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The Potluck Club #1
The Potluck Club
In the small Colorado town of Summit View, a surprising multi-generational mix of women from Grace Church meet once a week to pass a hot dish and to pray. But the Potluck Club, as they call themselves, is a recipe for disaster when they send up enough misinformed prayers to bring down a church. And the funny thing: the more they pray, the more troubles seem to come their way. It isn't until they invite God to the table that they discover friendship is the spice of life, and a little dash of grace, just like salt, goes a long way.
With charming, down-home characters, humor, poignancy, and a recipe in every chapter, The Potluck Club will keep readers hungering for more.
With charming, down-home characters, humor, poignancy, and a recipe in every chapter, The Potluck Club will keep readers hungering for more.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
688 people are currently reading
2916 people want to read
About the author
Linda Evans Shepherd
56 books191 followersAuthor of When You Don't Know What to Pray-How to Talk to God About Anything & Potluck Club novels, speaker, TV host, President of Right to the Heart & AWSA.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 351 reviews
June 28, 2011
Wow! Pretty bad.
First of all, most the characters are very unlikable, starting with Evangeline and ending with her apparent nemesis, Donna. They are catty, gossipy, highly critical of one another, cliquish, snobbish, and apparently they have a knack for referring to a person using both their name and last name, as in "Now, you listen to me Leigh Banks!", "What are you saying, Donna Vesey?", "Evangeline Benson, don't you speak to the girl that way!" And it goes on and on. They are supposed to be a prayer group, but they mostly gossip about others or talk behind each others back. And the few times they are actually praying as a group, they are interrupted almost immediately. They do get better by the end of the book, but barely.
The reporter, Clay, now there's filler if I ever saw one, or read one. He is pointless. Also pointless, the lesson in breast examination, as well as the details of cancer research. I mean, the information is valuable but in a novel, I don't think so. It would have been better as an Epilogue, or Appendix or and Authors' Note at the end. And speaking of pointless things that add nothing to the plot, the detailing of the most miniscule things was irritating: "I sat up in bed, reaching for my mint-green, worn-completely-out-inplaces chenille robe I'd bought sometime back in the eighties and I refuse to throw away. I drew my arms into the sleeves as I slipped into my bedroom slippers, then shuffled out of the room, down the stairs, and to the kitchen." Pointless, except, of course, I wouldn't know how you put on a robe otherwise *rolling my eyes*.
Also, do the authors know of any other serious illness besides cancer? I think that 5 cancer victims in a novel is a few too many.
There was a silver lining: Jan, the pastor's wife, and Lizzie were nice characters, as well as the story of Vonnie and Joe, and Leigh and Gary. The rest.. sigh... Yeah, pointless.
First of all, most the characters are very unlikable, starting with Evangeline and ending with her apparent nemesis, Donna. They are catty, gossipy, highly critical of one another, cliquish, snobbish, and apparently they have a knack for referring to a person using both their name and last name, as in "Now, you listen to me Leigh Banks!", "What are you saying, Donna Vesey?", "Evangeline Benson, don't you speak to the girl that way!" And it goes on and on. They are supposed to be a prayer group, but they mostly gossip about others or talk behind each others back. And the few times they are actually praying as a group, they are interrupted almost immediately. They do get better by the end of the book, but barely.
The reporter, Clay, now there's filler if I ever saw one, or read one. He is pointless. Also pointless, the lesson in breast examination, as well as the details of cancer research. I mean, the information is valuable but in a novel, I don't think so. It would have been better as an Epilogue, or Appendix or and Authors' Note at the end. And speaking of pointless things that add nothing to the plot, the detailing of the most miniscule things was irritating: "I sat up in bed, reaching for my mint-green, worn-completely-out-inplaces chenille robe I'd bought sometime back in the eighties and I refuse to throw away. I drew my arms into the sleeves as I slipped into my bedroom slippers, then shuffled out of the room, down the stairs, and to the kitchen." Pointless, except, of course, I wouldn't know how you put on a robe otherwise *rolling my eyes*.
Also, do the authors know of any other serious illness besides cancer? I think that 5 cancer victims in a novel is a few too many.
