Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780061966125 |
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| Publisher: | HarperCollins Publishers |
| Publication date: | 01/26/2010 |
| Sold by: | HARPERCOLLINS |
| Format: | NOOK Book |
| Pages: | 336 |
| Sales rank: | 285,851 |
| File size: | 407 KB |
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The Cougar Club
3.8 out of 5
based on
0 ratings.
28 reviews.
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Veteran author Susan McBride has taken off in a new direction: rather than debutantes she is dealing with women over 40 who don't feel their age should be a factor with which to judge them. Their skills on the job or in life don't suddenly disappear. They still have close friendships that will endure. They still have needs and desires they want to fulfill, and they feel they are far from being too old to do so. I know this with a newfound confidence.
The three main characters in THE COUGAR CLUB - three women over 40 - are multi-dimensional, sassy, funny, and real.
Susan McBride has proven herself that life isn't over at 40, so why shouldn't her characters enjoy their lives as well? I hadn't realized how much women were not just left out but pushed out, of their jobs, their social lives, their close relationships just for growing older. I salute the spirit of these cougars for holding on to their dreams and tackling life head on.
I could only come to this conclusion if Susan McBride had written her characters with passion, zest, and sometimes plain stubbornness. Yet they are human, too, needing that time to curl up with a childhood Snoopy and grieve what they've lost and what's been taken away. Then they dust themselves off and fight their way back to living happy fulfilled lives, meeting new challenges and making their way through the world with grace.
I very much enjoyed the uplifting story of three childhood friends reuniting, each at a different place in her life. Each of those places was about to change, but exactly how, and how much, was not evident until the last page was turned. I haven't enjoyed being caught off guard reading well into the night for quite some time. Wow, that was fun.
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The Cougar Club centers around three life long friends- Kat, Carla and Elise. They've just turned 45 and each of them is facing changes in their lives. Kat gets canned from her ritzy Manhattan advertising firm and simultaneously dumps her going no where relationship with a younger man. She moves back to her home town of St. Louis where she reconnects with Elise, a dermatologist, and with Carla, a prominent local TV anchorwoman. Carla is in danger of losing her job to a younger woman and Elise's plastic surgeon husband might be having an affair. I really loved the friendship among the women and how they dealt with turning "older" in a youth obsessed society. I have to admit, Carla "Car" was my favorite. This was a fun, fast paced read with a happy ending that I didn't want to end!
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This book was an easy quick read. While I didn't actually fall in love with the characters, they didn't annoy me either. No real depth but your typical chick lit book I guess-take it to the beach you won't be disappointed
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Forty-five year old New Accounts advertising team leader Kat Maguire is downsized after fifteen loyal years at her firm; when she finds her twenty-eight years old lover Roger having cyber sex she downsizes him. She decides to go home to St. Louis where her family and two BFFs live.
Her buddy Carla Moss is a successful news anchor, but the station seems to be grooming a bimbo replacement. She also has personal problems as her beloved mom is losing her grip on realty.
Dermatologist Dr. Lisie Randolph has been successful at work, with raising her kids and apparently in marriage. However, the empty nest syndrome is hammering at her while her spouse whom she married in college ignores her.
These three middle age women in terrific shape physically, but a bit down mentally unto they re-forge their friendship and go on the prowl as cougars hunting young male meat. However, each knows deep inside their soul they really seek love, commitment and the meaning of life.
This is a fun tale of three women seeking their groove as middle age has each wondering if that is all there is to life while attempting to hang onto their dwindling youth. The characters are solid including the support cast of each of the lead females and the rotating point of view enhances understanding what each wants. Although somewhat unlikely perhaps even over the top of the Arch, fans will root for the Cougar Club members to get what they want.
Harriet Klausner
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The Cougar Club .... This was a fun read. This was first time I read anything by this author and I like her style! You really get to know the characters - highly recommend for a fun read!!!
