AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “THE FRIENDSHIP LIST is a must. Susan Mallery is at the top of her game.”–Fresh Fiction “Mallery beautifully illustrates the power of female friendship and the importance of reaching for one’s dreams. This irresistible, heartfelt story will appeal to romance readers and women’s fiction fans alike.”–Publishers Weekly “The Friendship List is a sassy, … Weekly
“The Friendship List is a sassy, sensuous tale about two women who discover their femininity for the first time.” –New York Journal of Books
“Best Book of August 2020.”–CNN.com
A witty, heartfelt and irresistible story about two best friends determined to help one another shake things up and live life to the fullest in a summer that will change them forever.
Susan Mallery, #1 New York Times bestselling author of California Girls and Sisters by Choice, has delivered the perfect escape about the power of female friendship and the importance of making your dreams come true.
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.
Don’t miss The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery where one woman discovers the beauty in chaos in a poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold family together.
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When I heard about this book and the Friendship List, it felt like something me and my best friend would come up with as we get stuck in our every day lives. And that’s just what Ellen and Unity did, faced with challenges in their lives and with each other, they refocus on what could shake up their lives. More fun, more men and more excitement. I think we all could use a little more excitement. Susan Mallery is a master of character development and if you resonate at all with a character, the stories can really touch a place deep inside the reader. A perfect ending to a wonderful story. You will not be disappointed, I know I wasn’t.
Are you looking for a great summer read? The Friendship List does not disappoint. It’s down to earth and brilliantly written by Susan Mallary. The dynamics of two best friends in their thirties will make you laugh until you cry. Ellen who is a single mom, solely defines herself as a working single mother. When her friend Unity makes a “list” things really start to get very interesting. Both women confront their fears of changing. As they grow and broaden their horizons, you’ll cry tears of sadness and joy. This is a moving story and I highly recommend it.
I loved it. From the characters who were down to earth, real people to the storyline to the way the author kept the story moving along, everything about this book kept me engaged and was a pure delight to read. I loved the concept of The Friendship List. I don’t know of anyone who hasn’t gotten stuck in a rut at one point or another and the way these friends dealt with it in their lives was awesome, laugh out loud, real entertainment. Thanks for the escape Susan Mallery.
I have to say this is one of my fav Susan Mallery books yet. Although it’s romance it’s way more than that. It’s about growing as a person, overcoming obstacles and learning to just live. Two best friends help each other overcome situations in their lives that made them closed off. Yes there is romance but sisterhood is very present. Definitely a must read.
The best book of 2020 so far for me!
I actually lost sleep with this one, I couldn’t put it down.
We could all use a little push from someone that knows us to our soul and these two friend do just that. Mallery is a master at emotional growth in her stories.
As one learns she can make or break her own rules for her adult life another learns to let go of deep grief and sadness. They each find their happy in a story that flows in a way you don’t want to stop reading.
Highly recommended!!
I loved, loved, loved this book. It hit close to home for me. My best friend was widowed young, and I can relate to Ellen’s feelings of frustration with Unity. I know what it feels like when you try to be super supportive of someone you love dearly but are totally frustrated with their way of thinking about a situation that you’ve never experienced. At first, I thought that Ellen was going to be a timid, pushover because of her inexperience. I love that she came into her own and completely snagged Keith. The friendship list between Unity and Ellen is epic, and so much fun. I can totally see myself and my friends doing this. Loved it, read it twice, might read again. The epilogue was great, I love when a book has one.
This was an outstanding book. I have always really loved Susan Mallery’s writing and this book was no exception. The characters were fabulous; the story-line was captivating; and the pace kept me from putting the book down. It made me laugh out loud and want to cry in places. It was an excellent story!!
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, but what I got was a heartwarming and honest look at friendships and how nobody has to navigate life on their own. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. Lifelong friends Ellen and Unity have become stuck in their ways. They sit down and write out a list of challenges. What follows is a crisply written story that tackles serious issues and lighthearted banter evenly and effectively. My only complaint is that there are a few times that the adults act in a very irresponsible manner. I don’t mind the concept, but the situations were unrealistic. Dropped to 4.5 stars for that reason. I still really enjoyed it from beginning to end. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for a digital ARC of the book.
This is a great book. Wonderful characters. Witty banter is crazy entertaining. Caught myself laughing more than once. It’s a great story about finding ourselves and moving beyond our current circumstances and friendship – . Don’t miss this one – I read it in a day.
Definitely chick lit. But I still enjoyed it.
Ellen and Unity, both in their 30s, are in a rut. Ellen has had sex once. The guy dumped her when she informed him that she was pregnant. Unity, childless, has never gotten over her one and only lover – her military husband who was killed in action. When Ellen overhears her son telling his friend that he can’t go away to college because his mother needs him, Ellen knows she must make a big change in her life. So Ellen and Unity challenge each other with a list of activities that will take them outside of their comfort zones.
I am normally not a fan of chick-lit, but I needed some light reading. I laughed over the antics of Ellen and Unity who were both very naïve. I loved the banter between lifelong friends. I swooned over the perfect fairytale-like men, Keith and Thaddeus. Lots of steamy scenes. I loved the scenes with the teenagers – very realistic. I also loved the secondary characters.
If you enjoyed the movie “The Book Club” with Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, you will enjoy this book. This is the perfect “feel good” read for the beach/weekend.
Note to self: don’t leave it so long between Susan Mallery reads again!
What can I say about Ellen and Unity’s story? It was a ray of sunshine which really brightened my day. The Friendship List was like a gift that kept on giving.
