Book Review: The Wish List Trip

By Melissa Amster

Dear Holly and Anna,

I knew it would take drastic measures to bring you together, so, ta da, one drastic measure! I’m sorry I died. And I know you guys haven’t spoken in five years. But here’s the plan: over fourteen days, you are going to scatter my ashes in every place we vacationed together in our twenties.

I wish I could have fixed your friendship before I passed away. But dying comes with one perk—you can’t say no to me now.

You’re going to have the best time. I’ve planned rum cocktails in Cabo and café hopping in Paris. And along the way, I’ll keep sending you letters. Because there’s a secret I wasn’t brave enough to share when I was alive… and if I know the three of us, I suspect we’ve all been hiding something from each other.

The times we spent together were the best days of my life. Nobody made me laugh like you did, Anna. And Holly, promise you’ll let your hair down one last time for me.

I hope by the end of this trip, there’s nothing left we’re afraid to say...

xo, Zoe (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Kerry Lonsdale and Orly Konig recently teamed up to write The Wish List Trip, a novel about two estranged friends honoring the memory of their mutual best friend who passed away. The premise sounded like P.S. I Love You, but for friends, so I knew I had to read it. I'm so thankful for the early opportunity!

I loved this novel! It was just so great from beginning to end. Watching the two very different women, who hadn't spoken in several years, come together for the sake of their friend and experiencing all their trips made for a real page-turner. While it is emotional, grief is explored in a sensitive and thoughtful way the entire time. I liked learning more about Zoe through her letters and the flashback scenes. 

My only concern, and this is really minor, is that I felt like Anna didn't have such a deep secret like her friends did. The only thing she seemed to be hiding was pretty obvious to Holly. I wish she had something more to reveal, as most of the drama was coming from Holly's side (and some from Zoe's letters), but that's not a deal breaker at all. 

I can't recommend this novel enough and I'm so excited for it to be available soon! Be ready for an incredible adventure. And you may want to have a box of tissues nearby. I know I got teary-eyed a few times. 

Movie casting suggestions (I really hope this is made into a movie):

Anna: Emily Osment

Holly: Christa B. Allen

Zoe (in flashbacks): Anne Winters

Leo: Jake Stormoen

Jack: Jay Hayden

(Trigger warnings below, aside from the obvious. May contain spoilers.)

Thanks to Kerry Lonsdale for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Kerry Lonsdale:

Side Trip

Find Me in California

Falling For You Again

More by Orly Konig:

The Arrangements

The Distance Home

Carousel Beach

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TW: Cancer. Death of sibling. Bullying. Social media messing up someone's life. Infertility. Loss of friendship. Parental neglect/abandonment.

Book Review: Be Your Own Bestie

By Melissa Amster

You deserve happiness.

You deserve hope.

And you deserve a sassy best friend who can help you learn not to settle for less.

It’s time to start loving yourself radically. And Misha Brown—you may know him as @yourbestiemisha—is here to guide you along your journey of self-discovery, accountability, and most importantly, self-love. With his no-nonsense (but always loving) approach, Misha shares stories from his own life, encounters with others, and the wisdom gleaned from them to help you release the patterns, relationships, and beliefs that have kept you from stepping into your full fabulousness.

With equal parts hilarity and heart, Misha’s S.A.S.S. Method to glowing up your life consists of:

S – Self-reflection: Turn your focus inward to push away what’s been holding you back

A – Affirmations: Reshape the way you speak to and about yourself

S – Standing your ground: Set boundaries and stop apologizing

S – Sculpting the life you want: Take bold steps toward your own happily ever after

No matter where you are today, now is the time to begin showing up for yourself as your own best friend. Because you deserve it, bestie! (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I've been following Misha Brown on Instagram and Facebook for quite some time now. His videos are so uplifting and I've even cried from some of them. I talked about him in our column post back in December, as the topic was "kindness." So when I heard he had a book releasing last month, I just had to read it! I rarely do audiobooks due to lack of available time, but I made an exception for this one as it was a bit shorter and I was doing more driving than usual. I'm so glad I got to listen to him read his book as it made the experience that much more meaningful. (I also made an exception to reading self-help books, as I normally don't.)

Misha shares stories and anecdotes from his life in order to illustrate the different points he is trying to make to his readers (a.k.a. besties). He also talks about things his friends have gone through and the advice he has given them. As far as self-help books go, this one was a breeze! 

I just loved hearing what Misha had to say and I felt a lot of it was so relatable. I even saw myself in some of the stories he had about his friends. I was cheering him on when he shared something good and getting angry on his behalf when people treated him poorly. I really liked how he was able to rise above the way people treated him and impart his wisdom to others who may be going through the same things. Where was he when I was dealing with a toxic friend in high school?!? (He was probably in elementary school since he's eleven years younger than me. 🤣)

Misha is just so kind, genuine, and a complete ray of sunshine! It's impossible NOT to adore him once you see even just one of his social media videos. I'm jealous of anyone who has gotten to actually connect with him in person or even receive a response to a message they sent him. He's very popular and high-in-demand, so I understand that. I just hope he brings his book tour to my neck of the woods soon. 

There are parts in the book where Misha asks readers to do thought exercises and write things down. I will admit that I didn't do this. I may have thought about what he suggested a few times, but I was hard-pressed to always come up with situations where I would be able to use these exercises. However, they are extremely helpful to anyone who would actually need them. I did feel a boost of confidence from listening to Misha be my own personal cheerleader during my drives and while folding laundry though! 

Something Misha said that was extremely relevant is that people tend to sympathize with bullies instead of victims. That has been happening a lot lately and it's a disturbing trend. Maybe Misha's next book should be helping people realize that they were brainwashed. 

