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My Ride or Die
A timely and hilarious millennial women’s fiction novel about two friends who decide to give up their search for a perfect man and devote their lives to each other—but their careful plan soon begins to unravel with unexpected consequences.
For many women, finding the man of their dreams can be something of a nightmare. Luckily, they can often rely on their friends for the support they so desperately need. Friends for over a decade, Amanda and Sophie decide to flip the script. Why can’t they spend their lives with each other and just keep men on the side for fun, sex, and occasionally fixing things around the house?
Amanda is a lawyer who excels in her professional life but crumbles at the slightest sign of a common cold. Sophie is an aspiring artist who has lived all over the world and doesn’t crumble, period. Together since freshman year of college, they’ve been through it all. But when their romantic lives explode at the same time, they decide that enough is enough. Enough pretending that traditional relationships work for everyone. Enough fantasizing about an old-fashioned ideal.
They enter into a mutual arrangement: They will rely on each other and give men the secondary role that they deserve. And much to their surprise, it actually works. Amanda and Sophie fix up a dilapidated brownstone and create the home they’ve always wanted. Soon, they have love and emotional support as well as a wide variety of male “crushes” on the side. But when one of their crushes becomes something more, Amanda and Sophie must reconsider the life they’ve begun to build and how far they’re willing to go to keep it.
For many women, finding the man of their dreams can be something of a nightmare. Luckily, they can often rely on their friends for the support they so desperately need. Friends for over a decade, Amanda and Sophie decide to flip the script. Why can’t they spend their lives with each other and just keep men on the side for fun, sex, and occasionally fixing things around the house?
Amanda is a lawyer who excels in her professional life but crumbles at the slightest sign of a common cold. Sophie is an aspiring artist who has lived all over the world and doesn’t crumble, period. Together since freshman year of college, they’ve been through it all. But when their romantic lives explode at the same time, they decide that enough is enough. Enough pretending that traditional relationships work for everyone. Enough fantasizing about an old-fashioned ideal.
They enter into a mutual arrangement: They will rely on each other and give men the secondary role that they deserve. And much to their surprise, it actually works. Amanda and Sophie fix up a dilapidated brownstone and create the home they’ve always wanted. Soon, they have love and emotional support as well as a wide variety of male “crushes” on the side. But when one of their crushes becomes something more, Amanda and Sophie must reconsider the life they’ve begun to build and how far they’re willing to go to keep it.
336 pages, Paperback
First published April 20, 2021
49 people are currently reading
4568 people want to read
About the author
Leslie Cohen
3 books125 followersLeslie Cohen was born and raised in New York. She studied fiction at Columbia University, and wrote a weekly music column for a newspaper in Colorado before working in publishing for several years. She is the author of This Love Story Will Self-Destruct and the forthcoming My Ride or Die.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
March 27, 2021
An intriguing premise but I can't say I loved the story. It didn't quite find its footing and so much was left on the table in terms of development. Wasted potential is perhaps a good way to put it.
Amanda and Sophie have been best buds for years. They both have had romantic relationship drama and they are sick of it. So they come up with an idea. From now on their priority is their friendship, and men will take more of a secondary role. Basically, they commit themselves to one another but not in a romantic way. (This a tricky one to explain, but the whole thing makes sense if you read the book.)
The story alternates between the two friends and unfortunately I never warmed up to Sophie. She came across as self-involved. Eventually, Amanda started to wear on my nerves as well. One issue for me was their humorous banter sometimes came across as catty, like they thought they were better than everyone else. The story itself isn't particularly strong but it would have helped a great deal if they were characters I wanted to root for.
On the plus side, it's a quick and light read. It's also refreshing the author chose to focus more on friendship rather than heavily on romance.
I won a free advance digital copy from Book Club Girl and Harper Collins Publishers. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
Amanda and Sophie have been best buds for years. They both have had romantic relationship drama and they are sick of it. So they come up with an idea. From now on their priority is their friendship, and men will take more of a secondary role. Basically, they commit themselves to one another but not in a romantic way. (This a tricky one to explain, but the whole thing makes sense if you read the book.)
