Member Reviews
The Most Likely Club is a blast from the past and a lesson in not living in your past at the same time. Four friends are faced with their 25-year high school reunion and find that they haven’t all lived up to their “Most Likely to” superlatives. They feel it’s time to take their lives to the places they thought they would be 25 years ago and make a pact to step it up.
So, I liked this story, and I really connected with these women. I really enjoyed all the 90’s references. I mean I am a 90’s kid, so all the references really resonated with me! I enjoyed the plans that they put in place, and the actions they took to get where they wanted to be. I did find that there were a few too many things going on to really keep me invested enough to make this a 4-star story though.
There are four main characters, and I truly enjoyed each of their stories, but I would have enjoyed maybe three stories instead of four. Bouncing between the different stories tended to pull me out a bit. However, I did like each of these characters, and I really appreciated how time changed each of them, but their friendship endured!
I would absolutely recommend this book for women’s fiction readers who are 90’s kids or older. I think you’ll appreciate it the most!
Four friends prepare to go to their 25 th high school reunion.
A deep dive into these four women and their drastically different lives, but.it moved so slowly I just stopped wanting to read it.
What a fun read! I love reading books by Jewish authors so I was more than happy to support. I love anything with a second chance, so this was right up my alley!
Four best friends. All 4 had their unique superlative senior year of high school. Now 25 years later and only one of them has lived up to the superlative. While the other three face their old classmates at the 25 year reunion, they make a pact to finally reach for the goals they had back in high school. will they be able to change the path their life has taken?
Oh hello there late 90’s references galore, I love you! Seriously a fantastic part of this book! The other shining star however was the female friendships! Some of my best friends are from when I was young and I can tell you, no matter what happens, or how long we go between talking, thats a pretty strong bond. I loved that all four ladies were there for each other during the rough times, and lifted each other up and celebrated the good times. While each had their own struggle, I felt like there wasn’t a ton of jealousy between them which is so rare when you look at groups of girls friendships. This one had me laughing out loud at parts, hurting with the women at others, and overall left me with all the warm fuzzies!
This was a great read! It's a lighthearted, fun and refreshing read about sister, relationships and second chances! Definitely going to be a popular read!
I received a complimentary advanced copy of THE MOST LIKELY CLUB by Elyssa Friedland. Thank you to Berkley Publishing and PRH Audio for the chance to provide an honest review.
THE MOST LIKELY CLUB follows a group of friends. In high school they were the smart, but still social group with bright futures ahead. Each was named most likely to do something fantastic in their senior yearbook. That was the late 90s. In the present day, Suki has made it big, but Melissa, Priya, and Tara still feel they are falling short of their potential.
When the three struggling friends get together for their 25 year high school reunion they make a pact to make changes in their lives. Priya has put her medical career somewhat on the back burner for her husband and children, Tara is in a relationship she isn’t loving and a job that is far short of being a great chef. The “Most Likely Girls” will make bold moves, proving that middle-age isn’t too late to achieve their dreams.
I really loved the way these friends supported each other. Each of them has gone through hard times, but they know that they always have people in their corner. Even when they have drifted apart a bit due to busy lives, family, and careers, they come back together and the chemistry is right where they left it. This was very relatable for me!
I really enjoyed getting to know each of these women and the ins and outs of their lives and relationships. I liked the message that it isn’t too late to take control of your life as well!
I had high hopes for this book since I’m all about the ‘90s nostalgia these days, but I gave up on it between a third and halfway. I lost interest in the story, and the characters were so hard to like or care about.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to read it!
The Most Likely Club is funny and endearing
I recently told a friend I wished there were more books with leading ladies I could identify with. So many of the romcoms I read are all about being young and messy in the city. I’m close to middle-aged, have a thriving career, and live in the suburbs. My life could handle some story-worthy adjustments—there’s lots to work with here! So, where are these stories?
Fast-forward two weeks, and I was reading The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland, a heartwarming story about a group of friends who have not lived up to the ambitious superlatives their high school senior class voted for them. Twenty-five years later, their dreaded class reunion forces them to think about the state of their lives and future.
“Of course, she hadn’t forgotten about the reunion. It would be like forgetting a scheduled colonoscopy—the prep would be just as bad. A part of her would have preferred a tube with a camera up her ass to facing her classmates en masse.”
Once inseparable in high school, Melissa, Suki, Priya, and Tara are still pretty tight. And although their lives are full of adult problems (whose isn’t?), their families and careers keep them content and busy. Melissa married her high school sweetheart, and he just recently left her for a young yoga teacher. Suki is a very successful CEO facing some backlash. Priya is a doctor struggling to balance advancing her career while still caring for her family. Finally, Tara owns a cooking school for kids even though she doesn’t like kids.