Overall, this is a delightful book to listen to (or read in print or Kindle, if you don't do audio). I highly recommend it to anyone who needs a confidence boost or a push to remove toxicity from their lives. I think everyone can benefit in some way from listening to Misha and becoming their own bestie! (On the audio version, Misha leads a meditation at the end.)

Side note: The other day, my daughter was giving advice to one of her friends regarding some friendship drama. Afterward, I told her how much she sounded like Misha and how proud I was. (She hasn't even listened to Misha, but she definitely said everything he would say!)

Side note 2: Since you know how much I love Ghosts, the name of Misha's method is easy for me to remember. And honestly, Sass could use some S.A.S.S. too. (Although I am impressed by something he did recently, but more for his own sake.)

Purchase Be Your Own Bestie here.

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Book Review: Moms Love Boy Bands

By Melissa Amster

Four best friends. A dream vacation. Then one vanishes without a trace.

Celebrating their forty-fifth birthdays, four best friends escape to a tropical island for "Boy Bands at the Beach." What could be better than basking in the sun, devouring beach reads, and being serenaded by the bands they idolized as teenagers?

But when the story opens, we learn that each woman is at a crossroads. Nicole is at a boudoir photo shoot, desperate to recapture when she was the life of every party and not just a boring stay at home mom. Liliana, the overworked COO of a tech company, has missed dinner with her family again and must face her disappointed husband. Angie, the misfit of the group, is wrestling with a secret from the past. And Carly, a trendsetting influencer, is on social media promoting her beach trip must-haves, even though she just caught her husband cheating.

Enter Luca-a gorgeous, charismatic twenty-something year-old. When he befriends Angie, the others question why he's at an event for women who get Botox injections and need sensible shoes. Suspicion escalates when someone steals Angie's passport. Then, the unthinkable happens when one friend vanishes. Will the others find her, or will a vacation to see the best nineties boy bands of all time end in disaster? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Moms Love Boy Bands is all sorts of nostalgic fun! It reminded me of when my best friend and I met up in Nashville to see New Kids on the Block in concert. We were both obsessed in middle school and still screaming for our NKOTB crushes in our forties! 🤣

The story has a bit of a White Lotus feel. (Think of the girlfriend group in season three.) There's also an element of danger in the story when one of the friends disappears and no one knows what happened or why. 

I loved all the nostalgia in the story and it made me want to listen to nineties music even more than I already do. Aside from NKOTB, I also enjoy listening to NSYNC and Backstreet Boys. The parts about the mental load mothers experience was so relatable and honest. Things did get real quite a few times (aside from all the vacation shenanigans) and I felt bad for the women for different reasons. I also liked that one of the friends was Jewish and that there were mentions of Shabbat, Hebrew school, etc.

My main concern was that some parts felt a bit disjointed, like the motivation was off. Certain situations could have been resolved if people just talked and listened instead of jumping to conclusions. Things weren't always what they seemed and even I assumed the worst sometimes!

If you need a virtual vacation filled with nineties memories and boy band music, look no further! I enjoy Jenifer's mom-coms and look forward to reading more from her.

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:

Nicole: Marla Sokoloff
Liliana: Romola Garai
Carly: Claire Coffee
Angie: Rachael Leigh Cook
Luca: Michael Provost
Josh: Justin Bartha

Thanks to Jenifer Goldin for the book in exchange for an honest review. 

More by Jenifer Goldin:

Anonymous Mom Posts

Moms Who Read Romance Novels

Good Moms Say Bad Words

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TW: Death of mother (cancer). Kidnapping. Infidelity. Career pressure. Marriage difficulties. Being scammed.

Sara and Melissa Talk About...Things We Love

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. We are finishing up our fifth year!

This month, we are keeping it fun and positive, by just talking about the things we love, which can refer to people, places, objects, experiences, etc. A great way to close out the year!

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Melissa Amster:

There are plenty of things that I love, so I will try not to make this into an entire novel and just narrow it down to ten. I'm taking books out of the equation, since that's a given or this blog wouldn't be here right now!

1. My husband. We've been married almost 21 years and are thankfully still happy together.

2. My kids. I love them equally and could never, ever pick a favorite. They each have traits that make them special and it's been amazing seeing them grow into the remarkable teenagers they are. They also get along with each other, which is so wonderful!

July 2024

3. My family, as in my parents, sister, and nephew, as well as my aunt, uncle, and cousins. Even though we live far apart, we find ways to stay close.

4. My in-laws. I'm lucky to have in-laws I get along with. I'm especially close with my mother-in-law. 

5. My friends. I don't know where I'd be without them, whether I've known them all my life or just met them a few years ago. I treasure the friendships I have!

6. Musical theater. I love seeing shows on Broadway, on tour, and in local professional productions. I obviously love seeing my kids perform in musicals at school and camp. (They all love musicals, so it's really nice to share that with them.) I primarily listen to show tunes when I'm driving or doing chores.

7. Being Jewish. While it's been harder to be Jewish over the past year or so, it's also made me love it even more, if that makes sense. There are ways to find Jewish joy and I've seen a lot of it around. I will be participating in the #JewishBookstagramTour later this month (@mel_thebookfairy) and am excited to talk about what brings me #JewishJoy over there!

8. Humor. Give me a reason to laugh and it just brightens my day. I love seeing funny videos and memes, hearing a good joke (or pun), sharing inside jokes with my family and friends, watching comedic TV shows and films, etc.

9. My job. I've been doing book publicity work for the past few years and I'm really enjoying it. I've taken on some new responsibilities that go along with my job and have learned so much. I really feel like I'm in my groove. I also like the people I work with and feel valued there.

