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Take What You Can
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"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.
"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.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published August 4, 2026
About the author
Naima Coster
6 books1,001 followersNaima 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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 454 reviews
August 17, 2026
words to live by
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(review to come)
(thanks to the publisher for the e-arc)
(review to come)
August 26, 2026
4.5/5
This book is such a beautiful portrait of friendship and motherhood. Seeing these two friends navigate life together and the changes in their friendship felt so real. Would be an incredible book for a book club. This one will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year!
This book is such a beautiful portrait of friendship and motherhood. Seeing these two friends navigate life together and the changes in their friendship felt so real. Would be an incredible book for a book club. This one will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
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.
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.
August 22, 2026
I'm not sure were I land with this one.... I think 3.5?
This one was complex for me to rate. While I enjoyed parts of the book and the writing style, the story as a whole didn't completely win me over.
The narrative focuses on a deep bond between Millie and Val, who meet in August 2024 while studying abroad in France. They quickly become inseparable—the chosen family neither ever had. Val comes from a horrific, abusive upbringing, while Millie was raised by a single Colombian immigrant in NYC.
The story champions themes of chosen family, motherhood, pregnancy, and identity, but the central relationship frequently felt like it was bordering on codependency. As the plot progressed, I found my perspective constantly shifting—one moment I'd think, "Okay, this is actually a beautiful friendship," and the next, I'd be pulled right back to feeling like it was an unhealthy dynamic. Overall, I'm left with very mixed feelings!
This one was complex for me to rate. While I enjoyed parts of the book and the writing style, the story as a whole didn't completely win me over.
The narrative focuses on a deep bond between Millie and Val, who meet in August 2024 while studying abroad in France. They quickly become inseparable—the chosen family neither ever had. Val comes from a horrific, abusive upbringing, while Millie was raised by a single Colombian immigrant in NYC.
The story champions themes of chosen family, motherhood, pregnancy, and identity, but the central relationship frequently felt like it was bordering on codependency. As the plot progressed, I found my perspective constantly shifting—one moment I'd think, "Okay, this is actually a beautiful friendship," and the next, I'd be pulled right back to feeling like it was an unhealthy dynamic. Overall, I'm left with very mixed feelings!
July 28, 2026
ARC REVIEW
While I enjoyed the premise, two best friends figuring out life and navigating the changing dynamics of their friendship, I had major concerns about how these women acted. They never seemed to grow or evolve. Their friendship felt toxic, and they were toxic to the people around them as well. While they clearly share trauma and have trauma-bonded, neither ever seems to want to heal. Ultimately, the story fell flat for me.
Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this book as an e-arc <3
While I enjoyed the premise, two best friends figuring out life and navigating the changing dynamics of their friendship, I had major concerns about how these women acted. They never seemed to grow or evolve. Their friendship felt toxic, and they were toxic to the people around them as well. While they clearly share trauma and have trauma-bonded, neither ever seems to want to heal. Ultimately, the story fell flat for me.
Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this book as an e-arc <3
Did Not Finish
August 11, 2026DNF 40% - the writing is good but I don’t care about the characters or about what happens
September 23, 2026
Female friendship on display like we’ve never seen it before… give me more of it!
TAKE WHAT YOU CAN is told from the perspective of Val and Milly, long time best friends who met in France on a study abroad and reminded friend since then. What started as them being the only Black students on a trip turned into them travelling and becoming each other’s person. Fast forward and they are now in their thirties and things are significantly different.
Milly seems to have it all together, she has a successful career as an influencer and married rich to a man who dotes on her. She seems to lack for nothing but wants “more”. Val is a journalist who is on a break to writer her first novel, however she is a little stuck and so is her husband who has been looking for a job for over a year. When they both get pregnant at the same time Milly suggests Val move to New York to raise their daughters together after a decade apart, it’s a resounding yes.
What started out as excitement now turns into secrets, jealousy, spite and unmet needs. Both women seem to need each other but can’t continue to show up how they used to. Added to that they have a secret they both share, that’s caused a rip in the friendship.
