Take What You Can

by Naima Coster

"Take What You Can is so brilliantly, unbelievably good I have a burning in my heart.... Love is utterly bewildering, and nobody writes about it better than Naima Coster."—Catherine Newman, New York Times bestselling author of Sandwich

From the New York Times bestselling author of What’s Mine and Yours, a rich, panoramic exploration of female friendship, class, new motherhood, and independence

Val and Milly fell in love with France at the same time they fell in love with each other and became immediate best friends. Then, they bonded as the only Black students on a study-abroad trip. Now, they are in their thirties, each married and with a baby girl on the way. When Milly suggests Val move to New York to raise their daughters together after a decade apart, it’s a resounding yes. 

Despite their excitement, the pair secretly wonder if their friendship has always worked best as a trio. From that first trip to France, these two motherless daughters were taken under the wing of an older woman named Helene. She showered them with money, love and attention, and showed them the possibilities of a meaningful future. But without Helene, who are Milly and Val?

Milly, a successful influencer married to restaurant royalty, is occupied with her desire for independence. Val, a brilliant journalist, is struggling to write her first book and fit into her old friend’s new world. The realities of class and social capital, of strained marriages and the demands of motherhood, serve as constant reminders of how far apart they’ve grown. And no matter how much they try to avoid it, everything comes back to the rift that began all those years ago in France. What they’ve long tried to bury may finally destroy their sisterhood.

Weaving between Brooklyn brownstones and the glittering beaches of southern France, Take What You Can is a dazzling novel exploring what it means to be a mother when you have none, a sister without blood ties, and a woman in pursuit of the life she wants. With her signature sharply-observed prose, Coster illustrates what it means to be—and to stay—someone’s person through all phases of life.

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, Summer Reads, Race, Friendship, Adult

368 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Naima Coster is a New York Times bestselling author and a recipient of the National Book Foundation’s 5 Under 35 honor. Her most recent novel, TAKE WHAT YOU CAN, will be published by Pamela Dorman Books in August 2026. Her novel, WHAT'S MINE AND YOURS, was a Read with Jenna pick, a statewide read for One Maryland One Book, longlisted for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award, and named a best book of the year by Kirkus Reviews, Esquire, Marie Claire, Ms. Magazine, and more. Her first novel, HALSEY STREET, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize and named a must-read by People, Essence, Well-Read Black Girl, The Skimm, and the Brooklyn Public Library. Naima’s work has appeared in The New York Times, Elle, Time, Kweli, and The Cut, and in numerous anthologies. Naima teaches creative writing at CUNY Baruch College. She lives in Brooklyn with her family.

Reviews

[BekahPG · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a lot to love in this book, including sparkling descriptions of extravagant food and drink, beautiful settings, and gorgeous clothes. The book starts out strong, with intriguing characters and a promising premise.

As they embark on motherhood, Val and Milly make decisions that range from seemingly random to purposely destructive. Coster beautifully illustrates how hard and confusing it is to be a mother in the wake of trauma and loss. But while the characters do change and grow by the end of the novel, there's also a lot that's ignored or glossed over. Like the severe alcoholism that impacts both women significantly, yet no one (author or character) ever names.

Some of the muddle might also be due to themes that aren't fully tackled. The book is saying *something* about money, privilege, giving gifts to (and taking gifts from) family and friends, giving or withholding loans, where money should come from, what jobs are respectable, and what defines true "worth." But *what* is it saying? Maybe there are no answers in the late-stage capitalist world we're living in, but I found myself wishing the author committed to more of a distinct point of view.

All in all, this was an enjoyable read with memorable characters and beautiful descriptions of France and NYC.

Thanks to #Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Alessandra Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

I rate this book a 3.5! For me it was hard to fall in love with all the characters but I do think that’s part pr the point of this story.

I found Val & Milly’s relationship really relatable although slightly codependent. I loved that each character was layered and didn’t always do exactly as you expected them to. It adds a layer of reality that makes them and this story immersive.

