My take on: Four Friends

After reading Four Friends, by Robyn Carr, I had to think about something. How well do I know my neighbors? I have lived in the same house for nearly 20 years, and I can honestly say I don't know much. I know some names, I know who lives where, I know whose car is whose, and .... that's about it. It's sad!

Would I know if something was wrong? Would I know if they were celebrating something? Do any of us really know what goes on behind closed doors? Or do we let people see what we want them to see?

Why all the the questions? Simple, at the heart of this book is a friendship between four women. Three of them have been friends for years, and one has recently come into the fold. All four of them have a story to tell.

Gerri is the rock of the group. She and her husband, Phil, run their family like a well-oiled machine. With three kids, one of them always makes sure they are around. They both have demanding jobs. Sometimes there isn't time enough time to give their relationship or their sex life the attention it deserves. But, as far as Gerri is concerned their marriage is rock solid ... or is it.

Andy's latest marriage has just fallen apart. Her husband would rather live like a single man. She can never pick the right man, but the right man might be right in front of her. Her handyman, Bob, isn't the type of person she would normally be attracted to. He is bald and has a little extra weight around the middle. She always goes for the pretty boy, but after just a few chapters I was screaming "HE'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU!!" Ok, I wasn't screaming.

Sonja is a little out there. She's one of those New Age-types. You know the kind who want to cleanse your aura, burn sage, and feed you grass for dinner. If I had to live with a person like that, I would go bonkers. But if a person like that was just a friend, perhaps I could learn to tolerate them. Sonja's husband on the other hand, has had enough. The collapse of her marriage throws her completely off track. She couldn't see it coming. There's an order to her life. Who is she without her orderly New-Age life? Is there something wrong with her?

BJ has lived on the street for a year, but no one knows much about her. But a crisis with Sonja forces everyone to see a different side of her. She has her own story, too. She's a single mother, raising two kids. The person that they usually ignore or just said a passing greeting to, is a caring person just like the rest of them.

I'm not married (yet!), but a lot of the situations seemed very realistic. After finding out her husband had an affair (don't worry that's not really a spoiler), Gerri begins to wonder how she missed the signs. Even though the affair was two years ago, it's hard for her to get past the betrayal. Is it her fault? Is it his? Or both? It seemed a little far-fetched that three marriages, on the the same street would all fall apart at the same time. But once I got passed that, I did enjoy the book and you will too!

Rating: Give it a try

Note: I received an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review for Little Bird Publicity