Better with Friends

(The Kaleidoscope Girls #1

by Kimberly Diede

Life is hard, but friends make it better.

Jackie Turner has never felt so invisible. As a top performer, the forty-eight-year-old is shocked when she’s passed over for a promotion at work. Has she become irrelevant? It’s a bitter pill, but she vows to keep her disappointment to herself as she travels back home to Minnesota for her thirty-year high school reunion. She deserves this unspoiled time to reconnect with her oldest and dearest friends.

Their special friendship kicked off at summer camp, when five young girls bonded over butterflies, a troubling accusation, and a simple craft project. They dubbed themselves the Kaleidoscope Girls, and not even their turbulent high school years could tear them apart.

They promised to stay close, but life can thwart even the best of intentions.

Decades later, Jackie realizes she needs her lifelong friends now more than ever. Who better to turn to for advice on navigating the highs and lows of midlife? Her career feels stale, her nest is empty, and her father is fighting a battle he can’t win. She needs a fresh start, and together with the rest of the Kaleidoscope Girls, Jackie will hit the road and experience what it feels like to have fun again.

Experience the magic of female friendships in Better with Friends, the first book in The Kaleidoscope Girls women’s fiction series. Let Kimberly Diede, best-selling author of the popular Whispering Pines series, give you a glimpse into the early years and bring you along as the next chapters unfold for these five amazing women. Their future journeys will be even richer, thanks to old friends.

Let the Kaleidoscope Girls remind you that the best is yet to come.

Genres: Contemporary, Fiction, Womens Fiction

400 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 15, 2022

About the author

Kimberly Diede writes contemporary and historical novels that weave together family, friends, hope, and romance. She writes family sagas, suspense, and women’s fiction that you’ll find hard to put down. She truly believes we are never too old for second chances at love and life.

Kimberly has always lived in the Midwest and enjoys spending the short summer months on the lakeshores of Minnesota and North Dakota. Nothing is better than time with family at the cabin. Her love of tradition and all things vintage comes through in her stories.

In a world too often filled with sadness and tragedy, her mission is to offer stories of optimism and hope. If she can keep you reading past your bedtime, she has accomplished what she set out to do. As a life-long reader, she loves to get lost in the pages of a great book and strives to give you the same experience.

Reviews

[Linda Langford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Women’s Fiction!

[Britany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a hard time getting into this book. I felt like it was something I would have written in middle school for a science class where I had to write a fictional story but with facts about what we were studying thrown in there. I appreciated how things kind of came together eventually, but there was still too much detail and specifics. The story would have been the same had it not had so much detail about butterflies, milkweed, and kaleidoscopes. I also felt there were unfinished events. There was a lot of build up about enemies, but nothing ever came of it. There was build up about Owen, but nothing came of it. The book felt like a rough draft. A lot of great ideas but it needed to be condensed and reworked. I also got confused who it the story was referring to. This book was about Jackie, but I felt like we were looking through the eyes of other girls at points. I couldn’t keep track with who I as talking and who “she” was referring to. I was very hopeful for a good friends read, but this didn’t cut it. I don’t think I can bring myself to start the second book in the series because it’s probably written the same way.

[Karn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Grab a cup of coffee or glass of wine and settle in.....Kimberly Diede has a special talent for writing stories that pull you in right from the beginning. In this book, she does a masterful job of blending the current story with the characters’ experiences with their girlfriends at summer camp and in high school. All experiences are so relatable that it was easy to get engrossed in the story and the characters. By the time I finished this book, I was so engaged with the characters that it was hard to say goodbye. I just pre-ordered multiple copies to send to friends for Christmas, most of whom I don’t usually buy gifts for, but just can’t resist. I’m sure it will revive great memories in these friends as well!

I can’t wait to see which character she brings to life in Book 2.

