Elizabeth Berg's Mason series is the definition of a cozy read. I have read and enjoyed all three. They are the perfect palate cleansers to read in between heavy or heartbreaking books that tend to dominate so much of my reading life. Like the previous two, THE CONFESSION CLUB is set in Mason, Missouri, a setting I can only liken to somewhere like Mayberry. Both the people and the town are simple but are also equal parts warm and welcoming. I loved the idea of a confession club where women of all ages come together in a safe space to confess their secrets, their hurts, their worries. Throughout the book, meetings of the Confession Club are spaced between chapters focusing more specifically on the lives of your favorite returning characters. This book doesn't contain any huge crescendos, no pivitol mind-blowing moments of shock or surprise. Instead we are allowed a peaceful glimpse into the lives of normal people experiencing normal life. This would seem boring but Berg's writing makes it anything but. There is comfort in the normal. These books are heartwarming, their normality calming. The world today is filled with so much chaos, it is nice to pick up a book that a true escape from the crazy.

Elizabeth Berg has written three novels about the community of Mason, Missouri. They each can be read as a stand-alone but it does help to know the back-story of the characters and follow their progression through their lives. Also, my favorite of the three is the first one, The Story of Arthur Truluv. It is such a charmingly heartwarming story. There you meet Maddy Harris. She progresses throughout all three books. In the second novel, Night of Miracles, you meet Iris Winters, a newcomer to Mason. We meet her again in this third novel, The Confession Club. The Confession Club has Iris and Maddy bringing a dessert to a regular ladies meeting - the Confession Club, where each member gets the chance to confess something they have done in the past - it is an unburdening - that is met with non-judgment, support, friendship, and most of all humor! All three novels are full of feel-good optimism with a prevalent feeling of comfort. Berg does such a good job with her characters that you have no trouble emphasizing with them - you feel their sadness, joy, hope, and humor with life. It is chick-lit and a light-hearted quick read. Each novel leaves me inspired that there can be goodness in this world. Just plain fun to visit the community of Mason.

I did not realize this was the third book in the series when I requested this. So didn't want to jump in when I haven't read the first two. that was not made very clear on Netgalley

An enjoyable story of a group of women (20s-80s) who get together for Confession Club - where they each have a meeting where they confess to something and get support from their friends. Over laid on that is a love story between Iris, in her 60s, and John, a homeless vet with PTSD. Because there were many characters, they were not as developed as they could have been.

This story did not catch or keep my interest. I was hoping for a more exciting read, which is not what I got.

Fiction | Adult
This is the third book in the Mason series by Elizabeth Berg, but it works well enough as a standalone novel It’s an optimistic story of life in a small town – a bit slower-paced, where people are friendly (some to the point of being a trifle meddlesome), but just as human and fallible as in any big city. The titular club began as a monthly supper for a group of women who just wanted to share some laughs and good food. But on one of those nights, one of the members shared a secret, and the confession club began. The secret sharing is now as important as the food, but the friends are supportive no matter how deep the regrets and embarrassments. They welcome two new members, cooking instructor Iris and photographer Maddy, each working through some personal issues.
Maddy is struggling to sort out her future, and Iris – the real protagonist in this book – has fallen for John. He is kind, attractive, and thoughtful, but also a veteran fighting some personal demons. Oh, and he’s homeless. Berg offers a sympathetic rather than realistic perspective on the challenges of living rough – no f-bombs anywhere. Despite his battles with PTSD, John is generally capable and reliable, but he also lucks into meetings with other kind and generous folks, and Iris is one of them. I would describe this as a gentle read, complete with humour, pathos, and drama. Sure, it’s an unrealistic romance with a homeless lover, but it’s primarily a story about finding peace and even reinventing oneself with the support of forgiving and accepting friends. We can all use those in our lives, I think! My thanks to Random House for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44108420

Joanie Benson is making black cake for confessions club. She was inspired by a play . Gretchen,Joanie's friend is sixty nine years old and a former knockout.Gretchen would get plastic surgery if she could. I liked the characters

This is book three in the series. I had not read the previous books in the series but I was easily able to follow the characters and the background. I. enjoy this story of strong women friendship that develop over time at a group meeting. The women all are different ages which makes their stories more interesting as they share their individual stories.. I like the characters and the heartfelt stories. Thank you to Net Galley and to the publisher. I highly recommend this book for your reading enjoyment.

