A funny and thoughtful story about the breakdown of female friendships with a very relatable and likeable main character. Would make a great book club pick.

This book was recommended to fans of Jennifer Weiner, so I thought I would take a look. I'm glad I did because even though I am older than the book's main character, I could definitely relate to her. It becomes more of a challenge for mothers and adults to make friends as time passes. At times it may seem that your friend group consists of the parents of your child(ren). And that is fine until it isn't.

Fallon Monroe is a mom to a young daughter, makes gourmet chocolates, and hangs out with the moms of some kids in her daughter's class. Suddenly she realizes she isn't getting invited to some of the mom activities, such as spa visits or sip 'n paint nights. Like many women, she starts to ruminate over why this is happening. While some of the main character's actions are humorous and make for a fun story, some of her feelings hit very close to home.

Whether or not you're a mom, trying to find a new friend group (like me), or a fan of Chick-Lit, this will be a fun read for you.

I had my eye on this book ever since I started following Annie Cathryn on Instagram. It just looked and sounded so much fun. What's inside is even more of a treat than the chocolates Fallon makes throughout the story.

The Friendship Breakup was such a great story from beginning to end! I highly recommend it. Fallon is incredibly relatable and I felt her friendship stress all the way. I could relate to her being ghosted because of a situation I experienced a long time ago. (It has been 19 years, but it was 15 at the time I wrote the blog post.) I still feel haunted by it and sometimes get paranoid about being ghosted again, when I make new friends. I could also relate on how hard it is to make female friends as an adult, and especially as a mom. I was thrilled when my son's friend's mom reached out to me last year and we've been bonding ever since. However, those friendships are few and far between. I liked how raw and honest this story felt and appreciated the moments of humor throughout. It was frustrating how women were judging each other so much, but that happens all the time, no matter how old you are.

There's an aspect to this novel that I didn't see coming and it was very interesting and emotional. I had recently talked to a friend who had a similar experience to Fallon's and I hope she'll read this book sometime and also be able to relate on that level.

And, of course, we can't forget about the chocolate. Fallon's career path sounds like so much fun, especially since she gets to sample her products. I wish she lived in my neighborhood because I wouldn't mind helping her with that. We'd also become friends by default. :)

This novel inspired me to host a gathering for my friends in hopes of connecting with them more. These past few years have felt so isolating and there's a lot to be said for in-person connections vs. always being online. (Although I totally cherish the friends I only get to see online and hope we'll get to meet up in person regardless of the physical distance.)

I totally loved this novel and have nothing to critique about it. I read it all in the span of a day as I couldn't put it down. The Friendship Breakup will be available in February, so you can read it while enjoying Valentine's Day chocolate. Definitely add it to your TBR!

Movie casting suggestions:
Fallon: Susie Abromeit
Beatrice: Jewel Staite
Elenore: Rachel Boston
Avery: Christina Milian
Mel: Christina Vidal
Max: Anders Holm
Carrie: Melanie Scrofano

Read this book in a day - thanks in part to a sleepless night with my daughter. How fitting to be reading a MomCom. I so appreciated the candor and wit infused with life’s messy moments. Friendships, motherhood, pressures, insecurity and anxiety. All of it.

I could totally relate to this story with the feelings and emotions that happens with friendship breakups and losing a friend. It's not a typical book I would have picked up for myself, but I did enjoy it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for sending me this in exchange for an honest review.

Fallon finds herself wondering what went wrong when she realizes that not only her best friend has been ghosting and avoiding her for some time, but she's also been leaving her out of group hangs. Willing to forgive and forget, Fallon decides to try to bring the group closer while attempting to get her chocolate business started. But some things just can't be healed by a suburban Mexican fiesta...

Let's start with the good stuff. I deeply related to Fallon as far as the topic of friendship went. Her feelings and thoughts, at points contradictory, were so genuine to what losing someone feels like: missing them and wanting them back, feeling like it's your fault, wanting to go back to the good times, yet slowly realizing that it wasn't actually all good, feeling bitter and thinking about all their flaws, trash-talking about them. It's kind of annoying to read from the outside looking in because you're like "which one is it??", but - I've been there! I get it. And then also feeling like it's really hard to meet new people as you get older, whether to date or to befriend.

