The mother in law book club by Kate Hash

The Mother-in-Law Book Club by Kate Hash
⭐ 3.5/5 stars

There is something so lovely about an intergenerational friendship, especially when both generations have something to learn from each other. And that was, without question, my favorite part of The Mother-in-Law Book Club. In fact, I wish there had been more of it!

Andy is a successful corporate consultant in her late 30s, a solidly millennial woman whose personal life is falling apart. She’s going through a divorce from her pediatric oncologist husband, Thomas, and dealing with a particularly overbearing soon-to-be ex-mother-in-law. Professionally, however, Andy is thriving. She’s known around her company as the “Boomer Whisperer” because of her ability to work with older male business owners preparing for retirement and help them navigate major transitions.

I really appreciated this about Andy. So often in contemporary romance, a woman’s professional life is just as disastrous as her personal life. Not here! Andy is exceptional at her job, respected for her expertise, and successful in her own right. Her marriage might be crumbling, but her career certainly isn’t.

While traveling to North Carolina for work, Andy overhears two older women complaining about their daughters-in-law. Already a little triggered by her own experiences, she can’t help herself and interrupts to offer a much-needed perspective from the other side. Rather than ending in disaster, the confrontation leads to coffee with one of the women, Marilyn, and eventually an invitation to Marilyn’s weekly book club.

And this is where the novel really shines.

I loved the book club! I loved the conversations, the advice, the disagreements, and especially the moments when Andy helps these older women understand the perspectives of their daughters-in-law, while they challenge her to reconsider some of her own assumptions. There is genuine warmth in these relationships, and the developing friendship between Andy and Marilyn was my favorite part of the entire story.

There’s a lovely found-family element here, and I thought Kate Nash handled the generational differences with empathy and humor. Nobody has all the answers, and everyone has something to contribute. I wanted more of these women sitting around talking about books, relationships, and life!

Of course, this is also a romance. Andy develops feelings for Marilyn’s son, Dustin, and the two initially keep their relationship a secret. Their romance is sweet, but I didn’t love the overlap between Andy’s unresolved marriage to Thomas and her developing relationship with Dustin. I also found some of the decisions toward the end a little predictable, while others seemed to come somewhat out of left field.

The epilogue was satisfying, though, and I finished the book feeling that this was a pleasant fall romance with a little more substance than the average romantic comedy. I really appreciate that Nash is interested in exploring something deeper through her love stories. I just thought the intergenerational friendships were more compelling than the central romance, and I would have happily traded some of the romantic complications for additional book club meetings.

Now, a special word about the audiobook, because Brittany Pressley deserves her flowers! 🎧

First of all, THANK YOU for giving these North Carolina women actual Southern accents! They sound like women who live in North Carolina, which is precisely where they live. Imagine that! I appreciate this more than I can adequately express.

Pressley also has such a natural rhythm and pacing when narrating contemporary millennial women. Her delivery feels conversational and authentic, and she understands how to bring humor and personality into the dialogue without overdoing it. She’s one of those narrators who consistently elevates the listening experience.

I was fortunate enough to receive both the electronic ARC and the advance listening copy, so I alternated between reading and listening. In fact, I ended up experiencing the entire book in both formats, essentially reading it twice! I love doing this when I have the opportunity because I inevitably catch things on the page that I missed in the audio and vice versa. It’s a wonderful way to experience a story.

Ultimately, 3.5 stars for a charming fall romance that is at its best when it celebrates the unexpected friendships women can form across generations. If you enjoy found family, complicated family dynamics, successful female protagonists, and stories about learning to see the world through someone else’s eyes, this is worth picking up.

📚 Thank you to Dutton for the electronic advance reading copy and Penguin Random House Audio for the advance listening copy. All opinions are my own.