Well narrated audiobook that provides an immersive experience which brings the characters to life. I enjoyed the storyline, quality of the writing, and character development. The story was very well written, emotional, and compelling. This was a great relatable story of strong friendships and I enjoyed reading about Yvette, Joy, Diane, and Rochelle. This story took me through an array of emotions and I enjoyed the journey.

This was such a beautiful tale of friendship and found family. An emotional rollercoaster from start to finish, No Reservations is packed with love, loss, strength and the beauty of true friendship.

Method Read: 🎧
Adenrele Ojo did a fantastic job narrating and bringing the story to life!

Thank you Harper Muse for the gifted copy!

The story overall was entertaining and kept my attention. It started a little slow for me, but picked up after a few chapters.

A beautiful book about friendships, love, loss, and sisterhood, that really takes you on a journey, with realistic characters who I loved. The support and care in this book was heartwarming.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review.

I want to thank Netgalley and Harper Muse for an advanced copy of this audiobook in exchange for a review.

Summary: When a member of your found family dies, how do you honour their dying wish so that you find your happiness? Joy, Diane, and Rochelle are forced to do this when their friend and sister Yvette passes away and asks them to restart their group trips to Jamacia. The four women regularly made the trip to Jamacia for years before life got in the way and now as they plan to honour Yvette's request it seems their lives have become more chaotic than ever.

Joy wants to finally open the spa she has dreamed about since business school. Having put her dream on the backburner to get her husband's construction business off the ground she feels that they are more than able to take the risk of expanding their empire. However, her husband keeps pushing her off. As she struggles to unravel why he is downplaying her dreams she might just end up unraveling her marriage.

Diane wants to be a mother, more than anything. However, the path to motherhood has not been as easy as she thought it would be. As she and her husband explore their options and discuss their feelings surrounding their fertility struggles things come to a head.

Rochelle has put herself last for far too long. As a single mother, understandably, she is putting the needs of her daughter first, but with Yvette's passing Rochelle is beginning to see how she needs to meet her desires too. And as she begins to expand her wardrobe and social activities she wonders if it might be time to also branch out and start dating again. Luckily there is a man who has had his eye on her for a while.

Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book. I laughed. I cried. My jaw went straight to the floor. Lister did an incredible job of creating four distinct women while weaving their stories together. This book was the perfect combination of Stella Gets Her Groove Back, The Women, and Girls Trip.

All of the women felt so real and vulnerable on the page and I wanted to be friends with each of them. Lister's writing is so good that there were a few instances when I had to put the book down because I was so overcome with emotion for what one of the characters was going through. Especially throughout Joy's story. That scene with her mother truly made me have to take a lap because it was equal parts sad and maddening. Also, the way Diane has to handle the situation with one of her students. Gut-wrenching.

I also really appreciated how Lister made each of the women experience motherhood differently. Yvette is a married woman with two children and a loving husband (who is the unsung hero of the book in some ways). Rochelle is a single mother with a preteen daughter at home. Diane is a woman exploring motherhood through adoption and Joy is the aunty that all the kids love and turn to when they need help. The diversity in the experience of deciding to have children or not was refreshing as in a lot of works it's either a group of women with only children or no children. But seeing the joy and peace from any choice, in addition to the layered complexities of fertility issues was a beautiful exploration throughout the book. Additionally, the vulnerability of Diane's husband on the subject was not only beautifully written but also so refreshing to see a male perspective on.

Although they were not the central focus of the book I did love the vulnerability and joy expressed by the men throughout the book. Often the male side characters are not given enough time on the page to explore their thoughts and feelings. Yet Lister integrates the male counterparts of the women into the story flawlessly and 3 out of the 4 men are so open and honest it is swoon-worthy. A man who will admit he handled something emotionally badly. Yes, please! A man willing to cry. Sign me up!

