| Title | : | I Thought You Said This Would Work |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 301 |
| Publication | : | First published May 1, 2021 |
Widowed Samantha Arias hasn’t spoken to Holly Dunfee in forever. It’s for the best. Samantha prefers to avoid conflict. The blisteringly honest Holly craves it. What they still have in common puts them both back on speed dial: a mutual love for Katie, their best friend of twenty-five years, now hospitalized with cancer and needing one little errand from her old college roomies.
It’s simple: travel cross-country together, steal her loathsome ex-husband’s VW camper, find Katie’s diabetic Great Pyrenees at a Utah rescue, and drive him back home to Wisconsin. If it’ll make Katie happy, no favor is too big (one hundred pounds), too daunting (two thousand miles), or too illegal (ish), even when a boho D-list celebrity hitches a ride and drives the road trip in fresh directions.
Samantha and Holly are following every new turn—toward second chances, unexpected romance, and self-discovery—and finally blowing the dust off the secret that broke their friendship. On the open road, they’ll try to put it back together—for themselves, and especially for the love of Katie.
I Thought You Said This Would Work Reviews
-
When rating this book, I wish I could give it extra stars for the times I laughed out loud, for the times I beamed with joy, and for the times I wept. I was so enthralled, entertained, and moved by this story and its wonderful characters, that I didn’t want it to end....ever. If I could, I’d still be with Samantha, Holly, Katie, and the new friends they met along the way on their oftentimes hilarious but always poignant journey. There were adventures and worries and forgiveness and courage and discomfort and comedy and wisdom and always, above all else, love. Ann Garvin has given us a gift with a witty and warm, relatable and captivating novel that I want to wrap up and share with everyone I love. Right now, I want to get back in the van with those women and start all over again. I’m going to miss them all, but I have no doubt that I will never forget them.
-
This is a fun/sad/original novel about three women who became friends in college who are brought back together many years later when Katie’s ovarian cancer is no longer in remission. Katie and Samantha remained close friends all these years. Katie was there for Sam when Sam’s husband died before her daughter was born, and Sam was there for Katie during her divorce and the first round of surviving cancer, but Holly has been furious with Sam all these years, though Sam doesn’t know why.
When Sam and Holly agree to travel from Wisconsin to California to dognap Katie’s enormous diabetic dog from her ex-husband, who took Peanut because divorcing her for another woman wasn’t enough to hurt her, adventures and debacles force the two estranged women on a journey of self-discovery as well as finally talking about what led to the rift between them all these years. I identified to a degree with all of the women in the story, and with the complicated relationship between female friendships. -
I was incredibly disappointed with this book. It was sort of Thelma and Louise story time just a few more.
There were some parts that were funny but it’s just seem to go nowhere. It was spinning and spinning and spinning. I found myself counting the pages until it was done – – never a good sign.
I got it for free on prime reading which is usually an outstanding book however not this time. Beware of the outstanding reviews prime reading gave to this book.
Can’t begin to recommend this book -
Cancer accepted no substitutes. That was why we all shuddered when the word was uttered. Cancer was synonymous with loss of control for everyone involved.
Katie has cancer. Again. And, she has a simple request.
She needed her two feuding friends to get along for one week, get out of her way, and most of all, go get her dog.
"I need Peanut, Sam . . . I can fight this disease if he is with me."
And, so, two old friends, who are nearly no longer on speaking terms, make the long trek to retrieve an extra-large, diabetic Great Pyrenees from Katie's vengeful jerk of an ex-husband.
That's the premise that lured me in, though the characters nearly lost me many, many times throughout the novel. Two grown women acting like sniping teenagers in the high school cafeteria? Please! Then there's a lot of nonsense with a New-Agey-type pseudo-celebrity, and a completely implausible insta-love romance, and, well, my eyes were rolling so much it was hard to read.
I see many others loved this book, so I'm guessing it just wasn't for me.
And, I'm not about to blame it on the dog. -
This is an endearing story about the road trip that changed the lives of four women. It's a story about friendship. Terminal illness is a part of the story, so keep that in mind.
Full review at
LucyKnowsThings.com.
3.5 rounded up -
DNF
Although there are some good reviews about I Thought You Said This Would Work, sadly it does not work for me. Miss Garvin certainly brings a road trip adventure for 2 best of friends have certain promise to thr story.
Again, it fails to interest me.
