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The Friendship Breakup
For fans of Laura Hankin and Jennifer Weiner, this fresh, clever, and complex debut "mom-com" explores the ups and downs of friendship and what happens when those you trust the most leave you high and dry.
A plucky protagonist who’s far from figuring it all out—but powers through with wit and determination—Fallon is a heroine millennial moms will instantly connect with.
Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her mom friends in the Chicago suburbs to get her through the trials of adulthood. So when her bestie Beatrice inexplicably starts ghosting her and takes all their mutual friends with her, Fallon’s left wondering how everything went so wrong. Pushing down a lifetime of insecurities, Fallon doubles down and decides to win them back. First, she hosts an epic Mexican fiesta that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends.
Just when she’s about to throw in the towel on the whole friendship mess, Fallon reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to deal with decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go.
Fallon is an instantly likeable heroine—as vulnerable as she is determined—and she’ll have readers eagerly turning the pages as they join her on an emotional journey into the hopes and fears of adulthood.
A plucky protagonist who’s far from figuring it all out—but powers through with wit and determination—Fallon is a heroine millennial moms will instantly connect with.
Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her mom friends in the Chicago suburbs to get her through the trials of adulthood. So when her bestie Beatrice inexplicably starts ghosting her and takes all their mutual friends with her, Fallon’s left wondering how everything went so wrong. Pushing down a lifetime of insecurities, Fallon doubles down and decides to win them back. First, she hosts an epic Mexican fiesta that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends.
Just when she’s about to throw in the towel on the whole friendship mess, Fallon reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to deal with decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go.
Fallon is an instantly likeable heroine—as vulnerable as she is determined—and she’ll have readers eagerly turning the pages as they join her on an emotional journey into the hopes and fears of adulthood.
Audio CD
Published March 9, 2023
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About the author
Annie Cathryn
2 books138 followersAnnie Cathryn lives by the motto, "Creating is Living," and is the award-winning author of The Friendship Breakup. When not writing or reading, she's organizing her personal library by color and planning her next vacation.
Annie earned a journalism degree and a master's in communications from Marquette University and lives in Chicagoland with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies.
Annie earned a journalism degree and a master's in communications from Marquette University and lives in Chicagoland with her husband, daughter, and two fur babies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 474 reviews
March 26, 2023
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo
Never having had kids, in many ways it's hard for me to relate to Fallon Monroe. She's a mom of one and, until recently, had been deeply embedded in the group of moms of her daughter's school friends. There are all the things a mom must do for their school age child, the soccer games, the school events that need a mom as a volunteer, the get togethers of the neighborhood families, just so many pulls on a mother's time that it's hard for Fallon to understand how those with more than one child do it all. And to think that Fallon had once wanted a huge family. Now she knows that having one child and a husband is more than enough work for her.
But she has a dream of opening her own chocolate shop and in the focus on her future plans, the experimenting with recipes and all the work needed to perfect a plan that will merit all it will take to open a shop someday, Fallon has missed several of her daughter's soccer games. This has allowed her to not notice that she has been ghosted by her best friend, Beatrice. Actually, there are a lot of important things Fallon hasn't noticed and now that she does notice them, trying to fix what is broken only makes things worse.
The story is funny and the audiobook narration is very good, with the narrator giving the many characters their own unique voices. But under the humor are some very serious issues that Fallon has ignored, squashed down, or allowed herself to beat herself up over. The stress of everything has Fallon's body rebelling and as she tries to become one with her friends again, her issues and the issues with her mom friends become more glaring and harder to endure. It appears that not only has Beatrice dumped her but so have almost all her other friends.
I can't relate to most of Fallon's problems but I can relate to the stress that Fallon feels over those problems. As Fallon deals with her life, her past, her present, and her future, the story has some real life lessons. The story is also very inspirational, which is a big surprise since I was feeling like Fallon's problems were as hopeless as she felt like they were. Maybe chocolate can win out, with enough help from the right people.
Pub: February 7, 2023
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo
Never having had kids, in many ways it's hard for me to relate to Fallon Monroe. She's a mom of one and, until recently, had been deeply embedded in the group of moms of her daughter's school friends. There are all the things a mom must do for their school age child, the soccer games, the school events that need a mom as a volunteer, the get togethers of the neighborhood families, just so many pulls on a mother's time that it's hard for Fallon to understand how those with more than one child do it all. And to think that Fallon had once wanted a huge family. Now she knows that having one child and a husband is more than enough work for her.
But she has a dream of opening her own chocolate shop and in the focus on her future plans, the experimenting with recipes and all the work needed to perfect a plan that will merit all it will take to open a shop someday, Fallon has missed several of her daughter's soccer games. This has allowed her to not notice that she has been ghosted by her best friend, Beatrice. Actually, there are a lot of important things Fallon hasn't noticed and now that she does notice them, trying to fix what is broken only makes things worse.
The story is funny and the audiobook narration is very good, with the narrator giving the many characters their own unique voices. But under the humor are some very serious issues that Fallon has ignored, squashed down, or allowed herself to beat herself up over. The stress of everything has Fallon's body rebelling and as she tries to become one with her friends again, her issues and the issues with her mom friends become more glaring and harder to endure. It appears that not only has Beatrice dumped her but so have almost all her other friends.
I can't relate to most of Fallon's problems but I can relate to the stress that Fallon feels over those problems. As Fallon deals with her life, her past, her present, and her future, the story has some real life lessons. The story is also very inspirational, which is a big surprise since I was feeling like Fallon's problems were as hopeless as she felt like they were. Maybe chocolate can win out, with enough help from the right people.
Pub: February 7, 2023
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this ARC.
February 25, 2023
**Many thanks to LibraryThing, Alcove, and Annie Cathryn for an ARC of this book!! Now available as of 2.7!**
Fallon doesn't know how she can make it through the day without her cadre of mom pals...but she's about to find out!
As a mom of one with a sweet and handsome husband, Fallon has managed to keep it together through the good times (and bad) with her hubby, successfully navigate the hurdles in her relationship, and be Super Mom (and a budding chocolate entrepreneur!) while she's at it. She's always had The Girls to lean on, though, and she feels especially close to one mom in the group, Beatrice. After missing a few of her daughter's soccer games while she works on building her business, however, she shows up one morning and not only are the moms missing, their husbands are giving her the cold shoulder...and Fallon has no idea why.
When she pulls up social media, however, she discovers the Moms have gone on a very special spa day together...and nobody invited her.
Fallon is devastated and tries to reason why all of the moms would have turned on her and tries to initiate conversation before getting into spat after spat with Beatrice, where she won't tell Fallon anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Fallon tries throwing a party to bring the friends together that ends in disaster. Frustrated beyond measure, one of her friends that moved to NYC cheers her up and the two end up drunkenly setting up Fallon on a friend app. But will the friends she meets from the app take the place of the group she thought she couldn't live without? And will she EVER find out why the moms excluded her in the FIRST place?!
This is a debut novel, and while I appreciate the heart Annie Cathryn imbued in these pages and appreciated the overall message, it was not quite the book I was expecting to read. These moms, rather than being full of warmth, wit, and charm, tended to veer towards the gossipy and catty side of the road more often than not. (There's even a part in the book where they are LITERALLY flinging mud at each other.) 🙄
As a new mom myself, I was hoping to see a picture of 'what could be' to be a member of such a group...but I'm not sure what Fallon missed so much about these women when they weren't chatting with her, ESPECIALLY because Fallon has a REAL best friend from college who is there for her in a heartbeat and is incredibly supportive. She is far from alone, even as she tries to find new friends (who also fall into place pretty conveniently) so I was missing a bit of the reality that I was hoping would help me relate to the main character. Motherhood is often quite lonely, and groups like the one Fallon is in are far from the norm...and although this IS fiction, I guess I was expecting the narrative to reflect a bit more of the isolation and the lack of a 'village' that many moms have in 2023.
I do appreciate Cathryn's conclusions and the fact that Fallon is in therapy was refreshing to read. Having friends for "a reason, a season, or a lifetime" is a worthwhile puzzle for her to work through, and there's also a fairly heavy emotional story line regarding Fallon's past and her adopted mom, so this helps to balance out some of the 'lighter' drama and silly moments. Although this wasn't a perfect fit for me, I DO have to applaud Annie Cathryn for MY personal favorite aspect of this read: Annie's chocolatier aspirations. 🍫
After all, when it comes to chocolate, is there ANYTHING it can't do? 😉
3.5 stars
Fallon doesn't know how she can make it through the day without her cadre of mom pals...but she's about to find out!
As a mom of one with a sweet and handsome husband, Fallon has managed to keep it together through the good times (and bad) with her hubby, successfully navigate the hurdles in her relationship, and be Super Mom (and a budding chocolate entrepreneur!) while she's at it. She's always had The Girls to lean on, though, and she feels especially close to one mom in the group, Beatrice. After missing a few of her daughter's soccer games while she works on building her business, however, she shows up one morning and not only are the moms missing, their husbands are giving her the cold shoulder...and Fallon has no idea why.
