The Friendship List: An Instant NYT Bestseller of Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Sparkling… A sure hit with women’s fiction fans.” —Publishers Weekly
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.
Don’t miss New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery’s heartwarming summer novel, The Summer Book Club, where conversations over a glass of wine turns into something much more in this journey of motherhood, friendship and love.
Get lost in more beach reads by Susan Mallery:The Summer Book Club – Coming February 2024!The Happiness PlanThe Sister EffectThe Boardwalk BookshopThe Summer Getaway
Publisher : HQN
Publication date : March 30, 2021
Edition : First Time Trade
Language : English
Print length : 416 pages
ISBN-10 : 1335652965
ISBN-13 : 978-1335652966
Item Weight : 10.4 ounces
Dimensions : 5.32 x 1.03 x 7.97 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #103,982 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #1,793 in Women’s Domestic Life Fiction #2,813 in Contemporary Women Fiction #15,046 in Contemporary Romance (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars (4,060) var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
Original price was: $1,591.84.$933.18Current price is: $933.18.
11 reviews for The Friendship List: An Instant NYT Bestseller of Women’s Fiction and Contemporary Romance
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Original price was: $1,591.84.$933.18Current price is: $933.18.
NormaJean –
5 Stars!
Susan Mallery has written an emotional book that delves deep into the lives and hearts of two women who have been friends since childhood.Ellen is a single mother who has raised her teenage soon without any help or acknowledgement of his existence by his father. Her whole life revolves around her son. Cooper is the center of her world. When she overhears him telling his best friend that he can’t go away to the college he wants to attend because his mother needs him too much, Ellen realizes that she needs to get a life and prove to Coop that she will be fine while he is away at school.Unity and Stuart married right after high school graduation. She has never known anything except being a military wife. When Stuart is killed, she locks herself into an unending period of grieving. After three years, she still has no interest in meeting someone new. Stuart was her whole life.Unity and Ellen create the ‘Friendship List’, a list of challenges to encourage each other to start to live again.Ms. Mallery has once again created believable characters and a realistic storyline that captured my interest at chapter one and kept me reading until the end. Susan Mallery never disappoints.
Vickie Watts –
Single Mom and Widow Make a List and Challenge Each Other
I did a little happy dance when I was chosen by the publisher and Netgalley to read and review this book. Susan Mallery’s books are always fun trips into the minds of her quirky characters, and this book was no exception. Unity and Ellen have been friends forever and both are single and not seeking anyone in their lives. Unity is a young widow and Ellen is about to be an empty nester when her only son Connor heads to college. Both need change in their lives and their discovery of their need for change is part of the fun of reading the book. Together, the two friends come up with a list, kind of like dares to each other, to complete. Things like sky dive and get a tattoo were more than a little daring for these two homebodies! I really enjoyed getting to know both women and their romantic interests that end up being so much more. Unity meets Thaddeus at the most unlikely place of the retirement village where she hangs out with a friend named Dagmar, who happens to be his aunt. Ellen has known “”Coach” for years, teaching with him and enjoying the camaraderie of having a good friend of the opposite sex. Thrown together on a bus trip to visit colleges, Ellen and Coach discover that maybe friendship isn’t enough for them. The sparks fly, the relationships develop, there is the usual and expected conflict and the happily ever after that Mallery’s readers crave. This book has everything that I needed to forget the reality of life and get caught up in the hilarious romp through the ladies’s attempts to be the first to complete the “friendship list.” I really enjoyed reading the book, but I must admit that the sexual scenes were described with too much detail to keep me comfortable during those parts, so I skimmed them and didn’t feel like I was missing anything other that graphic details that I didn’t want to read. Fans of light romance with many laughs will enjoy this book.DisclaimerDisclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255, “Guides Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
Kindle Customer –
FAMILIES AND FRIENDS AND LEARNING HOW TO MOVE FORWARD
Ellen and Unity are best friends. They have been best friends since they were children. Ellen is a single mother with a teenage son, Cooper. She teaches high school math.Unity is a widow who lives in the home where her late husband was raised. She owns a handyman business. Her friends worry because she has never moved on after her husband’s death.Because both Ellen and Unity seem to be stuck in ruts, they each make a list. The lists are made of all sorts of the things they can do to change their lives. The lists go from making a smokey eye to sky diving.Ellen is a good friend to the football coach at school, Keith. He coaches her son. His daughter Lissa is one of Cooper’s good friends.Unity does a lot of work in a large community for seniors. One of those seniors is Daphne. Daphne loves Unity and she introduces her to her great-nephew, Thaddeus. The introduction does not go well. Unity is unable to speak due to the perceived pressure. Thaddeus, being a kind man, leaves to allow her to relax.Daphne does not give up.The story includes extensive descriptions of sexual behavior as well as sexuality.This is a story of families. Families are made up of people who care about one another. The families in this book are people who care about one another. Even when things do not go well, they care. Even when the people they love are behaving badly, they care.Ms Mallery has written a book that can make the reader laugh as well as have tears. And most of all, the reader can see themselves and people in their lives in the story.This is a well written book which is a telling of what life can take from us as well as what can be provided for us.It is a book about life.
Amazon Customer –
great read. Hard to put down.
I have loved Susan Mallery so many years. I think I’ve read them all. I have almost all of her pre-ebook books. I will continue to read them as soon as I see one. My only problem is finding a good place to stop for the evening. LOL. I just keep reading late into the night. Love all of her books.
Kindle Customer –
I laughed ,cried and all the other emotions. It was a good read.
Unity and Ellen had their issues about love but what they found with Keithand Thaddeus was just what they needed.
Amy F. –
Entertaining but very naive main characters
I really liked the premise of this book but the two main female characters were incredibly naive for being in their mid-30’s, so it made the story feel not very realistic, which detracted somewhat from enjoyment of the book.
W –
There’s nothing boring about Susan’s writing!Not sharing story because i don’t want to spoil it.
LJ Nelson –
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.
Kindle Customer –
Wow what an incredible novel about relationships and family. Well written and sincere with some lovely poignant facts about love and life. A really good feel good read.
Maureen Fisher –
Two best friends challenge one another to get out of their comfort zone. I loved this book, read it from start to finish without putting it down.
Avid reader –
A pleasant book to be read at the beach or on a rainy day snuggled on the sofa with a cup of tea.