10. Baking challah and desserts. Enough said, right?!? Obviously, getting to eat the final product is the best part! I have been trying out some new recipes that I found to keep things interesting, too. 

Round challahs I made for Rosh Hashanah

Sara Steven:

Some of the things that I love:

1. My family–but, that is a given. This photo is from my older son's high school graduation last year. My parents and mother-in-law are there too.

2. Being outdoors: I love the great outdoors, even if that means going for a long walk around my neighborhood, running on the wash trail by my house, or gardening in my backyard. I don’t feel like I’ve had a good day if I haven’t managed to get outside at some point. 

3. The smell of the desert after it rains: This ties in with being outdoors–there is a specific smell that comes from cacti and sagebrush after it rains in the desert. I’m sure the sandy terrain and gravel comes into play, too, creating the perfect aroma.

4. Theaters with dine-in options: I love the Majestic theater in Gilbert, Arizona. What can be better than getting to watch a movie in the theater, recline the seat, and have food delivered to you–not just popcorn and boxes of candy and hot dogs but an actual meal! When I saw Barbie at the Majestic, they had the most delicious Barbie bites offered up for an appetizer. It was this cream cheese corn thing and I couldn’t get enough of them, and the best thing of all–I didn’t have to cook or prepare anything.

5. Inside jokes: Sharing inside jokes with family and friends is a lot of fun. Melissa and I have a lot of inside jokes, too, which often shows in the gifts we give one another for birthdays and holidays. This one is a tie back to our 90 Day Fiancé viewing days:

6. Yoga: Yoga centers me. I’ve been doing it for the last decade and it’s become an integral part of my life. Lately, I do yoga as a means of physical therapy, to help with some issues I have with compressed discs and neck and back pain, and it really helps a lot. Hot yoga is my go-to.

7. Starbucks: I’ve had friends who were super into Starbucks and I remember scoffing when they’d pull up their Starbucks apps, but now I’m that person with the app. My husband has the app on his phone, too, for me. I love (I’m obsessed) with Starbucks. My day doesn’t feel complete without a tall hot chai, or after hot yoga, I indulge with a venti strawberry acai refresher. When I’m feeling a little saucy and need some caffeine, I’ll add a shot of blonde to my chai to make a dirty chai–something I’ve recently discovered and I swear it tastes like a slice of tiramisu.  

What are some things that YOU love?

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Book Review: The Summer Pact

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and aspiring lawyer from Washington, D.C.; Summer, an ambitious, recruited athlete from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after arriving on campus, they strike up a conversation in their shared dorm, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, they make a pact, promising to always be there for one another, no matter how separated they may become by circumstances or distance. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

Allyson Bales:

“Remember there’s a difference between your history and your legacy.  Your history is what happened.  Your legacy is what you set in motion.”

Emily Giffin will always be a favorite author of mine because her stories always hit that sweet spot of deep and thought-provoking and also fun and uplifting. 

When I saw The Summer Pact was being released, I knew I needed to get my hands on it as soon as possible and am so glad I did.  This story is told from the different perspectives of friends from college, struggling with their hardships.  They come together to support each other and go on a pretty amazing journey.  I loved it.  While some of the story deals with deeper topics like grief and addiction, there is also grace, humility, and humor, and I found myself so invested in these characters.  I binged this one in two days!

While all of the characters really resonated with me, my favorite was Hannah.  She has no clue how strong she is, how much what she carries resonates with so many, how brave she is.  I really was rooting for all of them and really enjoyed the growth in all of the characters but Hannah the most.  

Thank you Emily Giffin for writing another amazing beach read!  Please go read this one and then let me know which character was your favorite!  

Melissa Amster:

I've read all of Emily Giffin's novels and her writing voice has really evolved over time. The Summer Pact is definitely on my list of her top three though!

The story was really engaging the entire time and I loved all of the main characters and cared so much about them. Getting to see each of their perspectives was helpful. There are some heavy topics, but Emily handles them in a sensitive and honest way.  I also loved the armchair adventure aspect and felt like I was in Italy with the friends. It was really easy to visualize people and places.

I was constantly surprised by everything that was happening and had no idea what would come up next. I maybe only guessed at a few things but they were hinted at early on. And Hannah's mother made me so angry on Hannah's behalf. Such toxic behavior! She reminded me a bit of Skeeter's mom in The Help (but also with a lot of Hilly's personality).

This is such a great summer (or even year-round) read and it will definitely make you laugh, smile, and even cry! Perfect for fans of Jane Green and Jill Santopolo, as well. 

(Trigger warnings below.)

Movie casting suggestions:
Tyson: Lucien Laviscount

Hannah: Elizabeth Lail

Lainey: Meghann Fahy 

Summer: Bella Thorne

Grady: Luke Kleintank

Olivia: Adelaide Kane

Thanks to Random House for the book in exchange for an honest review. Enter to win one of 20 copies on Goodreads! (US only. Ends July 31st.)

More by Emily Giffin:
Meant to Be
First Comes Love
Where We Belong

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TW: suicide, death of parent, alcoholism

Book Review: A Wedding in Lake Como

By Allyson Bales

Best friends Ava, Madison, and Chelsea made a pact to reunite for each other’s weddings when their careers sent them in different directions. But after one of them makes a choice that tears the group apart, an upcoming wedding might be their last chance to heal old wounds.

Ava is about to marry the man she loves in a lavish ceremony on the shores of Lake Como, but she’s haunted by the mistakes she’s made.

Madison’s made a name for herself as an influencer in the fashion world but is threatened by a scandal impacting everything she holds dear.

