I thought the idea of such a club would make for an interesting read. I enjoyed the original book club characters but not the modern version.

I'm always looking for new authors to try, and the premise for The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison really grabbed my attention. There's nothing better than a book about bonding with friends, especially when they all have a unique story to tell. The beginning sort of through me for a loop though, and I have to be honest and say that I got a bit bit confused with all the different characters. Almost so that I thought I was going to have to write them all down just to keep everyone straight. As the story progressed, I did learn that everyone in the DBC, past and present, did have a purpose, but it just seemed a bit overwhelming at times.

I really liked M.J. and Dan and following their relationship--from M.J. dealing with the not-so-promotion to Dan going across the world for a surfing trip with his buddies. The way they reacted to one another throughout their relationship felt real and very believable.

There were scenes that made me laugh out loud then others that had me wondering where the heck the author came up with that idea. The author certainly took a unique approach to make this original, but there were times that I felt the story was overwrtiten and it took away from me completely enjoying it.

The secondary characters (that made up the DBC) were totally opposites--some I liked (Britt) and some I disliked (Addie) but they all served a purpose to bring the story together. Overall, this was just an okay read for me.

**ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison


Lisi Harrison’s The Dirty Book Club is a sublimely well-crafted story and incredibly fun; it is just an all-round great read.

From the secrets of the Club passed down through a generation we are treated to a powerful story of friendship and bonding that develops first among, and then between the generations. The intimacy gained in discussing dirty classics is enough to propel each woman to open up and lay bare their own feelings and help guide each other through enough tough self-reflection to accept the past, or to take on the future without fear. All through the story these women learn from each other--in ways you would not expect--how to be true to themselves.

Throughout, Ms. Harrison treats us to robust character development, effortless writing, and exquisite turns of phrase that had me highlighting their cleverness at each occurrence. Subtle sarcasm and laugh-out-loud humor are in abundance as the characters explore their own and each other’s loves, lives, and relationships aided by group discussion of each intimate Book Club read.

Especially poignant is Ms. Harrison’s careful characterization of the growing bond between unlikely acquaintances of the second generation Book Club into lifelong friends.

If that’s not enough, Ms. Harrison treats us to a wonderfully written conclusion, deftly revealing the bonds between generations as the last of the Dirty Book Club secrets unfold.

Told in 3rd person past, this tale focuses on the lives of the women in the DBC, a group that has been together some forty odd years, and has used the member’s unwillingness and struggles with society’s expectations of what they should be, as they work toward the women they want to be. Few rules are set in stone, but they are all expected to trust one another on their journey to inner peace and love, and that means maintaining friendships and coping with difficulties. Of course, they must be open-minded and willing to let go of the conventional and accepted norms for behavior, allowing their true selves to shine. And what a shine this is!

I’ll admit, the story was a bit slow to start for me: we meet MJ who has just been passed over for a promotion that she wanted and was more than able to handle. She’s frustrated and hurt, and decides that now is the time to move with her boyfriend to California from the East, and take the time to decide what she really wants from life. Early on, she meets a neighbor, Gloria, and the two appear to hit it off. And then, a mysterious invitation to join the DBC arrives, and MJ decides to ‘see’ what it is all about. Here, the story took flight and added some mention (although little traditional discussion) of titles like Fear of Flying, Fifty Shades of Grey, and How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: none particularly shameful if one is a voracious reader, but still eyebrow raising in some circles. But far from discussing books, these women are sharing their lives, their struggles and good times, all on the way to redefining their lives and expectations, and finding that simple balance.

Each of the four women in the DBC are at different places in their lives, and as we get to know them, we start to see the reasons they were brought together, and just how much the friendships: open, honest and supportive, can serve to enhance all parts of their lives. While mostly focused on Gloria and MJ’s story, the friendships, the history of the club and how it helped and enhanced the lives of all who participated in the DBC. Heartfelt and wonderfully complex, the concepts of supportive friendships enhancing all aspects of your life, and finding the people who are vastly different coming together in a singular purpose of support and openness is a wonderfully strong message throughout.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” http://wp.me/p3OmRo-9nO/”> <a> I am, Indeed </a>

I was excited about the concept of the book. To me, it sounded like the book would focus on female friendships that developed through this Dirty Book Club. However, I was highly disappointed by the women themselves. I did not like any of them. I found them extremely judgmental. For instance, one woman judges her new friend for having a wet spot on her shirt.as if she is looking for friends that are perfectly coifed and polished. Not my kind of women. Then, the women just did not talk like normal women or friends do. They said things that sounded strained and fake rather than real. Finally, I also thought there were big gaps in the time. For example, one character eats a pan of pot brownies and is rushed to the hospital. Then, we immediately arrive at a scene a few days later. What happened at the hospital? Sorry, but I was not a fan.

