This book was cute & sweet, but nothing original or exceptional. I enjoyed it well enough, but would have liked more depth with the characters and some less cliche plots. I do not plan on continuing this series.

Forever Friends is the first book in the new Cranberry Cove series from Sarah Mackenzie. Centered on the friendship between two women, Renee Rhodes and Sadie Landry, it follows their journey as new friends and as they navigate new seasons in their lives. I loved how different both these women were, their gap in ages, and their developing friendship. The romance between Renee and the local doctor is one of my favorite mature romances. This book had a little bit of everything, strong women, female friendship, motherhood, new romance, navigating marriage, and achieving dreams. It took me a little bit to get into this one but once I warmed up to these characters I couldn’t put the book down. Can’t wait to see where the series goes next!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I finished Forever Friends this week and loved it! What a sweet story and a perfect read after I just finished some dark thrillers. Single Mom Renee has just sent her daughter to college and is struggling to find what she should do next. Sadie is a stay at home Mom and is struggling just to get through each day. As neighbors they can help each other out and sometimes an unlikely friendship ends up being the best one. I highly recommend this one! .

A sweet heartwarming story. Really enjoyed it. The characters were relatable and there town of Cranberry Cove would be a great place to live. I can't wait for more books in this series.

I really enjoyed this book. Its characters are well developed and the writing is superb. Forever Friends is delightful and will be your new favorite. I highly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of "Forever Friends" by Sarah Mackenzie in exchange for an honest review.

"two mothers -- one pregnant, one sending her child to college -- form an unlikely friendship, finding love, hope, and a new start at life in this charming, laugh-out-loud read."

I really enjoyed this novel and I was so excited to find out that there is going to be a second novel about Cranberry Cove. A small town in Maine, Cranberry Cove is one of those picture perfect beach towns on the East Coast. The small town feel of "everyone knows everyone" is quaint and there's a real sense of a strong community.

I love the characters of Sadie and Renee and their friendship that forms throughout. Usually when I see a novel described as "laugh-out-loud" I'm disappointed when I don't find any of those promised moments. There's one particular scene near the beginning between Sadie and her son Lincoln that made me laugh out loud. I't's funny because I can picture a toddler doing those exact things in the situation.

Overall a great read and I'll be keeping my eyes open for the next novel in the Cranberry Cove series.

A heartwarming story about two women at different points in their lives coming together to form a beautiful friendship. Renee is experiencing an empty nest for the first time in 18 years while Sadie is just trying to get used to being a wife and mother. Throughout the book these neighbors start to form a strong friendship while bonding over making their dreams come true. This is a wonderful story not only about friendship but finding trust in others and strength within yourself. I highly recommend this book and look forward to new books in the Cranberry Cove series.
I am grateful to Netgalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

FOREVER FRIENDS by Sarah Mackenzie is a contemporary, adult work of women’s fiction focusing on neighbors and friends-divorcee, single mother and physician’s assistant Renee Rhodes, and married mother of a two year old toddler Sadie Landry.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Renee and Sadie) FOREVER FRIENDS follows Renee and Sadie as they navigate the minefield of everyday life. Sadie Landry is a graphic designer by trade but opted to stay home and raise her child but Sadie is struggling with her direction in life which includes a husband who is hiding a secret, and a surprise pregnancy for which she is ill-prepared. As she slowly spirals out of control preparing for her child’s second birthday party, her neighbour and friend Renee Rhodes, takes the lead, and offers support where Sadie needs it the most. When Renee’s baking skills become the hit of the party, a local real-estate agent suggests Renee open up her own pie shop, a shop where Sadie’s grandmother’s recipes will be the menu of choice.