[Tiffany]

I can’t decide if these characters are toxic or if I just didn’t like them. But I have been thinking about it a lot and that is a sign of a good book I suppose. I wouldn’t say there was a ton of character growth but so much happened to them before and throughout this story. There were some parts that were unnecessary in my opinion and some things that seemed like they were dying to be addressed and weren’t (Val’s drinking anyone??). Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to review.

[Barbara Schultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Title: Take What You Can
Author: Naima Coster
Publisher: Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Friendship Drama
Pub Date: August 4, 2026
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pages: 368

This character-based story is about the relationship between Milly and Val. Told Currently - their lives in New York and dips back to 2004 & 2010 Their past in Francel
Intro ~ In 2004 Val and Milly were students on a study-abroad trip and fell in love with France and bonded with each other as they were the only Black students on the trip.
While there they had been taken under the wing of a woman named Helene. Who was really a mother to both.

Now – 2018 Val and husband Nic are expecting their first child a daughter and will be moving to New York which is where Milly now a successful influencer lives. Milly is married to Harris Buchanan who is very successful in the restaurant business and from a wealthy family. Milly and Harris lost one baby but are super excited that they are expecting a daughter, Milly is in her Third Trimester.
Milly and Val had decided to live near one another when they found out Val and Nic would be moving to NYC. They thought it would be great to raise their daughters Leeny and Astrid together. In fact, they nanny shared a wonderful young caregiver, Cleo. Story is about their complex friendship so yes a lot of drama. I am a big fan of thrillers with twists and turns, so this was a bit difference for me. I started out loving these characters and wanted things to work for them in New York.
However, the demands of motherhood as well as being a wife had become overwhelming- Val struggled to write her first book as well as trying to fit into Milly’s successful world.

Story goes back to 2010 and we learn more about what happen in France regarding Helene.
Milly and Val went to visit Helene to celebrate her forty-fourth birthday. They were waiting for another guest and got drinking. The next day something happened that changed their lives.

Most of story is present day, we follow Val and Milly as we observe them grow and see their personalities develop, but what we experience is layered not simple at times it is love/ hate.

In fact, this story like their relationship is like a sandwich - I started out loving it then closer to the middle I disliked it – in the end I liked it more than disliked.


This was my first Naima Coster. I was curious as to her motivation in writing this story.
Which is one reason I always love to read the author’s note and/or acknowledgements. In her Acknowledgments, Ms. Coster, of course, thanks the many people who helped but also tells us that she was pregnant or postpartum doing more than half the time she was working on this story.
I laughed and thought that might be why I went back and forth on loving this story.
Now I am looking forward to reading another of her stories.

I want to thank NetGalley and Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for this invite to read.
Publishing Release Date scheduled for August 4, 2026.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naima Coster’s Take What You Can is the story of two college friends that reunite when one moves to New York City to live in the same neighborhood as the other right before the two women are due to give birth.

In many ways it’s just as much about the relationships the women had with their mothers, how that relationship shaped them as women and mothers, and how their different relationships with the same mother figure shaped their relationship with each other.

Val was raised by an abusive, drunk mother and a father who always chose her mother over her. She grew up constantly trying not to anger her mother and accepting crumbs of affection doled out to her, and as an adult she tends to be insecure, doles out friendship and love freely, and struggles to see when she should walk away because someone is taking advantage of her.

Millie grew up in a single parent household, her absentee father not being interested in her in the slightest. But she’s so much the center of her mom’s world that she’s shattered when she loses her mother young in life to cancer, and also somewhat stunted by the overwhelming love of her mother.

I wouldn’t say Millie’s mother did anything wrong in loving her daughter so deeply; it wasn’t a case of spoiling her or treating her like she could do no wrong. But as an adult Millie has the expectation that she should be the most important person in peoples lives, gets jealous when she isn’t, and withholds her attention and affection from those people when it suits her, without any explanation.