When she pulls up social media, however, she discovers the Moms have gone on a very special spa day together...and nobody invited her.
Fallon is devastated and tries to reason why all of the moms would have turned on her and tries to initiate conversation before getting into spat after spat with Beatrice, where she won't tell Fallon anything. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Fallon tries throwing a party to bring the friends together that ends in disaster. Frustrated beyond measure, one of her friends that moved to NYC cheers her up and the two end up drunkenly setting up Fallon on a friend app. But will the friends she meets from the app take the place of the group she thought she couldn't live without? And will she EVER find out why the moms excluded her in the FIRST place?!
This is a debut novel, and while I appreciate the heart Annie Cathryn imbued in these pages and appreciated the overall message, it was not quite the book I was expecting to read. These moms, rather than being full of warmth, wit, and charm, tended to veer towards the gossipy and catty side of the road more often than not. (There's even a part in the book where they are LITERALLY flinging mud at each other.) 🙄
As a new mom myself, I was hoping to see a picture of 'what could be' to be a member of such a group...but I'm not sure what Fallon missed so much about these women when they weren't chatting with her, ESPECIALLY because Fallon has a REAL best friend from college who is there for her in a heartbeat and is incredibly supportive. She is far from alone, even as she tries to find new friends (who also fall into place pretty conveniently) so I was missing a bit of the reality that I was hoping would help me relate to the main character. Motherhood is often quite lonely, and groups like the one Fallon is in are far from the norm...and although this IS fiction, I guess I was expecting the narrative to reflect a bit more of the isolation and the lack of a 'village' that many moms have in 2023.
I do appreciate Cathryn's conclusions and the fact that Fallon is in therapy was refreshing to read. Having friends for "a reason, a season, or a lifetime" is a worthwhile puzzle for her to work through, and there's also a fairly heavy emotional story line regarding Fallon's past and her adopted mom, so this helps to balance out some of the 'lighter' drama and silly moments. Although this wasn't a perfect fit for me, I DO have to applaud Annie Cathryn for MY personal favorite aspect of this read: Annie's chocolatier aspirations. 🍫
After all, when it comes to chocolate, is there ANYTHING it can't do? 😉
3.5 stars
February 12, 2023
4.25⭐
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, debut, mom-com, mama drama
Fallon & Beatrice has a falling out and thus sets forth the mean girls being terrible to each other.
We encourage our children to make new friends, but then in turn the mom's have to be friendly to each other too. It can be hard and a lot of aspects of this book were relatable. It had many fun and, also, emotional moments. I liked that she had her own chocolate making business and how that developed over the course of the story. I liked the idea of a friendship finder app too ~ is that really something?
Overall, a very good debut. I look forward to what Annie writes next.
Side personal note ~ in the last chapter Fallon worried about the results of her genetic testing. Although, there wasn't much detail surrounding it I am so happy that the author raised this topic. I, myself, had this same testing done a few years ago and, unlike Fallon, I did test positive as a carrier for the BRCA 1 gene. What that means is that I had over an 80% higher chance of getting breast and ovarian cancer than someone that does not carry the gene. I say 'had' because I chose to have preventative surgeries to reduce my risk. Of course this means that my child has a 50% chance of being a carrier as well, but I can only pray that the gene stops with me. Anyway, I thought I'd share that little tidbit in order to bring more awareness.
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo for 8 hours and 19 minutes. She did a lovely job and gave proper emotion when necessary.
*Thanks Annie Cathryn, Dreamscape Media, Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
Featuring ~ single 1st person POV, debut, mom-com, mama drama
Fallon & Beatrice has a falling out and thus sets forth the mean girls being terrible to each other.
We encourage our children to make new friends, but then in turn the mom's have to be friendly to each other too. It can be hard and a lot of aspects of this book were relatable. It had many fun and, also, emotional moments. I liked that she had her own chocolate making business and how that developed over the course of the story. I liked the idea of a friendship finder app too ~ is that really something?
Overall, a very good debut. I look forward to what Annie writes next.
Side personal note ~ in the last chapter Fallon worried about the results of her genetic testing. Although, there wasn't much detail surrounding it I am so happy that the author raised this topic. I, myself, had this same testing done a few years ago and, unlike Fallon, I did test positive as a carrier for the BRCA 1 gene. What that means is that I had over an 80% higher chance of getting breast and ovarian cancer than someone that does not carry the gene. I say 'had' because I chose to have preventative surgeries to reduce my risk. Of course this means that my child has a 50% chance of being a carrier as well, but I can only pray that the gene stops with me. Anyway, I thought I'd share that little tidbit in order to bring more awareness.
Narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazlo for 8 hours and 19 minutes. She did a lovely job and gave proper emotion when necessary.
*Thanks Annie Cathryn, Dreamscape Media, Alcove Press and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Follow me here ➡ Blog ~ Facebook
February 11, 2023
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn was both funny and heartbreaking. It was not my usual preferred genre but I enjoyed it more than I expected. For a debut novel, I was quite impressed how well plotted it was and how well the characters were developed. I listened to the audiobook of The Friendship Breakup that was narrated very well by Brenda Scott Wlazio. It was fast paced and drew me in immediately. There were a few scenarios that occurred in the book that I was easily able to relate to and even visualize myself in at some point in my life when my children were growing up.
Fallon Monroe was an almost forty year old wife and mother that lived in a suburb outside of Chicago. Her husband was a successful doctor and her seven year old daughter was smart, insightful and very good at soccer. From the time Fallon’s daughter was still a baby, Fallon had met her best friend, Beatrice. When Fallon desperately needed a helping hand, Beatrice came to her rescue. From that day on they were as close as two friends could be. A few other moms joined this close knit group of mom friends. They helped each other get over the hurdles of being a mom and knowing the right things to do for their children. Fallon tried desperately to balance her life. She had to carefully balance school drop offs and pickups, attending to her husband’s needs, being a soccer mom and going to her daughter’s games and at the same time devote herself to growing her chocolate business. It was hard to balance everything but she was trying. At least Fallon had the support of her mom friends when things got hard. Then the most unimaginable thing happened to Fallon. With no explanation or clue about why, Beatrice and her other mom friends started ghosting her. They ignored her, left her out and made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with Fallon anymore. What could Fallon do to remedy this situation?
Fallon wanted to win back her friendships, especially Beatrice’s friendship, so Fallon decided to plan a Mexican Fiesta and invite all her friends. The concept was perfect with lots of margaritas and a piñata filled with small bottles of tequila. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. Fallon’s party was a disaster! By the conclusion of Fallon’s well planned party, there was an uninvited stripper, glass everywhere and an ambulance.
Desperate for friends, Fallon went on a friendship app. and met two women. After getting together with these women several times, Fallon unexpectedly discovered something she had no idea about. One of Fallon’s new friendships led her to uncover a secret that concerned her best friend, Beatrice. The revelation of this secret led Fallon to make some very difficult but necessary decisions.
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn made me laugh out loud at times and also sympathize with Fallon for what her friends put her through. I enjoyed following Fallon’s journey of self discovery and reflection in The Friendship Breakup. Annie Cathryn was able to also weave the more serious and sensitive topics of divorce, marital affairs, mental health issues like panic attacks, adoption, self esteem and confidence and therapy into her well written debut book. The Friendship Breakup focused on the themes of female friendship, betrayal, family, loyalties, self reflection and acceptance, insecurities and following one’s dreams and aspirations. If you love chocolates like I do you will also enjoy the descriptions of all the different varieties of chocolate Fallon made and sold. My mouth was watering to taste them! After listening to The Friendship Breakup I look forward to Annie Cathryn’s next book. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
Fallon Monroe was an almost forty year old wife and mother that lived in a suburb outside of Chicago. Her husband was a successful doctor and her seven year old daughter was smart, insightful and very good at soccer. From the time Fallon’s daughter was still a baby, Fallon had met her best friend, Beatrice. When Fallon desperately needed a helping hand, Beatrice came to her rescue. From that day on they were as close as two friends could be. A few other moms joined this close knit group of mom friends. They helped each other get over the hurdles of being a mom and knowing the right things to do for their children. Fallon tried desperately to balance her life. She had to carefully balance school drop offs and pickups, attending to her husband’s needs, being a soccer mom and going to her daughter’s games and at the same time devote herself to growing her chocolate business. It was hard to balance everything but she was trying. At least Fallon had the support of her mom friends when things got hard. Then the most unimaginable thing happened to Fallon. With no explanation or clue about why, Beatrice and her other mom friends started ghosting her. They ignored her, left her out and made it clear that they wanted nothing to do with Fallon anymore. What could Fallon do to remedy this situation?
