OLD FLAME is so so so so so good. SO good! An all too realistic close examination of becoming a mother, female friendships, learning how to make your own happiness, and what it means to have a career as a woman. The book is chock-full of ideas about modern femininity, but it also has a propulsive plot and amazing characters I feel I know in real life. I really connected to this book on a deep level, and appreciate how much truth Molly Prentiss was able to get onto these pages. I was constantly surprised, and often moved.

The story is about Emily, a copywriter for a department store in New York. She lives in Brooklyn, near her boyfriend who can't quite commit, and has a best friend Megan who is she worried might just be a work friend. But then Megan has an affair with their new boss, and then gets fired, and things spiral from there. But it's so much more than this simple story. I got lost in the words' and raced through the chapters. It will also make you yearn to visit Italy (or, at the very least, re-watch MY BRILLIANT FRIEND). I'm sad this book hasn't gotten more traction this year. I thought it was incredible and I can't wait for her next book.

This a solid book but it is not a great book.

The book has a strong start, with probably one of the best opening pages I've read in a long time. It quickly goes down hill when the author attempts to write dialogue. The author attempts to push through the book with the same "energy" of the first few pages and it winds up feeling like one really long essay with no progression.

I loved this book. Was a bit of a slow start, but loved the kind of fourth wall breaking of the narration.

I had the HARDEST time getting into this book. It never grabbed my attention and it was a chore to finish. I wouldn't recommend. Thank you NetGalley and Gallery Books for the ARC!

I couldn’t get into the writing style of this one, and as a result didn’t finish. Has potential but didn’t keep my attention!

I adored Molly Prentiss’s debut, 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘕𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝟷𝟿𝟾𝟶. It felt edgy and wildly creative with some pretty out-there relationships. I’ve been looking forward to a sophomore novel from her for a long time and now finally 𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗟𝗔𝗠𝗘 is here. I can’t quite say it lived up to my very high expectations. This was a much quieter book, a much more introspective story.⁣⁣
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At its heart is Emily, a young woman, who is sort of floating through her life with a job she needs, but doesn’t care about, a boyfriend she adores and a best friend she feels the same way about. Both relationships aren’t entirely what she’d like them to be, but I really enjoyed the way both unfolded. Emily does a lot of ruminating about these relationships and also about her desire to do more writing and accomplish something artistically. Into the fray comes an unplanned pregnancy, which gives Emily even more fodder for contemplation. In fact, that is what the entire story really is…one long string of consciousness running throughout. I’m not saying it didn’t work, but at times it felt a little self-indulgent. Does that make sense?⁣⁣
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I listened to this one and wonder if it might have worked a little better for me in print. Perhaps reading Emily’s thoughts instead of hearing them might have given them a greater sense of urgency or importance for me. Overall, I’d call 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘍𝘭𝘢𝘮𝘦 a success, but just barely. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫⁣⁣
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Thanks to @gallerybooks and @simon.audio for ARCs of #OldFlame.

I really liked parts of this story, but then it seemed the author went off on tangents that did not interest me. I don't have to like characters to enjoy a book, but I do have to be interested in them. These were not interesting characters. They were self-absorbed in a way that made me want to stop reading. I gave it three stars, because I did finish it which I normally do not do if I just don't care for the story., I wanted to know where the story was going, so I read to the end.. I would not recommend this book to anyone.

Old Flame follows Emily, a young woman living in New York who's attempting to navigate life and womanhood and has to face up to some hard decisions. I did enjoy reading this book and it covered a lot of relatable themes when it comes to womanhood and the choices and sacrifices we make every day. However, I found the writing quite disjointed and in some places, not particularly making sense or adding to the story.

Old Flame by Molly Prentiss took me on a journey that I didn't quite expect, in a good way! It is a story of growing and becoming. Emily is a woman in New York City in her late 20s who spends her days writing advertising copy while wishing that she was writing a novel. We follow her through the years to come and watch how she experiences all that life brings her way. Circumstances and relationships change and we get an inner peek into Emily's thoughts and decisions as she navigates these changes.