I struggled with Millie’s character a lot. It didn’t help that she married a man from money and can hire a nanny to do the heavy lifting of taking care of her child while she works as being an influencer (honestly this part of it alone would make me not like her) and her husband creates a restaurant for her that’s a tribute not just to her but her mother’s Colombian heritage. She started out having to fight for everything but becomes entitled and hurtful.

Val’s neediness makes the relationship between the two women work, but since one is fueled by the other it’s a codependent relationship that ebbs and flows through the book, depending on how much one needs the other to validate themselves.

It’s well written and Coster does a great job of exploring the women’s shortcomings along with their potential to see their faults and change for the better. I can’t say that I loved it, but the explosion of character and relationship dynamics made it one of the better literary fiction books I’ve read recently (though the fact that the principal characters are both women will probably unfairly get it categorized as women’s fiction or even less fairly as chick lit).

A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take What You Can by Naima Coster is a rare, tender, and bracing exploration of female friendship that refuses easy arcs or sentimental resolution. This is a novel about the long haul exploring the way friendship stretches, frays, and sometimes reforms across decades marked by grief, ambition, love, and the seismic shift of motherhood.

Coster captures what so many stories about coming-of-age leave out: that becoming an adult doesn’t mean outgrowing conflict, but learning how to stay in relationship through mistakes, misattunements, and change. From the first pages, I was hooked by the honesty of this book. It doesn’t rush to redeem its characters. This novel honors the slow, uneasy work of understanding one another again and again.

At the heart of the novel are Milly and Val, whose bond is shaped as much by what they share as by what they lack—particularly mothering that was safe, consistent, and nurturing. Milly’s journey into motherhood is shadowed by grief; having lost her mother years before becoming one herself, she grapples with the fear that something essential is missing in the way she connects to her daughter. Val, raised by a verbally and emotionally abusive mother, becomes intensely attuned and deeply attached to her own child, almost to the point of helicopter parenting. Coster holds these contrasts with skill and care, showing how motherhood can both heal and reopen wounds. The novel understands that parenting doesn’t erase trauma and instead it activates it, reshapes it, and sometimes exposes it in unexpected ways.

What makes this a five-star read for me is the emotional intelligence threaded through every relationship, not just between Milly and Val, but between women and their children, their partners, their younger selves, and the versions of one another they’ve outgrown. As the story moves between Brooklyn and southern France, it reckons with class, ambition, hidden rage, and the quiet resentments that can build when lives diverge. Even in its most painful moments, this novel is rooted in love. It’s about that kind of bond that doesn’t guarantee harmony but insists on the truth. Take What You Can is about what it means to mother without having been mothered, to sustain friendship through rupture, and to choose again and again to stay with someone as life keeps changing.

[Kameka · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take What You Can is at its core, a love story, but it is truly so much more than that. This is a book about two women who become best friends due to a chance study abroad program in France and how their lives become intertwined from then onwards. Naima Coster really writes such complex characters. Milly and Val are best friends, but are also co-dependent and unrequited lovers. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey of these two women and their lives over the years. It is easy to dislike Milly, who seems to have it all. But in spite of the very controlled facade of her life, the grief she lives with keeps everyone, including Val, at arms length. Val, who we discover comes from a not-so-great family, tears at our heartstrings. She sees the beauty in the little things in life, but her depression causes her to question who really loves her and if she’s worthy of love. The interaction of all of the secondary characters was unlike any story I’ve read before. Trigger warning - there is discussion of child abuse, infidelity, and non-monogamous relationships.

I loved the details about Brooklyn/NYC, but I wish the same level of detail was applied to France (the area where Helene’s grandmother’s home was - what city was it in? We know Elodie prefers the Paris apartment, but where’s the house?) Also, North Carolina is a big state and it isn’t until the end of the book that we get a mention of the Eno River to orient us to where exactly Val is from in North Carolina, but we still don’t know exactly. Candidly, as a native of NC, I wanted to picture it with the same level of specificity as Park Slope.

