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The Most Likely Club
At their milestone high school reunion, a group of friends make a pact to finally achieve their high school superlatives one way or another, in the lively new novel from the acclaimed author of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.
In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400.
Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the "Most Likely Girls."
Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship, the ways our childhood dreams both sustain and surprise us -- and why it's deeply uncool to peak in high school.
In 1997, grunge is king, Titanic is a blockbuster (and Blockbuster still exists), and Thursday nights are for Friends. In Bellport, Connecticut, four best friends and high school seniors are ready to light the world on fire. Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer are going places. Their yearbook superlatives confirm it: Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400.
Fast forward twenty-five years and nothing has gone according to plan as the women regroup at their dreaded high school reunion. When a forgotten classmate emerges at the reunion with a surprising announcement, the friends dig out the yearbook and rethink their younger selves. Is it too late to make their dreams come true? Fueled by nostalgia and one too many drinks, they form a pact to push through their middle-aged angst to bring their teenage aspirations to fruition, dubbing themselves the "Most Likely Girls."
Through the ensuing highs and lows, they are reminded of the enduring bonds of friendship, the ways our childhood dreams both sustain and surprise us -- and why it's deeply uncool to peak in high school.
368 pages, Paperback
First published September 6, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,167 reviews
September 6, 2022
Such an alluring and lighthearted read about divine sisterhood of longtime friendship, relationships, marriages, life choices, second chances, transitioning, adapting.
Four best high school girlfriends :intelligent and also popular. They are actually remaining friends since eight grade, dying to know their superlatives at the yearbook. Four of them couldn’t be different from each other and they actually find a way to fit in and complete each other.
Melissa; dating with Josh, never expecting a future with him because she has big plans to accomplish, she’s competitive, ambitious, a the world is her oyster.
Half Japanese, daughter of former model, mentioned as one of the people is most likely to join Forbes 400.
Priya, overworked, cautious, and brilliant aims to graduate from Harvard, mentioned as the person probably find the cure of cancer.
Most bold, relentless one of the group is Tara, liking to take much risks, creating food art, mentioned as most like to open Michelin starred restaurant.
But when we move forward to see their middle age lives, only Suki seemed like the accomplisher of her dreams with her special app called MakeApp help you exact same make up with the celebrity you choose.
The other still struggle with their life plans.
Melanie, divorced from Josh, being replaced with a younger yoga teacher, working at local radio station, raising her teenage daughter who keeps her own secret, dealing with bullies at school. Melanie checks dating apps, suffering from loneliness.
Priya graduated from Harvard as she’s planned but she became physiatrist instead of being oncologist, dealing with morons who get into motorcycle accidents and old ladies who pull muscles in water aerobics. Her marriage, raising kids and demanding job take her entire time and now she’s offered a promotion. Her colleagues think she’s offered because of diversity policy of the hospital and her husband thinks she’s already so much on her plate.
And Tara, who has been sexually assaulted by her famous chef, losing her reputation and chance to open her restaurant, sharing a place with her special partner Rachel, teaching rich kids how to cook. But now one of her competitors open a place close to her with the same concept. Maybe she has to give a try to turn back to restaurant jungle to take a chance.
At the reunion, girls minus Suki who is so busy to attend, calling them via FaceTime, decide to take risks and fight for second chances. Tara will return to restaurant business. Priya will accept the promotion against her husband’s wishes. Melanie will run for a mayor.
Will they catch second chances or fight against new obo life will throw their way.
Overall: even though I had a little hard time to engage with both characters, it was still interesting, gripping friendship- women’s fiction- second chances novel. I love author’s brilliant story telling skills and her realistic approach to the day lives. As a GenX, it’s easier for me to resonate with characters’ predicaments.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
Four best high school girlfriends :intelligent and also popular. They are actually remaining friends since eight grade, dying to know their superlatives at the yearbook. Four of them couldn’t be different from each other and they actually find a way to fit in and complete each other.
Melissa; dating with Josh, never expecting a future with him because she has big plans to accomplish, she’s competitive, ambitious, a the world is her oyster.
Half Japanese, daughter of former model, mentioned as one of the people is most likely to join Forbes 400.
Priya, overworked, cautious, and brilliant aims to graduate from Harvard, mentioned as the person probably find the cure of cancer.
Most bold, relentless one of the group is Tara, liking to take much risks, creating food art, mentioned as most like to open Michelin starred restaurant.
But when we move forward to see their middle age lives, only Suki seemed like the accomplisher of her dreams with her special app called MakeApp help you exact same make up with the celebrity you choose.
The other still struggle with their life plans.
Melanie, divorced from Josh, being replaced with a younger yoga teacher, working at local radio station, raising her teenage daughter who keeps her own secret, dealing with bullies at school. Melanie checks dating apps, suffering from loneliness.
Priya graduated from Harvard as she’s planned but she became physiatrist instead of being oncologist, dealing with morons who get into motorcycle accidents and old ladies who pull muscles in water aerobics. Her marriage, raising kids and demanding job take her entire time and now she’s offered a promotion. Her colleagues think she’s offered because of diversity policy of the hospital and her husband thinks she’s already so much on her plate.
And Tara, who has been sexually assaulted by her famous chef, losing her reputation and chance to open her restaurant, sharing a place with her special partner Rachel, teaching rich kids how to cook. But now one of her competitors open a place close to her with the same concept. Maybe she has to give a try to turn back to restaurant jungle to take a chance.
At the reunion, girls minus Suki who is so busy to attend, calling them via FaceTime, decide to take risks and fight for second chances. Tara will return to restaurant business. Priya will accept the promotion against her husband’s wishes. Melanie will run for a mayor.
Will they catch second chances or fight against new obo life will throw their way.
Overall: even though I had a little hard time to engage with both characters, it was still interesting, gripping friendship- women’s fiction- second chances novel. I love author’s brilliant story telling skills and her realistic approach to the day lives. As a GenX, it’s easier for me to resonate with characters’ predicaments.
Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.
October 7, 2022
About the book: “At their milestone high school reunion, a group of friends make a pact to finally achieve their high school superlatives one way or another, in the lively new novel from the acclaimed author of Last Summer at the Golden Hotel.”
Melissa, Priya, Tara, and Suki are four best friends and seniors in high school. Twenty-five years later, they attend their reunion where no one has ended up where they thought they would in life. They pour over their yearbook and see their dreams once embedded in a superlative. Can they still achieve those things?
I love a hopeful second chance story, and this is that as well as a story of enduring friendship among women. The 90s pop culture references were fantastic, and so much that’s relatable happens with the characters. Another enjoyable read from Elyssa Friedland, and I can only hope she has another nostalgic read coming up for us soon!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Melissa, Priya, Tara, and Suki are four best friends and seniors in high school. Twenty-five years later, they attend their reunion where no one has ended up where they thought they would in life. They pour over their yearbook and see their dreams once embedded in a superlative. Can they still achieve those things?
I love a hopeful second chance story, and this is that as well as a story of enduring friendship among women. The 90s pop culture references were fantastic, and so much that’s relatable happens with the characters. Another enjoyable read from Elyssa Friedland, and I can only hope she has another nostalgic read coming up for us soon!
I received a gifted copy.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
August 18, 2022
RTC at a later date.
September 9, 2022
I'm quite annoyed with myself that I didn't set this aside when I was struggling around the halfway mark. The second half of this book completely falls off the rails for me. The resolutions for each of the women fell flat and were uninspiring. There was also a casual drop of a triggering event that was only followed up with a one liner, pages and pages later. Quite unnecessary indeed.
