I really enjoyed this one! A solid, lovely debut that made me all warm and giggly! Definitely recommend this one!

At the start of a new year, and the last year in her twenties, the life that Rachel Weiss has built for herself is about to be completely upturned. At least she can count on her friends and their group chat to keep her grounded. Lately, though, it seems like everyone has their own stuff going on and their texts and hangouts have been coming more sporadically. Then there's her mother who is convinced that Rachel is a failure because she's not on her way to being married, doesn't even have a boyfriend.

When new neighbors move in, Rachel's mother is determined to play matchmaker with Rachel and their son, Christopher. As soon as Rachel learns that Christopher is in the tech industry, though, any interest she may have had quickly wanes. Regardless, Christopher continues to pop up randomly and as they continue to clash with one another, Rachel finds herself examining where she wants her life to go.

When I first started reading this book, I did not realize that it was a retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Once that fact was learned, however, I was even more invested and excited as I am apt to read any Pride & Prejudice retelling that I can get my hands on. I do believe that Rachel Weiss's Group Chat does a very good job of modernizing the story yet still keeping those inherent qualities of the original classic.

I appreciated that this wasn't necessarily a romance, yes it had romantic elements, but it more focused on Rachel trying to "figure it all out". Spoiler: no one ever has it all figured out. You can have a semblance of life worked to your desire, but then some bump in the road comes along and everything is thrown. Rachel is going through that very thing.

For me, Rachel was a very interesting character. For a bit of the book, I didn't care for her which I think speaks more to my uncomfortableness with life chaos than anything truly about Rachel herself. For all intents and purposes, she is a kind and considerate person. She loves her friends and, though challenging, she loves her family too. Up until this point, she hasn't taken too much seriously within her own life, but she's getting by (barely but still). Her exuberance makes her a force to be reckoned with at times which means that if she really puts her mind to something, she can have a plethora of choices in life. She just has to take the first step.

Of course this book is her journey so as we see her begin to acknowledge that she's not completely happy with her job and she's maybe a little lonely as her friends start to build separate lives, she genuinely wants to make a change. While those things that irked me about Rachel were still there - because I do not believe she can be completely chaos free - I started to go easy on her. I wanted to see things turn out good for her.

While I liked the back and forth between Rachel and Christopher, and their sparring had all the hallmarks from the source material, the real highlight is the friendship between Rachel and the group chat - consisting of her friends Eva, Amy, and Sumira. This is a friendship built on deep love, ride or die type of friendship. But when they all seem to be headed in different directions, that is when real heartbreak sets in. It's true, sometimes friendships come and go, but when it's the type of friendship that has become part of who you are, it cuts to the core when those go away.

Also, it would be a misstep for me to not at least mention her family. They are pretty comparative to the Bennets. The overbearing mother who is very focused on marrying her daughters off. The father who often sits quietly by. The eldest daughter - also Jane - refined, beautiful, and, likely, the most level-headed of the bunch. Then two much-younger twins replace the rambunctious Kitty and Lydia, and poor Mary is unaccounted for in this retelling. Rachel's mother's often shrill histrionics are almost too much for me especially in a more modern setting where women can be single and thrive just fine. More prodding on Rachel's part provides a little bit more context for her mother's very over-the-top attitudes, but honestly, it's still too much. Many times while reading I just wanted Rachel to get up and walk away from the toxicity.

Down to the point, though, I found the story immeasurably readable. The more things seemed like they weren't going to work out for Rachel, the more I wanted to read because I was invested in her journey.

This book was cute, light, and fun!

The characters were sassy but decidedly unlikeable, and unfortunately that pulled me out of the story a lot, along with some completely implausible plot points. For a romance reader looking for something cute and sassy, this will work well. If you’re looking for anything unique or deep, this is not it.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance read of this book. All opinions are my own.