As the celebration of the anniversary of their high school graduation approaches, they start to struggle with the idea that they are not living up to their potential or even trying to pursue the dreams they once had for themselves. Finally, the reunion becomes a tipping point, and they devise a plan to turn their life around.
“We are the Most Likely Girls, the Make it Happen Women, the Don’t Fuck with us Femmes.”
The story was lighthearted, endearing and funny. Not only did most of the characters resonate with me—Suki being the outlier. I didn’t like her much, tbh—but also, as a person who was a teen and went to high school in the 90s, the reference to movies, music and trends from that decade filled my heart with nostalgia and joy. The Most Likely Club explores the importance of finding your tribe and showing up for each other. This story is about friends lifting each other up through life’s downs and how it’s never too late to pursue one’s dreams.
Thanks to Get Red PR for the copy of this ARC!
Elyssa Friedland did it again! What a fun and nostalgic story of four high school friends at a milestone reunion, all reflecting on their high school "Most Likely To..." superlatives. I appreciated the friendships, diversity, family dynamics, and of course the 90s references contrasted with the Tik Tok generation of today. This was a really fun read and such a good message of setting new goals for yourself and doing what it takes to achieve them even if you've become what you think is a lame-o mom on too many PTSA committees.
I was so excited to dive into this book after loving the author’s previous book, Summer at the Golden Hotel.
The Most Likely Club by author @elyssafriedland ended up being one of my favorite womens fiction reads this summer.
This book had it all- and as a nearly forty year old, it was all too relatable and had me laughing aloud at times. Even better, it also had so much heart and took on the idea of what came to be for four high school best friends.
I enjoyed the throw back references to the 90s, the long-lasting friendships, second chances and the hints of romance, But most importantly, I loved that it showed women coming together...especially where it matters. All four characters were unique and had their own paths and challenges along the way.
This was the perfect mix of being an easy read while also having enough substance to balance it all out and I just enjoyed it so much! Thank you to Berkley Publishing and Get Red PR for my gifted review copies. You can also read my full thoughts on this book at genthebookworm.com.
The Most Likely Club is such a wonderful book about longtime friendships and dreams with a little bit of 90s nostalgia!
In 1997 four best friends who are high school seniors are ready to take on the world. Their high school yearbook superlatives are just as impressive as they are with Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. But what happens in the years between high school graduation and their 25th reunion? When things aren't quite as what they wished they form a pact to make a change.
This had such a fun message and I loved seeing these friends support each other and the 90s nostalgia was so much fun. I'm a few years younger then they are but its fun to think about your dreams at 18 and see where you are almost 20 later for me.
Definitely check this one out!
I’ve read all of Elyssa Friedland's books and while I’ve loved them all, The Most Likely Club has been crowned my new favorite! I think I say that with each new release, so that can only mean each book gets better & better! Set amidst a high school reunion, Melissa, Tara & Priya are all living lives that are certainly not what they expected back in the 90s - especially compared to their superstar friend, Suki. The characters here are flawed, realistic & oh, so relatable. Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from Friedland!
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
An upbeat, funny, bittersweet at the disappointments of middle-age and unfulfilled dreams, as well as the joy of women's friendship and how it lifts one another up. This story of a 25th high school reunion and how it shakes up four women's lives is well-written, lively, and engaging, with some serious issues addressed amid the 90s references and the overall optimistic tone. A very enjoyable read.
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland was a fun read and a break from my heavy suspense and thriller books. I really enjoyed the author’s novel, Last Summer at the Golden Hotel so I was super eager to get my hands on her new book.
This one was a light read, it was entertaining and fun but didn’t grab me like Last Summer at the Golden Hotel did. I loved the references to the ’90s and the long-lasting friendships between the women. These women had such big goals and as they near forty and that reunion, they are reconsidering their lives and choices- very relatable!
In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdhury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400.
Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the “Most Likely Girls.”
Coming to you on September 6.
Four friends leave high school with so much promise -- all of them were voted with outstanding senior superlatives. But, as often happens, the years have gone by and none of them have really lived up to the promise they demonstrated as high school graduates. When their reunion comes up, a surprise revelation inspires them to try to live up to their "most likely to..." predictions. This is a fun, fast-paced story that so many readers will connect to -- especially those getting close to a high school reunion!
