They Say To 'Write What You Know'... In this tale, Beck does an excellent job showing a middle aged mother struggling with empty nest syndrome (though this term is never really used in the book) and a new neighbor who is secretly a very feminist-forward progressive who also happens to be a struggling author in hiding. Beck is, herself, a middle aged mother whose children have left the nest and an established author who changed genres just a few years ago from romance to women's fiction. As someone who has previously reviewed her books before and after that shift, she has proven herself to be an equally strong storyteller in either space. Here she manages to wrap different aspects of her own (publicly discussed) life into a compelling tale that also shows some other clear real-world correlations, with other recent books from Amazon Publishing - including at least The Magic Of Found Objects by Maddie Dawson and Other People's Things by Kerry Anne King - also spinning their own tales around the common theme of 'humanizing' kleptomania. Beck weaves her own tale here and shows both common aspects (shame, fear of being misunderstood, etc) across the other books as well as her own distinct aspects (how it can impact a long term marriage, young adult children, etc) and again, shows her own skill as a storyteller in the process. As a long time reader of both Beck and Amazon Publishing in general, this was thus quite intriguing in many ways - though even someone who doesn't have that experience will find a well written, compelling tale here. Truly an excellent work, and an solid representation of Beck's style for any readers who may be new to her work. Very much recommended.

*Note: To be clear, I am not claiming that *every* aspect of these characters is inspired by the author's real life. Only that the broadest outlines - middle aged mother whose kids have left home and an author who has direct insight into the "real world" of publishing - echo what Beck has herself publicly discussed being.

Take It from Me, by Jamie Beck, deals with two women who are both struggling. Wendy Moore was a helicopter mother who is trying to keep her life together as she struggles with an empty nest and a mental illness issue; triggered by stress. Harper Ross is a struggling author, suffering writer's block and recovering from a professional and personal blow. She recently moved to town hoping to find inspiration for her next book. She befriends Wendy to gather information for the main character of her book. As Wendy and Harper's friendship grows they find it more and more difficult to hide their secrets. Friendships built on lies seldom last and when the women's secrets are revealed, they can only evaluate the broken pieces and try to appreciate what they learned as they try to move on.

Ms Beck has created two fantastic characters in Wendy and Harper, and also, with it, she has touched upon mental health and work-related dilemmas in an extremely sensitive way. This story provides lessons in how friendship, family, love and forgiveness are valuable gifts to be given to others. I highly recommend Take It from Me to other readers.

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.

Can a friendship with so any secrets survive when they come out? Wendy has struggled with kleptomania for years and it's resurfaced with a vengeance since her kids left home. Harper is a blocked novelist who needs to write a good one. The neighbors bond but then Harper begins to use things Wendy and others confide to write her next book. Beck's storytelling carries this one along. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

This is a new to me author and I enjoyed their writing style! The storyline captured my attention immediately and I loved this one!

TAKE IT FROM ME is an engaging novel about two women, Wendy and Harper, who are as different as night and day, becoming friends even though they secretly keep from each other valuable personal information. Each woman, in her own way, positively influences the other in immeasurable ways.While growth and change is experienced by each woman, those pesky secrets eventually become exposed and the hurt, betrayal and dishonesty must be confronted.

While reading this book I experienced a wide range of emotions: surprise, shock, anger, disbelief, sorrow, happiness, sadness, love, annoyance, disappointment, delight. A book which evokes a multitude of emotions is sure to be a memorable read. Jamie Beck has worked her magic and TAKE IT FROM ME has touched both my heart and my soul.

The importance of friendships and the ties which bind is explored with grace and care throughout this book as, too, is the stigma of mental illness. This same grace and care is employed to show that a marriage, gone stale, can be invigorated when two people again learn to compromise, forgive and take responsibility for one's missteps.

TAKE IT FROM ME hits all the right notes and is a worthy read. Jamie Beck's writing never disappoints and once again she has her finger on the pulse of real to life events. Many will be able to identify with the happenings in TAKE IT FROM ME; it's enjoyable to the max! Thank you, Ms Beck!

Wendy Moore is having a tough time lately. Her husband is distant, she's a recent empty nester, and possibly worst of all she's lost her grip on her kleptomania. Enter Harper. Bold, brash, unconventional - Harper could be exactly what Wendy needs. Only Harper has secrets of her own. She's an author on the brink of possibly losing her career unless she comes up with a new idea. She's moved to the suburbs to hopefully come across exactly that. Will these women's secrets stay that way forever? Or will everything eventually come out in the open, as they almost always do?

