Rachel Weiss is approaching 30 years old. She has a job she’s not thrilled about, and a dating life that has much to be desired, but at least she has her 3 best friends to lean on in their group chat. Rachel’s mother becomes obsessed with her marrying their next door neighbor’s son, Christopher Butkiss, a tech millionaire. But Rachel is not interested…until maybe she is?

Narration from Dara Rosenberg certainly makes this audiobook entertaining, as Rachel Weiss is a very high energy character, but it’s clear that some of the characters in this novel, particularly Rachel’s mother, are quite flawed and at some times, unbelievable. Rachel’s mother is incredibly overbearing and there are not a lot of times that we see genuine moments or conversations between Rachel and her mother. However, the close relationship between Rachel and her sister Jane does help make up for that.

This book seems to follow a modern day Pride and Prejudice storyline. It is entertaining and sweet, capturing the ups and downs of friendships and relationships with family members, but some characters may not sit well with readers.

I really enjoyed this more than I thought I was going to. I laughed and got emotional right along with the characters. The narration was spot on! I will absolutely be recommending this one to the book club!

I thought the narration was very entertaining, engaging and was a good match for Rachel’s character. I really enjoyed this listen, thank you for the opportunity!

Happy pub day to this debut novel! I mostly listened to the audio, but I followed along in my ebook copy. Thanks to Forever, Hachette Audio, and Netgalley for early access to this title in exchange for my honest opinion. The narrator of the audiobook, Dara Rosenberg, does a great job, with a variety of voices for the characters and a variety of tones that give additional insight into Rachel’s feelings beyond the page.
Rachel and her friends are turning thirty, which is giving them a chance to reflect and have some Big Feelings. Rachel’s mother is obsessed with marrying off her daughters - although lucky for Rachel, her older sister is first up on her mother’s list. While day-to-day work and family and relationship drama can be unappealing, Rachel’s friends and their group chat gives her life. I have a book besties group chat where we chat book drama and life drama and a work friends group chat with two of my coworkers. Both can feel absolutely necessary to help when life gets crazy, so I can understand where Rachel is coming from in that respect in this book.
Rachel overall seemed more immature than a typical thirty year old; I got more early-to-mid twenties, New Adult vibes from this read, but that may be a reflection of my perceptions and experience. There is Jewish representation and fun contemporary cultural references, but I had some issues with one particular plot point and its simplistic resolution. I didn’t realize this was a Pride and Prejudice retelling, so that’s on me. It felt more like women’s fiction than romance - although maybe that’s true for P&P, too.
This book is now available if it sounds like your cup of tea - other reviewers really loved it as a millennial take on P&P in the vein of Bridget Jones!

Rachel Weiss is about to turn thirty in this modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice that focuses more on friendship and personal growth than romance. It’s light and humorous with the nostalgic elements of Sex And The City and the rom-coms of the early 2000’s.

At first, I really didn’t care for Rachel, although I suspect that was the point. She’s self-absorbed, a bit superficial, and quite hypocritical. Her mother is obsessed with setting her up with a handsome tech millionaire who defies all the rules of modern courtship either due to confidence or naivety. He knows her zodiac sign and tells her it’s because he read her IG bio. Okay, stalker. Anyway, you get my drift.

Second to Rachel’s personal growth, what I really liked most about the story was both the refuge and confinement of a besties group chat, particularly for younger women. The group chat is a place for Rachel’s friends to escape the monotony, but also becomes a bit of an echo chamber causing one of the friends to leave. Dara Rosenberg is an absolutely brilliant narrator and does a wonderful job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hatchette Book Group for this arc.

Rachel Weiss's Group Chat by Lauren Appelbaum is an absolute delight! Rachel Weiss’s journey through the chaos of turning thirty is hilariously relatable and full of heart. From her awkward encounters with love to her laugh-out-loud group chat exchanges with her friends, Rachel’s voice is refreshingly honest and unfiltered. Appelbaum has perfectly captured the essence of being stuck in life while balancing the complexities of friendships, romance, and self-discovery.
Its witty humour and the charming "opposites attract" romance that blossoms unexpectedly is so fun! Rachel’s banter with the tech bro next door, who turns out to be more than just a millionaire in the making, is touching and hilarious. The way their relationship evolves from frustrating neighbors to something deeper feels real and unforced.
This romantic comedy shines with its hilarious moments, tender introspection, and the importance of friendship and self-growth. This is the perfect feel-good read for anyone who has ever felt stuck, laughed their way through bad decisions, and found love in the most unexpected places. Highly recommended!

2.75 stars
Listened as an audiobook

I found this book entertaining and I liked the narrations, but I also found a lot of things quite silly. I thought the main character, Rachel, was quite egotistical and was quite rude to other people, especially her family. There was no character development throughout the book even with Rachel's claims that she has changed. There was also no romantic development even though this book claims to be a romance. I was more than half way and was wondering when we are going to get a proper interaction between the MC and Love interest. She was also really rude to the love interest throughout the book until the end when she decided she liked him because he did a bunch of stuff for her. I personally did not think this was a great book, even if I did have fun while listening.