Sadie Landry battles between head and heart when Renee offers a partnership using Sadie’s grandmother’s recipes. As ‘Hester’s Bakery’ begins to take shape, Sadie quickly learns that all is not well in her married life. Secrets and lies, and issues of trust threaten Sadie’s tenuous hold on her emotional well-being. Meanwhile Renee Rhodes has fallen for her boss, widower and physician Dr. Dan Hanlon, a mutual attraction that quickly turns into something more but Renee also has issues of trust having witnessed the infidelity of her first husband, and as such, Renee begins to second guess the man with whom she is falling in love. With her daughter Tansy away at university, and her sister Bree keeping secrets, Renee finds herself caught between two worlds, and feels like she is losing control

FOREVER FRIENDS is a story of family and friendships; failures and success; secrets and lies. We are introduced to Sadie’s husband Ethan, their two year old son Lincoln, and Ethan’s meddling mother Annette ; Renee’s daughter Tansy; her sister Bree, and Renee’s boss and lover Dr. Dan Hanlon. The character driven premise is entertaining and captivating; the characters are colorful, energetic and real- our heroines are courageous and supportive as they take the tentative steps towards controlling their futures.

Copy supplied by the publisher

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I like a variety of books. I couldn't put this one down. Very enjoyable. Sadie is a stay at home mom. Renee works in a doctors office. I don't want to give out any spoilers. But I recommend this book

There is a lot of drama going on in this book for both of the main characters, Sadie and Renee. Sadie’s husband Ethan feels a little shallow but the rest of the characters are well developed. From the book cover and the title, I expected the friendship would have developed while Renee and Sadie were growing up instead of as adults. All in all, it is an uplifting positive story.
3.5 Stars

Thank you NetGalley and Forever for an advanced copy. I voluntarily reviewed this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

Forever Friends
By: Sarah Mackenzie

*REVIEW* 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Forever Friends is a charming story about two women on opposite ends of the spectrum who form a friendship. One is an empty nester, and the other is the just beginning school mom. It's a beginning and an ending, but these women find common ground somewhere in the middle. I enjoyed this story about female relationships and bonds. The story is entertaining and sweet with relatable characters. I recommend for fans of women's fiction. You will not be disappointed!

I really liked the overall charming feel of this story. I finished it in just a few sittings!
Forever Friends was told from two perspectives, stay-at-home-mom Sadie, and her single, divorced, empty-nester neighbor, Renee. These two formed a great bond as the story unfolded. They opened up to each other as they spent more time together, and soon began to share more of their insecurities, desires, and dreams- they also discovered their mutual love of pie!

I thought the author did a fine job developing the characters as well as their relationships (both romantic and friendships). I had no trouble staying engaged in the story, and I enjoyed seeing these two woman learning new things about themselves and chasing new goals.

If you enjoy light, heartwarming reads that explore romance, friendships, and journeys of self-discovery, Forever Friends is a great choice.

___

**Complimentary copy for review provided by Forever Romance and Grand Central Publishing. All opinions expressed here are honest and entirely my own.**

Forever Friends is a well written novel. Great plot with believable characters. I recommend this book. I received an arc from the publisher and Netgalley and this is my unbiased review.

Forever Friends Cranberry Cove Book 1 by Sarah Mackenzie is a book about friendship and love. This was a very quick and charming read. Sarah writes a wonderful story that drew me right in and kept me engaged until the last page. I read this in one sitting. The story is well written and the characters are well defined. This is about finding friendship no matter what age or stage in your life you are at. An older empty nest Mom and a stressed younger Mom even with the age difference that have so many of the same issues. This book gave me all the warm fuzzies. I wasn’t sure about the ending but now realizing this is only book 1 I am happy that it was left the way it was so the story can continue. I can’t wait for the next book to come out. I will definitely be reading more from this author.

Forever Friends by Sarah Mackenzie is a full length, stand alone contemporary romance novel.
Meet Sadie Landry and Renee Rhodes. They're different from each other, but once they meet they develop a friendship. One of them is the mother of a toddler, often alone while her husband is away on his job- the other one a single mom who's life is suddenly empty because her daughter is away at college.
They balance each other.
Forever Friends is a gripping story , a slow burn, fitting for the unique storyline. I loved the characters and connected easily with them. I loved the excellent writing and the beautifully thought out and beautifully written words. 4,5 Stars.

I love small town stories and this was both a cute and cozy book that I thoroughly enjoyed. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Forever Friends by Sarah Mackenzie is the first book of the Cranberry Cove series.

The story is about two women and how their friendship, as different as the two women are, help them through their unique struggles at the differing points in their life.

