Friends Like Us

by Siân O'Gorman

Is it ever too late to take charge and live your life on your terms?

A light-hearted and emotional novel about family, friendship and coming to terms with your past. Perfect for fans of Marian Keyes and Amanda Prowse.

Life for school friends, Melissa, Steph and Eilis, hasn’t quite worked out the way they once imagined it might.

Melissa may be professionally successful but inside she’s a mess of insecurities.

Steph is lonely and lost, balancing the fragile threads of family life and walking on eggshells around her philandering husband and angry teenage daughter.

Finally, Eilis, a hardworking A&E doctor, utterly exhausted by the daily pressures of work and going through the motions with her long-term partner Rob.

It’s crunch time for all the friends...

What readers are saying about FRIENDS LIKE US:

'A very enjoyable and emotional read. One of those books that I could not put down'

'heartwarming and heartbreaking'

'The jacket caught my eye and the story didn't let me down.'

'Perfect escapism on a dreary day'

'an emotionally uplifting story of the power of friendship and togetherness through the bleakest of times and how ultimately good triumphs over pain.'

Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Chick Lit

403 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2016

About the author

For Once In My Life...

A Tale of Love, Discovery, and Second Chances...
In the bustling world of Dublin's advertising scene, Kitty O’Sullivan, a copywriter, feels an unexplainable void in her life that she can't quite pinpoint. Her five-year relationship with Dave is stagnant, her creative juices have dried up and she’s even entertaining thoughts of marriage as a cure-all! Something’s missing from her life but she can’t work out exactly what it is…

When Dave decides to take time out from ‘them’, Kitty finds herself momentarily liberated to explore life and have some fun. She and best friend Shazza are corralled into joining a five-aside football team where she meets the intriguing Sweetman brothers, Tom and Rory.

As they sail around the enchanting coast of Dublin, engage in fierce football battles and stumble upon a magical secret drinking den, Kitty falls in love with her new life - and her new self - but is it only temporary until Dave returns?

Will Kitty find the answers to life's mysteries and take charge of her future?

Join Kitty on this journey of love, self-discovery, and the pursuit of a life truly worth living.

Siân is on instagram as sianogorman1. Come and say hello!

Reviews

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This follows three women who get back in touch after college days after a chance meeting by two of them. Melissa, Steph and Eilis all have major life challenges going on which they keep quiet- but as they gradually build old friendships they use each other to release their problems and look to move on. They are also in charge of organising a huge reunion for their old class. There are many relationship issues and health issues explored here- family and romantic. The three are looking for more out of life and have realised that it is there to be taken- they do not have to live with these pressures hanging over them. I loved their friendships and the family issues. Another book set in Ireland and they always seem to give an added element to a story.
It is in turn heartwarming and heartbreaking- you feel every emotion alongside them.. New romance also provides hope and dreams for the future, A really lovely book.
With many thanks to the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read this one.

[Jo Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has all the makings of a great chick lit novel, I have to be honest though and say that I hated the narration. Really bad accent. The characters were likeable enough but the plot was predictable and the ending was passive.

[Sky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends like us follows the story of three school friends who are reunited as adults. In their new round friendship they help each other to find the strength and courage they need to face the struggles they are each dealing with and to move forward with their lives.
A nice easy summer read.

[Sammy Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely read, can highly recommend this to my Auntie Lyn and my usual ladies❤️

[Agi · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I requested "Friends Like Us" when requesting other book from the publisher Aria - the title, the cover of this book and the synopsis have caught my eye and I thought, why not? I like stories about friends reuniting and love to follow their different life stories so I was sure that nothing can go wrong with this book.

So "Friends Like Us" concentrates on the lives of three women who have lost contact and now, under the pretext of organizing the reunion, they start to see each other again, and in this time their lives change extremely. There are big challenges for them, many changes and they start to learn to support each other again and lean on each other again. Though, to be absolutely honest, somehow I didn't feel this strong bond that was supposed to exist between them. Melissa, Steph and Eilis must deal with infidelity, illness, death, problems at work, tricky teenagers and in between of course some of them meet gorgeous strangers, some of them discover that old love never dies, some of them change from being a doormat into a confident women.

