For me reading non-fiction isn't always high on the list but when I saw this on Netgalley I took a chance in requesting because just like the author, Kelsey Miller, I was only ten years old when it debuted but it's a timeless show that I continue to watch and rely on for comfort even 20+ years past it's departure from "must see tv".

I remember being young and watching the Thursday night line-up on NBC with my mother. It's some of my fondest memories with her because we never missed Thursday PrimeTime together. Friends still exists in my life today through re-runs, my own teenage daughter watches it constantly on Netflix. Miller's prologue showcasing her own lovely connection to the show really kicked off my interest in the facts in this book - I feel this important to note. She humanized in a grand way that really made me think, beyond surface level, what this show has meant to me throughout my life.

Kelsey Miller thoughtfully unpacks everything we loved about Friends in a very interesting yet informative way. I learned new fun facts about the production of the show, I thought about it deeper than I ever have, and I laughed out loud several times throughout her book. She relies heavily on the fact that this iconic 90's show is timeless in it's nostalgia.

I always mention in reviews of New Adult fiction novels that our lives post-college, in our twenties are such a crucial growing time. It's for setting up your confidant base, exploring the unknown, and trying to understand yourself and your self-worth. Friends is liking going back to that time and remembering how truly special it was even though it was chaotic. As Miller, and many other "experts", suggests time and again it's comfort food for so many millions of people. Fans who were there from the beginning, new fans discovering it 20+ years later and everyone in between. This book was a great way to relive it for a super fan like me and I'm happy to have read it. Kelsey Miller's writing was easy to follow given how much information she provides. Her writing is as concise as it is quirky and entertaining. I loved this trip down memory lane and am grateful for the opportunity to have read it. If your Friends fan, past or present, and are interested in the show you'll enjoy this book.

"SIX FRIENDS THAT BECAME A FAMILY.
A TELEVISION SHOW THAT BECAME A PHENOMENON. I’ll Be There for You is the definitive retrospective of Friends, not only for fans of the series, but for anyone who’s ever wondered what it is about this show—and television comedy—that resonates so powerfully."

Everyone knows the theme song I'll Be There For You, with the iconic clapping that you try to match, but they might not know what show it's from. I'll Be There for You: The One about Friends by Kelsey Miller takes you in depth through the life of a show called Friends. As someone who's been a huge fan of the show since the beginning, it was great to relive it and read about what really went on behind the scenes. I loved this book and now I'm off to rewatch Friends... Again!

Thanks to the publisher and to #NetGalley for the ARC #IllBeThereForYou.
Pub Date: 23 Oct 2018

This was a really good book for a Friend's fan. I liked the behind the scenes and background info on the series. It was interesting to read about the different point of views on issues that the series faced both during and after.

I’ll be there for you is a very accurate and detailed book about the show and how it grew to fame. It holds nothing back. We learn about the directors, writers, and actors and quite honestly there were many things that I did not know about in this book. I really thought I was a no it all when it came to the show Friends. I love how the authors timeline and descriptive writing ensured the reader would not get lost in figuring out how the show actually got its start. Miller has done a great deal of research and well has to be a fan of the show right? I definitely recommend this book to everyone, especially fans of the show Friends.

For old and new fans alike, I’ll Be There for You is a fantastic look into the how the show happened. Many of us uber fans know a lot of detail, but I think the history between the creators and how it all really started was incredibly interesting. The book didn’t hold back, starting from the beginning, all the way to the almost end and then the real end. There were details I knew, lots I didn’t, and many I simply forgot about. I caught myself laughing out loud, remembering the scenes I was reading about, nodding along to details of an era in which this all happened and I was there for.

FRIENDS was and is an amazing show that surpasses age and time, and while some issues are dated (and the book handles this wonderfully), it is truly a show that doesn’t really get old. I am one of those fans that will turn it on instead of something new. I will watch the couple hours on Nick at Nite when I can’t sleep. Friends is comfort food. Friends is reliable. Friends is relatable. Just like the song says, Friends is well, there for you.

I’ll Be There for You: The One about Friends was a fantastic read that hooks you from the beginning. Miller doesn’t stay on one subject or character too long and keeps you intrigued until the end, even if you think you already knew everything. I wanted to highlight so much and share with the person sitting next me, saying “Remember that episode…?” Unfortunately, the only person around me this weekend was my husband. More a Seinfeld guy, he got his share of Central Perk for sure. And loved every minute of it. A joyful trip down memory lane, this book is sure to have you streaming on Netflix. Do me a favor and watch again after reading. Try and pinpoint the scenes mentioned. I know I will.

“The thing that mattered most about Friends was right there in that simple, one-word, unambiguous title.”