This was such an unexpected and beautiful study on relationships of all kinds. Jamie Beck's writing was full of emotion in all the best ways. It was such a well written and well thought out story, and dealing with such a touchy subject matter that could easily come off caricature-like but instead felt beyond empathetic; I ended up really taken with all aspects of it. Wendy, who often comes across as really judgmental and a bit stuck in her ways, was still sympathetic. Giving her an impulse control problem, while also having it be something inherited from her mother seemed risky but it was handled in such a delicate way. Then enter Harper, who couldn't be more different than Wendy. She's young, bold, confident and non-traditional. The two characters played wonderfully off of each other and it was so beautiful to see them learn from each other as the story continued. It was also really fascinating to see two characters be so different and somehow relate to both and want them both to gain the perspective to end up in a better place than they began. This was my first book by Jamie Beck and I feel like I would absolutely be interested in trying more of her writing.

Thank you so much to NetGalley for allowing me the opportunity to read an ARC of "Take It From Me" by Jamie Beck. It is scheduled to release on September 20th, 2022.

Overall, I rated this novel a 4/5 stars!

The novel centers around Joe & Wendy, newer empty-nesters since their son Billy has started college. Harper is a single woman who moves in next door. The two women form a friendship with one another, but it is one that is based on lies. You'll definitely want to read the novel to find out what happens!

Wendy is a mother of one, struggling with her son going off to college and leaving her with too much time on her hands. She also suffers with an issue that her husband thinks she has under control since getting treament years before, and she does, mostly, but finds herself struggling under the current circumstances. Harper is an author who is needing to write another good book since her last book wasn't met with the same reception as her previous bestseller. A change of scenery to a location outside of the city is hopefully the spark she needs to feel inspired. Wendy and Harper become neighbors when Harper rents the house next door to Wendy. This is a good story of how the women interact, they both grow stronger emotionally through their time spend with each other. Harper particularly grows up a lot in this book.

3.5 stars

This book was different than others I've read by this author. Not in a bad way, just different. I'm actually a bit nervous about writing this review, because the book itself centered on an author whose book failed and got pretty bad reviews. The character had those bad reviews running through her mind and it inhibited her writing muse.

When Harper moves into a small town in Connecticut, hoping to refresh her muse and churn out the next novel, based on people she intends to meet. New neighbor Wendy is very friendly, and since Harper keeps her occupation a secret, doesn't know that every conversation they have, every secret Wendy reveals could be (and is) threaded into Harper's book. Wendy has some real issues, and Harper doesn't feel any empathy toward Wendy, instead continues to gather data and write the new book.

I didn't like Harper very much, but I don't think the reader is supposed to. Harper comes across as an entitled person who steamrolls anyone who gets in the way of her goal, and she doesn't take time to self-reflect to see if she is the problem. Wendy, her husband Joe and son Billy are a close-knit family, and Harper can't help but reflect about her own family issues.

If you enjoy books about the 'burbs and their inhabitants, gossip, families and forgiveness, then this is the book for you. Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

i really enjoyed this book.
An easy ready that made me laugh out loud in places.

Wendy is a great character.

The book is an easy read.

Ok, this book totally surprised me. It’s my first by this author and I wasn’t sure what to expect, after I started reading I still wasn’t sure, I didn’t feel like I was connecting with either Wendy or Harper, but Joe had caught my attention, I could see his frustration and also his sheer love and devotion. I kept reading and I’m so glad I did. I cried so many times as the plot progressed and the raw and honest emotions were pouring out of these characters. Harper really had so massive personal growth and I liked seeing her acknowledge who and what finally cracked her tough exterior. Wendy grew a lot too and I liked that everything was totally rosy and perfect in the end, but still a work in progress. Joe still stole the show at times for me and seeing his point of view on how Wendy and her condition has impacted him was interesting. I especially liked that the main characters were an over 40s couple who were still in love and found new ways to keep the love a live after the children left the nest. A totally surprising emotional read.

An interesting premise, that for me fell flat. I found the characters to be very one dimension and the story line lacking any sort of cohesivness.

