Ready for It

by Nicola Masters

They’ve been best friends forever. But sometimes life moves on—whether you’re ready or not.

Growing up in a small town on the Cornish coast, Natalie and Fiona have always been besties. Then roommates. But now, with thirty looming on the horizon, it all seems to be falling apart. Fiona’s decided it’s finally time to move in with her long-term boyfriend, leaving Natalie wondering how on earth to pay the rent.

Just as she’s on the brink of despair, Natalie somehow lands her dream job, and surviving solo suddenly doesn’t seem so bad. But Fiona had set her sights on that same role. With Natalie’s career gain being Fiona’s loss, and Fiona finding her supposedly loved-up life less than the domestic bliss she’d hoped for, tensions boil over into a massive—embarrassingly public—confrontation.

The crack that’s appeared between them is threatening to widen. But as life takes them in different directions, will they be able to adapt, or is it time to move on?

Genres: Fiction, Contemporary, Chick Lit

299 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2023

Reviews

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. I enjoyed the friendship between Fiona & Natalie. Sometimes I find certain characters just need to talk and things would be resolved. However I think this book was important at showing when life and priorities change friendships sometimes do too.

Natalie was my favourite character as I found Fiona a bit full of herself. Especially later on in the book with certain situations which I can’t say due to spoilers.

I’m looking forward to more from Nicola.

Thanks goes to net galley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. And thanks goes to the author for writing it.

[Alayne Emmett · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good book, unusual and funny at times. Not quite what I was expecting but, on the whole I enjoyed it. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Shivangi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Before I jump onto this book review, let me ask you a question. Do you keep new year reading resolutions? If yes, what’s your reading resolution for this new year?

Now, I’m not one to keep any sorts of resolutions for new year’s, let alone a reading one, because I know I won’t be able to keep up with everything I want to ideally do in my life within just a year. But this year, I’ve made some resolutions, and yes, even reading resolutions.

So, here’s two of them: One, I will read as many books as possible. So far, so good. Two, I’ll DNF books that are not worth getting finished.

I’ve noticed that I have this very weird habit of dragging and forcing myself to finish books that I don’t want to finish because they’re not worth it, just so I can say that I’ve read another book and be one book closer to reaching my Goodreads reading challenge of the year…which, spoiler alert, I never win, anyway.
It got me thinking that if I focus on books that I actually wanna finish because they are just THAT GOOD, I would actually pace myself through it and finish it in time, which will give me sufficient time to read another book that I would actually want to finish. And that made me decide that if I don’t find a book interesting even after reaching 70% mark, then it’s to mark it DNF and move on.

And that’s what I did with this book. I DNF’d it.

Why? Let’s see.

Ready for it is about friendship feud and blood gone bad, as Taylor Swift likes to call it. It’s about two best friends, Natalie and Fiona. Natalie who has her work life together and Fiona whose love life is all set to go. The grass is always greener on the other side, and so, the two besties are almost on the verge of throwing themselves at any opportunity that gives them the luck to live the other ones life for a moment. It all starts with Fiona moving out of her apartment with Natalie so she can finally live-in with her high school sweetheart which pushes Natalie to look for either another flatmate or a new job opportunity just so she can pay the rent on time. When she finds out about the new job offer, turns out she’s not the only one who is applying for it, but her very own best friend Fiona is too.

Now, let me start by telling you that I absolutely love the friends-to-enemies trope (and the reverse) because this trope is so realistic. True love has nothing on forever friendships for being hard to find, especially nowadays in the world of leaving people on read, and stood up and sending memes to each other to stay in touch instead of actually talking to them. Friendships are honestly just as fictional as fictional men today, honest. So, when I saw that this book is about the struggles of friendship, I was like yes, sign me up.

The book starts out good. It was really, really good in the beginning. Fiona was just moving out and Natalie was wondering how she’ll ever pay the rent. The tension was there and the stakes were high. Then a job opportunity comes up. The two besties apply for the same role. One of them gets it, one of them doesn’t. I was loving the tension and the underlying internal struggle that was threatening to burst and hurt their friendship. BUT THEN. A fight happened, which I had expected but what I had not expected was for it to get resolved so quickly.
And then, it didn’t just resolve very quickly, something else happened (which I won’t spoil) that was totally unnecessary and didn’t support the storyline or advance the plot in anyway whatsoever, and that was it. I was done with the book at 80% because the tension was gone, the stakes had gone crickets and the fights just did not make any sense anymore, and they weren’t even funny either. So, I gave up.