And Chelsea has the perfect family she always craved, but her professional dreams have fallen by the wayside.

As they return to Italy’s gorgeous coast, the three women revisit their life-changing first trip to Lake Como during college. When Madison comes face-to-face with the college sweetheart who was at the heart of one of the most pivotal times of her life, can they forge a new way forward? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

A Wedding in Lake Como was such an engaging story with exploration of so many meaningful themes, a backdrop of New York City and Italy, and characters you will hate and love with equal measure.

Probst's writing is so descriptive and thoughtful.  I have now done a deep dive of Brunate and Nesso, small towns in Italy I really want to explore as soon as possible, have a newfound appreciation for what celebrities go through, and need to talk to my best friend from college as soon as I am done writing this review!

This is a bingeable, quick read that made me think so much about true friendship.  I think so many of us can name at least one person we met in our twenties who really was there for the awkward, often bad-decision making, transitional time in our lives.  I think back on some of the choices that I made in my early twenties and cringe.  The three main characters in this story come together around the start of college and have their ups and downs.  I love how Probst explores what it means to hold grudges, forgive, and find your peace.  

I loved Maddie’s character the best. Maddie is an influencer but I think anyone can certainly relate to her.  

”I was a walking contradiction, shy and awkward inside, yet dying to be seen and recognized by others.”

Not only is she trying to make it in fashion where the demand to grow followers and find her own artistic voice is tough, but she’s also trying to piece herself back together after things change.  This story also depicted what happens when someone in the public eye makes one poor public mistake. Celebrities are human and I love how her character works on herself after that mistake.  I also really enjoyed the way Maddie’s brain processed things.  She is emotional but also balanced  and tries very hard to look at all perspectives.  

Maddie experiences something with her two best friends that changes everything, and I think most of us  can relate to what her character does to try to get back on track.  There is so much depth in the story and I was so invested in what happens to all of them!  To be honest, I would love another book in this Italy series with these characters!  

If you’re a fan of beautiful Italy or want to visit there someday, women’s fiction, and self-reflection, this is a book I think you’ll really enjoy!

Thanks to Berkley for the book in exchange for an honest review.

More by Jennifer Probst:
Our Italian Summer
The Secret Love Letters of Olivia Moretti
Unbreak My Heart

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Winter Break

We've been running a column series to get more personal with our readers. This is the start of our fifth year!

This month, we are talking about what we did over winter break. 

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

Both my sons were out of school for the holidays. The eighteen year old, who attends Arizona State University, was on break from classes and not due to return until January. The thirteen-year-old was on his two week winter break from middle school. Usually during the break, we try to make a concrete plan which might include a short trip to Sedona or Flagstaff, but given the older boy’s work schedule and the time he spends with his girlfriend, and the younger boy’s playdates and sleepovers, on top of the fact that I had work and my husband did, too, we had to make some alternate plans. 

We always have family and friends gather at our house for Christmas. Preparing for that took up a chunk of the winter break, but it felt a lot less stressful, considering many of the side dishes or meals I usually prepare on top of the turkey and other fixings had been delegated to other people. That has never happened before! It was a very relaxing day for me. I actually had time to sit outside in the Arizona sunshine with my friends and have meaningful conversations, instead of getting stuck cooking (and cleaning) in the kitchen.

A few days later, the eighteen year old suggested we see Godzilla Minus One in theaters. He’d already seen it, and when he really enjoys a movie, he’s prone to see it multiple times. (I think I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s seen Oppenheimer.) I wasn’t really feeling it, but given how rare it is for all of us to have availability at the same time, I jumped at the chance to spend a family day with him and our younger son, and my husband. Before the movie, we had dinner at IHOP. It was the one place we could all agree on. The thirteen year old thought it would be funny to take photos of us, then use one of his apps on his phone that converts the photos into hilarious images and videos. The eighteen year old cracked jokes and made sure to pick on me a little bit, which is a major way he shows affection. The food wasn’t super great, but the company was pretty amazing. And you know what? I enjoyed the movie. 

My favorite time over the winter break, though, was New Year’s Eve. I was shocked to discover that my sons had decided to make plans that involved staying in and spending time as a family! I feel like quality time together, just the four of us, has become so rare. I made a charcuterie board, per the older son’s request. (He’s so fancy like that.) 

We played Jackbox games together, up until about ten minutes before the ball was set to drop at midnight on tv. When that happened, I kissed my husband, then gave my sons humongous hugs to ring in 2024. We ran outside to catch glimpses of various fireworks that were going off in the night sky, but we were all pretty loopy by then, considering how late it was. Even so, once we headed back into the house, the kids decided to pull up Youtube and watch something called Skibidi Toilet, a super annoying animated web series that continuously played on repeat until I couldn’t stand it anymore and dragged myself off to bed at around one in the morning. The boys promised to go to bed shortly after, but I doubt that happened. 

Our usual plans of travel didn’t pan out, but I appreciate how relaxing and calm our winter break had been. Plus, what I have grown accustomed to in the past, with always traveling as a foursome, has parlayed into snippets of time where we can gather together and get what time we can, before life and its responsibilities and commitments get in the way. It’s made me even more appreciative of that precious time together. It was a nice way for us to spend the break.

Melissa Amster:

Winter break started the weekend leading up to Christmas. So we decided to take the kids on a road trip to the Chicago suburbs to visit my family and a couple of friends. We were only there for a couple of days, so we didn't tell a lot of people about our visit and made plans with people we hadn't spent time with in a while. The main focus was my family though, especially my sixteen-month-old nephew. 

