The Young Wives Club

by Julie Pennell

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 Housewives.

Laura Landry’s quarterback husband was her ticket out of Toulouse. But when a devastating football injury sidelines him, they’re forced to move back to the small town she was so desperate to leave. As Brian starts drinking instead of rehabbing his knee, Laura must reevaluate what her future looks like…and if it includes her husband.

For years, Madison Blanchette has been waiting for bad-boy musician Cash Romero to commit to her. When wealthy George Dubois asks her out, she figures she may as well wait in style. Life with George means weekend trips to New Orleans, gourmet meals, and expensive gifts. At first she loves how George’s affection sparks Cash’s jealousy, but when George proposes to Madison, she finds herself torn between two men…

All Claire Thibodeaux wants is to be the perfect wife and mother. If she can do everything right she won’t end up like her mom, a divorced, single parent trying to make ends meet. But when Claire’s husband Gavin, a well-respected local pastor, starts spending late nights at work and less time in their bed, she can’t help but fear that history is about to repeat itself…

Gabrielle Vaughn never thought she’d end up with someone like her fiancé. The son of a prominent congressman, Tony Ford is completely out of her league—which is why she lied to him about everything from having a college degree to the dark truth about her family. She knows she has to come clean, but how do you tell the love of your life that your entire relationship is a lie?

As these young wives come together to help each other through life, love, and heartbreak, they discover that there are no easy answers when it comes to matters of the heart.

Genres: Chick Lit, Fiction, Contemporary, Romance, Audiobook, Womens Fiction, Beach Reads

309 pages, Paperback

First published February 14, 2017

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!

“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. Laura and Claire are married, while Gabby has a fiancee and Madison’s relationship is uniquely her own.

First off, we have Laura. Laura married her high school sweetheart/the quarterback of her school's football team. When Brian got a football scholarship, it was their ticket out of the small town they’re from. When Brian gets hurt during a game and needs surgery, Laura finds herself back in her home town. Somewhere she never thought she’d be. Laura doesn’t know what to think about her life. She’s young and full of possibility, but she realizes she put all her eggs in Brian’s basket and has no real future except the one that revolves around him…

Next there is Claire. From the outside, Claire has the perfect life and the perfect marriage. She has a beautiful daughter, and her husband Gavin is a pastor and seems like the perfect guy. That’s all Claire has ever wanted in life. To be a good wife and have a family. When Claire finds out that Gavin may not be as perfect as he seems, she doesn’t know what to do or how to cope.

“Things change. And you can’t regret anything that you’ve done. You make decisions based on what you can see in that moment. Sometimes the view shifts.”

Then there is Gabrielle. When Gabby meets Tony, a guy who is so out of her league it’s not even funny, she lets him believe some things about her that aren’t quite true… He thinks things about her family and education are different than they are. No big deal, right? Well, when they become engaged, the secrets add up. Gabby struggles with coming clean and potentially losing Tony, or continuing to live the lie.

Lastly, there is Madison. Madison was definitely my favorite of the bunch. Mads has had it bad for the town’s bad boy Cash since she was a kid. The problem is Cash will never commit. He’s not the type. When Mads starts getting attention from an older guy with money, she starts dating him. Maybe Cash with get jealous? But Mads finds herself becoming friends with George and liking him more than she thought she would. She is torn between the two guys.

What I loved most about this book was the friendship between the four girls and the growth all of them showed over time. It was a character-driven story with a refreshing plot. I felt so connected to all four of the girls in a different way. Anyone who has gotten married young (raises hand- I was 20) knows that sometimes, the struggle can be real. I’m lucky I found a keeper. Not all these girls did. In fact, out of the 5 guys in the book, I only loved 1 of them. That’s okay though, because romance wasn’t the focus of this lovely book. These women had tough choices to make. They had to decide to put themselves first. Not to settle. I loved the message.

“Do not let yourself get lost in this marriage, and don’t forget to follow your own dreams.”