This one had potential but ultimately is not a book I would recommend.
Triggers galore!
This one had potential but ultimately is not a book I would recommend.
Triggers galore!
June 20, 2022
It gets 2 stars because I finished it, but I’m not happy that I did.
This book interested me because I heard such great things about The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, and I'm a sucker for anything with references to the 90's. I started this with high hopes, but they were quickly diminished. To begin, I hated most of the characters. Three out of the four main characters were obnoxious and awful. They were supposed to be "best friends" but they often spoke poorly of each other, and let each other fail. In one instance in particular, a main character (one of the worst IMO) was alerted to an issue with another's (the only redeeming MC out of the group) daughter. Instead of bringing it up to her "best" friend, she snidely thinks about how at least her daughter isn't participating in that kind of (potentially dangerous) behavior. There were also SO MANY side characters-- with 4 alternating story lines, it was hard to keep track of who belonged to who and why, and most of them added nothing to the story. I don't think this would have been as bad if there wasn't so much going on in this book where events were already hard to keep track of. I think this book fell victim to trying to do too much while doing nothing well.
One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when the entire plot is conveniently wrapped up in passing in a rushed ending. The reader has invested themselves in your story and read your book -- why would everything come to completion in a "oh how's it going?" question within the last few pages? Give me something for spending hours reading 368 pages of this book besides a little chatter on the last few pages. Making something a big deal throughout, and then throwing a "hey, by the way this all worked out accordingly" at the reader.is just insulting. What is even the point?
This book almost had me at 3 stars, but there were a few specific things that really irritated me into rage levels. The first was how the bisexual MC was written. It made me very uncomfortable that she was constantly willing to cheat on her partner with whoever and whenever. It just seemed like an extremely damaging stereotype to put onto this character in particular, and it made me feel very icky reading it. I also felt uncomfortable with how the sexual assault story line "resolution' occurred. It was just an all-over mess and it didn't even make much sense. On a less serious note, one of the characters ends up staying at "one of Elon Musk's homes" for a stint. I swear, we must have been hit with mentions of "Elon" (he wasn't even there but you would have thought he had a starring role) on every page of those two chapters. I didn't realize it was possible for a book to name drop, but it was horrendous. I didn't think douchey tech bros were the main audience for this book, so why would that be something to include?
I've already noted how much was randomly thrown into this book, but the kicker for me at the end was the 3-page cancer scare. All in the span of THREE PAGES a MC found something, but then it was (of course) mentioned in passing that oh it's all good, no worries, and her super rich new boyfriend visited her in the hospital, isn't that just great! I was flabbergasted that this was included. Adding something so triggering to then be resolved in such a blasé manner just put the nail in the coffin for me.
I don't think I've felt this heated about a book in a long time. Unfortunately it's put me off even attempting to read LSATGH, which is very disappointing.
This book interested me because I heard such great things about The Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, and I'm a sucker for anything with references to the 90's. I started this with high hopes, but they were quickly diminished. To begin, I hated most of the characters. Three out of the four main characters were obnoxious and awful. They were supposed to be "best friends" but they often spoke poorly of each other, and let each other fail. In one instance in particular, a main character (one of the worst IMO) was alerted to an issue with another's (the only redeeming MC out of the group) daughter. Instead of bringing it up to her "best" friend, she snidely thinks about how at least her daughter isn't participating in that kind of (potentially dangerous) behavior. There were also SO MANY side characters-- with 4 alternating story lines, it was hard to keep track of who belonged to who and why, and most of them added nothing to the story. I don't think this would have been as bad if there wasn't so much going on in this book where events were already hard to keep track of. I think this book fell victim to trying to do too much while doing nothing well.
One of my biggest pet peeves in books is when the entire plot is conveniently wrapped up in passing in a rushed ending. The reader has invested themselves in your story and read your book -- why would everything come to completion in a "oh how's it going?" question within the last few pages? Give me something for spending hours reading 368 pages of this book besides a little chatter on the last few pages. Making something a big deal throughout, and then throwing a "hey, by the way this all worked out accordingly" at the reader.is just insulting. What is even the point?
This book almost had me at 3 stars, but there were a few specific things that really irritated me into rage levels. The first was how the bisexual MC was written. It made me very uncomfortable that she was constantly willing to cheat on her partner with whoever and whenever. It just seemed like an extremely damaging stereotype to put onto this character in particular, and it made me feel very icky reading it. I also felt uncomfortable with how the sexual assault story line "resolution' occurred. It was just an all-over mess and it didn't even make much sense. On a less serious note, one of the characters ends up staying at "one of Elon Musk's homes" for a stint. I swear, we must have been hit with mentions of "Elon" (he wasn't even there but you would have thought he had a starring role) on every page of those two chapters. I didn't realize it was possible for a book to name drop, but it was horrendous. I didn't think douchey tech bros were the main audience for this book, so why would that be something to include?
I've already noted how much was randomly thrown into this book, but the kicker for me at the end was the 3-page cancer scare. All in the span of THREE PAGES a MC found something, but then it was (of course) mentioned in passing that oh it's all good, no worries, and her super rich new boyfriend visited her in the hospital, isn't that just great! I was flabbergasted that this was included. Adding something so triggering to then be resolved in such a blasé manner just put the nail in the coffin for me.
I don't think I've felt this heated about a book in a long time. Unfortunately it's put me off even attempting to read LSATGH, which is very disappointing.
June 10, 2022
Delightful and funny! Add this to your TBR immediately!
September 10, 2022
As a ‘97 grad with a 25th reunion approaching, I picked this up for the nostalgia factor. Glorifying an eating disorder ain’t it.
October 4, 2022
The Most Likely Club appealed because I love the thought of meeting up for your high school reunion (I still have not gone to any of mine) and using it as a pivoting point for transformation and goal setting. I also really enjoyed each of the characters, and how different they are. They all had struggles that to me seemed realistic.
I am older than the main characters in The Most Likely Club (my second child was born in 1997) but I still enjoyed all the flashbacks to the things that were cool back then. All the nineties references made me smile or cringe.
There were times where I thought that author Elyssa Friedland could have dived deeper into the issues that the women were facing. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Elyssa Friedland for the digital copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.
I am older than the main characters in The Most Likely Club (my second child was born in 1997) but I still enjoyed all the flashbacks to the things that were cool back then. All the nineties references made me smile or cringe.
There were times where I thought that author Elyssa Friedland could have dived deeper into the issues that the women were facing. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Elyssa Friedland for the digital copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.
October 10, 2022
I feel like… what the eff was that? Yikes
August 24, 2022
Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: September 6, 2022
In 1997, four friends are trying to get through high school, hoping that their future lives up to their superlative assigned to them in the yearbook- Melissa, “Most Likely to Become President”, Priya- “Most Likely to Cure Cancer”, Tara- “Most Likely to Earn a Michelin Star” and Suki, “Most Likely to Make the Fortune 400”. Now, it’s their twenty-fifth reunion, and none of the women have made it to where they once dreamed. All four women are simply trying to keep their head above water as their lives continue to make more and more demands. But it’s never too late to get what you want- and the four women of the “Most Likely Club” are going to prove it.
Elyssa Friedland brings a clever, fun, female rallying tale to the pages with her new novel, “The Most Likely Club”. The four protagonists struggle to balance life and work, raising children, and living up to the expectations of society, and their teenage selves.