There was a silver lining: Jan, the pastor's wife, and Lizzie were nice characters, as well as the story of Vonnie and Joe, and Leigh and Gary. The rest.. sigh... Yeah, pointless.
February 20, 2008
My first experience with a Christian novel and it was a good one. The cover is a little misleading, though, because there are mostly old bitties in the Potluck Club and that woman on the cover doesn't fit the bill.
The book is about a group of women in an exclusive, invititon-only prayer group. Each chapter is told from a different member's perspective and they each are very different and interesting. One's a police officer, one has a big sercret, one is a librarian, one has a cheating husband and the main woman's niece just showed up seven months pregnant -- and not married. There are some light moments (involving a bear) and some heavier issues of trusting God and dealing with death. Overall a good read!
The book is about a group of women in an exclusive, invititon-only prayer group. Each chapter is told from a different member's perspective and they each are very different and interesting. One's a police officer, one has a big sercret, one is a librarian, one has a cheating husband and the main woman's niece just showed up seven months pregnant -- and not married. There are some light moments (involving a bear) and some heavier issues of trusting God and dealing with death. Overall a good read!
February 24, 2018
What happens when you get a group of women together to pray and eat?
The Potluck Club is the story of a group of women who form a prayer group, complete with food. While the ages range from young to old, life's trials and tribulations are the same. But when misunderstood prayers circulate throughout the church, chaos ensues and everyone is left to wonder what to do. Are these group of women to blame and if so, can they rectify things before it's too late?
A beautiful, emotional story that bears witness to real life. I could totally relate to the characters and their antics. Heart-warming with dashes of humor reminded me of Rebecca Wells, The Potluck Club is a must-read!
My Rating: 5 stars
The Potluck Club is the story of a group of women who form a prayer group, complete with food. While the ages range from young to old, life's trials and tribulations are the same. But when misunderstood prayers circulate throughout the church, chaos ensues and everyone is left to wonder what to do. Are these group of women to blame and if so, can they rectify things before it's too late?
A beautiful, emotional story that bears witness to real life. I could totally relate to the characters and their antics. Heart-warming with dashes of humor reminded me of Rebecca Wells, The Potluck Club is a must-read!
My Rating: 5 stars
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September 4, 2007plot summary: what happens, when & where, central characters, major conflicts[return]meet the six women of the mt. summit, colorado potluck club. they meet to share food and prayer requests, and although their meetings may occasionally turn into gossip fests, by the end of this tale the reader will see how god has worked in each of their lives. evie is the founding member of the group, who is in for a shock when her neice arrived with a big surprise. lisa leann is new to town, she hopes to worm her way into the leading spot of the potluck club with her cinnamon rolls and texas charm. goldie has always known her husband was running around on her, but will his latest affair push her over the edge? lizzie has seen a lot working at the high school library, now she is called upon to help a good friend who is battling cancer. donna doesn't seem to trust anyone after her mother left when she was a little girl. and vonnie is forced to confront a secret from her past--along with a bear who wanders into her backyard during a potluck club meeting.[return][return][return]style characterisics: pacing, clarity, structure, narrative devices, etc.[return]each section is told from one of the six woman's point of view, with little snippets from "clay whitefield, ace reporter" in between. at first it is a little hard to connect but the real life situations and interpersonal foibles draw the reader in. the sense of womanly camraderie is portrayed warmly as these women bake, eat, cry, and laugh together. they have a plethora of situations to deal with, from birth to death, too much to be explored deeply. however scenes of the characters working through problems with guidance from god and each other will offer encouragement to readers going through similar problems. and they can also try the very same dishes that the women in the book share with one another, since the recipes are included in the back of the book.[return][return][return]how good is it?[return][return]a scrumptious read for the reader who enjoys a warm-hearted tale of woman with strong friendships, and who will relish the way they face life's challenges with the help of their faith and a casserole.
January 15, 2016
Another book that's been sitting for quite a while in my shelf, and I'm beating myself now on why I didn't pick it up earlier.
Going through the book, the first thing that came to my mind was "Desperate Housewives". Both stories are about a set of women friends from the same neighborhood pulling up for each other, even with conflicts amongst them. There is that big difference though that the Potluckers get together and pray. I don't think I remember a mention of God in DH, or probably there was, but only at the Solis household.