If you’re looking for a delightful and heartwarming story with family, friendship and strong bonds between four great women, this is one I would highly recommend. A great chick-lit!

[Prabhjot Kaur · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 characters. The story isn't all that interesting but it was a nice concept and it can also serve as a self-help or self-discovery book if someone is going through such things.

Laura quit school after her junior year to marry her high school boyfriend and support him through his football scholarship and career and move to a big town. She dreams her husband Brian to be successful and become so rich that the world will know her as the perfect supportive spouse. Obviously, quitting school to get married is beyond my comprehension and I judged Laura's character the most harshly in the beginning. But as Brian gets injured and a threat of possibly never returning to his football career looms over them, they move back to their home town and to save money for the surgery they live with Brian's parents which Laura isn't too crazy about. She also starts working at her old job and starts to save money. she eventually realises that she also has her own dreams and they are as important as her husband's.

Gabby's mother is in jail for embezzlement and because of this she couldn't afford to go to university even though she got into one. She works at a day care at the local church and makes do with that. She hasn't had the best track record in dating. As soon as she tells them that her mother is in jail, they all leave. She then meets Tony who is good looking, cultured and treats her right and she lies to him about her situation even though it is portrayed as Tony's assumption (honestly it didn't sit right with me at all blaming Tony for the whole thing saying that he assumed it. Even at the end Gabby says to Tony that I didn't lie but you assumed. That was outrageous.) Gabby had so many chances to tell the truth or correct Tony but she didn't and she gets engaged to Tony and still doesn't tell him the truth. Only when Tony's father finds out about her situation he tells her to leave Tony without telling him the truth in exchange for her mother's early release from jail or he's going to tell Tony everything. Another thing that I hated was why did Gabby's mother get early release. It wasn't few months early, it was six years early. So, it is okay to commit a crime and get an early release like that? In the end, Laura says to Gabby that Tony hates his dad as much as you do. Excuse me? I know Tony's dad didn't do the right thing but he was being hated when Gabby did all the lying and non-correcting and she even got her mother out early. Yes, I have had all these issues with Gabby's character and not even once I warmed towards her. In fact, the more I read about her the more I hated her character. In fact, she was the only character that I really hated.

Claire was the oldest of the group and married to a Pastor and they have a daughter. She finds out that her husband has been going to a strip joint and starts working towards her confidence and her body to win her husband back as she blames herself for her husband's going to the strip joint. Then she blames the female stripper there but ends up being friends with her and they both help each other with different things.

Madison was my favorite of the group. She was free spirited and had been in love with the bad boy of the town and wanted to be with him. They were a thing but she wasn't sure what thing exactly. When her dad finds out that he has cancer and has to quit his job, she starts cleaning to help her parents with extra money which they would need. When her dad's former boss George comes around she concocts a plan to make her on-off boyfriend Cash jealous by spending time with George. Who knows she might get some expensive gifts as well from George by spending time with him. I felt for Madison when she had to make a decision whether she should stay married to George or she should go on tour with Cash whom she has loved since she was very young. Madison's relationship with her parents was the sweetest. She eventually finds her way back and is happy.

I really loved the friendship between the MCs. I also liked Julie Pennell's writing. The concept even though I don't agree with it was really good and the characters journey was also good. I did lose my interest and DNFd multiple times in the beginning but I am glad that I stuck with it. It's not everyone's cup of tea but overall it was not a bad read.

Leaning towards 3 stars just for their personal growth except for Gabby's character.

[Myrn🩶 · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Elle G. Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 reviews about this book. One of the "negative" things that stands out the most in regards to other peoples opinions of the novel is the age of the women who are portrayed within this book. Sure, it's true that these women are young, but if you check out the title, it is called The Young Wives Club. That title isn't deceptive, it tells you pretty much that these women are YOUNG. Now, while I did find one of the women's ages and lifestyle to be a little weird, I tried to remember as I was reading that not everyone waits until they are in their mid 20's and early 30's to get married. Some marry right out of high school, some marry while IN high school, and others wait. This really helped me to get over the age. I won't go any further with that as I don't want to spoil this characters plot, but I think it's important to keep an open mind when reading. I did, and I absolutely loved it!