The story alternates between the two friends and unfortunately I never warmed up to Sophie. She came across as self-involved. Eventually, Amanda started to wear on my nerves as well. One issue for me was their humorous banter sometimes came across as catty, like they thought they were better than everyone else. The story itself isn't particularly strong but it would have helped a great deal if they were characters I wanted to root for.
On the plus side, it's a quick and light read. It's also refreshing the author chose to focus more on friendship rather than heavily on romance.
I won a free advance digital copy from Book Club Girl and Harper Collins Publishers. All thoughts expressed are my honest opinion.
April 26, 2021
My Ride or Die is an entertaining story about two women that decide to platonically devote their lives to each other and give up romantic relationships. Amanda and Sophie have not been lucky in love but have always been able to count on each other. Against the advice of everyone else they think giving up romantic love and committing to each other platonically will fix all their problems. Things are not as easy as they think with family and sad setbacks. They think their new arrangement will give them more freedom but that isn’t the case. Amanda starts secretly dating someone, and Sophie is trying to find a career that works for her. I feel like so many millennials focus on romantic relationships over friendships. This story really shows the importance of friendship as well as romantic relationships. Amanda and Sophie are both very different but great characters. They really want to do what is best for the other but also trying to be happy. They value their friendship. My Ride or Die is a great story and I loved this book.
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rachel Jacobs and Katie Koster. They did a great job and were the perfect voices for Amanda and Sophie.
Thank you William Morrow and Harper Audio for My Ride or Die.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
I listened to the audiobook narrated by Rachel Jacobs and Katie Koster. They did a great job and were the perfect voices for Amanda and Sophie.
Thank you William Morrow and Harper Audio for My Ride or Die.
Full Review: https://justreadingjess.wordpress.com...
December 31, 2022
Ehhhh. Just a big, fat, old EHHHHHHH!
Not my favorite at all. This is such a circular plot-line!! Full of "recounting memories" in John Steinbeck-like descriptions. I am talking paragraphs at length about "our first night in our dorm" or "remember that one weird guy you dated" sagas.
Basically, the plot is this - Sophie and Amanda are best friends. THAT'S. IT.
2.5 stars.
Not my favorite at all. This is such a circular plot-line!! Full of "recounting memories" in John Steinbeck-like descriptions. I am talking paragraphs at length about "our first night in our dorm" or "remember that one weird guy you dated" sagas.
Basically, the plot is this - Sophie and Amanda are best friends. THAT'S. IT.
2.5 stars.
May 22, 2021
Amanda and Sophie decide to move in with each other, travel, and put each other as priority, while putting men off to the side (where they belong). They believe that life should not be completely revolved around marriage and men after having a series of bad luck. It’s very refreshing to have a book with this type plot but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would.
Obviously a romance was going to happen where they would question their decisions but I wish it was dealt with in a different way as it comes off a little catty and dramatic. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the lying too. I would’ve liked them to have found a balance with finding love in a romantic sense but also with friendship and their own personal goals. I did really enjoy Amanda and Sophie’s friendship - it reminded me of my own best friend and my relationship with her.
More books with female friendships please! Thank you to Netgalley and to William Morrow & Custom house for the advanced copy of this book.
Obviously a romance was going to happen where they would question their decisions but I wish it was dealt with in a different way as it comes off a little catty and dramatic. Plus, I wasn't a fan of the lying too. I would’ve liked them to have found a balance with finding love in a romantic sense but also with friendship and their own personal goals. I did really enjoy Amanda and Sophie’s friendship - it reminded me of my own best friend and my relationship with her.
More books with female friendships please! Thank you to Netgalley and to William Morrow & Custom house for the advanced copy of this book.
March 15, 2021
I absolutely adored this book!! I also became very invested in the two main characters lives, Sophie and Amanda. I resonated with their personalities so much, that while reading this I kept imagining how I acted at their age and what it would be like to be young again... I honestly did not want this story to end (I miss them already!).
If you are looking for a story about friendship (the ups and downs that go along with it), and about growing up and pursuing your dreams- then this is the book for you! I plan on recommending My Ride or Die to all my friends and family. It’s a must read!
I would also like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my advanced review copy, which I had the pleasure of reading.
