Reviews

Asking For A Friend by Andi Osho tells of three women (Jemima, the author & the eldest - over & ready to run from love, Meagan, the agent - a cold loner with a life plan, & Simi, the aspiring actress - a bleeding heart romantic no matter how often left broken hearted), who are all best friends & trying to navigate their changing love lives & friendship.

I was not really a fan of how these ladies were depicted. The development of each woman fell flat & felt rushed. I never really got a feeling of who each of these ladies were outside of their dealings with each other & the men featured throughout the story. Their traumatic pasts were so pertinent to the story but seemed only briefly touched on - even though it was the basis for many of their actions & characteristics.

I began this story thinking it would be an easy-read romance, but I struggled to want to see it through to the end. Everything - the comedic aspect, the romances, the lived traumatic experiences, the friendships themselves - felt forced & superficial.

The ending was kind of expected, but I liked the book a little more than I initially did once I got about 70% in.

Multiple points of view are tricky to write, but the effort & artistry are there. This is Ms. Osho's debut novel & as someone who can only dream of putting together a plot & characters with some sort of semblance to a story with a beginning, middle, & end... I would probably read something else from her.

ilhaanreads's review

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

rhiana_georgia's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jodeezle's review against another edition

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3.0

This is the story of three friends, Jemima, Megan and Simi as they move through life relying on each other, trying to figure out their lives and focusing on their careers and being their for each other during the best and worst of times. They soon realize that no one knows you better than you bestfriend, so who better to pick a date for you, which they do after setting guidelines.

This book gave a lot of description, which made picturing the characters in the different scenarios very easy. This story has pieces of romance, but the primary focus is on the friendship of the ladies.

This book wasn't really my cup of tea. I am glad I read it, but it isn't one that I would buy for myself. I felt at times that the characters were a bit too catty for my liking. Even though this was not a book for me, I would recommend it to people who like reality TV.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper 360, HQ for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

jillmlong's review against another edition

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1.0

I kept waiting and waiting for this book to get better but unfortunately it didn't. The story centers around 3 best friends all in their 40's. These women acted like teenagers. I had to go back and find where it said how old Jemima was because I thought I must have misread where it said she was in her 40's. Also, there was very little romance in this book.

utopiastateofmind's review against another edition

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Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)

I am finally getting to Asking for a Friend and cursing myself for not reading earlier. This story is deeply rooted in friendships. It's multiple POV and we're allowed to witness these three character journeys. From love skeptics, to those who fall in love with everyone, Asking for a Friend is rooted in character and each of their journeys. For a while Jemima was my favorite, but then Simi ended up being the winner for me by the end!

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