I only had two complaints about this book, which really could be lumped into one. I wish that the ending chapters were a bit longer. The trip to Jamaica was a huge topic of the book and I just felt that there wasn't a great deal of detail regarding the trip. We do get some nice snippets of the trip, but for how frequently it was mentioned throughout the book and how excited they all were to go on the trip I felt a little short-changed not reading more about it. Also, I would have loved a longer epilogue particularly around the event for Rochelle that they all attend. It was beautiful, but too short!

Highly recommend this book!

Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Body shaming, Cancer, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Death of a parent, Toxic relationship, Infertility, Infidelity, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Miscarriage and Domestic abuse

Minor: Sexual content

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this audio.

A story about friendship. I loved every bit of this book. All characters are great and the story was great. I enjoyed it.

I Enjoyed this beautifully narrated story from start to finish. The audio book is great and I would recommend to anyone that's interested. The themes of friendship, sisterhood, broken marriages, motherhood, and grief are all explored in such a realistic and enjoyable fashion. I'm probably going to gift this book to my own wonderful circle of friends as a reminder for us to take more trips together and continue to celebrate our great luck in finding each other. Thank you to Netgalley and Harper Collins focus for providing me with this audio arc. I truly enhanced my reading experience!

The friendships are lovely. The narration is great. But the overall story is just... fine. Having three main characters gives a writer the opportunity to represent more of a range in terms of marriages/relationships, but that opportunity was missed. The two husbands were so similarly disappointing, that I could barely tell them apart.

Now that I've read this, the cover really bothers me. Neither the ages nor sizes described in the book are represented on the cover. One of the main characters is plus-sized, and I think it's important that the illustration matches and represents that.

4.5 stars

An inspiring story about love, loss, friendship and sisterhood. I really loved and enjoyed the story. The characters were amazing and lovable, the plot was great and the narrator did an excellent job.

Story Rating: 4.5 stars
Narrator: Adenrele Ojo
Narration Rating: 5 stars

Thanks to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for the ALC

Four friends, three struggling relationships, and one final wish: find your happiness.

No Reservations is a wonderful story of friendship and sisterhood while dealing with loss and other life challenges. It was a pleasure getting to know Rochelle, Joy, and Diane as they coped with the loss of Yvette, their childhood friend. These women supported each other through thick and thin. True sisters of the heart, I couldn't help but cheer for them to live their lives to the fullest.

Kudos to narrator Adenrele Ojo — there are a lot of characters in this book, and she nailed it. Ojo seamlessly transitions between characters of varying ages and genders throughout the book and often in a single conversation. I was thoroughly impressed!

Those who enjoy seeing women supporting women will love this heartwarming book.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks for a copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

In "No Reservations," author Sheryl Lister has crafted a delightful narrative that effortlessly blends the magnetic allure of romance with the raw authenticity of self-discovery, reminiscent of the beloved tones found in "How Stella Got Her Groove Back" and "I Think I Love My Wife." From the very first page, readers are invited on a captivating journey through the complexities of love, life, and the pursuit of happiness.

What sets "No Reservations" apart is its nuanced exploration of themes such as self-empowerment, personal growth, and the transformative power of love. The writing style is both engaging and immersive, effortlessly transporting readers into the heart of the story. Sheryl Lister has a remarkable talent for capturing the intricacies of human relationships with sensitivity and depth, making each character and interaction feel remarkably authentic.

At its core, "No Reservations" is a celebration of life's unexpected twists and turns, and the profound beauty that can be found in moments of vulnerability and courage. It is a book that will leave readers feeling uplifted, inspired, and eager to embark on their own journey of self-discovery and romance.

In conclusion, "No Reservations" is a captivating read that skillfully balances heartwarming romance with thought-provoking insights. Fans of "Black Girls Must Die Exhausted" and "More to Life" will find much to love in this enchanting tale of love, laughter, and the pursuit of happiness. Highly recommended for anyone seeking a feel-good read that will leave a lasting impression.

