“What if everything she ever wanted was waiting for her to just have the the courage to reach out and take it?”

I just really LOVED this book. 
This is a new to me author, and I will immediately be picking up the first in the series to go back & read because it took me by surprise in the best way. Somehow without knowing anything about the book other than it was from one of my favorite publishers, this book found me at exactly the right time. 

“I’ve had to face some hard truths about myself lately, like maybe I’m not as okay as I want to be. I am sort of stuck.” 

I felt like this was THE perfect contemporary cozy story. With low steam, great characters, that still touches on "tough topics" in a relatable but still meaningful way you could connect with. Each character was likable and unique, that made me feel like I was in the story along with old friends. This book focuses on besties, Bree & Jill, but you meet plenty of incredible supporting characters who are sure to give us more amazing books as this series continues. 

“We, as women, are enough just as we are.” 

My favorite part of the book was the small town friendly feels - I immediately felt drawn into the friendship of Bree and Jill. Somehow Mackenzie’s writing style kept me engaged, laughing and on the edge of tears as these characters figured out who they were and what more they wanted from life. 

“Well, what if I told you this space was a place where you wouldn’t be alone? Grief is not a club anyone wants to belong to, once you’re in, though, there can be a healing benefit in surrounding yourself with other members who’ve walked a mile in your shoes.”

Jill’s character and how she’s dealing with her grief made this book endearing and absolutely worth a read. Pick this one up if you love strong, fierce female characters who make you feel proud to cheer them on with each new obstacle in their lives. 

I cannot wait to get to know the characters of Cranberry Cove even more in the future. I give this book 4.5 stars, highly recommend. Thank you to Forever Publishing & NetGalley for the eARC & finished copy of this incredible book in exchange for my honest review. 

Trigger warnings: cancer, grief (husband loss)

I liked this story, but didn’t love it. I didn’t realize it was women’s fiction, which is a genre that can be hit or miss for me. The writing was good and the characters interesting, but there’s a lot going on, with multiple storylines that seemed to wrap up too quickly and conveniently. I feel like I only superficially got to know Jill and Bree and that their deeper issues were revealed then glossed over. There were too many balls being juggled at once. I would have preferred a series books that concentrated on each of the friends rather than lump them all in one. 
Still, it was well written but just not my cup of tea. I enjoyed the setting, though, as a fan of Maine and a citizen of New England.

Tender, hopeful, and cosy!

Friends Like Us is a beautifully written, uplifting tale set in the small-town of Cranberry Cove that takes us into the lives of Bree Rhodes, a young woman who after recently having a cancer scare decides to create an anti-bucket list to help her step out of her mundane life and take some chances, and Jill Kelly, a young widow still struggling with the loss of her husband and the all-consuming grief that is preventing her from moving on.

The prose is light and witty. The characters are sweet, attentive, and sympathetic. And the plot is a delightful, heartfelt mix of friendship, family, introspection, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, community, new beginnings, and the power of friendship.

Overall, Friends Like Us is a funny, absorbing, compassionate tale by Mackenzie with an abundance of irresistible characters and a storyline I couldn’t get enough of. I really enjoyed the first novel in the Cranberry Cove series, Forever Friends, but I absolutely adored this one.

Thank you NetGalley, Sarah Mackenzie and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the ARC of Friends Like Us.  This is my personal review.
The friendship between Bree and Jill was one that really made me appreciate my lifelong friends. Their friendship was so true and was written in such a way that it was a reminder of how much women need and appreciate the friends they have had in their lives for years.
The circle of friends Bree and Jill have are more family than friends. 
This is was an easy read and one I devoured with out even realizing how long I had been reading.

4.5 stars

While I love romance, I have a special fondness for books about friends. Bonus points if those friends have known each other forever, like Bree and Jill, because my own bestie and I have known each other since the first grade. I enjoyed Sarah Mackenzie’s 2019 debut, Forever Friends, but I loved Friends Like Us. It was realistic, funny, hopeful, and heartwarming.
 
After a cancer scare, Bree makes an anti-bucket list: things that will push her outside her small life and her comfort zone and help her truly live. Her first task seems simple but it sets a whole new life into motion. Jill is grieving the loss of her husband, along with the life she knew and the life they’d planned together. She has a successful business, but the rest of her life is a mess; she’s stuck and doesn’t know how to move on or even if she wants to. With each other’s love and support, both women learn to take chances, open their hearts to love (and not just romantic love), and see the possibilities life has to offer.
 