Melissa, Priya, Suki and Tara all take turns narrating the story, and although it is told in the current era, the women’s memories are peppered with their high school recollections- including all things nineties. I loved reminiscing with the women over grunge rock, the Titanic soundtrack, cropped tops and Doc Martens. Friendland takes me back to a time when life was simpler. There’s a reason the nineties are making a comeback- but you can’t beat the real thing!
All of the women are so different in every way, yet they remain bonded over their friendships. Struggling with their own expectations, and the expectations of a male society, each character has their own personal challenge to overcome, only endearing them more to readers and making each and every one relatable in their own way. With many relevant and poignant topics (such as the #metoo movement, and the ongoing, never-changing idea of mothers in the workplace), Friedland finds a way to bring these to the forefront while still telling a funny, whimsical and nostalgic tale.
I rooted for all the characters from page one, and each received the ending they justly deserved. “The Most Likely Club” centres on female friendships, for those of us who didn’t peak in high school, and it’s absolutely a delight! This was my first experience with Friedland but you can bet she is now forever on my radar- I can’t wait to see what she does next!
Expected publication date: September 6, 2022
In 1997, four friends are trying to get through high school, hoping that their future lives up to their superlative assigned to them in the yearbook- Melissa, “Most Likely to Become President”, Priya- “Most Likely to Cure Cancer”, Tara- “Most Likely to Earn a Michelin Star” and Suki, “Most Likely to Make the Fortune 400”. Now, it’s their twenty-fifth reunion, and none of the women have made it to where they once dreamed. All four women are simply trying to keep their head above water as their lives continue to make more and more demands. But it’s never too late to get what you want- and the four women of the “Most Likely Club” are going to prove it.
Elyssa Friedland brings a clever, fun, female rallying tale to the pages with her new novel, “The Most Likely Club”. The four protagonists struggle to balance life and work, raising children, and living up to the expectations of society, and their teenage selves.
Melissa, Priya, Suki and Tara all take turns narrating the story, and although it is told in the current era, the women’s memories are peppered with their high school recollections- including all things nineties. I loved reminiscing with the women over grunge rock, the Titanic soundtrack, cropped tops and Doc Martens. Friendland takes me back to a time when life was simpler. There’s a reason the nineties are making a comeback- but you can’t beat the real thing!
All of the women are so different in every way, yet they remain bonded over their friendships. Struggling with their own expectations, and the expectations of a male society, each character has their own personal challenge to overcome, only endearing them more to readers and making each and every one relatable in their own way. With many relevant and poignant topics (such as the #metoo movement, and the ongoing, never-changing idea of mothers in the workplace), Friedland finds a way to bring these to the forefront while still telling a funny, whimsical and nostalgic tale.
I rooted for all the characters from page one, and each received the ending they justly deserved. “The Most Likely Club” centres on female friendships, for those of us who didn’t peak in high school, and it’s absolutely a delight! This was my first experience with Friedland but you can bet she is now forever on my radar- I can’t wait to see what she does next!
September 16, 2022
Review coming soon.
July 13, 2022
I loved the last book by this author, LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL, and I was pleasantly surprised to receive an early copy of this. I'm happy to say this did not disappoint. Filled with 90s nostalgia, high school friendships, and many laughs. Can't go wrong if you're looking for a light-hearted summer read!
Four high school girlfriends go to their high school reunion. While there, they get to talking and realize that not one of them had achieved their high school superlative of "Most Likely To" from the yearbook. They make a pact to try and hit those "goals".
Thank you to the publisher and getred pr for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Four high school girlfriends go to their high school reunion. While there, they get to talking and realize that not one of them had achieved their high school superlative of "Most Likely To" from the yearbook. They make a pact to try and hit those "goals".
Thank you to the publisher and getred pr for the gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
September 26, 2022
TW: eating disorders, sexual assault, cancer
“The Most Likely Club” was really not for me. I found all of the main characters to be pretty unlikable and I didn’t sympathize with any of them. Mild spoilers ahead.
Melissa is a divorced mother trying to lose weight before the reunion where she will be faced with her ex-husband and his new wife, but she also thinks her healthy daughter is fat and should be dieting along with her.
Tara is a bisexual woman in her mid-40s still relying on her parents for money and far too willing to cheat on her partner (I questioned many times why she was even in this relationship).
Priya is a doctor and mother to 3 kids who takes on all the parenting responsibilities because her husband is a surgeon and therefore thinks he’s better than her, but when an opportunity comes up for her to address this at the beginning of the book she just doesn’t. She also slept with her teacher while she was in high school IN THE ACTUAL SCHOOL and it wasn’t even relevant to the plot????
Suki is a super successful businesswoman who is too good to keep in touch with her friends, isn’t even actually in a lot of the book, and when she does show up she may actually be worse than all the rest of them.
On top of all that, this book is very heavily pushing a “feminist” agenda. I put feminist in quotes only because I question how feminist this book actually comes across despite it’s very obvious intentions. It starts off promising, with each character facing a different standard of women in society (ie. woman in a leadership role, unfair parenting standards, etc.) but it doesn’t pay off in a meaningful way for any of the characters. A lot of the stories are summed up quickly at the end of the book and one of them failed to even really get me on their side.
Not to mention that the whole point of this book, forming a pact to fulfill their high school superlatives, is barely even a plot point in the actual book.
- Suki has already fulfilled her high school superlative and isn’t even part of the pact
- The pact isn’t mentioned until pretty much halfway through the book
- When it is mentioned, one character mentions it and then it’s just kind of decided? No one seems especially enthusiastic about it
- They’re not even trying for the original superlatives, just slightly more ambitious things than what they’re already doing
- Almost all of them were presented with the opportunity they take on as a result of the pact before it’s even mentioned
Possibly the most confusing part to me though, was just how many high school reunions they’ve already had. There’s mention of a 10th, 15th, and 20th reunion before the 25th that occurs in “The Most Likely Club”. Not only does this totally demolish the stakes and make parts of the book pretty unbelievable, but it also makes no sense. How is the school having a reunion for every class every 5 years? Who is paying for this? Does that mean there’s a reunion pretty much every weekend? I could get on board with every class having a 25th reunion because it’s a big milestone and each class gets only one, but when every 5 years is marked how would there be a 10th at the same time as a 15th, 20th, and 25th?
Overall, I would not recommend “The Most Likely Club”. The characters were unlikable and the big issues it tried to address were largely poorly handled.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
“The Most Likely Club” was really not for me. I found all of the main characters to be pretty unlikable and I didn’t sympathize with any of them. Mild spoilers ahead.
Melissa is a divorced mother trying to lose weight before the reunion where she will be faced with her ex-husband and his new wife, but she also thinks her healthy daughter is fat and should be dieting along with her.
Tara is a bisexual woman in her mid-40s still relying on her parents for money and far too willing to cheat on her partner (I questioned many times why she was even in this relationship).
Priya is a doctor and mother to 3 kids who takes on all the parenting responsibilities because her husband is a surgeon and therefore thinks he’s better than her, but when an opportunity comes up for her to address this at the beginning of the book she just doesn’t. She also slept with her teacher while she was in high school IN THE ACTUAL SCHOOL and it wasn’t even relevant to the plot????
Suki is a super successful businesswoman who is too good to keep in touch with her friends, isn’t even actually in a lot of the book, and when she does show up she may actually be worse than all the rest of them.
On top of all that, this book is very heavily pushing a “feminist” agenda. I put feminist in quotes only because I question how feminist this book actually comes across despite it’s very obvious intentions. It starts off promising, with each character facing a different standard of women in society (ie. woman in a leadership role, unfair parenting standards, etc.) but it doesn’t pay off in a meaningful way for any of the characters. A lot of the stories are summed up quickly at the end of the book and one of them failed to even really get me on their side.
