4.5/5
The Favor was a very enjoyable book that pleasantly surprised me. I liked the characters in the book although there were times that I did not like Evelyn as she's a socialite who seemed to always get what she wanted and had to have things done her way even though she meant well. I liked Nora who had a good heart but I wish she would have had a stronger back bone when dealing with Evelyn. Overall, this was a good story about female friendship, family, surrogacy, trust, and what can happen when you're not open and honest with someone close to you. Loved the little surprise at the end. I liked Adele Griffin's writing style and look forward to reading more of her books.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Landmark and NetGalley for the review copy.

Thanks for the opportunity to read an advance copy of The Favour.

First - it was very well written, and I got a very clear vision of the two main female characters - who they were and what was motivating them. Some very personal and clear moments related to motherhood, friendship, fertility.

I enjoyed this novel, but felt like it was unsure of what it was supposed to be. It read a bit like women's fiction, then a bit like a thriller - but with no thrill. The reveal at the end was VERY meh. I feel like it should have double/tripled down - or left the twist out completely and focused more on the emotional side of the novel.

For a book that isn't marketed as a thriller, this book gave me SO MUCH ANXIETY. I almost wish it was a thriller because then it would have made sense to me why I was so anxious. During the first half of the book I was worried about where the plot was going to go, I was around 30-40% through and I could not imagine what was going to happen for the remainder of the book. With that being said, the second half of the book is significantly more fast-paced than the first half, which I appreciated.

I wish we got some clarity as to why Evelyn was the way she was. Did she just have an insecure attachment type? Was she just that out of touch? I wish we knew why Evelyn and Nora had such a strange relationship... I just felt like I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe I let all the family members get to my head, I am not sure.

Regardless, the book was captivating. I just think that my anxiety levels while reading prevented me from reading a book about unlikely friendships, unconditional love, found family, fertility struggles, and surrogacy. Unlikely friendships- kind of, but I wouldn't consider them friends. Unconditional love- not unless we are talking about the husbands loving their wives. Found family- I wouldn't consider Evelyn and Nora found family. Fertility struggles and surrogacy- absolutely.

I don't know, I think maybe I was just not in the right headspace for this book, or I let a throw away comment greatly impact what I thought the book was meant to be.

Nora and her husband are living in a tiny apartment, struggling with their bills and their inability to have a child, then socialite, Evelyn Elliot comes into the vintage dress shop where Nora works. The two women strike up an immediate kinship. Nora begins helping Evelyn out with things for which Evelyn insists upon paying her. Then, suddenly Evelyn decides that she wants to carry a baby for Nora and her husband, and everything changes and not necessarily for the better.

This is a compelling book that explores the nature of friendship between women. The friendship between Nora and Evelyn is contrasted with that of Nora and her college friend, Meg. The relationship between Meg is much more easygoing and relaxed and on more equal footing than that of Nora and Evelyn. Not only have Nora and Meg known each other longer, but they also have more similar backgrounds and as a result the whole nature of their friendship is different.

The book is also an exploration of the economic toll the struggle to have a child can be on a family and the different routes that a couple can take to have a family. It serves as a reminder that even for couples who follow the same basic root to parenthood, it can be a vastly different experience. This is illustrated in the way Nora's co-worker, Frankie's path to parenthood is so similar to her own and yet also so different and not just because he is part of a same-sex couple. All in all, this is quite an engrossing novel that really makes you think about a lot of things.

The favor has a lot of good themes throughout the book focusing on surrogacy, found family, some unlikely friendship and absolutely unconditional love.

While i did enjoy the basis of this book, and i loved reading about the MCs journey in becoming parents i felt extremely detached from the characters.

I felt that the characters were extremely immature in certain sections of the book and also acted a bit too trusting and nonchalant about the entire surrogacy process.

Overall, it was a quick read with a lot of wonderful themes but felt a bit frustrating during reading and unfortunately felt forgettable.

A very unique take on infertility and surrogacy!

I was drawn to this story from the synopsis, but the female friendships were what really resonated with me. There were some really fun and outrageous moments mixed with serious ones in what is sure to be a contemporary/women's fiction hit!