When I read the blurb for The Dirty Book Club, I was intrigued by the premise, and when I started reading, I found the beginning both engaging and promising. Sadly, that fizzled quickly as I found less and less to like about main character, MJ.
Let me add that each of the characters have their flaws and that's okay. I didn't expect them to be perfect and several times, I've found the flawed characters in a story the most endearing. That was the case with the 1960's book club. Not so much with the modern day club.
MJ is rather disconnected from living life and that's understandable considering the the loss she's suffered. She throws herself into her career to keep from dwelling on that loss, which is also something the reader can empathize with and understand. As time goes on, MJ's long distance love interest, Dan, tries to convince her to move across the country so they can be together. This is where my problem with this character began. Things don't go as she's planned in her career, so she heads to California and to Dan. She then spends most of the story waffling between wanting to be with Dan and wanting to run back to New York and her job. Indecision, I can understand. She's spent considerable time on her career, but it came across like Dan was nothing more than a backup plan, the second choice. More than once, she asserts that she gave up her career and sacrificed for Dan, when that isn't the case. She gave up her career because things didn't go her way. She didn't get what she wanted, so she fell back on the second choice. Basically, I found her whiny and petulant, and I spent most of her story wishing Dan would wake up and send her packing.
The other characters in the modern day book club weren't exactly likable, but at least they did have some wit and even some charm about them.
By the end of this journey, I found the letters from the 1960's book club to be the most interesting parts of the story and the only modern day character that I really liked or rooted for was the good and giving doctor, Dan.
I will say the the author is talented and writes well, but this one completely missed the mark for this reader.

This proof copy was very kindly sent to me through NetGalley by Simon & Shuster.

I think three stars is me being generous. Maybe because the first quarter of this book had so much potential that was eventually just building up to…nothing.

This novel starts off explaining the existence of the DBC- aka The Dirty Book Club- started by four housewives in the 1950s in an attempt to read the racy and scandalous literature of the day without being cast out by the rest of polite society. They hide their books in covers for etiquette manuals, so they can explore the sexual texts they pick for their club. Sounds like a good premise, right? Except we don’t stick with that.

After twenty or so pages, the plot changes completely to follow four DIFFERENT women in the present day, who are presented with this book club after one of the older members leaves the country and decides to pass on the tradition to a group of younger women. The books that they read really does not effect the plot at all, with the exception to providing a location for these women to have conversations over alcohol.

My main problem was this book was there was so much set up and zero pay off. So many plots were started and explored over the course of a few pages, but they either receded into the background to make way for a completely different kind of plot, or were solved within a matter of seconds. Expositional dialogue a-go-go for the latter. This novel seemed to be the written equivalent of the daytime soap opera. You couldn’t go a few pages without a couple having a fight, or someone ending up in the hospital, or someone thinking they were pregnant, or something horrendous happening, which in a few pages we discover wasn’t actually the truth.

If books could have commercial breaks- this would be the coup de gras.

This is the issue with multiple perspectives; we never truly get to envelop ourselves in the story because we’re pinging back between different characters, unsure of exactly what they’re doing and what their situation is in. I think as a story I’d be much more interested in hearing about the women in the 1950s and how the book club affected their lives, rather than these four random women in the present who have little in the way of a connection with the actual book club. That might have been bad advertising in that sense.

‘The Dirty Book Club’ is not written badly. It’s structure is poor, however, and that means this book kind of trips at the first hurdle and doesn’t even get to transform into something good. At the end of the book, Lisi Harrison asks us if we love or hate the book- no matter the outcome, she wants us to blame the editor. And yeah, I do blame the editor. This book needs a lot of work. It seems to be trashy fiction with very little substance, attempting to be risqué with its mentions of sex, but really accomplishing very little.

Not the best. Disappointing, really.

I loved this book! This book made me laugh, smile and cry(good cry)! I really enjoyed the characters and felt that I could connect with them. I recommend this book to someone who is more open minded sexually and in general. I am a very open minded person and felt I could relate to a lot of what the girls discussed in this book. This book had me turning pages like crazy. I loved seeing the bond of friendships in this book and it was just what the doctor ordered for me! This book makes you want to have your own Dirty Book Club! Highly recommended!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.
The Dirty Book Club was the perfect antidote for a humdrum day. Lisi Harrison has written a book about friendship that made me giggle and wish that I could hang out the with ladies (both old and young) of the Dirty Book Club. The original members of the Dirty Book Club were four women who had been friends since high school and knew each other better than anyone else knew them. The revamped Dirty Book Club is comprised of four women who don't have that deep history but need each other more than they ever imagined. No topic is off limits within the confines of the Dirty Book Club. The only rule that matters is that there are no secrets in the book club.
I thoroughly enjoyed every moment I spent devouring this book.

