The Namaste Club

A Novel

By: Asha Elias

Narrated by: Jaime Lamchick, Amanda Dolan, Soneela Nankani, Sharmila Devar, Dani Martineck, Carrington MacDuffie, Stephen Graybill

""This smart, suspenseful tale with an I-didn't-see-that-coming ending is an irresistible page turner, as if White Lotus collided with Nine Perfect Strangers. A summer must-read."" — Rochelle B. Weinstein, bestelling author of This is Not How it Ends

From the author of Pink Glass Houses, another delicious beach read about rich people behaving badly! The Namaste Club is a sly and hilarious send-up of the wellness industrial complex, rich ladies doing yoga, and all things fabulous and Florida.

Just inland from Florida’s sun-splashed Treasure Coast is the Namaste Club yoga center. An exclusive oasis of palms, lakes, and adorable guest villas, it’s perfect for getaways where Shakti, a serenely blond Instagram influencer, holds yoga retreats for well-heeled Miami ladies. The Namaste Club is a place of reflection, a place of release and redemption…or at least, that’s the sales pitch.

This weekend, however, is Transcendence Week, and a new bunch of South Florida burnouts have arrived. There’s Indira, fabulously wealthy after her divorce from the fast-frozen fruit king of Florida. There’s Indira’s bestie Jessica, also divorced and trying to get her groove back. There’s Barbara, heir to a massive family fortune, who’s taken a vow of silence for the retreat that will be sorely tested. And then there’s Carol Anne from Vero Beach, a happy tradwife and proud gun owner who recently did something...inadvisable; she’s just here while things cool off in her hometown.

And then, of course, there’s Daniel, the toned, man-bunned apprentice yoga instructor. He’s cute if you like that sort of thing. And many of the rich ladies do.

Last but not least, there’s Bubba, the retreat center’s resident twelve-foot American alligator. Before Transcendence Week is over, Bubba will have his moment of glory as well—when one of the visitors winds up in his jaws.

Who will be living their best life? Who will get their comeuppance? Pour yourself a spicy margarita and settle in for your new favorite read!

Apropos

Not as good as her first book but the story is quite fitting for now with Alligator Alcatraz which I am NOT a fan of but this certainly give it an ironic twist. I do love this author and recommend her first book highly.

Pure Fun

I just loved the setting and the character characters who were yes stereotypical and meant to be so. It was very relatable and just a fun easy listen with a who done it that offered a satisfying reveal at the end. Maybe it's just me at this time in my life, but I just loved it. My best friend lives in Miami and teaches yoga, and my husband and I lived in Fort Lauderdale for a while, but we are Californians. I'm 70 and I thought this book was so entertaining.

She's a good writer and great with character and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed the narration. I read it a few months ago, but I do recall one annoying thing which was how every character or nearly every character was constantly smacking or sucking on their lips. I think I counted somewhere around 12 times for various characters throughout the book and it intruded due to the extreme repetition. But hey writing is difficult and she did a great job. I would read other books by this author.