An easy read about friendship.

When Molly dies, she leaves mysterious gifts and cryptic notes for her best friends Nora, Christina and Leanne. She askes the three women to have brunch every month for a year. The book is written from different perspectives and gives a look into the friendship they develope.

This is a lovely tender and complex novel that covers friendship, grieving and trying to follow your own path, especially after one of the most important people in your life has gone. It moves seamlessly from funny,to heartbreaking and back again. The characters are all very different, relatable and beautifully drawn. The relationships between the women are complex and strongly written. An excellent and recommended read. Thanks to She Writes Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to view an arc of this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and SheWritesPress for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Brunch and Other Obligations brings together 3 women who've known each other for years and their only tie is their friend Molly who just passed away. Molly leaves them each a gift and asks the 3 of them to have brunch once a month for the next year. While they grudgingly attend brunch each month we see through each of their POV the challenges and struggles they are having in their own lives dealing with real issues.

I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat to me. I wish there was more details on why they don't like each other, the ending wrapped up way too quickly and at times the book was a little slow moving.

I think this would make a lovely movie as it hits on a lot of wonderful points such as friendship, relationships, grief and acceptance.

This quintessential women's fiction novel was such a fun read and is a must read for all women. I laughed and I cried along with Molly's friends as they navigate life after she's passed away. Each of her three best pals has their own way of coping with the loss, and this novel was at times heartbreaking, and other times laugh out loud funny. This is the kind of book I could spend hours discussing with my best gal pals over a few glasses of wine.. highly recommend!

What a wonderful book! I read it in two sittings and loved it. It's perfect when you need a light feel-good book. The characters are original and flawed and relatable in a way that makes you want to have brunch with them too. The writing is beautiful and I don't always find that an omniscient voice works, but it did for this story. It gave little amusing insights into each character that made each step of the story more engaging.

Through the tough loss of their best friend, Molly, these three women who do not like one another learn valuable life lessons about the power of friendships between women and how Molly shined a light on the better part of each. My only hang-up was that the ending of the book seemed odd in that the characters were thrown into a big "movie moment" sort of situation (trying not to spoil it) but they didn't seem evolved enough to make the big transition to be best friends. This happens in films all the time but I was hoping since the characters were drawn so deep, that they would gradually become best friends instead of "poof" besties. Maybe if they had stopped hating each other a little before this or shown some inclination to want to accept each other it would have felt organic. I don't know, but it didn't spoil the book. Great beach read for summer!

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of Brunch and Other Obligations was very promising: a trio of women in their early 30s who are forced to have brunch together because of a dying wish/request made by the only thing they had in common: their love for their friend Molly who succumbed to cancer. Each woman is very different and we get insight into each of their lives and challenges from their perspective. I wanted to love this story and from some other reviews I've read I may be in the minority but it fell a little flat.

The main characters, reclusive Nora, overachiever Christina and perfectionist Leanne, are a bit exaggerated in their stereotypes. Nora writes her thoughts and conversations in a notebook (constantly) versus actually speaking to someone-and it's a plot point mentioned over and over again. Each woman has an interesting story and if they had been developed more and with realistic details it would have been a better read. The ending was wrapped up very fast and almost unbelievable based on the preceding chapters. The potential this book had makes it a 3 star read.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

When Molly dies, one of her last requests is that her three friends, who only have her in common and dislike each other, have brunch together once a month for a year. She asks Nora, who dislikes dogs and only wants to be alone, to take her dog. She leaves high-strung Christina a meditation cushion and planning obsessed Leanne her Vespa. It was a cute, funny, sweet book, and I really enjoyed it. Four stars.

Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent. Thanks to @netgalley @shewritespress for the e-arc. Reading as part of the #src2020 lineup ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When exuberant Molly passes away at a young age, she leaves gifts and instructions to her three best friends. One of the instructions, to have brunch together once a month is not well received. While Leanne, Christina, and Nora all loved Molly, they have never really gotten along with each other without Molly as their social connection.

This is a one of a kind tale of friendship and grief. Each lady is unique and has their own way of dealing with their grief over Molly’s death. I will admit, this book was difficult for me at first. I did not find any of the women likeable, except for Molly whom we never quite “met”, but heard stories of. I would have loved Molly’s character and would find a prequel where she’s still alive much welcome. Almost halfway through the story I started finding redeemable qualities on all three women and really started to enjoy the story. I am glad I stuck with it because it really turned around for me. The writing style, hearing each character’s thoughts and personalities (including Fred the dog!) was interesting and really helped create depth for the characters. I loved how their relationships with each other slowly developed from hatred, to something not quite hatred, but not quite friendship either. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys women’s fiction and tales of difficult friendships.

“That’s how friends are made- in that moment when you find validation with one look. It’s when you observe the world Ina certain way and then find a face looking book at you as if to say ‘you’re seeing this shit too right? It’s not just me?’”

