The Second Wives Club

Starred review from May 1, 2006
In the beginning, there was Olivia Goldsmith -s "The First Wives Club", a sympathetic look at former spouses. Now, this worthy successor takes up the cause of the -other women - and the problems created for them by those very first wives. Alison has the wedding of her dreams -until first wife Sophia barges in and leaves with the children. Fiona has to deal with a rebellious teenage stepson and his mother, who uses the boy as a pawn. Susan is constantly reminded that she can never live up to her husband -s deceased first wife. And Julia -s husband spends more time with his ex than with her. Alone, these women feel helpless and hopeless. Together, they form the Second Wives Club, a group that knows perfectly blended families are a myth and revenge is a dish best served cold -and often. Moore ("Love @ First Site") delivers humor with great panache, seasoning it with a delicious dash of poignancy. This wonderful friendship book joins the ranks of such odes to female empowerment and camaraderie as Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez -s "The Dirty Girls Social Club" and Haywood Smith -s "The Red Hat Club". [See Prepub Alert, "LJ" 2/1/06.]" -Shelley Mosley, Glendale Community Coll. Lib., AZ"

Copyright 2006 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2006
The Second Wives Club is made up of four women--Fiona, Alison, Julia and Susan--who are grappling with the specters of their predecessors. Fiona has to contend with a surly stepson whose mother is trying to turn him against her. Sofia, the ex-wife of Alison's new husband, Luca, is using their two children as weapons in order to manipulate Luca. Beautiful Julia is floored by her husband's insistence on maintaining a friendship with his first wife. Though not married to Nick, Susan lives with him and is raising his daughter, living in the shadow of her predecessor, the perfect Caitlin, who died tragically young. The women come together to support each other and help each other through their problems. Together they come up with ways to tackle their problems: Alison and Julia decide to confront the first wives, Fiona tries to befriend her stepson, and Susan makes a move to get Nick to appreciate her. Readers will eat up this fun, frothy novel to learn how the wives fare in their attempts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)