I just personally feel that if that thing that I don’t want to spoil had not have happened, the book would have been much better and I would have actually finished it. It was like the author kind of derailed from the original plot and started writing something else entirely.

Also, the characters were not carved out properly. They felt like cardboard cliches and two dimensional. Many a times when the point of view was switched from one pov to the other, I wouldn’t even realize it because the two sounded so similar. The characters would have sounded better if they had distinct character voice, given their situations and different mentality.

All in all I would like to give this book a 2.5 out of 5 stars. The original plot was good and the writing was great too but the poorly written characters and the lack of tension later in the book ruined the book for me.
I would also like to thank Netgalley, the author and the publishers who gave me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest opinion.

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Moments of heartbreak and laugh out louds. What a show!

Review coming up ☕️

[Bethany Hall · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I tend to love books about female friendships but this one fell flat.

Told in alternating viewpoints between Fiona and Natalie, it covers a brief time in their friendship. They are best friends and flat mates, and Fiona moves out to live with her boyfriend. This causes some minor friction in their friendship, and they both end up applying for the same job. One gets it, and each feels badly about it. They go viral in a video and it causes even more problems.

Honestly, I found all of the characters in this book irritating. They sucked at communication and had the dumbest problems. About halfway through I realized how unlikeable the characters were, and I finished it just to finish it. I wouldn’t recommend this one, unfortunately.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ritu Bhathal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two friends who have lived through everything together (but for one, it always seems that is the case unless something better comes along) are parting.
Fiona and Natalie have been best friends forever, but now, one of them is growing up, leaving the other behind,
Natalie struggles with the idea of her best friend finally moving out into a place with her long-time partner but tries her hardest to accept that life changes and moves on.
Fiona is excited about the next step in her life. but isn't 100% sure of what she has done.
The story revolves around the two friends navigating the time after Fiona leaves their shared flat.
Things don't go as planned, and we find one faring rather better than the other.
I enjoyed reading the book but would have loved to get to know the characters a bit deeper. A quick, easy read.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing, Lake Union, for an ARC.

[rory durso · Rating 2 out of 5]

Decided to DNF at 28%, it just wasn't what I was expecting. The plot was practically non-existent, the conflict wasn't enough to hold my interest, and the constant switching between Natalie and Fiona's POVs were confusing and annoying,

[Abigail · Rating 2 out of 5]

nice easy mum book to read

[BookishSoph_ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an E-Arc thanks to NetGalley and for the opportunity I’d like to thank both NetGalley as well as the author for this.

This book is a roller coaster following two best friends Natalie and Fiona, the two seemingly have a perfect friendship. The opening chapter was so cleverly written for me with each person saying how they’re jealous and envious of the other etc. I really like this as I’ve not seen it done before in other books so have really enjoyed reading it.

I found at times while I did enjoy this book and the story was written well I didn’t love the characters and felt that they were not fleshed out enough. I at times also felt I couldn’t remember who was doing what and felt I couldn’t tell the two women apart. (At times). But for the most part I did enjoy this book as well as the concept.

When Natalie goes for her dream job and gets it she doesn’t realise that Fiona, whose love life is set up, has also gone for the job. This big rift sets up the whole book in motion as the two bicker and are angry with one another.

I also realised that the women who are in their late 20’s so the bickering and immaturity that was shown in this book was so justified. At any point in our lives really we will still be immature. I’m really glad I got to read this and while I was engaged and enjoyed the story I didn’t love the characters. At times I felt Natalie to be just a pain in the butt really. I can’t really think of another way to explain it. The same with Fiona really but I think that comes with the story really. So not a criticism.

It was a nice story to experience especially since you’re rooting for their friendship and you cannot ever go wrong with HEA!

Overall I’d rate it a 3.5 stars, I’m excited to see what else the author writes. Thank you again NetGalley and Natalie Masters for this opportunity!

[Stroop · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ready For It is the story of best friends Fiona and Natalie navigating growing up and growing apart. When Fiona moves out of their shared apartment to live with her boyfriend, Natalie is left scrambling to cover the rent. This fissure in their relationship grows as Natalie is hired for Fiona’s dream job.

