REVIEW: The Friends We Keep by Susan Mallery

In The Friends We Keep (Mischief Bay #2) by Susan Mallery, Three friends in Mischief Bay, Gabby Schaefer, Hayley Batchelor and Nicole Lord, are about to have one of the craziest years of their lives. Thank goodness they have each other’s support as they fight their own battles and try to come out unscathed on the other side.

Hayley’s inability to carry a baby to full term is ripping her heart to shreds. And while her husband Rob just wants to keep her healthy and safe, she isn’t giving up on her dream of having a biological child. But as her body nears the point of giving out and her relationship with her husband becomes more strained, can Hayley face the fact that she may have to make a choice between her dream and cold, hard reality?

“We don’t need a baby, Hayley. Not to be happy. We need each other. We need our marriage to work.”
“I need the baby.”
“More than anything. Yeah. I got that.”

Gabby has cherished her time being a stay-at-home mom with her five-year old twins but she secretly can’t wait until they enter kindergarten this fall and she can go back to work. She knows it will take some adjusting, but with her kids, stepdaughter and loving husband by her side, they can make it work. But life has a way of shaking things up. Soon, Gabby and her family are faced with a crisis that may just test the strength of their bond.

‘As she gazed into the eyes of the man she would have sworn she loved more than anyone in the world, she wondered if their marriage would survive this.’

Nicole might be the successful owner of her own gym and mom to kind and bright six-year old Tyler, but she is severely lacking in the romance department. Not that she’s complaining. Dating after her divorce ended a little over a year ago is a daunting challenge. Especially when she can’t figure out what went wrong with her marriage. But old worries creep up on Nicole as she falls, little by little, for an amazing man who seems too good to be true. Is it the past repeating itself? Or can she rely on her instincts this time?

‘Nicole felt the carefully constructed wall around her heart crumble to dust. How was she supposed to resist a guy who was so good to her son? Who was inherently patient and kind with children?’

The Friends We Keep couldn’t have been better titled because is it was these three friends, all of their love, support and no nonsense straight-talking, that made the world of difference in their lives over the course of this story.

There are some authors that just *get* people. They can create characters who are multifaceted yet down-to-earth and then place them in real life situations that readers can fully relate to. For me, Susan Mallery is that type of an author. No matter if it is her beloved Fool’s Gold series, this equally wonderful Mischief Bay series, or a standalone title, I always seem to connect easily with her characters, the location and the conflicts presented. I think I have that connection because her character’s happily-ever-after, or even happily-for-now, is hard-won. They earn every precious moment of happiness which makes it that much sweeter.

In this novel, we had three women at very different stages in their lives. I loved how the storylines twisted around each other and that Gabby, Nicole and Hayley each had their turn in the spotlight and then as a helping hand to their friends. They all had their issues to deal with, mistakes they made and had to own up to, and then finally they found their happy medium. From natural nurturer Gabby longing to join the workforce again, to emotionally-devastated Hayley’s pregnancy struggles, to pragmatic Nicole’s post-divorce dating woes, I found their situations played well off each other to give us readers a layered story full of emotion and heart.

One other thing I just have to mention having read a lot of Susan Mallery’s work, is that all of the little details that complete a story was totally evident here. The names of the businesses were fun and added whimsy, like Nicole’s gym named Mischief in Motion. Cute, right? And of course there were a couple of pets that stole several scenes: Gabby’s family’s basset hound Boomer, and their cat Jasmine. To me, it made Gabby’s household seem real to include the chaos that not only children create, but also their beloved little critters. 😉

Whether you pick this up because it’s Chick Lit or for the Romance, I think readers will all find something to love in The Friends We Keep. It was a great look at how important friendship is on every level and in each relationship we have.

Book Info:

Publication: February 23rd 2016 | by Mira | Mischief Bay #2

In this insightful and compelling story from book club favorite Susan Mallery, three close friends test the boundaries of how much a woman can give before she has nothing left

After five years as a stay-at-home mom, Gabby Schaefer can’t wait to return to work. Oh, to use the bathroom in peace! No twins clamoring at the door, no husband barging in, no stepdaughter throwing a tantrum. But when her plans are derailed by some shocking news and her husband’s crushing expectations, Gabby must fight for the right to have a life of her own.

Getting pregnant is easy for Hayley Batchelor. Staying pregnant is the hard part. Her husband is worried about the expensive fertility treatments and frantic about the threat to her health. But to Hayley, a woman who was born to be a mom should risk everything to fulfill her destiny—no matter how high the cost.

Nicole Lord is still shell-shocked by a divorce that wasn’t as painful as it should’ve been. Other than the son they share, her ex-husband left barely a ripple in her life. A great new guy tempts her to believe maybe the second time’s the charm…but how can she trust herself to recognize true love?

As their bonds of friendship deepen against the beautiful backdrop of Mischief Bay, Gabby, Hayley and Nicole will rely on good food, good wine and especially each other to navigate life’s toughest changes.