Nora and Evelyn meet by chance, and the encounter changes both of their lives forever. Nora and her husband Jacob are unable to have a baby, and Evelyn offers them just that - to be their surrogate. With interpersonal relationships constantly changing and worries about how Evelyn is caring for herself and the baby, will Nora make it through this friendship…and getting to meet her new baby?

Overall, I felt like this story had so much potential but dragged at points. The discussion of surrogacy didn’t enter until almost a third of the way through the book. And the encounter with Evelyn’s parents made me cringe as I was reading it, if only because their behavior was so awful and terribly accurate.

My favorite relationship in the book was not that between Nora and Evelyn or Nora and Jacob, but Nora and her best friend, Meg. I adored the parts of the book where Meg was featured and felt like she supported Nora more than anyone else.

This was an absolutely delightful read. It kept me engaged in the stories and lives of the characters. I thought about the stories and characters while away from the book. I am looking forward to reading more books by the author and would recommend The Favor to friends and family looking for a great summer beach read.
Thanks #Netgalley for the ARC

I requested to read and review this book for free from source books Landmark. This story line has many feels such as love. Romance, mystery, drama and possibly betrayal. You will meet Evelyn who is high on life and hasn't had to work hard for much in life. But there is more to her then what you think. Also Nora who has tried to work hard in life and desperately wants the one thing she can't have right at the moment. But a split making decision changes both of their life's in so many ways. Family can be related and non related. Love has many different forms. A beautiful decision has many different ways it can turn out. And if someone is doing you a favor how much can you say about their life choices? Follow these two and their families journey and be surprised for the twist at the very end!

The Favor by Adele Griffin features two women from very different backgrounds. Nora has a flair for vintage fashion and works at a second hand store specializing in high end vintage clothing. One day socialite Evelyn strolls in buying whatever she likes and some with the help of Nora. Evelyn really likes Nora's taste and choices and she calls upon Nora quite often to assist her with what to wear to her next function. Although Nora appreciates all the extra commissions, she also feels like she's becoming more to Evelyn than just a store clerk. Nora and her husband are in great debt, mostly due to their desire to have a baby and the medical procedures that have not helped. They live in a tiny apartment and is a great contrast to Evelyn with her large New York apartment and many houses she owns. When Evelyn offers to be a surrogate mother, Nora jumps at the chance. Evelyn gives Nora a fabulous vintage cloak that means a great deal to Evelyn's mother and its ties to a famous poet. Nora feels pressure to sell the cloak in order to come out from under the debt they have accrued. Evelyn seems to enjoy her higher profile on social media due to her surrogacy. Nora seemed like she thought she was better friends with Evelyn than Evelyn thought due to their very different backgrounds. The book was a very quick read, but I was always nervous about what Evelyn was going to do because her wealth created a very different lifestyle for her. I really enjoyed the twist at the end that I didn't see coming.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the ARC of The Favor.

I would like to thank Net Galley and SourceBooks for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.Nora works in a second hand clothing shop. She and her husband Jacob have been trying to have a baby , with no success. They have a frozen embryo left but little money, or hope. Evelyn , a wealthy socialite/influencer comes into the shop meets Nora and strikes up a friendship. Nora is level headed, hard working and serious. Evelyn is flighty, rich and pampered.Evelyn likes to give expensive gifts, offer trips and dinners to Nora and Jacob. If their friendship seems improbable, what happens next is down right impossible. Evelyn offers to be a surrogate for Nora and Jacob. It is a roller coaster of a book.Nora and Jacob try to understand Evelyn and Evelyn's life. Evelyn seems like she has their best interests at heart, or is she just trying to getting more likes for her social media?It is a well written book, with twists and turns where you least expect them. And the epilogue will blow you away. This was a book that I didn't want to end, but couldn't wait to see how it turned out!

Thank you so much for this ARC!

I enjoyed The Favor very much, a quick and light read. Ironically, this "light" read touched on some very heavy topics including fertility, surrogacy and class differences.

Nora was a likable character - not the thickest skin, however, a decent human being that did what she thought best for her family. Evelyn on the other hand was extremely shallow and superficial which was totally the point!

The social media aspect was interesting, I love books that incorporate influencers lately. Very modern and relevant and played perfectly into the self esteem issues and attention seeking Evelyn.

This is my first Adele Griffin book and I will be on the lookout for more!

