An attempted modern day retelling of Pride & Prejudice.

I was absolutely disgusted by this book for many, many reasons. One of the biggest being that a character goes viral for making fun of sexual assault/sa survivors and promptly loses her job. Rather than learn from this experience, she makes it everyone else's problem. I can understand the attempt at social commentary, but it completely missed the mark. Especially considering the FMC is entirely unlikeable, consistently and problematically inserts herself in her friends problems, has barely an ounce of empathy and is truly unbearable. Once again, I understand the commentary on character growth and self discovery, but the execution was lackluster and felt very tone deaf.

Not even a modern day Darcy could save this book, in my opinion.

Such a disappointment. Not trying to be mean, just my experience with the book. Devastated they wrote my girl Elizabeth Bennet so horribly in this. Lizzy and Jane would never.

Thank you to Lauren Appelbaum, Forever and NetGalley for the arc.

I originally requested this book thinking it was going to be a romance, however this didn’t feel like romance to me even with a Jane Austen flair/inspiration (Pride & Prejudice).
The title was captivating to me - as a girly with a group chat of my best friends, and the cover alluded to a romance.

This book had its quirks and fun one-liners. I’m not personally a big fan of self absorbed characters even if it’s a strong independent woman (our FMC).
**For clarity ANY self absorbed character in any book just gives me the ick, it’s not this character specifically, this book, or the author.

A few predictable parts and then a very turbulent drop off in the end. The group chat dynamic was fun but again, I was anticipating a romance and in the end didn’t really get what I wanted out of it.

I appreciate the author and publisher for allowing me to read this ARC! Not every book can be someone’s cup of tea. I hope this book finds its intended readers.

Rachel Weiss lives in an interesting reality. While a normal human would look at some of the things that happen as a hot mess of a life. Rachel spins the reality to make it seem magical. Rachel knows that she is doing the bare minimum to get by in life and floats to guy to guy. Her mom is constantly nagging for her to find someone to "take-care" of her.

I loved this book and would love to read this all over again as a new read.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advance copy.

I had a lot of mixed feelings while reading this book. At first, I was put off by the author's writing style, but then I began to enjoy it and was excited to continue reading. However, I became disappointed as the 'plot' developed. It was quite hard to fully connect with any of the characters. The romance? What romance? I am still confused as to how they fell in love in the first place. There were hardly any interactions between the MCs that weren't surface-level. It was as if I was reading a summary. I'm not sure.

I received an ARC from Netgalley

Seattle setting, Jewish rep, enemies to lovers, adventures of dating, family pressure/drama, self-discovery, he falls first, Pride & Prejudice retelling.

Rachel Weiss & her girls share a chat group (honestly wish there were more texts on page based on the title) where they share dating woes and support each other. I loved seeing the girls supporting each other!

Rachel is messy, has an entry level tech job, dating around, trying to find her way in the world. Her mother is pushing her to meet their new neighbor's son, a tech bro with too much money, but Rachel isn't having it. They keep running into each other & come to an agreement of sorts. He declares his lover for her which seems to come out of nowhere.

Overall a fun retelling with modern characters & Jewish rep!

Starting this book I was relating a bit with our FMC and some of the struggles of dating at almost thirty. I enjoyed getting to see the relationship with her friends. This book is not one I would put in the romance category however as there is hardly any interactions between the FMC and MMC. I would have like to see them actually get to know each other instead of the very few interactions we get. I also did not like how through this book it seems like her mother cares more about the MMC and getting her daughters married off rather than if her daughters are happy or not. Overall this book was okay but I don't think I would read it again.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Applebaum is expected to be published September 24. Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat started out strongly but lost momentum toward the end of the book. I even highlighted the opening sentence and noted Pride & Prejudice vibes. Turns out, I was right: the book features a meddling mother hell-bent on marrying off her nearly-thirty-year-old daughter, Rachel.

Rachel isn’t quite Lizzy Bennet. She’s messier, more outgoing, and living a fun but self-centered life in Seattle. She’s also stuck in a dead-end job she hates, trying to find her way in the world. She also is trying to avoid her mother’s meddling to try to set her up with Christopher, the rich son of her new next-door-neighbors.

I was on board with the first 60% of the book, but the last 40% felt rushed. I wanted more development and interactions between the MCs, more banter, something to show how the two were getting to know each other. (Even Lizzy and Darcy get to know each other more after the first proposal). I didn’t feel the connection after the declaration, honestly. One of the acts that Rachel does is remedied by Christopher’s actions, and I was a little put off by the subject because it didn’t feel like Rachel.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat reads more like women’s fiction than romance. I did like the friendships between the characters and how they showed the difficulties of maintaining friendships as each woman grows and gets busier. Parts of the book made me laugh and definitely are relatable to millennials. I also liked Rachel’s attempts to better herself, and the volunteering scenes were sweet.