In terms of the story, this book is told in 4 different POV's amongst a group of friends. Some may think this could get really confusing but I promise you, it's not. I become deeply invested with each character and their story and I didn't find myself confused with who was who. Many of these characters stories are also emotional. But not in the way that you will need a box of tissues just to get though it. Rather, it's emotional for the characters as they are all facing something tough in their life and trying to get through it the best they can. Sure, there were some moments when I wanted to go in the book and shake some of them up, but in the end, the way they all dealt with their issues came together nicely. I was extremely happy with how everything ended. Although I wouldn't mind a follow-up in the future... Hint hint...

Overall, I really loved this book. I felt like it was exactly what I was looking for in a women's fiction novel and exactly what I needed in terms of finding a unique book. I really hope that the author continues to write after this one. She is pretty fantastic in her storytelling abilities and I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

[Leslie Ann (lalasbookishlife) · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 school, one is in college, one's age isn't mentioned but she is the oldest of the group, and one SHOULD BE a high school senior.
Now, I realize that people get married very young. Many of my friends got married in their early twenties. I just could not get past the fact that one of the girls DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL to marry her boyfriend just because he was going away to LSU to play football. Did she really think she didn't need to get a high school education?! Did she really just aspire to follow her husband around the rest of her life and not have any interests/passions of her own?? I despised this character. She acted like her entire world revolved around her boyfriend. In fact, all the girls did this. I liked Gabby the best, but she was nothing to write home about. Every one of the girls seemed immature and self reliant on the man. I only gave it a second star because the characters realized their mistakes at the end. I just hated this book. I even threw it away instead of passing it along to my friends because I don't want anyone to read this book. I know the book teaches you not to do the very thing that made me hate this book so much, but I could not get past the annoying main characters. It was just awful!

[Monica Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 favorite of the bunch. However, her problem is one of my pet peeves in books, which is when one simple conversation could solve all the problems, but that conversation doesn’t come until close to the end of the book. Gabby has had a hard life and when she meets a nice, cute guy in a bar she lies a little about her life. (I loved Tony, by the way. He was so sweet and pretty much just the perfect guy – I was just waiting for him to do something awful because no guy can be that great.) She doesn’t expect to see him again, but she does and they fall in love and the lies spin out of control. The truth about Gabby, obviously, has to come out some time, though. I still didn’t like how Gabby handled it, but I did like how it all resolved in the end.

Madison
Madison was probably the hardest of the girls for me to like. She was one of the youngest, recently graduated from high school, and had the most growing up to do. She’s in a non-committed relationship with the clichéd bad boy musician, has no real future goals, her dad has recently been diagnosed with cancer, and her family is approaching financial crisis. When her dad’s former boss, George, comes to visit and shows a bit of an interest in her, she decides to milk it. While they both know what she’s doing, it still came across as a little too manipulative to me. But on the other hand, George is in his early thirties so I can’t feel too bad for what he puts himself through by pursuing a teenaged girl.

While Madison was probably the most selfish character of the group, she did grow up a little as the story went on. I did really like her close relationship with her father. I also liked how her relationship with George ended up.

Claire
I really wanted to like Claire and I did for the most part, but I just didn’t respect her for so much of the story. She is the wife of a pastor, who is running a mega-church, even though he’s in his very early twenties. Claire is also very involved in the church. When she finds out that Gavin is doing very un-pastor-like things, she doesn’t confront him, but starts to question what she did wrong and then blames a third party, as well. When the confrontation finally comes with Gavin I still wasn’t satisfied with it. There was very little emphasis about what this meant to his job as a pastor or to their church or the members of the congregation. In fact, we never even find out if there’s any fall out, other than what it means to their marriage. I’m just disappointed that once again the Christian faith is so poorly misrepresented in mainstream fiction.

