A great story with several different avenues of friendship. Three women ---one lonely after getting out of long term relationship that really wasn't going anywhere; another that is obsessed over her son's progress and puts stress in her marriage and her relationship with friends and family; and the third one is still carrying feelings from the sudden loss of her husband that influences how she deals with decisions made by her adult children.

The men will play an integral part in how a million little things can make or break a friendship or a relationship.

There are many lessons learned when each person takes personal perspective and looks at themselves objectively.

I haven't read this author before and unfortunately I don't think I'll try again. This was predictable but enjoyable at first. I don't mind a good fluffy read every so often. But the character Jen grated on every last nerve of mine and then Mallery made a certain plot choice that made me want to throw the book across the room. It was a cheap move and didn't lead to character growth. In fact, most of the characters were emotionally immature and short-sighted. It looks like most people here enjoyed this one, however, so perhaps this one was just not for me.

Ms. Mallery returns to Mischief Bay.   Pam was a focal point in the first book in the series.  She's been living a busy fulfilled life in the intervening two years since she was widowed.  She's been John's wife most of her life, and vows to remain so even when she meets an attractive man who appeals to her on many fronts.  Can she take the major step to find love again?Along with Pam, there are two other women who take center stage in this story.  Pam's daughter Jen and Jen's best friend Zoe Saldivar.  Jen is obsessed with being a perfect mother to her baby son such that she has become prone to anxiety attacks and is drifting apart from all her relationships.  Help is offered to her from a very unexpected source and the story takes a very interesting turn for her as she makes the journey to finding herself to become a great wife, a great mother, daughter and friend.
Zoe is lonely but her aloneness is really brought home to her when she is trapped in her attic without a phone or any other means to call for help.  She makes her journey to dig herself out her loneliness by exploring ways to change her life to add more richness and color through various initiatives.  She reaches out to her best friend Jen's mom who helps brainstorm ideas.  Through Pam, Zoe meets Steven who has been nudged into her life by Pam.
These three simple relationships get complicated because now Zoe is dating Pam's son and Jen's brother Steve. Her attractive father seems to be courting Pam and Pam seems to be responding much to the chagrin of her children.  Steven's advice to his mom about using condoms is slight awkward but is funny when Pam uses that same line with Zoe's dad.
An unexpected event suddenly changes the dynamics of all these relationships. Interestingly and unexpectedly Pam reacts very badly severely damaging some of her relationships. Having felt like I really knew Pam well from the previous two books I was really surprised and disappointed.  The author is definitely right when she says " Friendship isn't just one thing—it's a million little things" and they're all complicated as hell.
Despite the richness of the characters and the complexity of human emotions I have to admit,  I did not enjoy this story as much as the earlier two.

I really do adore Ms. Mallery's trilogies. There's a depth to both the characters and their stores that you don't get from the average Fool's Gold romance novel (not knocking those books, I love them too, they just fulfill a different reading niche.)
We met Pam earlier in the series. Her husband died unexpectedly and it has now been a couple of years and, while she's not moving on per se, she has settled into a routine. One of the things that she has to cope with now is her daughter Jennifer.
Jen has an 18-month-old who isn't speaking and she's terrified. She's also terrified about toxins, about germs, and about her husband's new job and new partner. Just to get down to it, she's anxious, tired, and unable to sleep. Her whole world revolves around her son and the people around her are beginning to feel shut out.
One of those people, Jen's best friend Zoe, contacts Pam to see if they can maybe figure something out. It's this incident that leads Pam to very subtly set Zoe up with her son, Steven and it's going very well. Unfortunately, partway through the book, Zoe find out she's pregnant by her ex and it throws Pam off course disrupting her relationships with Zoe, with Jen, with Steven, and even the burgeoning romance with Zoe's father Miguel.
This book has a nice balance between the three main protagonists. Pam is a jumping off point but we get to see the fears behind just starting to have a family and what that can mean in today's world, a mother who is concerned for her young son, and even a mother who has grown children and is worried about them as well.
A wonderful book for those who have read the rest of the Mischief Bay series but also for those new to Susan Mallery as well.

Four and a half stars
This book comes out February 28

This book is a great addition to the Mischief Bay series. It centers around three women, Jen, Zoe and Pam. Their lives are intertwined but each have issues and problems of their own. Each trying to deal with issues that could destroy their friendship but trying very hard not to let it. I look forward to reading more in this series.

Another enjoyable visit to Mischief Bay. Zoe is single and expecting after breakup sex with her ex. Jen is on the edge of depression and despair because her young son will talk to everyone but her and she now has Lucas, her husband's police partner, as a house guest recovering from gunshot wounds. Pam is feeling frustration and rage because Stephen is dating Zoe against her strong advice. ( I have to go back and she if Pam was this narrow minded and mean in the previous books). A well rounded story written in true Susan Mallery style. Lots of romance and a realistic solving of various problems. I hope on our next visit There is a wonderful woman that can tame Lucas and make him happy. Can stand alone but you'll want to read Girls of Mischief Bay and The friends we keep just for the joy.

I received an ARC from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

It was awesome to visit Mischief Bay again! I am sad I only get to visit once a year. It was exciting to visit with Pam again from the first book (since this is the third book in the Mischief Bay Series.) Pam has carried on with her life quite well, and if anything, I almost wanted to smack her in this book. She was my favorite character in the first book, and in this one she just went too headstrong. You will have to read to find out. Her daughter Jen is one of the other main characters, along with Jen's best friend Zoe. Zoe is very endearing, and she had me in her corner from the start. Jen reminded me of my own sister Jen. So relatable! Jen is an overly anxious new mother who worries about everything. She is the character that grows so much through the book. While these books are in a series, they are written so one could read them as stand alone novels. I want to know what happens with Zoe after this book ends......

This story revolves around several characters, all connected through family or friendship. We see them work through their everyday problems, things we can all relate to. They are different ages and places in their lives and their relationships are all intertwined.

This book is about love, acceptance, knowing when to let go, and possibilities, if you are willing to take a chance. It is part of the Mischief Bay series and it was nice to see familiar characters, along with the introduction of new ones. It could be read alone. I highly recommend this book for an enjoyable afternoon read. Thank you to net galley for an advanced readers copy. I would give this book 4 1/2 stars.

Mallory's third book in this series is not as strong as some of her others. Pam, a strong character in other books, is a real downer and seems stuck in the 1950s. Her daughter's anxiety is a modern day parallel of her behavior and she resolves that. Zoe and Pam's son as a couple dealing with an unnecessary twist are the strongest story in the book.

I loved catching up with my "friends" from Mischief Bay. Such a treat to see where their lives are going and how they are handling their choices.

As with all of Mallery's books, the relationships that twine throughout the characters is what makes the book hard to put down. I enjoyed the multi-generational aspect of this story as well. The topics covered were all honest and timely in today's society, and humor spread throughout the book keeps you moving.