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Friends Like These #1
Friends Like These
An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here and here.
When newly single Marie decides to shake up her social life, she has no idea what she is letting herself in for. With her sights set on the flamboyant Sebastian and his sophisticated group, Marie is sure that things are about to change for the better.
But when a chance encounter brings some unlikely characters into her life, things start to veer off course. Marie would never normally be seen with this bunch of misfits but to her annoyance they just keep turning up.
As lives quickly become entwined and unusual friendships form, Marie realises that we don't always get to choose our friends; sometimes they choose us.
Buoyed by her newfound friendships, Marie might even take another chance at love.
When newly single Marie decides to shake up her social life, she has no idea what she is letting herself in for. With her sights set on the flamboyant Sebastian and his sophisticated group, Marie is sure that things are about to change for the better.
But when a chance encounter brings some unlikely characters into her life, things start to veer off course. Marie would never normally be seen with this bunch of misfits but to her annoyance they just keep turning up.
As lives quickly become entwined and unusual friendships form, Marie realises that we don't always get to choose our friends; sometimes they choose us.
Buoyed by her newfound friendships, Marie might even take another chance at love.
400 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 9, 2015
2867 people are currently reading
2607 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Ellis
57 books434 followersHannah Ellis spent many years working in childcare before deciding she'd like to write books. When she's not busy writing she likes to read, drink tea and eat chocolate. She also enjoys yoga and jogging.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 312 reviews
December 29, 2015
I found this book to be laugh-out-loud funny. Marie went through a crazy series of events to find herself with a new friend group. It was a crazy story that I enjoyed until the very last page. The version I read needs another proof read however - the last half had quite a few errors. Not so much spelling but problems with a letter being left off the end of a word or sentences a bit wonky. The story was so good that I persevered and perhaps these have been fixed in newer version? I would have given it 5 stars if not for those errors which were a little distracting.
September 26, 2018
Read this if you like books about: friendship, family relationships, quirky main characters and their quirkier group of friends, humor, a weight loss journey, the concept of "cool" friends, finding friends during unexpected circumstances
January 4, 2019
Just couldn’t keep going with this one. I found the main character and her inner voice really annoying instead of amusing.
However, no harm as was a Kindle freebie.
However, no harm as was a Kindle freebie.
February 12, 2019
A very meh book. Entirely predictable and not in the cozy way that chick lit has sometimes. More in a boring, is she really going to pretend this needs 400 pages to resolve kind of way. Main character sucks, there are no real stakes or obstacles, and several characters just hang around for no purpose. On the other hand, I did finish it so it wasn't irredeemably terrible, and it was an easy and fast read.
May 6, 2016
Reviewed for Chick Lit Central (www.chicklitcentral.com)
Friends Like These is a true testament to how quickly your life can change, even when you’re trying hard to keep things at the current status quo. After a devastating break-up, Marie coasts through life, relying heavily on the routines in her world. If she can keep herself at a distance, it means she can keep herself from getting hurt again.
After feeling a lot of pressure from one of her co-workers to attend a speed dating class, Marie finds herself on a very bizarre, whacky journey, with a group of unusual characters she ordinarily wouldn’t find herself involved with. Mixed in is Brian, a man who does nothing but infuriate her and annoy her at every turn, yet he’s on her mind nearly every single second of the day. Is he someone she could actually see forever with, does he feel the same way about her? Even if he did (fat chance, in Marie’s opinion), is there any guarantee it would work out? Given what she’s experienced in the past, it’s hard to believe in any sort of happily ever after.
This was such a fun read, showcasing a very honest, candid look into Marie’s life, into her psyche. I really enjoyed how she was blunt and said pretty much whatever was on her mind, even when it made her look less than stellar. The same could be said for the other characters in her world. Even though Marie pushes back against her new friends and everything they represent, they are mirror reflections of the inner turmoil and struggle Marie is dealing with. Strength really does come in numbers, and as mentioned in the synopsis, we don’t always get to choose our friends. Sometimes, they choose us.
Thankfully.