I watch the complete series of Friends at least once a year. More if a major event or life catastrophe happens. There’s something about it I can’t quite pinpoint, but it makes me feel calmer, like everything will be okay even if real life is a complete disaster right now.

“Some things don’t change. Friends is a reminder of that, and that’s why so many of us reach for it in times of grief or fear, when catastrophe strikes or when life seems suddenly unrecognizable.”

When I heard a book was coming out about my beloved series, I jumped at the chance to get an ARC. But I was also nervous. This is something I love and have read and watched so much about already.

If you are a Friends’ fan you will love this book. Not only does Miller give us great behind-the-scenes access, she also brings to light some criticism and issues with the series. I’ll Be There For You is knee deep in nostalgia but it also doesn’t shy away from any controversies Friends had (lack of diversity, etc). Like the ending of the series, this book leaves you feeling bittersweet.

“The memories we made on Stage 24 are better than any dreams we ever had.”

Friends was a favorite show of mine going through young adulthood. I had some friends of my pwn and the last few seasons we would get together Thursday nights to watch the show. I miss those days. This book was much like the series: comfy and cozy. Loved the quotes and behind the scenes scoop on a beloved show.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but I had to request this one. I adore the show FRIENDS! It's one of my favorite shows of all time, and this book really reinforced why I feel that way. It's got a timeless quality and delves into the feelings of what it means to have a framily when your family disappoints.

This book doesn't make it all appear to be roses and rainbows, either. It discusses the problems with the show - the gay jokes, the huge lack of diversity and representation, etc. And I can see those problems, more so as the years go by and those things have become a bigger part of the national dialogue. While it has its issues, every show does, and it doesn't diminish the huge effect that the FRIENDS phenomenon had on the world.

The author's telling of the history of the show is compelling, and I really enjoyed it.

I liked this book and the background history it provided. I think some parts not everyone is going to agree with how she felt about the show, but everyone is different when it comes to TV. I love Friends & I take comfort in watching it over and over. So I enjoyed the history and timeline aspects of this book.

Out October 23rd!

I think it's only fair to disclose before this review that I'm a complete and utter Friends freak! My cat's name is Chandler, my Roomba-knock-off vaccum's name is Gunther, I rescued a cat and named her Phoebe, I have the Friends picture frame that I hung over my apartment's peephole, and I have watched all of the seasons too many times to count. I make references on the regular and expect that everybody around me is going to *get* them (they usually don't...). You get the point.

Okay, back to the review. How could I give any book about Friends anything less than 5 stars? Honestly. But low and behold, this books stands on its own merits! I can truly give it 5 stars because it's just a great book.

Kelsey Miller did a great job portraying the history of the series, the producers' journey to get there, how the show was cast, the challenges they went through to keep it on the air, and the overwhelming influence it had on pop culture. It tries to explain why Friends was and still is such an overwhelming presence in American households and why people continue to gravitate towards the characters and their stories.

The unique thing about this book is that it references current events that were taking place while the show was airing (i.e. September 11th and its impact on the show). It also at times toes the line into political territory so be prepared to be open minded about political viewpoints that May differ from your own. For the newer generation that were young while it was airing live, it is interesting to get fresh perspective on the happenings in the 90's.

The quality of the writing is great for a nonfiction book. It reads very smoothly and has a conversational feel which makes for a quick read.

Funny sidenote... I kept watching the completion percentage at the bottom of my Kindle as I read and was surprised at how long the book was while I was reading it. I kept thinking, "Holy cow is this book long!" But, when I got to about 70% in the ebook, it ended. The last 30% is footnotes and references. So it may seem long but it is an illusion! I actually devoured it in two days.

Speaking of footnotes, Kelsey Miller added little morsels of information throughout that didn't necessary fit in the body of the book but we're interesting tidbits. And at times she added bits of humor that were appreciated.

Highly recommended for all my Friends freaks out there (you know who you are). But also is relevant for those who even have a marginal relationship with Friends.

Could this book BE any better?

-I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Kelsey Miller, and HARLEQUIN for the opportunity to review.-

FRIENDS was my all time favorite tv show for so many reasons. It was real and funny and heart breaking. I felt like each of these characters was my friend. this book was wonderful for inside tips. COULD IT BE ANY MORE ENJOYABLE?

A delightful, fact-filled journey through the history of the popular 1990s-2000s TV series Friends. Miller, a self-confessed superfan of the show, treats the series with the expected reverence, but also touches on some of the aspects that have not aged well (homophobia, lack of casting diversity, etc.). As a fellow Friends enthusiast, reading this book was like having an extended conversation with a friend about our favorite show. A lot of fun!