This book is the perfection definition of home. This was a quick read for me. I throughly enjoyed every minute of it. You always need a group of friends to help you through tough moments in life.

Fun, easy read. I really like all the friendships in the book. I have not read the other books in the series because I didn't realize it was a part of it but I still really enjoyed it.

This is book 3 in the Mason series. Set in Mason, Missouri friends gather for dinner and a book discussion that quickly ditches the book and becomes a setting where friends can recall things they feel bad about or things they wish they had accomplished. I like Elizabeth Berg and this is a good story of friends and family. I didn't read the first two books and maybe I would have liked some of the characters better if I had met them previously. It's ok as a stand alone. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

“ The Confession Club” by Elizabeth Berg is the third book in the Mason series. Overall, it was a quick read that I enjoyed for the most part. I hadn’t read the previous books but had no issue following along with the characters/ storyline. This book had many elements that I really liked. Friendship, secrets, humor and more. It lightly tackled some heavy issues. It was an easy read. I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

* I received an advanced digital copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Women representing every decade in a small town in Missouri, meet together to confess something that they have done. A particularly interesting story line to me is about a single member and her new friendship with a homeless man. This book has are many different story lines that I know will appeal to each reader. Elizabeth Berg is a talented author who takes ordinary people with simple lives and weaves their story into a dramatic and emotional tale. This book gets five stars for readability and realistic plots. I loved it!

Random House and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Confession Club. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Mason, Missouri is center stage once again, as author Elizabeth Berg revisits the small town and all of its familiar characters. There is a newcomer to town, a man down on his luck until he finds an abandoned farmhouse in which to lay his head. When Iris Winters happens upon the man, will the chance encounter have implications for them both?

The Confession Club is like a worn set of slippers: familiar and comforting. Readers familiar with the previous books will enjoy catching up with Maddie, Nora, Iris, and the rest of the town. It is not strictly necessary to have read the former novels, but the continuity of the story certainly suffers without it. The author does a good job of world building, though the plot itself was nothing special. Although the characters face some situations, it always seem that they come out of it on the right side of things. The Confession Club is a relatively short book, but I did enjoy the snapshot of Mason and all of the characters.

A quick, sweet, uplifting read. Although book 3 of the series, it almost reads as a stand alone. Perfect for a light, beachy read and while slightly predictable, it was nonetheless a comforting, entertaining story about love, friendship and family.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for providing a digital copy in return for an honest, unbiased review.

I loved the premise of this book, and it was interesting, but Mason, MO is just a little too tame for me. This book could have been a lot more intriguing than it turned out to be.

This book had so much small town life. There was a confession club, where the members confessed their deepest and darkest, but they had made it a safe place for all of them to be. And I love how they help hold each other up. Then there is a little romance between 2 older individuals, which just melted my heart.

The conflicts were a bit forced and then concluded too fast. That's my only complaint. I liked all the characters and how they interacted and I would have spent much more time with all those people.

The Confession Club by Elizabeth Berg is the third instalment in the Arthur Truluv series. Reading the two previous novels would be helpful in becoming familiar with the characters. Speaking of characters, there are so many of them that the reader can be easily confused. Although I have been an avid reader of Elizabeth Berg novels, I feel that the last few seem overly charming and cute. A group of women in Mason, Missouri belong to a club where, each month, one of the members confesses to the other members some kind of secret or indiscretion or shameful tidbit. Hence the title of the book. Two new members, Iris and Mandy, join the group and are soon divulging their secrets. This idyllic small town is represented as having only kind, helpful, sympathetic and friendly inhabitants which, in the real world, we know is not always so. If you are looking for a quick and light read, this is the book for you. Thank you to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A big fan of Elizabeth Berg yet this was awful and so disappointing. The story did not catch my interest. Had to quit reading about a quarter into the book.

Elizabeth Berg is “everyone’s favorite author” among local and regional bookclubs. This book did not dissappoint!