While the premise drew me in, the frequent transitions from Fiona’s to Natalie’s respective points of view made this a bit difficult for me to enjoy. It took me a while to figure out what Fiona was doing vs. what Natalie was doing and to distinguish between the two characters. I can see how this may appeal to readers looking for a brisk friendship drama.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance copy.

[BEATRICE VEGAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ready For It by Nicola Masters is a heart-warming story of friendships, societal expectations and everyday life. Natalie and Fiona are besties throughout childhood and stayed together regardless of their differences. There are huge changes taking place in their lives. They are also under pressure to tick off all the big life moments. Inevitably, cracks appear in their friendship. Could these besties who have overcome their differences to remain friends up until now do so once more? Masters weaves a compelling novel around this premise.

Told in alternative POV it proves to be an emotive read. Masters takes a remarkably different route dealing with female friendships. As she meaningfully explores the dynamics and social politics of their relationship, a fascinating and twisty tale unfolds. Nat and Fi have relied on each other as their anchor. The two protagonists however have very different characters. One is incredibly immature, naïve, and comes across as self-centred. She ambled along in life making decisions that unwittingly negatively impacted her bestie. The other seemed to have a better grip on realities, was other-centred but at times was so unsure of things even when faced with them head-on. I’m not however gonna reveal who’s who. You will just have to read the book. Both protagonists were believable as were the supporting characters. One is always likely to meet them in a friendship circle or the workplace. I liked that one could relate to them, to the dilemma of playing adults, wanting to fit in, the limited opportunities of living in a small Cornish town, insecurities in relationships, a kind of self-possessiveness between long term mates and making ends meet. These are all problems that most 20 somethings encounter in daily life. Masters speaks in a potent voice. However, I feel she could have explored these topics in a bit more depth.

I found it beautiful how she captures their everday conversations and mannerisms which might seem trite to others. It was subtle, realistic and lacking in conceit making it relatable. Having weathered the storms of their childhood they have reached a pivotal moment in their lives. Their friendship had been growing albeit not at the same rate. Not surprising that this moment was threatening to turn into a chasm that could not be bridged. Full of twists and poignant moments, Masters perfectly captures every nuance making it an enjoyable read.

The novel has a side story with Masters exploring how women’s friendships’ can also sometimes be problematic & insincere. Again she pulled this off with panache without detracting from the main story. Due to the frequent transitions between the two protagonists, I found the beginning confusing. Once I established the POV of the two characters the novel sailed seamlessly. The alternating POV put forward both women’s perspectives. However, some readers may have a problem with this continual to and fro detracting from their pleasurable reading. True too, that the writing style could use a bit of polish.

Unlike many authors who write similar novels ignoring real life considerations Masters has dealt with them in her novel head on. Well readers, you will just have to read the book to discover this angsty, emotive, thoroughly relatable and incredibly twisty read. I was chewing my thumb as the pages kept flipping.

[Vansa · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s lovely that female friendships are being explored more. It’s very hard to capture conversations with realism, specially when they’re the sort of regular conversation you have with a friend-about things that are banal to anyone but yourself. This book pulls that off with an incredible lightness of touch, and is not pretentious at all. Natalie and Fiona have been best friends since school, and now their lives are at a bit of a watershed moment-Fiona’s moving out of their shared flat to live with her boyfriend, Natalie’s thinking of a career change. Things also really aren’t the same, and Masters chronicles all the resentments, some unfair and some not, that can build up over a decade-long friendship and how hard it can be to actually talk things over and resolve them. Masters gets a lot of little nuances absolutely perfectly-for instance, Natalie always feels obliged to narrate her Tinder misadventures as funny stories to Fiona, who’s in a long term relationship, and sometimes Natalie just doesn’t want to be the punchline of a joke-navigating the minefield of dating can be hard, even if you can look back on it with laughter, and that’s not really something you would want to do all the time. On the other hand, she also doesn’t want Fiona’s pity as the pathetic single friend who’s stuck in a rut, because that’s obviously not all that her life is about. There are very well-etched scenes:I loved the sort-of possessiveness Fiona and Natalie feel when either of them show that there are things they share with other people, that’s so real! It’s also one of the few books that’s quite real about the economic situation about the protagonists-a gap year might sound really fun, but it can potentially affect your career prospects, making your monthly rent can be difficult by yourself, interviewing for a new job can be terrifying and you could be paralysed by imposter syndrome. A lot of novels on similar themes seem to completely ignore real life considerations like these-probably reflecting the authors’ unbelievably privileged backgrounds. THIs one, however, felt deeply relatable. Masters also engages with what it means to go viral in a thoroughly nuanced way-it’s both a big, and not a big deal, and I don’t want to say anymore about how she resolves it, please read the book to find out! Ditch your overrated and over hyped Patricia Lockwood, Sally Rooney and Meg Mason novels that are supposedly about modern womanhood, and pick up this one instead. Super fun, poignant and written with a tight control over plot and dialogue. I want to read the author’s first novel as well, and will definitely read all her next ones.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reseña completa en español en mi blog [clic]

