Reader By The Water

Come to book club.

If you loved the book.

If you thought the book was okay.

If you hated the book.

If you didn’t even crack the book.

I know “book” is in the name, but it’s not really about the book.

It’s about the club.

The book is just the excuse.

Well, that and the food.

📚❤️

What’s the real reason you’d join a book club: the books, the people, or the food?

This wasn’t on my radar until Keri ( ) posted her review. Thanks to for the review copies of the ebook and audiobook.

I chose the audio and loved that each POV had a different narrator. That thoughtful choice made it easy to follow when the story shifted between chapters.

I’d call this “easy family drama” (and I think I owe Keri credit for that phrase, too). Not too heavy, not too light. Good drama, compelling family dynamics, but nothing that leaves you feeling overly angsty. The plot moved along nicely, and I found myself invested in each of the Simon women as they worked through motherhood, family expectations, and the messy reality of being human.

A funny reading-life coincidence: I recently read YESTERYEAR, which also featured an influencer who was glossy on the surface and scratchy underneath. I always enjoy spotting unexpected themes across completely unrelated books.

Content note for miscarriage, which is handled with compassion and care.

If you enjoy family-centered stories with multiple perspectives, complicated relationships, and plenty to discuss, this would make a solid book club pick. Serve with a relish tray and drinks mixed with a heavy pour.

(Pictured is Eddie’s Supper Club in Great Falls, MT, that I thought of often while reading this novel.)