We left right after Shabbat and stayed overnight in Cleveland. We arrived to the hotel pretty late, so we mainly just crashed there for the night before the next part of our trip, which was going the rest of the way to the Chicago suburbs. When we finally made it there, we spent the evening at my sister's house and had dinner there. It was a relaxing evening overall and we enjoyed catching up with everyone. My nephew is walking all over the place and says very few words right now, but his favorite one is "cracker." And it's so cute to hear him say it! He also makes duck faces and has the best laugh.

Super cute!!!

Monday, we met up with Tracey (my best friend, who also used to blog for CLC) and her husband and their adorable baby boy (whom I also consider a nephew, as she and I are that close). We had brunch with them and then hung out at my sister's house so the babies could play together. (It's mostly parallel play since they're about seven months apart.) Later, we met up with my family for dinner. Although it was Christmas, there were a few places open. We went to my parents' house afterward and got to see some of my cousins, one who just turned 23 the day before. (I feel so old!)

Tuesday, we met up with my husband's cousins for brunch, as he hadn't had a chance to see them in a while. It was nice catching up with them. My parents were there too, as they're friends with his cousins. Then we went to my parents' house again to spend more time with them, and my sister and nephew, before heading to dinner to meet a friend we hadn't seen since 2017. This is someone I'm also really close with and we have a lot of common interests. She also supports my kids' theater interests and she's genuinely kind and down-to-earth. We spent over two hours talking at the restaurant. 

Wednesday, we headed back to Cleveland and stayed at the same hotel we stayed at on Saturday night. Honestly, if I had known what the hotel was going to be like, I would have picked a different one, but it was too late to cancel without incurring a fee. Having said that, the toilet paper was in this weird spot at the bottom of the bathroom cabinet. We went to our favorite Kosher dairy restaurant in Cleveland for dinner, which was nice, and had way too many cheese fries. Unfortunately, our favorite frozen custard place was closed for the winter. 

We had to do some sort of gymnastics to reach this.

On Thursday, we drove to Pittsburgh and met up with another close friend of mine (we go back over 30 years) who moved there in 2022. We try to see him whenever we're out that way or passing through. Then we headed back home. The rest of the week was uneventful and then on Saturday I discovered that I had Covid. This was my first time with it and it really just felt like a cold. I only realized it may be something more when I couldn't smell or taste my normally strong cinnamon tea. So I spent New Year's Eve and the next few days in my room binge watching High School Musical: the Musical: the Series. If you're a musical theater geek like me, you'll love this show. That was coupled with the novel Cut Loose by Ali Stroker, which I really enjoyed. And in more bookish news, I finally saw One True Loves, which is based on the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. You can see my review at the link.

And that was my winter break.

What did you do over the winter holidays?

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Book Review: The Christmas Orphans Club

By Allyson Bales

Hannah and Finn have spent every Christmas together since college. Neither has anywhere else to go—Hannah’s parents died, and Finn’s disowned him when he came out. Their tradition of offbeat holiday adventures only grows more outrageous with time. When the pair starts their adult lives in New York City, they add stylish Priya and mysterious Theo to the group, solidifying a found family and sense of belonging they’ve always craved.

But now, when Finn announces a move to L.A., this Christmas may be their last. Hannah is terrified of losing the family she’s built for herself, even as her boyfriend nudges her toward commitment. Meanwhile, Finn struggles with the things he’s about to leave behind—namely, his unexpressed feelings for Theo. Does growing up mean growing apart? This Christmas the changes these friends fear may be exactly what they need. . . . (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

The lead up to Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year!  The weather is cozy, you're coming off that turkey or tofu turkey glow and feeling thankful after Thanksgiving.  One of my favorite thing to do starting December first was to watch Christmas movies with my cousin.  She absolutely loved the Hallmark channel but I loved movies with a little more...substance and drama!   This book reminded me of the perfect blend of Elf and Love, Actually.  It really gets you into the holiday spirit but also centers around friendship, love, and has that substance.    

There is a friend group that reminded me so much of my friends from college.  Hannah and Finn meet in their freshman year.  I related to and had some much in common with Hannah.  She is a Jersey girly and loves music, the movie Garden State, and read Goosebumps as a kid.  She is also fiercely loyal and quite the worrier.  Finn loves fantasy novels and the TV show Parks and Recreation, and is a bleeding heart.  They both are alone on Christmas and come together to celebrate every year.  Later on they meet Priya and Theo and their holiday adventures become more outrageous!

While this book revolves around this quirky and endearing friend group celebrating Christmas each year, there are more deeply layered themes surrounding found family and how friendship can change over time.  I really can relate to this and to be honest, struggled a lot like Hannah. 

“Lately it feels like we have so much less time for each other.  It used to be a given that the four of us would spend our weekends together.  We didn’t need restaurant reservations or concert tickets to bind us to a date and time.  If we didn't have something to do, we’d find something to do.  But now it takes thirty emails and a Google Calendar invite each month in advance to lock in a date, and even then there’s a fifty percent chance at least one person bails.”

Like Hannah, Finn, Theo, and Priya, I spent nearly every day with my friends from college and my early twenties.  They were more than just my friends, a lot of them have become my family.  As we have gotten older and life has become more complicated, the shift of time spent and getting together every day has changed.  I think so many people go through these changes and I love the way Freeman explores this.  I also really enjoyed her writing style.

There is so much funny banter, alternative points of view, and a non-linear timeline that really keeps you laughing and invested in the story.  I also loved all of the pop-culture and music references.  Freeman also explores sexual identity and grief in a relatable way.  There were so many sweet and funny and also more serious and heartfelt moments in this amazing book!

If you’re looking to get into the holiday spirit with a little more depth than a Hallmark movie, this one is perfect and one I highly recommend!

