The Goodbye Girls

Putting the fun in funerals

Fiction - Humor/Comedy
217 Pages
Reviewed on 06/16/2024
Buy on Amazon

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Author Biography

Juliet Domvile grew up on a tiny, isolated island off the east coast of Vancouver Island.

Her childhood was spent in a world where books, a couple of corgis, and a pet sheep were her constant companions.

Juliet's career ranges wildly from counting nudists on a public beach, grooming racehorses, freelance writing articles on topics with which she had no experience, to ghostwriting nonfiction books, one of which is a national bestseller. Juliet left ghostwriting in 2020 to write The Goodbye Girls.

In 2023, The Goodbye Girls won the American Fiction Award for “Humour/Comedy/Satire.”

In 2024, The Goodbye Girls was a finalist for the American Fiction Legacy Award.

Juliet is a proud and supportive member of The Writers’ Union of Canada.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Emma Megan for Readers' Favorite

The Goodbye Girls: Putting the Fun in Funerals by Juliet Mary Domvile is a gripping novel about grief, friendship, love, and funerals. It follows Aislin Fitzgerald, a thirty-year-old who moves back to her hometown and tries to put her life back together after alienating some important people and losing her job. Drowning in guilt and anxiety, Aislin returns to the person who had raised her since she was three: her grandmother. She has no job prospects or future, but after some events and meeting Sarah, her former best friend, they both see an opportunity and decide to start a funeral planning business. Shortly after, Aislin and Sarah learn that their first gig as the Goodbye Girls is the funeral for a murdered biker, a member of the local biker club. Will Aislin regret coming back home? 

Juliet Mary Domvile has created a unique, entertaining, and touching story that any reader would enjoy. The Goodbye Girls tackles the realities of loss, grief, failed friendships and relationships, love, starting over, and a business with wit, heart, charm, and humor. I just loved every moment of it. It was unexpected, totally engrossing, and fun. It is sure to please readers looking for an unforgettable and entertaining adventure. This story stands out as it's about a turtle owner and funeral planner with a mercurial temperament who is at a crisis point in her life. It combines gossip, heartfelt and relatable struggles, and family and community drama, evoking deep emotions and inviting adventure. Aislin Fitzgerald is relatable regarding her struggles with her grandmother, hometown people, and finding her purpose.

Idowu Adekunle

In Juliet Domvile's book The Goodbye Girls, Aislin Fitzgerald decides to return to her grandmother's house when she doesn't have anywhere else to go. She had lost her job after she made details of a friend's abusive marriage public. Her relationship with her grandmother Letty was strained after Aislin had vanished following her grandfather's death. Aislin's return to her hometown brought back memories she desperately wanted to avoid. Aislin runs into her former best friend, Sarah, and they rekindle their friendship. The two have an epiphany and decide to start a funeral planning business called The Goodbye Girls. The idea was born out of the increasing number of deaths in the community and Letty's love of funerals. Things do not go as planned for the friends, and their business proposal quickly turns into a nightmare.

Juliet Domvile takes readers on a journey through the ups and downs of friendship, family, and love. The Goodbye Girls is a flawless page-turner. Each character has distinct characteristics that set them apart and make them appealing. My favorite character was Letty. She is smart-mouthed and reckless, much to the dismay of her granddaughter. Domvile's novel is the ideal blend of suspense, romance, humor, and adventure. I was completely engrossed in the pages. The plot was uncomplicated and the storyline was seamless. Aislin and Sarah make a perfect duo, and I admired their friendship. It was a fantastic book, short and interesting to read. If you enjoy suspenseful novels with a dash of humor, don't pass this one up.