Wow, this was a good one. It kept me wondering if this was a mystery, was it going to end with some sinister finish, or was it just a beautiful human interest novel, with a friend offering the ultimate gift, a long wanted baby?
This story focuses on Nora and Evelyn, their unlikely friendship with such startling differences in their situations and their lives. Until, the ultimate gift, a favor beyond measurement changes the focus of their friendship, the ultimate gift of surrogacy, the willingness to carry her friend’s child.
This novel is so entertaining, with the journey among the super wealthy and entitled, the interesting dabbling into vintage clothing, and the emotional journey of surrogacy. Adele Griffin really goes all out with this novel, interesting subject, complex characters and a look inside the “playgrounds” of the super wealthy.
A strong 5 stars from me and my thanks for the ARC, for my independent opinion.
An added bonus, an ending that I didn’t see coming!

First, thank you to the publisher and author for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I didn't know anything about this author or her newest title, The Favor, until being offered a digital copy through Netgalley. I thought it sounded interesting from the book summary. For most of the book I had a feeling that there had to be something else going on and kept wondering if there was going to be a twist. Unfortunately that kept me from being fully invested in the story, but it was still enjoyable.

Nora loves working at I’ll Have Seconds, a high-end vintage store, in Manhattan. She has everything she wants for her career and a wonderful husband in Jacob. But the one thing she dreams of - having a baby - is just not happening. As she begins to lose hope that she will ever have a child, socialite Evelyn whirls into her store looking for a dress. The two hit it off immediately, with Evelyn quickly relying on Nora for styling and friendship. Then Evelyn offers to be a surrogate for Nora and Jacob. It will be their dream come true, but the rules of engagement of their unlikely friendship are tested.

I just didn’t love this one. I thought Evelyn was never really developed as a character - she just sort of appeared and had lots of money, but her friendship with Nora didn’t seem genuine. Nora was almost afraid to set any boundaries, for fear of upsetting Evelyn (especially after Evelyn was carrying the baby for her). I appreciated the surrogate aspect, and thought the author did a great job showing all that is involved in that process, but the rest of the story just felt off to me. I kept waiting for something to happen. That being said, I did read through it in a day, as the short chapters and decent pace kept it moving quickly.

Thank you to Netgalley, Adele Griffin and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC. “The Favor” releases June 13, 2023.

This review will be shared to my instagram blog (@books_by_the_bottle) shortly.

When Nora meets wealthy Evelyn in a second-hand store, a fabulous friendship begins. The story of how their friendship evolves into a strange, but extraordinary modern family is absolutely one I could not put down. Every time I thought I knew how the story would progress, a new wrench was thrown in to keep me reading. A beautiful tale of the family we choose!!!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advanced copy!

The Favor by Adele Griffin is intriguing and thought-provoking. Nora and Evelyn meet when Evelyn comes into the shop where Nora works. Evelyn is used to getting what she wants and Nora is what she wants. So begins a friendship that will cause pain and joy for both women. In addition, there are other friends and Griffin does an excellent job of describing friendship and family ties on multiple levels. I thoroughly enjoyed The Favor and look forward to searching out other books by Adele Griffin.

This was a fast read but the premise was lost on me. I expected a lot more depth in their friendship, it never made sense to me why they were friends really, nor did Evelyn offer to be a surrogate make sense. So I kept reading, waiting for it to feel real/meaningful but it never did. I was worried about the outcome esp with no legal documents in place. But overall hard to care about the characters

This book was a quick read, but felt like a superficial look at friendship and class differences and surrogacy. It might be fine for some of the older students, but it also will be far from their life experiences at this point. It does raise some interesting ethical questions for discussion

Ṫḣė Ḟȧv̇ȯṙ ḃẏ Ȧḋėl̇ė Ġṙi̇ḟḟi̇ṅ

I received this from NetGally in exchange for my honest opinion

❤️❤️❤️❤️
4/5

Nora and Evelyn couldn’t be any more different. Nora works at vintage clothing store, where she loves matching the perfect item with the custom. At home, Nora and her husband Jacob, are struggling with IVF treatments, and debt.

Evelyn Eliot is a socialite who comes into Nora’s work, and buys out the store. The two strike up a friendship, and Evelyn offers to carry a baby for Nora and her husband Jacob.

This is such a beautiful story of love, and friendship. It shows how with the right people in your life, you can get through anything.

I knew nothing about this book except what appeared in the book description. What I know now is that this is a great read!

I suppose I should warn the reader that the storyline includes failed fertility treatments. If this is a sensitive topic for you, be forewarned.

Nora and her husband are deep in debt, having spent more than they could afford on fertility treatments. They’ve come to the conclusion that they’re in too deep to try again. But then Nora meets Evelyn at the shop. Evelyn is rich, filthy rich, one might say, and she has no problem spending a lot of money at the store where Nora works. They become friends SMS soon Evelyn offers to be the surrogate for Nora and Jacob.

But things can’t be that easy and the author takes us through the pregnancy, the increasing emotional distance between Nora and Evelyn, and there’s a side story about vintage couture that runs throughout the book.

