Book Club Babies

Cherry Cola Book Club #6

by Ashton Lee

In the colorful small town of Cherico, Mississippi, librarian Maura Beth McShay is preparing for an exciting new installment in her own life story--with some help from the Cherry Cola Book Club.

Overseeing the opening of Cherico's new library has been a labor of love for Maura Beth McShay, made extra challenging by the fact that she and Jeremy are expecting their first child. And there's another plot twist on the horizon: Jeremy's sister, Elise, has taken a sabbatical to have a baby and will be staying in Cherico during her pregnancy.

It's an unlikely move for the fiercely independent Elise, one that's causing her some anxiety. Jeremy, who's supposed to be birthing the Great American Novel, is instead testing his wife's patience with his incessant "sympathy pains." Resourceful as always, Maura Beth decides to use her new library as a venue for "Expecting Great Things" meetings--a sequel to her beloved book club. The weekly gatherings allow townsfolk to share hopes, fears, and practical advice about parenting and pregnancy, along with anecdotes both poignant and hilarious. And amongst the revelations and new friendships, Maura Beth, Jeremy, and the rest of the Cherry Cola Book Club prepare to meet their newest members . . .

Praise for The Cherry Cola Book Club novels

"An intrepid librarian, a book club feast, and a cozy, heart-warming Mississippi mystery--what's not to love?" --Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

"Lee's buoyant David-versus-Goliath tale zestfully illuminates a real problem confronting libraries and cities of all sizes." --Booklist

Genres: Fiction, Mystery

259 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2017

About the author

Ashton Lee was born in historic Natchez, Mississippi, into a large, extended Southern family which gave him much fodder for his fiction later in life. His father, who wrote under the pen name of R. Keene Lee right after WWII, was an editor and writer in New York of what is now called pulp fiction. As a result, Ashton inherited a love of reading and writing early on and did all the things aspiring authors are supposed to do, including majoring in English when he attended The University of the South, affectionately known as Sewanee. While there, he studied Creative Writing under Andrew Lytle, then editor of the Sewanee Review, and a member of the Southern Agrarians in the 1920s.
Ashton lives in Oxford, MS, enjoying the amenities of a university town that many writers have called home.

Reviews

[Gaele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cherico, Mississippi is the setting for this lovely series centering around the newly built public library and it’s director Maura Beth. While not having read the earlier books in this series, I was easily able to dive into this story and meet the characters as they shared their story and changes to come with us all. Maura Beth and her English teacher husband are expecting their first child – but they aren’t alone. Her sister in law Elise, visiting Cherico while on sabbatical from her professorship in a nearby university, is also pregnant, as well as a friend from town, Periwinkle, the owner of the Twinkle Café. Instantly, above and beyond a friendship, these women have something in common, and Maura Beth, with her knack of bringing together people to support, uphold and befriend one another has a brainstorm. A support group to share concerns, get information and generally spend their pregnancy together. A wonderful idea that is wholeheartedly supported by all the community – already close knit and supportive from their time spent together in the Cherry Cola Book Clun – that provided care, prayers, concern and community through deaths, health scares, marriages and the monumental and not so moments of life.

Quickly Ashton Lee sucked me into the series – from Jeremy’s ‘pregnancy mirroring’ to Elise’s utter fish out of water utterances, even in supporting Peri and her issues with her mother’s racist views of her husband and her child: the story was full of moments that every group of friends have: ups, downs and just being and existing in the same space. Wonderfully able to address real issues of acceptance, fears, health and even family strife – the story managed to provide a great escape sort of read that kept brining moments of “oh I remember that” or “oh I wish I had” – easily accessible to readers everywhere in every phase of life. Adding to the wonderful characters and ideas brought forward, lovely little bits of literary and wordplay entered the story – hard to miss with a librarian and an English teacher, and when you add a budding romance for Jeremy’s friend Alex, a history teacher, and his affection for the uber-feminist Elise, the sweetness of the story amps up a few more notches. As the conclusion to the series, it was lovely – bringing a sense of closure to this moment, leaving a few questions unanswered, and providing the new generation of members for this book club and community.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at I am, Indeed

[Rhonda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ashton Lee has created and takes the reader to a very real life world in Cherico, MS. The characters are believable and seem like people you'd want to know. The only problem with this installment of the series is there just wasn't enough going on besides babies. Though I blame some of my dissapoint on myself as the author let us know upfront in the title what it was about.
I like the writer's style and have really enjoyed some of the previous books in the series. I look forward to see what she writes next.
I received an Advance reader copy from Netgalley.

