The Trophy Wives Club

Kristin Billerbeck is one of the premiere Christian fiction writers, and with good reason. However, I don't think "Trophy Wives" is her best book. I thoroughly enjoyed her Ashley Stockingdale series, and the Spa Girls series was good as well. This book was edgier, which I liked and admired, but there were a few things that prohibit me from truly loving this novel (and which I can't say without spoiling the story, which you KNOW I cannot, in good conscience, do).

Divorce sucks. Sorry for being blunt, but it's true. It totally sucks. No wonder God says, "I hate divorce." It's awful for everyone, and through the narrator Haley, Kristin Billerbeck shows this in a plethora of little ways. I think the process Haley goes through in dealing with the divorce she didn't want or initiate is about as realistic as possible for a fiction piece. In fact, it hurt to read, because it echoed sentiments I've heard my own mom say at times.

Another thing that bugs me a bit is that it reminded me too much of "The Starter Wife" (the book, not the miniseries). Maybe because I read that this summer, this book seems too similar (Kristin Billerbeck has not written her novel in the style of Gigi Levangie Grazer, but both point out the foibles and fakery that permeate the Hollywood scene, so maybe that is why).

I have read quite a few complimentary reviews of this novel, so I feel a bit like the proverbial sore thumb, sticking out in a sea of sweet reviews. Oh well. I would hope that if Kristin ever read this herself, she'd appreciate my honesty.

**First book finished in the Nattie Baby Steps Challenge**