I liked the concept but the friendship didn’t feel believable at all. Evelyn seemed incredibly manipulative and not really a good person some of the time, Nora alternated between annoying as all get out, naive, and way too laid back about the whole surrogacy. Some really unhealthy relationship dynamics is several of the relationships, even between Nora and her husband (I’ve already forgotten his name) at times yet it never really felt like it was addressed. It was an easy lighthearted read and I enjoyed parts of it but unfortunately didn’t meet the mark for a recommendation or a future re-read.

I had a stone in the pit of my stomach for most of this book. I was afraid of what would transpire.
I thought Evelyn treated Nora like her pet project and was blasé with her noblesse oblige attitude. She capitalized on her surrogacy by being a media mogul queen.
I thought Nora was very naive and should have listened to Jacob more.
Ultimately, Nora gets what she wants and more, a great twist I wasn’t expecting.
It’s a very good book.

I really enjoyed The Favor. I liked how relatable Nora was and her intense desire to be closer to Evelyn. She was such a sincere friend despite how easy it would have been to use Evelyn for her money and prestige. She just wanted the friendship and closeness.
Evelyn wasn’t an entirely unlikeable character but she was very hard to like. I read with bated breath, waiting for her to do something absolutely detestable to make my feelings feel more valid. I won’t spoil anything by telling if that happened or not.
This is ultimately a story of friendship and family/found family. I think it would make a great book club pick.
I don’t normally add trigger warnings but I feel the need to note that this book does focus heavily on infertility.

I will be posting this review on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ctcu1IoL8vY/?igshid=MmJiY2I4NDBkZg==

Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5170107713

And Amazon

The Favor by Adele Griffin releases today 6/13/2023!!

This book felt very complex to me. It deals with the themes of intimacy (both in marriage and friendship), loyalty and trust.

The way the story unfolded kept me intrigued and wanting to keep reading. The story, the way it unfolded, definitely kept me on my toes. For a little while I was nervous that Jacob & Nora would suffer more heartbreak on their journey to become parents. Evelyn, their surrogate, a socialite and relatively unknown to them, was a real wild card. Even the twist at the end was a surprise. I would definitely put this in your TBR pile!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the chance to read this one and share my thoughts!

Delightful, heartwarming and humorous story of 2 women, complete opposites, who become friends and help each other out. One even offers to be a surrogate for the other as parenthood and the quest for parenthood has left them in debt and hopeless. i liked the fashion component in the story too.

I was completely captivated by this poignant, hopeful, and even suspenseful novel about Nora, who so wants a baby, and Evelyn, a rich customer at her vintage store, who offers to become a surrogate. The author does a brilliant job weaving together elements of friendship, family, infertility, surrogacy, and trust, as she unspools this gripping tale. Highly recommended for fans of well-spun contemporary women's fiction.

Two women who seem to have zero in common meet and both of their lives are changed forever. Evelyn is a socialite who lives her life exactly as she wants with great verve. Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it certainly can make it so much easier to attain. And way more fun. She is a kind and loving soul who does good and wants to make people happy. Nora is struggling to get by with her husband with so many dreams they have yet unfulfilled. As Evelyn and Nora grow closer the lines between employer/employee and friendship blurs as does the difference on their financial status causing the lines of their friendship to be challenged. It’s a beautiful story about friendship, love and what we will do for the ride or die people in our lives.

I thought this was a good read but should definitely come with a warning label that it may be triggering for people that have ever experienced infertility. The characters are interesting if at some times annoying but I enjoyed it.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for copy and I give my review freely

This was a fast read and I thought it was just okay. While dealing with a sensitive issue of infertility and the difficult road that Nora and her husband took to become parents, I think this felt flat. I didn't really care for the characters much. Two opposites, Nora becomes swept up in the path of Evelyn, a very rich and impulsive woman yet seems to just want to spread joy. In there relationship, I'm not sure if Nora became her "pet" or if she was a ways to a means of invoking more "likes" on her social media by pointing out all the good things or favors that she does. But how does Nora not resist when Evelyn offers to be their surrogate and thus Nora becomes totally immersed in Evelyn's world, trying to understand just who she is. Realistic? Not really. The outcome? Well, there are some surprises and not so surprises that made it just okay but a good book to read on a rainy day.

