By Adele Griffin
An Emotionally Intense Story of Friendship
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SUMMARY
Nora Hammond loves working at Manhattan's I’ll Have Seconds, a high-end vintage dress shop. The only thing about it she doesn’t like is that she barely makes enough money to pay her bills. Just before closing one night, socialite Evelyn Elliot sweeps in and changes Nora’s life forever. The two women spark an immediate friendship, and Nora is jettisoned into New York’s moneyed circle simply by being close to Evelyn. Nora feels comfortable with Evelyn and shares her struggles with debt, her tiny apartment, and even her unfulfilled but desperate desire to have a child.
Their friendship is tested when Evelyn offers to be a surrogate for Nora and her husband, Jacob’s frozen embryos. Evelyn begins a viral social media and marketing campaign about each step in the baby’s gestation, and Nora’s patience is stretched to the breaking point. THE FAVOR examines the feelings of longing for a child and how relationships are affected.
REVIEW
THE FAVOR is a captivating and endearing tale of two women from opposite ends of the financial, social, and personality spectrum who make an immediate connection. The writing effortlessly intertwines the lives of Nora and Evelyn, creating a hopeful but emotionally intense story of friendship and the responsibility that sometimes comes along with such a friendship.
While I adored Nora’s quiet and sweet character, Evelyn’s character blows in like a hurricane. She is exuberant, dramatic, and commanding. When we meet her in the first chapter, she flamboyantly buys out the store’s entire collection of vintage designer dresses, spends tens of thousands of dollars, and leaves Nora with her biggest commission check ever. The chemistry between the two very different women was fascinating, and I loved how they bonded over the poetry of Frieda Bergessen.
The topics of Nora’s infertility and Evelyn’s surrogacy were engrossing. It’s a highly sensitive topic for many, but it was nicely woven into a cleverly written story.
Thanks to Netgalley and Sourcebooks/Landmark for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Publisher Sourcebooks/Landmark
Published June 13, 2023
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com