I appreciate the arc and I really liked the narrator! For more of a review check out my bookstagram.

Absolutely loved this book! I loved the Jewish family dynamics with all the traditions and personalities woven throughout the book. The enemies-to-lovers trope is always fun to read and the female main character had so much anger towards the male main character, it was hilarious to see how it played out. I enjoyed all the side characters too, they were lots of fun to hear their stories too. Hilarity ensues and I enjoyed the ending more than I thought was possible.

The production and narration in this audiobook were excellent, with the narrator really bringing the characters to life through well-timed sighs and expressions of frustration that added depth to the story. That said, the portrayal of Rachel occasionally felt a bit shrill, which seemed like an artistic choice but might not work for everyone. I’d recommend giving the sample a listen to see if it clicks for you!

✨The Highlights✨
- Enemies to lovers
- Opposites attract
- Insta-love
- Female friendship vibes
- Jewish rep

✨The Feels✨
If you're looking for a laugh-out-loud ride through life's messiest moments, *Rachel Weiss' Group Chat* delivers. Rachel is a chaotic disaster—witty but super self-absorbed, making you shake your head while still rooting for her. She reminds me of a sexy, Jewish Bridget Jones. Her group chat with the girls? Heartwarming and hilarious! And her mom? Major eyerolls. Christopher, the sweet tech bro “next door”, needed more page time imho and their romance was very insta-love.

There are definitely some questionable moments that gave me the ick, but overall, this book is incredibly funny, cheeky, and full of heart. Just don’t expect a typical romance and you’ll have a good time laughing at the madness that is Rachel’s life.

✨The Spoiler-Free Details✨
Rachel Weiss is 30, stuck in a job she hates, and her love life is a mess—oh, and her mom’s trying to set her up with the annoying new neighbor’s son. But as they start exchanging DMs, Rachel begins to realize maybe there's more to him than meets the eye.

Family dynamics that include a seriously pushy, invasive and overbearing mother, a father who loves her, but mostly goes along with his wife, a sister who the parents deem as respectable so she gets to escape the inevitable motherly criticism and Rachel, who is forever disappointing her mother just by being herself and following her own path. She is not the “golden child” and her mother lets her know it every single day of her life. Yes she hasn’t found her true passion, hates her job and is quite immature for her age, but she’s a work in progress and has an amazing group of ride or die friends and has a truly good heart. Her mother decides yet again to set her up with a man she deems perfect and who just happens to be the very wealthy nice Jewish boy of their next door neighbors. The problem is that she couldn’t be less interested and they couldn’t have less in common. Their first meeting is rather contentious and she is less than happy when she hears how he and his family feel about her when they don’t know she’s around. The road is bumpy, funny, ironic, a little sad until Rachel finally finds her footing and a sweet happily ever after.

In Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat, Rachel was constantly sharing every last detail of her life with her friends on a group chat, all while dealing with her pushy mom trying to get her married. It was a take on Pride and Prejudice with opposites attract and daughters being urged to get married. This was an entertaining read with a bunch of laugh out loud moments. Rachel’s mom was a bit too over the top and fed into too many stereotypes for me but setting that aside, I loved the bantering with her friends and her sisters. And I love text chains breaking up chapters.

3.5 ⭐️

I went into this book with no expectations and it was surprisingly funny and wholesome in the end. it was a great palate cleanser story, where I could just shut my brain off and giggle. nothing groundbreaking, yet fun.

Publication: September 24th, 2024

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lauren Appelbaum’s Group Chat is a heartwarming and captivating story about friendship, digital connections, and the ups and downs of life in the modern world. The story skillfully weaves together multiple perspectives, making it relatable to anyone who has experienced the chaos and joy of group chats with friends. What stands out is how each character feels distinct yet interconnected, offering both humor and poignant moments that keep the narrative engaging.

Rachel Weiss’s narration elevates the audiobook experience to a whole new level. Her voice perfectly captures the personality and emotions of each character, bringing the dialogue to life. Her performance is lively and nuanced, making it easy to get immersed in the story.

I read along with the e-arc with the audiobook love the narration

Thank You Netgalley and Hachette Audio

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I listened to the audiobook and loved the narrator. I hated the main character and had a hard time staying focused. The characters seemed so immature to the point that it went past being quirky to just being annoying. I know this will be a favorite for some but it wasn’t the book for me.