If you are looking for a story about friendship (the ups and downs that go along with it), and about growing up and pursuing your dreams- then this is the book for you! I plan on recommending My Ride or Die to all my friends and family. It’s a must read!
I would also like to thank NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for my advanced review copy, which I had the pleasure of reading.
December 1, 2020
Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the eARC!
This was a really weird one for me. I requested this book because it sounded like a fun breezy concept, and I loved the idea of centering female friendship in the narrative. What I got was something entirely different than what I expected. I don’t think this book was bad, per se—the writing was solid, it was thoughtful. I think this was more an issue of a dissonance between how this book was marketed and what I actually read. The synopsis says that this is a “hilarious” read about how two friends agree to make a life together and relegate men to a side role, but that complications happen! Yes, this is the general plot, but it feels like Sophie and Amanda make a plan for a life and a home together, and it never really goes anything but sideways. Amanda meets someone, Sophie starts to actualize an art career…and their plan starts to unravel.
This actually comes across mostly like a deadly serious book. Sophie’s sections are a deep dive into the life of someone trying to make a real career as an artist, and they get really in the weeds. Amanda is a stereotypical buttoned up attorney (get it, opposites attract?). The main idea is that both women get the courage to go after what they really want professionally as a result of their arrangement, but their personal lives don’t really get better. Neither character really feels firmly established here, but rather rest on trips e. Sophie’s artsy whimsy and her constant reminders to everyone that she grew up in Brazil feel very overdone at times, and don’t really do anything to help you feel like you understand her. Amanda is still reeling 20 years later, somehow, from her parents’ sudden divorce, and despite ostensibly living alone for years, she becomes unable to function without someone and develops a major anxiety disorder. I didn’t DNF this one, because I was interested to see how it turned out, but I spent most of the read pretty confused as to what the author was trying to do. The pacing is just so strange in this one…it’s like the author just breezed over things like a massive renovation to their house, but spent pages and pages describing the art world. She seems to have lingered over what she was interested in and glossed over everything else.
Nothing about where this goes is really a surprise, the ending feels weird and rushed, and again, I don’t think this was a bad book, but I do think the way that this book is marketed needs a major overhaul. This typical chick lit cover and description as a hilarious romp…none of that comes close to what ended up being a sort of serious, dark read. Maybe if I had known that going in, I would have come out with a different conclusion. Read this book for a study on two women and how they are trying to navigate modern life together. Don’t read it because you’re looking for what the description says.
This was a really weird one for me. I requested this book because it sounded like a fun breezy concept, and I loved the idea of centering female friendship in the narrative. What I got was something entirely different than what I expected. I don’t think this book was bad, per se—the writing was solid, it was thoughtful. I think this was more an issue of a dissonance between how this book was marketed and what I actually read. The synopsis says that this is a “hilarious” read about how two friends agree to make a life together and relegate men to a side role, but that complications happen! Yes, this is the general plot, but it feels like Sophie and Amanda make a plan for a life and a home together, and it never really goes anything but sideways. Amanda meets someone, Sophie starts to actualize an art career…and their plan starts to unravel.
This actually comes across mostly like a deadly serious book. Sophie’s sections are a deep dive into the life of someone trying to make a real career as an artist, and they get really in the weeds. Amanda is a stereotypical buttoned up attorney (get it, opposites attract?). The main idea is that both women get the courage to go after what they really want professionally as a result of their arrangement, but their personal lives don’t really get better. Neither character really feels firmly established here, but rather rest on trips e. Sophie’s artsy whimsy and her constant reminders to everyone that she grew up in Brazil feel very overdone at times, and don’t really do anything to help you feel like you understand her. Amanda is still reeling 20 years later, somehow, from her parents’ sudden divorce, and despite ostensibly living alone for years, she becomes unable to function without someone and develops a major anxiety disorder. I didn’t DNF this one, because I was interested to see how it turned out, but I spent most of the read pretty confused as to what the author was trying to do. The pacing is just so strange in this one…it’s like the author just breezed over things like a massive renovation to their house, but spent pages and pages describing the art world. She seems to have lingered over what she was interested in and glossed over everything else.
