User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
THREE, it’s good but not dramatic, heartbreaking, tear jerker, ugly crier or so memorable kind of story, I was expecting something more moving, shaking, captivating but I think this is too sweet, soft and fast reading for me STARS!
I think I'm having a bad day as a grader. Lately I read five starred books so my likeness level reached to the top. With the fascinating and mind-bending releases of this month, my expectation level and satisfaction levels pushed up and hit the ceiling!
As soon as I saw the name Elizabeth Berg, the author of “The Story of Arthur Truluv”, I clicked the request button and next day I miraculously saw the book on my shelf, felt like NetGalley genies left their bottles to make my wish come true! I literally danced as a celebration. I have never been delightful so long from since I had seen my husband’s pale face when I’d ordered two hundred books online after having so much Chardonnay!
But my dreams turned into sleepless, boring nights with frustration and disappointment after reading several pages. Concept is: a book club’s gatherings turns into a confession club. No they didn’t bring a priest and a booth on their meetings. They just share a meal and desert and then voila A SECRET!
I had several books lately with the same concept. On “Never have I ever”: they were also sharing their dirty little secrets after several heavy drinks later which ended with the tragedy. And on “Rumor”: They also gossiped about a serial killer’s moving of their town at their book club meeting. As a thriller concept, this plot worked always better for me but as an emotional, women fiction, I had hard time to connect with the characters and their compelling stories. Only Iris’ story a little got my attention but it wasn’t so effective at least it was not effective enough to rip a piece of my heart like some emotional books had already did before!
I think the writing style didn’t work for me, too. This reminded me of a book consisted of short, moving, remarkable life stories but I couldn’t focus on any of these characters. And sharing your big secret voluntarily without thinking a second after a desert instead of blurting out after too much Dirty Martini didn’t work for me, too. But that’s my opinion because in my personal life, I’m always good listener but not a good secret whisperer (of course this changes If I’d had gallons of Cabernet)
It’s a smooth, fast, lack of edginess and angst book! Something darker and heart-wrenching is always my better fit but it doesn’t mean it’s a bad book. I was just expecting better one when I compare it with the author’s previous works. (So I danced and hurt my feet for nothing! Shame!)
Thanks to NetGalley, Random House to share ARC COPY with me in exchange of my honest rev
Rating: really liked it
3.5 stars
This was a quick read and one that I knew would be sweet and uplifting, given the first two books in the series. I was not disappointed on my return visit to Mason, Missouri, and with some characters that I connected with in the first two books. I’d go back if Berg writes another. My favorite is still the first book The Story of Arthur Truluv and I liked this one more than the second book Night of Miracles . One of my favorite scenes is the flashback that Maddie whose character appears in all of the novels, has about Arthur. I remember how how hard it was for Maddie until Arthur and Lucille took her in as a pregnant teen without a soul on her side.
The confessions of a group of friends at first seemed a little too frivolous and I admit to rolling my eyes in the first chapter, but then as Elizabeth Berg does, she brings to the forefront, the very real and tough things that people face. Loneliness, infidelity, burdens that people carried, homelessness, ptsd, a traumatic childhood, coming to terms with who you are after divorce, facing ones age and mortality. A group therapy of sorts, filled with humor at times, friendship and care and definitely trust! I can’t say that a confession club is one I’d be interested in personally, but the friendship and trust and caring was so heartening to see. I find that these stories of small towns are usually rich in characters that I cant help but love, even the quirky ones, reflecting so much that we can relate to. I expected that it would be predictable and uplifting as the the first books were but I think sometimes that I read too many sobering and serious books, so for me it was a welcome respite. All in all, it was a good story, good for the soul.
I read this with Diane and Esil and we were on the same page literally as well as in our thoughts.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Random House through NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
The Confession Club, by Elizabeth Berg, is a quiet, gentle story that ended up being a bit too boring for me, at this time, on this day. I suspect there are times in my life that this would have been just what I need and I did care about the people in the story. But today, my mind wandered, and I felt anxious to move on, as I read this story. This is the third story in a series and although I almost never do this, I read this third book without reading the first two books. I suspect that I would be much more invested in this town and the people, if I had started the series at the beginning. And that is what I will do, go back and read the first two books in order, and give this third book a try, at a later date.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Random House and NetGalley for this ARC.