Friends Like These is a true testament to how quickly your life can change, even when you’re trying hard to keep things at the current status quo. After a devastating break-up, Marie coasts through life, relying heavily on the routines in her world. If she can keep herself at a distance, it means she can keep herself from getting hurt again.
After feeling a lot of pressure from one of her co-workers to attend a speed dating class, Marie finds herself on a very bizarre, whacky journey, with a group of unusual characters she ordinarily wouldn’t find herself involved with. Mixed in is Brian, a man who does nothing but infuriate her and annoy her at every turn, yet he’s on her mind nearly every single second of the day. Is he someone she could actually see forever with, does he feel the same way about her? Even if he did (fat chance, in Marie’s opinion), is there any guarantee it would work out? Given what she’s experienced in the past, it’s hard to believe in any sort of happily ever after.
This was such a fun read, showcasing a very honest, candid look into Marie’s life, into her psyche. I really enjoyed how she was blunt and said pretty much whatever was on her mind, even when it made her look less than stellar. The same could be said for the other characters in her world. Even though Marie pushes back against her new friends and everything they represent, they are mirror reflections of the inner turmoil and struggle Marie is dealing with. Strength really does come in numbers, and as mentioned in the synopsis, we don’t always get to choose our friends. Sometimes, they choose us.
Thankfully.
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July 22, 2025
Fat club, friendship and fun!
May 4, 2016
Very believable
Very well written and I fell in love with the main character with all her quirks. Loads of ups and downs, will they, won't they etc. Happy to read that Marie got her happy ending, but would liked to have known what happened to Grace and James.
All in all though a great wee book
Very well written and I fell in love with the main character with all her quirks. Loads of ups and downs, will they, won't they etc. Happy to read that Marie got her happy ending, but would liked to have known what happened to Grace and James.
All in all though a great wee book
May 6, 2016
Laugh out loud funny.
Lovely! A funny and touching story. Marie's only friend is moving away, and she has to try to meet new people. The problem is that a bunch of crazies take over her life, and she has no idea how it happened.
Lovely! A funny and touching story. Marie's only friend is moving away, and she has to try to meet new people. The problem is that a bunch of crazies take over her life, and she has no idea how it happened.
August 22, 2016
This book was a lot of fun. The characters are off the wall and wacky. I was hooked by the first few paragraphs, I might pretend to be a superhero in the store sometime. I completely recommend this read for some light hearted fun.
February 11, 2024
2.75⭐
I've been in the biggest review slump for the last 4 months, I'm so sorry 😔
I've been in the biggest review slump for the last 4 months, I'm so sorry 😔
March 20, 2019
A somewhat predictable and sappy British chick-lit type book about a young woman whose best (and only close) friend moves to America, and how she accidentally acquires a group of screwball characters as her new friends crew, and a heavily foreshadowed, but slow-blossoming romance with a mutual friend of her best friend, this book isn't going to make anyone go crazy over it. That said, the writing style is engaging, the characters comfortably quirky and likable, and the story mindless, but sweet. I enjoyed it enough to finish it, though I'm not sure if I'll ever bother looking for the sequel (apparently it's the first in a series-- I got it either for free or 99 cents on a Kindle deal of the day). Was a good distraction from reality story- nothing too deep or serious at all, happy endings all around. 2.5 stars, rounded up.
November 25, 2023
This was cute! There was romance, but as the title suggests, the story also focuses on friendship relationships, which I found cosy and refreshing.
August 3, 2024
Not worth your time! I absolutely love rom-coms but this book was lacking both. Between writing that felt superficial and rushed, and a main character who had no sense of self and felt like she was written by a self-proclaimed ‘mature’ 17 year old, I barely made it through this book. Some of the secondary characters were slightly better but there was no depth to be found anywhere in this book.
December 31, 2015
I loved it! A hilarious and touching story of a very unlikely group of friends. A laugh out loud story. I was sad to see it end.