Sadly, it was not a book that I can say I haven't read before - I missed originality and freshness, and I had a feeling that I've read many such stories before. Add to this the fact that in my opinion the author focused on many things that were not at all relevant to the plot, that were not significant, making the book drag on incredibly. Probably, if I read this book not as a reviewer reading hundreds of books a year only a "normal" reader, I'd enjoy it much more, as there was actually nothing wrong with it, for me it only lacked in originality and I spent more time on skipping paragraphs than actually reading and the plot just didn't drawn me in, as well as I didn't feel a real connection to the characters. The plot and the events were also tad too predictable - you could feel in what direction each of the subplots is going to continue. I was all the time waiting for something to happen, for something to surprise me but unfortunately, it was all "I've been there, I've seen it all". Also, mostly, the story dragged on but somewhere at the end some of the events sped up very sharply, which confused me very much and left me with a feeling that I missed something. Also, the friends met again because of the reunion and I was expecting the story to revolve around the organization of it, about maybe revealing some secrets from the past, but it turned out that it's going to go in a very different direction. I'm not saying it's a bad thing but then why to emphasize the reunion so much? Also, the characters felt too clichéd for my liking and the way they acted and reacted was too obvious and too predictable.

I wanted to love this book and I wanted to rate it much higher, unfortunately it wasn't able to keep my attention and, as I have already mentioned it before, I quickly started to skim reading it, without a feeling that I'm missing something. However, the writing was really nice and I am sure this story will find its fans. For me it was sadly too predictable and too clichéd and I missed the surprise effect. But if you are looking for a light, not demanding read then be sure to check "Friends Like Us".

Copy provided by the publisher in exchange for a review.

[Vikki Milroy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have never read a book with so many grammatical errors, I’m not talking a book full but enough to spoil it a bit and make me contact the publishing company.
In relation to the story, it was ok but it definitely dragged on a bit and too much detail.

[Avalon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa, Steph and Eilis are old school friends that are each battling issues in their life. One has a mother on the verge of death with an angry teenage daughter and a husband who is controlling. Another is just going through the motions at her job but not sure what to do about it and the other has a husband who is never home. I laughed and cried through this novel. Very enjoyable read but you need the tissues handy

[Diane Brennan · Rating 5 out of 5]

blessed am I

Thankfully, I have friend as amazing as these three ladies! The truth is, we all feel like we are off somehow, not enough. It is the safety and reflection of loving and supportive friends that get us through.

[Deb Gregory · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a tough book to finish simply because it was so depressing nearly all of the way through. The characters weren't all that likable, and the end was fairly predictable. Was not a good use of my time.

[Tenal M Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

True friendship in Ireland

This book was so entertaining it was hard to put down. One minute I wanted to throttle the men in these ladies lives and the next I was crying then laughing. What a good read . Thanks!

[Robina Orupcek · Rating 5 out of 5]

togetherness.

Friends can make the journey of life so much more adventurous. This book made me appreciate my friendships so much more.

[fredacarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it

[Morgan Harrison · Rating 2 out of 5]

Perfectly fine. Generally soothing, low-brain-need chick-lit…was leaning a 3 because I think this type of book is important and needed now and then - but the dialogue was really stilted and corny and I figured out all the ‘plot twists’ in the first few chapters. Had to buy Demon Copperhead as a palate cleanser after all that sweetness!

[Carol Ann Rooney · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice easy read with a feel good ending. A book you can just read and not think too much

[Alex McFadden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely brilliant

One of the best books I have ever had the privilege to read.

It was perfect.

