I was pulled towards this as I saw Joan Collins say if was ‘absolutely riveting’, and apparently Lorraine Kelly ‘couldn’t put it down’, I wouldn’t be quite so effusive but it wasn’t at all bad
Kind of a psychological, romance ish, family ish drama really that centres around ‘mum’s to be’ and a very well portrayed ( and at times very funny ) pre ‘giving birth’ club, which is run by a kindly but tyrannical woman who isen’t happy until she has them all MOOING and shouting vagina at the top of their voices, its funnier in context 😀
Anyway 2 of the members form a friendship but Aisha and Lucy really don’t realise just how much of a past, and present, they share
I think any reader will guess what’s afoot and what is going to happen and although the ending is no surprise it is done really ‘nicely’ and I was happy with the outcome
Some great extras in the group including a lesbian earth mother coupling who once give birth were not quite so green loving and some actual very emotive descriptions on how it felt to be reaching the time to give birth and be a Mum
A nice read in many ways and did cause quite a few smiles, always good in 2020 but also a story of caution

7/10
4 Stars

Being honest, this book didn't really grip me completely, don't get me wrong, its well written, but it just didn't appeal to me as much as I thought it would.Baby groups, pregnancy, motherhood and all the traumas it brings, plus the friendship dynamics, it just wasn't for me.

Just Between Friends was an ok read, nothing new really and the twist wasn't really much of a twist. I think after watching a few 'mums groups' tv shows, I was hoping the humour would be similar but it was all a bit safe and I was a bored by the end of it. Not for me but then again I think I'm not in the right demographic for this book so take this review with a grain of salt.

Just Between Friends is one of those books that you have no real idea what it’s about until you start reading it. In an nct meeting we meet several couples embarking on their first pregnancy. Two of the women become friends, although I feel like the friendship is flaky at best, but one has a secret that could change everything. I guessed the secret from early on, there are some other twisty types scenarios that happen. An easy read.

Just Between Friends is the first novel I’ve read by this author. It’s hugely relatable for all us mothers out there as this storyline will bring back memories of your own personal experiences, particularly if you’ve been part of an antenatal group. That for me is the reason I was drawn to this novel and it is probably its biggest selling point. You cannot help but relive good (and bad) memories as you accompany this group of women on their own personal journeys to motherhood and beyond.

The baby group in this novel is made up of a diverse group of characters, headed by the unforgettable figure of Maggie. I think the author has endeavoured to imagine the most diverse group possible with a same sex couple and their surrogate, another same sex couple who’ve used an anonymous sperm donor, a young couple in their mid twenties and two older women. It is these two older women, Aisha with husband Jason and Lucy, with partner Oscar that this storyline primarily focuses on.

I don’t know if the fact I read this straight after another similar piece of fiction,also featuring an antenatal group, detracted from my enjoyment. I’d like to think not and that I’ve been able to review Just Between Friends on its own merits. It’s certainly easy enough to read but I have to say I found the pace slow. I didn’t find it gripping as the synopsis would suggest and I thought the actual plot is very weak. Whilst the two main characters, Aisha and Lucy and their respective partners are well developed, it was to the detriment of the supporting cast who don’t get much of a look in. I’d have liked to read more about these characters lives post parenthood and the relationships that exist between other members of the baby group rather than the main focus being on just two women. I don’t think there was much of a group dynamic to discuss so therefore the plot felt far too simplistic for my liking, easily guessing exactly who had the most secrets to hide and even the friendships felt flimsy drawn.