Nothing about where this goes is really a surprise, the ending feels weird and rushed, and again, I don’t think this was a bad book, but I do think the way that this book is marketed needs a major overhaul. This typical chick lit cover and description as a hilarious romp…none of that comes close to what ended up being a sort of serious, dark read. Maybe if I had known that going in, I would have come out with a different conclusion. Read this book for a study on two women and how they are trying to navigate modern life together. Don’t read it because you’re looking for what the description says.
May 12, 2021
My Ride or Die follows two best friends, Amanda and Sophie as they decide to build a life together as platonic partners. Who needs a relationship when they have everything they want in each other? They’re giving up on serious relationships and decide to focus on themselves and just have flings. I really liked both women and love anything about female friendships, this had that and some romance and family drama and overall was an enjoyable read
November 23, 2020
I liked this — it’s funny and fast-paced — but it wasn’t what I expected. I’d hopefully grabbed this when I read that one of their crushes turned into something more, and must have had my rose colored glasses on because I’d read that as something queer, as in, surprise! One of the women falls in love with the other, and so everything exploded. Alas, this book is super straight, and I’m sad.
August 26, 2022
I’ll be real, the 3.09 rating isn’t promising. And, just a heads up, if you were like me and expecting this book to be sapphic, it’s not. But I do like reading about strong and platonic female friendships since I rarely see them as more than a side-plot. That being said, I loved Sophie and Amanda’s banter and friendship … but this book was so boring after the first third (which I really liked). Nothing much happened and I couldn’t get attached to either character. I would’ve loved maybe them getting a fixer-upper and building it amid a mid-life crisis.
April 20, 2021
As soon as I saw that Leslie Cohen had a new book coming out, I immediately added it to my to-be-read list. She knows how to write about relationships, whether it’s friendship or romantic. She excels at creating an honest, flawed, slightly dysfunctional relationship that pulls her readers in.
My Ride or Die is an ode to friendship. We’ve all had that friend who has always been there, through all the highs and lows, the person who you have to call or text first when anything big, or small for that matter, happens. They just “get” you more than anyone else does. They are your best friend, your person, your ride or die.
Sophie and Amanda have known each other for a decade since meeting in university. They may have different personalities, but they complement each other perfectly. Where Amanda’s life is quite structured, Sophie’s is more of a work in progress. Amanda is level-headed, but she’s also a worrier and hypochondriac. Sophie is free-spirited, creative, and filled with wanderlust. Together they make a great team.
When their love lives crash and burn, they make the decision to forego future relationships with men and commit to a platonic life together…but with men on the side. Gone are the expectations, the heartache, the misunderstandings, and the loneliness. They would be there for each other – always.
I liked the friendship between Sophie and Amanda. They, like their friendship, had flaws. Don’t we all? Their plan to buy a brownstone, fix it up, and live together without having serious romantic relationships was perhaps a nice idea in essence, but I knew that they were probably setting themselves up for failure. Like any relationship, they had their ups and downs, plenty of tension, and throughout it all, their relationship evolved over time.
My Ride or Die was filled with great dialogue, witty banter, and that big city girlfriend vibe. With vivid descriptions, I could visualize everything as though I were right there experiencing it all with them. It was an intriguing and entertaining portrayal of female friendship.
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via Edelweiss).
My Ride or Die is an ode to friendship. We’ve all had that friend who has always been there, through all the highs and lows, the person who you have to call or text first when anything big, or small for that matter, happens. They just “get” you more than anyone else does. They are your best friend, your person, your ride or die.
Sophie and Amanda have known each other for a decade since meeting in university. They may have different personalities, but they complement each other perfectly. Where Amanda’s life is quite structured, Sophie’s is more of a work in progress. Amanda is level-headed, but she’s also a worrier and hypochondriac. Sophie is free-spirited, creative, and filled with wanderlust. Together they make a great team.
When their love lives crash and burn, they make the decision to forego future relationships with men and commit to a platonic life together…but with men on the side. Gone are the expectations, the heartache, the misunderstandings, and the loneliness. They would be there for each other – always.