[Sue Fernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest opinion. This is the first time I've read anything from this author, and now I get the opportunity to get backward and read the series from book #1 (this is book #6). This book is about 3 women getting ready to bring babies into the world, and what that entails. I really enjoyed the characters. I felt they were well developed and I can't wait to read some of the back story I'd missed in the past.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series, it's not really a cozy mystery series it's more about friendship and small town living. Maura has been busy getting the new library up and running, dragging the small Mississippi town into the 21st century. People are either thrilled or upset about the changes so Maura gets the book club involved with a program called Expecting Great things. A play on words as several members, including Maura are expecting babies. Good story, good characters, great setting. Perfect read with a cup of hot tea and a cold winter day.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment was the equivalent of wrapping yourself up in a blanket or towel that just came out of the dryer! It was just the right mix of warm fuzzy and drama ending with an exciting possibility. Can't wait for the next meeting of the Cherry Cola Book Club!

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is what attracted me to the book - I'm a book club member and a recent grandma. Didn't realize it was the last of a 6 book series. Book can standalone, but does refer to previous events and characters periodically. I just moved. I'm in the process of settling into my new home and neighborhood. I was looking for a light, fun read and this fit the bill.

[Debbie Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a special book. I love this series. We first started reading this series for my library book group when a friend recommended it to me. A book club reading a book club series. I read them much faster and sooner than the book club did... I could not wait and I was not sure the book club would want to keep reading them.

This one was great. Three married couples from the book club are now expecting babies. One other couple had a baby the year before. Lots of fun, especially for those that have been pregnant before.

Maura Beth had taken to standing in front of her mirror taking in her changing body in the mirror. She called them "mirror" sessions.
"But it did not take long for her to use these secret sessions for something more. It had surprised her when the conjectures started bubbling up from somewhere inside. Did other women think such things about themselves and their future children? She wondered as the questions filled her brain, offering no easy answers." pg 13
"During her last mirror session-which reflected a weight gain of four pounds when she stood on the bathroom scales-something flashed into her head. Maybe she and Jeremy could indulge in such sessions together. They would stand side by side.... They would then trot out their fears one by one and, by exposing them, render them completely powerless to drive them crazy.
Or maybe that was too structured and extreme. Couldn't they compare notes just as well over dinner or before going to bed or even taking a ride in the countryside in Jeremy's yellow Warbler?
Maybe she should just wait until later in the pregnancy. Perhaps Dr. Lively would reassure her about certain things, and her hormones would calm down. She chuckled out loud at that one, as if she were staring at her own distorted reflection in a fun-house mirror. She didn't believe for a second that her hormones would be calming down anytime soon. She knew they would get worse, and it would be harder on both Jeremy and herself as the baby grew, siphoning off more of her nutrients and changing her body even more drastically.
More to the point-and despite everyone's unfailing good wishes and her own native optimism-what had she gotten herself into?" pg 14-15

"Maura Beth was silent for a while, finally emerging from her thoughts with a fist pump. 'I've just had another one of my brilliant ideas. What Cherico needs is a support group for pregnant women like ourselves. And guess where it's going to meet?'
'The library, of course.'
'Right. In our mini-auditorium where we crowned the Queen of the Cookbooks this past summer. There's more than enough room there, and we have the stage with the audio equipment and everything. Of course, I designed everything way better than I knew. I gave our architect all the input, and he came through beautifully.'
Elise's excitement clearly registered in her voice. 'I think that's a terrific idea. I always encourage my students to support one another outside of class and get involved with other women in the various relevant organizations on campus. I tell them to always be expecting great things from their lives and to act upon that impulse. Run with it right away.'
This time, Maura Beth snapped her fingers, looking and sounding supremely confident. 'That's it!'
'What's it?'
'That will be the name of our support group-Expecting Great Things. We'll invite anyone who is pregnant or has been pregnant to come and share their insights and concerns. We can have visits from doctors and nurses and other healthcare professionals, too, and it'll be fun organizing the whole thing. It'll be like a mini Cherry Cola Book Club." (pg 29)

I loved this book, the whole series and highly recommend it.

Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge prompt(s) –
#4 - A book about a book club

[Angela (Kentuckybooklover) Brocato-Skaggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

How can I start my final review on one of my favorite fiction series? Perhaps with the idea that Mr. Lee may revisit Cherico, MS in the future through the eyes of the second generation. I like to believe that as I am not ready to say goodbye. Each installment of the Cherry Cola Book Club has brought me comfort and joy as I read them. I became friends with Maura Beth, Periwinkle, Voncile and etc.

Book Club Babies takes us throughout the pregnancies of Maura Beth, Periwinkle and Elise. Each pregnancy has its own ups and downs with outside influences but each finds a way to overcome with the love and support of one another. I don't want to go into too much detail because I would like you to pick up this series and be as surprised, sadden and happy as I was through each chapter. The ending is a sweet way to introduce the second generation of the book club. It gives one hope that brick and mortar libraries and reading is not becoming lost in this world of technology.

I love the fact that Mr. Lee put the recipes from all the books at the end of Book Club Babies instead of creating a separate book. It made me think he gifted us readers with a treat for reading his series and talking about it to all our friends. I cannot wait to try a few at my next family gathering.

If you have not read this series I suggest you do as soon as you can. You will not be disappointed. To help you get started let me give you the books in order:

1. The Cherry Cola Book Club
2. The Reading Circle
3. The Wedding Circle
4. A Cherry Cola Christmas
5. Queen of the Cookbook
6. Book Club Babies

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington for an advanced copy to read and review in my own honest words.

[Janga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review will be posted soon at The Romance Dish.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the Cherry Cola Bookclub, Maura Beth and Elise, both pregnant and sisters in law, come up with new ideas to get the community more involved with everyone and the newly pregnant and new parents, so they can share their experiences ad new parents and learn from each other.
My first cherry cola story and really enjoyed it.
Not actually a pridictable story for once.
I am very appreciative to Netgalley to offer a copy for review.
I am definitely going to look into more books by Ashton Lee.

[Samantha · Rating 2 out of 5]

I recently picked this up at the library, as it looked like it could be a cute fun read. I don’t often get annoyed enough by a book to write a review, but here I am.

First, the constant references to The Cherry Cola Book Club were a bit too much. Yes, I get that it is part of a series, but it often felt so awkward within the flow of the story. I also found the dialogue between characters to be awkward and unrealistic. It may come off as very Elise of me to say this, but I feel like Mr. Lee must not spend a lot of time interacting with groups of women (especially pregnant ones) to know how they talk to each other. Also, Elise’s experience with a csection made no sense. Women are not given general anesthesia for csections outside of unusual circumstances (I had a legitimate emergency situation and almost had to have it, but lucked out). A lot of the stuff about pregnancy (like all of the talk of cravings) just seemed like the way a man would imagine pregnancy to be. Not every pregnant woman is so full of craving that they lurk around stores snagging free snackies.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in small town Mississippi, this ensemble novel tracks the lives of a group of women in a book club. This time around Maura Beth is pregnant and most of the novel focuses on pregnancy and babies. As others have noted, some of this is outdated. I struggled with this one because I hadn't read the earlier books and there were a number of characters to sort out. That's not to say, btw, that you won't enjoy it if you've read the earlier books as I suspect these are well loved people full of quirks and personality. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Fluff Smut & Murder · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley.com for the opportunity to read this book through an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

The sixth entry into the Cherry Cola Book Club is….. dull. Now that Maura Beth isn’t fighting to save her library or get a new one built, life in Cherico, MS is rather boring. Even though this installment is about wonderful, adorable pregnancies and babies, you can tell it was written by a man. A man who has never been around anyone who was ever pregnant. Even the most eagerly anticipated pregnancy will have its moments where the mother-to-be cries her eyes out over a piece of clothing that no longer fits, ankles that are horribly swollen, and moments of both self-doubt and absolute terror. Or maybe that was just me.

