I simply adore Susan Mallery books and THE FRIENDSHIP LIST is just another reason why I do.

Single mom Ellen is looking at her life changing. Her teenaged son is off to college soon and she's having a hard time. her BFF Unity lost her husband a few years ago and is still stuck in her grieiving.

Together, they devise a list of things they have to do to start moving forward with their lives.
Here's a hint: some of those things involve men!

This book was sweet and funny and sad and emotional - everything you want women's fiction to be.
Thank you to Netgalley for allowing me a sneak peek.
5 well deserved stars!

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery really pulled on my heartstrings. It encompasses all the feelings that women have for their husbands, lovers, children, and friends. I absolutely loved it!

A great story about family and friendship. Llearning to start living life after and dealing with past obstacles

A wonderful character study of two women. Best friends since childhood they are both at a crossroad in life and challenge each other to step up.
It is both funny and dramatic. I really enjoyed their growth and the journey each took to find their way. Romantic family centric and inspiring.

Ellen Fox never minded being a single mom, all her efforts went into caring for her son. But then she overheard him saying he didn’t believe he could go away to college because she needed him too much. With the help of her BFF, Unity, Ellen tries to work her way through a list of challenges to make her more independent. Unity is also trying to work her way through the list, and together the two friends embark on a journey of love and laughter

The Friendship List will delight fans of good women’s fiction. Unity and Ellen have been friends for years. Unity is a war widow, still deeply in love with her late husband. Ellen has never had a grown up relationship. A single mom, she hadn’t been with a man or even on a date since she became pregnant as a teen. The pair come up with lists to force each other to open themselves up to new and unexpected experiences...including men! The author’s execution of her premise is clever, insightful, inspirational, and well written, with a great cast of supporting characters. I voluntarily reviewed an advance copy of this book from NetGalley. Most highly recommend.

What a fun read by Susan Mallery ! I enjoyed how these friends pushed each other to over come their own obstacles. I couldnt put it down waiting to see what would happen next !

As usual with a Susan Mallery book, I really liked it. Though predictable, it was an excellent story about finding a new self, and the influence of friendship. Ellen has been happily raising her 17-year old son, who should be leaving for college in a year. She is a teacher, and doesn’t do much more than that and be a mother. She overhears her son tell a friend he can’t go to college because his mother doesn’t have a life without him, so she decides she needs to “get a life” so he won’t be denied the college experience and independence. She enlists the help of her life-long friend, Unity, and together they come up with the adventurous Friendship List of things they can change each other to do to put some excitement in their lives. Things like tattoos, rock climbing, sex. This is a fun book as you become friends with both women and want the best for them. Susan Mallery combines emotion, excellent storytelling and humor in the books she writes. I always look forward to her books. I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.

Ellen Fox and Unity Leandre have been best friends forever, but both are stuck in a rut. Ellen hasn’t dated or even had sex since she was impregnated at 17 (on her first, uninspiring, time); Unity has been in mourning for her dead husband for three years — living in his childhood hood, spending her time with the over 70 set, and basically waiting for it all to be over. They put together the “Friendship List” — a list of things each should do to get out of their comfort zone and set off to achieve their goals. Tattoos, skydiving, and hunky men ensue.

It’s a fun fairytale — I like Mallery because her characters have depth and are likable and her plots are plausible rather than stupid. I appreciate that her characters are basically honest and not manipulative. While the overall stories are not super likely (hunky, single men in their 40s don’t generally seem to be hanging around in real life), hunkiness is subjective and I like the way these characters model decent behavior for the readers of women’s fiction.

Fun, heart warming, and well executed (as always).