Rating: really liked it
Supper Club becomes Confession Club in this book where various women from Mason, Missouri come together to share their secrets, insecurities, and intimate desires. What is said in Confession club stays in Confession Club! The group invites Iris Winters and Maddy Harris (from the previous books in the series) to join them, and the club is just what these women needed.
Maddy has returned to Mason to escape a problem that she is not ready to handle. Iris is conflicted about her relationship with the new man in her life. Could the confession club be what they need to help them through and provide them with the support.
I have enjoyed Maddy since meeting her as a pregnant teenager in The Story of Arthur Truluv and enjoyed meeting Iris in Night of Miracles. I enjoyed seeing more of them in this book but wanted just a little more oomph in their stories. Plus, I missed the beautiful passages that were in the previous books. Although this book was well written it didn't have the beautiful and moving passages I often highlighted in Night of Miracles.
This book was part feel good, part humor, part companionship, part heartache, part friendship, part community and part family. It had a little bit of everything and yet I felt something was lacking. I still enjoyed it and would read another book in this series (if there is another book).
Besides reading about Maddy and Iris again, I enjoyed the new women introduced in this book. Their confessions gave insight into their personalities and lives. This book does deal with some heavy issues but in a light easy-going manner. It does not make light of those issues but addresses them in a lighter fashion.
This is a great book for that plane ride or lazy afternoon when you want a nice entertaining book. This one doesn't require much thinking, just reading. If you have read the other books in this series, this book is a nice addition but, in my opinion, not as eloquent as her previous book.
Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Rating: really liked it
Predictable, comfort food yes, but she tackled the many problems facing women today and used different age groups to do so. Self doubt, assisted suicide, the aging body, the mistakes made in the past that continue to haunt, street people and the problems facing returning vets.. Her books are easy-going, quick reads, told in a light hearted manner. One comes to really root for her characters, hard not to like them. She also has small town living down to a T. In many ways she could be describing the block I live on, we really do all help each other.
I loved the character of Ollie, a first woman in her ninties, who though she is a Cardinals fan, wears a Cubs cap because she feels bad for them and their fans.
I do have to say that her prose and the circumstances are sometimes over the top, treacly and a bit much. Still, they are enjoyable breaks, and a welcome relief after many of the difficult reads I've undertaken lately.
Read with my two book buddies, Angela and Esil whose insights are always valuable..
ARC from Random house.
Rating: really liked it
As a member of two book clubs with only women, I see up close how we share and rely on each other. And we’re the same ages as the older members of The Confession Club. “Not young anymore, not old, but looking down at old like it’s a pool she’s going to have to dive into soon.”
I’m not sure I would be as brave or foolhardy as Iris, befriending John. But I loved that storyline.
The writing is gorgeous and there are some wonderful ideas, like a psychic divorce. The book reminds me in some ways of Olive Kitteridge. We get a variety of characters, each dealing with their own issues. They provide a support network for each other. They’re the kind of friends you want for yourself.
This book makes you think. It’s the right mix of humor and pathos. There’s no heavy drama, no tearjerker scenes. It’s just quietly thoughtful.
My thanks to netgalley and Random House for an advance copy of this book.
Rating: really liked it
This is a type of book I don't usually read but Elizabeth Berg's "The Story of Arthur Truluv" was pressed upon me by a lot of people like stones were pressed upon Giles Corey. Just the name "Truluv" broke my cute meter. But unlike poor Giles, I was left smiling. I was pleasantly surprised; I really liked it. I gave it four stars and noted that while Berg's writing is so simple it reads like a primer, the characters are loveable and it's a quick and satisfying read.
This is #3 in the series she began with "Truluv" but it's not necessary to have read the other two, although if you're going to pick one, pick 1. This book is simple and sweet and there are fond reminders of Truluv and Lucille. The women of the Confession Club are kind and well-meaning. Their confessions made me feel like I've lived a life of unbridled hedonism since they're mea culping over stealing makeup or kissing a guy in high school who rode a motorcycle. And they say things like: "I learned what you've got to start with is you." Okay, they're sheltered. As long as I don't have to know who they vote for, that's fine.
The book is like a marshmallow. I never want to be so cynical I can't let go and enjoy a heartwarming book with earnest characters who put money in a swear jar (I'd have to use direct deposit), who really care about macaroni salad and donating to the library, and take classes such as "When Chocolate Meets Peanut Butter." It's a charming book. "The Confession Club" will make a lot of women happy, give them the kind of escape they crave and make for some fun book club meetings where they recreate the cakes the ladies in the club serve. Heartwarming, here, is good.
