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.

An uplifting book that I would suggest reading, rather than listening to, so that you can dog ear all of the useful advice to go back to in times when encouragement is needed. Useful advice on how to love yourself, love others, and be strong in your faith. Anecdotes are shared, bible references are used to bolster her recommendations, and guidance is given on navigating friendships. Highly recommend.

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

There is a lot that I liked about this audiobook: I think the narrator was good, and there were a lot of funny and relatable stories that really hit home for me - it's indeed hard to make friends as an adult, and I felt like this book offered some nice advice as well as solidarity and community. However, some of the quotes didn't really hit for me, and I wasn't into the Jesus references - fair enough if that's important to Kristen Strong, but it lost me.

I was not prepared for the amount of Christianity about to hit me in the face. She quotes the Bible often, invokes Jesus often, and blames the devil for adolescent social anxiety, among other things. Yes, Satan himself decided to target a child at the movies via her own brain. 🤨🙄 

Based on the cover, description, and categories listed, there was NO warning. It’s fine she’s deep in her faith. It’s not to be ambushed by it. Lost of people have religious trauma. Her glorious god is used to do a lot of heinous things.

If I spent money on this, I’d be mad as hell. Any insightful or helpful things Strongest said was outweighed by the constant ‘surprise Jesus’ factor.

I quit at 40%. At this point, her general advice was a mix of ‘thanks Captain Obvious’ and ‘decent point.’ There are other books that won’t lie and sneak religion on you. I’d recommend checking out one of those.

Quite frankly a little annoyed that nowhere in the description of this book does it mention that it has a STRONG religious undertones. I was looking for a book on friendship and not a book with biblical quotes/imagery every few minutes. This book was not for me.

What a wonderful take on making new friends. A lot of new stuff to think about and explore.
Thanks to NetGalley, the author, and HCCP & HCF Audio | W Publishing for the ARC.
#DesperateWomanSeeksFriends #NetGalley

I had never heard of this book when I saw it pop up on NetGalley, but the cover and the title made me laugh and really spoke to me. The book itself was not as humorous as the cover and title suggest. Strong offers good advice, but I found it a little repetitive throughout the book. I really enjoyed Nan McNamara as the narrator and I was pleasantly surprised that this was from a Christian world view. Thank you for this advance listening copy!

I DNFed this title at 20% I didn't expect it from the cover to be a nonfiction book with bible undertones. Some people will have a use for this book. I am even a religious person. I just was expecting a fun adult woman friendship story.

Relatable, honest, and often funny, this one felt like chatting with a friend over coffee — the kind of friend who maybe rambles a little and doesn’t quite stick to the point. I appreciated the author’s heart and her attempt to tie in scripture throughout, but the book lacked structure and felt more like a collection of personal stories than a cohesive guide to friendship. There were a few moments that resonated, especially around the loneliness of adult friendships, but I didn’t walk away with anything super practical or new. Still, it’s an easy, conversational read if you’re looking for something that leans more encouragement than advice.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 3.5 stars
Rated PG for faith-based content, light discussion of emotional struggles, and casual mentions of pop theology.