Bookish Thursday - What Happens in Montana by Kim McCollum

When the opportunity to review this book was offered, I jumped on it like a starving bird on a grasshopper. This picture just might have a clue as to why.

It's a view over Helena, Montana, with the Sleeping Giant in the background. The South Hills area of Helena, only a few blocks from our house. 

Naw...I have zero interest in Montana (not!). It's not like if I could afford a house there and my kids and granddaughter wouldn't be 2500 miles away I wouldn't be there. 

The second reason is from my 5 years there (2013-2018) I made three very, very dear friends. Three smart, beautiful women with whom I have text group conversations daily.

So, I entered the prospect of reading this book with a slight bias. 

But before I continue, let me take care of the business of this review for WOW-Women on Writing. 

A synopsis of the book...

About the Book

At a hot springs retreat in Montana, whiskey-swigging Maude, the nearly eighty-year-old chef, longs for the glory days when the retreat hosted martini-sipping celebrities instead of long-haired hippies who refuse to wear deodorant. Brooke, feisty, adventurous, and a bit reckless, proposes a reunion at the retreat with her best friends to get away from the chaos of her life with teenagers and the emotional aftermath of her postponed wedding. One of those friends, Tracy, has devoted her life to her children and her husband despite her excruciating boredom. But a long-held secret could cost her the most important friendships in

her life. Haunting the place is a ghost who, in life, dealt with tragedy by turning to prostitution which led to her murder over 100 years ago at the very place they all are staying.

What Happens in Montana explores friendship, betrayal, and forgiveness with blunt truth and witty insights. Together, these friends learn to navigate empty nests, infidelity, deception, and poltergeists. Most importantly, they learn their friendship is strong enough to get them through it all.

Publisher: Life: Black Rose Writing

ISBN-13: 1685133606

Print length: 335 pages

Purchase a copy of What Happens in Montana by visiting Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org.

About Author Kim McCollum

Kim McCollum graduated from Barnard College as a Japanese major and headed to work on Wall Street. Many miserable all-nighters and the birth of her first child led her to stay home to raise her children. Eventually, she pursued her passion for writing. An excerpt from this novel appeared in The Copperfield Review Quarterly and her short stories have appeared in The Dillydoun Review, Beyond Solace, and Fiction on the Web. She lives in Bozeman, MT with her husband, Brian, and their blended menagerie of five kids, two dogs, and seven spoiled chickens. What Happens in Montana is her first novel.

Find Kim on her website: Kim-mccollum.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/kimberly.w.gunderson

Twitter/X: @KFMcCollum

Now for my opinion...

So I lived in Montana. (Well, they were going to a spa in Montana) Check

I have three good friends who would love to get together. Check

Love relaxing in a hot spring. Check

Ok, so the whole thing with a ghost and a resort which might not exactly be a 5-star hotel, that is a bit of a miss. Otherwise, I'm seeing comparisons. 

This book hit so close to home in 4 friends who haven't seen each other for some time, getting together for a weeklong reunion. And with the backdrop of the beautiful state of Montana, this was a win for me. Just enough humor and angst to make this a fun, cozy read. And learning about life for a woman in early Montana history was interesting. I also enjoyed the interaction between crusty Maude and the ghost, Simone, and their attempts to communicate with each other. 

McCollum has nailed the Montana scenery and 'vibe' in this story. Give it a try for an enjoyable ride.

But don't take my word for it. Check out the other reviews. (Note: At the present time it is free on Kindle Unlimited)