Fallon wanted to win back her friendships, especially Beatrice’s friendship, so Fallon decided to plan a Mexican Fiesta and invite all her friends. The concept was perfect with lots of margaritas and a piñata filled with small bottles of tequila. Everything that could have gone wrong went wrong. Fallon’s party was a disaster! By the conclusion of Fallon’s well planned party, there was an uninvited stripper, glass everywhere and an ambulance.
Desperate for friends, Fallon went on a friendship app. and met two women. After getting together with these women several times, Fallon unexpectedly discovered something she had no idea about. One of Fallon’s new friendships led her to uncover a secret that concerned her best friend, Beatrice. The revelation of this secret led Fallon to make some very difficult but necessary decisions.
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn made me laugh out loud at times and also sympathize with Fallon for what her friends put her through. I enjoyed following Fallon’s journey of self discovery and reflection in The Friendship Breakup. Annie Cathryn was able to also weave the more serious and sensitive topics of divorce, marital affairs, mental health issues like panic attacks, adoption, self esteem and confidence and therapy into her well written debut book. The Friendship Breakup focused on the themes of female friendship, betrayal, family, loyalties, self reflection and acceptance, insecurities and following one’s dreams and aspirations. If you love chocolates like I do you will also enjoy the descriptions of all the different varieties of chocolate Fallon made and sold. My mouth was watering to taste them! After listening to The Friendship Breakup I look forward to Annie Cathryn’s next book. I highly recommend this book.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media LLC for allowing me to listen to the audiobook of The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn through Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
September 17, 2022
I just finished this book and I'm absolutely in love with it. Shows the messy bits of being a Mom, a friend and a wife. At times in the beginning of the book, Fallon (main character) peeved me by how much she wanted to fix her friendship with people that didn't even care to include her. Throughout the story though, I begin to like her alot more and understand the "why" behind it all. The ending made me tear up. I absolutely loved how it all wrapped up and everything fell together. Such a fun book with messy bits that make you laugh and gasp but also some parts you might want a kleenex for. Beautifully written and so relatable as a Mom and friend.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
I received this book from NetGalley and the publishers to read and review. All of the statements above are my true opinions after fully reading this book.
January 15, 2023
This one didn’t work for me. In short…this felt cringey when it was likely meant to be funny.
This felt incredibly juvenile. You had 40 something Mom friends, but Fallon made everything feel very 7th grade dramatic. I’m sorry, but at my age (35) if my “friends” were treating me this way, I wouldn’t spend tons of money on lavish parties to “win them back” I’d have a conversation with them and move on.
This almost felt slap stick in the comedic attempts, but the writing was so choppy and chaotic it never fell into a rhythm or flow.
This felt incredibly juvenile. You had 40 something Mom friends, but Fallon made everything feel very 7th grade dramatic. I’m sorry, but at my age (35) if my “friends” were treating me this way, I wouldn’t spend tons of money on lavish parties to “win them back” I’d have a conversation with them and move on.
This almost felt slap stick in the comedic attempts, but the writing was so choppy and chaotic it never fell into a rhythm or flow.
December 6, 2022
I'm always in search of books that make me laugh out loud, but when a book can do that and also choke me up, I know I found something special. The Friendship Breakup was highly entertaining, hilarious and moving. Annie Cathryn achieved a perfect trifecta.
A super fun laugh out loud mom-com. As a mom of 2 daughters in their late teens, I thought this story was totally relatable. From the mom moments to the neighborhood friend cliques and everything in between including Fallon's quest for her own identity beyond being a mom, you will see versions of yourself in this book.
There were so many laugh out loud moments, but there were also emotional moments too, a perfect balance.
What an amazing debut!
A super fun laugh out loud mom-com. As a mom of 2 daughters in their late teens, I thought this story was totally relatable. From the mom moments to the neighborhood friend cliques and everything in between including Fallon's quest for her own identity beyond being a mom, you will see versions of yourself in this book.
There were so many laugh out loud moments, but there were also emotional moments too, a perfect balance.
What an amazing debut!
January 26, 2023
I had my eye on this book ever since I started following Annie Cathryn on Instagram. It just looked and sounded like so much fun. What's inside is even more of a treat than the chocolates Fallon makes throughout the story.
The Friendship Breakup was such a great story from beginning to end! I highly recommend it. Fallon is incredibly relatable and I felt her friendship stress all the way. I could relate to her being ghosted because of a situation I experienced a long time ago. (It has been 19 years, but it was 15 at the time I wrote the blog post.) I still feel haunted by it and sometimes get paranoid about being ghosted again, when I make new friends. I could also relate to how hard it is to make female friends as an adult, and especially as a mom. I was thrilled when my son's friend's mom reached out to me last year and we've been bonding ever since. However, those friendships are few and far between. I liked how raw and honest this story felt and appreciated the moments of humor throughout. It was frustrating how women were judging each other so much, but that happens all the time, no matter how old you are.
There's an aspect to this novel that I didn't see coming and it was very interesting and emotional. I had recently talked to a friend who had a similar experience to Fallon's and I hope she'll read this book sometime and also be able to relate on that level.
And, of course, we can't forget about the chocolate. Fallon's career path sounds like so much fun, especially since she gets to sample her products. I wish she lived in my neighborhood because I wouldn't mind helping her with that. We'd also become friends by default. :)
This novel inspired me to host a gathering for my friends in hopes of connecting with them more. These past few years have felt so isolating and there's a lot to be said for in-person connections vs. always being online. (Although I totally cherish the friends I only get to see online and hope we'll get to meet up in person regardless of the physical distance.)
I totally loved this novel and have nothing to critique about it. I read it all in the span of a day as I couldn't put it down. The Friendship Breakup will be available in February, so you can read it while enjoying Valentine's Day chocolate. Definitely add it to your TBR!
Movie casting suggestions:
The Friendship Breakup was such a great story from beginning to end! I highly recommend it. Fallon is incredibly relatable and I felt her friendship stress all the way. I could relate to her being ghosted because of a situation I experienced a long time ago. (It has been 19 years, but it was 15 at the time I wrote the blog post.) I still feel haunted by it and sometimes get paranoid about being ghosted again, when I make new friends. I could also relate to how hard it is to make female friends as an adult, and especially as a mom. I was thrilled when my son's friend's mom reached out to me last year and we've been bonding ever since. However, those friendships are few and far between. I liked how raw and honest this story felt and appreciated the moments of humor throughout. It was frustrating how women were judging each other so much, but that happens all the time, no matter how old you are.
There's an aspect to this novel that I didn't see coming and it was very interesting and emotional. I had recently talked to a friend who had a similar experience to Fallon's and I hope she'll read this book sometime and also be able to relate on that level.
And, of course, we can't forget about the chocolate. Fallon's career path sounds like so much fun, especially since she gets to sample her products. I wish she lived in my neighborhood because I wouldn't mind helping her with that. We'd also become friends by default. :)
This novel inspired me to host a gathering for my friends in hopes of connecting with them more. These past few years have felt so isolating and there's a lot to be said for in-person connections vs. always being online. (Although I totally cherish the friends I only get to see online and hope we'll get to meet up in person regardless of the physical distance.)
I totally loved this novel and have nothing to critique about it. I read it all in the span of a day as I couldn't put it down. The Friendship Breakup will be available in February, so you can read it while enjoying Valentine's Day chocolate. Definitely add it to your TBR!
Movie casting suggestions:
Fallon: Susie Abromeit
Beatrice: Jewel Staite
Elenore: Rachel Boston
Avery: Christina Milian
Mel: Christina Vidal
Max: Anders Holm
Carrie: Melanie Scrofano
September 11, 2022
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn.
My first Mom-Com! The Friendship Breakup does a really good job at examining female friendships and how they fall apart over time. This book was SO real, it had me thinking about my own relationships and friendships. It was relatable, and very engaging and funny. There were many laugh out loud moments, but emotional ones as well, such a good balance of both.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
My first Mom-Com! The Friendship Breakup does a really good job at examining female friendships and how they fall apart over time. This book was SO real, it had me thinking about my own relationships and friendships. It was relatable, and very engaging and funny. There were many laugh out loud moments, but emotional ones as well, such a good balance of both.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2022
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The protagonist was a fan of self-help books, and it makes sense because this book felt like self-help fiction (not necessarily in a bad way!).
I wasn't familiar with the genre "mom-com" and, as a single woman with no wishes to be a mother, I probably wouldn't have picked this book on my own. But I received it as my first widget, and I couldn't say no. So thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't say no for a second reason, and it's that the topic is very dear to me. We talk too much about romantic break-ups and not enough about friendship break-ups, and how they can be just as painful and hard to get over. And it's not even clean, loud break-ups, either, but the passive-aggressive ghosting, as well as just failing to be there. Where are the songs about a friendship gone cold?
