Nora is ending her shift at the vintage clothing boutique in Manhattan where she works, with no other ambition than to stop at Whole Foods and make her husband, Jacob, a chick pea meatloaf. But when Evelyn whisks into the shop, asking to see some of the most expensive pieces, the allure of a large commission changes Nora's mind. Soon Nora and Evelyn are fast friends, as Nora sources pieces and helps Evelyn plan parties.

When Evelyn divines Nora's biggest problem--her fertility woes complicated by the fact she and Jacob have spent all their money and some they don't have on IVF--Evelyn decides that her newest project will be to carry Nora and Jacob's remaining fertilized embryo.

But the pregnancy, along with an expensive gift Evelyn gave Nora, challenges their friendship.

This is a thoroughly engrossing book that I found impossible to put down. It features a few of my favorite things--vintage clothing, Manhattan, babies, and complicated family and friend relationships. I loved the characters and wanted them to be my friends, too. #TheFavor #NetGalley

I love the idea of finding a designer item with history but my life is always a bit nuts so I don’t have time to sort through stores and I also am sort of icked out by wearing someone else’s clothes…

The Favor is the story of a woman who works at a vintage shop in NYC when she befriends an extravagant customer who proceeds to do a series of favors for her. I don’t want to give any spoilers but one favor is life changing. This was very entertaining. And I am not just saying that because there are so many Harry Styles references throughout. I loved the friendships and dynamics in this book. I really felt their internal struggles as to whether to accept the favors. And I loved the contrast between their lives - a life of excess compared to a life of debt and constant financial stress.

I loved this book! The setting was so familiar to me, having lived in NY, and being an avid vintage shopper. The writing is so good that I feel as if I know each character personally. I was especially impressed with the dialogue between Nora and her husband Jacob. So witty and incisive!
I almost did not pick up this book because fertility issues in novels seem to be over done lately, but the eccentric Evelyn drew me in - she is larger than life and entertaining. Very generous, yet totally self centered, turning her role as a surrogate mother into an influencer opportunity. Why? She didn't need the money, she just wanted non-stop attention worldwide.
I especially loved the the twist regarding the original Dior cloak given to Nora from Evelyn, which started a whole chain of events!
The only thing I did not like was the cover - I think it could have been more retro in a funky way to go with the excellent modern narrative.

Nora's greatest dream is to have a baby with her husband Jacob. They have tried everything and their debt reflects the various, failed attempts. When wealthy socialite Evelyn sweeps into her life, Nora is fascinated and welcomes the distraction of her friendship and lifestyle. Will Evelyn be her savior and the solution to all of her woes? That is, as they say, "the rest of the story." The Favor keeps the reader guessing about Nora's marriage to Jacob, her relationship with Evelyn, and her other friendships. Mix in a mysterious cloak and this book will keep you turning the pages.

The Favor is an insightful and warm-hearted story of two very different women who make an unexpected connection when one decides to carry a baby for the other.

This book was so beautiful and so very emotional.
The FMC, Nora, is so likeable and down-to-earth. One day Evelyn rolls in to Nora's work like a cyclone and Nora is so captivated by her.
They keep in touch and become quite close, so much so that Evelyn offers to be a surrogate for Nora.
If anything would test a relationship, that would be it.

This book was so much about the friendship between Nora and Evelyn. The surrogacy came second to that in my opinion.
The longing that Nora has for a baby and the eggshells she walks on around Evelyn so as not to upset her make for an emotional read and the authors done a fantastic job of navigating it.

A brilliant book and I one I definitely suggest!

Thank-you to @sourcebooks, @adele and @netgalley for this book in exchange for a review!

A touching and often humorous women's fiction story that sees an ultra wealthy NYC socialite slash influencer offering to help a couple struggling with infertility by being their surrogate. Good on audio read by a quickly growing favorite narrator of mine, Kristen Sieh and recommended for fans of books like The new person by Loretta Nyhan. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for early digital and audio copies in exchange for my honest review!

I enjoyed the read. Well-paced and well-written, the book did not give me any boring moments. But that's not to say it didn't have a few issues. Nora and Evelyn meet and forge a fast friendship, maybe too fast. The favor itself, which involves surrogacy and which is the main subject of the story, was never entirely believable for me, mostly because I couldn't get a handle on Evelyn's character. I appreciated all the vintage clothing references and found those enjoyable. The ending left me just a bit misled, but overall the story had kept me reading, and that's a good thing. I would read more from this author. Recommended.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the complimentary e-copy!

An Emotionally Intense Story of Friendship

SUMMARY
Nora Hammond loves working at Manhattan's I’ll Have Seconds, a high-end vintage dress shop. The only thing about it she doesn’t like is that she barely makes enough money to pay her bills. Just before closing one night, socialite Evelyn Elliot sweeps in and changes Nora’s life forever. The two women spark an immediate friendship, and Nora is jettisoned into New York’s moneyed circle simply by being close to Evelyn. Nora feels comfortable with Evelyn and shares her struggles with debt, her tiny apartment, and even her unfulfilled but desperate desire to have a child.