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: September 6, 2022
In 1997, four friends are trying to get through high school, hoping that their future lives up to their superlative assigned to them in the yearbook- Melissa, “Most Likely to Become President”, Priya- “Most Likely to Cure Cancer”, Tara- “Most Likely to Earn a Michelin Star” and Suki, “Most Likely to Make the Fortune 400”. Now, it’s their twenty-fifth reunion, and none of the women have made it to where they once dreamed. All four women are simply trying to keep their head above water as their lives continue to make more and more demands. But it’s never too late to get what you want- and the four women of the “Most Likely Club” are going to prove it.
Elyssa Friedland brings a clever, fun, female rallying tale to the pages with her new novel, “The Most Likely Club”. The four protagonists struggle to balance life and work, raising children, and living up to the expectations of society, and their teenage selves.
Melissa, Priya, Suki and Tara all take turns narrating the story, and although it is told in the current era, the women’s memories are peppered with their high school recollections- including all things nineties. I loved reminiscing with the women over grunge rock, the Titanic soundtrack, cropped tops and Doc Martens. Friendland takes me back to a time when life was simpler. There’s a reason the nineties are making a comeback- but you can’t beat the real thing!
All of the women are so different in every way, yet they remain bonded over their friendships. Struggling with their own expectations, and the expectations of a male society, each character has their own personal challenge to overcome, only endearing them more to readers and making each and every one relatable in their own way. With many relevant and poignant topics (such as the #metoo movement, and the ongoing, never-changing idea of mothers in the workplace), Friedland finds a way to bring these to the forefront while still telling a funny, whimsical and nostalgic tale.
I rooted for all the characters from page one, and each received the ending they justly deserved. “The Most Likely Club” centres on female friendships, for those of us who didn’t peak in high school, and it’s absolutely a delight! This was my first experience with Friedland but you can bet she is now forever on my radar- I can’t wait to see what she does next!
https://www.tiktok.com/@bettysbooklist/video/7115858727839796523?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1&lang=en
This was such a wonderful change of pace from heavy to lighthearted for what I’ve been reading lately.
I loved the connections and discussion covered in the book around sisterhood of longtime friendships, relationships, marriages, life choices, second chances, transitioning, adapting.
This one definitely gives more modern and grown up Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants vibes in the way that sisterhood and friendship was on full display.
I loved the look at what does it mean to achieve and succeed and how that colórela yes with happiness and feeling like you are or aren’t enough that was also tackled in this one.
This one was so well done and so easy as a millennial to relate to and feel seen in these characters and the struggles they are feeling and facing as they enter middle age.
Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital ARC copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Melissa, Priya, Suki and Tara are friends from high school and getting ready to attend their 25th reunion. Their lives are busy and not quite what they expected as high school seniors. This book takes a look at trying to change your life in your 40s and make it what you want it to be.
I enjoyed reading this. It was quick and engaging. I identified with the characters as I'm about the same age and have had some similar experiences. But I found that the characters weren't quite as well fleshed out as in some of Friedland's other books. I also thought the long timeline is this book didn't really work. I feel like Friedland's other books where the timeline was compressed and events are happening one right after the other were more compelling.
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland is a story about four high school best friends who go to their 20th High School reunion and realize they haven’t reached the expectations they had expected.
It’s 1997 and Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer, all seniors at Bellport Academy in Bellport, Connecticut, are at the lunchroom and it’s here that they find out the yearbook is naming them, Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. Excited to learn the yearbook has given them all superlatives, the four women have their futures all planned out and they can’t wait to get started.
In the present day, these four women find out that reaching these lofty goals has been more difficult than they thought. Melissa had become president, but not president of the nation, instead she’s the president of Bellport Academy, where her daughter is now a student. Priya became a successful doctor, but she’s overwhelmed by her job, her three children, and taking care of her surgeon husband. Instead of running a Michilean-starred restaurant, Tara is running a small children’s cooking class in Manhattan with her partner, Rachel. It seems like only Suki has reached her high school “Most Likely to” goal, as she is the owner and CEO of a very popular makeup app. At their 20th high school reunion, Melissa, Tara, and Pryia make a pact to bring their High School aspirations to fruition.
The Most Likely Club is a nostalgic look at our high school aspirations, and how sometimes real life and what we dream about are two completely different things. I enjoyed all four of these characters very much. I would have liked to learn more about Suki, as her character doesn’t appear much in the book. I loved Tara the most as she’s just one tough cookie! Melissa is such a go-getter, and I like how bossy she is. She makes for a perfect PTA president! I thought Priya was a bit stereotypical, and I feel like I’ve met her characters in other books. However, I did feel for her issues and was rooting for her to stand up for herself and thought she brought some balance to the other characters.
I enjoyed the nostalgia element as well. As I’m a bit older than these characters, I still remember most of their cultural references and enjoyed the little bits of pop culture the author sprinkled throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.