My experience with "Ready for it" has been slightly bittersweet.

I absolutely loved the way Masters has represented the generational anxiety and need to "grow up", to fill everybody's expectations both emotionally and career wise by making each of the best friends focused in one. I've also quite liked how the author shows different kinds of friendships and how there are no better/worse kinds, they're just different. You might need your oldest friend sometimes, or may prefer to meet or talk to your coworker.

However, there are two aspects of the novel I just can't get through. The first and most important is that basically all of the story is written down in the description for the book, the one you read before even opening the first page. Sure, there are more details, more subplots, but the key ingredients have already been spilt out. It made me feel like nothing was happening, I just wanted to get to the conflict, the "fight" for that wonderful job, and I didn't get to it until 50% or so. I think it would've been better and I wouldn't have expected to happen so soon if they didn't mention it.

Secondly, and that's more of a "me" problem, I just really disliked Fiona. I felt like she was a narcissist who had luckily come across Natalie, an introvert empath, and she had been able to do everything she wanted and everything she felt disregarding Natalie's feelings their entire life. It was frustrating and made it really hard to read. It didn't make sense to me how, after being separated due to the trip Fi took with her boyfriend, they lived together and pretty much nothing changed.

Overall, I liked "Ready for it" a lot, but those two points just made it very difficult to keep reading.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Firetruckmama · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher, for which I thank them.

“Ready for It,” by Nicola Masters, explores the friendship between two women, Natalie and Fiona. The two have been best friends for years, but what was important when they were younger has shifted over time. When Fiona moves in with her boyfriend, both women start examining their friendship and lives through different lenses. Personally, I found the idea of this book interesting - so often women’s friendships aren’t explored in meaningful ways, so I was hoping this book would do so. It did and it didn’t. One of the characters, I felt, was so incredibly immature in many ways that I didn’t know if she’d been sheltered from realities or never cared for others, but only herself. Her lack of communication and trying to verbalize so people could understand was frustrating to see … but that could’ve been the point the author was trying to make. The other main character seemed to have a better grip on realities, but at times was so unsure of things even when faced with them head-on. I found the situation with the work environment (Natalie’s job) odd - new manager sabotaging her own advancement and the seemingly mandatory family fun event - at times it was a mess. I did have a bit of a problem keeping the women apart, especially in the beginning. Once I realized that the main characters (and circle of friends) were in their late twenties, I realized that a bit of immaturity and wanting to fit in was to be expected. This friendship was about maturing and growing, albeit not always at the same rate and amounts. While it wasn’t the book I expected, it did keep me engaged throughout, though I did figure that their friendship would survive. A 3.5 read for me, rounded up to 4 stars.

[JL · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much ado about nothing! I found the microscopic detail of the book's beginning excruciating & wasn't sure I'd finish. I didn't want to be privy to every eye-roll, how someone pulls a piece of pizza out of the box with the strings attached, every anxious thought. I'm not so far away from young adulthood that I don't remember how unsettling it was to adjust to the world, but there's a reason why I don't delve into my youthful journals and their anxieties with any regularity. They are certainly captured here, and I have no doubt that they are relatable to the author's peers. I just don't need to transport myself back to that age, magnified by ever-present social media.

I also now understand a friend's insistence that she isn't interested in reading coming-of-age novels.

