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 … 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 . . .
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This is about Amy.. She, with her three friends, Hazel, Nicole ant Bridget, have formed the Sunday Potluck Club. In which they for friend get together to reminisce about the parents they lost to cancer. And be together for each other. They met in the hospital cafeteria, where each of their parents were receiving treatments. Soon after the funeral of Bridgets mother, Amy meets Trent. She feels a connection, and soon realizes he’s the parent of one of her students, whom she’s been worried over. Amy tries to forget her attraction to Trent, but she can’t seem to do so.
I absolutely loved this story. It was so well written and beautiful. It was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. It had me tearing up because it made me think of my mother who passed away. And a lot of what these characters feel, I too have felt. The author does a wonderful job telling this story.
I definitely recommend reading this book. Such a wonderful story. But I’d recommend you read Hazels story, which is featured in the book Home Sweet Home and a wonderful story as well.
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.
Amy is a people pleaser with a big, albeit broken, heart. Her mother’s death has tramped all over her emotions. She is not sure if she can ever get back to the person se was.
Amy is strong but feels that she is not handling her mother’s death as quickly as she would like. She returns to teaching only to discover one of the girls in her class is being excluded by the other kids. She is shy and keeps to herself. Amy takes it upon herself to try to bring Olivia out of her shell. She quickly discovers two things, that Olivia is sad due to her mother’s death and that Olivia’s father is hot. A relationship is sure to follow.
Bridget, Helen and Nicole have also been the support person for a parent fighting cancer. To have a few moments not revolving around cancer, the women form to Sunday Potluck Club. Every Sunday, the meet to visit, unload, and support each other. This proves to be quite helpful after the death of a parent. However, the rule is that each person must be allowed to grieve in their own way and the others couldn’t comment or try to change the form of their grief.
The book vacillates between happy and discouraging emotions and situations. Amy is trying to move forward outwardly but doesn’t think she is making progress internally. The other are backdrops to Amy’s heartache but are still fully immersed in this story.
The story is true to what a daughter will experience after a parent’s death from cancer. Their emotions are all over the board. I feel that it is true to life by the daughter being happy one minute and then morose the next. However, I felt that Olivia’s change was too quick. She is sad and not speaking for months after her mother’s death. Suddenly, in the matter of an evening of pizza and a movie, she comes out of her shell. I believe it would take a person a little longer, even as a child.
I found the writing to be outstanding even taking my comment above into consideration. Although it has sad portions the story itself centers on healing and moving forward. Showing Amy, Olivia and Trent dealing with tragedy in their own way, allows the reader to recognize that there is no boiler plate way to handle negative emotions. The subject manner is dark but is lifted by a well-written story of optimism.
I received an ARC from Kensington Books through both NetGalley and Goodreads. This in no way affects my opinion or ratings. I am submitting this review voluntarily and am under no obligation to do so.
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.
Cancer is an evil that has affected us all in one way or another. I have had my share of scares and right now I have a mother-in-law that is fighting to keep her second round of breast cancer in remission. Watching someone you love battle this nightmare is almost too much to take and sadly for many that battle ends in death.
The Sunday Potluck Club is comprised of four women who met in a hospital cafeteria, all with one parent battling different types of cancer, and going through the treatments to try to save their lives. These women became a support system for each other while each had to stop their lives to be by their parents side, and each other, while they eventually grieve the loss of their loved one. After the final death, each woman has to find their new normal, and go on with their lives.
Each Sunday, the group meets up, brings food, and just talk, support, and love on each other. It is raw and real, yet handled in such a simple and beautiful way. This first novel in the series focuses on Amy; the “yes” girl, the peacekeeper, the one that puts everyone ahead of herself, and who in the process realizes just how much she loses herself when she is always putting everyone’s needs ahead of her own.
I also loved how the love focus wasn’t all on the man and woman, but also included the children involved as well. I think this was beautifully woven into the tapestry of the story, and made for an amazing picture of a new family.
Short chapters and great writing made this a wonderfully breezy read, and reminded me how important it is to have a good support system, especially when times get tough, like they are right now.
Such a perfect start to a new series! I can’t wait to see what happens to The Sunday Potluck Club!
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the publisher through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
While I was sad for the reason for this Club I really loved the idea of women coming together and supporting each other especially while suffering loss. While we get to read about four ladies, Amy was the focus of this book and her budding relationship with Trent and his daughter Olivia. Olivia was a doll and quite the matchmaker. The author caused such growth in these characters and we saw real feelings. Great start to the series.
The Sunday Potluck Club focused on four women who met while their parents were undergoing chemo treatment. Three of the four women have now lost their parents and the other parent is in remission. The story told of how they manged their grief which was different for each of them. They have been meeting every Sunday and bringing an item for their potluck dinner.
The story really revolved around Amy, who for a year took care of her mother. Now she feels lost, although she has gone back midyear to teaching second grade. She is also helping a little girl in her class who just lost her mother and has a very cute father named Trent. Pets are also a big part of this story and provide the women and the little girl with a lot of comfort too. I received an advance copy of this book and I willingly chose to write an honest review.
This was a sweet, well-written book. Amy’s mother had cancer, and Amy has made friends with several other women she met who had a parent with cancer. They have formed the Sunday Potluck Club and lean on each other for support. They reach out to others to offer their help and friendship, and the group grows in ways they did not anticipate. I enjoyed this book and would read other books by this author.
