In 1950s Nevada, a wealthy woman can obtain a divorce by becoming resident after a six week stay at a 'divorce ranch'. Lois comes to stay at the Golden Yarrow and struggles to fit in with the other women until Greer arrives. But her impact on Lois and the other guests has wide-ranging repercussions.

What a fantastic book! I'd never heard of divorce ranches and found the whole story absolutely fascinating. Added to that the characters of Lois and Greer were really complex and intriguing. I raced through the book and really loved the ending. The time period (especially clothes), Nevada desert setting and the fabulous story all lend themselves to a Netflix series I think! Very VERY highly recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book.

Loved this!!!
Lois Saunders has always been an outsider, having married to fit in she has now found the courage to divorce her husband and heads to the Golden Yarrow divorce ranch in Reno - paid for by her father with strict conditions applied. After the late night, mysterious arrival of a new guest Greer, Lois starts to find her true self.
A story of female friendship and finding who you are.
If you are looking for a book to read on the beach I would highly recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read The Divorcees.

The premise of The Divorcees is a very intriguing. I didn't know places like these existed before, which is a good thing, making it possible for women to get out of a marriage they no longer want to be trapped in.

The descriptions and the setting up of the story's world was beautifully written. Unfortunately, I really didn't connect with the characters and felt that the story was very slow.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Books UK for a copy of the books in exchange for an honest review.

In 1951, twenty-something Lois Saunders (née Gorski) arrives at the Golden Yarrow ranch in Reno for a mandatory six week reprieve to obtain residency in Nevada and file for divorce. When the mysterious and beguiling Greer arrives at the ranch, she becomes the object of Lois’s attention and causes Lois to question what life could be like after the ranch.

The Divorcées is a novel largely exploring female agency in a patriarchal society. The concept and history of “divorce ranches” was new to me and I thoroughly enjoyed the exploration of female community (and the waxing and waning of intimacy and distance between the women), and the shared experience of risking public reputation for personal happiness and empowerment.

I found Lois as a protagonist engaging, particularly in her yearning for validation and connection. Observing her personal growth over the length of the novel from at first struggling to legitimise her reasons for divorcing her husband, to reclaiming her sense of self and gaining independence was fantastic to read.
Furthermore, Beaird’s writing style was a treat to digest — beautifully crafted and visceral. I’ll definitely be on the look out for further releases in the future.

Well... this book didn't really end up being what I though it would be. That said, I did get through it, but I did leave the book not feeling as satisfied as maybe I would have like to be.
I did find the concept of "Divorce Ranches" to be quite fascinating. And I have never heard of them either. But it is to one of these, the Golden Yarrow, that Lois travels when she needs to get a divorce from her husband. Apparently, all you need is to "live" in Reno for 6 weeks to become a resident and you can get a quickie divorce...! Anyway, she is billeted there along with a whole host of other women in the same situation. Spending their days walking, riding, swimming, lounging around, and their evenings/nights "on the town". Apart from Lois who stays in. Things change dramatically with the arrival of Greer Lang... And that's all I'm saying about that... I'm leaving you to discover what happened next.
This was a very slow burn book for me. We went round and round in circles for a while. Eat sleep socialise repeat. Until Greer's entrance which did mix it all up a bit and changed Lois. Not sure whether for the better, I thought she was a bit flaky anyway, but she really descended into puppy following master territory when she started hanging round with her. I though she was a bit wet and vulnerable and all that. Obviously knowing what I do now having finished the book, I can see why some of the stuff was so easy, but by then the damage had been done. Along the way, we witness a host of small vignettes which appear isolated, some of which are never fully developed.
There was a lot of hinting at stuff along the way too but not too much actual action which meant that the book dragged a little for me, and I did get a bit bored. But I held onto my hopes that I would be rewarded for my persistence but, by the end, sadly that wasn't to be. Although it ended well for what had gone before, it didn't really leave me satisfied.
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

This wasn’t my usual type of book but the blurb sounded good and I wanted to read more. I’d never heard of the Reno divorce ranches and was intrigued to find out more.

