Well written and engaging, I enjoyed my reading of this and I wanted to learn more about Gia and Margot. It held my interest and I read this, curious to find out more about both women.

Written in a concise style (though requiring a greater than usual suspension of disbelief in parts and a somewhat rushed ending, imo), it had no trouble keeping my interest. The characters come across realistically and I appreciated the author’s bringing banned books into the story enough to be part of the title.



Thank you to MIRA and NetGalley for the DRC

The Banned Books Club is a story of two sisters, who need each other in different ways.
Margot, Gia's older sister asks her to come home to help with their dying mother, as Margot has a lot in her own personal life to deal with. Gia hesitantly comes home as she had left town due to a scandal she was involved in with one of her high school teachers. Gia learns that the truth eventually comes out and that there are people that will support her. Margot needs the support of her sister as she plots to take her children and leave her abusive husband. There are many twists and turns in this book and keeps you wanting to read more.

An amazing book by author Brenda Novak. I couldn't put it down. Read it in one day.

Gia Rossi's return to Wakefield, Iowa, is not a choice she makes willingly. Summoned by her sister Margot to care for their ailing mother, Gia reluctantly steps back into a community where she is remembered for all the wrong reasons. Her turbulent teenage years, marked by rebellion and a notorious scandal involving her favorite teacher, Mr. Hart, continue to haunt her. Yet, as she confronts the remnants of her past—including the Banned Books Club she once led in defiance of the town's conservative values—Gia discovers that she cannot escape her history, but must confront it head-on.

The novel delves deep into themes of accountability and second chances. Gia's complex relationship with Mr. Hart, the teacher she accused of misconduct, is sensitively portrayed as both characters navigate the fallout of past accusations and seek to understand each other's perspectives. The town's divided response to Gia's return adds layers of tension and realism to the narrative, illustrating the enduring impact of small-town gossip and judgment.

At its heart, "The Banned Books Club" is a story about community and resilience. As Gia grapples with her sister's sudden departure and uncovers hidden truths about Margot's seemingly perfect life, she finds unexpected allies in the most unlikely places. The evolution of the Banned Books Club serves as a powerful backdrop, highlighting the importance of intellectual freedom and the courage to challenge societal norms.

This is my first Brenda Novak book, and it was definitely not what I expected. In a good way.

I was expecting a light romcom, with lighter grazing over some normally very tough topics. This book was detailed, explored extremely difficult topics, opened up some complicated family dynamics, and made me feel some type of way about the family dramas that were revealed throughout the story. I was shocked, engaged, and thoroughly attached to Gia, Margot, and Cormac.

Some difficult topics discussed are child abuse/sexual assault, spousal abuse, emotional abuse and manipulation. It was tough to get past some of the topics but Brenda Novak did a tasteful job exploring them.

Family matters, no matter what happened before then. She comes home to help her sister take care of their mother and face the consequences of what happened prior.

Review for "THE BANNED BOOKS CLUB."
Two sisters, one left her hometown following a scandal—the other needs her back so she can save her life.
Gia's sister, Margot, asked her to come home to help with their ailing mother, Gia knows she has no choice. After a rebellious teen years, Gia left town. Margot’s needs her and she needs to show up.
There’s the Banned Books Club she started in high school, and was waiting for her. Also Mr. Hart. He was fired after Gia publicly and painfully accused him of sexual misconduct. The one person she hoped never to see again.
Margot had her own problems, her life wasn't perfect and needed Gia. After 18 years the town still believes Gia was lying about Mr. Hart. Gia. learned that there are people that believe her and stand up for the truth. Gia finds love and a future in the town that turned on her. The twists and turns in the life of the two sister keeps you glued to the book. Definitely a must read!!

Another amazing book by author Brenda Novak. I couldn't out it down. Read it in one day.

When Gia Rossi’s sister urges her to come home to help with her sick mother she resists. She knows she has to go back but an incident in her past has her dreading facing the friends and town folk she left behind. She was to start her banned book club back but everyone wants to dredge up the past and are divided on if she was a victim or did an injustice to an innocent man. Gia just wants to move on from the past whether they believe her or not.


Thanks to Brenda Novak and Harlequin Trade Publishing/MIRA

A scandal that occurred when she was 17 has kept Gia away from her hometown for years. A desperate call from her sister and her mother’s cancer will bring her back to the last place she wants to be for an extended period of time. Margot needs her sister to come home and take her turn taking care of their sick mother, because she has plans and her sister coming home will allow her the freedom to execute them. The one thing Gia is looking forward to is reuniting with the members of The Banned Book Club that she started in high school.
I really enjoyed this book. It definitely got more into some tough subjects, sexual assault, domestic violence, then I anticipated, and not quite as many banned book conversations as I expected but I couldn’t put it down and I really like this book. This was hard to read but I appreciate the care that was put into the conversations around the tougher bits about how these things are handled by individuals and communities.
Thank you to @_mira_books_ and @netgalley @authorbrendanovak for letting me review #thebannedbookclub
#readersofinstagram #readersofig #bookreview #bookrecommendations #booklover #bookworm #booknerd #booksbooksbooks #readmorebooks #readallthebooks #readeveryday #reading #bookbloggerspost

I want to take a moment to thank the publishing company as well as NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A book about book clubs? Sign me up! This book was wonderful between the mystery and romance to the characters that were beyond lovable. If you are a book lover then please pick this book up. I promise you will not be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this book. The book started slow, but I was glad I pushed through because I LOVED the middle. I was hooked and didn’t want to put it down. The build up to the ending was wonderful, but the ending itself felt a little bit rushed to me. I would’ve loved for there to have been more details here or even a second epilogue.

