Claire Cook

A Most Pleasurable “Bonus Time: Still Got It” by Claire Cook is filled with humor, friends, and good fun

/ Pamela Kramer

In this treasure trove of humor, information, wisdom, and fascinating, poignant memories, author Claire Cook once again presents us with convincing evidence of the reasons she remains a delight for her vast audience of female readers. “Bonus Time: Still Got It,” this second entry in her “Bonus Time” series, once again describes in vivid detail the lives, adventures, and even thought processes of the series’ three protagonists: Glenda, who doubles as the first person narrator, Jan, and Harmony, the three forever friends who have moved to beautiful St. Simons Island, Georgia, both to escape from the many issues that have characterized and sometimes plagued their lives in Massachusetts and to reinvent themselves in a brand new setting.

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‘Bonus Time’ by Claire Cook is filled with new characters, life-long friendships, and joyous new adventures

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

In Claire Cook’s newest novel, “Bonus Time,” three life-long friends head south to the beautiful St. Simon’s Island in Georgia to discover what the rest of their lives might unfold. Like her novel-turned-movie “Must Love Dogs,” this novel includes plenty of humor marching side-by-side with Cook’s perceptive life lessons and a plot that will keep you turning the pages.

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‘Wildwater Walking Club: Walk the Talk’ by Claire Cook is still another witty and wonderful novel

/ Pamela Kramer

Author Claire Cook’s fourth and latest entry in her Wildwater Walking Club novel series is “Walk the Talk,” and this one is every bit as imaginative, thought-provoking, and witty as each of the previous entries. The  Walking Clubs’ adventures, featuring protagonist Noreen and her club partners, Rosie and Tess, offer generous samples of Cook’s salient wit and thoughtful commentaries. It might be tempting for some to label Cook’s novels light romantic Women’s Lit – and they certainly are romantic, in more ways than one – but to do so seriously undervalues the many uniquely admirable qualities of her work. They’re also full of marvelous gems of home-spun practical wisdom, thoughtful comments – even studies – of human nature, the vagaries and problems of human relationships, romantic and otherwise, and exceedingly clever, often self-deprecating humor. And the Wildwater series offers significant travelogs, too. Quite a package, indeed.

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‘Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough’ by Claire Cook is the latest entry in that popular and charming series

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment
Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough
by Claire Cook

Some books you read because they teach you something, some books are read for lengthy book club discussions, and some books, like “Must Love Dogs: Lucky Enough,” the eighth book in this engaging and humorous series, you read simply to escape from reality and jump into the life of Sarah Hurlihy as she navigates her at-times fraught relationship with John, with their ever-growing menagerie of pets, and with her often-crazy extended Irish family. Sarah’s life is never dull, and when you factor in her job as a preschool teacher with some very precocious children and their very suburban parents, you get lots of humor as well as many touching moments.

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‘Life Glows On: Reconnecting With Your Creativity to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life’ by Claire Cook is perfect for jump-starting your creative juices

/ Pamela Kramer
Life Glows On by Claire Cook

“Life Glows On: Reconnecting With Your Creativity to Make the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life” is yet another terrific piece of non-fiction by popular and prolific women’s lit author Claire Cook. It’s one that happily invites re-reading — several times — to thoroughly dig into Cook’s many thoughtful ideas about creativity. In her first nonfiction book, “Never Too Late: Your Roadmap to Reinvention,” Cook shares her story of reinvention. And regarding her subsequent nonfiction book, “Shine On: How to Grow Awesome Instead of Old,” I said, “….we are fortunate enough to be served double and triple helpings of good and wise advice, humor-filled entertainment, lovely and touching memories of events from the author’s very full life, and dollops of her unique ability to communicate ideas for helping “forty-to-forever” women face the challenges and vagaries of advancing age. And to become more awesome to boot.”

