The Sunday Potluck Club: Volume 1

Melissa Storm

Mar 2020 · The Sunday Potluck Club Book 1 · Kensington Books

About this ebook

"A poignant and touching story of friendship, love and healing. Perfect for your book club!"
—#1 New York Times bestselling author, Barbara Freethy

A recipe for living . . .
 
New friends can be found in unexpected places. For Bridget and Amy, that place was the cancer ward of an Anchorage hospital. Now, as each struggles to overcome loss, they lean on each other for support—sharing suppers, laughter and tears.
 
Bridget and Amy aren’t about to let hardship knock them down—Bridget plans to return to her veterinarian school studies, Amy to her position as a second-grade teacher—but neither feels quite ready. And so the Sunday Potluck Club is born, a way for Bridget, Amy, and other women who have lost a loved one to find solace and understanding. Savoring favorite dishes while sharing memories and the comfort of connection, the members of the Sunday Potluck Club nourish body and soul.
 
As weeks go by and the group grows in unforeseen ways, both Bridget and Amy are inspired to find greater purpose.  Amy reaches out to a student whose father bravely faces his own struggle. Bridget volunteers at the local animal shelter, rehabilitating dogs whose unconditional love will bring others a chance to heal. And with the help of two special men, Bridget and Amy are realizing that there’s always room at the table for love and rekindled joy . . .

Ratings and reviews

Great circle of friends concept, although they have a sad common denominator, the story is emotionally well-balanced. It is uplifting and very encouraging even with real life insights. There's always more than one way to look at things and these ladies share another perspective that engages the thinking cap. Love the characters, they all have their individual quirks, very realistic with each having strengths and weakness yet very supportive and have big hearts. Enjoyed this one and I look forward to the next one. I received a free copy without obligation via NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing.

The Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm is a book of friendship, grief, love, unconditional love of animals and healing. The beginning of the story is a little depressing, but the tone soon changes. This is a story about people struggling with their grief which can be overwhelming. Amy, Bridget, and Hazel became friends after meeting in the hospital cafeteria. Each one had a parent going through chemotherapy. Nichole is the fourth member of their group and is fortunate that her father’s cancer is in remission. The four ladies meet each Sunday for a potluck meal and friendship therapy. Amy is having a hard time handling her grief over the loss of her mother. This is Amy’s third funeral in less than a year and it is wearing her down. She is hoping that by returning to work, her life will return to normal. Brigit just lost her mother and is handling her grief by keeping busy. Brigit refuses to talk about her grief. She becomes involved with the local animal shelter and becomes determined to make sure every dog is adopted by Valentine’s Day which is in two weeks. The three friends get recruited to help Brigit pull off this massive endeavor. Amy has a new girl in her second-grade class who has just moved to Anchorage with her father. The child just lost her mother to cancer. Amy notices the girl does not talk in class nor smile. Amy wants to help the little girl and contacts the child’s father. There is an instant spark of attraction between Amy and the father. But there is an issue that prevents them from moving forward. As Amy gets involved in activities, her grief lessens. We follow Amy and Bridgit as the deal with their grief in their own way. The Sunday Potluck Club is an uplifting story. I enjoyed the Valentine’s Day event at the animal shelter. It was a cute idea and a good way for people to interact with the animals (and help them find forever homes). I would have liked more details on the characters as well as Anchorage. It would have added more depth to the story. There are several good lessons in this story. That each person handles grief in their own way, you should be honest with your friends, and grief takes time. I liked that the ladies were close friends and willing to help each other out at a moment’s notice. People who are there for you no matter what are true friends. The animals sounded like such cuties. The author’s word imagery really brought them life. You can tell that Melissa Storm has animals of her own from her descriptions. The Sunday Potluck Club is an emotional novel with first class friends, agonizing grief, scrumptious potluck, furry friends, fun forts, and a cold climate.

About the author

MELISSA STORM is a USA Today bestselling author of various romance and inspirational series. She loves books so much, she married fellow author Falcon Storm. Between the two of them, there are always plenty of imaginative, awe-inspiring stories to share. Melissa and Falcon also run a number of book-related businesses together, including LitRing, Sweet Promise Press, Novel Publicity, Your Author Engine, and the Author Site. When she’s not reading, writing, or child-rearing, Melissa spends time relaxing at home in the company of a seemingly unending quantity of dogs and a rescue cat named Schrödinger. Melissa maintains active memberships in Romance Writers of America (RWA), American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW), Novelists, Inc. (NINC), and the Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi). Visit her online at www.melstorm.com.