Like all of Susan Mallery's books, this one was heartwarming. I loved Ellen and Unity. Books about female friendship are pretty rare so I was happy to get one that wasn't focused on drama. I really enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it.

For the most part, I really liked this book. I think there is a real grain of bitter reality in this inspiring and entertaining read. I thought Ellen and Unity were easy to relate to and I think that more than just one reader is going to spot some reflection of themselves in these characters. I thought the story was engaging involving. As someone who clings to my comfort zone, detests change and has personally suffered loss and has had a very difficult time letting go and moving on, I felt this book spoke to me on a extremely personal level. I enjoyed these two getting their "wake-up" call and the journey they undertook to make changes in their lives. My one pet peeve with the book was that I felt these drastic changes simply went too smoothly. Other than that, I thought that this was a winner. A great read about self, friendship, family and romance.

I love everything Susan Mallery writes!
This book is no exception.
Ellen and Unity are best friends who have each suffered loss. They are stuck in their lives and challenge themselves to change. To do this, they have to be very brave.
I was lost in their friendship and their daring.
This book is great! Wonderful complex women, sexy men and great secondary characters.
I can’t wait for the next book!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an arc in exchange for my honest review.

Title: The Friendship List
Author: Susan Mallery
Genre: Fiction, romance
Rating: 4 out of 5

Ellen and Unity have been best friends basically since birth, but they couldn’t be more different. Unity married her childhood sweetheart just after high school and became an Army wife, moving from base to base…until her husband's shocking death in the line of duty leaves her a widow. Grief-stricken, it’s time for Unity to come back home to Ellen—the only person she can trust to help her rebuild her life. But Ellen has troubles of her own. Boys never seemed to notice Ellen…until one got her pregnant in high school and disappeared. Her son is now 17 and she’s wondering what to do with herself now that he’s heading off to college and he's literally her entire world.

But now that Ellen and Unity are reunited, they’re done with their stale lives. It’s time to shake things up and start living again, knowing that they'll always have one another to lean on. So they create a list of challenges they have to accomplish--everything from getting a tattoo to skydiving to staying out all night. And whoever completes the most challenges is the winner. But with new adventures and love just around the corner, there’s no such thing as losing…

The friendship between Ellen and Unity was so much fun to read—even when they fought. And I loved the fact that we got to see what the guys were thinking, too. That made everything much more interesting. Unity’s hanging out with all the older adults made the story charming, although her refusal to face reality was slightly annoying. This was a cute, fun read and I enjoyed seeing the characters grow and change.

Susan Mallery is a bestselling author. The Friendship List is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin/HQN in exchange for an honest review.)

“Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers. So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed? The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.”

This was a light and fun read! Ellen and Unity were pretty complacent with their lives at the beginning, so I enjoyed reading about how they pushed themselves out of their comfort zones with their list. Ultimately they were both able to grow from their experiences, not only in familial relationships but in love, too 😉

Read if you enjoy:
⛱Dual POV
⛱Best friends
⛱Second chances at love
⛱Parent child relationships
⛱Hot football coaches 😜

This may come as a shock to some of you, but Susan Mallery is actually a new-to-me author. Sure, I’ve heard of her. I’ve actually even borrowed a couple of books from the library in the past. Unfortunately, they went back to the library unread for one reason or another. I even have a boxed set on my Kindle of her first four Fool’s Gold books. Now, after reading this story, I know those books will be bumped up on my TBR. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I related to both Ellen and Unity in different ways. These are some strong women with major weaknesses. They’re both stuck. These women have a beautiful friendship, and while that is a wonderful thing in many ways, it also keeps them stuck since. Unity can see that Ellen has to expand her bubble and break some of the rules that are a holdover to the way her parents raised her, but doesn’t realize her friend is in a rut. Ellen knows Unity is being held captive by her grief, yet doesn’t realize that Unity is also trapped by those same rules. The idea for the friendship list is one sided on Unity’s part, she wants to help her friend out but truly doesn’t see that she needs help, too. Once they both dive in, there are a lot of truths they have to deal with.

