I had a really hard time finishing this one. There were a few times I almost threw in the towel and just have up but I pushed through. It was just meh.

When I see a Jill Mansell book, I always request an arc on Netgalley, without even reading the blurb. I absolutely love Jill's stories. They are charming, funny and heartwarming. When I started on Fast Friends I had to do a double take: the whole story seemed so familiar. So I checked my Goodreads: and yep, I already read this one back in 2015. The first publication was in 1991, so it is a republishing. Unfortunately, you can tell it is a bit outdated. Still, it is a fuzzy and warm read: we meet Camilla, Roz and Loulou, three women who met in high school. They come together after quite some years. Whereas Camilla has become a stay-at-home mom, Loulou owns the most trendy winebar in town and Roz is a TV celebrity. When they meet after all those years, Loulou and Roz convince Camilla that her husband is a cheating bastard and that she is better of without him. So, with their help, Camilla tries to steer her life in another direction. And of course, this will not go without bumps, bruises and funny situations. As I said: a wonderful cozy read. But because it is a bit outdated, only three out of five stars from me. With a special thank you to Netgalley for providing the arc.

I did not care for this book at all. Just could not connect with the characters. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for advancement of this book.

As a long term fan of Jill Mansell I enjoyed reading this new to me book. A charming story perfect for curling up on the couch with, preferably with an endless supply of tea.

I think this showed its age a bit - the overuse of the word "bitch" for one. But overall enjoyed it's soap-opera-esque fun.

The trouble really starts when three old school friends reunite. The fortunes of two of the friends, Roz Vallender and Loulou Marks have been a lot kinder in many ways than that of their school friend Camilla Stewart, but that is about to change and it all goes downhill when Camilla impulsively invites Loulou and Roz to a reunion dinner at her marital home, along with friends Camilla wants to impress.
Camilla is happily married to Jack and they have two lovely children. She wants to show off her two friends who have made great careers for themselves. Roz is stunningly beautiful and hosts TV night time chat show. She is rich and enjoys celebrity status, well known for being ‘in the know’ with many famous celebrities. Her show is very popular and of the exposé type, often very controversial. Loulou owns the most famous wine bar in the city and she also mixes with her elite clientele. She is gorgeous and immaculately dressed like Roz is, as they both buy top of the range clothing, accessories and have money to burn. Camilla’s carefully planned dinner party seems to be a great hit, that is until Camilla discovers a secret about Roz that really upsets the apple cart and in the blink of an eye, a rollercoaster of events ricochet off one another at an amazingly fast speed. Soon each of the friends lives are somewhat on the downside and all of their lives are changed forever.
This novel is very carefully and skilfully planned. We discover almost everything about each of the main characters and if you can suspend your disbelief in what happens to each of them, then you’re in for a feast of a read. The list of life changing events goes on and on with one crisis after another. There’s love, loss, jealousy, adultery, truths, lies, deaths, births, and quite a few weddings, misunderstanding, deceit, a string of lovers who split up, get back together then split up again, until I didn’t know what to expect at the end of the novel. I found some of the storylines very laboured and some very sad. I wanted to knock some of the characters’ heads together in my frustration and with my patience waning. However some of the little nuances and humour made me smile. The storytelling is strong and involving. At times I wanted to give up reading on and I felt very depressed, but my curiosity kept me reading right up to a lovely, satisfying conclusion. I quite enjoyed it but not as much as I would have done if the story content had been pared down and the novel made more concise.
I received this book through my membership of NetGalley and from publisher Review in return for an honest review. Thank you for my copy. These are my own thoughts and I have read no other reviews before writing my own. I know Jill Mansell has a huge following but I must say my expectations were not met with this novel. It’s a 2.5* review from me.

DNF at 35% -- I've read a few Jill Mansell books and found them light, fun, reading but the dated references (answering machines! shopping at Harrods in a non-tourist way!) gave me early Ab Fab flashbacks and it turns out that Fast Friends is very dated to that time indeed. It was originally published in 1991, back when large novels filled with shopping, sex, rock and roll, aka being "glamorous", and what we would now call at best dysfunctional--and most honest, toxic--female "friendships" was all the rage. As I was never a fan of the glitz novels when they were popular, reissuing this some almost 30 years (!) after its initial release didn't make me think I'd missed anything the first time around.

