I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley. Navigating adult friendships can be challenging, especially if your friends may be dramatic. Is it them or is it you? This book was a fun dive into the suburban mom friendship drama that so many women have witnessed or experienced. It was a lighthearted read with just the right amount of twists and turns to keep you turning pages.

A friendship breakup is one of the strangest experiences in adulthood- whether it’s a gentle fade or a big blowup I feel like we don’t talk about it enough. Needless to say, I was really excited to see this book and was looking forward to diving into it, but unfortunately the writing and character development weren’t for me. It was tough to spend time with the main character and her thought processes and I didn’t feel like there was enough positive to balance it out. Looking forward to seeing what the author does in the future

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn. Pub Date: February 7, 2023. Rating: 2 stars. In this novel, the reader is introduced to a mother/wife named Fallon who realizes her friends have slowly been distancing themselves from her. She has a panic attack at a party which results in her seeking mental health therapy. She joins a friendship app in hopes of finding new friends as she navigates the loss of her old friendships. Honestly, I thought this book was really slow. Also, I found the characters to be very juvenile and childish. If they are truly adults, shouldn't they be discussing the actions and navigating why their friendships are not working? I think the author tried too hard to make light of a delicate situation and navigated it really poorly. Thanks to #netgalley and #alcovepress for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

2.5

The Friendship Breakup is a story following Fallon, a mom who is experiencing a fallout with some of her other mom-friends and trying to navigate a lot of confusing emotions. Fallon is trying to figure out why one of her closest friends, Beatrice, stopped talking to her, try and fic their friendship while at the same time going through a bit of a personal crisis. All of her attempts at reconnecting go awry, she tries making new friends but learns a bad secret about her new friend, and she finds a letter forcing her to face her deep fears. There is a lot on Fallon's plate, there is no doubt about that, but it does all come down to her having to face her past, her insecurities and having to decide what she wants to hold on to, and what she should let go.

To start this off, I want to say i was really excited to read this book! While I am not a mom, and I have never been through many of the issues and experiences Fallon (or the other character) has, there was something really charming about the synopsis, and as I've been mentioning in some (too many probably) reviews, I do love a good soul searching story. Having read it, I can certainly say the idea was there but I did not enjoy the delivery as much. Was the issue simply that I wasn't the target audience, or that I had a skewed image in my head of what the book was going to be, I am not quite sure.

I will start off with the positives. As I suspected based on the summary, there is more under the surface than "shallow" problems listed. The issues are not only skin-deep, there is much more to the story than simply friends falling out, and I enjoyed that the author talked about them. There were talks of stress, panic attacks, infertility, and family and relationships overall. I enjoyed the emphasis on how different a relationship can seem to the outside world compared to the experiences of people actually in it. There was something refreshingly real about Fallon going to therapy and actually trying to work on her issues, all while she is having doubts about is it working.

Now, as for the things I didn't enjoy as much - it mostly came down to the execution of the story. I found so many characters to be childish, and not in the way that one would be able to understand and read as insecurity or something of the sort, but plain and simple - childish. At points, I couldn't believe I was reading about adults with children and not actual children. Far be it from me to not understand that immaturity can be present at any age, that really didn't make sense with the characters and it just seemed the author was using silly situations to make the book funny, but it sadly missed the mark for me.

There was something that peeved me throughout the book, I couldn't for the life of me understand why Fallon wanted her friends back so bad, when the whole universe seemed to be signalling her to stop what she's doing. Especially because she had a uni friend who was a good friend and genuinely cared about her (I am mentioning this to say she had a positive example of what friendship should be like, she was not someone who simply had no better experiences and therefore couldn't fathom that wasn't the way friends should behave). It felt juvenile to me that she would host expensive (and somewhat ridiculous) parties to "win her friends back". I couldn't understand what her reasoning was for the most part.

The ending of the book is quite emotional, and does put so much into perspective, so that is this novel's saving grace in my opinion, and what made me like the book slightly more. As always, do not let my review stop you if you are interested in the book, this probably just wasn't for me :)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an ebook in exchange for an honest review!

