Amazing. Amazing. Just Amazing.
Beautiful writing and an. Even beautiful story.
Loved. It. Just Amazing!

This is a story about four friends who meet up once a year for a girls' weekend. (Something I've always wanted to do!) I love that the book is grouped by years, and there are pop culture references that help bring that to life. The characters are well done. Sometimes I liked them, sometimes not- but this made them feel more real to me. The problems they had over the years also were very realistic. I'd highly recommend this title. Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Books for the e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

A story of 4 friends, a story of friendship and family, a story haunted by secrets, a story of betrayal, a story of forgiveness, a story of reaffirmation of deep bonds

This book follows the lives of 4 women, best friends since college, the hills and valleys of their lives, their happiness and sadness, their actions and reactions. Cutting the core are the secrets which seems to abound in every chapter. Sophia, Melissa, Emily and Amy meet up for girls’ weekend every year and we as readers get to know their family and their lives, both hidden and evident ones.

Helen Warner’s debut brought a strange excitement and eagerness in me to read the story of these women. Somewhere their history seemed to resonate deep in my history too. Helen, in her book, at the beginning of every chapter, starts with an incident of World News, then goes on to describe the lives of these women. That was a pleasant way of writing and it made me think as to what I was doing in that particular year. So the book also allowed me to reminiscent about my life. Somehow the story of our lives also played a part in thinking about the story of my life

Inspite of each chapter being titled to a year, it never felt as if we have missed out on anything in their lives. There is a smooth flow of narration. I loved the way the author has developed all the 4 women, they are distinctive, their voices strong at times, vulnerable at times, their strengths binding them. But it is their flaws which makes them lovable and so real. The group dynamics ebb and flow like the waves on the beach, and that is mesmerising.

The author, Helen Warner, also deals with a sensitive topic of domestic violence and mental abuse. I wanted to tell the character to leave her partner, stand up for herself. But I realized that sometimes it is not a simple situation. The equation of life is complex and has too many variables in it. Helen has given us a lot to think about.

A book on friendship, which may follow the same clichéd feel, still had the power to entertain me, keep me happy, make me think, and allow me to immerse into the lives of these women. So I would say — A job well done, as this is what a book is supposed to do.

Every year, four friends get together on a weekend away. As the story opens in 1997, around the time of Princess Diana's death, TV producer Sophie is worried her feelings for Steve are waning after seven years together. Her university room-mate Melissa is a party girl who is not ready to settle down, single mum Emily says her son Jack is the only man she needs in her life, and event organiser Amy has just met Nick, the suave businessman she ends up marrying. As the friends get away each year, seeing each other through the highs of engagements and pregnancies, they find it increasingly harder to escape their problems - many they are keeping to themselves.
This story has plenty of drama as we follow the characters through their lives - the passage of time marked with a memorable news event at the start of chapters. I was most engaged by the terrible dilemma that Amy faced, while the reveal about Emily was far too expected. Having read an ebook ARC, the format was somewhat confusing at times when flashbacks swiftly followed time shifts but perhaps this aspect had been smoothed out via page design by the time the paperback hits shelves.

I really enjoyed this book! I did have some trouble getting into it at first because I felt like it jumped around between characters a lot--since I was still getting to know the characters it was a little hard to keep track of who was who. Once I got to know the characters, though, I couldn't stop reading! There wasn't one single character I liked or identified with more than another--I liked parts of them all. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd pick Sophie. However, I feel like other readers, particularly those with children or wanting to have children, will relate to these ladies more so than I did.

I loved how the book was segmented in years, and each year started with a news snippet of a current event that actually happened during that year. In 1997--Princess Diana's death. 1998--Bill Clinton. Though I am younger than these characters it made me think about my life and where I was at those significant moments in history. This really pulled the book together and made it stand out. The ending did have a good twist that kept you reading, and I really enjoyed how it all worked out. A solid read about the meaning of true friendship and the twists, turns and struggles real life friendship takes.

2.5 stars for me.

The story started out slow and bit all over the place; after I invested a bit of time into it I became more engaged in the story. Boy was there loads of drama. And, the drama kept on coming even when you wanted to cover your eyes and will it to stop. (Why Emily, why?!)

The story follows four college friends that get together once a year- from college graduation throughout their 30's - for a best friends weekend. Marriages, divorces, affairs, children, bombshells, you name it: its all covered here.