I liked the friendship between Sophie and Amanda. They, like their friendship, had flaws. Don’t we all? Their plan to buy a brownstone, fix it up, and live together without having serious romantic relationships was perhaps a nice idea in essence, but I knew that they were probably setting themselves up for failure. Like any relationship, they had their ups and downs, plenty of tension, and throughout it all, their relationship evolved over time.
My Ride or Die was filled with great dialogue, witty banter, and that big city girlfriend vibe. With vivid descriptions, I could visualize everything as though I were right there experiencing it all with them. It was an intriguing and entertaining portrayal of female friendship.
*I received a copy of the book from the publisher (via Edelweiss).
August 24, 2021
Nothing ventured, nothing gained! That makes a much sense as the title of this book, which was never explained. I had to read it in a review...
I read this because I really had nothing else to read because I didn't think that it was really "my kind" of reading. I had a bit of a difficult time relating to either girl for very long and skimmed along. Finished it two or three days ago and can't really remember any of the character's names... although I found the premise of the book realistic and entirely possible.
I mean, after all, why not have your bestie and affairs with men on the side? Isn't that what everyone does? Other than that...
barely 3 stars
Happy Reading!
I read this because I really had nothing else to read because I didn't think that it was really "my kind" of reading. I had a bit of a difficult time relating to either girl for very long and skimmed along. Finished it two or three days ago and can't really remember any of the character's names... although I found the premise of the book realistic and entirely possible.
I mean, after all, why not have your bestie and affairs with men on the side? Isn't that what everyone does? Other than that...
barely 3 stars
Happy Reading!
December 8, 2020
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
In Ride or Die, two friends decide to forgo the normal events of life and create an agreement to live and 'be' together for their lifetime. They vow to keep men on the sidelines for flings, but never anything serious. The two girls vacation, buy a house, work on their careers, and date casually. Until one of the girls causal relations turns into something more.
The story line had many different themes I wish it would have expanded on, or just not mentioned. The book went so many places - home fixer upper, vacationing in Cabo, hanging with certain friends, careers - each item was touched on for a few chapters, but then we moved on without any other mention of said friend, or even the guy one of the girls left at the alter in the beginning! Seriously, no remorse, discussion, or even tears over this guy she was going to marry! The two person point of view story line also didn't work for me - the two girls were so similar, with almost the same thoughts and actions, it was very easy to be confused who we were reading about. I also struggled with the idea of committing to each other for a life, when they weren't able to give that commitment to anyone else.
Overall, there were some good qualities. I loved the Sex and the City vibe where they put their friends before their men and the New York City life is what drew me in. However, I felt like it lacked depth, and was generally immature. Ride or Die's writing style included mostly dialogue, and not the thoughts and actions I would have preferred. The many plot holes and far fetched ideas were almost enough for me to make this a 'do not finish'.
In Ride or Die, two friends decide to forgo the normal events of life and create an agreement to live and 'be' together for their lifetime. They vow to keep men on the sidelines for flings, but never anything serious. The two girls vacation, buy a house, work on their careers, and date casually. Until one of the girls causal relations turns into something more.
The story line had many different themes I wish it would have expanded on, or just not mentioned. The book went so many places - home fixer upper, vacationing in Cabo, hanging with certain friends, careers - each item was touched on for a few chapters, but then we moved on without any other mention of said friend, or even the guy one of the girls left at the alter in the beginning! Seriously, no remorse, discussion, or even tears over this guy she was going to marry! The two person point of view story line also didn't work for me - the two girls were so similar, with almost the same thoughts and actions, it was very easy to be confused who we were reading about. I also struggled with the idea of committing to each other for a life, when they weren't able to give that commitment to anyone else.
Overall, there were some good qualities. I loved the Sex and the City vibe where they put their friends before their men and the New York City life is what drew me in. However, I felt like it lacked depth, and was generally immature. Ride or Die's writing style included mostly dialogue, and not the thoughts and actions I would have preferred. The many plot holes and far fetched ideas were almost enough for me to make this a 'do not finish'.
November 2, 2021
This book is about two best friends and their romantic adventures. There were less friendship, a lot of miscommunication between the characters, and more on their romantic lives. Still a cute and light read.