Fallon finds herself wondering what went wrong when she realizes that not only her best friend has been ghosting and avoiding her for some time, but she's also been leaving her out of group hangs. Willing to forgive and forget, Fallon decides to try to bring the group closer while attempting to get her chocolate business started. But some things just can't be healed by a suburban Mexican fiesta...
Let's start with the good stuff. I deeply related to Fallon as far as the topic of friendship went. Her feelings and thoughts, at points contradictory, were so genuine to what losing someone feels like: missing them and wanting them back, feeling like it's your fault, wanting to go back to the good times, yet slowly realizing that it wasn't actually all good, feeling bitter and thinking about all their flaws, trash-talking about them. It's kind of annoying to read from the outside looking in because you're like "which one is it??", but - I've been there! I get it. And then also feeling like it's really hard to meet new people as you get older, whether to date or to befriend.
I also thought it was a very real portrayal of motherhood, ugly bits included. Fallon loves her daughter, but is still cognizant of how much she struggled (and still does) as a mother, the toll it can take on someone's mental health, no matter how much you wanted to have a child. That was really good, in my opinion, as was the fact that therapy and couples therapy was included in a very positive and natural way.
And the reason I called this self-help fiction is because it's overall a really healthy/positive journey of self-discovery and letting go of what doesn't serve you. If you've ever struggled (or are currently struggling) with parenthood or friendships, and you're looking for a book you can feel reflected in with a wholesome ending, then I think you might enjoy this book, for real.
However... I'm afraid it was also very much #whitepeopleproblems. And that might be fine if you relate to the particular demographic of white cis straight middle class USAmerican stay at home mom living in suburbia! As someone not from the USA, though, the depictions of some of these women felt cartoonish. Not because I haven't seen enough to know that people like that exist (hello Karens); I'm just not interested in reading about them and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. Ironically, it's great commentary on why the "agreement" of letting the man be the bread-winner while the woman stays at home to look after the house and children not only is barely a choice at all, but also puts women at a disadvantage. We see husbands who cheat, who lie, who are barely there for his children, who manipulate, who are unsatisfied. I mean, and I say this with some compassion, no wonder these women are catty bitches who have nothing better to do than create drama in the school parking lot! What else can they do? What else can they feel in control of?
Even in the case of our protagonist, we see that her husband encourages her to pursue her dreams and is attentive to her needs... but we're also told that at one point he failed to do that under the assumption that "agreeing" to be a SAHM meant handling everything on your own because "moms know instinctively" how to do these things (NO), which clearly took a toll on Fallon. And although I commend the author for showing growth, we also see him in the present being frustrated that Fallon hasn't been keeping an immaculate house even though she's now both a SAHM and entrepreneur, and Fallon thinking that her husband's love language must be "acts of service" because he likes it when she cooks and picks up his dry cleaning. No, girl, that's just the patriarchy! Oh, and he tells her to delete her app to meet friends because they need to keep up appearances, suggesting that she should just volunteer somewhere to find new friends, because obviously she's just staying home doing nothing all day, right? This is something that Fallon does think, but doesn't say. I think there was an attempt at questioning this system, but it wasn't fully realized. Fallon even thinks she could have saved on couples therapy and just reread "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus". If that's the kind of couples therapy they got...
This kind of internalized heterosexism is also baked into two "meet cutes" that are narrated, where a man causes an accident (not on purpose, but out of carelessness - which is almost as bad) on the woman, and then tries to "make up" for it by pursuing the woman, who ofc ends up falling in love with him. Sorry, but if you break my toes, the last thing I'll want to do is screw you.
Racism is also implied, but never actually addressed. Fallon's best friend Avery is a Black woman she met in college, who isn't part of the moms group. Fallon has also stayed in touch with Mel, a Mexican-American woman and single mother who was part of the group for a while before moving away. We are told that the group, except for Fallon, was always rude and judgy to Mel, allegedly on account of her divorced, working mom status. Are we sure there's nothing else there, considering she was the only woman of colour in the group? So, again, this book is very much about and for white people, even if two people of colour are presented in a positive light.
There's also a storyline of adoption, and although an adoptee's feelings on their own adoption are always valid, I can't say I liked the way some of these thoughts were presented and never challenged. Specifically, the idea that a character's hurt about her adoptive parents not telling her she was adopted until she found out would translate to negative feelings about being an adoptive parent themselves. This was a really strange reasoning... you can choose to tell your child they were adopted (and you should!!). I also thought it was supremely weird that the character's adoption file would list all of her birth mother's (European, obvi) ancestry like she was a bred puppy. I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happens in the USA, but it's very messed up.
Finally, in terms of plot, it felt very much like "a day in the life". Overall it's well written, save for some unnecessarily reiterated ideas (like Fallon thinking about people being surprised she married a gynecologist), which made it a quick read. But it's about a specific woman's daily problems, with the main themes of friendship, parenthood, entrepreneurship, and adoption. It felt both like a lot and not enough.
To end on a good note, I did resonate a lot with the main topic of a friendship break-up and the process Fallon goes through, so I don't regret reading it. And if you take away anything from this book, I think it needs to be that friendships sustain us. Go check on a friend now.
The protagonist was a fan of self-help books, and it makes sense because this book felt like self-help fiction (not necessarily in a bad way!).
I wasn't familiar with the genre "mom-com" and, as a single woman with no wishes to be a mother, I probably wouldn't have picked this book on my own. But I received it as my first widget, and I couldn't say no. So thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.
I couldn't say no for a second reason, and it's that the topic is very dear to me. We talk too much about romantic break-ups and not enough about friendship break-ups, and how they can be just as painful and hard to get over. And it's not even clean, loud break-ups, either, but the passive-aggressive ghosting, as well as just failing to be there. Where are the songs about a friendship gone cold?
Fallon finds herself wondering what went wrong when she realizes that not only her best friend has been ghosting and avoiding her for some time, but she's also been leaving her out of group hangs. Willing to forgive and forget, Fallon decides to try to bring the group closer while attempting to get her chocolate business started. But some things just can't be healed by a suburban Mexican fiesta...
Let's start with the good stuff. I deeply related to Fallon as far as the topic of friendship went. Her feelings and thoughts, at points contradictory, were so genuine to what losing someone feels like: missing them and wanting them back, feeling like it's your fault, wanting to go back to the good times, yet slowly realizing that it wasn't actually all good, feeling bitter and thinking about all their flaws, trash-talking about them. It's kind of annoying to read from the outside looking in because you're like "which one is it??", but - I've been there! I get it. And then also feeling like it's really hard to meet new people as you get older, whether to date or to befriend.
I also thought it was a very real portrayal of motherhood, ugly bits included. Fallon loves her daughter, but is still cognizant of how much she struggled (and still does) as a mother, the toll it can take on someone's mental health, no matter how much you wanted to have a child. That was really good, in my opinion, as was the fact that therapy and couples therapy was included in a very positive and natural way.
And the reason I called this self-help fiction is because it's overall a really healthy/positive journey of self-discovery and letting go of what doesn't serve you. If you've ever struggled (or are currently struggling) with parenthood or friendships, and you're looking for a book you can feel reflected in with a wholesome ending, then I think you might enjoy this book, for real.
However... I'm afraid it was also very much #whitepeopleproblems. And that might be fine if you relate to the particular demographic of white cis straight middle class USAmerican stay at home mom living in suburbia! As someone not from the USA, though, the depictions of some of these women felt cartoonish. Not because I haven't seen enough to know that people like that exist (hello Karens); I'm just not interested in reading about them and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. Ironically, it's great commentary on why the "agreement" of letting the man be the bread-winner while the woman stays at home to look after the house and children not only is barely a choice at all, but also puts women at a disadvantage. We see husbands who cheat, who lie, who are barely there for his children, who manipulate, who are unsatisfied. I mean, and I say this with some compassion, no wonder these women are catty bitches who have nothing better to do than create drama in the school parking lot! What else can they do? What else can they feel in control of?
Even in the case of our protagonist, we see that her husband encourages her to pursue her dreams and is attentive to her needs... but we're also told that at one point he failed to do that under the assumption that "agreeing" to be a SAHM meant handling everything on your own because "moms know instinctively" how to do these things (NO), which clearly took a toll on Fallon. And although I commend the author for showing growth, we also see him in the present being frustrated that Fallon hasn't been keeping an immaculate house even though she's now both a SAHM and entrepreneur, and Fallon thinking that her husband's love language must be "acts of service" because he likes it when she cooks and picks up his dry cleaning. No, girl, that's just the patriarchy! Oh, and he tells her to delete her app to meet friends because they need to keep up appearances, suggesting that she should just volunteer somewhere to find new friends, because obviously she's just staying home doing nothing all day, right? This is something that Fallon does think, but doesn't say. I think there was an attempt at questioning this system, but it wasn't fully realized. Fallon even thinks she could have saved on couples therapy and just reread "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus". If that's the kind of couples therapy they got...
