What a wonderfully refreshing book about women and friendships. The authors reveal real stories about friendship, sisterhood and everyday life that most women will relate to.

I was really looking forward to reading this book based on the title and the synopsis. However, the first several chapters almost did me in. There was way too much information on the negative aspects of why we do not have a lot of close friendships. For me, I felt sorry for the authors because my experience is right the opposite. However, I imagine there are many women out there who will find the information shared to be very useful. There are enough 4 and 5 star reviews that I would encourage you to read the book and make your own judgment.

Thank you to NetGalley and Thomas Nelson for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

A useful book about welcoming friendships and the type of friendship you want. There is a religious theme throughout, but it wasn't out of place with the friendship focus, and theme of welcoming, but just a warning for readers that may not like this. Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is beautiful! I love Amy Weatherly, if you need a book about friendships and finding yourself. Read this! 

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC!!

Like two besties giving you the pep talk you needed to hear.  Encouraging, hopeful and relatable this is a comforting nudge towards going after the friendships you crave.  I saw my own struggles laid out and it helped to hear them from an outsider. Love the reminders of what it takes to be a good friend and to stop trying to break into a closed circle.  It’s time I made my own circle.

Thank you to NetGalley and Nelson Books for providing me a copy of I'LL BE THERE (BUT I'LL BE WEARING SWEATPANTS) to review.

This book, about friendship, was relatable and made me both happy and sad.

Navigating years of friendships while also finding new friendships are both hard. The authors did a good job giving us various scenarios and how we need to have direct, but not harsh, communication.

I didn't mind the religious aspect at all. I did have a bit of a time how on the one hand, the authors explained they've had times of loneliness and struggles. But this is where they would lose me - they would then explain how they'd text or call their girlfriends and boom, everybody was helping each other out, taking care of each other.

So, they weren't really lonely. If the book is about overcoming loneliness and having a hard time making friends, it was difficult to not think "but this is the problem, I don't have friends I can just pick up the phone and they will drop whatever they are doing and bring coffee or pizza to help me through my problems."

Then I examined my own friendships and realized I've failed in those areas where they've actually exceeded. 

Yet, they also tackled hard subjects like apologizing when you need to, being more available for your friends (or less available if you are overwhelmed).

Overall, I liked the message of the book. I also liked the questions they posed about your own friendships.

I rate I'LL BE THERE (BUT I'LL BE WEARING SWEATPANTS) three out of five stars.

Generally, a book that swaps chapters between two authors doesn't flow well or balance out. Weatherly and Johnston managed to make it work, each letting their unique voice and writing style shine through but making sure the book fits together as a whole. This isn't one where you're taking notes or underlining anything... there are no major take-aways or lightbulb moments... but it is an encouraging "we get it, and it's worth it" read for women around the topic of friendship.

Too many unnecessary words and too many (unexpected) references to religion so, sadly, this book was not for me.

I got this because I am in a position as an adult, where I do want more friends and this fit that bill based on the description. 

Considering that the description didn’t mention that this was a Christian book, I was a little confused but tried it regardless. 

I found the writing style didn’t work well for me, reminding me strongly of Rachel Hollis. I also found the religious aspect a little too pervasive for my taste. Neither of those suit this reader. This was listed under “Parenting & Families” on NetGalley, for the record. 

eARC kindly provided by Nelson Books and NetGalley. Opinions shared are my own.

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy of the book through #NetGalley. I am a member of the book launch team.

Navigating friendships that are real & authentic can be hard. Amy Weatherly & Jess Johnston take a down to earth approach, on what it truly means to be a friend. 

This book is very conversational & immediately draws the reader in. I found myself laughing & crying, as I read. It was so easy to relate to their stories of triumphs & struggles, of trying to find their place & "tribe" of friends. This is definitely a must read for every woman or young woman, who is flawed & imperfect, but perfectly who she is. This book empowers every woman to realize that they are not alone, in their journey to find real & meaningful friendships.  Through life's up & downs, Amy & Jess weave the reader into the pages - it's easy to relate to their truthfulness and raw emotions. 

If you are looking for a good read, look no further! This book brings on a NEW sisterhood movement! So, bring your sweatpants & get a good cup of coffee, before settling in to read this engaging book! I'm sure you'll love it & find some of yourself resonating in the pages!
#ILLBeThereButIllBeWearingSweatpants
#NetGalley

If you have ever lost a friend, been hurt by a friend, wanted to be a better friend, wondered where your people are, or if there's something wrong with you- read this book! 💖 These ladies love the Lord, lead a FB page called "Sister, I am with you", and are hilariously real! This book will make you laugh, cry, and gives tangible advice to grow us in love towards others as we reconcile and maybe accept the brokenness in the world around us 💖

I've already bought more copies for my teenage nieces and friends!