Not to mention that the whole point of this book, forming a pact to fulfill their high school superlatives, is barely even a plot point in the actual book.
- Suki has already fulfilled her high school superlative and isn’t even part of the pact
- The pact isn’t mentioned until pretty much halfway through the book
- When it is mentioned, one character mentions it and then it’s just kind of decided? No one seems especially enthusiastic about it
- They’re not even trying for the original superlatives, just slightly more ambitious things than what they’re already doing
- Almost all of them were presented with the opportunity they take on as a result of the pact before it’s even mentioned
Possibly the most confusing part to me though, was just how many high school reunions they’ve already had. There’s mention of a 10th, 15th, and 20th reunion before the 25th that occurs in “The Most Likely Club”. Not only does this totally demolish the stakes and make parts of the book pretty unbelievable, but it also makes no sense. How is the school having a reunion for every class every 5 years? Who is paying for this? Does that mean there’s a reunion pretty much every weekend? I could get on board with every class having a 25th reunion because it’s a big milestone and each class gets only one, but when every 5 years is marked how would there be a 10th at the same time as a 15th, 20th, and 25th?
Overall, I would not recommend “The Most Likely Club”. The characters were unlikable and the big issues it tried to address were largely poorly handled.
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
June 28, 2022
I was so excited to dive into this book after loving the author’s previous book, Summer at the Golden Hotel. This book was so fun- and as a nearly forty mom it was all too relatable and had me laughing aloud at times.
I enjoyed the throw back references to the 90s, the long-lasting friendships, and the hints of romance. This was an all around great read- perfect for the summer months ahead!
Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for my gifted copy to read and review!
I enjoyed the throw back references to the 90s, the long-lasting friendships, and the hints of romance. This was an all around great read- perfect for the summer months ahead!
Thank you to Berkley & NetGalley for my gifted copy to read and review!
July 29, 2022
It’s 1997 and best friends Melissa, Priya, Tara, and Suki are in high school with big plans for the future. Fast forward 25 years and not much has gone according to their big plans. These four regroup at their high school reunion and make a pact to reignite their teenage aspirations and bring them to fruition!
This was my first book by Elyssa Friesland and I did enjoy it. I loved the 90’s vibes in this story. The humor and timeline brought me back to my own high school years. If you like rom-coms then this would make a great summer read for you!
Many thanks to Berkley and getreadprbooks for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
This was my first book by Elyssa Friesland and I did enjoy it. I loved the 90’s vibes in this story. The humor and timeline brought me back to my own high school years. If you like rom-coms then this would make a great summer read for you!
Many thanks to Berkley and getreadprbooks for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This review will be posted to my Instagram Blog (@coffee.break.book.reviews) in the near future.
August 15, 2022
If you went to high school in the 90s this one is a must! This one unlocked countless core memories for me and made me super nostalgic. It follows four friends who are about to attend their 25th HS reunion. Tara, Priya, Suki and Melissa all realize that everything they planned on happening after graduation didn’t exactly work out for them and they all begin to reevaluate their lives. I found myself being able to relate to each woman at various points throughout the book. It probably helped that we’re the same age and the references from the past made me both laugh and cringe a little. While the authors books are always a guaranteed fun read she infuses them with insight too so this isn’t all lightness, definitely full of substance too. I really enjoyed this one and think my fellow elderly millennials just might too
August 19, 2022
After really enjoying Friedland’s previous novel Last Summer at the Golden Hotel, I jumped at the chance to read this one early!While it wasn’t the hit for me that Golden Hotel was, I still had a good time reading it. My main gripe was with the characters. No one was particularly likable, and for a group of so-called best friends, they all treated each other poorly. Melissa’s obsession with being thin was incredibly cringy to read about, and I was also confused by the inclusion of her 3-page cancer scare. It came out of nowhere, wrapped up just as quickly, and felt completely out of place. Although I’m a few years younger than the ladies in this book, I loved all the 1990s references and the message that it’s never too late to change your life. Definitely worth a read if you were a late 90s high school grad!
September 7, 2022
As their 25th high school reunion approaches, four best friends from the Class of 1997 look back at their past hopes and dreams and look ahead to what changes they might make to live up to their "most likely to" superlatives. Melissa Levin is divorced with one daughter. Ex-husband Josh, her high school sweetheart, has a new and younger wife. Tara Taylor has been unable to achieve her dream of becoming a star chef because of a horrible event that ruined her reputation. Priya Chowdhury is a doctor who has had to deal with all that comes with being a successful woman of color, juggling a career and family. And Suki Hammer appears to be the woman who has it all. But looks can be deceiving.
Not only Gen Xers and Millennials will appreciate the 1990s nostalgic references. Author Elyssa Friedland has created an enjoyable story that anyone should be able to relate to as who doesn't look back at their high school years with mixed emotions? The Most Likely Club is lighthearted yet also deals with some serious issues. It shows that life is a journey and we all can get a chance for a second act, especially if we have good friends to support us.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book before its publication.
Rated 3.75 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Not only Gen Xers and Millennials will appreciate the 1990s nostalgic references. Author Elyssa Friedland has created an enjoyable story that anyone should be able to relate to as who doesn't look back at their high school years with mixed emotions? The Most Likely Club is lighthearted yet also deals with some serious issues. It shows that life is a journey and we all can get a chance for a second act, especially if we have good friends to support us.
Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read this book before its publication.
Rated 3.75 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
April 20, 2023
spoilers below
i'd like to preface this review by saying that one of the girls in the book works at this restaurant named TIK--
as in TIKtok.
as in there are just giant posters of addison rae and charli d'amelio on the walls.
*sigh* review time yAy
the premise of this novel is that there are four women who were best friends in high school and each had a dream of what they wanted to accomplish. unfortunately, only one did.
melissa
melissa's entire plot is that her husband divorced her, and she's sad because her life sucks and her kid hates her. she is the closest thing we have to a main character, and this is important because of a criticism i have later.
priya
another day, another Indian not-really-the-main-character-more-of-a-side-character that's named priya. however, priya is special because i loVEe her. she's a workaholic mom of three children with an annoying husband that does absolutely nothing other than bring his mom that complains about what a bad mother and wife priya is.
her plot is that she's like "no. screw u, and screw your demands, do it yourself." and he does. and that made my small, tiny heart happy.
tara
TARAAA. my poor, underloved, tara. her plot is the plot that didn't really exist. she's bi, and her parents refuse to accept that she's bi, but that never comes up after being mentioned once. she also has a cooking class for little kids that she runs, and she hates it, and all she really wants to do is run her own restaurant. the other thing is that this super famous dude offered for her to run a restaurant with him, but then he sexually assaulted her and she was like "nawr, that's not happening" so she has a bunch of trauma.
what an interesting character. and she barely even shows up. she has all of this potential plot that goes nowhere. she ends up working at the aforementioned TIK, which she hates, and might quit at the end of the book because the dude that assaulted her is coming there, but we'll never know if actually does because. the. author. nEVER. TELLS. US.
suki
i wouldn't even consider suki a main character because she has two chapters in the book. but basically, she's the only that achieved her dreams because she's a multi millionaire now. the issue is that she's being hated by the internet because of animal abuse (!!!) and workplace tyranny (!!!!!!!)
ma'am what/
and the book brushes this off like "classic suki always hurting animals and yelling at her workers" i don't care if this is my best friend, or my mom, or my lover, or all of the above, alright? that's not a red flag, that's a "get out of my house and preferably take a really long walk over a short pier." but no one even cares about this in the book and suki's explanation is as follows:
"basically, they wanted arbor day off , and i was like 'nawr' so they were super angry at me, so i put my foot down (aka animal abuse and workplace tyranny) and now everyone hates me. it's so hard being a female ceo."
which it is, but not because you accidentally stumble into a room with a knife in your hand and a rabbit in the other.