This kind of internalized heterosexism is also baked into two "meet cutes" that are narrated, where a man causes an accident (not on purpose, but out of carelessness - which is almost as bad) on the woman, and then tries to "make up" for it by pursuing the woman, who ofc ends up falling in love with him. Sorry, but if you break my toes, the last thing I'll want to do is screw you.
Racism is also implied, but never actually addressed. Fallon's best friend Avery is a Black woman she met in college, who isn't part of the moms group. Fallon has also stayed in touch with Mel, a Mexican-American woman and single mother who was part of the group for a while before moving away. We are told that the group, except for Fallon, was always rude and judgy to Mel, allegedly on account of her divorced, working mom status. Are we sure there's nothing else there, considering she was the only woman of colour in the group? So, again, this book is very much about and for white people, even if two people of colour are presented in a positive light.
There's also a storyline of adoption, and although an adoptee's feelings on their own adoption are always valid, I can't say I liked the way some of these thoughts were presented and never challenged. Specifically, the idea that a character's hurt about her adoptive parents not telling her she was adopted until she found out would translate to negative feelings about being an adoptive parent themselves. This was a really strange reasoning... you can choose to tell your child they were adopted (and you should!!). I also thought it was supremely weird that the character's adoption file would list all of her birth mother's (European, obvi) ancestry like she was a bred puppy. I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happens in the USA, but it's very messed up.
Finally, in terms of plot, it felt very much like "a day in the life". Overall it's well written, save for some unnecessarily reiterated ideas (like Fallon thinking about people being surprised she married a gynecologist), which made it a quick read. But it's about a specific woman's daily problems, with the main themes of friendship, parenthood, entrepreneurship, and adoption. It felt both like a lot and not enough.
To end on a good note, I did resonate a lot with the main topic of a friendship break-up and the process Fallon goes through, so I don't regret reading it. And if you take away anything from this book, I think it needs to be that friendships sustain us. Go check on a friend now.
November 4, 2022
Was this book therapy for me? Yes, yes it was. I devoured this book. It made me laugh AND cry!! I would think most people in their lives have experienced a friendship breakup and how painful they are. I really connected with Fallon and that's why I loved this book so much. Everything felt real, especially in this day and age. People love comparing themselves to others and it turns into jealousy which can be an evil thing. That Ma Spa Squad was soooo toxic and I'm so happy Fallon eventually knew her worth when it comes to relationships. This book had a lot of deep meaning, but also had some fun. Like a whole chapter where parents are throwing mud at each other at a kid's soccer game LOL
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. I cannot wait to preorder and get my hands on a physical copy.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. I cannot wait to preorder and get my hands on a physical copy.
Read
March 30, 2023This was so juvenile 😭
February 25, 2023
uhhhh
WOW ok ok ok ok.
I always feel bad rating a book low, especially when it's a debut! I don't want to hurt the author's feelings!! But I am so sorry I really did not like this 😔 Honestly I should have DNF this book early on because I was just not vibing with the characters almost from the start but for some reason I decided to be stubborn (I am a Taurus). I've been on the wrong end of a friendship breakup before and it hurts! I was ready for this to be a meaningful self exploration, with some breakthroughs and maybe even sad. Instead I found it to be unrelatable, cringey, full of privilege and lacking really any depth at all.
We have our main character Fallon, a mom and wife whose best friend seemingly randomly started to ignore her out of the blue. She spends the book trying to "win her back" and ends up losing and gaining more friends in the process.
The thing that probably killed it the most for me was the main character. Fallon is incredibly vapid, a terrible communicator, and constantly compares herself to the other moms in the story. There's a scene where she literally starts keeping score about how good of a friend she is being ("one point for using her name, two points for asking about her") like what kind of psychopathic behavior? I also really failed to understand why she was so DESPERATE to be friends with people who clearly could not care less about her. Take a hint girly 😭 But also maybe they don't want to be friends with you because you are a pretty terrible person!!!! Multiple times Fallon says things like "I guess I never thought about how they might feel" and makes other remarks that indicate she really is COMPLETELY BLIND to anyone's problems except her own.
Fallon also is kind of...idk, problematique? She had some weird lines that didn't sit right with me, like referring to a panic attack as a "fake heart attack", plus more than a few eye-roll-worthy takes about women ("men don't hold grudges like women do")... I also wrote down a quote she said about being in a place so high class and fancy that "even the doormen are affluent" which made me feel really weird tbh! "Wow this place is so rich that even the service workers have money" I am begging you to get in touch with reality 🫠
But enough about Fallon. The rest of the characters are also Not Great! The mom friends she's clutching on to for dear life are pretty awful, purposely excluding her from events without telling her why, sabotaging her business, even going so far as to turn their kids against her kid. It was really nasty, high school behavior. Again and again I was wondering why she was so desperate to get them to like her. They clearly do not like you! Also Fallon and all her friends are seemingly just swimming in money and I just don't like reading about rich people like that! Keep that to yourself!
The other big big issue I had was the utter lack of communication going on in this book. I swear if anyone in this story could communicate worth a damn this book would be 10 pages long. It was SO ANNOYING how Fallon could have solved almost any of her issues by just...talking to her friends and asking them what was wrong instead of throwing lavish parties to try and impress them? Talking to her husband about his feelings? Literally giving one ounce of care or attention to anyone but herself at any time, ever???
I'm just ranting now but I really, really did not like this book. Even if I didn't dislike so much of what was happening here, there's enough people out there who already pit moms against each other and paint women as being horrible to each other in real life that I just don't care to see more of it in fiction. If you have recommendations for quality female friendships between adult women please send them my way because this wasn't the one for me!
Sorry!
Thanks Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc tho!
WOW ok ok ok ok.
I always feel bad rating a book low, especially when it's a debut! I don't want to hurt the author's feelings!! But I am so sorry I really did not like this 😔 Honestly I should have DNF this book early on because I was just not vibing with the characters almost from the start but for some reason I decided to be stubborn (I am a Taurus). I've been on the wrong end of a friendship breakup before and it hurts! I was ready for this to be a meaningful self exploration, with some breakthroughs and maybe even sad. Instead I found it to be unrelatable, cringey, full of privilege and lacking really any depth at all.
We have our main character Fallon, a mom and wife whose best friend seemingly randomly started to ignore her out of the blue. She spends the book trying to "win her back" and ends up losing and gaining more friends in the process.
The thing that probably killed it the most for me was the main character. Fallon is incredibly vapid, a terrible communicator, and constantly compares herself to the other moms in the story. There's a scene where she literally starts keeping score about how good of a friend she is being ("one point for using her name, two points for asking about her") like what kind of psychopathic behavior? I also really failed to understand why she was so DESPERATE to be friends with people who clearly could not care less about her. Take a hint girly 😭 But also maybe they don't want to be friends with you because you are a pretty terrible person!!!! Multiple times Fallon says things like "I guess I never thought about how they might feel" and makes other remarks that indicate she really is COMPLETELY BLIND to anyone's problems except her own.
Fallon also is kind of...idk, problematique? She had some weird lines that didn't sit right with me, like referring to a panic attack as a "fake heart attack", plus more than a few eye-roll-worthy takes about women ("men don't hold grudges like women do")... I also wrote down a quote she said about being in a place so high class and fancy that "even the doormen are affluent" which made me feel really weird tbh! "Wow this place is so rich that even the service workers have money" I am begging you to get in touch with reality 🫠
But enough about Fallon. The rest of the characters are also Not Great! The mom friends she's clutching on to for dear life are pretty awful, purposely excluding her from events without telling her why, sabotaging her business, even going so far as to turn their kids against her kid. It was really nasty, high school behavior. Again and again I was wondering why she was so desperate to get them to like her. They clearly do not like you! Also Fallon and all her friends are seemingly just swimming in money and I just don't like reading about rich people like that! Keep that to yourself!
The other big big issue I had was the utter lack of communication going on in this book. I swear if anyone in this story could communicate worth a damn this book would be 10 pages long. It was SO ANNOYING how Fallon could have solved almost any of her issues by just...talking to her friends and asking them what was wrong instead of throwing lavish parties to try and impress them? Talking to her husband about his feelings? Literally giving one ounce of care or attention to anyone but herself at any time, ever???
I'm just ranting now but I really, really did not like this book. Even if I didn't dislike so much of what was happening here, there's enough people out there who already pit moms against each other and paint women as being horrible to each other in real life that I just don't care to see more of it in fiction. If you have recommendations for quality female friendships between adult women please send them my way because this wasn't the one for me!
Sorry!
Thanks Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for the arc tho!
January 13, 2023
I ended up loving this book even though, at first, I didn't really like Fallon. And the rest of the women in this book? Oh, dear, what wonderful *ithches they were! Perhaps the reason I loved this book was because I'm older and have already lived through things like this?