I really enjoyed this one. Coster writes characters who are jumping off the pages and she did a great job of keeping the tension with the “Secret” we don’t learn about until the end of the book. What I loved most about the book was the friendship and how layered it is. Coster did a great job of capturing so many emotion and situations that impact friendship and how we show up for those we love.
An enjoyable read.
TAKE WHAT YOU CAN is told from the perspective of Val and Milly, long time best friends who met in France on a study abroad and reminded friend since then. What started as them being the only Black students on a trip turned into them travelling and becoming each other’s person. Fast forward and they are now in their thirties and things are significantly different.
Milly seems to have it all together, she has a successful career as an influencer and married rich to a man who dotes on her. She seems to lack for nothing but wants “more”. Val is a journalist who is on a break to writer her first novel, however she is a little stuck and so is her husband who has been looking for a job for over a year. When they both get pregnant at the same time Milly suggests Val move to New York to raise their daughters together after a decade apart, it’s a resounding yes.
What started out as excitement now turns into secrets, jealousy, spite and unmet needs. Both women seem to need each other but can’t continue to show up how they used to. Added to that they have a secret they both share, that’s caused a rip in the friendship.
I really enjoyed this one. Coster writes characters who are jumping off the pages and she did a great job of keeping the tension with the “Secret” we don’t learn about until the end of the book. What I loved most about the book was the friendship and how layered it is. Coster did a great job of capturing so many emotion and situations that impact friendship and how we show up for those we love.
An enjoyable read.
August 4, 2026
Thank you @netgalley and @vikingbooks for this ARC.
I am really starting to fall in love with Literary Fiction. There's so much more detail and layers to everyone and their relationship with each other.
Milly and Val meet in France while being the only black students and were paired up together and at some point they meet Helene. Then we see them in the present, married and both pregnant with baby girls. We get alternating chapters so we see how their friendship has evolved over the years.
This book touches on friendship and how life choices affect how you treat each other and how changed lifestyles can sometimes help you realize that sometimes things are for a season and not a lifetime. We also see class, race and economic issues within this friendship and how motherhood looks for both.
This is a book that many women will be able to relate to who have long-term friendship that sometimes stand the test of time or only for a season.
4.5 🌟's!
I am really starting to fall in love with Literary Fiction. There's so much more detail and layers to everyone and their relationship with each other.
Milly and Val meet in France while being the only black students and were paired up together and at some point they meet Helene. Then we see them in the present, married and both pregnant with baby girls. We get alternating chapters so we see how their friendship has evolved over the years.
This book touches on friendship and how life choices affect how you treat each other and how changed lifestyles can sometimes help you realize that sometimes things are for a season and not a lifetime. We also see class, race and economic issues within this friendship and how motherhood looks for both.
This is a book that many women will be able to relate to who have long-term friendship that sometimes stand the test of time or only for a season.
4.5 🌟's!
August 16, 2026
If I’m being honest, my rating is slightly under 3 stars. I thought this was beautifully written and started with a lot of promise. However, I found a lot of the friendships and relationships to be weird and borderline unrealistic.
Milena and Val’s friendship dynamic is monotone throughout the novel. Neither character really changes or evolves. It’s clear they have this deep trauma bond but I don’t think it’s realistic that the nature of their relationship stays the same. We are told they are in their 30s but they consistently make reckless and ill-thought out choices. Furthermore, I thought their relationship with Helene was extremely weird. I don’t think we ever fully explored the mommy issues or substance abuse or absent parents or the dynamics of their interracial marriages.
I was underwhelmed.
Milena and Val’s friendship dynamic is monotone throughout the novel. Neither character really changes or evolves. It’s clear they have this deep trauma bond but I don’t think it’s realistic that the nature of their relationship stays the same. We are told they are in their 30s but they consistently make reckless and ill-thought out choices. Furthermore, I thought their relationship with Helene was extremely weird. I don’t think we ever fully explored the mommy issues or substance abuse or absent parents or the dynamics of their interracial marriages.
I was underwhelmed.
August 5, 2026
4.5⭐️ Friends can be soulmates and we see it in Val and Milly. These are 2 complex characters who are so human but their love for each other and their journeys as new mothers was so inspiring to read. Love it!
Thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital arc
Thankful to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital arc
August 24, 2026
Not sure how I feel about this book. Couldn't figure out if the girls really loved each other or just trauma bonded or attracted to each other sexually or just so insecure and petty they cultivated codependency. No freakin clue. It earns a 3 🌟 for the curiosity I experienced.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
October 1, 2026
“Val wanted more love, Milly wanted less grief” honestly that line is the perfect description for this book. I haven’t stopped thinking about it since the moment I read it because it explains why these characters moved the way they did. It wasn’t always right but it’s human. I enjoy books like this because life is rarely easy and most people that are hurting don’t always change and grow in the way the other characters or we as readers want them to. Now… I’m tired of reading books about motherless daughters lol I have no tears left.
August 11, 2026
Thank you to Viking Publishing for the ARC!
I really enjoyed this book. I've been loving books about friendship between women, especially when it's kind of complicated. Milly and Val were two motherless girls brought together through a trip to Paris and their relationship to another maternal figure in their life made things complicated. The events of their relationship with Helene definitely changed things for them and a lot of things went unsaid. They were holding that for years and their journey into motherhood together brought those issue to a boil.
I think this a great depiction of how you can have so much love for each other, but our lives can change as we go in our friendship and it changes dynamics and possibly creates animosity. It can be sticky and a little dangerous. Utimately you can work through it if the love and care is there, if you choose.
The side characters were interesting to me, but I was never on their side. LOL It was always team Milly and Val for me. They definitely weren't perfect women and that showed, but they were able to work through their flaws.
I really enjoyed this book. I've been loving books about friendship between women, especially when it's kind of complicated. Milly and Val were two motherless girls brought together through a trip to Paris and their relationship to another maternal figure in their life made things complicated. The events of their relationship with Helene definitely changed things for them and a lot of things went unsaid. They were holding that for years and their journey into motherhood together brought those issue to a boil.
I think this a great depiction of how you can have so much love for each other, but our lives can change as we go in our friendship and it changes dynamics and possibly creates animosity. It can be sticky and a little dangerous. Utimately you can work through it if the love and care is there, if you choose.
The side characters were interesting to me, but I was never on their side. LOL It was always team Milly and Val for me. They definitely weren't perfect women and that showed, but they were able to work through their flaws.
October 1, 2026
There are parts of this book that I really enjoyed but as a whole, it didn't really do it for me. I loved the comments and reflections on becoming a mom since that is my life right now. But there is too much happening in this book and not enough depth in a single topic for me.
Watch me discuss it more here: https://youtu.be/gjPKCkiUN4M
Watch me discuss it more here: https://youtu.be/gjPKCkiUN4M
July 24, 2026
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy for an honest review.
This was my first read by Naima Coster, and I enjoyed it. I think this was a beautiful exploration of found family and how friendships have an ebb and flow of unmitigated comfort and sometimes frustrating moments. This was an incredible journey of Milly and Val, as random girls who somehow find each other in France, who then become beautifully broken women who are trying to mother their daughters in the US.
My heart broke for Milly, silently grieving the loss of her mother, as well as the postpartum thoughts and feelings she was having surrounding the birth of her own daughter, Astrid, and the baby that came before. I also felt incredibly sad for Val and her quest to salvage whatever was left with her parents while also dealing with the harsh reality of the trauma they gave her instead of the love she so desperately wanted.
I think what Coster does best is show how relationships can be incredibly flawed, yet still worth saving—in some cases. I think this played out well with most of the characters, and specifically between Milly and Val. This story demonstrates how love can be incredibly messy, flawed in its structure, and ever-changing, but true love can keep you grounded, especially with the right person. This is a story about platonic love and self-love, and it's also a story about mother love. It's a beautiful love letter to friendship and the found family we hold dear to our hearts.
This was my first read by Naima Coster, and I enjoyed it. I think this was a beautiful exploration of found family and how friendships have an ebb and flow of unmitigated comfort and sometimes frustrating moments. This was an incredible journey of Milly and Val, as random girls who somehow find each other in France, who then become beautifully broken women who are trying to mother their daughters in the US.
