Four Friends

This book is really predictable soap opera reading and unless you enjoy soap opera you will be bored reading it. I suppose someone young with little life experience would enjoy the story but for my taste I prefer a little depth in the story line. The troubling part of the book for me was the sex scenes. The author describes the main character as a middle aged women with lumps and bumps and goes in to detail in the sex scenes. For some reason I found this hysterically funny as I am a visual person and when I read I actually see the book. I kept seeing a middle aged woman having sex and I really did not find that titialating if that's what the author was going for. I am by no means a prude but prefer to leave middle aged sex to the imagination. It's not lost on me that she was trying to show a non sexual relationship being revived but again it's soap opera stuff. If you want a book that will keep your attention and have great insight on relationships read The Husband's Secret.

This felt a bit "Wisteria Lane" for my taste. It was a book club pick and although it was ok- the characters just felt 2 dimensional. It was light and airy, which is popular - just not my favorite. Most of our group loved it- I just like a bit more depth. Very Beach-y read. Fast read for sure.

I have read just about everything Robyn Carr has written but I really did not enjoy this book at all. I didn't care for the language, in her best books she didn't have to use bad language and I'm not sure why she felt like she did this time. I wasn't mesmerized by the characters as I usually am, I could have quit in the middle and never thought of the characters again. Of course I didn't stop in the middle because I kept thinking it would get better, but it didn't.

This book departs from Robyn's mainstream novels in that there is more human interest content in it. That is to say it is too depressing for me.

I was expecting a story line along the likes of her Virgin River and Thunderpoint series (which I've read in full).

If you enjoy human interest + love story, then you'll enjoy it. However, I was looking for a light and uplifting story.

I very much enjoyed it. However, I experience a great deal of frustration with my kindle (a gift). Every time I turn around it needs charged and it takes forever to do so???? I'm anxious to move on to a new book but can't!

I have read every book Robyn Carr has written and this book just did not hold my interest. I have never not finished a book but I ended up deleting this book from my device before finishing it. I will just wait patiently for the next Thunder Point book

They were three suburban queens, and they had the perfect lives. But when each Gerri, Andy, and Sonja's lives begin to crumble before their very eyes—as if the entire neighborhood is falling apart—these three women discover that life in paradise isn't so grand after all.

Gerri's realization that she has an imperfect marriage is startling because her husband was the one person she could always depend on. She and Phil were the power couple of Mill Valley; it was never part of the equation for him to slip. Andy's marriages were never so secure, but it doesn't mean her most recent divorce is any less heartbreaking, and it certainly doesn't mean she won't survive the aftermath. Sonja's entire system of belief and lifestyle collapses when her husband tells her he can't tolerate her anymore, which pushes her to the brink of sanity—with indeterminable hopes of coming back. The new girl on the block, the closed-off but well-meaning BJ, never had the perfect life—never had the privileges of the upper middle-class—but when she enters the other three women's radar, her fresh perspective and sobering background help everyone find the strength to piece their disintegrating lives back together again.

What's so extraordinary about a book like Four Friends is that it isn't completely innovative but it still absorbs you completely; it isn't groundbreaking or terribly thrilling—in fact, it's very contemporary, very domestic, very everyday—and that's just the thing: it's for everyday women, a story whose emotional relevance everyone understands.

Each of the four women's subplots combine with the others smoothly, creating a comprehensive, clear picture of not only the individual struggles, but also the overarching friendship. It's impossible not to get involved in the lives of these outwardly "normal" women, because their stories are so personal, so real. It makes for the best women's fiction; it brings to light issues that the everyday woman—if not you, then at least your best friend, or your sister, or mother, or daughter—faces regularly or has faced before.

Robyn Carr writes with a confident hand, creating lovable, vibrant characters and an engaging plot. Even in its normalcy, the storyline is anything but boring! I love just how interesting everyone from the book is. There are so many amazing secondary characters introduced—the children, the mothers-in-law, and so on—that I wish each of them had had equal screen time (page time?), but most of the novel revolves around Gerri.

All four women will undergo life-changing mental, physical, and spiritual transformations in the wake of their seemingly impossible-to-win battles, and although it might put them through hell, it guarantees they will emerge from it all—perhaps, even stronger than they were before.

The magic of Four Friends is that these four women face what everyone faces in middle adulthood: menopause, abuse, divorce, unfaithful spouses, wayward children, heartless exes, distant lovers, and unexpected acquaintances; but it comes with encouraging and empowering anecdotes on the importance of family, companions, and of course, friends.

Pros: A feel-good novel that sends you on an emotional roller coaster // Gerri is an incredibly lovable, incredible human character; I admire her so much! // Each of the women's stories is told in perfect harmony and balance // Fluid, easy to read; well-written and stylistically conversational // Includes both R-rated romance and G-rated sentiment // Taking a glimpse at these four lives is fascinating; you will become immersed!

Cons: Most of the characters are two-dimensional. They're likable and interesting but I wish Carr would have gone into more depth with them // Ending feels rushed, messy, and like a quick fix

Verdict: Four Friends is one of those books that overflows with love, in all of the familial, romantic, and companionable sense. It's a cozy story about family and devoted, symbiotic relationships, but also possesses scorching chemistry—the kind of fire that genuine love never loses—and emotional upheaval with which everyone will be able to sympathize. Robyn Carr fans will be pleased with her traditional "feel good" style and sharp characters, but should definitely expect something different with her newest novel. Four Friends goes beyond the usual romance formula in acknowledging the resilience of the human heart in times of deep personal turmoil, as well as highlights triumph amidst chaos thanks to the power of simply having one other.

Rating: 8 out of 10 hearts (4 stars): An engaging read that will be worth your while; highly recommended.

Source: Complimentary copy provided by publicist in exchange for an honest and unbiased review (thank you, Little Bird!).

Profanity filled the first page. Wasted money on words I do not care to have in my reading material. Concept of Four Friends is good. Too bad the author feels profane language is necessary to make a point. I read many authors who make points without such language.

Four Friends
by
Robyn Carr

What it's all about...

Why...it's about four friends and the lives they lead. These four just happen to live in the same neighborhood.

My thoughts after reading this book...

When we first meet these women they are up at 6 ish and power walking. However...soon everyone's lives begin to change and even crumble. Andy finds out her husband is cheating, Gerri finds out her husband has cheated, Sonja falls apart because her husband doesn't want to eat nut meatloaf any more and BJ enters the picture with a deep dark secret of her own.
Husbands are tossed out, someone gets committed, teen children get in trouble, secrets are revealed and some people fall in love...again...and this is all within the first few pages! Just teasing but there is a lot going on in this book! And you can sort of predict how this book will roll...dysfunction, angst, revealed secrets and a happy ending...sort of!

What I loved best and what I didn't love best...

The characters are interesting and I loved their issues! It made the book fun and speedy to read! One of my fave characters is Bob...the Builder/Carpenter and Beau...his dog. Gerri...has been married the longest and is the most visible character in this book. Her complaints about sex and menopause were kind of annoying...she needed her gynecologist to tell her women had sex after fifty? Sheesh!

My ending thoughts for potential readers...

A fun light hearted book with both real and quirky over the top characters. Lots of issues are addressed...drugs, marital abuse, teen sex, homosexuality, fidelity and vegetarianism. Yes...I said vegetarianism!

Again...probably a great beach read...I think that this is the first book I have ever read by this author. I did enjoy it!

Thank you the store and Edelweiss for my copy!

I stopped reading this book before I finished Chapter 3. I read to relax and not fill my mind with profanity!! I love Robyn's stories, but this one just had too much bad language. I wish I could read her stories without all the language!

Four friends—All of them women in their forties, struggling to balance their home lives and careers. They were brought together as neighbors, but are bound together by friendship. Two of them have been friends for more than twenty years, the third nearly as long, the fourth a newcomer to the group.

Carr has done a wonderful job with characterization. She introduces these women as a group, then develops them one at a time to give us the opportunity to get to know them as individuals. These women are human, capable of making mistakes, but likeable, each of them quirky in her own way.

Gerri—Has recently separated from her husband after she learned of his long-ago affair. She is angry with her husband, but more importantly, she is searching for answers. What could possibly have gone wrong in their seemingly happy marriage that made him stray?

Andy—Although recently separated from her second boy-toy husband, Andy has already fallen for someone new, someone so different from every other man she’s ever been with. Is Bob the builder her rebound guy or is he the real deal?

Sonja—Sonja’s husband rocks her world when he comes home one day from work and announces that he’s leaving, that he can no longer live with her feng shui, that her cascading waterfalls make him feel the need to pee and that he’s tired of her healthy diet and wants to eat red meat and drink whisky.

BJ—The newest member to the gang, BJ is harboring a secret that could blow her world apart. But it just might be the crisis that brings the friends closer together.

Four friends is a study of life, love, marriage, and parenting. Four Friends offers a close up and personal look at relationships, not just the bonds between these women but their connection to their children. Through the use of realistic dialogue and appropriate events, Robyn Carr nailed the teenage characters in is this novel spot on. The author's candid portrayal of these teenagers and their relationship with their parents was reassured me in regards to my own children.

About two-thirds of the way through the novel, the pacing slows and I fell off the cliff. With clunky dialogue and little action, I found the last few chapters disappointing. All that said, I enjoyed my first Robin Carr novel and will look for more from her in the future.

For more of my reviews, visit my website at [...]

An absorbing, fascinating read about four complex women with problems: Gerri, Andy, Sonja, and BJ. Gerri is the glue and the rock of the bunch and the heart of the story. Sonja begins as a woman who's too perfect (as the other women think, too) and who goes off the rails spectacularly. She also refinds the rails in spectacular, wonderful, unexpected fashion. I got a major kick out of her. BJ has a heckuva secret, and Andy is the sort of woman who goes after what she wants ... and tosses what she doesn't want. I liked them all. The men in the book, and the women's kids, add to the richness and layers of the story. Interestingly, I never truly warmed up to Gerri's husband (although I think many readers would), but I liked the story better for the fact that I didn't. Life isn't perfect. It's life, and sometimes it takes you for a ride.

** spoiler alert ** This book was just barely ok for me. It tells the story of a group of women who started out as neighbors but over the years became close friends. I'm guessing that Robyn Carr wanted to show the strength of friendship in the face of challenge. However, for me, the book fell flat. It seemed that this small group had its share of drama - too much drama. How they dealt with their problems seemed far fetched too. It was hard for me to get into the story because it all seemed forced. There is a part of the book, that was so unbelievable that I found myself ranting out loud.

SPOILER:

One of the character's husband has an affair several years earlier but she is just finding out. After several months she goes to meet the mistress. I find it IMPOSSIBLE to believe that a woman would react like this:

"But was he at least good to you?"

"I'm not worried," Gerry said, suddenly feeling irrationally sorry that Phil hadn't done anything special for Elizabeth.

"I think you are a good person. I think we could be a good friends'. Of course, it can't happen."

And finally, a discussion between the cheating husband and his wife.

"I liked her," Gerri said. "You're not allowed to talk to her anymore...but I liked her. At least you have good taste...
...That woman - she was pretty high quality."...
"I was actually impressed."

~Said no woman, ever!