This book ends up being a personal growth novel as well as a good gossipy back-stabbing *ithchy book. And let me tell you, sometimes I could really use a good one of those!
Fallon wonders what she has done to have her best friend ghost her, ignore her, yell at her, and take all her other friends away. At this point, I was snorting at the childishness of this, and then I though-oh, wait, that had happened to me too, and I did spend a lot of time worrying about what I had done to deserve treatment like this. So I could easily see myself in this position.
What we do eventually learn is that Fallon had a major issue when growing up that helps her be so unsure of herself.
Fallon has a wonderful hobby of making chocolates, so all you chocoholics may want to keep that in mind! She has a wonderful family, a great husband, and a good therapist, so that all helps, as well as Fallon making some new friends.
I think that this book is going to be going on my comfort read shelf for when I need a boost and some giggles,
*ARC supplied by the publisher Alcove Press, NetGalley, and the author Annie Cathryn.
This book ends up being a personal growth novel as well as a good gossipy back-stabbing *ithchy book. And let me tell you, sometimes I could really use a good one of those!
Fallon wonders what she has done to have her best friend ghost her, ignore her, yell at her, and take all her other friends away. At this point, I was snorting at the childishness of this, and then I though-oh, wait, that had happened to me too, and I did spend a lot of time worrying about what I had done to deserve treatment like this. So I could easily see myself in this position.
What we do eventually learn is that Fallon had a major issue when growing up that helps her be so unsure of herself.
Fallon has a wonderful hobby of making chocolates, so all you chocoholics may want to keep that in mind! She has a wonderful family, a great husband, and a good therapist, so that all helps, as well as Fallon making some new friends.
I think that this book is going to be going on my comfort read shelf for when I need a boost and some giggles,
*ARC supplied by the publisher Alcove Press, NetGalley, and the author Annie Cathryn.
February 6, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the early copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.
Fallon is has a pretty great life, actually. She’s been a stay at home mom to her soccer-playing daughter, she has a great relationship with her doctor husband, and she’s on the cusp of success as a chocolatier. The only problem (aside from being always late) is that her friends are ostracizing her for no apparent reason. They’ve been close for over a decade, but now they’re ignoring her texts, leaving her out of spa days, and verbally harassing her at elementary school drop off.
Listen, if you’re a mom who doesn’t have it all together, who is sometimes late, who has real flaws, but is trying her best, this story may ring true for you. Annie Cathryn didn’t pull any punches writing this character; she is very flawed, seemingly willing to forgive her friends anything. Join Fallon as she learns the value of friendship and maybe when it’s time to let go. For sure read if you like a plucky protagonist!
Fallon is has a pretty great life, actually. She’s been a stay at home mom to her soccer-playing daughter, she has a great relationship with her doctor husband, and she’s on the cusp of success as a chocolatier. The only problem (aside from being always late) is that her friends are ostracizing her for no apparent reason. They’ve been close for over a decade, but now they’re ignoring her texts, leaving her out of spa days, and verbally harassing her at elementary school drop off.
Listen, if you’re a mom who doesn’t have it all together, who is sometimes late, who has real flaws, but is trying her best, this story may ring true for you. Annie Cathryn didn’t pull any punches writing this character; she is very flawed, seemingly willing to forgive her friends anything. Join Fallon as she learns the value of friendship and maybe when it’s time to let go. For sure read if you like a plucky protagonist!
August 29, 2022
The Friendship Breakup
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 2/7/23
Author: Annie Cathryn
Publisher: Alcove Press
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 4.70
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Alcove Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her neighborhood friends to get her through the trials of adulthood. When her bestie and friends disappear, she is left pushing down a lifetime of insecurities. First, she hosts an epic Cinco de Mayo party that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends—a discovery that will test the strength of her loyalty to Beatrice. She reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to open decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go.
My Thoughts: For a debut novel, this was fantastic. I love the way it peels the onion of women’s friendships, the politics that can surface, the strong bonds united, and exploring motherhood, including the famous mom cliques. The message is that we all need deep rooted community bonds, the important of connecting with others, and being able to stand in your truth, probably the most important. This novel was a literal laugh out loud entertaining read that I just adored. Our heroine, Fallon, is likable, relatable, motivated, but vulnerable, and following her emotional journey was absolutely amazing. The characters were well developed with depth, passion, connection, and creative. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, endearing, emotional, and engaging. Cathryn’s delivery was brilliant, serious,and funny. While this novel does not release until Feb of next year, I would recommend adding to your TBR now and preordering!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: Romance
Format: Kindle eBook
Date Published: 2/7/23
Author: Annie Cathryn
Publisher: Alcove Press
Pages: 304
Goodreads Rating: 4.70
I requested a digital advanced readers copy from NetGalley and Alcove Press and providing my opinion voluntarily and unbiased.
Synopsis: Fallon Monroe, mother of one, self-help book junkie, and budding chocolatier, has always relied on her neighborhood friends to get her through the trials of adulthood. When her bestie and friends disappear, she is left pushing down a lifetime of insecurities. First, she hosts an epic Cinco de Mayo party that goes epically wrong. Then she joins a friendship app but discovers a disturbing secret about one of her new friends—a discovery that will test the strength of her loyalty to Beatrice. She reads a recently unearthed letter she’d refused to open decades earlier—and reading it forces her to finally face the deep-seated fears she’d desperately tried to bury. Now, looking at her friendships through fresh eyes, she must decide between hanging on and letting go.
My Thoughts: For a debut novel, this was fantastic. I love the way it peels the onion of women’s friendships, the politics that can surface, the strong bonds united, and exploring motherhood, including the famous mom cliques. The message is that we all need deep rooted community bonds, the important of connecting with others, and being able to stand in your truth, probably the most important. This novel was a literal laugh out loud entertaining read that I just adored. Our heroine, Fallon, is likable, relatable, motivated, but vulnerable, and following her emotional journey was absolutely amazing. The characters were well developed with depth, passion, connection, and creative. The author’s writing style was complex, humorous, endearing, emotional, and engaging. Cathryn’s delivery was brilliant, serious,and funny. While this novel does not release until Feb of next year, I would recommend adding to your TBR now and preordering!
February 17, 2023
When Fallon is dumped by her best friends, the hit touches on the deep-seated insecurities she's managed to keep at bay. But when she uncovers a letter she had long-ago forgotten, she begins a journey of healing and self-discovery. At once heartwarming and humorous, The Friendship Breakup is smart, layered, and captures the all-too-familiar nuances of being a friend, staying a friend, and learning when to let go. Written with emotional depth while capturing our most profound vulnerabilities, Cathryn is an author to watch. A novel with a big heart that will captivate readers.
July 20, 2022
Annie Cathryn’s debut, THE FRIENDSHIP BREAKUP is a highly entertaining and snort-thru-your-nose-funny look at female friendships—the politics, the allegiances, the mudslinging in the suburban mommy world—that at its core is a love letter to our deep need for community, connection and most importantly, to knowing our own heart.
February 7, 2023
This is a relatable story about miscommunication, self awareness, and all the thrills of getting older. Friendships that last 7 years should last forever but as Fallon and her friend Beatrice are approaching this milestone, Fallon feels alone and abandoned by her friends. This is labeled a mom-com but it raises the concept that you never know what battles someone may be facing so be kind and don’t jump to conclusions. I enjoyed the connections to this story and how I related to the age group of these characters. Thank you @netgalley and @alcovepress for this complimentary ebook
January 28, 2023
Fallon is a wife and mom who is having problems with her best friends. They're suddenly avoiding her, and no one will tell her why. When she has a panic attack during a disastrous party, she starts seeing a therapist, and then decides to join a friendship app to make new friends. But one of her new friends turns out to be one of the linchpins to the issues with her bestie. She needs to reevaluate how she wants to handle her friendships, and life. Oh yeah, and she also has a secret that she has told only two of the people in her life, and she doesn't want to deal with it, but now she's going to deal with it. Oh, and she likes making pretty chocolates.
This. Book. Is. Slow. Holy cow. It takes literally one third of the book to get to the disaster party that makes her start kind of changing into an adult. Then at the halfway point, she finally joins the app to make new friends. But no matter how much happens, she keeps trying to run back to her friends that don't have any interest in being friends anymore. The culmination of all this chaos becomes a literal mud slinging fight. But suddenly, Fallon decided to act like an adult, someone tells her that it's really all their fault rather than hers, and everything gets all happily ever after-y. I'm annoyed at the childish actions of EVERYONE involved. I'm mad at Fallon, I'm mad at the Bestie, I'm mad at the gossip friend that started drama for the whole group and started breaking them all up, and I'm mad at the blame-taker (I don't want to spoil this for someone who ACTUALLY wants to read this.) because that person saw Fallon being hated by her best friends, and STRUGGLING over it, and didn't say anything for months. Also, I'm mad at the author for making that character the "fall guy" and very deus ex machina because of the quick resolution.
