Author: Tif Marcelo
Publisher: Gallery Books
Released: April 6, 2021
Received: Own (BOTM)

The same author that brought us The Key to Happily Ever After is back with a new novel: In a Book Club Far Away. Tif Marcelo’s newest novel immediately popped out to me when I was looking at the BOTM options for March. I mean, how can I resist grabbing a book with that title???

Regina, Adelaide, and Sophie were once the best of friends. They ran a book club together, sincerely enjoyed each other’s company, and ultimately were practically inseparable. Right up until they were separated, that is.

Time, distance, and hurt got in between their friendships. Eight years later, Sophie and Regina were surprised to have Adelaide reach out for help. Even after all this time, they didn’t hesitate to respond to her call.

“If Sophie heard Regina say “I volunteer as tribute” one more time, she was going to cry from laughter”

I’ll admit that I’m somewhat conflicted on how to rate (or review) In a Book Club Far Away. It was interesting, and I really did love the overall aesthetic of it. It included quotes at the beginning of each part and had plenty of book references for a time. That was a blast to read.

However, I do ultimately feel like the description of this book is slightly misleading. I knew that the book club wouldn’t be the primary focus – it’s pretty clear that it fell by the wayside along with their friendship. What I hadn’t expected was how little relevance it ultimately had.

I would consider this more of a tale about friends and military wives. It has some fun plot points, and those looking for a read like that will enjoy it. I did enjoy getting to see a bit more about that life.

It was heartwarming and heartbreaking at times – anyone who has seen a friendship fade over time will sympathize with what is going on behind the scenes. Unfortunately, I think if you took that element away, I would have had a lot of trouble staying invested in this story – no matter how much I wanted to see Regina, Adelaide, or Sophie get a win.