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When Kat gets fired from her advertising job after 15 years she flees Manhattan for her home town in St. Louis. She leaves behind a much younger boyfriend who won't make a commitment and much worse, she doesn't fully trust. After a few days of feeling sorry for herself she finally gets up the courage to look up her old best friends, Carla and Elise.Carla is the city's top rated news anchor yet her ex-husband, the station manager, is gently pushing her aside to make his much younger (and bustier) girlfriend the next big thing. Now "What comes around, goes around." is all to true as she remembers doing the same to secure her own job many years ago. The Empty Nest Syndrome has got Elise very firmly in it's grasp. After her son leaves to college in Austin, Elise realizes that her husband has grown distant in recent months and she has a nagging feeling that he's seeing someone else. But she doesn't have the courage to confront him so she goes about her days as if nothing is wrong and spends night after night torturing herself with thoughts of what her husband might be up to. For the three women in their forties, being back together again is just what they need to snap them out of their blues and find their true happiness, even if it means being on the hunt for a much younger cub. The Cougar Cub was a great one-day read. Being 36 I could totally relate to these women because their stories were genuine. Their friendship keeps them strong and after a few rough patches they each come out on top to do as Kat says and, "Live Real". I highly recommend this one for fans of chick-lit.
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I recieved this book as part of the Early Reviewers program.I enjoyed reading this book about 3 "cougars", ladies who are generally older (think 40s or so) but enjoy...the company of younger men. Their lives change very quickly, which drives the plot lines.I liked how it wasn't told from one person's perspective, switching it up ever few chapters.Although I am not yet a cougar, I enjoyed reading this chick lit book.
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Three best friends, Kat, Carla and Elise, are back together in the same town after many years apart. They are now in their mid-40's and are each at a turning point in life:Kat just recently lost her job in Manhattan because her superiors have decided younger employees are the way to go and upon finding her much younger boyfriend having some cyber fun, she has decided he's got to go too. So she packs up and heads back home to St. Louis and her two BFF's.Carla is the town's news anchorwoman... a celebrity of sorts. She's hot at 40, and she knows it, not to mention she's going out with the young Sportscaster at her station. But she suddenly finds herself in a déjà vu moment, when a younger woman is a threat to her job... just like she did once upon a time to her predecessor.Then there's Elise - whose life seems to be the most stable. She's been married for years, her children are grown and gone from home and now she finds herself in a rut. Her marriage and sex life sucks and her husband is quite possibly cheating on her.Their unofficial "Cougar Club" is what they'll need in order to see, get through and move forward from these not-so-great moments in life.This was a fun and quick read that had it's funny and light moments but also had some moments that were thought-provoking. I love the idea of a cougar. Why? Well because I've never felt that age should define a person. Plus I give kudos to any woman who at 45 can still live and look like they are in their late 20's, early 30's. You go girlfriend!Ms. McBride's writing is hip and fun. She really brought these woman to life - made you feel as if you could know someone like them in real life. The issues and struggles they face were realistic and most women over 30 can definitely relate. I truly enjoyed this story about friendship, love, and just life in general.I loved the Club's motto:True friendship never dies, the only way to live is real, and you're never too old to follow your heart.I think that is so true and certainly something every woman, no matter the age, should live by.This was a wonderful treat to read and I definitely recommend it.
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The Cougar Club is the story of three 45-year-old women, friends since youth, who reconnect and support each other through relationship upheavals and career crises. All three find love/sex with younger men, hence the title of the book. As a reader who largely reads mysteries and non-fiction, I had no experience with this genre of fiction and found myself very pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this book, finding it very readable, with interestingly drawn characters and plot developments that kept me reading ¿just one more chapter¿. The author¿s message is optimistic: middle age can be the start of the best relationships or career choices of your life¿it all depends on your point of view.
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After years of working for the same company, Kat is fired in favor of her younger assistants. Shaken, she leaves New York and her very young lover, to return to her hometown of St Louis. There she reconnects with her two best friends from high school, a newcaster and a dermatolgist. They soon find that they have a lot more in common than they would have thought, including an uncanny ability to attract younger men.Hmmm, this was a pretty good book. The characters were fun to get to know and their stories were interesting. I think women of a "certain age" will enjoy this book, particularly the younger man part. I know I did.
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Kat, Carla and Elise were high schools friends, only to lose touch when Kat moved away to New York. Factor in careers, marriages and the passing of time, these women slowly drifted apart, only to be reunited again when Kat lost her job.On her last day at work, she came home to find her much younger, live-in boyfriend engaging in self-activity while browsing the internet. Fed up, she decides to return home to Missouri to think about the next chapter in her life.Upon arrival, she reconnects with her two best friends Elise and Carla. Elise is married to Michael, has a son in college and is a successful dermatologist. Carla is the face that everyone loves and a popular TV anchor. As the friends catch up, they learn that life sometimes doesn't turn out as planned.The Cougar Club is a book about 40-something women coming into their own when things turn upside down. Together these women are able to face the curve balls life throws at them. The Cougar Club is my first book by this author and will not be the last.
