Sophia Rose is here with a review of The Good-bye Girls by Juliet Domvile a quirky, small-town debut novel you’ll want to check out.
by Juliet Domvile
Genres: Women's Fiction
Source: Publisher
Purchase*: Amazon *affiliate
The first client for two newbie funeral planners is a murdered biker. What could go wrong?
When millennial Aislin Fitzgerald’s professional life implodes, she does the only thing she can think of—she bolts for home. But, for Aislin, home is complicated. Her relationship with her grandmother Letty—her sole relative—is awkward and confrontational, and her hometown is filled with memories and people she has been avoiding her entire adult life.
It’s not all bad, though. A chance meeting with Aislin’s former best friend, Sarah, leads to a niche business opportunity. Noticing how entertained Letty is by attending funerals, they form a funeral planning business, the Goodbye Girls. But things get off to a rocky start when their first gig is for a murdered member of the local biker club, and the prime suspect disappears. While bodies stack up, tensions rise and drinks flow; Aislin and Sarah find themselves leagues out of their comfort zones.
As Aislin learns to navigate living under the same roof as her irascible and, as it turns out, lustful grandmother, she also learns to unclench, trust, and accept love in all shapes and sizes. The Goodbye Girls takes you on an entertaining adventure through the trials of friendship and love—and will have you putting the fun in funeral.
Sophia Rose’s Review
It was cover curiosity that struck me from the first and then the blurb that sealed the deal. Funeral event-planning besties? I’m game. Blending quirky small town, family, friends, and finding oneself, this debut book offered up a lot.
The Goodbye Girls begins with Aislynn returning to her small town after going away to university and a big city journalism job that kept her away for years. She had no intentions of returning, but that was before a mistake destroyed it all. A complicated relationship with the grandmother who raised her after her parents died, her habit of keeping people at a distance, and pushing off issues that need addressing all come to a head. While starting up a quirky style of event planning business, for funerals, no less, with her childhood best friend, Aislynn must face down it all while figuring out her present let alone her future. It’s complicated seems to be struggling Aislynn’s motto.
I knew what I was getting into when the blurb stated Aislynn was a millennial coming home to figure things out. I did get the impression there might be something of a mystery or excitement with the first client, a biker club burying a murdered member and the killer at large, but mostly this is a far flung personal journey with relationships story that is prevalent in women’s fiction. I can’t say that I could relate well with Aislyn, but she was a mess in the beginning and vulnerable so I wanted to see her get a bit of her own back. She had a good heart when she discovered her former roommate was being abused and it was a tough situation that older, mature people could have easily stepped wrong as far as I’m concerned, but it was more than that which had her flailing. She did prefer to leave issues lay rather than face them which, did eventually bite her in the butt.
There are lots of moving parts in this one and it tends to sprawl rather than stick to a tidy plotline. It made for a meandering story that I could put down easily, but there was also an endearing quality where I still wanted to keep picking it back up and see Aislynn come into her own. It was missing the crispness to the plot that would make it a fab book, but there was still so much to love in the small town quirks and heartwarming moments. Pet turtle, funeral event antics, and oddities for characters were highlights. Those who enjoy gently-paced, character-driven plots against small town setting should check this one out.
The Good-bye Girls by Juliet Domvile is filled with small town quirks and heartwarming moments #SophiaRose #bookreview #womensfiction Share on X
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About Sophia Rose
Sophia is a quiet though curious gal who dabbles in cooking, book reviewing, and gardening. Encouraged and supported by an incredible man and loving family. A Northern Californian transplant to the Great Lakes Region of the US. Lover of Jane Austen, Baseball, Cats, Scooby Doo, and Chocolate.
About Kimberly
Kimberly is a coffee loving book addict who reads and listens to fictional stories in all genres. Whovian, Ravenclaw, Howler and proud Nonna. She owns and manages Caffeinated PR. The coffee is always on and she is ready to chat. BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram
chelsea @ your bookish friend
the cover really is catchy!
Sophia Rose
Yeah, its a great match for part of the story, Chelsea. 🙂
Lisa Mandina (Lisa Loves Literature)
Hmm, the cover is definitely what grabbed my interest, but not sure this is one I would end up enjoying that much. Thanks for your review!
Sophia Rose
Ha, yes, that is a total slam dunk of a cover, Lisa. I rooted for Aislynn even while wanting it to move along down the path.
Katherine
I love a pet turtle sidekick! This sounds like an entertaining read though too bad it was so meandering.
Sophia Rose
That turtle gave an interesting slant to Aislynn’s character and I enjoyed it. Yeah, it could have been tighter, but I was glad it was an overall enjoyable one.
Lover of Romance
What a lovely review Sophia! I love seeing those endearing qualities pull through a story even if the story itself doesn’t fully capture my attention. I am glad that this one ended up being a likeable win for you.
Sophia Rose
I was definitely pulling for Aislynn to find her balance and her happy. It was definitely worth the read.
Carole @ Carole's Random Life
This sounds interesting. Too bad it was easy to set aside though.
Sophia Rose
Yeah, it wandered around a bit in Aislynn’s head, but I did like the story when it moved forward.
Nadene
The cover is definitely intriguing.
Sophia Rose
It is a great attention hook and the story was pretty fun, too.
Wendy
That cover sure is intriguing! It sounds like a book I would enjoy. I can’t say that I’ve ever wanted to go into the funeral planning business…
Sophia Rose
LOL, yeah, I’m not ready to jump into funeral events for a side gig, either, Wendy. 🙂
Debbie Haupt
Oh I can definitely see what made you want this one Sophia Rose that is quite the cover and blurb
Sophia Rose
Oh yeah, doesn’t it sound and look like a hoot, Debbie? 🙂
Melliane
I agree with you, the idea is really intriguing!
Sophia Rose
I couldn’t pass it up and it was worth it, Melliane. 🙂