This was a very nice, chic lit book.

It took a while to get into the flow of it, but once I did, it was easy to lose myself in it and it was an easy read. Not too thrilling, but I have other books that I can read for that.

Overall, 3 stars ( )

Loved it! ( )

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Yes, it may have been predictable, but I wasn't reading it as a thriller. As a feel-good chick lit book, this hit the spot. As a stepmother myself, I identified with many if the events in the book. A great, fun read, with some heart-touching moments. I would like to read more by this author. ( )

Eve has fallen in love with widower Ian, but his three children aren't as smitten as their father is. Navigating the hazards of stepparenting is an uncomfortable experience for Eve, particularly the outright hostility of 12 year old Hannah. Needing advice, Eve's best friend Clare suggests she meet with her younger sister Lily who's a part time stepmother to a three year old. Melanie has yet to meet her potential 10 year old stepdaughter but lonely and hoping for friendship, she joins the informal group, followed by Mandy who seems to have been successful in creating her blended family. The five women bond over their shared heartbreak, fears and joy.By bringing together Eve, Clare, Lily, Melanie and Mandy, Baker explores the modern minefield of relationships, parenthood and friendship and is able to provide multiple perspectives to the issues the characters face. Baker skilfully navigates the complex themes by creating a realistic cast.Eve and Clare are the dominant protagonists in the book, both facing very different challenges. Eve is the less sympathetic character, I felt she was quite self absorbed and there is a bitter edge to her that I never understood. I was more firmly on Hannah's side than hers, despite recognising that Eve was perhaps doing the best she could.I found Clare more likeable, I can empathise with her financial struggle and the difficulties of negotiating life with a teenage girl. I also find it much easier to understand Clare's fear of Will coming back into her daughters life. I think I might have been even less rational than Clare in the same situation.Despite my honest admiration for Baker's ability to develop sophisticated, multi faceted characters I just wasn't drawn in to the story the way I wanted to be. Partly I think because of my indifference towards Eve, and also because the issues don't relate to my experience. I think perhaps the story would be more appealing to someone who has been on either side of the stepparenting situation. ( )

This book took me a while to get into. It just didn’t grab my attention. I felt the beginning was slow, moving back and forth between characters, not really going anywhere. But I decided to stick with it and I’m glad I did. Baker gave a great point of view of each of the main characters, step moms, who form a support group. My favorite character I think was Eve, and I really wanted things to work out for her in the end. ( )

When Eve falls in love with Ian, a widower, she understands he’s a package deal — but doesn’t quite realize what that means until three living, breathing, scowling children are before her, resolutely telling Eve she’s not their mum.

Not that she’s trying to be, mind you. She’s not quite sure what she’s doing — other than loving their father. It’s through these difficulties and reaching out to Clare, Eve’s best friend, that she begins to realize how common it is for women to be thrust into unconventional family situations, playing stepmother to children who may or may not be prepared to welcome them.

Clare herself is wrestling with the sudden reappearance of Will, her teen daughter’s father — a man who has been MIA for the past 14 years of Louisa’s life. Add to this mix Lily, Clare’s younger sister, dating a man with a daughter; Melanie, a successful business woman dating an IT professional with a child of his own; and Mandy, an overtaxed mother struggling to blend her teens with her boyfriend’s brood. Together, the ladies form an impromptu support group — and reach out to one another, especially when life gets tough . . . then tougher.

Samantha Baker’s The Other Mothers’ Club was an entertaining, often poignant look at what it means to form a family, create new friendships, become a parental figure (even when skeptical) and form attachments where you didn’t think possible. If you can get past the approximately 1,000 characters in this story — perhaps by drawing a map, as I contemplated — it’s an enjoyable read.

Set in present-day London, Baker’s characters are all incredibly different women with one thing in common: a stepmother link. Either they are one, want to be one, had one, will soon become one — whatever it is, that stepmother persona is lingering over them. Eve’s story kicks us off and, through the novel, is the plot we most return to — and the one in which I was most invested.

