It’s ironic that when I began to put my thoughts together to talk about this book, there’s a line that struck me and really challenged how I felt about the relationship between a couple of characters in the book. I’d felt a certain way until this line hit me and really changed my perspective about the characters. I’d never noticed it in the summary. It says, “There's an elephant in the room…the thing none of us talk about but affects our choices and actions.”

Friends With Issues by Meredith Berlin, is her debut novel featuring three friends who have made their mark on Manhattan but who now struggle with the daily balancing act of career, family and friendship and romance.

The book follows three friends, Brooke, Elizabeth, and Susan who struggle balancing the many moving parts of their daily lives. Brooke is questioning everything she thought about her dream guy, Tripp. Their marriage is not turning out to be what she hoped which has led her down a path with a decision that has life changing consequences. Elizabeth, my favorite character, has a stable relationship with her hubby Danny. We follow her journey as she rebrands her life through her life altering medical challenge. Susan, despite the challenges in her relationship, finds herself rediscovering her passion for life through an unexpected path.

The heart of the book, the relationships between these friendships I found to be a wonderful read. Told through different perspectives, it was a slow build getting to know them but when you do, you just escape into their lives. Besides their friendships, we experience their lives from the perspectives of their families and their personal relationships which brings some interesting plot twists to the book. The ups and downs and challenges to a marriage that define their choices and actions and how it affected their friendships and relationships. We see these characters and their experiences and can connect with them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this debut novel. This was a good book to escape into with relatable characters with experiences that will keep you interested. I look forward to what’s to come for this author.

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