Nora is struggling with infertility, finances, and the stress of those on her marriage when Evelyn walks into the high-end vintage shop where Nora works. Evelyn quickly becomes a top client of the shop and a friend of Nora's. Nora is trying to find her way in this new friendship where Evelyn is from an entirely different world. Nora is trying to keep up and then the unexpected happens when Evelyn volunteers to be a surrogate for Nora and her husband. The friendship continues to get more and more complicated until it all comes to a head.

This book has a lot of triggers so I wouldn't say it's for everyone, but if the triggers don't bother you I recommend it. This is a good story with lots of interesting characters, many emotions, and a little suspense.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourebooks Landmark for the ARC of this book.

And now we wait. The hardest part is the hope.

Nora Roberts and her husband greatest desire is to have a child of their own. They have done their part to make that happen but we all have heard stories of the heartache of families not able to conceive on their own. Nora works at Vintage store called I'll Have Seconds. Ironic that she meets the woman Evelyn Elliot who will make her dreams come true. Their friendship is based on the love of all vintage. They are different from each other in personality and lifestyle. Nora and her husband struggle to make ends meet and have a large debt. Evelyn who comes from money. Evelyn is drawn to Nora and learns her struggle to have a baby of her own. She suggests that she carry for Nora and the friendship takes a different turn. First everyone is on board but things happen that causes stress on both sides and you begin to wonder if the friendship will make it.

It is a story about friendship, sacrifice, and motherhood. It really plays into the differences of each woman and how they each have to overcome their emotions for the greater cause. How trust is an issue for both women and how easily it can be broken. There is a surprising ending that I did not see coming in Nora's personality. A secret that she kept from everyone and what she did with it. Nora and Evelyn were not the characters I fall in love with and cheer on but more like a study of humanity. What makes people tick. A fun read.

A special thank you to SourceBooks and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review

The Favor was a fun and engaging read. I went into this one blind (well, technically I read the blurb a long time ago, but forgot the synopsis by the time I read it), and for some reason, I kept thinking it was a thriller and expected it to go that way. There were definitely certain things that had an eerie, thriller-esque vibe to them, but ultimately it was a story of friendship between two women from very different worlds.

I actually really loved both Evelyn and Nora. Both women were flawed, but also felt like very real, authentic people. I adored the way the women first met and connected. I did feel like there was a lot of buildup and a lot of internal tension with Nora surrounding a specific situation in the book, and I felt that tension right along with her - but then when it came to a culmination, it wasn't quite what I expected. Whether that's a good or bad thing, I'm not quite sure. It felt anticlimactic in some ways, yet I did enjoy the direction the story ultimately went.

And while there were things about both women that I didn't like at all, I felt that this only made them more realistic and relatable - and I love when authors write "real" characters. All in all, I really enjoyed this book and found myself looking forward to picking it up each time I had an opportunity to sit down and read.

It's an enjoyable, quick read that is at times lighthearted, while at other times tackling some deep and difficult issues. I would recommend this book to others and will check out future work from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for an e-arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I was very interested in this as I’ve been a surrogate twice. I wish the author would have done more research on being a surrogate and what they process is really like. There were so many things that happened in this book that were so far fetched about the surrogacy process.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Favor by Adele Griffin! While not an OMG amazing read, it was perfectly pleasant. A second round purchase for most mid to large libraries.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

What I read did not match what I was expecting but that made it a pleasant surprise. I loved the characters especially Evelyn with her eccentric come at ya like a hurricane personality. The Favor truly touched on the beauty of friendship. Surrogacy is a huge and intense gift to give someone and I loved that Evelyn agrees to do so for her new friend, Nora’s baby. I really enjoyed this book.

Nora works at a high-end vintage boutique in Manhattan, and one day Evelyn Elliot a socialite wanders in and ends up buying a lot of expensive clothes, and they bond over their love of a famous poet. They have an instant connection even though they live very different lives. Nora and her husband are barely making ends meet, and in serious debt from trying to have a baby that never worked out. Evelyn takes in Nora as a pet project and exposes her to the high life, and showers her with gifts. When Evelyn offers Nora the gift and being her surrogate, and making her dream of becoming a mom come true things start to change.

