Fat Fridays

By: Judith Keim

Narrated by: Joyce Bean

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

When Sukie's husband shacks up with her Pilates instructor, her domestic drama becomes the talk of her small Georgia town. Friends from her married life prove fickle, and Sukie hides at home, terrified of encountering the town gossips at the grocery store. Betsy, Sukie's neighbor, invites her to join "Fat Fridays", a weekly gathering at a local café where the women order whatever they crave - no calories counted. Over sausage pizza and sage advice, Sukie gets a grip on her new life and learns to love her freedom.

Judith Keim's warm, funny novel offers moving glimpses into each of the five women's very different lives. As they struggle to deal with cruel exes, frustrating families, and forbidden love, the women offer one another the kind of friendship that is as rich and nurturing as their Friday feasts.

©2016 Judith Keim. (P)2016 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Needs work

This book had potential but just wasn't executed well. Most of the time it felt like important character developments were rushed through. For example, one of the girls sees her cute new neighbor for 30 seconds, then he randomly shows up at her door to ask this stranger for help with his daughter who needs to take her (basic) medicine and she ends up staying for dinner. He asks her to dinner after that and after a seemingly unremarkable date she's magically in love and they have some amazing "connection". But I never really understood how or why they felt this connection. It doesn't go deep enough into this. I felt all of of the characters were under developed and rolled my eyes a lot at some of the ridiculous stuff. Some lady at her work seems to hate her for something the second she meets her but we don't really know why until they mention something about the guy she's now seeing. (Seems like a bit of an overreaction). Scary Notes with one word on them (bad words) result in the woman immediately calling a group meeting after work to talk about things instead of just telling them what the note said over the phone. I don't know. The whole thing felt like it had potential but didn't go deep enough. Don't see how it got 5 stars from anyone.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Cute All Around!

I was immediately pulled in by this cover, then the narrator Joyce Bean ...calm and peaceful voice. I've never read Judith before … this is the type of read you will talk back, there are moments where will be amazed, confused, laughing your head off and for me I was like I want friends like these ladies. I think judging is a huge problem in this world … we all need 2 step back and think before we go there … trying to remember that we are all walking a totally different life and there need to be more understanding, compassion and love. it is a daily item we have to be more mindful of. Well said. I will looking more into bot the author and narrator. ( :

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Eh

This was just ok. Some of the story was predictable. I struggled to stay interested in parts. Overall it did the job of passing the time.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A lovely story of women helping each other.

Five unlikely women become friends and supporters of each other during some very rough times in their lives. I enjoyed the writer's development of the characters personalities, and, in some cases, their enlightenment of their lives. A good summer book. Okay, I did have one major problem, and that could be because I was listening to the word SueKee which is said "Suki". For the longest time I thought this character was Japanese; she wasn't and I couldn't let it go. They needed to introduce why she was called SueKee earlier on. Narration was delightful.

The bitter girls club

I started this book thinking it would be an empowering book about sisterhood. I though it would be like the Jane Austen Book Club or Young Wives Club, or Bridget Jones Diary, or Fried Green Tomatoes, or the Divine Secrets of the Yaya Sisters. I was surprised to see how unkind and unhappy all the characters were and how they all seemed to dislike anyone who was not in their Fat Friday club. Instead of lifting each other up all these woman did in the first five chapters was tear others down. It was so negative that I stopped listening during chapter 5. One woman hates her in-laws and thinks her husband is unsupportive, another hates her daughter in-law and doesn't miss her husband who passed away because he was boring, a third only married her husband because she became pregnant in college and didn't really like him and then can't understand why he would leave her for "a bimbo who can't even put together a simple dinner", and a fourth hates her parents who are too needy and "like stones around her neck." I just didn't like how unhappy all the characters were with their lives and the constant complaining. I thought they would form a club to lift each other up not to complain about others.

A wonderful story of the power of friendship!

The women in this story really come to life and you feel like you are a part of their world. This is really an enjoyable book.

Good story

Enjoyed the story and the performance. Great look at real life as we age and changes that occur. Makes me wish I had a group for my own Fat Fridays.

It pulled me right in

From the beginning of the book until the end it had me. Wonderful stories of each of the ladies lives, and how no matter what they stuck together and supported one another. Girls need girls in our lives and Fat Fridays hit the kind of friendship we need on the head.
Thank You, Judith Kell, keep up your love for writing and send us fans more books like this.....

Strength of Friendship

Instantly immersed into this story. Very well written, excellent blend of humor, bittersweet, and drama. This tells the tale of the strength and power of friendship as it blossoms between four women. Love this book!

Almost a Cozy Mystery

The story of a group of women with struggles, weaknesses and the strength they find with their friendship.