Finding a novel with compelling characters and an engaging narrative that doesn't hammer us over the head with unnecessary tragedy is a challenge.
Wise Women is that uncommon enjoyable read that also has important ideas to transmit, interesting characters, and a compelling narrative. Since the ending might have gone any number of ways, I was compelled to keep reading to find out what happened next, and I was pleasantly surprised by the growth of the many characters.

The author cleverly interweaves advice from Wendy Wise throughout the narrative as we follow the lives of three smart and not-so-wise women and men, providing insight into the mother and the daughters and how her advise impacted their own.

I won't go into detail about the narrative because it's already been discussed elsewhere, but I will say that I like the book very much because of its setting (the boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn) and its people (I'm happy now that I've read it). The story may continue in the form of a film or television series, which would be great for the characters.

THE WISE WOMEN was a fun story about being content, and finding peace in where life brings you, even if it’s not what you planned. I admit the cover really grabbed my attention, but the story pulled me in even more.

With themes of family, secrets, and the support of loved ones, I thought it was a great read for Summer!

I listened as an audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator, making it easy to tell each character apart.

*many thanks to Harper Audio and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review

Many really enjoyed this novel, but it just wasn't for me. I had a difficult time getting into the story and found many aspects of the characters and plot to be over the top and too good/convenient to be true. There are some great topics explored throughout the novel, but I found it a challenge to really appreciate these elements due to an inability to connect with the dialogue, storyline, and overall writing style.

3.5 rounded up to 4

In all honesty, I picked up this up because of the cover 😍😍😍 but I was pleasantly surprised. I forgot how much I love family dramas, especially multigenerational stories focusing on women.

This one is definitely more character driven as you follow a mother and her two grown daughters navigate how to be a good mother, partner, friend, daughter, coworker, and just overall human. This book covers some very important topics such as neighborhood gentrification, ageism, the impact of social media, compromising in a relationship, and forgiveness .

I took a star and a half off because the characters felt a but stereotypical to me and it wasn’t revolutionary but overall I really enjoyed listening to this one.

Read if you liked The Most Fun I Ever Had and have a fascination with advice columns.

Thank you for the ARC.

WISE WOMEN centers around the life of two sisters (Clementine and Barb) and their mother, Wendy. Wendy is an aged out advice columnist who never takes the time to advise her daughters.

Barb and Clementine are having difficulties in their personal relationships while also dealing with financial issues.
The book intertwines the manner in which each woman deals with their issues while still trying maintain or build back their relationship with one another.

The twist is a nice feature in the book which allows for a satisfying ending.

The narrator was great. She made it easy to recognize the characters and provided a comforting voice to listen.

Highly enjoyable domestic drama featuring strong mother daughter relationships. This debut was perfect for fans of Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney or Emma Straub and follows two grown daughters and their advice columnist mother as they experience various life changes which ultimately bring all three closer together. Great on audio narrated by Stacey Glemboski, this book was a great mediation on rising real estate prices, the challenges of single motherhood and finding what brings you joy. Much thanks to NetGalley and Harper Audio for my ALC! Plus, can we all appreciate what a gorgeous cover this book has????

I just loved this new novel from Gina Sorell; it’s a story of family dynamics, big secrets, and how underneath it all you still can rely on your family to support you. It tells the journey of a mother, a newly retired advise columnist and her two daughters, and the problems that they are having in their relationships; it’s light and breezy and a terrific summer read!

I enjoy stories of mothers and daughters and The Wise Women was no exception. The book is full of relationship issues: between these women and their spouses, as well as between each other.  Having the perspective of all three women really worked in this book.

As the matriarch, advice columnist Wendy Wise was used to being the expert on relationships. Widowed at a young age, she did her best to raise her two daughters.  Having said that, she was not perfect.  The way that each of her daughters views their relationship with her is much different.

Barb is the older of the two sisters.  She has a strong relationship with her sister, but a somewhat estranged one with her mother.  Barb was given a lot of responsibility growing up and is continuing this with her architecture firm.  Striving to be independent in all ways possible, her workaholic tendencies have impacted her relationships.

Clementine’s story one is the most interesting one.  After learning of her husband Steve’s financial management of the couple’s money, she finds herself and her six-year-old son without a home.  Moreover, Steve has just racked up several thousand dollars on their credit card.  Never feeling like she could meet her mother’s expectations, she’s come to ask her mother’s advice through her advice column using an alias.

