Book Review: The Friends We Keep

By Melissa Amster

After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own.

Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost.

Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love? (Synopsis courtesy of Amazon.)

I loved The Girls of Mischief Bay (see my review from last year), so I was thrilled that another book was being published in this series. The Friends We Keep was a great follow-up and left me wanting the series to continue even further. I enjoyed getting updates on what Pam, Shannon, and Nicole were up to. It was nice to continue Nicole's story, since I was left hanging at the end of the previous book. Her story was even more interesting and exciting this time around. I hope to see more of Pam and Shannon's stories in future books.

I liked the characters that were added in to this story. Gabby reminds me of some friends of mine, and even of myself in some ways. I was so frustrated over the predicament she was placed in and couldn't wait to see that get resolved in some way. That definitely kept me turning pages. As for Hayley, I felt more conflicted. Sure, I felt bad for her and couldn't imagine being in her shoes. However, I ended up sympathizing more with her husband and felt like I was in his shoes. I couldn't stand her sister though.

Just like The Girls of Mischief Bay, this story produced some tears for me, as well as made me smile. If you haven't checked out this series yet, definitely add both books to your must-read list.

Since I cast the previous book, here's my cast for this one:
Nicole: Still picturing Kaley Cuoco
Gabby: Elisabeth Moss
Hayley: Amanda Seyfried
Morgan (Hayley's sister): Vanessa Lengies
I had trouble casting the men from this book, but I'm sure Hollywood could come up with someone great for each role.

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

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