July 1, 2021
Recommended by Karen. Check our catalog: https://encore.cooklib.org/iii/encore...
April 6, 2021
Thank you to @williammorrowbooks for my gifted copy of My Ride or Die! This womens fiction novel is out on April 20th, and the synopsis is in the comments.
While I think that this premise had great promise (two friends deciding to spend their lives together and “keep men on the side for fun, sex, and occasionally fixing things around the house”), I think that it fell short in a few places. First off, I think that Amanda and Sophie, the main characters, were far too dependent on the men in their lives for home maintenance. Women can do anything and fix anything, and it would’ve been nice to see them try to do more of the projects in their brownstone on their own, instead of claiming that they’d use men for them.
I also think that the plot was jumbled up in pieces, and that it hopped around too much. The point of view alternated between Amanda and Sophie, and it never seemed to make sense where it started and stopped between the women. I also think that the love story bits were just thrown in there (though my heart did break at one point for Sophie, and I thought that that part was very well-written).
While I think that this premise had great promise (two friends deciding to spend their lives together and “keep men on the side for fun, sex, and occasionally fixing things around the house”), I think that it fell short in a few places. First off, I think that Amanda and Sophie, the main characters, were far too dependent on the men in their lives for home maintenance. Women can do anything and fix anything, and it would’ve been nice to see them try to do more of the projects in their brownstone on their own, instead of claiming that they’d use men for them.
I also think that the plot was jumbled up in pieces, and that it hopped around too much. The point of view alternated between Amanda and Sophie, and it never seemed to make sense where it started and stopped between the women. I also think that the love story bits were just thrown in there (though my heart did break at one point for Sophie, and I thought that that part was very well-written).
July 24, 2021
Sadly this was just not the book for me.
A huge thank you to William Morrow Books, NetGalley and the author for my advanced copy.
I missed the pub date on My Ride or Die so as per usual I listened on audio.
The narrators of this book did a fantastic job.
I expected something different going into this book. The synopsis / concept had me hooked. The delivery - not so much. I expected an amazing friendship and unforgettable characters.
The friendship was weird. They were super dependent upon each other and it affected the way the made major life decisions. It was unhealthy.
Amanda and Sophie were not relatable. In any way. I could not connect with these characters on any level. I tried. I did.
The pacing of the romance in this story was off for me.
It was a complete miss.
I am not trying to offend the author or any reader that has read and enjoyed this book. =)
Overall- thankful to have been gifted this book but could have done without it.
A huge thank you to William Morrow Books, NetGalley and the author for my advanced copy.
I missed the pub date on My Ride or Die so as per usual I listened on audio.
The narrators of this book did a fantastic job.
I expected something different going into this book. The synopsis / concept had me hooked. The delivery - not so much. I expected an amazing friendship and unforgettable characters.
The friendship was weird. They were super dependent upon each other and it affected the way the made major life decisions. It was unhealthy.
Amanda and Sophie were not relatable. In any way. I could not connect with these characters on any level. I tried. I did.
The pacing of the romance in this story was off for me.
It was a complete miss.
I am not trying to offend the author or any reader that has read and enjoyed this book. =)
Overall- thankful to have been gifted this book but could have done without it.
September 13, 2021
I like the concept, it's something I feel like I've casually discussed with female friends, but mostly as an old age plan: platonic co-habitation. The thing that backfires in this book is that friendships are relationships too and you can become co-dependent on your bff (remember Will and Grace?) just as you may in a romantic relationship. In a true best friendship, you want the best for your friend, even if that means you get left behind, and the main characters in this book are too selfish to let that happen. That's not why I gave the book two stars though. The writing is just not good. I didn't expect to be a masterpiece or anything, but the level of writing reminds me of a bad YA book.
August 20, 2021
Such a shame as I thought this book would tell the tale of 2 female besties supporting each other while having fun cohabitating & living their best life.. instead they seem to feel hampered by discouraging all but the most superficial relationships outside the home.
This book doesnt hit its mark, quality editing required & bit of a rewrite would have made a big difference.
Also the audiobook version is poorly produced, the cadence of the narration, constantly speeding up and slowing down & occasionally even sound robotic.
