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deanab's review
3.0
Thank you Net Galley and HarperCollins Publishing for the ARC. The idea for this book was intriguing. I did not know that there was such a thing as divorce ranches in 1930’s Nevada. The story of Ward, one of the Cowboys that worked at The Flying Leap Ranch was interesting; however, I would have preferred to learn a little more about how the ranches were run, the women who sought refuge there while awaiting their divorces rather than the very limited story of Ward and Emily. Overall, it was a good read and did compel me to do some research on the divorce ranches out of curiosity but would have liked the book to expand a little more on the concept.
mbedrosian's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
stephaniedoke's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elizabeth_reads_on's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
arcookson's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
mcearl12's review
2.0
Good concept but I really disliked the writing style. Had to work to finish it.
shirleytupperfreeman's review
I loved Julia Claiborne Johnson's first novel, Be Frank With Me, so I was excited to see a second novel just coming out. Better Luck Next Time did not disappoint. The story begins in 1988 with retired doctor Howard Stovall Bennett III being interviewed about a picture and some events from fifty years ago. As a young man, Howard got a job posing as a cowboy on a 'ranch' designed for wealthy women seeking divorces. Howard was a driver and servant and someone pleasant to look at and talk to. One summer, two women, Nina and Emily, were among the group seeking divorces from their husbands. Nina was an adventure seeking pilot and Emily a quiet society woman with a philandering husband. Their friendship with Howard and each other alters all of their lives. This 'western' is a clever read incorporating the author's delightful sense of humor.
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Better Luck Next Time is told by Ward, a now elderly man looking back at the time he spent in the 1930s working as a ranch hand at the Flying Leap, one of Reno's divorce ranches, and the relationship that developed between him and two of the guests, roommates Nina, an independent aviator on her third visit, and shy sheltered Emily, unsure if leaving her husband was the right thing to do. Nina and Emily felt like archetypes, developed for their contrasting personalities and backstories, rather than fully rounded characters in their own right. Additionally, I really wanted to hear from the women directly rather than indirectly via a man. There's nothing wrong with the perspective of a male ranch hand. It just wasn't what I wanted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Infidelity
Minor: Death of parent