Laura
Laura dropped out of high school to marry and follow her football star boyfriend to college. She’s planned her whole life around him becoming a professional player, but all that is put in jeopardy when he gets hurt and they have to move back home with his parents. Laura is another character who had so much growing up to do and I think she made the most progress. She decided to go back to high school and get her diploma. While there she befriends a new guy who challenges her academically and makes her really start to consider having her own goals and not just following Brian’s. Though she wasn’t my favorite of the girls, her story arc was. Not everything turns out perfectly, but it seemed the most realistic and I was really proud of all she learned.

Overall
Overall, I really enjoyed The Young Wives Club (and it’s gorgeous cover!). It’s a well-written, character-driven story that I could hardly put down. Though the characters weren’t always very likable, I really appreciated how much growth all of them showed throughout the book. I also really liked that things didn’t just magically work out for all of them, but they had to work at it and learn to be ok if things in their life turned out a little differently than they expected. I definitely recommend this to fans of character-driven novels.

Overall Rating (out of 5): 4 Stars

[Grace {Rebel Mommy Book Blog} · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 focus came back to the girl's friendship and leaning on each other during the tough times or when things had gone all wrong. There were some conflicts between some of the girls but nothing too drama filled. I love seeing good girl friendships, especially when it is the focus.

Complicated characters. This applies to not only the girls but their significant others, families, and others. There were a lot of characters with flaws, some I hated, some I could understand their motivations and some that grew on me. I always like complicated characters and don't mind unlikable ones as long as they aren't the main focus of who I am trying to get behind.

Small town. I have said it before I will say it again - I am a sucker for a southern small town setting. No different here. Loved the small community vibe that these ladies were a part of - willingly or not.

Four different stories. I love books that have different stories going on for a set of characters that kind of overlap and intertwine. I was pretty interested in all of them and really wondered where each girl would end up.

Overall this was a pretty decent women's fiction that featured younger ladies than the normal ones I read. It had a lot of qualities I like in a book and though it didn't blow me away I found it pretty enjoyable and would recommend.This review was originally posted on Rebel Mommy Book Blog

[Sam (Clues and Reviews) · Rating 1 out of 5]

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 vapid and extremely naive. I knew they would be young, the title clearly states that, however, I didn't realize that they would border on the YA line for young. One of these girls was a HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR. This is not historical fiction. This is 2017. WHAT IS HAPPENING??!! I was not expecting that at all.
My other issues came from the whole "STAND BY YOUR MAN" narrative that I could not stand.

Overall, I was not the right reader for this one.

[Estelle]

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 written. Not only are we perpetuating the myth that women need men to feel satisfied sexually, but this is bordering on a sexual attack.

[Lis Carey · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 and be doing her own college-level work rather than her husband's.

In fairness, Laura is the only one of the four "young wives" whom anyone (specifically, her mother) tried to suggest should wait.

Laura, Claire (the old lady of the group, married to a minister), Gabby, and Madison are all likable, well-drawn characters. Their men, and their families, friends, and neighbors, are all well-drawn as well. The writing is good. None of that is the issue I have with this book.

No, the problem is that the author is a southerner who shares the belief of her characters that getting married right out of high school is perfectly normal, adult, and responsible, while I'm a New Englander. where pretty much nobody gets married before their mid-twenties. As to whether this is "just a cultural difference" or one of these viewpoints is objectively more correct than the other, I would suggest you check out the relative divorce rates of, say Massachusetts vs. Louisiana.

