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Available
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Collection
Publication
HQN (2020), Edition: Original, 384 pages
Description
Fiction. Literature. Romance. HTML:AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Sparkling... A sure hit with women's fiction fans." �??Publishers Weekly Dance till dawn Go skydiving Wear a bikini in public Start living Two best friends jump-start their lives in a summer that will change them forever... Single mom Ellen Fox couldn't be more content�??until she overhears her son saying he can't go to his dream college because she needs him too much. If she wants him to live his best life, she has to convince him she's living hers. So Unity Leandre, her best friend since forever, creates a list of challenges to push Ellen out of her comfort zone. Unity will complete the list, too, but not because she needs to change. What's wrong with a thirtysomething widow still sleeping in her late husband's childhood bed? The Friendship List begins as a way to make others believe they're just fine. But somewhere between "wear three-inch heels" and "have sex with a gorgeous guy," Ellen and Unity discover that life is meant to be lived with joy and abandon, in a story filled with humor, heartache and regrettable tattoos. Don't miss Home Sweet Christmas, a witty and heartfelt story of two friends who unexpectedly find the person-and the place in which-they belong this Christmas by #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery!… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member Cats57
May I say...WOW! I loved the way that Ms. Mallery reversed how the characters are usually written in romances. Instead of the women having to save men from themselves and falling in ln love with them first, the author reversed that, and it was the women who needed help and some convincing!
We have a
This book brought out all of the emotions and stayed true to all the story-lines that a romance should. There were giggles, sadness, tears, laughter and naturally, hot sex. The sexual scenes were few and did not detract from the basic story.
I would recommend this book to any who loves romances that are true to life and a bit quirky.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
We have a
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story of two best friends, one who had a child out of wedlock and one who lost her husband three years ago. For each of them, those relationships were the only ones they ever had. These two are now regretting that they have become stagnant, and they both realize that they need to do something to change their lives. Ellen and Unity conclude that they need a list of things they could do to get them out of their ruts. Hence, the Friendship List.This book brought out all of the emotions and stayed true to all the story-lines that a romance should. There were giggles, sadness, tears, laughter and naturally, hot sex. The sexual scenes were few and did not detract from the basic story.
I would recommend this book to any who loves romances that are true to life and a bit quirky.
*ARC supplied by the publisher.
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
From the title of Susan Mallery's new novel, The Friendship List, you would assume that a friendship plays the major role in the book. And while Ellen and her best friend Unity's friendship is important, there are some very sexy scenes that will have readers reaching for a cold drink to cool
Ellen is a high school English teacher and single mom to Cooper, 17 years old and a football player. For all their lives, it's just been Ellen and Cooper, as Ellen got pregnant in high school and never had a relationship with Cooper's father beyond the one night.
Her best friend since childhood is Unity, who lost her parents in a car accident when she was a teenager. Unity married her high school boyfriend whose career in the military meant they moved around a lot. When he was killed in action three years ago, Unity's life fell apart and she has yet to recover.
Both Ellen and Unity don't have a lot of experience with dating, and their friendship has been the cornerstone of the life. It's also kept them from experiences that many adult women have had.
When Ellen discovers that Cooper is reluctant to go away to college as they had planned, it is because he is fearful of leaving his mom alone. She overhears him tell a friend that he believes she depends on him for everything, and he just can't go.
This spurs Ellen to join with Unity and create the Friendship List. On this list are things the women plan to do to expand their horizons. There are things like skydiving, rock climbing, getting a tattoo, and having sex with a hot guy on the list. The first one to complete the list gets treated to a spa day by the other one.
Ellen's other good friend is Keith, the high school football coach. They have dinner together frequently, and have never thought of each other as anything more than friends. Ellen is traveling with Keith, Cooper and some football players on a college tour trip. She decides that it will be the perfect time to show her son that she has a life of her own.
She gets a tattoo, and buys a sexy outfit to wear to dinner with Keith. Ellen's lack of experience does not dampen her enthusiasm for sex, and the scenes where she inadvertently tortures poor Keith are amusing and sexy. The dialogue between the two is witty, even laugh-out-loud funny.