March 14, 2018
Delightfully Offbeat
This is how I would describe the book. I was surprised by the number of pages on this one, because I zipped through them. This is 4.25 stars - I really loved it. Special kudos since this seems to be the author's debut book. The writing was bit uneven at parts but these are just minor quirks in a book filled with quirky oddballs! :)
I read the blurb and I thought that finding friends seemed like a unusual choice for a storyline and we see why for Marie, with her bizarre requests for travelling only in taxis or hitchhiking a ride on a bike, finding sophisticated and new friends at twenty eight would seem normal! Her best (sort of only) friend Grace was moving away with her boyfriend to another country throwing Marie's stable existence into a disarray. She's recently single - the author gives her a cliched boyfriend and often used excuse of why she broke up with him to probably give the picture of a seemingly normal girl with maybe a bit of anxiety issues, but Marie was more than that. She was funny, insecure, jealous bordering on paranoia, slightly neurotic but also very human and her quest for finding friends left me in splits.
The tone of the author here is very important - we are reading this from Marie's point of view , she thinks her mother is eccentric (wonderful character, but was not fully explored) and she is embarrassed by her and constantly believes that she will seek the normalcy that she believes she possesses by finding better friends. Her accidental finding of a bunch of wonderfully unique friends had me laughing out loud. It's also ironic that she thinks she's the rational one among them. Meet Sophie (loud, refreshingly blunt) Jake (very sweet guy who is working with his own family issues) and Linda (having problems with her marital life) They all meet up every week and have a sort of friend/gossip/therapy sessions each navigating their own problems.
It was a happy surprise that the leading man is actually the work friend of Grace, so when these two meet it's brand new and the guy is kind, honorable, incredibly patient and good looking of course, as book boyfriends generally tend to be. He understands Marie so perfectly and his delightful summary of who Marie is one of the book's best parts! :) Every loose end is neatly wrapped up in a bow but also leaving some new avenues open for the next book to probably explore. Sebastian and his friends (barring Harry) are clearly the friend-triangle obstacle that in other books would have been an annoying love triangle obstacle and Marie realizes or sort of reaffirms who her true friends are. I didn't like the love drama stretched out too much but I guess it was in character with Marie's general neurosis.
The book made me laugh a lot and I look forward to more from the author!
This is how I would describe the book. I was surprised by the number of pages on this one, because I zipped through them. This is 4.25 stars - I really loved it. Special kudos since this seems to be the author's debut book. The writing was bit uneven at parts but these are just minor quirks in a book filled with quirky oddballs! :)
I read the blurb and I thought that finding friends seemed like a unusual choice for a storyline and we see why for Marie, with her bizarre requests for travelling only in taxis or hitchhiking a ride on a bike, finding sophisticated and new friends at twenty eight would seem normal! Her best (sort of only) friend Grace was moving away with her boyfriend to another country throwing Marie's stable existence into a disarray. She's recently single - the author gives her a cliched boyfriend and often used excuse of why she broke up with him to probably give the picture of a seemingly normal girl with maybe a bit of anxiety issues, but Marie was more than that. She was funny, insecure, jealous bordering on paranoia, slightly neurotic but also very human and her quest for finding friends left me in splits.
The tone of the author here is very important - we are reading this from Marie's point of view , she thinks her mother is eccentric (wonderful character, but was not fully explored) and she is embarrassed by her and constantly believes that she will seek the normalcy that she believes she possesses by finding better friends. Her accidental finding of a bunch of wonderfully unique friends had me laughing out loud. It's also ironic that she thinks she's the rational one among them. Meet Sophie (loud, refreshingly blunt) Jake (very sweet guy who is working with his own family issues) and Linda (having problems with her marital life) They all meet up every week and have a sort of friend/gossip/therapy sessions each navigating their own problems.
It was a happy surprise that the leading man is actually the work friend of Grace, so when these two meet it's brand new and the guy is kind, honorable, incredibly patient and good looking of course, as book boyfriends generally tend to be. He understands Marie so perfectly and his delightful summary of who Marie is one of the book's best parts! :) Every loose end is neatly wrapped up in a bow but also leaving some new avenues open for the next book to probably explore. Sebastian and his friends (barring Harry) are clearly the friend-triangle obstacle that in other books would have been an annoying love triangle obstacle and Marie realizes or sort of reaffirms who her true friends are. I didn't like the love drama stretched out too much but I guess it was in character with Marie's general neurosis.