What I loved: Its nice to see Twinkle and Parker have a larger role in the book, but Twinkle doesn’t seem like the Twink of previous stories. It’s like her personality has disappeared. While she does go through some rather difficult times in the novel (her momma sounds like a real piece of work); she just doesn’t seem like herself. My favorite part had to be all of the favorite recipes in the back from the entire series – all of that amazing Southern food is just waiting to be made in my kitchen (but hopefully not by me if its meant to be edible.)

What I didn’t love: Hmmmmm – where do I begin? Do I start with how General Anesthesia C-sections are rare nowadays? Or the fact that Jeremy is one of the most annoying characters ever written? Seriously – there’s already a “Fatherhood for Dummies” book out there – google it. Or is the final thing that so many of the other well-loved characters from previous books barely get a passing mention in this one? I’ll probably have to go with Jeremy – maybe he’ll grow a spine and some other things by the time the next book is written.

What I learned: I guess all pregnancies are practically perfect in so many ways in Cherico.
Overall Grade: C


www.FluffSmutandMurder.com

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5: I didn't realize this was the last book in a series when I read it. Will I go back and read more? Maybe - it was a quick, light read, the main character being a librarian and the library playing an important role (although I gather not nearly as important as the role it played in other books in this series), all contributed to my overall interest in the book. Overall impression: 3.0/5.00, Around the Year in 52 Books prompt: 33. A book about a non-traditional family. (Elise decides to become a single mother, by choice. She collaborates with her brother, Jeremy, and his colleague, Alex, to write a book about changes in the nuclear family in the millennium, and decides to include a chapter on alternative families, such as the support system provided by the CCBC.
Popsugar prompt: A book about a book club. To be honest, they don't really have what I would consider a traditional book club meeting - not sure they discuss any books in the story.
AtY Spring Challenge: 2. Read a book that features someone's relationship with their mother. Each of the characters (Maura, Periwinkle, and Elise) have relationships with their mothers that need tweaking or resolving in this book. Maura and Elise have happy endings, but Periwinkle's relationship is on the rocks, due to her mother's refusal to accept her interracial marriage.

[Soc Page]

includes of all recipes in books 1-6
1) Becca Broccoli's easy peasy chicken spaghetti
Connie McShay's frozen fruit salad
Periwinkle Lattimore's baked sherry custard
Becca Broccoli's cherry cola/lime punch
Periwinkle Lattimore's tomato aspic with cream cheese
Maura Beth Mayhew's chocolate, cherry cola sheet cake
Mr. Parker Place's lemon/lime icebox pie
Sout Fella's instructions for "islanding" ice cream
2) Mr. Parker Place's egg custard pie
Periwinkle Lattimore's easy banana/cranberry bread
Mr. Parker Place's Clam Canapes
Periwinkle Lattimore's cashew cheese log
Mr. Parker Place's chicken gumbo
Periwinkle Lattimnore's hot fruit
3) Periwinkle's chicken salad
Periwinkle's artichoke party dip
Mr. Parker Place's creme de menthe cake
Periwinkle's crazy caprese salad
Periwinkle's super crazy caprese
Mr. Parker Place's frozen key lime pie
4) Fat Mama's homemade tamale recipe
The Twinkle Twinkle Cafes baby kale, spinach and blueberry salad
5) Mrs Frieze's cheeze ballz
Aleitha Larken's chicken on the sofa (chicken divan)
Ana Estrella's pigeon peas cake
Maribelle Pleasance's no-sugar-added cherry cake
6) Periwinkle Lattimore's sip 'n' see knockout punch
Periwinkle Place's blush punch or pink beeritas
Periwinkle Place's cucumber tea sammies
Periwinkle Place's pimento cheese
Periwinkle Place's zucchini squares

[Marsha Rafalski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came to the Cherry Cola Book Club Series. This book is #6 and I gather the last in this series. Set in Cherico MS, this book focuses on a group of women who have developed strong bonds of friendship that spill over to their friends and family members.