My review:

There are many reasons why I loved this book!
It's mature.
It deals with realistic conflicts.
It's well written and it is very engaging with characters who deal with problems that are common in real life. Therefore, also easily relatable.
It flows.
It's unoriginal. Yes, I loved it because the story is unoriginal and I will explain later what I mean with that. Bear with me and you won't be disappointed.
It's humorous, sharp and gut-wrenching.
(Just to name few reasons...)

Plot:

Four Friends by Robyn Carr deals with the lives of four friends: Gerri, Andy, Sonja and BJ.

Gerri, whose marriage has always been solid, accidentally finds out, that her husband had an affair for several years ago. She has always been sure on her husband and these news devastate her. She kicks out her husband Phil and besides dealing and explaining the situation to her kids, she also struggles with hormonal changes due to upcoming menopause and it doesn't help, that her friends are facing some serious issues. Gerri has been the anchor for her friends and the fact that she finds about her husband's affair, she suddenly has to learn how to put together the pieces.

Andy has had several relationships and usually with men who do not suit her. The last relationship was with the younger man and after breaking up with him, she founds out, that a man whom you can lean on, might come from a place you don't expect it to come from. She meets a middle-aged man who has average looks, who has not a lot of experience in the sexual explorations... and who yet is the man Andy has missed in her life. He is stable, seemingly boring, but sweet and reliable and very good in bed.

Sonja is a total flower-power-new-age-type of woman who believes in alternative medicine, healthy lifestyles and she takes them to an extreme. When her husband George leaves her from one day to another announcing that he is through with all this weirdness, she loses it... badly.

Likes:

As I mentioned in the beginning of my review, there was a lot to like.

First, I enjoyed tremendously, that Robyn Carr wrote about people who are mature, around 30-50 years old. It's a nice change to read about lives and issues of grown-ups. What made the reading even more compelling were the issues and topics the book dealt with. I have personal experiences with couple of topics touched in the book and I think the author did a great job with describing both the situations and the emotions.

Second, I mentioned, that I like that the plot is unoriginal. And when I say unoriginal, I mean that it deals with real issues of real people and there is nothing new in relationship problems, like cheating, breaking up, finding new love, solving problems, having a breaks-down and I think it was very well written. You recognize things from your own life and you cheer for the characters because you know and understand, what it means. The writing was really really good and the characters both lovable and relatable and that made the reading very engaging. Even thought there was no serious action, it was not a boring reading, it was awesome! It was beautiful, touching, gut-wrenching and funny! The writing absorbs you and makes Four Friends a page turner.

Characters:

Besides the writing, I loved the characters.

Gerri was by far my favorite, even though all 4 women were interesting. Gerri was a woman successful with her professional career, a loving and good friend and a nice person. I loved how the author developed Gerri who was split between the wish to forgive and her anger. I loved how she went extra miles for helping her friends. Gerri is a woman you would love to have as your own friend.

I also liked Gerri's husband Phil. I loved the dynamics between Gerri and Phil and it pained me that he cheated on her, even though it was years ago. I ADORED how Phil worked for getting Gerri back and loved his patience with Gerri. I think they suited, balanced and complimented each other very well.

I think Andy's and Bob's relationship was a cute one. When Gerri and Phil dealt with serious problems, then Andy's and Bob's story is really a cute one compared to the other story. It's a match which doesn't seem to work out, but it does and it does it surprisingly good.

Sonja was probably the character I could least relate to, at least in the beginning of the story. She was beyond weird for me and I could understand why George left her. And then as story developed, I realized how deep in denial Sonja was. I grew on her, a lot.

Generally:

I think the characters and the writing itself were the things which made this book so fascinating to me. Loved it!

REVIEWED BY SUNNY

The four women in FOUR FRIENDS are all dealing with some pretty heavy issues. Robyn Carr carefully developed each character, which helped me understand who they were and why these issues impacted them in such a profound way. I am going to share what I thought of these women, why I enjoyed aspects of each one, and why I wanted to strangle most of them as well.

Gerri Gilbert's life is looking pretty good until she uncovers a secret her husband has been keeping from her for years. It cuts very deep and throws her into a tailspin. What she had always assumed was true about her life and her marriage no longer fit, and I thought Robyn Carr developed her reaction to this new reality in a striking manner. Gerri deals with a tremendous amount of bitterness, doubt, and uncertainty as she tries to understand how this could have happened. I don't know how I would react if I uncovered this secret in my marriage. At times, I was a bit confused by Gerri's thoughts and actions, but for the most part, her reaction was what I would picture a lot of women having if in the same position. What I really liked about Gerri's character was how her work and her support of her husband's work drove her and defined her and ultimately helped her reach some important conclusions for her part of the story.

Andy Jamison hasn't been too lucky in love. She is always in need of a man, and while her backstory wasn't heavily explored, I enjoyed how her lack of success in love in the past made her discovery of new love so special. I was a bit frustrated at times with Andy's lack of self-esteem, because I didn't understand why she had that issue. She is an educated woman, yet seems naïve about so much in life, including how to deal with the issues her son is going through. Even though I didn't enjoy that about her character, I enjoyed how awesome it was when she found a truly special man as her luck finally turned around.

Sonja Johanson was one of the more complex characters in the story. Robyn Carr has her doing a 180. She goes from a person very much in control of her life to someone she wouldn't even recognize, and I didn't care for how hard she was on herself during this struggle. It took until late in Sonja's story to understand why this complete change took place and why she reacted as she did to a surprising event in her marriage. Her journey from a seemingly perfect life to being a complete disaster took a toll on all of the heroines in the book, but I thought Carr did a nice job of turning things around for Sonja. I enjoyed when she found her new normal and slowly but surely put her life back in some semblance of order.

BJ Smith really didn't have much of an impact on the story until about halfway through. Even though she didn't factor in until later, she had a very meaningful purpose in the book. She has a tragic past and so much to offer her struggling new friends due to her backstory, and that was one of my favorite elements of the book. She was pivotal in helping each of these friends rediscover themselves, especially Sonja. I found the discovery of BJ's backstory to be well written and very important to understanding her contributions to the story arc. My only complaint with BJ was that we didn't get more of her in FOUR FRIENDS.

Carr went back and forth between the four women and their situations and that writing style and pacing worked for me. There were many interesting elements to each woman's story so I never felt bored or wished Carr would get back to another aspect of the plot. When I read women's fiction, I miss the more frequent romantic encounters found in the genres I normally read. There were times in FOUR FRIENDS where romance was included, but I personally would have liked a bit more throughout as it was an important aspect of the story, especially for two of the characters. I did find it a bit far-fetched that all four women were dealing with such major struggles in life at the same time. However, I was totally able to relate to the importance of friends during difficult times.

Even in the moments the ladies drove me crazy, the friendship between them ended up being the glue that got them all through their issues and was my favorite element of the book. I enjoyed getting to know them all as individuals, but it was when they were together, helping each other, that the magic happened for me in FOUR FRIENDS. What they were able to reveal to each other brought healing and serenity, which they all desperately needed to find throughout the story.

BOTTOM LINE
The beauty of strong friendship was so evident in FOUR FRIENDS and very relatable. Even though I miss the romance when I read women's fiction, if that is a genre you enjoy, this is a great book to read. If you are wanting to try Robyn Carr, this a good stand-alone novel to get you acquainted with her writing.

RATING: B

Note: I received a review copy of this title courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review

I received a copy of this book from Katie at Little Bird Publicity/ the author Robyn Carr, in exchange for an honest review.

The Review

When I was offered the opportunity to read “Four Friends”, I didn’t have a single clue who Robyn Carr was or what her writing style was like. It was only later, when I was talking to my mom about this amazing book I had just read and she became so excited, telling me she'd read over a dozen or so of Robyn Carr's books, did I realize this was someone well known.

That all being said. My mother and I have something in common. We both love Robyn Carr and her writing. Now onto the book.

Gerri was the one I could relate to the most. She’s been married for 25 years, has kids and has what she thought was the perfect marriage. Even though she’s still in love with her husband, they fell into the same rut that many marriages fall prey too. Too busy to have sex or in her case, menopause. I’m only 40 and I struggle to keep our sex life above water for those two reasons. But my husband speaks up about it, where Phil didn’t really say anything. So when Gerri finds out he cheated on her 7 years prior, it blind sides her.

Now some could say it was 7 years ago, water under the bridge. No, it’s not. What people forget and what Robyn Carr expressed in her writing was, whether it is 7 years or 7 days ago, the fact is, it was NEW to Gerri and it hurt like hell. How can she get past this? Why didn’t he ever say anything? Did she do something wrong? WHY DIDN’T HE WARN HER HE WAS THINKING ABOUT IT!!??

Andy is Gerri’s best friend and neighbor. She was married once and he was a cheating douche bag. She then married a younger man. He was sexy, fit and oh so wrong for her. But he was delicious man candy and she convinced herself she could be happy with him. Wrong. Another cheating douche bag. Now she’s going through her second divorce and wondering what she’s doing wrong and if she’ll ever find true love. She strikes up a friendship with her carpenter, Bill, and begins to discover some things about herself. She’s been going after the wrong men all this time. What if she changed things up for once? But is it too late for her?

Sonja is the eccentric one. She is into tofu, feng shui, meditation and all the other things that are off the regular beaten path. She takes it upon herself to care for everyone around her. If someone is sick, she has an herb for that. She loves her husband George maybe too much. But she knows he appreciates everything she does to keep him healthy and happy. Then one day she finds out everything she’s done to keep him with her, has in fact driven him right out the door. When he leaves her, she questions everything in her life and she doesn’t know how to cope. But with her two best friends losing their minds and in the middle of their own crisis, who can she turn to?

BJ is the newcomer to the neighborhood. She’s lived in the neighborhood for almost a year, but Gerri, Andy and Sonja know nothing about her. They’ve tried to include her in their morning power walks, but BJ chooses to run, literally and figuratively, keeping her distance from them. But unbeknownst to them, she’s been watching and when she sees one of them needing serious help, she’s the first one to bring it to everyone else’s attention. Through that common ground, she begins to open up a little bit, but there are deep dark secrets she must keep hidden from everyone. Her and her children’s lives depend on it.

My Final Thoughts: This book was freaking wonderful! I loved it. It is the most real life book I’ve read, I think EVER. Each of these ladies go through things that many people do every day. Some can cope, others can’t. Robyn Carr takes us through the break ups, break downs and the rebuilding of all these women’s lives. Each and every one of them has something that everyone can relate to. This is THE book that all women should read. It’s simply amazing. You go through everything with them. The smiles, tears, laughter, feeling worthless, and finding your true worth. You go along with them realizing what’s worth fighting about, fighting for and when you should give up and move on. It’s also about taking a hard look at yourself in the mirror and seeing our own imperfections.

Robyn Carr has not only gained another fan for life, but she’s also given me something my mom and I can share together. That alone is priceless, but this book was truly a special gift.

~Robin Malone(Book Reads and Reviews)

I decided to try this story simply because it seemed to be a larger extension of the contemporary fiction aspect of Robyn Carr's Thunder Point series, which I am enjoying immensely. My instincts were dead on as Four Friends is quite the masterpiece.

The story centers around three friends who live in the same neighborhood, actually on the same street. The fourth emerges later as she's relatively new. In the space of a few weeks, their contented lives are completely upended when each experience strife in their marriages.