2 stars -
Buckle up your seat belts boys and girls, this is gonna be a long one. I don't know the last time I've liked and hated a book so much.
There are moments in this novel that really worked well and there were moments that were so eye-rollingly bad that I wondered if I was even reading the same thing. This is a book that is both lighthearted and comedic yet at the same time seriously depressing and as someone who loved A Man called Ove, I thought this would be a novel right up my alley. Sometimes I can't tell if I'm just trying to take this book too seriously or not, but it just did not feel nearly as insightful or comedic as I was hoping for it to be.
The set up for the book is excellent. The opening chapters really create good groundwork for the conflicts between the three friends and the dodgy conversations they have pull you along as it dangles hints of what had happened between them 20 years ago like fish bait. I was really excited to see what would happen on the road trip. The writing is fresh and you can tell right off the bat it’s supposed to be a more lighthearted book on serious topics, but despite the lighter take, there are also moments that are thoughtful and serious and the balance between the two prevents the book from becoming a depression sludge to read.
That being said, when you take a step back and think about it, this book is also very seriously depressing. Every character has either a sad backstory (someone dies, divorce, disease, etc.) or is going through something off the same list of things. This is the most dysfunctional cast of characters I'd read in a long time and Samantha is probably the worst of them all. Given that the book is written from her perspective, we get a full view of her wallowing in her own sadness and low self-esteem. My only issue is that I don't know if showing so many people in pain was really necessary for the point of the book and if anything it might have been overdone a little.
Despite the strong opening, I found the pacing of the book to be really off. With the first person perspective, Sam gives a decent amount of backstory dumping at the beginning of the book. It was tolerable at first because it seemed necessary to set up the dynamic of the friends, but she keeps going and most of the first two thirds of the book is about Sam wallowing in her own pool of insecurities with interspersed moments of plot sprinkled in. The story doesn't really pick up until "the confrontation" that about the things that were hinted at the start of the book.
Also there was one scene at the beginning that really stuck out like a sore thumb to me. We are introduced to a potential love interest within 20 pages of the book and it felt like it was really shoved down my throat. Sam and Beautiful Man (Who even nicknames a cute guy "Beautiful Man"? I physically cringed every time that showed up. It just felt like failed quirkiness.), who are complete strangers at this point, have a small conversation in which BM first mentions that he's married and then, completely unprompted and unrelated to the rest of the conversation, pops that they're getting divorced. The part that really baffles me isn't that he mentions the divorce but the way that he did it because it was so unprompted and uncalled for. (Tangentially on top of that, there was no point in making BM married and getting divorced. I thought it would play a part in their future conversations and maybe even brush up on topics related to the emotional stress of divorce, but it came up maybe once and BM seems to be living entirely emotionally impartial to divorcing his wife. That scene would have made so much more sense if he had been single to begin with.)
To bounce off of this, there were a TON of forced plot points in the book that made no sense and one big plot hole in what happened 20 years ago which sorta ruins the whole point of the story. Minor spoilers ahead:
The weakest and most conflicting part of the book for me were the characters. Summer was definitely my favorite character in the book. She may be the most generic and trope filled character of the book, but she was the sort of character I was expecting - something absurd, a bit predictable and lighthearted, but really brought the story to life and lifted it out of the hole of depression it could've easily fallen in.
BUT, Samantha. Oh Samantha. Me and Sammie should've vibed so well together. I understood her low self-confidence and her thought process behind if she just didn't commit to a relationship she wouldn't be hurt. I related to her history on a personal level, but honestly, I hated her as a character. After 20 years, there was no progression, no change, no character development. She was stagnated in the same mentality that she had in her 20s and it was so disappointing to read. Why add 20 years to a story when nothing happens in those 20 years? Also tell me why she claims to be socially awkward yet has the most normal conversations with two conveniently attractive and single men who are into her? It just felt like that completely defeated the purpose of making her the anti-social weirdo.
I'm not 40, so I'm no pro at this, but given the 40 year old women that I do know, this book doesn't feel like it's about women at that age. They're too quirky and their actions too simple and naïve at times to be coming from someone who's lived in society for 40+ years. The way they think, the way they act and argue just follow too much like people in their 20s. If you were to remove any mention of the 20 years ago backstory, I would have legit thought these girls were in their mid-twenties.