Anyway, moving on...I love the story, just love it! Each of the Potlucker's voice was heard, with chapters of the ladies' musings interspersed with one or two pages of a summation by the town reporter. Through the Potlucker's lives that were bared open here, it was I believe the authors' intention to teach as much as to entertain; and if this is so, I'd say they achieved their goals. Not only that, I'm sure a lot of hearts were opened wide enough for realizations, acceptance and new resolves. Oh, and I should not forget the recipes - there's a whole epilogue for them!
Even before I started this review, I already bought the next two books. So, if you're still deciding whether to buy the bundle or not, well, any will do as the price is the same. Just get it and read, and enjoy!
Going through the book, the first thing that came to my mind was "Desperate Housewives". Both stories are about a set of women friends from the same neighborhood pulling up for each other, even with conflicts amongst them. There is that big difference though that the Potluckers get together and pray. I don't think I remember a mention of God in DH, or probably there was, but only at the Solis household.
Anyway, moving on...I love the story, just love it! Each of the Potlucker's voice was heard, with chapters of the ladies' musings interspersed with one or two pages of a summation by the town reporter. Through the Potlucker's lives that were bared open here, it was I believe the authors' intention to teach as much as to entertain; and if this is so, I'd say they achieved their goals. Not only that, I'm sure a lot of hearts were opened wide enough for realizations, acceptance and new resolves. Oh, and I should not forget the recipes - there's a whole epilogue for them!
Even before I started this review, I already bought the next two books. So, if you're still deciding whether to buy the bundle or not, well, any will do as the price is the same. Just get it and read, and enjoy!
June 7, 2011
I liked the innovative approach the author used by writing multiple points of view in the first person. I've never read another book quite like it.
However, the book started out very, very slow. Several times I considered putting it down and walking away. Somewhere around page 180 it started to pick up some. All that long wind-up was beginning to go somewhere. Unfortunately, I was already annoyed and distracted by the slow pace so I didn't enjoy the end as much as I hoped.
I thought the characters were very catty, especially in the beginning. If you're looking for Christian fiction that mirrors the world, then this might be for you. I found it very hard to relate to the characters or find even one that I could hold up as a good example of a Christian. (I understand and appreciate flawed characters, I just guess I have higher expectations that at least one might be working on being more Christ-like).
There were numerous spelling and grammatical issues in the Kindle version. Issues such as: Tbdd (should be Todd), fbrties (forties), Oltiva (Olivia), etc. I stopped counting around 10. Normally, I don't mind one or two mistakes--even more if it's not distracting. But in this case, they became very disruptive to the reading.
Overall, this book did not appeal to me.
However, the book started out very, very slow. Several times I considered putting it down and walking away. Somewhere around page 180 it started to pick up some. All that long wind-up was beginning to go somewhere. Unfortunately, I was already annoyed and distracted by the slow pace so I didn't enjoy the end as much as I hoped.
I thought the characters were very catty, especially in the beginning. If you're looking for Christian fiction that mirrors the world, then this might be for you. I found it very hard to relate to the characters or find even one that I could hold up as a good example of a Christian. (I understand and appreciate flawed characters, I just guess I have higher expectations that at least one might be working on being more Christ-like).
There were numerous spelling and grammatical issues in the Kindle version. Issues such as: Tbdd (should be Todd), fbrties (forties), Oltiva (Olivia), etc. I stopped counting around 10. Normally, I don't mind one or two mistakes--even more if it's not distracting. But in this case, they became very disruptive to the reading.
Overall, this book did not appeal to me.
February 1, 2018
Prayers are always answered, right? Praying always makes things better, right?
Sometimes, not so much.
Welcome to the Potluck Club, a group of ladies who form a food group. Actually, it's a prayer group, but food certainly seems to be the focus.
One member is reprimanded for whining to God instead of praying, despite Biblical teachings to judge not and to ask if you wish to receive. The people in the club, like people in general, are both good and maybe not-so-good, and most are dealing with a lot of things outside the weekly food...oops, prayer...meetings.
As it happens in real life, good people aren't always rewarded and bad people aren't always brought to justice.
