3.5/5

What happens when you lose the glue that keeps everything together? A group of “friends” find out when their glue is no longer there. An odd group brought together by Molly, a free spirit, who passes away too young. Molly leaves behind a gift for each of her friends, unexpected and not at all conventional for the recipient. She’s asks one more thing of all 3, to meet the first Sunday of each month for brunch. What happens over the course of the next months will open their eyes. In death, Molly gives her friends what they need most...friendship and finding their true selves along the way.

What a debut novel! Ms. Nugent starts right off with a moving event and doesn’t look back. Her writing flows easily from one friend to another, delving totally in each personality, both collectively and independently. Well written, fast enough paced, but at times the book felt slow. The cast of characters is likable enough, but left me wanting to know more about Leanne/James relationship. I was left wanting to know a little more than the ending. I look forward to reading this author again.

Thanks to Ms. Nugent, SheWritesPress and NetGalley for this ARC. Opinion is mine alone.

In BRUNCH AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS, Suzanne Nugent tells the story of three very different women, all very close to a mutual friend who has died. What could be roll-your-eyes-because-it's-so-typical was not. Instead, it was smart, laugh-out-loud funny, terrifically wise, and compassionate with every person in the story, be they one of the main characters or a bit player -- all were so real I feel like I could run into them on the street. Somehow, some way, Nugent enters the minds and hearts of these wildly oppositional women and weaves a story that grabbed me by the heart and the imagination and never let up. If there is any objection I might pose, it's a writerly one of head-hopping with back story that confused and broke the terrific spell of a wonderful story. In a way, I felt like I had a conversation with a close friend over crumb cake and coffee, complete with swift, insightful comments that made me snort my coffee in astonished delight.

I enjoyed this book far more than I anticipated. I am not the biggest women's lit reader but after reading the blurb describing the characters, I knew I wanted to read it and I loved every minute of this book.

Female friendships can be so challenging and this book didn't gloss over those complications. But with that also came humor, trials faced, and real-life experiences. Each character was developed well and had her own voice. The book also included their individual struggles which made them more relatable for me.

Was it a tad predictable? Sure. But sometimes a little predictablilty is a nice change of pace. I loved the narration and the writing was excellent.

The ending did feel a tad rushed but overall, this was a great book to read in a day.

This was a 4.5 Star Read for me, but rounding up to 5! Though a could have read this book in a single sitting, I found myself stopping and wondering what I would do if I was in Nora, Christina or Leanne's situations, or what I would leave for my closest friends should I find myself in Molly's situation.

Nora, Christina and Leanne have nothing in common except their friend Molly. When Molly dies, the three women follow Molly's request to have brunch once a month, and accept the gifts she has given them, which they don't feel suit their personalities.

I loved how this followed women of the same age in completely different phases of life: Leanne is plotting her life out on a path to motherhood, Christina is a successful lawyer taking care of her ill mother, and Nora is an introverted bookworm who tries to keep her communication in her personal journals.

The novel explores loss and grief through the death of Molly, weaves in happy and heartwarming moments in each of the women's lives, and also touches on each of the women's individual struggles outside of their grief. It shows that sometimes, those who are close to you may know parts of you better than you know yourself, and may see something in you that you have yet to unravel yet.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the read, I was a little disappointed in the level to which Nora, Christina and Leanne's friendship evolved in the end - it felt a little cut off. All in all though, you won't regret picking up a copy of this book!

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Nora, Christina and Leanne only have one thing in common, their fun loving, wild child friend Molly. When Molly dies she leaves unexplained gifts and letters for all 3 of her best friends. Her final request, that they have brunch together once a month for one year.
If I'm honest I didn't find any of the characters in this book particularly likeable and if I were to choose a favourite character, it would be Molly's dog Fred.
This book explores complex issues such as coping with loss and dealing with personal struggles but it's also very witty which I liked.
Overall I found it easy to read but it didnt really do much for me

After losing their mutual best friend, three women are obligated to a monthly brunch as her last request. While they may have shared the same best friend that is where the similarities end. As a woman unable to relax, a woman stuck on best impressions, and a severe introvert try to navigate the year following their loss they each lament these monthly reminders. While getting to know each woman intimately, the reader finds something to relate to with each new setting. The ending happens abruptly and leaves a lot of loose ends---which makes this reader hopeful there will be a sequel to follow.