Now it might seem like I'm taking a massive dump on this book, but what I'm trying to say is that despite all these pretty glaring flaws, I still enjoyed the book a lot. There were moments where I truly laughed out loud and some of the self-reflection moments did make me stop and think. Humor in books is a bit hit or miss with me, but I liked this sort of sarcastic "life sucks and you deal with it" sort of humor. At the end of the day, I had good fun reading the book and while I'm not sure if I would recommend it to others, I certainly don't regret reading it. -
Hilarious but also heart breaking and yet redeeming and enlightening - all in one.
Three friends from college now at different stages in their lives.
There is something hanging unresolved from those days between Samantha and Holly that made Holly leave town in a rush. There is something that Samantha knows is “off” but is still afraid to inquire because Holly is cool and at times, inflammatory to her.
Katie, the third character in this trio, is now hospitalized for a return of her cancer when Holly and Samantha come to her side. Everyone is being optimistic, so when katie asks the two friends to get her dog, Peanut, from
the vet/clinic where her ex-husbands new wife dropped Peanut at, they plan this rescue Peanut road trip. It becomes so much more than that.
Omg This road trip is fun, enlightening, though tense at times. They pick up a third passenger, Summer, who is wacky but smart and intuitive. I laughed out loud at some of their road trip escapades especially when they had to drive further out to Utah to get Peanut. Peanut was transferred to this animal sanctuary and they had to get him back to Katie quickly (who started getting her treatments for cancer at the hospital). Other things develop along the way which makes the story even more interesting.
To even bring up one example of their road trip adventures would spoil the story for the reader, so I will not do that.
Five stars for a story that touched upon all my emotions and especially my funny bone! I’m now adding this authors other books to my TBR list. -
I Thought This was Going to Be Excellent
I do love well-written chick-lit novels, and during this global crisis, a road trip book sounded like it would be great fun, even if it had its genesis in a tragic medical diagnosis and would pair former friends who had been out of touch and distanced from each other for a long time. I was put off by the very beginning. While more artful than most, the book started with a rather prodigious information dump, which I never like to see. Authors seem to love this, unfortunately—wanting to get backstory in front of readers quickly so they can just get on with the main thrust of the novel—but readers, in general, are not as enamored of the hackneyed device... me included. The way the author portrayed what happened medically was grossly inaccurate. I've been an RN for some years, and these sections were just so wrong, from the minutest details (like calling a standard IV a port... a port is something completely different!) to bigger ones like medical staff interactions with patients. Most characters in this book seem to suffer from some form of mental imbalance or are seriously “messed up,” so to speak, more so than we typically see in fiction. Even the characters met along the way during the road trip also seem to have extreme “baggage” and mental issues. It would have been nice—and a good counterpoint—to have a few "regular" people and/or relationships. It's a quirky and surprisingly dark read, though some moments of humor lighten the mood occasionally and some points will make you laugh. Altogether, though, the parts didn't quite seem to add up right to me.
WARNINGS/TRIGGERS: Threatened sexual assault on several occasions. The book has some low-level profanity, including the excessive use of the B-word (though no F-bombs I can remember). The Lord's name is taken in vain more than once, so if that bothers you, you will likely want to avoid this book. -
HIGHLY RECOMMEND!! What a great read. I laughed and cried and laughed until I cried. Summer was by far the best character here. This book was everything entertaining and heartwarming.
-
I might even rate this a 4.5. I'm not even sure why it's NOT a 5 star read. This was far better than I expected. I was hesitant at first, because contemporaries aren't my thing and the last one I read disappointed me. Not that that's a reason to avoid or negatively assess an entire genre of books. But when I saw this available as part of Amazon first reads, it seemed like the most interesting of the stories available assuming it was written well. And you know what? It actually was. I'm not familiar enough with the genre to say whether or not its unique, but it felt unique to me. I've never quite read a story like this one.
The story follows Samantha and Holly, who go on a road trip to recover a diabetic Great Pyrenees named Peanut, who was separated from his owner Katie during a nasty divorce. Meanwhile, Katie is in the hospital due to the possible return of ovarian cancer. All she wants is to be reunited with Peanut. Once upon a time, this trio used to be the best of friends, until the night of their college graduation some twenty years ago that tore Holly and Sam apart. Sam has no idea why this happened, and both Holly and Sam are struggling to cope with their residual feelings. And it's made all the worse when the pair are forced to reunite to get Peanut for Katie, the only connection the pair still has together. Naturally, they don't get along. Along the way they encounter Summer Silva, a D-list celebrity who was surprisingly funny and actually a very enjoyable character. Summer, of course, adds that extra conflict and spice to the mix.