The start of this book is early in the pregnancies of three of these friends. Maura Beth Maloy is the head that librarian of the new Cherico Library. Elise is Maura Beth’s sister-in-law and an ardent feminist on sabbatical from a small college and is having a planned single parent pregnancy. Peri (Periwinkle) is the owner and chief chef at the only restaurant in Cherico. In the first trimester of their pregnancies, Maura Beth has the idea of a book club/support group for those who are or have been pregnant to provide a safe place for women to share questions and feelings as their pregnancies advance. There is no “plot” that drives the book forward. Instead the friendships and relationships of these women as events play out over the remainder of their pregnancies is the story. It was entertaining and a nice way to while away an afternoon.

[Teri · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Cherry Cola Book Club reconvenes one final time in Ashton Lee’s Book Club Babies. It’s winter in Cherico, Mississippi and three club members are about to have babies. Led by librarian Maura Beth McShay, the club and the town come together to help out the three ladies, and particularly for Periwinkle Place who delivered prematurely. The overall message of the book is that family is sometimes the ones you surround yourself with. This short read is another cozy conundrum about small-town life in the south.

This was a cute and entertaining book and a nice respite from some of the heavy books I generally read. This is not a book of substance and is predictable and kitschy. It is worth the read if you're looking for something a bit mindless and a bit cozy. I enjoyed the series but at times the dialogue is a bit juvenile and at other times it is what is expected of the sixth edition of a series. I have seen Lee's writing progress over the series and have enjoyed the characters. I did enjoy the books enough to continue following Lee and see what he comes out with next.

[R · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm giving this book a neutral rating.

This may really be someone's favorite book (and there's nothing fundamentally wrong with it), but it didn't work for me. I ended up DNFing it.

For me, personally, it was too centered around the pregnancies/babies for me to get into it. I realize that's in the title, so it's on me, but that's just what happened. I do enjoy books about those things, but this one was a little too heavily focused on that for my tastes.

I also bought this book at a warehouse, so I didn't really think about the fact that there were probably ones I should have read first (which I didn't read). Reading those may have made me feel more connected to the characters, since I think one of the problems was that I didn't really care about these characters from the start of the book.

All in all, I could see how someone might really enjoy this, but I wasn't the right "someone" for that.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Challenges: LizzieFaye's Comfy Corner - February 2019 last book in series; also, Create Your Own Readathon/Stacking the Series/Steeped in Books - Tertiary List/Level 2/Book 6. The conclusion to this series about personal dreams and goals, community, friendship and family. The author succeeds in offering different points of view and perspectives of both male and female residents of Cherico, Missippippi. Even though some of the character development can be a bit irritating, there is something addictive about the overall themes and story arc that kept me coming back for more.

[Monica Aplin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great series! Unfortunately, this was the last book in the series, and I was dying to read it and sad to see it end. I particularly loved the main character Maura Beth-she fought the establishment, always stood her ground, and graciously handled the messiness of the people and circumstances. Perfect ending to a perfect story!

[Kat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for the E-ARC copy of this novel.
It's cute, but slow paced. I haven't read the other's in this series and probably won't try them out. I do know several ladies I would recommend this series to that would love it though. Just not my taste.

[Virma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this last installment. There were many surprises even though you knew some of them were coming they did feel predictable. I hope the series will continue because there were some strings that were not neatly tied.

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice cozy read about life in an idyllic Southern town. Everyone is really too good to be true but it is a relaxing and pleasant read.

[Lupe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy and fun read.

[Felicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved everything except the appalling obstetrics care.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was sad to see this series end.

[Ranette · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very sweet book about friends who have babies at the same time. Not a plot to propel you to another book, but pleasant.

[Sharon Helfrich · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sorry to see this series end. Would love to see another book in this series following the Cherry Cola Book Club.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

These characters have come a long way in this series & now there’s a whole new generation of book club members…. Very cute series!

[Susan Moxley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful story that will keep you engaged until the very end of the book.