Cover Image: No, We Can't Be Friends

No, We Can't Be Friends

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Member Reviews

It's the second book I read by Sophie Ranald and this one was not my cup of tea.
I expected a funny rom-com but unfortunately I found this story quite depressing.
It's well written but I found it hard to read as it seems a weird mix of different elements.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

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I received a free digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I felt that the blurb I read and the actual story was VERY different. None the less I enjoyed the book. It was a quick read and I enjoyed the story and the characters a lot. I just expected this book to be funnier than it was.

Thank you so much to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this review copy.

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I read the synopsis of this novel and was immediately interested. It was described as laugh-out-loud and I felt like the blurb given was very misleading. I think that the very end has some moments that were amusing, but I'm not sure that I laughed out loud once.

This book ended up being more somber than funny. I wouldn't mind that in the slightest bit if I wasn't expecting funny. If it was advertised as a secretive, sad novel, then I'd be all for it.

Sloane was a kind of likable character to the point where by the end, I could almost see me her being friends with her in a real life scenario. Throughout the novel, I had a hard time with the characters overall. There were some side characters (especially Vivienne) that I thought had better progression than the main characters and that made me have a negative reaction to this book. 

There were a good amount of realistic points made and that's the reason why this book got a two-star rating from me. I could resonate and think of real life scenarios that would really happen and I thought that Sophie Ranald did a good job with that.

Overall, if this book was described differently, I would've known what I was getting into. Having this book described as "laugh-out-loud" was simply misleading and it was a pretty heavy book to get into. I would definitely give Sophie Ranald another try as this was my first read by her.

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I was initially a bit nervous about reading No, We Can’t Be Friends, after I’d read and loved Out With the Ex, In With the New, which features many of the same characters. But I thoroughly enjoyed this one, perhaps even more! So no worries here.

This story focused on Sloane, the very together boss-babe of the PR agency featured in the first book that I’d read. In that, we see her as always professional and perfectly presented, but we don’t get to know her in much depth. Here she’s the main protagonist, so I found that really interesting: that I’d first met her very peripherally and now I was getting to know her in much more detail.

Sloane has been married to Myles for five years. She moved to a new country for him, and finally, her life feels quite settled. They’re renovating their home, and although right now it feels like they live in a permanent building site and she feels like she’s running a coffee shop for the builders, she knows the end result will be beautiful. They’re also trying for a baby. She’s in a good place until all of sudden … she isn’t. It turns out that her wonderful husband Myles is not quite as wonderful as she’d thought and her life slowly begins to unravel.

Sloane tries her hardest to keep her marriage intact, but when it becomes impossible, she confronts Myles, hoping that he will attempt to fix things. His shocking reaction is the confirmation she needs that it is well and truly over. However, it also makes her second-guess every decision she’s ever made. If she didn’t really know the man she married, then how could she ever know or understand anything in her life?

Supported by the most fabulous cast of characters: eccentric Vivienne, indulged, but warm-hearted client Ruby-Grace, tough interior designer/friend Bianca, and business partner, new mom and close friend Megan, Sloane runs the gamut from falling to pieces to picking herself right up and climbing back to the top of the heap.

There is a particularly excellent scene in a coffee shop, and I must say I gained an entirely new and rather descriptive vocabulary (all within just a couple of paragraphs – thank you Megan), which I think I’ll reserve for those special individuals who I come across on the roads with creative driving skills! Sophie Ranald, you are a tonic for sure!

I thoroughly adored this book. It’s a real pick-me-up, feel-good 5-star read, and now I need to go and look for Sophie’s books, which I’ve missed.

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I enjoyed this page turning book. It was well written. Glad that I read it. Will be checking other books by this author.

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Thank you Netgalley for the E-Arc of this book in exchange for my honest review.
When I read the synopsis of this book it was mentioned that it was relatable, hilarious and feel good novel but felt it really lacks the hilarious part. I think i laughed out loud once. Sloane has a great life - she has successful career, happily married and is ready to start a family of her own until her world is crushed and finds out her husband is being unfaithful. We are taken through her journey of love and heartbreak. I really liked Sloane was was rooting for her throughout the story and she’s Canadian. I loved the mentions of Canada throughout the book. Over all I thought the book was good and I really enjoyed Sophie Ranald’s writing style. I will definitely try her other books.