I think where the author has excelled is in imagining a baby group scenario which is diverse in nature and presumably based, however loosely, on her own personal experiences which of course adds authenticity. Being part of an antenatal group is possibly one of the few occasions where individuals are thrown together by a common bond and friendships are forged. Whether these friendships would exist in any other circumstances is debatable and clearly for some these friendships do survive well beyond the early years of parenting. Personally it isn’t something I’ve ever experienced, instead forging friendships with other mothers outside of the kind of group in this novel. I did appreciate the humour that is present with anecdotes of ‘poomageddon’ and inadvertently self tanning your own baby mildly amusing. As for Maggie, a doula and group leader I’ve never met such a character; I was cringing with embarrassment alongside the members of this group at her approach to discussing the more intimate topics regarding parenthood but she will probably make you laugh too! I recognised the universal fear that all new mothers experience, that ‘am I a good enough mother for this helpless little human?’ which the author has woven into these women’s own stories. She has captured their fears of the actual birthing process, the way pregnancy can make you feel and of course the sleep deprivation and inability to function as a ‘normal’ adult. Rosie Nixon is spot on with these observations of impending motherhood and beyond so that I did give a silent prayer of thanks that all that is well and truly in my past!!

I liked both Aisha and Lucy, who for varying reasons are approaching motherhood with a degree of trepidation, their partners maybe not embracing impending fatherhood as wholeheartedly as they could. Why is this? All will be revealed (slowly) as Aisha and Lucy embark on a tentative friendship which seems to cool rapidly as the storyline progresses. The reasons for this clearly lie in past, but whose past is up to you to discover as the author teases the reader with tiny morsels of information. Unfortunately it doesn’t take a genius to deduce where this storyline is headed and for that reason I did begin to lose interest.

Whilst this novel’s strengths lie in the depictions of the often messy and complicated nature of motherhood, I feel it reads more like a journal documenting a few women’s pregnancy journeys rather than anything else. It’s weakness is definitely in the plot. I think it lacks a sense of intrigue until the very latter stages and then it’s only marginally present. I was disappointed this was the case and wondered if the author was going to surprise me with an explosive finish. Sadly that wasn’t to be, so on this occasion Just Between Friends didn’t live up to my expectations. In her acknowledgements the author does mention this novel is a departure from her previous two so I would like to read those to discover how different they may be and just because this storyline didn’t excite me doesn’t mean I’m adverse to exploring more of this author’s writing in the future. Sometimes, for unknown reasons you fail to engage with characters and a storyline and I have to admit I have read better novels with a similar premise.
My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

I found it hard to enjoy this book, largely because it focused on a world and type of mother that I try to avoid in normal life because I find them so far from the kind of people I enjoy being with. I found the story line limited and too far fetched to really engage with. That said this is just not my type of book. I'm very sure that it will appeal to a large number of people who will find similarities with their lives and enjoy the story greatly.

I started my read of this book with such high hopes. The blurb sounded fantastic and the early meeting of characters reminded me so much of my own (rather unusual) antenatal group that I thought I was really going to enjoy it.

Maggie, the crazy antenatal teacher, is hilarious - and quite believable in all her passion for all things baby related. The attendees of the group could not be more dissimilar and felt a little stereotyped (gay, gorgeous men and virtuous mother's to be); it definitely felt that Nixon has tried to address a good cross section of potential parents at this point in the novel. I know it's a little mean but I was rather glad that colic visited Lin and Susie to bring their self-righteousness down to earth with a bump.

The early humour soon disappears in favour of a gritty storyline, which is tied up a little too easily for me at the end of the book. Lucy hides more secrets than Father Christmas, and I was a little disappointed as her story was revealed. Aisha is a lovely character but rather naive and it was obvious from early on that she was overlooking a problem in her marriage.

It was an easy enough read, and I didn't guess some of the twists and turns too soon to spoil the story.

I liked the premise of the book as it reminded me of my NCT group meetings a couple of years ago, and the main characters drew me in. However I correctly guessed the big reveal fairly early on. It didn’t affect my desire to read the rest as I wanted to know how it all came about, but I prefer to be surprised by a book. An easy read.

It’s so hard to give feedback on this without giving spoilers. I will say I absolutely loved it, even though I am not a mother. Such an enjoyable, believable book with a unique edge.

This book was an enjoyable and unchallenging read - I suppose I’m a bit past baby groups so the amount of detail regarding births and new babies are was old hat to me - but I did enjoy it overall. 3 1/2 stars from me.