I always start with the characters in my reviews, and that's not changing here. Sam is a middle-aged single mother struggling with the fact that her daughter is moving out of state for the first time. She's lonely, has a sleep disorder that's triggered by stress, and as she often states, is completely conflict-avoidant. Some may find Sam boring or bland, but I loved her. She felt relatable in a lot of ways that younger, glammed up protagonists do not. And her struggles felt real. She doesn't know why Holly hates her, will do ANYTHING for Katie, and makes a lot of growth throughout the book. I understood her motivations and was very appreciative of how her growth was handled. We especially see this growth in her ability to tackle difficult topics that she used to avoid (most often involving her interactions with Holly). Although this is sometimes done out of necessity, it opened her eyes to the importance of using her voice and not sleeping to avoid conflict in other areas as well.
Holly, on the other hand, was completely unlikable at the start. There didn't seem to be a single redeeming quality. I couldn't possibly see why Sam missed their friendship until some of their old college memories were revisited. And I could easily see why Sam didn't want to go on this road trip with Holly. But to Holly's credit, she undergoes a transformation too. And while I felt hers was a little more sudden than Sam's, that's likely due to the fact that Sam is the main character and we read the book entirely from her point of view, not from Holly's. So we don't see all the behind-the-scenes stuff with Holly. And as the story went on, I felt Holly's motivation for behaving the way she did in the past, while not admirable, was also realistic and understandable. The way it all came together at the end was satisfying.
And then there's Summer. I have no idea why, and this is the most bizarre connection I could ever make, but she oddly reminded me of Ridley from the Beautiful Creatures series...even though they are nothing alike. Anyway, Summer could have had the potential to be the annoying sidekick, but she wasn't. She made things lighthearted and fun, and she was oddly addictive to read about. She really comes through at the end too. Not gonna lie, I thought she was nuts at first. And I had no idea she'd stick around for the whole ride (no pun intended). But I'm ultimately glad she did.
Onwards with themes. Something I really liked about this book was the emphasis on friendship. It almost felt like a take on the found-family trope, which I absolutely love in literature. It didn't feel that way at first, but as the books progress, what we see between Sam, Holly, Katie, and even Summer makes it feel that way. Additionally, there is a huge emphasis on the companionship of animals, and how integral they are to our healing and wellbeing. As an animal lover, I was very happy with this. I mean hell, it's the love for Katie's dog that gets this whole story going to begin with. Part of it even takes place at an animal sanctuary, which made it that much better.
Now let's talk the romance. The direction this book took with the romantic interest was perfect. Why? Because it was minimal, non-evasive. It never took away from the main story. And it wasn't unrealistic. In the beginning, Sam has no interest in dating. She was widowed and put herself into doing everything for her daughter. Then she meets Drew, rather unexpectedly. At first I was hesitant. He seemed like the too-perfect boy that Sam would inevitably end up with. Couple that with Griff's potential interest in her later on. But this story handled that gracefully. Sam and Drew keep things friendly, despite the interest they have for one another, because Drew is keeping an eye on Katie for Sam. But over time, we occasionally see Sam wrestle with her feelings and slowly break down her barriers. Opening herself up to the possibility of maybe being with someone later on. At the end, they don't fully get together. They decide to get to know one another first. And I appreciated that. Sam isn't some impulsive 20 year old. She's older and she's wise, and we got to see that in her interactions with Drew. And there wasn't any additional drama when she noticed Griff was into her and she wasn't into him. It was handled maturely. Gracefully.
Another thing this book did well was representing cancer. While the book is not centered around the cancer itself and Katie is not our main character, it shows a realistic portrayal of how seeing our loved ones going through cancer effects us. Sam went on a rollercoaster of emotions and all of it felt authentic. It shows the harsh reality of living with cancer and the way it effects everyone. But how love can triumph.
The book was excellently written and I felt the pacing was done well. It didn't drag at any point. Especially for stand alones, it's all too common for the character transformation to be rushed. But I saw the gradual transition Sam, Holly, and even Summer made, and I liked that.