I totally get what this book was going for, but I feel like they just missed the mark on so many different things. I am a girly who has a close group of friends who I’ve been friends with for a very long time and so I love the idea of like sisterhood and girlhood in here with your friends. I also love the spontaneity and the vibrancy of Rachel throughout the story. However, this is feeling like a more dramatic version of sex in the city if it was based in Seattle. The fact that the two main characters fall in love with each other after barely having any conversations absolutely blows my mind. Rachael‘s whole family dynamic is just so dysfunctional and over the top. I mean, even just Rachael‘s response to one of her best friends sleeping with her boyfriend at the time just blows my mind. I really wanted to love this book and just struggled.

Thank you Net Galley for an ARC of this book!

This book was just ok for me. I did enjoy the group texts and would have enjoyed reading more of them. I will give this author another try if she writes more books.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC.

Absolutely fantastic plot! Could not put the book down once I began reading it. I am so glad it has finally been released. I will recommend it to everyone I know!

I always like getting to read new authors. This one was fun in some parts and felt kind of immature in others. I also would not call this a romance. It felt like it in the beginning and towards the end. But nothing that happened in between was showing a romantic progression. I felt like the characters were trying too hard. Rachel was kind of mean and immature at times. Otherwise the book did have some good moments. The chats were always fun to follow.

I think I liked this one. It was a bit chaotic and will take me a while to really process what I think, but I believe the chaos was fun and helped mirror the emotions and actions of the characters. I’ll always pick up a new take on Pride & Prejudice

This book was a decent read but I was so annoyed by her mother that I took away an entire star. She was annoying and pushy and irritated me every time she was around. Although I liked Rachel she was such a hot mess. Her connection with her friends was nice but I wish there was more of it. I wasn’t too big into the romance so it made it hard to root for them. Also the way the story unfolds made it feel like the story only begins as it ends which was a let down.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Jewish bookstagram made me read this and I enjoyed it! I kept seeing many posting about this chick lit read about friendship. As many others mentioned, it was hard to like the main character but I found myself rooting for her personal growth. I liked how most of the book was focused on the group of girlfriends’ friendship. It showed how they all supported each other through the highs and lows. It’s a heartwarming, easy bingeable read that I would recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Forever for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

3.5 stars

One of my goals is to read more books by Jewish authors, so I was excited to read Rachel Weiss's Chat. Also, I enjoy Jane Austen's retellings, and it's the second reason I picked this book. After finishing reading it, I have mixed feelings. There were some things that I really liked and some things that left me wanting more.

I liked the writing style, which was quite humorous and made the book easy to read. I found the main heroine, Rachel, a little juvenile. She often behaved like someone much younger than a thirty-year-old woman. But I enjoyed her group of friends. The theme of female friendship was the central plot, and the romance felt like an afterthought. It was a little disappointing for a Pride and Prejudice retelling. I did like the love interest, Mr. Darcy's counterpart, Christopher Butkus, but his interactions with Rachel were minimal. I would've enjoyed the book more if there had been more interactions between Rachel and Christopher and if Rachel had behaved more age-appropriately.

I liked this VERY loose retelling of P&P even though Rachel is the least like Elizabeth Bennett heroine I've ever read. It was still enjoyable and I was rooting for Rachel. Many other characters were more recognizable as well as several plot points in this Seattle setting. I enjoyed this one and I am sure you will, too if you like Austen retellings or just contemporary romance.

Rachel Weiss's Group Chat comes out next week on September 24, 2024 and you can purchase HERE.

One week before Halloween, I got back on Tinder and matched with a guy who appeared to be mostly brawn, not much brain. He asked me to meet up at a mojito bar where an apparently "dope jam band" called Space Owl was playing. I told him I'd meet him there at eight. And then, as the time ticked nearer, I found that I didn't have it in me. Absolutely zero percent of my being wanted to meet up with some random guy. So I stayed on my couch and sent him a quick message saying I wasn't feeling well. I felt guilty for bailing on him but glad that I wasn't out there trying to shout-flirt with a stranger over live music.