I give this book 4 stars instead of 5 for a few reasons:
1) The back and forth between France and Present day started to drag for me in the middle. I felt we could have gotten to what happened with Helene sooner.
2) There was a lot going on in present day that we could have explored, most specifically, what is going on with Nic? That situation was resolved a little too neatly IMO, particularly given how long it took Milly and Val to share with each other what was happening with their marriages.

Another great book by Naima Coster. I definitely recommend reading this when it comes out. Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for the ARC!

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐💫

ARC received from NetGalley — thank you for the early read.

Take What You Can follows Val and Milly, two women whose friendship started back in 2004 when they were the only Black students on a study‑abroad trip in France. They fell into each other’s lives and into the orbit of Hélène an older woman who became a mother figure to both of them. But they didn’t come into that relationship the same way, and their childhoods shaped everything that came after.

Val grew up with an abusive, alcoholic mother and a father who never protected her. She learned early to survive on crumbs of affection, and as an adult she gives love freely, struggles with boundaries, and doesn’t always recognize when someone is taking advantage of her. I actually wish the book had dug into the alcoholism piece a little more but I also understand why Coster kept that thread quieter.

Milly grew up with an absentee father and a mother who loved her so fiercely that losing her young left Milly emotionally stunted and constantly trying to recreate that feeling of being someone’s whole world. She’s polished and successful, but underneath she’s still grieving.

Now they’re grown, living in New York, pregnant at the same time, nanny‑sharing, and trying to rebuild the closeness they once had. Motherhood hits them differently. Marriage hits them differently. Ambition hits them differently. And Coster shows how those childhood wounds don’t disappear just because you’re grown they show up in your friendships, your parenting, your partnerships, and the way you move through the world.

As a mom with small kids, I found this story very interesting. The motherhood pieces felt real the overwhelm, the identity shifts, the way friendships stretch thin when life starts demanding more of you. And honestly, there are a lot of unanswered questions left in this book but I think that’s the point. Coster leaves you with things to sit with, things to ponder, things that don’t resolve neatly because real life doesn’t resolve neatly either.

Messy, layered, and honest I really enjoyed this one and I’m looking forward to reading more from Naima Coster.

[Gloria Cortes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel is a quiet, psychologically precise exploration of friendship, motherhood, and the enduring weight of early emotional wounds. Rather than relying on plot-driven momentum, it builds its impact through accumulation—of memory, contradiction, and the shifting dynamics between two women who have shaped each other’s lives in ways neither fully understands.

At the center is the relationship between Val and Milly, rendered with striking nuance. Val moves through the world with emotional openness and vulnerability, while Milly constructs a life defined by control, beauty, and intention. What makes the novel compelling is that neither woman is positioned as right or wrong; instead, their differences illuminate the cost of both ways of living. Each holds something the other lacks, and each misreads the other in consequential ways.

Structurally, the novel makes effective use of repetition and mirrored moments—particularly through its recurring water imagery—to reinforce its central concerns with loss, control, and presence. These echoes are subtle but deliberate, rewarding attentive readers without drawing overt attention to themselves.

The pacing may feel slow for readers expecting a more plot-driven narrative, but the deliberate tempo allows the emotional stakes to surface gradually and with greater depth. By the final chapters, the cumulative effect is both quiet and devastating.

This is a novel that resists easy resolution. Instead, it suggests that connection—not control—is the only sustainable response to grief and uncertainty. Readers drawn to character-driven literary fiction that prioritizes emotional complexity over narrative certainty will find much to appreciate here.

[Ellie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Take What You Can is a deeply layered novel that explores identity, friendship, grief, and the long shadows of childhood trauma. From the moment I began reading, I was fully immersed - constantly looking forward to the next opportunity to pick it back up.

