold into unexpected sequences though seemingly revolving around these dinner events, the story actually goes much deeper into family dynamics and even business-related topics: which makes it quite easy to relate with and yet very captivating. Though many characters are involved, each one is carefully developed— even if some of the twists in the plot may be anticipated. The ending, unfortunately, seems too sudden without providing all answers readers would seek closure for; nevertheless, where this book truly shines is through its audio narration that manages to breathe life into every single character with such individuality that listening becomes thoroughly enjoyable. Special thanks are due — to Netgalley and Bonnier Audio UK — for leading us down this pleasurable path.

[Mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

entertaining little story about a very egocentric group of friends. there is enough drama in the story to make fo fill second book because not everything is solved in the end. what i like about the story is that the characters remain flawed in the end, they deal with their past mistakes but you know that they will make new ones in the future ( like real humans). sometimes their mistakes are to big to solve and they just have to accept their current situation or forgive someone. i don't like how imature these characters are sometimes, they lack responcibellity and bravery to deal with their own mess. the maincharacter has no spine, she always bends to everyones wishes and blames herself when things go wrong. maggi, the best friend that you should feel sorry for because her husband left her for another woman you can't help but hate. and for the other characters you are just glad that you don't know any people like them.

[Kate (bookishkenyannerd) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A traveling supper party held in a different house every month seemed like the perfect way for neighbours to socialize according to Lucy. She wanted to introduce her new fiancé Mike to everyone.

Chrissie loved the idea as she wanted to focus on something other than her baby boy George. There was Jenny, Lucy's sister, who was perpetually single. There was also Patsy, the fashion model who had stolen the husband of Lucy's friend Maggie.

With all these different characters it was sure to be interesting. Not!😅 I didn't enjoy it as much as I expected. At times it was slow paced. Listening to it on audio made it even worse as there were so many characters to get acquainted with.

I stuck it out to the end mainly because the soap opera level of drama at times had me wanting to know how it would all end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Publisher for an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

[Kirsty (BookBlogger) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Supper Club by Sophie King

Blurb

A traveling supper party—held in a different house every month—seems like the perfect way for village neighbors to socialize. Lucy wants to introduce new fiancé Mike to her neighbors; and getting out in the evening might help friend Chrissie to focus on something other than that baby. Maybe Lucy can even do a little matchmaking for her sister Jenny; and it's also the perfect excuse to meet the fashion model who's stolen her friend Maggie's husband. Of course, the supper parties don't quite work out the way Lucy meant them to.

My Opinion

Recently I have seen this book a lot so when I saw that it was available as an audiobook at my local library I thought I would give it a listen. There is so much more going on in this book than just the supper club. With a lot of characters to follow and short chapters it was easy to just keep reading. Overall this was an entertaining read.

Rating 4/5

[Janet · Rating 1 out of 5]

something about this book just made me give up. there too many characters right at the jump with no formal intro which made me so confused reading it. and sometimes the POV just switches in the middle which makes even more confusing. the dialogue and the back-and-forth was also too much to keep up with at times, making me question who is saying what and to who. also why is no one talking about how this book is very very very english…

the premise of the whole supper club thing was briefly mentioned like on the first 3 pages but then never again, so we still have no understanding of its purpose. i have never once DNF’d a book so hard. the characters are unlikeable and weird, they’re barely friends with each other at this point. and mind you, i was only 28% in until i called it quits. if it’s this unbearable now, i don’t even want to know how long it takes for me to get fully interested and care

[Susan in Perthshire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really good! However, for a while I was unsure that I would actually finish it as I found it difficult to engage with so many of the characters, who were often really unlikeable.

Quite why anyone would want to spend time with them let alone eat a meal with them was anyone’s guess. Even the children were difficult and I would have preferred to spend far less time in their company.

And how anyone could put up with Eleanor beat me. I wanted to send Lucy on an Assertiveness course. She was such a doormat.

But kudos to the author, she drew me in until I was totally rooting for almost all of them (except Maggie). By the end, Jenny and Alan were my favourite couple. So different and so real.

[Serena Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about a bunch of intertwined couples having meals together where all the individual pasts come to light and collide. I like stories about normal life even if it is a bit extra. Relationships are difficult on their own let alone bringing in other relationships. Motherhood is not for the weak and I think we all go through the same emotions as these characters do. I’m only giving it a few stars because it hard to get into, a bit difficult to follow especially at the end when they were wrapping it up in a tidy bow jumping from one characters ending to another with no transition.

[Sarah Chang · Rating 2 out of 5]

I quite like the premise of the story as the idea of supper clubs among friends creates a setting where much introspection and interesting conversation can occur. Unfortunately the storyline, the unlikeable characters, and their development in the story felt flat for me, so I was unable to connect to the book.

I feel like feel the bones of this one has potential though. Perhaps fewer friends to have room to go deeper into their characters. Perhaps a first person narrator.

Thank you, NetGalley and Bonnier UK audio for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[Miranda YEUNG · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyably and easy funny audiobook! I quite enjoy the characters there, as it’s like the people that we met everyday - different characters. The neighborhood was always an interesting storyplot!

There were many characters in the story, which needed time to follow. The narrator did a perfect job in this audiobook. The voice and speed were perfect.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: April 30, 2024

[Rebecca Owens · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book since I enjoyed The house share. Well, I struggled through this one. Unlikeable characters abound. I'm not sure if it was the writing, the editing, or the formatting but all of a sudden ON THE SAME PAGE there would be several different characters' conversations appearing with no breaks and no indication of who was talking (taking place in different locations). It made for very confusing reading.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and well narrated.

Inspired by a magazine article, Lucy decides to start a supper club with her friends where they each take turns hosting a dinner party once a month.

Circumstances have changed quite a lot over the last few years with divorces, deaths and new children, meaning a lot of dirty laundry gets aired.

[Crimson Books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley for an advanced ARC of the audiobook of this book

It toke me a few days to get through this and I just didn't connect with the characters, I wish I could connect more with this book but I do see this would be to other's taste even tho it was not my favourite.... I just found it a little frustrating for me

[Becki Sims · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light-hearted, easy read but slightly predictable.

I found the premise interesting but it failed to live up to my expectations, I just couldn't gel with the characters.

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for gifting me this arc in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the multifamily story. The couples had been friends for a long time and were there for each other as they went through different life challenges and it was based around meeting monthly to have dinner together. They offered support and love during the worst times for each other.

[Nazrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

not the best book
i didn't care about any of the characters
the drama was.. dramatised and OTT
Lucy's kids are brats, Mike is right
Mike is also a pest
kept reading purely for how British it was