But that ending? It was bittersweet. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that I was happy to see the growth Holly and Sam went through. I was happy to see no animals suffered. But Katie. Poor Katie... I am, however, glad this book did not force a 100% happy ending on us. That wouldn't have been realistic. So as bittersweet as it was, that's what made the book work so well. -
The characters seemed unbelievable and ridiculous. The book seemed like it was trying too hard to be both funny and deep, but I got annoyed at all of the characters multiple times. The situations weren't believable, and it wasn't humorous enough to forgive that.
-
An Endearing, Entertaining, and Enjoyable Read.
SUMMARY
Samantha Arias and Holly Dundee are former roommates and best friends who haven’t spoken to each other in years Samantha isn’t sure what went wrong with their friendship. But now they must put aside their silent conflict and embark on a weeklong two thousand mile road trip to rescue their best friend’s Katie, one hundred pound Great Pyrenees dog named Peanut.
Katie has been diagnosed with cancer and wants nothing more than her faithful dog by her side. The problem is her ex-husband has Peanut in California and has recently dropped him at in the divorce just to spite his wife and then moved across the country. Now Peanut has been abandoned at a shelter in California, and Katie wants him back.
Samatha and Holly drop everything to combine talents and help Katie. They are joined in California for Peanut’s rescue by Summer Silva. Summer, who is an astute and hilarious media star has interjected herself and her huge personality into this cross-country road trip of healing and self-discovery.
REVIEW
I THOUGHT YOU SAID THIS WOULD WORK in three words is endearing, entertaining, and enjoyable. It is a relatable story of the complexity and dedication of female friendships, and the rescue of something much greater than a diabetic four-legged friend.
The story is full of twists and turns, self-discovery, and even a little romance. It will have you simultaneously laughing and crying throughout this wild ride. The female characters, Katie, Sammie, Holly, and Summer are fierce, funny, and delightfully flawed.
Bestselling author Ann Gavin’s thought-provoking writing is always a pleasure to read. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher Lake Union
Published May 1, 2021
Review
www.bluestockingreviews.com -
3.5/5
I actually ended up enjoying this book quite a bit.
Sure, at times the characters of Samantha and Holly feel very bland and two-dimensional, and I would've definitely liked the book to have multiple POVs instead of just that of Samantha to get a more rounded feel of the storyline. But the premise of the book and side characters like Summer and Katie made it an enjoyable read. I found myself laughing along several times throughout the journey, and found almost all interactions involving Summer hilarious. Not to forget: the adorable dogs, Peanut and Moose were a beautiful bonus addition and an absolute delight to read about.
I did, however, expect more from this book. A lot of the interactions between this 40-something women did seem childish, and I spotted the big "reveal" (which seemed to be one of the major plot points) coming from a mile away. But well, it isn't supposed to be a mystery novel, and ultimately, it was an adorable, slightly quirky, poignant read.
Recommended for readers looking for a feel good and heartwarming read based on strong female friendships. -
This book just hit me at the right time. I enjoyed this author’s last book, and she is local to me. I had been waiting for the library hold and then actually looked at the Amazon Prime “first picks” at the last second in April, and there it was, for me. It felt serendipitous.
I found the main character, Samantha so relatable. The story is funny, bordering ridiculous which somehow makes it more real. It is at the core a story of woman friendship, how easy or tangled it can be, the roles we play, our blind spots to “the big picture”. I think because the women were my age, I also found myself nodding with some of the self deprecating humor. I laughed and quite literally cried about mid way. I had to stop, order and send a copy to a friend because I think the story could resonate with her too. I enjoy this author, her humor and language feels like my own. My only regret is that I gobbled it up so fast ☺️ -
This book was just a nope from me from page one.
The MC is annoying as heck, constantly self-centred, and any time the topic is not specifically her, she twists and turns it in her head to make it about her because apparently a white American woman in her forties is the absolute centre of the known universe.
This is literally just a wet dream for a lonely basic white woman in full midlife crisis hoping to be the be all-end all to those around her, hoping for a meet-cute with a handsome, successful man™ who will fall head over heels for her even though she's the most absolutely basic woman I've ever had the displeasure of reading about.
I skimmed A LOT of pages that were just chock-full of internal monologue of "woe is me" and "I'm the best in the world, so why doesn't the world bow at my feet" thoughts.
An absolute waste of time and thank goodness it was free. -
(2.5 stars) - I thought you said hilarious & heartwarming
This Amazon Prime First Reads book had me at "the perfect escape", "delightful", "hilarious and heartwarming", and "as fun as it is insightful". But it was just leading me on.