So this book follows three women Nora,Christina and Leanne who just lost their friend Molly. Without Molly they don’t have anything in common, but she stipulated they have brunch once every month (for women that don’t like each other that’s a lot LOL). It’s such a feel good book that ropes you in and makes you want to BRUNCH

An easy read about friendship.

When Molly dies, she leaves mysterious gifts and cryptic notes for her best friends Nora, Christina and Leanne. She askes the three women to have brunch every month for a year. The book is written from different perspectives and gives a look into the friendship they develope.

This is a lovely tender and complex novel that covers friendship, grieving and trying to follow your own path, especially after one of the most important people in your life has gone. It moves seamlessly from funny,to heartbreaking and back again. The characters are all very different, relatable and beautifully drawn. The relationships between the women are complex and strongly written. An excellent and recommended read. Thanks to She Writes Press and Netgalley for the opportunity to view an arc of this novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and SheWritesPress for an advanced copy in exchange for my review.

Brunch and Other Obligations brings together 3 women who've known each other for years and their only tie is their friend Molly who just passed away. Molly leaves them each a gift and asks the 3 of them to have brunch once a month for the next year. While they grudgingly attend brunch each month we see through each of their POV the challenges and struggles they are having in their own lives dealing with real issues.

I wanted to love this book, but it fell flat to me. I wish there was more details on why they don't like each other, the ending wrapped up way too quickly and at times the book was a little slow moving.

I think this would make a lovely movie as it hits on a lot of wonderful points such as friendship, relationships, grief and acceptance.

This novel was beautifully written and developed. I liked the characters and enjoyed that we got to know each of the characters lives. This was well paced and everything fell together nicely. I liked the themes this tackled such as grief and female friendships.

This quintessential women's fiction novel was such a fun read and is a must read for all women. I laughed and I cried along with Molly's friends as they navigate life after she's passed away. Each of her three best pals has their own way of coping with the loss, and this novel was at times heartbreaking, and other times laugh out loud funny. This is the kind of book I could spend hours discussing with my best gal pals over a few glasses of wine.. highly recommend!

What a wonderful book! I read it in two sittings and loved it. It's perfect when you need a light feel-good book. The characters are original and flawed and relatable in a way that makes you want to have brunch with them too. The writing is beautiful and I don't always find that an omniscient voice works, but it did for this story. It gave little amusing insights into each character that made each step of the story more engaging.

Through the tough loss of their best friend, Molly, these three women who do not like one another learn valuable life lessons about the power of friendships between women and how Molly shined a light on the better part of each. My only hang-up was that the ending of the book seemed odd in that the characters were thrown into a big "movie moment" sort of situation (trying not to spoil it) but they didn't seem evolved enough to make the big transition to be best friends. This happens in films all the time but I was hoping since the characters were drawn so deep, that they would gradually become best friends instead of "poof" besties. Maybe if they had stopped hating each other a little before this or shown some inclination to want to accept each other it would have felt organic. I don't know, but it didn't spoil the book. Great beach read for summer!

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

The premise of Brunch and Other Obligations was very promising: a trio of women in their early 30s who are forced to have brunch together because of a dying wish/request made by the only thing they had in common: their love for their friend Molly who succumbed to cancer. Each woman is very different and we get insight into each of their lives and challenges from their perspective. I wanted to love this story and from some other reviews I've read I may be in the minority but it fell a little flat.