With thanks to Netgalley and SheWritesPress for a pre- publication copy of this book in return for an honest review. The book manages a difficult topic ( the loss of a friend) with a lightness of touch as three central characters carry on their lives without someone who has had such a long and positive influence on their lives. I liked the way the story switched between the three friends which gave the book a natural pace and stimulated curiously. I felt that some characters were more effective than others and I was slightly thrown by some of the dialogue at various points. The book is probably more chick lit, however, there was some strong writing particularly in the depiction of a daughter looking after her mother who is in the grip of dementia. The book touches on deeper themes - social disconnect, dysfunctional parenting and grief, but the mood is predominantly feelgood, optimistic and often comic. An enjoyable read.

Nora, Christina, and Leanne have nothing in common except for Molly, their mutual friend. When Molly dies, she leaves mysterious gifts and letters for each woman along with one final request - that they get together once a month for Brunch for a year. Perplexed with the gifts and the Brunch request, each woman begrudgingly agrees to the gifts and the Brunch request.

Each woman has her own voice and distinct personality. While initially none of them can make sense as to why the individual gifts were given to them, it becomes clear that their friend, Molly knew them better than they knew themselves and even at the end of her life, thought of them and what would most benefit them in their lives.

This book explores friendship, the complexity of relationships, the issues faced by women, and coping with loss. There is loss but there is also joy and laughter. The women are relatable and likable. Plus, Fred's thoughts (Fred was initially Molly's dog) were a very nice touch.

I enjoyed this book but found the ending a little rushed. I was hoping for a little bit more oomph or emotional depth from this one. Still enjoyable and well written, but slow at times for me.

This is a debut novel with shows promise and I look forward to reading more of Nugent's books in the future.

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s something very comforting about knowing from the first chapter of a book where it’s going to end. It’s why rom-coms are so popular in both book and film format. Sure, it’s great to watch Parasite because it challenges and confronts you (while also being a phenomenally put together film), but sometimes you want something that’s reassuring in its predictability. Moreover, just because you know where something is going doesn’t meant that it can’t be thought provoking and enjoyable along the way. That’s exactly how I’d describe Brunch And Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent.

The story opens at the funeral of Molly. Molly’s send-off is being presided over by her three closest friends; reclusive Nora, prim Leanne, and overachiever Christina. While the three women all viewed Molly as their closest friend and have known each other from a young age, they don’t get along particularly well. Yet their love for their dead friend sees them fulfil several of Molly’s last requests which challenge the various ways in which they have constructed lives – often at the expense of their own happiness. One of Molly’s requests is that they must meet up for brunch on the first Sunday of every month.

The narrative charts the journeys of the three women and the way they cope with the loss of their friend, as well as the personal struggles they all endure. Christina’s story is particularly poignant, as she struggles to keep her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother living with her as her mother slides further and further into one of life’s cruellest diseases. At the time of COVID-19, it felt fitting to me that I read this book. It many ways, its central message is that we all carry pieces of grief around inside us, yet we all too often only see our own. Nugent does something very interesting, which is to elegantly and eloquently provide a brief narration of the backstories for several characters with whom the three protagonists intersect. Its message is clear: everybody has a story, everybody endures heartbreak and loss, and we are richer for reaching out and learning the stories of others for it helps us put our own feelings into perspective. While it’s not a unique thing to do, credit must be given to the way in which Nugent does this. Every interjection is paced perfectly so that it doesn’t drag the pace of the main story but rather provides a pause for reflection.

And that’s what sets this book apart, Nugent writes well. There’s few, if any, clunky moments of expression, and Nugent moves from scene to scene in a manner that keeps the story moving. The narrator’s voice was clear and had just the right amount of judgement about the actions of the characters as to make me feel genuine connection to the narrator (probably the unnamed narrator was the character I liked the most), which was especially valuable as there were points when I didn’t particularly like the three women, even if I understood them. And that certainly happened through the story, most notably with Leanne. Leanne has been raised to be a ‘lady’, conforming to the conservative expectations of her hyper-critical mother, at the expense of pursuing art – a field in which she has quite some talent. While Nugent very clearly outlines the lifetime of conditioning that forms the bars across her own behaviour, at times I wanted to scream in frustration at Leanne’s behaviour. Certainly this made the catharsis all the more delightful, although the only significant weak point I felt within the narrative was the way it treated Leanne’s husband, James. It’s clear that she is married to him for the wrong reasons, and that the life she has constructed with him is one based on what she thinks she should have rather than what she actually wants, but James is clearly a decent guy who does care for her and tries his best to make her happy. A little more acknowledgement of that would have placated me, and made Leanne’s narrative thread all the more poignant as it accepts that life is complicated and messy, and sometimes you hurt someone who doesn’t deserve to be hurt. Sure, this wasn’t the primary focus of the story – the story’s central concern is about female friendship and female self-actualisation, but it was something that niggled at me in an otherwise well rounded story.

I picked up this book expecting it to be a ‘standard’ women’s fiction book, and while it definitely fulfils the expectations of the genre, it also exceeds it. The immediacy of Molly’s death and the depiction of the three friends’ grief over the loss of someone who they all loved lends the story an unexpected depth that is a testament to Nugent’s writing.