Renee Rhodes looks like she can win mom of the year for having such a perfect looking life while raising her daughter as a single mother. She is so well put together, and manages her life in utmost perfection, that is one to be admired. However, when her daughter leaves home for college in the West Coast, and with no one to dote on, her life is suddenly turned upside down.

Sadie Landry is a stay-at-home mom, with a toddler, and another on the way. Her life, unlike Renee’s, is a topsy-turvy whirlwind, and a husband that seems to become more distant.

A near catastrophic baking event leads to an unlikely friendship between these two women. I loved how the writing was told in two alternating view points with amazing dialogue.

The was a beautiful story with characters that I enjoyed being part of their lives. I was immersed into the story and loved every bit of this read. It was heartwarming, enjoyable and highly entertaining. I loved the setting in Cranberry Cove, Maine and the small town feel with an amazing cast of characters you will fall in love with. I cannot wait for the next installation of this amazing start of the series.

Let just say thank you to @netgalley for the early arc ebook. That you @readforeverpub for the early ARC. .
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Description

Perfect for fans of Susan Mallery and Jill Shalvis, two mothers -- one pregnant, one sending her child to college -- form an unexpected friendship, finding love, hope, and a new start at life in this charming, laugh-out-loud read.
Single mom Renee Rhodes seems like a woman who has it all together -- perfect house, perfect kid, perfect yard. But now that her daughter is away at college, she doesn't know what to do next. Without weekly PTA meetings and after-school chauffeur duty, Renee isn't sure who she is anymore. What she is sure of is that she probably shouldn't be crushing on her new boss, who couldn't possibly be interested in a middle-aged mom....
Sadie Landry is drowning in the stay-at-home mom life. With a toddler running wild, a husband who is growing more distant by the day, and a mother-in-law who has a comment on every-little-thing, Sadie is one mommy-and-me class away from losing it. When she learns that she is pregnant again, Sadie knows that something has to change for the sake of her family -- and her sanity.
After a birthday party bake-a-thon nearly turns into a three-alarm fire, Renee comes to her neighbor Sadie's rescue with comfort, competence, and a killer pie recipe. With their unlikely friendship and a newly hatched plan to open a bakery, can Sadie and Renee finally have the lives they've always dreamed of?

Now what i thought about the book. I thought it was a okay read. I loved how Sadie had a friend when she needed one and the same for Renee. I thought Sadie couldn't keep her marriage together and they try to hard for Renee to have a happy ending. But it was enjoyable over all. I give it a 4 🐕🐕🐕🐕.

A heartwarming, delightful story about finding love again, friendships and family. I found Forever Friends to be a heartfelt, feel good book.
I really liked Sadie and could understand exactly how she was feeling being the mother of a two year old. Don’t we always question how we are doing with raising our children? Her little boy, Lincoln, was just adorable and made me smile.
Renee is a neighbor of Sadies who becomes her friend as the story unfolds. Renee is someone I’d love to be friends with♥️
I am so looking forward to seeing what happens in the next Cranberry Cove book.
A beautifully written contemporary romance novel. I definitely recommend this book!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author, Sarah Mackenzie for the opportunity to read and review Forever Friends.

3.5 stars

This was a delightful read that was cute and cozy but more than just the average cozy, small town romance.

It featured two female characters where their individual stories were being told in parallel. The story then became an example of shared experiences which then developed into a story of friendship (hence the title). I really liked how this story included both of these characters, where both of them were in very different places in their lives yet they shared many similarities. It showed that no matter the age difference there is similarities that can be shared with life experiences.

Even though this story didn't focus on a mother daughter duo, between the relationship and the small town feel I kind of felt like I was in a world similar to Stars Hollow of Gilmore Girls. Yes, this story is vastly different but it did share some of the same qualities of a show that I love.

I liked the ending but I felt that it needed a bit more closure and finality. Upon completion, I have now discovered that this is novel is becoming a book series instead of a standalone so I'm much happier with this conclusion. I definitely will read the following books and can't wait to return to the world of Cranberry Cove!

***Thank you to the publisher for supplying me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review***