Four young women meet through a common activity- waiting while their parent gets a chemo treatment. Only one parent survives but the friends are supportive of each other as they grieve, each in their own way. Finally Amy is returning to her classroom after caring for her mother until her death. The friends meet on Sundays for a potluck to support, share, and yes, even laugh. Romance comes into this emotional story along with some regrets and questions. Amy is pulled all ways as the peacekeeper and the one always willing to help. This is one story you just cannot put down. I highly recommend this one!
I received an advance copy of this book from Kensington and NetGalley and I voluntarily wrote an honest review.
Oh my………..
Remember, honor, celebrate, let go, goodbye to grieve, loss, gone but never forgotten, relationships, legacy, cancer, Live life as best as you know how.
This book is filled with tons of emotions, words to review are so hard to write as millions of thoughts are swimming in my mind. Bottom line…………buy this book today and start this story, you won’t be disappointed.
This review is for the full book. I really enjoyed this book. I lost my mother years ago so this really resonated with me. I completely understand all of the friends different coping methods. I also like that this is going to be a series as I am looking forward to getting to know all of the girls better. They all spend time at the hospital with their parents who are going through chemo. They wind up starting a Sunday night potluck dinner so they can spend time outside of the hospital and continue supporting each other through their journeys. We get introduced to potential love interests, pets and lives so there is lots of action including romance. A very good read!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.
The Sunday Potluck Club is an enjoyable story about friendship, healing and finding our place once things completely change.
The friendship the main characters found with each other was great, but I found the characters a little flat and some of their disgruntlement with one or more of the characters must have rubbed off on me because I didn’t love any of them.
it is a good story and I’m wondering if the author is setting it up to be a series – it definitely could be. If you enjoy books about friends, accepting change and hardships and getting through them, you would probably enjoy this book.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for allowing an ARC at my request. This review and all thoughts are my own.
Amy, Hazel, Nicole and Bridget’s friendship is one based in The loss of loved ones. They met in the hospital and they shared chemotherapy sessions of their parents, but they shared their feelings, dreams, fears. Now they had atended the last funeral and they need to face their new life. They will have up and downs but will help each other in finding happiness and love again. I received a free copy of this book and I voluntarily reviewed it
I really enjoyed this book. It is a sweet, easy quick read about four women who became friends while helping loved ones through cancer treatments. They love and support each other with food, honesty, support and humor even when they go a little off the rails. Especially then! This was the first in what is to be a series. This was a well written, sweet start. I loved that the author integrated animal rescue and particularly the dogs that are often harder to adopt out. Bigger dogs certain breeds and older dogs tend to languish in shelters and these wonderful dogs all found loving forever families.
I am looking forward to the next in the series.
“The Sunday Potluck Club” by Melissa Storm
I expect you read the back-cover description and are now wondering IF you want to read this story. It is a clean story with love interests and the struggle/growth to survive loss and the support true friendship can provide. It is a good story and I liked it. And since you were interested enough to check out reviews.. I think you will like this story, too. It was worth the read. Happy Reading ! !
An awesome start to a new series by Melissa Storm. Amy and Bridget meet at one of the worst places in the world, the cancer ward of a hospital. It is not them going through the treatment, but their parents. I lost my mom to cancer so I understand what they are going through and what they are feeling. Hazel, Amy and now Bridget, lost their parents but Nichole’s father has survived so far. These four women meet on Sundays as an informal support group. Bridget delves into anything to keep busy. Her latest is volunteering to organize an adoption challenge for the local animal shelter. She wants to save them as she could not save her mom. Between the four-legged friend’s and their unconditional love and the four two-legged friends, the dinners prove to help with healing. These women are there for each other, supporting each other, and it does help there is a couple of men being thrown in the mix. The Sunday Potluck Club is about food, friendship, comfort, and hope for healing. Thank you to Ms. Storm, Kensington Publishing, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Melissa Storm has written such charming and entertaining novel with “ The Sunday Potluck Club”.
The relationships between old friendships and new are pushed with the decisions they are forced to face, whether they feel like they were ready or not. This close-knit group of friends had experienced so much loss yet they helped each other through the tough times.
The dogs and cats in the story kept it entertaining too and I am definitely a sucker when it comes to animals.
A couple of my favorite quotes:
“It is not about what you have, it is about what you do.”
“Dogs are better than dudes, they should put that on a poster.”
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for fair and honest review.
A Very emotional book. It is about Amy and Bridget have both lost loved ones to cancer and must find a way to move on and get pat the worst of their grief. Not wanting to loose touch they start the Sunday Pot Luck Club to gather those like them while enjoying foods and comfort. This story is about them both starting their lives over and the struggles they have. Very touching book brings a lot of different emotions to bear as the story unfolds. Looking forward to reading more in this series.
I received this from NetGalley in exchange for my review. This was a good read about four females meeting in the most unlikely of places, at a hospital while accompanying their loved ones to cancer treatments. They meet on Sundays to eat and catch up from the week. Each of them grieves differently, but the strength of their friendship remains strong.
Sunday Potluck Club by Melissa Storm a fair three star read. I only had the first few chapters of this one, so it may get better, and I really hope it does as it shows promise, it just didn’t deliver yet. Four friends in this story are all interesting and bring something to it, getting more of their stories may make this a better read.