Mostly, reading this book reinforces the notion that I wouldn't relive my twenties for anything. Sure, who wouldn't want flawless skin, a world of possibilities, reveling in newfound independence. But the anxieties? And now, experiencing all of this with an online audience? No, thanks! I do empathize.

I retired some time ago, TG! It would be a nightmare to supervise these young women who find the pings on their phones more urgent than the jobs they are paid to perform.

Yeah, I'm not the intended audience for this book, except perhaps for the welcome reminder that I am glad for who I am, where I am, but also happy to have a succeeding generation or two for passing the baton. Forge on, young women! Strive! It DOES get better in so many ways!

#Goodreads Giveaway. Thanks to Lake Union Publishing and the author for an advance copy.

[Jemma Crosland · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ready for It is a quick, enjoyable read about the dynamics of female friendship, betrayal and envy between our main characters Natalie and Fiona. It centres on the typical sense of jealousy, feeling as though everyone else has life figured out; Natalie is envious of Fiona's stable relationship with her boyfriend and Fiona feels like she's one step behind in terms of her career prospects.
The book kicked off to a great start, it was very funny with laugh-out-loud moments. However there is very little plot and actual storyline to this book. The main conflict is very weak and the resolve is also unsatisfying.
I was, at first, delighted to see that this book was dual POV which is one of my favourite writing devices to gain both perspectives. However, within each standard-length chapter, the POV swapped at least 4/5 times on average, sometimes after only 1 short paragraph. It was too disorientating to keep switching back and forth so frequently, it would have worked better for each chapter to be dedicated to alternate characters.
I definitely think Nicola Masters' writing has considerably improved since her book Happy Happy Happy came out. I think if you're looking for a fast-paced book, wanting a laugh about friendships with relatable, realistic and modern female themes, this is definitely a book you'd enjoy.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Nicola Masters for allowing me to read this book in return for an honest review.

[Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this; honestly, as someone in my mid twenties, edging closer to thirty every year, I thought this was an excellent portrayal of the challenges that come when friendship dynamics change and previously entwined people move towards different milestones/goals. Masters did an excellent job at highlighting the instability of your late twenties - the pressure to have your life together and to fit in, the self-critical inner monologues when you don’t, and the impact this can have on your friendships when you’re all trying to pretend that everything’s okay. The writing style was effortless to follow and engage with, and made for a really cosy, snappy read.

I love that this was an alternating POV book, and because of this I never felt I was routing for one or the other of the MCs. Fiona and Natalie were both experiencing their own heartbreaks and successes, and I felt for them both. I felt that even the “side” characters were given enough personality that you got at the very least a vague understanding of their backstories and feelings.

This was a solid 3.5 stars for me; I’d definitely recommend this book for anyone who wants a quick, easy read exploring the complexities of friendships in your late 20s.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ready For It follows long-time best friends Natalie and Fiona as they’re going through big changes in their lives - Fiona is moving in with her boyfriend, Matt, leaving Natalie in what was their apartment alone and worried how she’ll pay the rent. As they both learn and grow from these new experiences, they’re learning that they’re not always going to grow together, and not always at the same rate. When tensions grow and bubble over to a very public confrontation, they’re both left in the wake of their mess wondering if this is the end of their friendship, or if they can come back from it.

I thought this was a pretty heartwarming story. When you get to a certain point in life, it’s hard not to compare yourself to others - especially people who are so close to you. Friendships are changing so much when you get older, and I think this book perfectly captures those feelings.

I didn’t love the style of writing, it felt somewhat immature. I also felt like I had whiplash at some points, especially in the beginning, when the narration kept going back and forth between Natalie and Fiona. It was a bit too much at times and got on my nerves a bit.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a book focusing on strong female friendships, ‘Ready For It’ is a must-read. This tells the story of Fiona and Natalie, and how their friendship survives what life events occurred for them.

Both women are likeable and relevant. The concept of comparing ourselves to our friends and others is very relevant, especially with our increased use of social media and filters, etc. The pressure to keep up with the Jones, and to be at certain stages in our lives, is something most of us can relate to. This is a thought-provoking area, and I reflected on situations I have experienced with my friendships. There are some seriously comical scenes within this read, ensuring the read wasn’t too deep.