In addition to this being a story of two lifelong friends finding themselves, it’s also a love story. I enjoyed reading the bits about Keith and Thaddeus just as much as the rest of the story. This is the most spoiler-ish thing I’ll say in this review, and it’s not really a spoiler. I wasn’t sure how all of the relationships would turn out since this book is classified as women’s fiction, but I got the HEA I’m always looking for and I was overjoyed by that fact. These men are some of the most kind, patient, and understanding humans. Not just with Unity and Ellen, but in general. Thaddeus is wonderful with his aunt and his friends. We don’t get to know him as much as we get to know Keith, but from what I read he is definitely a catch. Keith is an amazing father, although he’s a bit paranoid and too tough on some issues. It all comes from a place of love and concern. (There is one particular issue I have with something he makes his daughter do daily. I get where he’s coming from, but it’s way out of line in my mind.) It’s very apparent that both of these men are fixers. That is why Keith has issues with his daughter that are unexpected for him. When there’s a problem he wants to jump in and fix things without slowing down to really listen to what’s not being said.

The cover of this book is eye catching and fun, but does not represent this story at all. I was expecting Ellen and Unity to spend a lot more time doing these things together. It was surprising that the actually spent more time on the phone with each other than being together in person. That may well have been by design. Like I said, these two are stuck in the beginning of this story. And their friendship helps them stay stuck. By them each having to take their own journey without the other one physically by their side, I think they learned a lot more about themselves.

I had a lot of fun with this story. The teenagers and senior citizens helped to brighten things when they’d get more serious. Because, as much fun and love that this story contained, it also had a lot of deep emotional issues that everyone needed to address.

I’m a huge romance fan and loved that aspect of this story, so I cannot wait to read a book by this author that is actually touted as a romance. She wrote great chemistry in this story so I’m sure it’ll be even better.

Absorbing, touching, and sweet!

The Friendship List is a heartwarming, engaging story set in the small-town of Willowbrook that takes you into the lives of Ellen, a single mother who has spent the last seventeen years taking care of her son and is finally ready to spend a little more time on herself, and Unity, a young widow still struggling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief that is preventing her from moving on.

The writing style is witty and light. The characters are multilayered, quirky, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, delightful mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, sorrow, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, community, and new beginnings.

Overall, The Friendship List is a sophisticated, sensitive, romantic tale by Mallery that once again highlights her innate ability to delve into all the psychological and emotional dynamics between friends.

When two best-friends-forever in their thirties discover their lives are stuck in a rut, the challenge is made. Single mom Ellen Fox’s son is almost set to head off to college, but she overheard him worrying to his friends about what she’ll do when he’s gone because she needs him too much. Her friend Unity Leandre decides she can help Ellen step outside the confines she’s set on herself and makes her a challenge list.

Ellen will work on the list to prove to her son how independent she is, but only if widowed Unity agrees to her own challenge list. Thirty-something Unity hasn’t moved on since the death of her husband and is just marking time until she can move into the seniors’ complex where she does a lot of work with her handyman company.

Some of the challenges are met pretty easily, like a wardrobe update, wearing 3-inch heels, but others will test the mettle of the women as they face what scares them most about moving on and forward in their lives. There are high points and setbacks, but the friends encourage each other to persevere.

The Friendship List is a terrific read…sit back and enjoy getting to know Ellen and Unity and their friends, family, acquaintances and challenges. Each woman is unique and fun, but she has to discover that about herself and, for the reader, it’s a great pleasure to be on the voyage as they discover new facets about themselves, reasons why they were stuck and reasons to move forward and discover the adventures ahead.

A fun summer read, about friendship, loss and love. Unity and Ellen are best friends who challenge each other to get out of their comfort zones and live fully. Each makes a list, including things like get a tattoo, have sex with a handsome man, skydiving. Predictable, but enjoyable and fast moving.

Full of Mallery’s quirky humour and the strong bonds of friendships, this was a book that celebrated self-awareness, growth, and romance. The characters are quirky and real and the novel has a cadence that carries you from start to finish in a blink of an eye. While it wasn’t my favourite title by Ms. Mallery (her Fool’s Gold series has a few books to hold that honour), it was an easy-to-read contemporary story that will make you value your friends and want to try new things for yourself. You may find yourself wiping away a tear or two, groaning in frustration, or laughing out loud! You’ll be pulled in cover to cover and the ending will leave you feeling pretty content!

I was provided with a complimentary title via the publisher to download via NetGalley. I’ll leave my standard content warning for adult situations – reader discretion advised.

