The Divorcées by Rowan Beaird, was an immersive experience that transported me to the 1950s divorce ranches of Reno, Nevada. The novel follows Lois Saunders, a young woman seeking liberation from a stifling marriage, who finds herself at the Golden Yarrow ranch among other women awaiting their divorces.

Beaird’s portrayal of Lois’s transformation is both nuanced and compelling. Initially reserved and uncertain, Lois’s encounter with the enigmatic Greer Lang propels her into a world of self-discovery and challenges societal norms. Their friendship is richly developed, highlighting themes of independence, identity, and the complexities of female relationships.

The setting is vividly depicted, with the Golden Yarrow ranch and the surrounding Reno landscape serving as a backdrop that enhances the narrative’s atmospheric tension. Beaird’s meticulous attention to historical detail brings the era to life, immersing readers in the social dynamics and cultural constraints of the time.

Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird is the story of young women who in 1951 were able to obtain divorces from their husbands, in Reno, Nevada. As long as they proved they were residents of the state for 6 weeks before they were able to divorce their husbands.
They would live together in Reno’s renowned divorce ranches for the six weeks needed to obtain residency and be entitled to their divorce. This is the storyline for the debut book by the author.
Sadly the story and the characters do not live up to the expectations that could have made the story memorable. It is quite bland and non descriptive, that is only my opinion, other readers may enjoy the storyline.

The kind of perfect summer read that should be enjoyed by a pool with a strong cocktail, but will be transportive if you’re reading on a rainy commuter train as I was. Sad, awkward Lois is sent by her irritated father to a Nevada “resort” to wait out the embarrassment of her divorce petition. The women at the resort all have their own stories of marriage and expectations in the 1950s, but it is glamorous Greer who captivates Lois and offers her a new life. A sort of scammer story that asks who is really scamming whom, I adored this book.

DNF'd as not for me... '6 week divorce ranches' in the USA, weak slow plot, negative female relationships, 2 dimentional flat characters.

This book lacked the all-important development of characters, both main and supporting characters. They felt one-dimensional and I rarely found myself caring for what they were doing or what happened to them.

Unfortunately, I found this book very boring and uninspiring. The premise was interesting but the actual story was dull and even when things happened, they didn’t feel exciting. I didn’t warm to any of the characters either. Sadly, not a great read for me.

I really expected this to be a bit more historical fiction than a thriller. I honestly didn't enjoy this book despite being soooo excited for it. I hope it finds it's audience because unfortunately I'm not.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.


The story is about divorce in the 1940s. The main character is Lois, and she wants a divorce, so she goes to a ranch in Texas as it is easier to divorce there, but she must prove residency and remain at the ranch for 6 weeks and be seen everyday. There are other women in similar positions.


I found that the main character was boring and the others were not developed and given enough detail. It seemed no friendships developed. I felt at times the story dragged and only picked up speed when a new moan, Greer, came into the story. I think this story could have engaged me more.

1950s America. To a ranch in Nevada, the temporary residence of a group of women seeking a divorce. Nevada allows women to live there for 6 weeks in order to be granted a divorce, the only state to do so.
Lois arrives one evening, having left her husband of 4 years and her stay at the ranch paid for by her wealthy father. There she mights other women in similar positions, but struggles to gel with any of them. Until Greer appears.
Greer is aloof, mysterious, and becomes a huge influence on Lois. Which might have devastating consequences.

I liked this. A bit different. A little bit Thelma and Louise. Although the ending left me thinking a chunk of the book was missing! Felt it could have benefitted from a different end.

Great book although very different from what I usually rad. Would have liked a better ending but would still recommend the book!

I knew nothing about divorce ranches in Reno, Nevada so this was a fascinating and immersive read!

In order to qualify for a divorce, women must reside in the state for six weeks and agree to stay there afterwards (even though hardly anyone does remain there!).

The main protagonist, Lois Saunders, who was in a loveless marriage and wants a divorce from her husband, Lawrence, is staying at the Golden Yarrow. The women at the ranch spend their days hanging out around the pool, relaxing and riding horses, then spend their evenings gambling at the casinos and flirting and drinking with cowboys.

The owner, Rita, keeps a close eye on the women and guides and advises them when they need help. They can be a bit cagey as they suss each other out and share their histories.

When Greer Lange arrives at the ranch, she has a rather unsettling effect on all the women and causes issues with the others. She takes Lois under her wing and starts to influence her in various ways, some more positive than others!

I enjoyed learning more about glamorous 1950s Reno and gradually getting to know all the other women who were staying at the ranch at the same time as Lois. They're all rather vulnerable and want divorces for varying reasons.

This was an intriguing and atmospheric, if a little slow, read and very character driven. I enjoyed spending time at the Golden Yarrow with all its residents!

Actual rating: 3.5

I'm afraid I didn't like this book at all. I found it incredibly slow and the characters were all pretty unlikeable. I'm sorry, it just wasn't for me.

I can see what this book was trying to do in jumping on the Don’t Worry Darling bandwagon but I just found it hard to connect with the characters.

Novel set around Reno, Nevada

3.5*

Divorce ranches were a key player in Nevada’s once-thriving divorce industry. For decades, legally married women from across America would check in for the stipulated six weeks and would leave with their divorce papers in hand. They were contracted to remain in Nevada after their stint, but few did. The book is set in the 1950s and in those days there were only a few reasons that would facilitate a divorce, such as extreme cruelty, drunkenness, impotency, felony and insanity… The divorce ranches helped Nevada out of the years of depression by boosting the state’s economy.

