Contemporary Romance/Women’s Fiction published by HQN Books 04 Aug 20
Ms. Mallery delivers a story of two ordinary women who have struggled to find a plateau of moderate success and contentment, until the status quo is no longer an option for either woman. Both women are forced to confront their fears and step out of their comfort zone by creating a list of challenges to force the change. Their emotionally charged journey full of joy, sadness, and love is inspiring and page turning.
Ellen is very content in her life as a teacher, her only worry being able to afford the college her very talented son will pick, until the day she overhears him ready to throw away all his dreams because he can’t leave his mother to drown on her own. When she descends on her best friend Unity with her tale of woe, Unity isn’t exactly receptive or supportive. It so happens that Unity is struggling with her own set of challenges. Widowed three years, she hasn’t been able to set aside her pall of grief and her crutches in the local senior community and the grief group have decided to take away her crutch so she can learn to cope and start to live.
When the dust settles and all is forgiven, a list is born of activities that each women creates to challenge themselves into changing the status quo and live a little or even live a little wild.
While both of their evolutions are an inspiring story, Unity has the more difficult journey and her emergence from the dark depression that has her in its claws will definitely garner both tears and cheers. As each uses the other as inspiration to check items off their list, Ellen is the first to get a tattoo, the first to kiss and tell, and has the first sexual encounter. Unity wins on the physical activities in their challenge but has a much longer journey on the emotional and sexual front.
Add in a wonderful cast of characters, teenagers and their hormones to throw in a nice wrinkle of two along the way and you have a great story.
Grade: A
Summary:
[ ] Dance till dawn
[ ] Go skydiving
[ ] Wear a bikini in public
[ ] Start livingTwo 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.