Thank you Sian O’Gorman

[Obsidian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book to past the time with. Honestly my biggest issue is that the book moves quite slowly at times and I wasn't 100 percent happy with how one of the women's (Steph) story-lines ended. Actually, scratch that, I wasn't happy with how two women's story-lines ended up. The book also felt a bit unfinished I thought and it was aching for a nice one year later or something epilogue to show us where everyone was.

"Friends Like Us" follows three women: Melissa, Steph, and Ellis. The three all knew each other during childhood and later, but drifted apart for 10 years. When Melissa ends up in a fender bender and ends up hitting Steph, the two women realize how much they have missed each other. They quickly reach out to Ellis. When the three women's school throws a reunion and ropes in Steph, they realize it's a good time to get to know each other again though the three of them are going through some personal and professional troubles.

Melissa's story-line was ultimately the one I liked the best. Melissa is a journalist and dealing with a new editor who wants more fun stories and celebrity gossip, and not the type of stuff she writes. Struggling with this along with her constant dead-end relationships, she doesn't know what she would do without her best friend Cormac. However, it seems like Cormac is tired of how important Melissa is to him and how she's ruining him from being able to date and move on.

Steph is in a loveless marriage. Dealing with a 15 year old daughter who hates her, she doesn't know what she can do and feels stuck. When Steph realizes that she's going to have to confront what is going on in her marriage, she also gets devastating news.

Ellis is an A&E doctor who realizes that her long term relationship has turned passionless. When she starts to have feelings for man who works at the local garden center, she starts to wonder what she really wants out of her life.

Steph's entire story-line irked me. As one character said to her, she is a doormat. I honestly don't think there was enough growth for this entire character. There were some mild plot holes that are just not discussed again.

Ellis's resolution...look, I realized where O'Gorman was going with things pretty fast and the resolution was not great. I just also hated how things were glossed over too fast/pat in the end.

The dialogue was fine, but the flow was really slow. I think the book doesn't really get going anywhere until at least the 60 percent mark. Up until then you have at least two characters with their head in the sand and things just going through the paces until they have to face up to what is happening.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love a good chick lit novel. Emily Giffin, Lauren Weisberger, Mary Kay Andrews, etc. When I saw this on Netgalley I was instantly drawn to it because of the lighthearted description and lovely cover. Superficial, I know. Turned out to be fitting as this book was a tad superficial. I just wanted to be drawn in a little bit more. I didn’t feel a true connection with the characters.

Three friends from high school reunite to plan their twentieth high school reunion. Melissa, Steph and Eilis meet several times to plan things but that is not actually relevant to the plot. Instead the book focuses on the unraveling of the three women’s lives. All of them are facing heavy issues in their lives and the lean on each other for support. Divorce, infidelity, angsty teenagers, work woes, death and more all try and drag the girls down.

Told alternately from Melissa, Steph and Eilis point of view works nicely. You get an intimate glimpse into all their lives and the book flows well. Even though they are dealing with some heavy subject matter, it is still has an overall lighthearted tone. There are many sweet moments between the girls and O’Gorman was able to capture the power of true friendship.

While it definitely had its good moments, it was slightly clichéd and predictable. All that said, I did like the book, I just didn’t love the book. It is a nice, easy summer read though. If you’re looking for a book that is breezy and fluffy this might be for you.

Full review can be found on www.novelgossip.com

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an incredibly difficult book to rate. My ‘ratings’ veered from 5 stars to 1 star depending on the development of the plot and characters. There were some brilliant scenes and then there were some that were utterly clichéd and predictable.

But life IS predictable at times, and although I did roll my eyes in a couple of place, I think I will re-visit this book again. I am going to go with Goodreads own ratings - I liked this book. There is a lot that is good in it, and the characters are beautifully written and I was engaged throughout, even when I knew full well what was going to happen.

My only real quibble was that the domestic violence was ‘lessened’ as if it was of little real importance, and that is something that should never be allowed to happen.

