The Recommended Reading Order for Big Girls Book Club
Carl Weber’s Big Girls Book Club series is a tight, three-book narrative that should be read in order of publication. Because the characters' relationships, secrets, and life choices carry directly from one book to the next, starting anywhere other than the beginning will spoil major plot points.
1. Something on the Side (2008)
This is where it all begins. We are introduced to Tammy, the president of the Big Girls Book Club (BGBC) in New York City, and her tight-knit group of friends: Egypt, Coco, Isis, Nikki, and Tiny. The drama kicks off when Tammy tries to spice up her marriage by proposing a wild birthday arrangement involving her husband and her best friend Egypt. Meanwhile, Coco gets entangled with a professional male fantasy figure, and the rest of the club members face their own chaotic romantic dilemmas.
2. Big Girls Do Cry (2010)
The story shifts focus and location as sisters Isis and Egypt relocate from New York to Richmond, Virginia, to start a new chapter of the book club. Isis is living a luxurious life with her husband, Rashid, but they are struggling to conceive. The tension skyrockets when Egypt realizes Rashid is the same man she dated for ten years before he married Isis. As Egypt tries to move past her history, Isis asks her to make the ultimate sacrifice by becoming a surrogate mother for them. This book also introduces Loraine Farrow and the club's first male member, Jerome.
3. Torn Between Two Lovers (2010)
Set again in Richmond, the final installment centers on Loraine Farrow, a successful PR executive who wants to commit fully to her marriage with her husband, Leon. However, Leon is dealing with deep-seated emotional trauma, and the sudden return of Loraine's ex-lover, Michael, creates a stressful love triangle. To make matters worse, Michael uncovers a dark secret about Leon that could destroy the marriage. In the background, Loraine's best friend Jerome finds himself dealing with a dangerous stalker.
Understanding the Chronology and Location Shifts
While the trilogy follows a linear timeline, readers should expect a significant shift in setting and cast after the first book. The first novel takes place in New York City with Tammy at the center. The second and third books shift to Richmond, Virginia, centering on Isis, Egypt, and new characters like Loraine and Jerome. Despite the shift in focus, the events of the later books build directly on the relationships established in the first.
Thematic Companions: Carl Weber Presents Full Figured
If you finish the trilogy and want more stories featuring curvaceous, confident heroines, you should explore the Full Figured anthology series. Curated by Carl Weber and published under his Urban Books imprint, these anthologies feature stories by various urban fiction authors. While they do not feature the BGBC characters, they share the same empowering themes and sassy relationship drama.