Their friendship is tested when Evelyn offers to be a surrogate for Nora and her husband, Jacob’s frozen embryos. Evelyn begins a viral social media and marketing campaign about each step in the baby’s gestation, and Nora’s patience is stretched to the breaking point. THE FAVOR examines the feelings of longing for a child and how relationships are affected.

REVIEW
THE FAVOR is a captivating and endearing tale of two women from opposite ends of the financial, social, and personality spectrum who make an immediate connection. The writing effortlessly intertwines the lives of Nora and Evelyn, creating a hopeful but emotionally intense story of friendship and the responsibility that sometimes comes along with such a friendship.

While I adored Nora’s quiet and sweet character, Evelyn’s character blows in like a hurricane. She is exuberant, dramatic, and commanding. When we meet her in the first chapter, she flamboyantly buys out the store’s entire collection of vintage designer dresses, spends tens of thousands of dollars, and leaves Nora with her biggest commission check ever. The chemistry between the two very different women was fascinating, and I loved how they bonded over the poetry of Frieda Bergessen.

The topics of Nora’s infertility and Evelyn’s surrogacy were engrossing. It’s a highly sensitive topic for many, but it was nicely woven into a cleverly written story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.


Publisher Sourcebooks/Landmark
Published June 13, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com

That was a satisfying book. The characters are built up very well, so you feel the feels when you are reading through their lives. The anxiety when the thing that you know it going to happen happens. Then some surprisingly twisty things. I liked all the characters. They were vivid and real. the storyline was plausible. Decent research into IVF and infertility was done. Only one cringey moment when they use 'implant' instead of 'transfer'. Having lived through it, that is one that annoys me. But everything else is good enough that I let it go. The story kept the pages turning and I could easily picture all the goings-on in the book. I'd recommend this one.

I was given an ARC for my honest review, which I have written above.

Nora and Jacob have tried everything to have a baby. They have one embryo remaining. They have gone deeply into debt for fertility treatments and really can’t afford to do another round. Nora works at I’ll Have Seconds, an exclusive vintage dress shop in New York. Late one afternoon, Evelyn Elliott comes in at closing time. Nora and her co-worker, Frankie, stay late – afraid to lose a commission. As Evelyn steamrolls through the shop, she takes a liking to Nora. Evelyn convinces Nora to be a personal stylist for her mostly by dangling cash payments. Nora and Jacob badly need the money so Nora accepts these jobs. As Nora becomes more and more enmeshed in Evelyn’s life, Evelyn makes a crazy offer. She will carry Nora and Jacob’s last remaining embryo. Nora convinces Jacob that nothing will go wrong in spite of the fact that they don’t have a legal contract. As the months pass, Evelyn seems to pull away from Nora. Nora worries that she and Jacob won’t have the happy ending they hoped for. Nora also discovered that money doesn’t necessarily buy happiness.

The Favor is a great heartfelt story about unlikely friendship! First we have the rich, eccentric, uber wealthy Evelyn and then we have the polar opposite Nora, who isnt the happiest with her life. They strike up a friendship and Evelyn offers to carry a baby for Nora.
Once that was offered, I was HOOKED, would this agreement stand the test of time? Or would it be too much for either party to bear? Evelyn was hilarious with her outrageous antics! But she also just loves helping others,
Nora's step mother Gabby was my favorite character!
What a great, enjoyable story with amazing characters!!

This book was not what I expected at all. I didn't expect to fall in love with Nora, and actually also with Jacob and Frankee and Meg and so many of the other characters. And I didn't expect to feel sorry for Evelyn who seemed to have everything, who spent thousands of dollars without blinking an eye - and who felt that was the only way she could have friends. Evelyn craved acceptance as evidenced by her somewhat creative blog that bent the truth in favor of glamour.

The descriptions of vintage clothing were fascinating and I could easily picture the shop and the elation to have a customer like Evelyn.

Nora and Jacob desperately wanted a baby but have been unsuccessful with IV etc. Evelyn offers to carry a baby for them and I was afraid this would lead to disaster for them depending on her. We as readers go through the various complications with the characters, hoping for the best. No spoilers.

The ending blew me away. Go Nora!!!!!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC! Overall a good story with interesting characters with an interesting friendship. I felt like the first part of the book was a bit slow. Part two, things picked up and it was able to reel me back in.

The Favor by Adele Griffin is a book about relationships. All types of relationships: friendships, partnerships, marriage, parenthood, family. This story is centered around and her newfound friend and eccentric millionaire Evelyn. Evelyn can give Nora and her husband the gift of something they have struggled to have for years. I really enjoyed this story and the characters that Ms. Griffin develops in the year or so this story takes place. The main focus is the surrogacy storyline but I really enjoyed the other offshoot storylines as well.

Overall a beautiful read.

Thank you to Sourcebooks Landmark and Netgalley for an advanced readers copy of this book for my honest review.

Loved this story of complicated friendship.
Themes of infertility, money and trust carry the plot. I became invested in this unconventional friendship and watching it evolve. Evelyn and Nora have a real connection, unexpected and deepened by Evelyn’s generous gift of surrogacy. I enjoyed the other relationships in the book…they all felt real.