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‘Must Love Dogs: Hearts and Barks’ by Claire Cook is a funny but tender story of relationships and dogs…and cats

/ Pamela Kramer / Leave a comment

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In “Must Love Dogs: Hearts and Barks” by Claire Cook, Sarah Hurlihy and John Anderson might be living together in her family’s home, but that doesn’t mean that Valentine’s Day is going to be a simple affair. Between Sarah’s indecisiveness and John’s romantic streak, Sarah’s crazy family and crazier father, and all the dogs and cats ruling their house, life is hectic, to say the least.

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‘Must Love Dogs: A Howliday Tail’ by Claire Cook Brings Holiday Cheer and Sweet Tails to Readers

/ Pamela Kramer / 1 Comment

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The bestselling “Must Love Dogs” series by Claire Cook allows readers a chance to enter the never-boring life of Sarah Hurlihy as she negotiates a romance with her boyfriend/fiancé John. Her close-knit family, including her very Irish and very funny father, complicate the story in the way that only family can.

In this sixth tale in the series, Sarah and John have bought Sarah’s family home and are trying to figure out how to make the home theirs. It’s difficult with sisters and brothers coming to their childhood home whenever they want, while that hilarious but very hard-to-handle dad, the clan’s patriarch, lives in the home in his own “apartment,” or man-cave, as he calls it. Sarah’s assistant from the preschool. Polly, who is recently divorced and pregnant, has also moved in.

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Shine On: How to Grow Awesome Instead of Old

/ Pamela Kramer

Rating: 5 Stars

Shine On_FB cover

In Claire Cook‘s latest non-fiction entry, “Shine On: How to Grow Awesome Instead of Old,” we are fortunate enough to be served double and triple helpings of good and wise advice, humor-filled entertainment, lovely and touching memories of events from the author’s very full life, and dollops of her unique ability to communicate ideas for helping “forty-to-forever” women face the challenges and vagaries of advancing age. And to become more awesome to boot.

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‘Time Flies’ by Claire Cook: A perfect beach read

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

A summer book list isn’t complete without a Claire Cook book on it. Her newest, “Time Flies,” will please her fans and garner her new ones. It’s about Melanie, a woman of a certain age, whose husband has just left her for another woman.

In Cook’s books, there is always a catalyst — something that galvanizes the protagonist into action. In “Time Flies,” the catalyst is whether Melanie will attend her high school reunion with her best friend, BJ. It’s just after the separation, and not only is Melanie feeling unwanted, but she is also suffering from a new phobia: driving on a highway.

Claire did her homework when writing this book, and when Melanie talks about her passion — metalwork sculpture — it feels real. It also feels fascinating. I’d love to know what Cook did to sound so authentic. Did she actually attend metalworking classes?

Of course, Melanie decides to go to the reunion. She travels back to New England, where she grew up and where her estranged sister still lives. Before she leaves Atlanta, where she moved when her soon-to-be-former husband got a new job, she meets the owner of a local restaurant. He calls because the sculpture he purchased from Melanie sprang a leak during the dinner rush hour. She not only fixes the leak but manages to intrigue the owner.

Then, to complicate matters, a former beau from high school (whom she can barely remember at first) emails her. They begin an online flirtation, and she grows excited about meeting him again at the reunion.

But before she can attend the reunion, she must face her phobias, talk to her sister, deal with the impending divorce, and re-live some wild times with her best friend.

It’s fun and games, but it’s also what Claire Cook excels at: delivering a message. And this message is spelled out in the title, “Time Flies.” What Melanie realizes by the end of the story (no spoilers) is that “Time flies. Time flies faster every year. Time flies whether you’re having fun or not, whether you’re living your life big or small, whether you surround yourself with fear or with laughter.”

Please note: This review is based on the final hardcover book provided by the publisher, Touchstone (a division of Simon & Schuster), for review purposes.