Another amazing book by Brenda Novak. I loved the characters and the story line. Definitely a five star must read

Gia Rossi started a banned books club in high school when the PTA decided it was going to make a move to change the English department’s curriculum, her senior year English teacher sexually molests her when she goes to petition him to regrade her research paper so she can keep her college scholarship, and rumors spread like wildfire around the small town. Flash forward 17 years, and Gia’s sister, Margot, guilts Gia into coming home to help take care of their dying mother and the past comes back to haunt her. Gia fails to stay out of the town’s spotlight and is pushed back into the past by her old English teacher verbal abuse and peers who are convinced she is lying about the SA. Margot takes her two sons and runs away from her verbally (and most likely soon to be physically) abusive husband. In the end, the teacher and Margot’s husband get their just deserts.

This book really isn’t about a banned books club, but rather what happened in high school and how it is playing out now. So, really my first gripe with the book is that the title is a bit misleading. Secondly, there is A LOT of victim blaming and shaming of Gia and the sexual assault in the first half of the book and it was honestly hard for me to read. The characters do come around to believing her and apologize, but it felt icky at first. It also felt a little slow for me to start, but by the time I was half way through I had a hard time putting the book down. Overall, I really enjoyed the book. There was romance and it became a bit of a thriller in the second half of the book which I enjoyed.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Banned Books Club was a high school club that the protagonist formed to fight against censorship. It's not so much about the banned books as it is about the things that happened at the high school. These events changed the course of Gia's life, to be sure. I did enjoy the look at the sisters and their relationship. I also thought the treatment of small town rumor and how people deal with controversy was very well done. It was, however, all a little too wrapped up. I enjoyed it. Will it stick with me? Only time will tell. 3.5 stars.

The Banned Books Club really has very little to do with banned books, but a lot to do with how society treats victims of sexual and domestic violence/abuse. Gia was molested by her high school English teacher, and he was convicted and sent to jail, but many of the people in her hometown believe his claim of innocence. She left town after high school and rarely came back. Her sister, Margot, is in a marriage with an emotionally abusive and controlling man, who is from a “pillar of society” family and feels powerless to truly escape him without losing her children. While their mother is nearing the end of her life because of terminal cancer, Margot asks Gia to come home and help their father, and Margot, with their mother’s care. Gia does come home, but can feel the townspeople’s disapproval of her return. Margot takes the opportunity, when her husband goes away for his annual week long hunting trip, to take her boys and leave town forever, since she knows her sister is there to help their father. What I love about Brenda Novak’s books is that her stories are not cookie cutter and always have several layers of relationships & situations. Thank you to Harlequin Trade Publishing, MIRA and NetGalley for an advance reader’s ebook to review.

Gia left town years ago after scandal ripped families and friends apart, her sister Margot needs her to come home and help care for her mom who is battling cancer.
There is another reason Margot wants her to come home, there is something very wrong in her marriage and she needs her sister home so she can plan her escape.

Gia being back has reopened the scandal and has put family and friends on opposite sides, even when the truth come out.

This book has so much going on, I am so in love with so many of these characters.
This author has always been one of my favorites and this book is, you will not want to miss!

Thanks for her opportunity to read an advanced copy! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend to anyone. Overcoming obstacles from your past and battling to have yourself believed and heard can be such a hard thing. The author did a great job of showing the emotions of moving on and making peace.

I love this author and this was another easy read. mystery with a splash of romance is always a good combo! And a book about books is super fun!

Brenda Novak has done it again. Wonderful insightful read. Gia returns home to reconnect and heal old wounds with her dying Mother. Past demons from 17 years prior come to a head. Gia realizes her sister Margot did not live the charmed life she envisioned her living. Suspense, trauma, healing of old wounds, romance, righting of wrongs are all found in this very well written book. Highly recommend. I was given an advanced reader copy of this book by NetGalley and I am freely sharing my review.

"The Banned Bookclub" by Brenda Novak is a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel about family, forgiveness, and standing up for what is right. Gia Rossi returns to Wakefield, Iowa, after her sister Margot begs her to help with their ailing mother. Gia's homecoming is anything but pleasant, as she must confront the fallout from her past actions, including the Banned Books Club she started and her public accusations against her former teacher, Mr. Hart.

As Gia tries to make amends and support her sister, she discovers the cracks in Margot's seemingly perfect life. This realization prompts Gia to stand up for what is right, even if it means going against the town and the book club she started. Along the way, Gia learns that she can depend on people in her life and discovers love and a future in the town she thought had rejected her.

The book is a gripping and emotional read that touches on important themes such as censorship, sexual misconduct, and family dynamics. The characters are well-developed and relatable, and the author does an excellent job of portraying the complexities of family relationships. The story is also a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for what we believe in, even if it means going against the grain.

Overall, "The Banned Bookclub" is a must-read for anyone who enjoys a thought-provoking and emotionally charged novel. Brenda Novak has created a compelling story that will stay with readers long after they finish the book."

The Banned Books Club by Brenda Novak grabs your attention from the very beginning, The story is an HEA tale full of drama and interesting plots. A good mix of unlikable/insufferable characters especially Sheldon and Mr Hart balanced out with likable and relatable characters in Gia, Margot, Cormack and Max. A heartwarming and captivating read.

Thank you Brenda Novak, Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to preview the book.