This was an engrossing read and I highly recommend!

4.5- It’s been a hot minute since I’ve finished a book in less than 24 hours, but The Favor sucked me in immediately. If it wasn’t for the mini binge session we had catching up on a show, I would have finished this yesterday afternoon.
Nora works in a small vintage shop specializing in high end dresses along with rare books. The shop doesn’t bring in much money, but Nora and her coworker, Frankie, enjoy working with Barb, the owner who has questionable taste in what will sell. One evening a socialite breezes into the store giving Frankie and Nora their biggest commissions yet and turning Nora’s life upside down. Evelyn shows Nora a completely different side to life and when she realizes she can give Nora and her husband, Jacob, their hearts’ desire, she sets out to do exactly that, despite the rift it creates for everyone.
It has to be said from the get-go that this book delves into the throes of infertility. It’s pretty gritty and very real so if that’s something that is a raw topic for you, this might be a book to skip.
I loved every whirlwind minute of this book. Watching Nora’s and Evelyn’s friendship evolve over a year was enthralling. Adele Griffin puts us right at the center of the life of a socialite, but from the spectator’s viewpoint. I loved seeing Nora grow as a person, as well as watching her grow as a wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and friend. Seeing her deal with infertility and the toll it takes on every aspect of her life was hard, and having never suffered from it myself I can only assume Ms. Griffin wrote about it with grace and compassion.
The Favor is Ms. Griffin’s first adult book and I will eagerly await more, but in the meantime I’ll be checking out her young adult novels. Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for an advanced copy of this book. This gem it shelves on June 13th.

I requested this book as I have academic interests in infertility and have read countless stories, both fiction and non-fiction, about assisted reproduction but never surrogacy. I found the thoughts and feelings Nora had about her friends having babies to be realistic and enjoyed Nora as a main character. Whilst I also enjoyed Evelyn as a character, I still don’t understand her motivations for doing what she did and kept waiting for the story to turn into a domestic thriller. I also thought the final chapter really detracted from the rest of the story and left me feeling really annoyed that Evelyn and Nora’s friendship was destroyed for basically no reason. Overall though I found the story to be enjoyable.

The Favor is a heartwarming (though questionable and tense at times) story of Nora who would do anything to be a mom but whose body has betrayed her and Evelyn a rich socialite who volunteers to be Nora's and Jacob's last chance surrogate. I thought the book tackled Nora's infertility journey with grace and honesty. Evelyn's character was cringy at times, as it was difficult to really figure out her motivations. In a way Nora and Evelyn were using each other to get the one thing they wanted most... a baby and success/acceptance in her own right. Friendships are complicated for sure. Slow moving at times, without giving anything away, the final 1/3 of the book paid out emotionally, and the epilogue was spectacular.

Thank you to SOURCEBOOKS Lanmark and #NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

The Favor by Adele Griffin ran the gamut of emotions for me. I enjoyed the beginning chapters where we meet Nora who works in a shop, located in Manhattan, called I’ll Have Seconds where customers can buy high-end vintage clothing. One day Evelyn Elliot, a rich socialite and social influencer, walks in the door and spends quite a bit of money. Nora and Evelyn develop a friendship. Nora and her husband live in a very small apartment and are in deep debt due to infertility problems. I was interested at first but felt there was a lot of repetition and not much movement. Around the thirty percent mark, I put the book down for a while. A couple of weeks later I picked the book up again. The plot thickened between the two and I changed my mind about the story. I particularly enjoyed the section when Nora and her husband went to visit Evelyn and her family. I enjoyed the plot twists, but then, for me, the author seemed to have trouble getting to the end of the book. She had good ideas but I felt the book was still a rough draft. My thanks to Sourcebooks Landmark and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

What an intriguing read! A beautiful story of friendship and it’s ups and downs, the differences in life for the wealthy and those struggling, beautiful descriptions of second hand designer clothes and the women who seek them out, the heartbreaking side of infertility, and the amazing gift of surrogacy.
Nora and Jacob have been struggling in their efforts to have a child. One night Nora meets Evelyn who sweeps into her place of work, a second hand store, I’ll Have Seconds, and buys thousands of dollars of clothing that Nora shows her. They have a favorite poet in common. They forge a different kind of friendship, due to their very different lifestyles. Nora does favors for Evelyn, finding special outfits for Evelyn to wear to society functions and paying her very well. At times Nora is even included in the events. Eventually Nora feels caught between her love of spending time with Evelyn and her husband’s negative feelings about Evelyn. Evelyn offers a favor to them and their friendship is tested and changed.
Adele Griffin deftly draws the reader into the midst of their friendship and causes them to question what they may do given the situations both Nora and Evelyn find themselves in. Both of them captured my heart and I found myself cheering for them both, as well as their friendship. The ending brought happy tears and peaceful feelings for both Nora and Evelyn.
Many many thanks to Adele Griffin, Sourcebooks Landmark, and NetGalley for affording me the pleasure of reading an arc of this just released beautiful story.