Friends Like Us spoke to me in so many ways. I loved how Bree and Jill leaned on each other and were strong for each other, but also learned to be strong for themselves. I loved seeing them both open themselves up, and I cheered them on throughout the story. I enjoyed the romance storyline in this one more than the first book, I think because I relate to Bree much more than I did to Sadie or Renee. I also appreciated that Jill’s story didn’t include a front-and-centre romance because she was still deep in grief and figuring things out. I can’t say much more without the risk of spoilers, but I was pleased and satisfied with how the romance storylines progressed. I also enjoyed seeing the characters from the first book and ‘catching up’ with them and seeing them happy. I hope there’ll be more books in this series because I’d love to see Essie and Ashley get their chances at happily ever after.
 
Friends Like Us is going to be one of those books I recommend often. Love books about friendship? Self-discovery? Taking chances? Finding love in unexpected places? This is the book for you. Also, if you love Jill Shalvis’s Wildstone series (which I discovered last year and continue to love this year with the newest installment), Friends Like Us has a similar vibe - an emphasis on character growth with a swoony side of romance.


*Links will be updated with blog and bookstagram reviews when they go live

I didn't realize when I requested this ARC that it was the second in the Cranberry Cove series but I didn't feel lost at all. The book is told for the perspectives of Bree and Jill, who are best friends. Other women in the friends group include Bree's sister Renee, the local baker, Essie the local real estate agent, Jill's newly present mother, Linda, and new to town Ashley, who we meet about halfway through the book. After Bree gets the "all clear" after a serious health scare, she decides to create an anti-bucketlist and start living life to the fullest. Taking chances with her home, love life, and her career. What I really liked about this book was the strong sense of women supporting women. Each of them truly wanted what's best for the other and their friendships felt real and genuine. Bree and Jill welcome Ashley to town and offer a helping hand when she gets in a rough situation even though they haven't know her very long. It definitely had me missing my girlfriends and wishing we could all live in their small town. This book had clean elements of romance and had me longing for a beach getaway as soon as possible.

This is the second book in the Cranberry Cove series.  I think it can be read as a stand alone though I would certainly read the first book as it was very good.
Friends Like Us is a sweet, light story with delightful characters.  A story of two best friends, Bree and Jill, who share this special bond. They have helped each other conquer so much.  But, each carry a few secrets they have not shared.  
Loved, loved, loved the romance aspect!  
Loved, loved, loved the friendship aspect.
I hope to read the next book in the series!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest opinion.  All opinions expressed are my own.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but it won’t be the last!  This is the second book in the Cranberry Cove series, but I didn’t feel lost or have any issues connecting with the characters.

Bree and Jill are best friends..  Jill lost her husband over two years ago, but is stuck in her grief and unable to move forward.  Bree has a serious health scare, leading her to create her anti-bucket list.  There are other women friends who are all associated with the Old Red Mill shopping area, Bree’s sister Renee is a baker, Essie is a real estate agent and Sadie is a very pregnant Mom.  Jill’s mother Linda slo plays a role..

I really liked the way the characters supported each other, and the way their relationships with the men in their lives grew.  This is a sweet, mostly clean romance with strong emphasis on women helping other women, particularly Ashley, a character introduced about half way in..

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

“If life doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you.” 

It’s passages like this in Friends Like Us by Sarah Mackenzie that layered me in like a cozy blanket.

Set along the coast of Cape Cod, the story centers around Bree and Jill who have been best-friends since kindergarten. Life has taken them on two very different albeit parallel paths. What unfolds is a quest to find themselves after a health scare and the most tragic of events.

Let’s face it, this week has been chaos in terms of current events, and this past year has been anything but comforting. This read has a little bit of everything to help with all of that. 

I’m not going to lie, I miss being with my girlfriends in person. I miss the spontaneous laughter that could never be the same on a video call. I miss happy hours that turn into dinners.

THIS book will give you that and more. A way to feel the magic of friendship. It will remind you that no matter how much time passes, there’s nothing quite as great as experiencing all of life’s trials and tribulations with your best-friends.

A perfect read during the winter months to help you imagine all of the good things to come.