Sometimes, not so much.
Welcome to the Potluck Club, a group of ladies who form a food group. Actually, it's a prayer group, but food certainly seems to be the focus.
One member is reprimanded for whining to God instead of praying, despite Biblical teachings to judge not and to ask if you wish to receive. The people in the club, like people in general, are both good and maybe not-so-good, and most are dealing with a lot of things outside the weekly food...oops, prayer...meetings.
As it happens in real life, good people aren't always rewarded and bad people aren't always brought to justice.
August 8, 2009
This is a fun little book with an ensemble cast of characters who form a prayer group and whose lives are woven together in interesting ways. Each chapter is told in the voice of one of the 6 main characters and includes a recipe that somehow is connected to the experiences. Some of those everyday/everybody recipes look really good! I enjoyed this book enough to run to the library the day I finished it and get the next in the series, "Trouble's Brewing." Who will win Donna's heart? Will Vernon ever get Evie to trust him and admit she loves him? How will Fred and Vonnie resolve her past and her newly-found adult son? The questions go on and on . . . .
May 23, 2014
The Potluck Club is made up of some colorful ladies. They enjoy their potluck meals and a little gossip along with their prayers for others. Each has her own story, and then there's the story of their interactions. I enjoyed reading about Christians portrayed realistically as flawed women living in an imperfect world.
December 7, 2014
It took me a while to get the characters straight as each character wrote in first person. It was a pretty quick read. I might try one more just to see if i would enjoy it better now that I have all the members straight in my head/ :)
January 11, 2018
I read this for a reading challenge because of the title. I would not have picked up this book otherwise. It was cute and has some fun recipes.
But take note:
If you listen to Christian music and watch Fox news, this book is for you as there are many relatable references.
If you don't, I wouldn't recommend it, the references to the above culture are very forced and frequent.
It's not a bad story but I feel like everyone has the maturity level of a 14 year old who has a very sheltered, protected view of the world. The authors' research is poor. For example, Breckenridge, Colorado is not 2000 miles from Texas...I also don't feel a town of 25,000 people would have only two people on their police force or be interested in a newspaper column on a prayer group of six women.
It was a light and fast read, much like the movie Steel Magnolias or the book The Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Cute filler in a reading repertoire.
But take note:
If you listen to Christian music and watch Fox news, this book is for you as there are many relatable references.
If you don't, I wouldn't recommend it, the references to the above culture are very forced and frequent.
It's not a bad story but I feel like everyone has the maturity level of a 14 year old who has a very sheltered, protected view of the world. The authors' research is poor. For example, Breckenridge, Colorado is not 2000 miles from Texas...I also don't feel a town of 25,000 people would have only two people on their police force or be interested in a newspaper column on a prayer group of six women.
It was a light and fast read, much like the movie Steel Magnolias or the book The Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Cute filler in a reading repertoire.
September 14, 2019
I loved this book. It was real stuff, real life issues. Maybe a bit like the Mitford series, but totally different. (now there's a conundrum!) My only suggestion would be that when you start the book get a post-it note to list the characters. Each story line is great, but a bit hard to keep up with the "stuff" of each woman. But I loved it. The ending was so appropriate - looking forward to starting the 2nd book. I typically read current best sellers or psychological thrillers...this was a lovely change. I could read right before bed, and drift off with sweet dreams!
May 31, 2017
I bought my mom this book for Mother's Day. She is recently retired and goes to lots of potlucks and events with church ladies. When I talked to her on Mother's Day she had just started reading but she wasn't caring so much for the book or the ladies in it she thought they were too gossipy.
So I bought the book to read and see the book if they were as bad as she was saying. The beginning deals with the backgrounds of the women and they are not perfect, which is one reason for a change or transformation of each woman. The story picks up when they start dealing with the daily events. I loved the book and I pretty much cried the last half of the book. As a Christian it was easy to identify with one or two of the woman and the struggles they dealt with. When I finished the book I called my mom to see how she was liking it and sadly she hadn't read any more. I told her my thoughts and that the story picks up and maybe give it another try. She called me on Memorial Day after staying up all night reading cause she couldn't put it down. She was so happy that I had told her to try again and loved the book and can't wait to read the next books. I'm on the second one now on Kindle but have ordered the next 2 for my Mom's birthday since she is not a Kindle reader. She is now passing the book on to her church lady friends. It was heartwarming to hear how my Mom could identify with one character's struggles and draw comparisons to herself. She cried but at totally different parts than I did. Just shows how the story could effect so many different people.
