I couldn't get into this one. It was a slow pacer than I am used to. Those who enjoy character based novels and don't need a lot of action may enjoy.

🕶️ The Divorées - Rowan Beaird

3 ⭐️ - This one was just okay for me. I definitely wanted to like it more. I had hoped for domestic drama, money, found friendship, and growth. I got some of that, but not enough.

The blurb/synopsis sounded like it had so much potential (it does) and would be so engaging but I found myself not caring much. I had no idea what divorce homes were and that idea intrigued me. Unfortunately the story was just boring. I wanted the reviews i’ve seen to be wrong, but they were right. This one had a lot of potential and it just wasn’t reached. I did enjoy the storyline of female bonding and friendship in a world where women should fight for each other instead of against.

This one comes out 3/19. Thank you Netgalley, Flatiron Books, and Macmillan audio for the early reader and listener copies!

This was really interesting.

The absolute anger that women were as dependent on men at the time, and that there was never an option of "I don't want to be married to this guy anymore" wasn't a valid option for divorce. Being in Lois's head throughout while navigating friendships and social interactions was an interesting experience. It was messy, and although intriguing, I wanted some gay panic. Just a sprinkle. Greer had my hackles up from the get go, Lois was very relateable, and the side characters all complimented the scenery well. I appreicated that Lois stuck to her guns about not wanting to have children, it was a refreshing take, and is greatly needed. Also loved her Lois's badass tendencies when she got the gumption.

Overall, it was an interesting read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron for an e-copy.

This was a historical fiction novel that I did not know I needed. This era of time is often overlooked and reading from the perspective of a woman emerging into her own identity in these times was refreshing, relatable, and important to the female experience. I loved the flow of the prose. There was always an eerie feeling in the writing and Lois's emotions were palpable.

Thank you to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for a copy of this novel. It is on the shelves March 20th!

This was so good. I loved the story, the writing, the setting and the narrator. It felt truly unique but also intimate and transported me in the same way the best historical fiction does. I highly recommend this one if you are looking for something unique and possibly a world you never thought about before. If you like historical fiction, definitely add to your TBR!!

The Divorcées comes out next week on March 19, 2024, and you can purchase HERE!

The train smells like sweat, warm and sour. Once they entered Nevada, passengers could no longer keep the windows open, the desert wind whipping in red sand that coated their eyes and throats. "The summer's first dust storm," the conductor said. Now no one can stay clean. The air is fetid as a marsh and makes everything swell: the wooden banisters, the liver-colored seats, the pale face of the ticket taker.

Everything ripens and splits, while outside the passengers' windows the desert is hard as glass.

The premise made this book sound great. In reality, I found it slow and the characters super flat. The characters were super catty to each other even though they were all in the same boat. Their whole personalities were the fact that they were...you guessed it, divorcées. It just felt like the same scenes were played out again and again.

3.5 Stars Rounded Up. This was about a piece of history that I knew nothing about, so I found that part interesting. Such a great premise to tell a story about divorce ranches in Nevada. I also appreciated the development that Lois goes through during the book. Ultimately, I was left wanting more. It was such an interesting topic, but I felt like either more of the characters could have been developed or there could have been more plot points. If the book was trying more to be a social commentary on that time, I felt like that wasn’t strong enough to actually come across to the reader. I always appreciate when books teach me something, but I was never fully captivated by the story or the characters.

I loved stepping back in time to learn about how women were once again squirreled away to go about their dirty business of getting a divorce. The fine state of Nevada, and Reno specifically catered to helping women get out of unfortunate divorces. They simply needed to give one of a few reasons for the desired divorce.

We follow a few women as they socialize during their 6 week stint in Nevada biding their time.

I found the time period and subject matter interesting to learn more about. The fictional aspect of telling these historic points of time are always an enjoyable way to learn.

Thank you to NetGalley and Flatiron Books for the gifted eARC.