Thank you to @hachettebooks, @grandcentralpub, @readaloudrevival, and @netgalley for this advanced reader copy to be released on January 26th, 2021.

Great novel to chase away the winter doldrums! It has enchanting characters, a great story, and loving friendships. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of an anti-bucket list after being diagnosed with breast cancer seems like a wonderful plot for a book. However friends friends Bree and Jill turn it into a quest for love rather than adding anything interesting to their lists. Lovers of romance novels might enjoy this book but it was not for me.

Fun summer read about two best female friends overcoming personal issues independently and together. Very similar to "The Friendship List" by Jill Shalvis.

This is a Women's Fiction/Chick-Lit, and this is the second book in the Cranberry Cove series. I found this book very hard to get into, and it took me over half of the book to get into the storyline. I never really cared about the characters. I did not hate this book, but I also did not love this book. I really wish the characters where better developed or the storyline was easier to get into. I was kindly provided an e-copy of this book by the publisher (Forever) or author (Sarah Mackenzie) via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review about how I feel about this book, and I want to send a big Thank you to them for that. This book is schedule to be release on January 26-2021.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I love a book where the most important relationship is a strong female friendship.  Jill and Bree were two great characters, and I loved their bond and how they helped each other through hard times.   Essie, Renee, Linda, and Ashley were also great characters, and I’d love to see them all get their own books too!  Cranberry Cove was a great town, and a place I wish was real so I could go visit it!  This was my first Sarah Mackenzie book, but it definitely won’t be my last!  I received an ARC of this book on netgalley, and this is my honest review.

Bree and Jill are true best friends. Their circle also includes Essie and Renee. Cranberry Cove is a quaint burg, but these two need their lives shaken a bit. Jill is still mired in the past with her deceased husband. Bree has big dreams but she hasn’t acted on any of them. It’s a wholesome story with both women taking new dives into opportunities and love. I had a crush on Chance. I liked how he called Bree blondie. Jill opened herself up for renewing a relationship with someone very close to her and her new craft market is bringing a lot of interest. I hope the author picks up with Essie’s story because there is much to be mined with it. I love the cover art. It begs readers to dove in. Finn, the misbehaved dog, adds comic relief.

After a health scare rocks their world, best friends Bree and Jill decide its time to stop hiding from life and take it by the reigns. Each of the women were dealing with issues stopping them from living their fullest life. Their stories were relatable and authentic. I loved the small town and the characters. This was a fun book about friendships and living your best life. My thanks to the publisher for the advance reader in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a sweet story about friendship and life itself. I didn’t know it was part of a series, but had no problem reading it as a standalone. Will definitely read more books by Sarah Mackenzie in the future.

“Sexy times with a passionate man and being an independent woman who adopts a dog.” A slow grin spread over Jill’s fine elven features. “Now this is the stuff of anti–bucket list gold.” 

I honestly feel like their relationship reminded me of Grace & Frankie’s, but 40ish years before then. Especially if someone tried to take their beach house and their business and turn it into a massive tourist trap. They would fight. Just like Jill & Bree.  

Bree had confidence and all you could do was cheer her on. You go girl. 

This was such a light and fun read. It had some thought topics like cancer scares and sticking it to the corporations, but it was so fun! I loved this town and these people and I couldn’t help but be in their corner and hope the best for them all.

I do love the small town feel of this book. Everyone truly does have some type of backstory with another town member. Your next beach trip will be incomplete unless you grab this book to go! Thank you NetGalley& Forever for the gifted copy. Friends Like Us is out Jan. 26th!

First read of Sarah MacKenzie and really enjoyed it! Bree Robinson and Jill Kelly are best friends. Bree has always played it safe, living in her childhood home and working as an assistant in a knitting shop. Jill is a widow that has been unable to move on after her husbands death. Bree has a cancer scare that turns out to be nothing and she decides to make a change. She decides to get a dog, have a fling, renovate her house and make her dream come true of owning the Castaway Inn. Jill decides that she needs to move on from Simon and decides to buy the house they had wanted and get her art business going. Also reconnecting with her mother. Great fun to follow the two of them on their journey as they share their lives with new and  old friends and makes changes!


Thanks to Sarah MacKenzie and Forever (Grand Central Publishing!

I loved this second book of this series. It was a sweet, and emotional story. The characters were all wonderful. I look forward to more books from this author.