A fabulous debut.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. Nora, Christina and Leanne knew each other when they were younger, but as adults the only thing they had in common was their best friend, Molly, who has now passed away. Molly left a final request for the three of them to have brunch together every month for a year. They learn many things about themselves and each other as they begin to spend time together without Molly. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.

Very entertaining story about three very different women. I think gals who read this will see themselves in one of them. I feel like Nora and I are very alike. I love how they don’t like each other much but end up finding how great it is to have them in their lives. Very enjoyable!

Absolutely wonderful - heartfelt and charming. A first purchase for all collections where women's fiction is popular.

This book was not a favorite. I felt that the character development was fantastic in their own personal lives, but the friendship fell a little short for me. It was full of hardship and learning that I really enjoyed. In the end, I would say I liked the book looking at certain characters but not a huge fan and a whole.

Nora, Leanne, and Christine a three very different women brought together by the death of their friend, Molly. This was such a heartwarming story about how friendships don’t have to be perfect to be exactly what you need. I loved that each woman had characteristics that broke away from the tropes they represented, making them feel like more than a character in a book. I could feel the void that Molly left in each of their lives and I loved reading about their journeys to filling it. This was a story about overcoming grief, but it was also about learning to balance independence and vulnerability to those around you.

This book is a wonderful, very good, fantastic read. End of review.

Well not quite.

It is marketed as Women’s Fiction and in general, with the main characters being women it will solidly appeal to such an audience. The women are old enough to relate to women in their 20’s who are still eager and open to life and its journey in a positive manner, but the trials they face will also ring true with women who are older, who have lived through the troubles of being and know that life isn’t all lollypops and bubble-gum.

Nora, Christina and Leanne share one apparent thing in life, their friend Molly. Each share an independent friendship, with never the borders of lines crossing between the three women and each is content to believe they are Molly’s best friend and ignore the reality of the others, despite their sharing a joint history that spanned their early childhood until their early 30’s. But then Molly has the nerve to get cancer and die, leaving the three women bereft and alone with their grief. But ever the troublemaker and insightful as to her own failings as an adult, Molly has plans for her three friends which involve strange gifts that the women have to puzzle to the meaning of and the request that they meet for brunch one Sunday a month for a year. As her final request, the three women agree to make it work, even though their hearts aren’t really into the whole matter. What follows is the slow unravelling of past and current events that draw each of the women into different journeys of self-discovery and the weaving together of the threads of their lives to make a new rope on which to tie themselves together with to withstand both the trials and jubilations of life.


There are some parts of this novel that can leave the reader broadly smiling, but there were parts in which the reader will flat-out roar with laughter; the code word to prove it's her talking from the other side that Molly thinks of to share with her friends for when she is dead is just hysterical reading. This story is beautifully paced, written with humour in almost every scene and then has the power to strike a touch of tenderness that will bring the reader crashing back to earth and feel the heartache of the death of a loved one. Molly is never the main character and yet is pivotal in every scene. The three women are strongly created, knowable and honest. They are not some kind of superstars that regular people can only aspire to be, they are flesh and blood, flawed and eager for life to be the whatever of their choosing, and their journey to discover new friendships and understandings in a manner they least expected it to develop from is the arc of this story.

Each woman is facing personal troubles that they would have previously shared with their friend Molly, but are now alone, trying to cope and be the ‘adult’ in situations that would have them preferring to cower under the covers of a quilt and wait for a mother figure to bring them warm cocoa and biscuits. It is in the trials that they discover a new kind of friendship and learn to trust again in each other. Be it social anxiety, pressures of being a workaholic or not quiet being the perfect housewife and mother, each woman fights a battle that readers will relate to on a deeply personal manner. They will find love, redemption and a renewal of what it means to be alive that will resonate with the reader and their growth cycles will leave you cheering and wanting them to become the overachievers and victors you dream of.

This book is a rare jewel. Funny, powerful, poignant and uplifting, it is well worth the time to read.

DNF - could not invest in the story. Too many characters immediately introduced, dramatic yet nonchalant attitude towards the death of a friend. But the herpes jokes on the infomercial was what really killed it for me.

This book is about three "frenemies" - Nora, Christina and Leanne. They all knew each other when they were younger, but are properly reunited due to the death of their mutual best friend Molly. They have to navigate their way through their own personal grief by attending monthly brunches - one of the final requests that Molly has made of them. As the brunches progress and the story moves on, they start to re-evaluate their decisions and paths that their own lives have taken. They are all incredibly different from each other and this does serve as a sticking point in them being able to form any sort of relationship, however maybe being different to each other is not such a bad thing after all?

I really enjoyed seeing the dynamic between the three women and I was particularly intrigued by Nora, and I think I enjoyed her story the most - she seemed to me to have the biggest journey through a readers' eyes - although I'm not sure she would have realised that herself! The whole story idea was a really interesting concept and I liked the chatty narrative style being consistently in the first person. It felt like we were almost being allowed to watch these lives from afar, with a narrator picking up on key points.

A book that starts with the tragedy of a death and ends with an uplifting coming together of friends. I enjoyed this easy read and even laughed out loud a few times, something I rarely do. Written from the different perspectives of the main characters and even the dog gave an interesting dimension to the book. I'll look out for more from this author.