There's some funny but it trends toward dark more often than lighthearted. A more accurate description is "bizarre & different".
The story is about a group of friends' road trip - both actual and metaphorical - where ultimately the journey is the destination.
All the characters seem to be kinda "quirky" (some more mental cases than others). I've never seen so many people in need of therapy in my life let alone collected in one place
It seemed like there were no real positive, functional, happy marriages or relationships to be found, either. What a dysfunctional world they live in. I found myself wondering why anyone would even want to visit; one hopeful prospect is better than none, but isn't enough to undo all the bleak.
Certainly, if looking at the world thru PC-colored glasses annoys, you'll want to skip this.
However, animal lovers will probably love the rescue themes, & New Agers will enjoy all the plot development forwarded with the shaman, auras & spirit animals
I will give the author credit for keeping me reading to find out what happens. A little bit of a Thelma & Louise flavor but with a positive, happy-animism-ever-after ending.
Didn't dislike it the way I hated Thelma & Louise with its blatant misandry, & some may find it relatable (if so, my sympathies), but still definitely not my jam.
CONTENT
*Frank talk about sex but no graphic depictions of it; several scenes of threatened sexual assault described with minimal detail
*Light use of common swears, no f-bombs
*Careless/trivial use of the Lord's Name but at least not as curses, fwiw -
อ่านละนึกถึงก๊วนเพื่อนเก่าที่ไม่ได้เจอกันมานาน ยิ่งพอโตขึ้น เรายิ่งห่างเพื่อนมากขึ้น แต่ก็ไม่ได้อยากเจอเพื่อนในวันที่เพื่อนป่วยเป็นมะเร็งเหมือนกับเคธี่แต่อย่างใดหรอกนะ จะบ้าหรอ 55555 แต่อ่านแล้วแบบ เออ เวลาอยู่กับเพื่อนก็ประมาณนี้แหละ อายุเท่าไรเราก็ยังเหมือนเดิม มีความ non-pc เต็มเปี่ยมให้กับเพื่อน อ่านละนึกถึงเพื่อนมากๆ มิตรภาพที่แบบ เออ กูไม่เข้าใจมึงเลยวะ แต่เราก็ยังเป็นเพื่อนกันนะ
ซึ่งเรื่องนี้เล่าถึง แซมและฮอลี่ที่ต้องไปรับหมาของเคธี่ เพื่อนสาวคนสวยผู้เป็นมะเร็ง เรื่องคือแซมกับฮอลี่ unfriend กันมาหลายชาติแล้ว เป็นการเลิกคบแบบงงๆ เพราะแซมก็ไม่เข้าใจว่าทำไมฮอลี่โกรธตัวเอง ฮอลี่ก็งงว่าทำไมแซมไม่รู้ว่าทำไมตัวเองโกรธ เคธี่เป็นคนกลางที่คอยไกล่เกลี่ยระหว่างสองคน เป็นเหมือนกาวเชื่อมใจ แต่รอบนี้เคธี่เป็นกาวให้ไม่ได้นะเพราะนอนอยู่โรงพยาบาลแต่จัดทริปแบบงงๆ ให้ไปต่อกาวกันเองนะเพื่อน แล้วทริปวายป่วงก็เริ่มต้นขึ้น เพราะทุกครั้งที่เครียดแซมจะหลับ เป็นอาการของโรคชนิดหนึ่ง เพราะงั้นโร้ดทริปนี้มันจะเชื่อมกาวกันยังไงกันละเนี่ย ต้องไปอ่าน อ่านแล้วขำมากๆ สนุกดี
พออ่านจบละนึกถึงซีรี่ย์เกาหลีเรื่องหนึ่งคือ 39 แต่จริงๆ มันก็เล่าเรื่องมิตรภาพ เพื่อนป่วยมะเร็ง เซ็ตติ้งคล้ายๆ กัน แต่วิธีการเล่าไม่เหมือนกัน 39 จะฟูมฟายกว่ามาก (ก็เกาหลี) แต่ทั้งสองเล่มก็เล่าเรื่องมิตรภาพได้ดีมากจริงๆ ส่วนเรื่องความรักนั้นดีเกินไปหน่อย its too good too be true อะ -
(4.5 stars)
Holly and Samantha, two former friends and both friends with Katie, have to go together on a road trip to get Katie's dog while she's in hospital. Only tiny problems are:
- Holly and Samantha are no longer friends; in fact, it seems that Holly can't stand Samantha.