This felt like a book that helped the author work out some of her own stuff while trying to create something fun/funny. I stopped SEVERAL times to get past my frustration that the who thing was just awful on top of awful, and no one has a decent adult conversation. Shameful.
Maybe this book just isn't for me. Maybe I didn't read it with enough ability to find humor in the situations, because I think that was what the author was hoping for... but I just was cringing way too much.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!
This. Book. Is. Slow. Holy cow. It takes literally one third of the book to get to the disaster party that makes her start kind of changing into an adult. Then at the halfway point, she finally joins the app to make new friends. But no matter how much happens, she keeps trying to run back to her friends that don't have any interest in being friends anymore. The culmination of all this chaos becomes a literal mud slinging fight. But suddenly, Fallon decided to act like an adult, someone tells her that it's really all their fault rather than hers, and everything gets all happily ever after-y. I'm annoyed at the childish actions of EVERYONE involved. I'm mad at Fallon, I'm mad at the Bestie, I'm mad at the gossip friend that started drama for the whole group and started breaking them all up, and I'm mad at the blame-taker (I don't want to spoil this for someone who ACTUALLY wants to read this.) because that person saw Fallon being hated by her best friends, and STRUGGLING over it, and didn't say anything for months. Also, I'm mad at the author for making that character the "fall guy" and very deus ex machina because of the quick resolution.
This felt like a book that helped the author work out some of her own stuff while trying to create something fun/funny. I stopped SEVERAL times to get past my frustration that the who thing was just awful on top of awful, and no one has a decent adult conversation. Shameful.
Maybe this book just isn't for me. Maybe I didn't read it with enough ability to find humor in the situations, because I think that was what the author was hoping for... but I just was cringing way too much.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!
May 30, 2023
Wow, I did not like this at all. Aside from the lackluster writing, the first 70% of the story was bland as can be with the last 30% being over the top. I truly did not understand why Fallon even wanted to be friends with these women who clearly wanted nothing to do with her. They seem like incredibly shallow women that aren’t worth fighting for. Every single character in this book is overdramatic, petty, and childish. I just can’t see how Fallon claims to be so close to these women when they don’t even talk honestly about their lives, and can’t communicate when things get rough. There is also some misogyny that goes unchecked that I certainly could have done without. I’m usually all about suburban mommy drama books, but this one was just way too ridiculous to get on board with.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
September 4, 2022
Every woman has a ghost story—where someone disappears from her life with no explanation. So when Fallon’s friends freeze her out, her determination to fix those relationships will both resonate and make you text your bestie to remind her you love her. But what begins as a mission to salvage her friendships turns into a journey of self-acceptance and coming to terms with the fact that some friendships aren’t meant to last forever. Perfect to read by the beach or pool with your favorite iced coffee (or in those stolen moments in the carpool line), The Friendship Breakup will have you both laughing and savoring the journey like it was one of Fallon’s chocolates. Sharp, witty, and relevant to everyone who has ever outgrown a friend.
January 21, 2023
3.5
Thank you @msanniecathryn and @alcovepress for the gifted ebook and @dreamscape_media for the complimentary audiobook.
I was lucky enough to participate in the cover reveal for this book, and now I had so much fun listening to it.
Fallon is so relatable because she’s a wife, a mom, an upstart business owner, and about to turn forty. But what resounded with me the most was that she was losing friends, and she wasn’t sure why- 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦!
Annie Cathryn did a great job displaying the truth of how rumors, gossiping, and petty jealousy can destroy friendships, or maybe it brings to light the toxicity that exists within a circle of friends. Though Fallon struggled and was caught in the mire and misunderstandings, there were some very humorous moments. The narrative also wove in a subplot about Fallon’s own adoption discovery that adds depth and insight to her character.
Overall a fun, heartfelt story about how messy female friendships can be. Oh, and be prepared to want a sweet treat seeing that Fallon’s business launch is chocolates.
Thank you @msanniecathryn and @alcovepress for the gifted ebook and @dreamscape_media for the complimentary audiobook.
I was lucky enough to participate in the cover reveal for this book, and now I had so much fun listening to it.
Fallon is so relatable because she’s a wife, a mom, an upstart business owner, and about to turn forty. But what resounded with me the most was that she was losing friends, and she wasn’t sure why- 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦!
Annie Cathryn did a great job displaying the truth of how rumors, gossiping, and petty jealousy can destroy friendships, or maybe it brings to light the toxicity that exists within a circle of friends. Though Fallon struggled and was caught in the mire and misunderstandings, there were some very humorous moments. The narrative also wove in a subplot about Fallon’s own adoption discovery that adds depth and insight to her character.
Overall a fun, heartfelt story about how messy female friendships can be. Oh, and be prepared to want a sweet treat seeing that Fallon’s business launch is chocolates.
January 30, 2023
I have to say I'm not a big fan of the miscommunication trope, and miscommunication takes a big part in this book.
Fallon has been friends with Beatrice for nearly seven years, since they were both first time mums. Now suddenly Beatrice is ghosting her and not including her in the plans with their group of mom friends. Fallon doesn't know why and tries to win her (and their mom friends) back.
The book was interesting enough to keep reading, but not one of my favorites.
** Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. **
Fallon has been friends with Beatrice for nearly seven years, since they were both first time mums. Now suddenly Beatrice is ghosting her and not including her in the plans with their group of mom friends. Fallon doesn't know why and tries to win her (and their mom friends) back.
The book was interesting enough to keep reading, but not one of my favorites.
** Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. **
February 16, 2023
The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn
8h 18m narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazo, 304 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Women's Fiction, Humorous Fiction
Featuring: Motherhood, Ghosting, Chicago Suburbs, Home Business, Chocolatier, Friendships, Parties, Homemakers, Frantic Narrator, Self-Help Books, Bullying, Social Media, Insecurities, Mental Health, Avoidance
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Cool Kids" by Echosmith, "I'm Every Woman" by Whitney Houston "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles, "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael, "Roar" by Katy Perry, "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette, "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel, "Sugar" by Maroon 5, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus, "Best of My Love" by The Emotions, "Try" by Colbie Caillat
My rating:
My thoughts: 📱8% 41:38 Ch. 3 - Very daytime soap opera. Not a fan. Moving in for now.
📱28% 2:21:22 Ch. 11 - I refuse to believe a 13-year-old wrote that. I am trying hard to relate to this character but I don't find any of this funny and her insecurities are becoming annoying. Either get serious or do something funny, but the whining has to stop.
📱50% 4:10:45 Ch. 21 - At this point, I'm mostly continuing to find out why she was ghosted. You'd think she'd know by now but nope. I don't find this story realistic. There was a new wrinkle before Ch. 13 that prevented me from abandoning the story, I was very close.
This story got started around the 50% mark, prior to that it was a 2-star read for me dull and shallow. The thing that was constant for me was this story wasn't funny, there was never a comedic moment for me including the ones that I assume they thought were humorous. I didn't relate to Fallon on any level despite similar positions, she came off as whiny, frantic, diffident, and boozy. She got on my nerves and many of her issues were self-fabricated. I almost quit this book a few times. All in all, I will give it a 3 on Goodreads for being okay. Not sure if it's because the second half was better and tackle a real issue or if I just spent enough time with Fallon to accept her as is.
Recommend to others?: Maybe. Just as many people seemed to love it as disliked it so I can only speak for myself, it was alright, nothing special and not a comedy.
8h 18m narrated by Brenda Scott Wlazo, 304 pages
Genre: Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Chick Lit, Romance, Women's Fiction, Humorous Fiction
Featuring: Motherhood, Ghosting, Chicago Suburbs, Home Business, Chocolatier, Friendships, Parties, Homemakers, Frantic Narrator, Self-Help Books, Bullying, Social Media, Insecurities, Mental Health, Avoidance
Rating as a movie: PG-13
Songs for the soundtrack: "Cool Kids" by Echosmith, "I'm Every Woman" by Whitney Houston "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles, "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael, "Roar" by Katy Perry, "Ironic" by Alanis Morissette, "Let It Go" by Idina Menzel, "Sugar" by Maroon 5, "My Way" by Frank Sinatra, "Achy Breaky Heart" by Billy Ray Cyrus, "Best of My Love" by The Emotions, "Try" by Colbie Caillat
My rating:
My thoughts: 📱8% 41:38 Ch. 3 - Very daytime soap opera. Not a fan. Moving in for now.
📱28% 2:21:22 Ch. 11 - I refuse to believe a 13-year-old wrote that. I am trying hard to relate to this character but I don't find any of this funny and her insecurities are becoming annoying. Either get serious or do something funny, but the whining has to stop.
📱50% 4:10:45 Ch. 21 - At this point, I'm mostly continuing to find out why she was ghosted. You'd think she'd know by now but nope. I don't find this story realistic. There was a new wrinkle before Ch. 13 that prevented me from abandoning the story, I was very close.