I think this was a very interesting exploration of unconventional ways of becoming a parent. An interesting look at what friendship means and how far someone will go to make the dreams of someone you love come true. Unfortunately I do not think it was explored to the extent it come have. There was so much more the author could have done, and I think it didn't go all the way on the idea.

What I loved about this book:

1. So many great themes: Friendship, Parenthood, Surrogates, Infertility
2. It was a little bit of a thriller/mystery and I was on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen!
3. I thought the contemporary themes (influencers and social media) - with the vintage aspect was great!

What I wished were different:
1. The description of the book didn't give the true flavor of the book!

Thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for a chance to read and review.

This is a story of an unlikely friendship that crops up when one woman decides to carry a baby for the other.

This book was angsty - I was anxious all the way through. Evelyn struck me as both selfish/self-centered and kind hearted at the same time. I was concerned the entire book that Evelyn would back out of the surrogacy arrangement. Did she? You’ll have to read the book to find out.

If you are looking for a compelling story of female friendship set in New York City, this is the book for you.

3.5 rounded up

The Favor by Adele Griffin turned out to be one of those books where I found myself holding my breath to see where the story was leading. Nora and Evelyn's friendship developed so quickly that it made me question what Evelyn's true motives were. I kept envisioning various scenarios that could develop, none of which would have a happy ending. My guesses were totally wrong, which left me unprepared for the twist at the end. Book clubs should find The Favor to be a good choice for some interesting discussions about infertility, surrogacy, social media, family and friendships. Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advance copy to read and review.

3.5 Stars

Story about unlikely friendships, family, infertility, social media and the ever present money issues! What is a price you are willing to pay and when is enough actually enough.

Quick read, with a lot to discuss. Can relate to most of the book and found it realistic to a point. I did have a hard time with Nora and Evelyn’s friendship…just too much fan girl. I found most of that annoying…Evelyn was manipulative, throwing her money around and Nora immature and star struck. Didn’t buy into the relationship between Nora and Jacob. The fixation with the Poet was an odd twist I’m not sure I liked.

I enjoyed the writers style, easy flow between characters and situations. First book by this author and look forward to her next book. Good beach read because of so much going on!

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley. This book was conflicting because I was expecting a thriller but I found myself a little disinterested with the two main characters of Nora and Evelyn. The second half picked up but I found this book to be ok. I would rec for those who love fashion and complicated relationships.

The Favor by Adele Griffin is a thought-provoking book, It deals with infertility, family and friendships. Nora works in a vintage shop and meets Evelyn when she comes into the shop looking for something special. A friendship begins that will cause pain and joy for both women and their families.
Thanks to NetGalley for my copy of this book, all opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark as well as the author for this ARC. Much appreciated.
#NetGalley #Sourcebookslandmark #TheFavor #AdeleGriffin
Nora loves her job at I’ll Have Seconds, a second hand shop that specializes in designer clothes. Nora has a talent for matching the person with the perfect clothes. Despite how much she enjoys it, it’s not the best paying job and she’s on commission, so when Evelyn Elliot bursts into the store after hours, insisting she won’t be long, Nora can’t help but acquiesce. It helps that money is of absolutely no concern to Evelyn. Soon, Nora and Evelyn have developed a friendship of sorts until Evelyn offers something that can’t be bought. Hopefully, their relationship can stand this type or test.
There were a lot of things to like in this book. The characters were likable and very relatable. All of us have had that entitled friend who just won’t be told no. Nora is swept away by Evelyn’s money, way of life, and undeniable charm. Nora finds beautiful clothes for Eveiyn’s many social engagements and Evelyn compensates her well for her trouble and her talent. As a result, Nora feels guilty about standing up for herself and for her husband when Evelyn inevitably oversteps her boundaries. Many of us have had trouble establishing boundaries in our own life. When Evelyn offers to carry a baby for Nora and her husband, who have had trouble conceiving, Nora is just sure Evelyn is the most selfless person alive. Right? I held my breath throughout this story. It had me very emotionally invested. This author is brilliant at creating characters. The themes represented here were friendship, parenthood, surrogacy, and the psychology of wealth. Each was explored using both laughter and tears.
While this book was enjoyable, there were some parts that I found stressful. Mostly, Evelyn’s manipulative and casual selfish behavior. Every time she drank a beer, I cringed. Every time she left the country without telling Nora, and several other things. I wanted Nora to speak up so badly I wanted to scream at the pages. I’m not one of the aforementioned people who has trouble with boundaries so, while I understood Nora’s dilemma, I had trouble reading it. There were several situations in which I found myself very frustrated by Evelyn and her antics as well as Nora’s passivity.
All in all, this is an enjoyable read. The characters were well established. The story was both sweet and sour. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes women’s fiction.