I also thought it was a very real portrayal of motherhood, ugly bits included. Fallon loves her daughter, but is still cognizant of how much she struggled (and still does) as a mother, the toll it can take on someone's mental health, no matter how much you wanted to have a child. That was really good, in my opinion, as was the fact that therapy and couples therapy was included in a very positive and natural way.

This is overall a really healthy/positive journey of self-discovery and letting go of what doesn't serve you. If you've ever struggled (or are currently struggling) with parenthood or friendships, and you're looking for a book you can feel reflected in with a wholesome ending, then I think you might enjoy this book, for real.

However... I'm afraid it was also very much #whitepeopleproblems. And that might be fine if you relate to the particular demographic of white cis straight middle class USAmerican stay at home mom living in suburbia! As someone not from the USA, though, the depictions of some of these women felt cartoonish. Not because I haven't seen enough to know that people like that exist; I'm just not interested in reading about them and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. Ironically, it's great commentary on why the "agreement" of letting the man be the bread-winner while the woman stays at home to look after the house and children not only is barely a choice at all, but also puts women at a disadvantage. We see husbands who cheat, who lie, who are barely there for his children, who manipulate, who are unsatisfied. I mean, and I say this with some compassion, no wonder these women are catty bitches who have nothing better to do than create drama in the school parking lot! What else can they do? What else can they feel in control of?

Even in the case of our protagonist, we see that her husband encourages her to pursue her dreams and is attentive to her needs... but we're also told that at one point he failed to do that under the assumption that "agreeing" to be a SAHM meant handling everything on your own because "moms know instinctively" how to do these things (NO), which clearly took a toll on Fallon. And although I commend the author for showing growth, we also see him in the present being frustrated that Fallon hasn't been keeping an immaculate house even though she's now both a SAHM and entrepreneur, and Fallon thinking that her husband's love language must be "acts of service" because he likes it when she cooks and picks up his dry cleaning. No, girl, that's just the patriarchy! Oh, and he tells her to delete her app to meet friends because they need to keep up appearances, suggesting that she should just volunteer somewhere to find new friends, because obviously she's just staying home doing nothing all day, right? This is something that Fallon does think, but doesn't say. I think there was an attempt at questioning this system, but it wasn't fully realized.

This kind of internalized heterosexism is also baked into two "meet cutes" that are narrated, where a man causes an accident (not on purpose, but out of carelessness - which is almost as bad) on the woman, and then tries to "make up" for it by pursuing the woman, who ofc ends up falling in love with him. Sorry, but if you break my toes, the last thing I'll want to do is screw you.

Racism is also implied, but never actually addressed. Fallon's best friend Avery is a Black woman she met in college, who isn't part of the moms group. Fallon has also stayed in touch with Mel, a Mexican-American woman and single mother who was part of the group for a while before moving away. We are told that the group, except for Fallon, was always rude and judgy to Mel, allegedly on account of her divorced, working mom status. Are we sure there's nothing else there, considering she was the only woman of colour in the group? So, again, this book is very much about and for white people, even if two people of colour are presented in a positive light.

There's also a storyline of adoption, and although an adoptee's feelings on their own adoption are always valid, I can't say I liked the way some of these thoughts were presented and never challenged. Specifically, the idea that a character's hurt about her adoptive parents not telling her she was adopted until she found out would translate to negative feelings about being an adoptive parent themselves. This was a really strange reasoning... you can choose to tell your child they were adopted (and you should!!). I also thought it was supremely weird that the character's adoption file would list all of her birth mother's (European, obvi) ancestry like she was a bred puppy. I wouldn't be surprised if that actually happens in the USA, but it's very messed up.

Finally, in terms of plot, it felt very much like "a day in the life". Overall it's well written, save for some unnecessarily reiterated ideas (like Fallon thinking about people being surprised she married a gynecologist), which made it a quick read. But it's about a specific woman's daily problems, with the main themes of friendship, parenthood, entrepreneurship, and adoption. It felt both like a lot and not enough.

To end on a good note, I did resonate a lot with the main topic of a friendship break-up and the process Fallon goes through, so I don't regret reading it. And if you take away anything from this book, I think it needs to be that friendships sustain us.

