I am going to be really honest with all of you...

I almost didn't request this book.

I love thrillers, true crime, and the occasional RomCom when its "that time of month". Reading the synopsis, I wasn't sure I would be able to relate to the content. I kept going back to look at the cover and curiosity got the best of me. I hit request and the rest is history.

This is a 5 star book, hands down, without a doubt in my mind, I can tell you that this does not have to be your preferred genre in order to enjoy and appreciate all this book holds.

Adele Griffin, played with my emotions. She had me laughing, crying, and everything in between.

Don't let me keep blubbering, head on over to your favorite bookstore and pick this one up, you won't regret it.

Teaser:

From National Book Award finalist Adele Griffin, an insightful and warmhearted story of two very different women who make an unexpected connection when one decides to carry a baby for the other.

At I'll Have Seconds, a high-end fairytale vintage dress shop in Manhattan, Nora Hammond loves nothing better than pairing a rare find with the perfect client.

At home, Nora grapples with the bleaker reality of enormous debt, a tiny apartment, and ever-dwindling hope that she and her husband Jacob will have a family of their own.

When socialite Evelyn Elliot charges into Nora's life, the women spark an immediate connection, and Nora is jettisoned into the heady whirl of New York's moneyed elite. As Evelyn's stylist and confidante, Nora needs to learn all new rules of engagement for the uber-wealthy. But it isn't until Evelyn decides her next cause is to carry a baby for Nora, that these rules―and this unlikely friendship―are tested.

A contemporary story that celebrates alternative routes to family, The Favor is an incisive examination of what it means to long for a child and what relationships cost us―and what they're worth.

Dnf'd at 51%

I really really wanted to like this story and for the first 30%? I loved it! Loved Evelyn and the humor was good, even if the pacing was a little slow for me.

However, it became very rinse and repeat for me. Someone mentions babies, Nora gets upset, wants to do something with Evelyn, Jacob makes some comment about Evelyn, Nora goes out with her still, Evelyn acts ditzy, Nora makes some inner monologue that is a little rude about Evelyn, Nora goes home upset about something and Jacob basically says I told you so without saying it. Rinse and Repeat.

I forced myself to read to half-way, struggling through most of the chapters despite how short they are and just the thought of there being another 30 chapters of this, of where Nora is going to get upset with Evelyn for not following instructions that she did not give is not something I want to do.

It's not a reading slump because I have finished other books while reading this one, its just not for me and that's okay! Other people have liked it and if the description speaks to you? Great!

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for this ARC!

A heartfelt and, at times, humorous read. After being invited by the publisher and NetGalley to review (many thanks!!), I did not have any knowledge of the story content. I tend to prefer going into reads with no preconceived ideas.
That being said, I would say be cautious if infertility/loss is a trigger. This content did bring up some feelings for me, and I’d warn anyone to be cognizant of this.
What a great story, and well-developed characters. I found myself totally immersed in the world of Nora and her crew. I would highly recommend!

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I went into it blind and had no idea what it was about. The beginning is very fashion/vintage focused so I assumed it was about clothes, but it turned into so much more than that.

For starters, I want to mention that there are a lot of trigger warnings for this one related to infertility and babies. I’m not going to state them all for the sake of spoilers, but if you’re nervous, be sure to check them out or ask me!

I thought this was a beautifully written story based on infertility, and there were so many other components woven into the story. The focus on friendship, the politics of money, and the fashion world were all written about in a way that had me captivated pretty much from the very beginning.

The MC bothered me quite a bit, but it was probably because I saw a lot of myself in her. Evelyn was my favourite character, and although she definitely had her negative moments, she was just so glamorous and spectacular that I couldn’t help falling in love with her!

I did feel that the book was a bit too long, and a lot of the vintage/clothing references felt a bit overwhelming since I don’t know anything about that topic. But otherwise, I really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark for my gifted copy!

Oh my gosh, The Favor by Adele Griffin was amazing, intriguing, suspenseful and impossible to put down! Addressing topics of infertility and the desperation it may create, surrogates, vintage couture, wealth, marriage and friendship. Unexpected plot and fabulous characters. Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. All opinions are my own.

Nora, who is married and has suffered from years of infertility, works in a vintage dress shop with her best friend in Manhattan. One night a very rich woman named Evelyn walks into her life and changes it forever. This story has a lot of ups and downs and mixes everything from friendship to surrogacy to social media and how it has taken over our lives. Great read!