Meanwhile, Unity's older friend Dagmar sets her up on a date with her nephew Thaddeus. Thaddeus is a wealthy entrepreneur and former stripper (how is that for a double whammy?) who is tired of the dating scene and looking for "the one".
But Unity cannot move on with her life after the death of her husband three years prior. She works as a handywoman, with a large clientele at the local senior living complex. For fun she plays in the senior pickleball league (even though she is only 34), and she still attends a weekly grief support group.
Can Ellen and Unity shed their fears and move forward with life? You'll have to read this delightful story, The Friendship List, to find out. I read it in one day, and it moved me (Unity's heartbreaking sadness)
and made me smile (Ellen's curiosity about sex) in equal measures.
If you are looking for a terrific story that has female friendship and steamy sex scenes, put The Frienship List on your TBR list. It's a great summer read.
Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Susan Mallery's blog tour.
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down.Ellen is a high school English teacher and single mom to Cooper, 17 years old and a football player. For all their lives, it's just been Ellen and Cooper, as Ellen got pregnant in high school and never had a relationship with Cooper's father beyond the one night.
Her best friend since childhood is Unity, who lost her parents in a car accident when she was a teenager. Unity married her high school boyfriend whose career in the military meant they moved around a lot. When he was killed in action three years ago, Unity's life fell apart and she has yet to recover.
Both Ellen and Unity don't have a lot of experience with dating, and their friendship has been the cornerstone of the life. It's also kept them from experiences that many adult women have had.
When Ellen discovers that Cooper is reluctant to go away to college as they had planned, it is because he is fearful of leaving his mom alone. She overhears him tell a friend that he believes she depends on him for everything, and he just can't go.
This spurs Ellen to join with Unity and create the Friendship List. On this list are things the women plan to do to expand their horizons. There are things like skydiving, rock climbing, getting a tattoo, and having sex with a hot guy on the list. The first one to complete the list gets treated to a spa day by the other one.
Ellen's other good friend is Keith, the high school football coach. They have dinner together frequently, and have never thought of each other as anything more than friends. Ellen is traveling with Keith, Cooper and some football players on a college tour trip. She decides that it will be the perfect time to show her son that she has a life of her own.
She gets a tattoo, and buys a sexy outfit to wear to dinner with Keith. Ellen's lack of experience does not dampen her enthusiasm for sex, and the scenes where she inadvertently tortures poor Keith are amusing and sexy. The dialogue between the two is witty, even laugh-out-loud funny.
Meanwhile, Unity's older friend Dagmar sets her up on a date with her nephew Thaddeus. Thaddeus is a wealthy entrepreneur and former stripper (how is that for a double whammy?) who is tired of the dating scene and looking for "the one".
But Unity cannot move on with her life after the death of her husband three years prior. She works as a handywoman, with a large clientele at the local senior living complex. For fun she plays in the senior pickleball league (even though she is only 34), and she still attends a weekly grief support group.
Can Ellen and Unity shed their fears and move forward with life? You'll have to read this delightful story, The Friendship List, to find out. I read it in one day, and it moved me (Unity's heartbreaking sadness)
and made me smile (Ellen's curiosity about sex) in equal measures.
If you are looking for a terrific story that has female friendship and steamy sex scenes, put The Frienship List on your TBR list. It's a great summer read.
Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on Susan Mallery's blog tour.
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LibraryThing member CathyGeha
The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
Two childhood friends
One a widow the other a single parent
Both have baggage they need to deal with
Why?
They need to move on with their lives and truly live!
A catalyst is needed but will it be enough?
Are they ready and willing to change?
