THE FRIENDS WE KEEP by Susan Mallery is the first
title I have read by Ms. Mallery, and I quite enjoyed it. The
friends
we keep play an important role in our life. For a
relationship based purely on choice it does make quite an
impact on our lives. Friends are like the backbone of our
emotional life, to some friends matter more than for others.
Often times we rely more on friends then on our immediate
family. In this story of three friends, we see friendship
playing a silent yet necessary and supportive role. It's
about leaning on friends and trusting them to be there
and keep us sane when life gets out of control.
The plot seamlessly blends friendship in the story. The
lives of the characters are brought together beautifully
with the calming touch of friendships. What I like about
THE FRIENDS WE KEEP is the respect the friends have for each other
and
how they did not take each other for granted. Some of the
characters were infuriating, but effectively played their
roles in teaching some important life lessons. It brings
home the reality of how lucky we are to choose our own
friends and make up for not having a choice about our family
and relatives.
Sometimes no one is at fault and everyone is to blame in
relationships that die with time. I particularly enjoyed the
vulnerabilities and pull between Nicole and the delicious
Jairus. Gabby and Andrew show that even when we get
scared giving up and running away the moment a warning alarm
goes off isn't the right choice. Haley is someone who I
couldn't fully understand, and that's all right because every
once in a while we come across a character whose choice we
may accept but not necessarily understand. THE FRIENDS WE KEEP portrays that
leaning on partners and friends during moments
of trials and happiness is what will make life a better
place. I thoroughly enjoyed the strong sense of friendship and
integrity in THE FRIENDS WE KEEP.
After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer
can't wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in
peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging
in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her
plans are derailed by some shocking news and her
husband's crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the
right to have a life of her own.
Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying
pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about
the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the
threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born
to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny
—no matter how high the cost.
Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that
wasn't as painful as it should've been. Other than the
son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in
her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the
second time's the charm…but how can she trust herself to
recognize true love?
As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful
backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will
rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to
navigate life's toughest changes.