Brutally honest and so surprisingly true and extremely relatable. If you have ever long to be invited only to just find yourself wishing that you hadn't been, then this is your book. If you have ever had that lingering thought in the back of your mind that you might not be enough then this is the book for you. If you are struggling with meaningful connections and questioning how "everyone else out there" has so many friends, but you don't really even feel like you have one friend, then "I'll Be There" is just for you. From the beginning to the middle to the end I shed so many tears, because I felt every single word that Jess and Amy shared. Most pages I could have written them myself. It was like they were reading my mind. Lots of tears and lots of laughs, but more than anything Jess and Amy and this book were real.  My favorite quote of the entire book was "I probably shouldn't take it so personally when someone doesn't like me... I mean, I can't be everyone's chik-fil-a sauce, and neither can you." I highly recommend this book to everyone and plan to purchase several copies as gifts.

Just the book I needed to read right now.

I must admit that I struggle with adult friendships, big time. It's so much simpler when the kids are small and you can get to know other adults through their activities and school. That's not to say that finding friends is easy at any stage of adult life, but I'm finding the empty nesting stage to be
an incredibly challenging time.

This new book from bloggers Amy Weatherly and Jess Johnston addresses the issue of adult friendships, insecurity, being left out, when it's time to part ways with a friend, among many other things. The tone and writing is conversational and very real, letting the reader know that they are not alone in the struggle to connect with others. There is a great deal of practical advice that had me in tears because I recognized the longing for close friendships in my life. The book challenged me to keep putting myself out there, regardless of my insecurity and feeling like it will never happen for me.

This is a valuable book for women looking to forge adult friendships

This book was such a great read! I haven’t read anything like it but when it comes to friendship they talk about it all. The good and the bad. It was so relatable and I found myself thinking back to friendships I had in the past, present and hopefully future. Amy and Jess not only capture the ins and outs of friendship well but they also show who they are and make it all relatable. I’ve got this book preordered and plan on getting more for my friends and family!

I cannot say enough about this book. Adulting is hard, and sometimes we feel like no one else in this world understands how we feel, or feels the way we do. This book disproves that!  Amy and Jess do an excellent job of describing life’s ups and downs as adults, and why maintaining friendships seems to get harder as we get older. I learned so much - not just about friendships, but about myself. I’ve learned things I need to work on and have made a commitment to nurture my friends who are there for me. This book was EVERYTHING. I thank the authors for truly helping me with life and more importantly for making me know I am not alone.

Becoming isn’t easy. Amy Weatherly 

This book was a tough read. That’s about as honest as I can get without breaking down sobbing. Sad tears. Healing tears. Hopeful tears.  I will admit - it was tough to give this 5 stars. It deserves it - but this book was hard! Did I mention that?

It got extremely confrontational with my own loneliness & held no mercy as it held a mirror up to why that is. I love how raw and humble Amy is. I struggled connecting with Jess in her chapters. They quite frankly left me feeling... well, worse. She finally, sort of, connected with me in chapter 11. 

My loneliness was dragged out  - kicking and screaming - and put under a spotlight. Jess often referred to many friends or years of friendships; then would say how she did it. She never come across to me as someone who struggled with making friends or being lonely - just someone who’s got it all figured out which made her difficult to connect to.. and maybe rub some salt in this lonely wound of mine.

Amy, on the other hand, was right there with me so I didn’t feel so alone as I struggled with some hard hitting realizations. 

I’m not going to penalize this book any stars because of the struggles it brought up for me. I think that’s exactly why it deserves the 5 stars. 

This holds a treasure trove of  great information plus hope that it’s not too late to create the space you carry with you, put yourself out there, and invite others in. (It does not leave you hanging naked in your loneliness!) 

The only thing I felt like was left out that needed a place in there was a paragraph about what kind of people to invest in. I think it should be noted that it’s also important to be that kind of person as well. It’s important enough I don’t think it should be left unsaid. It’s the only thing I found lacking aside from my inability to connect with one of the authors. 

I have preordered a hard copy of the book, plan to get the study guide & host a casual book club that starts with this book.

Where to begin. This book is going to be such a game changer for all women. First of all, if you’ve found yourself as a woman in search of fulfilling friendships, and just have no idea where to begin, this book is the book for you. If you’re in a time of hurt and rejection from past friendships, this book is for you. If you think friendships aren’t for you, and that you won’t ever find your “tribe” -  this book is for you. If you’re looking for ways to deepen your current friendships to a real and raw level, this book is for you. And, if you’re in the thick of deep friendships, have cultivated spaces for raw, unfiltered,  honest friendships and in general, just want to continue with a guide for bettering yourself - this book is for you.  Amy and Jess are here to guide you along the rough patches and the beautiful spaces that friendships undoubtedly will go through. They’re here to remind you that God has created you with purpose and that it certainly means you don’t have to go through this life without the deep connections we ALL crave. They’re here to remind you, we’re all imperfect but friendships are just made of two imperfect people and that’s what makes them all so beautiful, and also attainable. If you don’t have the deep friendships with women who will remind you what it’s all about, they’re here to do, and be that for you. You’re not alone, and sister, they’re here to show you. This is a book that will make you laugh, cry, and dig deep within yourself to the places you might’ve stashed away for no one to see.. over and over again. You won’t be able to put it down, and I couldn’t recommended it more.