Lois got married to Lawrence after meeting him in the cinema. Lois wasn’t happy in her marriage and felt under pressure to have a child- something she didn’t want to do. She left her husband and went back to stay with her father - somewhere she didn’t particularly went to be either.

Lois went to The Golden Yarrow divorce ranch in Reno and hoped she’d settle in and make some friends. She’d never really had a close friend and when Greer came along she hoped they’d get closer. The ladies went out to the bars and casinos of Reno every night and lived life to the full. Greer challenged everyone’s behaviour and Lois began to do things she’d never imagined she’d do.

This was an easy to read story with some interesting characters. I felt like I was counting down the days with Lois to see what she did after her six weeks required stay at the Golden Yarrow.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advance copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I was pretty impressed with The Divorcees, written by Rowan Beaird. I was given a copy by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Although this book starts pretty slowly, the action does crank up a notch as the book reaches the middle. We follow a somewhat unassuming divorcee to be, Lois, who has reached Divorce City USA, Reno, to secure a quickie divorce. Along the way, she meets a variety of divorcees to be, all of which have some degree of trauma regarding their divorce. All that is, expect Greer, who offers a confident, mysterious energy.

As the story continues, we fall down the rabbit hole with Lois as she seems to be rebelling against societal expectation of how she should feel.

I found the writing, although slightly languid at times to have some beautiful turns of phrase, which left me contended. The book being set in the fifties also offer a unique nostalgia of something which has become commonplace (divorce.) I will look out for further titles.

A slow burner about a historical situation regarding divorce in the 1940s. Lois, the main character, wants to remain childless and leave her husband. Divorce is difficult, but she goes to a ranch in Texas as it is easier to divorce there, but she must prove residency and remain at the ranch, Yellow Yarrow, for 6 weeks and be seen everyday. She meets other women in similar positions, all wanting to divorce for differing reasons. At times, the story drags, but this is to emphasise the slow passing of time whilst they wait. Their relationships at times awkward for Lois as she doesn't really fit in with the other women. This changes with the mysterious arrival of Greer. The characters need more development, and although well written, the story didn't engage me as much as it could have done. With thanks to Netgalley and Tracy's BOTM in exchange for my honest review

I didn't know anything at all about the divorce ranches in Nevada so this novel was really interesting from a historical perspective too. I enjoyed the story although ultimately it's a bit of a shaggy dog and the sub-plot wasn't entirely needed in my opinion. A fun and engaging read i'd have ripped through on a beach though! Recommended and thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for the ARC.

This was hard to get into and a bit of a slow read for me. There were a lot of characters I found hard to differentiate between.

Told from the perspective of Lois who moves temporarily to the Golden Yarrow Ranch in Reno in order to be able to divorce her husband, this is a tale of women in the 1950s all wanting a divorce. Reno has different laws so if they reside there for 6 weeks, they are granted a quickie divorce.

Lois and the other girls are getting on fine until Greer appears. Very mysterious as she doesn’t open up like the others have, she soon becomes friends with Lois. I found her to be very manipulative and didn’t like her character from the off.

The girls went out every night, either to the Highlands bar or to the casino, which was hard to believe really and they had cocktail hour every night at the ranch.

I just found it all a little far-fetched but if you take it as a purely fictitious story, it’s a okay read.

3⭐️

I read this book as part of my online book club. I really enjoyed the book up until the end, which I found a bit of a let down. It came to a sudden end. However I did like the rest of it and zipped through it quite quickly as it kept me reading.

DNF. After a promising start, the book started to fall apart for me - I really, really don't enjoy character-driven pieces where there isn't much plot to speak of. While the underlying concept was strong, the writing lost me after a few chapters. People that like literary fiction will love this, but it wasn't for me.