Also I did not know Becca Freeman has a podcast, Bad on Paper, but I do now and WOW!  I started listening on my way into work today and I now can't wait for Becca and her co-host Olivia Muenter to become part of my daily routine! 

Thanks to Viking for the book in exchange for an honest review. Purchase The Christmas Orphans Club here.

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Book Review: When We Were Friends

 

By Sara Steven

They were best friends. Sisters of the heart. Partners in crime. Until they got caught…

Five years ago, Frannie Willets committed grand larceny to help her best friend, Lexi Maddox, escape an awful situation. Now paroled and prospectless, Frannie needs to disappear from her dead-end life. To do so, she’ll need her share of the stolen money that Lexi has been hiding all these years. But Lexi has other plans.

By all appearances, Lexi is thriving, but in truth, nothing in her life is going according to plan. She can’t carry a pregnancy to term, her sweet stepdaughter hates her, and even the family’s new rescue dog knows she’s a failure. Lexi’s only path to happiness is making amends with the friend she dearly misses. But the only thing Frannie wants from Lexi is cash.

Out of desperation, Lexi offers Frannie all the money, with one catch: Frannie must stick around for one month. Stranded in their suffocating small town, Frannie gets tangled up in Lexi’s issues, her mother’s questionable dating life, a lonely kid’s desperate attempts to find friends, and a high-school crush’s fantasies about what could have been. Suddenly, leaving doesn’t look as easy as it once did. But when an old enemy surfaces, Frannie realizes her staying endangers everyone she loves. And even though she might have found her heart’s true home, there’s no guarantee she can keep it. (Synopsis courtesy of Goodreads)

One of the aspects I appreciated most about When We Were Friends had been how well the characters are fleshed out. Frannie’s behaviorisms and mannerisms very much reflect that of someone who had gone to prison for a while, trying to acclimate back into a world where she has a say in her own life. Lexi very much represents a woman who is hiding from her secrets, pasting on a happy smile while she creates an orderly environment in order to control the narrative. But as with most things, Frannie and Lexi discover that neither of them can escape the past, and both for very different reasons.

The story takes place in the here and now, with flashbacks to the past that helps the reader to better understand what happened, and why Frannie did what she did for her best friend. Initially, I questioned what that could even be. No one chooses to take the fall, particularly when it means going to prison. But what transpires more than makes up for that, and we begin to really see the relationship dynamic between the two friends and the significance of that. 

I always kind of knew Frannie’s history with crime would come back to haunt her. Despite her paying her dues, there is unfinished business that needs to be settled, and when her own family gets roped into the mess, she has no other choice but to do the most she can to protect those she loves. It’s funny because Frannie puts a lot of walls up, in order to protect her heart, yet despite herself, she is fiercely loyal and would do anything (obviously) to protect the people important to her. What she needs to learn is that she is deserving of that same sentiment. She carries a lot of baggage from her former life behind bars and doesn’t think she’s worth the fight. 

I loved the progression of the story for Frannie, along with the unexpected friendships and relationships she forms with others. While the ending could have been a bit more pumped up, given the circumstances, I liked the conclusion, given the fact that the main theme behind Frannie’s story is friendship and family, and love. In her hour of need, she discovers just how far people are willing to go to protect her, enabling her to change her mind and see things in a different way. There are eye-opening changes for Lexi, too. It was a well-earned five-star experience!

Thanks to Red Adept Publishing for the book in exchange for an honest review.

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Sara and Melissa Talk About...Drama!

We've been running a column series (for three years now!) to get more personal with our readers. This month, we're talking about drama, which you can find in most novels these days. Just saying....

We're always open to topic suggestions, so please don't hesitate to share those in the comments. We'd also love to know if you can relate to anything we've said or hear your own thoughts on the topic. So don't be shy. :) We look forward to getting to know you as much as we're letting you get to know us. You can find our previous columns here, in case you missed them. 

Sara Steven:

Melissa and I often take turns when it comes to picking out a topic for our monthly blog post. I’m fairly certain I was the one who suggested we talk about drama for this month, and to be honest, I can’t remember why I’d come up with that topic, or where it had stemmed from. I must have been dealing with some drama of my own at the time–I know back then, I was either nearly estranged or just starting a new job after saying sayonara to the former one, a situation I still suffer a bit of PTSD from. It was a few short months before I couldn’t take it anymore and said “when,” for physical and mental reasons, but it felt like it was three long years within a very toxic environment. Even now, when I bring up that bitter past, my husband tells me, “They can’t hurt you anymore,” and pats my back in solidarity. 

So, maybe that’s the mood I’d been in when I suggested we talk about drama. I know ordinarily, I hate drama. I’m not the kind to want to sip the tea, gulp the tea, or spill the tea, respectively. I do well in low-stress situations, and that’s the vibe I try to hold onto in my life. I know we can’t always prevent the drama from seeping into our lives, but I do my best. 

It wasn’t always like that. In my youth, a large part of me thrived on it. Particularly during my teen years, when it seemed I’d been presented with situations that would thrust me right into the thick of some crazy and bizarre scenarios. A moment from prom just popped into my memory banks, or more so, the after prom–holding one of my close friends upright in the shower, while screaming at her to “say your A-B-C’s,” shoving copious amounts of Wonder bread into her mouth in an attempt to soak up the alcohol she’d consumed in mass quantities. But I guess that could be the dramatic story for a lot of people who’d gone to a party after prom. It seemed back then, particularly in the nineties, there weren't a lot of limits, and somehow despite our underage status, we had access to hardcore liquor. 

