BOOK REVIEW: Better Luck Next Time by Julia Claiborne Johnson

Better Luck Next Time is what I would classify as a historical fiction with feisty humor sprinkled throughout by one of the main characters and is she a character!  

In the 1930s,  ladies who are well-to-do would pull up from their homes, take up residence in the state of Nevada, in Better Luck Next Time,  specifically Reno for six weeks and seek a divorce.  Once this period was over they were granted their divorce and would move on with their new life.  A couple opened the Flying Leap, a dude ranch that sees to the needs of their female guests.   There were a couple of gentlemen who were the hands/assistants whose uniforms were “cowboy attire” for the enjoyment of the ladies who were seeking to end their marriages.  Their work involved transporting the women to town for needs, outings, appointments with the local attorneys.  The two cowboys, Sam and Ward, were also the waiters when meals were served.  They took care of the animals and various ranching responsibilities.  

Now to introduce you to a couple of the ladies:                                                                              

Emily - sweet, kind, her husband cheated on her, she worried about how the divorce would impact her daughter, with whom she did not have that great of a relationship, anyway.  I guess I would consider her the victim of her cheating husband, who was truly unsure if she wanted to follow through with the divorce proceedings.                                                                                     

Nina - opposite of Emily!  Nina was a repeat client of .  She was everything Emily was not: flamboyant, feisty, lived on the edge, risk-taker, rule breaker.  Nina was just fun to be around.  She was spunky, always had a quick comeback for the other ladies who were seeking to break the bonds of marriage.  

As a good story creates tension, so here you go - these two women became roomies.  The owner thought it would be a good idea to pair Nina with Emily for Nina to show Emily the ropes,  help her see what life could be if she would just let loose, a little.  Emily became a very good student of Nina’s!  

The owner of the lodge had strict rules about the ladies and the two cowboys from forming relationship of any kind, other than their normal responsibilities of chauffeuring the guests in to town, giving the ladies horseback riding lessons, etc.  Well… that rule is broken, along with several others, thanks to Nina!

The feistiness of Nina provided endless scenes of hilarity.  I enjoyed her character immensely… in a fictional life, I would like to be her!  She pushed almost every limit women faced during this time period.  

There is still a lot to learn about this threesome’s friendship: Nina, Emily and Ward.