The book made me laugh a lot and I look forward to more from the author!
Read
August 24, 2021So much DNF.
Okay, this is a random rant, so feel free to give this one a pass. It's not going to resonate with many, I suspect.
It's just that this book struck a very personal nerve and I'm just not in the mood for writers who show their ignorance and insensitivity because it apparently amuses them and therefore might amuse readers.
This writer can write and she generally does it well. But most of her heroines are truly obnoxious, unlikeable people who never seem to evolve - which makes me think that I would loathe their creator on sight were I ever to meet her. The heroine in this story established herself early on as the kind of passive-aggressive, needy, jealous little bitch I'd enjoy punching in the gob.
But I digress.
At issue here is the stupidly ignorant and offensive portrayal of an AA meeting and description of alcohol addiction.
Judgemental much, Ms. Ellis?
I'm a former addictions counselor. I have worked extensively in addictions therapy, and my area of expertise happens to be in alcoholism. I initially chose that field because of close personal experience with an alcoholic family member. More than one, as it happens. Back in my younger years I flirted with the disease myself until I realised the devastation I could wreak in my own life if I continued down that path. So, I changed course. I was lucky that I was able to - and moreso that I'd fully grasped that I could be at risk. Alcoholism tends to run in families and mine definitely fits that assessment.
Alcoholism is an illness. All addictions are. A genetic mutation causes the vulnerability to substances and their abuse and it is a genuine mental disorder with the potential for dire physical ramifications. With all the focus on mental health and how it's 'okay to not be okay' it's astonishing to me how frankly contemptuous people can be.
This writer portrays an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in a stereotypical display of utter cluelessness and lack of tact. The leader of the meeting pressures attendees to share, treating them with condescension and claiming they are in denial. Then there are references to pouring vodka over cornflakes and deciding between wine and whisky for lunch.
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? Could you be any more ignorant? Talk about the sensitivity of a wooden post. Good job giving readers a peek at that glaring intelligence deficit and judgemental nature.
And FYI - using the term 'drunk' is only acceptable if you yourself are one in a group of them. In other words, not you.
I get that this book is a rom-com of sorts. But there is nothing amusing about this heroine, let alone anything relatable.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - there is nothing amusing about showing bias or cruelty.
If this heroine had used the 'n' word or called a gay character a faggot, in these days of being 'woke' most folks would lose their minds. Likewise, if a person with schizophrenia were referred to as a psycho or whack job, or if a character with Down's Syndrome was called a retard.
There are those that see bigotry as wrong because people have no choice over the colour of their skin, or an illness or disability, but think nothing of calling addicts unacceptable names because they believe an addict chooses to be addicted.
Yeah. Wrong. As stated earlier, addiction IS a disease or defect, it IS a mental illness and therefore out of the addict's control. The circumstances that led to their addiction in the first place are of no consequence, but that said are usually what would be an insignificant incident for a person without the genetic mutation. Nobody sets out to become dependent on a substance.
Sometimes, I feel that lately people go overboard with the sensitivity thing. However, for the most part I agree the concept is spot on. We need to do better. I'm all for free speech and I oppose censorship of any kind. But it should never get to that point because choosing to not judge or slur or show ignorance is something we should be dealing with in ourselves long before we give into the impulse to do those things.
We are not animals or children with no impulse control or ability to reason. If we are going to claim to be accepting, or civilised, or sensitive to others, then we need to act it. We need to not be arseholes.
I've read many of this writer's books despite my dislike of most of her heroines. They are generally easy, well-written reads. Nothing real deep or emotional, but a damn sight better than the cesspool of misogyny and gratuitous sex I am tired of wading through.
Nevertheless, I won't be going any further with this writer's work. To be so casually intolerant and to do so whilst making it obvious she didn't bother researching the facts on alcoholism or the organisation she disparaged was unacceptable to me. It shows what kind of person she is and despite my experience and qualifications, I can't be arsed to properly educate her or others like her.
Why?
Because their minds are made up, and in their sanctimony and judgement it would be impossible to reach them. And I know this as fact because I've seen it time and again.