What stood out most to me was how relatable the central characters felt. I found myself connecting to both Val and Milly for different reasons. Val’s struggles, shaped by childhood abandonment and unresolved trauma, are portrayed with emotional nuance and honesty. Her inner world feels raw and authentic. Milly’s journey into and through motherhood is equally compelling - not polished or “cookie-cutter,” but reflective of the complex, messy, and deeply human realities many people face. The novel doesn’t shy away from showing motherhood in all its vulnerability.
Coster also handles the theme of friendship with remarkable depth. The book thoughtfully examines how friendships can be just as consuming, transformative, and fragile as romantic relationships. It explores the intensity of emotional bonds between friends and the quiet devastation that can follow when those bonds fracture.

Grief is another powerful thread woven throughout the narrative. The story captures grief in multiple forms: the physical loss of a parent, the emotional distancing from family, and the aching absence of a friend who once felt like family. Each perspective adds richness to the novel’s emotional landscape.

Overall, Take What You Can is an absorbing and emotionally resonant read. It invites reflection on the ways we carry our pasts, the relationships that shape us, and the complicated love that binds us to one another.

[Alicia]

Naima Coster's Take What You Can is a thoughtful and deeply observant exploration of race, class, marriage, motherhood, and the relationships that shape us. At its heart, the novel is a love story , not a romantic one, but a platonic love story that feels every bit as profound and transformative as any romance.
Coster masterfully weaves together the lives of a group of women, showing how one woman becomes the thread that connects and breaks them across time. The novel examines the ways we carry one another's influences, burdens, and gifts, often long after our paths diverge. Through richly drawn characters and nuanced storytelling, Coster captures the complexities of friendship, identity, and belonging with remarkable insight.
The book's greatest strength lies in its emotional depth and its willingness to sit with difficult questions about privilege, sacrifice, and the choices women make for themselves and their families. At times, the narrative becomes weighed down by extensive backstory, slowing the momentum of the central plot. However, even these detours ultimately contribute to the layered understanding of the characters and the forces that have shaped them.
Take What You Can Carry is an ambitious and rewarding novel that reminds readers that some of the most significant love stories in our lives are the friendships and connections that leave lasting marks on who we become.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an Arc of this title.

[Barbara Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

While neither of the protagonists of "Take What You Can" are very likable, I found them compelling. Milly and Val bonded during an exchange program in France, brought together by their similar positions as the only Black students in the program. We know something happened that fractured their friendship but that fracture healed, and when they are pregnant at the same time, Milly invites Val to move to New York so they can raise their children together. Did the fracture truly heal? By now, Milly and Val have made different choices that led to different social standing and economic possibilities. Can their friendship survive these differences? Will they ever be able to be honest with each other?

Naima Coster portrays the difficulty of female friendships alongside the struggle of balancing all the roles of being a woman today—mother, daughter, wife, lover, professional—while finding space for oneself. Coster's characters ring true and are authentic in hiding their true feelings and desires from each other. She captures the dissatisfaction of so many women today without passing judgment or creating caricatures. Coster's writing flows with sumptuous and immersive settings and strong characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for sharing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

#netgalley #takewhatyoucan

[Reading Xennial · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Viking Penguin for asking me to read this book early. I don’t know if I would’ve chosen it on my own, but I’m glad I was prompted to give it a try. The opinion in this review is my own.

Val and Milly met on a group trip to France. They were the only two black females on the trip so they were paired up, but became real friends. It’s been many years and they’ve moved to their own parts of the country. They’re now having baby girls and wanting to raise their daughters together so they can be friends so they are going to be living in the same city of many years.

This book is a great testament to female friendship. It’s not always easy and sometimes they aren't as sure if they’re as close as they think. The writing is great in this book and shows a lot of depth and emotion. It took me a while to get used to the characters because they felt similar at first, but once I got going, I realized how different they were. The characters were well developed. It is a character driven story and can be a bit slow at times. I’m not sure if it was my cup of tea exactly, but it was time well spent. I would recommend this book if you like literary fiction with a subplot of female/adult friendship.

[Tess · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of best friends Val and Milly, told through the years they meet in France during college study abroad and the year they both become mothers, the book is about race, status, friendship and love. As the only Black students on their study abroad trip, they bond over their similarities and differences, and the people they meet during that fateful trip.