Rating: really liked it
In this installment of the Mason, Missouri series, a Supper Club turns into a Confession Club, where the women disclose the secret parts of their lives. Intimacy grows when we learn that our friends aren’t perfect and we all carry these things inside of us. “That’s what life is, at its best. A confession club: people admitting to doubts and fears and failures. That’s what brings us closer to one another, our imperfections.”
I love Elizabeth Berg because her writing often gives a voice to what’s in my heart, but she says it much more eloquently than I could.
Unfortunately, of the 3 books in this series, this was my least favorite. I loved that the club had members of varying ages, including ‘women of a certain age’. However, the confessions often fell into the silly (stealing make-up) or the TMI (sex lives) category, and none of the characters are well-developed enough for me to care. There’s also a side story with a homeless man that made my eyes roll.
Although deep issues are raised they were given a light treatment. It’s sweet and heartwarming and perfect for when you want a predictable sweet read. For me, it was just too much of both. I’m the wrong reader for this book. It was ok, but unmemorable.
* I received a digital copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
Rating: really liked it
The Confession Club is a fun and fast read, much like a beach read. It’s a heartwarming and comfortable story about friendship, love, honesty, and second chances. While this is the third book in the Mason Series, it is a completely a stand-alone story and Berg fills in any missing details that you need to know. Just be warned that whether you read the first two books or not, you may find the beginning rather confusing like I did even though I read Books 1 (The Story of Arthur Truluv) and 2 (Night of Miracles).
It was not easy for me to become engaged with this book and the characters. The first chapter introduced eight people, none of which were in the first two books, and I wasn’t able to get a feel for any of them. With chapter 2, the focus honed in on two main characters and I began to enjoy the story. What wasn’t clear to me while reading chapter 1 was that all of the eight new people were secondary or actually tertiary in importance.
The book tells of a group of people that began as a supper club and has evolved into a confession club where women share their insecurities and regrets in a nonjudgmental setting.
Naturally, it was endlessly fascinating, what people confessed to. There was a saying someone shared at an early meeting: The truth is always interesting. So, too, an honest confession. And it wasn’t necessarily the sin that was interesting; it was the willingness to say, There. Have a good look at my imperfections. It made you feel better about your own.”That’s what life is, at its best. A confession club: people admitting to doubts and fears and failures. That’s what brings us closer to one another, our imperfections.“But to say out loud our missteps or inadequacies—to confess in an honest way and to be lovingly heard—well, that’s the kind of redemption we need on a regular basis.”The reader will find, throughout the book, insights from everyday people and truisms about everyday life, which makes The Confession Club very real, relatable and at times inspirational.
All around are broken people, doing the best they can. And getting better.“The only way to get out of that darkness is to go into it,” Karen says. “That’s how you can come out the other side. You’re going to have to hurt more before you finally feel better.”For me, the story was not about the confession club but rather about Iris, who we met in Night of Miracles and her relationship with a homeless man named John, a vet with PTSD. While Iris is well developed, I didn’t feel like I got to know John that well but maybe that’s in keeping with his character because he has PTSD and isn’t forthcoming with details about his life. For both of them, they get a second chance at love with each other.
When she abruptly revealed her feelings for John at Confession Club, and revealed as well a kind of shame at feeling this way about a homeless man, Joanie said, “Did you ever hear that Elaine May quote ‘The only safe thing is to take a chance’?”While The Confession Club is entertaining, I found the first two books more enjoyable and satisfying. In fact, The Story of Arthur Truluv is a wonderful book that everyone needs to read. What? You haven’t read it? Well, get to it!
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Rating: really liked it
3.5 Stars
This is the third installment of the series of books which began with the beautiful and outstanding The Story of Arthur Truluv and was followed by the touching Night of Miracles. While the two successive books are lovely reads, for me they do not measure up to the 5 star quality of the first book. They each can be read as standalones, but you are doing yourself a disservice by not reading The Story of Arthur Truluv first.