Laura's obvious mistake in dropping out of high school to marry a guy going to college on a football scholarship aside, Claire was apparently nineteen when she married Pastor Gavin Thibodeaux, and at just twenty-one, is still rather young to be caring for an infant child, managing his entire social media presence, and ghostwriting a book for him; Gabby has fallen in love with, and gets engaged to, a genuinely good, solid man (he's a lawyer, so old enough to have graduated law school), to whom she has lied about every important detail of her life; Madison is hung up on an ambitious wannabe rock star, who treats her like dirt, while seeing an older, richer guy who treats her with respect, solely because he can help pay the bills for her parents now that her father, who is dying of cancer, is no longer able to work.

Let's note that Madison is motivated by genuine love and concern for her parents, while still noting that this is neither good behavior, nor longterm sensible: George, the guy with both money and good character, is worth about a million times more than Cash, the guy she's been hung up on since childhood, but who has no good character traits at all. It doesn't really matter where you place the moral blame in any particular case. I'd say that overall, it's fairly evenly distributed. Cash is just a straight up exploitive jerk, but really, although with much more sympathetic motives, so is Madison. Laura and Claire are both trying to do the right thing in their marriages, but at least in Claire's case, it's not clear that Gavin isn't trying, too. Gabby recognizes the hole she's dug for herself, and just can't make herself do the right thing.

But the real problem here is that none of these women, and only a couple of the men, were even old enough to be making the commitment of marriage. They're adult-sized adolescents. More of the so-called adults around them needed to be encouraging them to finish their educations, grow up, and then decide about marriage. Yes, some of this is just cultural difference. But, I say again, compare the divorce rates. I don't care how it was in your great-grandparents' day. High school graduation is not a great time to announce your engagement. It's too young. And the only one in this book who gets dinged for marrying too young is Laura, who dropped out of high school to do it.

And neither the author nor any of her characters seeems to consider natural lack of maturity to be any part of the problem, here.

If you think getting married right out of high school is terribly romantic, or just completely normal, you'll probably like this book. The characters and the writing are very good. Personally, though, I have to say, not recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

[Tapasya · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked it. This is the story of four friends. Laura, Madison, Claire and Gabby. Right now I'm into reading chick lits. And I'm happy that I came across this book.
Laura is married to a quarterback. She is kind of his shadow. Her life revolves around him. She left her education for him. But when an injury hits him, the things started to become clear. I am so happy she realised she too has a life. And she left that jerk of a husband.
Then we have Madison, who I think was the most stupid of them all. Good that she finally realised that her hookup bf was a mean ass. And she got a Gem of guy as her husband, who is also sweet and rich. He helps her when her family needs financial help.
Claire.....oh poor girl. Married to a man who is a pastor. But the fucker goes to a strip club. What I hated about Claire is that she gave him a chance, even after knowing that he goes to a strip club and refuses to have sex with her. So much for a being a doormat. Because I think once a cheater is always a cheater. I don't think any kind of counselling is gonna work here. But anyways that's Claire.
And finally Gabby. I loved Gabby's story . It was cute. So happy that she got her HEA. Guys like Tony are so sweet and rare. Obviously she shouldn't have lied. But everyone makes mistake don't we?
I liked Gabby and Laura. I thought Madison and Claire were the most stupid. And I HATE guys like Brian and Gavin. I want such guys to die a painful death. Fucking cheaters
This is Julie Pennell's debut book. I liked her writing. Way to go...

[Tamara · Rating 3 out of 5]

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 going to have trouble, to probably be naive because they were young.

I thought I would lose my mind when I realized that one of them dropped out of high school to marry her high school boyfriend who was going to play football for LSU and be a big star. No. No. No. You finish high school. You get that high school diploma or at the very least a GED. Sigh.

Despite my thoughts about some of the choices of the characters- I did like the book. I found that each character, through trials and mistakes, began to really want to make somethings of their life- to see that there was more than hitching their stars to other people's dreams. So YAY for that!

Bottom line: I'm somewhere in my 30's and the book may have just been too young for me.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

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 its more a win-lose situation. Also everyone in the book is white. And straight. And Christian. Every. One.