This story got started around the 50% mark, prior to that it was a 2-star read for me dull and shallow. The thing that was constant for me was this story wasn't funny, there was never a comedic moment for me including the ones that I assume they thought were humorous. I didn't relate to Fallon on any level despite similar positions, she came off as whiny, frantic, diffident, and boozy. She got on my nerves and many of her issues were self-fabricated. I almost quit this book a few times. All in all, I will give it a 3 on Goodreads for being okay. Not sure if it's because the second half was better and tackle a real issue or if I just spent enough time with Fallon to accept her as is.
Recommend to others?: Maybe. Just as many people seemed to love it as disliked it so I can only speak for myself, it was alright, nothing special and not a comedy.
August 16, 2022
Unlike some of my fellow reviewers, I did not find this book that humorous. Yes, there were a few amusing events, but the real value of the book lies in its sensitive, insightful exploration of friendship dynamics.
Fallon Monroe is facing a milestone birthday – the big 4-0. Happily married (with a few bumps along the way), she has successfully navigated motherhood with the support of good friends in her suburban neighborhood. Her fledging business as a chocolatier is still primarily a dream, but she has a vision for a boutique shop offering not only delectable confections, but also classes to secure her niche in a saturated market. Trouble arises when she is “ghosted” by Beatrice, her BFF, who manages to turn the once closely-knit group against her. With this unexpected and mysterious twist in her life, her insecurities over her self-worth come to the forefront to be examined and worked through.
I found Fallon to be a likeable and believable protagonist. It was discouraging to see grown women reverting to high school dynamics to gossip and exclude others rather than address their own pain. However, this served the story well as an entertaining read, which also imparted wisdom concerning what drives and sustains friendships. As the author points out on several occasions, people come into our lives for “a reason, a season or a lifetime.” As Fallon evaluates the significant relationships in her life, she becomes more self-aware of her own motivations and learns to forgive and release those that no longer meet the definition of friend. In the end, she finds her happiness and fulfillment in following her dream rather than clinging to the past.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Fallon Monroe is facing a milestone birthday – the big 4-0. Happily married (with a few bumps along the way), she has successfully navigated motherhood with the support of good friends in her suburban neighborhood. Her fledging business as a chocolatier is still primarily a dream, but she has a vision for a boutique shop offering not only delectable confections, but also classes to secure her niche in a saturated market. Trouble arises when she is “ghosted” by Beatrice, her BFF, who manages to turn the once closely-knit group against her. With this unexpected and mysterious twist in her life, her insecurities over her self-worth come to the forefront to be examined and worked through.
I found Fallon to be a likeable and believable protagonist. It was discouraging to see grown women reverting to high school dynamics to gossip and exclude others rather than address their own pain. However, this served the story well as an entertaining read, which also imparted wisdom concerning what drives and sustains friendships. As the author points out on several occasions, people come into our lives for “a reason, a season or a lifetime.” As Fallon evaluates the significant relationships in her life, she becomes more self-aware of her own motivations and learns to forgive and release those that no longer meet the definition of friend. In the end, she finds her happiness and fulfillment in following her dream rather than clinging to the past.
My thanks to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reviewing this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
October 13, 2022
Rating: 5 super shiny stars!!!
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of the Friendship Break Up by Annie Cathryn . This is a debut novel and has a publication date of February 7, 2023.
From her very first words "Right between the milk and the eggs, I go into menopause." I instantly fell in love with our main character Fallon, she became one of my book besties. I don't think I ever laughed out loud at the very first sentence of a book before and I just knew...
Fallon is kind of a hot mess as she hilariously navigates the Mommy life in a small town in the midwest as she learns to let go of a painful past, and to lesser degree, present and evolves into her best self. There are a slew of friends turned frenemies surrounding her and some old friends, some new friends. They all make an impact on her life.
I appreciate the author's choice to focus on the importance of female friendship in our lives and how the people we choose to surround ourselves with hold up a mirror to who we are, not who we want to be. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about the characters and wondering how things would work out. When I was reading it, I had to to pry myself away from the pages with a crowbar on so I could:
A. Go to work
B. Speak to my actual friends and family, and
C. Force myself to go to sleep hours after bedtime.
Do yourself a favor, treat yourself to fun time and read this book! I will be keeping my eye out for more from this new author.
Review:
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC of the Friendship Break Up by Annie Cathryn . This is a debut novel and has a publication date of February 7, 2023.
From her very first words "Right between the milk and the eggs, I go into menopause." I instantly fell in love with our main character Fallon, she became one of my book besties. I don't think I ever laughed out loud at the very first sentence of a book before and I just knew...
Fallon is kind of a hot mess as she hilariously navigates the Mommy life in a small town in the midwest as she learns to let go of a painful past, and to lesser degree, present and evolves into her best self. There are a slew of friends turned frenemies surrounding her and some old friends, some new friends. They all make an impact on her life.
I appreciate the author's choice to focus on the importance of female friendship in our lives and how the people we choose to surround ourselves with hold up a mirror to who we are, not who we want to be. When I wasn't reading this book, I was thinking about the characters and wondering how things would work out. When I was reading it, I had to to pry myself away from the pages with a crowbar on so I could:
A. Go to work
B. Speak to my actual friends and family, and
C. Force myself to go to sleep hours after bedtime.
Do yourself a favor, treat yourself to fun time and read this book! I will be keeping my eye out for more from this new author.
April 3, 2024
Oh, the sweet innocence of childhood - right before the world smacks you upside the head with the things you never saw coming, and you're never the same after.
This is probably the best debut novel I've read in a while. Annie Cathryn if you're planning to continue to write books, just as amazing as this one, you'll become one of my favorite authors.
"The Friendship Breakup" is everything you could imagine - full of emotions, relatable moments, and eye-opening on the importance of good, healthy friendships.
Throughout the story I found myself comparing my life to Fallon's and even though I'm 20 years younger than the main character we have a lot in common.
One of the aspects that made me love the book was seeing Fallon grow into a better woman. Sure, she had some ups and downs but she is an inspiration. She fought for her marriage, she decided to go into therapy, she discovered some things about her past that she was putting out, and she followed her dream even when her "friends" didn't encourage her to do it.
It's a really good read for long nights or maybe a walk in a park once the weather gets better. I think it might become a bestseller once we will find the book in store!
★ thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books | Alcove Press for the e-arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
June 15, 2023
The Friendship Breakup, Annie Cathryn: A Review
Fallon Monroe has been ghosted by her best friend, Beatrice, and she wants to know why. The aspiring chocolatier finds herself in the middle of a mean girls’ battle with the neighborhood Ma Spa Squad moms in “Shitshire” just as she’s trying to get her business off the ground.
This is a delightful, fast-paced read that I devoured in two days. Full of gossip, mud slinging, a friendship app, this is a fun any funny read that does not disappoint. Although humorous (I was belly laughing at times), Cathryn doesn’t shy away from serious, real life topics that women approaching their middle years encounters such as perimenopause, mental health, anxiety, divorce and breast cancer; she handles them gracefully. In her debut, Cathryn makes clear the central message of this novel: a little levity, especially in times of strife, is essential.
This is the perfect mom-com to add to your spring/summer TBR.
Fallon Monroe has been ghosted by her best friend, Beatrice, and she wants to know why. The aspiring chocolatier finds herself in the middle of a mean girls’ battle with the neighborhood Ma Spa Squad moms in “Shitshire” just as she’s trying to get her business off the ground.
This is a delightful, fast-paced read that I devoured in two days. Full of gossip, mud slinging, a friendship app, this is a fun any funny read that does not disappoint. Although humorous (I was belly laughing at times), Cathryn doesn’t shy away from serious, real life topics that women approaching their middle years encounters such as perimenopause, mental health, anxiety, divorce and breast cancer; she handles them gracefully. In her debut, Cathryn makes clear the central message of this novel: a little levity, especially in times of strife, is essential.
This is the perfect mom-com to add to your spring/summer TBR.
February 17, 2023
Fallon is being ghosted by her best friend and by extension, the entire friend group and doesn't know what to do with herself. After some soul searching, she ends up with a better support system and moves forward.
This book was out of my regular wheelhouse and I would class it more literary fiction than I usually read. I was charmed to see that the main character had previously had relationships with her spouse but was generally in a good place. All of the drama came from outside the home. I didn't see why she was fighting so hard to keep these friends but to each their own.
Thank you to Netgalley, Alcove Press, Dreamscape Media, and Annie Cathryn for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
This book was out of my regular wheelhouse and I would class it more literary fiction than I usually read. I was charmed to see that the main character had previously had relationships with her spouse but was generally in a good place. All of the drama came from outside the home. I didn't see why she was fighting so hard to keep these friends but to each their own.
Thank you to Netgalley, Alcove Press, Dreamscape Media, and Annie Cathryn for a copy in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
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