I thought the writing and style choices were pretty unique - I enjoyed the way that Prentiss took a common topic but made it feel unique. There was so much that was explored here - work, impact, art, relationships, love, friendship, motherhood, adoption to name only a few. I think this is a very fresh story and encourage you to pick it up! Emily will stick with me because she forced me to analyze the ways that we are similar.

Thank you to Netgalley and Gallery Books, Gallery/Scout Press for the ARC - Old Flame is out now!

Old Flame by Molly Prentiss is Emily's story. Emily has a lot going on in her life and we get to see the messy lives of those in her circle too. The writing style just didn't grab me and so this is just a middling read for me. I can see how the style could appeal to others so I'm chalking this one up to not my cup of tea but likely still a good read for many.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of Old Flame in exchange for an honest review.

I could not get into this book AT ALL. The writing was disjointed and non-sensical-there is absolutely nothing redeeming about it. I DO NOt recommend this book.

This book is exquisite. The story is messy. The characters have full lives. The story is set in a number of places, which makes it fun to traverse through. There are poignant thoughts about being a woman and the desires we have. It's imaginative as well. Emily has a strong point of view throughout the book. She does not get lost in her story. Sensuality is prioritized over sexuality.

Emily is a writer, but is currently writing ad copy, not the books she thought she would write. Her best friend at work, Megan, gets laid off, and she realizes how important the friendship is.
Then Emily is pregnant, not what she and her free spirit boyfriend have planned. I liked this story of female friendship and the choices that women have to make. #femalefriendship #unexpectedpregnancy #bookstagram #lovetoread #reader #readerforlife #readallthebooks #readersofinstagram📚📚❤️ #booksbooksbooks #booklover #oldflame #mollyprentiss #netgalley #advancereaderscopy

I really wanted to like this book better. I liked the main character, Emily but mostly it was the writing style I didn't gravitate towards. It's very stream of consciousness. I don't really enjoy that kind of prose. It made not interested in the overall story. This is more character-driven story/plot. This novel had all the qualifications to be an engaging and heartfelt coming of age story. It just didn't work out for me. It was bland and boring.

I am not sure why I couldn’t get involved in the book, but despite my efforts, I liked neither the characters nor the writing style. Initially, I was impressed by the determination Emily showed, moving away from GIG jobs into tge substantial field of advertising. I think between the demographic and environmental, I don’t really have the context to allow me to enjoy this.

Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

In OLD FLAMES, quirky protagonist Emily, who writes advertising copy for a department store, lives vicariously through an affair her work wife, Megan, has with her new co-worker, Todd, who has a legal wife. Emily’s own relationship is stagnating, and she becomes involved in observing and judging Megan’s choices, while starting to question her own. We then see the way her thoughts about how Megan should be living impact Emily’s own choices, and her future. The use of language in this book is beautiful, pithy and loaded. The story is told in short vignettes, from the protagonist’s life, her work, and the stories she sends to Megan. A poignant coming of age tale, I would recommend this for fans of Sarah Pekkanen and Sally Rooney.

Emily writes for women's catalogs for a living, but she'd rather be writing books. She has a handsome photographer boyfriend, but she actively wonders how and when they will eventually hurt each other. Her best work friend Megan is her lifeline, until Megan is abruptly laid off. When her world is further upended by an unplanned pregnancy, Emily is forced to make tough decisions that will change her life forever.

Overall, it was okay but I will stick with the psychological thriller genre.

I loved this book so much! I read “Tuesday Nights in 1980” years ago and remember loving it, so I was so pumped to see she’d written another. There were so many perfect lines in Old Flame that made me jealous of Prentiss’ talent. Her writing feels funny and current and authentic, with real, messy characters that make you forget they’re fictional. Ooh and the cover is perfect. 😍

This ARC was provided to me via Kindle, from Gallery Books and #NetGalley. Thank you for the opportunity to preview and review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

A challenging mc who has a lot going on but manages to handle it lit all too well.