The characters are likeable and the story is entertaining.  It was interesting to read how these relationships progressed and how communication lends perspective.  If you enjoy Women’s Fiction or stories of family relationships, I’d recommend The Wise Women.

I listened to the audiobook version of the Wise Women which was narrated by Stacey Glemboski.  I enjoyed her performance and her ability to provide a realistic voice to all three women.  I have no hesitation in recommending the audiobook version of the book to those that enjoy this format.

A wonderful new author for me and I loved the book. A family tale of a mother and her two adult daughters which switches through the point of view. Loved that it took place in New York, one of my favorite places.

What a fun read! This story about the dynamic between a mother and her daughters is something many of us can relate to - whether we see ourselves in the 'single mother' role or that of a daughter whose mother may have worked longer hours than we understood. The Wise women - Wendy, Barb and Clementine - are smart, resourceful, and endearing to the reader. It's a story that's also about reinvention, and how to look inside yourself for the path forward.

I'm about halfway through the audiobook -- the weather this week has made it difficult to walk or even drive anywhere and that's where I listen to books -- and so far it's fun. 3 women, mother Wendy and her daughters Clementine and Barb, are all in the midst of various life problems. Wendy has been a lifestyle advice person for many years but has just been laid off, she's told her daughters that she's doing a book tour in Florida when she's really moved there with her newest husband. Clementine has just learned that her husband has scammed her by not actually purchasing the house they've been renovating, but has used the money for his business instead and is now behind in rent payments so they're being evicted. And Barb is having doubts about her relationship with her much younger girlfriend. Wendy doesn't know about the girls' problems, they don't know she's remarried -- again -- or has lost her job, so she's decided to visit Clementine w/o warning. Should be interesting to see how it all falls out.

This was a clever and endearing story of a mother and her two daughters navigating adulthood at their respective stages, and trying their best to be good and kind and successful and self-sufficient. My favorite part of the book's writing was that although all of the women are flawed (in realistic and fair and relatable ways), each of their perspectives is illuminated and the reader understands why they're making the choices they are. Hearing about one character from another, the reader is left to understand the former through the latter's eyes. What I really enjoyed was that the reader would also get a chance, however, to hear from the misunderstood character what they thought they were doing or were motivated by in a way that makes every character's perspective make sense. In the end, this style served to show that try as we might, no one can really know us and everyone will experience our behaviors through their own lens and experiences.

There was also a subplot around gentrification in New York City and the ways in which ideals can be sidelined as we grow distant from them; it takes concerted effort to live our values. That part of the plot didn't work perfectly, but the premise added nuance to the characters and the ways in which they had developed over the course of their adulthood.

Overall, I enjoyed the stories of each woman and the ways in which the women intersected. Relationships between mothers and daughters are complex, and Sorrel explored them with kindness and empathy in a way that I found engaging.

A story of the 3 wise women trying to find their way as their life's are upended. Barb has taken care of her sister Clementine from the time she was little as their mother, Wendy Wise was busy helping others with her advice column. But now Barb may not be able to take care of Clementine as her own life feels out of control even as Clementine's marriage is falling apart. Meanwhile, Wendy is having her own crisis that she is keeping from her daughter's. Can these 3 Wise women find a way to thrive as a family?

I enjoyed this book very much. The “three wise women” have a lot to share and a lot to learn. The concept of the novel is clever and interesting: the aging, one famous advice columnist who slowly becomes aware her advice is not only outdated but just bad; her daughters making their way through complicated lives buoyed by each other and self-reliant on the absence of mom… The plot does wrap in such a tidy little bow I would have liked maybe a bit more reality/messiness, but overall it was a pleasure to read and listen to.

This is a good slice of life (because let's face it...no one has an ordinary life). Two adult daughters and their well-intentioned but meddling mother navigate through together. Set in New York City, it takes you there with a quick pace and witty dialogue.

This book was very depressing. I considered stopping it several times. But I did like the writing. I listened to the audiobook. I enjoyed the narrator. But overall it was kind of a downer book that tied up a little too neatly.

I was disappointed in this formulaic novel dealing with three women: mother, daughter, and sister, I listened to about the 3/4 Mark and then turned it off. Too bad, it has promise!