The friends
Gerri Gilbert, who is considered to have the best, most successful marriage faces a serious challenge as she contemplates ending her relationship with her husband, Phil. The impact on the lives of her children sends the family into chaos as she reluctantly examines her role in the matter.

Andy Jamison has to come to terms with the inevitable end of her second marriage and the choices she's made that have her ending up in the same place and feeling unfulfilled. She finds support, friendship and deep affection from the most unlikely person, while her son and friends struggle to accept the sincerity of her feelings.

Sonja Johanson, the one who seemed to be the most in control and spiritually grounded literally unravels before her friends eyes when confronted with a life-altering course. Her journey back is remarkable.

BJ Smith is the mysterious new neighbor who unwittingly provides grounding for the three friends, seeing what they didn't have the ability to notice right in front of them. Her pragmatism and detachment made a difference in an odd way and slowly she becomes swept up in the friendship with the women, who embrace her and provide support when she needed it.

The bottom line
I was enthralled by this book and couldn't put it down. Each of these women's stories touched me and I connected with some aspect of their lives. I felt what they felt when they experienced it and loved their honesty. The romances are unconventional and sexy in their own right. This is a story of substance, not always comfortable to read but definitely one I wanted to stay with. If you like contemporary fiction with elements of romance, you'll love this story.

Originally posted at The Book Nympho.com

(I received an ARC from NetGalley)

Geri and her husband Phil are very busy, with two full-time, all-encompassing careers (she works for Child Protective Services and he is an assistant district attorney) and three teenage children. They don't always have time to do everything they want, but they have a solid marriage- or so Geri believes.

Andy is Geri's best friend and is on the verge of her second divorce, this time from a hot younger guy. Her son is Geri's son's friend, but he has been very distant lately, something she attributes to her marital problems with a guy he doesn't really like. Her second divorce in ten years has left her depressed.

Sonja is a curious mix of Type A control freak and New Age yoga instructor. She forces Andy and Geri to power walk every morning, and has always been there for her friends with a friendly shoulder to lean on, and taking charge when they need help with anything. She keeps her wealthy, older husband George on a tight leash, monitoring his diet and stress levels to keep him healthy, but she is unaware that he is deeply unhappy.

BJ is the newest woman in the neighborhood, a single mom with two young children. She keeps to herself, running alone every morning, but occasionally she can be encouraged to join the ladies in their early morning walks. There is a mystery to her, but one that most readers can at least in part guess.

Their worlds seem to come apart one summer when Geri learns that her perfect marriage may not be so solid. Maybe because I have been married as long as Geri, I was most involved in her story. I felt that Carr delved most deeply in her character, and she realistically portrayed the challenges of balancing a marriage, raising teenagers and having a demanding career. And she wrote a few very hot sex scenes for this long married couple.

Andy finds herself inexplicably attracted to the man remodeling her kitchen- fifty-three-year-old, balding, not-turn-your-head-attractive Bob. Bob and Andy get to know each other with their nightly chats, and everyone can guess where this is headed, but it is sweet watching it happen. If you don't root for Bob, well, I don't want to know you.

Sonja is stunned when George can't take anymore New Age nonsense and leaves. She completely falls apart, and it is up to her friends to put aside their problems to come to her rescue. It takes awhile, but eventually we get to Sonja's backstory and the reason for her control issues.

Mysterious BJ has a fascinating story, but perhaps because she is the one furthest from the circle, we don't find out as much about her as the others, until the end of the story. I liked BJ, she has good intuition, and a prequel or sequel with her character would be interesting.

Watching these four women help each other and deal with issues on their own makes for a terrific read. I was drawn into their lives, and felt like I could be watching their stories play out from my window in their neighborhood. Some characters are given more time than others, as there are too many characters to give all equal time. (Bob and Geri's mother-in-law were two of my favorites.)

The author clearly believes in counseling; many of the characters go into marital counseling, psychiatric counseling, and group counseling. At times, it seemed to be that everyone was in counseling.

This would be a good book club pick. There are many issues at play here- domestic abuse, depression, marital infidelity, divorce, raising teenagers, menopause, and keeping secrets among others- enough to keep a lively talk going, and there are discussion questions at the end to guide you.

Unlike her series books, this latest offering by Robyn Carr is a stand-alone novel that delves deeply into issues that define what it means to be a woman in our modern times. The primary theme is how easy it is to lose track of one’s authentic self within the complexities of relationships and their concomitant roles.

As the story unfolds, the marriages of three of the women are imploding. Gerri, a forty-something social worker in the throes of menopause, discovers that her tried and true husband had a two year affair that ended five years ago. Despite the passage of time, the news hits her in hard, unleashing resentment and anger that tears the family with two teens apart.

Andy, Gerri’s long-time friend discovers her younger husband fancies himself a player and throws him out. Much to her surprise she is attracted to her kitchen contractor – someone who is definitely not her “type,” yet this relationship unfolds as a mature loving commitment and not a rebound relationships that her friends fear.

Sonja is shocked when her husband announces he can no longer tolerate her obsession with New Age folderol and abruptly departs, leaving her shattered and depressed. Only through the support of her friends does she get the help she needs to begin to rebuild her sense of self.

The fourth friend is new to the neighborhood and somewhat reluctantly connects with the others. BJ, a single mother of two young children is a widow harboring a dark secret that she worries will lead to rejection if others discover the truth.

Despite the circumstances described above, this is not a man-bashing novel. Rather, the author explores with sensitivity and wisdom realistic issues and challenges as women draw upon each other’s insights and strength to trust themselves and men in relationships. I enjoyed the book and highly recommend it.

This was a fun book to read. The author takes a look at the challenges faced by four women who are good friends. They live in a nice neighborhood. On the surface all seems well, however each woman faces challenges, deals with responsibilities, has work or a career and must handle family responsibilities. Within a short timeframe all must face a crisis in their home lives. Each is devastated by their own personal experience. Whether it is the repercussions of a wayward spouse, a one-occasion cheating husband, a mental breakdown when a spouse can't take the status quo anymore, each is challenged. But no one is more challenged then the woman who, with her kids, faced desperation and fear; a woman who saw no way out of her family's violent situation that lead to her taking her husband's life. For all of these women, each situation is believable. I was determined to see how the author would have each friend address the very real and realistic challenges that they faced. Each situation was different. In some cases, mothers faced single parenthood. In another there was a nervous breakdown. In a third, the spouse "accidentally" learned of her spouses's infidelity. The shock was she thought she had the "perfect marriage". In this book people are blindsided leading to reflections on their role, if any, in what happened and what life changes they or their spouses needed to make.

Gerri can't decide what's more devastating: learning her rock-solid marriage has big cracks, or the anger she feels as she tries to repair the damage. Always the anchor for friends and her three angst-ridden teenagers, it's time to look carefully at herself. The journey for Gerri and her family is more than revealing—it's transforming.

Andy doesn't have a great track record with men, and she's come to believe that for her a lasting love is out of reach. When she finds herself attracted to her down-to-earth, ordinary contractor—a man without any of the qualities that usually appeal to her—she questions everything she thought she wanted in life.

Sonja's lifelong pursuit of balance is shattered when her husband declares he's through with her New Age nonsense and walks out. There's no herbal tonic or cleansing ritual that can restore her serenity—or her sanity.

Miraculously, it's BJ, the reserved newcomer to Mill Valley, who steps into their circle and changes everything. The woman with dark secrets opens up to her neighbors, and together they get each other back on track, stronger as individuals and unfaltering as friends.

--My review. Each woman sure did bring something to the table. I really liked Gerri, she seemed like she had it all together. But when she learns devastating news about her marriage, her perfect world will come crashing down. Or will it?

Andy I think was my favorite! I love her love story and she really just I don't know, really saw beauty in something that everyone didn't. I tend to be like that, so maybe that is why I thought she was my favorite!

Sonja drove me crazy!! The new age stuff and her trying to control everything, would drive anyone over the brink! No wonder her husband walked out.

BJ, the dark secrets and everything. I really loved her story and I loved the whole ending! I know you will love this book, well because who doesn't love anything by Robyn Carr??

Enjoy, and I know you will find your favorite character too. One you identify with most!

Start with four neighbor women with secrets, throw in several men feeling neglected, and add rebellious teens to the mix. Then discover that one man's wife left him for a woman, one of these women's children is gay, this child's father is a homophobe, and one of the neighbors is a felon. Stir well and allow the mix to ferment - and you have a really good story.
Gerri is the lead character. She is also a psychologist and supervisor for the county's family services office; her husband is a county assistant district attorney. When she learns accidentally that he had an affair about 6 years ago, Gerri joins two of her friends on the road to divorce.
These interwoven relationships are the heart of the story. Ms Carr shows that these relationships accurately reflect reality. Some of the characters find new strength under stress; others who seem strong and well-balanced completely fail apart in unexpected ways. As always, Ms Carr's tale flows smoothly. The reader can't help but be drawn into the story and empathize with her character's troubled lives.
Very good story.

This is more of a women's fiction book than the more focused romances I've read of this author, though it still gives that mostly satisfying pretty much all tied up ending, and I absolutely adored it. It's so well woven, and pretty intense at times, with such a strong emotional arc for all four women featured. I fell right into this story from the start, and connected really well in different ways to each of these characters, no matter how different they or their circumstances were.

Gerri is reexamining her marriage, and her life up until now, with her world rocked by finding out her husband had an affair several years ago. The way this hits her is beautifully done, with such realism to it even as this woman debates if she should end her marriage. But what of her children, and everyone around her who thought her marriage was so great? Carr draws the reader in to all these questions and more, and makes it shine with a character who has so much strength to her even while she goes through this really awful time.

Then there's Sonja, who's husband has walked out on her, in large part because he's done with her yoga instructing, health-food focused ways. And it seems so ridiculous, really, to walk out on your wife because of essentially who she is, and yet I was also pretty into this story line. Her world is, of course, rocked, and she starts to really lose it because of her husband's actions. Again, there was something so realistic about the way this was handled, and I couldn't help but root for this woman.

We also have Andy, who's the kind of woman who just can't seem to find a good man. She's just ended her second marriage, and while she might not have known the solid seeming perfection Sonja and Gerri have, she's still struggling with everything going on. Then there's the not so wowing at first but so dang endearing and wonderful carpenter and his dang awesome dog, which had such a different and sweet element to it she wasn't used to.

Last there's BJ, the newcomer to the neighborhood and while she finds her way in with these women, she's still guarding a pretty huge secret that can have some big effects. Hers was the other story line that really captivated me, and I couldn't get enough of how well all four story lines were overall woven together. Despite what she'd been through, and what she's hiding, she was such a rock for the other three, and while Gerri often seemed a bit like the inherent ringleader, I found BJ to be more like the glue that kept things going even while everything seemed to be falling apart.

Each woman faced their issues pretty head on as things progressed, and while there were things they endured on their own and had to work through in their own ways, I also loved how much they relied on others as well. The pacing of this is spot on, with so much intrigue and forward momentum. This is one of those books that really takes you on a journey and challenges you in some ways while still being fun and flirty and enjoyable. All around, such a well done and strong book.