[Carlen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this story! I feel like I am one of the Kaleidoscope Girls! It reminds me so much of my besties and the friendships we have. Not to mention just dealing with real life and some of the questions we all as ourselves as we go through different stages of our lives. Favorite line of the book “Its about time the Kaleidoscope Girls shed their cocoons and get back to living lives full of bursts of color and joy!” Can’t wait to read the next one!

[Lynn DeSimone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book 1 The Kaleidoscope Girls

I believe this is the 1st book I've read from Kimberly Diede. Enjoyed it very much. It brought me back to being a young girl and teenager. The author was so real with some of the antics of girls in school. This book is about finding real, lasting friendships. Each girl in this book has there own issues, as every family is different. Looking forward to reading the other books in the series, which features one girl at a time.

[Tara Jayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book brings to life what feel like could be my own memories and nestalgia. It is so fun to follow the girls on their adventures and adults on their work and life struggles and wins. It feels so close to home and yet it has a nestalgia that makes it special. It is as if an old friend was sharing about their childhood or recent struggles. It is another really good one!

[Mary Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

General market novel that's mostly clean. I enjoyed the relationships between the girls that jump back and forth between their adult lives and when they met at summer camp as teenagers. I found it a little confusing at times when the story switches to a different time without any warning. But overall it was a fun read that brought back good memories and thoughts of longtime friends.

[Jana Upton Barrett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good story about 4 girls that become friends at a summer camp and stay in touch through the years. It is a true-to-life story that tells about ordinary things that happen in each of the women's lives as they grow and mature.

[Diana]

DNF’d at 25%. I tried really hard to get into this book. It felt like there were way too many details about things that really didn’t matter (ex:the ranger’s presentation), which made the pacing super slow.

[Kathy Hanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

First book in a series

I did not realize that this was book one of the series.

Story line was okay. Kinda was over the high school part of the book. I finished the book which I am happy about.

[Emily Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends

The story was good. It was amazing to read what changes occurred after the characters grew up. Life has a way of making all of us to change directions in our lives. Friends play a wonderful part. Good friends last forever.

[Linda J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Friends are everything

Wonderful characters that are fully developed. Felt it ended a little abruptly. Will definitely look forward to reading the continuation and seeing where the rainbow girls go.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Early friendship of five girls at summer camp. They crafted a kaleidoscope and called themselves kaleidoscopes girls. They vowed to go on an annual trip when they turned 50. Together but not exactly thriving on their last get together.

[Beth Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book about strong women, friends who support and push you. Loved it. I know it is the first in a series. Would make great tv or movie.

[Donna Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read for friends following each other leading up to a school reunion.

[Carmen Fraser · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good. Took a bit to get into but enjoyed the story and showed how true friendship never dies

[BeLinda Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an unusual story of lifetime friends - all grown up now and each facing adult women’s issues. I love how the main character in this book found herself in midlife and made some fulfilling changes. And also how she found a deeper love and appreciation for girl friends, her dad, mom and brother.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

It took me awhile to read this book, I’d pick it up, put it down. Wonder where the author was taking me. Was there a plot or just a story of friends. The back and forth timeline felt choppy

[june · Rating 1 out of 5]

should be listed in young adult

I read this book to the end. It was long and boring!
I don’t think I will read anymore in this series. Thank you for offering it free. June

[Irma · Rating 4 out of 5]

enjoyable read

I loved to get to know the women and girls they once were. Enjoyed the writing and the plot very much.

[Ashley MacEwan · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

This was a book I normally would not have picked but this has been one my favorite books. This is definitely a new comfort read

[Dottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better with friends

This was a sweet story about childhood friends . And nearly50 years later they catch up at a high school reunion.

[Jackie Simons]

Read 7/25

[Donna L. Beckman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Friends are better

I enjoyed this book as I have longtime friends also. We have been friends for seventy years. Its been an important part of our lives.

[Susan Mahon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow

Wow, great beach read. Life long friends and how they navigate life from age twelve to forty eight years of life.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sweet little read!

[Caroline · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. Tried to read this twice and just couldn’t get into it.