This book doesnt hit its mark, quality editing required & bit of a rewrite would have made a big difference.
Also the audiobook version is poorly produced, the cadence of the narration, constantly speeding up and slowing down & occasionally even sound robotic.
July 6, 2021
The premise of the story was unique and held a lot of potential, but I was not a fan of the execution. I didn’t enjoy either of the main characters, and although there is a love story mixed in, even that story line fell flat. In some ways the book was slow and in other ways it breezed through situations leaving plot holes along the way. I loved Leslie’s book This Love Story Will Self Destruct, but this one is just “meh” for me.
June 2, 2021
This book is crap.
April 19, 2021
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
I really loved the premise of this novel. Of two best friends committing to each other over men. However, I felt like the plot ended up getting pulled in too many directions and lost that central idea.
I did enjoy how Sophie and Amanda's personalities balanced the other one out. I liked their relationship at the beginning of the book and how supportive they were of each other. All of the inside jokes, and them working together as they bought and fixed up a house.
That being said, there were all sorts of secondary characters introduced, and then often quickly forgotten. I had trouble keeping all of them straight. I also never figured out how Sophie had any money, and why someone as responsible as Amanda would want to purchase a house with her, even if they are best friends. I really hated how Amanda treated Nick, though. He was way too good for her.
Overall, great premise, not-so-great execution on this story. It started as a fast read, then as the plot went downhill, so did my reading speed. I gave this one 3 stars because my feelings on it are so ambivalent.
I really loved the premise of this novel. Of two best friends committing to each other over men. However, I felt like the plot ended up getting pulled in too many directions and lost that central idea.
I did enjoy how Sophie and Amanda's personalities balanced the other one out. I liked their relationship at the beginning of the book and how supportive they were of each other. All of the inside jokes, and them working together as they bought and fixed up a house.
That being said, there were all sorts of secondary characters introduced, and then often quickly forgotten. I had trouble keeping all of them straight. I also never figured out how Sophie had any money, and why someone as responsible as Amanda would want to purchase a house with her, even if they are best friends. I really hated how Amanda treated Nick, though. He was way too good for her.
Overall, great premise, not-so-great execution on this story. It started as a fast read, then as the plot went downhill, so did my reading speed. I gave this one 3 stars because my feelings on it are so ambivalent.
April 13, 2021
My Ride or Die brought me in on the premise of "two friends who decide to give up their search for a perfect man and devote their lives to each other." I mean what could go wrong right?
Amanda and Sophie have been friends since they got paired as roommates their freshman year at University. As adults, they're both sick of the drama of relationships and the commitment that doesn't work out. They decide to buy an apartment together and commit to rely on each other instead of any romantic relationships. Think of it as a friend pact so that you don't end up old and living alone.
The narrative alternates between Amanda and Sophie, which I enjoyed. I did find it hard to follow the time-line at points. I also found Sophie to be selfish and Amanda frustrated me. I wanted Amanda to make different choices and got frustrated that she was lying to the people that she loved.
This was a quick read about the test of friendship and how life can make things tricky.
Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Club Girls, and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Amanda and Sophie have been friends since they got paired as roommates their freshman year at University. As adults, they're both sick of the drama of relationships and the commitment that doesn't work out. They decide to buy an apartment together and commit to rely on each other instead of any romantic relationships. Think of it as a friend pact so that you don't end up old and living alone.
The narrative alternates between Amanda and Sophie, which I enjoyed. I did find it hard to follow the time-line at points. I also found Sophie to be selfish and Amanda frustrated me. I wanted Amanda to make different choices and got frustrated that she was lying to the people that she loved.
This was a quick read about the test of friendship and how life can make things tricky.
Thank you to NetGalley, The Book Club Girls, and William Morrow for providing me with an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
February 1, 2022
This is one of those books I wanted to love. The concept of saying screw it to the expectations of marriage (and all that entails) and instead becoming heterosexual life partners with your best friend is something so relatable for me. It's something my friends and I have joked (not joked) about a lot over the years. However, this fell way flat for me.