Susan Mallery can sometimes be hit or miss for me but her newest novel, The Friendship List, is definitely a hit. The novel reads a lot like a coming-of-age story, even though best friends, Unity and Ellen, are 34 years old. You would think they would have a lot of life experience by this point but events in their teens had long-lasting effects on both women, leaving them ill-equipped to deal with the unexpected changes life sometimes throws at us. Mallery uses a deft hand to guide them through the peaks and potholes of one fateful summer when these two lifelong friends make the scary decision to step outside their comfort zones and tackle life head-on.

I really loved these characters, not only Ellen and Unity, but the secondary characters surrounding them. They are fully-formed with the everyday hopes and challenges that accompany individuals in their unique situations. I appreciate that we see Ellen and her good friend, Keith not only as potential romantic partners but also as single parents (her with a teen son, and he with a teen daughter) with all the obstacles and awkwardness that entails. And young widow, Unity, is heartbreaking in her inability to move forward following her husband's death in combat.

Mallery imbues each of these characters with depth and layers that make their humanity that much more powerful. Their flaws are realistic, and their individual stories intriguing, pulling me into their lives and creating a bond between reader and character. From teens Cooper, Lissa, and Luka, to senior spitfire, Dagmar, to the men who may or may not be part of Ellen's and Unity's futures, happiness for each of them became important to me. Some parts of their stories are heart-wrenching, others are humorous, and still others are lessons necessary to move forward in life. All are required for these characters to open their hearts, accept joy, and live their lives to the fullest.

While I would classify this book as women's fiction, with the growth arc of the two female main characters and their friendship at its core, it also carries a strong thread of romance. I was invested in the potential romantic relationships of both women and happy with the conclusion for each of the main characters. The epilogue (six years later) is a delicious cherry bonus on top of a wonderfully satisfying journey. I enthusiastically recommend adding The Friendship List to your summer reading list.

*ARC received for fair and unbiased review

Actual star rating - 4.5

Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever…

Single mom Ellen Fox couldn’t be more content—until she overhears her son saying he can’t go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she’s living hers.

So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What’s wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband’s childhood bed?

The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they’re just fine. But somewhere between “wear three-inch heels” and “have sex with a gorgeous guy,” Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos.

If you're looking for a wonderful and uplifting story about the power of female friendship and second chance love, this is the perfect book for you. It was so heartwarming to watch the stories of Ellen and Unity unfold ... and this book was simply a treat from start to finish!

This was a fun summer read that focused on a woman that is challenged by her best friend to complete some challenges after her son feels that she needs him too much for him to go to his dream school. The author wrote a character driven novel that emphasizes the importance of strong female friendship. This is a great read for the beach!

Ellen and Unity have been best friends all their lives. Now, as grown women, Ellen is close to sending her 17 year old son off to college and Unity is still grappling with the death of her husband 3 years before. When Ellen overhears her son talking about not going away to college because he's worried about her, she takes it as a sign she needs to get her life in order and show him she'll be fine. At the same time, Unity's geriatric friends are convinced her life has stalled and she needs a swift kick to get going. Together, the two women draw up their own lists of things to do in order to breathe life back into their lives. They just don't expect the directions the lists take them in.

I adore books with long-standing female friendships, so this was right up my alley. As soon as I was invited to take part in the blog tour, I knew I had to do it. I could see myself in both women just by reading the description, so passing on this book wasn't an option. I'm so glad I did because, while it wasn't perfect, it was a ton of fun, super easy to read, and a wonderful distraction.

The Characters: Two Best Friends

The cast of characters in this book is quite diverse, from high school students preparing to apply to college to the geriatrics Unity works with in the local senior community. I adored all of them and thought they were all brilliantly done. The young ones felt young and naive and the old ones felt both spry and like they had definitely been around the block more than once.

My favorites were, of course, Ellen and Unity. Lifelong friends, they know each other inside and out. But knowing someone that long also comes with knowing each other too well. I loved how they both supported each other, danced around serious topics, and forced each other to face the truth. I wish more of the book had put them together, but Ellen spent most of it on the road with a bunch of high school students, which was, honestly, a lot of fun. Mostly, though, I loved just how messed up both of them were and how their histories contributed to it, from Ellen's teenage pregnancy to Unity's early widowhood. I loved that it always seemed like one or both were about to unravel at the seams and that they were making mistakes left and right, but owning them.

In contrast, the love interests, Keith and Thaddeus, are remarkably put-together and know what they want. I loved seeing them be the ones pushing for something, making demands of Ellen and Unity. They were absolutely brilliant love interests and well-matched to each lady. I must say I think I adored Keith a little bit more, but he was really just that much more fun. I loved the sections told from his perspective; they really tickled me. In contrast, Thaddeus was much more proper, but still a man. I really enjoyed how cautious Unity made him and really kept pulling for him the whole book.