Years later, Milly (now a famous influencer) convinces Val to move to be near her in NYC while they are both pregnant so they can be Moms together. Val, a writer with a neglectful husband and estranged parents, jumps at the chance to be near her friend but when reality settles in, class and the strains of being a new mom without resources creates a drift between the two friends.

I thought the characters were well drawn out, though at times they were also distant and sometimes confusing. I wanted them to be kinder to each other but was also fascinated by their insular relationship. It’s not a plot heavy book - it’s an exploration of a platonic love story between two women who are complex and complicated. There are a lot of themes in the book, sometimes I would argue too many, but it’s a beautiful story of friendship, grief, and early motherhood

[Tammy Adams · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I seem to be in the minority on this one. This was the story of two women, Milly and Val, who went to Paris together while they were in college. This switches back and forth between then and now and left me with more questions than answers. Were they bisexual? Why did Helene become so important when they spent little time with her and she was out of her mind on pills for much of it? What was the draw? Why did she leave them different amounts of money? Why are both of them cheating on their husbands? Why do they both drink and breastfeed simultaneously? Do they realize they shouldn’t do that? Or do they just not care about what they’re doing to their babies? Was there some reason Milly couldn’t deal with her mother’s death? Why couldn’t Val be honest about her parents? What really happened there? I’ve got more questions but I’ll stop here. I hung with this book even though it made absolutely no sense to me. I kept hoping questions would be answered and things would be made clearer and it would make sense somehow in the end but it didn’t. I was left disappointed. Don’t waste your time.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bond of friendship forged in 2004 between two women is re-established when they get together and share their motherhood experiences.

Val and Milly room together in Brooklyn after college but soon grow apart and start lives with Val in North Carolina and Milly in a posh upscale neighborhood with her husband. Their relationship has seen to grow toxic but when initially began in France, a third person, Helene, showered them with attention, gifts, love, showing them future possibilities. As their lives move on, the distance in social classes and money as well as the demands of motherhood strain the women’s relationship - was it better with Helene in the picture?

The study of motherhood from the perspective of two women whose mothers were distant or sisters is an interesting perspective. However, these women are seriously flawed - and while flawed characters are in every novel, I was concerned about how much alcohol was always being consumed (the cover should have forewarned me). The settings are glitz - who doesn’t like the allure of the south of France - having been there, I’d hop on plane right now to go back. But I kept wondering where we were going in these women’s stories. I couldn’t figure what really was causing the tension between these two. The story seemed underdeveloped.

My thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin for granting me access to this ARC.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Two motherless Black girls meet on a study abroad program in France and quickly become best friends and each other’s found family. While in France they develop a relationship with a motherlike figure named Helene, whose influence looms over Val and Milly’s friendship. Years later, Val moves to New York to join Milly, now a successful and wealthy lifestyle influencer, in New York to raise their daughters together. Take What You Can explores friendship, motherhood, privilege, and found family.

I really wanted to like this book, but it just didn’t work for me. The novel is filled with richly detailed, evocative sentences and glittery lifestyle scenes that are fun to read, but together they didn’t build enough emotional depth for the story to land. I struggled to connect with Val and Milly, and both the characters and their relationships felt underdeveloped. I never really understood why or how they developed such a close and loving relationship with Helene or what inspired such a fierce, codependent bond between the two of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Susan Poer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great character study on female friendships and how they change and grow over the years as life takes over. Have you lost touch with your childhood friend? The concerted effort that Milly and Val take to keep in touch is admirable.

Val and Milly share a connection forged through a unique set of circumstances as young Black women navigating unfamiliar spaces together. Years later, when they reunite as expectant mothers, the dream of raising their children side by side seems like an opportunity to reclaim the closeness they once shared. The author highlights how time changes people, and the novel appears deeply interested in the tension between who we once were and who we become. She also touches on elitism, class differences, and the difficulties of motherhood. Will one friend's success overtake the friendship and destroy them with jealousy?