Nora is struggling with infertility, finances, and the stress of those on her marriage when Evelyn walks into the high-end vintage shop where Nora works. Evelyn quickly becomes a top client of the shop and a friend of Nora's. Nora is trying to find her way in this new friendship where Evelyn is from an entirely different world. Nora is trying to keep up and then the unexpected happens when Evelyn volunteers to be a surrogate for Nora and her husband. The friendship continues to get more and more complicated until it all comes to a head.

This book has a lot of triggers so I wouldn't say it's for everyone, but if the triggers don't bother you I recommend it. This is a good story with lots of interesting characters, many emotions, and a little suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book.

And now we wait. The hardest part is the hope.

Nora Roberts and her husband greatest desire is to have a child of their own. They have done their part to make that happen but we all have heard stories of the heartache of families not able to conceive on their own. Nora works at Vintage store called I'll Have Seconds. Ironic that she meets the woman Evelyn Elliot who will make her dreams come true. Their friendship is based on the love of all vintage. They are different from each other in personality and lifestyle. Nora and her husband struggle to make ends meet and have a large debt. Evelyn who comes from money. Evelyn is drawn to Nora and learns her struggle to have a baby of her own. She suggests that she carry for Nora and the friendship takes a different turn. First everyone is on board but things happen that causes stress on both sides and you begin to wonder if the friendship will make it.

It is a story about friendship, sacrifice, and motherhood. It really plays into the differences of each woman and how they each have to overcome their emotions for the greater cause. How trust is an issue for both women and how easily it can be broken. There is a surprising ending that I did not see coming in Nora's personality. A secret that she kept from everyone and what she did with it. Nora and Evelyn were not the characters I fall in love with and cheer on but more like a study of humanity. What makes people tick. A fun read.

A special thank you to SourceBooks and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

The Favor was a fun and engaging read. I went into this one blind (well, technically I read the blurb a long time ago, but forgot the synopsis by the time I read it), and for some reason, I kept thinking it was a thriller and expected it to go that way. There were definitely certain things that had an eerie, thriller-esque vibe to them, but ultimately it was a story of friendship between two women from very different worlds.

I actually really loved both Evelyn and Nora. Both women were flawed, but also felt like very real, authentic people. I adored the way the women first met and connected. I did feel like there was a lot of buildup and a lot of internal tension with Nora surrounding a specific situation in the book, and I felt that tension right along with her - but then when it came to a culmination, it wasn't quite what I expected. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I'm not quite sure. It felt anticlimactic in some ways, yet I did enjoy the direction the story ultimately went.

And while there were things about both women that I didn't like at all, I felt that this only made them more realistic and relatable - and I love when authors write "real" characters. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and found myself looking forward to picking it up each time I had an opportunity to sit down and read.

It's an enjoyable, quick read that is at times lighthearted, while at other times tackling some deep and difficult issues. I would recommend this book to others and will check out future work from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very interested in this as I’ve been a surrogate twice. I wish the author would have done more research on being a surrogate and what they process is really like. There were so many things that happened in this book that were so far fetched about the surrogacy process.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Favor by Adele Griffin! While not an OMG amazing read, it was perfectly pleasant. A second round purchase for most mid to large libraries.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What I read did not match what I was expecting but that made it a pleasant surprise. I loved the characters especially Evelyn with her eccentric come at ya like a hurricane personality. The Favor truly touched on the beauty of friendship. Surrogacy is a huge and intense gift to give someone and I loved that Evelyn agrees to do so for her new friend, Nora’s baby. I really enjoyed this book.

Nora works at a high-end vintage boutique in Manhattan, and one day Evelyn Elliot a socialite wanders in and ends up buying a lot of expensive clothes, and they bond over their love of a famous poet. They have an instant connection even though they live very different lives. Nora and her husband are barely making ends meet, and in serious debt from trying to have a baby that never worked out. Evelyn takes in Nora as a pet project and exposes her to the high life, and showers her with gifts. When Evelyn offers Nora the gift and being her surrogate, and making her dream of becoming a mom come true things start to change.

I think this was a very interesting exploration of unconventional ways of becoming a parent. An interesting look at what friendship means and how far someone will go to make the dreams of someone you love come true. Unfortunately I do not think it was explored to the extent it come have. There was so much more the author could have done, and I think it didn't go all the way on the idea.

