When cocktails once a week isn't enough, three friends form the Cocktail Club-but what begins as social drinking quickly morphs into something far more sinister.
Ivee Henderson is a media consultant accustomed to being in control. But when her drinking goes from casual to reckless, she's forced to pay a price that's higher than any check she could ever write.
A stay-at-home mom, Darby Jaxon is fed up with her life. She starts secretly drinking to get through each day and to hide her dirty little secret: the fact that she can't stop thinking about the drunk driver who killed her sister-mainly because she's drawn to him like a moth to a flame.
For single mom Peta Nixon, under the influence is the only way she can stomach her ex-husband. Since their separation (because of his bed-hopping habits), they can't seem to keep their hands off each other-that is, until one night, when her drinking ends it all for good.
Everything is more manageable after a few drinks-or so it seems for the ladies in The Cocktail Club. Problems shrink, work is less stressful, and love finally has clarity. But is drinking really the answer or is a dark payback waiting for them at the bottom of each cocktail?
This is the story of three very different friends with hectic lives. Ivee Henderson is married and determined to continue have a successful career. Darby Jaxon is a housewife smothered by her penny pinching husband. Peta Nixon is a divorced entrepreneur and single mom. The girlfriends have a standing date each week, Thursday night happy hour, to share some cocktails, have fun, and decompress. I became vested in each character as their lives unfolded on the pages. Their tight knit group begins to disintegrate when using alcohol as an escape moves beyond Thursday nights. Each woman faces her own day of reckoning as alcohol influences their choices and decisions.
I loved that each of the women had lives that were completely different and had different challenges. The women had a sisterhood that was tight even when they were going through the bad times. The author did a great job of weaving in that thread of unity and love among women throughout the book. The women refused to stop reaching out and leave anyone alone as they struggled to overcome their demons. There were a few too many background characters for me. I had to look back a couple of times to get a grasp of the identity of some characters and understand how they fit into the storyline. I also wish that there would have been more acknowledgement of the part that alcohol played in their lives spiraling out of control. I guess I wanted to see redemption. I wanted them to understand where they went wrong, acknowledge it, make amends, and craft a different life. That didn’t quite happen in this book. That might be because the author is leaving the door open for a part 2 which would be great because this one was filled with drama.
The women in this book represented a part of every woman. The part that yearns for more control of her life, a more adventurous sex life, more appreciation from family, more success in the workplace, and fulfillment of what I call the “Superwoman—I’m every woman” ideal. It’s something that many women chase, and this book shows the pitfalls of trying to obtain that elusive ideal. I enjoyed the stories, and I would definitely like to read more about each of the characters.
Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books
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31 October, 2014:
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