Are We Falling for Characters… Because Real Men Can’t Compete?

In a city like Birmingham, where the canals finally get used in the late August and martinis come shaken, not stirred, I couldn’t help but wonder… are we really searching for men, or are we searching for main characters?

August always feels like that sultry moment between a fling and a forever. it’s also the month where single martinis taste better than single men. Forget “situationships,” we’re in “readuationships.” Because why waste your time swiping left on Gary from Dudley with the questionable trainers. When you could be daydreaming about Sam Florek by the lake? or Charlie.... why choose.

And let’s be honest, sometimes it’s easier to fall in love between the pages than on Broad Street after 10 p.m.

So, when it came time to choose our Plot Privé book club pick, we traded real-life drama for fictional passion and landed on Every Summer After by Carley Fortune. It was the perfect end of summer, light, romantic, and unapologetically escapist like that final fling of summer before you remember Roberto and his tanned arms, chiseled jaw aren’t waiting for you in Brazil and it was exactly that a summer romance.

Originally, we chose this book for one reason, rumour had it the betrayal came from the woman. And we thought finally, some equality in heartbreak! We were ready to toast to her audacity. But when the truth hit the page, we were blindsided. Betrayal hurts… even when it’s fictional. And suddenly, our “support women’s wrongs” motto felt a little less glamorous.

The Venue

Now, what’s a Plot Privé meeting without a game? We started with our signature icebreaker: Red Flag / Green Flag. Imagine standing trial for your morally grey book boyfriend,Think Legally Blonde.

Yes, he may be emotionally unavailable, but didn’t you see the way he made her tea?”

It’s the kind of game that reveals two things:

1. How far we’ll go to justify fictional men.

2. We all have a little delulu in us

Inspired by Persephone (Percy) Fraser's bracelet-making, we crafted our own. Each charm hooked onto a chain bracelet. With a note of kindness tucked inside a surprise for another woman in the room. Wholesome? Yes. Cheesy? A little. But sometimes sisterhood isn’t about martinis and moaning, sometimes it’s about the small things that make our inner child grin with a mouth full of braces.

Snacks, Shaken (Not Stirred)

Of course, no meeting is complete without snacks. Let’s just say my belly was as full as my heart, and maybe—just maybe—there were one too many martinis involved. Birmingham may not be Manhattan, but when the olives are skewered just right, who’s counting?

Tip 🍸: Always pair book club with carbs. Love triangles are easier to dissect with breadsticks in hand.

Every romance novel comes with a finale. But what if we don’t agree with it? Our answer:

Rewrite it

In groups of two or three, we played That’s Not My Ending, spinning Carley Fortune’s final chapter into whatever madness we pleased, sometimes heartfelt, sometimes scandalous, always entertaining. Because isn’t rewriting endings what women have always done? Taking stories, our own, our mothers’, our friends’ and making them better.

Because sometimes closure means giving the heroine a better deal, or at least a yacht in the Mediterranean.

Oopsie Daisies

Did we forget to play book charades? Guilty. But what we did have was a late-night deep dive into bookish obsessions new releases, old favourites, and a shared fantasy about Tate James’ latest. By then, the martinis had done their job. The chatter was softer, more honest. A reminder that while the books bring us together, it’s the women who keep us coming back.

So, what is Plot Privé? It’s not just a book club. It’s martinis over men. It’s bracelets over breakups. It’s rewriting endings, laughing too loud, and defending men who only exist in fiction.

In Birmingham, we’ve created something rare: a sisterhood built not on perfection, but on passion for books, for stories, for each other.

So if you’re looking for a club where the cocktails flow, the conversations sparkle, and the endings are always up for debate join us. Just one warning: We have a habit of convincing you to play games you swore you never would. And trust me you’ll thank us for it.

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