Despite the fact that I absolutely hated a few of the characters, I found myself really enjoying this book. It tells the story of three women, all in their 40s, living in LA, and how they cope with different things going on in their lives. I empathized with Elizabeth, as someone who also has chronic health issues. I absolutely couldn't stand Brooke though. I wanted her to be better than she was, and I didn't like the romance she was involved in. I won't say too much more because of spoilers, but I will say that I think this one will be a hit.

If you want a book with empowered and strong characters, this is a good choice. It was a bit slow to get in to, but I thoroughly enjoyed.

The story starts in 1997 and is told from the perspective of three women in their 40's. It examines relationships, sexuality, chronic illness, motherhood and careers. This novel had me reminiscing about the late 90's while I was lost in the world of each character. Highly recommend!

The title of this book is accurate - really the book is a collection of stories of a loosely connected group of friends that all have issues. There is personal growth, reflections, hardships. For me the timelines felt choppy, and without a real plot driving the story forward I couldn’t get into the flow of the book. There is “drama” but it is not written in a dramatic way, if that makes sense. There isn’t really anything that comes to a head. Overall it was a good read, if you like a character driven women’s fiction this one may be for you! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to provide my honest review.

Friends With Issues follows three women whose lives continue to evolve and intersect as they navigate their forties. While career-oriented Elizabeth refuses to let MS slow her down, Brooke is stuck in a marriage that leaves much to be desired and Susan feels unsatisfied with her seemingly perfect life.

Although these women are wronged by others as well as life's unexpected turns, they're also flawed and make questionable decisions themselves. They feel very human, even if their wealth and power make them impossible to relate to. Overall, it was an entertaining read.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was so let down by friends with issues - based on the synopsis I was hooked but something just didn't click for me. I was very letdown. I didn't find myself attached or interested in any of the characters and found myself uninterested one way or another.

This book’s title is perfect. It was about a group of friends with all sorts of issues and lives that intertwine. This was a middle-aged coming of age story. It’s a book about friends coming together (some more than others) and learning to live again.

It’s a very character driven story, not plot focused, as there really wasn’t a big story arc. I prefer more plot driven books.

I was more interested in the beginning of the book then the middle- end. It just didn’t feel like it flowed as well as the story progressed. Which is weird for me because the only 2 events that really stood out to me were I’m the middle/end (and I’m trying not to give anything away) (1) 2 characters crossing the line and then (2) the deer thing. Those things, to me were major events that weren’t really capitalized on, I think they were missed opportunities for sure. I think it could’ve added a lot more to the story, giving it a plot, along with the character depth.

The relationships I was most interested in were: Susan (Jenna too), Nick and Brooke…maybe even Tripp. The other characters I really didn’t care for or connect with. I wanted more out of these characters and was very interested in their stories.

Friends with Issues was a compelling book about 70% of the time. I enjoyed seeing women who had success professionally outside of their marriages. All the characters were also very sex-positive. What didn't quite work for me was calling the 3 leads "friends". Susan was clearly an acquaintance, at best to Brooke, and I also wouldn't really consider her and Elizabeth to actually be friends either. This wouldn't have bothered me so much has it not been for the description describing them all as friends, and the title also alluding to it.

I think other than that, it was a very enjoyable read. Despite the being told that a certain character was going to die, it still caught me off-guard when it happened. This isn't a spoiler. You are told it is happening in the first sentence of the book!

Pick this up if you enjoy reading about successful women navigating their lives while overcoming a variety of obstacles both personal and professional.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Change. That is the main theme of this book; changes to three women’s lives - Susan, Elizabeth and Brooke, and all these changes are entwined with this one man - Nick, whom, from the first sentence in the first chapter, the author has revealed will be dead in six months. This book jumps between the POVs of these four people leading up to Nick’s death, about their raw emotions, their thoughts, and the courage they took to embrace the changes in their lives.

Friends with Issues is easy to get into, with detailed descriptions of every scene and the author portrayed the raw emotions - good and bad - so beautifully, somewhat accurately and sometimes reflecting. Though there are thoughts and/or emotions that I do not agree with, but it’s not coming out of nowhere; they make sense and I can see why or how the characters felt that way.

While the book is set in 1997-1998, the references to the 90s’ are little, almost to none, apart from the payphone and calling the airlines to book flights. It could easily pass as a book set in the modern days.

Despite jumping POVs between each characters which may be a concern for confusion to some, the author does it so well that the storyline flows seamlessly and made it so easy to continue wherever the author puts us.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone who yearn the slow burn of slice-of-life reflections and raw, provoking thoughts about changes.

An enjoyable and highly recommended read. Elizabeth and Danny have some friends that never met. In their forties, they decide to have two of their best friends and spouses meet. Two couples becomes three and Elizabeth is the keeper of secrets. All three couples have issues and things get messy. The book flows nicely and was hard to put down for very long. Housework took a back seat while I finished this novel. I was honored to receive a digital ARC from Warren Publishing and NetGalley. This opinion is my own.

Given the title and the mention of the show Sex and the City in the description, I excepted a witty fun novel about friendship. Instead this book felt more somber than flippant but still light. The characters and how they are connected to one another was well done, and Berlin put a lot of care into her descriptions of outfits and demeanor. This takes place in the 90’s when cellphones are scarce and Jewel was on the cover of Rolling Stone, a time that I am not particularly nostalgic for, but it was a minor character. What wasn’t a minor character, was infidelity but the consequences for it seemed to be brushed aside. An unfortunate event occurs close to the end and although affects everyone greatly, no one really learns anything. I happened to be reading this while finishing Season 2 of The White Lotus and I found the pairing very fitting.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Warren publishing for an ARC of this book.