The main characters, reclusive Nora, overachiever Christina and perfectionist Leanne, are a bit exaggerated in their stereotypes. Nora writes her thoughts and conversations in a notebook (constantly) versus actually speaking to someone-and it's a plot point mentioned over and over again. Each woman has an interesting story and if they had been developed more and with realistic details it would have been a better read. The ending was wrapped up very fast and almost unbelievable based on the preceding chapters. The potential this book had makes it a 3 star read.

Thank you to the writer, publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.

When Molly dies, one of her last requests is that her three friends, who only have her in common and dislike each other, have brunch together once a month for a year. She asks Nora, who dislikes dogs and only wants to be alone, to take her dog. She leaves high-strung Christina a meditation cushion and planning obsessed Leanne her Vespa. It was a cute, funny, sweet book, and I really enjoyed it. Four stars.

Brunch and Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent. Thanks to @netgalley @shewritespress for the e-arc. Reading as part of the #src2020 lineup ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When exuberant Molly passes away at a young age, she leaves gifts and instructions to her three best friends. One of the instructions, to have brunch together once a month is not well received. While Leanne, Christina, and Nora all loved Molly, they have never really gotten along with each other without Molly as their social connection.

This is a one of a kind tale of friendship and grief. Each lady is unique and has their own way of dealing with their grief over Molly’s death. I will admit, this book was difficult for me at first. I did not find any of the women likeable, except for Molly whom we never quite “met”, but heard stories of. I would have loved Molly’s character and would find a prequel where she’s still alive much welcome. Almost halfway through the story I started finding redeemable qualities on all three women and really started to enjoy the story. I am glad I stuck with it because it really turned around for me. The writing style, hearing each character’s thoughts and personalities (including Fred the dog!) was interesting and really helped create depth for the characters. I loved how their relationships with each other slowly developed from hatred, to something not quite hatred, but not quite friendship either. I recommend this book for anyone who enjoys women’s fiction and tales of difficult friendships.

“That’s how friends are made- in that moment when you find validation with one look. It’s when you observe the world Ina certain way and then find a face looking book at you as if to say ‘you’re seeing this shit too right? It’s not just me?’”

With thanks to Netgalley and SheWritesPress for a pre- publication copy of this book in return for an honest review. The book manages a difficult topic ( the loss of a friend) with a lightness of touch as three central characters carry on their lives without someone who has had such a long and positive influence on their lives. I liked the way the story switched between the three friends which gave the book a natural pace and stimulated curiously. I felt that some characters were more effective than others and I was slightly thrown by some of the dialogue at various points. The book is probably more chick lit, however, there was some strong writing particularly in the depiction of a daughter looking after her mother who is in the grip of dementia. The book touches on deeper themes - social disconnect, dysfunctional parenting and grief, but the mood is predominantly feelgood, optimistic and often comic. An enjoyable read.

Nora, Christina, and Leanne have nothing in common except for Molly, their mutual friend. When Molly dies, she leaves mysterious gifts and letters for each woman along with one final request - that they get together once a month for Brunch for a year. Perplexed with the gifts and the Brunch request, each woman begrudgingly agrees to the gifts and the Brunch request.

Each woman has her own voice and distinct personality. While initially none of them can make sense as to why the individual gifts were given to them, it becomes clear that their friend, Molly knew them better than they knew themselves and even at the end of her life, thought of them and what would most benefit them in their lives.

This book explores friendship, the complexity of relationships, the issues faced by women, and coping with loss. There is loss but there is also joy and laughter. The women are relatable and likable. Plus, Fred's thoughts (Fred was initially Molly's dog) were a very nice touch.

I enjoyed this book but found the ending a little rushed. I was hoping for a little bit more oomph or emotional depth from this one. Still enjoyable and well written, but slow at times for me.

This is a debut novel with shows promise and I look forward to reading more of Nugent's books in the future.