There is so much I want to say about this book both good and not so good. So let's start with the good!
1) Wonderful depiction of female friendships, especially those friendships as an adult that are harder to hold on to.
2) Honest portrayal of the hard times in any relationship both romantic and platonic relationship can be hard and take work and the story really showed that.
3. An adorably fun story of overcoming self doubt, finding your crew, and living up to your own expectations.

What didn't work:
1) If you don't like miscommunication tropes this book is not for you. Almost everything in this book could be solved by just having a conversation. Instead of thinking someone is mad at you and trying to figure out why behind their back, just ask them. Much of the story came off a little immature because of the consistent failure to simply have the hard conversations.
2) Fully self-centered MC. She truly approached every situation without considering anyone else. Again another strong sign of the immaturity of the MC. It was a bummer to see.

Overall I gave this a 3.5/5, rounded up to a 4. It's a fun read but definitely not for everyone.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-arc of this book.

I’m not sure how I feel about this one still. I liked it while I was reading it but I found it very forgettable. I did really like the characters and the story line.

Didn’t quite work for me. I never could fully connect to the characters. Nothing wrong with this book by any means, the overall story and theme were good.

This was an ok read. Fallon didn't make sense to me - by her mid thirties, why is she chasing a group of women who don't want her to be their friend? The clique veered much closer to a catty, frenemy vibe than a friendly vibe, and I think maybe I'm maxed out on those stories because I found it very frustrating. Overall, the way the drama played out felt more like middle school than it did a group of moms. Perhaps I'm simply the wrong audience here, because the humor didn't work for me either.

A huge thank you to the author and the publisher for providing an e-ARC via Netgalley. This does not affect my opinion regarding the book.

This book constantly had me laughing out loud. This book was so entertaining and relatable for anyone who has been dumped by a friend. I also am so jealous that the FMC makes chocolates for a living - that sounds like an absolute dream.

A great balance of the funny and the depth of emotion, I could find parts of it relatable but other parts less easy to relate to due to my life stage. Overall quite well written, 3.5 stars

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn
Rating: 3.5 stars
Pub date: 2/7/23

This book is a delightful and heartwarming exploration of the complexities of female friendships and the challenges of navigating adulthood. Fallon is a relatable mix of vulnerability and determination, making her instantly likable to readers, especially millennial moms.

The story kicks off when Fallon's bestie, Beatrice, inexplicably ghosts her along with their entire circle of friends. Fallon, a wife, mom, and budding chocolatier, embarks on a quest to win back her friends, leading to a series of comical misadventures, including an epic Mexican fiesta gone wrong and a surprising discovery on a friendship app. The narrative skillfully weaves in Fallon's own adoption discovery, adding depth to her character and the overall story.

Annie Cathryn masterfully captures the essence of female friendships, highlighting the impact of rumors, gossip, and jealousy. The book is peppered with humorous moments, keeping the tone upbeat even in the midst of Fallon's struggles. The exploration of the toxicity within friend circles is both relatable and thought-provoking.

In addition to the laughs and drama, "The Friendship Breakup" offers a sweet treat for readers in the form of Fallon's chocolate business. Overall, this fun and heartfelt story resonates with anyone who has experienced the messiness of female friendships, making it a must-read for those seeking an uplifting exploration of life's ups and downs. Thank you so much to Netgalley and Alcove Press for my complimentary copy.

I liked this book due to it being so relatable. It’s not always easy finding and keeping good friends. I found myself laughing at times throughout and also thinking about some of my own experiences I’ve had with a group of friends. This was a quick and light read that I found enjoyable.

This debut novel was filled with
laugh-out-loud and heartwarming moments! Everything that the female MC Fallon goes through with her mom friends is so relatable.

This book tackled a myriad of topics and while I can't relate to most of Fallon's problems, I can relate to the stress that Fallon feels over those problems. As Fallon deals with her life, her past, her present, and her future, the story has some real life lessons.

We're currently struggling to conceive and I could definitely see myself in Fallon's situation and she's an inspiration for how she pulls herself up by her bootstraps and makes her dreams come true and learns to focus on what's important to her. I really enjoyed this book and would love to read more about Fallons friend group!

So within the first three pages I thought the friendship breakup would be about Fallon being so goddamned judgmental about everyone. Literally four pages in she's torn down like 3 random women for no reason at all - I think it's meant to be funny maybe? But it falls so flat.