It did take me about a third of the book to really get into it, it seemed a bit slow to start, but soon it picked up and I was fully invested in the story. If any of these storylines are of interest, go for it.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark for this NetGalley ARC. All opinions are my own.

Nora Hammond spends her days selling vintage fashion and antique finds in an upscale vintage shop in Manhattan. She’s beautiful, successful and happily married. On the surface, her life looks perfect. It’s not. She and her husband Jacob are drowning in debt, debt caused by treatments for infertility and failed IVF attempts. They have one embryo remaining but, with her history of miscarriages, Nora knows she cant attempt another pregnancy. Enter Evelyn Elliot. And what an entrance she makes, barging into the shop to spend thousand of dollars in a late day sale. At the end of the day, Nora, her co-worker Frankie and Evelyn sit in the store, surrounded by her purchases, and toast each other with champagne. Friendship follows and penny pinching Nora, as Evelyns’s new part time stylist, enters the world of multimillionaires with yachts, multiple homes, private cars, housekeepers and chefs. It’s a delicate balancing act but Nora is managing until Evelyn offers to carry Nora and Jacob’s baby.

“Obviously, nobody would call Eleanor out for being spoiled. But shouldn’t somebody let her know what might be perceived as out of touch? Wasn’t that the job of a friend?”

The story is told by Nora, and I found her charming and relatable. Though at times Eleanor’s money and privilege could be irritating, I could also see how it was necessary to highlight the contrasts in the two women’s values when professional dabbler Eleanor sees being a “compassionate” surrogate as a great way to add content to her brand on social media. Jacob frustrated me through the whole book, his insensitiveness to situations had me cringing.

The story journeys down the road of fertility issues, and the storms couples face, not the least being the very real debt that can happen with infertility. I went into this book thinking it would about high-end fashion and friendship. I do think this book is for a specific group of people, I was surprised by the main issue being infertility. This book had me surprised throughout the book, i kept waiting for the TURN. Surprisingly enjoyable, I did feel like the beginning was quite slow, but I flew through the end. For some this may be a heavy read, due to the infertility factor. It was emotionally relatable. The side characters and their intertwined stories were relatable and enjoyable.

The Favor is one of those special books that will be read in book clubs and will start conversations about infertility/alternative family experiences. It is the perfect start to those uncomfortable taboo family topics.

Unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with this book and it ended up as a DNF for me.

There were lots of references to things I didn’t understand and I just don’t feel I’m the target audience for this novel. I adore the cover though.

A very different and interesting book. After reading the back blurb, I thought it would be more about the fashion and the second hand store than it was about infertility and surrogacy. Once I got used to that storyline, it was pretty enjoyable.

Nora works at a second hand high-end clothing resale store. She and her husband, Jacob, are trying unsuccessfully to have a baby and have done into debt trying. In walks Evelyn - wealthy, outgoing, caring. After Nora and Evelyn strike up a friendship, it's like Evelyn overtakes her life -- Nora is helping plan her "friendsgiving", helping her with schedules and choosing clothing after Evelyn's PA takes another job. Eventually Evelyn offers to be their surrogate, while blogging all about it on social media. Lots of twists in the story to keep it interesting, it does drag on a bit but I enjoyed it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author and publisher for a digital, temporary ARC in return for my review.

Thank you Netgalley and Spark publishing for this ARC of: The Favor. This book took me way longer to get into then most books and I almost didn’t finish it it. It was like being on a rollercoaster. The first 150 pages were an extremely slow buildup to a fast drop into the real story which in my opinion ended fast and quick and left me with A LOT of questions.

Nora and her husband very desperately want a child and the American dream of a family and a white picket fence life. Unfortunately, after years of trying and failed and expensive medical bills they are out of luck. Enter Evelyn; a socialite with a panache for all things fabulous and glamorous who quite literally stumbles upon Nora. A fast friendship of the haves and have nots interwoven with a designer cloak of a dead poet lead to surrogacy and betrayal. After Nora sells the cloak to get a little more of her dream things quickly fall apart. Will Evelyn’s keep the baby that’s isn’t hers from Nora, will their friendship ever recover, and can life ever be normal? After the fall out and an early delivery the book diminishes to days at the NICU, broken spirits, and ends with and uneventful conclusion. The book has a slew of characters but the main focus seems to be the cloak and not the actual favor. I’m glad I finished it but it was definitely a struggle.

Nora, deeply in debt, can’t afford to try IVF again with her last remaining embryo, Evelyn sweeps into her life and offers to carry a baby. I was nervous about the whole scenario and the Nora/Evelyn relationship, really enjoyed the book. Thanks to NetGalley for the arc