[stacie · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Leslie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Lame, super lame.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 beginning. From the first page I was invested in these ladies’ lives. I was curious about all of them, interested in each one, and ultimately cared about how their story progressed. Each woman is struggling with something different, but their friendship binds them together.

Laura dropped out of high school to marry her high school sweetheart, Brian, and follow him to LSU where he has been signed to play football. When an injury sidelines Brian, their dreams come to a grinding halt. Now Laura must decide if the life she dreamt of is actually the life she wants.

Claire is married to a prominent local pastor and is the mother of one. Everyone thinks Claire has the perfect life. She even thinks so too sometimes. When she finds out that her husband has been keeping a secret from her, Claire takes matters into her own hands. Will her plan work, or will it cause more pain?

Madison has been in love with Cash Romero since before she can remember. But he isn’t the setting down type, insisting he and Madison keep things casual. When a family crisis arises, Madison is desperate to find a way to help. Meanwhile, she meets shy, sweet George, a man of wealth and generosity. Suddenly, Madison must decide between two paths; the one she thinks she wants, and the one she may just need.

Gabby has not had the easiest of lives. Growing up with a single mother, life was tough. When her mother went to prison for embezzling money, Gabby’s dream of college and a better life were lost. Then she meets kind and loving Tony. Feeling ashamed that her life hasn’t worked out the way she imagined, Gabby keeps her past life a secret, lying and omitting things to Tony. But when someone close to them finds out the truth, Gabby’s hand is forced. Will she come clean to Tony about her lies and risk losing him forever, or will she find a way to keep the truth bottled up?

Growing up in the south, I connected so much with this book. From the church life, to football ruling the lives of all, it allowed me to connect on a deeper level with these ladies. I honestly could have read a full-length novel about each one of these young women and not have gotten bored. With each chapter being from a different woman’s perspective, each individual story is drawn out; their stories overlapping and coinciding with each other. It was interesting seeing how they interacted with each other; sometimes they weren’t always completely open with each other about their lives.

“Things change. And you can’t regret anything that you’ve done. You make decisions based on what you can see in that moment. Sometimes the view shifts.”

The character development was wonderful. Each woman grew and learned and changed for the better. I kept forgetting that these women were only 18-22 years old; they seemed very mature at times. Yes, they each had their moment of immaturity or naivety, but overall these girls were very mature young women. It was nice not reading a story about catty women. These ladies supported each other, and did their best not to judge one another.

“When you love yourself, it’ll be so much easier for you to love someone else.”

Through their individual journeys, they learn how important it is to be honest, not only with others, but with themselves. In the end, these ladies learn to take control of their lives, and make it what they want.

I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Originally posted on Books For The Living.

[Julianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4(maybe 4.5?)/5 stars - totally charming, funny, and empowering. Review coming soon!

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

#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 Young Wives Club is a tender story that has interesting characters and dialogue that made me both smile and feel. It is one of those books you feel good after you finish and I think we need those stories in this world. This is a great book for spring or summer and a great book to share with your book club. I really enjoyed it and this you will too!

[Sherri Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, OMG, ya’ll, where has this author been hiding? Secondly, I am kicking myself for taking so long to read this book! Honestly, I adored this book and everything about it. From the small-town community feel that gave me major Steel Magnolia vibes to the individual characters and their story lines that were so expertly fleshed out and unique. Before I started this book, I thought it was going to be a real pill trying to keep four, yes, FOUR main characters and their plots straight. I thought that it would be a real cluster and it would have been better if this were actually four separate books, but new to me author Julie Pennell totally nailed it!

Besides the characters, I also loved that the author rotates each character’s point of view for each chapter but doesn’t give the story a choppy isolated feel. By that, I mean that even though each chapter focuses on a different character, the other characters are still present and play supporting roles in each other’s story, like best friends do.