If people were honest, they'd recognise that general bigotry is an organic phenomenon - however, we also possess a moral compass that dictates how we deal with it.
Again, we need to do better.
Okay, this is a random rant, so feel free to give this one a pass. It's not going to resonate with many, I suspect.
It's just that this book struck a very personal nerve and I'm just not in the mood for writers who show their ignorance and insensitivity because it apparently amuses them and therefore might amuse readers.
This writer can write and she generally does it well. But most of her heroines are truly obnoxious, unlikeable people who never seem to evolve - which makes me think that I would loathe their creator on sight were I ever to meet her. The heroine in this story established herself early on as the kind of passive-aggressive, needy, jealous little bitch I'd enjoy punching in the gob.
But I digress.
At issue here is the stupidly ignorant and offensive portrayal of an AA meeting and description of alcohol addiction.
Judgemental much, Ms. Ellis?
I'm a former addictions counselor. I have worked extensively in addictions therapy, and my area of expertise happens to be in alcoholism. I initially chose that field because of close personal experience with an alcoholic family member. More than one, as it happens. Back in my younger years I flirted with the disease myself until I realised the devastation I could wreak in my own life if I continued down that path. So, I changed course. I was lucky that I was able to - and moreso that I'd fully grasped that I could be at risk. Alcoholism tends to run in families and mine definitely fits that assessment.
Alcoholism is an illness. All addictions are. A genetic mutation causes the vulnerability to substances and their abuse and it is a genuine mental disorder with the potential for dire physical ramifications. With all the focus on mental health and how it's 'okay to not be okay' it's astonishing to me how frankly contemptuous people can be.
This writer portrays an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting in a stereotypical display of utter cluelessness and lack of tact. The leader of the meeting pressures attendees to share, treating them with condescension and claiming they are in denial. Then there are references to pouring vodka over cornflakes and deciding between wine and whisky for lunch.
Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you? Could you be any more ignorant? Talk about the sensitivity of a wooden post. Good job giving readers a peek at that glaring intelligence deficit and judgemental nature.
And FYI - using the term 'drunk' is only acceptable if you yourself are one in a group of them. In other words, not you.
I get that this book is a rom-com of sorts. But there is nothing amusing about this heroine, let alone anything relatable.
MOST IMPORTANTLY - there is nothing amusing about showing bias or cruelty.
If this heroine had used the 'n' word or called a gay character a faggot, in these days of being 'woke' most folks would lose their minds. Likewise, if a person with schizophrenia were referred to as a psycho or whack job, or if a character with Down's Syndrome was called a retard.
There are those that see bigotry as wrong because people have no choice over the colour of their skin, or an illness or disability, but think nothing of calling addicts unacceptable names because they believe an addict chooses to be addicted.
Yeah. Wrong. As stated earlier, addiction IS a disease or defect, it IS a mental illness and therefore out of the addict's control. The circumstances that led to their addiction in the first place are of no consequence, but that said are usually what would be an insignificant incident for a person without the genetic mutation. Nobody sets out to become dependent on a substance.
Sometimes, I feel that lately people go overboard with the sensitivity thing. However, for the most part I agree the concept is spot on. We need to do better. I'm all for free speech and I oppose censorship of any kind. But it should never get to that point because choosing to not judge or slur or show ignorance is something we should be dealing with in ourselves long before we give into the impulse to do those things.
We are not animals or children with no impulse control or ability to reason. If we are going to claim to be accepting, or civilised, or sensitive to others, then we need to act it. We need to not be arseholes.
I've read many of this writer's books despite my dislike of most of her heroines. They are generally easy, well-written reads. Nothing real deep or emotional, but a damn sight better than the cesspool of misogyny and gratuitous sex I am tired of wading through.
Nevertheless, I won't be going any further with this writer's work. To be so casually intolerant and to do so whilst making it obvious she didn't bother researching the facts on alcoholism or the organisation she disparaged was unacceptable to me. It shows what kind of person she is and despite my experience and qualifications, I can't be arsed to properly educate her or others like her.
Why?
Because their minds are made up, and in their sanctimony and judgement it would be impossible to reach them. And I know this as fact because I've seen it time and again.