The drama continued through my early to mid-twenties, mostly due to the types of friendships I had. Dramatic people sought me out, maybe because I was often a pushover who just went along with what everyone else wanted me to do. It often meant putting myself into some really precarious situations, or at times, at the center of someone else’s relationship, making it easier to point a finger at me versus other people, or themselves. 

For several years, I was a self-professed “people collector". I had a tough time letting go of anyone I’d had a relationship with, even extending out to exes. But at some point, something snapped for me. Or, clicked. I realized I didn’t have to put up with other people’s drama. The self-professed people collector who could never let go of anyone, decided she’d had enough and wanted to put up some boundaries. It meant at times, having to let go of relationships that were not healthy for me. I thought it would be a really hard transition for me to make, but it felt good to walk away from the drama and chaos. Things felt so much simpler. I could focus more on what is important to me, like my family, or my hobbies, without feeling the guilt of shifting focus away from supporting someone else’s dramatic needs and wants. 

Drama can’t always be avoided, I get that. Scenarios like the one I’d experienced when I had the toxic job will pop up from time to time, because life can’t always remain stress-free and drama-free. Life would probably get a little stagnant if that were the case. But, knowing my limits, not to mention knowing where I stand when it comes to allowing drama a place at the table, means not leaving myself in bad situations for far too long. 

Melissa Amster:

When Sara chose this topic, I didn't really know what to write about. I thought maybe I'd talk about how having a pre-teen daughter is a whole new level of drama. My friend and I compare our daughters to Katie Ka-Boom from Animaniacs all the time. It's pretty much accurate. One moment, she'll be my best friend and the next moment she is screaming at me because she didn't have time to get her homework done and that's somehow my fault. Then I figured that what I just said summed it all up. If you have a  daughter who is approaching her pre-teen years, please feel free to contact me and I will be glad to commiserate with you. 

The other thing that I thought of from this topic was Degrassi. I spent half a year binge-watching Degrassi: The Next Generation during the pandemic. I was a fan of Degrassi Junior High and Degrassi High when I was growing up. Somehow, I missed The Next Generation (TNG) since it started in the early 2000s and I was in my mid-twenties by then. Anyway, there is a LOT of drama on every episode of TNG. I joke that the school is cursed because bad things happen to everyone all the time. No one is immune. I know the series is set up as a cautionary tale for teens, but watching it as an adult makes me thankful that my teens aren't getting themselves into all kinds of trouble. Here's just a "short" list of all the things that happen to the characters:

• Teen pregnancy
• Rape
• Eating disorders
• Cancer
• School shooting
• Death of classmates due to some horrible situations
• Drug abuse
• Alcohol abuse
• Child abuse
• Parents getting divorced
• Bullying (in person and online)
• Getting catfished
• Pervy teachers (I remember the first time that happened was with a teacher coming on to Lucy on DJH.)
• Coming out as the only gay teen in the school
• Self-harm
• Being stalked
• Being the parent to their parents 
• Abortion
• Suicide
• Poverty
• Gang violence
• Running away from home
• Getting robbed or mugged

I'm sure there were plenty of other things, but this list speaks volumes. Anytime someone got confronted, they would yell at the person confronting them to reveal what their difficult situation was. I still remember when Marco first told one of his friends (Spinner) that he was gay, but it was because Spinner kept harping on him for leaving a double date. Marco ended up yelling the truth about himself. I also remember Ellie yelling at Paige for confronting her about self-harming. 

Anyway, despite all these dramatic situations, TNG is an addictive binge-watch. I even got Sara into it and we have some inside jokes as a result. (Is that...Peter?!?)

Tell us about some drama going on in your life. We won't judge!

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Becoming friends with Annie Cathryn...plus a book giveaway

Introduction by Melissa Amster

I am thrilled to introduce you to Annie Cathryn, who is celebrating the publication of her debut novel, The Friendship Breakup. I met Annie through my book publicity job, as she responded to some pitches I had sent her. I then saw that she was releasing her own book and it sounded like the perfect fit for CLC. She and I have the same taste in books and I've enjoyed getting to know her over the past year. She's absolutely lovely and I'm excited for you to meet her! 

The Friendship Breakup is fantastic and I read the entire novel in one day. It was extremely relatable, as I had also been ghosted by a friend in the past. Check out my review. Thanks to Annie, we have one copy for a lucky reader!

Annie Cathryn has always dreamed of becoming an author and lives by the motto, “Creating is Living.” The Friendship Breakup is her debut book baby, born out of love. 

When not writing or reading, she’s organizing her personal library collection by color and discovering delectable chocolate.

She earned a journalism degree and a master’s in communications from Marquette University, and lives in Chicagoland with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies. (Bio courtesy of Amazon.)

Visit Annie online:

Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

Synopsis:

Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her mom friends in the Chicago suburbs to get her through the trials of adulthood. So when her bestie Beatrice inexplicably starts ghosting her and takes all their mutual friends with her, Fallon’s left wondering how everything went so wrong. Pushing down a lifetime of insecurities, Fallon doubles down and decides to win them back. First, she hosts an epic Mexican fiesta that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends.

Just when she’s about to throw in the towel on the whole friendship mess, Fallon reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to deal with decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go.

Fallon is an instantly likeable heroine—as vulnerable as she is determined—and she’ll have readers eagerly turning the pages as they join her on an emotional journey into the hopes and fears of adulthood. (Courtesy of Amazon.)

“At once heartwarming and humorous, The Friendship Breakup is smart, layered, and captures the all-too-familiar nuances of being a friend, staying a friend, and learning when to let go. Written with emotional depth while capturing our most profound vulnerabilities, Cathryn is an author to watch. A novel with a big heart that will captivate readers.”