I received an ARC of The Dirty Book Club from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Though the title may turn some away, or draw others to it as it were, for very different reasons, there is nothing "dirty" about this book. It's a book about female friendship: its purpose, its benefit, and its place within a very male-centric world.

M.J. is at an impasse after an expected promotion takes an unexpected turn. Feeling lost and confused, and still emotionally reeling from familial tragedy, she decides to put her career/life on hold and move in with her, to that point, long-distance boyfriend, Dan. He's recently purchased a quaint little beach cottage in Southern California, and is setting down roots.

When M.J.'s promotion goes south, Dan is more than happy to whisk M.J. away from her now unfulfilling life, and help her fix whatever is still broken within her troubled psyche.

Not long after arriving in Cali, M.J. befriends an elderly woman named Gloria.

Unbeknownst to M.J., that meeting will become the catalyst for her discovering who she is, what she's made of, and what she wants.

Each character in this book is central to what makes the story Lisi Harrison weaves work so well: Addie is the free-spirit who's looking for a place to land. Jules is the do-gooder, with the big heart, whose desire to do the right thing gets in the way of her seeing things as they are. Britt is the most seemingly "put together", but she's struggling to figure out how to navigate her inner Superwoman without succumbing to life's plethora of kryptonite.

All of them come together to form a bond that seems unlikely from the start, but totally believable given the circumstances.

It's a quick, delightful, read with plenty of humor to break up the emotional angst, and unavoidable drama, but it's also a book that speaks to the power of friendship--no matter where, or how, you find it.

A delightful, humorous, and even spicy look at women’s relationships today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hopefully we all have at lest one friend that we can let loose with and be who we really are. Just tell it like it is and say anything and everything friend. Nothing is held back and all is a sworn to secrecy friend. The strong connection is evident for those that see you together friend.

That connection is a big part of this new book. A wonderful and fun look at two sets of women’s lives. Their interactions; belief in each other; support systems when everything goes astray. Their promises to each other and the secret book club that opens their eyes to another world.

This book is an awesome read. You can tell it was a labor of love. To be able to get the sarcasm just right. The bitchiness, the understanding, and finally the unwavering support is something we all wish we had in a friend.

Plus the book club and the secrets held within is a fabulous and witty idea that just made this book a delightful and a wee bit raunchy read that just made me laugh in so many places.

The author has crafted the perfect women’s fiction read. With a bit of romance, sex chat, men talk, and strong women’s support group feel, you have to join The Dirty Book Club yourself. You may find it holds the answers to several questions you may have but were afraid to ask.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The Dirty Book Club is the story of the importance of friendship. Contrary to the book's name, it really is not about reading pornographic books.
We are introduced to two sets of friends: The original "older" group of friends: Gloria, Marjorie, Liddy and Dot, whose friendship tale is told predominantly in a series of letters set in the 1960's and 1970's. And the new younger group of friends who they join together and entrust their "club" to: MJ, Addie, Britt and Jules.
As a whole, I enjoyed the "older" group more than the "younger" group, mainly because the main character, MJ, is both unlikable and unbelievable in the way she is written. We are to believe that she has left her career as an editor of a major magazine in New York City, yet she comes across as unintelligent and lacking even rudimentary communication skills.
The author of this book, Lisi Harrison, has written a number of young adult novels, with The Dirty Book Club her first foray into an adult novel. I think it explains why the tone of the book is so adolescent, and perhaps why some of the story lines lacked believability.
Overall, this book is a light and quick read. Would I recommend it to a friend? Probably not. There are far better women's friendship novels out there.

M.J. leaves her stressful job, which she has given all of her time and energy, and follows her boyfriend to California. She ends up being bored out of her mind and she befriends her elderly neighbor. This neighbor has a secret!


Well, this book is exactly what it says. It is about a secret book club. This book club is unique in that it only reads dirty books and it is as funny as it sounds. The club also comes complete with a secret key, secret rituals and anonymity.

For this to be the author’s debut adult novel, I am very impressed! So many great things occur in this read. I love that the author incorporates how woman were in the past to how they are now. Also, how relationships have changed, yet have stayed the same, for the most part.

