Contemporary fiction about a group of women that meet weekly on Tuesdays for sweet tea and conversation. These meetings are halted when one of the women develops a standing conflict. I was hoping this book would explore the nature of female friendships, but after finishing this book, I feel like I just watched a soap opera or one of those old detectives shows where everything wraps up neatly in a half hour. It might surprise anyone reading the synopsis that the book contains sad and depressing subject matter. It also contains an extremely bigoted character that spews vitriol. One the positive side, a few of the characters were well-developed and I wanted to continue reading to find out what happens to them; however, overall, I found it filled with melodrama and stereotyping. I read this for one of my book clubs. Unfortunately, this book was just not my cup of sweet tea. ( )

The best description for this book/series in 10 words or less:
"Four friends falling apart learn to rely on each other."

This novel's structure of the alternating third-person point of view made the novel be a quick read since it was hard to put down.

The main characters were all very different and complemented each other. Lula is married and seems to have a perfect life. The only thing missing from her perfect world is her eldest daughter, Brooke. Lula is a very social person and truly takes pride in her reputation and herself, but that could be a double-edged sword. Georgia is also married and has always been the dutiful wife but never sees her husband who is a doctor. She really wants more out of life since she's home alone most of the time. Midge has felt like her life amounted to nothing. She married once but divorced after a struggle for a child and her career hasn't gone very far. She has the ability to make her more exciting but doesn't know if she should go further into her relationship with the scandalous Bennett Calhoun. Lizbet is Lula's younger daughter and she feels like she is always following the shadow of her older sister, Brooke, who seems to be Lula's favorite. She feels like she can never make her mother happy but continues to do anything for her. Her life isn't much and she doesn't really know what to do.

Having Lizbet being part of the chapters wasn't really necessary until the very end. It made parts of the novel a little abrupt when it went from the older women to her. Lizbet is half their age. Her problems and life just seemed to be overlooked because hers didn't seem as urgent as Lula, Georgia, and Midge's. In my opinion, Lizbet's chapters were a means to lengthen the book.

Some issues are discussed in this novel that the main characters struggle with. LGBT is discussed in here and becomes a big catalyst in the arcing plot. It drives certain characters to react in certain ways. Divorce and cheating are also a primary issue. Are we willing to see the signs of someone cheating or will we just ignore them? Death is another issue that is explored. How will we react to those who love us? How will they react to you dying?

Refer to my blog for a different view of this review:
https://axarr.blogspot.com/2017/11/review-wednesday-sweet-tea-tuesdays-by.htmlï»...

Check out other books in my personal library for reviews and recommendations:
https://literarymary.libib.com/ ( )

I really wanted to like this book. I loved the summary, and I did like most of the book; however, I am just sick and tired of having the gay agenda shoved down my throat. ( )

This book was great because it followed the lives of a couple of friends in Charleston. It was a refreshing read to be set in the real world with real problems. I would recommend it. ( )

I love Southern fiction, books about friendships between women and books with main characters over 50. This novel by Ashley Farley had all three and I loved it.

Three friends had been meeting every Tuesday afternoon for over 25 years to drink sweet tea (a staple of Southern girl talk sessions) and talk about their lives and their problems. Lula was a stay at home Mom who tried to take care of everyone - especially her family; Georgia was the wife of a surgeon who was never home and Midge was a divorcee who was maybe finding love again. Life changes and their long standing social hour had to come to a halt just when they all needed it the most.

It is so refreshing to read a book with main characters over 50. It isn't just the 20 and 30 year olds who have life problems. These three women are wonderful and they all have characteristics of people that I know in my Southern life. I laughed with them and cried with them and cheered them on throughout the book. I hope that we see them again in future books by Ashley. This is a fantastic book about the importance of female friendships.

I received an early copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review. ( )