Thank you to She Writes Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

There’s something very comforting about knowing from the first chapter of a book where it’s going to end. It’s why rom-coms are so popular in both book and film format. Sure, it’s great to watch Parasite because it challenges and confronts you (while also being a phenomenally put together film), but sometimes you want something that’s reassuring in its predictability. Moreover, just because you know where something is going doesn’t meant that it can’t be thought provoking and enjoyable along the way. That’s exactly how I’d describe Brunch And Other Obligations by Suzanne Nugent.

The story opens at the funeral of Molly. Molly’s send-off is being presided over by her three closest friends; reclusive Nora, prim Leanne, and overachiever Christina. While the three women all viewed Molly as their closest friend and have known each other from a young age, they don’t get along particularly well. Yet their love for their dead friend sees them fulfil several of Molly’s last requests which challenge the various ways in which they have constructed lives – often at the expense of their own happiness. One of Molly’s requests is that they must meet up for brunch on the first Sunday of every month.

The narrative charts the journeys of the three women and the way they cope with the loss of their friend, as well as the personal struggles they all endure. Christina’s story is particularly poignant, as she struggles to keep her Alzheimer’s-ridden mother living with her as her mother slides further and further into one of life’s cruellest diseases. At the time of COVID-19, it felt fitting to me that I read this book. It many ways, its central message is that we all carry pieces of grief around inside us, yet we all too often only see our own. Nugent does something very interesting, which is to elegantly and eloquently provide a brief narration of the backstories for several characters with whom the three protagonists intersect. Its message is clear: everybody has a story, everybody endures heartbreak and loss, and we are richer for reaching out and learning the stories of others for it helps us put our own feelings into perspective. While it’s not a unique thing to do, credit must be given to the way in which Nugent does this. Every interjection is paced perfectly so that it doesn’t drag the pace of the main story but rather provides a pause for reflection.

And that’s what sets this book apart, Nugent writes well. There’s few, if any, clunky moments of expression, and Nugent moves from scene to scene in a manner that keeps the story moving. The narrator’s voice was clear and had just the right amount of judgement about the actions of the characters as to make me feel genuine connection to the narrator (probably the unnamed narrator was the character I liked the most), which was especially valuable as there were points when I didn’t particularly like the three women, even if I understood them. And that certainly happened through the story, most notably with Leanne. Leanne has been raised to be a ‘lady’, conforming to the conservative expectations of her hyper-critical mother, at the expense of pursuing art – a field in which she has quite some talent. While Nugent very clearly outlines the lifetime of conditioning that forms the bars across her own behaviour, at times I wanted to scream in frustration at Leanne’s behaviour. Certainly this made the catharsis all the more delightful, although the only significant weak point I felt within the narrative was the way it treated Leanne’s husband, James. It’s clear that she is married to him for the wrong reasons, and that the life she has constructed with him is one based on what she thinks she should have rather than what she actually wants, but James is clearly a decent guy who does care for her and tries his best to make her happy. A little more acknowledgement of that would have placated me, and made Leanne’s narrative thread all the more poignant as it accepts that life is complicated and messy, and sometimes you hurt someone who doesn’t deserve to be hurt. Sure, this wasn’t the primary focus of the story – the story’s central concern is about female friendship and female self-actualisation, but it was something that niggled at me in an otherwise well rounded story.

I picked up this book expecting it to be a ‘standard’ women’s fiction book, and while it definitely fulfils the expectations of the genre, it also exceeds it. The immediacy of Molly’s death and the depiction of the three friends’ grief over the loss of someone who they all loved lends the story an unexpected depth that is a testament to Nugent’s writing.

A fabulous debut.

This was an entertaining, well-written book. Nora, Christina and Leanne knew each other when they were younger, but as adults the only thing they had in common was their best friend, Molly, who has now passed away. Molly left a final request for the three of them to have brunch together every month for a year. They learn many things about themselves and each other as they begin to spend time together without Molly. I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others.