The beginning was good enough, I was interested probably until the point when they came back from their vacation. There were some really great lines that I could resonate with in regards to thoughts on marriage and societal expectations, Sophie's wanderlust heart, etc. But as things progressed, I lost interest. The characters were borderline unlikeable, and honestly their friendship was extremely toxic. More than unlikeable, there were things they did which seemed very out of character (namely Amanda). I never developed attachment to the relationship between Nick and Amanda, it seemed diluted and watered down. And the conflict just made me angry. Sophie was a bad friend, end of story. I did enjoy Amanda's personal growth and her time to herself to heal, but the end was just mucky.
Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't good. Not one I would recommend per se.
The beginning was good enough, I was interested probably until the point when they came back from their vacation. There were some really great lines that I could resonate with in regards to thoughts on marriage and societal expectations, Sophie's wanderlust heart, etc. But as things progressed, I lost interest. The characters were borderline unlikeable, and honestly their friendship was extremely toxic. More than unlikeable, there were things they did which seemed very out of character (namely Amanda). I never developed attachment to the relationship between Nick and Amanda, it seemed diluted and watered down. And the conflict just made me angry. Sophie was a bad friend, end of story. I did enjoy Amanda's personal growth and her time to herself to heal, but the end was just mucky.
Overall, it wasn't bad but it wasn't good. Not one I would recommend per se.
August 14, 2022
•Book Review•
My Ride or Die
Author: @lesliecohenauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Brief synopsis: Amanda, a lawyer, and Sophie, an aspiring artist are the best of friends. When Sophie decides abruptly she no longer wants to marry her long-term fiancé, Amanda is there to aid and abet!
The duo, then decides to take a different approach at life… TOGETHER, not romantically, but you will see!
My Ride or Die was such a light and fun audio! Amanda and Sophie are two friends, who are the definition of inseparable; they actually remind me so much of myself and my best friend of 28 years! The pair has a “you jump, I jump” mentality and I am here for it!
This was an easy and fun listen! I loved finding out where their lives had been and where they were going. Like any true friendship, they encounter peaks and valleys. The valleys tend to be quite rocky; will they be able climb out together or will their friendship become a thing of the past?
The narrators did such an amazing job capturing the characters and their polar opposite personalities, I felt like I was right there watching it all happen!
My Ride or Die
Author: @lesliecohenauthor
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Brief synopsis: Amanda, a lawyer, and Sophie, an aspiring artist are the best of friends. When Sophie decides abruptly she no longer wants to marry her long-term fiancé, Amanda is there to aid and abet!
The duo, then decides to take a different approach at life… TOGETHER, not romantically, but you will see!
My Ride or Die was such a light and fun audio! Amanda and Sophie are two friends, who are the definition of inseparable; they actually remind me so much of myself and my best friend of 28 years! The pair has a “you jump, I jump” mentality and I am here for it!
This was an easy and fun listen! I loved finding out where their lives had been and where they were going. Like any true friendship, they encounter peaks and valleys. The valleys tend to be quite rocky; will they be able climb out together or will their friendship become a thing of the past?
The narrators did such an amazing job capturing the characters and their polar opposite personalities, I felt like I was right there watching it all happen!
October 6, 2021
⭐️⭐️ Boring DNF
July 23, 2022
Slow read. Didn’t love the ending or the middle seemed inevitable
Read
August 10, 2023dnf but also in a book slump so who knows 😋😋
May 28, 2021
3.5 stars. This book never quite added up to one cohesive or totally satisfying whole. But- warm with a believable and loving friendship at its core, which I really appreciated.
Read
May 9, 2021DNF'd at 34%. I see why it's so low rated. It sounded pretty fun, but I stopped caring about the main characters two chapters in, I haven't met a side character I've liked yet (although, to be fair, I don't think we're supposed to), and I do not care what happens.
June 12, 2021
I liked the idea of this book more than the actual finished product. For a book that purports to be about the importance of friendship, it’s mostly focused on romantic entanglements. I never really felt the closeness that Amanda & Sophie were supposed to have. Their actions never quite lined up with what we the readers were being told. Time also passes very strangely in this book. Things that logically would take a long time (like a massive home renovation) seem to happen almost instantaneously. Overall it was fine, but didn’t provide what was promised.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.
I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley.
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