OKAY. characters are done. now let me walk you through the plot.
all the girls reunite for a high school reunion that is way too hyped up in the blurb and first hundred pages of the novel because it lasts for like twenty pages. and the only thing that really matters from it is a) they make an oath to do what they want and follow their dreams and b) there's this short, balding dude that donates 25 million dollars to the school and melissa falls in love with him.
now, the rest of the book is just wishy washy character growth. a few unresolved plots, however, were:
1 - priya's daughter (a minor) was posting ahem videos online and priya's like "wTF WHAT DO I DO" and everyone's like "sshhh you can deal with it tmrw"
2 - priya got a promotion at her job that people thought she only got because she was brown and a woman and she heard people saying this. i think at some point she realized that it was her husband saying these things, but i wouldn't know because we don't bring it up again.
3 - suki has two chapters. and they were both in first person pov for some reason, despite everyone else getting third person pov, and the whole point was just for her to be like "uM actually what i did wasn't that bad"
4 - tara's life
5 - melissa has an eating disorder and we don't ever talk about it, despite people constantly telling her "hey you have an eating disorder and do you want to talk about it" and she'll go "huh. do i? wow, the ceiling looks really good today-" AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. but, some closure.
6 - priya slept with a teacher when she was sixteen. he was twenty- wait, what's that noise? oh, it's just the police, dw about it.
lastly, before we end this review, i want to talk about melissa's plot. because while everyone else is struggling with their reality, melissa is living her wattpad ya novel girl dreams. she's PTA president, but she's like "nawr, i want moree" so she decides to run for mayor ab halfway through the novel. she has the support of her billionare boyfriend, and she wins the hearts of the town without doing, like, any work. and now, she's the most successful one of their friends, so sUCK THAT SUKI-
okay goodbye thanks for reading
i'd like to preface this review by saying that one of the girls in the book works at this restaurant named TIK--
as in TIKtok.
as in there are just giant posters of addison rae and charli d'amelio on the walls.
*sigh* review time yAy
the premise of this novel is that there are four women who were best friends in high school and each had a dream of what they wanted to accomplish. unfortunately, only one did.
melissa
melissa's entire plot is that her husband divorced her, and she's sad because her life sucks and her kid hates her. she is the closest thing we have to a main character, and this is important because of a criticism i have later.
priya
another day, another Indian not-really-the-main-character-more-of-a-side-character that's named priya. however, priya is special because i loVEe her. she's a workaholic mom of three children with an annoying husband that does absolutely nothing other than bring his mom that complains about what a bad mother and wife priya is.
her plot is that she's like "no. screw u, and screw your demands, do it yourself." and he does. and that made my small, tiny heart happy.
tara
TARAAA. my poor, underloved, tara. her plot is the plot that didn't really exist. she's bi, and her parents refuse to accept that she's bi, but that never comes up after being mentioned once. she also has a cooking class for little kids that she runs, and she hates it, and all she really wants to do is run her own restaurant. the other thing is that this super famous dude offered for her to run a restaurant with him, but then he sexually assaulted her and she was like "nawr, that's not happening" so she has a bunch of trauma.
what an interesting character. and she barely even shows up. she has all of this potential plot that goes nowhere. she ends up working at the aforementioned TIK, which she hates, and might quit at the end of the book because the dude that assaulted her is coming there, but we'll never know if actually does because. the. author. nEVER. TELLS. US.
suki
i wouldn't even consider suki a main character because she has two chapters in the book. but basically, she's the only that achieved her dreams because she's a multi millionaire now. the issue is that she's being hated by the internet because of animal abuse (!!!) and workplace tyranny (!!!!!!!)
ma'am what/
and the book brushes this off like "classic suki always hurting animals and yelling at her workers" i don't care if this is my best friend, or my mom, or my lover, or all of the above, alright? that's not a red flag, that's a "get out of my house and preferably take a really long walk over a short pier." but no one even cares about this in the book and suki's explanation is as follows:
"basically, they wanted arbor day off , and i was like 'nawr' so they were super angry at me, so i put my foot down (aka animal abuse and workplace tyranny) and now everyone hates me. it's so hard being a female ceo."
which it is, but not because you accidentally stumble into a room with a knife in your hand and a rabbit in the other.
OKAY. characters are done. now let me walk you through the plot.
all the girls reunite for a high school reunion that is way too hyped up in the blurb and first hundred pages of the novel because it lasts for like twenty pages. and the only thing that really matters from it is a) they make an oath to do what they want and follow their dreams and b) there's this short, balding dude that donates 25 million dollars to the school and melissa falls in love with him.
now, the rest of the book is just wishy washy character growth. a few unresolved plots, however, were:
1 - priya's daughter (a minor) was posting ahem videos online and priya's like "wTF WHAT DO I DO" and everyone's like "sshhh you can deal with it tmrw"
2 - priya got a promotion at her job that people thought she only got because she was brown and a woman and she heard people saying this. i think at some point she realized that it was her husband saying these things, but i wouldn't know because we don't bring it up again.
3 - suki has two chapters. and they were both in first person pov for some reason, despite everyone else getting third person pov, and the whole point was just for her to be like "uM actually what i did wasn't that bad"
4 - tara's life
5 - melissa has an eating disorder and we don't ever talk about it, despite people constantly telling her "hey you have an eating disorder and do you want to talk about it" and she'll go "huh. do i? wow, the ceiling looks really good today-" AND I'M NOT SAYING YOU HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT. but, some closure.
6 - priya slept with a teacher when she was sixteen. he was twenty- wait, what's that noise? oh, it's just the police, dw about it.
lastly, before we end this review, i want to talk about melissa's plot. because while everyone else is struggling with their reality, melissa is living her wattpad ya novel girl dreams. she's PTA president, but she's like "nawr, i want moree" so she decides to run for mayor ab halfway through the novel. she has the support of her billionare boyfriend, and she wins the hearts of the town without doing, like, any work. and now, she's the most successful one of their friends, so sUCK THAT SUKI-
okay goodbye thanks for reading
August 29, 2022
I’ve read all of Elyssa Friedland's books and while I’ve loved them all, The Most Likely Club has been crowned my new favorite! I think I say that with each new release, so that can only mean each book gets better & better! Set amidst a high school reunion, Melissa, Tara & Priya are all living lives that are certainly not what they expected back in the 90s - especially compared to their superstar friend, Suki. The characters here are flawed, realistic & oh, so relatable. Another ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ from Friedland!
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Berkley for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
October 13, 2022
Remember in high school and your future was ahead of you? All the things you want to accomplish in your life, whether it’s to further your education, get a job, marriage, family or all the above can be exciting or scary.
90s-Four best friends in their senior year want to make their mark on this world. Melissa, Tara, Suki and Priya live in Connecticut and their yearbooks state they are: “ Most Likely to Win the white House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin Starred Restaurant and Join the Forbes 400.”