So I bought the book to read and see the book if they were as bad as she was saying. The beginning deals with the backgrounds of the women and they are not perfect, which is one reason for a change or transformation of each woman. The story picks up when they start dealing with the daily events. I loved the book and I pretty much cried the last half of the book. As a Christian it was easy to identify with one or two of the woman and the struggles they dealt with. When I finished the book I called my mom to see how she was liking it and sadly she hadn't read any more. I told her my thoughts and that the story picks up and maybe give it another try. She called me on Memorial Day after staying up all night reading cause she couldn't put it down. She was so happy that I had told her to try again and loved the book and can't wait to read the next books. I'm on the second one now on Kindle but have ordered the next 2 for my Mom's birthday since she is not a Kindle reader. She is now passing the book on to her church lady friends. It was heartwarming to hear how my Mom could identify with one character's struggles and draw comparisons to herself. She cried but at totally different parts than I did. Just shows how the story could effect so many different people.
March 1, 2011
When I downloaded this free ebook for my Kindle app, I had no idea that it was Christian literature and ended up liking the book even with the references and scriptures sprinkled in. There were many strong women characters of various ages with the same problems we all face or have faced. Marriage, family, secrets, regret, work, misunderstandings, meddlesome neighbors and dealing with difficult personalities. It's refreshing to read a book where the majority of the characters stand by each other through thick and thin, not knowing the ugly details but relying on faith in each other. The title of the book includes the word "potluck" and the recipes to the foods mentioned in each chapter can be found in the back of the book. There are two more books in this series and I will be purchasing them for my Kindle app to complete the set.
January 16, 2016
I am not a fan of electronic books, but then I had an opportunity to read this book for free if I downloaded Amazon's Kindle. I couldn't resist, and I'm so glad I did.
This was a fantastic story!
Entirely women's literature with a Christian point of view.
Every character, every situation, every word, flowed through me in a way that I'll be telling all my friends about this story. It is friendship, and belief in community that shows a spirit in people that's admirable. This is clearly defined in this book.
This is going to be a favorite of mine for a long time.
Not only was it a great story, with great characters. It had recipes in it!!!!
Yup!
You know how I love me some recipes. And I wrote them all down too. Will be making the Chicken Marsala before you know it!
This was a fantastic story!
Entirely women's literature with a Christian point of view.
Every character, every situation, every word, flowed through me in a way that I'll be telling all my friends about this story. It is friendship, and belief in community that shows a spirit in people that's admirable. This is clearly defined in this book.
This is going to be a favorite of mine for a long time.
Not only was it a great story, with great characters. It had recipes in it!!!!
Yup!
You know how I love me some recipes. And I wrote them all down too. Will be making the Chicken Marsala before you know it!
April 6, 2013
I'd read a later book in the series first, not knowing. So that limited some of the surprises in the book for me, but still, tears came a couple of times.
My favorite part was about Chucky & the bear. I can't imagine having bears in the backyard, so it tickled both my funnybone and my imagination.
My least favorite part about these books is that each chapter is from a different character's point of view, so I always (ALWAYS!) had to go back to the chapter page to see who was talking. You'd think I'd be in the groove after reading 2 books like this!
I found the book to be touchingly sweet and making me want a group of friends like the Potluckers. Except maybe Lisa Leanne - she's aggravating! But that's my non-Christian side coming through.
My favorite part was about Chucky & the bear. I can't imagine having bears in the backyard, so it tickled both my funnybone and my imagination.
My least favorite part about these books is that each chapter is from a different character's point of view, so I always (ALWAYS!) had to go back to the chapter page to see who was talking. You'd think I'd be in the groove after reading 2 books like this!
I found the book to be touchingly sweet and making me want a group of friends like the Potluckers. Except maybe Lisa Leanne - she's aggravating! But that's my non-Christian side coming through.