The first half of Rachel Weiss' Group Chat was a fun and exciting ride through Rachel's life including her dead-end job, her vibrant friend group, and her quirky af family. The laughs were piling up and the dialogue was really amusing, but for me it took a turn when it became an obvious take on Pride & Prejudice. The arrogant confession of love, the letter writing, and the family favors had me imagining Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen as the books characters and it was not a good transition for me.

Don't get me wrong, I love the book & movie, but I am not a fan of obvious Shakespearian retellings, especially if I'm not expecting them. Maybe I missed some obvious clues, but if you aren't thinking "retelling" at the outset, a wacky marriage minded parent isn't that strange.

The book tried to get me back in with some friendship drama (hello, Mr. Collins) and a scandalous #metoo bachelorette snafu, but I definitely lost my interest. That being said, I do think that there are a lot of people out there who will enjoy this modern retelling with a Seattle tech scene backdrop!

A hilarious debut! I laughed out loud at much of Rachel’s inner monologue and shenanigans. If you want a lighthearted comedy, this book is for you!

I started it out with hope for a good enemies to lovers story but it was just not enough enemies to lovers. I barely started the book and it seemed he was already swooned by her and they were becoming friends. I liked the writing but the protagonist Rachel was a little immature at times. And when her and Christopher first met she was outright mean to him. Her mom was also a little weirdly obsessed with Christopher. What I did like though was her and the girls friendship.

I did not realize this would be a Pride and Prejudice retelling as it’s not mentioned in the blurb. Based on the description and cover, I thought this would be an enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring plenty of texting. It was not this at all. There is very little romance and I could not sense any build up or chemistry between the leads.
I appreciated the self-confidence Rachel had and, at the same time, had trouble understanding why her love interest fell completely and deeply in love with her after limited and awkward interaction. None of his actions seemed believable to me.

There is an instance where Rachel and her sister go viral after a video of them making light of the “Me Too” movement is posted online and it is treated in a very flippant way that was disappointing and only serves to make Rachel unlikable.

I think the concept of a P&P/Bridget Jones mashup has promise and if some of the many subplots were removed (including the viral video and faking test scores!) to make more room for the development of the central romance, this could be a more enjoyable story.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum is a first person-POV contemporary about a Jewish Millennial woman on the cusp of turning thirty. Rachel is fine still being unmarried, but her mother sure isn't and tries to set Rachel up with the son of her new neighbors, Christopher. Sparks don't fly as Rachel views him as a tech bro who doesn't care about the environment or the havoc capitalism wreaks on our lives.

One thing I really liked was how extremely confident and self-absorbed Rachel is. She refers to herself as a sex goddess and flawless and is very clearly used to hyping herself up and feeling like she has the goods to back it up. She has a degree in English from Whitman college and works in tech support, a juxtaposition many Millennials have found themselves in post-grad. She feels like someone who you know, someone who is a little too into themselves, but is ultimately well-meaning and does actually care about modern issues.

The romantic subplot between Rachel and Christopher read very Pride and Prejudice to me while Rachel's personality was similar to the titular character in Emma. She can be judgemental and think without speaking and does make some pretty but mistakes, but theres no real malice. The more I read, the more it felt like a Jewish Millennial Jane Austen reimagining and I love Jane Austen. The main spin is that a lot of the story lies in Rachel's relationships with her friends and family, not only her romances.

Rachel's friend group has a variety of personalities and situations, particularly with Amy being the married one of the group and struggling with her marriage being less passionate than she would like. Through Amy we get some exploration of how married couples still feel self-conscious and may struggle to state their issues outright, which manifests into worrying behavior.

Content warning for mentions of sexual assault

I would recommend this to readers of contemporary fiction with flawed, self-confident female leads and fans of Jane Austen adaptations.

Thank you to NetGalley, Forever (Grand Publishing) and Lauren Appelbaum for an advance e-reader copy of “Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat”.

This so the first book I have read by this author and I look forward to reading more. This is definitely a loose take on Pride and Prejudice (one of my all time favorites) and I enjoyed the similarities.

Here is what I loved:

First, this is a hilarious book! From Rachel’s internal dialogue (laughed so hard) to her deep friendship group and her self-confidence, I want to be or to know Rachel! She seems like a blast (if sometimes a bit EXTRA). Reading this book just made me feel good-I couldn’t put it down.

The one and only critique I have is that it felt like the ending was rushed.

This book will be on sale September 24, 2024 and I will definitely be buying a copy!

