I was disappointed with this one. The synopsis sounded so good but it just didn't fulfill my expectations. The friendships, in my opinion, weren't true genuine friendships. It seems that it's more about having high hopes for later in and no matter if you achieve your goals or not you can still be let down. Lots of whining about their lives and wishing they had what other people or each other had.

Again, Only More Like You is a book about 2 friends approaching their 40th birthdays. Carmen just got fired and found out she is pregnant. Ally just got dumped. This book shows the 2 different paths ones life can take, motherhood or single life. Although I'm not a mother, I know many women my age juggling motherhood, a job and a husband. The book kept my interest and I found it refreshing having characters in middle age instead of their 20s.

Great premise, love the idea, ultimately wasn’t for me. Sometimes relatable though most of the book felt like a cloud of overwhelm and stress. I probably would have enjoyed it more with some humor sprinkled in. The narrator did a great job.

This was a thoughtful, relatable read that really caught me off guard in a few places. It follows two women—Carmen and Ally—as they both hit that almost 40 crossroads, and everything they thought was steady starts to shift. Careers unravel, relationships fracture, secrets surface. But underneath all of it is this quiet question: Are your best years behind you, or could they still be ahead?

What I appreciated most is how real Carmen felt. She’s not perfect, and there were moments where I didn’t agree with her, but I still felt for her. The uncertainty, the exhaustion, the internal tug of war between who you were and who you’re becoming,that all rang true. There were times I found myself nodding along like, “Yep, I’ve been there.”

I loved the Goodnight Sweetheart song reference. My parents used to sing that to me as a little girl, and the second I saw it on the page, it completely caught me in the heart. It’s wild how something so small can connect you to a character instantly.

I also really liked how the story handled friendship. Carmen and Ally are on such different paths, but their connection is what keeps them grounded. It reminded me that good friendships can bend, stretch, even break a little and still matter deeply. I have childhood friendships like that, the kind that stay rooted no matter where life takes us. It was beautiful to see that kind of connection reflected on the page.

The writing was accessible, emotional, and reflective without getting too heavy. It’s not a big, dramatic story but it’s a sincere one. It’s more about sitting with the hard questions, the quiet disappointments, and the flickers of hope that come when you least expect them.

This landed at 3.5 stars for me. I liked it, I connected with it in meaningful ways, and I’m glad I read it. It left me feeling like maybe 40 isn’t something to fear… maybe it’s just the start of something new.

If you’re into stories about friendship, reinvention, and the quiet chaos of being a woman in your late 30s or 40s, this one’s worth picking up.

“Life had taught her so many reasons to say no, but when she finally dared to say yes, it made miracles happen.”

Thank you NetGalley for this advanced release copy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 STARS)

2.75⭐️ rounded up:

I appreciate the work that must be involved in writing and producing any piece of work to bring it to publication however unfortunately this one just didn’t seem to gather momentum.

From the book synopsis there is a lot of scope for this to be very relatable to many and although at certain points I absolutely could relate and understand the message and meanings behind the authors work I also found myself not really feeling the characters. This was one that was difficult to fully engage in the story, therefore keeping and holding my interest at times wasn’t always there meaning I felt distracted from the storyline. I didn’t feel fully immersed due to it being a little monotone overall and the relationships between the two main characters simply feeling more focused on this and that, rather than hopeful inspirational moments.

I appreciate the opportunity to listen to this ELC from NetGalley & Dreamscape Media. Wish Catalina Margulis best wishes for publication on 29th April 2025. 🙏🏽📚

I don't typically leave reviews when I DNF a book, however part of taking on an ARC means giving an honest review.

This book is billed as a poignant and humorous look at friendship and reinvention at age 40. Sadly, this book wasn't humorous. The two main characters, who have been besties since childhood, are separated by distance and they're at different stages in their lives. And they come across as anything but besties. I'm not even sure they like each other, and they certainly don't like themselves, and they don't like anything about their lives. They were extremely self-centered and negative, and I struggled to find any humor in their thoughts or actions.

I made it through about 40% of the audiobook, but the characters had no redeeming qualities, and I was constantly irritated with them. This made it an easy DNF.

I do appreciate the opportunity to listen to this book, but it just didn't hit it for me.

Overall rating: 2.5/5
I absolutely love reading a relatable story about women facing challenges and struggles that come with motherhood, careers, middle age, and just existing as a woman. However, this book… kinda boring to me. The relationship between Ally & Carmen is very realistic in terms of having a long distance best friend, but I just did not like the dynamic between them. While both at different points in the book were jealous/envious of each other, Ally seemed to be the one who carried more disdain towards Carmen for living her life as a mother and being more family centric - all while Carmen is kicking herself for not having time/energy to check in with Ally more frequent. Overall, the whole story just felt mundane and flat to me. Thank you Netgalley for the ALC.

Started out great but the story soon devolved into a mis- mash of stuff that was almost impossible to follow.

hanks to NetGalley for an ALC. 2.5 stars. Really nothing special at all- and I don’t feel like a whole lot happened. I was waiting for some big defining thing but it didn’t come. And the two women weren’t even that nice to each other? I would have w DNFed this if it wasn’t an audiobook.

