The morning of her niece’s wedding, Margo Just drinks a double martini and contemplates the many mistakes she’s made in her fifty-odd years of life. Spending three decades in love with a wonderful but unattainable man is pretty high up on her list of missteps, as is a long line of unsuccessful love affairs accompanied by a seemingly endless supply of delicious cocktails.When the young bride … bride flees—taking with her a family heirloom and leaving behind six hundred bewildered guests—her mother offers Margo fifty grand to retrieve her spoiled brat of a daughter and the invaluable property she stole. So, together with the bride’s jilted and justifiably crabby fiancé, Margo sets out in a borrowed 1955 red MG on a cross-country chase. Along the way, none of what she discovers will be quite what she expected. But it might be exactly what she’s been seeking all along.
From acclaimed humor writer Jane Lotter comes this madcap, laugh-out-loud adventure, The Bette Davis Club.
Revised edition: This edition of The Bette Davis Club includes editorial revisions.
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A life and family story. This is a book of remembering, forgetting and just figuring out life. Margo, a mid-life woman who is down on her luck and in need of money, agrees to find her niece, Georgia (who ran away from her wedding) and what Georgia stole from her mom (Margo’s her half sister Charlotte). Charlotte offers Margo money, their late father’s old car, and the groom (Tully) as a driver because Margo is afraid to fly and has no driver’s license. Margo grows to understand every one. I love these characters and how well they go together and their. stories.
I enjoyed this fun book. The characters were funny and well developed. I was disappointed to read that the author died before it was published and it was her only book. I would definitely has read another if she had written one.
Although I saw the two major plot twists in this book coming early on, I still really enjoyed this book. The characters are quirky, and the story was quite entertaining. All in all, a great escape for a few hours!
So maybe the whole ‘falling in love on a long journey’ trope has been done – but the ending isn’t trite as you might therefore expect. The metaphorical journey they go on within the story is also far more original and redeems the story. Lotter’s character building is very endearing.
Margo Just is near the end of her rope with no money in the bank, debt, and no income coming in. When her sister—her wealthy sister—invites her across country to California to attend her niece’s wedding, Margo decides a family celebration is just what she needs. Then, when her niece takes off before the ceremony, a wonderful opportunity comes Margo’s way. Her sister is willing to pay her loads of money to track down the runaway bride and get back the family heirloom she’s absconded with. One catch—the jilted groom will go along, too. So, off they go in Margo’s father’s old 1955 MG on a wild goose chase across country, and Margo learns much more about herself than she anticipated along the way.
The Bette Davis Club is one of the best books I’ve read in a very long time. Author Jane Lotter is a pro when it comes to writing a hilarious, heartwarming story. The characters are written with expertise and the storyline truly keeps you turning the pages. Such a well-written story! I loved how each and every character was flawed, but also able to win your heart. When you read The Bette Davis Club, you know you are reading a story by a talented wordsmith. Thank you, Jane Lotter, for leaving us this amazing story.
If you love witty, heartwarming stories, you will love this novel.
This is a great summer read, fun and keeps you guessing and also hoping things will turn out right.
This is great beach or vacation read. It is an interesting story that pulls in Hollywood history and a family drama. Lots of fun and excitement. A perfect light treat that has a nice ending.
An enjoyable read
Loved it!