A quite enjoyable, easy reading story centred around yummy- mummy's to be. As the book progresses you realise there are 'secrets' involving the 2 main characters and although I rightly guessed what, it kept my interest to the end.
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for an arc of this novel.

Finally!...An author who genuinely understands the range of emotions women feel, the beauty and struggles of pregnancy, and the depth of a mother’s love! Rosie Nixon gives new meaning to the phrase keep your friends close and your enemies closer, and Just Between Friends will keep you spellbound as Nixon expertly disguises the identity of the enemy. Just Between Friends is a mind blowing emotional roller coaster ride full of sensational twists, memorable characters, and a wickedly wonderful plot! Events from the past wreck havoc when they collide with the present, and Rosie Nixon creatively delves into how the unexpected results can be positive or negative,...or both.

Just Between Friends is beyond 5 stars! It is a poignant portrayal of the raw emotions that women and mothers everywhere can relate to. Rosie Nixon masterfully twists the fine lines between love, hate, admiration, friendship, loyalty and betrayal. Just Between Friends is a stunning masterpiece that will grab your attention from the beginning and keep you enthralled until the very last page. It was easy to get caught up in Aisha’s and Lucy’s lives, and there has never been a more accurate reflection of the diverse members, personalities, and experiences of a Baby Group than what Rosie Nixon describes. Wildly engrossing and addictive, Just Between Friends is impossible to put down! The powerful curiosity of wondering what’s going to happen next is captivating and will leave readers shocked beyond belief! Rosie Nixon brilliantly gives readers small pieces of the puzzle, and the more you find out, the more desperate you’ll become to see how the pieces fit together. Anticipation of finding out what happens next, and especially the twists that surround the outcome, will leave you breathless and wide-eyed with disbelief!

After years of patiently waiting, Aisha is overjoyed when she discovers she is pregnant. Jason had been adamant that they wait until they were financially stable to start a family, so despite being a little older than most first time mothers, Aisha is blissfully anticipating holding her newborn son or daughter. Being a little older doesn’t diminish her excitement at all, but the closer she gets to her due date, the more she starts to worry. The romance she and Jason naturally shared for several years has been unnaturally strained, so her pregnancy hasn’t been as carefree as she had hoped it would be. There are so many questions she wishes she could ask her own mother, but she passed away when she was younger. Aisha’s best friend is really the only person she can open up to, so joining The Baby Group was a sensible and logical thing to do. It would help prepare her for motherhood, and maybe give her the opportunity to make a few friends.

Lucy desperately wanted a baby. When she found out she was pregnant after only one round of IVF, she was ecstatic! She was thrilled at Oscar’s eagerness too because she’d always had reason to doubt whether he’d truly be happy or not. Feeling somewhat isolated, Lucy decides to join The Baby Group. Older than other first time moms, she’s also hoping to make friends. Lucy appears to have it all, and carries herself with a graceful ease. Determined to make a good first impression, she spent hours on the salad she was taking to the group. She carefully selected the perfect outfits and shoes for meetings, and looked so perfectly put together that she was even able to pull off wearing bright red lipstick. Despite her exquisite exterior though, Lucy was somewhat lonely.

Since Jason conveniently has work related issues that come up whenever there’s a group meeting and Oscar travels frequently for work, neither of them are able to attend as many meetings as Aisha and Lucy would’ve liked. Since both women seem to be the only ones who are regularly attending meetings without their significant others, they are paired up for an activity during one meeting. Their shared laughter over the hilarious conversations and activities at the meetings easily turns into an easy friendship. Is it really a friendship though when one person is determined to keep secrets from the other?

Thank you Rosie Nixon, HQ, and Netgalley for allowing me the honor of reading Just Between Friends. My feedback is voluntary and expresses my honest review.

Sadly I have mixed feelings. The humour surrounding preparing for the birth of a child was amusing (the 70's video description was a hoot) the story switches views between two main characters Lucy and Aisha. Both are pregnant, both are excited for the future but their respective partners are not. They become firm friends, discussing their issues and worries until it becomes obvious that they are connected by more than the baby group they are attending.

