I enjoyed “Desperate Woman Seeks Friends” and appreciated having the chance to listen to the audiobook. The narrator did a great job capturing the emotions and experiences of the author. I enjoyed getting to hear the author’s story and related a lot to the difficulty of navigating friendships as an adult, especially if you are starting over in a new place. I will note that there are frequent references to religion, which can be accessible to folks who share the same faith or who have knowledge of the faith. For folks who are not as familiar may not access the material as easily.

Disclaimer: I received a free review copy of this book from HCCP & HCF Audio and W Publishing. All thoughts and reviews are honest and my own.

This is the perfect book for a Sunday School Class to read together at church or a woman's bible study group. The author needs to stand up and own what she wrote and be loud and proud about it. I'm rating this a 3 simply because the author wasn't authentic about what her book is and is not. It is not a book about how to find friends, it is a book about being a better friend and person while also praising Jesus and studying bible verses. The author went so far as to say in her intro that while she is strong in her beliefs and faith, she wrote the book for anyone to read and enjoy. Um, no. This book is heavy on bible quotes, faith in the lord and religion which is great, just own it. The authors personal stories were engaging and entertaining, but again more about being a better person or friend rather than "how to find a friend." This book title and description were especially compelling to me as I am at that age where life is changing and friends are moving or passing away so I need to broaden my friend circle. Many of my close friends are retiring and moving to their preferred retirement destination which makes for fun trips and vacations to go see these friends, but can make the daily grind a bit lonelier here at home. The only chapter that even gave suggestions on where to go or how to go about expanding a person's friend circle was Chapter 19 and it was just a little snippet of the chapter. If you are a devout person then this book will appeal greatly. However, if you are not a devout religious person then this book won't be as compelling to you. The audiobook was especially well done as the author narrated her own book so you really felt her voice come through her words even more strongly.

This book is an honest and heartfelt look at the ups and downs of adult friendship—something so many of us can relate to. Kristen Strong writes with warmth and vulnerability about the struggle to find meaningful connection, especially when faced with rejection or starting over. The core message is clear: getting out there, being open, and trying again is worth it to find your people.

While I appreciated the sincerity and encouragement throughout, I did find the strong Christian themes a bit much for my personal taste. At times, the book also felt a little repetitive, circling back to the same ideas without much new insight. That said, it’s well-written and filled with thoughtful reflections that many readers—especially those seeking faith-based inspiration—will find valuable.

too much focus on bible study and not enough focus on how to make friends. unfortunately wasn’t for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4/5 stars)

As someone who has moved multiple times, including living overseas in two different countries, I've learned firsthand how tough it can be to build and maintain friendships, especially after moving back to the States during the pandemic. Now, a few years later, I’ll admit I still struggle with feeling connected. So this book felt incredibly timely and validating.

Kristen Strong’s honest, encouraging tone and personal stories really spoke to me. I appreciated the Christian perspective throughout, so it was right up my alley. The book gently reminded me that while people may let us down, we are never truly alone. I came away with some new ideas and a deeper sense of grace for myself in this journey of friendship.

Some parts of the book felt a bit repetitive or overly stretched, but not enough to take away from the overall message. The narration by Nan McNamara was clear, warm, and easy to listen to.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

As someone who has moved several times as a child (military father) and then as an adult (husband chasing the next best job), I could so relate to Kristen's struggles. I greatly appreciated her humor and insight alongside the real examples, both good and bad, of making and keeping friends.

I was blessed to receive an audiobook ARC of the title. Nan McNamara did an amazing job as narrator, making it feel like we were talking over coffee.

The biggest takeaway for me was how easy it is fail being a good friend to ourselves.

I can see this being a great book club selection as there is so much to unpack. Did I agree with her particular view of a Christian life? No. I can extrapolate and use everything as a launching pad to make changes in my life.


Thank you to NetGalley, HCCP & HCF Audio | W Publishing for the advanced audiobook copy. All opinions are my own.

Desperate Woman Seeks Friends is a book where the author, Kristen Strong, shares how she made friends and what she has learned from it. She is a military wife and had to relocate multiple times over the years. With every relocation she had to make new local friends. Kristen shares her experiences with making new friends and she shares tips on how to make new friends.

This book mentioned a lot of christianity topics and has a lot of christian themes in it. From the text on the back of the book and from the cover of the book it sounds like a book about making friends. The author of the book said that this book was for everyone but I think it is relatable and mostly written for a christian audience. I would have loved it if this was written on the cover or on the back so you know what kind of book you’re going to be reading.
I would definitely recommend this book to a christian audience. If you are not christian you can still read this book but I think you will get less from it.
I read this book as an audiobook and I really liked the production. I liked the fact that the author read her own book. She has a very nice voice and accent.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️: 3,4

I had high hopes for the book but ended up feeling a little more how to and bible study than a memoir about finding friends.

Beth Moore meets Erma Bombeck.

This is a fantastic book about friendship for people with a particular worldview. At the beginning of the book, the author indicates that while she will mention Jesus, it isn't just for people who share her faith tradition. Had Kristen Strong simply owned up to the fact that Desperate Woman Seeks Friends is written by and for a particular audience, I would have given the book five stars. I happen to think many of the best books are written for narrow audiences. That specificity allows the author to go deep and the rest of us can pick and choose what we want to take. I am adjacent enough to Strong's audience to appreciate how helpful and encouraging this book will be for the right readers. Unfortunately, the rest of us are left feeling blindsided. Like the time a cute boy invited me to lunch only to hit me with an Amway sales pitch.

Personally, due to a difference in theology, I find some of the things in this book to be harmful. But those same things will be comforting to readers who share Strong's faith. I enjoyed reading the book. I laughed and cringed and nodded along in recognition. Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the audioARC.