While this was my first Jamie Beck book, it certainly won’t be my last. This story follows Wendy and Harper, two next door neighbors, both harboring a secret, that become friends. I was hooked from the start! Both women are very layered, with vulnerabilities and strengths that are truly relatable, which ultimately added to their dual point of view. I was deeply invested in the thoughtful portrayal of mental illness and the daily struggles that come along with it. There is so much to love about this book, from the growth in the characters to the complicated family dynamics. Tied in with the themes of friendship, courage ,and perseverance, I was invested in Wendy and Harper until the end!

4.23 stars

Grab your copy out 9/20!

Thank you @netgalley and Montlake for the arc

Take it from me by Jamie Beck, is a “feel good” fiction novel that displays a friendship between Wendy and neighbor, Harper. Wendy, is now faced with an empty nest and she tries to fill her home with items that she has stolen. Harper is a recently relocated author, who has had less than stellar success recently with her writing. Both women find value in their blossoming friendship. This book kept my interest by changing the narrator every chapter. The characters were well developed and I found myself really liking both Harper and Wendy. I really enjoyed this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance review copy in exchange for my honest review.

Take it from Me is a wonderful read. I really loved this one. Wendy is hiding her big secret from everyone and you feel for her with everything she goes through. She is sweet yet a little uptight when it comes to a few things. You get to see all sides of her and once things come out you feel for her struggle. Harper is a writer in need of a muse and moving to the suburbs gives her everything she could need. She never expected to grow close to her subject and never expected to fall for someone. Harper and Wendy go through these wonderful transformations together and apart that will have you glued to the pages. I love how these women help each other even through everything. This one shows that friendship comes when you least expect it and while in different aspects of life. Harper and Wendy form this wonderful bond that even as they are at odds they both become stronger. I could not get enough of this one. You need to meet Wendy and Harper today and let their secrets come alive.

🏘📖🏡A propos title, self discovery & growth: thoughtful, hopeful😌

4.5🌟 stars
I really enjoyed this story of changing perspectives and relationships in suburban New York. The main protagonists' characters are fully fleshed, with positive attributes notwithstanding neuroses and attitudes shaped by their childhoods and very different perspectives on life and what's most important. Neighbors with secrets but a quick ability to connect. The dual point of view style really gives a thorough understanding of how each affects the other.

Harper, a career woman who professes herself content without a partner and marriage versus Wendy, a devoted wife happy with her "vanilla" husband of two decades and the life and family they've built. Both women have deep-seated issues with their parents. I found it inspirational that each was able to help the other address the problems that had been plaguing them and come out, despite some painful moments, all the better and happier.⛅🌈 I was particularly taken with Harper's transformation as she confronts her own prejudices but I liked kind Wendy better and the author's sensitive treatment of her kleptomania and its effect on her family.

Could have been shorter with less rehashing of Harper's attitude conflict with her family, for example, but a great story nonetheless. I was unfamiliar with author Jamie Beck's work before reading Take It From Me but I think she's a writer I want to follow.

Thanks to Montlake and NetGalley for sharing a complimentary advance copy of the book; this is my voluntary and honest opinion.

I really struggled with this. It took a great deal of effort to finish it.
I couldn't warm to either Wendy or Harper and I didn't really care about their secrets and lies to one another.
Sorry this one was definitely not for me.

An unlikely friendship between an empty-nester and a self-proclaimed young, single feminist. Additionally, there's betrayal on both ends of the friendship. I love the alternating POVs and that as the reader, we're exposed to both Wendy's & Harper's secrets while the other is in the dark (for 80% of the book). This book was more character-drive than anything, and I enjoyed the character development - although Harper was not my favorite character; she can be quite selfish. However, I loved that the characters positively influenced one another and that their growth was apparent to the reader. I also enjoyed that Wendy's character suffered from Mental Illness - this is a sensitive topic and there was a positive light shed on this.

I flew through this book, the writing was beautiful and had me hooked, the two main characters really worked well together, I loved how both Wendy and Harper had their flaws and had a qualities I could relate to. I also really appreciated that the author handled Wendy's mental illness really well and it didn't feel like something she just pushed into the plot to make Wendy interesting. Definitely will lookup other books by Jamie Beck in the future

Take It from Me is a funny and heartwarming story about the crazy dynamics between new friends. It is also about secrets….big secrets.
I have to say the beginning of the book was a bit slow and I almost stopped reading it. Do read on if you feel the same as I did. The pace does pick up a bit. Thank goodness for the humor throughout the story! That part helped keep me engaged.
If you are in the mood to read a book about friendships, this is a book you should read.
Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this book for my honest reviews. All opinions expressed are my own.