The Accidental Book Club by Jennifer Scott

When Jean's husband died from cancer, she was set adrift.  Wayne had been her anchor; the person she could depend on and who would help her handle anything.  Now he was gone and she was here alone.  She does like to read, though.  When her racy older neighbor suggests they get together and discuss a book they've read and cook some gourmet dishes to go with it, they both look for friends to ask and the book club is born.

The Penguin Group sent me an ARC of this book to read for review (thank you).  It will be published May 6th, so you can pick up a copy then.

There's a lot of drama in this story.  Jean's daughter is an alcoholic and won't admit it.  The son-in-law has moved out because he can't handle her lies and her troubles.  She won't stay in rehab to get help.  The granddaughter feels like she's invisible.  Her father is ghost because he's never there and doesn't see her when he is.  Her mother talks about her in disparaging terms when she's sitting in the same room.  She's tired of trying to take care of her mother.  She's angry and she's acting out.  They refer to her as "out of control".  When Laura ends up in the hospital, Jean finds herself bringing Bailey home with her.  Bailey is still out of control and Jean ends up avoiding her to stop having problems.  Then Laura moves in and the troubles escalate.

The only saving grace is the book club.  Those women are her friends and support her as best they can.  Loretta is an old lady that reads romance novels and talks vividly about sex.  The others are more sedate but each is strong in their own way.

When Laura and Bailey go back home and Curt calls again, Jean assumes Laura is back in the hospital.  No, this time it's Bailey.  When she listens the two argue in Bailey's hospital room, Jean finally loses her temper and let's them know what she thinks.  

The ending isn't happy ever after, but it does have hope for the future.  That's really all any of us can ask for, isn't it?