Review: Ladies' Night

Summary: Take a splash of betrayal, add a few drops of outrage, give a good shake to proper behavior and take a big sip of a cocktail called…Ladies' Night!

Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool.  Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style.  Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal.  So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality.  When their “divorce coach” starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined.  Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?  

Heartache, humor, and a little bit of mystery come together in a story about life’s unpredictable twists and turns.  Mary Kay Andrews' Ladies' Night will have you raising a glass and cheering these characters on. -- St. Martin's Press

I'm beginning to think it wouldn't be summer if I didn't read a book by Mary Kay Andrews. Ms. Andrews has quickly become one of my go-to authors for beach/pool reads. Her new novel is called LADIES' NIGHT, and I think it's safe to say that her fans will once again be happy with the result.

Quite simply, LADIES' NIGHT is just a fun book that takes you away and let's you forget about life. (I told you it's perfect for a summer read!) The story begins when Grace discovers that her husband has been having an affair and subsequently freaks out. She actually ends of driving his sports car into the swimming pool! Prior to learning about her husband's infidelity, Grace seemingly has it all -- a huge house gorgeously decorated, lots of money, and a terrific job as a blogger. However, life as she knows it takes a drastic turn and she ends up living with her mom above a bar; and she loses her business, blog, house, name, etc. to her husband and his fling!

As a result of Grace's freak out, she is sent to a court mandated "divorce recovery" therapy session to help her deal with her anger. There she meets some bitterly scorned women along with a guy that captures her interest. When all of the attendees start thinking that something isn't quite right with the therapist, they start having their own "therapy" meetings at Grace's mom's bar. Together, they form a unique bond and end up working through many of their problems.

LADIES' NIGHT had a little something for everyone -- some revenge, some heartache, some romance, and even some mystery; and I shouldn't forget to mention that this novel also had a lot of humor! I thought the story was a hoot and I pretty much flew through it despite its 450+ pages. (Having said that, I do think it could have been a little shorter without losing anything!) I loved the characters and their interactions, and I would definitely say that the story was chock full of funny moments.

One element of the story that was a little unique for me for a Mary Kay Andrews book was the mystery. It wasn't a huge aspect of the story, but I did enjoy it and found it interesting. Many of you probably know that Ms. Andrews also writes mysteries under the name Kathy Hogan Trocheck, and I thought it was cute that she kind of combined her two book styles in LADIES' NIGHT.

Don't get me wrong -- I love escape books; however, LADIES' NIGHT also had a little bit of substance thrown in with all the fun. As a result, it could be picked for a book club discussion. I found this reading guide on the author's website which has seventeen interesting questions. Some of the themes you might want to explore include marriage, resentment, forgiveness, acceptance, therapy, love, betrayal, and friendship.

Don't let summer go by without picking up a copy of LADIES' NIGHT!

Thanks to the author for providing a review copy of this novel.