As childhood best friends approach their 40th birthdays, Carmen and Ally are at different but crucial crossroads. Carmen is trying to have it all, juggling a career and motherhood, while Ally is searching for her place in life. Add in some job changes, pregnancy, relationship turmoils, and death—the women must determine what is most important to them now.

I enjoyed this story of women's difficulties balancing past expectations, current social stigmas, and the need to find their own way. Carmen's and Ally's journeys are relatable; however, the story did not allow for much investment in their friendship. As a 41-year-old mom, I am always happy to see real motherhood life represented, and hope shining through in the chaos.

Early Listening Copy courtesy of Negalley and Dreamscape Media. All opinions are my own.

Two lifelong friends are reaching 40 and neither has the life that they'd expected. I felt the stress that Carmen had with a daily commute to NYC, a punishing job, 3 young kids, and a supportive husband. But he's growing tired of her being late for everything, seeming to give her job her best and not as much to her family. then she finds herself fired and pregnant. Ally has a job that she loves. She also loves her boss, but he's married. When he dumps her, her life starts again with a new job, a new state, and maybe a new relationship. But again, life disappoints her.

I didn't see much humor in this book, but it is reflective of life the way many of us have been living for many years. Always seeking more, better, whatever.

I listened to the audio book and the narrator did a great job.

I was drawn to this because it was about two best friends, about to turn 40, who are still trying to figure out their lives. So relatable to me- the age, the sentiment, the uncertainty.

However, I hate both Carmen and Ally. They are whiny, miserable people who refuse to do anything to change their circumstances. I almost DNFed and wish I had. I hated them both and was annoyed the whole time.

Cindy Kay narrates. Not her fault, but there should have been two narrators used. One for Carmen and one for Ally.

I received an advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book has a relatable premise and characters with promise but ultimately I found the friendship not very nice or understanding, the trajectories of the two characters too neatly divergent and the book about 30% too long.

Thank you to Net Galley for the advanced copy of this audiobook. The narrator got the whine down very well for the two MC. True to women fiction, two 40 year old best friends- one single and one married with 4 th child on the way and working full time. The story depicted both lives the challenges and frustrations, thinking it’s greener on the other side and complaining. While I’ve been there done that, agreed and laughed at many of the depictions, I think it missed the overall joy of each life and what it brought to them. I wished the MC would have stood up and fought for the 5 th grade yearbook a little more.

While an interesting story it just didn’t draw me in.

She hadn't turned 40 yet, and already she was over it ...

Dumped. Pregnant. Fired. For best friends Carmen and Ally, the approach of their 40th birthdays is anything but a celebration. Yet, it might be exactly what they need to set their lives on the right path.

In the bustling heart of New York, Carmen has it all—a high-profile career, a loving family, and a home straight out of a magazine. But as her 40th looms, her life begins to unravel. A surprise pregnancy, a shocking job loss, and the unwelcome sight of crow's feet force her to rethink her perfect life and what it means to truly have it all.

Meanwhile, in the quiet of Maine, Carmen's best friend Ally, a spirited marine biologist, confronts her own crisis as she faces the fallout from a doomed affair with her boss. With her romantic life in shambles and her professional life no better, Ally relocates to Portland, Oregon, hoping for a fresh start and one last chance at love.

As their individual journeys to happiness lead them in different directions, the strength of their friendship is tested. Tragedy strikes, bringing hidden resentments to the surface and forcing them to confront their past—and each other. In the process, they must answer a pivotal question: Are their best years really behind them, or is turning 40 just the beginning of their greatest adventures

I think the moral of this story is that whether you’re single or have 18 kids and your entire identity is “Mommy,” you’ll still be miserable. Lol jk. Maybe. Hehe.

I actually finished this audiobook in a day because it kept my interest—and let’s be honest, no one enjoys two unlikable women spiraling quite like I do. Margulis does a great job of making both perspectives equally aggravating. Like yes, I hate you for hating your mom life and your single life. Duality!

Am I supposed to feel bad because motherhood is hard, yet you keep making cringe-worthy choices and forgetting basic responsibilities? And sure, you want to be taken seriously in the corporate [marine biologist] world... but you also slept with your boss? Okay then.

I wanted to hate them—and also go to brunch with them, order mocktails and french fries(knowing someone will probably be pregnant again), and complain about the useless lumps of men in their lives like we were lifelong friends.

I hope Margullis comes out with another novel soon!

Whenever I get the opportunity to listen to any author’s book, I take that responsibility seriously because this individual has poured so much into their work. I respect that work and give high praise for that alone. With that said, not every book fits every reader. While I really loved the message within this book about two best friends who lead completely different lives. One is married with children struggling with a career and family life and the other is a single career woman who is struggling with relationships. This book dwells a lot on the individual choices of each woman and they both seem to flounder a lot within their respective lives. Because they live far apart, their interactions were mostly by phone. Would have loved for more openess and honesty with each other. I also cringed at Ally’s relationship decisions. So these flawed woman often made it hard to root for their decisions. This one is a strong woman’s fiction with heavy emphasis on the life of the 40somethings.