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kmthoennes's review against another edition
2.0
A bit too dramatic for my taste. I loved the friendship that developed between all the women but it was challenging to get through all of their issues. One or two would have been ok but for every single character to have a major life problem was a bit much.
erica_reads_itall's review against another edition
2.0
Five women from all walks of life support each other through trials and tribulations.
The good: The author does a good job of creating five very distinct main characters and a diverse cast of supporting characters without resorting too much to stereotype. The book flows well, particularly in its first two-thirds.
The bad: Each of the main characters has a conflict, and most of these conflicts are in some way ridiculous. Of course novels are novels, but (mild spoilers) is it reasonable for four out of five women to feel physically threatened by a romantic partner? In a town so small as to have only six restaurants, is there really a major media presence? And why does everybody care so much about a forty-three year old woman dating a thirty-six year old man? I could imagine any one of these questions having a reasonable answer if the author took the time to address it, but these things - violent, vindictive men; a community that is both metropolitan and insular; the obligation of a private citizen to explain her dating choices to everyone in her vicinity - are taken for granted. This does create a peculiar sort of momentum to the novel, but it was hard to be drawn into such far-fetched scenarios.
The verdict: I "read" it on audiobook, and it did make the time pass. I wouldn't have finished it in book form.
The good: The author does a good job of creating five very distinct main characters and a diverse cast of supporting characters without resorting too much to stereotype. The book flows well, particularly in its first two-thirds.
The bad: Each of the main characters has a conflict, and most of these conflicts are in some way ridiculous. Of course novels are novels, but (mild spoilers) is it reasonable for four out of five women to feel physically threatened by a romantic partner? In a town so small as to have only six restaurants, is there really a major media presence? And why does everybody care so much about a forty-three year old woman dating a thirty-six year old man? I could imagine any one of these questions having a reasonable answer if the author took the time to address it, but these things - violent, vindictive men; a community that is both metropolitan and insular; the obligation of a private citizen to explain her dating choices to everyone in her vicinity - are taken for granted. This does create a peculiar sort of momentum to the novel, but it was hard to be drawn into such far-fetched scenarios.
The verdict: I "read" it on audiobook, and it did make the time pass. I wouldn't have finished it in book form.
theresaalan41's review against another edition
2.0
This is a cute story of five women who meet on Fridays for lunch to talk about life. The rule is that calories don’t count, hence the title “Fat Fridays.” It was too sweet for my taste. Also, there were some clichés like “she had a body that wouldn’t quit.”
I think this was too syrupy sweet even for my grandmother. Sukie, the protagonist, is my age (early 40s), but seemed like she was from an entirely different era. If you want a sugary read, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.
For more of my reviews, please visit http://theresaalan.net/blog/
I think this was too syrupy sweet even for my grandmother. Sukie, the protagonist, is my age (early 40s), but seemed like she was from an entirely different era. If you want a sugary read, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this.
For more of my reviews, please visit http://theresaalan.net/blog/
lauraoinak's review against another edition
5.0
I enjoy books that delve into relationships and Fat Fridays is one of those titles.
Imagine a group of women who work at the same place and decide to have Friday lunch designated as "Fat Fridays" where you can order what you love rather than what you think you should be eating. Then add a friend of one of the women to the mix and see how her introduction to the women help to build a cohesive support group.
Ms. Keim does a great job engaging her readers and I love the locale (Atlanta suburbs)
When I finished this title I was longing for more. Thankfully, a sequel was ready to go to appease my desire to see this group of women grow through their struggles.
Imagine a group of women who work at the same place and decide to have Friday lunch designated as "Fat Fridays" where you can order what you love rather than what you think you should be eating. Then add a friend of one of the women to the mix and see how her introduction to the women help to build a cohesive support group.
Ms. Keim does a great job engaging her readers and I love the locale (Atlanta suburbs)
When I finished this title I was longing for more. Thankfully, a sequel was ready to go to appease my desire to see this group of women grow through their struggles.
mclizzy6710's review against another edition
2.0
I won this book in a goodreads giveaway on my kindle. I enjoyed the characters but there seemed to be a whole lot going on this book. I think it would have been better if it would have been split up into another book so it would have stayed a little more focused and could have gone into more details instead of everything thrown in together into one. Also there were various things that were constantly mentioned that didn't need to be like the difference in their ages being a big deal to Sukie. I just felt it wasn't necessary sometimes less is more.
nicolamichelle's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed this book. I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did but from the get go, I really warmed to each and every one of the characters and loved getting to know them more at the passing of each chapter. The community and the camaraderie of the group was so so lovely to read and I loved how they grew closer together whilst facing their individual hardships.
I loved how it was written, loved the story and grew connected to the characters and found myself invested in all of their stories and wanted nothing but the best for them all!
It was a beautiful book of friendship and strength and I can only hope I’ll find my own Fat Fridays group one day! Really great book and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely, feel good read.
I loved how it was written, loved the story and grew connected to the characters and found myself invested in all of their stories and wanted nothing but the best for them all!
It was a beautiful book of friendship and strength and I can only hope I’ll find my own Fat Fridays group one day! Really great book and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a lovely, feel good read.
jencook29's review against another edition
2.0
Although I appreciated the friendship aspects of this one...it wasn't well written and it was hard to follow. Promising but didn't deliver...
stuff4bd's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Given the title and the cover I was expecting more emphasis on food. These women vary in ages and circumstances but all are fairly privileged white women dealing with misogynistic men. While likeable the characters don’t have a lot of depth - scaling back on the number of friends and side stories might have helped
purdyflower14's review against another edition
3.0
I received this book free through a Goodreads Giveaway. I would give this book 2.5 stars if I could, but I gave it 3 since it was a fun, easy read. There were some things about it that I thought were unrealistic or seemed rather silly, but I still enjoyed the book.