Review by Booklist Review
Nora knows that she has a better-than-average life--a husband she adores, a job selling the vintage couture she loves, and supportive friends and family. But years of fertility struggles have left Nora emotionally spent and in financial straits. Then Evelyn bursts into her life, a whirlwind of money, enthusiasm, and bonhomie. Nora immediately becomes enamored of Evelyn, and though Evelyn treats Nora as an employee sometimes, offering Nora money to style her for events, she also offers crumbs of friendship often enough to keep Nora invested. Lines are blurred even further when Evelyn offers Nora the favor of a lifetime: to be a surrogate. Empathetically portraying the toll of fertility treatment, Nora's emotional journey will be relatable to many readers. Evelyn remains an enigma, leaving readers uncertain about her intentions, the trajectory of the women's friendship, and the outcome of the story, which provides an underlying tension and mirrors Nora's cautiously hopeful but worried state of mind. Recommended for book groups and readers that appreciate engaging, warm-hearted stories that delve into complex relationships and situations.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
When a woman in need of a surrogate meets a happy-go-lucky socialite, she receives an offer she can't refuse. Nora Hammond has gotten used to her life. She works at the high-end Manhattan vintage boutique I'll Have Seconds, spends lazy Sunday mornings with her husband, Jacob, and FaceTimes her best friend, Meg, to discuss the dream homes they find on Zillow. Nora is content with what she has, though she's gone through years of failed IVF treatments that left her with nothing but bills. Just when Nora and Jacob embrace the fact that they may never have a baby, their carefully curated acceptance ends on one fateful day--the day Evelyn Elliot strolls into I'll Have Seconds. A "Kentucky Elle Woods," Evelyn is lavish, stylish, and delightfully over-the-top, and she's a breath of fresh air blown into Nora's dreary life. Evelyn saunters around the boutique, dropping thousands on blouses, gowns, and the rare books Nora loves. Baffled by the sudden commission windfall, Nora can't help but feel enamored with her new customer. Not only did Evelyn breezily provide I'll Have Seconds with its largest sale in months, but she later sent Nora a special gift for her styling assistance: a one-of-a-kind Dior cloak designed for her mother's favorite poet, currently worth upward of $15,000. Evelyn begins asking Nora to complete a few personal assistant--type favors, sprinkling in cash and extravagant gifts, until she unveils her biggest thank-you yet: She offers to be Nora and Jacob's surrogate for their final embryo. Nora is hard-pressed to refuse Evelyn's offer, but soon enough, Evelyn's lackadaisical approach to pregnancy and the Hammonds' financial burdens threaten to ruin the unlikely friendship. Griffin's novel weaves a tale of hope in the advent of unexpected change. Nora and Evelyn couldn't be more different, and yet they connect through their cause as mothers, almost as if they are long-lost sisters. As the two are brought even closer together by the baby they share, Griffin deftly portrays how, despite that fact that motherhood looks different for all women, the love remains the same. A touching novel about the power of female friendship, forgiveness, and honesty. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