This was a refreshing read! I loved that it was based on friendship and not romance. It really explored the difficulties of maintaining friendships as adults.

As someone who went through a friendship breakup, this book is my comfort station. I loved everything about this book. The main character was indeed likeable. Although I struggled to finish this book, I am glad I did.
A must read!

This is probably the best debut novel I've read in a while. Annie Cathryn if you're planning to continue to write books, just amazing as this one, you'll become one of my favorite authors.

"The Friendship Breakup" is basically everything you could imagine - full of emotions, relatable moments, and eye-opening on the importance of good, healthy friendships.
Throughout the story I found myself comparing my life to Fallon's and even though I'm 20 years younger than the main character we have a lot in common.

One of the aspects that really made me love the book was seeing Fallon grow into a better woman. Sure, she had some ups and downs but she is an inspiration. She fought for her marriage, she decided to go into therapy, she discovered some things about her past that she was putting out, and she followed her dream even when her "friends" didn't encourage her to do it.

It's a really good read for long nights or maybe a walk in a park once the weather will get better. I think it might become a bestseller once we will find the book in store!

The Friendship Breakup by Annie Cathryn is a fun, feel-good read.
Annie Cathryn had me devouring these pages with her realistic characters and brilliant storytelling.
Fallon is a woman I think most will be drawn to. I know I was. She was well developed and the connection was on point.
I absolutely loved the picture that is painted here, a mom navigating friendship, mothehood and I know how difficult it can be. So I especially enjoyed it.
The author's writing immediately drew me in and kept me engaged throughout.
I look forward to reading more from her in the future. Because this one here surprised me.

An excellent 'mom-com' debut!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Alcove Press,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this eARC!

Thank you to @msanniecathryn for my gifted copy of this book on NetGalley. This was definitely a cute read! I did feel that I was back in high school or even junior high with how juvenile these women were being even though they were nearly 40. But I think you get some of these types of people when you have big groups of friends. I know I have been ghosted tons of times by friends and all my friendships have basically dwindled to nothing because my anxiety doesn’t let me go out. I am a homebody and a huge introvert and at least my husband understands that about me. I kept wondering throughout the whole book what caused Beatrice to stop speaking to Fallon, and I was happy that it was brought up at the end of the book or it would have caused me a lot of distress! But all in all it was a good book and I was able to read it in 2 days. Would definitely recommend, but be forewarned, you will roll your eyes at several parts of the book with how petty these women were! 🤣

The friendship breakup takes a deep dive into the world of female friendships- how they start, what keeps them together, and what can cause the dreaded friendship breakup.

Fallon met her neighborhood friend group when they were all new moms, going for walks with their strollers and moving on to play dates and parties as their children grew. Seven years later, she is suddenly being frozen out by her bestie in the group and is desperate to figure out why and to save the friendship. She has a budding chocolate business on the side that takes a great deal of her attention and worries that this might be why her friends stop inviting her places.

I’m not sure why Fallon even wants to be friends with these neighbor friends- they are shallow and childish as they give her the cold shoulder, posting group pictures all over social media and being rude to her in person. I struggled with how desperate Fallon felt about wanting to save these friendships, when she clearly has two incredibly real friendships that she relies on much more than the neighbor group. Part of it must be nostalgia and wanting to hold tight to the friendships that got her through early motherhood, which is relatable! However, the characters were just so unlikable that I struggled to get through parts of this book where Fallon was around this group.

Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book hit home because I have been through plenty of friendship breakups. It was nice to have a book about the real feelings and situations you go through when you are faced with losing a friend. I would recommend this book to so many people!

A funny and realistic view into the ups and downs of friends and frenemies!
I really liked this book and sympathised with the main character, we’ve all been through some of the friendship challenges told in this book and come out the other side better for it.
Well written and evenly paced, this is a cosy novel that is easily finished.

Was this book therapy for me? Yes, yes it was. I devoured this book. It made me laugh AND cry!! I would think most people in their lives have experienced a friendship breakup and how painful they are. I really connected with Fallon and that's why I loved this book so much. Everything felt real, especially in this day and age. People love comparing themselves to others and it turns into jealousy which can be an evil thing. That Ma Spa Squad was soooo toxic and I'm so happy Fallon eventually knew her worth when it comes to relationships. This book had a lot of deep meaning, but also had some fun. Like a whole chapter where parents are throwing mud at each other at a kid's soccer game LOL

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC. I cannot wait to preorder and get my hands on a physical copy.