As we all know, time moves fast. Their twenty five year school reunion is approaching. Does their life go as they planned? What surprises are in store at the reunion? Most people have a curiosity of “I wonder what so in so is doing? Did so and so get married? Is so and so successful?
Another delightful novel by Friedland which most can all relate too.
90s-Four best friends in their senior year want to make their mark on this world. Melissa, Tara, Suki and Priya live in Connecticut and their yearbooks state they are: “ Most Likely to Win the white House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin Starred Restaurant and Join the Forbes 400.”
As we all know, time moves fast. Their twenty five year school reunion is approaching. Does their life go as they planned? What surprises are in store at the reunion? Most people have a curiosity of “I wonder what so in so is doing? Did so and so get married? Is so and so successful?
Another delightful novel by Friedland which most can all relate too.
August 10, 2023
In high school, best friends Melissa, Priya, Tara, and Suki were going places. Their senior superlatives confirmed it (think Most Likely to Win the White House and Cure Cancer). At their 25th-year high school reunion, Melissa, Priya, and Tara reunite--Suki is off running her popular, million-dollar makeup business. The other women decide to get back to their old selves, forming a club "The Most Likely Girls" based on their superlatives. It reminds them of their younger selves and their strong friendship.
This was a good enough book -- certainly easy to relate to. I graduated from high school a year after these ladies, so I enjoyed the 90s era nostalgia that permeated the story. It started off as a slow mover; it's over 100 pages in before we get to the true premise of fulfilling their superlatives.
We learn a bit about the four girls in high school, but mostly focus on the four women navigating their 40s. Suki's success has a bit of its own story. The book touches on fighting the patriarchy as well as motherhood, marriage, and running businesses. The theme of trying to capture the optimism or vibrancy of high school runs throughout. I enjoyed Melissa's character the most--she and her teenage daughter grew on me. 3+ stars.
This was a good enough book -- certainly easy to relate to. I graduated from high school a year after these ladies, so I enjoyed the 90s era nostalgia that permeated the story. It started off as a slow mover; it's over 100 pages in before we get to the true premise of fulfilling their superlatives.
We learn a bit about the four girls in high school, but mostly focus on the four women navigating their 40s. Suki's success has a bit of its own story. The book touches on fighting the patriarchy as well as motherhood, marriage, and running businesses. The theme of trying to capture the optimism or vibrancy of high school runs throughout. I enjoyed Melissa's character the most--she and her teenage daughter grew on me. 3+ stars.
November 18, 2022
Fans of women’s fiction/friendship stories should give The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland a try. Despite the triggers (for me), it was a well-written, engaging story about four friends who review their lives at their 25-year HS reunion, realize they failed to live up to their “most likely to” yearbook predictions, and vow to do something about it.
Priya, “Most Likely to Cure Cancer,” is an overworked, stressed-out doctor who has not cured cancer.
Melissa, “Most Likely to Win the White House,” is a marketing rep at a radio station and is president of the PTA
Suki, “Most Likely to Join the Forbes 400,” founded a makeup app and became a billionaire but her marriage is in tatters, and she’s on the verge of being “cancelled” for creating a hostile work environment
Tara, “Most Likely to Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant,” runs a cooking class for little kids. She's still sponging off her parents.
One of the strengths of this book is the author’s attention to cultural detail. Her mentions of the fads and trends of the 1990s (the characters graduated in 1997) are smack on. Fast forward 25 years to present-day setting of the book, and the reader is immersed in current liberal/progressive trends. Basically anything that has been a Twitter hashtag has affected the characters.
One of the things that pushed my buttons was the refusal of the characters to accept responsibility for their life choices. They chose their careers/lives. If they didn’t live up to their potential, it was their own fault! These are private-schooled, upper class and upper-middle class women who had every possible advantage. Tara, for instance, is still subsidized by her wealthy parents. If this 43-year-old woman wants to own a restaurant, why doesn’t she? Priya feels the typical working mom pressure of having too much to do and too little time to do it, but she’s a doctor married to surgeon. They have money! Hire a damn nanny! Get a housekeeper.
The woe-is-me attitude—and some other things—pushed my buttons to the extent that I wanted to hate the book. But I didn’t. I still liked the characters, and I loved the friendship, the way the women supported each other. And the book is well-written. The Most Likely Club is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m willing to give it another go with another book of hers.
Priya, “Most Likely to Cure Cancer,” is an overworked, stressed-out doctor who has not cured cancer.
Melissa, “Most Likely to Win the White House,” is a marketing rep at a radio station and is president of the PTA
Suki, “Most Likely to Join the Forbes 400,” founded a makeup app and became a billionaire but her marriage is in tatters, and she’s on the verge of being “cancelled” for creating a hostile work environment
Tara, “Most Likely to Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant,” runs a cooking class for little kids. She's still sponging off her parents.
One of the strengths of this book is the author’s attention to cultural detail. Her mentions of the fads and trends of the 1990s (the characters graduated in 1997) are smack on. Fast forward 25 years to present-day setting of the book, and the reader is immersed in current liberal/progressive trends. Basically anything that has been a Twitter hashtag has affected the characters.
One of the things that pushed my buttons was the refusal of the characters to accept responsibility for their life choices. They chose their careers/lives. If they didn’t live up to their potential, it was their own fault! These are private-schooled, upper class and upper-middle class women who had every possible advantage. Tara, for instance, is still subsidized by her wealthy parents. If this 43-year-old woman wants to own a restaurant, why doesn’t she? Priya feels the typical working mom pressure of having too much to do and too little time to do it, but she’s a doctor married to surgeon. They have money! Hire a damn nanny! Get a housekeeper.
The woe-is-me attitude—and some other things—pushed my buttons to the extent that I wanted to hate the book. But I didn’t. I still liked the characters, and I loved the friendship, the way the women supported each other. And the book is well-written. The Most Likely Club is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I’m willing to give it another go with another book of hers.
March 23, 2023
The Most Likely Club is a fun story about friendships, family, motherhood and second chances.
If you are like me and went to high school in the 90s this book will appeal to you. I just loved the 90s flashbacks, music references, clothing (can we please bring back baggy jeans), etc, and had a blast remembering my high school years as I read.
I also appreciated how this may have been a lighthearted story, but Friedland took on the serious issues and fears of having to confront your own life and make the changes you need for the better no matter your age.
Even though there were little pieces to this book that I enjoyed, I still just couldn’t connect with the characters or get into the story. There were a lot of miss opportunities for this group of ladies to support each other that left a bad taste in my mouth. For example, they started trashing each other with snide remarks when one character was having problems with her child. One other big issue I had...I’m not sure if I’m allowed to comment on this since I’m not bisexual, but…I had issues with how the bisexual MC was written. I didn't think it was appropriate in the way that she was constantly willing to cheat on her partner with whoever and whenever. It just seemed like an extremely damaging stereotype to put onto a bisexual character in particular.
I read this one with Kaley, and I’m so glad I had her to discuss the lives of the characters with and how I felt about the story as a whole.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Thank you, GetRed PR and Berkley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
If you are like me and went to high school in the 90s this book will appeal to you. I just loved the 90s flashbacks, music references, clothing (can we please bring back baggy jeans), etc, and had a blast remembering my high school years as I read.
I also appreciated how this may have been a lighthearted story, but Friedland took on the serious issues and fears of having to confront your own life and make the changes you need for the better no matter your age.