‘Ready For It’ is an entertaining, fast-paced and highly enjoyable read which comes recommended. Don't let the predictable conclusion discourage you. This is well worth picking up!

This book is available now and is currently part of the Kindle Unlimited subscription if this applies to you.

Thank you, NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing, for a gifted copy of this book.

[Cassondra Perea · Rating 1 out of 5]

First, I feel it is only fair to mention that I am not one to DNF books. As your typical type A personality, I like to finish a book once I start it. I know authors put a lot of time and energy into their writing. Therefore, I like to read at least 25% of a book before deciding to DNF it. Sadly, I barely made to 10% before calling it quits on this one.

The main reason I decided to DNF Ready For It is simple, I have a ton of eARC books I need to get through and not enough time. I had high hopes going into this book being that it focuses on female friendship and how jealousy and comparison lead to issues in these relationships. However, as I began reading, it became evident I was not connecting with the characters or plot. Instead of forcing myself to continue I made the decision to stop reading.

While I did not end up reading the book I would like to thank Lake Union Publishing and Netgalley for approving me to read this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Disclaimer: I hope that potential readers of this book see that while this was not a fit for me, reading is subjective, and should not prevent them from giving it a shot.

[nat. · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed this book more than i thought i would, honestly. i wasn't sure what to make out of natalie and fiona's friendship about 10% into the book. are they close? yeah, sure, they've known each other for a long time, but are they also harbouring some kind of leftover emotions from each other's decision/action and being inconsiderate to one another? definitely that, too.

what frustrated me the most was that all those pent-up emotions could've been easily resolved easily with a chat. but no, they were too egoistic for that.

this book has multiple and interchanging povs within one chapter. maybe i'm used to books with one pov per chapter, this book was confusing for me and it made the chapters seemed longer than necessary. i also found the characters almost like babbling without any filter on in each of their pov.

and oh god, fiona was really unbearable. selfish, inconsiderate and definitely frustrated me to no end.

overall, it's a good read. it's a book about friendship, about consequences from your actions, and maybe a little about being ready to be an adult just because you're now a grown-up. 3.5⭐️

[Laura Doe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun book about friendship and what happens if one gives more than the other in the friendship.
Fiona and Natalie are best friends, and have been forever. They live together, have previously worked together and do everything together. That is until Fiona moves out to live with her boyfriend Matt. Fiona is fed up of working in an ice cream shop and Natalie is fed up of working in admin in a school, so when an exciting job opportunity comes up creating libraries in fancy hotels all over the world, both of them apply for it. Since only one of them can get the job, will it ruin their friendship? Or will a viral video taken when they’re supposed to be celebrating the first week of the job derail their friendship for better or worse?
This was such a lighthearted read and exactly what I needed to switch off from the outside world. I enjoyed the relationship between the two women, but did get frustrated that sometimes it felt like Fiona took advantage of Natalie’s good nature. I also sometimes got a bit confused as to who’s point of view I was reading since it switched so often, but other than this the story flowed perfectly! A very enjoyable read.

[vicky. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I recieved this e-book copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ready for It narrates the complex relationship between two all-time best friends whose lives start to change and their paths diverge at the beginning of this book. It's about learning to accept changes and facing new adventures without the familiar company of your best friend. It's also about learning to communicate and being honest with yourself and others.

Natalie and Fiona lived together for a long time in the same small town where they grew up, until one day Fiona decides to move out to live with her boyfriend. We follow them as they adapt their new lives, start new jobs, explore the possibilities that they now have and questions the decisions they have made in the last few years.

I think it was an honest portrayal of the challenges friendships face when changes come, and also the uncertainty of not knowing if the friendship will survive these changes. I didn't end up loving this one because of the big amount of miscommunication between our protagonists, when many of their issues could have been solved with an honest conversation that — considering they were best friends — it would be logical for them to have.

[Elizabeth Chapman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a tale of friendships, societal expectations and everyday life. When Fi moved in with boyfriend Matt it looks like she has it all and yet she still feels she has some
growing up to do. Leaving best mate and flat mate Natalie to wonder how shes going to pay the bills, Natalie feels like her life course has been altered before she’s ready to. So when they both go for the same job and Natalie gets it, deep rooted resentments and elephants in the corner are more prevalent than ever. Can their friendship survive?

