The Friendship Test - Elizabeth Noble

They say to never judge a book by its cover.  But that's exactly what I did when I picked up a copy of Elizabeth Noble's The Friendship Test.  It's cute cartoony cover stood out amongst the sea bland looking covers in a display of 'beach reads' or some other such nonsense concocted by my local book store.  And I am glad to report to you that the book was just as enjoyable as it's cute cover.

According to the summary, this book is about four women.  We meet them at the dawn of their camaraderie in the 1980s and already each woman is distinguished from the other: Tamsin, the compassionate mother hen; Reagan, the brazen and clever overachiever; Sarah, the seemingly perfect beauty; and Freddie, who despite being far from her U.S. home, finds strength in her friends. We forward to today, and as promised they are still firm friends… that is until a crisis occurs and the principles that define their friendship test are challenged. 

In her subtly english manner, Noble tells a seamless story of four compelling women and their ever evolving friendship.  She guides us through a journey of love, loss, betrayal, family, and adventure.  Through all the curves in their life roads, the friendship between these four incredible women was often tested, yet always constant. 

This is the kind of book I love to relax with after a long and stressful day, in a bubble bath with a glass of wine.  It is a light and enjoyable read that allows you to immerse yourself in this very human story.  The Friendship Test is chick lit at it's finest, and I recommend it to you.  Definitely a good beach read - the folks at my local book store were right after all.

Note that if you're in the UK, this book is titled The Tenko Club.  I'm not quite sure why the two titles.  Annoying.

I will definitely be seeking out more books by Elizabeth Noble next time I'm in a book store.