I enjoyed reading this novel. The characters were well developed and interesting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel.

"Five Million Moments" was one of my first readings of 2026, and I couldn’t have dreamt of a better novel to begin the year. It’s a book I didn’t know I needed and which surprised me in so many unexpected ways!

From the start, the idea of following three best friends from their university years to adulthood appealed to me. As a college student, I was interested in seeing how this friendship made at nineteen would evolve throughout time in the novel.

I quickly got attached to the three protagonists, finding little parts of myself in all of them: Melissa’s faith, Shannon’s determination and ambition, Amy’s journalistic dreams. I thought the author really captured the difficulty for women to try and “have it all”: the family, the professional career, friendships. Each of the three girls in the book navigated this struggling aspect of life in different ways, and it really inspired me.

I couldn’t wait to come home to read the following chapters. It’s a real page-turner, this one! If you are looking for a refreshing book, showcasing the beauty as well as the challenges of an enduring friendship, this novel is definitely for you.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

Five Million Moments by Goldie Williamson is engaging from the start. It revolves around three young women that develop a friendship in college. I believe the book is appropriate for 18+.

Williamson does a good job drawing you into the era and the characters are relatable. The characters are not stagnant and continue to evolve through different stages of life. The notebook serves as a symbol within the plot. Dreams, disasters, choices, secrets, and unconditional love are interwoven in the prose which is easy to follow. There are multiple lessons and truths, often forgotten, found in the text.

"Your girlfriends are the greatest loves of your life. You'll see."

Shannon, Melissa and Amy draw you right into their world. i think those that watched all those shows from the 90s, lived in the 90s will spot every moment alongside this trio as some kind of deeply nostalgic look back. it was a time right before the world was taken over so i think there is a much deeper yearn and missing of that time for lots of people whether captured right in this age group or not. social media was a whisper. phones were just for being social, influencers weren't a thing apart from those we saw on the carpet or on skateboards or singers. there was a deep swing starting of being more aware and body accepting(after thin thing had been shown to be hugely problematic and wrong). it was a time of tv gold for those of the age too.
these three give you all that of course but then they bring so much more that can speak to anyone. there friendship feels so solid like a thread of safety through all their growing up. but that doesn't mean it can tug and fray too. so it didn't feel unrealistic and dreamy.
i got to know these young woman then growing older and just wanted to be by their sides and knowing more both as a group and as individuals.
i love how the group do indeed feel like they grow up. so often the writing of these kind of characters feels immature or kept in the age they started at. this doesn't do that.
i love how within each very different woman and their character we see how they navigate very real problems for woman. often how to have it all in a world that merely pretends to be letting them. oh as long as it doesn't hinder men, lol.
they were so different yet you saw this beautiful bond. ive seen that kind of friendship. its a gift like nothing else. its not linear either but that doesn't mean those shades dont make the continued beautiful palette of a friendship.
i found the story both comforting and inspiring. i found it eased my own heart which feels incredibly fraught living in our current world. especially this week.
i just wanted to be in their world for a bit longer.
i had to read and read so that i knew how these three would fair and get through.