This book is all about friendship - how we hold on to people too tight, and how we often tend to miss what’s right in front of us. It was an introspective read, and definitely reflected some of my own friendships through the years. Would recommend to anyone and everyone!

Thanks to Alcove Press and NetGalley for a digital advance reader copy. All comments and opinions are my own.

This was a better book than I anticipated. From the book cover and the title, I thought this was going to be a light-hearted chick-lit read, which would have been fine. And with lots of chocolate and alcoholic drinks, there were frothy elements throughout. But there were also more serious issues that gave this debut more depth, specifically the topics of adoption, divorce, motherhood, and panic attacks. All in all, it’s a fun read, and the heavier subjects are handled with sensitivity.

Fallon, who is turning 40, has one young daughter, a great husband, and a group of close suburban mom friends, “the dream group of friends I’ve always wished for. We’ve become so close these last few years: brunches, ladies’ nights out, family gatherings – even weekends away skiing or at a water park.” Then suddenly out of the blue they’re ghosting her, and her panic attacks begin.

Her husband convinces her to see a therapist, who gently helps her to acknowledge why the loss of these mom friends is so devastating. As the book progresses she decides to seek out new friends in addition to trying to find out what’s going on with her current friends because “I crave friendships with close friends to laugh with, that will support you no matter what. I crave bonding with my girlfriends. My sanity depends on it.”

At the same time, she is starting a chocolate business. “Chocolate brings me joy, and I want to bring joy to others just like my Grandma Rose used to.” I think many readers will related to Fallon’s perspective: “I’m turning forty and feel as if half my life is over, and I thought I’d have more to show for it. If I don’t do it now, when will I?”

There are a few disastrous yet humorous incidents, as well as poignant discoveries. The insanity of early motherhood, ghosting of friends, drinking, parties, shoe collections, and gossiping puts this in the chick-lit category – and some reviewers are calling it a mom-com. The book concludes with a feel-good ending when Fallon admits her happiness and fulfillment can be realized by following her dream and letting go of the past.

Warning, reading this will have you craving gourmet chocolate.

The Friendship Breakup is a beautiful and meaningful portrait of a mom, a wife, a friend, a worker, a dreamer. In one word: a woman.
This book tells the story of a woman who constantly turns pain into power by facing what life throws at her day by day. Her superpower is the ability to repeat to herself everyday that she is enough and worthy of love, even when everything seems to fall apart. This book's superpower is the one to teach us that life doesn't have to turn out exactly the way we pictured it. On the contrary, it's ok for our lives to be perfectly imperfect.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful debut by Annie Cathryn! The Friendship Breakup tells the story of Fallon, a suburbanite shoe-collector, mother of seven-year-old Maya, self-help book junkie, wife of gorgeous doctor Max, and fledgling entrepreneur who finds herself at a crossroads with her longtime Mom-Friend group just as she's also turning 40 and facing some other life changing milestones. Not knowing what to do or where to turn, Fallon faces a few hilarious, gut-wrenching, and highly relatable situations that make the reader want to be her friend. Well done and highly recommended!

3.75/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Would’ve never picked this up on my own, but it was an enjoyable read that allowed for some self reflection. I loved Fallon’s growth as a character both in terms of setting boundaries and her acceptance of her being adopted. Her strength and triumph over hardship was admirable.

I wanted to kill her so called ‘friends’ the entire time. They bothered me so much and just shows that some people don’t change from their younger years at all. Some people don’t go through the growth that Fallon did and it shows. But the author did a great job portraying the reality of this phenomenon.

Some of the dialogue felt forced at times and not very natural, but I did devour this book in almost one who sitting, so that definitely says something about the writing style. It was simple (in a good way) and engaging, and the humor kept it chugging along.

It’s not my type of book, which is why I rated it lower, but I was grateful for the e-ARC from NetGalley and Alcove Press! Thanks to them for the opportunity to read it!