My heart broke for Milly, silently grieving the loss of her mother, as well as the postpartum thoughts and feelings she was having surrounding the birth of her own daughter, Astrid, and the baby that came before. I also felt incredibly sad for Val and her quest to salvage whatever was left with her parents while also dealing with the harsh reality of the trauma they gave her instead of the love she so desperately wanted.
I think what Coster does best is show how relationships can be incredibly flawed, yet still worth saving—in some cases. I think this played out well with most of the characters, and specifically between Milly and Val. This story demonstrates how love can be incredibly messy, flawed in its structure, and ever-changing, but true love can keep you grounded, especially with the right person. This is a story about platonic love and self-love, and it's also a story about mother love. It's a beautiful love letter to friendship and the found family we hold dear to our hearts.
August 21, 2026
***SPOILER*
I give this book a 2.8. Although I liked the idea of the story between 2 longtime friends who became mothers, I felt that their friendship was a bit odd. It’s clear that Val and Milly really cared for each other, more so in a way that feels beyond platonic if you know what I mean 👀. Personally, I didn’t care much either of them. I felt that Val was weirdly and overly attaching herself to people like Helene for example. I understand that she had a hard childhood growing up and it definitely explains how she is in her adult life, but the way she was too dependent and somewhat naive about a lot of things. Milly was too avoidant, she didn’t open up much and came off really detached. I didn’t see much growth from them as friends, maybe individually but not as friends. I also really hated how having an open marriage was normalized here. I think Harris deserved so much better, Jerome too. But they let her have her way. I’m proud of Val for speaking up to Milly when they would have their outburst and fights. And also how she finally stood up and left her husband nic. I believe nic loves Val but i absolutely disliked how he didn’t take her seriously but it shows that Val let a lot slide between the 2. It was very interesting to see how different Val and Milly life’s were with their marriages, becoming new moms and how they navigate through that, and also just with careers and money. I didn’t care for the ending of the book, I don’t like that Milly is in contact with Jerome having this open marriage still be a thing, and I don’t like that Val is pregnant again from her husband when it wasn’t indicated that they were back together, and she’s moving? The whole situation with Helene, Val, & Milly was very weird and uncomfortable. But yeah this book was ok. No real growth happened here and the characters were odd.
I give this book a 2.8. Although I liked the idea of the story between 2 longtime friends who became mothers, I felt that their friendship was a bit odd. It’s clear that Val and Milly really cared for each other, more so in a way that feels beyond platonic if you know what I mean 👀. Personally, I didn’t care much either of them. I felt that Val was weirdly and overly attaching herself to people like Helene for example. I understand that she had a hard childhood growing up and it definitely explains how she is in her adult life, but the way she was too dependent and somewhat naive about a lot of things. Milly was too avoidant, she didn’t open up much and came off really detached. I didn’t see much growth from them as friends, maybe individually but not as friends. I also really hated how having an open marriage was normalized here. I think Harris deserved so much better, Jerome too. But they let her have her way. I’m proud of Val for speaking up to Milly when they would have their outburst and fights. And also how she finally stood up and left her husband nic. I believe nic loves Val but i absolutely disliked how he didn’t take her seriously but it shows that Val let a lot slide between the 2. It was very interesting to see how different Val and Milly life’s were with their marriages, becoming new moms and how they navigate through that, and also just with careers and money. I didn’t care for the ending of the book, I don’t like that Milly is in contact with Jerome having this open marriage still be a thing, and I don’t like that Val is pregnant again from her husband when it wasn’t indicated that they were back together, and she’s moving? The whole situation with Helene, Val, & Milly was very weird and uncomfortable. But yeah this book was ok. No real growth happened here and the characters were odd.
May 31, 2026
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.
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.
August 25, 2026
2.5 stars
I feel like I should have cared for this one more than I did. The writing is polished and there are some great settings and situations, but meh. I didn’t warm to either of the two main characters and just couldn’t bring myself to care about whether they successfully find their way back to their former best-friendship in spite of a long falling-out and both struggling to adapt to marriage and young motherhood.
I feel like I should have cared for this one more than I did. The writing is polished and there are some great settings and situations, but meh. I didn’t warm to either of the two main characters and just couldn’t bring myself to care about whether they successfully find their way back to their former best-friendship in spite of a long falling-out and both struggling to adapt to marriage and young motherhood.