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Overall it was an okay book.

I really liked Sloane and (at the end) Bianca! And Edward was just amaziiing!!!

I didn’t like the way the past stories were written, because I found it a bit confusing at times. And some of the narratives were also a bit boring (although at the end I ended up enjoying them), I also felt that some parts of the book were a bit too long! Besides all that, I really loved the ending, it was so so so cute!!!!

*arc provided via netgalley*

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The title of the book let’s the reader in on the fact that things might not be so peachy keen in Sloane’s marriage. And thus the journey of first figuring out just what Myles has been up to and the ensuing chaos that interrupts their lives (as if their home renovation hasn’t already done so!). Cute story and perhaps just a bit longer than need be but I loved the ending!

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I didn’t hate this one but I didn’t love it either it was kind of sad I didn’t get any romcom vibes at all I felt bad for Sloane most of the book and I hated her husband the whole book. Other than the characters I loved the others writing style

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I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Bookouture in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I loved the main character of Sloane! At first glance she has the perfect life. A foxy husband, a truly amazing job (which I would love to read more about in the future) and a home undergoing fabulous renovations...until she doesn't.. She struggles to get through the pain with a sense of style and a sense of humour. I love that she's a real character...someone I would love to be friends with in real life
She dealt with her issues head on with the best of intentions...although not necessarily with the results she wanted, with hardly a "poor me' in sight.
I wanted to read more about her relationships with her clients and business partner. Those were the best parts of the book for me..
I wouldn't exactly call this book "laugh out loud" funny...but it was definitely amusing. (Yep...a book about a lousy, cheating jerk of a hubby was amusing!!)
This is definitely worth the read! Grab a cup of tea (or, if you're me...a glass of wine) a blanket and settle in on the couch for a fun time!

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This book was not the quite what the description said. I was expecting to learn about Sloane as a single woman, who then marries Myles and finds out he's not quite what he seems. Instead they've already been married for 5 years when the story starts. A lot of sad things happen to Sloane and while some funny things do to, nothing was laugh out loud worthy. I enjoyed the writing style and would read other books by this author.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC!

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I feel like I read a different book than most people who have reviewed it so far. I hate being the negative one, but I just couldn't like this one.

What didn't work for me:
I had so much trouble liking any of the characters. Sloane goes from being completely oblivious to being spineless. I hate that she stayed as long as she did. Myles is just frustrating and I wanted to punch him the whole time I was reading. The side characters had the potential to be the saving grace here, but they just weren't written well in my opinion.

A lot of people really loved this one, so I'm obviously in the minority. I'm sorry!

This waa provided by Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

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I just...did not love this book. It was fine, but I would only go so far as to say I liked it. Kind of. I think I was disappointed by the lack of laughs it brought me, which was highlighted in the blurb from the publisher. I was expecting something more along the lines of the Shopaholic series or Bridget Jones', but Sloane was not as dynamic as either or those characters. It was just all a bit flat for me.

Also, not only was Sloane dealing with a philandering husband, but she had some really awful friends. If Bianca had been better to her, Sloane's life could have been so much easier. At least Megan was both realistic and kind.

Spoiler ahead:

I was also disappointed in the way that Sloane's miscarriage was handled. they made it seem like it was more or less a blip that she just got over right away. Given how much focus had been made on Sloane wanting to start a family, I would have assumed that having a loss like that would have had a much greater affect on her. I thought the way it was written was fairly careless.

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I believe that this book is being marketed incorrectly as a laugh-out-loud romantic comedy. It's a sad novel about the dissolving of a marriage that has a few heartwarming and funny moments in a story about characters that are so frustrating they might drive you mad!! This is probably not the book for you if you are looking for an uplifting and funny read.