The novel moves between the past and present and the writing style is beautiful. You'll be rooting for the pair to maintain their friendship no matter what roadblocks life puts in their way.

[Anna Noel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC! I love when any book grips me, but particularly lit fic, as it usually means that I find something very compelling about the characters. I didn't love any of the characters here, but I did find them all to be imperfect and interesting, and that they felt real. I thought Milly was a little bit harder to like than Val, what with all the secret-keeping and whatnot, but obviously Nick was the absolute worst character. And Val gets back with him and has another baby with him?! Why?! We absolutely did not see enough of him redeeming himself for a second chance to feel satisfying. Val being on her own and living her own life with her daughter felt far more satisfying.
-What did Val do with her $70,000 inheritance?! She was poor, or at least not well off, so what did a young twenty-something do with that money? They said what happened to her writing advance, but what happened to the rest of it?
-What caused Milly's boyfriend to take her back? (I've forgotten his name and don't have access to the book anymore) Was it just the letter? Her being more open in her book?
-How well did either Val's or Milly's books do?
-Were there any repercussions for Milly for Astrid almost drowning? It was an accident, and accidents happen, but story wise it felt like it was a little glossed over - here was this horrible, traumatic accident that reflected the past, but fortunately ended happily whereas the earlier instance did not. Did it cause Harris, Val, or Nick to lose any trust in Milly, or for Milly to lose any trust in herself? She was just randomly distracted, as far as I could tell, which is realistic, but I would have liked to have seen how that affected all these relationships we'd been following.

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5. A gorgeous story about friendship and motherhood and class dynamics, and how all three change as we age and grow into our adult selves. I requested this on NetGalley after I saw my favorite author (Catherine Newman) blurbed it, so I knew it would be character rather than plot driven. While the bulk of the story is set in present-day Brooklyn, there are a lot of gorgeous flashbacks to the south of France. The story follows Milly and Val, who have been friends since college but now have babies the same age. They each had unique paths that landed them in differing circumstances, which makes thier motherhood both honest and interesting. But I wanted a bit more from the characters--some growth, a bit more of their story fleshed out. Coster's writing is lovely, and I enjoyed (and felt seen by) by bits of each character as they navigated new motherhood, with the comparisons, hormones, and uneasiness that come with that.

[Nicole Moses · Rating 5 out of 5]

A HUGE thank you to NetGalley and Viking penguin for the ARC of this phenomenal read.

This is perhaps one of the most well written, nuanced books I have read in a very long time. From the very first chapter I was completely invested in these women’s stories. I am not sure I have ever read such a deep, profound depiction of motherhood. The authors ability to explore the ways that you both lose and find yourself when becoming a mother is masterful. I loved the way other characters own motherhoods were woven in, and that both main characters identities and individual needs stayed at the very forefront of the story.

The way the novel dealt with gender, class, race, and the intersectionality of one’s identity was exceptional. Mental health is also a huge focus of this book and I truly couldn’t believe how the author covered so many issues in a such a meaningful way. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

[Brandon Copley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Val and Milly first meet in France, as two students on study abroad program and form an unbreakable bond. This book charts the course of their friendship over a 15 year period as they navigate loss, marriage, children and their ever evolving (and sometimes tumultuous)relationship.

I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the characters in this thoughtful and evocative novel by the great Naima Costa. I will say there were points where the actions and thought processes of the two protagonists left me scratching my head and questioning their motivations and there were some plot points that I would have liked to have been more fleshed out. That being said, this is a beautiful story of friendship, love and loss and was quite hard to put down.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Thanks to Goodreads and Pamela Dorman books for the ARC!