This may be a fun read for a book club. There will probably be lovers and haters of this book abound and at least make for some good discussions: there are definitely some hate-able characters that are straight yucky.

I found myself liking and than disliking this book at various points. For what its worth, I did keep reading as I wanted to see how everything would all pan out. For fans of soap opera story lines this is for you. I just got a bit too frustrated with it all; wasn't my jam.

Format note: Throughout the chapters the story would shift to past/present and between characters, it was a bit confusing (I did have the arc copy and this may translate better in the print version). I also didn't understand the event quotes before each year: seemed a bit irrelevant as they didn't really add to the narrative (maybe I just didn't get it).

Four friends from college get together every year. And over the twenty year span in this book these friends all have ups and downs and share them all with each other.

One thing I loved about the book was how the chapters were grouped a few per year as time was progressing and she gave a historical marker to signify that year. It helped me get in the mindset of that year. It made me think about how often we mark our lives by historical events that are around use, whether they affected us personally or not.

I also appreciated that within each year one of the four girls was a little more prominent and their individual storyline moved forward more than the other girls within each year and they took turns with ease.

This book was all around plotted well. I loved the way it was presented and loved that each girl had a bit of drama, but nothing felt over the top.

To send a warning, this book is sent in England and Ireland, but if you are like a few readers I know I wouldn't stay away from this one. There are a few English terms and such throughout, but this book could be set anywhere!

Favorite Quotes:

Anton was her tutor and over the course of her first year, Emily had grown increasingly attracted to him. In his late thirties, he was tall, tanned, blond and devastatingly charming. He was also devastatingly married with two young children.

Melissa’s love life was non-existent. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. Melissa’s sex life was excellent. It was just that there wasn’t much love involved in any of her liaisons…

She had so much to apologize for that if she started now, until the end of her life it wouldn’t be enough.

Can’t you hunt for Mr Right while still enjoying the company of Mr Wrong?

My Review:

I was immediately captivated by the vividly descriptive writing style and fell headlong into the engaging and original story of four uniquely compelling women who had met and bonded as teens while living in close quarters during their first year of college. The four had retained a special and supportive bond for over twenty years while enduring harrowing events, spats, betrayals, addictions, illnesses, abuse, pregnancies, child rearing, love affairs, professional gains, and tragic loss. They thought they knew each other inside out although each had at least one long-held secret, indiscretion, or shameful transgression that remained unknown to the others.

While their tale would have been fodder for Jerry Springer or a daytime soap if handled differently, Ms. Warner kept it classy and infinitely intriguing. The storylines were original, relevant, frightfully realistic, and unpredictable while the writing was keenly honed, hypnotically engrossing, and hit all the feels. I adored most of the characters with my favorite being the steadfast and gallant Steve, although the four women were devastatingly infuriating as well as fascinating, insightful, stubborn, and exasperating. At times they were disappointingly weak and repellent then, thankfully later they were allowed to be surprisingly strong. Despite their occasional periods of envy and annoyances, they remained unquestionably loyal to each other through it all. At various times I had been disappointed with each to the point of gnashing my teeth, although I was more than pleased with their personal development and emotional maturity by the deeply satisfying conclusion. And as a bonus – I learned a new phrase to add to my ever expanding Brit Word list, “knees up,” which Mr. Google told me was a noun meaning a lively party. Which is something we should have at every opportunity.

I was gripped with this story from the very beginning. Glad that I gave this book a chance, coz I really enjoyed the plot. The characters of the four friends was well developed and for sure the story did not drag on.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. A story of college friends, visiting at different times in their lives. Each friend has some trait that I could see myself or one of my friends, and brings back young adulthood memories of my own. Sometimes the writing did not flow so nicely with the flashbacks, but that may be due to this being an ebook and the layout of the book. I will definitely be recommending this book.

The premise is thoughtful but the writing didn't delve into characters as much as I'd like

I started reading this, and almost put it down...glad I stuck with it as I was absolutely not able to put it down once I got into it. There is nothing so special in life as our best friends and the four main characters in this book stick with each other through all their trials....some of which are of their own making. The story of Amy is particularly compelling, because no woman asks to be treated with violence. You are drawn into the lives of each character so deftly, you can't help but cheer them on.