—Rochelle Weinstein, USA Today bestselling author of When We Let Go

“In this warm and witty story, Annie Cathryn paints a portrait of a woman who must let go of her preconceived notions of what her life should be like in order to find out who she really is—and become her own best friend.”

—Camille Pagán, national bestselling author of I’m Fine and Neither Are You

"Perfect to read by the beach or pool with your favorite iced coffee (or in those stolen moments in the carpool line), The Friendship Breakup will have you both laughing and savoring the journey like it was one of Fallon’s chocolates. Sharp, witty, and relevant to everyone who has ever outgrown a friend.” 

—Sara Goodman Confino, Amazon bestselling author of She's Up to No Good

In one sentence, what was the road to publishing like for you?
The road to publishing was a long, twisty, sometimes bumpy road that led to a beautiful destination. 

How is Fallon similar to or different from you?
Fallon, like me, is a married mother of one who loves chocolate and self-help books.

If The Friendship Breakup were made into a movie, what songs would be on the soundtrack?
That’s a fun question. There are several songs referenced in the book that would make for an incredible soundtrack including:

•  “I’m Every Woman” Whitney Houston
•  “Watermelon Sugar” Harry Styles 
• “Best of My Love” The Emotions 
• “My Way” Frank Sinatra 
• “Livin’ la Vida Loca” Ricky Martin 
• “Sugar” Maroon 5
• “Ironic” Alanis Morissette 
• “Let it Go” Idina Menzel
• “Roar” Katy Perry

What is the last book you read that you would recommend? 

The Vibrant Years by Sonali Dev follows three generations of strong women who are at different stages in their lives dealing with their exes and on the dating scene. Multiple points of view and alternating chapters devoted to each character makes it a fast, fun read. It’s captivating, heartwarming and hilarious. 

Tell us more about the Soulful Series and how that came about.
I reviewed I Am a Girl From Africa by Elizabeth Nyamayaro on Instagram and she saw it and asked me if I would interview her on Insta Live. After I interviewed her, I realized how much I enjoyed it, so I started Soulful Series to interview other authors who’ve written a memoir or non-fiction motivational book. It’s been a fantastic two years chatting with fascinating and incredible authors. 

Tell us about your longest and/or closest friendship.

That’s definitely my college roommate, Jenn. People often mistake us for sisters, as we look a lot alike. We were roommates second semester of freshman year and sophomore year. Although we didn’t room together junior and senior year, we remained friends and stayed close after graduation. She lives in North Carolina, but we manage to see each other at least twice a year around the holidays. Jenn is the first person I turn to for advice, and we have a similar sense of humor, which always makes for a fun time. 

Thanks to Annie for visiting with us and for sharing her book with our readers.

How to win: Use Rafflecopter to enter the giveaway. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. If you have trouble using Rafflecopter on our blog, enter the giveaway here. 

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Giveaway ends February 12th at midnight EST.

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Spotlight: The Most Likely Club

Today we are pleased to be celebrating the publication of Elyssa Friedland's latest novel, The Most Likely Club. Melissa says it is sure to delight fans of Romy and Michele's High School Reunion. You can see her review here. It's the perfect back-to-school read, so definitely add it to your TBR!

In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdhury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400.

Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the “Most Likely Girls.”

Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship, the ways our childhood dreams both sustain and surprise us — and why it’s deeply uncool to peak in high school. (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

“A hilarious, delectable, and much-needed time machine back to the nineties.”
—Jo Piazza, bestselling co-author of We Are Not Like Them

“Endearing and immensely readable, Elyssa's Friedland's The Most Likely Club is an ode to female friendship, second chances, and the people who are 'Most Likely' to love us the most.”
—Laura Dave, #1 New York Times bestseller of The Last Thing He Told Me

“Elyssa Friedland writes with heart, depth and humor in this story of four friends exploring what they wanted in high school, and what they have today. Utterly delightful and uplifting!”
—New York Times bestselling author Kristan Higgins

Photo by Brian Marcus

Elyssa Friedland is the author of five novels and a forthcoming picture book. She attended Yale University, where she served as managing editor of the Yale Daily News, and is a graduate of Columbia Law School. She worked as an associate at a major firm before turning to writing full-time. She teaches an undergraduate course at Yale called Contemporary Novel Writing. Her work has been published in The Washington Post, McSweeney’s, LitHub, POPSUGAR, RealSimple.com, Bustle, Modern Bride, New York magazine, Columbia Journalism Review, CBS MarketWatch.com, Yale Alumni Magazine, and more. Elyssa resides in New York City with her husband, three children and puppy.

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL was a Good Morning America Buzz Pick and a Book of the Month selection. It was the OneBook, One Hadassah selection for August 2022 and is currently in its 5th printing. THE FLOATING FELDMANS was a People Magazine “People Pick” and a “SkimmReads” selection and was praised by Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Good Housekeeping, National Geographic, Woman’s Day, Woman’s World, Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal, Booklist, and more. THE INTERMISSION was praised by The Wall Street Journal, SheReads, PureWow, POPSUGAR, HelloGiggles and featured in USA Today. Her debut novel, LOVE AND MISS COMMUNICATION, was a “best book” in Cosmopolitan, Glamour and InStyle magazines. THE MOST LIKELY CLUB, her fifth novel, will be on sale 9/6/22. THE MUSEUM OF LOST TEETH, her first picture book, will be published in February 2023. She is also a co-author of FIRST STREET, a serialized novel available in electronic and audio formats about four ambitious lawyers clerking at the Supreme Court.

Elyssa loves wine, ice cream, Forensic Files, and texting her friends obsessively. (Bio courtesy of Elyssa's website.)

Visit Elyssa online:
Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram

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