We first meet Lois on the train, heading West to Reno and on a mission to secure her divorce. Her father is bank-rolling her stay on the ranch, The Golden Yarrow. We soon learn that she feels like “a girl with no story“, someone who is insignificant and awkward. She nevertheless is savvy enough to get a grip on the subtexts and personalities underpinning this community of women. Of course, there are women who are in the inner circle, and others like Lois who are largely on the outside looking in, so reminiscent of school playground dynamics.

Lois has decided on this course of action because she is married to Lawrence, who is a coercive controller and who has removed her contraceptive device. He wants her to get pregnant but she is determined that she doesn’t want to become a mother, and once she establishes she is not pregnant, she takes off for Nevada. Once there, she discovers that her marital experiences are commonplace and perhaps even at the mild end of the abuse spectrum.

A new woman descends on the ranch. The anticipation in the ranch is great, as her arrival is cloaked in secrecy. Could it be several times divorced Bette Davis? It turns out to be a wealthy woman named Greer, who is a strong personality.and is set to stir up the group dynamics. Greer and Lois spend time getting to know each other by the ranch’s pool, where Lois plunges in almost to expunge memories of her former life, honing her body becoming more sleek and toned with each day. And of course they read Rebecca, a natural choice, perhaps, given their circumstances and the subject of many of their conversations. Gradually they become so used to the way of life and their routines that the prospect of life beyond the walls of the ranch feels quite strange. Six weeks is a good period of time to begin to feel institutionalised.

The women – as a group – often head into Reno in the evening, to have a good time. They are also on the look-out for celebrities, who can be found there indulging in the “lush clubs and casinos..”. Imagine one evening spotting Clarke Gable!

The humdrum existence with evening highlights in town is, however, soon shattered…

I was looking forward to reading this, given that it is such an extraordinary subject, but I didn’t feel I really got to know the women, and the descriptions – although well written – of their quotidian lives felt quite monotonous. A great concept, good writing and storytelling but I just felt it was overall too slow and a bit ponderous.

was drawn to this book by its beautiful cover and I am so glad I was. I really enjoyed this and thought the author skillfully captured the place and time so vividly.
After a couple of years, Lois has realised her marriage was a mistake and Lois can't continue in her suffocating loveless state and makes the decision to leave before having a child as that will keep her there. In 1951 divorce wasn't easily accessible in the US unless you reside in Nevada and so Lois has to travel and stay in a "divorce ranch" for six weeks to meet the legal requirements to have her divorce granted.. While there she meets a number of other woman in the same situation. The divorce ranges offer a more elegant form of divorce and the woman can horse ride during the day and flirt with cowboys in the bars of Reno at nighttime.
When glamourous Greer arrives at the range, Lois is bewitched by her as she is not like anyone she has known before and soon the two strike up a friendship and Lois begins to plan for her future.

I really liked this. I loved the pace and reading about this time. The characters aren't always likeable but they are so well captured , I was fully drawn into their lives. This is a really well written exploration of female friendship and dynamics and of personal freedom and choice. A beguiling and fascinating read. Recommend.

This was like nothing I’ve read before, great character development and I truly felt like I knew the characters personally. The plot was fantastic and it was such a page turner. A really unique and different read for me.

The Divorcées
By Rowan Beaird

Divorce in 1950s America isn’t easy to come by. However, if you have the means and the freedom to do so, you can move to a ‘divorce ranch’ in Nevada for 6 weeks and then go to court to end your marriage. The Divorcées tells the story of such a ranch. I found the concept really interesting and enjoyed the story. I found the characters to be a little too predictable for my liking and the pace was a little slow but having said that, The Divorcees is an engaging and interesting book and one that is sure to be seen by many a poolside this summer. I love the cover!

Many thanks to @netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title.

If it hadn’t have been for a book of the month read via Facebook this would probably have been a book I wouldn’t have noticed, only because it wasn’t my usual type of read. I’m glad I chose to take part because I enjoyed it a lot.

Definitely character driven and even though there were not many characters it was a first time that I had an opinion on all of them. Some had many issues, some had gone through a bad experience but all were excited about their future and were enjoying their time at the divorce ranch. And especially their time in the casino. They didn’t always get on with each other but apart from Lois none of them seemed to worry about it. They were just making their plans for the future.

Some I could take or leave, mainly the minor characters but there were a few who left their mark. Lois, the lead character trapped in a loveless marriage, a father who she had no feelings for and her dead mother who she adored. Her memories of their love of the cinema meant a lot to her. But she wasn’t always honest and this caused her issues within the small group. Especially when the manipulative and loathsome Greer joined them. I detested her immediately, I could see how she used everybody to get her own way. There was only Rita, the owner of the ranch, who didn’t believe in her and was concerned over the way she manipulated people, in particular Lois. She was my favourite character in the book and I could quite happily read more about her in another book.

I’m sure I won’t be the only one who googled divorce ranches in Las Vegas, I had never heard of them. From what I could gather they seemed to be similar to aholiday camp where women could gamble, horse ride and have the time of their lives as long as they didn’t leave for six weeks. Absolutely bizarre!

Such a fantastic read, really slow novel to begin with but I stuck with it and towards the end I was hooker. Highly recommend and would definitely read this author again.

What a fun story!
Years ago, in the 1950's, women of.a certain means were afforded divorces when they spent time in Nevada. The Divorcées details a in depth story of Lois's 6 week adventure a the Golden Yarrow Ranch as she awaits her full 6 weeks of residency to meet the requirement for divorce. Lois has trouble fitting in and isn't quite sure of what to make of the other girls.

When Greer Lang arrives, everything that Lois believes is put into question. Greer pushes boundaries, and chooses Lois to be her friend. What happens next is surprising and compelling. A true adventure novel for anyone stuck in a rut.