And, if willing, will
What I liked:
* The friendship between Unity and Ellen
* The eventual personal growth of both women
* The fact that both women were able to earn a good living in spite of everything
* Dagmar – Unity’s wise older friend with good sense and years of experience
* The teens…sometimes they seemed more mature than the adults
* Thaddeus: a good man that deserved the best – a great book boyfriend
* Keith: a coach, father, and overall good man though a bit neurotic about keeping his daughter safe
* That there was a happy ending for all
What I didn’t like:
* More a quibble than a dislike- I had a bit of difficulty believing that two 34-year-old women would behave as Unity and Ellen did…they seemed, in some ways, to have been stunted in their teens although their backstories indicated why this might have happened
* Wondering what happened to Luka – missed him in the epilogue
Did I enjoy this book? For the most part
Would I read more books by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
Two childhood friends
One a widow the other a single parent
Both have baggage they need to deal with
Why?
They need to move on with their lives and truly live!
A catalyst is needed but will it be enough?
Are they ready and willing to change?
And, if willing, will
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they be able to do what is necessary? What I liked:
* The friendship between Unity and Ellen
* The eventual personal growth of both women
* The fact that both women were able to earn a good living in spite of everything
* Dagmar – Unity’s wise older friend with good sense and years of experience
* The teens…sometimes they seemed more mature than the adults
* Thaddeus: a good man that deserved the best – a great book boyfriend
* Keith: a coach, father, and overall good man though a bit neurotic about keeping his daughter safe
* That there was a happy ending for all
What I didn’t like:
* More a quibble than a dislike- I had a bit of difficulty believing that two 34-year-old women would behave as Unity and Ellen did…they seemed, in some ways, to have been stunted in their teens although their backstories indicated why this might have happened
* Wondering what happened to Luka – missed him in the epilogue
Did I enjoy this book? For the most part
Would I read more books by this author? Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin for the ARC – This is my honest review.
3-4 Stars
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LibraryThing member Madison_Fairbanks
The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
Chick lit romance. Really good and emotional chick lit romance.
Strong friendships. Emotional growth and tears. Heart full of feel good after reading this.
How can these two women, that have had rather sheltered lives, learn to be so self aware and want to grow?
They didn’t want to change at first. It’s only as they deal with life and challenges that the women realize they like what they’re adding and living. But is not all easy and tears flow in the change.
Excerpt
“ He put down his beer. “Speaking of dating, Lisas got on me about my Internet relationships.”
“You don’t have Internet relationships. You find women to have sex with.”
He winced. “That’s what she said. Have you two been talking about me behind my back?”
“Oh, Please. We have so many more interesting things to talk about.” She never understood the appeal of casual sex. It seems so impersonal. Shouldn’t that level of intimacy be part of a relationship? Otherwise sex was just as romantic as passing gas.”
Excerpt from The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
I received a copy of this book at a reader conference.
Chick lit romance. Really good and emotional chick lit romance.
Strong friendships. Emotional growth and tears. Heart full of feel good after reading this.
How can these two women, that have had rather sheltered lives, learn to be so self aware and want to grow?
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And then do it.They didn’t want to change at first. It’s only as they deal with life and challenges that the women realize they like what they’re adding and living. But is not all easy and tears flow in the change.
Excerpt
“ He put down his beer. “Speaking of dating, Lisas got on me about my Internet relationships.”
“You don’t have Internet relationships. You find women to have sex with.”
He winced. “That’s what she said. Have you two been talking about me behind my back?”
“Oh, Please. We have so many more interesting things to talk about.” She never understood the appeal of casual sex. It seems so impersonal. Shouldn’t that level of intimacy be part of a relationship? Otherwise sex was just as romantic as passing gas.”
Excerpt from The Friendship List by Susan Mallery
I received a copy of this book at a reader conference.
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LibraryThing member Cherylk
OMG. I absolutely fell in love with this book hard. Ellen and Unity have the type of friendship that many women desire. This book reminded me of the movie, The Bucket List starring Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.
There was a discussion question at the end of the book that asked which woman did I
Ellen and Unity as both women learned to live for themselves. Ellen because she stopped being a mom for once and allowed herself to follow her heart. In the case of Unity, she found love for a second time. Both men were great. Which is another discussion question. Which would you choose...Keith or Thaddeus. Again my answer is both. The Friendship List is a must read that will tug at your heartstrings and put a smile on your face. It is the perfect summer read!