- Katie's dog is with her ex-husband.
- In order to take the dog back, they have to steal the ex-husband's camper.
What can go wrong?
I loved the book! It's told from Samantha's point of view, and she's a really likeable character, it felt as if I'd known her for a long time. The book is hilarious at times and more serious and a little bit sad at other times, but it works perfectly. The secondary characters are also lovely (I'm looking at you, Summer) and overall this is a sweet story.
Two things I loved about the book are that even if the characters are not young, they haven't everything figured out (I could totally relate to them), and that even if there is some romance in the book, this is a story of friendship. It is just what I was looking for.
** I was given an ARC and I have read it and reviewed it voluntarily. All opinions are my own. ** -
this one was a total surprise. I got it free from my once a month free kindle choices and I never know what to expect from them and don't necessarily expect much but this one dragged me in and held on to me and except for things that needed doing, I would have read it in one sitting.
Yes it's a road trip story, with women, one of whom, the protagonist, is a long time widow estranged from the 3rd of a triangle of college friends for reasons she can't remember. Doesn't trust men. Will she find someone? Will she and her friend make up? and who is that strange woman she meets on the plane who tags along on the journey?
Tropes all and yet.....great insights on how we carry our baggage along with us until we don't.
Loved it. Will look up Ann Garvin's other books at the library and see if they all hold true. -
I don't know about this book. I think that if you just go in with all notions of realism suspended, it's fairly entertaining and a good ride - I definitely both laughed and cried. A lot of the plot doesn't hold up particularly well to scrutiny - how old are these women? how old is Drew? how did Sam not figure out at least part of the deal with Holly immediately (I did and I'm terrible at that)? what is going on with Summer, basically entirely? how does a woman who claims she's been invisible her whole life find dudes who hit on her everywhere she goes? what is the purpose of the entire sleep disorder plotline? - If you can just not think about any of that too hard, you'll like the book better. Certainly I finished it in two days. 3.5 stars but def the lower end so I rounded down.
-
Sometimes books come to you at the right time and they soothe all the hurts and fears in your heart. This is one of those books.
-
This one was sad, funny, and quirky with likeable characters, two of whom go on a road trip to retrieve their sick friend's dog. There's some snarky dialogue, a love interest or two, and many humorous situations but there's also the underlying uncertainty of their friend's prognosis. My biggest problem with the story is that the major plot point (the life-changing disconnect between the two former best friends) is based on a past misunderstanding - which could've been resolved with a simple conversation years ago. Just when the reader thinks the crux of the matter is to be explained, something changes the subject and the action is supposed to divert our attention. I started skipping pages. It irritated me that the big misunderstanding isn't revealed until about page 250. That said, here's a favorite quote:
'We're odd, we humans. We know people die, but we act astonished when it happens. ...We live our lives doing stupid things like gossiping, when we should spend all our days planting flowers.' -
This is my first ever Ann Garvin book but I have certainly seen her other books on best seller lists and I was interested in checking this one out. I also belong to the Tall Poppy Bloggers group and I love getting Ann’s email newsletters. They are always so funny and well written so I was excited to get this book to read knowing her humor would shine through!
To be honest I was worried this book would be a little heavy and that Ann’s great humor would be overshadowed by some of the heavier topics in the novel, but I wanted to read one of her novels so much and I was totally open to seeing how this one unfolded!
As they say, trust the process right? The second I started the book, I knew I was reading something special. Heavy emotional topics—check. Well timed humor—-check. Entertaining—-check. I was so glad I didn’t let the heavier topics make me wary, this was an excellent read and one that will likely stay with me for a while now that I am done with it.
One of the things I found so intriguing about this book was the broken bonds and messy history part of the summary between the friends. I am not best friends with anyone I went to high school or college with still. Nothing major, just grew apart and general life stuff. But I love stories about best friends and the complexities of a long standing history between them. I was super excited to see how that unfolded in this book and the summary hinted at some major riffs. I loved how much emotion Garvin put into this one and the friend elements, and I was thrilled to see her humor come through even in the heavy content. I laughed as many times as I teared up. It was a heartfelt read with lots of heart and I really enjoyed it.