Even though there were little pieces to this book that I enjoyed, I still just couldn’t connect with the characters or get into the story. There were a lot of miss opportunities for this group of ladies to support each other that left a bad taste in my mouth. For example, they started trashing each other with snide remarks when one character was having problems with her child. One other big issue I had...I’m not sure if I’m allowed to comment on this since I’m not bisexual, but…I had issues with how the bisexual MC was written. I didn't think it was appropriate in the way that she was constantly willing to cheat on her partner with whoever and whenever. It just seemed like an extremely damaging stereotype to put onto a bisexual character in particular.
I read this one with Kaley, and I’m so glad I had her to discuss the lives of the characters with and how I felt about the story as a whole.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3
Thank you, GetRed PR and Berkley, for this gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.
September 28, 2022
Not one likable character, a plot that went nowhere, a book allegedly about four best friends but they all seemed to not even like each other—and one of them was hardly in the book yet mentioned almost every page.
Perhaps the worst thing for me was the glamorization of one of the MCs eating disorder, and that characters thoughts about her teenage daughters weight/appearance and inner monologues about dieting with her daughter. Or when they’re dress shopping and the mom loves mentioning that she’s a size 0 but she doesn’t want to say it in front of her daughter because her daughter isn’t a size 0 as if that’s something her daughter should be ashamed of.
Maybe if I was approaching middle age (like the characters), had kids, or belonged to a different socioeconomic group this could have been for me, but alas.
Can’t say I recommend this to literally anyone lol
Perhaps the worst thing for me was the glamorization of one of the MCs eating disorder, and that characters thoughts about her teenage daughters weight/appearance and inner monologues about dieting with her daughter. Or when they’re dress shopping and the mom loves mentioning that she’s a size 0 but she doesn’t want to say it in front of her daughter because her daughter isn’t a size 0 as if that’s something her daughter should be ashamed of.
Maybe if I was approaching middle age (like the characters), had kids, or belonged to a different socioeconomic group this could have been for me, but alas.
Can’t say I recommend this to literally anyone lol
August 15, 2022
Won 🏆 this via goodreads giveaways in exchange for an honest review. All my opinions are my own:)
-----
Actually finished earlier but bone pain kept me from having the energy to do much other than cruise goodreads. (Yay scoliosis! *sarcasm*)
Anyways, I loved the friendship 💗 between the girls and loved most of the plot..it just lost steam for me after a certain point and I skimmed some to see what happened to certain people.
I had the same issue with the author's previous book 📖 I tried. Not saying she's a bad writer, her style just doesn't connect with me *shrugs *
My favorite girl of the bunch was Tara, I could see myself being friends with her.. maybe Suki too.
-----
Actually finished earlier but bone pain kept me from having the energy to do much other than cruise goodreads. (Yay scoliosis! *sarcasm*)
Anyways, I loved the friendship 💗 between the girls and loved most of the plot..it just lost steam for me after a certain point and I skimmed some to see what happened to certain people.
I had the same issue with the author's previous book 📖 I tried. Not saying she's a bad writer, her style just doesn't connect with me *shrugs *
My favorite girl of the bunch was Tara, I could see myself being friends with her.. maybe Suki too.
August 21, 2022
The Most Likely Club by Elyssa Friedland is a story about four high school best friends who go to their 20th High School reunion and realize they haven’t reached the expectations they had expected.
It’s 1997 and Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer, all seniors at Bellport Academy in Bellport, Connecticut, are at the lunchroom and it’s here that they find out the yearbook is naming them, Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. Excited to learn the yearbook has given them all superlatives, the four women have their futures all planned out and they can’t wait to get started.
In the present day, these four women find out that reaching these lofty goals has been more difficult than they thought. Melissa had become president, but not president of the nation, instead she’s the president of Bellport Academy, where her daughter is now a student. Priya became a successful doctor, but she’s overwhelmed by her job, her three children, and taking care of her surgeon husband. Instead of running a Michilean-starred restaurant, Tara is running a small children’s cooking class in Manhattan with her partner, Rachel. It seems like only Suki has reached her high school “Most Likely to” goal, as she is the owner and CEO of a very popular makeup app. At their 20th high school reunion, Melissa, Tara, and Pryia make a pact to bring their High School aspirations to fruition.
The Most Likely Club is a nostalgic look at our high school aspirations, and how sometimes real life and what we dream about are two completely different things. I enjoyed all four of these characters very much. I would have liked to learn more about Suki, as her character doesn’t appear much in the book. I loved Tara the most as she’s just one tough cookie! Melissa is such a go-getter, and I like how bossy she is. She makes for a perfect PTA president! I thought Priya was a bit stereotypical, and I feel like I’ve met her characters in other books. However, I did feel for her issues and was rooting for her to stand up for herself and thought she brought some balance to the other characters.
I enjoyed the nostalgia element as well. As I’m a bit older than these characters, I still remember most of their cultural references and enjoyed the little bits of pop culture the author sprinkled throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
It’s 1997 and Melissa Levin, Priya Chowdury, Tara Taylor, and Suki Hammer, all seniors at Bellport Academy in Bellport, Connecticut, are at the lunchroom and it’s here that they find out the yearbook is naming them, Most Likely to Win the White House, Cure Cancer, Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, and Join the Forbes 400. Excited to learn the yearbook has given them all superlatives, the four women have their futures all planned out and they can’t wait to get started.
In the present day, these four women find out that reaching these lofty goals has been more difficult than they thought. Melissa had become president, but not president of the nation, instead she’s the president of Bellport Academy, where her daughter is now a student. Priya became a successful doctor, but she’s overwhelmed by her job, her three children, and taking care of her surgeon husband. Instead of running a Michilean-starred restaurant, Tara is running a small children’s cooking class in Manhattan with her partner, Rachel. It seems like only Suki has reached her high school “Most Likely to” goal, as she is the owner and CEO of a very popular makeup app. At their 20th high school reunion, Melissa, Tara, and Pryia make a pact to bring their High School aspirations to fruition.
The Most Likely Club is a nostalgic look at our high school aspirations, and how sometimes real life and what we dream about are two completely different things. I enjoyed all four of these characters very much. I would have liked to learn more about Suki, as her character doesn’t appear much in the book. I loved Tara the most as she’s just one tough cookie! Melissa is such a go-getter, and I like how bossy she is. She makes for a perfect PTA president! I thought Priya was a bit stereotypical, and I feel like I’ve met her characters in other books. However, I did feel for her issues and was rooting for her to stand up for herself and thought she brought some balance to the other characters.
I enjoyed the nostalgia element as well. As I’m a bit older than these characters, I still remember most of their cultural references and enjoyed the little bits of pop culture the author sprinkled throughout the book. Overall, I really enjoyed this book.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys women’s fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
September 16, 2022
I can vividly remember my very first assembly in high school as a freshman. It was the ‘senior assembly’ where they announced all the ‘most likely to’ people. This was the mid 1990’s so they were still doing things like ‘best legs’ and’ most likely to marry a rich guy’. So obviously things like this are pretty outdated now a days but I can still remember wondering what I would be voted ‘most likely’ as when I became a senior. As luck would have it I never got to find out. I moved my senior year of high school to a large school that had done away with this by the time I was as senior.
But that doesn’t mean I still don’t wonder! That is what appealed to me about this book—-the nostalgia. This book looked like it was going to be FULL of 1990s nostalgia and something that I could FULLY relate to now as an adult! I have never attended a single high school reunion even though I am approaching the 25 year mark. I have had zero desire to attend one as I have zero desire to ever revisit my high school years. But now that I have moved back to my small home town, I see a lot of people that I used to go to school with so it’s sort of like having a reunion every time I go to the grocery store.
