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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!
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Title: The Sunday Potluck Club
Author: Melissa Storm
Series: The Sunday Potluck Club #1
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 2.50
Pub Date: March 31, 2020
I received a complimentary eARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Wholesome • Quick • Lighthearted
📖 S Y N O P S I S
New friends can be found in unexpected places. For Bridget and Amy, that place was the cancer ward of an Anchorage hospital. Now, as each struggles to overcome loss, they lean on each other for support—sharing suppers, laughter and tears.
Bridget and Amy aren’t about to let hardship knock them down—Bridget plans to return to her veterinarian school studies, Amy to her position as a second-grade teacher—but neither feels quite ready. And so the Sunday Potluck Club is born, a way for Bridget, Amy, and other women who have lost a loved one to find solace and understanding. Savoring favorite dishes while sharing memories and the comfort of connection, the members of the Sunday Potluck Club nourish body and soul.
As weeks go by and the group grows in unforeseen ways, both Bridget and Amy are inspired to find greater purpose. Amy reaches out to a student whose father bravely faces his own struggle. Bridget volunteers at the local animal shelter, rehabilitating dogs whose unconditional love will bring others a chance to heal. And with the help of two special men, Bridget and Amy are realizing that there’s always room at the table for love and rekindled joy...
💭 T H O U G H T S
I thought the idea of The Sunday Potluck Club sounded like it would make a fantastic, heartwarming read. As someone who has witnessed the importance of community in grief, I loved the concept of a group of people coming together to help one another through their grief. Unfortunately, the marketing was misleading, as the 'club' plays such a small role in the plot that I was left disappointed.
I had two major issues. Firstly, the book is very surface level and lacks the emotional depth I craved. There's a huge focus on the 'getting better' after grief and that definitely didn't sit well with me. While it tried to show that everyone grieves differently, there was so much judgement and doing things 'right' mentioned that it just didn't sit right with me. Secondly, there are major issues with Amy's professional boundaries that play a huge part of the plot. I understand her desire to help, but there are better ways to go about things, and it often seemed like she was overstepping as Olivia's teacher. Maybe it was my inability to suspend my belief, but the whole thing felt unrealistic.
The Sunday Potluck Club is a quick, lighthearted read that became some repetitive, yet still had me rooting for the characters and shows the importance of community in grief. However, in my opinion, it would have much better without the romance, focusing on the friendships and the Sunday potlucks. It didn't have the depth I craved and it's not likely I will continue with the series.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Hallmark movie enthusiasts
Author: Melissa Storm
Series: The Sunday Potluck Club #1
Genre: Women's Fiction
Rating: 2.50
Pub Date: March 31, 2020
I received a complimentary eARC from Kensington Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted #Ad
T H R E E • W O R D S
Wholesome • Quick • Lighthearted
📖 S Y N O P S I S
New friends can be found in unexpected places. For Bridget and Amy, that place was the cancer ward of an Anchorage hospital. Now, as each struggles to overcome loss, they lean on each other for support—sharing suppers, laughter and tears.
Bridget and Amy aren’t about to let hardship knock them down—Bridget plans to return to her veterinarian school studies, Amy to her position as a second-grade teacher—but neither feels quite ready. And so the Sunday Potluck Club is born, a way for Bridget, Amy, and other women who have lost a loved one to find solace and understanding. Savoring favorite dishes while sharing memories and the comfort of connection, the members of the Sunday Potluck Club nourish body and soul.
As weeks go by and the group grows in unforeseen ways, both Bridget and Amy are inspired to find greater purpose. Amy reaches out to a student whose father bravely faces his own struggle. Bridget volunteers at the local animal shelter, rehabilitating dogs whose unconditional love will bring others a chance to heal. And with the help of two special men, Bridget and Amy are realizing that there’s always room at the table for love and rekindled joy...
💭 T H O U G H T S
I thought the idea of The Sunday Potluck Club sounded like it would make a fantastic, heartwarming read. As someone who has witnessed the importance of community in grief, I loved the concept of a group of people coming together to help one another through their grief. Unfortunately, the marketing was misleading, as the 'club' plays such a small role in the plot that I was left disappointed.
I had two major issues. Firstly, the book is very surface level and lacks the emotional depth I craved. There's a huge focus on the 'getting better' after grief and that definitely didn't sit well with me. While it tried to show that everyone grieves differently, there was so much judgement and doing things 'right' mentioned that it just didn't sit right with me. Secondly, there are major issues with Amy's professional boundaries that play a huge part of the plot. I understand her desire to help, but there are better ways to go about things, and it often seemed like she was overstepping as Olivia's teacher. Maybe it was my inability to suspend my belief, but the whole thing felt unrealistic.
The Sunday Potluck Club is a quick, lighthearted read that became some repetitive, yet still had me rooting for the characters and shows the importance of community in grief. However, in my opinion, it would have much better without the romance, focusing on the friendships and the Sunday potlucks. It didn't have the depth I craved and it's not likely I will continue with the series.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Hallmark movie enthusiasts
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Cancer, and Grief
death of partner