The thing holding me back from giving The Other Mothers’ Club a glowing review is, as I mentioned, all the people. Honestly, I think Melanie and Mandy’s storylines could have been cut completely and we wouldn’t have missed a thing. I guess it’s not much of a “club” if it only includes three members — two best friends and a sister — but hey, that would have cut down on the page count . . . and my confusion levels. No matter what they said or did, I never got close to Mandy or Melanie. They felt severely undeveloped as characters and only distracted me from the more interesting, compelling plotlines.

What kept me reading were the poignant moments, like when Clare realizes having her first love back in her life means actually having to share her daughter — their daughter, the one Will wanted nothing to do with, for the first time in her life. As the years have passed and Clare has thrown herself completely into motherhood, she realizes what’s given up in order to give Lou everything she needs, and without any help. And it’s a lot. That’s a familiar trope, sure, but Baker’s writing elevates it to a different level.

With so many families having stepdads and stepmoms, stepgrandparents and stepchildren, it’s amazing to me a book like this hasn’t already been written (or have I just missed it?). And by the close of it, I really cared about Eve, Clare, Lou and Lily — and was actually sorry to see it end. No need to be a stepmother to enjoy this story of friendship, change and love. Fans of women’s fiction, stories of motherhood and pregnancy and British chick lit will find plenty to enjoy in this one — just keep a homemade character map handy. ( )

This chick lit novel focuses on young women navigating the rocky terrain of stepmotherhood. At the center is Eve, a magazine editor who has fallen in love with a widower. Her new boyfriend comes complete with three children and a family home replete with relics of the deceased and seemingly saintly first wife, Caroline. Through her best friend Eve discovers that plenty of other women share her situation, her fears, and her problems. Five of them form a support group, and the book chronicles their meetings and individual histories.

Generally, this is a well-written book, though the plot is quite predictable. It is unlikely that any reader will be surprised by the book's ending. I was quite sympathetic to Eve's plight, especially as I thought she was poorly treated, both by her best friend and her boyfriend, Ian. While Ian's devotion to his children is admirable, there is a crucial point in the story where his complete abrogation of responsibility to Eve was appalling. Likewise, Eve's best friend Clare is so bitter that she sometimes seems to be a caricature. Ultimately I'd classify this as summer beach reading. It's not deep, but it is well-written, and definitely one of the better books of its genre. ( )

The Stepmothers' Support Group (originally called The Other Mother's Club) by Samantha Baker was a bit of a slog to read. It took me longer than usual to finish. The problem, too many stories, with several underdeveloped plots that were not very important to the novel, compared to the more fully developed stories that captured my interest. By the author's own admission in the "extras" at the end, she stated she had to cut a whole story thread because she was 80,000 words over and would have been 200,000 words over if she completed it. Clearly, she has editing problems. The back cover mentions four stories, but there are actually five.

The novel, which takes place in London, often uses English terminology the American reader may be unfamiliar with, but this doesn't detract from the overall read. Anyway, the characters all have some relationship with stepmotherhood and form a support group with this in mind. The principle and most interesting characters revolve around Eve and her widower boyfriend Ian and his three children. Eve moves in and the oldest, 13 year old Hannah, hates Eve from the start. A strong attachment however, develops with five year old Alfie and middle child Sophie seems to go with the flow. Meanwhile, Eve's long time best friend Clare is raising Lou, the 14 year old out-of wedlock daughter, whose father suddenly comes back into the picture after having virtually no involvement since he was told of the pregnancy. The stepmother link in this story is that Clare had a stepmother growing up and Lou ends up having one.

The novel makes some interesting points about the difficulties step mothers have, how different their roles may be - be it blending families together or taking on such a role after children lose a mom. It also makes some interesting points about what keeping secrets can do to a relationship regardless of whether the relationship is romantic or friendship.

