Really, pretty good story about four girlfriends as they go from college years to late 30's. Fun stuff. ( )

I always feel guilty starting a book and not finishing it, like I owe it to the author. I started this book and there just wasn't that "grab a hold and take off point" where I couldn't put the book down. I wasn't connected to the characters for lack of descriptive writing concerning their personalities, they were all described without flair. That may be the point of view the author wanted to take on, concentrating on the problems they were facing but I really didn't care too much about their problems because I didn't feel any emotional connection to them. I probably wouldn't recommend this even for a beach read for the simple fact that even when I was reading this, in my home uninterrupted, I would get bored with it and find my mind wondering back to my day instead of staying in the moment. Like a few of the other reviewers, I would have to look back and recap the characters and their lives to remember who was the narrator of this chapter, I kept getting everyones lives and families and troubles confused. I have heard good reviews of her previous book and will have to TRY to read that one before I form an opinion of the author. ( )

This book will be a terrific movie -- it's a great light read dealing with complex friendships. While the story doesn't go down deep, it's still enjoyable and deals with issues and topics that most people will be interested in. I think this would a perfect beach, airplane or purse read -- something you can pick up right where you left off without any trouble.
If you are looking for a deep meaningful look at friendship -- you will be frustrated with this book. It could be a good book for a book club's summer selections (if they pick something lighter during the heat of the summer)

With Friends Like These by Sally Koslow (ARC)
Published by Ballantine Books
ISBN 978-0-345-50622-1
At the request of Pump Up Your Book, a PB ARC was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from book): A novel following four New York City women's complicated friendships across a span of twenty years.
When Quincy, Jules, Talia and Chloe become fast friends despite their drastically different personalities. Now, nearly twenty years later, their lives have diverged as much as they possibly can within one city: Quincy is mourning a miscarriage and lusting for the perfect Manhattan apartment; Jules, a woman with an outsize personality, is facing forty alone; Talia, married and the mother of a four-year-old, is her family's reluctant breadwinner; and Chloe faces pressure from her hedge fund manager husband to be more ambitious. As these women grapple with the challenges of marriage, motherhood, careers, and real estate, they can't help but assess their positions in life in comparison to each other-leading them to envy and disillusionment.
My Thoughts and Opinion: I thoroughly enjoyed this contemporary chick lit novel, maybe even more so, because of recent personal issues, namely empty nesting. Lately I have been thinking about the past 20+ years, reassessing, recalling memories, taking inventory of life's ups and downs and what I have learned from them in my own personal life. The same premise as this book. I could relate to many experiences that these 4 very diverse women with different personality traits encountered in their lives. I could also compare them to my friendships that I have been lucky to have, for many years, and how each of us has changed but still maintained that special friendship bond. Ms Koslow has written a very emotional, touching and thought provoking novel that has an outcome that will have the reader, at least it did for me, taking stock of our own lives and friendships. What makes friendships endure for years? Even when there are times where intentions aren't truly genuine and/or have even a little bit of envy. The plot is profound and meaningful, whereas the author, creates 4 characters that experience so many real life emotions, trials and tribulations and through her written words, allows the reader to palpate each and every sentiment. A poignant must read !!!
My Rating: 4 ( )

Quick read, full of entanglements of the four women whose friendship started when they shared an apartment in New York, when they were all embarking on their lives. Thier friendship has continued into adulthood, through marriage, kids, and jobs. Sally Koslow captures the myraid of things that encompass most friendships involving women, all of the strings, webs of feelings of best friends.
She also portrays the intricacies of marriage, in a somewhat real degree.
This is a lighthearted, enjoyable read. ( )