It's safe to say I'm a new fan of Sheryl Lister. This story touched every emotion possible. Often I found myself commenting like the characters could really hear me. It was interesting to see how these women traverse the trials of their relationships and self discovery. As always, Adenrele Ojo gave an awesome narration. She delivered each characters story with such ease that I was fully invested. This is one of those rare novels where I wouldn't change a thing. Excellent writing. Engaging story. Stellar narration. What more could we ask for? Nothing, it's perfect just as it is.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for allowing me to listen and review this work of art. The opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thanks for the Advanced Copy. I really enjoyed the novel. The premise of the story was about a lovely sisterhood friendship among 4 friends. I was so excited to witness a true friendship based on love, a solid bond and the ability to be there for each other. Although a tragedy occurred in the book, it was still a positive spin surrounding that tragedy. These women were there for each other through death, spouses, work and everyday issues, It was a delight to read something that was so positive and didn’t show any drugs, violence, fights etc that is in so many books. This was definitely a great novel and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Their were several times I thought the book was a little wordy and and whiney. I felt like deja vu while reading, as if I had already read this book or a book like. Overall, it was a great story about friendship, sisterhood and taking risk. It makes me want to get my good friends together and enjoy each other. Just because your "relationship" appears to be great from the outside, you never know what is happening behind close doors. Don't be afraid to admit to having issues and leaning on your friends and family for help.

No Reservations is a passionate and entertaining novel about friendship that has surely captivated me!

Sheryl Lister has crafted a well-rounded novel filled with memorable characters, emotional depth, and unexpected surprises.

I highly recommend for buddy readers and book clubs!

I picked this up hoping for a moving story about female friendship, set in a gorgeous tropical setting. That’s not this book. This book is fine, it’s just not for me - it’s three women in messy relationships with (2/3) deeply disappointing men. They happen to be friends, but it doesn’t feel like the friendship is the primary relationship in the story. The bit in Jamaica is towards the end and largely skimmed over - this is mostly set in the American South.

Premise - after their friend dies young of cancer, three women reexamine their lives and failing marriages. The death and trip are kickstarters for action, but they’re not what the bulk of the book is about.

📚 Series or Standalone: standalone
📚 Genre: women’s fiction
📚 Target Age Group: adult
📚 Cliffhanger: no

✨ Will I Reread: new
✨ Recommended For: fans of ‘The Light on Halsey Street’

💕 Characters: 3/5
💕 Writing: 3/5
💕 Plot: 3/5
💕 Pacing: 3/5
💕 Unputdownability: 2/5
💕 Enjoyment: 2/5
💕 Book Cover: 3/5 (I just found the cover and blurb misleading)

Thanks, NetGalley and Harper Muse, for the gifted ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really could not enjoy this book and as an audiobook lover, the narrator and the book just did not connect!
The narrator drags their words it was lifeless and just not what I expected for this book.
I’ll try the physical copy

A beautiful woman's fiction about friendship, love, loss, motherhood, womanhood, and joy!

First off, hats off to the narrator of this book! I was nervous at first with only one narrator and so many points of a few, but she did a phenomenal job! I really enjoyed this book! I would definitely classify this as women's fiction, so if you're looking for romance, this is not it. It does have romance and relationships, but the book is about falling in love with yourself, knowing your self-worth and finding your people! It teaches you to live for each moment and is truly a sweet book about sisterhood.

We follow three childhood best friends as they try to live their lives after the loss of another of their besties. There’s a lot of drama to keep up with as we manage all three women’s relationships with their partners, kids, family and each other.

It was sweet and heartbreaking, funny and thoughtful. One minute I was laughing at the banter and the next there were tears rolling down my face. A good book about fighting for what you want and letting in the joy.

Thanks to #NetGallery and publisher for a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Genre: woman’s fiction
Format: Audio
POV: Multiple
Spice: 0.5 /5
Age suggestion: 16+

This was a sweet and heartwarming novel. However, I found most of it to be a bit boring, cheesy, and predictable.