Garvin really highlights the complex relationships that women have with one another. In this book Katie, Samantha, and Holly have a long history and a lot of misunderstandings have happened over the years to get them to the point they are currently at when the book opens. It was such a realistic view of how things can go sideways in friendships and how sometimes it takes a life crisis to reconcile those hurt feelings. I loved how well the relationships between the three characters evolved over the book. It felt like there was a lot of growth and that doesn’t always come through in come books but it did in this one.
While this was a heavy read, I read it rather quick. Often when I am reading books with more heavy content, I tend to read them a little more slowly but this one had such great pacing, interesting characters and of course an adorable dog! I couldn’t put it down. I loved reading it and could easily pass a couple of hours, put in a book mark, and then anxiously await the next time I could read it! For me it was a fast read. I could relate to the characters so much, all the way down to the dog! My 16 year old chihuahua is so old and went through a massive mouth infection the last few months and as I was reading about Peanut in this book, I found myself seeing bits of my own dog! The characters are a little quirky but that’s what makes them stand out for me. They are unique, real, and compelling. I know this book sounds heavy but it’s truly a wonderful read and I am looking forward to my next book by Garvin!
See my full review here -
I picked up this book because it was the most appealing of the Kindle First Reads offered that month. It's not normally my go-to type of book. I prefer science fiction and fantasy, suspense/thrillers, and the occasional romance. Women's fiction is just not something I am normally drawn to, yet this one featured a dog and I love dogs. It also had some comedic elements I figured I would find amusing.
I was right. I did find it amusing. I actually laughed out loud more than once, mostly at Summer's shenanigans.
I also got teary-eyed more than once. Friendships come in many forms. Some are fleeting and never evolve into a deep, meaningful relationship. Others are cemented in loving bonds that are tested by misunderstandings, anger, hurt, and resentment. In this novel, Samantha and Holly have lived for years with the ghost of their broken friendship shadowing their lives. Only when their mutual best friend, Katie, is once again in the hospital fighting a second round of Ovarian cancer are they forced into circumstances requiring them to work together despite the tension between them.
On a rescue mission to save Katie's beloved dog from her ex-husband's abandonment of the animal to a local animal shelter, the two women are forced into close confines. Luckily, their duo is made a trio when a bored down-on-her-luck actress takes an interest in cleansing Samatha's aura. Summer brings the comedy, while Sam and Holly provide the depth and complexity of a damaged friendship.
As one would expect, the misunderstandings, anger, hurt, and resentments are slowly unveiled and confronted. I was so moved by the book that a five-star rating only felt right.
-
Humorous, heartwarming, and sweet!
I Thought You Said This Would Work is an optimistic, touching story that takes you into the lives of three old friends and one unexpectedly new one as they embark on a journey to steal a camper, rescue a dog, confront grievances from the past, meet new people, welcome new additions, and prepare for a heart-wrenching goodbye.
The writing style is sensitive and light. The characters are quirky, multilayered, and endearing. And the plot is a heartfelt, lovely mix of friendship, family, introspection, parenthood, support, forgiveness, love, loss, drama, taking chances, and moving on.
Overall, I Thought You Said This Would Work is a pensive, witty, heartfelt tale by Garvin that reminds us to always live life to the fullest and highlights the importance and power of female friendships.
Thank you to OTRPR and Amazon Publishing for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. -
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review!
Sam’s best friend, Katie, has cancer, and as always, Sam has dropped everything to be by her friend’s side. This time though, Katie’s other best friend (and Sam’s ex best friend) is there too. Sam has no idea why Holly stopped speaking to her years ago, or why she appears to still hate her now, but when Katie finds out her ex-husband has dumped her beloved dog in a pound, Sam agrees to make the road trip to rescue him, with Holly.
Accidentally collecting a celebrity has-been on the way, they navigate bizarre circumstances, changed plans and a pit stop with a woo woo shaman, all in the name of giving Katie what she needs most right now.
I absolutely adored this book. It was funny, emotional and downright entertaining, despite the very real and tragic subject matters along the way. Not only do we watch Sam and Holly try to untangle their destroyed friendship, themes of empty nest fears, impending motherhood worries, grief, dating and assertiveness all played a part.
I often avoid contemporary books because I’m not a fan of the cliche romance aspects, but I’m so glad I picked this one up. While there was some light romance going on, there was nothing that overtook the friendship aspect of the story or was in any way unrealistic.
I read this all in one night, I couldn’t put it down and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a fun, engaging read that will make you laugh and cry! Now I’m off to look up some more of this author’s books!