[Briana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review of Take What You Can by Naima Coster. This was an introspective look at a female friendship through the years, with beautiful descriptions of food, luxury, France, and New York. New York City and France are a couple of my favorite places in the world, and I was looking forward to reading a book by a Black female author. This is so well-written, and it immediately draws the reader in by wasting no time introducing us to the main characters. However, I found this book to be quite middle-of-the-road for me. It was a little too heavy on the slice-of-life, and I find myself in the headspace that craves more drama. There were some interesting points being made about luxury and who can enter certain rooms, but I wish it had gone a little further in that department. All in all, I would recommend this to people who are interested in slow-burn stories like this and more character-focused stories. I came across this from a book recommendation list.

[Patty Ramirez · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I saw the premise of this book. I immediately knew it was something that I wanted to read ASAP! This one did not disappoint. Val and Milly's friendship is so intense that most of the time felt that they did not know how to handle it. Loved following along in their journey as they discovered their place in the world and how to integrate that in each other's lives (most of the time with disastrous results).

The dynamic with Helene was an interesting, to say the least. I loved the chaos in this story and even the times I felt frustrated with the characters, it did not make me want to stop reading!

Loved!

Thank you to VikingPenguin and the author for providing a free copy of this book through NetGalley.

[Janet Fiorentino · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Take What You Can” is a delightful book about friendships, food, motherhood and finding out who you are in this crazy world. Val and Milly first meet in France, as two Black students on study abroad program and form an unbreakable bond. Years later, Millie suggests Val join her in New York. However, can they reinvigorate that bond of their younger years.

“Take What You Can” is a quiet novel that allows the reader to get into the heads’ of its characters. While I felt as if the novel didn’t address all of the questions it raised, I still enjoyed getting to know these characters better.

Three and a half stars rounded up.

Thank you to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Cindi]

Thanks to the author, publisher and Net Galley for the ARC.

This book illustrates the difficulties being a mom while dealing with trauma and loss. The characters do grow during the book, but there are quite a few issues that are not resolved or addressed. The themes not being fully addressed does muddle the book overall. The book does address wealth - money, privilege, gifting, loans, money, money,, money, jobs and definition of 'true worth'. But the statement isn't clear as to what it is really saying. Connecting with the characters is difficult, and that might be part of the focus of the story, but it does decrease the enjoyment of the book overall.

Worth the time to read, but might not be the favorite of the year.

[Erin Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is one book I could not wait to read, and it delivered. I read an early version via NetGalley and Viking Penguin and thought the character development and writing were great. I love reading about female friendships and I think this book spoke to the complexities that exist within female friendships very well. I love how Naima dived into those complexities and also chose a title that works for both Milly and Val. I will say though, when I finished the book I didn't necessarily feel settled. Sometimes I leave with thoughts of a book after reading, but this time, I was left with questions. Overall though, I would recommend and can see why it's on so many most anticipated book for the year lists.

[Drea Warner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank You to netgalley

I have to be honest… this book made me uncomfortable in the best way. Only because I can identify with so many things with these two women. I have trust issues with friends but also love them at the same time.
Both women experience trauma in different ways early in their lives that sets their trajectory into adulthood not only sabotaging themselves but their relationship with each other at different moments throughout the story. Such weird girl energy towards each other. This was not this author’s first book but it was my first book from her. I plan to read her backlist after this one.

[Kim L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take What You Can by Naima Coster is a beautifully layered story about friendship, motherhood, identity, and the complicated ways people hold onto each other even as they grow apart. Val and Milly’s bond felt incredibly authentic, loving, strained, and emotionally messy in the most realistic way. It’s not a fast-paced read, but the characters felt so real that I kept wanting to return to their story. Thoughtful, intimate, and the kind of book that stays in your head after finishing.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Viking Penguin | Pamela Dorman Books for the eARC!
#TakeWhatYouCan #NetGalley
Pub. date: Aug. 4th 2026

[Andrea Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a profound character study of how female friendships adapt, change, and sometimes buckle under the weight of life. The connection between Val and Milly is so consuming that they rarely know how to handle it. I highly recommend this if you appreciate reading about layered, intricate relationships. I love Naima Costers work, this book did not disappoint!

Thank you Net Galley for this advance coopy!!