Reasons for Avoiding Friends ⭑⭑⭑⭑
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
US Publication: September 14, 2021
Print: 305 pages
Audio: N/A
Confetti Rating: 4 stars
REVIEW:
In the midst of a global pandemic, do we really need MORE reasons for avoiding friends??? Ehh, who am I kidding… as a reading addict I can never have too many.
Megan Leavell’s new novel suggests that the demands of adulthood alone often provide reason enough to dodge not only snobby neighbors but the oldest of pals. Life demands, low self esteem, and hurt feelings make it easier to hibernate at home in sweats rather than suiting up in hard pants and engaging with the world.
I found this story of two 39-year-old childhood best who have drifted apart very relatable and honest. In many ways it reminded me of a lighter version of Kristin Hannah’s Firefly Lane (minus the weepy ending). After growing up in small town Wisconsin, Iris left for (overrated) New York while Gwen stayed to raise a (flawed) family. Iris struggles with alcohol, and Gwen struggles with body image - a lot. There are at least 20 references to her weight, but sadly I found that relatable too. I wish I could say that most women I know aren’t always aware of their size, but I can’t.
Megan Leavell has written dozens of highly-rated “heartwarming women’s fiction and small-town romance” books under the name Olivia Miles. I’ve not read any of them but can only speculate that perhaps the removal of rose-colored glasses and the addition of a little snark necessitated a rebrand. Whatever the reason, this brand of honest, romance-free contemporary fiction works for me.
My thanks to the author and Cedar House Press for providing an advance copy to review via NetGalley. Reasons for Avoiding Friends is now available.
PUBLISHER SYNOPSIS:
Growing up, Gwen and Iris were the best of friends, even if they couldn't have been more different. Now Gwen is living her hometown dream, or so she reminds herself while juggling endless parenting drama, an unemployed husband, and a neighborhood pyramid scheme. Never mind that at age thirty-nine, her social circle still resembles middle school. Her life is everything she ever wanted it to be, but nothing like she had planned.
Iris was never destined for the ordinary. When she moved to Manhattan, she shed her old life for a better one - but not without a cost. From a distance, Iris's life couldn't be more charmed, but no one knows about the cracks in the image she's worked so hard to cultivate. No one knows the real Iris at all. Except for Gwen. But Iris and Gwen haven't spoken for years. Until...
When Iris's past catches up with her, she turns to the one person she could always count on - but she isn't the only one keeping secrets, and as Gwen scrambles to preserve an illusion of domestic bliss, she finds herself wondering when they went from telling each other everything to sharing nothing. Now, a little wiser, and most certainly a little older, Gwen and Iris discover that the truest of friends accept you just as you are, and that loving yourself is sometimes the best way to find happiness.