I absolutely loved this book! Rachel was hilarious! She was so confident, zany, and just such a fun character. I wish I could be friends with her. She was fiercely loyal to her friends (even after they betray her)! She did want to date but she did not settle for less than what she deserved because she was "Rachel freaking Weiss"!

Rachel is turning 30 and her mom is desperate for her to find a date (she really should go to therapy about her obsession with Rachel dating).Rachel's mom decided to set her up with her new neighbor's son, who is a millionaire, tech CEO, Christopher. Rachel was not having it and hilarity ensues.

The book was actually less of a love story but more of a story of friendship - hence the group chat. However, the love story was still super swoon worthy! I was sad that it ended. If you love Jane Austen, confident women, and want to laugh out loud - you will want to check this one out. Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

This book definitely had its LOL moments! As a modern day retelling of Pride and Prejudice, the family dynamics have been particularly well flushed out! I quite enjoyed it. The parts about dating scenes as one approaches 30 and the FMC's relationship with her family were quite relatable. Not sure, if the same can be said about the FMC's relationship with her some of her friends!

Although there were initial sparks between the FMC and MMC, I thought it lacked a certain punch. I wish their chemistry was better explored further as the story progressed, instead it was almost non-existent for the better part of the last one-third of the book. For this reason, I feel this is more a women's fiction and less of a romance.

I found the sustainability themes discussed throughout the book to be very much on point and relevant to the current times. Overall, I think Austen fans would love this fun and breezy read!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.




#RachelWeisssGroupChat #NetGalley

loved this romance and her mom wants her to date this millionaire christopher. jane is the perfect sister and she has these amazing friends who are all dealing with different relationship issues from a rocky marriage to an arranged marriage. loved that she found her way in the job and found love.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat / Lauren Appelbaum
★★★☆☆

This book was funny and relatable for those in their 20’s who may feel like their lost in their personal and/or professional lives. I found the self-development to be very good, it was nice to see Rachel mature over the course of this book. Was she annoying? Yes. Was she self-centered and self-sabotaging? YES. Was her mother the worst person ever? 1000% I wanted to fight her, what a psycho. I enjoyed the ending but wish we got to see a little more.

Thank you Netgalley & Forever for this e-ARC!

If Lorelai Gilmore were a character in a book, she would be Rachel Weiss. Funny, witty, loud, unapologetic, and a steadfast friend, Rachel embodies the spirit of a true heroine. Lauren did a fantastic job writing this book, making you feel like you were inside Rachel's brain the entire time, experiencing her unfiltered thoughts and ramblings.

This book is a mix of humor, banter, self-discovery, and love, but at its heart, it’s about friendship. It’s about growing up and seeing who sticks around when the boys and jobs fade.

Rachel comes from a Jewish family with a mother determined to see her married. But Rachel is content being unapologetically herself, dancing on tables and chasing the next best experience (guy or otherwise), much to her mother's dismay. Despite the craziness of her family, it's her found family in her friends that keeps her grounded and rooting for more.

Honestly, this book feels like a mashup of Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, Gilmore Girls, and a romantic comedy all in one. If that’s your vibe, then this book is for you.

Overall, the book felt rushed to me, and it was more focused on self-discovery than any other storyline. I just was hoping for more romance since this is a romance read, but if you go in with the right set of expectations, then the book is well-written.

That being said, I would label this as more of a story of friendship and self-discovery than a romance read.

So… this book.

Ugh.

Rachel is NOT a good FMC you want to read about. She’s self-absorbed to the point of cluelessness. Starting a book with a character who’s waking from a drunken one-night stand and doesn’t even remember the guy’s name is NOT a way to endear your character to your reader. She doesn’t get much better as the book continues. Her “boyfriend” is a joke, and makes her look pathetically desperate.

I must ask myself, however, how much Rachel can be blamed for her behavior when we consider her upbringing. Her mother. MY GOD, the mother. What a disgusting, overly-dramatic, bipolar witch. It’s amazing elder sister Jane turned out as normal as she did. Mom certainly turns the Biblical “wailing and gnashing of teeth” into modern-day Drama with a capital “D.” It also certainly explains why her much-younger twin sisters behave the way they do. The twins are petulant toddlers trapped in the bodies of 16-year-olds. If I had behaved as abhorrently as they do when I was that age, the repercussions I would’ve faced from my own parents would’ve been severe. These children, however, have parents who wail and coddle (mom) and cower, hide, and bribe (dad), so it’s really no wonder.

I added a star because Rachel does seem to finally redeem herself in the last few chapters, but it was a long, painful read to get there.

𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙉𝙚𝙩𝙂𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙍𝘾 𝙞𝙣 𝙚𝙭𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬.

Oh hey it’s meeeeeee I’m reading this for work! Aaaaaaand there's a character limit on reviews here are some more words