The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson

I first published this review February 16,2011

Every once in a while, especially if I'm very busy, I want a light read. I'm uncomfortable NOT having a book around  to pick up and read but when I'm busy, I just don't always feel like I can get into a book that I need to be "thinking" very much. I want some light entertainment - but yet want it to  keep my interest. This is what I was thinking when I was searching for something a few days ago to download to my Kindle.

I came across the description of The Potluck Club by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson and thought it sounded like a good read - yet not a 'deep' read. 

Sometimes I hesitate to begin another series... But I took the plunge with this one. This book is the first in a trilogy. 

A group of church ladies in Colorado meet once a week to eat and pray. I believe this prayer group is like many prayer groups. They are closed to 'outsiders' and many times the 'requests' seem like  a good  gossip. However, these women do have heart changes and then life changes.  I found that I really enjoyed the book - and even though it wasn't 'deep' - it was very thought provoking. It made me evaluate the way I pray and think of others. 

For my friends that like recipes, there are several recipes in this book and many of them sound good.

I did have a hard time remembering the names of each woman until well into the book. A friend of mine from book club used to  write down the names of  each character with a short description of each so she could remember who was who. I had to do that with The Jane Austin Book Club  and I wish I would have done that with this book - at least for the first few chapters. After a while I was familiar enough with each to keep them straight in my mind.  I often wonder what authors are thinking when their character's names begin with the same letters!!  Am I the only one that gets them confused if the first letters of  their names are the same?  :)  

Eva Marie Everson is a speaker and author. Her website lists all of her books,

http://www.evamarieeverson.com/page5.aspx  

Linda Evans Shepherd is also a Christian speaker and author.

http://www.sheppro.com/inspiredspeaker/refreshspeak.htm

I do plan on reading the other two books in this trilogy. I want to see where these women go - with their prayer group and with their lives.