I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

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Sloane and Myles are ready to have a baby and are creating their dream house. But all is not well in their relationship and Sloane suspects that Myles is cheating…
Sloane is a vulnerable character, desperate for the love that she missed out on from her estranged mother. Her gradual realisation of the selfishness of Myles is at odds with her longing to be married to him.
Sophie Ranald really makes us care about her characters but also despair at the mistakes they are making. Like with her previous books, there are serious threads of plot involving alcoholism and miscarriage: this makes the book deeply emotional to complement the humour.
The first person narrative is witty and chatty, with the odd Americanism or US spelling to remind us that she is from the States.
Possibly my all time favourite quote from a book and I simply have to include it here: ‘He’s an utter wankpuffin, Sloane. A twatbadger, a cockwomble, a dickbiscuit.’ Sums up my opinion of Myles pretty accurately!
We catch glimpses of the lead character from another book as the PR company is that used by Gemma in Out With The Ex, In With The New.

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A great story and well done to Sloane for making the right decision. Loved it and would definitely recommend it

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Sloane, age 34, has been married to Myles for 5 years. She and her friend, Megan, own and run a talent agency and Myles works as an architect. Now, Sloane has decided that she wants to get pregnant but Myles is not convinced.

Currently, they are remodeling their home to give it more living space. Myles is orchestrating the work and his friend, Bianca, is doing the interior design. Sloane has been given little or no input. With all of this going on, Sloane realizes that having a baby won’t be anytime soon.

When Sloane takes a risky step and checks Myles’s phone, she finds some texts between him and Bianca that hurt her deeply - especially the one where he says he never loved Sloane. When she confronts him, he immediately turns the tables on her trying to make her the bad person by invading the privacy of his phone and storms out. Sloane is heartbroken but tries to carry on with her job and her life.

Sloane is a strong character and truly caring about others. In this story, we meet a number of intriguing characters all touched in some way by Sloane. The kindness of her soul seems to draw people to her and to me, that’s the best part of this story. I especially loved the character of Vivienne, but boo-hiss to Myles.

Sophie Ranald is a great author and this is the second book of hers that I have read. I shall be looking forward to reading more by her.

Copy provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

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I was sent an eArc of this book by NetGalley in exchange for my honest thoughts.
4/5 🌟
This book was a ride from beginning to end. A ride I enjoyed. I felt so bad for the main character & I found I could relate to her a little bit. I thought the way a certain trope in this book was handled, was done very well. It caused me to feel so bad for the main character throughout the book & all of the discoverys involving said trope. The plot & pacing could have been done a little better. The pacing was kind of all over & it was a bit jarring but it didn't bother me too much. The plot was good & in my opinion done pretty well except a couple of things that could have been done a little differently. This was definitely a fast read. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a fast read & a sort of hard hitting romcom.

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This book is not what I was expecting. It is the story of a woman who has lost herself in her marriage. I thought this story was going to be about a woman finding herself and getting back at her ex. Turns out, it is a story about a woman trying to get back with her ex. I found the main character sad and desperate. I also would not classify this book as a romantic comedy. There is no romance in it.
Besides being portrayed as something it is not, this book was an interesting look at how some people lose themselves in a relationship. How the other person can be horrible to them and instead of getting out, they just try harder and harder.
Overall it was an okay read. I think this book will hit home for some people but others will find the characters annoying.

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This is my first DNF of the year. But from what I have read until ~45% of the book, I'd rate it a 2 out of 5. This review may contain some spoilers.

First of all, the book is promoted as a romantic comedy, but there is nothing funny going on, at least in the first half.

Secondly, most of the characters are problematic. Sloane's husband, Myles, is obviously cheating on her with his colleague, Bianca. But instead of talking to Myles about it, her first plan of action is to "win the competition", which means having lots of hot sex and then snooping around Myles' phone for evidence. Myles is caught in the act but instead of apologizing, he gets angry with Sloane for not respecting his privacy. While that is really something to be mad about, that's not the point. He is one cheating bastard and he won't admit it. And then there's Bianca. How can you even call yourself as Sloane's friend when you're fucking her husband behind her back? And instead of telling Sloane the truth, she gives her vague hints to somehow clear her conscience.

As I read along, the issues got heavier for me so I just decided to stop. None of the characters piqued my interest anymore and the story was not getting better. Still, thanks to NetGalley and Bookouture for giving me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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