Author: Susan Mallery
Published by: HQN Books on Aug. 4, 2020
Genres: Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Pages: 384
Format: Hardcover
Source: Harlequin Books
Book Rating: 10/10
[ ] Dance till dawn
[ ] Go skydiving
[ ] Wear a bikini in public
[ ] Start living
Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…
Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.
So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?
The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.
Review:
Absorbing, touching, and sweet!
The Friendship List is a heartwarming, engaging story set in the small-town of Willowbrook that takes you into the lives of Ellen, a single mother who has spent the last seventeen years taking care of her son and is finally ready to spend a little more time on herself, and Unity, a young widow still struggling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief that is preventing her from moving on.
The writing style is witty and light. The characters are multilayered, quirky, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, sorrow, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, community, and new beginnings.
Overall, The Friendship List is a sophisticated, sensitive, romantic tale by Mallery that once again highlights her innate ability to delve into all the psychological and emotional dynamics between friends.
This book is available now.
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Thank you to Harlequin Books for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.