New fiction book delivers rare honesty (and laughs!) for single and married women

I just finished Kristin Billerbeck’s new book, “The Trophy Wives Club,” and I must say – it’s a homerun! From the engaging cover art of three women getting pedicures to the delightful main character, Haley, and her journey after heartbreak, this book kept my attention and never let go.

Haley is absolutely adorable. She’s a little clutzy, loves clothes with sparkling sequins, and has a sarcastic edge to her humor. (Hmm, maybe I like her because she reminds me of myself!) In fact, Haley is the type of character many women can relate to – she’s loving, loyal, and a little too ready to trust and believe her man. When her adored husband kicks her out, she’s devastated. And she doesn’t react in the perfect way that many of us come to expect from Christian books…

Haley Cutler sets out to get revenge. And the lessons she learns in the process are hilarious.

In “The Trophy Wives Club,” Billerbeck doesn’t gloss over heartbreak and she doesn’t suggest “too simple to be true” solutions that many of us women find so irritating. In fact, she acknowledges how tough it can be to get back on your feet after the romantic rug’s been pulled out. She even battles some of those pat cliches we’ve all heard with humor, quick wit, and common sense. You won’t find an unrealistic “let go and let God” here. And you won’t find a plastic character who encounters trouble and magically gets over everything without a scar. Instead, you’ll encounter authentic scenes couched between moments of refreshing honesty.

Take this exchange from a scene at a Bible study:

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“Haley, we’re here to take responsibility for our part… so we don’t make the same mistakes and we become more useful in the Kingdom of God.”

“Oh” – I raise a palm at her – “you don’t have to worry about me. I’m never getting married again, and I was never really very useful to the Kingdom of God to begin with. No offense.”

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How can a reader not love a character who displays such blunt honesty? Despite the heavy subject of the book, Billerbeck had me laughing from page to page. Sure, there were moments when the dialogue hit close to home, but the quickness of the read and the hilarity of some of the situations made the lessons really easy – and fun – to learn.

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“You used to like sparkles, remember?”

“How could I forget? It led up to one of the worst nights of my life.”

“If there was an outfit with … a little sequin at the hem, you were all over it. It made you happy to wear it, and you didn’t care what anyone thought. … Where did that girl go?”

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Haley is drowned out by disapproval. She’s subverted her personality for a man who expects her to be fashionably and personably perfect for his social set. She’s spent years desperately attempting to live up to others’ expectations. Will the real Haley come back? Will she ever feel good enough to wear sparkles again?

You’ll have to read the book to find out.

I guarantee it’ll be worth it.