The Divorce Party: A Novel

Quick read

Easy read .. fun little story Perfect for beach, airplane

Okay, so I really liked the premise of this book, and I found Gwyn and Maggie both really interesting POV characters. Gwyn was far and away the more interesting and sympathetic of the two, as Maggie was a little whiny and weak for me at times, but I'm okay with that. There are, after all, real people like that, so it's not unbelievable. That said, I had a heck of a time staying "in" this book. There were some beautiful descriptions and some nice writing, but much of the dialogue was so incredibly forced and stilted that it kept pulling me right out of the story. Both the narrator and the characters seem to forget how to use contractions in much of this, and it comes across as really false. That, and I also had a really hard time buying that Nate, who is set up to be such a prince, kept so much from Maggie. Did he really not think she would find out, and is he so stupid as to think it wouldn't have a huge impact on their relationship? I wanted to love them together, but Nate came across as such a coward that it really made me kind of hate him. This is not a bad book. For me, personally, its weaknesses were difficult to overcome in the interest of getting "lost" in the story, but hey--we're all different. I don't know if it's just the Kindle version (the print version may be better), but there were a LOT of typos throughout, and at one point Gwyn is even called "George". I read and re-read it five times, and it was definitely Gwyn to whom the narrator was referring, but the name was swapped. The person responsible for editing the Kindle version needs to get back in there and do a decent line-edit, because it's really not fair to the author to have so many errors. It's very jarring to the reader. I have The First Husband on my Kindle, as well, and I'm still looking forward to reading it. I'm hoping that some of the things about Dave's writing style that didn't work for me will be less apparent in her latest novel. I'm willing to give her work another shot.

What an unusual and beautiful story. The author is such an amazing writer. I truly love her books. I am looking forward to reading more of her works

The entire book felt like a huge build-up. Then the end was quick and somewhat unsatisfactory as an ending if you’re reading for a bit of an escape. But if you’re reading for a realistic ending among people, then there’s some merit here. It does take you through the messiness of relationship complexities and insufficient communication.

What kind of a couple throws a huge party on their thirty-fifth anniversary to celebrate, not the event itself, but the fact that the marriage is ending? This particular divorce party is marking the end of a coupling that others thought would survive anything--the Huntingtons come from a family of survivors on this island of Montauk. And Gwyn and Thomas seemed to be the perfect couple. As the guests assemble for this lavish get-together, another couple, just beginning their journey together, is also coming from a home in Red Hook, near Brooklyn, NY. This will be Maggie's first introduction to her fiancé's family. Nate has said little about them; in fact he seems unusually reticent. Then on their trip to Montauk, through a series of chance meetings along the way, Maggie first glimpses some of the secrets Nate has kept from her. The cracks in the thin veneer that protect them are spreading and threatening to burst. Her first doubts appear. More is revealed in the first days in Montauk, and the journey may abruptly end unless something drastic happens. Meanwhile, we see Gwyn's story unfolding, layer by layer, as she relives through memories the journey she and Thomas have taken. And we slowly learn why Gwyn has chosen this particular venue--the divorce party--to mark the demise of the marriage. Alternately told in Gwyn's and Maggie's voices, we discover what it means to build a life with someone and how, by making very different choices, two different women learn how to create the lives they most want to lead. What are the secrets Nate has kept, that threaten his new relationship? And what motivates Gwyn to choose this very public setting to end hers? Is there more she hopes to unleash? And will she get the results she seeks? These are some of the questions resolved in these pages, giving The Divorce Party: A Novel a resounding five stars, in my opinion.

I did not like the ending. Too much left unfinished. Will there be a sequel? I hope so and soon

The Divorce Party was a wonderful read that captures the complexity of relationships and the challenges of marriage, and explores what it means to really "know" somebody. I loved the pace of the book and the character development. I basically stayed up all night and read the book cover to cover b/c I was so curious to know how the characters' stories unfold. I highly highly recommend The Divorce Party to anybody who loves fiction and is looking for a beautifully-written, insightful book about really knowing somebody, really loving somebody, and what it means to really compromise for somebody.

Easy reading ! Loved the book Will be looking to read another of her books . Really enjoying reading !!

Have I been living under a rock? She writes transcendent dialogue between fascinating characters who have unique viewpoints. Every page present gems of insight into the human condition and relationships that make each one worth reading several times. I’ve read only two novels so far, 800 Grapes and Divorce Party, and each one has been very enjoyable. If I had to find some critique, and it would require looking hard, it would be the sameness of the plots: parents on the verge of divorce; children coping with the same or similar doubts – is this relationship the one I should have or want? In the same vein, this review is the same for both novels. ^_^ But let’s not be churlish. These two novels (Grapes and Divorce Party) are worth every penny, or dollar.

Chick lit with a brain behind its fluffy cover. Snappy read that gives two stories of lives of that intertwined yet disjointed. Features both a younger outlook as well as the over forty mind set. Read if you enjoy stories of families, young and old love and things you as the reader might not suspect. Great price purchased on my kindle, available to re read over and over. Recommended to readers!

I was so hoping to like this book as it would have been a new author for me. I tried several times, but the story line just didn't grab me.... after several attempts I gave up by chapter 3.