Mill Valley: An affluent neighborhood where things aren’t always as idyllic as they appear on the outside. Andy is done with her cheating no-good husband, kicking him to the curb and not feeling the least bit sorry about it. Sonja’s husband has decided he can’t live with her New-Age-y control over his life and leaves. Gerri finds out her husband had an affair years ago and is thrown in a tailspin of hurt and anger. BJ is new to Mill Valley, but she has a hidden past she’s trying to overcome. These four women have a lot of struggles to work through, but together these four friends are growing stronger.

FOUR FRIENDS is a good beach read, with strong and realistic characters. Some things I had trouble relating to just because I am much younger than the characters in the story, but I did feel kinship with their struggles. FOUR FRIENDS is a quick read and I easily became involved in the plot, wanting to know what happens next for everyone. My favorite characters are Sonja and Bob, plus Beau the dog! Bob is the carpenter fixing up Andy’s house and he’s very down to earth. Sonja is New Age-y, but her heart is in the right place most of the time. I really liked seeing Bob and Andy grow closer and their relationship blossom, just like I enjoyed Sonja’s path to recovery. Life is full of ups & downs and FOUR FRIENDS illustrates that beautifully without being saccharine.

by Robyn Carr

This is one amazing book. Four friends and their individual relationships, trials, traumas all of them over the
age of thirty five ( some closer to fifty ). Each having their own story and meltdowns. Crazy Sonja, Strong willed
and efficient fixer Gerri, Needy Andy and previously incarcerated BJ. Their bond is tight and gets tighter as the drama unfolds.

As with all of Robyn Carrs books, they are first and foremost real. Real situations and scenarios. Real outcomes.
Nothing like a fairy tale. This is REAL LIFE. Pissed of Moms, wives and stupid (come on boys IN PUBLIC) yet adorable teenagers. Real life situations of abuse, acceptance and the struggles to get it all back.

Poor Phil it was pitiful, yup he did it, he regretted it, don't know why he did, and wishes he could take it back and in the process have what he and his wife had years ago. George just had enough! Bryce was a player but Bob is a gem.

These characters are what true friendship are about. It was easy to connect with them. Bringing to light the need for relief in counseling and seeking medical counsel from your Physician. All real and real and needed.

Good Job, I hope there's going to be more. I highly recommend this book and any other of her books.

In Four Friends Robyn Carr has explored many of the issues that women - and men - face after the wedding. I am forever a romantic - and love the happy ending, however I recognise that just doesn't just "happen". The challenges of life, mistakes, reality, children factor in; our past may catch up with us, and what we have denied may now demand to be recognised. If we are fortunate we have good friends who walk with us, we courageously choose what will help us, and we grow. Love deepens or love dies.

Four Friends explores big issues: abuse, infidelity, loss, depression, the menopause, mental breakdown, the challenge of raising teenagers, sexual orientation and the challenge of busy lives. Also the need for and often lack of good communication between husband and wife, which can lead to needs unmet. This book would be excellent for book groups, I am sure it would engender lively discussion. While its intended audience perhaps is women, I would love to think that men might read it too.

I found Four Friends a little slow to start. I wasn’t drawn to any of the forty-something characters. That was until I really got a 100 or so pages into the book, and then I couldn’t put it down! Gerri, Andy, Sonja and BJ are all very likeable characters, each different to the other. As there storylines progressed I just had to keep reading to find out how everything turned out.

Gerri seems to have it all – a great career, three amazing children and a perfect marriage. That’s until she finds out her marriage isn’t as perfect as she thought. She struggles with making the right choices, and her friends are there to help. Andy has already divorced one husband, and is now facing a second failed marriage but immediately finds herself falling for someone she least expected. Sonja is a bit of an odd-ball, she relies on New Age-y rituals and ways to get through life, until these rituals become her undoing and her life is thrown upside down. Gerri and Andy, already with their own problems, do not see what is happening with Sonja until it is almost too late. It takes someone removed from the situation – new neighbor BJ – to save the day. BJ has reason to be reserved and untrusting, and when the other three find out exactly what happened, they don’t run away like BJ expected. Gerri, Andy and Sonja welcome BJ into their circle with open arms.

I felt like Gerri was the glue between the group, that perhaps with out her the other women wouldn’t be friends. As much as I enjoyed reading about the relationship between the four women, I most enjoyed the little focus on Andy’s blossoming relationship with Bob. There was also a great little moment between Bob and Andy’s son that was very touching.

Four Friends is not just a story of friendship between four women, it is also about relationships. Their relationship with work, with their children, with their significant other. And really how their friendship with each other helps them deal with the hiccups in their other relationships.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading Four Friends. It was the first Robyn Carr book I’ve ever read. I’m not sure I’m ready to invest time in reading one of her series of books, but I’ll be seeking out some other standalone novels. I could easily recommend this novel to friends. And if you enjoy women’s fiction and stories with strong friendships, you will probably enjoy Four Friends.

I received a copy of this book fro the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.

FOUR FRIENDS is not my usual sort of book. In fact, when I'm making a point about why I like YA so much, I'll often say that one reason is I never have to read about a character going through a divorce or a married protagonist cheating on their spouse. (It's totally different to read about it through a teens perspective if one of their parents are doing it.) So, it took me quite a while to get past the point where I kept wanting to stop reading this book... There was just so much bad marriage mojo and it made me feel bad.

The four friends are four women living on the same street. Three have been close friends for a while and one is a hesitant newcomer. The three friends all experience some major upheaval in their married lives, which I wasn't crazy about reading as a happily married woman... It was just so depressing and sometimes infuriating and didn't leave much room for happiness in their lives.

However! Once the bonds of friendship are really defined and visible, once Bob and his sweet dog show up, and once a few of the kids start mattering more to the story, things improved. The women are great friends to each other, no matter what, even when each of their own lives are falling apart. I loved not ever having to wonder which one of the women would backstab the other, because their devotion to friendship is just so clear throughout. Beyond the women themselves, Bob is great, and the two older teen sons of Gerri and Andy have a few lovely moments.

So while FOUR FRIENDS is not an easy read and certainly took time for me to want to keep reading, at a certain point I did find myself wrapped up in knowing the outcome for each of the four women, rooting for them in different ways, and having to keep flipping the pages to find out as soon as possible. There's a good amount of adultery (or at least mentions of it) in here, so if that's a particular sore spot, tread carefully. (It's not the four friends scheming about cheating on their husbands though, so don't worry that you'll be forced into rooting for anything super shady.) Robyn Carr is obviously a solid writer and I'll certainly be checking out some of her other books... maybe I'll go with one with a bit more romance next time!

[ See this review & more @ StoryboundGirl.com! ]

This stand-alone effort by Robyn Carr introduces four women from the San Francisco suburb of Mill Valley. All of their marriages are or were in a state of chaos. That fact alone is the basis for my major reservation about this book, but first a little bit of background. Gerri discovers quite randomly that her husband cheated several years ago. Sonya's husband, fed up with her New Age lifestyle, decides to get out. Andy has just shed another man who turned out to be wrong for her. The newcomer is BJ, a single mom with a horrific secret.

I first started reading Robyn Carr's Virgin River series, and that is still my favorite work of hers. Carr is one of the better writers in the chick lit genre. Her dialog works, her characters are complex and compelling, her sex scenes are not too frequent and not too icky, and she is committed to exploring the human condition. Based on her note to this book, she started with the idea of four women whose relationships with men were under stress. She sent the book out to a number of early readers for their suggestions as to how to make the story more realistic. I do appreciate this approach and her commitment to making the book work for the reader. For me, the initial premise of four women emerging from four rotten relationships (OK, spoiler alert, at least one seems salvageable) strains credulity a bit. I predict that readers who are currently in stable relationships might be less willing to forgive this particular conceit. Possibly readers with more turbulent personal relationships of their own might take this one to heart.

I do appreciate Robyn Carr's approach which I would characterize as "in for a penny, in for a pound." She examines all facets of how the women relate to their men and how they relate to each other. The loose ends are mostly tied up in a satisfying manner. She writes well and often with startling insight. I recommend this book particularly to Robyn Carr fans.

I have to admit, I am already a fan of Robyn Carr. I have enjoyed several of her romance novels. While this read does include love and lust, it's core is about the lives of 4 women. It includes their struggles as wives, mothers, and friends.

I really related to Gerri, who seems to have it altogether- but her life has turned completely into keeping things together and organized, and she has left behind much of the intimacy of her marriage. She is a real woman, trying to balance career, marriage, and 3 teenagers! As well as trying to be there for her best friends.

Andy is always picking the wrong man. Will she finally find the right one?
Sonja tries to control everything, through her feng shui and ways of balance, to find that when her marriage falls apart, so does she. Sonja has to battle the traumas of her past and present, and discover who she was truly meant to be.
BJ is an unknown, but amazingly comes out of the woodwork when the other women need her. When she discovers that they are real people, not the perfect superficial suburban wives she thought they were, she learns to trust them, and lets her skeletons out of the attic.

The characters are well-developed, and the troubles are real. It was refreshing to read a book about real women, with real struggles- and who are making real-life decisions on how to handle them the best they can. A great book of female life and friendship.

, but this book was an amazing read! I read it in less than 3 days- I simply couldn't put it down.

The book surrounds the lives of 4 women, all going through marital ups and downs.

I have read every single book written by Robyn Carr so far, and I have never been disappointed once. She's in my top 3 all time favorite authors, so I had high expectations for this new book. She not only met those expectations, but she surpassed them by a country mile!

This book was so amazing, it's like nothing I've ever read before. I started reading this book about 2 in the afternoon. I was only a few pages in when I became so invested in this book that not only did I miss dinner, but I also didn't get to bed until the very wee hours in the morning. Just goes to show you, reading one of Robyn Carr books is NOT good for your health. LOL! Just kidding. I wouldn't miss one of her books, no matter how many meals I missed, or how sleep deprived I get. Every single book of her's is well worth every single minute.

This book made me mad, laugh, cry, and pull for every single person involved on the block. These people weren't without faults, but it was their back stories that made them the way they were. I have to say though, these 4 women were so different that I would have never pictured them as becoming good friends. But then again, Robyn Carr has always had a way of weaving a story so effortlessly and in a way that really works. We should all have good friends like this in our crazy lives.

I don't know if this is the first book of a series, but I sure hope so. I would love to catch up with all of these women and their families, to see how they are doing down the road a bit. I would also love to know more about Connie and her husband. We got to see a little bit, but that couple really intrigued me for some odd reason.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone. I can assure you right now, you won't be sorry!

This has been my first Robyn Carr read. I am always a little suspicious of authors that have a long book list. I always figure "How long can they write great? How many good characters and good stories can anyone come up with?"
I don't even know what made me try this one. When I was shopping at audible.com for my next book, I picked it. Cant remember why.
I am blown away. I was stuck right in this story from the beginning. There were points I almost went out my front door to go down the street and knock on Gerrys door to see how she was doing. Or see if Bobs truck was still at Andies house.
One of those stories to be completely immersed in. The characters were fabulous.
Narration can make or break a story. Even the best story can be ruined in the audio version.
This was fabulous narration. Awesome job. I have listened to a lot of stories. Honestly, this is one of the best narration jobs.
I cant even imagine how a writer could come up with so many true human characters. But Robyn Carr did an incredible job here.
Wonderful story. Highly recommended.

The characters and their issues draw you in as a reader because they are real and relatable. I was drawn to some characters more than others, but I still wanted to know the outcome for all of them.

