The Bitches of Brooklyn by Rosemary Harris

The Bitches of Brooklyn

by Rosemary Harris

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Published by: Chestnut Hill Books on November 16, 2013
Genres: Women's Lit, Friendship, Humor and Mystery
Source: ARC from Publisher
Rating: 4 Stars

NOTICE: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Are they really bitches? That depends who you ask...four friends await the arrival of a fifth at a secluded Cape Cod bungalow where they spend an all-girls weekend every summer. But this year the fifth woman doesn't show. Instead she sends a note that reads - "I've run off with one of your men."

Has she? Is it a prank? Do they run for the phone or try to enjoy the weekend without her? Fun, flirty and filled with Harris' trademark snappy dialogue and quirky characters are forced to reevaluate their marriages, their friendships and their memories.

To sum it up? The Bitches of Brooklyn is "a cross between Pretty Little Liars and Sex in the City," as suggested by the publishers. As a PLL fan, I kept wondering if Abby was the adult version of Alison or if there was more to the story . . .

The "Brooklyn Bitches", as they refer to themselves, have been friends forever. Rachel, Tina, Clare and Jane grew up together and worldly Abby moved to town while in high school, adding spice to the group. While they weren't as close to Abby as they were to each other, the four always considered Abby one of them and thought they knew everything about her. They were about to find out that they might be wrong.

The Bitches plan a yearly weekend getaway on Cape Cod. This year, instead of showing up, Abby sends a gift basket to her friends with a cryptic note: "I've run off with one of your men." This sparks an entire weekend and week to follow of sifting through their relationships with their men, wondering if one of them is truly off with Abby or if Abby meant something else entirely. The mystery continues throughout the entire book until the very end. The truth was only a slight let-down, but a definite plot twist that I never saw coming.

This book truly was laugh-out-loud at times like so many other books profess (but fail) to be. I literally found myself cracking up when reading this despite the curious stares from the other diners in the room with me(I like to eat and read by myself at restaurants). From recounting past sexual experiences, to jobs, to everything under the sun, the Bitches kept me laughing. So did Rosemary Harris.

My only criticism of the book was that it was kind of hard to keep up with and differentiate between the four main characters. While Tina and Clare had very obvious characteristics, Rachel and Jane kind of morphed into the background and probably could've been re-written into one character. It was just a bit hard trying to juggle all four of them at the same time.