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myb1023's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
theavidreaderandbibliophile's review against another edition
3.0
The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm is a book of friendship, grief, love, unconditional love of animals and healing. The beginning of the story is a little depressing, but the tone soon changes. This is a story about people struggling with their grief which can be overwhelming. Amy, Bridget, and Hazel became friends after meeting in the hospital cafeteria. Each one had a parent going through chemotherapy. Nichole is the fourth member of their group and is fortunate that her father’s cancer is in remission. The four ladies meet each Sunday for a potluck meal and friendship therapy. Amy is having a hard time handling her grief over the loss of her mother. This is Amy’s third funeral in less than a year and it is wearing her down. She is hoping that by returning to work, her life will return to normal. Brigit just lost her mother and is handling her grief by keeping busy. Brigit refuses to talk about her grief. She becomes involved with the local animal shelter and becomes determined to make sure every dog is adopted by Valentine’s Day which is in two weeks. The three friends get recruited to help Brigit pull off this massive endeavor. Amy has a new girl in her second-grade class who has just moved to Anchorage with her father. The child just lost her mother to cancer. Amy notices the girl does not talk in class nor smile. Amy wants to help the little girl and contacts the child’s father. There is an instant spark of attraction between Amy and the father. But there is an issue that prevents them from moving forward. As Amy gets involved in activities, her grief lessens. We follow Amy and Bridgit as the deal with their grief in their own way. The Sunday Potluck Club is an uplifting story. I enjoyed the Valentine’s Day event at the animal shelter. It was a cute idea and a good way for people to interact with the animals (and help them find forever homes). I would have liked more details on the characters as well as Anchorage. It would have added more depth to the story. There are several good lessons in this story. That each person handles grief in their own way, you should be honest with your friends, and grief takes time. I liked that the ladies were close friends and willing to help each other out at a moment’s notice. People who are there for you no matter what are true friends. The animals sounded like such cuties. The author’s word imagery really brought them life. You can tell that Melissa Storm has animals of her own from her descriptions. The Sunday Potluck Club is an emotional novel with first class friends, agonizing grief, scrumptious potluck, furry friends, fun forts, and a cold climate.
cassiesnextchapter's review against another edition
2.0
Four women met in the cafeteria of the hospital where each was spending time with a parent undergoing chemotherapy. A year later, they are grappling with loss and grief and how to support each other. They turn to having weekly potlucks to connect and heal, while also striving to find meaning in their daily activities.
While the author is tackling a very worthwhile and difficult subject in dealing with grief, the pace and flow of the story just didn't draw me in. The sentence structure felt a bit choppy and lacking descriptive elements to really connect me to the characters. Perhaps the book in its entirety will be more developed and heartfelt, but as it is, the story left me wanting more substance.
This was an excerpt for The Sunday Potluck Club. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance copy excerpt in exchange for an honest review.
While the author is tackling a very worthwhile and difficult subject in dealing with grief, the pace and flow of the story just didn't draw me in. The sentence structure felt a bit choppy and lacking descriptive elements to really connect me to the characters. Perhaps the book in its entirety will be more developed and heartfelt, but as it is, the story left me wanting more substance.
This was an excerpt for The Sunday Potluck Club. Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the advance copy excerpt in exchange for an honest review.
booklover1974's review against another edition
I have one word for this book: Yawn! I put it down at 44% because I was so bored. Nothing happened in the story and the characters were not interesting.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for kindly providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
zeunicorn's review against another edition
4.0
A quick and fun read! It felt like watching a Hallmark movie, perfect for the beginning of the summer!
tennisgirl27's review against another edition
3.0
Not a horrible book but the plot and characters just didn’t pull me in. For that reason I give this an average 3.5/5.
purrfectpages's review against another edition
This book had decent ratings and a plot with potential, so I gave it a chance. However I’m about 25% in and nothing is happening. The characters are lifeless and the premise doesn’t even seem to be what the book is actually about. When I went back and looked at the reviews again I noticed many people were reviewing the excerpt, not the book itself. That’s misleading since not as many people as I originally thought read the entire book.
andreanourse's review against another edition
4.0
A solid sweet romance! I loved the groups of four friends and the way they all interacted with and supported each other. Can’t wait to read the next one!