Kristen's writing is warm and conversational; she has a lot of experience to draw from as a military spouse making new friends her lifetime. I appreciated her practical ideas for hosting and making people feel welcome. I really liked her encouragement to not get stuck looking for friends in the same life stage. This is a helpful book for those looking to make new friends, no matter the circumstances.

Desperate Woman Seeks Friends is a warm, honest, and practical guide for Christian women who long for deeper, more meaningful friendships. I appreciated Kristen Strong’s transparency and approachable tone throughout the book—especially in the audiobook version, where her voice made it feel like she was speaking directly to me as a trusted friend.

From the start, Kristen is upfront about the lens through which she writes—her Christian faith. She even gives readers a respectful heads-up in the introduction that this book will include Scripture and point to Jesus. I personally loved this. Her faith-based encouragement was one of the most meaningful parts of the book for me, and I found it disheartening to see how some readers seem triggered or upset by this perspective. No one is forced to keep reading, and I wish more people respected the clear intent and audience of a book like this.

While the content may not be revolutionary, it offers gentle, relatable reminders and wise encouragement for women who are trying to build or rebuild friendships in a busy and often isolating world. Kristen’s stories, biblical reflections, and down-to-earth advice make this a valuable read for Christian women in all seasons of life.

Overall, this is a heartfelt and faith-filled read that reminds us we’re not alone in the longing for real connection.

I went into this book, thinking it was going to be more like a memoir, but it is a self-help book in the ways to find friendships as an adult woman.

Author Kristen Strong details, her struggles in finding friendship throughout her lifetime and the different seasons of friendships she goes through. She also gets a lot of tips and tricks on being a good friend and how to find and approach new friendships.

I found a lot of her suggestions and ideas to make sense and be useful, but going into this book I think readers should be aware that the whole book is based around her Christianity. There’s a lot of discussion of God putting you in the right place at the right time or season, so if you’re not in a mindset to listen to this or be able to separate it since it is highly pervasive throughout the book, this book might not be for you. The religious aspect is noted is only mentioned in the last sentence of the book description.

The audiobook was narrated by Nan McNamara, and she does a great job relating to the listener as a friend. The timing is great for the comical aspects of the book and she provides a very entertaining and fun listen.

First of all, I was hooked by the title and cover! I thought it would be funny and so on. But this was misleading; the book is not funny (okay, it has a few funny parts).
The narration and voice were great.
However, I realised I was not the intended audience for this book. It contains a strong focus on Christian themes, with frequent references to Jesus and biblical passages, which didn’t resonate with me.

Thank you, Netgalley and HCCP & HCF Audio | W Publishing, for the ARC!

Kristen Strong’s Desperate Woman Seeks Friends is a charming and relatable exploration of midlife reinvention and the universal quest for meaningful connections. The protagonist—a recently widowed woman—ventures into the unpredictable realm of modern friendship, navigating awkward social situations, dating app fiascos, and self-doubt. Strong infuses the story with both wit and warmth, capturing the emotional tug-of-war between loneliness and the hope for a fresh start. The pacing is brisk, the dialogue snappy, and the supporting characters—ranging from quirky coworkers to overly enthusiastic neighbors—add delightful color. While the narrative occasionally dips into cliché, the authentic voice and heartfelt moments keep it grounded. Overall, it’s a light but poignant read for anyone questioning where they belong after a major life shift.

I requested this book from NetGalley because I found it right after I moved to a new state. The title immediately drew me in and I was hopeful that it would inspire this homebody to get out and find her people. I learned a lot about the things that I can do to be a good friend. The one thing I didnt love was all of the religious talk throughout the book (religion just isn't my thing) but I was able to see the points the author was making.

Read by author. Get ready for an accent. Not good or bad, just an accent.

While the author talks about her faith and how important it is to her in the introduction, the way it’s stated I didn’t expect quite as much discussion of her faith. It’s a majority of the book. The book has an overall positive outlook. It includes good advice for being a good friend to yourself and others. I don’t remember any lightbulb moments, but I do remember laughing a few times. I enjoyed several of the chapter titles.

Thank you to NetGalley & HCCP & HCF Audio for a free ARC of the audiobook.

If you like religion, specifically Christianity, this may be the book for you. The title aptly describes the book; it definitely felt desperate to me.

Thank you to the author, narrator, publisher and Net Galley for providing a free e-audio version of this title in exchange for my review.

I think this book could be helpful to the right audience. I'm not the right audience. The cover and the description I read did not reflect the amount of Christianity in this book. Bible quotes, devil blaming, invocation of Jesus and more. Be warned! This really is a Christian leaning book! As a person who deals with religious trauma, I'm careful to avoid such books.

As I said, I'm not the audience for this book. I didn't leave this book with any good information.

2 stars for me - recommended to those looking for Christian advice.

I think this book will appeal to Christian women who are looking to improve their spiritual relationship with God through finding likeminded friendships. I wasn't aware that this was a heavily biblically-influenced book, which isn't a bad thing. It's just important that it connects with the right reader. This would make a good book club pick for a women's club or book group that is Christian-centered.

I listened to this book and had no expectations going in. The title and cover did not match the message within. It is a very personal story of the author’s life journey and her moving through different stages of marriage, mothering, and the desire for friendships. Her style was very similar to a motivational speaker you would encounter at a Woman’s Tea or support group. She matched her chapters with Bible verses. It wasn’t until the last couple of chapters that the author offered suggestions that she thought were good methods on finding friends. Making and keeping friends is not formulaic, each relationship has its own ebb and flow, so I came away from this book a bit sad that happenstance and random encounters are just as likely to create friendships as are joining social groups.