I love every bookmark Jill Mansell puts our. They’re always just full on chick lit. Her writing style is usually the same, but the stories are different each time. I always get so happy when I see she has a new book coming out, and this book did not disappoint at all!

I wa initially surprised to learn that this was a reprint of a book published in 1991, but it definitely didnt lose any of its charm. A fun, easy read that tugged on your heart strings!

It’s no secret I enjoy a fun, quirky Jill Mansell story for a book breather, and Fast Friends is a charmer!

Camilla Stewart is a stay-at-home mom with a self-described dull life when she invites her old friends over for dinner. They are quite vibrant and fancy. Roz is a television host, and Loulou owns a trendy wine bar.

Roz and Loulou reveal to Camilla that her husband is a big cheat, and in turn, Camilla decides to live life on the edge and experience adventure with the help of Roz and Loulou.

This is one of Jill Mansell’s first books now being published in the US by Sourcebooks. She has evolved as an author since then, and while I still found the humor and signature romp style of a Mansell, I could also tell the book was written in the 1990s. I hope Sourcebooks will continue to publish from her backlist because I’d love to read them all.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for the complimentary ARC. All opinions are my own.

Spoilers ahead

Starts off with Camilla talking to roz ,who is 16 years old,about why she was expelled.Camilla and roz share a space along with Lou Lou.I think Camilla is insecure about her looks in particular her weight and rather she has a interesting personality like roz.Camilla trys to prevent her husband from walking all over her but fears he is having an affair.roz trys to prevent from being a tramp but is sleeping with three guys at one time and they all love her lack of attention.I loved the interaction between characters (including Lou Lou who I didn't mention much)

I will post on blog on Dec 1st

Thanks Netgalley and the Publisher. Another one of my favourite authors and this had everything that her books normally contain, love, jealousy and tears. Great read.

I was unable to find a single redeeming quality in any character in this book. I don't mind a light, fluffy romance, but this misses the mark on that entirely. What a dreadful story.

This was a fun, fluffy read. I enjoyed the characters and their stories. Ms. Mansell entertwined them all perfectly

No, no, no!

Sooo disappointing. I’ve enjoyed many Jill Mansell books, but, not this one. A good premise; three school friends meet again and when one of them discovers her husband is cheating, the other two rally round. However, the characters are very one dimensional and in the main unlikeable and the storyline seems to fade out halfway through and then go on to repeat.

I’m confused and surprised that so many seem to have enjoyed it and if you do, I’m happy for you. Confused, but, happy.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to preview this book.

Great as ever! Thoroughly enjoyable read and great escapism! Wonderful realistic characters and once open the book was read in one sitting. Perfect for curling up in winter with a hot chocolate and biscuits.

Classic Jill Mansell - mindless, happy fun. Was a great romp and not too serious. The story was engaging enough, the characters were sympathetic and I had a great time reading it!

Amazingly engrossing novel with characters i felt for. Interesting situations and constantly changing circumstances. One of the best all year

I’ve read a couple other Jill Mansell books and was looking forward to this one. But wow! What a soap opera drama mama roller coaster. I was so not prepared and I admit that I couldn’t put it down once I started it. I liked it and hated it at the same time, lol. I’m still not sure what to think about all the bed hopping and lying and betrayal and yelling and yet friendship and love behind it all!

ARC provided free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’d like to thank Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for letting me have a copy of ‘Fast Friends’ by Jill Mansell in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
Camilla, Roz and Loulou meet as schoolgirls at Elm House then go their separate ways. Camilla becomes a housewife unhappily married to Jack, Roz is a glamorous television presenter, and Loulou owns Vampires where the clientele expect to be treated badly. After seeing Roz on television, Camilla sees her and Loulou in a London store and invites them to dinner the following week. During the dinner she realises that Jack is having an affair with Roz and decides that changes need to be made.
‘Fast Friends’ was originally published in February 2008 which surprised me as I thought I’d read all of Jill Mansell’s novels, but I obviously missed this one for a reason. I found the story to be tedious and the characters frivolous and unappealing. When beginning a new novel I’m always disappointed with myself if I have to give up early but after a few chapters I realised this novel is everything I dislike, it’s shallow, boring, and I didn’t like the characters. I’m sorry Jill, I’ve loved all of your other novels but this one just isn’t for me.