Review: Too long and uneven
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 03 14, 2013
The War Brides Club is summarized as being about 4 "friends" coming to the US to meet their soldier husbands. Yet Ms. Lane has an obsession with Betty. The majority of the story is Betty's life of luxury and the other 3 get jumbled messes and rushed conclusions.Right now it's free but I wouldn't waste my time.June is immature. She's desperate for a baby but she just doesn't have any personality. She's 19 then 20 so she's a child. The others are at least 24. Her husband even realizes that though he loves her she's a little immature. When the man buys you a puppy to satisfy the baby yearning he knows you're not ready and just need an animal to take care of for the time being before a human.Betty is strong yet heartbreaking. Of the friends, she has the worst immediate outcome but the best overall because she's so strong. I guess that's why 65% of the book is Betty's life and story and the other 45% is divided into pathetic 15% increments of the other 3. What was the point? It would have been better if Ms. Lane had just made it War Bride and focus on Betty instead.Alice is the worst excuse for a woman. I want to spoil it but just imagine the worst thing a spouse can do behind the other's bad late at night and you'll get my description for Alice. She's spoiled. Her husband is a little PTSD from the war but she doesn't even try to talk to him. She just does her own thing. Then her husband realizes he's about to lose her and wises up but the damage is done. Yet, Ms Lane doesn't even bring the issue up. Alice's husband and friends are kept in the dark and life is just hunky dory. Weak plot line Ms. Lane. Not even necessary if you aren't going to run with it.Madeline is ditzy and weak. From the beginning you can tell Madeline will have the worst marriage. She has her doubts from jump-street and even remarks that sometimes her fiance/boyfriend can be cold and mean. But she's so disillusioned into the fantasy, romance of marriage she'd probably marry a polygamist if she believed it was true love. I felt bad for her because of the way she was treated but she should have went with her gut.Overall this book wasn't horrible, it actually started off really well but with 312 pages a readers expects some balance. That's a lot of words. No balance. It's all Betty and horribly chopped up stories for the other 3.It's free right now but really too long to waste your time on such a lackluster story.Pass it on by like scenery.