The Divorcees by Rowan Baird ⭐️⭐️
Set in 1950’s Nevada on a divorce ranch. These ranches existed to give wealthy women a quick divorce, they resided there 6 months before the divorce. All was going well with Lois until Greer arrives.
This book needs a warning on it …. It’s slow. Very very slow. Plods along without anything really happening. Around 80% it slightly picks up. The only upside was learning about these ranches and the writing was very descriptive. Thank you to #netgalley for an advance copy of this book

I was intrigued by the concept behind this story reading the blurb and the story did not disappoint. A story that will stay with me for a long while after 🩵
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Thank you to Bonnier Books UK, Manilla Press + NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Divorceés before it publishes on 28th March 2024 #TheDivorcees #NetGalley

📚The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird.

This is another American debut novel from writer Rowan Beaird focusing ont he relationships of two women who have come to Nevada int he 1950s seeking to take advantage of their more relaxed divorce laws. When shy and self-effacing Lois meets New York society girl Greer she falls under the spell of this much stronger woman and the life that she offers but something much darker is lurking beneath the glitter.

I picked this up thinking that it would perhaps be a much more commercial read than I usually go for. However I found the writing pacy and intricate and the relationship between the two women with its mixture of sexual admiration and rebellion captivated me from the start. This is the female version of The Talented Mr Ripley and actually was everything that I had hoped Lessons in Chemistry was going to be. The novel captures a spirit more tan anything and the adventure of Lois becoming a woman outside of marriage and her family intermingled with the darker story of Greer and all that they mean to each other make this the perfect pacy read.

I had no idea that in the mid-20th century Nevada was the divorce capital of the USA. Anyone able to prove at least 6 weeks residence there could be granted a divorce. This led to an industry of ranches providing accommodation and chaperoning for women seeking a divorce from their husbands. What a great idea for a book, and Rowan Beaird has made the most of the concept and provided us with an insight into the lives of those living at one of the more upmarket ranches in Reno, The Golden Yarrow.
I really enjoyed it - but I am struggling to pinhole what sort of book it is. Well-written, complex and dark, in places it was almost a thriller. Whatever genre you put this interesting debut in, it is engaging, classy, thought provoking and a real page turner. It would make a really good book club choice, as there is so much to talk about.
I am excited to see what Beaird comes up with next - she is definitely one to watch. Her research and attention to detail is excellent. I have no hesitation in giving The Divorcees five stars.
(I also wouldn't be surprised to see this book become a film, which the main character Lois would absolutely love!)

I loved this. I loved this. I loved this.

Reading it by the pool on holiday was a great decision. It made my trip to Tuscany and I have told everyone I know to buy it immediately. Please, I urge you to do the same.

An amazing debut novel from Rowan Beaird. A glimpse into a time when divorcees were treated with contempt, but divorce created a growth economy in Reno. A fascinating juxtaposition between women used to cocktails and trust funds, and cowboys in the Nevada desert.
It crackled with tension throughout, firstly with Lois being somewhat ostracised by the monied women at Golden Yarrow Ranch, and then in their uninhibited behavior at watering holes and casinos in Reno, where we always feel that something dreadful will happen.
The arrival of mysterious and beguiling Greer changes everything for Lois. She becomes bolder and changes before our eyes. Greer is a change agent with her views on men, and by the end of the book most of the women have undergone a transformation. For some their future still revolves around remarriage as soon as possible. The women at Golden Yarrow are mostly wealthy socialites but we also see a busy cabal of waitresses and shop assistants also doing their 6 weeks in Reno. Enjoyed it immensely.

This book intrigued me because I felt like there was so much potential for female friendship, growth, and self exploration but unfortunately, it fell flat for me

I was given a complimentary copy of this book to review. I loved the characters and I romped through the book, enjoying it immensely. A good summer holiday read. My only negative was I felt the ending was rather abrupt and left me wanting answers; perhaps that's a good thing?