I liked Natalie a lot more than Fi but I suppose that’s kinda the point as Fi is self centred and hedonistic without thinking too much about the consequences of her actions. Something that struck me most is how much I resonated with the girls about the pressure of having it all together and having certain boxes ticked by a certain age. And having that comparison with your friends. This book was witting and I really enjoyed the growth of the characters.

[Daisy Bee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A charming and playful story about growing up, growing apart and growing together.

Fiona and Natalie are best friends. And flat mates. Until now. Fiona is moving in with her fella Tom, and everything is changing.

The distance geographically is reflected in the growing distance between the two friends. Tensions only increase when they both go for the same job, and Natalie gets it (deservedly).

Add in a viral video, a disgruntled boyfriend, and one too many kids puking up their ice cream at her job, and Fiona has had enough.

A decision she makes causes a lot of upset for her best friend and for her partner. But it's only in almost losing them that she realises just how much they matter.

Told in dual POV, the chapters are short and punchy. It's a fairly quick read and whilst I didn't overly connect with any of the characters, or become emotionally invested, I still enjoyed this sweet, sassy book.

[Valerie Brown · Rating 1 out of 5]

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book. I have chosen to write this honest review voluntarily and it reflects my personal opinion.
This book is about friendship and what happens when the friends come up against something which could drive a wedge between them, according to the blurb. Well, I say carry on and split up because I don't know how Natalie and Fiona carried on a friendship, and thank goodness my friends are nothing like either of them. I feel sorry for poor Matt, Fiona's boyfriend, as he's stuck in the middle of their jealousy and childishness. True friendship is about being happy for your friends, and supporting them through their difficult times, not constantly wishing you were them because you've made choices you regret. I persevered to 50% when I read Fiona asks Matt if he wanted to be 'trapped' a few weeks after moving in together. This is more like a story about children, it's not for me, I DNF.

[Louisa Giddings · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I got this book and thought it sounded really good. Unfortunately I spent the whole book waiting for something really good to happen. Unfortunately nothing did it was a mundane book. I was waiting for the falling out to happen unfortunately you have to wait for the end of the book for that and then it was a quick they have fallen out now there friends. I think this book could have been a lot better like I said I was excepting the fight to be quite close the beginning of the book. I realised from this book that I don’t really like these kind of books there just to boring for me. I did like the writing style that was really good as you had the story from one side Fiona then the other side Natalie. Would I recommend this book probably not as I like books with twists and turns and a surprise ending.

[Noelle N · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, this was a very timely book for me. I happen to know how terrible fighting with one’s best friend is like and I can assure you that this story hit the nail on the head. Down to the internal arguments with oneself haha. I really enjoyed how the author moved back and forth throughout the chapter with both POVs as it helped with each of their emotions during pivotal moments. Both characters felt truly fleshed out and understandable. Even the side characters stood on their own. I think we’ve all known a Jenny or two. I really loved that the story was mostly about the female friendship and the romance was on the side (though not unimportant) for once. You don’t see many stories like that and I have no clue why not! As Natalie says, adulthood is sh*t and sometimes there isn’t anyone better to help you along than your best friend, Anyways, absolutely enjoyable story from beginning to end.

[Laura Potts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick, enjoyable read exploring the dynamic within female friendships and the hardships of growing up and learning to develop into the world of work and independence. I liked the writing style and dual POV's it was really fun and light-hearted yet also touched on some deeper elements and didn't use humour to take away from this - I found the friends-to-enemies trope to be so unique and interesting. The only downside was I found some parts to be slightly slow and then the main conflict seemed to be solved very quickly I wish more detail went into that and then the characters relationship could have developed more. Saying that, I still really enjoyed it and think te writing was engaging and interesting.

[Rebecca Pierzchala · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wish we could do 1/2 stars. I’d give this 2.5 if I could. 2 seems too low, 3 too high. This book was solidly just okay. Neither of the mains are particularly likable, and actually the most likable people in it were the 2 “main” male characters! They were written as relatively even-keeled & level-headed counterparts to the pretty co-dependent and wildly unbalanced friendship between Natalie and Fiona. Frustrating to read almost 300 pages of ‘things I should probably tell my best friend but won’t because REASONS’ ping-ponging back and forth between the friends; like, just grow up and talk about it? Sheesh.