Of the four friends, I was most interested in Andy and her budding relationship with her carpenter. I instantly adored Bob, the carpenter. I didn't understand why everyone in their lives was finding it hard to believe that Andy would be involved with Bob, but I however immediately got her attraction to him. They got to know one another as friends before it became something physical. I must admit, Bob may have been my favorite character of the entire book.

Sonja, I was iffy about. But once her marriage blew up, I loved her. The Sonja after her marriages falls apart was stronger, more real than the Sonja before. I didn't like her husband George before nor after. He just seemed so uncaring about what Sonja was going through.

Gerri, I felt for what she was going through, but at times I felt she should be focused on her own issues instead of telling Andy what she needs to do. When she should have been nosing into anyone's business it should have been Sonja's but BJ had to pint out everything going wrong there to Gerri. That proved to me that Sonja was right in her assessment that Gerri and Andy are friends and just includes Sonja.

I truly did enjoy every minute of this book. Great story, great characters, my only issue was the characters excessive use of the word "gd." But it was not enough to deter me from the story.

There are some good object lessons hidden in this this novel. We read of a wife whose sex drive has diminished. She feels it is the way things go as you get older especially as you suffer from menopause. Even though she has a good marriage neither she nor her husband talk about their wishes and physical states.

We also see evidence of the philosophy that it is always the mother's fault. There are philosophical musings and lessons concerning the relationship of friends and women and their partners. We see how depression is linked to mental illness and the horrifying effects of spousal abuse and the paralysis of our legal system in dealing with it.

We learn how relationships flounder and how it always happens in one form or another. Some do nothing or fruitlessly fight against changes and others recover their relationships. A wonderful simile is given... when the rope breaks is it irreparably damaged or if a knot is tied in it , is it an awful thing to remember or does it give you something to hang onto?

What I liked about this book was that it was about mature women. Most books written these days are about women in their late 20s to mid 30s. I liked reading about the four women and how their relationships have and have not worked out.

What I didn't particularly care for in this book was the way the author wrote about the women and their relationships. For example, Andy is suddenly attracted to a man who isn't her typical type because he happens to be a contractor and isn't gorgeous with a perfect body and isn't her "usual" type. I didn't think we needed to be reminded of that over and over again and to feel that Bob didn't think he was good enough for Andy. Sonja's story was a little flat to me, and I've read much better books in which the characters face infidelity issues, as in Gerri's case. I do not understand the description about BJ as being "the reserved newcomer to Mill Valley, who steps into their circle and changes everything. The woman with dark secrets opens up to her neighbors, and together they get each other back on track, stronger as individuals and unfaltering as friends." Her character just never really developed into anything.

All in all, it was a quick read, but I didn't feel really connected to the book or the characters.

This story revolves around the lives of 4 women/friends who live in the same upscale neighborhood. You get a window into the lives of each woman and the different problems that each one will face, despite the perfect appearance from the outside. This story talks about real life problems that families deal with and how they overcome these problems from raising teens, psychotics breaks, romance to infidelity. There are so many kernels of good information and great insights into life in this book. I felt like I personally got a little bit of "self help" after reading this book. I think most women will be able to relate to some part of this book. Women in their 40s and 50s would probably enjoy this book due to the menopausal topics discussed. This book has a few steamy encounters that add to the excitement in the book. I love how the author intertwined the four stories and tied up all of the loose ends by the end of the book. She really came up with great solutions to what each person was going through and had great advice for the characters. This book is very easy to get drawn into and moves along perfectly. I could see this book being made into a movie on Lifetime. If you are looking for an easy, relaxing read, I would highly recommend this book.

If you want to read a book that is hard to put down, fast paced, and one to which most women can relate at some level, read "Four Friends," by Robyn Carr. The premise is nothing new, as the novel tells the stories of four middle aged women (some on the younger side) who are living through the trials and tribulations of marital woes, break-ups, heartache, family life, etc, while supporting one another along the way. Something about the author's writing style didn't, however, make this just another story about 4 women. The friends face so many hardships raising their children, dealing with spouses and exes, while navigating careers and just getting through life. I loved this book!

Another winner from Robyn Carr. Four women in the same neighborhood, each experiencing an upheaval in their life: Gerri, who learns her husband had an affair and she never suspected; Andy finally kicks out a man more immature than her 19-year-old son (good riddance!); Sonja goes off the deep end when her husband leaves her; and BJ, standing on the sidelines and watching, whose own secrets are not revealed until she observes an assault in a parking lot.

Real angst, and real characters whose complexities make them easy to love and to root for. At times, this book may be painful to read because it cuts so close to the skin of some readers' real life experiences, but it is worth every tear, every clutch of the heart and thought, "yes, I know," or "if only I had done that."

A great read with romance and a set of happy endings, but mostly truly reflecting life with all its warts.

Four Friends by Robyn Carr
This is the story of 4 friends who live near one another and have for years as their lives have progressed through various stages of love and relationships.
The past events have come to light for some that lead them to upheaval.
Like especially the friendship of the woman who run every day, their lives as they do all they can for their families. Teens dealing with drugs, drinking and their parents breakups along with date rape that brings the parents together to deal with it.
Follows the spouses side to the stories as well as you get a well rounded opinion and can select a side to stick with.
Liked the confrontations and how they were handled.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Wow! And Wow!

I had a hard time with the first chapter putting all the pieces together of the four ladies Gerri, Sonja, Andy and BJ, but once the stage was set I didn't want to put the story down.

I so wanted to be Gerri and that very strong put together person, that she is blind to her own faults. Andy chasing or think what is best for her and really isn't. The love she finds with Bob is amazing and his name truly fits with his character. He is a down to the basics, decent, caring gentleman that is rare to find. Sonja captures my heart in so many ways. How many of us just block it out or justify all is fine and don't really live life and enjoy it? She comes out so much stronger than Gerri or any of the ladies as she is willing to try and embrace life. Lastly, is BJ. BJ is just BJ, not quite able to put words to her ability to observe and pull these three friend through their ups and downs as an outsider that sees things a little differently.

Excellent dynamics!

I am starting to realize that Robyn Carr is becoming a must-read author for me. Good thing she has so many books for me to get through. Not only have I been greatly enjoying her love stories in the Virgin River series, now I discover she can write middle aged real life angst.

Being a 40 year old wife and mother, there was so much about this story that resonated with me. I either experienced or was close to someone who experienced almost everything that happened in this book. I could see snippets of my mom, sister, friends, coworkers, aunts, and myself. This is not to say a younger woman (or even man) wouldn't enjoy the stories told in this book. In fact, maybe it should be required reading for all newlyweds. Not to scare them, but so they can see the things most couples go through as well as prevents some of the mistakes we all make.

Read this book. Trust me. You will laugh, cry and celebrate with these women and you can thank me later!

I think that I have read almost every single Robyn Carr book. I have loved them all. I loved Virgin River and I love Thunder Point. Her standalone novels are great as well. I really enjoyed reading Four Friends.

This book is about four women of varying ages that live in the same neighborhood. Gerri, Andy and Sonja walk together a couple of mornings a week. They have always invited BJ but she prefers to run by herself.

Gerri, Andy and Sonja are all suddenly experiencing problems in their marriages. Andy never thought that she had a problem until she finds out that her husband had an affair seven years ago. Their problems are each different but they all supported each other through their issues.

I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next book in her Thunder Point series.

This is a tale of marriages going right and going wrong; of women at a certain age who feel insecure, busy, stressed, angry and in need of friends.

Three friends see one another's marriages crumble almost at the same time and some marriages can be recovered but others not. Observing that these ladies do not have the perfect lives she'd envisaged, another local lady extends a hand to help.

This American author has written series set in Virgin River and Thunder Point; this standalone book will be good for people just getting to know her who do not want to pick up halfway down a series. Carr is easy reading with serious life lessons under the surface. Her characters feel very real and reactions seem authentic for both men and women. When you've read this one, try a Virgin River book. I can recommend Redwood Bend.

I love Robyn Carr's books but I wasn't sure about this one-off but figured I'd take my chances. I'm glad I did. This was funny, irreverent and well thought out. The characters were engaging and their circumstances went from the sublime to the pathetic. Within a month four women who thought they had it all together are hit with, divorce, infidelity, a marriage that dissolves and a reason to be thankful just for being alive. They hang together and make a new friend, while working their way through the changes that life brings.

I liked the ladies and I liked the story, everything wasn't fairytale and it really made me think about some of the decisions I've made. I really enjoyed this!

There were a few things that I enjoyed about Robyn Carr's "Four Friends". I appreciated Carr's attempt at realism. I liked the dialogue flow.

Yet there was something that fell flat with me while reading. It just didn't have a spark to it. The four friends are Gerri, Andy, Sonja and the latecomer, BJ. All are in state of semi-disrepair with two marriages cracking and the new friend with some secrets of her own.

As noted, I really did like the dialogue and appreciated that the happily ever after can sometimes stumble with the weight of real life, but it may be that it was a little too Lifetime for me. I don't know. Still enjoy Carr's writing though and will continue to check out her other books. This one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Robyn Carr can always be depended upon to offer readers solid women's literature. Four Friends is exactly what the title implies, a tale of four friends, women of a certain age who happen to live in the same neighborhood. As always, Ms. Carr starts with a solid premise and adding humor and imagination, delivers a well plotted story. The characters are quirky and likeable. The dialogue seems to fit both the characters and the situations, and is sharp and crisp. Primary and secondary characters are fully faceted. The situations faced in the novel were believable and interesting. I found it to be an enjoyable, sweet, funny, and fast read.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Robin Carr – Four Friends

If you enjoy Robin Carr’s books, you’ll enjoy this one. If you’ve never read her before, you’ll enjoy it too.

This is different from her previous books in that it’s a standalone book. The characters haven’t appeared in any of her other books as they do in the Virgin River and Thunder Valley series. But that doesn’t take away from the book. Robin’s characters are drawn in such a way that you care about and root for them. You can relate to what they’re going through even if you’ve never been in their position. You want their lives to get better. It’s an emotional journey but one with a good ending.

Highly Recommend

Donna

This story started off promising. The sample I downloaded left off at a cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to get the rest. I borrowed this book from a digital library and waited for it to become interesting. The one part in the beginning was the most exciting part of the story. This is just a boring story about four friends on a street working through everyday marital problems. There was nothing (in my opinion) particularly interesting about it. It felt like a task to read after a while, but I finished it anyway. The ending seemed like the author just said "Ok, I'm not really talking about anything important. Let me put on a bow on it and ship it off to the publisher." This book was a time filler...

Robyn Carr’s Four Friends is a beautiful novel about four women whose close friendship becomes a saving grace as they are each faced with life altering decisions.

Gerri, Andy and Sonja are long time neighbors whose lives fall apart right around the same time. Andy’s second marriage to a younger man comes to a dramatic end just as Gerri learns devastating news that leaves her questioning her twenty four year marriage. Sonja has worked hard to find peace and tranquility in her life, but when her husband leaves her, she descends into a deep depression. BJ is a newcomer to the neighborhood who mainly keeps to herself, but it is her astute observations that alert Gerri and Andy to Sonja’s frightening despondency.

The least complicated story arc is Andy’s unexpected romance with Bob, the carpenter who is renovating her kitchen. Bob is nothing at all like the men Andy usually dates and her feelings for him catch her completely by surprise. Bob is older, shy, a little overweight but so incredibly sweet and understanding. Their relationship begins as friendship but soon transforms into a romance that is very heartwarming.