Then I thought, oh maybe its her obvious drinking problem. But no - her excessive drinking is literally never addressed in the book.

If Fallon was in my friend group I'd break up with her too. She is a Victim. She also apparently has a completely robotic relationship with her daughter and husband because there is no genuine affection with either of them.

Actually the whole friend group portrayed is super toxic. Even the "best friends" from out of town who stick by her are awful. Totally overstepping boundaries (like hiring a surprise stripper).

Lots of little plot threads that go nowhere too. Like the chocolates left in the sun? I was waiting for the big reveal of someone actively sabotaging her but nope. It goes literally nowhere.

In the end I really felt like there was no resolution and honestly, Fallon learnt nothing. It was her ex friends fault for being jealous of her Perfect Life. Now she gets to go on and continue having an even better Perfect Life.

It's gonna be a No from me dawg.

Hilarious dialogue and an engaging main character. Fallon navigates motherhood with the help of her best friends until suddenly it seems she is no longer part of the group. The harder she tries to reconnect the more things fall apart in terrible but highly amusing ways. Looking forward to reading more from this author!

Thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this.

I found this relatable because in high school, one of my 'friends' started b*tching about me to my other friends behind my back, with my other friends not doing or saying anything in my defence. But unlike Fallon, I decided that turn away from these friends.

For Fallon, when her friends, in particular Beatrice, the ringleader, start to ghost her, Fallon does whatever she can to get her friends back, but when a Mexican fiesta goes horribly wrong, she joins a friendship app (obviously to make new friends), and along the way learns a secret about one of her friends.

During all this, she also reads a letter she discovers and learns more about her past, one that when she was younger locked in a box and refused to look into.

While this book may not be for everyone, I think that those who have gone through similar events that Fallon has gone through will definitely enjoy this.

I don’t know whether I loved or hated it (I really did love it 😜❤️), & I will tell you why. I am about to be completely transparent here…

😶‍🌫️ I have struggled with friendships my entire life. In high school my best friend stopped talking to me & idk why. I was engaged prior to my husband & that guy just left with no explanation. I moved across the country & met a group of fun fabulous women who all went separate ways. Among other friendship “breakups” along the way. (What am I doing wrong?) I now struggle to let my guard down & let people in for fear of being rejected and/or pushed away—again. And I will be an empty nester within 2 years & wonder what I will do with myself & how I will meet new friends (I work from home!)?

❤️ This book was fabulously written & very easy to read (I read it in 2 days), & it really stirred up a lot of emotions in me. I love Fallon but felt she got walked all over. I wanted to jump into the book, throw my arms around her, & tell her I would be her friend! Plus I want to be her taste tester for all the chocolates & I hope our shoe size is the same. And who doesn’t love a fiesta party?!

👯‍♀️ She does have her ride-or-dies, Mel & Avery, like I have my @texasbookdiva! Everyone needs to have & hold onto their person! ❤️

With that said, I did really enjoy this book. It was relatable as a mom, as a friend, as a human being. Now, which friendship app should I use? 😜

I started reading this book three days ago and finished it yesterday. The funny thing was, I got an email from the author. I have a tendency to enter contests for books, especially mutli-author ones, and I'm guessing I got added to her mailing list as a result. So I emailed back and told her I was actually reading her book and so far, I loved it! She emailed me back and said I had made her day. So the lesson is, I guess, don't just save your thoughts for NetGalley and Goodreads. Tell an author you like their work on their website, in their socials, in an email.

This was a fast, engaging read about some bratty women who turn from being supportive besties to mean girls, wholly based on a misheard, misunderstood comment. Yes, Fallon is a bit needy. However, as the story progresses, we understand the bigger picture. There are a lot of funny things that happen in the book, but also some serious themes. It shows how gossip, miscommunication and social media can often cause more harm than good. There are some very funny scenes and the descriptions of the homemade chocolate were steamy!

I look forward to reading more books by this author. Thank you, NetGalley, for the chance to read and review this book. All opinions offered are mine and freely given.

I adored the main character in this Fallon and I just had to keep reading too find out how she would turn out. I went on a emotional journey and experienced life's up's and downs along with her. Brilliant book.