This book was at the top of my TBR going into the fall, just knowing that someone else out in author-land also wanted to have a mini high school reunion through their new novel made me really excited and I couldn’t WAIT to start this one. I think for a certain demographic, this book is going to be a big hit. Maybe not for everyone, but definitely for the early 40s demographic!
WhenI say that a certain demographic will likely love this book, that’s not to say others would like it, but it just hits different when everything in this book reminds you of your own high school years! There was so much fun pop culture in this book and I cherished every moment reading it. I loved all the nostalgia in the pages but there were times that I actually had to sit and think “what that actually the year Titanic was released?’ but at the end of the day, a few ‘off’ dates didn’t matter to me. I loved this one. I think younger readers would like the book but I don’t know that they would love it in the way that I loved it. There were plenty of times that I laughed out loud and found myself thinking back to all my own high school friendships and memories—I simply loved this book for that matter.
I think the author really captured the evolution of change and the changes that long time friendships undergo and really crafted a story that readers can relate to—-even if they aren’t as into the 1990s nostalgia—-I think readers will love the evolution of friendships and find something to enjoy through that. I currently do not have friends that I still talk to from high school but I have seen them around town on occasion and of course through Facebook. It’s weird to see the paths different friends have taken—-some have ended up being dentists and doctors, while others are homemakers who in high school wanted to be lawyers. It’s crazy how time and life circumstances change you which is what was really at the heart of this book.
This book ticked a lot of boxes for me and I really enjoyed my time reading it. If you are looking for a story with a lot of heart mixed with some humor, this is going to be a solid choice. But if you are a late 30s early 40s gal, you absolutely need to read this one! It’s full of all the nostalgia and pop culture that you never knew you were missing—-plus all the other things like humor, friendships, and heart. This was an excellent way to kick off my fall reading and I am looking forward to more by this author. She has a daft hand for heartwarming stories! So glad I picked this one up!
But that doesn’t mean I still don’t wonder! That is what appealed to me about this book—-the nostalgia. This book looked like it was going to be FULL of 1990s nostalgia and something that I could FULLY relate to now as an adult! I have never attended a single high school reunion even though I am approaching the 25 year mark. I have had zero desire to attend one as I have zero desire to ever revisit my high school years. But now that I have moved back to my small home town, I see a lot of people that I used to go to school with so it’s sort of like having a reunion every time I go to the grocery store.
This book was at the top of my TBR going into the fall, just knowing that someone else out in author-land also wanted to have a mini high school reunion through their new novel made me really excited and I couldn’t WAIT to start this one. I think for a certain demographic, this book is going to be a big hit. Maybe not for everyone, but definitely for the early 40s demographic!
WhenI say that a certain demographic will likely love this book, that’s not to say others would like it, but it just hits different when everything in this book reminds you of your own high school years! There was so much fun pop culture in this book and I cherished every moment reading it. I loved all the nostalgia in the pages but there were times that I actually had to sit and think “what that actually the year Titanic was released?’ but at the end of the day, a few ‘off’ dates didn’t matter to me. I loved this one. I think younger readers would like the book but I don’t know that they would love it in the way that I loved it. There were plenty of times that I laughed out loud and found myself thinking back to all my own high school friendships and memories—I simply loved this book for that matter.
I think the author really captured the evolution of change and the changes that long time friendships undergo and really crafted a story that readers can relate to—-even if they aren’t as into the 1990s nostalgia—-I think readers will love the evolution of friendships and find something to enjoy through that. I currently do not have friends that I still talk to from high school but I have seen them around town on occasion and of course through Facebook. It’s weird to see the paths different friends have taken—-some have ended up being dentists and doctors, while others are homemakers who in high school wanted to be lawyers. It’s crazy how time and life circumstances change you which is what was really at the heart of this book.
This book ticked a lot of boxes for me and I really enjoyed my time reading it. If you are looking for a story with a lot of heart mixed with some humor, this is going to be a solid choice. But if you are a late 30s early 40s gal, you absolutely need to read this one! It’s full of all the nostalgia and pop culture that you never knew you were missing—-plus all the other things like humor, friendships, and heart. This was an excellent way to kick off my fall reading and I am looking forward to more by this author. She has a daft hand for heartwarming stories! So glad I picked this one up!
September 7, 2022
If you ever painted your nails with hard candy, wished you had a closet like Cher in #clueless or was scared out of your mind at the theater watching #scream this book is for you.
If you ever sang at the top of your lungs to #alanis, saw #Titanic at the theater multiple times , wore #Ckone or #Juicy this book is for you.
Basically if you graduated in the 90s this book is for you, but even if you didn’t and you went to high school this book is for you! This book captures the nostalgia of high school perfectly and the years that transpire after high school into adulthood. When life doesn’t go exactly as planned is it never too late to turn your life in a new direction.
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Out of four high school best friends only one successfully accomplished what she said out to accomplish, or did she? This book is just pure fun. My only complaint is I wanted more at the end! I would love a book from their 30 year reunion to check back in with them!
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Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
If you ever sang at the top of your lungs to #alanis, saw #Titanic at the theater multiple times , wore #Ckone or #Juicy this book is for you.
Basically if you graduated in the 90s this book is for you, but even if you didn’t and you went to high school this book is for you! This book captures the nostalgia of high school perfectly and the years that transpire after high school into adulthood. When life doesn’t go exactly as planned is it never too late to turn your life in a new direction.
.
Out of four high school best friends only one successfully accomplished what she said out to accomplish, or did she? This book is just pure fun. My only complaint is I wanted more at the end! I would love a book from their 30 year reunion to check back in with them!
.
Huge thank you to @berkleypub @berittalksbooks @thephdivabooks @dg_reads and @netgalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
October 12, 2022
i’m here with the newest book from author of LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL and THE FLOATING FELDMANS! THE MOST LIKELY CLUB was full of 90s nostalgia, female friendships, comedic happenings and so much more.
THE MOST LIKELY CLUB starts off in 1997, with four friends on the verge of graduation and their lives ahead of them. they are so excited to receive their yearbook superlatives and see what their future has in store: Most Likely to Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, Join the Forbes 400, Win the White House and Cure Cancer.
fast forward twenty-five years and their lives are nothing like they imagined they to be when they were eighteen. as their high school reunion looms, they take a good hard look at where life has lead them and wonder if it’s too late to make their dreams a reality.
this little lighthearted book really tackled some serious issues and confronting your life and making changes to be who you want to be, no matter your age. and the never-ending support from the four friends was such a treat. no matter the hardships or time spent apart, when they get back together, they pick up right where they left off. i’ll definitely be recommending this one to my favorite ladies in my life.
A big thanks to @getredprbooks for my #gifted copy!
THE MOST LIKELY CLUB starts off in 1997, with four friends on the verge of graduation and their lives ahead of them. they are so excited to receive their yearbook superlatives and see what their future has in store: Most Likely to Open a Michelin-Starred Restaurant, Join the Forbes 400, Win the White House and Cure Cancer.
fast forward twenty-five years and their lives are nothing like they imagined they to be when they were eighteen. as their high school reunion looms, they take a good hard look at where life has lead them and wonder if it’s too late to make their dreams a reality.
this little lighthearted book really tackled some serious issues and confronting your life and making changes to be who you want to be, no matter your age. and the never-ending support from the four friends was such a treat. no matter the hardships or time spent apart, when they get back together, they pick up right where they left off. i’ll definitely be recommending this one to my favorite ladies in my life.
A big thanks to @getredprbooks for my #gifted copy!
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