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This was a quick, fun, enjoyable read. It was easy to keep track of the characters and did not require lots of concentration. It was more about taking the things life throws at you and dealing with them head on, rather than about "cougars". So, if you are looking for an entertaining story that is easy to keep up with, this book is for you!
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A group of women, old friends, have their own "mid-life" crises and rediscover each other and themselves.I had a horrible time getting into this book. I appreciate the female friendship aspect and the difficulties that they were having, but I couldn't identify with any of them. They were all wealthy and really had no real problems. I don't know, we all struggle with who we are and what we should do with our lives, but don't all have the freedom to start over so abruptly.
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I rarely rate books with 5 stars, but this one fits the bill! It grabs you right from the first few pages and takes you on a joy ride through the lives of three women who were close friends during their childhood and whose lives went in different directions---for a time. They reunite and rekindle their friendships and tackle some mid-life issues with grace and laughter. This was my first encounter with Author Susan McBride's works, and I look forward to see what else she has out there. I would love it if she would do a sequel following the lives of Kat, Carla and Elise on their next adventures! I'd say this is a MUST READ!!!
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I received The Cougar Club by Susan McBride through Library Things Early Reviewers program. Though, as the title would suggest, the book is based on three "cougars", their love/hate relationships with younger men, job security and new beginnings, I found that the book transcends any age. More than being about older women chasing after younger men, The Cougar Club's main theme was new beginnings. How Kat started her life over after catching a cheating boyfriend and loosing her job all in one morning. Or Carla, afraid that she will lose her job to a younger, more buxom "girl". And of course, Elise, who finds her whole world shattered by her husbands revelations. Each woman picked up the pieces, moved on with her life and had some fun inbetween.
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I was happy to receive this book via the Early Reviewer program. It was quick, enjoyable, light reading. I knew from the title as well as the description this would be about three women as they enter their mid-40s and their relationships (largely) with younger men. I found the repeated focus on the characters noticing other "cougar" relationships mildly irritating. I reminded myself that this is normal behavior. If someone is involved in an activity, they tend to notice others involved in similar activities more readily.I've recently heard the term "cougar" as it relates to the older woman, younger man relationship, but I sensed the term was overused in the book and detracted from an otherwise enjoyable story.Even though it was a little thin, I liked the characterization of each of the women -- each so different yet supportive of each other. I thought for sure Carla was going to screw up her whole situation. I loved the way she handled Michael when she caught him and wanted to persuade him to do the right thing. Perhaps oddly, I wanted more interaction with Kat's mother. The ending came out satisfactory and enjoyably. As one other reviewer commented, this was more a novel about women's friendship than female-male relationships.Fore a quick, entertaining read, this book is worth your time. If you're looking for something more, give it a pass.
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I wanted to like this book but I couldn't get past the third chapter. To be fair this is not a genre I typically explore but I had hopes it would be fun. The novel focuses on the lives of 3 women from each of their perpectives. I found them vapid and shallow constructs. A doctor , an advertising exec, and a t.v. news anchor...wow they must be some pretty formidable women right? Wrong. Yes they continuously harp about how tough and kick a** capable they are yet all they do is whine and break down into tears. Not my cup of tea.