Many thanks to #netgalley #adelegriffin #thefavor for the opportunity to rad and review this book.

I loved this book from beginning to end so wonderfully written tore at my heart strings.Kept me involved turning the pages.#netgalley #sourcebooks

Who wants some richly written chick lit?? The Favor is frothy, funny and a little fuzzy.

Nora works in a upscale consignment shop and is obsessed with vintage Dior, Versace and Chanel. One day, Evelyn, a posh heiress comes in and buys enough vintage to earn Nora a month’s worth of commissions.

Nora begins styling Evelyn on the side and the two become fast friends. Nora confides her fertility and financial struggles to Evelyn who proposes she become her surrogate. The friendship gets strained over a glamorous item, which puts their relationship and Nora’s baby at risk.

If you enjoy reading about female friendships and all the trials and tribulations that come with them this book will be for you! There’s a lot of depth and snark to Griffin’s writing which I enjoyed. The tone remained heartwarming yet light, which is a balance you don’t always find in contemporary fiction.

What I struggled with was the fact that Evelyn was so quick to offer her womb to Nora. They had know each other for a hot second. I think there needed to be a bit more upfront about their relationship for this to connect.

*****SPOILER*******

I can’t believe they didn’t sign a contract??? She could have taken part of the $75K and hired a lawyer, got it done and then told her about the cape. Nora was mentally a bit weak when it came to Evelyn, which I know is the point, but her husband should’ve stepped in an locked this shit down!

Thank you Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for this advanced copy!

Unexpected friendship and surrogacy and infertility. This book kept my attention and was a light read that deals with some heavy topics. I enjoyed the unexpected plot twist at the end.

Nora has wanted a baby for years and has put a financial strain on her and her husband in their attempts to achieve that goal. She still loves her husband, but she struggles with feelings of envy when everyone around her is getting pregnant. When she meets Evelyn her world starts to change for the better.
I struggled with liking Nora. I understood that she was a free spirit and loved her husband, but she kept a lot from him and acted as if his feelings didn’t matter. She even seemed to put her friendship with Evelyn above her marriage. I wish we could have had a few chapters from Jacob’s POV so we could fully understand his feelings behind everything.
Evelyn was extremely wealthy and had an air about her that was enigmatic. When she offers to be a surrogate for Nora it seemed like everything was going to work out. I didn’t like how she was offended and acted childish when Nora asked her not to travel and told her how she felt about some of her actions.
Overall, I liked this book but I wish the characters were more likable. I received an ARC and this is my honest, voluntary review.

The cover is deceiving with this one. The cover made me think it was a light book. But it delves deep into infertility, social and financial status, and friendship.

We meet Nora, who works at a vintage clothes boutique in NYC. Nora and her husband, Jacob, want to have a baby more than anything but are dealing with infertility issues. Into the boutique walks Eleanor. Eleanor is a big personality, oozes wealth, buys out the store, and next thing you know she and Nora are fast friends.

Their social status sometimes complicates this unlikely friendship. To complicate things even more, Eleanor offers to be a surrogate for Nora and Jacob. Things get a bit wild at this point, as Eleanor is still jetsetting around the world, changing appointments, and putting Nora on an emotional ride (honestly, I don't think it was on purpose - that is just how Eleanor lives her life). Nora and Jake are left wondering if Eleanor even intends to give them the baby when it arrives.

I really liked both Nora and Eleanor. They are obviously different in many ways, but at the core I felt they held the same values. Eleanor made me laugh many times during the story.

Also there's a little plot twist at the end I didn't see coming!

I also enjoyed the audiobook and narrator!

I have not dealt with infertility. If you have, might want to read up on this one before picking it up.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Sourcebooks Landmark and OrangeSky Audio for both an ARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.