When this was pitched to me as a good fit for fans of “Friends and Strangers” by J. Courtney Sullivan, I was immediately on board. That’s one of my favorite books!

In “The Favor,” two women from very different economic classes meet — and one offers to be a surrogate for the other.

The comparison to “Friends and Strangers” was a good one, and I enjoyed this exploration of how class can affect female friendships. I was really impressed by the dialogue and writing — this was an engaging book I flew through. I enjoyed the writing and would absolutely pick up the author’s work in the future.

Adele Griffin with another hit! This was a perfect blend of what it means to be family, friendship and infertility in the backdrop of the big city.

This thought provoking book will be one that I recommend. Thank you NetGalley and SourceBooks Landmark for the opportunity to read this book via eARC early.

When Nora meets Evelyn she is immediately enamored by her. She is thrilled with the idea of being friends with the rich and outgoing Evelyn, Evelyn lives a lavish lifestyle and brings Nora and her husband into the fold. With Nora dealing with devastating infertility issues, Evelyn decides she wants to be Nora's surrogate. 

This book deals with some serious subject matter. Nora and her husband have struggled with infertility for years. They are seeing everyone in their life have children and it is devastating that they cannot build their family in the way they want. When Evelyn comes into their life, things begin to fall into place. 

Evelyn is such an intoxicating character. She breezes into Nora's life and she brings such richness..yet Nora feels like she is on borrowed time with Evelyn. She feels like more of an employee to Evelyn than a true friend at times. 

This is a unique look at friendship and doing "selfless" things for others. 

I really enjoyed this book. I was expecting things to go in a completely different direction so this book really surprised me. I really liked how the author handled the issue of infertility. 

I alternated between the ebook and audio and loved every minute of it. It is very thought provoking and would be a very interesting book club book.

This is a lovely story about Nora, a woman struggling with infertility, and Evelyn, who becomes her gestational surrogate. Nora and Evelyn meet in a rather unconventional way, when Evelyn goes on a crazy shopping spree in the vintage shop where Nora works. Their relationship develops as Nora begins to source clothing for Evelyn and style her for events. Nora and her husband Jacob are struggling financially, and Evelyn's offer of surrogacy allows them to have a baby when they were otherwise running out of options. The struggle comes when Evelyn continues to live life her way - traveling constantly and making some choices Nora and Jacob would prefer she didn't.

The book was quite a slow burn and even the climax was not that shocking or unpredictable. The relationship between Nora and Evelyn did not ever sit right (I believe this was intended). I know that Nora and Jacob were desperate and saw the surrogacy as their only option, and that forced them to make some poor decisions, but it frustrated me the whole book. There was one twist at the end I wasn't expecting, but it just seemed thrown in there and a bit out of character.

3.5 stars for this book in the end - very good writing but wanted a little more to the story itself.

trigger warning: please read up on triggers before continuing to read this review or hop into the book. (infertility)

i came in expecting not to like this book…. but i enjoyed it a lot. i enjoyed reading about friendships and trials. i haven’t read a book like that in a while. i’ll admit it was a bit slow for my typical reads but i pushed through. evelyn was such a hoot! she seems cold hearted but under all the antics, there’s such a warm lady. a story of friendship, honesty, and forgiveness.

Nora Hammond runs a little high end vintage second hand store, She has a great life with her husband, but life is not perfect. She has been trying to conceive and not having luck, and they have a tiny apartment and quite a bit of debt.

One day, Evelyn Eliott, a wealthy heiress, comes into the shop looking for something to purchase and ends up spending a lot of money. The two women form an instant connection, and soon Nora is invited to exciting parties with Evelyn. When Evelyn discovers Nora's financial difficulties, she offers to pay Nora to procure vintage clothing for her and be her stylist.

As the friendship develops, Evelyn offers to become a surrogate for Nora. Things become a little strange with their relationship after the pregnancy happens and there is a strain on the relationship.

This is a wonderful story about friendship, but also the need to set boundaries, I highly recommend this book!