Thank you to Forever Publishing for the eARC.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat is a loose retelling of Pride and Prejudice except Rachel is definitely no Elizabeth. For one thing, Elizabeth is a likable and well-written character. Rachel…is not a good person.

This was a DNF for me, I didn’t see any redeemable qualities in Rachel. The first 25% of the book, she’s trying to hook up and date another character (not MMC). And she’s so rude to MMC for no apparent reason other than he’s successful in tech—apparently she’s anti-capitalism except she also works in tech just makes less money? She does not practice what she preaches.

Reading other bad reviews I see that I quit before they make fun of sexual assault survivors with a mocking #metoo joke so I’m glad I dipped when I did.

Not for me. I didn’t care for the characters and the plot moved too slow to keep me interested. I appreciate the opportunity.

This modern retelling of Pride of Prejudice was a bit of a letdown for me. Rachel (Lizzy) was a bit eccentric and annoying for me personally. It was difficult to understand why Christopher (Mr. Darcy) would be interested in Rachel. On a positive note the humorous scenarios and banter were enjoyable. The Jewish representation was also appreciated. This is a difficult review to write because I really wanted to like this book, it just fell flat for me.

I just finished reading “Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat” by Lauren Applebaum, and I can’t wait to tell everyone about it! This book is an absolute delight from start to finish. The story revolves around Rachel Weiss and her hilarious, heartwarming, and sometimes chaotic group chat with her friends.

Applebaum does an incredible job of capturing the essence of modern friendships and the way we communicate today. The banter between the characters is so authentic and funny that I found myself laughing out loud multiple times. Each character is well-developed and brings their own unique personality to the group, making the dynamics even more entertaining.

One of the things I loved most about this book is how it balances humor with deeper, more emotional moments. It’s not just about the laughs; it’s also about the support and love that friends provide each other through thick and thin. The way the group rallies around each other during tough times is truly heartwarming.

If you’re looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and appreciate your own friends even more, “Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat” is a must-read. It’s a perfect blend of humor and heart, and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves a good story about friendship.

Thank you to Netgalley, Forever, and Lauren Appelbaum for the chance to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

If you are a person that is going to/needs to read EVERY Pride and Prejudice retelling- this book should definitely be on your TBR. It's a very 2024 take. Oddly- I feel like this retelling could be better received on screen, rather than in a book.

Rachel Weiss is a character that most females can appreciate - Lusting after a man even after it's clear that he's not the right one. We've all been there. I found her to be self-absorbed and arrogant in the beginning, but I can appreciate that because aren't we all in out 20's? As the book progresses and she deals with an overbearing mother and issues at work, I found Rachel to be more relatable as she found herself and her place in life. Throw in a little romance, and it was a perfect 4 star read for me!

This book was a total riot! I laughed out loud a lot, and giggled to myself even more.

I wasn't expecting a book set in Seattle to be a sort of, kind of, retelling of "Pride and Prejudice." There was also a little "Bridget Jones's Diary" in there too, at least it felt like it to me. All that to say, the book felt British in some sense, but it was set in Seattle. Go figure. They drink tea, mention tea, and suggest tea throughout the whole book. I've been in Seattle enough to know that's not super common.

Anyway, if you liked "P&P" and don't mind modern retellings, you'll like this book. I'd definitely recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Cute premise. Rachel is turning 30, in a dead end job with a mother trying to set her up with the new neighbor who happens to rich and handsome. She has 3 close friends who have group chat in which they share everything.

This book sounded like a fun Pride and Prejudice retelling and I was looking for a lighter read that would make me laugh. Unfortunately for me, this book fell flat. I really couldn’t connect with the characters. I found Rachel annoying, self centered, an immature party girl. The friends made almost as many questionable decisions. Her family was over the top; over involved mother, under involved father and the spoiled, entitled twin sisters. I did enjoy Christopher, although his gestures were pretty unrealistic but didn’t understand his attraction to Rachel. I did enjoy the character development and would have enjoyed a final chapter showing the friends 5 years down the road.

Thanks to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC. This is my honest opinion.