‘Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later’ by Claire Cook

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Fans of both the movie and book “Must Love Dogs” by Claire Cook will be thrilled to be updated on Sarah and John and their on-again-off-again romance. “Must Love Dogs: Fetch You Later (Book 3),” features the now-ubiquitous dog on the cover, and Horatio — the dog who hated Sarah in the last book — is a prominent character in the story (in a passive sort of way).

This third book in the “Must Love Dogs” series incorporates Cook’s brilliant sense of humor throughout — in the superb dialogue, in certain plot twists, and even in some of the locations of the story. John decides, and Sarah acquiesces, to go on vacation to a doggy camp. Is Sarah enough of a dog-lover to make that work? Can there be romance amidst doggy training and doggy sing-alongs? Who will show up to make that a less-than-stellar experience?

Cook’s imagination and creativity give readers a chance to learn even more about the characters they’ve come to love from the first two books. She ably, adroitly, and entertainingly further develops their characters, providing her trademark humor and wit along the way. It’s always comfortable to read about that which you know, and readers will feel at home with the characters they know as well as some very interesting new ones.

Sarah’s father is one of the wonderful characters (in the sense of “what a character!”) in the story. He’s funny — both when he means to be and when he doesn’t. He gets himself into situations from which his daughters must extricate him, leading to some really clever — and heartwarming — scenes. And some of the characters, both old and new, turn out to be surprisingly different from what we expect. They are deliciously human, imperfections notwithstanding.

The love and affection between Sarah and her family is, as usual, very apparent, as are the typical family squabbles. They are a close-knit group, but just like every family, they ride the emotional roller coaster of personal relationships.

It’s all great fun, and Cook’s subtle plot twists lead to a very happy and rather surprisingly satisfying ending. Also, Cook includes many tips and creative ideas for preschool/primary teachers. It’s obvious that when she left teaching to write full time, the world lost a caring and thoughtful teacher.

Here’s hoping for a movie that encompasses books #2 (“Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life) and #3!

Please note: This review is based on the advance review copy provided by the author.

‘Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life’ by Claire Cook: Sequel to best seller

/ Pamela Kramer

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Rating: 5 stars

Claire Cook brings back the charming and zany Hurlihy family in this sequel to “Must Love Dogs,” “Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life.” Here, Sarah Hurlihy’s story continues to develop her funny but frustrating romance with John Anderson. Their relationship grows increasingly difficult partly because her brother Michael and his dog Mother Theresa are camped out in her house.

The Hurlihy family sticks together, and Sarah is there for her brother when he needs her. Of course, the reader wants to shake her and tell her to leave her brother alone. He’s a grown-up, and John (or Jack, as her father calls him) is waiting — but may not wait forever.

Another problem is that John’s dog, Horatio, doesn’t like Sarah, and hilarious complications ensue. Of course, to fully appreciate them, you — must love dogs.

John gets Sarah a summer job at his company teaching social skills to computer nerds, and she befriends a young woman who works at the company. Of course, as in any fine novel, things are not as they appear to be.

Between family and romance, her part-time job and the computer geeks, and a very sly and attractive rival, Sarah has her hands full. But she has pluck and is determined to get things right — not only for her brother and father (who is still serial dating), but for herself.

Cook’s ability to create strong characters through dialogue and actions is textbook writing: show, don’t tell. She excels at writing scenes that leap to life, wherein the reader feels almost a part of them. I was walking the beach in Savannah with Sarah and smelling the ocean breeze and feeling the heat. I was also laughing a lot. And I was also very moved by the entire story — especially the events at the end. Movie sequel next?

“Must Love Dogs: New Leash on Life” will further endear readers to the characters in the story, and they won’t want to wait to see what happens next. Will Sarah and John make a commitment? Will her father find happiness? What about the other siblings?

And animal lovers will appreciate the plug for adopting a shelter dog contained in the story.

If you haven’t read a Claire Cook book yet, start with this one. You don’t need to have read the first book, but why not grab that one, too, and read it? Her books are like potato chips — you can’t have just one!

Please note: This review is based on the final paperback book provided by the author for review purposes.