The premise of this book was completely unique, and drew me in right away. There’s a large group of women at the ranch, all at the same point in life, but with vastly different life experiences. I really enjoyed the dynamics between the women and their many escapades outside of the ranch.
I will say that this book is mostly character-driven. The 6 week timeline keeps things moving, but there’s still a lot of time spent with just Lois and her thoughts. There’s a few moments where the action picks up a little bit, for the most part, this is a slow-moving story about one woman becoming independent in the 1950s.
My only complaint with the story focuses on Lois. And I’ll acknowledge from the beginning that Lois is a complicated main character that I didn’t find likable. The only feature that actually pulled me out of the story was Lois’s two obsessions: herself and the newest resident, Greer. Over half the book is spent with Lois just ruminating about her life and/or how absolutely amazing Greer is. To be fair, the most appropriate time to be a little self-obsessed is during your divorce, but with no self-awareness, it gets boring SO fast. Her obsession with Greer also has a lot of romantic and possessive undertones that are never explored further. With both obsessions, the lack of growth kept me from getting attached to either character.
Overall, this plot was fresh enough to keep my attention. While clearly not a perfectly accurate depiction of divorcée life in the 50s, the portrayal of the women, their previous lives, and their new choices, was a fascinating world that I’d never really spent time in before. And while parts of the story moved slowly, the ending definitely made up for a lot of the pacing issues.
Thanks to Netgalley and Flatiron Books for the free advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

The Golden Yarrow is the destination ranch for the 6 weeks one needs to wait to get a Reno divorce, at least if you are a woman in the 1950s. Lois ends up there after a very lonely childhood with her controlling father, and then marriage with a controlling husband. During her time at the ranch she is exposed to a wide range of women from many walks of life, including the most intriguing - Greer. Greer helps Lois realize that she can escape the life of expectations, and that there is a wide world out there, even if you are a divorcee in the 50s.

The premise of this one was intriguing, the execution not as exciting. The plot was a bit slow and the twist fell flat. I think it’s interesting that society sent women away when they didn’t fit into the roles created for them - ranches to get divorced and homes for girls when they got pregnant. I liked the characters, and the stories of how they came into themselves at the ranch away from men. These were women who were trying to figure out how to fit into their worlds without men, how do they define themselves? But in the end I didn’t love how the novel unfolded; the audio was really enjoyable however and I thought the narrator was wonderful.

3.5 stars

Thanks to Flatiron Books and NetGalley for the ARC

I really was hooked by the topic of this book - divorce ranches where women could live for the time required to gain residency in Nevada in order to file for divorce there. What a fascinating work around to a system where divorces were hard to obtain (and also creates a world of wealth and relative luxury -- accessible only to the rich). With that said, I didn't really find Lois a compelling character and found this hard to get into. It moved a little slowly and seemed too much mired in privilege for me to really get excited about it. Despite my struggles, I think many historical fiction readers will enjoy this!

THE SUMMARY:
lois has just arrived at the golden yarrow, a ranch where young women intent on getting a divorce stay for the requisite six weeks before going filing for divorce. lois is feels out of place with the other would-be divorcees, until a charismatic newcomer, greer, arrives at the ranch. the two strike up a friendship and make plans for their time after their respective divorces. although lois appreciates the version of herself she is with greer, she can’t help but wonder how far outside of her comfort zone is too far.

MY THOUGHTS:
this is a great fun read for anyone looking for a low-tension historical fiction. i loved the touches of historical context that were dropped throughout the book and the general vibe of the midcentury “frontier.” seen through the eyes of a refined, though not wealthy, young woman, the setting evokes a fantasy-like quality that makes this book the perfect beach read.

in terms of dramatic tension, this book was more of a slow burn. the initial chapters of this book were far more concerned with setting the stage and endearing the reader to Lois’s plight than they were creating a tense atmosphere, but as the book continues, i found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. a little bit more to offer than the standard #chicklit

my biggest critique was that this book did not contain the sapphic romance element that I was both anticipating and hoping for as i got further into this book. i feel like there was already a lot of tension between lois and greer and the story might have been better for it if they had acted on those desires…

a review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Just completely obsessed with this book and this world! First let’s start with the cover - just perfection! And it just keeps exceeding expectations from there. I hope to read more books by Rowan in the future!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of "The Divrorcees" by Rowan Beaird. I heard buzz about this book a few months ago, and was excited to received the ALC. The story of women heading to Nevada to create a six-week residency to pursue a divorce and all living together at a "ranch" provided an interesting female story and the historical premise of divorce. Unfortuntely, the story missed the mark for me. I found it slow, and I never became invested in the characters. It is hard for me to say why. I don't usually reach for historical fiction. I had hoped for more character development or more action-neither rang true for me. I listened to the end, but even the ending was underdeveloped.