If people were honest, they'd recognise that general bigotry is an organic phenomenon - however, we also possess a moral compass that dictates how we deal with it.
Again, we need to do better.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 15, 2024
More Than These!
In Friends Like These, Marie's best friend is moving to America with her fiance. Marie, a travel agent, decides she needs to make new friends. She decided to be friends with Sebastian, one of her wealthy clients and his friends, who are all snobs. She went out with Sebastian and his friends but didn't like his snobbish friends, still she continued going out with them.
Marie also knew she needed to date. She decided to try speed dating but was mistakenly sent to a "fat club" where there was an unusual set of people. She quickly realized the moderator was a fraud and was simply bullying the members. Marie called her out on what she was doing and promptly walked out. To her surprise, three of the members, Anne, Sophie and Jake, followed her and expected her to be their leader. That night, Anne drove all of them home, dropping Marie off first. They decided to start meeting at her place and they all promptly showed up the next meet and every week thereafter. Marie was speechless but allowed them to continue meeting and got to know them individually.
Brian, who worked with her best friend, promised that he would check on her after her friend moved to America. He showed up that same night the "fat club" first came to her apartment. Maries's relationship with them continued even though she thought they were quirky.
It seems unusual that when I finished this book, I was reminded of today's sermon. "After having dinner with his disciples, Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me more than these?' Jesus is not inviting Peter to compare his love to that of others. Rather, he invites Peter to realize the weakness of his own love. He invites Peter to move from a place of pride to a place of humility."
Marie knew that she didn't like Sebastian and his friends but Anne, Sophie and Jake were becoming her friends even though she thought they were so different. She really liked Brian but didn't understand why he kept showing up.
Marie finally realized that she loved the members of the fat club "more than these" - Sebastian and his snobbish friends after seeing them all together. She didn't compare her love for them but realized her weakness in wanting to be friends with a bunch of snobs. Standing up for members of the fat club and accepting them as her friends shows humility.
The book was a British comedy which are usually difficult for me to finish. This one is delightful. It's filled with other really quirky characters, including her mother, her aunt, Anne, a co-worker and even her boss. Some of the characters, Anne and Jake were well developed while others weren't as developed but I really liked them, especially Sophie and Brian. I would live to know more backstory on both Sophie and Brian.
The book was pretty well written and kept you reading. It had so many laugh out loud moments that I'll probably read a couple of the other books in this series.
In Friends Like These, Marie's best friend is moving to America with her fiance. Marie, a travel agent, decides she needs to make new friends. She decided to be friends with Sebastian, one of her wealthy clients and his friends, who are all snobs. She went out with Sebastian and his friends but didn't like his snobbish friends, still she continued going out with them.
Marie also knew she needed to date. She decided to try speed dating but was mistakenly sent to a "fat club" where there was an unusual set of people. She quickly realized the moderator was a fraud and was simply bullying the members. Marie called her out on what she was doing and promptly walked out. To her surprise, three of the members, Anne, Sophie and Jake, followed her and expected her to be their leader. That night, Anne drove all of them home, dropping Marie off first. They decided to start meeting at her place and they all promptly showed up the next meet and every week thereafter. Marie was speechless but allowed them to continue meeting and got to know them individually.
Brian, who worked with her best friend, promised that he would check on her after her friend moved to America. He showed up that same night the "fat club" first came to her apartment. Maries's relationship with them continued even though she thought they were quirky.
It seems unusual that when I finished this book, I was reminded of today's sermon. "After having dinner with his disciples, Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me more than these?' Jesus is not inviting Peter to compare his love to that of others. Rather, he invites Peter to realize the weakness of his own love. He invites Peter to move from a place of pride to a place of humility."
Marie knew that she didn't like Sebastian and his friends but Anne, Sophie and Jake were becoming her friends even though she thought they were so different. She really liked Brian but didn't understand why he kept showing up.
Marie finally realized that she loved the members of the fat club "more than these" - Sebastian and his snobbish friends after seeing them all together. She didn't compare her love for them but realized her weakness in wanting to be friends with a bunch of snobs. Standing up for members of the fat club and accepting them as her friends shows humility.
