Friendship is the love story you can count on.

Remy is lucky. Her debut novel, based on her three best friends, became an instant bestseller when it was released, and her agent and publisher are clamoring for a follow-up. But just as Remy’s creative inspiration seems to leave her, so too do her friends: one moves to New York, one gets pregnant, and one gets back together with her (awful) boyfriend. After an ill-advised one-night stand complicates matters further, Remy is left deeply alone—and unable to find her next book idea.

Simone is successful. A Kindergarten teacher with a passion for kids, and a well-paying side hustle that affords her all the material comforts she desires, she doesn’t have time for a robust social life. All Simone needs is her close-knit family—but after the true nature of her work is revealed, they cut her off, and she realizes for the first time just how isolated she is.

When Simone and Remy bump into each other (literally) in a bookstore, it isn’t exactly soulmates at first sight. Simone is guarded and prickly, Remy is insecure and heartbroken, and each woman is harboring a secret. And yet they might just be the missing piece the other has been searching for—if only they can let each other in.

Can Simone help Remy make one of the most important decisions of her life—and can Remy help Simone recover all that she’s lost? In Jessica George’s heartwarming, funny, and soulful second novel, she explores the restorative nature of female friendship and the life-changing power of platonic love.

I read and loved Maame by Jessica George last year, so I immediately added this book to my TBR as soon as it was announced. I’m happy to say I loved it just as much as her first novel.

I’ve said before that I really love a good, complex story about friendship. My close friends are my family, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. So I will always love a great story about complex friend relationships and how we show up for each other.

Remy wrote a successful debut novel based on her three best friends. It became an instant bestseller, and her agent and publisher are pushing for a follow-up. But just as she’s struggling to find inspiration for her second book, her friend group falls apart. Not through arguments or anything overly dramatic, just through life changes. One moves to New York. One gets pregnant. And one gets back with her awful boyfriend. Remy is sure everything will be fine, but after a messy one-night stand, she finds herself feeling completely alone not to mention creatively stuck.

Simone is a kindergarten teacher with a side hustle that pays extremely well. She seems to have it all together, but when her family finds out what she does on the side, they cut her off. Suddenly she realizes just how isolated she actually is. She doesn’t make friends easily because she’s guarded since people tend to judge her when they find out what her side work is. So when Remy, an old classmate, bumps into her in a bookstore and wants to be friends, Simone is skeptical. But she’s also hopeful.

I loved the dynamics between all of the characters. They felt real and the relationships were believable. Remy is insecure and heartbroken and desperate for connection. Simone is prickly and guarded and protecting herself from more judgment. They’re both harboring secrets, and they’re both exactly what the other needs, if only they can let each other in.

Jessica George is fantastic at getting to the details that make her characters feel real. She really knows how to play with emotions without getting overdramatic, and that makes everything hit so much harder.

The book explores platonic love beautifully. Friendship love is deep and complex but also very rewarding. These bonds are unbreakable and I love seeing them displayed so beautifully on page. Watching Remy and Simone develop a friendship later in life was very rewarding. I’ve found as I get older that making new friends is difficult (mostly because I don’t really feel like I need new friends), but still, the older we get, opportunities to meet new people that “fit” our lifestyle is difficult.

There’s also a thread running through the book about creativity and inspiration. Remy is stuck both personally and professionally. She can’t figure out what her second novel should be about, and she doesn’t know how to exist in a world when her besties aren’t as available as they once were. Watching her work through that block while also working through her loneliness and heartbreak adds another layer to the story.

I won’t spoil what Simone’s side hustle is, but when it’s revealed, it makes complete sense why her family reacted the way they did. And it also makes complete sense why she’s so guarded. The judgment she faces is real, and George handles it with care and nuance. I appreciated that the author approached it maturely and not as this big, bad, ugly thing. It’s legit work and she wrote about it with zero judgement.

I listened to an advance audiobook, and the narration by Isabel Adomakoh Young is fantastic. She captures the voices and the emotions of the characters perfectly. She brings both Remy and Simone to life in a way that made me feel like I was right there with them. If you’re an audiobook person, I’d highly recommend experiencing this one that way.

This is a warm and deeply moving book about friendship, loneliness, and finding your people. It’s about showing up for each other even when it’s hard, and the way platonic love can change your entire life. If you’re drawn to books about friendship that feel real, or stories about women finding their way back to themselves, pick this up.