Starter Wife

Bethany Lopez

Feb 2021 · The Jilted Wives Club Book 1 · Bethany Lopez

About this eBook

USA Today Bestselling Author Bethany Lopez brings you an all-new trilogy about getting a second chance at love. Follow Whitney, Summer, and Margo as they experience the good, bad, and ugly of dating again in your thirties and forties. Join them in The Jilted Wives Club.

When life gives you lemons, make a Lemontini...

Divorced and jobless at forty-something, Whitney never thought she’d be starting over. But here she is. Single and (not so) ready to mingle - with anyone except him.

Luca leads a charmed life. He's got the perfect job, the support of a big Italian family, and a bevy of women eager to grant his mother’s wish for grandchildren… except the woman he really wants.

Now that Whitney’s Starter Wife days are over, Luca is determined to convince her to give him a shot.

Too bad the only shot Whitney’s sure of right now is the Lemontini. 

Ratings and reviews

***** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ***** Starter Wife was a good story. Whitney is a recently divorced woman with two teenagers and out of work. She's struggling with the feelings of being cheated on with a woman nearly half her age. She's struggling with her self esteem. In comes Luca, he's a younger man in the prime of his life. He isn't exactly looking for love but isn't against it either. He goes after Whitney with a vengeance. Whit doesn't doesn't stand a chance against his charm. The story offers a vast amount of feelings. There's some humor with the club... those gals are great. I loved the quick way they all supported each other and was there for one another. The relationship between Luca and Whitney was sweet. You see them develop a nice friendship into a relationship they both seem to want. Relationships aren't easy though. Past feelings aren't easy to navigate. 4 stars for the story. The narrator was Amanda Miller. I haven't heard this narrator before the Starter Wife. I enjoyed her as Whiney and as Whitney's friends. She gave the girls personality. The girls were fun and light together and Miller really ulled that off. However, I didn't exactly enjoy Miller's narration of Luca. More than that, I really disliked her narration of Luca's parents. It sounded too much like a person faking a voice. All in all, the narration wasn't my favorite but I still listened to the story within a day. 3 stars for the narration.

This well-written, fast paced read was charming and sexy and sometimes felt so real. It was lots of fun, made me smile, and gave me plenty of tingles. Whitney goes to a support group for divorced women and ends up walking out and meeting two women who are in the same situation as her: dumped & divorced & ready to move on. They quickly bond and form a strong friendship. This trio of women dubbed themselves the Jilted Wives Club, aptly named. They were hilarious together and they made me want to be their friends. Luca spots Whitney while she’s out with the girls. He’s mesmerized with her, so he finds the courage to talk to her. Luca is years younger, so she politely turns him down when he asks her to have a drink with him. But lordy, what she wouldn’t give to have a chance with someone like him. But, lucky for him, he gets an opportunity to try to change her mind. They meet again...when she gets hired where he works. I loved them together and seeing Whitney finally give in and take a chance with him made my little cougar heart happy. He was younger, yes, but he was perfect boyfriend material. Sexy, romantic, thoughtful and understanding. Watching him accept the age difference, along with her two teenage children, was heartwarming and made him even swoonier. And his family? Could they be any more awesome? A big Italian family who loves to get together for Sunday dinners. I felt like I knew them, I wanted to be a part of the Russo family. This author always makes me feel everything in her stories, and I felt all of the emotions with this story. From scorching elevator kisses to fun family dinners to hot AF wall sex, this story satisfied me in every way possible. It was a perfect blend of humor, steam, and real life situations. Margo & Summer were amazing characters as well. I’m happy to know they will be getting their own stories.

Note: This review contains NO spoilers Gah...!!! What a fun read! I enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. A second chance at love in the most unlikely place and person Whitney would have ever thought. Anyways, I definitely do not want to ruin it for readers that have not read this yet. The start in a new romantic comedy series, Bethany Lopez has created well-developed characters with individual personalities that stand out and filled the pages with light-hearted fun and drama. Sooo... Realistic that readers would be able to relate to these characters when it came to being in love, hurting, forgiving, and falling in love again. Starter Wife is a great start to The Jilted Wives Club series. With a captivating balance of drama, humor, and sex appeal, readers will laugh, cry, and fall in love with these characters. And, in the end, this was a feel-good love story that got me smiling at the end. I can't wait to read the next installment in The Jilted Wives Club series. Let's see if another member of this club can get a happy second chance.

About the author

Bethany Lopez is a USA Today Bestselling author of more than thirty books and has been published since 2011. She's a lover of all things romance, which she incorporates into the books she writes, no matter the genre.

When she isn't reading or writing, she loves spending time with family and traveling whenever possible.

Bethany can usually be found with a cup of coffee or glass of wine at hand, and will never turn down a cupcake!