For a brief recap, in the first book Arthur is an elderly grieving widower who visits his wife at the cemetery daily, eating lunch by her grave. Unknowingly, troubled teenager Maddy has regularly found refuge in the cemetery and has witnessed Arthur from afar. When they finally meet it's the spark that creates a kind of new family for Arthur, who was never able to have children with his deceased wife. Maddy is pregnant and abandoned by her boyfriend, and Arthur takes her into his home. Next door, another lonely and elderly neighbor Lucille often invites Arthur to sit on her porch, enticing him with her extraordinary baking skills. Like Maddy, Lucille eventually winds up living in Arthur's home. They are excited about the baby coming and these three friends have helped quell each other's loneliness.
In the second book Arthur has passed away, leaving the house to Maddy. She had the baby and named it after Arthur's wife, Nola. However, Maddy is now engaged to her college professor and Lucille is living alone in the house. She's created a baking class business run out of the house which is thriving, but she's been visited by an angel lately. How inconvenient when she's not quite ready to die! As the book progresses Lucille recruits a women named Iris Winters to help with the baking classes. She's a divorcee and harbors regrets about not being able to have a child.
As this third installment begins, Lucille has passed on and Iris now lives in the house, running the baking class business Lucille had started. Maddy married her college professor and lives in New York, thought to be a better locale to promote her fledgling photography passion. However, Maddy suddenly returns, daughter Nola in tow, wanting to live in this cozy town of Mason, Missouri again. Maddy is really worried about telling her husband that she wants to move back to the neighborhood she considers home. However, a delightful part of the book is the one which titles this book, "The Confession Club". This club has meetings held in each member's house where a wonderful meal including dessert (especially dessert!!) is served, but the really important part comes when whoever's turn it is makes a confession. These confessions are really blatant and exposing and they certainly have to trust each other... I must say! They were quite entertaining to read about, but it seemed like for the confessor it was a catharsis getting it off their chest. They got to talk it out with their beloved friends, take in different points of view and if needed, emotional support. These confessions were unexpected and funny, but something that all of us can relate to.
Another main story in the book was Iris's burgeoning relationship with a much older homeless man. John was a Vietnam vet in his sixties that was quite handsome and engaging; people were drawn to him. His marriage broke up decades ago due to PTSD from the war. He now is adept at surviving off the grid, earning money at transient jobs, hitchhiking, and maintaining a clean presentation despite his living situation. He has taken up at an abandoned property which Iris happened upon while out driving, lured to it by some flowers she wanted to cut and take home. While I found this character very intriguing, this union somehow didn't ring true to me. I kept rooting for them, but the ending left this reader hanging. And then with a cynical sigh I surmised that this is probably going to book 4 in the series to resolve.
I really enjoy this author's writing style, but each successive book in this series has gradually left me wanting just a little bit more. I did enjoy reading this book and revisiting the neighbors of Mason, Missouri, but I keep going back to the first book as my favorite.
Thank you to Random House Publishing for providing an advance reader copy via NetGalley.
Rating: really liked it
What a sweet uplifting story that just made me feel good! A perfect palate cleanser from all those twisted thrillers. Good people behaving kindly, rather than despicable people behaving badly. This is the third book in this small town series that takes place in Mason Missouri. All three books can be read as standalones, but I strongly encourage you to read the first book “The Story of Arthur Trueluv”, it is the true gem in this series. This story as well as the second in the series are both very sweet however not quite as special.
In this book we are reunited with some familiar characters, Iris who we met in the second book as well as Maddie who has been in all three books. We are also introduced to many new characters including the ladies of the “confession club“. This was a group of ladies who met weekly and confess their secrets to this supportive group of friends. Iris and Maddie are the newest members of the club and it is good timing because they both need a little support. Iris has recently fallen for an unlikely Man and Maddie is struggling with telling her husband that she wants to move back home. Elizabeth Berg is so good at creating that small town vibe. I just loved how kind and supportive these characters were. I also loved the impact that Arthur still has on these characters and this community. Such a lovely feel good story, can’t wait to see what’s next in store for this charming small town.
