Olivia by Julie Wright (The Newport Ladies Book Club series)

From Goodreads:  The Robbins household looks perfect from the outside: no dust, no stains, no wrinkles. Yet a glimpse into its heart reveals no laughter, no closeness, no joy. Olivia thinks that if she keeps everything tidy and serves delicious meals on time, family life is bound to get better. But when her husband, Nick, misses their anniversary, she realizes no amount of domestic success will compensate for failure in their marriage, or for her own failure to develop her identity, always busy as a mother, wife, and neighbor, she has forgotten how to be a unique and vibrant individual. Determined to make a change, Olivia joins a local book club, where she nurtures new friendships and explores new ideas. But her growing confidence falters when Nick declares his independence, and while her new friends lovingly encircle her with support, only Olivia can reach into the depths of her fledgling self to find the faith, hope, and love her troubled family needs.

I am so intrigued by the concept behind this series of books.  It's one of the main reasons I signed on to take part in reviewing The Newport Ladies Book Club series.  The genre here can best be described as Women's Fiction.  The idea is that these four authors have joined together to write about different women in a book club.  The stories happen simultaneously but we get to focus on one lady at a time in each book.


Olivia is the first book and the first character we really get to know.  I love the cover of this book.  It really fits the Newport feel and well, I can't help but be attracted to blue.  It's my color.  :)  Plus the beach is my favorite place.  I love the sounds and smells of the ocean side.


I really loved following Olivia through the process of self awareness.  She has become so wrapped up in making her home and family the ideal that she has forgotten that her own soul is equally important in that whole "ideal" scenario.  The book seemed to be made of very real life type stuff.  It was easy to relate to and it was easy to find a bit of myself in there too.  Olivia begins to discover herself again but I like that it wasn't entirely selfish.  She finds bits of herself by helping other people and by allowing others into her heart.  Change always takes courage and Olivia finds that courage.  It was satisfying. 


We get a glimpse of the other ladies in the book club who will be coming up in future installments of The Newport Ladies Book Club and I'm really excited to read their stories in depth.  


You can find out more about this series by clicking HERE.  This is the official website and explains in greater detail the ideas and inspiration behind The Newport Ladies Book Club.  You can also find out more about the authors there.


Here is the trailer for the book:

Nice trailer, huh?  I'm so excited to follow this series.  It's going to be great, I think.  My thanks to these ladies for letting me be a part of sharing their books with you.

You can find Olivia for purchase at Amazon in print or for the kindle, Deseret Book, Seagull Book, and Barnes and Noble.