Life is a funny old thing, isn’t it? Sometimes, without even meaning to, we find ourselves in a rut. You never know what curveball is going to get thrown at you next, but you deal with it and learn to adapt and survive. Yet, life is about more than survival. Surely, life is for living and embracing every moment? *sigh*
I defy any reader of TFL not to identify with at least one of the characters – I certainly did! And let me tell you, introspection does not look good on me… *blushes*
I lived, laughed, and loved (and dare I even say it, cried) every moment of this book with Ellen and Unity. What fun was to be had, but also the facing of some hard truths. The ying and the yang of life, huh?
The two women who set out on their journey of discovery to challenge themselves at the start of the book, and step out of their comfort zones, are very different to those at the end. Two words – girl power! *snorts* (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
My kindle notes are a colourful collection of some of my favourite moments in TFL. But, boo, I can’t share them here with you as they may give too much away. I know *shrugs* – I’m such a tease.
I can’t count how many times I laughed out loud when I least expected it. Spontaneous humour at its best! I’m giggling to myself just now thinking of those scenes. You know where I am if you want to compare notes later, lol.
It doesn’t happen to me very often, but on occasion, I come across a character that has me wanting to slap myself. Why you ask? Well, it’s all due to The Swoon. I was swooning and sighing with the best of them over Thaddeus. I’m sure my friends will be saying they know the reason why once they hear a certain piece of his backstory. However (am I stressing this enough?), it was his quiet intensity that drew me in – honest! Ack *shrugs*, believe what you want… *laughs*
Susan Mallery has done it again, and as the tag line says, The Friendship List is the perfect feel-good read. I think we could all do with a little escape right now.
My favorite Author has done it again. This book kept me guessing and sometimes i was right and sometmes I was wrong. It was a fun read.
What a great story about two friends, Ellen and Unity, who help each other, and give each other a boost, to help them each become better people. Susan Mallery created the best friends and brought their story to life in the best way!
Grab this book asap, 5 amazing friendship stars for this one!
A chick lit story of two life long friends who need to push each other to grow past a stagnant point. I loved the interaction between Ellen, Keith and the teenagers as well as Unity with the free spirited Dagmar. The dialogue and scenes were witty and fun. Enjoyed the characters but felt both women were overwhelmingly weak that caused difficulty for me to connect. Would have liked the friendship list to have continued to have been referenced and added to during the book. Great summer beach read.
I really, really enjoyed the characters Ellen and Unity, and their idea of making a list of challenges. The list certainly added humor to the story. Plus don’t we all need a little push to get out of our ruts?
A very well written story, usually in a women’s fiction book, there is a part that makes me cry, but not this one. (I guess it didn’t push any if my buttons) Despite the bit of drama I smiled mostly through the storyline.
I’m always amazed at how Susan Mallery always seems to find a way to write a story so that it seems fresh and new.
Just a note, I did get this book in exchange for an honest review, and yes i would have happily paid for it!
I love a book that revolves around friendship. Throw in some romance, interesting secondary characters, some humor and a reasonable storyline and I am hooked. This was not that book for me. Ellen is a single mom and has raised a terrific son, but in all other parts of her life she hit pause and has remained there for 17 years. Unity is a widow and is has not moved on from the day she found out her beloved husband was killed. They’re childhood friends who are more like sisters so accept who and where they are and don’t push each other too hard to move forward. After some gentle and some not so gentle loving prodding they both change in moments in very unrealistic and immature ways. I like all of the supporting characters and was happy for the expected ending, but I am a it’s the journey not the destination kind of reader. I didn’t really enjoy this journey. I know I am in the minority, so if you’re as big a fan of this author read it anyway or you’ll feel like you missed out on something.
This is my new favorite SM novel!! Ellen and Unity are the cutest, funniest and bestest friends ever. It’s a crazy world out there and they found a fun way to navigate it. I know you will love it as much as I do!!
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I really enjoyed The Friendship List. I love the way Susan Mallery brings her characters to life. I think we can all relate to this story. It’s about two friends who support each other through life’s twists and turns. I highly recommend this novel to everyone!!!
An awesome read that I could not put down. The perfect beach read of two lifelong friends that reinvent their personal lives. Two romances in one story!!
Ellen is a single mom, raising her seventeen year old son, content with life until she hears that he is afraid to leave his mom when he goes to college.
Unity is a young widow, afraid to love again and have her heart broken again. She still lives in her deceased husband’s house that he grew up in.
Ellen proposes to Unity a build a list of challenges for this summer that will take them out of their comfort zone. Will they both find their HEA?
This an emotional read, plenty of laugh out moments and shedding of a few tears. One of my best reads of 2020!!
Oh my, this was SUCH a good book! I have been reading every book authored by Susan Mallery for years and this is, hands down, the BEST book she has ever written. It spoke to me on all levels. It was like Susan reached into my mind and pulled out all sorts of thoughts and feelings that I have had at different times in my life and wrote about them. Although Ellen and Unity are a bit younger than I was when I was at the point of being “stuck” in my life, believe me, I certainly could relate to their difficulties. I understood what they were going through. I could also understand the reactions of Keith and Thaddeus regarding their growing relationships with Ellen and Unity. I enjoyed the character of Dagmar and would love to see a book about her life. The high schoolers in the story were authentic as was their relationship with their parents, coach and teacher. Even Thaddeus’s friends, Freddy and Lela, were great characters. The whole story checked all the boxes for me, I just loved it!