The character development and the plot pace were perfect. It was so easy to get to know these women, their history, their situations and it felt like I could be friends with all of them. I had enormous amounts of empathy for each of them and the struggles they were facing. I especially loved that the author takes the time to bring it all full circle, some with unexpected results, but it worked brilliantly! Books like this that bring so many warm fuzzies to my bookworm heart is the reason I love to read and share with others.

My Final Verdict: For the love of God, get this book! Now. Do you have it yet? I will definitely read anything this author writes, even her grocery list and you should too.

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of The Young Wives Club from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Kayla Gardner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cutesy story. I really enjoyed the small town Louisiana setting and the fact that it told the story of different marriages. Easy read, definitely meant for a vacation.

[nick (the infinite limits of love) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have been trying to get more into women’s fiction having loved Taylor Jenkins Reid and Bethany Chase’s books last year. When I read the summary for The Young Wives Club, it sounded pretty amazing, so I couldn’t resist requesting this one. While there were some very good elements to this book, overall I’m quite disappointed. There are very few occasions when multiple POVs work for me, and unfortunately this was a case where it didn’t. I had a preference for some voices over the others, which made it frustrating to get through the ones I didn’t love. All in all, the characters in this book were not very likeable, in my opinion. Most of the time, I found myself shaking my head at the poor choices these grown-ass women kept making, like Madison getting married to man she just met to help pay for her parents’ mortgage, and Claire, who keeps on lying to her fiance about her mother being dead. For a story like this to work, I have to be able to understand where the characters are coming from and what is driving their actions, but I didn’t feel like the ones here were particularly convincing. I will say that I enjoyed the friendships between the four women. I especially liked how authentic it was with showing both the ups and downs of friendships. I was also hoping for a bit of romance here and there, but eh, the men in this book are garbage and deserve to rot alone. Despite everything, I’ll be interested in reading more from this author, because I did enjoy her writing, but I can’t say I loved this one.

[The Blonde Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 warn you.

The novel follows four young ladies and shows the joys and struggles that each of them face in their relationships. They are a close knit group of friends, and their recent circumstances bring them even closer together. Although I don't have a lot in common with the main characters, I still found myself relating and understanding the events that were happening in each of their lives. I especially loved the ending of the novel. No spoilers, but it was nice to see an ending to the story that wasn't all rainbows and butterflies. The characters had to face real life situations, handle them as adults, and deal with the outcome. It was refreshing to see a story end like it would in the real world!

The Young Wives Club is enjoyable from start to finish and I would highly recommend it to lovers of Sophie Kinsella and books similar to The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to hearing what you all think! Look for The Young Wives Club hitting shelves (and the internet) near you on February 14th!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 out crystal clear. Even though the thoughts of marrying right out of high school have changed the advice from the brides friends is spot on, even for older brides. An enjoyable read.

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Had the story been about Gabby and Tony, arguably the least annoying couple in the novel, I think it would have been far more successful. As it stands, everyone here is basically awful — and even halfway through the book, I couldn't keep anyone straight.

A bunch of 18-year-olds getting hitched was about as ridiculous as you'd expect ... and yeah, I'm a haggard old thirty-something mom of two, but nothing about the characters or plot seemed believable or particularly interesting. The narration felt robotic and detached; all tell, no show. I never became invested — and sometimes that's ... OK-ish? Only the story wasn't funny or charming or witty, either. So. Yep.

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 through all their dreaming and scheming. Definitely recommend!

[sara l. stanton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predictable

Not surprised by the outcome of events. A bit unrealistic and too reliant on stereotypes (the pastor that visits a strip club, the college star athlete who gets injured, the stripper with the heart of gold, etc). Not a lot of variety.

[Maria · Rating 2 out of 5]

Teen brides, gaslighting, misogyny, and victim blaming, dressed up in a cute cover. I'd give it a single star if there hadn't been some sort of redemption at the end.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute light summer read. Do people get married at 18 still?!

[Kristan Mosley · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.