First, I want to thank Andrea Michael, One More Chapter, Harper Collins Publishers and NetGalley for providing me with this book so I may bring you this review.

The Book of Us by Andrea Michael is a book you are going to need your tissues for. I admit there were multiple times where I shed many of tears. This book definitely pulls on your heart strings.

Just the cover alone caught my attention with the sweet girl on the front cover holding the book. She represented Vee Cass’s daughter in the book. Kudos to the graphic artist who nailed the cover so spot on.

In many books there is a character I am not a fan of. This one was Darren Lauren’s soon to be ex husband, committed infidelity many times, and did some terrible things.

Vee was my favorite character in the whole book. She was Cass’s daughter and so adorable.

Andrea did an amazing job with the two main characters Cass and Lauren with the struggles of their relationship in the past to the present. There was so much tension from the past but all that disappeared with this new fight Cass was fighting.

This book makes you think about life, how life is short,how you should cherish your loved ones, and make memories with them while you still can.

I received a copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for my honest opinion of it. I found it boring and could not finish it.

A character-driven story, we start with the story of Lauren (Loll) and Cassidy: best friends at one point, then life interfered. Now Cassidy is facing death and wants to reconnect with her former best friend, but there’s much to get through in the intervening years, some just time-related, others more betrayal-like and serious.

Lauren was the more focused and driven of the two: her dreams of becoming a human-rights lawyer never came to pass, and she’s the friend we’ve all had who has a million reasons why something didn’t work out – unfortunately, she’s never quite figured her own behavior into the event. Cassidy was more the boho-bold one, a bit reckless, even thoughtless, relying on her charm and her quick wit to get her through sticky situations. But wit won’t battle cancer, and while the reuniting over a grave illness trope and trying to find the reason for the friendship in the first place isn’t new – it’s a trope that we all can relate to on one level or another.

Key to these stories working is the secrets that are uncovered, how the characters relate to one another after, and just how compelling the characters are to the reader. While the basics of the story are intriguing, I didn’t even like Lauren much – her lack of self-awareness, her indistinct personality, pessimistic outlook and her tendency to be blind to her own faults were wearing, particularly when she didn’t find any insight into her own self even as it was smattered across the pages. Contrast her with Cassidy who displays her faults in an entirely different way: sometimes feeling very selfish and trying to ‘catch up’ with her need for baring it all before the end. There was a callousness in her revelations, some tied to Lauren’s ex and the relationships that BOTH had with him, others seemed to be fueled by anger (which is more than understandable in the circumstance) when perhaps reuniting and reconnecting would have been the smarter option? I’m not really sure which way I’m leaning on the ‘what was the right approach” angle, but I do know that as a ‘how not to do it” tome, this was a helpful, if not entirely engaging read because of those disconnects with the characters.

I received an eArc copy of the title from the publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.

Review first appeared at <a href=” https://wp.me/p3OmRo-aEy/” > <a> I am, Indeed </a>

Oh my word this book! It is absolutely brilliant, wonderful and heartbreaking all at the same time.

This is a book about the love between two best friends who are, in fact, each other’s soulmates.

The writing is absolutely beautiful, and I could feel the tension and anger between them both, over things that happened in the past, that led them to where they are now. That tension is an integral part of the story, in order for them to reach the peace and happiness needed for them to move forward.

Beautiful and poignant.....an absolute must read.

An easy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

To be honest I enjoyed this book far more than I expected to. It tells the story of Loll and Cass who became best friends at uni. Chalk and cheese, with Cass the bright lively one and Loll the quiet, introspective one. Inseparable until an incident drove them apart they were not in contact until Loll finally received a letter from Cass explaining that she was dying so goes to visit her. When she arrives she finds that Cass has a young daughter Vee and is looking to recover their friendship. As part of this they embark on a tour visiting places and having experiences that they had framed about all those years ago.
If it wasn't for that annoying thing called work I would have tried to read this in one sitting. I have more similarities with Loll than Cass and would have found her extremely annoying, however as the story developed I gained more insight into both of them. The emotional roller-coaster with its inevitable outcome kept me engrossed and I'm not ashamed to say that my eyes were definitely most by the end. One of the best books that I have read over the last year despite the lack of feel-good factor given the storyline that I normally go for, highly recommended.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, although this did not influence my review.

Although friends reuniting after a separation as one is dying isn’t the most original theme this book does introduce us to two gorgeous characters in anxious Lauren (Loll) and loud and fearless Cass. They are complete opposites but both offer the other a different dimension that they both need. We gradually find out why they fell out and Loll couldn’t forgive Cass alongside them having a glorious final adventure for Cass to make memories for her daughter Vee. This is a bittersweet story but still full of hope and joy and very easy to read.

Lauren and Cassidy used to be friends, since meeting at university. The novel begins with Lauren who has had a dreadful Christmas. Her husband Darren left her for another woman, her job isn’t going well and she constantly wonders how she got here. There were so many plans when she was young, in fact Lauren and Cassidy created the ‘Book of Us’ - a scrapbook showing all the places and experiences they would like to have after university. They didn’t happen and now the book is tucked away at Lauren’s, totally forgotten. The girl’s friendship fell apart after Lauren got married. Now, out if the blue, Lauren receives a letter from Cassidy. She writes that she is seriously ill, could Lauren find it in her heart to visit her for New Year at her home in Blackpool. She asks her to bring the book,

This was such a promising start. The novel is driven forward by the girl’s characters and I simply didn’t like them. Lauren doesn’t know herself, she imagined a life as a human rights lawyer and instead ended up bored in conveyance dealing with irate vendors and purchasers all day. Instead of the clothes she wants to wear she adopts an office uniform that keeps up with the younger girls, but really isn’t her style. She has lost her authentic self. She does find a voice, but it is only after her first visit to Blackpool and it still isn’t hers, it’s Cassidy’s. Cassidy is more charismatic, Her mother was a rather bohemian, glamorous woman and Cassidy is a free spirit. However, there is a central plot point that I just couldn’t get past. When Lauren goes to Blackpool she finds out that Cassidy has been writing to her all along, but she never received the letters. The first letter she receives is after Darren has moved out. Lauren is angry about this, but this isn’t Darren’s only secret.