August 25, 2026
Libby Kindle. What did I just read?!
This quote however, is relatable: She had heard mothers complaining about the relentlessness of their lives and assumed she would be spared. She had been wrong. No mother could raise children without forfeiting her own life.
This quote however, is relatable: She had heard mothers complaining about the relentlessness of their lives and assumed she would be spared. She had been wrong. No mother could raise children without forfeiting her own life.
September 5, 2026
Can’t decide between a 4 or 5. I’m conflicted.
If I wrote a full review, it would be a dissertation. So many thoughts.
If I wrote a full review, it would be a dissertation. So many thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A story of love and friendship written work engaging prose and a snappy pace. Val and Milly co- protagonists both have their issues but are committed to each other and making sure their friendship remains intact. On a trip to France they meet Helene, and Helene is enamored of them both, but her bond seems to be stronger with Val, causing some consternation with Milly. At first, I wasn’t on board with this Helene character, didn’t see why she was necessary and what was it about these girls that Helene found so captivating. But as I continued reading, I gradually accepted her presence and she helps to illustrate and illuminate the personality differences between Milly and Val. Naima Coster is quite the storyteller and has perfected keeping the reader engaged. What’s next Ms. Coster. Great big thanks to NetGalley and Pamela Dorman books for an advanced DRC. Pub date 08-04-26
September 17, 2026
#BookReview Take What You Can by Naima Coster 🇫🇷✨👯🏾♀️
Val & Milly immediately meet while studying abroad in France and not immediately form a lifelong bond and friendship. In this novel we explore and complexities of adult female friendships along with the motherhood and challenging family dynamics. 📖
Val and Milly are extraordinarily talented, smart and successful women independently and together they do share a mutual love for one another but also a bit of dependency on one another which leads to some challenges in their friendship. From secrets to hidden feelings of betrayal and guilt, they must find their way back to the foundation of their bond. 💞
A brilliantly written story about chosen family, motherhood, marriage and one’s own quest to become the individuals they’re meant to be. There’s so many layers to this story that is raw view into how our childhoods shape us into the adults we become. 👯🏾
Trigger Warnings as there’s references to child abuse. 🫂
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/ 5️⃣ (3.75)
Favorite Quotes:
🇫🇷 “There was no love without another body, no grief without the memory of one.”
🇫🇷 “I don’t think there’s anything harder to find than a true friend.”
🇫🇷 “Desperate people are never loyal.”
🇫🇷 “The trolls get the comments, you get your life.”
🇫🇷 “There are some things you can’t fix.”
Val & Milly immediately meet while studying abroad in France and not immediately form a lifelong bond and friendship. In this novel we explore and complexities of adult female friendships along with the motherhood and challenging family dynamics. 📖
Val and Milly are extraordinarily talented, smart and successful women independently and together they do share a mutual love for one another but also a bit of dependency on one another which leads to some challenges in their friendship. From secrets to hidden feelings of betrayal and guilt, they must find their way back to the foundation of their bond. 💞
A brilliantly written story about chosen family, motherhood, marriage and one’s own quest to become the individuals they’re meant to be. There’s so many layers to this story that is raw view into how our childhoods shape us into the adults we become. 👯🏾
Trigger Warnings as there’s references to child abuse. 🫂
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫/ 5️⃣ (3.75)
Favorite Quotes:
🇫🇷 “There was no love without another body, no grief without the memory of one.”
🇫🇷 “I don’t think there’s anything harder to find than a true friend.”
🇫🇷 “Desperate people are never loyal.”
🇫🇷 “The trolls get the comments, you get your life.”
🇫🇷 “There are some things you can’t fix.”
September 23, 2026
✨ Gifted by the publisher—thank you so much for the copy! ✨
Val and Milly have been best friends since meeting as young women in France and now years later they’re navigating friendship…motherhood…marriage…class and all the ways people can grow together while also growing apart. Their story moves between Brooklyn and France…the past and the present…slowly revealing the pieces of their friendship that brought them to where they are now.
I just finished Take What You Can by Naima Coster and this is one of those books where my feelings shifted the further I got into it.
