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

RACHEL WEISS'S GROUP CHAT is an easy, light-hearted read about female friendships and feeling behind in life. I will say it felt more like in the woman's fiction genre rather than a romance, and Christopher's professed love felt a little sudden to me. I liked the reminder that not everyone always has or has to have their life figured by thirty years old. I do think young adults will especially like and relate to this book.

Thank you to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

3.5⭐️ rounded up

I am thankful to have gotten the eARC for free from Netgalley and Forever, Grand Central Publishing so I can leave my voluntary and honest review.

I don’t usually round up but over all I did like the book for the most part in that so kept reading and wanted to know what happened.

I’m not typically a fan of modern retellings so ai am glad I did not realize that this was one of Pride and Prejudice meets Bridget Jones Diary (which I’ve never read or seen the later)

The FMC is really frustrating and messy but I did want to see her get a happy ending. This is classified as a romance but I didn’t agree with that at all. The FMCs mother is also awful and to me completely unauthentic. It made me angry that the author describes her as a typical “Jewish mother” as she isn’t. Her mental health seriously needs to be examined.

However what I liked about the book was that things were messy and imperfect. It was nice to read a character who didn’t have everything together. I could have done without the complete self absorption but it wasn’t that bad. Meaning having to read it. The r self absorption was over the top and awful. There is a bit of toxicity going on so I caution young readers from reading it. It’s not YA but it can have that appeal to that audience.

After I sit with it I may change my rating but for now I am
Being generous. On a side note the prose itself is also a bit of a mess at times. Disjointed and in certain sports just doesn’t make sense. Lastly, I hated the ending.
My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

I am enjoying this book so much! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author. All opinions are my own.

This story is a Pride and Prejudice retelling, but of the Bridget Jones’s Diary variety. The FMC is often at times obnoxious, arrogant, self-centered, and quite the disaster. However, the plot focuses on her growth as she learns to center those around her and focuses on bettering herself. While I personally felt the story started out strong, it was overall underwhelming and lackluster.

I loved the focus on Rachel’s family and friendships. Even her work dynamic is a well fleshed out piece of the story. The romance, though? It was a major flop. Granted I know Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth don’t spend THAT much time together before his failed proposal, but in Austen’s story there were balls and run ins and dinners. Not Instagram comments and passing greetings. In this story after the proposal, they spend even less time together while she obsesses over him and the fact he liked her. It felt like she was settling for someone she was told to like and didn’t completely find boring. The chemistry, to me, was lacking.

I did appreciate the author writing a very authentic character - someone who makes mistakes, doesn’t have herself pulled together, isn’t quite sure what she wants from life, and only starts learning from her mistakes after finding herself in a situation with fairly severe consequences. I often have trouble relating to characters that are portrayed as pure sunshine. The characters that are oftentimes a mess just seem more genuine and realistic to me.

I think fans of Austen and Bridget Jone’s Diary will appreciate this retelling, but for me its strengths are in its family and friendship dynamics, not the romance.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I wasn't sure if I would end up liking this book. It started out kind of crass and sarcastic, and I wondered where it was going. However, around 30% in, the story hit its stride. While I'm sure others will find the FMC annoying and self absorbed (tbh she is) I enjoyed watching her evolution, and found the ups and downs of friendship to be very heartwarming. Without giving too much away, I was happy to see the FMC prioritize herself, and take responsibility which area pretty important messages. Rom Com lovers will enjoy this quick read, and of course the HEA. Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

A bit of a slow start but it does pick up and become fast paced and gets interesting! it's not as heavy on the romance as I initially thought it would be BUT it does have a lot of funny moments to get it into that rom com vibe. It also has character development and sisterhood as a main portion of this book too. I would say it's about life all around rather than center romance in it's entirety. This is definitely about feeling stuck and not knowing what to do, relying on friendship, and learning the struggles of life as you open up your heart. This is much more than just a romance book!

Our main character you'll either love her or hate her, she is annoying and at times an air head but at the same time enjoyable and lovable and you want to root for her.

It is definitely giving vibes and writing of pride and prejudice, readers who are fans of that should definitely read this one! This is an easy and quick read and I would recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advance review copy in return for an honest review. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The book is very fast paced and fun but the main character seems so aloof and out of touch a little. The whole sexual assault joke video being scrubbed from the internet was a lot.

Thank You Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing| Forever

Publish Date: September 24th, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐.5

This book had a slow start, but once I got 15% in, it picked up. I enjoyed the characters, the friend group, and the two younger sisters throughout the story, This story is a fun and easy short read and a fun dynamic.

Here I am again reading another modern adaptation of Pride & Prejudice with some Emma vibes mixed in. I assumed for some reason that there would be more romance in it, but the book really does revolve around main character Rachel.

I wanted to like Rachel more than I did, but she was kinda terrible for parts of the book. And her friends left a bit to be desired as well. I didn’t really get why Christopher was so gaga over here, but it is what it was.

Thanks as always to NetGalley for the ARC.

Rachel Weiss is like many of us. Frustrating, frustrated, and bolstered by the ever-entertaining chatter of a group chat with lifelong friends. We follow Rachel as she navigates relationships with her family (see: overbearing mother and insufferable teenage twin sisters), friends (who are all on their own journeys hurtling towards thirty), and men (self-explanatory). Rachel is imperfect but pithy - her clear voice echoed throughout & kept me rooting for her despite her many, many mishaps. I enjoyed the comradery of the friend group / group chat and the realistic depiction of the ebbs and flows of life-long friendships, all while set with deliberate description in Seattle. Romance is always present but (almost always) secondary to the bond between the four best friends. While Rachel makes some upsetting mistakes, especially one with her sister, I enjoyed following the entirety of this arc towards redemption.

Witty, relatable, and evoking many a visceral reaction, this contemporary retelling of Pride and Prejudice was an easy, quick, and enjoyable read.

I Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat. This was a funny romcom that had me laughing out loud often. If you enjoy books, where opposites attract, this one is for you.