Review: The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman

I just finished The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman. I read it in about two days because I wanted to make sure to have it finished and reviewed by Christmas. I thought it was a quick, short, and cute read!

Summary: This is a story of 12 women friends who meet up every December for a cookie exchange. Each brings thirteen sets of a dozen cookies to pass out to each member, as well as a year full of stories and (a lot of) heartache. The story is narrated by Marnie, the "head cookie bitch," as she's called because she is the host of the party each year. A lot of the story is centered around her and her life. She has two pregnant daughters, one an unwed eighteen year old, and the other in her 20's who has had a tough time with her pregnancies. Each chapter is about a different member of the cookie club, but is narrated by Marnie. The beginning of each chapter starts off with a cookie recipe which is nice. All of the women seem to be going through some kind of hardship - cancer, divorce, death of a child - just to name a few. The women help each other get through these issues which is evident, though the story takes place in one night (the cookie exchange). It helps that we get a lot of back-story from Marnie.

My Thoughts: I thought this was a really cute book about friendship that was nice to read at Christmastime. Though it takes place around Christmas, I really think it could be read and enjoyed any time of the year, so don't let that deter you. It was a feel good story, though it did have its flaws. My main issue was that there were so many characters and various stories going on in only 270 pages that it could get confusing at times. I felt it would have been better if there were less characters. Nonetheless, I did think this was adorable and inspirational. It makes me want to have a Christmas Cookie Club of my own!

The Bottom Line: A nice, quick read about bonds and friendship with slightly too many characters.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Currently Reading: Ruby's Diary by Ruby Gettinger. This is a memoir by Ruby Gettinger, star of Style Network's show Ruby, about an obese woman's journey to losing weight. I love the show which is why I decided to read her book.