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I don't know why I'm reading this book for Early Reviewers. I don't remember requesting it; this type of book is just not my bag. I must have accidentally clicked on the link and I apologize to those of you who didn't get a copy because I did.I didn't like it. I don't have a love for this genre, that's true, but it's more than that. I read Olivia Goldsmith's The First Wives Club at the beach one year...just as much "chick lit" as this one...and, while I had no desire to rush out and get more of her books, it passed an afternoon and I could see how someone who enjoyed that genre would like the book. This one, I don't. There simply wasn't any plot, less than some short stories I've read, and the characters were so hackneyed.By the way, I apologize for the spoilers below but there's really not much plot to spoil. If this is your type of book and you're planning to read it, don't go any farther¿you now know my opinion.In an attempt to be somewhat fair and minimize the gender bias, I tried to think about the story with all the sexes reversed. We have three 40-something friends. One gets laid off from his advertising job because kids fresh out of school are cheaper, so he moves back to his home town and announces he'll open a gallery. A second is concerned his spouse is cheating but, before he can confront her, she confesses to liking women more than men. He says, "Ok", arranges for an amicable divorce and moves on to an interesting and pretty, young thing. The third is in a glamour job, is afraid of being replaced by someone younger and hipper, and decides to not go quietly...only to find out that the owner never intended to replace him. That's it. Seriously...that's the entire plot. The vast majority of the pages are spent with the friends in restaurants and bars, cheering each other up and ogling the pretty girls (occasionally maneuvering a one-night stand).Put that way, the whole thing sounds pretty lame, doesn't it? Somehow, the fact that the three friends were really women and the "young things" are all guys is supposed to overcome this. It's as if McBride figured she didn't have to put any work into the book because prurient interest over a reversal of the "traditional" age gap was enough. After all, it even has a name¿they're Cougars. That term makes me wince; we don't label the older gent with the pneumatic young lady on his arm, do we? I am sure that there are books in this genre that have a decent plot and characters not constructed out of cardboard, but this isn't one of them.
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Great story for "women of a certain age" The friendship between Kat, Carla and Elise is amazing. The story shows how true friendship can survive any and everything. The cougars in this story have it all!
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Kat worked in advertising and lived happily with her younger boyfriend. Her world suddenly came crashing around her all in one day ¿ she lost her job and discovered her boyfriend watching porn on his computer. Shattered, she returned home to St. Louis and rekindled her friendship with Carla and Elise ¿ her two closest childhood friends.Carla, the evening news anchor, is obsessed with staying fit and youthful, so she can keep her job. Her boyfriend is the station¿s younger sportscaster.Elise is a dermatologist married to her childhood sweetheart, a plastic surgeon. Their only child has gone off to college and they¿re not only suffering from empty nest syndrome, but their marriage seems to have lost its spark. When Elise¿s son¿s old hockey coach comes to visit her about a rash, Elise is appalled by the attraction she feels.The three friends are able to pick up where they left off and re-kindle their friendship. Along the way, they discover just how much good friends can mean.I think the title of The Cougar Club by Susan McBride is a little mis-leading. Yes, the women are in their forties and they¿re each involved with a younger man at some point in the book, but that¿s not really what the book is about. It¿s about being true to yourself and the importance of friendship. I enjoyed this book and I liked all three of the main characters, even though I didn¿t like everything they did. I also think the book had a good message about surviving and taking care of yourself.Susan McBride says the characters in the book don¿t like the term ¿cougar¿ and at the end of the book she shares how she became an ¿accidental cougar¿.
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I've read McBride's mystery series and must say she did far better with this book than she ever did with the Débutante Drop Out series! This was a fast, easy read with characters that were fun to get to know. I'd definitely recommend it to my 40+ year old friends as I know they can totally relate to the story line!
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I received this book through the member giveaway program.Kat, Carla, and Elise are old friends reunited and brought close again by their mutual struggle of being 45 year old women in a society obsessed with youth. Each woman has been very successful in her chosen path, but finds herself facing stress in her personal life. I loved reading about their friendship and how they encouraged one another. This, to me, was the best part of the book.As a 40-something woman myself, this was a fun book to read even though the whole idea of being a "cougar" is far removed from my life or that of any of my friends. I would have liked to have seen more depth to the characters. Perhaps if there is a sequel we will get to know them better. All in all an enjoyable read and more power to those women who are members of the "cougar club".
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Three forty-five year old friends discover life's surprises when there lives take a turn - for the better or worse? That is the question.Each discovers that what they thought was permanence really isn't - things do change - and different can be good - starting over is not a bad thing - at any age, especially when you have good friends to stand with you as you find something new.
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I thought this was o.k. After reading so many books (don't let my librarything nos. fool you), I think I've become somewhat jaded. I need to read something very exciting, interesting, or different to be really impressed. Unfortunately, this is none of these.
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I tried really hard to like this book. I really wanted to enjoy it, especially as I approach cougar age. However, I just couldn't relate to the characters - they all seemed really kind of dippy to me for whatever reason. Also, they squealed an awful lot to each other over drinks. This can be done to good effect, such as Sex in the City, but here it came off more vapid than anything else.I think that these women were just not the type of people I would want to spend time with, even in mere book form. It made reading the book very difficult, although there are some good bits in here.
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