The storyline with BJ is also fairly simple. She has a passing acquaintance with the other three women but she is rather enigmatic and closely guards her privacy. After getting Sonja into treatment for her depression, Gerri, Andy and BJ finally become closer but BJ still remains tightlipped about her past. By the novel’s end, her secrets are revealed and surprisingly enough, she and Sonja form a tight bond.

Sonja’s part of the novel is the most serious and she undergoes the biggest transformation. At first a new agey, health nut, she is absolutely stunned when her husband leaves her. She immediately falls apart and her friends get her into treatment right away, but they are slow to realize how seriously depressed she is. Once she gets the intense therapy she needs, Sonja faces her painful past and emerges much stronger and more self-aware.

Although Gerri and her husband Phil lead very hectic lives, they do a wonderful job balancing demanding jobs and parenting duties. But Phil has been keeping a secret that leads to a (hopefully) temporary separation as Gerri tries to come to terms with her hurt and anger. Gerri is quite contemplative as she searches for answers that can help her understand how she and Phil could be so far apart in how they view their marriage. A short-term crisis involving their children reunites the estranged couple but their future remains uncertain.

Four Friends by Robyn Carr is an engaging novel with a realistic plot and appealing characters. The women’s struggles are true to life and easy to relate to. The friendships are strong and enduring and while they do not always agree with one another’s decisions, their support for one another is unwavering. A heartfelt and poignant story that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

I had some difficulty with this book. I just found that there was so much drama/sadness/everything that could go wrong going wrong that it was just making me feel bad most of the time. Of course things get better as it progresses, but just in strange ways. For instance, the woman meets her husband's mistress and feels bad for her. Um, what? Who feels like their husband hasn't done enough for his mistress. That was just strange. It just felt a bit contrived with everyone's life falling apart at exactly the same time. I just didn't feel it was enjoyable. I have read other books by the author and the writing is very competent and she does a good job of characterizing the characters/descriptions/etc.

Light hearted most of the time but deals with true drama of getting older, marriage and finding new paths.
I love her books because they delve into what it means to have and BE a friend.
I always think I wish I had friends like these when I read her books.

Four Friends
Robyn Carr
Mira, Mar 25 2014, $14.95
ISBN 9780778316817

Marin County Child Protective Services case worker supervisor Gerri Gilbert learns her husband Assistant District Attorney Phil had an affair. Upset by his betrayal, she wonders what to do about him and their so-called perfect marriage, and if she acts like her gut wants her to the impact on their son Mathew.

Andy Jamison files for her second divorce this time from her immature second husband Bryce over several issues but mostly his treatment of her teenage son Noel (from her first marriage). She and marital-separated Bob the carpenter working at her home become lovers.

New Age fanatic Sonja Johanson seeks balance for herself and her family and friends. However, her husband George the financial planner has had enough with her incessant endless shtick so he walks out on her and her mumble jumble lunacy.

B.J. moves into the Mill Valley neighborhood where best friends Gerri, Andy and Sonja reside. The trio makes overtures to befriend the newcomer, but B.J. prefers to jog solo as she still runs from her nightmare. Yet her arrival proves a catalyst leading to changes in the lives of the three buddies and her.

This is a profound neighborhood drama as the incredibly fully developed Four Friends come across in public as having their respective acts together; but in private each falls apart to varying degrees under the weight of diverse tsuris. The support cast (male lovers and exes, and teenage children) enhance the deep look into the lead quartet as each of the protagonists deals not always successfully with major social issues directly confronting themselves or indirectly their loved ones (including their BFFs).

Harriet Klausner

I have read other Robyn Carr books and enjoyed them a lot. But the language in this one forced me to stop reading it. The F word is offensive to me .. and too many of the characters really like to use that word. There is no need for profanity. Good writers should know enough words to express themselves without reverting to this offensive word.

Wow! And Wow!

I had a hard time with the first chapter putting all the pieces together of the four ladies Gerri, Sonja, Andy and BJ, but once the stage was set I didn't want to put the story down.

I so wanted to be Gerri and that very strong put together person, that she is blind to her own faults. Andy chasing or think what is best for her and really isn't. The love she finds with Bob is amazing and his name truly fits with his character. He is a down to the basics, decent, caring gentleman that is rare to find. Sonja captures my heart in so many ways. How many of us just block it out or justify all is fine and don't really live life and enjoy it? She comes out so much stronger than Gerri or any of the ladies as she is willing to try and embrace life. Lastly, is BJ. BJ is just BJ, not quite able to put words to her ability to observe and pull these three friend through their ups and downs as an outsider that sees things a little differently.

Excellent dynamics!

I am starting to realize that Robyn Carr is becoming a must-read author for me. Good thing she has so many books for me to get through. Not only have I been greatly enjoying her love stories in the Virgin River series, now I discover she can write middle aged real life angst.

Being a 40 year old wife and mother, there was so much about this story that resonated with me. I either experienced or was close to someone who experienced almost everything that happened in this book. I could see snippets of my mom, sister, friends, coworkers, aunts, and myself. This is not to say a younger woman (or even man) wouldn't enjoy the stories told in this book. In fact, maybe it should be required reading for all newlyweds. Not to scare them, but so they can see the things most couples go through as well as prevents some of the mistakes we all make.

Read this book. Trust me. You will laugh, cry and celebrate with these women and you can thank me later!

I think that I have read almost every single Robyn Carr book. I have loved them all. I loved Virgin River and I love Thunder Point. Her standalone novels are great as well. I really enjoyed reading Four Friends.

This book is about four women of varying ages that live in the same neighborhood. Gerri, Andy and Sonja walk together a couple of mornings a week. They have always invited BJ but she prefers to run by herself.

Gerri, Andy and Sonja are all suddenly experiencing problems in their marriages. Andy never thought that she had a problem until she finds out that her husband had an affair seven years ago. Their problems are each different but they all supported each other through their issues.

I loved this book and I cannot wait for the next book in her Thunder Point series.

This is a tale of marriages going right and going wrong; of women at a certain age who feel insecure, busy, stressed, angry and in need of friends.

Three friends see one another's marriages crumble almost at the same time and some marriages can be recovered but others not. Observing that these ladies do not have the perfect lives she'd envisaged, another local lady extends a hand to help.

This American author has written series set in Virgin River and Thunder Point; this standalone book will be good for people just getting to know her who do not want to pick up halfway down a series. Carr is easy reading with serious life lessons under the surface. Her characters feel very real and reactions seem authentic for both men and women. When you've read this one, try a Virgin River book. I can recommend Redwood Bend.

I love Robyn Carr's books but I wasn't sure about this one-off but figured I'd take my chances. I'm glad I did. This was funny, irreverent and well thought out. The characters were engaging and their circumstances went from the sublime to the pathetic. Within a month four women who thought they had it all together are hit with, divorce, infidelity, a marriage that dissolves and a reason to be thankful just for being alive. They hang together and make a new friend, while working their way through the changes that life brings.

I liked the ladies and I liked the story, everything wasn't fairytale and it really made me think about some of the decisions I've made. I really enjoyed this!

There were a few things that I enjoyed about Robyn Carr's "Four Friends". I appreciated Carr's attempt at realism. I liked the dialogue flow.

Yet there was something that fell flat with me while reading. It just didn't have a spark to it. The four friends are Gerri, Andy, Sonja and the latecomer, BJ. All are in state of semi-disrepair with two marriages cracking and the new friend with some secrets of her own.

As noted, I really did like the dialogue and appreciated that the happily ever after can sometimes stumble with the weight of real life, but it may be that it was a little too Lifetime for me. I don't know. Still enjoy Carr's writing though and will continue to check out her other books. This one just didn't quite hit the mark for me.

Robyn Carr can always be depended upon to offer readers solid women's literature. Four Friends is exactly what the title implies, a tale of four friends, women of a certain age who happen to live in the same neighborhood. As always, Ms. Carr starts with a solid premise and adding humor and imagination, delivers a well plotted story. The characters are quirky and likeable. The dialogue seems to fit both the characters and the situations, and is sharp and crisp. Primary and secondary characters are fully faceted. The situations faced in the novel were believable and interesting. I found it to be an enjoyable, sweet, funny, and fast read.
*I received my copy from NetGalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

At first I wasn't sure I was going to finish the book but just kept reading until I couldn't put it down. I was certainly was happy that I did.I loved all the characters. Yes! I disagreed with some of them at times but really liked them.I loved Gerri and Phil and was rooting for them. It seemed that each one of the girls had a problem that all of us could have had with our families. But they seemed to deal with it with the help of their friends.
This book makes us realize how special good caring friends are.
I ended up loving this book. You should give it a try, especially if you have a special friend like I have.

Robin Carr – Four Friends

If you enjoy Robin Carr’s books, you’ll enjoy this one. If you’ve never read her before, you’ll enjoy it too.

This is different from her previous books in that it’s a standalone book. The characters haven’t appeared in any of her other books as they do in the Virgin River and Thunder Valley series. But that doesn’t take away from the book. Robin’s characters are drawn in such a way that you care about and root for them. You can relate to what they’re going through even if you’ve never been in their position. You want their lives to get better. It’s an emotional journey but one with a good ending.

Highly Recommend

Donna

This story started off promising. The sample I downloaded left off at a cliffhanger and I couldn't wait to get the rest. I borrowed this book from a digital library and waited for it to become interesting. The one part in the beginning was the most exciting part of the story. This is just a boring story about four friends on a street working through everyday marital problems. There was nothing (in my opinion) particularly interesting about it. It felt like a task to read after a while, but I finished it anyway. The ending seemed like the author just said "Ok, I'm not really talking about anything important. Let me put on a bow on it and ship it off to the publisher." This book was a time filler...

Robyn Carr’s Four Friends is a beautiful novel about four women whose close friendship becomes a saving grace as they are each faced with life altering decisions.

Gerri, Andy and Sonja are long time neighbors whose lives fall apart right around the same time. Andy’s second marriage to a younger man comes to a dramatic end just as Gerri learns devastating news that leaves her questioning her twenty four year marriage. Sonja has worked hard to find peace and tranquility in her life, but when her husband leaves her, she descends into a deep depression. BJ is a newcomer to the neighborhood who mainly keeps to herself, but it is her astute observations that alert Gerri and Andy to Sonja’s frightening despondency.

The least complicated story arc is Andy’s unexpected romance with Bob, the carpenter who is renovating her kitchen. Bob is nothing at all like the men Andy usually dates and her feelings for him catch her completely by surprise. Bob is older, shy, a little overweight but so incredibly sweet and understanding. Their relationship begins as friendship but soon transforms into a romance that is very heartwarming.

The storyline with BJ is also fairly simple. She has a passing acquaintance with the other three women but she is rather enigmatic and closely guards her privacy. After getting Sonja into treatment for her depression, Gerri, Andy and BJ finally become closer but BJ still remains tightlipped about her past. By the novel’s end, her secrets are revealed and surprisingly enough, she and Sonja form a tight bond.

Sonja’s part of the novel is the most serious and she undergoes the biggest transformation. At first a new agey, health nut, she is absolutely stunned when her husband leaves her. She immediately falls apart and her friends get her into treatment right away, but they are slow to realize how seriously depressed she is. Once she gets the intense therapy she needs, Sonja faces her painful past and emerges much stronger and more self-aware.