[Tracie Lark · Rating 3 out of 5]

All bar one one of my highlights are edits the book needs 😊🙃
Some "moments" were overdone in this book, and I guessed the plotlines easily. However the characters' romantic relationships were interesting. I liked the different types of relationship issues, the author did well not to rely on stereotypical problems in two of the main relationships. Sometimes the characters drove me mad with frustration with the lack of control over their own lives so I guess the author made their point about self determination well enough. The Rick character was too turbulent and unbelievable. The premise of the book became redundant, lacked substance - in fact the school reunion excuse was unnecessary - the minor car crash was the true reuniting factor for the three friends.

[Sally Coles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Old school friends Steph, Melissa and Eilis meet up by chance after many years and try to take up where they left off - at first they seem to all be great but as the get back into the relationships they find out that their lives are not as perfect as they make out - they all have their own issues and the support of each other really helps them

The story is set in Ireland and I must admit I am a bit of a sucker for all of the Irish authors and the down to earth way stories are told and the community and warm feeling that you get from them. This one is very light hearted and easy to read so would recommend it

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an independent review.
Three old school friends reunited. Each with problems in their life, they find strength in each other and the courage to sort out their lives and move on.
This is a good strong story of friendship. Each of the three female characters are portrayed very well and I really felt like I knew them.

A very enjoyable and emotional read. One of those books that I could not out down.
4.5****

[Marisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC for my honest review.

When it comes to fiction, I look for books that involve me completely —whether it’s because of the beautiful writing, the power of the story, or the characters, and in a perfect book it’s all three. This book has the potential to be a great chick lit, but it needs editing and streamlining the characters and their lives to better capture the emotion the author is trying to project.

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written book of three women struggling with different but equally difficult issues. It was nice to see how these friends pulled together to help one another. It's not as light as the blurb or the cover implies but that isn't a bad thing. O/Gorman has a nice style and is a good storyteller. This would be a good beach or travel book, although I read it inside my house on a hot hot afternoon. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Sylvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, its about 3 friends and their very different lives. They first went to school together and then meet up as adults when their school is arranging a reunion. The three main characters were very likeable and remind me of people I know. For me, a sign of a good book is when I can't wait to get back to it and I really don't want it to end. At times I had tears in my eyes and really cared about what happened to them. A great read and I will look out for other books by this author.

[Elaine Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best friends

This reminded me of my life and how it all brought me to where I am now. The challenges in my life made me who I am today. I also realize how many women have been through the same challenges as I have, and survived and made a better life. I will share this book with my daughter because it gives her an insight into who her mother was and how she came through, strong and not bitter.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much Aria, and Netgalley for allowing me to review xx

This was a very lighthearted chick lit book. Enjoyable, with nice characters. An easy read too. I liked it, I felt I knew the characters and this book was one of this books that gave me a little smile.

All in all, very enjoyable.
My blog :
https://thereadingshed.wordpress.com/

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I liked this book and most of the characters. I thought the storyline was very predictable and found the constant mention of drinking tea a bit annoying. I enjoyed that the chapters changed and focused on each of the girls, sometimes frustrating me to want to keep reading more about what was going on that I almost jumped ahead!

[Lezlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genuine example of a good page Turner

This book has helped me to rediscover the joy of reading. I am a mature person who tries to avoid books focusing on romance; however, this book has a real mixture of interesting characters which focuses on their trials and successes during life changing experiences.

A good example of a book that I did not want to end.

[Maria Suggett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Laughing and crying all the way through!

Loved it all - the ups and downs, the way each character navigated her own life while supporting their family and friends. The wit, knowledge of yoga, parent passing, and finding the courage to start over made me reflect on my own life and inspired me! I got a lot out of this wonderful story!

[Erin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy Dance

The twists and turns of real life that focuses on 3 old friends is a ride of pure delight. Even with its serious ups and downs, rooting for each one becomes a mission while engrossed in this page turner. This gifted author allows each reader an inner happy dance as she weaves each tale of sorrow, love and triumph to their shining finale. Unforgettable.