I throughly enjoyed the characters and their affect on each other. Some of the new members of the book club start off on the wrong foot. But, life or maybe it’s the book club tends to pull them together and make them stronger. The insertion of humor makes this a must read. It is the perfect blend of seriousness and flippancy!

These ladies solve all the worlds’ problems, plus a few of their own. Through many trials and hardships, these women come together and create a bond they never expected. This is a read about overcoming society’s expectations, friendships and the strength of women.



I received this novel from Netgalley for a honest review.

I had to read about 30% of this before I got totally invested in the characters but turned out to be a fun and quick romp about friendships and family relationships. Every once in a while a bit of raunchy content would arise but don't let the title turn you off of reading this. The books read in the club weren't what one would call "dirty"--unless you think Jong's FEAR OF FLYING, 50 SHADES OF GREY, and HOW TO MAKE LOVE LIKE A PORN STAR are on the prurient side--OK, the last one might be considered on the crude side. The writing seemed a little choppy but I enjoyed it and the ending was unexpected but very satisfying.

This might be a good fiction companion to Ann Hood's Morningstar: Growing Up with Books, and a readalike for The Accidental Book Club. Also, even though the books aren't discussed in detail, add this title to your list of books about books.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced reading copy.
Note: This review is also posted on Edelweiss.

I am a big fan of Lisi Harrison’s YA series, The Clique, and was excited to be able to read her first foray into adult fiction.

Not disappointed! I loved this book. MJ is a New York gal who finds herself living in California with her boyfriend after her boss shares her big promotion with another employee. MJ wasn’t willing to share and decided to stop living on the opposite coast of her boyfriend.

He lives next door to Gloria whom MJ becomes friends with. Gloria and her three best friends have been part of a book club their whole lives. Once Gloria’s husband dies, they pass the baton on to four new girls, MJ being one. MJ wants the club to work badly because she hasn’t been able to make many friends in her new home.

This is a great story of friends and secrets and I highly recommend it!

I received this book free of charged from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

At first I was a little unsure of this book. I thought that this was going to be another 50 Shares of Grey type of book. It wasn't!

The book starts out in 1962 with four young women who get together for their secret book club. Every month they read another dirty book.

Fast forward to the present day, M.J. Is a magazine editor in New York City. She moves to California for a man. She befriends her elderly neighbor Gloria. When Gloria's husband dies, she moves to France with her friends.

One day M.J. gets an invitation to join Gloria's secret book club. There are three other women who are also invited by the club's original members. They have rules to follow. They meet once a month on the full moon and if one person drops out the club disbands. Each of the books they reads also give us more back story into the four original members and their lives.

I loved how the author wove the stories together. The characters sucked me in. The only thing I wish is that we got to hear more about the original members. I think that could have been a book on its own.

This is your standard women's fiction novel, and that isn't meant as a criticism. Sometimes you want a book that is light and breezy and doesn't particularly break new ground. There isn't anything particularly surprising in the plot. One group of women becomes friends while learning about the lives of another group of lifelong friends who pushed them together. Some of the women go through pretty serious trials, but since they are already long past at the time the novel is set, the book still manages to maintain a fun tone. The book has the pacing of a TV show, so I wasn't surprised to learn that Lisi Harrison worked in development for MTV Networks for many years.

As I suspected, there isn't as much sexual content in this book as the title suggests. There are offhand references to vibrators and orgasms and such, but very little in the way of actual sex scenes, especially in comparison to most contemporary romance novels. Still, based on my highly subjective Auntie Test, this book would be better for your jet-setting flight attendant aunt rather than your more sheltered maiden aunt.

I grew up with Harrison's YA series, The Clique, so I was delighted to discover that she had written a book for adults! I thoroughly enjoyed reading her new book and finished it over a weekend. It's a quick and easy read, perfect for an end of summer vacation. The Dirty Book Club had great characters; each member of the club was relatable in different ways, and each had flaws that were realistic. The development throughout the plot of these characters was fantastic and created a lot more depth than I expected the book to have. I found the stories told through the letters of the original book club members to be quite moving, and it showed that the issues women have faced over time haven't really changed all that much.

The plot was great and while it was overall somewhat predictable, there were even a couple of twists I didn't see coming. Overall a wonderful read and I look forward to more Harrison books in the future!

Such a treat! Yes this is the middle school book author of the Clique writing for grownups.
A group of women friends in the 60's create a book club where they read "dirty" books - covered of course with covers from appropriate books. Years later they pass their club and reads with personalized letters on to the next generation of modern woman. This book is a wonderful look at friendships among women - even those who seem to have so little in common come to realize how alike they are when you dig just a little deeper.

Loved this book! The power of female friendship with a great storyline made it a 'can't put it down' book!