In
The Scarlet Letter Society, three smart successful women meet monthly for an early breakfast book club... not that unusual, until you realize that the books are all about women having extramarital affairs, and the women have this in common in their real lives as well.
As with most book clubs, the book talk is quickly abandoned for real life talk, and in this case sex and relationship talk. It is dishy and fun and insightful, and sometimes yes touching.
My bloggy buddy Mary McCarthy, semi-famous for
Pajamas and Coffee, has FINALLY published her first novel, and the timing is perfect... this is an ideal summer read, a fast, fun, sexy, chatty beach book.
Besides being a breezy read and interesting take on grown-up relationships, this
Scarlet Letter is loaded with self aware pop culture references... a book with people talking about books, with poppy references from
Sixteen Candles to the Eagles to Stevie Wonder to Erica Jong... if I didn't love my 70s and 80s shallow pop culture I may think was too much, but so not an issue for me at all... never enough!
In
The Scarlet Letter Society, there is wit, there is humour, there is sex, and most importantly there are three women who think they're slutty but may just be lonely; okay, one of them is totally slutty, but in a wonderfully charming bi-curious kind of way.
Between monthly book club breakfasts we follow each woman's life; Eva the lonely attorney with a chef on the side, Maggie the vintage retailer with her ex on the side, and Lisa the baker with a different kind of secret. You will come to adore them all.
And yes there is a totally fabulous gay best friend, who has a totally sweet gay wedding to his boyfriend ALFRED!
Put this one on top of your summer reading list, and spend some time with these fun, fascinating, fidelity-challenged women, and their friends and lovers, in
The Scarlet Letter Society...
Disclaimer: the publisher sent me a digital copy of this book. This review is my own, no compensation was received. Jelly beans would have been nice.