Cassidy takes Lauren for a walk to pick up her daughter. This is a revelation to Lauren, who has always wanted a family of her own and hasn’t been able to conceive. The shock comes when Lauren first sees Cassidy’s daughter. Firstly, there’s the shock that her name is Veronica (Vee) which was Lauren’s grandmother’s name, and the name Lauren always wanted to give her own daughter. The second betrayal is that Vee has some distinct features that seem very familiar to Lauren. The only conclusion is that her husband Darren is the father of Cassidy’s daughter. This is such a massive shock that when they get back to the house Lauren is violently sick and has to take herself straight to bed. She rings Darren and gives him a piece of her mind - finding out in the process that he is not only engaged but expecting a baby.

However, up until the point I stopped reading, she doesn’t say anything to Cassidy. This woman slept with her best friend’s husband, became pregnant at a point when that friend was struggling to conceive, and has now sprung the news upon her with no warning. In simply presenting Vee, she takes away Lauren’s ability to respond or be angry. Also, by letting the secret out when she is terminally ill, she also has her illness to hide behind. It’s cowardly. I was also furious that Lauren doesn’t ask any details of when, where, how or why? The first thing I would have asked is why do this to your best friend ?

I hate giving up on books and maybe in the future I’ll give it another try, but for now it wasn’t for me. I haven’t shared this review anywhere, because I only write about books I really enjoy, That leaves it with others who like the book to give more favourable reviews.

A book that drew me right in and had me sobbing as I read.Friendship betrayal illness characters that come alive a young child involved.i could not put this book down highly recommend.#netgalley#Harpercollinsuk

This book had me sniffling and I don't cry so keep the Kleenex near by. It's a beautifully told story that will stay with you long after you're done. Read it. Happy reading!

I truly enjoyed this book. It was an emotional read. two friends trying to get past a betrayal with an innocent child and an illness that truly tested their ability to forgive and move forward. I would highly recommend.

The Book of Us is a heart-rending portrayal of love and loss between two best friends. Lauren and Cass met in school and became the love of each other’s lives. Boyfriends could come and go, but they were forever - until they weren’t. In the seven years since their break-up, Lauren has become mousey and resentful. She has the outward trappings of a happy life, but there is something missing. When she reconnects with the flamboyant, terminally ill Cass and her charming daughter, Lauren comes back to life. Through their journey across the globe, the two friends find the love that once held them together, just in time to say goodbye.

This novel does not impart many surprises and the two characters are stereotypically two sides of the same coin, but when the anticipated tragic ending comes, have tissues at hand.

Thanks to NetGalley for sending me an advanced copy of the book.

Cass and Loll were such good friends until they weren't. Now on the cusp of turning 30, Cass is dying and she reaches out to Loll to finish the bucket list they started as students. She's also got a little daughter Vee who Cass wants Loll to love. Loll has her own issues but they find their way back to one another. There's nothing particularly surprising here but Michael's a good storyteller. Thanks to netgalley for the ARC.

I've put 4 stars but more of a 3.5 for me.
Initially I really enjoyed the beginning. It drew me in and was really interested. But after a while i seemed to loose interest. Might just be the mood in was in. I will give it another go at some point. Dont be put off though as everyone is different

The summary reminded me of the movie "Beaches," which I loved, so I expected to feel the same way about this book. However, that wasn't the case.

I found the pace to be quite slow, and I wasn't really able to connect with the characters. I found the leads to be a bit annoying, in fact. To this day, "Beaches" has me in tears (and I've seen it hundreds of times). This book didn't even make me sniffle.

Not for me. I found this book slow. Too much travelogue. Not enough emotion. It should have made me cry but it didn't.

Really enjoyed this book thank you. Vibrant, believable, characters and an absorbing plot. I will ensure I look out for this author in the future!

This is a perfect example of a book with a synopsis which sadly overplays the quality of the book in question. Lauren and Cassidy are both not particularly likeable, with Lauren in particular just being almost unbearable with her constant whinging about how much of a victim of life she is.

Michael's is clearly a very talented author, as the writing is beautiful. I just didn't like the characters at all, and given that it is a character driven novel, it really affected my ability to enjoy the book. However, it would not put me off reading another of her books, as her writing really is great. I would just hope to read about some nicer people next time!

This book was not for me. It is very difficult to me to get engaged when I don't like the main characters or empathize with them someway, and this was one of those books.

A powerful book of lost friends coming together again in the face of death. With little Vee being the one to bring them together and setting off on a poignant last journey full of memories. It certainly brought tears to my eyes. Thank you netgalley for the arc. First time reading a book by this author.

The Book of Us by Andrea Michael
Cass and Lauren were inseparable and wrote in a book their dreams and visions until a twist of fate divides them.

Years go by and they reunite and along with Vee Cass' daughter they take a sabbatical for a month. During their trip they take the book they wrote together years previously and decide to revisit to experience their dreams. The book is full of happy moments that make you want to keep turning the pages and equal heartbreaking ones too.I loved the book it was so honest about how their relationship had highs and lows and what was expected of each other. If you want to go on a journey of love laughter and tears this book ticks all the boxes .