The Widows' Club

by Joyce Livingston

Valentine Denay seems to have it all in finances and nice possessions-the only thing missing is her husband Carter. Can she find a way to fill the aching void he left behind? She has already opened her house each morning for coffee with two other widows in the cul-de-sac. But when a new widow in the neighborhood, a church fundraising project, and a pregnant soldier's wife all come knocking at the door to her heart of compassion, can Val keep her wits about her? Or, will the princess of the cul-de-sac fall from her lofty perch when pulled into a romance triangle?

Genres: Fiction, Christian Fiction, Adult

320 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book about friends. Valentine and two other widows live near each other. They enjoy morning conversations, helping each other through tough times, and Valentine is Alison active at her church. A new neighbor throws Valentine off, but not for too long. Definitely some stereotyped characters, but overall encouragement for people who have lost someone they love.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would since the very beginning. I found it very intriguing but I did wish we got to know more about Valentine and her ex husbands relationship and with Barbie

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Felt like a YA novel for the retired set. The only redeeming part was the reminder to apply faith and prayer to interactions with friends.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute, easy read. A little stressful towards the end and there are several story lines to keep up with, a couple of which were not fully resolved. But this is also the first book in a series.

[Becki]

Synopsis from amazon.com: Valentine Denay seems to have it all in finances and nice possessions-the only thing missing is her husband Carter. Can she find a way to fill the aching void he left behind? She has already opened her house each morning for coffee with two other widows in the cul-de-sac. But when a new widow in the neighborhood, a church fundraising project, and a pregnant soldier's wife all come knocking at the door to her heart of compassion, can Val keep her wits about her? Or, will the princess of the cul-de-sac fall from her lofty perch when pulled into a romance triangle?\nThis was an interesting concept for a book series. And this is the first book in the series (finally reading a series in order!).\nIt is the story of Valentine and her widow friends. How they help each other, help the community, and basically do life together. \nI enjoyed the connections between the characters. Their friendships, their open doors, and the way they accepted others for who they were.\nI did find it odd that most characters had very odd names�Valentine, Bitsy, Barbie, etc. Really?\nAnd I didn�t like Edna popping up at the end. She seemed more like a specific plot device than an actual character in the book. I also wonder what happens when these widows remarry. Do they still get to be a part of the club? I guess I�ll have to read book two to find out.\nOverall, it was a lighthearted, enjoyable read on a unique concept.\n

[Marilyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Livingston, a recent widow herself, pens a tale of five friends dealing with the struggles of widowhood. The characters are original if not somewhat eccentric, and the story juxtaposes humor with sorrow and angst. While I found Barbie Baxter to be slightly stereotyped, I must admit she added a few guffaws—some out of sheer astonishment over her antics. I found Val's reaction to Barbie grounded in reality.

While desiring to honor Christ and win Barbie to Him, Val struggled with wanting to tell Barbie what she really thought. Hmm. That hits a little close to home. The Widow's Club is altogether a delightful read, filled with characters you want to get to know.

[Ariell · Rating 2 out of 5]

A little slow going for my taste. Also, I tend to prefer a book that takes me away from daily life. I really prefer to escape than to read about experiences I could have in my own kitchen. For a romantic story the romance was too background. It felt sort of like, "I worked on the bazaar, chatted with friends, was irritated by my neighbor, missed my husband, and oh, by the way, I kind of might like a guy. Now back to my every day life. Should we have a widows club?" What? It was very Christian, very clean. I like clean reads.

[Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because it shows what widows get into. How special the relationship with the church and friends. It was funny how the old "friend" wanted to move in on her guy.

[Virginia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I'm way too young for this book...

[Carol Heiss · Rating 2 out of 5]

Syrupy and cloyingly sweet at times.

[Diane Felci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this book very much. Great story line with a little bit of mystery and romance.

[Jamie Herbst · Rating 1 out of 5]

Terrible

[Melissa (Always Behind) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent story about a group of widows. A tad predictable, but good spiritual insights.