Unfortunately, I just did not connect with the main character. She was arrogant and not very likable. I realize that’s the point then the character learns a lesson. I just couldn’t find anything very redeemable about Rachel from the beginning, therefore I just struggled through the book. I thought the narrator did a great job bringing this book to life though. It’s the only thing that kept me going. This one just wasn’t for me.
Huge thanks to Hatchette Audio and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for the opportunity to review this audiobook. The narration was excellent, and the performer did a fantastic job with the different characters.
Unfortunately, this book and "story" didn’t resonate with me at all. If it was supposed to be satire then I'd find it more enjoyable because I'd gone into it with a different set of expectations. I found the main character annoying and unbearable, making it hard for me to stay engaged. The female lead was extremely irritating, and the supporting characters were flat and lacked depth. The mother got on my nerves from the very beginning and it did not get any better. This felt more like a satire because I can't believe these characters and this “story” could exist in real life. Overall, it was not an good listen/read for me.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat by Lauren Applebaum
Contemporary chick lit, romance. Own voice.
It’s the year of turning thirty for Rachel and her group of besties. So they celebrate 29 win varying degrees of success. Rachel finds lots of attractive and intriguing men through parties, and dating apps, but none of them are worth long term efforts. She has a job that pays the bills but admits to often going in late and just calling it in some days. After mandated therapy at work and some self realization, Rachel feels like her friends are being successful but that she’s stuck. Maybe the one man she categorically said no to, and then befriends, has it right in helping to make the world a better place. Maybe Rachel needs to start giving back too.

🎧 I alternated between an ebook and an audiobook which was narrated by Dara Rosenberg who gives an absolutely fabulous performance. Different voices for the women, and a lower octave and husky voice for Christopher and her father and others. Really impressive conversations between male and female voices that have me now thinking must have been annotated ahead of time to get the timing down so well. The full POV is Rachel so hearing the confidence in her voice is a given, but we also clearly hear her slide to confusion and doubt and then remorse. I looked up the narrator and see there are more than 300 books recorded (a lot of humor and paranormal) and I can totally understand why she’s a success after hearing this book.
An entrancing performance.
I did listen at 1.5 which is my preferred speed to better match my reading and conversations.
Between the ebook and audiobook, I would recommend the audiobook, simply to hear Rachel’s full personality.

Rachel grows up.
She’s super self confident to the point of arrogance. But aren’t we all in our 20’s?
I have mixed feelings about her. And have to pause and think back, isn’t that life what I did in my 20’s? I didn’t have concerns for anyone else outside my drinking and play buddies. If you didn’t marry your childhood or high school sweetheart, those years after school and first jobs are about enjoying life and the world. At least for me and most of my close friends. Yes, work becomes important just like it does for Rachel. Family and relationships become sacred as life throws curves.
I didn’t like Rachel. But I understood her. So that mimics the book. I didn’t care for the first half of the story but was rooting for her win by the end.
I did enjoy a lot of funny quips throughout the book, many of which I had to stop reading and highlight. These added a much needed lighter tone in the story.

I received a copy of this from NetGalley and HachetteAudio.

2 stars

I am just not sure if a retelling of Pride & Prejudice works all that well in a modern world, especially if it sticks too close to the original plot. Not only did I find the romance to be unbelievable (he claims love after maybe 7 sentences over 6 months??), but the family members of the FMC were over dramatic in an exaggerated fashion, and the friend group....so many issues there. The writing was incredibly casual and rushed. The romance plot took up maybe 5% of the entire book, the rest was just...an over-confident, self-absorbed, immature woman's ramblings. There were multiple scene that came off as an unreliable narcissistic narrator with an ending of "and they all clapped".

Regarding the audiobook, I felt that narrator did a good job with what she was given.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ALC.

Rachel Weiss’s Group Chat is a current day Bridget Jones. It’s so comically written and will make you laugh out loud. With the main character a hot mess, and a cast of characters that includes a swoon worthy love interest, fantastic friendships among women, and a family with hilarious dynamics, you’ll be hooked!

It was also so fun to listen to a comedy based in Seattle, which is in my neck of the woods.

I listened to the audiobook version of this story, which had a narrator that nailed the main character and brought this story to life. I listened at 1.75x speed (my normal audiobook listening speed is 1.75-2x speed).

Thank you NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this advanced audiobook copy.

I always read Jane Austen adaptations with the utmost interest because there are so many novel and unique ways to modernize them. This one was NOT marketed as one, but you could tell from the start that that’s where it’s going. I wasn’t a fan of that.
I thought the book would have been so much more effective if it was either a looser adaptation or a tighter adaptation, because as a lay reader I’m obviously inadvertently comparing it to the source material, which is super unfair. All that said, if you really take the source material out, this would have been a fascinating book about growing up in your late twenties. The feeling of the carpet getting pulled from under you, while all your friends are building something is done so well here.
However, the absolutely insane thing the MC did in Vegas was a bit too egregious for me to understand. I absolutely don’t think that that was the direction the plot should have taken to modernize the Kitty incident? Wooofff.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.