I loved this book! As someone who loves everything about the TV show FRIENDS it was wonderful to see the history of the show and how it was created. I learned many different back stories from the writers to creators of the show. But overall if you love the show friends then PICK THIS UP!

Everyone knows what Friends is ... an American television sitcom, which aired for ten seasons from 1994 to 2004, starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry and David Schwimmer. The show revolved around six 20 to 30-something friends living in Manhattan.

I watched Friends when it started and watched it until the end (I still watch it occasionally in reruns). There were some things I wasn't crazy about ... like Joey and Rachel dating, Rachel and Tag dating, Marcel (the monkey), Ross being a neglectful father (he seemed to have forgotten about his son, Ben, after the first couple of seasons), etc. I liked the series for the most part, though, so that's why this book caught my eye.

There is a chapter for each of the seasons giving a high level of what the season was about, what is/was going on in the lives of the six actors and in the world, the salary negotiations, commentary from print articles and TV interviews, lack of racial diversity, what else was on TV and how tastes were changing, the effects of 9/11, the after effects of the show, what the stars are doing today, etc. I thought it was interesting to get the scoop from behind the scenes.

Non-fans may find this book interesting as it touches on pop culture in the 1990s and 2000s. Fan of Friends will enjoy it more since they will have watched all the shows at least once.

This was a book I didn't know I needed in my life. I also didn't realize it was nonfiction. I don't know why I thought it was going to be fiction, but either way a book about Friends is always on my radar.
As a hardcore Friends fan I didn't think there was anything I didn't know about the show, but this book had lots of great facts and tid bits or information that I know can add into my useless Friends knowledge.
If this is only a 2 chapter sampler I can't imagine how big the whole book is going to be, but I believe I was lucky enough to read the whole thing which was great.
Learning about everything that went on behind the scenes and the differences between how the show was made back then to how if it were made now really shows you how we've grown as a society and how much still needs to be done.
Overall enjoyed this book for all the Friends trivia and fun facts I can know enjoy and relish in as I watch the show over and over again.

I am a super fan of Friends, but was a little apprehensive to read this. I was worried that this book was going to be about another super fan's idea of what Friends was about. I felt that this author did a great deal of research and I did learn a lot about Friends from a production/behind-the-scenes point of view. I didn't like when Kelsey compared Friends to certain shows, such as My So-Called Life, because those two shows had extremely different audiences and content. This is a great read for Friends fans who want to learn more about show and how it came to be on television.

I received an advanced copy of I'll Be There for You from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

Could I BE any more excited to get a copy of this book? I have been a fan of the tv sitcom Friends since it premiered in the mid 90's. My friends would gather around for Must See TV Thursday nights, wore Monica's spaghetti strap dresses, had The Rachel and dreamed of moving into their huge apartment in the heart of Manhattan. Kelsey Miller's new book takes us right back to those days when a simple group of Friends changed our world. She dives into the history of the show from the writers and creators to casting and filming. For 10 seasons the cast bonded together and stayed together through their astronomical rise to fame to negotiate staggering contracts with the studio and eventually said their tearful goodbyes. Miller captures that feel and nostalgia and provides a great history into the making of the show.

There are parts in the book that I struggled with mostly it was the current social commentary on a show from 20 years ago. Things like their interactions/jokes/characterizations of race, trans people, homosexuals and including them in the MeToo campaign. If you try to hold an older show, book or time in history to today's standards it will always fall short. It was an sitcom trying to lighten the mood not institute social changes.

A fun read to remember the good old days at Central Perk.

#I'll Be there for You: The One about Friends #NetGalley
What a great ride down memory lane! the "hows" and "whys" of all the beginnings (creators), character selections, and even special episodes are explained in this book. I enjoyed it! This read was like a visit with old "Friends".

I am not a huge Friends fan, but it is a good book to look into if wanting to know behind the scenes. This is an add for those who are fans big or small. It tells what lead to the show, events during the show, and inconsistences /stereotypes of the time.

I watched Friends for the first time in my first year of university. (I mean like completely; I did watch some of the reruns as a kid but I don't really remember the specifics) It got me through a lot of the loneliness and stress so Friends is close to my heart. I was super excited when I got approved for the ARC and had a fun time learning about the pop culture history of the Friends phenomena. I don't normally pick up non-fiction books but for Friends, I made an exception.

This book contains basically everything I wanted to be discussed about Friends. The lack of diversity, the LGBTQ representation, and the effect of 9/11 on Friends are just a few things that this book discusses. It even went into things that I didn't know that I wanted to know about, like the wage discussions. The only thing that I wanted more discussion on was Ross and his toxic masculinity. Besides that, I feel like the book is a perfect compilation of what influences society had on Friends and its history.

I'd highly recommend this book to any fans of Friends.