This book in emojis 📖 ☕️ 🍰 🐶
*** Big thanks to Random House for my copy of this book ***
Rating: really liked it
There's a certain type of story or book that I classify as a "Good Housekeeping" tale. This moniker comes from my childhood, when I would read stories from my mother's magazines such as Redbook and Good Housekeeping. I haven't read either of those magazines in many years, so what I remember from way, WAY back then may not still hold true, but this is my memory: Redbook stories were often edgy, with subjects and endings that didn't conform to a set pattern, and although certainly not what I would call risqué, the themes were definitely adult. I loved them. Good Housekeeping stories, on the other hand, were usually much more predictable. The stories were mostly wholesome, romantic, boy-meets-girl tales, with tied-up-in-a-neat-little-bow endings. Entertaining enough, but a little boring and often sweet enough to set your teeth on edge.
Can you tell where I'm going with this? This was my first Elizabeth Berg novel, and it's going in the "Good Housekeeping" stack. But don't get the wrong idea. I really did like the book. It was well-written, it kept my interest, and I finished it quickly. It was just slightly too sweet and neat for me.
I didn't realize that this was number three in a series until after I had read it. To the author's and the book's credit, it was a good stand-alone story, with no need to know anything about the previous books to make this one readable.
The story is set in the small town of Mason, Missouri. Several women from the town, ranging in ages from their 20’s to their 80’s meet once a month to have dinner and dessert and delight and disarm each other with secrets they want to “confess.” These confessions include predictable situations such as marriage woes and other “normal” indiscretions. A couple of admissions are a tad heavier and sometimes funnier. But the Confession Club isn’t really the focus of the book. The lives of the group members, their loneliness, their family problems and their love stories, or lack thereof, are the main themes.
My favorite part of the novel revolved around a homeless man named John and his background. I found his story to be touching and thought-provoking. Unfortunately, the author didn’t delve deeply enough into John’s particular situation; there were teasers, but nothing substantial. He was a veteran with PTSD, yet this was glossed over so lightly, when it could have been a strong, substantial storyline itself. Ah, but that’s not the Good Housekeeping way. That would have made it hard to tie up everything in a neat package with a sparkly, sugary bow.
I know I’m being extremely critical of a good, decent book. And I certainly don’t want to spread any negative vibes about Good Housekeeping magazine; it was, and still is, I’m sure, a wonderful publication, with much to offer besides my memories of stories from 55 or so years ago!
I think this would be a good beach read, and I greatly appreciate Ms. Berg’s use of the English language. She is a wonderful writer, even if her story was not my style. I doubt that I’ll read any of her other books, but I do recommend this one to those who don’t want to dig too deeply into a story. If I could give this 3.5 stars, I would. It’s certainly better than a 3 star, but I just can’t push it up to a 4.
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Rating: really liked it
Such a warm and inviting atmosphere Elizabeth Berg has created in this book! I loved the time I spent with the ladies of The Confession Club. A group of friends started out having a monthly supper club, but later it became a weekly meeting where they shared their most embarrassing secrets. The ladies are great friends and don't have to fear anyone in the group will tell their secrets outside of the group. The story is set in the small community of Mason, Missouri and is filled with that small-town sense of friendliness and charm. A very heartwarming and enjoyable read.
Thanks to Elizabeth Berg and Random House Publishing Group through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Rating: really liked it
The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg is the third instalment in the Arthur Truluv series. Reading the two previous novels would be helpful in becoming familiar with the characters. Speaking of characters, there are so many of them that the reader can be easily confused. Although I have been an avid reader of Elizabeth Berg novels, I feel that the last few seem overly charming and cute. A group of women in Mason, Missouri belong to a club where, each month, one of the members confesses to the other members some kind of secret or indiscretion or shameful tidbit. Hence the title of the book. Two new members, Iris and Mandy, join the group and are soon divulging their secrets. This idyllic small town is represented as having only kind, helpful, sympathetic and friendly inhabitants which, in the real world, we know is not always so. If you are looking for a quick and light read, this is the book for you. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: really liked it
At the foundation of this third Mason book is a club where women eat a satisfying home-cooked meal together (with a yummy dessert) and then one member confesses per week. The intimacy a group gains by investing in those two activities is well depicted in the narrative. Reading this series is almost as good as actually visiting a small town in the Bible belt. As the timeline has advanced we lost some dear characters like Arthur in Book 1 and Lucille in Book 2, but that gives others the opportunity to grow and engage our affections. Getting to spend more time with Iris, Maddy, and Nola was delightful. The addition of a homeless vet into this book was an opportunity to explore the continued fallout from Vietnam. I will look forward to a fourth book and hope we get a character like Arthur or Lucille to shine in the next one.
