Ladies' Night

Ladies' Night
Mary Kay Andrews
Published: Macmillan Audio
Date: 2013
Format: Audio
Length: 17hrs 28 min
Narrator: Kathleen McInerney
Genre: Contemporary
Source: Own audio.

Summary from Goodreads

Take a splash of betrayal, add a few drops of outrage, give a good shake to proper behavior and take a big sip of a cocktail called…Ladies'Night.

Grace Stanton’s life as a rising media star and beloved lifestyle blogger takes a surprising turn when she catches her husband cheating and torpedoes his pricey sports car straight into the family swimming pool.  Grace suddenly finds herself locked out of her palatial home, checking account, and even the blog she has worked so hard to develop in her signature style. Moving in with her widowed mother, who owns and lives above a rundown beach bar called The Sandbox, is less than ideal.  So is attending court-mandated weekly "divorce recovery" therapy sessions with three other women and one man for whom betrayal seems to be the only commonality. When their “divorce coach” starts to act suspiciously, they decide to start having their own Wednesday "Ladies' Night" sessions at The Sandbox, and the unanticipated bonds that develop lead the members of the group to try and find closure in ways they never imagined.  Can Grace figure out a new way home and discover how strong she needs to be to get there?

My thoughts:
I 'read' the audio version of this book, and while it was just over 17 hours I listened to it in just over a week.  Two reasons - when I am tired it is easier to sit back and listen to a book than actually read, and the main reason; it was so very well narrated.  Kathleen McInerney had a different voice for every character, and in my opinion did a stellar job.

The story itself was entertaining, with enough twists and turns to keep me interested.  Grace, the main character, was delightful.  I enjoyed her driving the sports car straight into the family pool.  I strongly disliked Ben her husband, and wondered how on earth someone like him could get away for so long being so unjust and vindictive.  All along I was wanting Grace to strike back more strongly, however Grace was the thoughtful type, she bided her time and was able to strike at crucial times. I liked that she never got totally down over the mean, vindictive things thrown at her.  She came back with perseverance and in ways that ultimately brought her everything she wanted.

The main male character, Wyatt, was another person in Grace's therapy group who proved to be fascinating.  He too, has a wife who has done the dirty on him.  He too negotiates this with patience and firmness at the right times.  His son is wonderful, and it brings out how a divorce can have a big impact on a child, especially when one parent is out to use the child to wager war.  Wyatt's Dad is another crusty character that I enjoyed.  He said what he thought, especially to Wyatt's ex wife, which got them in trouble, but well... she deserved every bit of it.

There are other characters in this book to like as well, Camryn the news anchor who busts in on the break up between Grace and Ben with her news team, is especially gutsy and herself has just been involved in a divorce and has taken some rather funny retribution on her husband because of his unfaithfulness.  She teams up well with Grace.

I really enjoyed this book and if you have the opportunity to listen to the audio I highly recommend it.