Although Gerri and her husband Phil lead very hectic lives, they do a wonderful job balancing demanding jobs and parenting duties. But Phil has been keeping a secret that leads to a (hopefully) temporary separation as Gerri tries to come to terms with her hurt and anger. Gerri is quite contemplative as she searches for answers that can help her understand how she and Phil could be so far apart in how they view their marriage. A short-term crisis involving their children reunites the estranged couple but their future remains uncertain.

Four Friends by Robyn Carr is an engaging novel with a realistic plot and appealing characters. The women’s struggles are true to life and easy to relate to. The friendships are strong and enduring and while they do not always agree with one another’s decisions, their support for one another is unwavering. A heartfelt and poignant story that I greatly enjoyed and highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy for review.

I had some difficulty with this book. I just found that there was so much drama/sadness/everything that could go wrong going wrong that it was just making me feel bad most of the time. Of course things get better as it progresses, but just in strange ways. For instance, the woman meets her husband's mistress and feels bad for her. Um, what? Who feels like their husband hasn't done enough for his mistress. That was just strange. It just felt a bit contrived with everyone's life falling apart at exactly the same time. I just didn't feel it was enjoyable. I have read other books by the author and the writing is very competent and she does a good job of characterizing the characters/descriptions/etc.

Light hearted most of the time but deals with true drama of getting older, marriage and finding new paths.
I love her books because they delve into what it means to have and BE a friend.
I always think I wish I had friends like these when I read her books.

Four Friends
Robyn Carr
Mira, Mar 25 2014, $14.95
ISBN 9780778316817

Marin County Child Protective Services case worker supervisor Gerri Gilbert learns her husband Assistant District Attorney Phil had an affair. Upset by his betrayal, she wonders what to do about him and their so-called perfect marriage, and if she acts like her gut wants her to the impact on their son Mathew.

Andy Jamison files for her second divorce this time from her immature second husband Bryce over several issues but mostly his treatment of her teenage son Noel (from her first marriage). She and marital-separated Bob the carpenter working at her home become lovers.

New Age fanatic Sonja Johanson seeks balance for herself and her family and friends. However, her husband George the financial planner has had enough with her incessant endless shtick so he walks out on her and her mumble jumble lunacy.

B.J. moves into the Mill Valley neighborhood where best friends Gerri, Andy and Sonja reside. The trio makes overtures to befriend the newcomer, but B.J. prefers to jog solo as she still runs from her nightmare. Yet her arrival proves a catalyst leading to changes in the lives of the three buddies and her.

This is a profound neighborhood drama as the incredibly fully developed Four Friends come across in public as having their respective acts together; but in private each falls apart to varying degrees under the weight of diverse tsuris. The support cast (male lovers and exes, and teenage children) enhance the deep look into the lead quartet as each of the protagonists deals not always successfully with major social issues directly confronting themselves or indirectly their loved ones (including their BFFs).

Harriet Klausner

I have read other Robyn Carr books and enjoyed them a lot. But the language in this one forced me to stop reading it. The F word is offensive to me .. and too many of the characters really like to use that word. There is no need for profanity. Good writers should know enough words to express themselves without reverting to this offensive word.

I love Robyn Carr books and have read most of them. Four Friends is amazing, four women who are truly genuine characters makes it such a great read! I didn't want the book to end. The characters I loved most was Beau, a hard working carpenter man who turns out to be the best person ever for one of the characters, without giving it away. He is do down to earth and genuine. All four women have their own issues and it's interesting to see the outcome of the story. Highly recommend!

I always share Robyn Carr’s novels with the women in my house to get their takes on them. “Four Friends” is a moving story about four women who are neighbors and best friends. They are in their late forties to early fifties. Each woman is experiencing some major difficulty in her life. The four help each other through these hardships. Robyn Carr describes this bond between friends so eloquently that the reader wants to cheer them on as the overcome their various challenges. “Four Friends” illustrates the power of friendship. It should be of particular interest to women 45 and above.

I enjoy romances, you always know where they are going in the end. Four Friends is NOT your typical "love" story, All four of the friends have issues, serious life issues. What Carr does is to weave a story of a life many of us have lived with hope for a better future. Gerri, the super-mom has marital strife; Andy, the siren, picks the wrong ones to love; Sonja has the wrong life plan and BJ has suffered through a nightmare. Through friendship, counseling and mutual support each one works out a happy ending. This novel is riveting, you won't be able to put it down. Be sure to have the tissues nearby.

This is the first book I've written by this author. It was good but not the genre I usually read. I mostly like edge of your seat thrillers! But I liked how the four friends all helped each other out and were there for each other.

Carr, a well-known writer of women’s fiction, follows four neighborhood women as they come to grips with marriage, motherhood, love and friendship. It’s a tale of inner strength, second chances and the power of friendship.

One discovers her husband cheated on her years ago, while another finds love where she least expected. A third friend loses her fragile mental group, but is rescued by the neighborhood’s reclusive newcomer.

While the plot may sound like so many others in this genre, Carr has given her characters a strong voice that keeps the story fresh.

One of the best books I've read in quite awhile! I didn't have to skim through any of it; it completely kept my attention from page one. I LOVE Robyn's VIRGIN RIVER series, but I do enjoy her stand alones just as much. I can't quite decide who my fav character was. I think it's Gerri, then BJ, then Andy, followed by Sonja. :) I'll definitely be purchasing a physical copy for my bookshelf!!!

One of the best books I have read in a long time. I would not expect anything less from Robyn Carr. I have been a huge fan for many years & if you haven't read her books you need to. She weaves a wonderful story, I always hate for her books to end because I get so wrapped up in the wonderful people in her stories.

So there's lots of things going on with these four women. All of their life's just changed and they are working together to find ways to cope and make it better. Wow this is an amazing read. Will be reading more of her books.

I have read many books by Robyn Carr and have enjoyed all of them. You cannot go wrong with her books. Always, they are well written and enjoyable reading. This book is a departure from some of her series books. She does a great job depicting characters and relationships. This book like the others, is a Chic book. Fun reading.

If I didn't know Robyn Carr was the author, I would never have guessed. The book is so different from the Virgin River and Thunder Point books, which I adored and couldn't get enough of. This one didn't grip me as much, unfortunately. I did enjoy it, but I found it slow going in parts and it took me longer to read than her other books.

A story of four life-long friends that have managed to stick together through all of life's crap - the big and the little. I loved the feeling of connection that I felt and the characters were fun and diverse. They each had their own unique problems and personalities that made you love them all for different reasons.

A wonderful story that draws you into these characters lives as they struggle to face challenges and repair the cracks in their lives they never even knew were there. With the help of each other and a new neighbor they see what was missing and strengthen their friendship, themselves, and their families in return. :)

My girl Gerri... couldn't get enough of her!!! I wish the book never ended. Just wanted to keep up with there lives and stay with them forever. This is the another book that Robyn has written about friends and how they all go through there own situation. She took us on an emotional ride.... and I fell inlove with all the characters.!!! Thanks Robyn!!!

I have 3 sisters who have always been my best friends, so I was anxious to see what someone had to say about '4 friends'. There are some similarities to us (my sisters and me), but not a lot.
This book had a little of everything, and (again) Robyn Carr gets an A+ from me.

It's true to life. Relatable and twisting. Makes you think and look at your own relationship. Loved it, didn't want it to end and I truly hope there is a sequel! Gerri might be ok now, and Andy, but what about BJ?? And Sonya? Just absolutely loved it. It was like looking in on my own girlfriends.

Four Friends was a page turner and would be enjoyed mainly by women over 35. Men would benefit reading this book to understand women a bit better. It showed the strength that women possess and the importance of friendship among women especially in difficult times.
The characters were all believable each with their own unique personalities.
This was certainly a good read!

Robyn Carr wrote an amazing book about 4 amazingly diverse friends and their very different lives with very real depth and compassion and it was hard to put down as it took me more than one day to read. Rich in textures and feelings, this book is definitely worth reading!

Does anyone else question why BJ was even arrested for her husbands murder? He overdosed on heroin that she gave him, but he was a drug addict, drank too much, and had been arrested before. Why would anyone even question that she gave him the overdose? Any dim witted lawyer would have gotten her off! Makes NO sense.

This is the first time I have read a book by Robyn Carr and I am now adding her to my list of must read authors. I loved this book and felt as if Gerri, Andy, Sonja, and B.J. were my own friends. It was a wonderfully comforting read. I'm recommending it to all my own friends!

I completely agree with the other one star reviews. When I found this on the library shelf, I was thrilled for a new Robyn Carr book. Didn't even page through it like I usually do, as if it was by her, it would be good. I was so disappointed in Robyn! Her name has always stood for great characters and an absorbing story without the use of profanity - often the lazy writer's tool for characterizing emotion. The book opened with horrible language, no story and flat characters and went down hill from there. I stopped reading it after about 50 pages.

Has Robyn caved to those who think this sort of awful prose sells books? If so, she has tarnished her name for all her fans of the Virgin River series and others. I will never again go to a book by her with the same feeling of finding a friend on the shelf.

I have read most of Robyn Carr's books, this is the first time I had a hard time making it to the end. Gerri's character is supposed to be ' the stronger' one, but, I found myself angry and sad. She is the one that criticizes herself, says what did I do wrong, thinks about surgery to make herself more pleasing to her husband, even gets blamed for his affair by her kids! -
Mom fix this thing'. What did Phil lose........nothing. He didn't have the guts to admit it, until he was caught, he gets his wife back (better living thru chemistry), and he gets the job of his dreams. His excuse....none or she was so busy taking care of everyone (dying parents, kids, menopause) she didn't have enough time (sex) for him. BooHoo! It makes me sad that even in fiction (my get away), women are still expected to do the sacrificing, put everyone else ahead of themselves. Disappointing.
Andi was my favorite. Kick the cheater out and move on. Because we all know - he will do it again!

So there's lots of things going on with these four women. All of their life's just changed and they are working together to find ways to cope and make it better. Wow this is an amazing read. Will be reading more of her books.

I have read many books by Robyn Carr and have enjoyed all of them. You cannot go wrong with her books. Always, they are well written and enjoyable reading. This book is a departure from some of her series books. She does a great job depicting characters and relationships. This book like the others, is a Chic book. Fun reading.

If I didn't know Robyn Carr was the author, I would never have guessed. The book is so different from the Virgin River and Thunder Point books, which I adored and couldn't get enough of. This one didn't grip me as much, unfortunately. I did enjoy it, but I found it slow going in parts and it took me longer to read than her other books.

A story of four life-long friends that have managed to stick together through all of life's crap - the big and the little. I loved the feeling of connection that I felt and the characters were fun and diverse. They each had their own unique problems and personalities that made you love them all for different reasons.

A wonderful story that draws you into these characters lives as they struggle to face challenges and repair the cracks in their lives they never even knew were there. With the help of each other and a new neighbor they see what was missing and strengthen their friendship, themselves, and their families in return. :)

I just finished this book; a dear friend gave it to me...as one who has been married for a long time, I so related to Gerri, and could find bits and pieces of friends within the other characters. This book follows their lives over a spring into the end of summer and pulls you right along with them! It is not the first book I've read by Robyn Carr; but it is the one that will stay with me the longest!! I will definitely keep her on my preferred author list!!