Around this quartet were a handful of other fun characters. Like Ellen's son Coop who sees things as him and his mom against the world. He really melted my heart and is probably what every boy mom hopes her son will be as he grows up. It was so clear to see his love for and embarrassment of his mother, and fun to see him switch from overprotective son to normal teenager. I also loved Dagmar, Unity's geriatric friend, who was just full of so much color and life it was impossible for me to not look forward to seeing more of her. She understood things so well and really cared about Unity. She was so much fun, and I hope to be like her when I'm her age.

The Setting: West Coast

The Friendship List takes place in Washington and up and down the West Coast. Being an LA native myself, I really enjoyed this book as it took me to places both familiar and foreign. It also made me long for the beach and Disneyland.

Since Ellen is on the road doing a college tour with some high school athletes, their coach, and the coach's daughter for most of the book, there's a lot of travel between the small Washington town they live in and San Diego. I got a general feel of Southern California, more so than Northern California and Oregon, so it felt familiar and had me wishing for more. Overall, it wasn't really overwhelming, more interesting with just enough to offer a vague sense of setting.

I did love the small town near Seattle that the characters lived in. I didn't get a real idea of what it looks like, but I liked the feeling of the small town that wasn't too small. There was a nice general sense of community, especially in the senior community Unity spends much of her time in. I liked that it felt small enough to feel cozy, but big enough that it could contain the walking messes called Ellen and Unity.

The Plot: Getting Life Back on Track

This was a fun, yet serious story about two messed up women in their early thirties trying to get their lives back on track because the people around them are worried and think they need to. The Friendship List moves at a great pace, introducing the characters and their problems early on and then guiding them along their journeys to a new chapter in their lives. Some of it did feel a bit slow, but, overall, it felt like it moved organically and at a smooth pace.

This book starts off as fun and games as neither woman seemed terribly serious about their respective lists, but then they started accomplishing things and it started to snowball into the big things they had hoped to avoid. I loved reading along as they slowly spread their wings and fell into their journeys. I did want to shake at least one of them at least once, but it was fun to read about them dancing around each other and their emotions. As much as it was fun, it was also quite serious as they dealt with the dark, heavy things that had been clouding their lives, and I thought the balance was really nice.

Harlequin epitomizes romance, so I was expecting romance to play a heavy part in the book. I did not expect the guys' perspectives to come in so heavy. I felt like I heard from them just as much as from the women, which was interesting and fun as the few romances I have read usually lean more towards the women's perspectives. I was a little confused at first when the guys dropped into the story, but quickly figured out they must be the love interests, and for which woman. It was fun to hear so much from them, but my favorite part was that it was the guys who were so self-assured and the women who were so messed up and had to do the relationship fixing. It was a nice reversal.

If I have one complaint about The Friendship List it would be the end. I felt a few things had completely fallen by the wayside even though they'd played an important role in getting the story started. It was a little disappointing to realize something felt left out, but I'd also become so involved in the characters' lives that I didn't notice until I'd started writing this review.

Overall: A Fun, Easy Read

Overall, The Friendship List was a fun book. It was easy to read and had some really great moments. I adored the characters and enjoyed the setting, but my favorite part had to be the role reversals. It felt almost timid, but then the women slowly became emboldened and it just made sense that they had to fix things. This was a fun, easy read with some seriousness thrown in.

Thank you to Justine Sha and Harlequin for a free e-copy for review. All opinions expressed are my own.
Link to post: https://thelilycafe.com/book-blog-tour-review-the-friendship-list-by/

Ellen Fox, pregnant as a teenager, is now in her thirties and is a single mom of a seventeen year old boy named Cooper. She seems content in her life focusing on her career and her son, but is that all there is? Does she want a relationship? She has not had a boyfriend since highschool, and now her son seems hesitant about leaving her alone when he goes to college. He has been her life, but that is about to change.

Unity Leandre is a widow of three years and is still in mourning after losing her husband. She is determined to hang onto his memory and the life they shared. She is focused on her handyman business and her friends are the people in the retirement community she does work for. She says she is content, but are her friends seeing something she is missing?

After a fight, Ellen and Unity vow to come out of their comfort zones and make some changes. The each make a list, and the winner has to pay for a spa weekend at a resort.