November 5, 2016
I was really disappointed with this book. So disappointed, I couldn't finish it. The women in the group are supposed to be Christians who get together to pray, but I was dismayed to read how unpleasant and catty some of them were. Don't get me wrong, I know that Christians aren't perfect. I don't expect them to be. And I know there are Christians out there very much like them. But that's not a thing that makes me happy, and I just didn't want to read about these women who I don't think I would want to know in real life. All I can hope is that some character development happened over the course of the book and at least somebody had their eyes, mind and heart opened by God and they changed their ways.
April 11, 2015
The Potluck Club #1
This book took me by surprise. I was not expecting the story that was told. I must have missed the review that said it was about The power of prayer.
I laughed and I cried. I nodded and shook my head as the stories unfolded. I feel as if these women and in some instances, their families, are part of my circle of friends.
There is some minor editing problems, but they do not take away from the story. These characters are real and believable. I did not mind the Bible verses or scriptures, as they all pertained to the story. I just was not expecting it, initially.
I am really looking forward to the next book and some new characters.
This book took me by surprise. I was not expecting the story that was told. I must have missed the review that said it was about The power of prayer.
I laughed and I cried. I nodded and shook my head as the stories unfolded. I feel as if these women and in some instances, their families, are part of my circle of friends.
There is some minor editing problems, but they do not take away from the story. These characters are real and believable. I did not mind the Bible verses or scriptures, as they all pertained to the story. I just was not expecting it, initially.
I am really looking forward to the next book and some new characters.
August 25, 2007
Loved it! The characters seemed very real. I enjoyed the perspective of Clay Whitfield, the ace reporter of the small community, who tried so hard to get a handle on what this group of ladies were all about. But what I liked most was seeing how God worked to change the hearts of the women. Very engaging story.
July 1, 2008
This book was a bit of a departure from what I normally read but I really enjoyed it and have subsequently read the two books that follow it. It follows 6 different womens lives and the trials and tribulations they go through. They women all have a "potluck prayer group" in which they meet to eat, support each other, and pray for one another.
October 20, 2008
These books (3 of them) are a good mix between the Jan Karon books and Yada-Yada Prayer Group Books. The lives of about 5 or 6 women in a potluck/prayer group that takes place in a small Colorado mountain town that is fashioned after Frisco, Colorado. The town's reporter is trying to figure out what goes on in these women's lives.
December 10, 2014
I had a hard time with this one because the characters really weren't very likable. There were only a couple I liked. It was a little slow moving as well. I also didn't like how adoption was portrayed as abandonment. obviously forced adoption is wrong but when Donna was angry at vonnie about it, that annoyed me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 27, 2016
Such a great read! I really enjoyed how everyone evolved throughout the story. I also liked that God was a big part of this story. The power of Prayers were shown in this story. I hope one day I too will have a group of women like this to hang out with, share my life with and pray and support each other.
June 24, 2008
I like books with recipes and this had some good ones. the characters in the book all seem to have secrets but they live in a small town so will they be able to keep them. They meet once a month for friendship, food and prayer but a lot of gossiping goes on. A relaxing read.
September 29, 2008
Loved this book and will read all the Potluck Club novels. Each member of the Potluck Club gets to narrate, so you see all sides of the story. It was a fun read and even comes with recipes! Reminds you that everyone you come in contact with has a story that completes who they are.
Want to read
December 23, 2008Picked this one up at the thrift store, too. Didn't realize it was Christian Fiction, but even better. Also didn't realize it is the first in a series, so that means I'll probably have to read the sequels, too...
March 3, 2013
Enjoyed it (the recipes were a nice touch and it motivated me to start cooking again) but I was also offended and put-off by the characters watching Fox & Friends and all the CA bashing and racial intolerance... I wouldn't call this a model Christian fiction
March 3, 2008
I loved this book. It is written by two colorado authors. One lives in Longmont. The recipes talked about in the book are all at the end of the book so you can try them out at your home!
September 12, 2014
Potluck prayer group. Lots of characters. Good recipes, but plot needs a bit more substance with each character.
October 16, 2008
I read this book very quickly. It drew my attention when it talked about a prayer group. I like that. It is good and has me ready to read other book they may have in this series.
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