Friends With Issues follows three women whose stories are intertwined. Nick and Susan are married, although they both have pulled away. Susan has body image issues, and has struggled with sexual intimacy. Nick’s best friend is Elizabeth, who has worked with him previously, and he wants to collaborate again on a magazine he’d like to purchase. Elizabeth is struggling with her strong sexual desires, while also dealing with an MS diagnosis. Elizabeth’s other best friend from childhood is Brooke, an aspiring jewelry maker who is dealing with the fallout of her husband’s disease and addiction. Their relationships collide at a dinner party, bringing together new sparks and ideas that unfold through the rest of the book.

I struggled a little with readability on this one. The three women plus Nick all have points of view, so each chapter jumps from one storyline to the next as they begin to weave together. There’s a lot going on, and dialogue and subtext sometimes felt awkward, like it was trying to give too much but not able to fully develop.

That being said, I liked the ambitions and desires of the individual characters. Some were more likable than others. I really felt Brooke and Elizabeth’s POV more than Susan, who came across as closed off and harsh, especially at first. I don’t know why, but I pictured her attitude and dialogue as played by Jennifer Coolidge.

Overall, I’d give this one 3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

I was really compelled by the description of Friends with Issues and had high hopes it would be a good comfy book to sink into during my winter break. I was unfortunately let down. I found that there were too many characters to keep up with and I didn’t feel particularly invested in any of them. Not for me.

Thank you NetGalley and Warren Publishing for sending me this advanced copy for review.

I basically inhaled this book over two days! It was such an easy read and I love books with multiple characters whose lives are all closely linked. The story follows three women in their 40s, navigating careers, love and relationships in NYC and LA. All three women live very different lives, yet they all share a close bond with the same man.

Although the characters are in their 40s, their own issues and insecurities are easily relatable and it was great that despite the large number of lives to follow, most of the characters were detailed and complex. I enjoyed the characters’ lives so much that the plot twist came as a big shock and I wasn’t really ready for it to end the way it did.

I really loved reading the book’s acknowledgments and understanding how much Meredith Berlin has drawn on her own life and experiences to create three incredible women. This is Meredith’s first book but I would definitely read her future work and I’m already picturing who would play who in the TV adaptation!

I love stories that involve multiple characters who are all trying to figure it out.in life, love, and everything in between. The tie that binds them all is the same man, Nick.

I really enjoyed this character driven story and the way we learn we are all connected and we all have stuff going on behind the scenes that we keep even from those closest to us.

This book is like the Real Housewives of Connecticut but like so much less fun. The plot is incredibly predictable, the dialogue is SO stilted, the characters have very little depth, and it was a slog. I could not wait to be done with this book. It also played into so many stereotypes about women, women at home, weight and weight gain, etc while glossing over an entire heroin addiction???? I understand that the author used her own experiences in the magazine world to write this but it feels so dated and uninteresting to read, maybe a memoir would have been a better choice

I absolutely loved this week. I love the characters and the drama. The high and lows, ups and downs. I think everyone can relate to at least one or more of these characters. I love the friendships and love between them. I wasn’t sure how it would end It I was happy with the ending. I’m sure everyone has “ Friends With Issues”

‘Friends With Issues follows three glamorous, self-made women in their 40s who gamble with love, sex and their careers in NYC and L.A., as one charismatic man captivates them all.’

I was initially drawn to this book by the gorgeous cover and knew it would be right up my street.

I initially found it confusing which character was which but after 3 chapters, I quickly worked this out. I adored each character and their development through the book, it was especially great how well all their lives linked and felt like a very real group of 40 something lady’s navigating through life’s struggles.

I enjoyed how to story dealt with some very real and important issues that affect people every day. Including, struggling marriages, infidelity, sexuality, chronic diseases, addiction and careers.

My only negative would be that the twist at the end felt slightly unnecessary and quite rushed. However, this might have just been because it changed my expectation of how the book ended.

Overall, I loved the concept and writing style and would be very keen to read more of Meredith Berlin’s future work. It’s definitely one to look out for in 2023!

Thanks to NetGalley and Warren Publishing for the advanced copy of Meredith Berlin’s debut novel.

This was just fabulous! The cast is large but it's definitely manageable, and I promise you'll fall in love with each character immediately. They're so dynamic and charming that even though they aren't always likable, you can't help but love them through it all. As for the plot, there's lots of drama and it's never once boring. It's smart, it's delicious, it's unputdownable. I loved it and you will too. Absolutely delightful, every page.

Thank you @netgalley and @warrenpublish for sending me this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

This is the debut novel from Meredith Berlin, former editor-in-chief of Seventeen Magazine and Soap Opera Digest. Given that Seventeen Magazine was a favourite of mine when I was a teenager, I decided I had to read this book.

I really like books about a group of friends, each with their own storyline but also connected. This also had another one of my favourite elements which is women starting their own businesses. So this book was a great fit for me.

I will say that I’m unsure of why it was set in 1997/98 – unless it’s because the author was the editor of Seventeen Magazine during those years and this is partially about some of the characters overhauling a magazine. The tone feels 90’s (reference to finding a pay phone), but there’s really nothing specific in the plot that points to it having to be set during those years.

I love that Meredith Berlin included things from her own life – the magazine editor, and also the inclusion of a character with MS, which she mentions in the acknowledgements that she has as well. I also, of course, enjoyed the brief references to the fact that some of the characters are Jewish.

Overall, I was drawn in from the start and really enjoyed it!

“Friends with Issues follows three glamorous, self-made women in their 40s who gamble with love, sex and their careers in NYC and L.A., as one charismatic man captivates them all.”

Publication Date – January 24, 2023

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