When Ellen heads out on a college tour with her son and his school friends, will she have the courage to check a few things off her list? While Unity stays home, and with the help of her senior friend Dagmar, will she have the strength to check off a few things on her list?

This book was an absolute joy to read. Susan Mallery is a fabulous author. I loved how the characters of Ellen and Unity grew and matured as they went through their lists. There were some tears, a few giggles and the book just leaves you with that feel good feeling at the end. It has all the ingredients for the perfect summer read.

Thank you so much to the author Susan Mallery, Harlequin and NetGalley for an advanced copy of the book to review. It was fabulous! All opinions expressed for this review are unbiased and entirely my own.

Ellen and Unity have been friends forever. When Ellen needs to kickstart her life so her son feels okay leaving for college, Unity is there to help her with a list to complete over the summer. Unity will do the list too, but she doesn't think it's going to help her get over the death of her husband any time soon.
What happens next is a mixture of mischief and mayhem that reminded me of classics like Thelma and Louise, The Ya-Ya Sisterhood, or How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Usually Mallery is listed under romance, and that's how I came to be familiar with her warm and funny style of writing. This book is being marketed as women's fiction, but there are two nice romantic subplots for these ladies.

Ellen Fox is happy with her life; she enjoys her job, has some great friends, and loves her son. When she hears her son saying that he can't leave her alone making going to his dream college impossible she not only feels guilty but worries that she won't be able to fix the problem. She realizes she must make him see that she will be okay on her own if he leaves. She turns to best friend Unity for advice. Unity has her own set of issues that she needs to deal with so she comes up with making a list. They each must make a list of challenges to push them to step out of their comfort zones. The list starts out as a way for them to push each other to do more but ends up being a.true lesson in friendship. Follow along as.these two women brave their way through experiences that neither thought they would ever have. I laughed, cried, and smiled the whole way through wishing I had a friend that would push me forward the way these two did for each other!

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery

Two childhood friends
One a widow the other a single parent
Both have baggage they need to deal with
Why?
They need to move on with their lives and truly live!
A catalyst is needed but will it be enough?
Are they ready and willing to change?
And, if willing, will they be able to do what is necessary?

What I liked:
* The friendship between Unity and Ellen
* The eventual personal growth of both women
* The fact that both women were able to earn a good living in spite of everything
* Dagmar – Unity’s wise older friend with good sense and years of experience
* The teens…sometimes they seemed more mature than the adults
* Thaddeus: a good man that deserved the best – a great book boyfriend
* Keith: a coach, father, and overall good man though a bit neurotic about keeping his daughter safe
* That there was a happy ending for all

What I didn’t like:
* More a quibble than a dislike- I had a bit of difficulty believing that two 34-year-old women would behave as Unity and Ellen did…they seemed, in some ways, to have been stunted in their teens although their backstories indicated why this might have happened
* Wondering what happened to Luka – missed him in the epilogue

Did I enjoy this book? For the most part
Would I read more books by this author? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

The Friendship List by Susan Mallery follows Ellen and Unity who have been friends since they were teens. Ellen, who got pregnant at 17, has lived a quiet life raising her son who is preparing to go off to college. Her life appears to be in a rut by Unity, who lost the love of her life a few years earlier. Unity develops a friendship list of challenges for each of the friends to to complete over the summer as a way to get out of their ruts.

I loved the idea of the friendship list but it became a backstory to both Ellen and Unity finding love again. Even though I knew who the friends would end up with after the first 40 pages, I enjoyed the challenges, the drama, the growth and the steamy scenes!

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Two Thirty-Somethings Need to Start Living

Ellen and Unity have been friends since childhood. Due to life events, they’re both single in their thirties. Ellen is a single mother who has raised her son, Cooper, alone. Unity is a widow of three years. Still in love with her husband, she can’t move on.

Times begin to change when Ellen hears Cooper telling a friend that he worries about going to college because his mother needs him. Unity is resistant to change, she realizes there’s a problem when she gets kicked out of her grief counseling group. They each make a list of things the want to do to change. Trying to complete the tasks on the list makes for amusing scenes.

This is a character driven book. The plot is entertaining and the dialog often wonderfully witty. The characters, including the men in the book, are realistic. You may not love them. I found Unity quite annoying at times, but because the story line is clever, this is a hard book to put down.

I received this book from Harlequin for this review.