The author ties everything up pretty neatly - perhaps too neatly, at the conclusion. I did end up liking it from middle on, far more than I did at the beginning. ( )

A group of women...Eve, Clare, Lily, Melanie, and Mandy... form a group called "The Stepmothers' Support Group so they can discuss the issues they each face as stepmothers or soon to be stepmothers.

The story held my attention to the very last page. Each woman's story is different and will resonate with women facing some of the same problems. The setting is Great Britian and the author is British, so much of the vocabulary is British...occasionally, I wasn't sure what a character was referring to, but it was fun. A very readable and thought-provoking book.

Also published under the title: The Stepmothers' Support Group ( )

This is a solid entry into the chick lit genre with a different topic than most; the trials & tribulations of being a stepmother yet not wanting to be the WICKED stepmother. A enjoyable read, the characters are appealing if not entirely life like and the plot is sufficient to keep you flipping pages. Reccomended as an enjoyable light read ( )

I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. Baker didn't tiptoe around the issues, but she didn't turn the book into a dreary recitation of all the many wrongs (perceived and real) of blended families. The full gamut of human emotions encapsulated in a few hundred pages. Bravo, Baker. I'll be keeping an eye out for you in the future. ( )

Received this through LT titled, "The stepmothers' support group".
Very enjoyable read. Samantha was able to bring both the step-parent and step-childs view into the story. I loved the the support group that was formed and the new friendships that were made. She accurately portrayed the doubts and insecurites that women feel when placed in situations.
I'm looking forward to reading any new title that she would come out with. ( )

The Other Mothers Club focuses on five women in various stages of a stepmother’s life. The group of women form a support group to talk about their adventures and failures as they attempt to live with the step-children of their partner.

I enjoyed the complexity of the women's relationships with each other and their new families. I found the character interesting and found the book easy to read. ( )

I adored this book. As someone who was lucky enough to win the stepmother lottery, I enjoyed reading a story from a perspective we rarely read about.

Eve falls in love with Ian, a widower, but is unprepared to cope with the challenges of living with his three children. She turns to her best friend Claire, a single mother with a teenager. Claire has Eve speak with her sister, Lily who is seeing someone with a young daughter. Next thing you know, the Stepmothers Support Group is formed and two additional members are added. The women met at Starbucks to discuss the challenges that they are facing being a stepmother. Eve struggles to get Ian’s oldest daughter Hannah to like her, or at the very least, not hate her. She is also coping with living in a house where another woman still has a very large presence. Claire struggles when her ex, Will, appears wanting to met the daughter he abandoned some 14 years ago. The other women have their own stories, but the plot revolving the characters of Eve and Claire was most defined.

Even though Baker’s book is about the challenges facing mothers/stepmothers, at its core it is really about women and friendship. You don’t need to be a stepmother or mom to appreciate this book. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a good summer read. ( )

I’ve been on somewhat of a trend lately - reading two books almost back to back about stepmothers. The latest, The Stepmothers Support Group (aka The Other Mothers Club), centered on five women, in various stages of a stepmother’s life (with the exception of one character, but that too winds up changing).

Each woman has their own complexities. Eve is trying hard to be a friend to her oldest (almost) step-daughter, to no avail. Clare (although not quite a stepmother) is trying to forgive a former boyfriend for deserting her during her pregnancy and trying to understand why he’s returned after 14 years. Mel is trying to have a relationship with her company’s web-master who is also the father of a little girl. Mandy, the oldest of the group, brings wisdom and experience, after tons of stepmother experience. And finally, Lilly (Clare’s sister) is a young comedian trying to have a relationship of her own. These women come together in friendship and coffee to understand how to be stepmothers.

I enjoyed this book. I thought the characters were well developed. I developed strong opinions on each of them (which to me meant great writing). I can’t say I truly liked each of them, but I was able to see their point and empathize with their place in life. Though I’m not a stepmother, not even a mom – I enjoyed the perspectives in this book, and could have easily been in one or two of the characters’ shoes. ( )