The book was a British comedy which are usually difficult for me to finish. This one is delightful. It's filled with other really quirky characters, including her mother, her aunt, Anne, a co-worker and even her boss. Some of the characters, Anne and Jake were well developed while others weren't as developed but I really liked them, especially Sophie and Brian. I would live to know more backstory on both Sophie and Brian.
The book was pretty well written and kept you reading. It had so many laugh out loud moments that I'll probably read a couple of the other books in this series.
March 9, 2019
This book started with great promise for me and I expected a lighthearted chicklit type of thing. However, I was going along nicely and then Marie did something that just doesn't ring true at all and it ruined it for me, sadly. I need to be able to believe a lot of what I'm reading but I just couldn't in this instance and packed it in at 18%. It was when she attended a group meeting at an hotel......that's all I'll say as I don't do spoilers, whether I liked it or not.
There were some funny parts to this, though Marie was beginning to get on my nerves a little, which didn't help matters. You're really supposed to like the heroine of the story, aren't you, and cheer her along, yet I found her pretty rude and dismissive of people meaning no harm whatsoever and that did not endear me to her in the least.
She lost the apostrophe in tree-huggers eyes and this sentence lost to, "......or at least any that were likely turn up needing a place to crash," takeaway is usually one word or has a hyphen and Cheddar needed capitalising but bear in mind I hadn't got 20% in as yet !!
She writes with promise but perhaps this would appeal more to teens or those more prepared than I am to suspend belief a little.
There were some funny parts to this, though Marie was beginning to get on my nerves a little, which didn't help matters. You're really supposed to like the heroine of the story, aren't you, and cheer her along, yet I found her pretty rude and dismissive of people meaning no harm whatsoever and that did not endear me to her in the least.
She lost the apostrophe in tree-huggers eyes and this sentence lost to, "......or at least any that were likely turn up needing a place to crash," takeaway is usually one word or has a hyphen and Cheddar needed capitalising but bear in mind I hadn't got 20% in as yet !!
She writes with promise but perhaps this would appeal more to teens or those more prepared than I am to suspend belief a little.
February 4, 2019
The first few chapters were hysterical. Maybe I was just in one of those moods where something tickles me and I can't stop laughing...but I was laughing out loud...I even had to put the book down and tell my husband what was so funny. Needless to say I was excited to read a great book. Unfortunately the story became a bit prosaic, not necessarily boring, but I feel a few elements of the story dragged on too long and some were unnecessary altogether. In the end it was just ok. But if you want a good laugh read the first few chapters!
April 9, 2019
3.5 Stars
July 29, 2019
What a fun story about finding friendship in unexpected places. Looking forward to reading the next one in the series.
August 5, 2025
Cute, fun, predictable.
February 22, 2019
Very cute book, very fun cast of characters.
July 24, 2021
Me gustó bastante. No conocía a la autora, pero tiene un estilo parecido al de Sophie Kinsella y me encanta. Hannah Ellis, me quito el sombrero.
Los personajes son adorables en casi todo momento, solo algunos comentarios aquí y allá que no me gustaron, pero casa bien con la historia.
Me entretuvo y hasta me reí en algunas partes; lo recomiendo.
Los personajes son adorables en casi todo momento, solo algunos comentarios aquí y allá que no me gustaron, pero casa bien con la historia.
Me entretuvo y hasta me reí en algunas partes; lo recomiendo.
August 16, 2025
if a man asked if me if i was “jealous” of a friend getting engaged, i would do something illegal
February 5, 2025
This is a very heart warming, feel good story. I really enjoyed all the quirky characters.
February 2, 2016
In Friends Like These by Hannah Ellis, we meet Marie, who is now single after catching her boyfriend cheating on her. She decides she needs more of a social life after previously relying on her boyfriend so heavily, and sets about making new friends. With a couple of miscues along the way, Marie eventually does form new friendships with an unlikely group, and it’s just in time. Marie’s best friend announces her move to America with her boyfriend, and Marie suddenly finds herself adjusting to yet another change in her life. With new friendships under belt, Marie starts to dabble in with a new romance – but is she truly ready to open her heart again?