My girl Gerri... couldn't get enough of her!!! I wish the book never ended. Just wanted to keep up with there lives and stay with them forever. This is the another book that Robyn has written about friends and how they all go through there own situation. She took us on an emotional ride.... and I fell inlove with all the characters.!!! Thanks Robyn!!!

I have 3 sisters who have always been my best friends, so I was anxious to see what someone had to say about '4 friends'. There are some similarities to us (my sisters and me), but not a lot.
This book had a little of everything, and (again) Robyn Carr gets an A+ from me.

It's true to life. Relatable and twisting. Makes you think and look at your own relationship. Loved it, didn't want it to end and I truly hope there is a sequel! Gerri might be ok now, and Andy, but what about BJ?? And Sonya? Just absolutely loved it. It was like looking in on my own girlfriends.

Four Friends was a page turner and would be enjoyed mainly by women over 35. Men would benefit reading this book to understand women a bit better. It showed the strength that women possess and the importance of friendship among women especially in difficult times.
The characters were all believable each with their own unique personalities.
This was certainly a good read!

Robyn Carr wrote an amazing book about 4 amazingly diverse friends and their very different lives with very real depth and compassion and it was hard to put down as it took me more than one day to read. Rich in textures and feelings, this book is definitely worth reading!

Does anyone else question why BJ was even arrested for her husbands murder? He overdosed on heroin that she gave him, but he was a drug addict, drank too much, and had been arrested before. Why would anyone even question that she gave him the overdose? Any dim witted lawyer would have gotten her off! Makes NO sense.

This is the first time I have read a book by Robyn Carr and I am now adding her to my list of must read authors. I loved this book and felt as if Gerri, Andy, Sonja, and B.J. were my own friends. It was a wonderfully comforting read. I'm recommending it to all my own friends!

I completely agree with the other one star reviews. When I found this on the library shelf, I was thrilled for a new Robyn Carr book. Didn't even page through it like I usually do, as if it was by her, it would be good. I was so disappointed in Robyn! Her name has always stood for great characters and an absorbing story without the use of profanity - often the lazy writer's tool for characterizing emotion. The book opened with horrible language, no story and flat characters and went down hill from there. I stopped reading it after about 50 pages.

Has Robyn caved to those who think this sort of awful prose sells books? If so, she has tarnished her name for all her fans of the Virgin River series and others. I will never again go to a book by her with the same feeling of finding a friend on the shelf.

I have read most of Robyn Carr's books, this is the first time I had a hard time making it to the end. Gerri's character is supposed to be ' the stronger' one, but, I found myself angry and sad. She is the one that criticizes herself, says what did I do wrong, thinks about surgery to make herself more pleasing to her husband, even gets blamed for his affair by her kids! -
Mom fix this thing'. What did Phil lose........nothing. He didn't have the guts to admit it, until he was caught, he gets his wife back (better living thru chemistry), and he gets the job of his dreams. His excuse....none or she was so busy taking care of everyone (dying parents, kids, menopause) she didn't have enough time (sex) for him. BooHoo! It makes me sad that even in fiction (my get away), women are still expected to do the sacrificing, put everyone else ahead of themselves. Disappointing.
Andi was my favorite. Kick the cheater out and move on. Because we all know - he will do it again!

I will say that this is certainly a better sample of Robyn Carr's expertise than was The Change. The story is warm and tender but predictable. It seems to me that this is a "read, enjoy, and forget" type of book. It has its moving moments and suitable for a beach read.

Loved this book - very relatable to every day life. About 4 girlfriends who live in the same block and about each of their every day struggles with husbands, children and life in general. How they overcame their strugges and found happiness. I found it very interesting from the beginning and got very involved with the characters. Would definitely recommend it.

I enjoyed the book despite its predictability. The women are not character types per se, but they are not well developed either. I obtained the book from the library's overdrive Kindle borrowing option. I would not have bought it.

This is not Robyn Carr's usual but a really compelling read. Boy, she covers all the bases with today's biggest problems and does it with compassion and solutions. Very good book. I usually spend a little more time on her books but just had to keep picking it up and see what was next for these friends and neighbors.

FABULOUS!!!!! I really like Robyn Carr a lot. This book was great. I fell in love with the charactors. They were real and I could relate to each woman in one way or another. Just a great womans story!

It was a good story, but a little boring. I enjoy most books I read from Robyn Carr. This one just seemed to drag on a little too long, and the characters' individual stories seemed a little far fetched.

I loved this book and one reason is that it is NOT the usual man meets woman & one of them plays hard to get. This book has an involved story involving women who live in the same neighborhood and each of them have their own problems. It is a GREAT read.

Loved this book...couldn't put it down! Wish I had great friends like these ladies...Robyn...can you write me a few!
Loved it..will encourage everyone to read it! I can't share it with anyone as it is on my kindle...that's the only downside of the kindle!

I don't believe I have read a Robyn Carr book previously, but after reading "Four Friends", I know that I will look for others. This was a quick, enjoyable read and I really liked the characters. My hope is that there will be a sequel.

I loved the characters--flaws and all.the contemporary and realistic setting, as well as how the friends responded to their own crisis and each others trouble. I also thought the men of the girls played a huge part and not overboard with their power.

This book kept me interested until the end. I would have liked to had more on the lives of the other friends in the story. Maybe there will be a sequel. I enjoyed the fact that there wasn't so many explicit sexual encounters that are in many of Robyn's books.

This was something different from Robin Carr. I love her Virgin River and Thunder Point Series, but I also enjoyed this refreshing and different book. It kept me interested from page one to the end.

I am so happy I read this. Human nature, reactions for different people and you want to tell them what to do. Then, you realize that is not the only way to solve the situation. I seconded guessed my past decisions. Do read it.

An interesting story (or maybe I should say stories) about four friends. A quick read, with a touch of just about everything, making it a great book to take to the beach. The only thing missing was a trip to the beach for me!

I really enjoyed Four Friends. It is touching and deep and had me turning the pages. The story of these four friends was just so sweet. I quickly ate through this book and am just so happy to have received it.

A wonderful look & four different women that live in the same neighborhood.
Each women have seperate lives, different problems but all are true friends.
A wonderful read filled with lives that we all can identify with. This is the first
book of hers that I have read but I will read more. A must read for women.

I've never read this author before and had such a hard time getting through this book. The content was just boring and I found it very difficult to connect let alone become emotionally invested in her characters. From the bratty, disrespectful kids, to the emotionally stunted characters, to the profanity that these ladies used and the poorly executed story lines I just can't help but wonder, why was this even published?

I love reading all Robyn's books. Four friends started slow for me BUT knew it was going to be a book you couldn't put down. I was correct. I just love all these neighbors! Such good friends, feel and see each other needs. Glad to see Phil and Gerri back. But was surprised by BJ story. Nice to see neighbors look beyond the past and support the future. Cant wait for next book to see BJ future, hope it's with Connie.

This book is not just about a happy ending but about the deep relationships that can occur between girl friends. We need to always remember that you don't have to be alone when you have a close friend

This stand alone novel was very good. I enjoyed it very much! Robyn did a good job of developing each character so the reader knew and understood their problems and wanted to see how their problems would be solved. It was one of those books that you wanted to pick up every time you had a couple minutes to read.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

Four friends who are also neighbors and each have very large personal hurdles that with the help of each other they will be able to overcome and find the best solution for themselves. Cheating husbands, deep depression and a sordid past all take hold of these women and they must figure out what lies next - I won't reveal who had to deal with what to keep a little bit of surprise to the book.

I love Robyn's book to begin with but this one was so great. I found myself laughing out lound, sympathizing with these wpmen , and alos sheding tears through out reading this book. It was so good. My favorite was the mix of women. I Loved them all.
Donna Girts

I read this in a day and started to forget it as soon as I put it down. It's about four friends (wow, wonder where the author got such an original title?) who live on the same street and three of them separate from their husbands at the same time. My disbelief about that started me off on the wrong footing with this book. The story seemed primarily about Gerri and Phil, which I felt was the weakest part of the story as Gerri never seemed very believable to me. And really, none of them had noticed that a new single lady moved into the same house over and over down the street ( a temporary safe house for battered women)?
I thought this story was too much about each of their individual relationships and not enough about the friendship aspect. I have to say, I didn't feel a single emotional tug through the entire book.

A very easy read, but not a very likable story. I didn't feel invested in any of the women's characters & found them to be unlikable people. I only finished it because I was hoping that the characters would redeem themselves in some way. It was disappointing because it is a well written book.

I think that the main characters, Gerri and her husband Phil, frustrated me the most. I mean, for TWO WHOLE YEARS, he was boinking another woman from the office and really didn't seem too sorry for his actions. He didn't even think that he should be put out of the house! He didn't explain to his son that the affair went on for two years, making it seem like it was just a one night stand. Gerri never asked if he used protection or when he took the other woman out on dates, did he pay for her lunches or drinks. (His mistress did say he didn't buy her any gifts). He said that the affair was one indiscretion, but the truth is that every time he was with this woman, it was an indiscretion. Because he had been looking in his wife's face for SEVEN YEARS and sleeping in her bed, and lying to her, you would think that she had a right to know who his mistress was. But he totally DEFENDED his right to keep her identity a secret! I would have divorced him then and there! While two people are responsible for a marriage, each individual is responsible for their own actions. Phil, in my opinion, knew that Gerri had walked other families in crisis through counseling and so forth and I believe he had the affair knowing she would forgive him. He thought that they would just go to counseling, that she would be mad for a little while, then she would forgive him. And that is exactly what she did. I bet if SHE had the affair, he would not have forgiven her. Most men don't. Maybe if she wasn't so financially dependent on him, she would have. I think their oldest son will think it is OK to cheat on his wife and get away with it. Their daughter will choose a man who will cheat on her and she will forgive him, too. Children learn mostly from their parents about relationships. I just don't think that Gerri's husband was too sorry for what he did. He had the NERVE to get angry at her when she made him leave. UNBELIEVABLE!

I read most of Robyn Carr's books. They've all been good, but this one was by far the best one I've read !! Well written, great characters, wonderful story line and believable, good ending. I'm waiting anxiously for the next Robyn Carr book.

These four women are all going through many changes in their relationships with their significant others, their children and each other. They all need to lean on each other, it makes me think of the friends I have!

My best friend recommended this book to me as a good "fluff" read. Very predictable, somewhat narcissistic, and cookie cutter roles Have not finished it, probably won't..I will always love my friend...this book, not so much

I would have liked this book more if it was on the bargain rack. It was just so unrealistic. What are the odds that 3 marriages fall apart the same week. The characters were mostly undeveloped and unlikable. The main characters, a lead prosecutor and a social work supervisor are constantly referred to as making little money. And then the author seems that the police would automatically think murder when the dirt bag overdoses on cocaine. And that the wife would actually serve time. Yeah right. I just can't stand books that stray so much from reality.

Perfect for light leisure reading, while being educational at the same time. Sheds light on domestic violence and how the community can help individuals who find themselves in such situations. Overall beautiful story.

Excellent read - I was trying to steal away time to finish reading this - would read a little before going to sleep , would shut off the light, then would turn it on again so i could keep reading. Definitely worth it.