There was a discussion question at the end of the book that asked which woman did I
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like better. Neither. I liked them both equally. I will explain my answer. Ellen and Unity as both women learned to live for themselves. Ellen because she stopped being a mom for once and allowed herself to follow her heart. In the case of Unity, she found love for a second time. Both men were great. Which is another discussion question. Which would you choose...Keith or Thaddeus. Again my answer is both. The Friendship List is a must read that will tug at your heartstrings and put a smile on your face. It is the perfect summer read!
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LibraryThing member BettyTaylor56
Definitely chick lit. But I still enjoyed it.
Ellen and Unity, both in their 30s, are in a rut. Ellen has had sex once. The guy dumped her when she informed him that she was pregnant. Unity, childless, has never gotten over her one and only lover – her military husband who was killed in action.
I am normally not a fan of chicklit, but I needed some light reading. I laughed over the antics of Ellen and Unity who were both very naïve. I loved the banter between the lifelong friends. I swooned over the perfect fairytale-like men, Keith and Thaddeus. Lots of steamy scenes. I loved the scenes with the teenagers – very realistic. I also loved the secondary characters.
If you enjoyed the movie “The Book Club” with Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, you will enjoy this book. This is the perfect “feel good” read for the beach/weekend.
Ellen and Unity, both in their 30s, are in a rut. Ellen has had sex once. The guy dumped her when she informed him that she was pregnant. Unity, childless, has never gotten over her one and only lover – her military husband who was killed in action.
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When Ellen overhears her son telling his friend that he can’t go away to college because his mother needs him, Ellen knows she must make a big change in her life. So Ellen and Unity challenge each other with a list of activities that will take them outside of their comfort zones. I am normally not a fan of chicklit, but I needed some light reading. I laughed over the antics of Ellen and Unity who were both very naïve. I loved the banter between the lifelong friends. I swooned over the perfect fairytale-like men, Keith and Thaddeus. Lots of steamy scenes. I loved the scenes with the teenagers – very realistic. I also loved the secondary characters.
If you enjoyed the movie “The Book Club” with Jane Fonda, Diane Keaton, Candice Bergen, and Mary Steenburgen, you will enjoy this book. This is the perfect “feel good” read for the beach/weekend.
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LibraryThing member LoriKBoyd
Perfect read for the beach...quick, engaging, easy to pick up and get lost in. I love friendship stories, the background, the dynamics. In that respect, I felt this was an honest look at two lifelong friends that grew up together and are more like sisters.
Ellen is a single Mom who got pregnant at
Loved the idea of the list, each women challenging the other to try new experiences. This part of the story got lost somewhere around the middle of the book. I really expected to bond with and relate to the characters, But sadly couldn’t. I enjoyed all the other characters, especially Dagmar. I felt all the characters were more realistic than Ellen and Unity. I am no prude, but there were far too many graphic sex scenes, which seemed to dominate the middle of the book.
Thanks to Ms. Mallery, Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
Ellen is a single Mom who got pregnant at
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17 with son Coop. Unity is a widow, who was raised by Ellen’s parents after her own died. I enjoyed the friendship between the women, but separately, I found them both about annoying and somewhat immature, as they wallowed in self pity, blaming, basically, Ellen’s parents for everything. Both women are relatively young, early 30s, and closed off from the outside world looking for something more in a small area, refusing to look at the bigger picture. Loved the idea of the list, each women challenging the other to try new experiences. This part of the story got lost somewhere around the middle of the book. I really expected to bond with and relate to the characters, But sadly couldn’t. I enjoyed all the other characters, especially Dagmar. I felt all the characters were more realistic than Ellen and Unity. I am no prude, but there were far too many graphic sex scenes, which seemed to dominate the middle of the book.
Thanks to Ms. Mallery, Harlequin and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.
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LibraryThing member JRlibrary
Entertaining fluff that would make a good beach read. I liked the idea of two middle aged women making. List of items for the other to make them be more adventurous and brave. Wish the book had more of that snd less of other stuff.
LibraryThing member shazjhb
Sweet book. Interesting issues but a fun easy read.
Original language
English
Physical description
9.26 inches
ISBN
1335136967 / 9781335136961