For much of this book…I wasn’t entirely sure how I was feeling about it. And then somewhere along the way, I realized I was eager to get back to Val and Milly’s story. I loved the way the novel moved through time and place and there was something so dishy about it…in the best way. It felt like sitting around with your best friend…gabbing about life…relationships…choices and all the complicated feelings that come with them.
More than anything…it felt incredibly true to human emotions and the sometimes messy…complicated ways we act on them. This is one I know I’ll be thinking about for a while.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
Val and Milly have been best friends since meeting as young women in France and now years later they’re navigating friendship…motherhood…marriage…class and all the ways people can grow together while also growing apart. Their story moves between Brooklyn and France…the past and the present…slowly revealing the pieces of their friendship that brought them to where they are now.
I just finished Take What You Can by Naima Coster and this is one of those books where my feelings shifted the further I got into it.
For much of this book…I wasn’t entirely sure how I was feeling about it. And then somewhere along the way, I realized I was eager to get back to Val and Milly’s story. I loved the way the novel moved through time and place and there was something so dishy about it…in the best way. It felt like sitting around with your best friend…gabbing about life…relationships…choices and all the complicated feelings that come with them.
More than anything…it felt incredibly true to human emotions and the sometimes messy…complicated ways we act on them. This is one I know I’ll be thinking about for a while.
Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Lyon.brit.A...
August 28, 2026
Reading this book was such an odd emotional experience. It made me feel really unsettled in a way. A story about two best friends with a relationship that is sometimes tender, often toxic.
Do they love each other? Are they in love with each other? Are they jealous of each other? Do they even like each other? The answer shifts and changes across pages and sometimes across sentences.
I desperately wanted things to work out for them, as a friendship and as individuals, and I just have the sinking feeling that, even by the end of the novel, we can’t be sure if they will.
I loved the shifting perspective. Sometimes even within a sentence the POV would change from Val to Milly and back again, emphasizing their enmeshment, their entanglement.
The prose was really lush and vivid, sometimes visceral, descriptions of gorgeous meals and locales wallpapering over something darker.
A really interesting read; it’s hard for me to say whether I’d recommend it as a story because I’m still trying to wrap my head around exactly what I thought of it, but I would definitely recommend it for its craft.
Do they love each other? Are they in love with each other? Are they jealous of each other? Do they even like each other? The answer shifts and changes across pages and sometimes across sentences.
I desperately wanted things to work out for them, as a friendship and as individuals, and I just have the sinking feeling that, even by the end of the novel, we can’t be sure if they will.
I loved the shifting perspective. Sometimes even within a sentence the POV would change from Val to Milly and back again, emphasizing their enmeshment, their entanglement.
The prose was really lush and vivid, sometimes visceral, descriptions of gorgeous meals and locales wallpapering over something darker.
A really interesting read; it’s hard for me to say whether I’d recommend it as a story because I’m still trying to wrap my head around exactly what I thought of it, but I would definitely recommend it for its craft.
September 24, 2026
very well written and a very compelling story but at times, it did feel like it was dragging on
August 15, 2026
As someone who is from New York City and currently ives in Paris, I wanted to love this book but I found almost all the characters unlikable and I thought the friendship between the two main women was lowkey toxic. All of the conversations felt unrealistic and the relationship dynamics between many of the characters were kind of weird and didn’t feel fleshed out like many of the storylines through the book. Overall, I enjoyed the descriptions of the settings and scenery, and I think the start had a lot of potential, but I felt there was much more left to be desired in this book.
August 28, 2026
3.5 stars | This was my first read from Naima Coster and it won’t be my last. I enjoyed the writing and the audiobook narration was well done. Take What You Can chronicles the friendship and lives of Val and Milly who find each other during a study abroad trip to France and settle in New York in their 30’s. They each carry family grief and trauma that manifests in their marriages, relationships, and motherhood journeys in ways that can be perceived as unhealthy or unconventional. I was very intrigued and the author had my attention throughout. However, the depth of connection to Helene (their French benefactor) went over my head.
August 21, 2026
Unfortunately, this one wasn’t for me. The story was painfully slow, and I never became invested in the characters or what was happening. I kept hoping it would get better, but it never did. By the end, I was just ready for it to be over.
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