This was a fast-paced engaging read about members of a parent group, two of whom are unknowingly connected.
It didn't take me long to suss the connection but it was an enjoyable plot nonetheless, I just wish the ending wasn't tied up so seamlessly, I felt this was unrealistic with one character getting off Scottfree in my eyes!

Just Between Friends drew me in with its super cosy, coffee shop cover and I went into this with little to no idea of the plot/premise, I think I was having a slightly click-happy half an hour on Netgalley.

When Aisha and Lucy first meet at a baby group for expectant first time moms they soon bond over the fact that they were both left to attend their first meetings alone, as their partners Jason and Oscar are both unable to get away from work. We hear from both Aisha and Lucy throughout the book and I enjoyed reading both their narrations, which is not always the case in dual perspective books.

The first half of this book drew me into its cosiness, the baby group are made up of a hilarious group of different expectant parents and rather eccentric leader - I would have quite happily continued to read just more of that for the rest of the book. However part way through small hints started being dropped that something wasn't quite as innocent and cosy as it first seemed

The plot really ramps up when we learn that the new friends have more in common than Aisha has been led to believe.

I loved how this book played with my perception of the plot and switched from a cosy, funny, light-hearted read to emotion filled drama in the space of a couple of chapters.
My highlight of this were the group of side characters making up the baby group, while they didn't make up a massive amount of the book it felt like the kind of random group of people a baby group would throw together into the inevitable group WhatsApp.

Overall an enjoyable read that pulled me in and really made me care about the characters, would recommend for a cosy weekend read.

I started reading this book yesterday and couldn’t put it down. The story centres around the lives and loves of a group of pregnant women and their journey through pregnancy, birth and the aftermath. It was a great story that took me back many years to the “baby groups” I was in (although they were not as exciting). The story bends into an intriguing thriller type novel of paternity tests and friendship. I loved this book from the first chapter. And couldn’t put it down.

A new author for me, and one I would happily read from again! Enjoyed the book, realistic characters and an intriguing plot line. I would recommend it to friends. The author managed to achieve a balance of tone and ensured that I looked forward to picking up the book and becoming absorbed in the next chapter- sometime I find my interest is lost if I have to read it in stages due to life taking over, this was not the case here! Thank you.

This has been a very interesting and well-written read. The book has had moments which have made me laugh out loud but also portrays that not everything always goes go plan.
This book is definitely a thought provoking read which I haven't been able to put down. This is completely unique to anything I've read previously and I've loved it.
This is a definite enjoyable read and I have loved the mix of characters present within the pages of this one.
This is a definite five star read. I have loved it.

I’m not going to lie – I had a horrifically traumatic birth with my (only!) son who is now 17, and the thought of a book purely about pregnancy, childbirth and babies filled me with dread, it was a time and a place that I never wanted to go back to…however…I absolutely loved this book! It’s not a story of gory birth details, it’s a tale of new friendships, new beginnings and new life and I must admit that while I was reading it, I had so many lovely flashback memories of holding my son for the first time, and those special shared moments of just the two of us during night feeds.

The characters were believable, although reading what some of the men did during pregnancy and afterwards drove me to distraction on occasions…are there men out there who really treat women that way? Thank god I’ve never met them!!

I would have liked Lucy to be a little more sinister – it felt to me like the book toyed with the idea of being a psychological thriller, but then almost scared itself so went back to be a lovely nice story.

Would really recommend this to all my friends though – I loved it.

I really enjoyed this book. Aisha and Lucy are both 8 months pregnant. When they meet at an ante natal group, they become friends. However, Lucy is keeping a secret she really doesn't want Aisha to find out. I really loved the characters in this book, especially the other parents in the group, and the crazy woman who runs it! It's a good story which will keep you guessing, even if it's a little far fetched. Thanks to NetGalley for a preview copy.
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