What I loved about this book:

1. So many great themes: Friendship, Parenthood, Surrogates, Infertility
2. It was a little bit of a thriller/mystery and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen!
3. I thought the contemporary themes (influencers and social media) - with the vintage aspect was great!

What I wished were different:
1. The description of the book didn't give the true flavor of the book!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a chance to read and review.

This is a story of an unlikely friendship that crops up when one woman decides to carry a baby for the other.

This book was angsty - I was anxious all the way through. Evelyn struck me as both selfish/self-centered and kind hearted at the same time. I was concerned the entire book that Evelyn would back out of the surrogacy arrangement. Did she? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

If you are looking for a compelling story of female friendship set in New York City, this is the book for you.

3.5 rounded up

The Favor by Adele Griffin turned out to be one of those books where I found myself holding my breath to see where the story was leading. Nora and Evelyn's friendship developed so quickly that it made me question what Evelyn's true motives were. I kept envisioning various scenarios that could develop, none of which would have a happy ending. My guesses were totally wrong, which left me unprepared for the twist at the end. Book clubs should find The Favor to be a good choice for some interesting discussions about infertility, surrogacy, social media, family and friendships. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy to read and review.

3.5 Stars

Story about unlikely friendships, family, infertility, social media and the ever present money issues! What is a price you are willing to pay and when is enough actually enough.

Quick read, with a lot to discuss. Can relate to most of the book and found it realistic to a point. I did have a hard time with Nora and Evelyn’s friendship…just too much fan girl. I found most of that annoying…Evelyn was manipulative, throwing her money around and Nora immature and star struck. Didn’t buy into the relationship between Nora and Jacob. The fixation with the Poet was an odd twist I’m not sure I liked.

I enjoyed the writers style, easy flow between characters and situations. First book by this author and look forward to her next book. Good beach read because of so much going on!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley. This book was conflicting because I was expecting a thriller but I found myself a little disinterested with the two main characters of Nora and Evelyn. The second half picked up but I found this book to be ok. I would rec for those who love fashion and complicated relationships.

The Favor by Adele Griffin is a thought-provoking book, It deals with infertility, family and friendships. Nora works in a vintage shop and meets Evelyn when she comes into the shop looking for something special. A friendship begins that will cause pain and joy for both women and their families.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark as well as the author for this ARC. Much appreciated.
#NetGalley #Sourcebookslandmark #TheFavor #AdeleGriffin
Nora loves her job at I’ll Have Seconds, a second hand shop that specializes in designer clothes. Nora has a talent for matching the person with the perfect clothes. Despite how much she enjoys it, it’s not the best paying job and she’s on commission, so when Evelyn Elliot bursts into the store after hours, insisting she won’t be long, Nora can’t help but acquiesce. It helps that money is of absolutely no concern to Evelyn. Soon, Nora and Evelyn have developed a friendship of sorts until Evelyn offers something that can’t be bought. Hopefully, their relationship can stand this type or test.
There were a lot of things to like in this book. The characters were likable and very relatable. All of us have had that entitled friend who just won’t be told no. Nora is swept away by Evelyn’s money, way of life, and undeniable charm. Nora finds beautiful clothes for Eveiyn’s many social engagements and Evelyn compensates her well for her trouble and her talent. As a result, Nora feels guilty about standing up for herself and for her husband when Evelyn inevitably oversteps her boundaries. Many of us have had trouble establishing boundaries in our own life. When Evelyn offers to carry a baby for Nora and her husband, who have had trouble conceiving, Nora is just sure Evelyn is the most selfless person alive. Right? I held my breath throughout this story. It had me very emotionally invested. This author is brilliant at creating characters. The themes represented here were friendship, parenthood, surrogacy, and the psychology of wealth. Each was explored using both laughter and tears.
While this book was enjoyable, there were some parts that I found stressful. Mostly, Evelyn’s manipulative and casual selfish behavior. Every time she drank a beer, I cringed. Every time she left the country without telling Nora, and several other things. I wanted Nora to speak up so badly I wanted to scream at the pages. I’m not one of the aforementioned people who has trouble with boundaries so, while I understood Nora’s dilemma, I had trouble reading it. There were several situations in which I found myself very frustrated by Evelyn and her antics as well as Nora’s passivity.
All in all, this is an enjoyable read. The characters were well established. The story was both sweet and sour. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes women’s fiction.