The idea of this novel intrigued me: a group of women living together on a ranch in Reno to establish residency so that they can petition for a divorce. The first chapter suggested excitement and action. However, the rest of the book felt slow. It was very character-driven, but I did not feel connected to any of the characters.

I loved the richness of the setting. The writing gave so many great details about the ranch and casinos that I felt like I was there.

Thank you NetGalley and Flatiron Books for providing this ARC.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this free ARC in exchange for an honest review. Pub date: March 19, 2024

I was excited for the chance to read this book—the premise was intriguing! It’s the 1950s and 20-something Lois heads to a divorce ranch in Reno in hopes of securing…a divorce! This had a slow start, and while there are some interesting characters, our MC felt a bit one dimensional. The ending was satisfying but it took some motivation to get there.

Read if you like: slice of life, midcentury time period, female friendships

Lois arrives at the Golden Yarrow in Reno, a divorcee ranch that allows women to get divorced through a legal loophole if they stay for 6 weeks to declare residency.

This book follows the day to day of Lois and the other women staging at the ranch. Not a lot happens in this book but I enjoy books like this from time to time.

The author writes in detail and delves into feminism and finding oneself outside of societal expectations.

This book kind of feels like watching an old movie or tv show from the 50s or 60s. A pleasant little brain break to peer into this slice of life.

The Divorcees tells how different it was in the 1950's to get divorced as a woman. Apparently you had to have a valid reason, and if it wasn't good enough (according to who?), you risked losing it all. Lois has been married for 4 years to a guy who is a good husband on paper, but doesn't excite her at all. It's expected that they have children but Lois is not sure if she ever wants to become a mother, which obviously she can't say out loud. When she asks her husband to get a divorce, she is required to spend six weeks at a ranch in Nevada with other divorcees before proceeding in court. Lois travels from Chicago to Nevada, and she meets the other women at the ranch. There, she befriends Greer, a mysterious woman who showed up one night with a giant bruise on her face. They become close soon and begin making plans to move together to California instead of going back to their respective parents' house where they would be, obviously, a burden. When one day Lois says jokingly they should commit a theft at a casino to get money to start over, Greer takes it seriously. Here is where everything falls apart.

I liked the whole environment of this period of time and how everything was different and the same at the same time. How we as women have to adhere to rules made up by men. Sigh. This was a very interesting read.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for the eARC.

3 stars

Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC of The Divorcées by Rowan Beaird.

This story was full of such promise based on its description! I went into the book excited for some 1950s historical fiction, and set in Reno? Let’s go! But unfortunately it just fell flat for me. The characters were boring and one dimensional, the story dragged on (it took until about 85% of the book to get even a hint of the climax), and I did not connect with any aspect of the story. I rooted for no one. Normally a 275 page book I could fly through in a couple days, but I found myself avoiding this book, and it took me a week to finish. If I weren’t reviewing this, it would’ve become a DNF. I do hope that someone taps into this idea and develops it a little more than this book did.

The Women is one of my favorite movies of all time. The Misfits isn't one of my favorite but it is Marilyn so I watch it. This book makes me think of both of those movies, with more character development than The Misfits and less pretension than The Women. Set in the 1950s, we meet, Lois, the main character seeking refuge in Reno for six weeks so that she could obtain her divorce. She's living at a ranch with many other women waiting the time for their divorce to come through. She meets some women that become temporary friends and one day a new woman arrives...Greer. Greer shows Lois a life she never dreamed of, a way she could live alone after the divorce is complete and how to be a strong woman. Then Greer tries to destroy Lois. Lois will have to become strong and independent all by herself.

I very much enjoyed this one!