This book caught my attention right off the bat. The first half of the book is very fast-paced, funny, and quite engaging. Marie is a wonderful chick lit heroine, and what I loved most about her is that she doesn’t find herself awkward or goofy in the slightest. In fact, when she befriends her new group of friends, she finds them to be the awkward and goofy ones, and that gave me a good chuckle as well. The romance aspects I did enjoy though it did get a little too back and forth and drug out for my liking, but alls well that ends well. In Friends Like These the supporting cast is just as well-written as our main character, and the difficult situations Marie’s new friends find themselves in was as entertaining and thought-provoking to read about. A highly satisfying read.
Reviewed by Samantha March (Readers Favorite)
This book caught my attention right off the bat. The first half of the book is very fast-paced, funny, and quite engaging. Marie is a wonderful chick lit heroine, and what I loved most about her is that she doesn’t find herself awkward or goofy in the slightest. In fact, when she befriends her new group of friends, she finds them to be the awkward and goofy ones, and that gave me a good chuckle as well. The romance aspects I did enjoy though it did get a little too back and forth and drug out for my liking, but alls well that ends well. In Friends Like These the supporting cast is just as well-written as our main character, and the difficult situations Marie’s new friends find themselves in was as entertaining and thought-provoking to read about. A highly satisfying read.
Reviewed by Samantha March (Readers Favorite)
August 20, 2016
3.5 stars
I received the free copy of the book from author in exchange of an honest review.
It was a fun read. Written from Marie's POV, the story begins when she is trying to overcome the hurt her ex boyfriend caused by cheating on her. To make matters worse her best and only friend,Grace is moving to New York. Grace knows her better than anyone, so she plans to introduce her to Brian, her colleague and friend. Brian annoys Marrie to no end. His handsome face and cheeky remarks annoy her to no end. His challenge makes her do the unthinkable step for her and she ended up in a strange setting. Instead of speed dating she end up in an weight loss encouragement club. An outburst there leave her in the company of three strangers. Things get better and better in Marrie's social life but not so good in her love life. Then an unexpected visit to New York sort many things for Marie and she learns that sometimes having strange but true friends is best thing to have. I really loved Marie's friends. Sophie,Jack,Harry,Linda and Grace all. I didn't like Marie's character much though. All in all it was a good read.
I received the free copy of the book from author in exchange of an honest review.
It was a fun read. Written from Marie's POV, the story begins when she is trying to overcome the hurt her ex boyfriend caused by cheating on her. To make matters worse her best and only friend,Grace is moving to New York. Grace knows her better than anyone, so she plans to introduce her to Brian, her colleague and friend. Brian annoys Marrie to no end. His handsome face and cheeky remarks annoy her to no end. His challenge makes her do the unthinkable step for her and she ended up in a strange setting. Instead of speed dating she end up in an weight loss encouragement club. An outburst there leave her in the company of three strangers. Things get better and better in Marrie's social life but not so good in her love life. Then an unexpected visit to New York sort many things for Marie and she learns that sometimes having strange but true friends is best thing to have. I really loved Marie's friends. Sophie,Jack,Harry,Linda and Grace all. I didn't like Marie's character much though. All in all it was a good read.
June 24, 2016
This was such a cute story. I could really relate to the main character. Some of her choices or feelings seemed obviously counter to what would make her happy, but Hannah Ellis did a great job of letting readers understand why Marie thought the way she did, and it really did make sense. The story was simple but had a great, feel-good message and was fun to read.
I only gave the book three stars mainly for writing quality. There were a number of editorial mistakes, and some of the dialogue/descriptions could have used some revision. This is the author's first novel, and honestly it reads like it. But, I still wanted to keep reading, so I would still recommend this book. I would definitely read more by Hannah Ellis and actually just began the novella that is the sequel to "Friends Like These."
I only gave the book three stars mainly for writing quality. There were a number of editorial mistakes, and some of the dialogue/descriptions could have used some revision. This is the author's first novel, and honestly it reads like it. But, I still wanted to keep reading, so I would still recommend this book. I would definitely read more by Hannah Ellis and actually just began the novella that is the sequel to "Friends Like These."
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